House, M.D. 1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything related to Fox or the TV show House...but…if you are interested in paying my mortgage or my car loan please contact me.**

I have originally posted this story on the House website at Fox starting back in September 2007 and since so many of my readers asked me to post it here I have finally taken the time to do that.

This completed story is 149 Chapters long. Yes, you heard that right 149 chapters, and at times some of the chapters are broken into several parts.

I am reviewing the story as I post each chapter so their will be some changes and my even be some combining of the partial chapters, however the original premise will remain true to the original.

**Also some things to consider before you read..**

1. There is a very strong focus on OC's (Original Characters) at times in this fic, and sometimes the spotlight may shine on them, but rest assured Cuddy and House are the main characters in this fic.

2. This fic runs through the gamut of emotions and themes, from comedy, to drama, to hot Huddy SMEX…yes I said SMEX! LOL….to some VERY gut wrenching scenes that lead you to dark places within the story.

With that I feel you have been warned without giving too much away.

Finally I really hope all of you enjoy the story and let me know your thoughts by leaving a review 

**OCTOBER/OCTOBER (HUDDY)**

**Chapter 1**

**Wilson's Office….**

"So did you get your tuxedo yet?" Wilson asked sitting in his office, once again sharing his lunch with House.

House, in mid chew wrinkled his face and made a gagging sound.

"Can't you see I'm trying to eat here?" House said, faking a choke before swallowing the bite of sandwich inside his mouth.

"Just a simple nod yes or no would have been fine." Wilson replied, reaching for the small bag of chips to his right.

House rolled his eyes and nodded yes, exhaling through his nose.

"I don't believe it! You are actually going to socialize with your peers?" Wilson chuckled, leaning back in his chair as he popped a chip into his mouth.

"Cuddy told me that if I didn't go to the fundraiser tonight I'd have to do an extra week of clinic duty." House grumbled, taking another bite of the sandwich.

"Oh come on House, like you have so many other options on a Friday night? Beside that butt crease you've formed on your couch will still be there when you go home all by yourself after the fundraiser." Wilson said with a smirk.

"AH HA!" House chuckled cynically, slapping his knee before continuing.

"You're right Wilson I don't know why I wouldn't want to go out and socialize with my peers. Oh wait, maybe it's because once your_ peers_ think they are your friends they feel free to dissect your social life instead of getting one of their own." He finished sarcastically, shoving the rest of the sandwich in his mouth as he got to his feet.

"I'll have you know my social life is just fine, in fact, I've been dating a nurse from Radiology for about three weeks now and after tonight I'm pretty sure I'll be sealing the deal with her." Wilson boasted, placing his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his chair.

"Scoring with the nurse voted most likely to contract a venereal disease really isn't something you should be proud of." House commented back to his friend before walking out the door with a smile on his face.

Limping down the hallway to his office, House's smile grew wider.

He had a little surprise up his sleeve for tonight's boring event, one he was sure would not only piss off Cuddy but also shock his best friend along with pretty much everyone else at the hospital.

That shock was just the thing he needed to keep him from dying of boredom at the stupid fundraiser.

Well that and open bar…. oh and of course a few vicodin.

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**House's Office…..**

"So you're really coming tonight?" Cameron asked later that afternoon as House grabbed his jacket preparing to leave.

"Yes." House responded watching Chase entered into his office.

"I assume you two lovebirds will be going together?" House asked Cameron in a mockingly sweet voice.

"As a matter of fact we are." Chase responded proudly, letting the sarcastic comment bounce off him as he took a step closer to Cameron.

"Well just remember no horizontal mambo on the dance floor. Just look for the closest janitor's closet. I'm sure you have them all memorized by now." House snarked, leaving a pissed off Cameron and slightly amused Chase behind him.

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**House's Apartment………**

Later that night, House stood in his apartment, dressed in his tuxedo and ready to go when Honey, a nutritionist he had met in the clinic a few months ago started knocking on his door.

Opening up the door, House smiled in appreciation upon seeing the skimpy black dress and sexy high heels Honey was wearing, while her long blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders in loose curls.

"Nice dress." House said with the smile remaining on his face as she stepped inside the apartment.

"Thanks. So are you ready to go?" Honey asked, kissing him lightly on the mouth.

"Or do you want to be fashionably late?" She whispered seductively into his ear as her hand moved to his chest.

"Are you kidding? We need to get their as early as possible because I'm hoping after tonight I won't ever get invited to one of these stupid things again." House answered stepping back from her with an evil smirk taking over his face.

"Should I be worried?" Honey questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Nope. Doctor Cuddy is the one who should be worried." House replied with a smirk, opening up the door to the apartment once more as Honey gave him a puzzled look.

"Wait, Doctor Cuddy? She's your boss right? The one you're always complaining about?" Honey asked.

"Yep that's her, the one with the big ass who's a real pain in my ass." House answered, shutting the door as they stepped out into the hallway.

******************************************************

After the twenty minute drive to the hospital, House and Honey entered into one of the rooms in the hospital basement that had been transformed to resemble a fashionable night club, with gambling tables situated on the right hand side of the room where people sat playing poker, black jack and roulette.

In the back of the room a dance floor had been constructed and behind that was a stage that had instruments placed upon it, waiting for the musicians that would be playing them a little later in the evening.

Surrounding the dance floor where several round tables, adorned with a deep burgundy tablecloths, a glow of soft candles sitting on top of them accompanied by stunning ornate flower centerpieces.

To the left room was the bar that already had a crowd formed around it as the people waiting on their drinks joined in conversation with each other.

"Wow, this place looks amazing." Honey whispered under her breath from the top of the steps leading into the room.

"I would expect nothing less from my sweet Partypants, the woman has been in the business of providing a _good time_ to the rich and wealthy for years." House replied back, resulting in another confused look overtaking the face of the pretty blonde who stood beside him.

"Who's Partypants?" Honey asked furrowing her brow.

"Don't worry about her; now let's go have some fun." House said, skirting by the subject as he reached for Honey's hand.

Descending the stairs, House scanned the crowd looking for Cuddy, not wanting to miss the expression on her face when he strolled in the place with the much younger, attractive woman by his side, but instead of locking eyes with her, the first face he did end up seeing was Wilson's.

_This is going to be great_, House thought watching his friend make his way through the crowd.

"House I had no idea you were bringing a date." Wilson said as he smiled at the young woman holding his friend's hand.

"Wilson this is Honey, Honey this is Wilson." House said, releasing her hand.

"Nice to meet you." Wilson said as Honey smiled warmly back at him, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you too." She answered.

"Honey would you mind going to the bar and getting my friend and I a drink?" House asked with a smooth tone.

"Not at all. Scotch on the rocks ok for you both? Honey asked.

"That would be great." House answered with a smile.

"Ok, I'll be back in a few minutes." Honey said sweetly, kissing him on the cheek before she left.

Watching Honey leave, House smirked, rubbing his jaw as he spotted several male doctors glancing her way as she walked up to the bar.

"Cuddy is going to be so pissed that you brought a hooker to the fundraiser." Wilson whispered over to House, watching Honey as well as she leaned against the bar ordering their drinks.

"She's not a hooker. She's a nutritionist." House clarified as both men continued to watch the pretty blonde.

"So you actually didn't have to _pay_ her to come with you tonight?" Wilson asked with shock.

"Unlike you Jimmy, the chicks really dig me. I have to literally beat them off with a stick. "House answered raising his cane up beside him.

"Yeah right." Wilson scoffed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Well, she looks normal enough so I'm guessing there has to be some deep rooted psychological issues with her, unless you really are the tender little guy underneath it all like Cameron thinks." Wilson added.

"The only thing wrong with Honey is that she sometimes gets afraid of the big cane." House muttered over to Wilson as his date made her way back to them.

"Here you go guys." Honey said with a dazzling smile, handing the men their drinks before resting her hand on the back of House's shoulder.

"Speaking of Cameron, here comes the prom queen with her prom king now." House remarked as the pair of fellows descended the stairs and started towards them.

House could see that Cameron, who was dressed in a red slinky dress tonight, had been scanning the crowd for him in the same way that he had been scanning it for Cuddy earlier, and initially there had been a sweet smile on Cameron's face when she made eye contact with him until she noticed the good looking blonde at his side which caused the corners of her mouth to descend into a frown.

"Hi guys." Chase said as the couple made their way to them, raising an eyebrow as he studied the attractive girl by House's side.

"Hey look everybody it's Buffy and Skip! So did you guys make sure to stock up on the condoms and Boone's Farm for after the prom?" House asked, nudging Chase and giving Cameron a wink.

While Honey laughed, along with Wilson and Chase, Cameron pursed her lips together in disapproval.

"I'm going to the bar to get a drink." Cameron replied back curtly, giving a sideways glance to House's date.

"Would you mind getting me a beer?" Chase asked.

"No problem." Cameron answered, slightly annoyed that Chase didn't seem to want to come with her.

"Cameron… don't' you want me to introduce my date to you first before you go running off to the bar?" House asked, holding back his smile.

Cameron gave House and annoyed glare before turning her focus back on Honey.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Cameron, but you can call me Allison." Cameron said, offering her hand to the attractive girl who looked to be about twenty five at best.

"And I'm Doctor Chase but you can call me Robert." Chase added, introducing himself as well.

"I'm Honey Conrad." House's date responded, eagerly shaking Cameron's hand.

"You know the two of you could almost be sisters, of course Cameron you'd obviously be the older sister." House said with amusement, studying both women.

"You really think we look that much alike?" Honey questioned, totally oblivious to the snark House had thrown Cameron's way.

"I'm going to get my drink now." Cameron said rolling her eyes as she turned to leave.

"Wait Allison, I'll go with you." Honey said completely unaware that Cameron was going to the bar to get away from her.

Leaning closer to House, Chase smiled.

"Cuddy is going to be so pissed when you she finds out you brought a hooker to the fundraiser." Chase whispered, watching Honey's hips sway as she caught up to Cameron.

"She's not a hooker." House and Wilson said in unison.

Chase looked back at both men with surprise.

"Oh ….I'm sorry, is she your niece or something?" Chase questioned.

"No you moron she's my date!" House shot back with irritation.

Chase's jaw dropped.

"Wow. I mean I guess I could see a girl like that going out with you _once_ if you used the patented _"I am_ _a Doctor"_ line on her …but if this isn't your first date with her…I'd be careful if I were you, even a girl with a killer body like that can be all kinds of crazy." Chase remarked, intrigued by the paring of his grumpy boss to the bubbly blond.

House looked over at Chase with annoyance.

"Unlike Cameron who obvious is totally screwed up in the head, the only thing Honey is crazy about is the ruggedly handsome doctor with the skills to pay the bills in the bedroom." House answered.

After a few minutes, Cameron and Honey arrived back to the group, with Cameron quickly taking Chase by the arm after handing him his beer, leading him away from Wilson, Honey and House, as she guided them towards Foreman who was sitting at one of the poker tables on the other side of the room.

Taking a sip of his Scotch, House let his palate linger in the taste of the alcohol moving across his tongue, his mind relishing in the fact that so far the night was going very well for him, the look of surprise on Wilson's face as well as Cameron's and Chase's faces as he introduced Honey as his date, a source of great amusement for him.

Scanning the crowd once more as Wilson and Honey engaged in a conversation beside him, House couldn't have been more pleased when he finally spotted Cuddy on the other side of the room, standing by one of the roulette tables with her back turned to him, the tight navy blue gown made of a silk, drawing his eyes to what he considered to be her greatest asset.

Studying the curves of Cuddy's perfectly round ass, House smiled, thinking about how nice it would be to grab hold of the soft flesh wrapped in the tempting fabric before giving it a firm squeeze.

When Cuddy turned around however, House took in a sharp breath, his eyes tracing the front of her gown that had a plunging neckline that had made several of the men surrounding her crane their necks trying to get a better view of her exposed cleavage.

Subconsciously drawing in his bottom lip, House moved his tongue across it as the view of Cuddy in the sexy gown began to wet his appetite.

Lisa Cuddy not only had a body on her that was built to drive men wild, but also had the brains to back it up, a temptress and formidable foe all rolled into one, the intriguing combination that was HER never waning over the many years they had known each other.

Still trapped in his thoughts of her, it was a few more seconds before House realized Cuddy had now spotted him as well, locking eyes with him from across the crowded room as she began to make her way towards him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well guys here is the next chapter, but before you read it I want to thank all of you who have left me such wonderful reviews, as well as giving a big shout out to all of my Fox site Huddies who are reviewing again as well :) I cannot tell you how much that means to me. Hope you enjoy this next chapter and please let me know your thoughts.**

**Chapter 2**

As Lisa Cuddy confidently made her way across the room through the sea of people surrounding her, she kept her eyes focused in on House, her gaze never wavering as they both silently reached for their verbal armor.

House looked good in his tuxedo, handsome, with a dangerous quality to him that was very well deserved, but of course Lisa would never tell him that even though her eyes made no apology for tracing the clean lines of the black garment he was wearing before looking back up to his face which of course held his smug smile as his eyes focused in on her breasts.

Drawing closer to him, Cuddy spotted Wilson out of the corner of her eye as well as a third person, a pretty young woman who she did not recognize.

She wondered if the girl was a new med student who she had not yet met, taking notice of the black dress the girl was wearing which was sure to make many of the men attending the fundraiser turn and look her way.

House bit down on the inside of his bottom lip as he watched Cuddy make her way to him, the assertive stride in her step an undeniable turn on for him.

Casually, he swallowed the rest of the drink in one long gulp as she reached him.

"House I'm glad to see that you made it." Cuddy remarked before turning her gaze to the pretty girl who had been talking to Wilson.

"I'm sorry but I don't think we've met before…I'm Doctor…." Cuddy started to say before House interrupted her.

"Lisa Cuddy, or as everyone else in the hospital likes to call her Doctor Chesty McBreasty, Dean of Medicine as well as the Hospital's Playmate of the month." House snarked with a huge grin.

At hearing the comment, Wilson almost spit out his drink as Honey stood speechless in shocked silence.

Turning her head in House's direction; Cuddy flashed her patented "GO TO HELL" glare at him and proceeded to offer her hand to the young woman.

"As Drunken McBastard just said, I'm Doctor Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine, are you one of the new med students joining us this year?" She asked managing to produce a smile.

"Oh no I'm not a med student, my name is Honey Conrad and I'm Greg's date." Honey replied, shaking the attractive woman's hand.

For a split second Honey noticed a peculiar look take over the striking woman's face that seemed to be a mixture of anger and disappointment, but before she could analyze the look any further, the Dean of Medicine standing before her quickly recovered, smiling once again.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Honey." Cuddy said, while shooting House another glare before letting go of the girl's hand and grabbing onto House's arm.

"Will you excuse us for a minute? Doctor House and I need to discuss some business." Cuddy then stated, not giving Wilson or Honey time to respond to her request before she led House to the far corner of the room away from the crowds of people at the fundraiser.

House felt the strong grip Cuddy had on his bicep, the pressure she had applied just above the elbow telling him she had reached the top of the chart on the 'Pissed off at House scale'.

Once they reached her desired destination, Cuddy spun around to face him, their bodies only inches apart from one another in the crowded space.

"What in the hell were you thinking bringing a _hooker_ to the hospital fundraiser?" Cuddy hissed at him trying to keep from yelling and creating a scene.

"She's not a hooker." House responded back with a smirk.

Cuddly let out a hushed sarcastic laugh.

"House…. her name isHoney…she's at least twenty five years younger than you and unless her parents were tripping on acid…. girl's named Honey that look like her are either strippers or prostitutes." Cuddy responded, folding her arms across her chest.

House let a small smile form on his lips.

"Doctor Cuddy…..I am shocked at how easily you can label someone like that, in fact I am downright appalled." He said in a hurt tone.

"Stop with the line of crap and get her out of here." Cuddy demanded, leaning towards him.

House scoffed at her request.

"I'll have you know I have met my fair share of strippers and prostitutes named _Lisa_ but I would never automatically assume since YOUR NAME is Lisa that you are stripper or a hooker. But….if you want to prove me wrong, I've got a couple of one dollar bills in my wallet that I'm sure can buy me a pretty decent lap dance." House countered, watching Cuddy's eyes light up with anger.

Opening her mouth to respond his words, Cuddy words were left unspoken as a tall man with an athletic build and broad shoulders walked up to them.

"There you are." The man said from behind them, abruptly bringing their argument to a screeching halt.

House looked over at the man who had interrupted their conversation, the guy looked to be in his early forties, his curly jet black hair and a chiseled jaw the kind of features that would guaranteed the man could have his pick of any of the women at this party with as little effort as a well placed smile.

Continuing to study the man, House watched the stranger move closer to Cuddy, casually put his arm around her waist, kissing her gently on the cheek as the intense stare Cuddy had been giving to him softened into a smile for the dark haired man.

"Hey." Cuddy said softly, almost as if she was embarrassed at being caught by this man while in the heated exchanged of words with him.

"Hi. I'm Doctor Gregory House, and who might you be?" House questioned, thrusting his hand out in the direction of the good looking man, therefore forcing the guy to remove his arm from around Cuddy's waist.

"Jeff Hansom." The man replied back with a confident smile, accepting the ragged looking doctor's hand.

House shot Cuddy a "you gotta be kidding me look" as the guy with the pearly whites shook his hand hardily, watching as Cuddy bit back her smile acknowledging the man's last name was rather amusing.

Pausing for a moment, House held their gaze before continuing.

_She really likes this guy, _He thought, reading into her body language with that important fact giving him all the more reason to see just what Mister Smiley was all about.

"Lisa and I were just discussing the possibility that she may have missed her calling in life as a stripper." House said in a matter of fact manner, testing the guy as he watched Cuddy's jaw drop.

The man continued to smile, seemingly unnerved by the comment.

"Well even though Lisa does have the kind of body most men would pay good money to see, luckily all of my shows are for free." Jeff answered back confidently without a trace of resentment, placing his arm around Cuddy's waist once more as he staked his claim on her.

"So you're into private shows now?" House questioned Cuddy, taking his eyes away from the man by her side.

"Really none of your business Doctor House." Lisa responded with a bit of bite to her tone, moving her hand behind Jeff's back as his fingers curved around her hip.

House kept his face calm and void of emotion even though at that very moment he could have kicked himself for not picking up on the signs that Cuddy had started dating someone new.

Maybe it was because he had been so preoccupied with Honey that his instincts were not as sharp as they usually where when it came to her, or maybe it was Cuddy herself had been trying very hard on her own not to let anything slip about this new man in her life.

Either way, House was sure of two things, one that Jeff Hansom was a jerk, and two that he was going to make sure Cuddy realized that as soon as possible.

"Well they're about to start the first course so we better get seated." Jeff said after studying House for a few more seconds.

Cuddy nodded and let Jeff lead her away from House as he took her hand in his own.

"So that was the famous Doctor House huh?" Jeff said to Lisa with a smile as they walked up to an empty table near the dance floor.

"Yes, that was him." Lisa responded, waiting as Jeff pulled out her chair for her.

Sitting in the chair, Lisa pushed a small breath of air through her pursed lips, trying to ease the tension away after the awkward meeting between House and the man she was currently dating.

"Do you want something from the bar?" Jeff asked, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Some merlot would be nice." Cuddy answered with a small smile, looking up at him.

"Ok, merlot it is, I'll be right back." Jeff responded, leaning down to kiss her cheek before heading over to the crowded bar.

Watching him leave, Lisa again let a small breath of air escape her lips.

She had been seeing Jeff for about three months now and for the first time in a long time she felt that this relationship may indeed have some staying power to it, and with any luck ….may indeed turn into something more.

Within those three months she did have some close calls in regards to House finding out about her dating the good looking successful man, with the pain in ass doctor making his usual smartass remarks about her looking tired or noticing the scent of the perfume she was wearing on a particular day, but luckily she had come up with some pretty good lies or avoided the subject before he could dig any deeper.

Lately though, House had seemed to be preoccupied himself and even though they had their daily run ins at the hospital, his concerns about her social life had not been as invasive as they had once had been.

"Hey, are you alright?" Jeff asked her, coming back to the table with the glass of wine she requested in his hand.

"Yes, it's just that sometimes need a few minutes to recover from the insanity that is Doctor House." Lisa responded, giving him another small smile while taking thewine glass from him.

"Is he always that rude to you?" Jeff asked, sitting down next to her.

"He's House. Which means_ rude_ is basically his middle name, but he's a brilliant doctor as well as a being a pain in the ass, so it all kind of evens out in the end." Lisa answered.

Jeff smiled over at her.

"By the way did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?" He asked placing his arm around the back of her chair.

"Yes, but it's always nice to hear it again." Lisa responded before she jumped in her seat as the sound of a loud bang caused by a cane hitting the top of the table filled her ears.

"Doctor Cuddy, do you mind if we join you?" House asked, not waiting for her response as he took the seat across from her.

"Would it even matter if I said no?" Cuddy asked him.

"Not really." House replied, removing his cane from the tabletop as Honey sat next to him.

Following House's lead, Wilson, Chase, Cameron and Foreman, who was accompanied by a pretty nurse from Pediatrics named Amy; all took their seats around the table as well.

Leaning forward and looking over at Wilson who was seated on the other side of Honey, House spoke.

"So Wilson, where's the nurse from Radiology you've been screwing on company time?" House questioned.

Wilson immediately looked over at Cuddy, placing his hands in front of him as a buffer.

"I'm dating Karen White, but I can assure you, all of our social activities are outside of the walls of this hospital and to answer _your _question House, Karen had to stay late, but she should be arriving shortly."

Cuddy nodded at Wilson before looking back over at House.

"Let's try to have some civilized conversations from here on out during dinner ok?" She said to him with a forced smile.

"Fine with me boss. So how about those AIDS patients? They really are a fun bunch, except for the whole dying part that is." House snarked, leaning back in his chair.

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Throughout the duration of the meal, the rest of the people seated around the dining table with House kept the conversations on track as much as possible even when House's smartass remarks threatened to occasionally steer them off course.

Glancing over at House, Cameron fidgeted in her dress, changing her posture several times during the meal.

_Why haven't you at least commented on my dress?_, Cameron thought continuing to look over at House, whose eyes were focused on Cuddy at the moment, her boss's obsession with his boss something that brought out a sudden spark of jealously within her.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Cameron moved her hand underneath the table, smacking Chase's hand away discreetly as he tried to maneuver it further up onto her thigh.

When Chase had come to pick her up tonight at her apartment and saw her in the clingy red dress, he had pressed her body up against the wall of her living room, with his mouth finding her neck while his hands moved down to her hips.

The replay of the scene in her mind made Cameron smile at the thought of how much Chase wanted and needed her, causing her hand to find his hand under the table once more and place it back onto her knee as she looked in his direction, residing herself to the decision that she was tried of trying to figure out how she could be attracted to two men at the same time, giving into the feeling of desire she noticed in Chase's green eyes as he looked back at her.

Meanwhile as Cameron turned her attention to Chase, House kept his attention focused squarely on Jeff and Lisa, trying to get a feel of how serious their relationship really was.

The creep with the pearly whites had made sure to be touching some part of Cuddy's body during the entire meal, whether it was brushing his arm against hers as they ate, or moving his hand onto the back of her neck as he told her another in a series of lame ass jokes and what made it even more annoying was the fact the Cuddy seemed to be enjoying it.

Sipping the last drops out of alcohol out of drink number two, House exhaled easing back into his chair, glad to see that 'mister touchy feely' was now focused on talking to Forman who sat at the other end of the table, with his left arm rested against the linen of the tabletop.

"Oh crap." House suddenly muttered to himself, putting his glass back down on the table, noticing that Jeff's right hand was out of site, concealed beneath the edge of the tablecloth.

"What did you say?" Honey asked looking over at him with her brilliant hazel eyes.

"I was wondering if you would be so kind as to get me another drink? My leg's a little stiff." House asked, rubbing his thigh for sympathies sake.

"Sure no problem." Honey answered, taking the glass from his hand as Chase got up from the table as well to get another beer.

Once Honey was out of her seat, House waited for the perfect moment to drop his napkin onto the floor.

That time came when the discussion at the table turned to politics, engaging everyone around him with the subject matter.

After checking to make sure no one was looking at him, House pushed his napkin off of his lap, watching it fall beside his right shoe.

Leaning down in his chair, House peered under the table, spotting the very shapely left leg of Lisa Cuddy being cupped at the kneecap by Jeff's right hand while his thumb gently rubbed her soft skin.

House glared at the opposing appendage.

It was a good thing that Cuddy's legs were crossed otherwise he would not have hesitated to reach for his cane and whack Mister Smiley's knuckles.

"Greg, do you need any help with that?' Honey asked as she stood beside the table, looking down at House whose hand was gripping the napkin that had fallen to the floor.

Startled, House jerked his head up, smacking the top of it against the bottom of the table with the glasses resting on top of it teetering, but thankfully not spilling, as everyone turned to look in his direction.

"Are you ok?" Honey asked with concern placing her fingers up to her mouth.

"I'm fine." House mumbled rubbing the back of his head.

"It sounded like you hit your head pretty hard. Maybe I should take a look at it." Wilson offered.

"It sounded worse than it actually was, now shut up." House said in a tone that told everyone along with Wilson they better not say anything more about the incident.

"Maybe Honey should get some ice from the bar and wrap in your napkin, just to make sure you don't end up with a giant lump on the back of your head." Cuddy teased taking a sip of her wine while a knowing smile formed on her face.

Cuddy's smile caused House to tilt his head, she knew what he had been up and was loving every minute of his embarrassment.

"I said I'm fine." House repeated, taking a sip of the scotch Honey had brought him as he kept his eyes focused on Cuddy.

"Don't you think you should stop drinking after receiving a blow to the head like that?" Wilson questioned.

"Don't you think you should shut the hell up before I get a headache that has nothing to do with the fact that I hit my head against the table?" House questioned in return, turning to face his friend while his mind replayed the sinister smile Cuddy had just given him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again thanks for the reviews guys! I wanted to get this chapter up early because of House being on tonight, but if I get to review more after work, I will post an additional chapter tonight. Enjoy the show and VIVA LA HUDDY! **

**Chapter 3**

After dinner had ended, Jeff Hansom wasted no time in escorting Lisa out onto the dance floor as band began to play, holding her body close to him as they swayed to the music together.

Within a few more minutes the floor was packed with other couples as well, all of them moving in time to the smooth jazz beat that filtered throughout the room.

Leaning back in his chair, House watched Jeff pull Lisa closer to him, whispering into her ear as she laughed softly, gazing up at him with a smile on her face.

Putting his drink down on the table, House turned to face Honey.

"You wanna dance?" He asked her, interrupting the conversation Honey was having with Wilson.

"Sure." Honey replied with a smile.

"House, do you really think you should be out on the dance floor after hitting your head and downing three scotches, not to mention the vicodin you took earlier?" Wilson asked raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry Wilson but once I hear that crazy jazz beat I gotta move my feet." House answered, snapping his fingers as he stood up.

"Come on Honey, let's get our freak on." House added, reaching for her hand as she smiled up at him once more, leaving his cane behind at the table and limping over to the dance floor with her.

House led Honey to an empty spot next to Cuddy and Jeff as the band started to play a more upbeat tune, and while a part of him was indeed concerned that alcohol buzz he was feeling combined with the vicodin he had taken earlier would end up with him falling flat on his ass, he was determined to keep annoying Cuddy for the rest of the evening, telling himself that the jerk she was with was not only boring as hell, but way too tame for her tastes.

Telling himself his motives had nothing to do with the fact that she had been showering her attention openly on the good looking man who held her in his arms confidently.

Moving his hands to Honey's waist, House looked down at her.

"I'm not sure how well I'll be able to move." He warned her.

"All you have to do is stand still and I'll do all the work." Honey replied, with a sexy smile moving across her lips.

House nodded with his eyes taking notice the lust held within hers.

Slowly, Honey began moving her hips from side to side as she pressed her body against him, placing her hands on his chest and biting down on her bottom lip.

Keeping his hands on her waist, House glanced over at Cuddy who looked back at him, first with shock, and then with anger.

Smiling over at her, House winked at Cuddy as Honey turned around so that her back was facing him, her ass grinding slowly against his crotch.

House took in a sharp breath with his hands still planted firmly on Honey's hips,

_Maybe Cuddy was right, maybe the girl in front of him really was a stripper, _House thought with a smile, feeling the tug on his groin.

Closing his eyes, House focused in even more on the seductive movements Honey was performing on him, giving into the primal thoughts running through his mind.

After a few more seconds, he opened his eyes back up, searching for Cuddy's face, wanting to see exactly how infuriated she was at him, surprised to find that she had moved away from him to the other side of the dance floor, with Jeff dipping her body down gracefully towards the floor, while she in turn wrapped her left leg around his hip.

As Jeff slowly brought her back up, Lisa looked deeply into his brown eyes, the smile upon her face, one that told of woman who knew how to get attention, the sideways glance she gave House when Jeff turned her around on the dance floor, making the growing erection in his pants stir at the sight of her.

"Oh my!" Honey giggled from in front of him as she felt the growth in his pants pressing against her backside.

House didn't even register Honey's comment, he was far to consumed with the way Lisa had just looked at him right now to even acknowledge the young blonde's existence, focusing in on the way Lisa's hand caressed Jeff's chest as her hips moved aching slow in time with his, her actions telling of a woman who could make you melt underneath her as she gazed down upon you with slate grey eyes that held a fire within the coolness of them.

"You really like that don't you?" Honey whispered to House, completely unaware of his current thoughts, breaking the spell he was under as she moved her hands overtop of his.

Watching from the sidelines, Wilson decided that he better step in before Honey got even more carried away and showed the crowd of doctors and hospital employees how flexible a twenty three year old really could really be.

Walking up to the couple, Wilson tapped House on the shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" He asked.

"You don't mind do you Greg?" Honey asked as House looked down at her.

"No not at all." House answered stepping back from her.

Wilson breathed a sigh of relief as House stepped aside, taking Honey into his arms before he felt his stomach sink as instead of exiting the dance floor, House walked up to Jeff and Lisa.

"For the love god can't he leave her alone for one night?" Wilson muttered under his breath as he began to dance with Honey.

"What did you just say?" Honey asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing." Wilson responded, deciding that Cuddy could indeed handle the situation on her own, smiling down at Honey before he dipped her, causing her to giggle.

"Doctor Cuddy I couldn't help but notice your skills on the dance floor. Would you mind if I take a turn?" House asked tapping Cuddy on her left shoulder.

Turning around Lisa gave him an annoyed look.

"I'll dance with you _if _you agree to leave me alone for the rest of the night." She replied with a warning tone.

"Scout's honor." House assured her, raising his hand in a peace sign as he looked over at Jeff.

"Do me a favor and try and keep the smartass remarks to a minimum." Jeff said to hm, kissing Cuddy on the cheek before stepping back from her and heading towards the bar.

"That guy's a real comedian." House commented sarcastically over to Cuddy as he moved his arm around her waist while reaching for her hand.

"Just shut up and dance." Cuddy responded as the band began to play a song with a much slower tempo.

"I must warn you I have had a few drinks tonight. So you might have to help hold me up a bit." House slurred, pulling Cuddy's body closer to his own.

"I swear to god House if you puke on me, not only will I have them pump your stomach in the ER but I will make sure to have the staff do a full body cavity search on you for illegal drugs as well." Cuddy countered even though she knew his drunken talk was just an act.

"I would never think of doing such a thing, especially not in front of the twins." House said, smiling as he looked down at her perfect breasts.

From the bar, Jeff watched the two of them intently, ready come to Lisa's aid if House made even the slightest inappropriate move on her.

"So how long have you been seeing the American Gigolo?" House asked Cuddy as they continued to dance.

"His name is Jeff and it's none of our business." Cuddy replied.

"Are you this nasty to him? Or do you melt under the glare of his porcelain veneers?" House pushed, studying her face while his hand moved south onto the small of her back.

"Move your hand any lower and my knee is going to be giggling up into your crotch." Cuddy warned.

"Tell me how long you've been seeing him or I WILL grab your ass in front of everyone." House responded with no signs of backing down.

"We've been through this before House; my personal life is exactly that …_personal _and something that doesn't involve you." Cuddy answered back holding their gaze, not realizing their bodies were now moving in perfect sync even though their argument had become more heated.

"How jealous where you when you saw Honey rubbing her ass all up on me tonight?" House stated frankly, throwing a curveball in her direction.

Cuddy gave him a shocked look at first before she laughed at him mockingly.

"_You're_ the one who obviously has a problem with me dating, not the other way around." She shot back as the tone in her voice raised by the slightest pitch.

"That jealous huh?" House said with a smug smile as he leaned down closer to her face.

Lisa smelled the scent of scotch on his breath, the way he was moving on the dance floor telling her at this moment he felt no pain at all in his leg.

"A word of warning for you House, you might want to back off the booze a bit if you plan on being able to get it up for Honey tonight." Cuddy said with an evil look upon her face.

Without missing a bit, House moved his lips to the side of her face, whispering into her ear.

"You of all people should know I have no problem in that department no matter how much alcohol is involved." He responded, bringing back to life the old memory that was buried between them, causing it to rise up again with the words he had spoken to her just now.

For a few seconds Lisa said nothing, feeling the way _Greg_ was brushing his thumb against the small of her back as they swayed slowly to the music the band was playing.

"House… don't..." Cuddy whispered, looking up at him, the statement a warning to them both, the graveyard of their past somewhere that needed to be treaded upon lightly.

"Excuse me Doctor House, but I think I need to steal back my date from you." Jeff said walking up upon them after seeing the intense look Lisa and House were both sharing.

For the slightest moment, Lisa hesitated, her body reacting on its own to the loss of the embrace she had shared with House, her mind shouting at her with another warning for the indiscretion that thankfully passed by without either House or Jeff noticing it.

Backing away from the couple, House turned and limped over to the table where Honey was waiting for him, easing himself into the chair beside her before looking out onto the dance floor once more, seeing Jeff move his hand to Lisa's face before he kissed her gently on the mouth, smiling at her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"This party is really fun." Honey said happily.

"And James is really a good dancer." She added looking over at Wilson who was now out on the dance floor with the nurse he was dating from Radiology that had just arrived a few minutes ago.

"I think I'm ready to go." House answered back dryly, removing his gaze from Jeff and Lisa before reaching for his cane.

"Ok." Honey answered, looking over at him with a slight air of disappointment to her tone.

*******************************************************

On the way back to Honey's apartment, House let his mind wander into the past as he sat in the passenger seat of her car with the young blonde's voice fading into the background along with the soft music playing from the stereo that rested in the console.

It had been almost a decade since he had fanned the flames of passion with Lisa Cuddy, and even still to this day he often felt the heat from the embers that remained.

Their ill-fated sexual encounter had come on the heels of Stacy leaving him and after Cuddy, who had been engaged to a Pediatric doctor named Jack Hall that used to work at the hospital, found out that her fiancée had been cheating on her with a nurse from the same department.

Jack Hall had been Cuddy's college sweetheart and House had known both of them back in Michigan, spotting her out of a crowd of people standing in front of the academic office right away, her long black mane like a beacon drawing him to her, the sideways profile of her as she stood on that brisk autumn day dressed in dark blue jeans and a form fitting red turtleneck a picture of beauty and undeniable sexual appeal all rolled into one.

He had walked up to her without a limp back then, intent on getting the pretty co-ed into his bed after just once glance, that was until he found out that Lisa Cuddy was deeply devoted to the boy who had his arm draped around her shoulder that day, the boy who held her heart in his hands, bringing out the spark in her grey eyes that _he wanted_, the boy who would end up becoming the man that would break her heart in the future.

But even though Jack Hall was the keeper of Lisa's heart back in Michigan where they all had met, it did not stop House from flirting with her every chance he got, urging that spark to come out in her eyes _for him_ from time to time, when they met up in lonely hallways as she walked back to her dorm on her way home from the library, or when they became locked in a heated debate inside one of the classrooms where he tutored her, along with a handful of other underclassman.

He told himself back then it was the thrill of trying to conquer her and steal her away from the boy she loved that made Lisa Cuddy so desirable to him, only to find many years later in the city of Princeton New Jersey, there was a part of him that still longed for the spark in her eyes, the one that told you without saying a word, her undivided attention was yours and yours alone.

It was because of that bond formed between them a long time ago in Michigan, where he saw a young girl with the resolve of a army general when it came to succeeding in life, that House found himself dumbfounded to some extent when he barged into Cuddy's office on a cold November day, intending to push his luck at getting out of some clinic duty, only to find the woman who seemed unbreakable crying softly on her couch with the blinds drawn.

Caught in the awkward moment by him, Cuddy had quickly wiped her tears away, telling him to come back later, wanting to avoid him seeing her in such a vulnerable state……and maybe….just maybe, if he would have listened to her back then both of them would not have been left to deal with the aftermath of what would occur between them later.

But instead he did stay, sitting down beside her, leaning his shoulder against her shoulder as her gaze remained focused on the carpet of her office floor.

The gesture was small, but mammoth at the time when considering the bitterness he had become a slave to once Stacy had left him, and as if sensing how big of a step this was for him, Lisa had let her guard slip, looking up at him with the eyes that told him in no uncertain terms, she too could be broken at times not matter how tough she appeared to be.

The reaction within him at seeing her face so exposed, with the tarnish of pain now taking up residency within slate grey of her eyes causing them to lose their shine, resulted in him placing his arm around her shoulder.

The touch seemed to go through her like a lighting bolt, and he heard a soft gasp escape from her lips before she leaned into his chest.

The next batch of tears from her were silent, but still carried her pain with them, her hand gripping the sleeve of his suit jacket as she tried to stave them off, the woman who went through life strong willed and headstrong, faltering at the moment from the heavy blow infidelity had handed her.

At that moment they had stopped being House and Cuddy and were once more Greg and Lisa, it's the only explanation his mind could give for what happened next as his hand began to gently stroke her dark hair as he whispered to her.

"He's not worth this you know. You always gave Jack more than he ever gave you." House had said meaning every word.

Lisa had nodded against his chest in response closing her eyes to will away the remaining tears that threatened to fall, her throat too tight from the strangle hold of emotions she was feeling to verbalize a response.

He moved his hand to her back, continuing to sooth her by gently caressing her, fingertips counting her vertebrae while they registered the beating of her heart.

"If you want I could go and de-pants Wilson in front of you to make you feel better. I heard he's got a big date tonight which means he'll be wearing his leopard print underwear." House had offered with a smirk.

The comment had made Lisa laugh and she raised her head to look up at him wiping the last tear she had cried away.

"I don't know what's more disturbing, Wilson in leopard print underwear, or the fact that he tells you he wears them." She had replied with a small smile, straightening back up as she took in a deep breath.

He had watched her for a moment and spoke before thinking.

"Wanna go and get drunk or something?" House had asked only half joking.

"I don't think that's going to help." Cuddy had answered.

"At least it keeps you numb for awhile." House responded, knowing all too well how true his statement was.

"I guess being numb is better than crying in my office all night." Lisa had replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"So that's a yes?" House had questioned.

Cuddy nodded, looking back up at him. "Yes." She answered getting up from the couch.

In the end, they had decided to go to his apartment to drink instead of bar, and yet another mistake had been laid in the path that would ultimately lead to his bed.

Closing his eyes as Honey continued to drive the car along in the chilly night that surrounded them; House reserved himself to letting the memory of his past lead him down through the turns he had memorized by heart.

They had been sitting on the leather couch in his apartment for quite sometime, the conversation between them flowing as smoothly as the whiskey they were drinking.

He had been impressed at how well Cuddy could hold her liquor and since they both needed a good laugh, he had suggested they play a game to see who could think of the most horrible way that their ex's could die, with the loser having to take a double shot of the amber liquid inside the bottle resting on his coffee table.

"Jack Hall should die alone in New York sewer, bound and gagged with his manhood covered in Swiss cheese and a pack of one hundred starving rats surrounding him." Cuddy had said, raising her shot glass up for a toast.

Although it wasn't the most horrible way to die it was by far the funniest one House had heard that night and it caused him to choke on his drink, with a small trickle of the whiskey traveling down his chin.

"You're wasting good booze!" Cuddy had said, laughing as she wiped the liquid from his chin with her index finger before placing that same finger into her mouth and sucking it off.

Even though she had pulled off the move in a split second, the affect it had on him brought back the memory of the girl from Michigan who he had wanted in the worst way, the unattainable, now sitting in his apartment across from him, as warm and inviting as the whiskey that was traveling throughout his system.

Placing his shot glass down on the table next to him and with the help of his liquid courage, he had leaned into her, kissing her softly on the lips.

She stiffened at first, both of their mouths remaining closed before she opened up to him, allowing his tongue entry.

He pulled her closer to him, feeling the weight of her breasts against his chest, hearing her breathing as she gave into what they both wanted to happen since the minute he had sat beside on the sofa in her office.

With his eyes remaining closed he had though about Stacy, moving his right hand to Lisa's breast, a soft moan from her traveling into his mouth, the sound of it, different then his ex lover, his mind not sure of where to place the feelings that were mixing old with new.

The next thing he remembered was being in his bed, not sure of how they had gotten there, his head spinning as he entered inside of her as she lay underneath him, his mind thinking about the last time he had sex with Stacy in this same bed, his eyes looking into the headboard as he felt Lisa wrapping her legs around him.

It was at that exact moment, he had chosen to look down at her through the shadows of dusk that started to invade his room, seeing Lisa opening up her eyes, catching her breath as she in turn looked up at him.

She had been thinking about Jack, he was certain of that, but when their eyes connected, the chemistry between _them _began to fill every part of their bodies and instead of fantasying about their ex lovers……..the flames of their own desire and lust began to burn.

He started to change the speed and positioning of his strokes, concentrating on her face to see what pleased her.

Lisa had whispered his name….…not House but… "Greg"……the spark in her eyes burning so bright at that moment it rivaled the sun.

What should have happened between them back in Michigan was now being acting out inside his bedroom on a cold November day, fate how ever late it may have been now showing both its presence and power to them.

At that moment in time, there was nothing else in the world but the two of them and he had felt his heart beating so fast that he thought it might burst.

He had kissed her neck, her face, her lips, pushing himself deeper inside of her as she moved her hips up to meet him.

Eye contact between them was now a priority, the gasps and smiles they exchanged, ones usually reserved for long time lovers, but in sense he had guessed that is what they were, what the had always been, lovers without physical contact who had brushed up against each other far too many times, who had denied the natural flow of attraction because of thier commitments to others, the commitments to their careers and everything else they had used as an excuse for all of these years.

Taking in a breath, House scratched at his beard, while his eyes gazed out at nothing through the passenger window, his memory reminding him of the way Lisa had pulled him down on top of her just before she experienced her orgasm the sounds she had made as she climaxed, nails piercing his skin, sending him over the edge chasing after her.

The next day he had woken up at three in the morning to find her fast asleep beside him, sleeping peacefully as her chest rose and fell like the tides in an endless sea.

He had traced the curves of her face with his fingertips, pushing a stray lock of raven hair away from her soft skin, knowing that when the dawn would break she would leave him, and that he would not stop her from going.

As he had predicted, shortly after six am, Lisa had quietly crept out of his bed, gathering her clothes from the floor before she walked out into the living room and began to dress.

Hearing the door in his apartment close, he had rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, the night of meaningless sex he had prepared for, ruined by the look held within her eyes as they made love instead, the trick of his heart leaving the scar on his brain that refused to heal.

That Monday morning at the hospital he had caught his breath the first time he saw her, remembering all too well how amazing Lisa looked with her clothes off, how well their bodies fit together, how incredible she sounded when she reached her peak with him, breathless and wild, stunning and intoxicating.

She had held his gaze for a few second before eventually looking away form him and walking down the hall towards the clinic, with each of them acting as if nothing had changed between them, leaving their feelings buried and unexplored, both of them afraid that if they tried to build something more out of the messes in their lives the ending would result in yet another disappointment

Clearing his throat, House put the memory of night he had with Lisa Cuddy all those years ago back where it belonged, telling himself they had been right not to pursue it any further as the darker days that came to him in droves afterwards turned him inward even more, leaving only more bitterness in its path.

Pulled back to the present, House excited the car with Honey after she had parked it, walking up the flight of stairs that led to her apartment, answering her with one word responses as she continued to talk of the party they had just left.

Entering into the small and modest apartment, House felt the memory of Lisa Cuddy being to crawl back into his thoughts, refusing to be laid to rest, the sight of her in the blue dress she was wearing tonight combined with the way it felt to hold her on the dance floor reminding him that his life did indeed have some moments that were in fact void of bitterness all together.

Determined to push this newest thought away just like the memories of the past he shared with her, House moved behind Honey as she dropped her keys onto the kitchen countertop.

He placed his arms around her waist, letting his cane fall to the floor, turning her body so that she was facing him.

The quickness of House's movements took Honey by surprise as did the kiss that followed it.

He smelled of scotch, his stubble rubbing roughly against her cheek, the passion and hunger he was showing her as he kissed her, drawing her into a well of desire where she was more than happy to drown in, that was until the alarm began to sound in her head, causing her hands to push him away from her mouth as well as her body.

House stumbled back, reaching for the countertop to maintain his balance.

"What are you doing?" He asked her in a slightly irritated tone.

"The question isn't what I'm doing, but rather who you were _thinking of doing _just now when you kissed me like that." Honey stated suspiciously.

"Did Wilson slip a "crazy" pill into your drink tonight?" House asked becoming even more irritated.

"Don't lie to me Greg. I told you from the beginning that I didn't care if you cheated on me, but I can't deal with you doing it when I'm in the same bed with you. Whatever feelings you have for Lisa Cuddy you need to deal with them." Honey yelled.

The words she spoke to him slapped House harder in the face than any physical of the physical blows he had received when fighting with the women in his life.

"What would make you think that I have anything but hatred for that woman? My main goal for tonight was to cause such a scene that I would never have to go to one of those stupid fundraisers again. It's bad enough when I have to deal with her at work let alone try to make nice on a social level." House shot back.

"You really think I'm that stupid?!" Honey asked, placing a hand on her hip before continuing.

"You couldn't keep your eyes off of her the entire time we where at that party. I even tried to make you jealous by dancing with Wilson but you couldn't have cared less. You didn't even look at me when you were dancing with her." Honey finished keeping her eyes glued to his.

House was speechless, his eyes shifting to the floor, hearing the words of truth spoken from a twenty five three old girl that up until now he had thought of as just another notch in his belt a little bit more than he bargained for.

Stepping closer to him, Honey placed her hands on his chest.

At first House tried to pull away from her, until she grabbed onto his shirt.

"You have to tell Lisa how you feel." Honey said looking up at him.

"I just told you how I feel about her, whatever you think you saw was noting more than animosity between the two of us." House responded, making eye contact with her once.

"I know what I saw, you're just afraid to admit it." Honey argued

"It's not that simple." House replied, shifting his eyes to the floor once more.

"It is THAT simple. Either Lisa feels the same about you or she doesn't. You're just afraid if she doesn't then you'll have to deal with getting over her." Honey responded.

House slowly raised his eyes to meet hers and told Honey what he would never admit to anyone else…not even Wilson.

"I can't take that risk. It would change everything between us." He admitted.

His words hung heavy in the air around them and he could not believe that he had actually spoken them out loud.

"You have to try." Honey said softly.

"Why do you care what I do?" House questioned looking down at her.

"I shouldn't care right? Because I knew what you wanted when we started seeing each other, casual sex with no strings attached and I'm fine with that. But I can't keep doing this just so you can use me as a substitute for her and why in the world would you settle for this when you could have something more with her?" Honey asked him sincerely.

Looking back at Honey, House paused for a brief moment, intent on saying something to her but then opting instead to pick up his cane from the kitchen floor before turning and leaving her apartment without saying another word.

Standing outside of Honey's apartment as he hailed a taxi, House decided that if a woman he had met only a few months ago could see through the farce he had created in order to mask his feeling for Lisa Cuddy, then time had come for him to take action and bite the bullet…..whatever the consequences may be.

Getting into the back seat of the cab, he rattled off Cuddy's address to the driving, hooking his finger into his bow tie and unraveling it with one tug as he felt the sweat forming on his brow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Once again thank of you for your great reviews and words of encouragement, they really mean a lot to me. I have combined several chapters once more into this one so I hope you will all enjoy it.**

**Chapter 4**

**Lisa Cuddy's Residence…….**

Kicking off his shoes, Jeff sat down on the sofa in the living room, having just finished lighting a roaring fire while Lisa went inside the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine for them to share.

Earlier Jeff had tried to convince Lisa to go back to his place after the fundraiser, but as usual she declined, leaving him with the nagging feeling that even though they had been dating for about three months now, she still did not feel completely comfortable with him.

That gnawing feeling also carried over with him into the intimate moments they shared, running through his mind at top speed as they made love.

He could feel the hesitation in her kiss and in her body, the way she held back as he moved inside of her, the few whispered gasps of pleasure escaping from her lips during her climax nowhere near what he knew she was capable of, the brilliant and vibrant woman who he had fallen in love with the first moment he had seen her, keeping a very tight rein on her most coveted emotions.

Her reason for being overly protective of her heart was simple, Lisa had been hurt badly in the past by someone she trusted, but being the man that he was, the type of man who went after what he wanted accepting nothing less than success, Jeff was determined to be the one who would repair whatever damage had been done to Lisa's heart in the past, to scale those walls she had built around herself and show her how good it could be between them, how they could have it all together.

Leaning back against the sofa, Jeff stared down at Lisa's shoes that rested next to his, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that after all these years of playing the field, it was Lisa who he wanted to become his wife.

Lisa was everything he had ever wanted, she was not only beautiful but smart and confident as well and he knew that if he could just figure out how to bring out that passion she kept hidden inside of her, then he would indeed have her for his own.

Smiling, Jeff placed his arm on the back of the couch, thinking about how satisfying it was going to be hearing Lisa speak his name with the tremor of her climax coursing through her body, determined to find the key tonight within her that would leave her totally and utterly captivated with him.

Returning to the living room with a bottle of wine and two glasses, Lisa smiled over at Jeff before setting the bottle along with the long stemmed glasses on the oak coffee table in front of them.

Dimming the lights, Lisa smiled over at Jeff once more, watching his dark brown eyes trace the curves of her body encased in the navy blue gown.

"See something you like?" She asked him as she took a spot next to him on the sofa.

"Mmmmhmm." Jeff replied through closed lips as he pulled her closer to him, kissing her deeply.

Lisa placed her hands on Jeff's shoulders, surrendering to the kiss he offered her at first, when suddenly, the thought of House dressed in his tuxedo with a smug look on his face entered into her mind.

Feeling the tension rise up within her, Jeff pulled his lips away from hers.

"Hey are you ok?" He asked, brushing some of her dark silky hair off of her right shoulder.

"I'm fine, just trying to forget about what a jerk House was tonight at the fundraiser." Lisa lied.

"Why you just don't get rid of the guy. He seems to be more of a deficit than asset to the hospital." Jeff said, moving his hand to her lap and taking hold of her hand.

"House is a world renowned diagnostician that brings in a lot of good press for the hospital and I can put up with his crap as long as he continues to save lives that would otherwise be lost without his help." Lisa responded.

"You do know talking about how tough you are, is turning me on…..right?" Jeff said with a grin, eager to get back to where they had been before the thoughts of House had entered into her mind.

"Really?" Lisa questioned with a smile, biting down on her bottom lip as Jeff leaned in to kiss her again.

"Really." Jeff whispered back in a low tone just before their lips met once more.

Pressing her body against Jeff's chest, Lisa wrapped her arms around his neck, cringing when she heard the doorbell began to ring with an annoying non-stop buzzing, knowing the rubber stopper of a cane was the reason for the incessant irritating sound.

"Do you want me to get that?" Jeff asked, reluctantly breaking away from their kiss.

"No, I'll get it." Lisa answered rising up from the sofa.

_I shouldn't have let him dance with me tonight, _Lisa thought as she made her way to the front door, disengaging the lock before she pulled it open.

"Hello!" House said, greeting her with a cheery tone as he shoved a bouquet of flowers into her hands.

Lisa clutched the bouquet, looking down at them with confusion, until she realized the flowers he had just handed her came from her own flower bed.

"What in the hell are you doing here, and why are out in the middle of night vandalizing my flower bed?" She demanded, stepping into the threshold of the door.

"Well you see I heard on the news tonight that there was a werewolf roaming your neighborhood disguised as a tall good looking guy with black hair and pearly white fangs, AND.....that this werewolf has been known to tear the panties off of several unsuspecting victims, and since I know that most of the time_you do indeed_wear panties, I wanted to make sure you were ok." House replied trying his best to keep a straight face.

Lisa glared up at him, studying him as the streetlight on the corner illuminated his features.

House had removed his bow tie and unbuttoned his shirt to just below his sternum; he looked a little disheveled but not sloppy drunk.

"House we've been through this before...." Lisa started to say, moving the flowers into her right hand so she could push him back from the door intending on closing it behind them before she chewed him out for interrupting yet another one of her dates.

But just as she touched his shirt, House placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back inside and shutting the door behind them with his left foot, his cane hanging off of his right wrist.

"House, leave.... NOW." Cuddy demanded, shocked by his actions, feeling her heart begin to race inside her chest.

"Not until I get to talk to you." House said, looking into her eyes.

"What's going on out here?" Jeff asked, entering into the foyer, feeling the anger within him rise to the surface when he saw the way House was holding onto Lisa.

"Jeff, I've got this under control." Lisa responded, glancing over at him before she focused her gaze back on House.

"Leave." She whispered under her breath to him.

"No." House whispered back, spotting Jeff moving closer to them out of the corner of his eye.

"Lisa said she wants you to leave, now get your hands off her you jerk!" Jeff warned, pulling Lisa aside while grabbing hold of House's shirt.

House in true form brought his cane up between Jeff's legs sending the man crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

Shocked once again by House's actions, Lisa bent down quickly, trying to help Jeff to his feet as she glared up at House who was smirking triumphantly.

"That will teach you to pick on a cripple." House said in a sarcastic tone as Jeff staggered to his feet drawing in a deep breath.

"You son of a bitch!" Jeff growled, going after House again, but before he could reach the man who had sent him crashing to his knees, Lisa stepped in between them.

"Jeff, you need to stop." Lisa said in an even but firm tone.

"I'm not going to stop until I throw his ass out the door!" Jeff responded, glaring over at House.

Lisa placed her hand on his chest.

"Jeff I told you I had this under control, now please go out into the living room and wait for me there." She requested in a gentler tone.

"I am not letting you out here alone with that jerk!" Jeff insisted.

Lisa exhaled in frustration, looking back at House.

"Stay here and don't move." She ordered pointing a finger at him.

"Anything you say boss." House responded, glancing over at Jeff.

"Jeff, come on." Lisa urged, taking him by the arm and guiding him back into the living room.

"You need to let me teach that pompous ass a lesson." Jeff muttered under his breath as he stood facing Lisa inside the dimly lit room.

"Jeff....." Lisa began to say before pausing. "I want you to leave."

"What? You can't be serious?" He asked with surprise staring back at her with disbelief.

"Jeff, I don't want you to go…. _but I know House, _and something has to be bothering him pretty badly for him to pull a stunt like this." Lisa reasoned, trying to sooth away the sting of his wounded ego.

"You know_ exactly _what's bothering him, it's the fact that I am here with you. You told me when we started dating that he's always had a problem with the men you've dated, that he tries to make things difficult for you just to get his rocks off." Jeff replied with and edge of anger still remaining in his tone.

Lisa reached for his hand.

"I know .........and that's why I need you to leave. I have to put an end to this. I need to let House know that he cannot do this to me any longer and unless he stops messing around in my personal life, _I will _have no choice but to fire him, but I can't do that with you here…..ok?" Lisa explained, moving closer to him as she spoke.

Even though the last thing Jeff wanted to do was leave the two of them alone, he knew that Lisa was right, if the situation had been reversed he would not want another man present while he was given the ultimatum she had in store for House.

"Ok, I'll leave." Jeff conceded, sitting down on the sofa to put his shoes back on before gathering up his tuxedo jacket from the arm of the couch.

"Thank you." Lisa whispered to him, leaning down and kissing him softly on the lips before Jeff stood up again and they made their way back out into the foyer together.

"House, go into the kitchen until Jeff leaves." Cuddy then commanded in her best administrator voice.

"You forgot to say please." House answered back.

"Don't push your luck." Lisa warned shaking her head as he limped passed her down the hallway.

As Lisa walked Jeff to the front door, House strained his neck trying to listen in on their conversation from the kitchen.

"If he gets too out of hand promise me you'll call me." Jeff said to her as they stood in front of the open doorway.

"Don't worry I know how to handle House, remember I've had years of practice." Lisa reassured him.

Jeff pulled Lisa to him and lifted her face to kiss her, seeing the tension still held within her face.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok alone with him?" He asked.

"I'll be fine." Lisa replied, gently patting his shoulders.

"And I'll call as soon as House leaves." She finished taking a step back from Jeff as he put on his jacket.

"Ok." Jeff said, kissing Lisa on the cheek before he reached for the doorknob, pulling the door closed as he exited her house.

Looking down, Lisa noticed the flowers House had given her earlier were strewn across the hardwood floor, a casualty to the battle that had occurred between the two men in her foyer.

She bent down and gathered the battered flowers up in her hands, exhaling again in frustration as she heard the thud of cane behind her.

Turning around so she could throw the flowers into the trash behind her, Lisa readied herself for another battle with House, nearly falling backwards when she almost collided with him as he stood directly behind her.

House grabbed her, letting his cane fall to the floor so she would not lose her balance.

"House…what are you doing?" She asked, just before he pushed his body against hers, pinning her to the front door, his palms pressing into the dark wood behind her.

He kissed her hard with an undeniable hunger, slipping his tongue forcefully into her mouth before she had time to protest it.

Lisa responded by dropping the flowers held within her hands to the floor, pushing him away from her with considerable force.

"Get out!" Lisa exclaimed as her heart beat wildly in her chest, her grey eyes filled with confusion and anger as she reached for the doorknob.

He took a step towards her again before she had a chance to open the door and Lisa put her hands out in front of her.

"House…..stop!" She warned, not sure of what kind of sick game he was playing with her.

"Tell me that you're in love with Jeff and I'll leave." House stated, looking directly into her eyes as they widened at his question.

"I love him, _now go_." Lisa stressed as she held their gaze.

House closed the gap between them even more.

"No you don't. If anything you're using him." House argued, placing his right hand against the door behind her once more.

Lisa folded her arms across her chest, keeping her eyes fixed on him.

"Why did you come here tonight House? Honey shoot you down when you got back to her place so you decided it would be fun to come over here and try and make me as miserable as you are?" Lisa challenged with an authoritative tone.

He was in no mood to hear her lectures, his other hand finding a spot behind on the door as well, trapping her once more and _making_ her listen to what he came to say to her.

"I came here tonight because you put up with all of the crap I give you on a daily basis when any other hospital administrator would have booted me out of _their hospital_ a long time ago! You defend me and protect me, time and time again, showing me that I mean more to you than anyone else in your life has in a very long time. You not only want me at _your_ hospital you _NEED_ me there with you." House yelled back at her with anger.

Lisa let a rush of hot air escape her lungs.

"I don't need you! I tolerate your _crap_for the good of the hospital!" She retaliated, her words filled with venom.

"You NEED me at that hospital just as much as you need me here, ringing your doorbell in the middle of the night so that you don't make the mistake of settling for a jerk who you _think_ has everything you want, using him as a poor substitute for what you really need." House shouted feeling Lisa's arms pressing again his chest as he leaned even closer to her.

"A substitute for who? For you!?" She asked giving him an incredulous look.

"You may not want me ….but you do NEED me…. and not just inside the walls of the hospital." House responded as his mind conjured up the memories of their past once more.

Lisa looked up him coldly, her defenses rising around her at full force, the words he had been spoken to her with an aching truth resounding among them, far too dangerous to even consider.

She refused to look away from him as she lowered her tone, intent on landing a blow she was sure would send him on his way.

"If you're that desperate for sex, go and call up one of your hookers and leave me the hell alone." Lisa replied, pronouncing her words slowly, wanting them to sting, hoping it would cause him to step back from her both physically and mentally.

"Don't you dare do that…don't you try and …" House started to say through gritted teeth, holding his ground.

"What? Deflect by making jokes about your sex life? I hardly think you have any room to tell me what I will or will not discuss with you. We had a one night stand over ten years ago House! I've told you before to get over it, to get over ME." Cuddy hissed in return interrupting him, feeling the heat of their conversation washing over her.

"I will when you do." House replied.

A curt laugh escaped her lips.

"I already have!" Lisa declared with bite to her tone.

"Bullshit!" House countered, closing the last remaining fraction of space between them.

"It's always been there between us and you know it. You want it to go away as much as I do but it _WON'T_." He added, his voice lowering to a tense whisper as if he was speaking the words of a sacred prayer.

Lisa took in a breath through her nose, trying to steady herself.

He was so close now….too damn close, invading both the personal space in front of her as well as the one inside of her heart, callously and with no apologies.

"House….go home, get drunk, and call Wilson. Tomorrow you'll wake up and realize this was a mistake." Cuddy whispered watching his eyes studying her face, feeling the weight of his gaze pressing down on her.

"No." House answered before he leaned into her again.

Lisa opened her mouth for one last fleeting protest, her palms pressed against his chest, but she was silenced as he gently moved his lips over hers with a longing attached to them, searching to find what she was trying in vain to keep hidden from him.

She balled her hands into fists, getting ready to push him away again until she felt his hand move up onto her neck, his thumb gently stroking her jaw, making the spot inside of her heart that she had for him take notice, making her mouth open up as he slid his tongue inside of it.

Her hands relaxed and found their way up to his shoulders as she leaned back against the door, needing the support of the wooden entrance behind her to keep from loosing her balance as she felt the blood rushing from her head straight to her heart that was pumping at an ever increasing rate.

Everything was coming towards her all at once, all the years of pent up frustration from loving a man who was anything but perfect flooding into every part of her. Echo's from their past reminding her of what an excellent lover he was, bringing the truth along with it that confirmed she had experienced more with Greg House in their one night together than all the years since with the men she had slept with afterwards.

Breaking away from their kiss, Greg looked into Lisa's eyes.

"Do you still want me to go?" He asked, needing to hear the truth from her.

"No." Lisa answered; her voice although soft….clear in her admission to him, her heart begging for her to throw away the reins and reach for what she needed more than anything in this world.

Gripping the lapels of his tuxedo, Lisa pulled him close to her again, pressing her lips firmly against his own, parting the line between them with her tongue before moving it into his mouth.

House took his right hand from the door and placed his arm around her waist, pulling her closer until they were both suffocating in the smoldering passion they were creating, pushing his logic aside as a long forgotten part of him that had been neglected for so very long rose from beneath the ashes of scattered memories of what had lived on between them.

Lisa moved her lips to Greg's neck, kissing the rough stubble and feeling the burn of it, biting down on it softly, making it surrender to her will as she removed the tuxedo jacket he was wearing, letting it drop onto the floor behind him, working feverishly to undo the buttons on his shirt next.

Growing impatient with the last few remaining buttons, Lisa yanked the shirt open, sending the last of them flying to the floor.

"I'll buy you a new one." She blurted out, looking up at him, breathing hard as she saw the smile spread across his face.

House took the opportunity to kiss her again, moving his hands to the zipper on the back of her dress, his erection pressed firmly against her thigh, his fingers fumbling with the small tab as he tried to pull it down.

He grunting in frustration as Lisa moved her lips to his chin.... until finally....with one good yank, he succeeded in moving the zipper down to the curve of her spine.

Lisa slipped her arms out of the dress, letting slide off her body and fall softly to the floor, taking in a harsh breath as their bodies separated for a moment as House unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt before taking it off, his eyes never leaving hers until they gazed down at the lingerie she was wearing.

He reached out for her, grasping her by her hip and pulling her towards him once more.

God her body was even better then he remembered, toned and yet so sinfully curvy, the dark blue lace panties hugging her hips and the matching bra proudly displaying her gorgeous breasts, making the erection in his pants stiffen all the more.

Lisa's hands slid between them, finding their way to his belt where she undid the loop and unzipped his pants within a matter of seconds, the palm of her left hand pressing against his erection as her thumb circled the tip.

House looked down at her and let out a shallow breath as he moved his right hand to her breast, caressing it over the fabric of the push up bra before he lowered his lips onto the top arch of it, sliding that same hand back to the clasp of the bra and unhooking it.

"Oh god." Lisa gasped softly as Greg's tongue moved onto her nipple, the thin straps of her bra falling down to her elbows, her left hand finding the back of his head.

House pulled her closer, sucking on her nipple as the tip of his tongue continue to tease the bud of it, his right hand traveling to the curve of her ass, finding the exposed flesh that her thong panties did not cover, giving the soft muscle a possessive and firm squeeze, hearing Lisa gasp one more when he did so.

Lisa felt the surge of desire rush throughout her entire body, her hands, forcing down his slacks and boxers in on swift motion, reaching for his erection and hearing Greg groan in approval as she began to stroke it.

Trying to kick off his shoes, Greg lost his balance, leaning into her and pushing her up against the wall with a soft thud.

"Sorry." He said trying to catch his breath as she smiled back at him.

"Just hurry up and get naked." Lisa replied back with a huge grin never feeling more alive than at that moment, watching him free himself from both the shoes and the garments that were pooled around his ankles.

Reaching for her once more, Greg moved his mouth over to her other breast, teasing it in much the same manner as it had her left one, making the aching between her thighs increase, the heat within her escaping onto the thin fabric of her panties.

House lifted his head and spotted a small but sturdy high narrow table halfway down the hallway, smiling at Lisa as he began to back her up towards while she looked up at him with eyes that were filled with fire.

Lisa felt the edge of the dark cherry table pressing into the back of thighs and with Greg's hands securely on her hips, she pushed herself up onto the piece of furniture while he used his thighs to push her thighs further apart, the only thing separated their bodies from uniting, the delicate fabric of the silk panties she was wearing**.**

Taking the lace fabric curved around her hips into his hands, House pulled the lingerie down over her smooth toned legs, smiling as finally all of her was finally revealed to him.

He tossed the panties aside, thinking about the last time they had become one and how they had rushed into fornication without the build up of foreplay.

He had always regretted that, and this time he was determined to take the taste of her with him, ingraining the memory of everything that was _her_ into his mind for all time, an image that would keep him warm when the coldness of night came looking for him.

Lisa felt the anticipation within her growing, watching as Greg knelt down in front of her, his leg seeming not to be affecting him at the moment as he reached for her legs and placed them over his shoulders, kissing her inner thighs softly as he breathed her in, the visual of he what he was doing making her breathing all the more rapidly.

As his lips reach the faint hairline below her navel, Greg felt Lisa's body tremble, hearing her breath catch in her throat as her left thigh brushed against his cheek, urging him on.

_Damn that was sexy as hell and he needed to look up at her before proceeding so he could see the expression on her beautiful face._

She did not disappoint him, her eyes fixated on his, watching as he moved his tongue over her skin, her head falling back against the wall and a moan escaping her from her throat when he placed the tip of his tongue upon her clit.

She was incredibly wet and he could not help but smile as he flatted his tongue and began moving it around in her glistening heat, her response to him .....the kind of thing that every man dreams about, the taste of her as addictive and sweet as a kiss from her full lips, his tongue searching and pushing its way inside of her as he pulled her closer to him with fingertips gripping onto the soft flesh of her hips.

Lisa arched her back, exhaling loudly as the force and strength of his tongue that was probing her mercilessly with hunger increased, grabbing the back of his head with one hand while bracing herself with the other by holding onto the edge of the edge of the table for dear life, afraid it might crash underneath her at any moment.

_Oh god he was even better than she had imagined the many nights she laid awake alone in her bed, thinking about all of the things they could have done to each other during their one night so many years ago._

House felt Lisa's thighs pressing harder against his face as his tongue continued to slide in and out of her, stopping for a moment to rise back up to her clit before plunging back into as she moaned out in ecstasy.

"_Greg._" Lisa finally whispered with urgency, moving her hand to his cheek, letting him know she wanted him to stop, that she wanted him to be inside of her when she climaxed.

Despite the missing piece of muscle in his thigh, House moved up to her body in record speed, capturing her lips with his own as he positioned himself just outside of her entrance, teasing her with the head of his shaft.

Lisa wrapped her left leg around his waist, their lips parting, eyes locking onto each other as he slowly began to guide himself into the center of her.

House felt a tremor run through him as he felt the warmth of her essence and they began to move as one, a film of sweat brought on by the release of their emotions covering both their bodies.

Wrapping her other leg around his waist, Lisa pressed the sides of her knees into his back causing him to slip deeper inside of her, moaning with him in unison as they picked up the pace, arching her back once again and grabbing hold of the hair when he started to hit the spot the made her come alive.

The table beneath her groaned, the legs of it rubbing against the wooden floor, creating scratch marks in the floor's surface, a memory instilled within the wooden fibers that would serve as a reminder of what they had done in the dark of night when the passion, lust and chemistry inside of them was finally released from its prison.

Greg leaned down and kissed Lisa's neck, feeling the heat of her breath on his shoulder, the first contraction of the muscles inside of her sending a shiver up his spine.

His lips made their way to her jaw, her hand moving to his neck, their foreheads touching as she cried out, closing her eyes with the confession of her desire echoing down the hallway followed by the sound from inside of him that arose from a sacred place, showing itself to her as he lowered his head to her shoulder and came inside of her, feeling her muscles continuing to contract against him, perfection found in two people who had spent years needlessly trying to avoid it.

Lisa rested her head against his chest, caressing his back with her fingertips as they both slowed their heavy breathing, their bodies still locked in their carnal position.

"You should have stopped me." House breathed into her skin, lifting his head up.

"What?" Lisa questioned, feeling her heart sinking into the bottom of her chest.

Upon seeing the look on her face, House moved his hand up into the hair gathered around her neck, feeling her rapid pulse in the pad of his thumb.

"You should have stopped me and told me to put a condom on. You can't count on me to be the responsible one here." He explained to her.

Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.

"You already know I'm back on the pill thanks to your snooping." She commented.

"But you don't know about me." House countered as he felt her un-wrapping her legs from around his waist.

"I know that you are smart enough to protect yourself with the people you're with just like I am and that _most_ of your talk about Hookers is just talk." Lisa replied back holding their gaze.

"And what about the hookers that aren't just talk?" He pushed.

"Did you have sex with them or just get blowjobs?" Lisa questioned watching the look of shock overtake his face.

"You just said blowjobs." House said with a smirk.

"And you're avoiding me question." She replied.

He moved on of his hands to the back of his neck, while the other remained resting on her hip.

"I had one blow job from a hooker a few years ago, with a double layered raincoat on, I wasn't taking any chances." House confessed.

Lisa laughed and her voice traveled down the hallway.

"It's not funny." House muttered even though the fact that he _could _talk her about these kinds of things really was quite amusing.

"I'm sorry…but…that is really funny." Lisa said with a grin, just before a shiver ran through her.

"Are you cold?" House asked rubbing her shoulders.

"A little." Lisa responded, watching him in awe as he reached down beside them and offered her his shirt.

"Here, wouldn't want the twins to catch pneumonia." He said with a smile, unable to resist cupping her left breast and running his thumb across her nipple that was still erect.

"Thanks." She said with a small smile of her own, amused of course that true to form, House had to add a touch of lechery to his rather gallant offer of his shirt to her.

She slipped the shirt on as House stepped back from her, wincing and rubbing his thigh as he did so.

"Are you ok?" Lisa asked with concern as she pulled her dark hair out from under the collar of the shirt.

"Nothing that a vicodin and a good rub down by the Dean of Medicine won't cure." House responded, offering her his hand so she could hop down off of the table.

Lisa rolled her eyes at him as her bare feet made contact with the cool wooden floor beneath them the silence in the air, broken as her cell phone lying on the coffee table in the living room began to ring.

"Let it go to voice mail." House commented over to her as he limped towards the pile of clothes in front of the door to retrieve his boxers.

"You know I can't do that, it might be the hospital." Lisa said dismissively, walking into the living room.

She picked up the phone and looked at the caller ID.

"Who is it?" House asked from behind her after slipping his boxers on and entering into the living room behind her.

"It's Jeff." Lisa said turning around to face him.

"Let it ring." House responded as his voice dropped ever so slightly.

"I can't, he'll get worried and then he could end up coming over here." Lisa replied, answering the phone before House could protest any further.

"Hi." She said softly.

"Hey." Jeff answered.

"So how did things go between you and House?" He asked.

Lisa looked over at House who was staring intently at her.

"Not too well, in fact I have a splitting headache, but in the end he did agree to stop messing around in my personal life." Lisa lied, closing her eyes after she watched House turn away from her, leaving her alone in the living room.

"Do you want me to come back over?" Jeff asked.

"No, I'm just going to take some Tylenol and go to bed." Lisa responded opening her eyes back up again.

"Ok...... well..just call me tomorrow and maybe we'll go out for breakfast." Jeff offered, leaning back in his leather bound chair.

"I can't do breakfast, I've got to go into the hospital tomorrow morning for a few hours, it's budget season and the board needs to meet for final approval on the new pediatric wing, plus I've got some paperwork I need to get completed." Lisa explained.

Jeff let out a sigh of disappointment. "Well then just call me on your way home and so we can make plans for lunch."

"Ok, I will." Lisa responded, hearing a rustling noise coming from the foyer.

"Oh and if you wake up in the middle of the night and need something to keep you warm… call me." Jeff said in a low tone, smiling on the other end of the line.

"I will, goodnight Jeff." Lisa said hanging up the phone and walking out into the hallway.

"What are you doing?" She asked House as he zipped up the tuxedo pants he had just put on.

"Leaving so our boyfriend can come over and tuck you in." House replied back coldly.

"That's not fair. What did you expect me to do? Tell Jeff I just got done having sex with you and hope that he'd understand?"" She replied walking up to him.

"Give me back my shirt." He said flatly.

"Fine." Lisa responded, reaching to undo the buttons.

House exhaled, stopping her hands by grabbing onto her left one. "Stop...I don't want you to...."

Lisa pulled her hand away from him.

"What DO YOU want House?" She asked with a touch of sadness to her tone.

"So I'm back to being House now?" He questioned.

"It really not the best time to be and ass." She responded taking a step back from him.

"I don't want you to see Jeff anymore, not after what just happened between us. There........ happy now?" House stated as if the words had scarred his throat as they come out from inside him.

"I don't want to see him anymore either but the fact of the matter is Jeff is a good guy and I'm not going to treat him like crap just because of what happened between us. I'm going to break up with him but I need to do it on my terms, not yours." Lisa replied in no uncertain terms.

"Exactly when are you planning to do this? Are we talking next week, should I just come over after he leaves or what?" House asked, keeping his cocky attitude.

"Quit being a jerk about this I plan on telling him tomorrow and I'm assuming you're going to be doing the same thing with Honey." Lisa replied not at all amused with his tone.

"Already dumped Honey's sorry ass, you see some people can cut through the bullshit instead of dragging it out." House snarked, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her against him.

"What do you think you're doing now?" Lisa asked him as her arms remained crossed in front of her.

"We made up after our first fight…. so now I get to do again." House said smartly.

"We DID NOT make up." Lisa argued, unable to hide her smile.

"Do your really want to squabble over specifics instead of riding my joystick again?" House asked her.

"You won't be able to get it up again that quickly stud, not after you last performance." Lisa countered.

"Don't bet on it sex kitten." House muttered under his breath, holding onto her as he started backing them both down the hallway towards her bedroom.

"Don't call me sex kitten." Lisa snipped, slapping him across the chest as they moved closer the threshold of the master bedroom.

"I always knew you liked it rough." House whispered, smacking her on the ass.

"Oh you're dead." Lisa said in a voice filled with lust, turning him around and pushing him back onto the matress.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the reviews guys! I was worried about posting this fic on such a big site, but your great coments have really made me feel welcome and of course it's always nice to hear how much you are enjoying the story:)**

**Chapter 5**

At 6am the next morning, Lisa awoke before her alarm clock had a chance to go off, feeling the rough hairs of a man's chest on her fingertips as his ribcage rose and fell in a deep slow rhythm.

As the cobwebs from her dreams began to fall away from her waking mind, she remembered that she had not gone to bed alone, the smile overtaking her face as she opened up her eyes, one that told of a very happy and satisfied woman.

She looked over at Greg who was lying on his back sleeping peacefully next to her and again she smiled, thankful that he was still here, worried that she would find herself alone in the bed that was meant for two, with him having left in the painful early hours as the gravity of their new situation begin to sink in.

Carefully, Lisa removed his hand from his chest, turning towards her side of the bed slowly so she could shut of the alarm before it could sound.

Turning back around she was thankful to see that her actions had not stirred him from his slumber, biting down on her bottom lip as she thought of how exhausted he must be, remembering how they had made love for the second time in this bed with her on top, and how incredible it had been, how he had surprised again by not only rising to the occasion in no time but also by showing her his hands, and mouth were not about to become lethargic in their performances either when it came to making her orgasm harder and longer than she ever had before.

Taking in a sudden short breath Lisa realized that she was already in way over her head, the tingling between her thighs at the mere though of him, addictive and dangerous at the same time.

This wasn't just any man in her bed, this was Gregory House, a man who was as complex as the cases he solved, a man who would at times challenge her, anger her and push her to her limits, and …….investing her heart so deeply in him was sure to bring even more risks to their continued struggles with each other.

Rolling onto her back, Lisa let out a hushed sigh, staring up at the ceiling for a few moments before she eased herself out of the bed and headed for the master bathroom, silently shutting the door behind her.

She waited until the steam began to fill the room before opening the curtain and stepping under the shower head, her thoughts along with the hot soothing water beginning to wash over her.

Could they really make this work?

Did he really want to _try_ and make this work?

Lisa knew in her heart that Greg had summoned up all his courage last night to come here, and that last night confirmed what they had both been feeling about each other for years, but the outside world with all its problems and complications was a very real threat that could bring with it a sudden coldness to them both killing what they had before it could bloom.

Closing her eyes, Lisa let the water from the shower run over her face, taking in a surprised breath as she heard the shower curtain beside rattle as Greg stepped in to join her.

"Hey." She said softly opening up her eyes and turning to look his way.

"Hey." House answered, the expression on her face telling him she had been thinking about what had happened between them last night.

"Did I wake you?" She asked turning around to face him as he closed the shower curtain behind him.

"No, my annoying team woke me by calling your phone first before calling mine, and now daddy has to go the hospital with you and earn his keep." House said, placing his hand on her hip and pulling her a little closer to him.

He needed to kiss her again and remind her as well as himself why he had stayed with her in her bed until the morning, why although taking these steps with her now could end up in a dead end, it was worth it, why after so many years of being alone, the thought of having something with her even if it would only last for a short time was so much better than having nothing at all.

Lisa's reaction to him was immediate; her hands moving from his chest to his neck willingly, her body and mind reminding her once more how amazing well their bodies fit together.

House's hands roamed the slender curve of her spine, moving down from her lower back to the roundness of her ass, the spark ignited quickly between them as her mouth moved away from his for a moment.

"Greg, I have to get to the hospital and so do you." Lisa warned, taking in a breath, knowing all to well what was on his mind, what was on her mind as well.

"I really don't think my boss will care if I'm a little late." House responded, reaching for the shower gel behind her and squirting some of it into the palm of his hand as her hands slid down to his chest.

"Besides, I really have some important business I have to attend to, like making sure your back is properly washed." He added, motioning for her to turn around.

Lisa looked up at him for a few seconds before she did as he asked, turning around and letting the spray of the shower cover her with its heat.

"I thought you'd still be tired after last night." She said in a low seductive whisper with a smile on her face as his soapy hands began to caress her back, giving into the feeling instead of resisting it.

"Not me ….I'm like the energizer bunny baby. I just keep shagging and shagging." House answered in his best Austin Powers accent, looking down at her ass.

"I love the British accent." Lisa said with laugh, feeling his hands moving up to her shoulders.

"Double O seven has nothing on me." House muttered, completely taken in by the sight of her, guiding his hands down to her hips, feeling her catch her breath as he slid them across the muscles of her taunt abdomen.

"Now as the old saying goes, I wash your back and you wash mine." He whispered into her neck as he removed his hands from her body.

Lisa turned around to see him pointing down to erection that she had been the cause of.

"That doesn't look like your back to me." Lisa remarked, arching an eyebrow.

"Back …magic stick….same difference." House said with a shrug.

Reaching for the shower gel behind her, Lisa squirted some of it out into the palm of her hand, hearing Greg take in a sharp breath as she wrapped her fingers around his erection, stroking him gently as the hot water from the early morning shower ran between their bodies, enveloping them in its steam as once again they forgot about everything but each other.

********************************************************

It was nearly thirty minutes later before Lisa was dressed and ready to head out the door.

House, for his part had put his tuxedo pants from the night before and was currently rummaging around inside her kitchen looking for something to eat.

"Don't' you have anything besides this health food crap?" He whined, looking with disgust at the no fat, no sugar, and no taste options in her refrigerator.

"Here's an apple…..enjoy." Lisa said, handing the piece of fruit to him as he closed the refrigerator door before slipping on her shoes.

"I don't want an apple, I want real food." House replied back, setting the apple back down on the countertop.

"We don't have time for this, I need to drop you off at your place and try to get to this meeting without being late." Lisa answered back with annoyance, taking a last sip out of her coffee mug before she rinsed it out in the sink and placed it inside the dishwasher.

"I don't know about you….but after what I just did to my boss up in the shower, she's not going to mind if I'm a few minutes late." House boasted with a smirk, looking over at her.

"If you don't hurry up you may never get to _do_ that to your boss again." Lisa responded placing her hand on the countertop as she leaned towards him wearing a very sexy low cut red top.

"Oh alright…besides, I can never say no to you two." House said sweetly, looking down at her breasts.

"Very funny." Lisa replied rolling her eyes at him.

House reached around her and grabbed her ass.

"Didn't want the junk in the trunk to feel neglected." He said with another smirk before limping over to the table where his shirt and tuxedo jacket had been placed over one of the chairs by her.

"Wow, looks like some crazy sex starved cougar really did a number on this puppy." House remarked holding up the dress shirt that was wrinkled and missing the three bottom buttons on it, holding it out in front of him for her to see.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Lisa asked with a raw honesty to her tone, catching him off guard.

House looked over at her and nodded as she walked up to him.

"Yep." He said simply before adding.

"Besides I like having sex with you, especially when you do that amazing thing with your hips and I do like talking to you most of the time, so I think as long as you don't annoy the crap out of me too much, I'm ready to be your love monkey." He answered back slipping the dress shirt on.

"That was so romantic I think my panties just dropped to the floor." Lisa replied sarcastically with a wicked smile displayed on her face.

House stepped closer to her, grabbing her ass again as he pressed his body against hers.

"Talking to me like that is going to end up with us having sex again…..or maybe that was your plan all along you evil genius." He teased, loving the way she was looking at him right now.

"We have to go! Now hurry up and get your shoes on." Lisa said with a huge smile, removing herself from his grasp and grabbing for her keys on top of the microwave as the doorbell in the front of her house began to ring.

She looked over at House in a panic.

"Stay here." Lisa whispered turning quickly and walking out into the hallway in a flash.

Watching her leave, House had a pretty good idea of who the early morning visitor at her doorstep was and would have liked nothing better than to answer the door himself, but he knew Lisa would have not have it and right now he didn't want to give her any reason to pull back from him at this very early stage of their relationship.

Taking a deep breath Lisa opened the door, greeted Jeff with a warm smile.

"Jeff, what are you doing here?" She asked, hoping that House would indeed stay put in the kitchen like she had asked him to.

"I missed not being with you last night so I though I'd stop by and see you before you went to work." Jeff responded, moving his arm around her waist, getting ready to take a step inside the house.

"I'm running late for my meeting." Lisa said, taking a step forward to keep him from entering.

"You look a little tired. Did House give you a hard time last night?" Jeff asked, moving his hand to her cheek.

"Nothing that I couldn't handle." Lisa replied with a smile, knowing that House was probably grinning from ear to ear at hearing the comments made between them.

Holding back a laugh, House carefully made his way out from the kitchen and into the hallway, leaving his cane behind on the table, using the wall for support.

"Listen Jeff I hate to do this, but I really have to go. I overslept and should have been at the hospital over twenty minutes ago." Lisa lied.

"I understand, come on and I'll walk you to your car." Jeff offered reaching for her hand.

Lisa held her breath. "My purse." She exclaimed, quickly ducking back inside while closing the door behind her.

Spotting House in the hallway her eyes grew wide.

"What are you doing?" She whispered, walking up to him and snatching her purse from the small table to the left of him that she had been sitting on top of last night.

"Making sure Dopey with the toothy grin keeps his hands to himself." House whispered back, glancing over at the closed door behind her.

"Listen, I'll drive around the block then come back to get you, so you better make sure you're ready." Lisa said under her breath turning to leave.

"Not so fast." House whispered, turning her around and kissing her.

"Stop." Lisa gasped, pushing away from him and backing herself up towards the door as looked at her with an evil grin displayed on his face.

"Ok. I'm ready." Lisa said to Jeff stepping back outside and closing the door behind her.

Smiling, Jeff reached for her hand and held it in his own as they walked towards her car.

"You look really good today." He said stopping at the driver's side door.

"Thanks." Lisa said softly, unlocking her car, wanting nothing more than for Jeff leave as soon as possible, feeling guilty for the deception she was currently carrying out.

Jeff wrapped his arm around her waist, leaning into her and kissing her softly on the lips.

"I'll call you around twelve." He said, letting her go of her as he took a step back.

"Ok." Lisa responded, hoping that House had not seen what had occurred between them from his vantage inside her home.

Peering out of the window in the living room from behind the blinds, House watched Jeff turn to leave after kissing Lisa, waving goodbye to her as he backed his car out of the driveway while Lisa got inside of her car, touching her lips with her fingertips as she looked up at the window in her living room before she started the care and put it into reverse.

********************************************************

"You need to talk to Jeff _today_." House said from the passenger side of Cuddy's car as she drove them to his apartment.

"I know." Lisa replied keeping her eyes focused on the road.

"Are you going to tell him about us?" House questioned.

Lisa paused for a moment, pressing her foot on the brake as she approached the red light in front of them.

"No." She answered, turning to look at him. "I can't do that to him."

House nodded. "I don't want Wilson to know either, in fact I really don't want anyone to know."

"In case this doesn't work out." Lisa responded, finishing his thought, focusing back on the road as the light turned green.

"Yeah in case it doesn't work out." House repeated with a small smile on his face as his eyes traced her profile.

Lisa wasn't about to place all her bets on him …not just yet, and he liked that in a way, liked that even thought the sex between had been fantastic…some very deep and complicated feelings needed to be approached with caution.

Feeling his gaze upon her, Lisa glanced over at him once more.

"What?" She asked.

House's smile grew larger, his hand moving to the soft exposed skin of her lower thigh where the hem of her tight black skirt ended.

"It's really going to be a lot of fun, figuring out it this will work between us or not. Don't you think?" House asked her, brushing his thumb against her smooth leg.

"No sex at work….period." Cuddy responded flatly, gazing out of the windshield again.

"Well according to Bill Clinton "oral sex" isn't really sex so…." House started to negotiate as he hand crept under the hem of the skirt.

Without saying a word, Cuddy grabbed House's hand moving down to her kneecap.

"Easy cowboy…..if you end up making me wreck this car with my panties down around my ankles and your head in-between my thighs then everyone at the hospital is going to know about us." Lisa said trying her best not to smile.

"You're no fun." House huffed, crossing his arms in front of him and slumping back in the seat as he glared at her.

Laughing, Lisa turned right down a narrow city street a few blocks from the hospital towards his place as House reached out and placed his hand back onto her kneecap.

********************************************************

A little while later, House arrived in his office, dressed in denim blue jeans, a wrinkled blue dress shirt and a charcoal grey suit jacket.

Immediately he felt the eyes of Foreman, Cameron and Chase upon him as the looked at him through the glass divider wall of the attached conference room.

Letting out a sigh, House limped over to the door that separated them and stepped inside.

"Glad to see you finally made it in." Foreman said sarcastically.

"Are you ok? You look a little tired." Cameron asked staring up at him.

"That's because I was up all night having mind blowing sex with my girlfriend." He snarked back, popping a vicodin into his mouth, knowing full well all of them would think he was talking about Honey.

"Nice!" Chase exclaimed offering up a high five as Cameron's face wrinkled in disgust.

"Don't leave me hanging." Chase said with his hand still held high.

House smacked Chase's hand with his own.

If the Chase only knew who his real partner had been last night his jaw would have dropped to the floor.

As House limped over to pour himself a cup of coffee, Cameron began to rattle off the patients symptoms.

"Patient presents with malaise, abnormal bleeding from his rectum, joint paint, and ataxia."

Setting his coffee down on the table how reaching for his marker, starting to write the symptoms down the on the white board.

"Ideas?" He asked.

"Could be a tumor in his bowel or lower intestine." Chase offered after Cameron finished.

"Any history of cancer in the family?" House asked.

Cameron looked down at the chart again. "Patient's grandfather died of colon cancer five years ago." She commented.

"That doesn't explain the loss of motor skills, it could be something neurological." Foreman argued.

House looked at all three fellows.

"Chase and Cameron go and do a colonoscopy, Foreman do an MRI of his brain when their done." He ordered, watching all three fellows get up and leave the room.

******************************************************

Meanwhile inside a crowded boardroom, Cuddy sat a the head of the long conference table with Wilson seated to her right and older physician with snow white hair and a mustache that matched in color seated to her left, listening intently as a man and woman from the Finance Department stood in front of the board members went over the proposed financial plan for the addition of the Pediatric wing on the fourth floor.

Once their presentation had ending, Lisa spoke.

"Ok, now that we've all had time to hear the both the pro's and con's of this venture I think we can end this meeting by making a decision to either moving forward with this project or put it on the back burner until next year." She said, watching the physicians seated around her nod in approval.

"Good, then all in favor of moving forward with the Pediatric wing, please raise your hands." She instructed, signaling her own approval by raising her left hand.

Putting down his pen, Wilson raised his hand as well, joined in his approval by the white haired man on the other side of Cuddy along with five other members of the board, leaving only two physicians, in opposition.

Glancing around the room, Cuddy then put her hand down.

"Alright then the motion is approved and I will let the project management team know they can start looking for contractors. I want to thank all of you for coming in here today and devoting your time to this."

As the board members got to their feet making their way towards the door, Lisa felt a gently tap on her shoulder.

"Lisa, I just wanted you to know I appreciate all of the hard work you did on your own to get this meeting together with such short notice. The addition to the Pediatric wing is going to allow us to save so many more lives." The older physician with the gentle smile and white hair said to her as he stood next to her.

"I should be thanking you for going around and campaigning for our cause to the other board members." Lisa said with a smile of her own, looking up into his steel blue eyes.

Doctor William Martin was about the same height as House, the semi retired seventy year old physician looking as if he was in his late fifties instead, his square jaw and handsome face only becoming more appealing with time.

Wilson looked over at his college and smiled.

"So do you still have the harem of nurses from the third floor falling all over you Bill?" He asked.

The old man chuckled, with a slight blush rising to his cheeks that made Lisa bite back a smile from the genuine sweetness of it.

"Oh…those nurses are all a bunch of sweethearts but I'm afraid I've got a little too much snow on the rooftop to keep up with any of them." Bill replied back almost shyly.

"You never know until you try Bill." Wilson urged, knowing that the older physician who had lost his wife to breast cancer several years ago had to be lonely even though he was one of the most beloved doctors at the hospital.

"I suppose your right." Bill commented back with another smile, turning and reaching for his coat that he had hung up on the rack behind them.

"You know Bill I know of some very attractive female donors that are right around you age that I'm sure would enjoy the company of a very handsome and distinguished physician such as yourself." Lisa suggested watching the man put on his coat.

The older physician raised his hands in front of him.

"I'm and old dog to set in his ways to try and be housebroken again" Bill said bowing out of the conversation gracefully as he headed towards the door with the rest of the crowd.

"Do you think Bill will ever get over Anna's death?" Wilson whispered over to Cuddy as they watched Bill holding the door open with a smile for one of the female board members who gave him a dazzling smile in return.

"It's hard to say, I mean they were married for forty years and after loving someone for that long its no wonder he's having a hard time moving on." Cuddy said softly as Bill turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Speaking of love. What's up with you and Jeff Hansom?" Wilson asked with a sly smirk.

Lisa took in a breath. "We're dating but it's nothing serious." She replied.

"Well hopefully it will become something serious because seeing Jeff defiantly agrees you." Wilson stated with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Cuddy questioned as they made their way to the door.

"This morning when you walked in here you looked happier than I've seen you in a long time, which leads me to believe that you seeing this guy has something to with it, and that makes me happy." Wilson said in a light hearted tone, watching the smile return to Cuddy's face.

********************************************************

Later that day, House limped out of the elevator and towards Cuddy's office with the patient's chart in his hand, getting ready to plead his case to her on what he wanted to use on his patient to unlock the potential key to diagnosing him.

"Need to give some extremely high risk medication to my patient." He stated; bursting into her office.

Lisa, who had been working on her computer, gave him the usual glare, except at the end of it he could tell she was checking him out….. more specifically she was checking out what he was wearing, a small smile forming on her lips when she saw he was wearing the light blue shirt that she liked.

"Exactly what drug do you want to give your patient?" Lisa asked as her smiled over at her.

"You wanna do me on your desk don't you? I saw the way you were undressing me with your eyes just now." House said with a wide grin, stepping towards her.

"_House_….what's the name of the drug you want to give your patient." Cuddy stressed.

House sat down in the chair across from her, mumbling out the name of the drug.

"_Daunorubicin_." He said covering his mouth.

"If you're thinking leukemia, do a bone marrow to get a diagnosis." Cuddy replied.

"Can't…. the patient's immune system is shot." House replied watching her get up from her chair.

"What about the CBC results?" Cuddy questioned.

"Inconsistent." House replied handing her the chart.

He watched Lisa read down through the notes.

"Daunorubicin, can have serious sides effects on people who actually _have_ leukemia and giving it to someone who we're not sure does actually have it is highly risky to say the least." Cuddy stated walking around the corner of her desk and handing the chart back to him.

"I already know that. That's why I came to you." House snarked, looking up at her.

Lisa held their gaze. "Are you sure about this?" She questioned.

"Pretty sure." House said, standing up.

"House." She warned.

"It's the only thing that makes sense." He answered with a more serious tone.

"Fine….but make sure he is monitored at all times." Cuddy ordered.

"Sure thing boss." House said saluting her as he turned to leave, stopping just as he placed his hand on the doorknob.

"Did you talk to Jeff yet?" He asked with his back facing her.

"No…. he hasn't called me yet." Lisa answered.

House turned around.

"Maybe you should call him." House replied, getting slightly annoyed.

"I will …..I just need to think of the right thing to say to him." Lisa said taking a step towards him.

"How about… I am having sex with Greg House now….. which means I don't want to have sex with you anymore?" House offered with a crass tone to his voice.

"You know I can't say that, it would kill him." Lisa responded, nervously wringing her hands.

"What about what its doing to me?" House asked sharply.

A knock on her office door silence their argument for now.

"Come in." Cuddy said, looking out at the delivery man who holding a rather large and extravagant floral arrangement in his hands.

"Excuse me are you Lisa Cuddy?" The man asked looking down at his clipboard.

"Yes I am." She answered.

"Well then these are for you." The delivery man said handing her the flowers arranged in a heavy crystal vase.

"Thank you." Lisa responded, glancing over at House as she placed the flowers down on her desk before signing the slip the delivery man offered to her.

"Have a good day." The man then said, turning in the leaving the office.

"Gee I wonder who these could be from?" He remarked after the man had left, reaching behind Cuddy and grabbing the card that was attached to the bouquet.

"House don't." Lisa said, trying to grab the card from him.

"No I think I really need to see this." House said, holding his cane out in front of him and pushing her back with it as he began to read the card aloud.

"Lisa. Sorry we didn't get to finish what we started last night. Call me so we can make plans for lunch and head back to my place for _**dessert**_. Love Jeff." House said snidely.

"So is this the kind of crap that got him into your pants? Or did you at least play hard to get?" He asked feeling the vein in his temple begin to throb.

"What exactly did YOU have to do to Honey before she let you get inside her pants! Oh wait let me guess was it a hundred dollar bill on her nightstand?" Cuddy shot back pissed off at his crude remark.

"You know _Cuddy_… sometimes you can be a real bitch." He hissed.

"And sometimes you can be a real bastard House." Lisa countered. "I don't want to hurt him Greg..why is that so hard for you to understand?" She asked.

"He's going to be hurt no matter what you do!" House answered back coldly, throwing the note at her and watching it fall down at her feet.

Lisa took in a breath, getting ready to speak when she was interrupted by his pager going off.

House pulled the device out his suit pocket, looking down at the message displayed on it.

"I gotta go my patient is crashing." House informed her before she could make a move to stop him, slamming the door behind him when he excited her office, causing her to jump.

Turning around, Lisa walked back over to her desk, picking up the bouquet of flowers Jeff had sent her and dropped them in the trash can before reaching for the phone on her desk and dialing Jeff's number.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter and wanted to let you all know ahead of time that weekends are rather crazy for me but I will try to keep posting a chapter a day if I can. **

**Also again thanks for all the reviews and for letting me know how much you are enjoying the story as well as the readers who have already read the story and are enjoying some of the changes I've made :)**

**Chapter 6**

Limping down the hallway, Greg felt the emotion of anger over the fight he had with Lisa in her office continue to rage on inside of him.

She was being stubborn and overly cautious and if it had been for any other matter, he wouldn't have cared as much, but this was different.

For far too long he had stood on the outside looking in at Lisa Cuddy, while other men had come to her door with the intent of making her their own, and now that she had granted him access not only into her bed but into her heart as well, he was tortured by the hold it had over him, by the power she had over him for years, unleashed with a fury into his system like a poison after they had rode out the tides of their long denied passion for each other.

Reaching the Pathology Lab, House pushed his thoughts of her aside for the moment, their presence having no place here.

"Cuddy approved the use of Daunorubicin. Let's get this show on the road." House announced, speaking to Chase and Cameron who were standing next to each other after opening the door to the lab and stepping inside.

"I'm running another CBC." Cameron replied.

"We already did that remember? The results were inconclusive, now go and get a bag of the good stuff and hook him up." House ordered.

"But if this test….." Cameron started to say.

"I told you what I wanted you to do, now quit wasting my time and the patient's life over a test that I KNOW is not going to show us anything!" House yelled back at her before turning and leaving the room.

Cameron stared blankly at the spot where House had been standing.

"What in the hell is wrong with him?" She questioned looking over at Chase.

"It's pretty obvious he needs to get laid again." Chase commented back to her, putting some vials of blood back into the round plastic holders in front of him.

"Why would you say that?" Cameron asked with annoyance.

"House obviously is having great sex with Honey. You saw him this morning; he was smiling and actually had a spring in his step that for once was not vicodin induced. What was also obvious just now is all of that great sex he is having with his girlfriend has some emotional stuff attached to it as well and House doesn't like dealing with emotions…..that's why he took out his frustration on us." Chase explained.

"Do you think that House loves Honey?" Cameron asked in a small voice.

"I don't know and I really don't care." Chase said, folding his arms across his chest as he steadied his gaze on her.

"What? Just because I asked doesn't mean I care either." Cameron shot back defensively.

"Yeah right." Chase replied with disgust.

"Chase…I told you before…" Cameron began to say but he cut her off.

"Allison, we've been together for 8 months now and even after all I've told you and shown you to let you know how much I love you, it's still not enough to get House out of your heart." Chase in an even tone, trying to keep his anger at bay.

"Robert….I've told you, I'm not in love with House." Cameron replied reaching out for his arm.

"Save your lies for someone who believes you." Chase muttered, brushing past her and exiting the room.

********************************************************

Meanwhile in an elevator headed for the fifth floor, House rubbed his temples, squeezing his eyes shut to try and will away the pain he was felling not only in his leg, but inside his head as well.

Reaching inside his suit jacket, he pulled out his vicodin bottle, popping it open and quickly swallowing two pills.

He needed time to think about his patient without the complications of what he was dealing with in regards to Lisa, and so instead of heading back into his own office where he knew Foreman would be, when the elevator door opened he turned left instead, heading for Wilson's office, knowing that after Wilson had attended the board meeting this morning he would have left to enjoy the rest of his weekend.

Opening up the door to Wilson's office with the spare key had made a few months ago, House breathed in the cool air of the dark room, slipping inside of it and shutting the door behind him without turning on any of the lights.

He felt his way around the room filled with darkness, until he found the sliding glass doors that led to the balcony, opening the blinds just enough so they would give him the sliver of light needed to guide him to the black leather couch next to Wilson's desk.

Stretching out onto the soft leather couch, House felt the effects of the vicodin he had taken already begin to take hold, pulling him suddenly and without warning into a deep sleep, aided by the exhaustion he felt from the emotions and as well as the physical actions he had performed in the company of Lisa Cuddy.

As he his breathing slowed, the thoughts of Lisa he was trying to escaped from softly crept into his subconscious, sinking down with him further into his dreams, her face displayed above at him as she moved her hips on top of him, his hands traveling over the curves of her body as he moaned out her name, her brilliant grey eyes gazing into his own with passion and desire……while everything else in the world was a million miles away.

He pulled her down and kissed her lips, taking in the scent of her hair, gasping as she changed the direction of her hips allowing him to enter deeper inside of her.

His hands flexed in his sleep, holding onto her and not wanting to ever let her go, the excitement of finally having her for his own, beautiful in the promise of what could be between him, the unguarded part of his brain that lived in dreams, alive with the prospect of something more than loneliness and pain too look forward for once.

Entering into his office, Wilson flicked on the light switch to his left, watching as House squinted his eyes, placing his right hand onto his forehead to shield them.

"Having a good dream?" Wilson asked, noticing the fleeting smile that was stretched across his friend's face just before he had awoken.

"I was having a sex dream." House replied gruffly, rubbing his face with the palm of his right hand before reaching for his right leg, swinging it over the edge of the couch and moving into a seated position.

"A sex dream about Honey?" Wilson asked curiously, reaching for the red file on top of his desk.

"No you idiot a sex dream about Cuddy." House said with sarcasm while telling the truth.

"The only way Cuddy would ever has sex with you is if she had a lobotomy, and even then I think she would still have enough common sense left to keep her legs closed." Wilson said chuckling as he tucked the red file under his arm.

House looked away from his friend, rubbing the bottom of his chin to keep from grinning.

"So what are you doing here anyway Wilson? I thought after the board meeting you'd be on your way over to see Kelly or did you already screw things up with her like you always do?" House asked.

"Here name is _Karen _and I just wanted to check on a patient receiving chemo before I left and by the way…why are you in my office instead of your own?" Wilson asked.

"The kids have been acting up all day, especially the pretty one and the annoying one." House answered.

"Since when did you start referring to Cameron as the pretty one? And which of the other two is the annoying one?" Wilson questioned raising an eyebrow.

House rolled his eyes.

"No silly Chase is the pretty one, Cameron's the annoying one, and Foreman…well he's just around to give me street credit." He said getting up to his feet.

"Chase does have very pretty hair." Wilson commented back with a smirk.

"As well as those bedroom eyes." House added.

"Speaking of bedroom eyes… what's the deal with you and Honey?" Wilson asked with interest.

"It's a sweetener similar to sugar." House answered.

"That's not what I'm asking." Wilson stated.

"I know and that's why I'm not answering. Geesh do you literally need a hint to hit you across that meddling brain of yours?" House snarked getting ready to leave.

"Well at least I have one friend who doesn't mind telling me about _her _personal life from time to time." Wilson replied, causing House to stop in his tracks.

"Last time I checked I was your _only_ friend, and …..since I do indeed still have a penis the last time I checked, I'm not sure what you're getting at." House replied.

"I'm talking about Cuddy. I just ran into outside of her office where she told me she was on her way to meet Jeff for an early dinner at that Italian restaurant she likes." Wilson explained.

"Dellucci's?" House questioned with prior knowledge from years of snooping.

"Yeah that's it." Wilson confirmed before adding. "I was talking to Cuddy earlier about Jeff after our board meeting, I really think Jeff could be the one for Cuddy, she seems really happy with him."

"Jeff is tool." House muttered.

"He's not a tool, you don't even know the guy, you're just pissed that Cuddy is showing attention to someone else beside you." Wilson stated before giving House a peculiar look.

"Wait, are you jealous of Jeff?" Wilson then asked.

"Why would I be jealous of Jeff? I get to screw with Cuddy without having to by her dinner." House replied back as he headed out the doorway.

"See ya later House." Wilson sighed as his friend exited the office.

"See ya later Wilson." House responded, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and dialing Lisa's number.

********************************************************

"Where are you?" House asked into the phone as Cuddy picked up.

"Most people start off a conversation by saying hello." Cuddy answered back.

"Are you with him now?" House questioned.

"Wilson has a big mouth." Cuddy replied.

"Are you with Jeff?" House repeated.

"I'm on my way to the restaurant to meet him and don't even think about following me over here, I told you I can handle this on my own." Cuddy warned.

"Why didn't you just end it with him over the phone instead of dragging it out like this?" House demanded.

"Because I'm not you, and I care about him." Cuddy shot back.

House stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"Are you saying you're having doubts about ending it with Jeff?" He questioned looking down at the floor.

"No." Cuddy answered immediately.

House smiled looking up at the ceiling, he liked how she answered the question so quickly and the tone of her voice in which she answered it as well.

"Well then hurry up and break up with Jeff so I can have sex with you again." He teased.

"First promise me you're not going to step foot inside Dellucci's." Lisa replied back, knowing him all to well.

"I'll give you thirty minutes, to end with the American Gigolo, after that I'm going coming over there and making out with you in front of him until he gets the picture." House answered.

Lisa let out an annoyed sigh. "House." She said in the tone that was used to keep him in line.

"Oh relaxed I'm just kidding." House remarked with a grin.

"I'll call you after I talk to Jeff." Cuddy informed him as she pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant.

"Just make sure loverboy gets the message loud and clear." House told her.

"I will, now quit wasting the hospital's time on personal phone calls and get back to work." Lisa said with a grin before hanging up on him.

After getting off the phone with her, House started to limp towards his office once more, intent on grabbing his jacket and backpack before heading over to Dellucci's despite Lisa's warning to him.

Just before he reached the glass door or his office, Cameron met him out in the hallway.

"You were right, it was leukemia and the patient is responding to the infusion." She said with relief.

"Good. Now you and Chase can go home and argue over whose hair is the prettiest." House commented back, moving past her, wanting nothing more than to get his ass over the restaurant Lisa and Jeff were meeting as soon as possible.

********************************************************

**Delluci's ……**

Taking in a deep breath, Lisa entered the restaurant, smiling at the hostess who had just gotten done hanging up the phone.

"Did have a reservation?" The hostess asked.

"Actually I'm meeting someone here his name is Jeff Hansom." Lisa responded.

The hostess looked down the list of names in front of her.

"Oh yes, here it is, and it looks like the other member of your party has already arrived." The woman replied with smile before escorting Lisa into the dining room and to the table where Jeff was already seated at.

Upon seeing her, Jeff got up from his chair.

"Hard day at the office?" Jeff asked, kissing Lisa on the cheek as behind her a waiter pulled out her chair so that she could sit down at the table as well.

"Budget season is always a mess." Lisa replied.

"Well you're officially of the clock now, so let's just relax and enjoy dinner." Jeff said softly, reaching for her hand.

Lisa summoned up a smile and gave him a nod, still not sure exactly how she was going to break the news to him.

"Would you like to hear about our specials of the day?" The waiter asked as he stood in front of them.

"Sure." Jeff responded, letting go of Lisa's hand as turned to face the man.

********************************************************

"That's right Wilson, party of two." House confirmed, speaking to the hostess inside Dellucci's, as he pulled up outside of the restaurant, parking his car across the street.

After getting out of his care and crossing the busy street in front of him, House walking up to the entrance, still struggling with how he would be able to sneak inside the restaurant to spy on Lisa and Jeff without being spotted by either of them.

Leaning against the wall of the building, he studied the couples that had passed him on the sidewalk when suddenly a broad smile formed on his face.

Looking down the street, House waited until he noticed a young couple in their early twenties walking hand in hand together.

He waited until they reached him before he moved off of the wall and stood before them.

"Hi kids!" House began in his best TV Game Show voice.

"My name is Max Powers and I'm the host of a new dating game that being taped across the country called "Hit or Miss" and I was wondering if you two would like to take a chance on winning a free dinner at this restaurant as well as the chance to have your faces on TV screens across America."

The young man looked back at him skeptically.

"Are you for real?" He questioned.

"As real as my name is Max Powers." House answered.

"Wait …..if what you're saying is true, then where's your camera crew?" The young woman asked, placing her hand on her hip.

"The production crew is in that white van over there taping us as we speak; they've planted a few cameras outside of this building earlier to give the feel of a real undercover type atmosphere." House answered back confidently, pointing to the large deliver van parked across the street from them, watching as the excitement grew on both of the young kids faces.

"Are you wearing a hidden camera?" The girl whispered over to him with curiosity, checking out his attire.

"Actually I'm holding one." House whispered back, playing along with her by pointing down at his cane.

"Woah….that is so cool." The young man exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at the wooden cane, trying to detect where a small lens may be located at.

"Why don't the two of you give me your names and say hi to the folks at home." House urged, pointing down to his cane once more.

"Hi." The young couple answered in unison, laughing at each other.

"By the way I'm Gary." The young man said putting his arm around his girlfriend as he continued to look down at House's cane.

"And I'm Jackie!" The young woman added as they waved at the cane.

"So are you guys ready to play Hit or Miss?" House questioned, choking back his laughter.

"It sounds let fun, let's do it!" The bubbly young woman answered, looking over at her boyfriend and reaching for his hand.

"Ok!" The young man replied as they both looked back at House.

"Alright guys, now the premise of the show is that we have you watch a certain couple in the restaurant and comment back to us via your cell phone on whether you think their date is a hit or miss. We ask that for the sake of our audience as well as the fellow diners at the restaurant that you keep your phone on vibrate so you don't draw attention to yourselves. You will be seated far enough away from the couple so that you can't actually hear what they are saying but close enough to them to read their body language. Inside the restaurant are additional hidden camera's that will be recording you, as well as the couple you are watching and in the end if you guess right you will receive a free dinner on us. Do you both understand?" House explained.

The coupled nodded.

"Alright guys now that you know the rules of the game, let's not waste anymore time, give me a cell number I can reach you at and once you're inside tell the hostess you have a reservation under the name of Wilson." House instructed them.

As the young woman pulled out her cell phone from inside her purse, House smiled…..sometimes it was just too easy, he thought to himself.

Once the coupled had headed inside the restaurant, House limped back over to his car across the street; dialing the number the young woman had given him.

"Show time." He whispered, leaning against the front fender.

"Hello." Answered the young woman, who obliviously wore the pants in the relationship.

"Are you ready Jackie?" House asked in true TV game show announcer style.

"Yes." She whispered in an excited voice.

"Ok….the couple you will be watching should be a few tables away from your own. The man is wearing a suit, has dark curly black hair and one of those fake looking Tom Cruise smiles. The woman is wearing a red sweater, black skirt and has dark hair as well that comes down just below her shoulders." House told her.

"I see them!" Jackie exclaimed rather loudly into the phone.

"Shh! Remember they are not supposed to know that you're watching them!" House scolded.

"Sorry." The girl whispered.

"Alright now it's time for first impressions, what do you guys think about the two of them?" House asked.

"They're definitely an attractive couple. He's really handsome and…… ….Gary…. You're such a pig! Gary says the woman has a nice rack." Jackie answered back with an annoyed tone.

House smirked.

"Ok..enough about what they look like tell me what you think about their body language…about how they are relating to each other." House coaxed, pleased that the background noise he was hearing of other conversations going on in the restaurant would help to keep his snooping from found out by either Lisa or Jeff.

"Their talking and the guy is all smiles, but the woman seems to be distracted by something." Jackie informed him before her boyfriend whispered over to her.

"Gary thinks the woman may just be nervous…oh wait the guy is reaching for her hand ….damn…..hold on, the waiter just came up to them with their meals so I can't see them now." Jackie whispered pausing for a moment.

"Just go ahead when you can see them clearly again." House replied.

"Ok….the waiter's gone and I think Gary is right, the woman does look kind of nervous, she keeps playing with a pearl necklace she has on, tugging on it and running her fingers across it." Jackie then continued, focusing in on the attractive woman a few tables in front of her.

"You two are doing a great job." House said with a smile, encouraging them.

As the couple continued with their phone call to House, Lisa took reached for her wine and took a sip of it, gathering up her resolve to do what needed to be done.

"Hey are you alright?" Jeff asked, noticing that she hadn't touched her food.

"Jeff we have to talk." Lisa said placing her wine glass back down on the table.

"Ok." He answered, leaning forward in his chair.

"Jeff, there's no easy way for me to say this so I'm just going to go ahead and say it. I don't think we should see each other anymore." Lisa confessed.

"What?" Jeff asked in shock.

"I just need some space." Lisa replied, cursing herself for not bringing the axe down completely on the relationship, instead leaving a small piece of it hanging on by a thread.

"If you think we're moving too fast we can slow down a little." Jeff reasoned reaching for her hand across the table.

"Jeff, I just don't feel the same way about you that you feel about me." Lisa replied, hating saying those words to him because she knew how much they would hurt.

"If you're afraid I'll hurt you…. I won't. Lisa I promise, you don't need to be afraid with me." Jeff said sincerely, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Jeff I know you would never hurt me, but if we keep seeing each other I'm going to end up hurting you….I'm sorry." Lisa said, feeling him holding onto her hand a little tighter, knowing she was cutting him deeply with her words.

At that same moment, Jackie's boyfriend Gary took the cell phone from her.

"My turn." House heard the young man say as got on the other line.

"Ok this is really getting good…..after the woman put down her wine glass she said something to the man that really upset him and she hasn't even touched her food by the way. Oh I bet she's dumping him!" The young man whispered.

Across the room from where the young couple was seated, Jeff swallowed hard as he let go of Lisa's hand.

"If that's the way you really feel Lisa, then I understand." He acknowledged his voice neither angry or upset.

"Jeff, I know this is a shock to you…" Lisa started to say.

"Lisa, if you really don't feel the same way about me, then you're right, we should break up. I want you to be happy even if it's not with me." Jeff said genuinely.

Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for being so understanding." She said to him with a heartfelt smile.

Jeff held their gaze for a moment before his eyes looked down at the plate in front of her.

"Listen the rest of this evening is going to be pretty awkward for both of us so why don't you just go ahead and leave." He offered.

"Are you sure?" Lisa questioned.

"Yes. Besides maybe I'll get lucky and some pretty woman will come along and offer to eat your dinner." Jeff joked, giving her a small smile.

Still in the mist of his conversation with the young couple, House heard a rustling sound on the phone as the girl grabbed the phone out of her boyfriend's hand.

"Oh this is terrible, the woman is getting up to leave and even though the guy is smiling you can tell she just broke his heart, this date is defiantly a miss." Jackie whispered into the phone with a bit of sadness in her tone.

House heard the rustling noise once again before Gary got on the phone once more.

"Jackie's right, their date is defiantly a miss." He confirmed.

House breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well thanks for playing kids and you've won the free dinner so no need to pay the check. Have a great evening and keep reaching of those stars." House responded hanging up the phone, having already covered his bases by leaving Wilson's credit card number when he called for the reservation at the restaurant, stating that he and his date did want to be interrupted during their romantic dinner.

Inside the restaurant, Lisa gently kissed Jeff on the cheek.

"Goodbye Jeff." She whispered rubbing his arm.

"Take care Lisa." Jeff whispered in her ear as he gave her a gentle hug.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital…….**

Inside the conference room connected to House's office, Chase, who was still fuming after the fight he had with Cameron, hurriedly stuffed some papers into his messenger bag before he slung it over his shoulder.

He was sick of Cameron pining after House and even more insulted that she thought she was being subtle in regards to her actions.

Walking quickly out of the conference room with his head down, Chase nearly collided with Honey as she reached for the door handle.

"Oh I'm sorry." Chase said, grabbing Honey by the shoulders to keep from knocking her off her feet.

"It's ok." Honey responded looking up at him with a sad smile.

"If you're looking for House he left for the night." Chase informed her.

"I know. That's why I came so late, hoping that he'd be gone. I just wanted to drop off a couple of things he left at my apartment." Honey replied, holding a small plastic grocery bag in her hands.

"Did you guys break up?" Chase questioned furrowing his brow.

"Yes we did…..we just weren't right for each other." Honey confirmed, not wanting to go into any further details.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that." Chase said sincerely.

Even though he had only spoken to Honey briefly at the fundraiser, Chase did have an immediate liking for the beautiful girl standing in front of him, her smile as well as her laughter a very attractive quality to him.

"Don't be sorry, it just wasn't meant to be." Honey responded with a small smile, shrugging her shoulders.

Chase was impressed with Honey's positive attitude and even more impressed with her cute smile. It was a refreshing change from Cameron's often sullen moods these days.

"Anyway one of my favorite bands is playing down at this local bar so I have to get going." Honey said walking past Chase towards House's office door.

"What's the name of the band you're going to see?" Chase asked curiously, following her into the office.

"You probably don't know them, they're a local band named Fracture." Honey answered, placing the bag on House's desk.

Chase's eyes got wide with excitement as she turned around.

"Are you kidding I love them!" He exclaimed with a grin.

"Really? Well then would you want to come with me?" Honey asked walking up to him as he held the door open for her.

Chase hesitated for a moment, he was supposed to have dinner and go to a movie with Cameron tonight.

"Actually I'd love to go." He answered, deciding that a night with Honey would do him as well as his ego some good.

"Great!" Honey responded with a dazzling smile as they walked down the hallway of the hospital together.

********************************************************

Meanwhile across town, Lisa arrived at Greg's apartment a little over a half an hour after she left the restaurant, having talked him briefly over the phone as she headed out to her car just to let him know that things had gone well with the break up.

On the way over to his apartment traffic had been at a stand still as major construction had taken the two lane highway down to a single lane, causing her commute to double in time, her body and mind completely exhausted after the long and emotionally trying day she had both at the hospital and at the restaurant with Jeff.

Knocking on his door, Lisa could hear the muffled laughter on the TV, wondering if he had fallen asleep, even though it was barely past eight pm.

"Come in." House yelled from the sofa, knowing exactly who his visitor was.

Lisa twisted the knob and opened the door, finding House sitting on his couch with his legs propped up on the coffee table in front of him and his left arm stretched out along the back of the couch as he turned around to look at her as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"How did you know it was me?" Cuddy questioned walking up to him.

"Your knock gave you away. It said …do me House…do me House." House snarked as she sat down next to him.

"Well I'm ready for the third degree." Cuddy remarked, ignoring his comment to her as she turned to face him.

"Umm not quite sure what you mean?" House replied, leaning over and surprising her by carefully moving her legs onto his lap.

"What are doing?" Lisa asked him suspiciously as he removed both of her shoes.

"You feet must be killing you after such a long day." House responded casually as he took her left foot in his hands and began to massage it.

"What did you do?" Cuddy questioned raising an eyebrow. "And why aren't you questioning me about Jeff?"

"I'm just trying to help you relax so I can do you after we have our little talk about the American Gigolo." House replied with a smirk, pressing his thumb into the sole of her foot.

"_Ooooooooooh_." Lisa moaned, drawing out the vowel in the word, leaning back against the arm of the sofa as a pleasurable sensation moved from her foot all the way to the top of her head.

"Erogenous zone." House informed her, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Lisa laughed before she studied the profile of his face.

"Jeff took the breakup really well….I guess I misjudged him." She commented.

"You didn't misjudge him as much as caught him off guard by breaking it off with him." House replied, talking her other foot into his hands, starting to apply the pressure of both of his thumbs to the arch of it.

"I guess....wait…..ah...stop that!" Lisa scolded, pulling her legs away from him as she was distracted from her thoughts by another wave of pleasure shooting up from her foot.

"Scoot on down back to Daddy, I promise I'll take it easy on you for now." House told her with a wicked grin, patting his empty lap.

"Behave." Lisa warned, pointing at him with a flirtatious smile before cautiously placing her legs with her knees bent over his lap, thereby keeping her feet away from his hands.

"So he took the news of you dumping him well. I'm sure once it really sets in he'll be crying in his pillow tonight it that makes you feel any better." House said wth a sarcastic edge to his tone as his fingers caressed her right kneecap.

"I don't want him to feel bad, it's just that I was kind of shocked at his reaction, Jeff always gave me the impression that he was very serious about our relationship." Lisa told him, pausing for a moment at the end of her statement as she studied his face.

"What?" House asked.

"It's kind of weird talking to you about Jeff." Lisa admitted to him.

"Then let's quict talking about what's his face." House commented as his eyes followed his hand that was making its way up from her kneecap to her thigh, his fingertips reaching the hem of her skirt.

Lisa looked down as his hand as it slipped under her skirt, shifting her body and inching closer to him on the couch so she could move her right arm around his neck.

"Well since you don't want to talk about what's his face, what do you want to talk about?" She whispered into his ear as her nose caressed the side of his face.

"How about that jerk that was yelling at you in you're office today?" House responded, turning his head, his lips brushing over hers as their eyes connected.

"That jerk isn't so bad, and even when he is, I know that he means well." Lisa answered back at him, placing her left hand on the side of his face, her thumb rubbing the stubble on his jaw just before they kissed.

She felt the tension of the day leave her body as Greg place his arm around her waist, pulling her a little closer as his right hand continued its journey underneath her skirt, reaching her hip where his fingertips brushed across the lace of her panties.

The kiss between them deepened as her heart picked up its pace and she wondered if Greg knew that just a single kiss from his lips could send shivers down her spine, making her feel as if she was sixteen again, the excitement of being alone with him like this, more than she had expected it would be.

House felt Lisa move her hand to the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her, the fire of mutual attraction and lust between them undeniablely real, making him give his all to her when they kissed, holding nothing back in his commitment to her.

Their lips parted for a moment and brushed against each other briefly before connecting once more as tongues returned to their dance and his fingers moved from her hip to the front of her panties, adding to the ache he was feeling in his groin.

A knock on the door behind them suddenly and abruptly halted their make out session.

Lisa pulled back with him as panic registered across her face.

"It's not Wilson." House assured her, lifting her legs off of his lap and kissing her quickly before he got up to answer the door.

"Delivery for House." The Asian gentlemen waiting for him at the door said once he had opened it.

"How much?" Houe asked.

"Twenty five." The man answered.

House gave him a displeased look as he fished the money out of his wallet before paying the man who handed him a large brown paper bag in return.

"Are you hungry?" House asked Cuddy as he closed the door and motioned for her to follow him to the kitchen.

"Actually I'm starving." She replied getting up off of the sofa.

"Well then you better stop the delivery guy and see if he can help you out with that." House teased.

"You're a jerk." Cuddy said, playfully slapping his arm as they walking into the kitchen together.

"Ah man! They forgot the soy sauce!" House whined after pulling several white cartons out from inside the bag.

"Hey can you do this jerk a favor and see if there's some in the fridge?" He asked as he grabbed two forks from inside the drawer to his right.

Lisa sighed and opened the refrigerator door, stunned for a moment when she looked inside and spotted a single stemmed salmon colored rose, which of course was her favorite flower, resting on the top shelf of the refrigerator.

"Greg?" She whispered holding the rose in her hand as she turned around to face him.

"What?" House asked looking over at her. "Now how did that get in there? Oh that's right Cameron gave that to me earlier today." He teased.

Lisa was speechless, the simple romance gesture pulling at her heartstrings as she placed the rose on the countertop and pulled him closer to her, looking into the eyes of a man who she knew would continue to surprise her just when she thought she had him all figured out.

"Thank you." She said softly, moving her hands to his chest and kissing him tenderly on the lips as she felt the electricity traveling between them like a conduit.

"So who's the jerk now?" House questioned when she pulled away, trying to maintain some sense of control as she looked up at him with the spark held within her eyes.

"You're still a jerk….. but you're _my jerk_." Lisa answered, staking her claim on him.

"Is that so? Well who says I want to be _your _jerk?" House challenged.

"I do." Lisa answered in an assertive tone, not backing down.

House smiled at her as she looked up at him before capturing his lips with her own.

He loved the aggressive sound in her voice, especially when it told of how much she wanted him and after hearing it, he decided that he needed to have her right then and there, pusshing her up against the refrigerator door as he deepened their kiss.

"The food will get cold." Lisa teased with a smile brekaing away from the kiss as she pulled his t shirt over his head.

"Food can wait…… _your jerk _needs some action." House replied as his hands moved to her sweater, where they took hold of it and lifted up from her body.

"My jerk." Lisa said triumphantly as he removed the garment from her, tossing it aside.

As they continued to undress each other, their bodies turned and moved inside the tiny kitchen with the thrill of what was to come.

Kicking off his shoes as Lisa unzipped and pulled down his jeans, Greg moved with her over to the counter on the opposite side of the refrigerator, his tongue and mouth exploring her breasts that he had just freed from the red satin demi cup bra she was wearing, his hands knocking over the dirty glasses and coffee cups beside the sink as Lisa reached inside his boxers and began to stroke him.

The sounds of cups clattering behind them were soon joined by other loud noises as they continued to please each other while more clothes were shed until they both stood naked before each other in front of his kitchen table.

Greg leaned into Lisa as she slid up onto the table, her hands knocking off the salt and pepper shakers placed there as well as the stack of magazines resting in the center of the table, all the objets falling down to the kitchen floor as he nudged opened up her legs with his thighs and entered inside of her in with a strong and powerful thrust.

Lisa gasped and held onto him tightly as he continued with the hard throbbing strokes of his plevis, her legs bent and knees rising his ribcage as she moaned out his name.

"God you feel so good." House groaned in a deep voice filled with hunger, kissing her neck before moving his lips to her mouth, feeling a shockwave of aderline run through him as Lisa started to rock her hips in time with his thrusts.

Lisa threw her head back and moaned out again as Greg's hands gripped onto her hips, lifting her pelvis up to him as he plunged deeper inside of her.

"Oh god right there." She gasped, her voice trembling as much as her thighs were at the moment, her fingernails digging into the flesh of his back.

The sound of longing ache in her request traveled into Greg's brain in an instant, the waves of his orgasm now only seconds away as it sent a shot through him, her need and desire for him scorching the parts of him that had been left cold for so long.

He moved his lips to the side of her face, keeping up the pace, saying her name with a hushed breath as he felt her tightened around his shaft as her orgasm traveled through her, moving his right hand to the small of her back as he exhaled loudly into the air surrounding them, feeling his climax coming from the soles of his feet up into his stomach making his knees weak, his balance thrown off by earth shattering ecstasy he was experiencing.

Lisa wrapped her legs around Greg and held him securely in her embrace as she felt him stumble keeping him close to her, gasping again as she kissed his neck while he continued to move inside her, not wanting to let go of their union even after his climax, the power of what they created together so incredible she knew this was what she had been searching for in vain for so very long,

Taking in a deep breath, she felt her heart ache with the realization of what it truly felt like to be whole with someone else, closing her eyes as her head rested against his shoulder, hearing Greg trying to slow his own breathing as he moved his hand up from her back, caressing her neck as he kissed the top of her head.

In the stillness of the afterglow, the silence was broken by three loud thuds that came form the linoleum floor beneath them, the sound of it causing House to pull Lisa closer to him as he laughed into the side of her neck.

"What was that?" Lisa questioned feeling his chest viebrate as he let out another laugh that made her smile.

"I think we woke up Mrs. Adams." House told with a huge grin on his face.

"I guess we'll have to be quieter next time we have table sex." Lisa whispered with a grin of her own as House stepped back from her.

"Like hell! That old broad is not going to keep me from getting freaky deaky on with you anytime and anywhere I want to." House protested, holding onto the edge of the table with his left hand as he picked up his boxers and sex pistols t-shirt in one grasp.

"Here you get tops and I get bottoms." He then said, handing her the t-shirt as he got another look at the way her grey eyes were alive with fire, the way her cheeks were flushed and her lips stretched thin with the smile on her face that he had been the cause of.

"Thanks." Lisa said, slipping the shirt on before hopping down off of the table.

"Wow, we really made a mess in here." She added with amusement, bending down to pick up some of the magazines that were fanned across the floor.

Watching her, House took in a deep breath, even though Lisa had bent at the knees as she leaned forward to grab for a few of the scattered magazines on the floor in front of her, the t-shirt she was wearing rose up past her thighs, giving him a sneak peek at the bottom of her cute ass.

"Don't do that now." House told her, reaching for her arm.

"Why not?" Lisa asked rising to her feet and setting the magazines she held down on top of the table once more, completely unaware of the show she was giving him.

"Because when you bend down like that you get 'Little House' all excited again and if 'Little House' gets excited, we're going to end up being stuck here in this kitchen in more ways than one for at least another hour." House said, pulling her to next to him as he cupped the soft flesh of her round bottom with his right hand before giving it a squeese.

"I'm not complaining." Lisa answered back with a seductive tone.

House smiled, grinning from ear to ear. "How come you can't be this nice to me at work?" He asked titling his head to one side.

"Because if we were this nice to each other at work we'd both get fired for screwing around with each other literally instead of figuratively." Lisa answered with a smirk, walking over to the counter top where House had set out the white cartons of Chinese take out earlier.

"I'm willing to take one for the team you know, be that rebel doctor who stood up to the board by making you moan on top of your desk in your office." House replied following her over to the counter.

"Not gonna happen." Lisa remarked in an offhanded tone, opening up one of the containers to see what was inside of it.

"Never say never Doctor Cuddy." House whispered into her ear as he stood behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist, feeling her jump slightly before she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ouch! That hurt!" House whined, rubbing the spot she had made contact with.

"You're such a whimp." Lisa commented back to him, knowing she hadn't hit him that hard.

"You're just a dominatrix in disguise." House told her, snatching the open container from her hands.

"Keep it up and I'll be bringing out the whip and nipple clips in no time." Lisa countered, reaching across him to pick up one of the forks from the counter before breezing by him, headed for the living room.

"If you've got the leather restraints I've got the time." House answered back to her, grabbing another one of containers off of the counter top and limping out into the living room to join her with a sly smile spread across his face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks to all for the reiviews! They really keep me motivated as I review the chapters and try to make them better the second time around:)**

**Chapter 8**

As Sunday morning arrived, the dawn of a new day filtered in through the window in House's bedroom where Lisa Cuddy lay fast asleep, her body still clothed in the t-shirt House had given her the night before as she continued to dream, curled up on her side while House quietly made his way around the kitchen.

Earlier as the sun had just begun to peek out from behind the horizon, House had snuck out of the apartment and into the brisk mornning that greeted im in order to get them something for breakfast.

He hadn't done that in a long time with woman, cared enough about her to have her stay until the morning, usually making sure that whoever he was with knew the ground rules, that a sleep over was not something he wanted or needed after another night of meaningless sex.

But now all of that had changed for him, and as he placed yet another brown paper bag down on his countertop, pleased that Lisa was still sleeping his bed, her body and mind thoroughly exhausted by the things they had done to each other last night, making love to her once more on his leather couch before they had moved into his bedroom for some much deserved rest, his need to have her as often as he could because of her need for him, invigorating to say the least, bringing back the memories to him of when he was an eighteen year old kid filled with testosterone he felt he might burst.

Smiling to himself as he opened up the brown bag containing their breakfast, House noticed the rose he had given Lisa which she had placed in an empty beer bottle next to the sink, the chances of finding a vase or a clean glass in his place slim to none.

Humming softly as he focused in on the rose, House wondered what Lisa would do to him if he gave her a dozen roses the next time he decided to surprise her as the dirty thoughts danced around in his brain while he pulled two cups of freshly brewed coffee out of the brown grocery bag

Yawning, Lisa walked into the kitchen as she stretched her arms, exposing her bare midriff and low rise black satin panties she had slipped on before she had climbed into House's bed last night, the sight of her, causing House to stop his dead in his tracks on his way to get some plates out of the corner cabinet.

"Please tell me you have coffee?" Lisa said in a husky morning voice, unable to see the cups hidden behind the bag.

"Sure thing boss." House answered, handing her one of the cups beside the grocery bag as he tried to keep a reigh on his racing hormones.

Lisa pulled the lid off the syrofoam coffee cup and pursed her lips to blow on the hot liquid, leaning against the counter as she took a sip of it.

"Thanks." She responded with a sleepy smile, pushing a lock of stray hair out of her face, noticing the way House was watching her intently as she did so, loving the way his eyes told her exactly what his mind was thinking at the very moment.

"What's in the bag?" Lisa asked him, nodding over to the countertop.

"Sex toys for later." House replied watching her roll her eyes at him as he reached into the bag.

"Blueberry or Banana Nut?" He asked her, placing both of the muffins he had purchased at a bakery down the street onto the countertop.

"Blueberry." Lisa responded, reaching for the muffin on the left.

"Ah uh..not so fast, I brought you food woman, now take off your top." House instructed her, placing his hand over hers before she could seize the baked good in front of her.

"Let me eat my muffin in peace with this shirt on and I'll be on top of you later." Lisa negotiated tilting her head as a seductive smile formed on her face.

"Deal!" House said happily, reaching for the other muffin on the countertop, making a mental note to bring her breakfast more often.

********************************************************

A short while later, House and Cuddy were once again in his bed, lying on their backs and looking up at the ceiling as the both tried to catch their breaths.

"Have you ever....I mean….did you ever…" Lisa started to say gaspiing as she tried to grasp exactly how to express the thoughts running through her head at the moment while her heart continued to echo loudly in her ears.

House rolled onto his side to face her.

"My god I've actually screwed you senseless." He teased, moving his hand underneath the covers, over to her hip.

"Shut up!" Lisa said, smacking him on the shoulder.

"You do know using physical violence on me turns me on more then it deters me right?" House asked moving closer to her in the bed.

Lisa looked over at him.

"We're having sex all the time." She stated bluntly.

"Yeah.... and?" House questioned with a smirk, looking over at her naked body that was only partially covered by the sheet, leaving her gorgeous breasts exposed for his viewing pleasure.

"Forget it." Lisa mumbled, pulling the sheet up to her chest as she stared up at the ceiling again.

House studied her body language, not sure what was wrong but intrigued by her actions none the less.

"Wait….are you actually upset because _we are_ having sex all the time?" He questioned in disbelief continuing to study her profile.

"I'm not upset about that. I'm not upset at all." Lisa responded, turning on her side to face him.

"Then what is it? Do you want to have more sex then what we're having now, like sex on the hour every hour?" House asked with a hopeful simile, rolling over on top of her and pinning her underneath him.

Lisa locked eyes with him and exhaled in frustration, pressing her hands against his chest.

"Get off of me!" She ordered furrowing her brow as he in turn let more of his body weight rest on top of her.

"Either talk or be prepared for another boink session." House told her as he held their gaze.

Again Lisa exhaled, turning her head away and biting down on her bottom lip before she looked back at up him.

"I was going to tell you that things are going better between us than I thought they would and I'm not just talking about the sex….which is amazing....but I think my mind may have been altered by our boinking sessions." She commented back to him rolling her eyes.

"You're just mad because I've found out your weakness when it come to me." House whispered down to her, pressing his pelvis against her own, making sure she felt him springing to life once more.

"Are you taking Viagra?" Lisa questioned suspiciously.

"NO!" House answered back scowling at her.

"Well then I guess I can say I just found out your weakness when it comes to me." Lisa replied back smartly, pressing her pelvis against his growing erection.

"So we're both victims of the boinking game?" House asked her with a smirk.

"I guess we are." Lisa replied with a smile as he leaned down to kiss her.

Just before their lips met, House paused, locking eyes with her once more.

"This is better than I though it would be and it's not just about the sex." He said, repeating her words to her before he lowered his mouth onto hers.

********************************************************

_**Later that day…….**_

"You know even though we both have to go to work tomorrow, there's no reason why you couldn't come over to my house and stay for a few nights, just to cut down on the commute time before we end up having sex again." Lisa said to House as she got dressed in the clothes she had worn to his place last night.

House, who had been making the bed, looked up at her with surprise as she pulled her black skirt up over the curves of her hips.

"Really…you want me over there with you aggravating the hell out of you in the comfort of your own home?" He questioned.

"I'm hoping it will be more sex and less aggravation, but yeah, why not?" Lisa confirmed as she reached for her sweater lying on the corner of the mattress.

"Ok." House answered with a grin on his face, limping over to the closet behind him and rummaging inside of it until he pulled out a rather large duffle bag.

"What are you doing?" Lisa questioned with amusement watching him.

"I need to pack some stuff to take over there. It's not like the both of us can walk into the hospital on Monday wearing your do me pumps and low cut tops. People will start to get suspicious." House replied back to her as he pulled a few shirts off the hangers in his closet before limping over to his dresser and gathering up a few more things.

"Ok….clothes check." House remarked placing the items into the bag before he lifted it up and tossed it onto the mattress.

He then excited the bedroom and went into the bathroom, coming back with a handful of items while Lisa continued to watch him with amusement.

"Toothbrush check, deodorant check, razor for that weekly shave…..check. Cologne that drives a certain administrator wild….. check." House said stuffing them into the bag as he smirked over at her.

"Anything else you want to put in there, like _I don't know ....maybe that huge ego of yours_?" Lisa asked him with a clever smile.

"I've tired before, it won't fit." House quipped, looking around the room before he moved over to the corner of it where his computer desk was located.

Reaching the desk, House grabbed his gameboy off of the top shelf.

"Relief from boredom at the hospital….check." He said, tossing the gameboy onto the bed next to the duffle bag, grinning over at Lisa.

"Ok….that should be…" House started to say as Lisa crossed her arms and tapped her foot, before he spotted something else he wanted to take with him, picking it up off the desk and turning around quickly to face her.

"_PORN.......check_." House said slyly as held the small camcorder in his right hand, focusing in on her face.

"_House_ ..stop." Lisa warned, putting her hand up in front of her.

"Come on baby give me that money shot…you know you want to." House replied in a low masculine voice moving closer to her.

"You are out of your mind." Lisa said with a smile on her lips but a glare in her eyes as she walked up to him and placed her hand over the lens.

"Lighten up baby. What will it take to get you in the mood? A little wine? Maybe some Jack Daniels? Oh…..or how about a big throbbing donation to the hospital?" House teased, moving the camera away from her grasp.

"I am leaving in fifteen minutes." Cuddy said walking out of the room.

House zoomed in on her ass and followed her.

"Mmmmm….. Daddy like!" He said with appreciation, keeping her perfectly round ass in perfect focus.

"I changed my mind." She suddenlty said sternly, turning around to face him.

Now the camera was focused in on her crotch and House was grinning form ear to ear.

"Really?" He said in an excited voice, panning up to her face.

"Not about the homemade porn you idiot! I meant I've changed my mind about you staying with me." Lisa snapped.

"Really?" House asked again, lowering the camera with a disappointment in his tone.

"No." Lisa teased smirking at him. "But if you don't put that thing away and get your ass moving I will." She finished.

"Cut! Everybody put your clothes back on!" House yelled turning the camcorder off.

********************************************************

That evening they drove separately to Lisa's place and when they both arrived at her house, Greg pulled his motorcycle around to the back of it as both of them had agreed upon, the precaution taken just in case anyone who knew them both would happen to stop by unexpectedly.

As Sunday night arrived a call to both of their cell phones once again brought reality back to them as they sat side by side on the sofa arguing over what movie they were going to watch.

Picking up her phone, Cuddy headed to the kitchen, standing next to the refrigerator and talking to Foreman who was on the other end of the line as House, who remained out in the living room waited until the fifth ring before answering his own phone.

"It does sound like a case for House and if doesn't pick up when you call him I want to know." Cuddy instructed Foreman after he gave her the details of the case, glancing down the hallway after she hung up.

"What?" House asked with annoyance into his cell phone.

"We have a case, twenty-two year old female, sudden onset of paralysis in her lower extermities, no history injury to her head or her spine, prsents with fever and abdominal pain also." Cameron rattled off to him.

"Didn't I just solve a case the other day? I think I've met my quota for the month." House snarked back to her.

"Foreman said to tell you Cuddy already knows about the case." Cameron replied back flatly.

House sighed.

"Fine, I'll come in, the last thing I need is Cuddy all over my jock." He said with a grin, watching Lisa walking into the living in her bare feet as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Not funny." She remarked after he had hung up the phone.

"Relax, I've talked about you all over my jock so many times to my team that unless my team actually saw you on my jock play cowgirl they wouldn't think twice about my comments." House said, clipping his cell phone back onto his belt.

"Now be a good girl and give daddy a kiss before he makes your hospital look good ….thanks to my brilliance." He added with a devious smile.

Lisa smiled back him, standing on her tiptoes as she kissed him softly on the lips before smacking him squarely on his ass.

"Ouch! What the hell was that for?!" House asked, rubbing his butt.

"When it comes to the hospital ….I wear the pants in this relationship understand?" Lisa commented back to him placing her hands on her hips.

House stepped closer to her.

"You better be naked when I come home because when it comes to making you moan.......I have the magic stick." He whispered to her, moving a hand to Lisa's ass and making her jump when he gave it a firm yet gentle tap before limping towards the kitchen to get the keys to his motorcycle.

********************************************************

**PPTH….**

A little after ten pm, House entered into his office, setting hid backpack down on his desk before he walked into the conference room where his team was gathered.

He noticed right away that Chase and Cameron were seated at opposite ends of the table and also that Cameron had been glaring at Chase just before he had walked in.

Chase looked tired but had a smile on his face which meant something interesting was going on between the two of them.

"Chase you look tired, were you and the sex kitten making the beast with two backs in the janitors closet again?" House snarked, limping over to the coffee maker.

"No!" Cameron and Chase both said in unison.

House had picked up on the tension in Cameron's voice and decided to push the issue a little farther.

"Trouble in paradise?" He questioned pouring himself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee.

When his question was met with silence, House turned around to look at both of them.

Although Cameron looked like she ready to blow a gasket, Chase was relaxed and calm.

"Can you stop staring at us and focus on our patient?" Cameron snipped.

"But this is so much more fun." House whined stomping his foot.

"The patient's stable for now but her liver function tests are elevated and she still has paralysis from the waist down." Foreman said trying to get them back on track.

"Good plan Foreman, you make them think were not interested in the lives of the Young and Clueless. Then after I tell you and Chase to run some tests, Pump Steve Irwin for the details while I braid Cameron's hair and get her to spill her guts to me. I'll meet you by the swings during recess so we can compare notes." House said as he leaned down and whispered into Foreman's ear.

Chase smiled at the joke while Cameron remained stone faced with her arms folded across her chest.

"You know you look a little tired yourself House, did you happen to make the beast with two backs with Honey tonight?" Chase questioned raising his brow as he leaned back in his chair.

"You're so juvenile." Cameron reamarked giving Chase a dirty look.

"You know me Chase...can't get enough of the Honey because it's so sweet and tastes oh so good." House answered back, licking his lips.

Cameron gasped as Chased laughed with a peculiar look on his face while Foreman gave House an unimpressed look of his own.

"House, can we please get back to the patient? Besides…. I know for a fact there is nothing as sweet as _brown sugar_ when it comes to the ladies." Foreman remarked in an offhanded manner, looking back down at the patient's chart.

"Oh my god I'm surrounded by morons." Cameron muttered as both House and Chase gave an approving nod in Forman's direction.

********************************************************

It was almost eleven thirty when Cameron tracked down Chase in the Pathology lab after House had purposely kept them separated from each other for most of the night as they tried to solve their latest case.

Opening the glass door, Cameron saw Chase glance up at her before looking back down at the slide underneath the microscope.

"What's going on?" She demanded walking up beside him.

"I'm running the test House ordered." Chase replied flatly with his eyes remaining focused on the slide.

"That's not what I meant. You've been avoiding me all weekend. You're not answering my calls, you missed our date on Saturday, and now you're avoiding me at work." Cameron huffed.

Chase looked up from the microscope, studying the anger displayed across her face.

"Allison, I think we should break up." He said with a calm tone to his voice.

"What?" Cameron questioned in disbelief.

"I think we should break up, we both know this isn't working so why put ourselves through the torture?" Chase replied shrugging his shoulders.

"You're the one who told me you wanted it to be more than just casual sex between us and now you're dumping me?" Cameron asked with resentment hanging on every word she had spoken.

"I did want something more for us, but now that I've finally realized you don't want that because you're still hung up on House, I've realized that I deserve to be with a person who wants me just as much as I want them." Chase responded remaining calm.

"You are so full of yourself! The only thing that prevented us from moving forward in our relationship is YOUR own insecurities!" Cameron yelled before turning and leaving the lab.

Exhaling loudly, Chase shook his head before lowering his eyes to the microscope once more and studying the slide held within it.

After a few minutes his phone began to ring.

Reaching into his lab coat, Chase checked the caller ID, smiling as he answered the call.

"Hi." Chase said with soft tone.

"Hi." Honey replied on the other end of the line.

"So what's up?" Chase questioned.

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you'll like to go out tomorrow night to this new club on the east side of Princeton, I've heard some really cool things about it and since we had such a good time at the concert the other night I thought maybe we could do it again." Honey offered, biting down on her bottom lip.

"I'd love to." Chase answered as the smile on his face grew wider.

"Great!" Honey exclaimed with a giggle.

"Oh by the way, has House tried to get in contact with you recently?" Chase asked her, leaning forward in his chair.

"No. Why, did he say something to you about me?" Honey questioned.

"No, he just mentioned you in passing like the two of you were still together." Chase replied, making sure that it really was over betweent the two of them.

"Chase trust me….It's over between House if that's what you're worried about…...but I don't think that's what you're worried about since you're dating Allison." Honey commented back.

"Correction _I was_ dating Allison as in past tense." Chase informed her.

"Oh." Honey responded smiling once more.

"Yeah…oh." Chase teased.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow then? Say around eight o'clock?" Honey asked him.

"Definitely." Chase answered in return with a small chuckle.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok guys a little more fun for our favorite couple:) ****Hope you enjoy it and the new episode tonight!!!**

**Chapter 9**

On Friday…after a very trying four days of trying to diagnosis his patient, House had finally solved the case, with the patient walking out of the hospital on her own two feet a few hours after receiving the treatment for her illness.

Throughout the week House had stayed at Lisa's place every night, stopping back at his place on Thursday to pick up a few more days worth of clothes that would get him through the weekend.

Much to his shock and Lisa's as well he was sure, they actually co-existed quite nicely together inside her home, albeit amidst some very colorful conversations at times, when she was a little too bossy for his liking or especially when he forgot to put the lid down on the toilet seat.

Of course at the hospital they still argued over his treatment of patients and the risks he wanted to take, their roles not changing in anyway simply because they had started a personal relationship with one another.

In fact so far the only down side in their relationship had been the ever increasing sexual tension they had felt whenever their arguments became heated inside the confines of the hospital, the passion they created between them while closed off from the rest of the world inside the walls of her office, achingly within their grasp and yet totally forbidden given their surrounds.

Now, as House drove down the last city street that would lead to Lisa's home, he experienced the familiar feeling inside of him that had been with him for days, the feeling of wanting to be with her even though the had spent eight hours a day together at the hospital, the feeling of comfort he found sleeping next to Lisa in her bed and listening to her breathing after she had gone to sleep, watching her face relax against the soft glow of the moonlight as her hand rested on his chest.

He had forgotten how good that feeling was, how good it felt to be needed by a woman in that way, to see the smile rise up on her face when she saw you, to feel it in her kiss as she let you move inside of her, while she was thinking of you and only you as she whispered your name while trapped in the throws of passion you created with her.

Slowing down his motorcycle, House carefully maneuvered into the backyard of Lisa's home before shutting off the engine and removing his helmet, fishing for the spare key that would unlock the back door to her house, knowing that Lisa would not be home until later tonight, another board meeting keeping her at the hospital until at least seven.

Getting off the bike, House decided he would take a shower now as he waited for her to come home, wondering if she want to have sex first before they ordered something for dinner, smiling as he realized again how good it felt to be needed.

********************************************************

A little before six o'clock Lisa arrived home from the hospital, the board meeting she was supposed to attend, cancelled at the last minute when three of the board members came down with a horrible case of the stomach flu.

Placing her briefcase on the kitchen counter, she stepped out of her high heels and headed upstairs to change, hearing the sound of running water as she opened up her bedroom door mixed in with the sound of Greg singing in the shower at the top of his lungs.

"_Hello I love won't you tell me your name! Hello I love you let me jump in your game!" _

Lisa clamped her hand down over her mouth to stifle her laughter, continuing to listen to House who was singing with everything thing he had inside of him, still riding off the high from solving his latest case, the fact that it brought so much joy to him an endearing quality about him that made her love him all the more.

In the past few days she had noticed a some subtle changes in him when they were together, namely that House had been taking less of his vicodin when they were at her place and had cut down at the hospital as well, he seemed more relaxed and at ease within himself, their decision to try and work at a relationship together bringing a benefit with it that she had not expected.

_Now the only thing he has to get better at is picking up his dirty clothes,_ Lisa thought, shaking her head as she bent down to pick up the jeans House had left on the bedroom floor after he stepped out of them on his way to the shower.

She folded them and placed them on top of his duffle bag which was resting on the overstuffed chair beside her dresser.

As she turned to leave the pants slid off of the duffle bag and with it came the camcorder he had stuffed inside it, landing with a soft thud unto the carpeted floor beneath it.

"_Her arms are wicked and her legs are long when she moves my brain screams out this song. Hello!" _

House was singing with all the passion he could muster, it was Friday night, his latest case was solved and soon he would be making love to a woman who couldn't seem to get enough of him….life for him to say the very least…was good….better than it had been in a very long time.

Reaching for the shower gel in front of him, House squeezed some of it out onto the palm or his right hand before rubbing it over his chest and placing the bottle back into the shower caddy.

He was right in the middle of the last verse of the song, when suddenly the shower curtain snapped open, exposing him in all his naked glory to Cuddy, who was holding his camcorder while taping the entire sneak attack.

"Come on baby show me that money shot." Lisa purred in a sexy low voice.

"Dammit! You scared the crap out of me!" House growled, after he had just about jumped out of skin when she startled him, trying to close the curtain with one soapy hand while she held onto it with her free hand, preventing him from doing so.

Pointing the camcorder down to his crotch, with a huge grin on her face Lisa spoke once more.

"Oh my god it's SOOOOO BIG! Oh wait I had the zoom on." She said, with a laugh quickly accompanying her wicked smile.

"You are a DEAD woman." House muttered, grabbing her right arm and giving it a yank as her left hand remained wrapped around his very expensive camcorder.

"Uh oh…. you better be careful. I wouldn't want to accidentally drop this in the shower." Lisa warned as she panned the camera up to his face.

House narrowed his eyes at her.

"Well I don't think you'd want me to _pull_ you into the shower either……not while you've got that very expensive designer dress on anyway." He countered, moving her bare arm under the spray of the water just to let her know he meant business.

"Looks like we have a problem then." Lisa said slyly, keeping her cool.

"I'll tell you what….on the count of three, I'll let go of your arm if you agree to put my camcorder down." House reasoned.

Cuddy nodded and they counted in unison.

"_One…. Two….. Three….." _

But after the numbers were said by both of them, House still maintained the grip he had on her arm as Lisa continued to hold tightly onto the camcorder in her left hand, focusing in on the disappointment as it spread across his face.

"Did you really think it was going to be that easy?" She questioned with a smirk on her face.

"No." House admitted sheepishly, knowing nothing had ever been easy when it came to Lisa Cuddy, but that reaping the rewards of the good fight more than made up for the struggle to get there.

"I tell you what; I've got a proposition for you." Lisa said taking the camcorder away from her face.

"Let's hear it." House replied keeping his hold on her arm.

Lisa smiled. "If you can get this dress off of me without getting it wet, not only will I put the camcorder down, but I'll also join in the shower and make you a very happy man."

"And what happens if I get your dress wet?" House questioned suspiciously, knowing that she would not enter into a bet with him unless there was something in it for her.

"If you get the dress wet you'll just have to buy me a new one." Lisa replied matter-of-factly.

"And what else?" House pushed, knowing she would up the ante further than the cost of a new dress.

"And if you lose, you have to sing "I'm a Little Teapot" naked, in the shower while I tape you." Lisa finished laughing as she tried to pull her arm away from him

"Yeah right!" House replied, keeping hold of her.

"Well…. what else _do you want_?" She asked him coyly.

House thought about it a minute then smirked.

"If I win you have to spend the entire day tomorrow…. _naked_." He replied, grinning widely.

Lisa scoffed, "No way, I am not doing that." She argued.

"Hey if I have to face the consequences of singing "I'm a little Teapot" while my dingy is swaying in the wind as you capture the moment on video, you have to agree to face a little humiliation yourself if you end up losing." House argued back.

"You just want me naked so you can enjoy a free all day peep show." Lisa replied back sarcastically.

"I was planning on paying. How does a quarter for every hour sound?" He asked her with an evil grin.

Lisa exhaled as she contemplated his terms.

"Fine." She agreed much to his delight and surprise.

"But remember not one drop of water on this dress or you lose." She stressed.

"Fine, now turn around and let's get show on the road before the water get cold sweetheart." House said using the term of endearment just to make her roll her eyes at him, determined that he would get that dress off her without getting it wet, even if it meant that an atheist would be asking for divine intervention.

Lisa held their gaze for a moment before turning around like he had asked her to.

"Just remember…. I'm still holding onto this, so don't try anything funny." She warned, holding up the camcorder in her left hand.

"Shut up and hold still." House remarked, focusing his eyes on the back of her dress.

Lisa smiled, looking over at both of their reflections in the floor length bathroom mirror that was attached to the back of the door, watching with amusement as House furrowed his brow, biting down on his bottom lip.

Looking down at his hands that were soapy and wet, House knew that even if he wiped them off with the shower curtain they would still leave a residue of moisture behind, marking his trail and causing him to loose the bet.

Currently although the spray from the shower head was hitting him the chest, from the neck up he was relatively dry, having not washed his hair yet.

With a smile on his face, he turned to his right away from the stream of water so that it was now hitting the floor of the tub, leaning carefully towards Lisa, making sure not to make contact with her body.

"Move your hair out of the way." House said to her, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

"That wasn't part of the deal." Lisa countered.

"You said all I had to do was remove your dress without getting it wet, you didn't stipulate that I couldn't ask for your help in regards to things that may impede my progress, it's your own fault for not putting in a hair clause." House argued articulately.

Lisa looked back at him with an arched eyebrow, impressed with his choice of words, using her right hand to sweep her hair forward from her shoulders

"Fine, but that's all the help you're going to get from me understand?" She stated smartly.

"Be quiet and hold still." House remarked before lowering his head and using his tongue to flip the zipper on the back of her dress up before gripping it with his teeth.

Placing his left hand on the shower wall for balance, House then proceed to slowly pull down the zipper on her dress, squatting by bending at his knees when he reached the lower part of her spine where the zipper ended.

Letting go of the zipper, House took in a sharp breath as a dagger of pain pierced his right thigh.

"Are you ok?" Lisa questioned turning her head around to look at him, unable to hide her smile as she saw him in the rather awkward position.

"Don't worry I'll be fine." House assured her with grimace, letting her know her smile was irritating him more than the pain in his leg right now.

Having completed the first part of his task, House carefully rose up to a standing position once more, getting ready to tackle the wide shoulder straps of her dress, pausing as he tired to figure out the best way to try and remove them.

"Having trouble?" Lisa asked him with smirk on her face as she watched their reflections in the mirror.

"You wish." House whispered into the side of her neck before he moved his tongue to the bare skin between her shoulder blades, hearing her take in a breath.

"Are you ok?" He whispered against her skin, his eyes peaking over her shoulder, seeing Lisa close her eyes in the mirror in from of them both.

"I'm fine." Lisa answered opening up her eyes back up to see him staring at her from behind.

House smile at her, lowered his jaw once more, rubbing his stubble over her shoulders, careful to keep his body from touching hers as he gripped her right shoulder strap in his teeth.

"Greg." Lisa whispered in a breathy tone, rubbing the side of her face next to his.

The sound of her voice set of the automatic response within him that sent his hands in motion, reaching for her waist, but before they could land on their destination, he stopped them and pulled them back to his sides

"Nice try." House commented, removing his mouth from her garment, looking at her reflection as she bit her bottom lip.

"Can't blame a girl for trying." Lisa said with a shrug and a wink.

Lowering his head again, House seized the fabric resting on her shoulder with his teeth once more, tugging it down to just above her elbows as she kept her arms crossed in front of her chest, keeping the camcorder nestled between them.

He then repeated the same technique with the other strap on her left side before looking over at her refection in the mirror.

"Unless you want to turn around and have me remove that camcorder with my teeth too, it's pretty safe to say I won." House told her triumphantly.

"My dress isn't off yet." Lisa argued.

"As soon as you set that camcorder down on the sink we both know that dress is as good as gone." House replied.

Lisa let out a loud sigh, removing her hands from her chest and walking over to the sink as the straps of her dress fell down to her wrists and the body of it pooled around her waist for a few seconds before gliding gently over her hips and to the floor, exposing the light pink push up bra and lace thong she was wearing.

"Is that new?" House asked her in a low whisper as his erection rose up in an instant.

"No. Why do you like it?" Lisa answered back with a smile, leaning forward as she placed the camcorder on the countertop of the sink, giving Greg a nice view of her cleavage as she thought of a few tactics she could use to try and renegotiate their deal.

"Uh huh." House answered back with his eyes staying glued on her body while the blood continued to race down to his erection.

Slowly, Lisa removed her bra as he watched her and for a little added tease, bit her bottom lip and gave him the "I want you now" look.

"You know there are a lot of other things you can have me do besides walk around naked all day tomorrow." She told him seductively as she turned around so that her back was facing him as she removed her panties.

"I bet you could." House said enjoying the show, mesmerized by her gorgeous ass which she had just wiggled out of the lace panties while bending over just enough to make him catch his breath.

Turning around Lisa gave him a smile that would melt most men, walking up to him with a body that was ready for whatever he intended to do with it.

"So do you want to talk about what you'd rather to do to me or just act it out instead?" She asked in a voice that was as sweet as it was laced with suggestiveness.

"Once again nice try…but you are not getting out of our bet!" He yelled as he pulled her into the shower with him, backing her up against the wall as the water covered their bodies and she glared at him.

"I'm really not in the mood anymore." Lisa remarked, pissed that she had not succeeding in seducing him out of the wager.

"I think I can change your mind." He said staring intently into her eyes.

God she was so sexy when she was mad.

Lisa looked back at him with defiance, her lips tight with resolve as he smiled down at.

"Such an angry face." House teased causing her to smile.

"I hate you." She whispered up to him in a pout.

"I know." House responded before lowering his lips to hers, biting down gently on her bottom one until she relaxed and began kissing him back.

As the water from the shower began to warm their bodies, House moved his lips across her collar bones, stopping at the groove in between them before lowering them to her right breast first, the taste of the water entering into his mouth as he drew in her nipple, sucking on it and causing her to gasp.

He pulled her closer, his fingers finding their way in between her thighs, making her moan as they moved over her clit before one of them ventured inside of her.

Lisa pressed her pelvis against his hand as her fingers moved into the hair behind his head, his lips rising up from her breasts to kiss her once more.

"Still not in the mood?" House asked her as he continued to move his finger inside of her.

"Shut up." Lisa replied pulling his lips down to meet her own.

House groaned in appreciation of her aggressive nature, continuing to please her with his middle finger that was sliding almost completely out of her before entering into her heat once more.

"Oh god that feels so good." Lisa whispered into his neck just before he brushed his thumb across her clit, her legs opening up wider as he moved inside of them.

Bending his knees, House moved his hand that was pleasing her over to her hip, positioning his shaft just outside of her entrance and looking into her eyes as he slowly guided himself inside of her.

"Jesus." He muttered, closing his eyes for moment as he sunk deeper into her as she in turn wrapped her leg around his waist.

Tilting her pelvis up, Lisa began the rhythm between them, kissing his chest as he placed one of his palms firmly on the wall behind her, while his other hand moved to the small of her back.

Greg pulled Lisa towards him during their next combined thrust, the angle her reached inside of her causing them both to gasp out in pleasure at the amazing feeling it caused, hearts racing along with the water the that swirled below them until they both reached their peaks, holding onto each other afterwards and sharing another kiss before smiling at each other, knowing it was so very nice to be needed in that way.

******************************************************

At around 9am the next morning, Greg woke up, turning over in Lisa's bed and searching for her body with his hand so he could pull her next to him, opening up his eyes when he found an empty space where her body should have been.

He noticed immediately that the blinds in her bedroom had been pulled down, the room maintaining its pitch black veil of night.

Sitting up in the bed he stretched and yawned loudly, rubbing his thigh that was a little stiff this morning, reaching over to the nightstand to check his watch before picking up his bottle of vicodin and shaking it, realizing that he still had a pretty good supply left of the pain killers which was unusual for him.

Popping open the lid to the bottle, he had told himself not to get to excited with the sudden departure of the intense pain he was all to familiar with, reminding himself he had moments like this in the past where the pain would recede for a time only to come back with an unbearable fury.

After dry swallowing one of the tablets inside the bottle, House got out of bed and hobbled downstairs, finding that all of the blinds had been pulled down in the living room as well as dining room.

Scratching his head, House limped into the kitchen, his jaw dropping when he spotted Lisa leaning against the kitchen counter, her elbows rested on the edge of the counter as she sipped her coffee and read the paper lying on top the countertop, wearing nothing but the body God have given her.

"All aboard the nudie express! WOO! WOO!" House yelled pulling his hand down to mimic a train whistle.

Lisa looked up at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Understand this Greg House. Just because I am making good on my bet with you does not give you an all day pass to Lisaland." She told him flatly in no uncertain terms.

"Not fair!" House protested. "What good is the nudie express if I don't get to eventually park my train in the tunnel?"

The look on House's face was priceless, his bottom lip sticking out while he pleaded at her with his best set of puppy dog eyes.

"I'm sorry conductor." Lisa said pouting back at him. "But I received a page from the hospital this morning about some last minute numbers they need for the budget and since I can't go into my office and work on them I have to stay here, and if I even hope to get any kind of work done we cannot be taking the midnight train to Georgia."

House shook his head at her; Lisa had her hands on her hips and was leaning towards him as they stood face to face.

She was naked, she was getting angry and he was getting horny.

He placed an arm around her hip and pulled her close.

"Come on just a quickie I promise it will only take minute." He begged.

"If it's only gonna take a minute I'm not interested." Lisa replied.

"But if you can manage to behave yourself today and let me get some work done we get our groove on later." She offered pushing her naked body up against him and torturing him with the fact that he was getting exactly what he wanted out of their bet without getting everything he needed.

"Down boy, don't you worry we'll make her pay later for this travesty of justice." House said looking down at his boxes that his hard-on was poking against.

"I'm going to hold you to that." Lisa teased, walking into the dining room as she wiggled her hips.

"Quit shaking your ass like that!" House yelled at her watching Lisa look back at him with an evil grin.

*******************************************************

A short while later as Lisa remained in the dining room table with her laptop in front her continuing to work on the numbers for this season budget, House for his part had taken up residency in her living room, l down on the couch as he played his gameboy and watched TV, trying everything in his power not to think about the naked woman who was only a few feet away from him in the next room.

After beating another level in the game he was playing, House decided to stretch his legs, limping out of the room and towards the kitchen to get a drink, taking a short cut by walking into the dining room.

Hearing him approach, Lisa leaned back in her chair, raising her arm as she stretched and arched her back.

That was too much for him to take and so House proceeded to walk up behind her as she sat at the chair, cupping each of her breasts in his hands while bending down and kissing her on the neck.

"I've got a least another two hours of work here." Lisa said dryly, even though the kiss on her neck had sent a shiver down her spine.

He groaned in frustration, releasing her breasts.

"What good is a naked Lisa Cuddy if I can't play with her? It's like dangling a bottle of vodka in front of Lindsey Lohan and telling her she can't drink it. You know sooner or later she's going to run over her own mother to get to it and then you not only have a drunk on your hands, but a dead mother to boot." House snarked.

"So you're telling me that you would run over your own mother in order to have sex with me? That's kind creepy." Lisa replied, looking up at him as he stood behind her."

"Well maybe not my mother, but definitely Lindsey's mother." House answered before turning away in disappointment, heading for the kitchen once more.

********************************************************

An hour later, Lisa had just put the finishing touches on her report and had emailed it to the Finance department when the doorbell began to ring.

She felt her muscles tense and jumped up from her chair, heading for the living room where House was lying on the couch totally engrossed in the soap opera he was watching.

"Greg!" Lisa whispered as the panic oozed out of every pore in her very naked body.

The television was loud so whoever was at the door would know that someone was home.

"Huh?" House questioned looking up from the TV.

Lisa was in full panic mode as she pointed to the door and spoke.

"Be quiet, someone's at the door." She informed him.

House smiled, getting up from the couch and walking past her naked form.

"Stop!" Lisa whispered grabbing him by the arm to prevent him from going any further.

"Are you crazy? We don't know who could be at the door!" She said in a hushed and worried tone.

"It's the delivery guy, I ordered a pizza." House said pulling his arm free from her as once again started towards the door.

"You what?!" She yelled in disbelief turning around and following him.

"I ordered a pizza; it's this thing that you eat that's made out of flour, cheese……." House started to say.

"You're an ass." Lisa hissed cutting him off.

"I may be an ass but if you don't want the delivery guy to see your ass…..you better get out of sight." House warned with a wicked smile.

Lisa eyes widened as she saw House reaching for the doorknob, knowing she only had a few precious seconds to get out of view of the delivery guy, turning and running down the hall towards the kitchen s she heard House chuckling behind her.

"Hello!" House said in a cheery tone opening up the door, looking out at the young kid with the Emo hair cut.

"Whatever." The young punk replied. "It's eighteen dollars for the pizza."

"Awwww…. what's a matter did some mean kids try and get you to smile today?" House snarked.

"You wouldn't understand." The kid replied in a self righteous tone.

"You're right I don't. If only the rest of the world would cut themselves and write poetry, all of our problems would be solved." House replied back dryly.

The kid's jaw dropped at House's honest and snide remark rendering the boy speechless for a moment.

Amused at the kid's reaction, House smirked as he reached into his back pocket and spoke.

"Now where did I put my wallet? I know it's gotta be around here somewhere." He said, loud enough so that he was sure Lisa could hear him from her hiding spot in the kitchen.

"That jerk!" Lisa whispered under her breath as she looked around the kitchen.

There was no place to hide and the back door was not an option.

Hearing the approaching footsteps of House and the delivery body as they drew closer, Lisa felt her stomach twisting into knots.

"Lisa, do you know where my wallet is?" House questioned as he stepped into the kitchen with the teenage brat behind him.

"I have not idea where your wallet is, but my purse is on the kitchen table." Lisa replied from behind the refrigerator door, squatting with her knees slightly bent, acting as if she was looking for something inside it.

She had thrown a dish towel over her left shoulder at the last second to make sure there would be no unexplained exposed flesh that might draw the eye of the teenage boy standing beside House.

House smiled over at her…. Lisa Cuddy was a very clever lady.

From both his and the delivery boy's vantage point they could only see the top of her head, left shoulder and her bare feet below the door.

Deciding to torture her a little more, House limped up to her and placed his hand on the refrigerator door.

"Did you find the bottle of wine you were looking for?" He asked as he looked down at her breasts.

Her nipples where at full attention thanks to the cold air from the fridge.

"Found it." Lisa said, glaring at him.

If he even attempted to pull the door any further she would make sure that Gregory House would walk out of her house minus his testicles.

House saw the anger in her eyes and turned to face the delivery boy again.

"How much did you say it was?" He questioned walking over to Lisa's purse on the kitchen table.

"Eighteen dollars." The kid repeated, shifting his weight to his right leg, wanting nothing more than to be on his way.

House nodded and pulled some money out from inside Lisa's purse.

"Here you go." He said giving the kid exactly eighteen dollars from Lisa's purse as the kid gave him a dirty look.

"Thanks for nothing." The kid replied turning and staring to walk towards the front door.

"Hey wait I think I may have some eyeliner and a pair of tight black pants if you're interested." House yelled out to the kid as he laid the pizza on the kitchen table before limping after him.

After Lisa heard the front door slam she closed the refrigerator door.

"What in the hell is wrong with you?!" She asked as House when he returned to the kitchen, rubbing her arms, trying to take the chill away for her body.

"Come here." House said, opening up his arms to her.

"Go to hell!" Lisa replied, glaring up at him.

Lisa was pissed, really pissed and House knew she had ever right to be.

He did play a pretty dirty trick even if he did have all the faith in the world that Lisa Cuddy would be able to keep her nudity hidden from the delivery boy no matter what the cost, and for reasons he could not explain even to himself, her ability to find a solution when none appeared apparent was a turn on…..twisted as it may be.

Letting out a loud sigh, House walked over towards her and reached for her.

"I'm sorry." He muttered only half meaning it.

Lisa tried to slap his hand away but House caught her by the wrist and pulled her against him, looking straight into her eyes as his hands moved to her cold ass and began to rub it.

Her breasts pushed up against his t-shirt and he could feel her hard nipples pressing through the material.

"Better?" He asked as he continued to gently rub the cold flesh of her ass.

Lisa continued to glare up at him, still mad about what he had done to her but his the gently way he was touching her now was making it hard for her to stay angry with him.

Had she really expected a relationship with him to be normal, while knowing that a big part of House's persona was pushing the envelope at all cost, whether it be at the hospital or in his personal life.

"What I'm I going do about you?" Lisa asked him in a somewhat sullen tone.

"Put up with my crap just like I put up with yours." He answered with a truth in his words.

Lisa shook her head. "I guess that's all we can really do." She conceded.

House nodded sincerely.

"Yeah…and I'm really sorry that I put the two of you in such danger. You could have died of frostbite." House remarked talking down to her breasts, moving his hands up to them and gently rubbing them.

Lisa couldn't help but laugh at his comment.

"You are a sick, sick man." She said with a smirk.

He looked down at her, seeing that the anger within her face was now gone and replaced with a hopeless look of acceptance.

It was right hen and there he decided she that he did need to make it up to her.

Taking a few steps back from her he took off his shirt.

_W__ell he's gone from sorry to horny in about two point eight seconds,_ Lisa thought taking in an annoyed breath.

House watched her reaction and continued to strip until he was as naked as she was.

Lisa was anticipating his touch, a lecherous grab for her body, but then to her surprise, House placed his right hand on his hip and held his left hand out to his side, with his palm pointing down from his body.

"What are you doing?" She asked, furrowing her brow at first until she realized what he was he was up to as a wide smile formed on her lips.

"_I'm a little teapot short and stout" _House began to sing, swinging his hips as well as his penis in her direction.

Lisa lost it, laughing hysterically until she was crying.

"Stop!" She exclaimed, gasping for breath, pulling his arms down and placing them around her waist.

"That will be fifty cents for the free show." House said to her with a sly smile on his face.


	10. Chapter 10

**OK guys here's the next chapter. I will try my best to post another one on Friday…if I am not too tired from Christmas shopping!! Once again thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this latest chapter:)**

**Chapter 10**

**Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital….**

The following week, Cuddy made her way to the elevator with her clipboard in hand, hoping she would not be too late for her meeting on the sixth floor, a slight smile on her face none the less despite her predicament, caused by the fact that she and Greg had not spent a night apart since the first time they had made love after the hospital fundraiser.

It was to say the least a total and yet welcome surprise for her how well the budding relationship they were sharing was quickly taking hold with roots stronger than any other before in her personal life.

Stepping inside the elevator and turning around, Lisa felt her smile begin to grown, biting down on her bottom lip to stop it's progress as the doors of the elevator which began to close were halted by a cane that was being pushed in between them.

"Excuse me cripple coming through!" House yelled, noticing the smile Lisa was trying to hide, brushing against her as he made his way to the back of the packed elevator, standing directly behind her.

Taking in the scent of his cologne, Lisa cleared her throat, maintaining her cool after noticing Greg was wearing his leather jacket and sunglasses that made him look sexy as hell.

Reaching inside his jacket, House placed the earbuds attached to his IPod inside his ears and pushed play while staring down at Lisa's ass with a smile on his face.

The hospital staff members inside the elevator with them, consisting of two nurses, one orderly, and one physician from endocrinology all of whom, gave each other knowing looks of displeasure after the newest passenger had joined them, hoping that the crabby doctor who seemed to thrive off of annoying the crap out of Doctor Lisa Cuddy would keep his big mouth shut for once.

Nodding his head to the music, House's eyes stayed glued on Lisa's gorgeous round ass as he turned up the volume in his headphones……and began to sing.

"_Go and tell a brother no, with a ass so fat? Hey why wanna go and do that love huh? __Hey why you wanna go and do that love, huh? Hey-Hey why you wanna go and do that, do that?"_

Everyone inside the elevator turned around to look at him as well as Lisa, who gave him a glare as the rest of the passengers responded to him by either rolling their eyes or leaving out and exasperated sigh of disgust before turning back around to face the front of the elevator.

Smiling, House continued to bob his head to the music, looking down at Lisa ass again as the two nurses inside the elevator got off the on the third floor before the rest of the passengers exited the elevator on the fourth floor, leaving him alone with her and her tempting body.

Using his cane, House reached around Lisa and pushed the emergency stop button.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Lisa questioned as he leaned closer to her and began singing to her again with a devilish smile displayed on his face.

"_I wanna kiss you everywhere between your knees and waist. Hear the sounds that you making, get your knees to shake."_

Lisa's mouth dropped before another smile arose from her lips as House closed the gap between them, brushing her lips against hers while reaching behind her and grabbing her ass, giving it a good firm squeeze before he pushed the emergency button once more after the quick grope.

Standing side by side once more as the elevator doors opened, looking as innocent as they day they were born, Cuddy turned to face House.

"You know I'm going to hold you to that." She said in a seductive tone, referring to his last comment, giving him one last lingering look before she stepped off the elevator.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." House replied, watching her go and smiling widely as the elevator doors closed again

********************************************************

At around one pm, Jeff Hansom walked into the lobby of the hospital, like a man on a mission, his eyes, focusing on the glass door on which the name of Doctor Lisa Cuddy was printed, his gait steady and confident, his mind, traveling so fast he felt slightly off balance by the thoughts that were running through it.

Pulling the door open to the outer office, Jeff noticed the pretty blonde receptionist seated behind her desk who greeted him with a pleasant grin.

This receptionist was a new addition to Lisa's staff and since she was the gatekeeper for Lisa's office, Jeff was going to make sure he made a good first impression on her.

"Can I help you?" The receptionist asked, looking up at him.

"I'm here to see Doctor Cuddy." Jeff answered with a brilliant smile.

The receptionist looked in at her new boss through the glass doors that separated them, as her boss concentrated on the computer monitor in front of her before she turned back to face the handsome man standing before her.

"Doctor Cuddy doesn't have any meetings scheduled right now so I'm sure she won't mind you stop in." The woman told him, producing another smile.

"Thank you …Cindy." Jeff replied after spotting the nameplate on her desk.

"Your welcome." The reception responded with another smile, totally impressed by the polite and devastating handsome man.

Hearing her office door open, Lisa looked up from her computer, stunned for a moment when she saw Jeff closing the door.

"Jeff what are you doing here?" Lisa questioned gently.

"How long have you been screwing House?" Jeff demanded as he walked up to her desk, placing his hands firmly on the top it.

Lisa looked up at him dumbfounded for a few seconds, not believing the words he had just spoken to her.

"Jeff I don't know what you're thinking..but….." She began to say as she got up from her chair and made her way around the desk to stand next to him.

"I don't need to think, I KNOW. I saw House leaving your place this morning after you had gone to work and it's not the first time he's done that." Jeff responded as the tone of his voice grew colder.

"You've been watching my house?" Lisa asked him, feeling a nervous twitch in her stomach as she placed her hand on the desk in behind her for support.

"I want you to tell me how long this has been going on between the tow of you." Jeff demanded once more, leaning closer to her as he reached for her hand, holding onto her wrist tightly.

"Jeff you're hurting me." Lisa whispered in shock as she tried to pull her hand away from him, feeling a sharp pain shooting up to her elbow.

"Don't do this Lisa. Don't throw away what we have for him." Jeff told her, loosening his grip on her wrist while still holding onto it.

"Jeff, I want you to leave." Lisa said in a voice that was strong enough to conceal the rising panic within her.

"House is only going to hurt you. You know that as well as I do." Jeff replied, softening his tone, but ignoring her request just the same as he began to gently rub her wrist with his thumb.

"I asked you to leave Jeff.'" Lisa responded, with her tone remaining strong.

Jeff nodded in acknowledgement this time, removing his hand from around her wrist before leaning forward and kissing her on the forehead as he touched her cheek.

"House will never love you as much as I do, and when you realize that, I hope it won't be too late for us." He told her, staring into her eyes intently before turning and leaving her office without saying another word.

Lisa took in a sharp breath, rubbing her left wrist as she watched him go, looking down at the red circular mark his grasp had created, once he had reached the door to the outer office, her eyes growing wide with shock when she noticed how badly her hands were shaking.

From outside of Cuddy's office, Cindy Lark looked over at Jeff Hansom as he flashed her another brilliant smile before he left the outer office, unaware that she had witnessed the entire incident between him and Doctor Cuddy.

Still in shock, Cindy turned her gaze to Cuddy's office, looking in at the visibly shaken woman who was rubbing her wrist as she watched Jeff walking out into the hallway.

Feeling Cindy's eyes upon her, Lisa made eye contact with her, motioning for her to come into her office.

"Nobody needs to know about this, understand?" Lisa said, as soon as Cindy had closed the door behind her.

"But Doctor Cuddy, aren't you afraid that he'll come back?" Cindy questioned with concern.

"He won't come back." Lisa responded dismissively, trying to reassure the woman in front of her well as herself.

"Do you want me to call security so you can report the incident?" Cindy offered.

"I'll be fine." Lisa assured her again. "You can you back to desk now."

Cindy nodded, obeying her boss's requested by turning and leaving the office, closing the door behind her.

Watching her go, Lisa let out a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves before walking up to the doors of her office and drawing the blinds.

********************************************************

After leaving the hospital, Jeff Hansom had walked the city streets of Princeton, leaving his car behind in the hospital parking garage, his mind demanding that the restlessness inside of him be released by physical activity, his heart pumping wildly in his chest after his feet had traveled several blocks, where they led him to a small hole in the wall diner that boasted the best breakfast in town.

Sitting down in a corner booth inside the diner, Jeff felt the film of the both the place as well as the grease from the kitchen in the back trying to leave its mark upon him, trying to taint the things that were pure within him by covering him with its scum.

Reaching for the cup of coffee that had been placed before him a few minutes ago, Jeff brought the mug up to his lips, taking a sip of the brown putrid liquid and swallowing it while trying not to gag, forcing himself to take in some of the filth that was surrounded him so he could better understand it.

Walking up to him inside the crowded diner, a young waitress in her early twenties with auburn hair gave Jeff a warm smile, bringing him the piece of cherry pie he had ordered, making sure he got a good look at her cleavage as she placed the small plate down in front of him.

"Can I get you anything else?" She asked him sweetly as she flirted with him.

"No thanks, I think this should be good." Jeff replied, giving her a winning smile, knowing if he wanted to he could have sex with the girl standing in front of him with little or not effort all her, her tight body and full breasts just another part of the filth that lived here, which was cheap, easy and ready to serve.

"Well if you change your mind I'll be over at the counter." The young woman replied, flashing him another smile before she turned and left.

Leaning back in the booth, Jeff took another sip of his coffee; letting his taste buds linger in the bitterness that moved across his tongue before traveling down his throat as his thoughts once more returned to Lisa.

Unlike the waitress that approached him, Lisa Cuddy did not have the film of lower society scum covering her in its fine and pungent dust, she was fee from its hopeless greed and willingness to sell its soul for money and power, turning most of its inhabitants into nothing more than whores that could be bought easily at a very cheap price before being used up and discarded back into the filth in which the came from.

Shifting his gaze to the city street outside the diner window that was covered in lower class filth, Jeff though back to the first time he had met Lisa Cuddy, her very essence, pure from the slime that society tired to place upon her, a woman of power who used her brains to get where she was today, the sense in her to do right above all else, shielding her from its grasp, creating a light within her that outshone the lesser people of this world, stealing his heart right out from under him before he even knew it was missing.

But now her light was being threatened by someone who was so filled with the uncleanliness of the world he reeked of it.

A man who openly insulted people with no apologies or remorse.

A man who used drugs and alcohol to keep his mind pleasantly wallowing in the filth that surrounded him.

A man who had slept with the woman he loved.

Clenching his jaw in disgust, Jeff took another sip of the bitter coffee before him, resigning himself to the fact that Lisa may indeed have to wallow around in the filth for awhile before she realized what she had lost with him, coming to her senses when the slime covering her began to choke her with its putrid smell.

Of course that didn't mean Jeff was going to idly sit back and watch House try and destroy the light he saw within Lisa.

Oh no….not at all…..Jeff, was far from being a spectator in life especially when it came to the things he wanted in his own life, his ambition and need to control his environment and everything in it, turning him into a very cunning and skilled player in the game of life, a player who used his connections and resources to get what he wanted, a player who had already put a few pieces into play once he found out about House and Lisa before he had even gone and talked to her inside her office today, the part of him that thrived on winning, already taking a few head steps in the game they would all be playing.

"Can I get you another cup of coffee?" The pretty young waitress asked with smile, having walked up to his table again, pulling him away from his thoughts for the moment.

"Thanks. That would be great." Jeff answered with a smile of his own, watching her pour another dose of the brown liquid into his cup before she turned and walked away from him, moving her hips in a cheap and trashy manner.

Letting a soft chuckle escape his lips, Jeff was amused by the thought of how some people in this world really believed they stood a fighting chance at escaping from the filth the surrounded them, never realizing that that the scum that imbedded itself within them always remained attached to them no matter how far they succeeded in crawling out from under it.

**************************************************

Later that afternoon, House limped out of the elevator as it stopped on the first floor, headed for Cuddy's office.

It had been a slow week for him in the fact that he did not currently have a patient and because of that fact, plus the fact that Lisa had caught him once again in coma guy's room watching his soaps, he had been assigned five additional clinic hours, which of course meant it was time for him to try and weasel his way out of them by any means necessary.

As he rounded the corner and opened the first set of glass doors where Cuddy's newest administrative secretary sat behind her desk, he noticed the doors to Cuddy's office had the blinds drawn……causing him to pause before bursting in, looking over at Cuddy's secretary who was chewing on her bottom lip while typing on her computer.

Either the woman had just gotten yelled at by Cuddy or something else was going on that had upset the pretty and very busty blonde.

"Hey…are you ok?" House questioned, taking a step towards her as she sat behind the desk trying to look busy.

"I'm fine." Cindy answered back coolly, keeping her eyes focused on the computer screen in front of her.

"You don't look fine." House said in a voice so sincere that it caught her off guard.

Cindy looked up at the rough looking doctor suspiciously, as he in turn looked back at her with blue eyes and a gentle smile.

"Doctor House, I suggest that you come back later to see Doctor Cuddy." Cindy finally replied, remembering all to well the warnings she had received from her co-workers at the hospital when it came to him, keeping her guard up after a few trying first couple of hours on the job.

House noticed the inflection in her tone.

Something had happened involving Lisa, and he was bound and determined to find out as much about it as he could from her secretary before he headed into her office.

Thank god the busty blonde had a name plate on her desk otherwise he was sure that his next attempt to try and find out the truth from her would have surely failed.

"Listen Cindy, I know the people in this hospital probably told you some very horrible things about me and I'm sure some of them are actually true, but to be fair, at least give me a chance so you can make your own decisions about me." House stated movign closer to her.

Cindy took in a breath, studying the man before her closely while keeping her silence.

"Listen....I know when something is bothering me, I tend to feel a lot better when I talk about it, and even though we don't know each other very well. I am willing to listen." House offered leaning on his cane as he continued with his ruse.

Cindy knew she had promised Doctor Cuddy not to tell anyone about what had happened in her office earlier today with Jeff and after the warning she had received about House from her co-workers, he probably was the last person she tell, still….. there was something about the way he was looking at her now that tugged at internally to spill her secret.

"I really shouldn't be discussing this with you," Cindy began hesitantly.

"I promise you, your secret is safe with me." House stated, hoping that he still had her under his spell of sincerity.

Cindy let out another big breath.

"There was a man named Jeff Hansom who came to see Doctor Cuddy today, I think he was her boyfriend, or maybe ex boyfriend." Cindy started to explain.

The sound of Jeff's name being uttered by the secretary brought up the alarms inside House, causing him to grip his cane a little tighter.

"Go on." He coaxed her.

"Well they were in her office talking, I heard him raise his voice to her and the next thing I knew the guy had was holding onto Doctor Cuddy's wrist." Cindy continued.

House had heard enough and turned to enter into the office.

"Wait Doctor House. Please…. I promised Doctor Cuddy I wouldn't say anything." Cindy pleaded in a hushed and panicked tone.

House gave her a quick glance.

"I'm not going to say anything to her, but I do need to see Doctor Cuddy now about some hospital business and I'll be careful not to upset her." He lied before ducking inside the office and locking the door behind him.

Entering into Lisa's office, House found her sitting on the couch with her hands in her lap.

She had been staring at the bookcase across from her and when she turned to look at him he could see she was still recovering from whatever had happened between her and Jeff.

"Are you alright?" He asked, limping over to the couch before taking a seat next to her.

"I'm fine." Lisa answered, looking down at her hands and cursing herself for the tremor that was attached to her voice.

"You don't need to pretend with me, Susie out there spilled the beans. I know Jeff came to see you today.' House informed her.

"Her name is Cindy." Lisa corrected him, still keeping her gaze locked on her hands that rested in her lap.

House followed her gaze and saw the dark purple bruise that was beginning to form on her left wrist, the anger within him at seeing what the son of bitch had done to her, forming just as quickly.

"Let me see." He said reaching for her wrist, keeping his emotions in check for the time being.

"I told you I'm fine." Lisa repeated, as the conversation she had with Jeff earlier continued to replay itself within her thoughts.

House touched the side of her face before titling her chin up so she would have to look at him.

"You're not fine Lisa, now let me see." He told her in a soft but firm tone, knowing her mind was on overdrive right now, trying to sort through what had occurred between her and Jeff inside her office.

Lisa looked into his blue eyes and relented, holding out her hand in front of him.

House carefully applied gentle pressure to the area around the bruise.

"Does this hurt?" He asked with concern.

"A little." Lisa replied with a slight wince.

"You need to get an x-ray." House told her as the anger within him continued to simmer.

"I'm planning on going down to Radiology in a little while." Lisa answered.

"What happened?" House finally asked, resting her hand on his lap.

"Jeff came in here and told me he knew about us and the fact that you were staying over at my place, he was hurt and he overreacted, but I'm sure that once he realizes what he has done….." Lisa started to say.

"_How_ did he know that I was staying at your place?" House questioned as an uneasy feeling crept into his stomach.

"Jeff said he saw you leaving from my house a couple of times." Lisa confessed watching the demeanor on his face change in an instant.

"I don't want you to go anywhere by yourself." House stated as Lisa looked back at him with shock.

"Greg….I think you're overreacting. Jeff was hurt and upset, but I'm sure once he has time to think about what he did….." Lisa started to say.

"Stop trying to rationalize the situation!" House warned her, getting to his feet as a bit of his anger broke free. "Jeff admitted to you that he was stalking you and then physically assaulted you in this office. He's not some lovesick teenager…. he's dangerous and you need to be concerned about this, instead of trying to make sense of his irrational actions."

Lisa looked back down at her hands resting her lap.

"I am concerned, but I don't want to be afraid of him, I don't want to give Jeff that type of power over me." She responded in earnest, getting up from the couch as well so she could stand before him.

"Being afraid has nothing to do with power. It's a part of all of us that's been programmed within our brains since we crawled out of the ocean. To warn us about danger headed our way." House replied back to her as the ringing inside of his head that had begun the minute he found out about Jeff coming to see her began to grow louder.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! Having a busy weekend but I managed to finally revise the next couple of chapters and combine them into this one. Thanks again for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this latest installment:)**

**Chapter 11**

Later that afternoon, House headed out to the parking garage after his day at the hospital had ended, and although he had wanted to stay and wait for Lisa to get done with yet another one of her late afternoon meetings, especially after what Jeff had done and said to her earlier, staying would have served nothing more than to raise the suspicions of not only Wilson but his team as well, bringing with it the type of attention he did not want or need at this moment.

Limping over to his bike as the thoughts of Jeff continued to plague him, House stopped in mid stride, reaching for his cell phone.

"Greg, I have to get to my meeting." Lisa said as she answered the phone in her office.

"I just wanted you to know I'm going to hang out at that coffee shop across the street until you're done." House told her.

"Why don't you just go back to my place and I'll call you when I'm done here." Lisa offered.

"I'm staying at the coffee shop, call me when you're done and I'll _follow_you back to your place." House replied, standing his ground.

Lisa let out a sighed. "Ok ….I'll call you….listen I've gotta go." She said in return before hanging up the phone.

Placing his cell phone back inside his suit jacket, House limped the rest of the way over to his motorcycle, getting ready to board the bike when he heard a noise coming from behind him.

"Hey House." The male voice called ouch, echoing against the concrete that surrounded them.

House knew instantly who had spoken the words, turning to see Jeff walk out from behind on of the tall supporting pillars of the structure.

"I think we need to talk." Jeff said starting to walk towards him.

"Yeah we do. We need to talk about you never coming near Lisa again unless you _want me _to end up breaking your jaw." House said, feeling the rush of anger inside of him come bubbling up onto the surface.

"Hold on House, I'm not here to fight with you. I just want to talk." Jeff told him, placing his hands up in front of him as he continued to walk towards the doctor.

"That's too bad because I definitely want to fight with you." House replied, resting his cane against his bike before closing the remaining space between them as he clenched his fists.

Jeff knew that House as getting ready to slug him, but before that happened, he still had a few precious seconds to land a blow of his own.

"Do you really think Lisa will ever be truly happy with you?" Jeff questioned waiting for House to step into the trap he laid out for him.

"As opposed to being happy with a psycho like you?" House snarked, standing toe to toe with the man now.

"Lisa needs a man who's going to provide her with stability and security in a relationship, which is in complete contrast to your crude remarks and gutter like behavior. She wants to have a baby and she knows she doesn't havemuch time life to achieve that. Can you even imagine giving any of those things to her?" Jeff asked, seeing the brief look of surprise on House's face as he hit him mentally with the remarks.

"Stalking a woman and holding her by the arm until you cause a bruise to form around her wrist isn't called security, it's called crazy." House responded, not giving into the game Jeff wanted to play.

"You know I'm right House. You can't handle be around adults let alone a baby. You enjoy screwing Lisa because she's your boss, and you get off on that, and because for that one brief moment when you're inside of her you dont' feel like the pathetic drug addict you are." Jeff said in a condescending tone as he placed his hand onto House's shoulder.

House shoved Jeff back and pulled up his fist to strike him.

"Go ahead and hit me House, but you and I both know by the time you're through with Lisa, she'll be as damaged and screwed up as that bike you ride on." Jeff taunted.

House narrowed his eyes at the man.

The guy didn't deserve to be punched in the jaw, he deserved to be treated like the scumbag that he was, and so, instead busting Jeff's lip open, House pushed him down on top of a large black oil spill covering the empty parking space behind them before kicking the man hard on the right side of his ribs with the bottom of his shoe.

Jeff grabbed his side and let out a gasp but did not attempt to fight back.

"Get up you son of a bitch!" House shouted just so he could knock the bastard back down again.

"Doctor House, get your hands up and back away from the man you are assaulting!" A commanding voice that House knew all too well yelled from behind him.

Turning his head, House looked back at Detective Tritter who had his gun drawn and pionted straight at him.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" House asked the cop with no apologies.

"Just happened to be in the neighborhood, robbery suspect needed a trip to the ER." Tritter responded, taking a few steps towards the men with his gun remaining drawn.

House looked down at Jeff. "You planned this didn't you?" He said, not believing for one moment this scenario was some type of coincidence.

"I'm not telling you again House, put your hands on your head and interlock your fingers." Tritter warned once more.

"Listen this guy is setting me up." House replied while complying with the detective's orders by placing his hands behind his head, waiting to see how Tritter was going to respond.

"Since he's the one lying on the ground, I think I'm going to side with him for now." Tritter responded before adding.

"I'm going to put these cuffs on you as a precaution." Holstering his gun before pulling House's hands behind his back.

"You might want to put a set of cuffs on him too just as a precaution." House replied back watching Jeff get to his feet.

"Are you ok sir?" Tritter asked Jeff, while holding onto House's right arm.

"I'm fine." Jeff answered getting to his feet as he rubbed his side.

"Wanna tell me what started all of this?" Tritter asked him.

"Honestly detective I don't know what came over the guy, I was just here visiting my girlfriend and was heading out to my car when he attacked me." Jeff answered.

"That's a lie." House said flatly looking over at Tritter.

"Doctor House is known to be somewhat of a loose cannon, what's the name of your girlfriend that works here?" Tritter questioned to Jeff, ignoring House completely.

"Doctor Lisa Cuddy, she's the Dean of Medicine at this hospital." Jeff told him calmly.

"You son of a bitch!" House yelled, making a move towards the smug asshole.

"Stay where you are." Tritter commanded, yanking House back towards him.

House locked eyes with Tritter.

"If you really want the truth, why don't you just get Doctor Cuddy out here and ask her yourself."

The detective let out a curt laugh.

"No thanks, this guy's word is good enough for me, besides something tells me that no matter what you're accused of Doctor House, Doctor Cuddy would find a way to keep you out of trouble, even if it meant her getting in trouble with her boyfriend because of it." Tritter answered, giving House a knowing look before facing Jeff again.

"I'm going to need to take a statement from you." He informed the man.

"Actually…if it's alright with you detective, I'd like to forget about the whole incident." Jeff said much to the surprise of Tritter as well as House.

"You don't want to press charges?" Tritter questioned.

"No, I don't." Jeff confirmed.

"You do know since I witnessed the assault I can arrest Doctor House regardless of you wishes." Tritter countered.

Jeff glanced over at House, then back at Tritter.

"I'd like to at least discuss this with you before you come to a decision." Jeff replied, with an even tone that was filled with confidence.

Tritter looked at House once more before nodded in approval to the requested.

"I don't think I need to tell you to stay put, but if you feel like making the night even more interesting, by all means go for it." The detective stated to House before turning and walked down a few feet to another empty parking spot in the garage with Jeff by his side.

Watching both men who were now talking with hushed voices a few feet away from him, House felt his leg start to throb, the pain eating its way into his nerves much like the gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach that warned of how dangerous the combination of these two men would be both in his life as well as Lisa's.

Finishing their discussion, Tritter and Jeff walked up to where House was standing, with his hands still bound behind him.

"You can thank Mister Hansom for persuading me not to take you in." Tritter said as he looked House squarely in the eyes before removing his gaze from him so that he could unlock the handcuffs he had placed on him earlier.

House stepped from both men, rubbing his left wrist while keeping his eyes upon them as they walked down the slope of the parking garage together, waiting until they disappeared behind the curve of the structure before he felt comfortable enough to turn his back to them.

*******************************************************

A little after seven pm, Lisa called Greg on his cell phone, the sound of it, echoing inside the parking garage as he limped around the third level for the fourth time that night.

"I'm done with my meeting. I've just got to run back to my office and pick up a few things before I head out." She said in a tired voice.

"I'm already here." House replied.

"Did you stay in the garage the entire time?" Lisa questioned.

"Yeah…..seems our friend Jeff needed to talk to me." House answered.

"Greg, are you ok?" Lisa asked with worry, touching the pearl necklace around her throat.

"I'm fine, just go and get your stuff and we'll talk about it when we get back to your place." House replied.

********************************************************

After House had pulled his motorcycle around to the back of Lisa's place and parked it, he limped up to the back door leading to the kitchen where Lisa met him, opening up the door for him to step inside.

"So what happened?" Lisa questioned as he crossed the threshold.

House stepped closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and closing the door behind him before kissing her softly on the mouth.

Lisa was surprised by the kiss, and how filled with emotion it was, her hands moving up from his chest and onto his neck as he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

As their lips parted, House continued to hold her close, his eyes looking into hers as the words Jeff had spoken to him earlier continued to haunt him.

"What did Jeff say to you?" Lisa questioned, searching his face.

"A bunch of crap that only served to justify my theory that he is indeed a psycho." House responded, not wanting to get into the specifics of the conversation with her, turning away from Lisa as he limped over to the kitchen table.

Pulling out a chair from him it he winced as a tremor of pain rippled through his thigh again.

"Greg, do you get into a physical fight with Jeff?" Lisa asked with concern as he rubbed his thigh, following him to the table where she sat down next to him as House fished his bottle of vicodin out of his suit jacket.

"I pushed the jerk down and kicked him in the ribs." House confessed.

"And what did Jeff do to you?" Lisa asked with a bit of tension laced within her words.

"Nothing." House answered.

"You mean Jeff didn't fight back?" Lisa questioned with surprise.

"He fought back, by brining Tritter with him." House told her, watching the shock appear on her face immediately.

"How would Jeff even know about Tritter?" Lisa said quickly as her mind raced for the answer.

"Because Jeff hasn't just been watching you." House responded as she reached the same conclusion inside her mind.

"But why would Tritter even get involved with this? He told you at the trial he was backing down, it doesn't make sense." Lisa stated shaking her head.

"Tritter's like a pit bull, he's not going to suddenly let go of you once he's got his fangs in deep, he's was just lying in wait for an opportunity to screw with me…to screw with us again, and thanks to Jeff he's just found it." House replied.

Lisa was now listening intently to him, her gaze fixated upon his face, her elbow propped up on the table as her chin rested in the palm of her hand.

"We need to go to the police and tell them about what Jeff and Tritter are trying to do to us." She commented, reaching for his hand.

House looked down as her hand reached for his own, watching as her thumb brushed across his skin, noticing the dark and angry purple bruise on her delicate wrist.

"You never told me if you went and got an x-ray." He remarked, looking back up at her.

"I did and my wrist is fine, no fractures, just the bruising." Lisa assured him, giving his hand a squeeze as he continued to look down at her wrist.

"Greg, we need to go the police about Tritter and Jeff, I know it's something you don't want to do, but we really don't have much of a choice right now, we need to stop this before is escalates any further." Lisa stressed.

"The police aren't going to believe us, Tritter is one of their own and once they look at the file he has on me, they'll be even more skeptical." House responded looking back up at her.

"What if I go to the police by myself and file a complaint about what Jeff did to me." Lisa replied.

House held their gaze.

"You know that means telling the police about us and that they'll probably want to question your secretary as well, which pretty much assures that the whole hospital will know about us by the end of the day tomorrow, with the end result remaining the same even if you are lucky enough to get a cop who'll believe you. Face it Lisa, until Jeff decides try and screw with us again, we really don't stand much of chance at getting any help with this."

Lisa nodded in agreement, before shaking her head once more, letting out a sigh as she looked away from him.

"I should have been able to see there was something wrong with Jeff when I was dating him." She said, starting to blame herself for the mess they were now in as she got up out of her chair.

"Jeff showed you what he wanted you to see, what he shows everyone in his life, don't blame yourself for _his craziness_." House told her, getting up from his chair as well.

"But you saw right through him, you knew he was there was something wrong with him right from the start didn't you?" Lisa replied back to him with a slight hint of disappointment in her tone as she leaned against the center island in her kitchen.

"I can't help it if I'm brilliant at reading people, it is after all one of the reasons you hired me. Well that and the fact that you needed a little eye candy around the office." House told her with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood between them while placing his arm around her waist.

"What are you we going to do about all of this?" Lisa asked him honestly as she looked up at him.

"We'll figure something out." House responded, feeling the need to kiss her again, the need to connect with her and remind both of them what they were fighting for.

Watching House lowering his mouth to her own, Lisa closed her eyes, the kiss that accompanied his other arm moving around her waist, having an ache, a longing of need, with the slight sting of their new circumstances attached to it.

House felt Lisa press her body against his own as he lowered his hand from her waist, squeezing her thigh while his other hand moved in the opposite direction, heading up to her breast and cupping it as he rubbed his thumb over the fabric of her blouse.

Lisa took in a shallow breath as Greg moved his lips onto her neck, her left hand caressing his jaw, the stinging sensation in her wrist combining with her need to touch him, creating a bittersweet memory.

Leaning back from her, House moved his hand underneath her skirt, his thumb brushing against the silky material of her panties before he captured her lips with his own once more.

Lisa responded to his touch by opening up her legs a little wider as he gently began to caress the lingerie that was coated with her arousal, the heat between her thighs something that was his alone to claim.

"I want you." She whispered to him under a veil of long lashes draped over grey slate, a spark of hunger held deep within them as she looked up at him.

"Say it again." House responded as he moved his middle finger in small circles over her nub, pressing down on it as she caught her breath.

"I want you Greg." Lisa repeated, needing him so much right now, needing them both to know that this was real and worth fighting for, gripping the short hair on the back of his head as House slipped his hand inside of her panties.

House took in a deep breath, the feel of the most intimate part of her so alive with desire for him, something he had coveted since the first time they had become one all of those years ago.

He moved his lips to her neck once more as he heard her moan, his finger teasing her entrance as she moved pelvis in time with his hand.

House whispered into her ear, telling her how amazing she felt, showing her with his hand how much he wanted her, feeling her hand moving to his face once more as she pulled him into another kiss.

Both of them were riding high off of the fumes of their desire now, kissing deeply with mutual gasps of passion escaping when their lips parted.

"Now." Lisa then commanded as she locked eyes with him, placing her palms behind her on the Formica counertop as House removed his hand from her panties so he could help to hoist onto the island in the center of the kitchen, leaning into her and kissed her again once she was resting on top of it, placing his hands underneath her skirt and removed her panties, guiding them carefully over her high heels and dropping them to the floor before he pushed the skirt she was wearing up to her waist.

Lisa never took her eyes off him watching his every move; unable to keep the smile of lust from forming on her face as he quickly pulled down his pants and boxers in one swift motion.

House caught her gaze while moving his hands to her thighs, his erection rock hard and aching to be inside her, his hands gripped her hips as he entered into one powerful thrust, hearing Lisa gasp as she arched her back and wrapped her legs around him.

He started to pump inside of her at a dizzying pace, moaning out her name into the air around them when Lisa titled her hips up, allowed him to reach the sacred spot deep within her.

Lisa called out his name in return, with a tremor in her voice as she tightened the grip her legs had around his waist, aiding him in his strokes that were bringing them closer towards ecstasy as their lips found each others once more, teeth brushing against flesh as they continued the explosive bucking of their hips.

Taking in a shallow breath, Greg focused on Lisa's face, getting lost within her eyes, seeing the electricity surging inside of them.

She was close and so was he… they were alive now with the kind of emotion that cannot be explained, only felt by lovers who know the way to find it.

"Oh god!" Lisa cried out, her head falling back and being followed by the dark curls of hair around her shoulders as her knees began to shake.

House felt his orgasm hit him in one strong jolt, his right hand slamming down onto the countertop beside them as let out a long gasp of air while his body shook from the sheer force of his release, his breath moving through the softness of Lisa's hair as he felt her holding onto him, kissing his shoulder as her chest heaved against his own.

"That was good……really good." House blurted out as their foreheads touched.

"We definitely have to keep doing this." Lisa said with a smile, trying to catch her breath.

House smiled at her words, the look in her eyes that only he could give to her, uplifting for him giving him to say the very least, the fire among them, something he would do everything in his power to protect.

********************************************************

At 3am the next morning, House was jolted out of his sleep by the searing pain in his thigh, a protest launched from the remaining muscles in his upper leg for the way he had abused them, both in the parking garage as well the kitchen inside of Lisa's home when he had made love to her.

He gritted his teeth as he stifled the scream that wanted to escape through his mouth, reaching down and rubbing the rugged flesh, not wanting to wake Lisa who was sleeping peacefully next to him.

Biting down on his bottom lip, House reached over to the nightstand grabbing his bottle of pills, quietly taking out two the vicodin tablets inside of it.

Resting on his back once more as he took in a deep breath, looking over at Lisa who was facing him, her beauty a sharp contrast to his the ugly face of pain which had come to visit him with a power as black as the night around them.

Carefully he eased himself out of the bed, looking back at Lisa one last time before he hobbled out into the hallway.

Once he was inside her living room, House propped his right leg up onto the coffee table as he sat down on her couch, balling his hands into fists and pressing them against his forehead as he closed his eyes.

He just had to hold on for a little while longer until the vicodinkicked in, a few more moments spent in hell before he would be granted a temporary reprieve.

As another intense wave of pain traveled through the scarred tissue of his thigh, House gritted his teeth once more, another muffled cry escaping trying stubbornly to move through the crack of his tight lips.

"Greg, are you ok?" Lisa whispered, walking up to him in the stillness of the room.

House opened his eyes suddenly, the fear of being caught in such a vulnerable state unnerving to him.

"I'm fine," He lied as his eyes traced the fabric of the plum colored nightgown Lisa was wearing, the satin fabric shimmering in the moonlight as the garment clung to the soft curves of her body.

"You're not fine." Lisa whispered, carefully taking a seat next to him on the couch, beginning to rub his thigh gently.

"You don't have to do that." House replied, pushing her hand away as he placed his arm over his eyes.

"I know I don't have to." Lisa answered, returning her hand to his thigh.

House gave her a warning look to back off, which quickly was replaced with a look of fear as another sharp pain shot into his leg, the power of it much stronger then the ones before.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" House cried out in agony as his voice bore the strain of his tormentor, his head falling forward as he closed his eyes shut.

"What can I do to help you?" Lisa asked feeling her throat tighten, the hopelessness of the situation making her heart ache for him.

"Just leave me the hell alone!" House said through a clenched jaw, as he glared at her, fighting the urge to cry out in pain again, closing his eyes once more so he would not have to see the look on her face.

"I can't ……_I..I won't_." Lisa stated, refusing to leave him.

House opened up his eyes again, the pain inside of him tearing him up at that moment.

"There's nothing you can do! Now get out!" He shouted as he voice took on a coldness to it that he hoped would make her retreat.

"Tell me about the first motorcycle you ever owned." Lisa said quickly, as her thumb gently brushed across his thigh.

"What?!" House questioned in exasperation, looking back at her with the creases in his forehead deepening from the pain he was feeling.

"Your first motorcycle, tell me about it…describe it to me. What it looked like…how it felt to take that first ride." Lisa coaxed with an even tone.

"No!" House yelled, reaching for her wrist, hearing her take in a sharp breath as his thumb pressed against her bruise.

"Dammit Lisa…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." He apologized instantly, feeling like shit when he saw the pain from his actions register in her face, his fingers slipping away from her as he curled them up into a fist on top his chest.

Lisa bit down on her bottom lip, reaching for his hand and forcing it open so she could place her hand inside of it, the pain he had accidentally caused her, brushed aside within the next beat of her heart.

"I'm ok, and _I'm not leaving_." She told him, her tone as strong as her willpower, her gaze never wavering as she looked into the pain reflected within in the cool blue of his eyes.

"I was sixteen." House began to say before repeating the words so she would understand.

"I was sixteen when I got my first motorcycle." He explained, watching her hand move down to his thigh once more as she acknowledged his words.

"What color was your first bike?" Lisa asked softly, watching him close his eyes as he leaned his head back on the couch.

"It was all black with chrome tailpipes, and it had a black leather seat with a big chrome sissy bar on the back." House answered, picturing the bike in his mind, the dangerous and mean quality of it bringing a smile to his face.

Lisa watched the lines on his face softened a bit as the young boy who still resided inside of him became to show himself from behind the complicated man in front of her.

"So you were a real rebel without a cause even back then?" Lisa questioned with a soft tone as the fingertips of her other hand softly traced his hairline.

"Yeah." House answered remembering the excitement he had felt the first time he sat on top of the powerful machine and revved up the engine, the vibration between his legs echoing against the pain that was currently trying to find its way deep into his thigh.

"What about your first ride?" Lisa asked him as the fingertips of her left hand moved over the grooves of his scar.

"I snuck out of school just after third period and went to this run down dump of a bar just outside the army base my dad was stationed at to meet the guy that was selling the bike. He told me that I was going to end up wrapping myself around a telephone pole but he took the cash and gave me the keys anyway. I spent the rest of the afternoon on the back of that bike, getting lost on some roads that I can still see in my head and almost running out of gas before I finally found my way back to the base." House told her as his mind went running back to the memory that was waiting for him.

On that bike he could go anywhere he wanted and feel the wind in his face as the summer sun chased after him, warming his back. When he was riding he was free from everything and everyone in his life that tried to keep him chained within the mind numbing constraints of society, the only thing riding with him the hopes of the days to come for him, when he could live his life on his terms and not his father's.

Feeling the effect of the vicodin he had taken earlier begin to kick in, House opened his eyes up and looked over at Lisa.

She had leaned the side her body against the back of the couch as her left hand continued to gently massage his leg.

"Better?" She asked him with a small smile.

"Better." He answered, noticing how the moonlight gave another layer of haunting beauty to her face.

"Wanna go back to bed now?" Lisa then asked, removing her hand from his thigh.

House nodded, watching Lisa get up from the couch, while the words that Jeff had spoken to him earlier about Lisa and her desire to have a child, suddenly moved into the forefront of his brain.

"Are you coming?" Lisa questioned when she noticed his hesitation to get to his feet.

"If you ever wanted to start up IVF again, …I would help you, if you wanted me too." House announced out of the blue, saying the words quickly before he would chicken out.

"What?" Lisa asked, sitting down beside him again.

"I know how much you want a kid and I don't want what we're doing to screw that up for you." House replied, reaching for his cane that was resting on the coffee table.

"Where is this all coming from?" Lisa asked as his eyes shifted to the floor.

"Jeff said some things today in the parking garage, that weren't on the crazy side." House answered as he tapped the bottom of his cane against the carpet.

"Do you want to have kids?" Lisa asked him directly.

House stopped tapping his cane.

"I…ah." He stammered, looking like a deer caught in the headlights of a roaring tractor trailer heading straight for him.

Lisa laughed, the sound of her voice filling the room.

"Wow. I can't believe I've actually rendered you speechless. I'll have to remember to bring up kids the next time you are arguing with me over you clinic hours." She said to him with a smile.

"Actually I was going to say……I'm not really what you would call Dad of the year material." House commented back to her dryly.

"Says you." Lisa countered, causing another shocked look to travel across his face.

"Relax Greg, I'm having way too much fun boinking you at the moment to worry about a kid, besides right now our top priority needs to be getting my stalker ex-boyfriend and your stalker detective off of our backs." She added.

"Just remember you're dealing with a drug addicted man who calls you mommy and doesn't like to share." House replied, while in the back of his mind he held onto the simple truth both of them were trying to hide as they pushed it aside to deal with the more pressing matters in their lives at the moment.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi everyone. Sorry it took me so long to get this next chapter up but after reviewing several chapters I ended up doing a major re-write on all of them. As always hope you enjoy it:)**

**Chapter 12**

The next morning, House and Cuddy were up in her bedroom getting ready to go to work, with House now opting to rise far earlier than his normal routine so he could follow Lisa to the hospital after the events involving Jeff and Tritter last night.

"We can't take showers together anymore it wastes too much time." Lisa yelled into the doorway of the master bathroom where House was located as she pulled up the pink skirt she decided to wear to work that day over her hips while her damp curls clung to the side of her neck.

"That wasn't what you were saying five minutes ago, in fact I think your exact words were….OH GOD DON'T STOP!" House teased walking out of the master bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Lisa glared at him.

"You seemed to be doing a lot of moaning yourself stud, but the fact of the matter is I need to be one time to work, and if you keep insisting on following me to work, that means you need to be on time too." She replied back smartly, pulling her damn hair away from her neck.

"Uh oh." House said as he eyes darted towards the soft skin of her throat.

"What?" Lisa questioned furrowing her brow.

"Uh……I kind of left a mark." House confessed as a grimace took over his face.

Lisa eyes grew wide as the panic set in.

"I knew it! Dammit Greg!" She muttered, brushing past him to take a look at her neck in the bathroom mirror.

"It was an accident." House replied back, unable to keep from smiling when he heard the loud gasp escape her throat.

"Oh my god! You're such an ass!" Lisa exclaimed as she looked into the mirror at the irregular shaped hickey on the side of her neck just below her left earlobe, touching it delicately with her fingertips.

Thankfully the size of the hickey wasn't that big, maybe the length of her fingernail at best, although the dark purple bruising of it was of course the telltale sign that she had been recently engaged in some very hot sexual activity.

"Hey, you felt me doing it. Did you really think sucking on your flesh that hard wasn't going to have some consequences?" House asked her, keeping the grin on his face as he dropped the towel he was wearing onto the bedroom floor, limping over to the chair where his clothes for the day were laying across the arm of it.

Lisa stormed out of the bathroom.

"You had me pinned up against the shower wall screwing my brains out! Forgive me if I was too busy having an orgasm to notice that you were doing your best impression of a human vacuum cleaner on my neck!" She replied, so pissed off at that moment she hadn't even realized how hilarious her speech to him was.

House was laughing so hard at her comment that he almost fell over as he slipped the waistband of his boxers up to his hips, reaching for the edge of the bed with his right hand before sitting down on it.

"This isn't funny!" Lisa yelled at him, shooting him another glare as she quickly walked over to the dresser on the other side of the room.

"Are you kidding me? Hearing a woman complaining about actually _getting _an orgasm has to be one of the funniest things I've ever heard." House said with amusement, chuckling some more as he snagged his red t-shirt on the chair beside him.

At hearing his words, Lisa shook her head, trying to hold back her smile as she searched through the top drawer of the dresser for a scarf to wrap around her neck.

"Just remember paybacks are bitch." She warned, glancing over her shoulder at him as he stood up once more, pulling his black jeans past his thighs and up to his waist.

"So you're going to get even with me by screwing _my brains_ out until I have an orgasm? Sounds just horrible! I don't know how I'm going to get through the day with that weighing on my mind." House remarked, zipping his fly as he limped over to her.

Lisa exhaled and turned around to face him.

"No more hickey's….understand?" She told him with a straight face.

House stepped closer to her, resting a hand on her hip, gazing down as the rose colored demi cup bra she was wearing before his eyes slowly traveled up to her face.

"You act like I planned for that to happen. It was a natural reaction to all that moaning you were doing, to what we were doing. I got caught up in the moment, it's not like I'm thinking of other ways to screw with you when I'm screwing you…well I mean I do think of other ways to screw you in a sex kind of way, but not in the screw with _Cuddy _kind of way. I can keep our work stuff separate you know." He said with a smirk.

Again Lisa shook her head, biting down on her bottom lip as held the soft pink silk scarf she had taken out of the dresser in her hands.

"We have the most insane conversations." She said rolling her eyes at him and getting ready to head towards the bathroom once more.

House reached out for her arm and stopped her as she tried to pass by him.

"You have to admit it is a lot of fun though." He told her with a grin as his thumb brushed against the crease in her elbow.

"Shut up and finish getting dressed." Lisa replied back with a smile of her own before she turned and walked towards the bathroom once more.

*******************************************************

**Later that day….**

After seeing eight patients in the clinic today, House decided he had more than his fill of running noses and red crotches, sneaking into a clinic room that was not being used because of some plumbing issues with the sink after telling the nurse at the front desk he was going to run some lab work down to pathology himself, lying down on the exam room table with a pleased smile upon his face.

He had just begun to drift off into his dreams when his slumber was interrupted as the door to the room was opened.

"There you are." Wilson said stepping inside the room and turning on the lights.

"Usually when someone is lying down in a dark room it means they do not want to be disturbed." House snarked as his eyes adjusted to the bright fluorescent bulbs above him.

"If Cuddy finds you, she's going to make you do clinic duty for the next twenty years." Wilson warned.

"Cuddy and I have a new agreement, I get to sleep during clinic duty as long as I sleep with her after clinic duty" House replied back in his usual sarcastic tone, sitting up on the exam table.

Wilson ignored the remark.

"Anyway, I came to tell you I've got tickets to the monster truck show on Friday." He said in a sly voice, taking the tickets out of his lab coat and dangling them in front of House.

"Very cool, but I'll have to check my plans before I can give you answer." House said, staring at the tickets as he touched them affectionately, while in the back of his mind he was reminded of the fact that there was no way he wanted to leave Lisa by herself after what had happened between him with Jeff and Tritter the day before.

"Since when do you have plans?" Wilson asked raising his eyebrow.

"Since I have a girlfriend." House said in an adolescent type tone.

"So……. this thing you have with Honey is getting serious?" Wilson asked, intrigued at the thought that his friend may be actually ready to care for someone other than himself.

"Who said I was talking about Honey?" House answered, skirting around the question.

"You're not going to talk about this with me are you?" Wilson asked, thinking his friend was once again deflecting.

"Nope, but I will hold onto these for safe keeping just so you don't think about taking Kelly with you while I figure out my plans." House answered, yanking the tickets out of Wilson's hand.

"Her name is Karen, and let me assure you, she's not in the least bit interested in going." Wilson responded.

"So Karen's letting you out of her clutches to go and have fun with me? Sounds like this is the beginning of the end for that relationship." House commented.

"Ah yeah House, doing things with your friends has caused the death of many relationships, in fact I think if people didn't' actually have friends then marriages would last forever." Wilson replied back sarcastically.

"Mark my words, your days with the easiest nurse on the fifth floor are numbered, she's not needy enough for you." House countered as he stuffed the tickets into the pocket of his suit jacket.

"Whatever you say House, but you better pace yourself with Honey, you're not as young as you used to be." Wilson reminded him with a smirk.

"Unlike you Wilson, I have the stamina of Tommy Lee and the mad skills of P Diddy when it comes to the ladies." House boasted.

"Just let me know about the tickets before Friday." Wilson remarked before turning and leaving the room.

********************************************************

It was just after one thirty when House barged into Cuddy's office after giving Cindy a smile the stunned her into silence.

"We need to talk." House said to her as Cuddy looked up from her computer screen.

"About you getting out of your next two hours of clinic duty? Don't think so." Lisa responded focusing back on her computer screen once more.

"Wilson asked me to go to a monster truck show on Friday night." House informed her as he limped up to her desk and took one of he seats in front of it.

Taking her eyes away from the computer once more, Lisa gave him a puzzled look.

"So go have fun with Wilson, besides if you don't start doing things with him he's going to get suspicious." She said casually.

"I don't want you to be alone at your place, not with Jeff and Tritter suddenly become such close friends." House replied back to her as he held their gaze.

"You really think they would come to my home?" Lisa asked him softly.

"I don't know and I don't want to find out." House informed her.

"Which means we need to think of a lie to get you out of going to the monster truck show with Wilson on Friday without making him suspicious." Lisa confirmed.

House nodded. "By the way….Wilson still thinks I'm with Honey." He told her.

Lisa sighed, "Well apart from Cindy, everyone that saw me at the fundraiser still thinks I'm with Jeff." She admitted as yet another strange conversation was created between the two of them before the ringing of the phone on her desk interrupted it.

Pressing down on the speaker button, Lisa gave House a warning look to keep his mouth shut.

"Doctor Cuddy?"

"Yes Cindy."

"I have a call from Doctor Masters. He says it's regarding a board meeting?"

"Put him through." Lisa replied resting her left elbow on the desk in front of her.

Doctor Masters was one of her least favorite board members to deal with, a real stick in the mud who had tried on more that one occasion to stir up trouble for House during several of their board meetings.

"Doctor Masters?" Lisa asked, looking down at the phone.

"Doctor Cuddy. I was hoping to catch you in your office instead of cleaning up another one of Doctor House's messes." The smug man replied.

Lisa glanced up at House again, giving him another warning look as he went to open his mouth.

"My assistant said you needed to speak to me about a board meeting?" She questioned.

"Yes, I was contacted by Jeff Hansom this morning. Seems he is interested in making a sizeable donation to this hospital and he also said he had had run the idea by you during the fundraiser you attended with him a few weeks ago." Masters informed her.

Lisa felt a lump rise into her throat.

"Jeff did mention something to me, but we haven't spoken about it since then." She replied back as she felt House's gaze upon her.

"Well apparently Jeff was under the impression that you were working on getting on the board members notified and now since he's going to be heading out of town shortly on some business, he wants to get his proposal to the Board before he leaves, so he asked if me to check with you to see if we could set up a meeting this Friday." Masters explained.

"I really don't think we could pull something together that last minute." Lisa answered quickly.

"You've don't it before." Masters challenged.

"I can't commit to anything without checking with the other board members first." Lisa replied back her eyes now locked onto the phone in front of her, unable to look away from it as her thumb brushed across the silk scarf tied around her neck.

"Doctor Cuddy we both know that a one million dollar contribution does not come along everyday to this hospital, and considering you were the main reason for our last sizeable contribution falling through thanks to Doctor House's refusal to get along with Vogler, I would strongly suggest that you do everything in your power to make this meeting happen on Friday." Masters told her with a condescending tone.

Lisa leaned forward in her chair, the insult the pretentious doctor had thrown at her not something she was going to just let pass by her.

"My actions regarding Vogler and his contribution to this hospital were supported _by the Board_, and….. had involved with it then just his dislike of Doctor House as I'm sure you remember Doctor Masters, since you were at the meeting when we gave Vogler's money back to him." Cuddy replied in an even but authoritative tone, glancing up at House as he looked back at her with his hands and chin resting atop of the handle of his cane, his mind taking everything in he was hearing at the moment.

"Fair enough Doctor Cuddy, but I feel I must warn you, if you pass up this opportunity it may call into question of just how committed you are to this hospital and its financial needs." Masters responded.

This time Lisa glared down at the phone as her jaw tightened.

"My tenure as Dean of this hospital and the money I have brought into _this hospital_ throughout the years more than speaks of my commitment to its financial needs. Now as far as Jeff Hansom's request, I'll be sending an email out today for all of the board members, requesting that them to contact me about their availability, and if we are all able to be here on Friday, then we will have our meeting." Lisa informed the doctor hell bent on making the meeting happen.

"Actually Jeff has requested that board meet on Friday be held at Dellucci's, sometime between seven and eight." Masters answered with an arrogant tone.

"Fine, I'll send out the email and get back to you." Cuddy agreed before pressing the disconnect button on her phone, leaning back in her chair as she looked over at House once more.

"Since when does a board member fight so hard over one stupid meeting?" House asked her.

"Since the board member is a golf buddy of Jeff's who has spent years kissing his successful ass." Lisa answered with a hint of bitterness to her tone.

"We have to stop this meeting from happening." House told her as he watched the worry lines start to form on her face.

"This meeting _is_ going to happen, if not Friday then when Jeff gets back from his business trip. I can't turn my back on his proposal even though I know it's just his way of staying in contact with me." Lisa replied.

House leaned forward in his chair, the thought of Lisa being in the same room as Jeff again, unbearable to say the very least.

"You need to call Wilson, tell him about the board meeting, and ask him to come down here so you can tell him the truth about what Jeff did to you." He then told her, nodding his head over to her wrist that still held the bruise Jeff had caused.

"Because if Wilson's knows the truth, he won't let Jeff within ten feet of me." Lisa responded knowingly as she touched her wrist.

Again House nodded.

"Since I can't be there with you, you need to have someone on your side who knows what a creep the guy is." He confirmed, getting up from his chair while watching Lisa rise up from her own chair as she made her way around the desk to him.

"If Jeff's donation does end up getting approved, he's going to insist on being involved with the way his donation is distributed throughout the hospital, just like Volger was." Lisa told him as they stood face to face.

"Then we're just going to have to figure out a way to stop him." House responded, touching the fingertips of her left hand with his own.

Lisa looked down at their hands for a moment before glancing over at the glass doors of her office.

"You better go." She whispered, even thought at that moment she wanted nothing more then to stay in her office with him by her side.

********************************************************

Twenty minutes later, Wilson made his way down to Cuddy's office, engaging in a few minutes of small talk with her secretary before he knocked lightly on her door and stepped inside.

He found Lisa sitting in the cushioned chair on his left, so deep in thought she hadn't even heard him entering into the room.

"Earth to Cuddy." Wilson joked as he walked over to her, taking a seat on the couch next to the chair.

Startled, Lisa jumped slightly as she forced a smile upon her face, her right hand covering up the bruise on her left wrist for now.

"Hey…are you ok?" Wilson questioned, leaning closer to her as he touched her knee.

"I'm fine. I just need to talk to you about something." Lisa replied taking in a deep breath.

"Ok?" Wilson replied, wondering what on earth was bothering her so much.

"Jeff and I are no longer seeing each other; in fact I broke up with him the day after the fundraiser." Lisa confessed as she held onto her left wrist.

"And now you're worried about seeing him again at the board meeting." Wilson concluded with an understanding tone.

Lisa nodded before closing her eyes for a moment and continuing.

"Actually there's a little more to it than that, Jeff hasn't been taking the breakup very well." She said softly, moving her right hand away from her left wrist as she lowered her eyes to her lap.

Following her gaze, Wilson focused in on the bruise that formed a semi circled around her wrist.

"Did Jeff do that to you?" Wilson questioned as he reached for her hand.

Lisa nodded, unable to speak the words to confirm it.

"It's doesn't hurt and nothing is broken." She said quickly, suddenly overcome with emotion by how gently Wilson traced his finger along the bruise.

Wilson looked up at her with an intense stare

"That son of bitch assaulted you here in your office the other day, didn't he?" He asked.

"How did you know?" Lisa questioned with shock.

"I ran into Jeff yesterday as he was leaving the hospital, that bastard actually smiled and talked to me for a few minutes before he left." Wilson remarked with disgust before added.

"What did the police say when you told them about it?"

"I didn't contact the police or security here." Lisa informed him.

"Lisa you need to take this seriously." Wilson argued, still gently holding onto her hand as he used her first name.

"Wilson…..I don't want everyone in this hospital knowing about what happened to me, I just want Jeff to leave me alone." She responded, slowly pulling her hand away from him and starting to move it towards her neck before stopping just shy of the scarf covering her throat.

"You know guys like Jeff just don't go away on there own." Wilson told her in an earnest tone.

"I know." Lisa responded, looking down into her lap again.

"Lisa…you need to go the police about this." Wilson urged her again, placing his hand onto her shoulder.

"Ok….I will, after the board meeting on Friday." Lisa told him, even though she had no intention of doing it.

"Well until then I want you to be careful and if Jeff decides to show up here again you need to call security and in fact I think it may be a good idea if I stayed over you house for a few days just to make sure that creep doesn't try and pull anything there." Wilson said as he rubbed her shoulder.

"James I appreciate your offer but…..." Lisa started to say.

"Just think about it ok?" Wilson asked.

"Ok." Lisa responded as both of them got to their feet.

"By the way I also think it may be a good I idea if I picked you up at your place for the meeting on Friday and took you home as well." Wilson added.

"James you really don't have to." Lisa replied dismissively.

"I'm not taking no for an answer on that one." Wilson insisted before he surprised Lisa by pulling her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry Jeff turned out to be such a jerk, but don't worry everything will be ok." Wilson then whispered to her as he gave her a hug.

"Thanks for being such a good friend." Lisa responded with a soft smile, rubbing Wilson shoulders as she looked into his dark brown eyes.

"Just remember I'm only a phone call away if you need me." Wilson told her before releasing her from the embrace as he turned to go.

As soon as Wilson left her office Lisa called Greg to let him know of Wilson's plans to be her night in shining amour.

********************************************************

**Hospital Cafeteria……**

Within five minutes of getting off the phone with Lisa, House looked up from his seat in an empty area at the corner of the cafeteria, spotting Wilson who had just made his way past the entrance, heading straight for him.

"We need to talk." Wilson said in a serious tone before sitting down in the chair across from House.

"Fine what's on the agenda today, Cuddy's ass or the twins?" House responded.

_"This is serious."_ Wilson whispered, an urgent look overtaking his face as he leaned across the table.

House mimicked his movements and whispered back.

"Why are you whispering? There's nobody else in here except us unless…Cuddy' secretly been taping my conversations." He snarked, pointing down at the salt shaker between them before picking it up and speaking into it.

"Cuddy if you can hear me Wilson wants to know if you are wearing any underwear today. I'd rather find out by checking for myself by the way."

Wilson took the salt shaker from him and placed it back down on the table.

"Cuddy and Jeff broke up." Wilson said bluntly, knowing his statement would capture House's attention.

"Interesting," House conceded. "So who was the breaker upper and who was the broken?" He then questioned, playing along.

"Cuddy broke up with Jeff but that's not the whole story." Wilson informed him.

"Go on." House told him as he continued to act as if the news was foreign to him.

"Jeff isn't taking the break up well at all and in fact he assaulted Cuddy in her office yesterday." Wilson said as the heat of his words moved over into House's direction.

House saw the embers of anger that still glowed behind the brown eyes of his friend.

"Assaulted how?" House questioned, adding a bit of tension to his tone.

"She has a pretty nasty bruise on her wrist thanks to that bastard." Wilson told him.

"I never did like that guy." House responded as he let his voice show a subtle hint of concern but not too much so that Wilson would get suspicious.

"That's not even the half of it. There's going to be an emergency board meeting on Friday night at Dellucci's regarding a large donation that Jeff is interested in giving to the hospital, that's why Cuddy called me down to her office a few minutes ago." Wilson explained as he saw House's face react to the news.

"So I take it Cuddy hasn't told anyone else about this?" House asked.

You know Cuddy, the last thing she wants is for people to pry into her personal matters, but I did manage to convince that after this board meeting on Friday, she needs to go to the police and tell them about what Jeff did to her." Wilson stated.

"So at what point did you tell Cuddy that you were going to pick her up for the meeting?" House asked.

"How did you know I did that?" Wilson questioned in return as a look of surprise moved across his face.

"Because Jimmy, that's your M.O. whenever there's a damsel in distress you are right there with your steed and sword." House answered back.

"You know I could use your help on this, I think we both need to keep our eyes on Cuddy for awhile until the Jeff thing dies down and since you're always in her office harassing her anyway I thought……" Wilson started to say.

"Cuddy will be fine; you'll make sure of it." House replied back to his friend before Wilson could continue.

"Aren't you concerned about Cuddy at all?" Wilson questioned, watching House's eyes dart to the table top in front of them both.

"Fine, I'll help you," House agreed before adding, "But you better remember that Cuddy will kick your ass if she finds out you told me about her and Jeff, so we've got to keep this entire thing under wraps."

"You're right, I don't want Cuddy doubting that she put her trust in me." Wilson answered with a nod, while House leaned backing his chair, proud that he had succeeded in enlisted the help of his friend without Wilson figuring out anything more in regards to his relationship with Lisa.


	13. Chapter 13

**Ok guys stayed up a little late last night to get this chapter done. Hope you all enjoy it and thanks for the GREAT reviews :)**

**Chapter 13**

A few days later on a Friday evening, Lisa stood under the shower head in her master bathroom, her back facing the stream of hot water that ran down her body, trying to ease the tension within her that was coming out of every pore.

She kneaded at the back of her neck with her fingertips in an attempt to loosen the muscles there, but they remained taunt along with the muscles in shoulders and back, the memory of the last time she had seen Jeff and he had roughly held onto her wrist, leaving a film of uneasiness upon her body, the part of her that thrived on controlling a situation, struggling to find a way to make sure that tonight would indeed be the last time she would have to see Jeff face to face.

Shutting off the water, Lisa took in a deep breath, wiping the droplets of moisture from her face with the palm of her hand before opening up the shower curtain and reaching for the towel hanging beside it, patting her face dry, she began to gather up the resolve she would need to get her through the night, surprised to find it seemed to harder to grasp at the moment.

Focusing up at the ceiling and taking in another deep breath as she towel dried her hair, she could hear the steady drone of the television in the master bedroom where Greg was waiting on her, both of them quiet around each other this evening after they had made it back to her place from the hospital, two analytical minds going through endless scenarios on how the meeting tonight might go for her, the stillness of their current situation only adding to her tension.

Sitting in the cushion chair inside Lisa's bedroom, House kept up the steady tapping of his cane against the carpeted floor, his brain running towards the potential outcomes of the meeting Lisa would be attending tonight, his anger that still remained in regards to Jeff, nipping at his heels every step of the way.

Seeing the shadow of her form appear on the opposite side of the room when Lisa opened up the bathroom door, House turned his gaze towards the doorway where she stood wrapped up in towel, her damp hair cascading around her shoulders into soft ringlets.

She looked over at him and smiled, but her body language advertised the tension within in her that was as bright as a flashing neon sign.

"Feel any better about tonight?" House asked her anyway, getting up out of the chair and leaving his cane behind as limped towards her.

"Not really." Lisa responded, looking up at him as he reached her.

"Well at least this is one time you won't have to deal with an obnoxious doctor interrupting your meeting." House told her in a low whisper, moving his hand into the softness of the hair on her neck, noticing the bruise born out of the passion he had for her had all but faded away on her slender throat, much like the more sinister bruise around her wrist.

Lisa moved her hand up to his, her thumb brushing across the pulse of his right wrist.

"This is actually one time where I wouldn't mind you barging into a meeting and causing a scene." Lisa responded in a whisper of her own as her eyes moved across his face, the need to kiss him, urgent and unyielding, his face, instantly lowering to her own as she pushed herself up onto her toes.

"Just say the word and I'm there." House muttered to her before their lips met.

Lisa dove into their kiss, her hands grabbing hold of the t-shirt he was wearing and pulling him closer, wanting to suffocate in their smoke filled desire, wanting its flame to scorch her with its truth, to burn away all of her doubts and fears, to sear away the film of uneasiness that covered her body.

House gently pushed her against the wall, his tall frame pressing into hers, knowing what she was after, the feeling they each gave each other with their union, powerful and steadfast, the one experience that would reaffirm why they continued to gravitate towards each other time and time again.

When Lisa broke away from the kiss they were sharing, her breathing was hard and fast, her emotions on the edge of the ocean she wanted to fall into, her fingers still holding on tightly to the fabric of his shirt, the rush she was seeking a necessity now, as essential as the air filing her lungs.

"Slow down." House whispered to her, moving his hand to her jawline, his thumb tracing the curve of it before he lowered his hands to the towel she was wearing, pulling it loose and letting it fall to the floor before cupping her left breast in his hand.

He kept his eyes focused on hers as she let out a small gasp when his thumb brushed over her pointed nipple, her need to feel what flowed between them matching his own, his need to take her on the waves of a slow rolling tide that would sustain her through the rest of the night, imperative.

As Greg moved his other arm around her waist and lowered his mouth to her breast, Lisa took in a deep breath, the back of her head resting against the wall, one arm around his lower waist, the other caressing his jaw.

House teased her achingly with his tongue, just barely touching her, his thumb rubbing the area underneath the swell of her breast, a soft moan escaping her mouth as she arched her back, pushing her breast towards him and inviting him to devour it further.

He looked up at her as his lips traveled from one breast to the other, his chin gently rubbing along the scared pathway, her left leg now rising to hook around his waist.

Lisa looked down at Greg as his hands slowly began to roam her body with the experience of lover who had known its secrets for years instead of for a few short weeks, fingertips splayed over her curves, palms cupping and squeezing all the right areas with the perfect amount of pressure that made the place between her thighs ache for him.

His touch unlike any other before him, her mind and body now ruined by his expertise, the tension inside of her crashing down from the moment he had kissed her, no match for the roar of emotions that he brought out in her.

"That feels so good." Lisa whispered down him, kissing the crown of his head as he moved his long fingers to just below her naval, brushing against her soft skin.

House looked up at her again, his lips rising from her breast, traveling across her collarbone to her mouth once more, his fingers parting her thighs as he palm rested on her pubic bone, his thumb moving delicately across her navel as his index finger slipped inside of her just enough to elicit another moan of yearning from her.

Lisa wrapped an arm around Greg's neck, feeling his erection pressing against her thigh, his fingertip that was curved inside of her wandering deeper before retreating, driving her slowly insane.

"Do you like that Lisa?" House whispered into her neck as her pelvis pushed against the palm of his hand.

"Yes." She answered back breathlessly, her eyes locking onto his with anticipation when he stepped back from her before carefully kneeling in front of her.

House ran his hand across her stomach before he began kissing it, fingers finding their way down to the curve of her ass and gently pulling her lower body closer to him.

As his tongue explored her belly button, Lisa let out a soft giggle that was laced with desire, a smile to forming on his lips because of it, her shoulders remaining pressed against the wall as she pushed her lower body up towards his mouth.

House moved further south until he was just above her faint hairline, tracing it with his tongue before kissing her hips.

The carpet in the bedroom felt good on his knees and he was happy there was no protest of pain from his thigh, in front of him, he could feel Lisa quivering from his touch and decided it was time to take her underneath the surface of their passion, slipping his tongue inside of her quickly, causing a gasp of excitement to escape her lips as her hips moved forward.

Lisa looked down at Greg again, his eyes closed, focused on her and only her, her left leg moving up towards his shoulder, his hand reaching for it on instinct and placing it where it needed to be.

As the tip of his tongue arched inside of her and moved around in the sweetness of her that he craved, Greg gently caressed Lisa's hip with his right hand, removing his tongue when he felt the muscles inside her beginning to contract, wanting to sustain that feeling and drawn everything out of her, tracing the outside of her entrance softly before stopping at her swollen nub, sucking gently on it.

He looked up at her again as his teeth gently grazed over the sensitive area, seeing that Lisa had closed her eyes, her fingernails piercing into his shoulders.

Her orgasm hit her suddenly and her entire body starting to tremble, her beautiful mouth crying out when he wrapped a strong arm around her and pressed firmly down on her clit with his flattened tongue.

Hearing her breath crash against the stillness of the air around them House moved his tongue over every part of her that had been coated in her heat until she touched his jaw.

"I want you inside of me." Lisa whispered, unwilling to let go of the high he had just given her, wanting him take her further, knowing he was more than capable of doing it.

House got to his feet, kissing her once more before his hands guided her into turning around so that she was facing the wall with her palms pressing against it.

He pulled the hair away from her shoulder and began to kiss the nape of her neck, fumbling with the zipper of his pants before finally pulling them down past his knees.

Lisa arched her back and pushed her lovely ass against him, a delicious and intoxicating tease that made him catch his breath.

"Damn." He muttered resting his hand on the small of her back, closing his eyes for a moment as the heat from her was felt in the cotton of his boxers

"Do you like that Greg?" Lisa whispered, looking back him with a smile that was anything but innocent, continuing to rub against him.

House answered by pulling down his boxers to his knees and latching onto her hips with his strong hands, entering into her from behind.

"God." House groaned, moving in and out of her slowly at first, letting her feel every inch of him while he felt every amazing heat soaked curve inside her that was gripping tightly around his shaft.

Within a matter of seconds it became too much for him to bare witness to silently, his mouth opening and whispering her name among the deep sounds of hunger and longing that she had awoken within him as she moved her body in time with his, meeting his ever increasing thrusts with her perfect hips, her soft ass pushing into him while his hands moved up to her breasts before descending between her thighs once more, his fingers brushing in feather light strokes over her nub until she moaned out again, causing his eyes to roll back in his head as he felt the explosive tremor of her second orgasm, drawing in a deep breath through is mouth and holding it inside his lungs as he released inside of her, gasping loudly at the sheer euphoria he felt with her, looking down at the waves of soft curls bouncing on her back and leaning closer to her so he could kiss her shoulder as she continued to move up and down on him so he could enjoy the moment for as long as possible.

Remaining inside of her, House took hold of her slender hands that were pressed against the wall, wrapping them around her waist with his own, feeling her heart pounding against his chest as she tried to slow her rapid breathing.

"Feeling better now?" He asked gasping for air, feeling her body vibrate against his own when she laughed.

"Yes, Doctor House I am naked, completely satisfied and totally relaxed." Lisa commented back to him as they shifted their bodies so that she was now facing him.

"You know if you wanted to, I could do this with you before every one of your board meetings." House offered as his hands flexed against her hips.

"Nice try." Lisa remarked, caressing his chest before glancing over at the clock on her nightstand.

"I better get dressed." She then said with a bit of regret in her tone.

"Wouldn't want to keep the bastard waiting." House replied, stepping back from her.

"How dare you talk about Wilson like that!" Lisa scolded with a tease as she walked into the bathroom.

"What time is the boy wonder coming to pick you up anyway?" House asked her as he pulled up both his boxers and his pants, zipping his fly.

"He said he'd be here around twenty of seven, but I'm going to tell him that I want to take my car." Lisa answered back.

"Why? Can't get enough of driving the stick huh?" House questioned with a smirk, sitting down on the bed.

"You know my car is automatic smartass, and…. I just want to take my car." Lisa answered, slipping a pair of low rise black panties on over her toned thighs.

House looked in at her as she reached for the matching bra to the lingerie set.

"You're taking _your car_, and you're going to drive _your car_ instead of letting Wilson drive because you want control over the situation." He remarked knowingly.

"I'm taking my car because I am a grown woman who is more than capable of driving herself to restaurant without an escort or a nosey doctor trailing behind her on his motorcycle." Lisa responded back to him, hooking the claps of her bra together before reaching for the hairdryer on the vanity.

House smiled; the tone in her voice telling him Lisa was indeed more than ready to attend her meeting, proud of himself for helping her renew the confidence within herself along with her two orgasms, his ego so big at that moment it threatened to fill the entire room.

********************************************************

Standing outside of Dellucci's restaurant, Wilson smiled at Lisa as she handed her keys to the valet.

"Ready?" He asked her placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Ready." Lisa confirmed with a small smile of her own.

Turning to step inside the building with her, Wilson let out a gasp as House passed by them on his motorcycle.

"What's wrong?" Lisa questioned, beginning to turn her head in the direction of his stare.

"Nothing," Wilson assured her, silently cursing House as he held open the door for her, glancing back into the night as House pulled up along the curb across the street from the restaurant.

Entering inside the restaurant, Lisa smiled once more, seeing Doctor Martin get up from his seat as he waved to her.

Walking towards him, Lisa was taken in by Bill Martin's gentle smile and steel blue eyes, his kindness to her throughout her years as Dean of Medicine at the hospital, something she had always treasured, the wisdom and compassion he showed not only to the staff, but the patients who came into the hospital, something that was very rare in today's healthcare setting of revolving door treatment.

In regards to his place on the hospital board, Bill was indeed an ally to her, a critical thinker with sharp business skills that completed the softer side of him. The gleam he would get in his eyes when caught up in a heated debate among he other board members including herself, something very refreshing to see in the seventy year old semi retired physician who boasted the youth and physical appearance of a man much younger.

"I saved a seat for you and James." Bill told her, as he pulled out the chair next to him for her.

"Thanks Bill." Lisa replied, looking over at him as he sat back down in his chair before her eyes moved to the other end of the table where Jeff was seated, the way her ex lover's eyes moved down from her face to her breasts as a smile formed on his face, causing a chill to run through her.

"Lisa are you ok?" Bill asked, touching her shoulder as the peculiar look came over her face just before she shivered.

"I'm fine. I just think they may have the air conditioner turned up a little high tonight." Lisa responded with a smile.

Sitting to the right of Jeff was Doctor Paul Masters, a small, thin man with a pinched face and horn rimmed glasses, his hair that had started to grey around the temples styled in a military type crew cut.

"Hello James." Bill then said as Wilson took the seat next to Lisa.

"How are you Bill?" Wilson asked, reaching across Lisa and shaking the older physician's hand.

"Much better now that I have Doctor Cuddy here to keep me in line." Bill said with smile, feeling the need to cheer up the woman by his side who seemed awfully worried at the moment.

Lisa let out a soft laugh while Wilson chuckled beside her, giving her a supportive look as she took in a breath, holding steadfast to her resolve while flanked on both sides by two very special men who she knew would help her get through the very difficult night.

After Bill's initial joke, the three of them joined in some small talk as they waited on the last two board members to arrive.

Lisa briefly glanced over at Jeff from time to time after feeling the heat from his stare, his eyes showing a longing look of desire that made her feel uncomfortable, but he could pull her into them, she quickly turned her attention back to Bill as he continued to speak to both her and Wilson, telling them a story about when he was fresh out of Med School, her lips moving into a smile when Bill's voice became even more animated.

"And that was the first time and last I was ever punched in the face by a woman for telling her she was pregnant." Bill exclaimed with a grin, rubbing his jaw to add to the hilarious content of the story.

The sound of the older physician's gentle voice and twinkle in his eye went straight to Lisa's heart, giving her a dose of comfort just when she sorely needed it, causing her to let out a full laugh as Wilson laughed with her, shaking his head.

Easing back into his chair, Bill Martin let the sound of Lisa's laugher fill his ears, the pitch of her voice, a very sweet and welcomed guest to him, the woman seated beside him who was smart, witty and breathtaking beautiful just the type of woman he would have fallen in love with if he was twenty years younger, but common sense and the knowledge that he was old enough to be her father left him only to offer the stunning and captivated woman his friendship instead.

He often wondered why Lisa had never married; sure that at least part of it was because of her demanding job, but lots of people with demanding jobs were married, and with all the amazing things Lisa could offer any man lucky enough to call her his own, it seemed rather odd to him that she had not found that one person who she could not do without.

From his observations he noticed that although Wilson was seen a lot in the company of Lisa, there was never an indication of anything more than a close friendship between the two of them, besides… Wilson was known around the hospital as the infamous philander and Bill knew there was no way Lisa would put up with that kind of crap if she was in a relationship with him.

He had also heard rumors from some of the other board members that Lisa was dating Jeff Hansom, and that she had taken him as her date to the hospital fundraiser a few weeks back which he did not attend because of the memories he shared at such events with his late wife Anna, the thoughts of her dancing the night away with him still painful after all of these years.

What was clear to him now though was that whatever had been going on between Lisa and Jeff was definitely over, from the look in Lisa's eyes whenever she glanced in Jeff's direction.

Reaching for the glass of water in front of him on the table, Wilson locked eyes with Jeff Hansom, letting him know silently that he would not let him within ten feet of Lisa, his glare telling the bastard he had noticed the way he had been looking at Lisa, fixating on her and her body, moving his eyes up and down on her figure.

"You son of bitch, don't even think about coming over here." Wilson whispered under his breath before taking a sip of the water.

"Did you say something?" Lisa asked him as she turned away from Bill to face him.

"No." Wilson responded, shaking his head before taking another sip of his drink.

Jeff Hansom was now making small talk with the two doctors on both sides of him, his eyes acknowledging the glares he was receiving from Wilson before they defiantly traveled back to the curves of Lisa's breasts, her effort to conceal them in the high necked black dress she was wearing, doing nothing to erase the memory from his mind of how incredible they were.

Shifting in his seat, Jeff continued to act if he was interested in the conversation the two boring doctors surrounding him were engaged in, nodding and smiling politely at the appropriate times while in his mind all he was thinking about was how good Lisa looked tonight.

When the last two board members finally arrived and after everyone had ordered their food, Jeff took charge of the meeting, turning on the charm as he proceeded with his dog and pony show, stressing his commitment to the hospital with a confident tone.

As he wrapped up the presentation, he delivered the ending words to his speech that he was sure would seal the deal.

"Your hospital will get a huge sum of money, and I would get huge tax write off…which means we would both make out on this deal. However, you would also have the additional assurance that Doctor Cuddy would be keeping and eye on me making sure I spent_ your_ money wisely." Jeff told them with a winning smile, getting ready to sit back down.

"You've given us a lot to think about." Lisa started to say, getting up out of her seat as the Administrator within her took center stage.

"So I would ask that the board have at least a week to think you're your proposal before we reconvene and make our final decision." She concluded.

"Why do we need to wait?" Doctor Masters challenged in an irritated voice. "Do you think it's everyday that someone comes around offering us a million dollar donation?"

Lisa held her tongue as she sat back down, etiquette guiding her to let the other members of the board have their say first.

"You're right Doctor Masters, it's not everyday that someone offers us a donation this generous but if you remember correctly the last person who did was Vogler and that didn't turn out so well for the hospital did it?" Bill Martin asked, leaning forward in his chair as he spoke to the man.

The comment had caught Masters off guard, the other board members nodding their heads in agreement to Bill's words, causing a sour expression to from on Masters face as he decided not to push the issue any further for the time being.

Doctor Martin then turned to face Jeff and continued.

"I am not questioning your intentions Jeff so please don't take this personally, but I do agree with Doctor Cuddy when she says the board does need to discuss this further before any decisions are made."

Jeff nodded and flashed another smile in the older physician's direction.

"I completely understand, and will respect the board's decision whatever it may be." Jeff answered back in a sincere tone, although internally he wanted to choke the old coot for butting in and taking away the momentum he had built up.

Once again Lisa stood up and addressed the board members seated around the table.

"I would like to thank Jeff Hansom for his generous offer and assure him that we will give it the utmost consideration." She said, looking directly at the man who made her skin crawl before taking her seat for the last time, just as the waiters in the restaurant started to bring out dessert and coffee for the board members.

Placing her napkin back onto her lap, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief, looking over at Wilson.

"Just a few more minutes and we'll be out of her." Wilson told her with a small smile.

"Thanks for being here." Lisa whispered, leaning over towards him.

"I have to be here remember?" Wilson joked.

"You know what I mean." Lisa replied with a small smile.

"I know." Wilson responded just as his pager began to go off.

"It's the hospital." He said with the concern, looking up at her.

"Go and take the call." Lisa urged.

"Are you sure?" Wilson questioned.

"Yes. I'll be fine." Lisa assured him, glancing around at the board members surrounding her.

Wilson followed her gaze.

"Ok, I'll be back as soon as I can." He whispered to her before getting up from his seat and heading out into the lobby of the restaurant.

As Wilson left, Lisa turned to face Bill, starting to thank him for his support during the meeting when one of the waiters inside the restaurant walked up to her.

"Doctor Cuddy?" The tall thin man asked, tapping her on the shoulder.

"Yes." She answered looking up at him.

"There's a call for you from the hospital in the manager's office in the back. They said they tried calling your cell phone but couldn't get through." He told her, pointing to the double doors that led to the kitchen and the office behind it.

"Ok." Lisa answered with a nod as twinge of apprehension traveled through her.

Before leaving her seat, Lisa looked around the table, noticing that Jeff was talking intently to Doctor Masters, unaware that she had even been approached by the waiter.

"Doctor Cuddy, do you want me to tell the caller to try your cell phone again?" The waiter asked seeing her hesitation.

"No, I'll take the call." Lisa responded, smiling over at Bill before getting up and following the man back to the tiny office that was tucked behind the kitchen.

"I'll give you some privacy." The waiter then said, nodding over to the large oak desk where the receiver of the phone was lying in the center of it.

"Thank you." Lisa responded, watching the man close the door behind him as he left.

Besides the desk, there was an antique brown leather office chair, overstuff brown leather sofa and a tall grey file cabinet taking up occupancy inside the tiny room.

Lisa had never been claustrophobic but as she stood in the center of the room she felt smothered by the oversized furnishings.

Picking up the receiver and placing it next to her ear, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she was greeted by a dial tone instead of a caller's voice on the other end of the line.

_Maybe they just got tired of holding and decided to try my cell phone again,_ Lisa thought not willing to give into her panic just yet_,_ while behind her, the door to the office groaned softly as Jeff opened it up before quickly ducking inside the room with her, closing the door tightly behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone! Well here's another chapter and by the way thank you all so much for your great reviews. It's nice to read how much you love the development of the story…the hot Huddy smex ..lol…and of course that you think I'm doing a good job at keeping House and Cuddy in character. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 14**

After Wilson got off the phone with the Oncology fellow at the hospital, he turned towards the dining room once more, getting ready to head back inside when he was stopped by Doctor Masters.

"Wilson, can I have a moment of your time?" Masters asked, getting ready to try and plead his case in regards to the donation Jeff was offering the hospital.

"Sure." Wilson said hesitantly, peering over the man's shoulder trying to spot Lisa.

Unfortunately a couple of the board members were gathered a few feet behind Masters, preventing Wilson from getting a good view of the table.

As Masters started in on his colleague, trying to get him to agree that the money Jeff was offering was a great opportunity that should not be passed up, Wilson was only half listening, continuing to look over the short man's shoulder, his heart dropping to the bottom of his chest when one of the physicians behind them moved, allowing him to see that Lisa was no longer seated at the table.

*******************************************************

"Nice night for a walk." Tritter said in a casual tone underneath the streetlamp that sat across from Dellucci's restaurant.

House turned his head in the direction of the familiar voice.

"It was until a cop with a thermometer up his ass decided to spoil it." House snarked back.

Tritter did not even acknowledge the insult House had thrown his way, and instead moved a few steps closer to him, looking across the street.

"Waiting for someone?" Tritter questioned.

"Yeah, your mom." House answered.

Tritter let out soft chuckle.

"Good to see you haven't changed." The detective remarked, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket before placed one of them into his mouth.

"Couldn't keep the monkey off your back?" House questioned as the detective fished a lighter out of his pocket.

"What can I say, I just don't know when to quit." Tritter responded, lighting up the smoke.

*******************************************************

"What are you doing?" Lisa asked, looking into Jeff's brown eyes, trying her best to remain in control of the situation.

Jeff placed his hand over hers and moved the receiver back on the phone before he spoke.

"We need to talk." He began, taking another step closer to her in the cramped space; smelling the scent of her perfume, their bodies now only a few inches away from touching.

"We can talk out in the restaurant." Lisa replied, trying to take a step around him and reach the door.

Jeff grabbed her by the shoulders and moved her back in front of him; he wasn't hurting her but his grip was strong as he physically held her in place.

Lisa felt her heart begin to beat faster in her chest. She needed to make it clear to Jeff that she wanted to leave and that he needed to get his hands off her.

"Jeff let go of me …now." She ordered, her left hand moving on top of his right one, trying to remove it from her shoulder.

"Lisa, a few minutes alone is all I ask for." Jeff said, keeping a firm hold on her.

"Jeff I want to leave." Lisa stated, her fingers pressing harder into the flesh of his hand.

"I miss you Lisa." Jeff said in a voice just above a whisper, his right hand sliding down from her shoulder to her arm.

"Jeff I'm sorry but it's over…," Lisa began to say before her words were cut off by his lips pressing against hers.

She cried out a muffled protest into his mouth as he pulled her closer to him, his tongue moving forcefully past her lips, his strong arms wrapping around her so tightly she could feel the beating of his heart underneath his suit jacket.

Flattening out her palms, Lisa tried her best to push him away from her, but Jeff was just too strong, continuing the kiss whether she liked it or not.

She felt his right hand moving to her breast, a low moan from him traveling into her mouth from his as he squeezed it urgently within his fingertips, his erection pressing firmly against her pelvis.

Once more she cried out into his mouth, her body trembling, overwhelmed by the situation……. this was _not_ happening....

_But it is happening and you better do something to stop it before it goes any further!_Her mind screamed at her, her teeth proceeded to bite down hard on his tongue that moved inside of her mouth.

Jeff let out a cry of surprise, releasing her from his grip as his right hand reached up to his mouth.

Lisa acted quickly, making another move towards the door, but before she could reach it Jeff grabbed her by the arm and pushed her back against the filing cabinet in the corner of the room.

He had not forced her with all of his might, but with just enough strength to let her know not to try and get past him again, the hollow sound the cabinet made as her back collided with it sending a warning to her as well.

"I guess I deserved that." Jeff said, looking at her as he wiped his mouth, tasting his own blood as it mixed in with his saliva.

"Stay away from me!" Lisa yelled, hoping that at least someone in the kitchen would hear her.

"Shh….it's ok…Lisa.." Jeff whispered to her, planting both of his hands firmly against the file cabinet she was leaning against, trapping her once more.

Feeling his breath on her neck, Lisa raised her knee up quickly, trying to connect with his groin, a soft cry of frustration escaping her lips when he turned his hips just in time to block her, moving her into his arms.

"No." She mumbled has his hand clamped down onto her mouth.

"Lisa, I am sorry about what I just did, but we need to stop pretending that we don't care about each other. I know you're sleeping with House because you think he's exciting and dangerous, but I can be that for you too, I can do all the things he does to you." Jeff whispered into the side of her neck.

Lisa breathed in deeply through her nose, her head, spinning from the words he had just spoken to her, her body squirming and twisting, trying to free itself from his grasp, a pointed stiletto heel finally making contact with the top of his soft leather shoe.

Jeff let out a surprised yell from the searing pain that shot up his leg, his grasp on Lisa relinquished as he stumbled back, colliding with the desk behind him.

Once more Lisa moved past him, her eyes locked onto the doorknob just within her reach, her heart stopping cold when she felt Jeff grab her by the wrist.

"Lisa?"

A gentle voice asked from the other side of the door said after tapping against it.

"Come in." She responded before Jeff could stop her, the strain in her voice apparent, her heart leaping inside of her chest when she saw Bill Martin open up the door.

Jeff slowly removed his hand from her wrist, studying the older physician in front of him as he remained standing behind Lisa.

"Doctor Wilson is looking for you." Bill lied, opening up the door wider; his suspicions upon seeing Jeff sneak back into the kitchen after Lisa, confirmed by the frightened look upon her face.

Lisa nodded and brushed by him without saying another word, her eyes focused on the floor in front of her, her mind telling her to just keep walking until she made it out of the restaurant.

Bill watched Lisa as she quickly made her way through the kitchen before looking back at Jeff.

"Lover's quarrel" Jeff explained simply, adjusting his tie with the coolness of a serpent.

******************************************************

Wilson had almost reached the double doors to the kitchen inside the restaurant when he nearly collided with Lisa.

She had been walking with her head down and as he grabbed her by the shoulders to prevent a full on collision between them, she recoiled from his touch, snapping her head up, her eyes filled with panic and shock.

"What in the hell did he do to you?" Wilson asked with hush words, gently reaching for her arm.

"He…….I wanted to go but he wouldn't let me…."Lisa started to say before shaking her head.

"Wilson, I need to get out of here." She then pleaded talking to him with hushed words as the unnerving look took over her face.

"OK." Wilson said, carefully taking hold of Lisa's elbow to help guide her out of the restaurant, feeling her entire body trembling.

"Take a deep breath; we'll be out of here in a matter of seconds." He assured her as they moved quickly through the dining room past the board members who were engaged in conversations with each other.

As Wilson pushed the front door of the restaurant open, the warm night air swirled around them, announcing the coming of a of a storm, the bright flashes of lighting flickering just behind the horizon.

"Lisa." Bill called out, catching the door before it closed, stepping out into the street with them.

He watched Wilson and Lisa both turn to face him.

"Are you alright?" He asked stepping closer to her.

"Yes Bill.......I'm fine." Lisa replied, stumbling in her response to him as the thoughts in her mind were swirling around her just as fast as the wind in the dark night.

"Lisa! Wait!" Another voice requested as Jeff Hansom stepped out into the darkness with them, walking towards her.

"Get the hell away from her you son of bitch!" Wilson yelled into the wind surrounding them, grabbing Jeff by his shirt and throwing him against the wall of the building before hitting him squarely on the jaw.

******************************************

House straightened up his posture when noticed Lisa and Wilson leaving the restaurant in a hurry, while beside him Tritter fixed his gaze upon them as well after putting out the second cigarette he had just finished smoking, grinding the butt of it into the concrete below them with his foot.

The wind had picked up speed, pushing Lisa's raven hair into her face momentarily, causing her to turn her head before sweeping it back onto her shoulder.

Seeing the upsetting look on Lisa's face as she spoke to Bill Martin who had followed both her and Wilson out onto the street, House tightened the grip on his cane, his eyes darting away from her for a moment when he saw the restaurant door swing open once more before Jeff walked through it.

Tritter, who was now also focused on the scene that was being played out in front of the restaurant, was already halfway across the street when he saw Wilson punch Jeff in the face.

"_Stay where you are House!" _Tritter warned, hearing the echo of House's lopsided footsteps behind him, mixed in with the thud of his cane.

"Like hell!" House shouted back to him as he picked up the pace.

"Let go of him Doctor Wilson!" Tritter yelled reaching the sidewalk on the other side of the road as his right hand gripped the weapon held in is leather shoulder holster.

Wilson had Jeff pinned up against the wall after striking him, his forearm shoved forcefully under the man's chin.

Jeff was gasping for air as a small trickle of blood began to run down his jaw.

Just as Tritter shouted the warning, Jeff shifted his weight, punching Wilson solidly in the stomach.

Wilson doubled over for a brief second before charging forward, going after Jeff again.

"Enough!" Tritter roared, pulling his gun out of the holster and pointing it directly at Wilson.

Wilson turned around shocked. He hadn't even heard Tritter when he shouted the initial warning to him because he was too consumed with anger….. and now… seeing the detective standing next to House, he felt a nauseous ache in the pit of his stomach, the situation quickly going from bad to worse.

House looked over at Lisa as she stood next to Doctor Martin, the older physician having placed a protective arm around her, shielding her when the fight had broken out between Wilson and Jeff.

The color was drained from Lisa's face and she had dullness within her eyes that were the result of shock.

Taking a step towards her, House tried to get to connect with his gaze.

"House, stay right were you are." Tritter warned in an even tone, stepped in front of him before turning and facing Wilson.

"You, turn around and grab the wall." Tritter then ordered, to the oncologist.

"That son of bitch is the one who needs to be up against the wall! He assaulted Doctor Cuddy and this isn't the first time!" Wilson shouted back to him.

"I'm not telling you again Wilson, turn around and get your hands up on that wall or I'll throw the cuffs on your right now." Tritter said coolly.

Wilson let out a frustrated sigh but complied, looking up into the night sky as he tired to contain the anger within him.

Tritter then turned his focus on Lisa.

"Is what Doctor Wilson said true Doctor Cuddy? Did this man assault you?" Tritter asked, nodding over towards Jeff.

"I...he...." Lisa started to say, feeling Bill give her shoulder a comforting squeeze as her eyes met with Jeff's.

"You shouldn't be asking her that in front him." Bill objected, looking over at Tritter with distain.

"I'll ask her whatever I like in order to get to the bottom of this." Tritter replied back coldly, just as a black and white police cruiser pulled up to the curb of the restaurant.

"Need any help?" The stocky cop on the passenger side of the vehicle asked Tritter.

"As a matter of fact I do." Tritter responded with a nod.

"Ok, come on Lou." The cop responded, looking over at his partner before getting out of the car.

"Keep an eye on the four of them, while I talk to her." Tritter ordered to the two cops now standing beside him, nodding at the men in front of him before fixing his gaze on Lisa.

"Doctor Cuddy, please come with me." Tritter said.

Bill initially held onto Lisa, hesitant to let her go, he didn't trust the cop standing before them with the rounded sullen face and hard edge to his tone.

"Bill, I'll be ok." Lisa whispered up to him as she moved out from under his arm, walking in the direction Tritter had pointed to.

After they were about twneny feet from the entrance to the restaurant, Tritter stopped, turning to face Lisa.

"You know after our last run in, I thought you'd at least have the common sense to fire House, but I guess you're just a glutton for punishment." Tritter said in a low tone, as his eyes studied Lisa's face.

"This has nothing to do with House." Lisa replied back adamantly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh yes it does Doctor Cuddy, and it' a very dangerous game you're playing, pitting the two of them against each other." Tritter said, stepping a little closer to her.

"What are you talking about?" Lisa asked with confusion, looking up at the smug detective.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about; Jeff told me how you're getting your panties all wet by sleeping with both him and House at the same time. I always knew you loved control....but I must say I'm impressed." Tritter whispered with a smile that was as sickening as the smell of tobacco coming from his mouth.

His words disgusted her and Lisa had wanted to slap him across the face.

"I broke up with Jeff weeks ago and he's been stalking me ever since and as far as his accusations you're as sick as he is for even considering them." Lisa responded, feeling as if she was being assaulted all over again, angry and unwilling to let Tritter try to victimize her again.

Tritter sucked some air through his bottom teeth, seeing the fire in Lisa's eyes, she was good, a very fierce competitor but in the end she was not match fro him.

"Maybe I do have it all wrong, maybe House is aware of the little game you're playing with Jeff as well. Hell maybe it was even House's idea in the first place, after all drugs addicts do convinced their loved ones to do some pretty screwed up shit for them." Tritter said sarcastically, leaning closer to her.

"Go to hell." Lisa hissed, turning her body to walk away from him.

"We're not done yet Doctor Cuddy." Tritter replied, grabbing her arm to prevent her from leaving, a scuffle breaking out up the street from them as House argued with one of the cops.

Lisa felt his touch go right through her, piercing in its strength, adding to the wounds Jeff had already placed there.

She swallowed hard, not allowing the psychological sting of Tritter's actions to penetrate any deeper than they had already, looking up at House as their eyes connected for a moment.

Tritter followed her gaze before looking back down at her.

"How long have you been sleeping with House?" He pushed.

"I'm not sleeping with House." Lisa said flatly.

Tritter clenched his jaw. "You know if you keep lying for House, eventually it will catch up to you." He told her in a dark tone.

"You don't give a damn about what Jeff did to me tonight, do you?" Lisa questioned as the throat tighten from the arrogance of the man standing in front of her.

Tritter chuckled sarcastically at her before he spoke.

"Whatever Jeff did to you in there…..I'm pretty sure you deserved it." He said, scratching his temple as above them a loud clap of thunder echoed in the night, making Lisa flinch, catching the breath caught in her throat.

********************************************************

House had watched as Lisa and Tritter walked down the sidewalk to the corner of the street, feeling like a caged animal, unable to help her, unable to put an end to the bullshit Tritter was not doubt going to put her through.

Tapping his cane against the concrete, he focused his gaze on Jeff watching as the bastard wiped the blood from his mouth onto the sleeve of his eight hundred dollar suit.

Jeff looked back at him and smiled; he had done _something_ to Lisa and was savoring the fact that he had no idea what it was.

Bill, who had taken a spot next to House when Lisa left, was studying Jeff as well. The guy was condescending and cocky, his true colors showing under the pale moonlight for all to see, any respect he may have had for the man, washed away the moment he had opened the door to the mangers office inside the restaurant and found him inside with Lisa.

The two cops that Tritter had ordered to watch the four men had allowed Wilson take his hands off of the wall as they waited for further instructions from the detective.

_What a good pair of lap dogs_, House thought sarcastically, before glancing over at Wilson who was flexing the hand he had struck Jeff with.

Wilson looked down at his knuckles that were red and beginning to swell a little so engrossed in the brutalize skin , it took him a few seconds to feel the weight of House's stare.

"What did Jeff do to Cuddy?" House mouthed over to him so that the cops wouldn't hear him as Jeff had started to try to engage the two police officers in conversation.

Wilson shrugged his shoulders letting House know he did not witness the event, the cold stare House gave him in return, telling him that his friend cared more for Cuddy than he was letting on.

"Do you want us to call an ambulance for you?" The shorter cop asked Jeff as he continued to bleed from the gash inside his mouth.

"I'm a doctor. I'll be more than happy to take a look at it." House offered hoping to get his hands on the jerk.

"I don't think that would be such a good idea." The stockier built cop said, noticing how House had tightened the grip on his cane as he spoke.

"I can take a look at it. I'm a doctor as well." Bill offered.

The two cops looked over at Jeff who nodded in approval.

But just as Bill had started to walk over to Jeff, House started to yell at the stockier cop.

"Do you see what your buddy down there is doing?!" He asked, a move towards Tritter and Lisa after seeing the detective grab her arm.

"You've been told to stay put." The stocky cop warned, stepping in front of House and pushing him back.

"He's treating her like she's the one who did something wrong!" House yelled, pushing back at the cop with his cane.

"Detective Tritter knows what he's doing, now either settle down or I through your narrow ass into my cop car and haul you out of here. Understand?" The cop said, not even bothering to turn around and check out the scene for himself

House stepped back from the cop, ready to wrap him on the side of his fat bull dog head with his cane, furious beyond belief at how things were going down between Tritter and Lisa.

Bill could see what was coming next and stepped between the cop and House.

"You don't want to go to jail do you? Lisa's going to need you tonight." Bill whispered as he grabbed onto his t-shirt with a look in his eyes that told House he knew the two of them were much more than friends, the urgently in his glare, one brought forth from love of a woman he had lost not too long ago.

House looked back at the white hair doctor, unable to hide from his gaze…….Bill knew....somehow he knew the truth when it came to him and Lisa, whether it was from his actions just now or the fact the he had come out of nowhere tonight, limping across the street when he saw that Lisa was in danger, the old man had no doubts to the depth of their connection.

"You're lucky gramps here stepped in and saved your ass." House snarked at the cop taking a step back from him.

The cop could have put him in cuffs because of the altercation but decided against it; the sooner they had gotten done with this mess the sooner he could finish his shift and head home.

"So do you think you can check out this guy now?" The bull dog faced cop asked Bill.

Bill nodded and walked over to Jeff.

"Open up your mouth." He said flatly, examining Jeff's jaw, gums and teeth while keeping his fingers on the man's face.

"He'll be fine." Bill said, giving Jeff a harsh look as he backed away from him.

Above them a loud clap of thunder echoed in the night followed by an angry flash of lightening on the other side of town.

********************************************************

"So exactly how long are you going to keep me here wasting my time?" Lisa asked coldly to the detective towering above her.

"Doctor Cuddy, how could you even think I was wasting your time? This is a very serious matter." Tritter said in a hurt filled tone.

Lisa wanted to smack the condescending smirk right off of his face as he looked down at her.

"I'm leaving." She said sternly, tapping into the last bit of strength she had left in her as she ducked under his arm and headed up the street towards Dellucci's.

Tritter walked beside her stride for stride.

"So you're leaving without giving me a statement? Not a very wise choice on your part Doctor Cuddy, seeing as without a statement I can only assume that you _weren't _assaulted by Jeff Hansom." He taunted, getting in another stab at her.

Lisa stopped dead in her tracks and glared up at him.

"You were going to fabricate any statement I gave you for your own benefit anyway." She told him in no uncertain terms as her high heeled shoes picked up the pace once more, carrying her closer to the group of men gathered around the entrance of the restaurant.

House watched as Lisa and Tritter returned to the group.

She looked at little better but he knew she was a total mess underneath.

"Well guys, seems that there's nothing more here to report besides the fight between these two." Tritter announced, referring to Wilson and Jeff, relishing the look of shock on the male doctors facing him.

"Lisa?" Wilson started to question until House shot him a 'shut the hell up' look.

"Ok boys these two will be taking a trip downtown, for the fighting with each other." Tritter ordered as he pointed to Jeff and Wilson.

"Doctor Cuddy and this gentleman are free to go, but I'd like to talk to Doctor House just to be sure he's not hiding anything from us." Tritter finished, pointing over to House.

House was not shocked that Jeff was actually going to jail; Tritter had to do it in order for the other cops from getting suspicious of the secret game his was playing.

"Come on Lisa, let's get your keys from the valet and I'll walk you to your car." Bill told her softly, putting his arm around her once more.

Lisa looked over at House for the briefest moments before turning and walking back inside the restaurant with Bill, praying that Tritter would not try to provoke him like he had tried doing with her, knowing in her heart her prays would go unanswered.

********************************************************

**Dellucci's Parking Lot…..**

"Please let me take you home." Bill pleaded with Lisa in front of her car.

"Bill I'll be fine." Lisa stressed, patting him on the shoulder as she lied to him, the turmoil going on inside of her threatening to come out at any second, her pride unable to let the kind and gentle doctor in front of her bare witness to it.

"At least let me follow you home, then if you want me to, I can stay with you for a little bit." Bill offered, touching her shoulder gently as he looked into her grey eyes.

"Ok." Lisa agreed, shaking her head as she held back the tears, her throat tightening as she tried to choke down the emotional meltdown that was rising within her.

She told herself that Greg would have wanted someone to follow her since he was unable to do so because of Tritter holding him here; and that when she reached her house she would thank Bill but decline his offer to stay with her.

Unlocking the door to her maroon Lexus, Lisa climbed inside, starting up the engine and turning on the headlights.

After she backed out of the parking spot, she waited until she saw Bill behind her in his white Cadillac before pulling out of the lot.

Looking up the street, she saw Wilson was being placed into the cruiser while Tritter glanced down the street at her before focusing his attention back on Greg.

She made it all the way to the stop light before breaking down, covering her mouth as a muffled sob escape from her throat, bringing with it a few tears as the rain drops began to fall upon her windshield.

"No." Lisa mumbled, shaking her head as she bit down on her bottom lip.

"You're stronger than this." She added with a frown, letting out a sigh of frustration as the light turned green while her silent tears continued to fall.

Pushing her foot down on the gas to increase her speed, Lisa looked in her review mirror, seeing that Bill was still behind her.

She let out a deep breath, wiping the tears from her eyes before turning up the volume on the radio in an attempt to drown out the overwhelming thoughts coursing through her head.

The piercing beam of the headlights cut through the increasing rain as the wiper blades kept a constant back and forth rhythm of their own.

Her fingers held tightly onto the steering wheel as she gasped, slamming on the brakes as the oncoming car in the other lane crossed over the yellow divider line, heading straight for her.

Behind her, Bill Martin opened in his mouth in horror, watching as the black Chevy sideswiped Lisa's car sending it off the road.

The car bounced against the uneven hillside, traveling down a small embankment before striking a telephone pole.

The driver of the black Chevy, regained control quickly before speeding away into the dark night.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi everyone! Let me just say that weekends are always crazy for me but I finally managed to get this next chapter up. By the way….I cannot tell you all enough how greatly I appreciate your reviews…I am honored by them and it really is very kind of all of you to let me know how much you are enjoying the story:)**

**Chapter 15**

House watched Lisa as she pulled out of the parking lot, relieved to see that Doctor Martin was following her, glancing over at Jeff who was now sitting in the back of Tritter's car that the stockier detective had drove up from around the corner where Tritter had parked it.

Tritter saw the look in House's eyes and took a step closer to him.

"Doctor Cuddy must really be a good piece of ass to have all these men fighting over her. Maybe I'll have to check out what all the fuss is about myself." He said directly, leaning back and waiting for the punch he was sure was coming his way as a few droplets of rain fell between them that was as cold and callous as the words he had just spoken.

"You said you needed to question me?" House replied in an even tone, keeping the rage he was feeling at bay for Lisa's sake, shifting his eyes to the two cops who were standing by Tritter's car, well out of earshot in regards to the conversation they were having.

"Cuddy says the two of you aren't screwing each other, but I could tell from the way she looks at you, she's lying. Tell me, was she fucking you during your trial or did you guys come to some kind of arrangement after the fact? You know… a little sack time in return for keeping your ass out of jail?" Tritter pushed as the rain began to fall around them in large rounded drops that exploded violently against the concrete underneath their feet.

"You know you really are pathetic at trying to provoke people, maybe you should stick to handing out parking tickets instead." House remarked, having heard enough of Tritter's bullshit, turning to leave as the sudden coldness in the air threatened to take hold of him.

"I didn't say we were done here House." Tritter warned.

"I know we're far from being done, but I'm not going to stand here and waste my time listening to your crap anymore tonight." House answered back, taking a few more steps away from him and tapping on the back window of the cruiser Wilson was sitting inside of, telling his friend goodbye just as the police scanner went off.

"_All units in the Princeton area we have a 10-53 on Vine Street… Per the 911 caller vehicle is a 2006 maroon Lexus...License plate number…..AF8 – 217….one occupant… female… trapped inside the vehicle…...please respond."_

House knew the license plate number by heart, his ears filling with the grainy voice of the dispatcher as they scratched the words into his brain, his eyes darting over to Wilson who's face filled with alarm after hearing the message as well.

Behind him, the two officers standing beside Tritter's car ran back over to the cruiser, opening up its doors before climbing inside.

"I'll meet you at the accident scene." Tritter told the cops, turning back to look at House, seeing that he had already crossed the street, pushing his deformed leg to the brink as his cane slapped down again and again in the puddles beneath him.

********************************************************

House gunned his motorcycle as he took off towards the accident scene. The slick roadway, causing the bike to slide underneath him at first, but luckily he was able to quickly regain control of it.

Buildings and trees were buzzing by him now, becoming a blur in his peripheral vision as he applied an increased pressure to the throttle.

His heart was pounding in his chest, his breathing fast and shallow, his mind warning him that should not be pushing the bike so hard, telling him that if he wound up in an accident himself he would be of no use to Lisa, but his actions where now driven by a much stronger thought running through his brain as fast at the spinning tires of the motorcycle underneath his feet, the overwhelming need to reach Lisa unlike anything he had felt before.

********************************************************

Bill was still holding onto his cell phone after making the 911 call as he reached Lisa's car.

Her head was slumped over, resting against the steering wheel, she wasunconscious and the left side of her face had several abrasions on it from the impact of the airbag.

Bill leaned over and quickly checked her pulse, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Hold on Lisa." Bill whispered, stroking his thumb against her neck, looking down into the car and seeing that her right ankle was twisted in a horrible angle.

From inside the car Lisa let out a moan, her eyes remaining shut, her body remaining motionless.

"It's ok Lisa…….you're going to be ok." Bill said softly, gently caressing her shoulder just as heard the sounds of sirens coming from behind him.

Turning, he saw that the paramedics had arrived being trailed closely by House who was riding on his motorcycle.

Shutting his bike off, House parked behind the ambulance, placing the kickstand down and removing his helmet as he watched both men inside the emergency vehicle run around to the back of the ambulance, opening up the doors and unloading the gurney with the medical bag placed on top of it in a flash.

They gave him a quick look, recognizing him from the many times he had been in the ER at the hospital.

"You know who's down here?" The first paramedic asked him as House descended the hillside with them.

"Lisa Cuddy." House answered, watching a look of shock overtake their faces.

Hobbling down the embankment, House nearly falling twice, trying to maneuver over the uneven ground that had soften because of the rainfall, his cane still lodged in the plastic holder of his motorcycle

Spotting Bill, House studied the older physician's face as both he and the paramedics drew closer.

"How is she?" House asked, his voice coming out of him with an edge of apprehension, his heart feeling as if it was about to explode in his chest.

********************************************************Wilson shifted around nervously in the back of the cruiser as its siren cut through the night and lights on the roof illuminated some of the darkness surrounding them.

"Can't you go any faster?" Wilson asked in frustration to the cop driving the cruiser.

The heavier cop seated on the passenger side looked back at him and Wilson was sure the guy was going to tell him to shut the hell up, but instead the cop responded in calm tone.

"We're almost there….just a few more minutes." The man said before turning back around.

********************************************************

House watched as the paramedics began to pull Lisa out of the wreckage, her dark hair spilling off of her shoulders as they placed her on the white gurney, her body limp as the paramedics applied immobilization straps around her chest, legs, pelvis, and head, putting a cervical collar around her neck as well just with in case there had been any damage to her spine.

Lisa's face was pale and dotted with tiny red droplets of blood on the left side, her ankle already starting to swell, her skin taking on the dark purple color of a bruise once more.

Her right was foot bare, the shoe she had been wearing remaining behind on the floorboard of the Lexus, mangled and twisted much like the car she had been driving.

For a moment, House did nothing, hearing the echo of his heart inside his eardrums, feeling as if he had been knocked to the ground after seeing Lisa looking so fragile …..so vulnerable, without an ounce of the light she possessed emulating from inside of her.

"Come on." Bill coaxed him with a pat on the back, knowing at that moment how much Lisa Cuddy meant to the man standing beside him.

House nodded quickly, springing into action as he and Bill descended upon the gurney.

He began checked Lisa's pupils as Bill took a closer look at her horribly twisted ankle, the paramedics stepping aside so that the two physicians could work on the their boss.

The sound of more sirens and car doors slamming announced the arrival of Wilson who came running down the hill as the paramedics started to push the gurney up the small embankment while the paramedic at the end of the gurney radioed in the triage House was spouting off to him back to the hospital.

"_Patient is a white Caucasian female in her early forties ….sustained multiple injures as a result of an MVA. Abrasion's on the left side of the face……right ankle injury with swelling and displacement of the joint….." _

House pulled the stethoscope from around the paramedic's neck and placed it on her chest.

"_Pulse is steady at 80 BMP" _He told the second paramedic as Wilson reached for the blood pressure cuff, wrapping it around Lisa's arm before squeezing the rubber bladder.

"_Blood pressure is one twenty over eighty." _Wilson announced with relief, looking over at House as the group of them reached the top of the hill.

"Ok doctors this roadway is a little slippery so let's take it slow but steady." The first paramedic told them, watching as the three doctors took hold of the gurney with him and his partner, carefully steering it to the back of the ambulance, mindful of the precious cargo it held.

Once they reached the vehicle the paramedics turned the gurney around, collapsing the legs underneath it as they lifted it into the ambulance with House following the second paramedic inside as Wilson reached for the door handle to climb in as well.

"Sorry Wilson but you're still under arrest." Tritter said flatly, pulling him away from the vehicle, having just arrived on the scene a few minutes ago.

"Let go me!" Wilson yelled, twisted out of the detectives grip, starting to climb back up into the ambulance again.

"Fine then we'll do this the hard way." Tritter announced, grabbing Wilson's right arm before quickly slapping a set of handcuffs on him.

The other two cops who had been directing traffic around the accident turned in Tritter's direction to see if he needed their help but he waved them off.

"Resisting arrest will add at least another day onto your jail stay." Tritter whispered sarcastically into Wilson's ear, yanking him a few feet back from the ambulance.

"We really need to go." The first paramedic said to House as he glanced out at Wilson.

House nodded then looked over at his friend.

"Just call my cell phone when you get there." Wilson told him, not wanting to delay the ambulance any further.

With that the first paramedic put the ambulance in drive as the second one began to close the back doors of the vehicle.

"House, I'll take care of your bike and meet you at the hospital." Doctor Martin yelled above the roaring sirens of the ambulance.

House acknowledged Bill's words by nodding his head as his focus remained on Lisa, his mind locked into assessing her situation as he spoke to the paramedic in the back of the ambulance with him.

"_Pupils equal in size and reactive to light but the patient is unconscious..…..suspect possible concussion._

" _Lisa…. Lisa..come on…" _House then said, trying to coax her back from unconsciousness as he felt the vehicle picking up speed.

Lisa's eyes opened briefly, her pupils trying to focus on his face.

"_I…….whhh…where…..?" _She mumbled as her lids closed once more.

"_Stay with me Lisa." _House said calmly, glancing down at the paramedic who was applying a splint to her ankle.

"_Mmmmm …no….….I ….no…" _Lisa responded with slurred words, struggling to open up her eyes once more, trying to move her arms that were bound by the restraints.

House reached for her left hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"_You were in a car accident, you're in the ambulance now and we are on our way to the hospital."_ He told her.

"_Mmmm……..noooo….." _Lisa protested with confusion, her brow furrowing as the thoughts of Jeff holding onto her shoulders in the tiny manger's office at Dellucci's flooded her sense the black restraints around her thighs growing increasingly taunt as she tried once more to escape him.

House reached in an instant, gently placing a hand onto her thigh.

"You're safe… Lisa..shhh…..its ok……you're safe here." He said in a steady voice, knowing her turmoil was more than just the result of the crash.

"_Noooooooo!!" _Lisa cried out, mistaking the hand being placed upon her as one that was meant to harm her, a heartbreaking gasp escaping her mouth as her back arched up from the gurney when the intense sharp pain from her broken ankle sent a shockwave of agony into every nerve inside of her body.

"Give her some damn morphine!" House barked at the paramedic who was already reaching for the injection.

"Lisa…you've have to lie still….you're going to be ok." House whispered, leaning down closer to her and stroking her cheek with his thumb, doing everything he could think to help her through the tremendous ordeal her mind was subjecting her to at the moment, wanting the damn morphine to take hold of her the second it had been administered so she could find peace, choking back the agony that shot through him after he had heard her scream out in pain.

He watched her take in a shuddered breath as her body trembled, her eyes opening up slowly for the briefest of seconds, registering the fact that he had indeed reached her.

"_Don't go…."_ Lisa pleaded as her hand tried in vain to reach his, trapped from finding it thanks to the restraints.

"I'm here." House responded, taking hold of her hand as she slipped under the veil of the narcotic, watching as a single tear escaped from the corner of her left eye before falling gracefully down her cheek.

********************************************************

Tritter had departed the scene of the accident shortly after the ambulance had taken off with Jeff riding in the backseat of his car as they headed towards the police station while the two officers directing traffic stayed behind to finish up the investigation.

Currently Bill Martin was giving his statement to Officer Fan, the husky officer with the bulldog like appearance as both men stood behind the cruiser Wilson was seated in, the rain around them finally letting up and being replaced by the high moon shining in a starless sky.

"Officer, do mind if I ask you a question?" Bill said politely as their conversation drew to a close.

"Go ahead." The cop replied, closing the small tablet he had been writing in.

"You wouldn't by any chance know how to ride a motorcycle would you?" Bill asked.

The cop looked over at House's bike.

"We'll call a tow truck to get it out of here." He responded.

"That's not what I asked." Bill said with a slight smile.

The cop looked the older physician up and down.

"Are you telling me you want me to drive that bike down to the station?" Officer Fan questioned, confused by the old man's request.

"Actually I'm asking if you would drive Doctor House's bike to the hospital for him." Bill clarified.

The cop was genuinely surprised for the first time in a long time with the quirky old man who stood before him, something about him reminding Fan of his own father, the honest sincerity in the older physician's blue eyes when he made the odd request something that was seen all too infrequently in the world today.

"You know if I wanted to be a prick, I could just haul you in the back of my cruiser with your buddy and leave that motorcycle as well as your Cadillac sitting here for the tow truck to take care of." Officer Fan told the old man, wanting to see how he would respond.

Bill leaned forward, "I know you could …..but there's something about you that tells me you're not a prick." He countered.

The cop smiled, once again reminded of his father as the older physician smiled at him in return.

"Ok I'll do it." Fan agreed before adding.

"But as far as my partner goes….we're going to let him think you bribed me. Understand?"

Bill nodded, watching the cop as he turned and took a few steps away from him before walking down the embankment towards the other cop who was standing in front of the wrecked Lexus.

********************************************************

"So you're going to Austin tomorrow then?" Tritter asked Jeff glancing at him through the rear view mirror as they headed for the station.

"That is if I can get out of jail." Jeff replied back cleverly with a smile.

"Oh I don't think you'll have any problems there." Tritter responded, letting out a soft chuckle.

"It's good to know I can count on you Tritter." Jeff replied, easing back in his seat.

Again Tritter glanced back at him.

"By the way, when are you going to tell me about the guy driving the black Chevy that sideswiped Doctor Cuddy's car?" Tritter asked with a knowing tone.

"Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about detective." Jeff offered with a smile that was as sincere as a scorpion that boast of no sting.

"Fair enough." Tritter conceded, playing his cards as close to the vest as his passenger was for now.

Jeff nodded and looked out the window beside him at the city that was washed clean for a moment by the rain that had fallen.

He hoped Lisa was in a lot of pain right now.......she deserved to be after the way she had spurned his advances earlier and hopefully being the smart woman that she was his actions would give her time to think about what she had done to him, and how wrong it was while giving him time to think of what else he was going to do to her.

********************************************************

The double doors of the ER burst open as Lisa Cuddy was wheeled into her beloved hospital with House limping beside her, his hand tucked under the warming blanket that the paramedic had placed over her body, his fingers intertwined with her own.

Immediately a sea of doctors and nurses swarming the gurney, having already received the radio call from the paramedic who had notified them of the identity of their latest patient, moving in a well orchestrated unity, pushing House back from the gurney, severing his hold on Lisa's hand as they maneuvered it over to the trauma bay.

"I'm staying with her!" House shouted with insistence, pushing back at the bodies that were pushing him while the ER attending started rattling off his orders to the staff assisting him.

"I'll let you stay in the room, but you have to let us do our job." The ER attending told him sternly, looking House squarely in the eyes.

"You screw up and when I get my cane back we're going to play a game of hide and seek. Understand?" House said in a direct tone before taking a step back.

"Just stay out of the way or I won't hesitate to call security." The ER attending warned, keeping is focus on Lisa as the medical team began to treat her.

House's ears zoned in on the ticking of the clock above him as the surreal scene played out in front of him, he was no longer in control, reduced to being a spectator, the vibrant woman who captivated his mind as well as his heart, lying helpless in front him, the nurses who respected her, cutting away the long black dress she was wearing, Lisa's role in the hospital she loved being reduced to one so very human and easily broken.

"Noooo…." Lisa moaned out as she felt the touch of many different hands on upon her body, followed by the sensation of pain that seemed to be coming from every part of her body.

"Lisa it's ok…. you're in the ER." The attending said to her calmly.

"Wiggle your fingers for me Lisa." He then coaxed in a stronger voice.

House felt his throat tighten as she complied, the small gesture a tremendous comfort to him as the staff working on getting her hooked up her IV, before drawing blood and placing an oxygen mask on her face.

The ER attending continued to talk to her, giving her commands to test her neurological state as he focused on the physical exam, moving his hands across her abdomen and pelvis, searching or reaction of pain from her while House breathed a sigh when there was none.

Her ankle however was another story, and as soon as it was confirmed by the ER attending that Lisa was stable, the team covered her body in a sheet and pushed her out of the room, heading for the OR.

********************************************************

In the mist of a place on the edge of dreams, Lisa's mind filled with images that were cloaked in mystery, struggling to make sense out of them, the soft kiss of rain against her face, the sensation of rising into the air feeling weightless ....asking her where they belonged, if they were indeed the stuff of dreams or of a reality that she could not yet get her hands around.

A voice came along with the memories, trying to guide her through the fog, telling her to stay, the touch of a hand gently reassuring her, the clouds surrounding her would not last forever.

Opening up her eyes, Lisa watched as single rows of fluorescent lights moved above her at a dizzying speed.

"Where am I?" She asked, not realizing the question had stayed locked within her mind, her lips unable to speak it, her tongue feeling heavy and weighed down.

Her eyelids lowered as she struggled to keep them open, closing just as she spotting a set of double doors in front of her swinging forward, her ears being filled with the sound of many voices talking around her, feeling hands placing cold things onto her body.

"_Don't go….."_ Lisa tried to whisper while her lips remained closed, the voices around her void of the one she needed to her now more than ever, the comfort she was seeking, seemly nowhere to be found.

She felt a sharp sting in the crease of her left arm…. just before she was pulled into a darkness that was so black, she wondered if she would return from it.

"She's ready doctor." The anesthesiologist announced from the head of the OR table.

The orthopedic doctor nodded, reaching for the severely mangled ankle of Lisa Cuddy, carefully moving his fingertips across it before he looked up at the x-ray to his left.

********************************************************

Inside the Precinct of the Princeton Police Department, Wilson paced back and forth in the packed cell containing the night's worth of drunks, wondering what was going on with Lisa, hoping she had not suffered any internal injuries as a result of the crash, his nose filling with the pungent odor of urine and vomit, the choice to put him in here among the inebriated of course Tritter's doing.

He had been waiting for over an hour to make his one phone call, growing more frustrated with ever ticking second, his mind consumed with the fact that Tritter did not merely walk back into all their lives but was boldly yanking them all by the writs, directing them where to go.

From behind him a stench rose up in the air, after one of a group of drunken frat boys in the cell with him had just gotten done taking a massive dump in the toilet that he was sure must have consisted of the entire left side of the menu from Taco Bell.

Trying not to gag, Wilson gripped the bars on the cell, leaning forward to inhale the air outside of the wretched place through his nose which was a little less overpowering.

"Hey dude what did you do to get in here?" A young fresh faced but completely trashed frat boy asked him.

Wilson turned to look at the kid, his eyes moving upward, the boy who he guessed to be around twenty was a big guy standing at six foot five, with muscles covering every part of his body.

The kid's t-shirt proudly announced that he was a member of the T and A club, his smile telling Wilson currently he did not have a care in the world.

"I punched some guy." Wilson answered back flatly.

"Dude! You rock!" The kid half slurred, putting a very big muscular arm around Wilson.

"I ran my head into a parked car...see?" The kid exclaimed proudly, lowering his head so Wilson could take look at the large goose egg on the top of it.

"Yeah that's awesome." Wilson responded, waiting until the frat boy lifted up his head again to check out the kid's pupils, making sure they were of equal size even though he highly doubted that the boy could be any more brain damaged than he already was.

"Dude do you know who you look like?" The kid then asked as he took a step back from Wilson and focused in on his face.

"Do tell." Wilson said, sighing while thinking he should have bet the kid twenty bucks that he couldn't headbutt the concrete wall behind him.

"You look like the guy on that show….. on Nick at Night, the one me and my buddies watch all the time. The two buddies…but like the shorter dude…..from ah.......Bosom Buddies! Yeah that's it!" The kid said with a wide grin.

"Peter Scolari?" Wilson questioned, shocked that he had retained the useless information in his memory bank.

"Yeah dude..that's it! Me and my boys watch that show all the time!. Oh….what's the dudes name on the show?"

"I'm pretty sure his name was Henry." Wilson answered, knowing it was a mistake as soon as he saw the kids face light up.

"Oh yeah Henry!" The kid said with a laugh, grinning from ear to ear as he put his hands up in the air.

"HEN-RY! HEN-RY! HEN-RY!!" The frat kid chanted at the top of his lungs, drawing the attention of his buddies who turned to look in his direction.

"Dudes! Look it's Henry from Bosom Buddies!" The kid told them with excitement.

The five boys off in the corner took a step closer to Wilson, broad smiles filling their drunken faces as they raised their fists into the air and chanted along with their friend.

"HEN-RY! HEN-RY! HEN-RY!" They all said with enthusiasm as if they were at a college football game, circling around Wilson while taking turns patting him on the back as the laughed and gave him high fives.

"Dude you're awesome." The frat boy with the lump on his head said, giving him a solid pat in the middle of his back that radiated down his spine.

"Yeah that's me." Wilson said shaking his head in defeat.....wondering just how much more crap he was going to endure tonight.

"What's wrong Henry?" Frat boy asked before his face turned pale just before he threw up on Wilson's shoes.

********************************************************

Bill Martin arrived at the hospital a little after ten o'clock that night; entering through the ER walking up to the nurses station to get an update on Lisa's condition.

Seeing him approach, the middle aged nurse with dark blonde hair named Sarah gave him a warm smile, the white haired physician waling towards her a man who was so good natured and kind, you could not help but be drawn to the warmth he possessed.

They talked for a few minutes, with the nurse informing him that Lisa had been taken to surgery for her broken ankle but was now resting in a hospital bed on the first second floor.

"We still don't know what Doctor House was doing with her when she was brought into the ER." The nurse then added as she ended their conversation with a bit of gossip.

"Well Doctor Cuddy as well as myself, Wilson and the other board members were at Dellucci's attending meeting, I did hear Wilson say House was coming to the restaurant for drinks after the meeting was over, I guess he must have driven up onto the scene of on the way there." Bill lied, not wanting Lisa to have to endure any more stress once she awoke from the surgery.

"Well for once I guess it was a good thing House was around as opposed to every other time." The nurse commented back to him, whole heartily believing the words Bill had spoken to her.

*******************************************************

Heading up to the second floor, Bill was once again met by a nurse, who was just getting off the phone with the nurse from the ER.

"Doctor Martin, Sarah just called me to let me know you were on your way up her. Doctor Cuddy is in room number two fifteen, and believe it or not Doctor House has been with her the whole time." The young nurse said with a smile as the older physician smiled back at her in returned.

"Well I guess miracles can happen even in regards to Doctor House, even though I'm sure this will all benefit him somehow down the line." Bill replied, weaving yet another lie.

"Yeah, House will probably try to use this as a way to get out of clinic duty once Doctor Cuddy is up on her feet again." The nurse agreed without hesitation.

"That is exactly the type of thing House would do. By the way Kelly, how are those two kids of yours?" Bill asked, leaning against the desk at the nurse's station.

"They are growing up so fast! Jake started kindergarten this week and Emily starts preschool next week." Nurse Kelly told him with an excited grin, the man standing before her, one of most kind hearted people she had ever met.

"Well you have to promise me to bring them back into the hospital soon so I can take them over to the cafeteria and buy them some ice cream like last time." Bill said with a wink, turning to go.

"I will." Nurse Kelly replied watching him leave before picking up the phone that had started to ring beside her.

Reaching Lisa's room Bill looked inside of it and saw House standing over her bed, watching her intently, his hand holding onto hers as he studied her face.

Lisa was still in a drug induced sleep, her right ankle elevated and covered in a splint.

"How's she doing?" Bill whispered stepping inside the room.

House looked up at Bill, speaking softly as well.

"She had a Type A horizontal avulsion fracture of the distal fibula, they performed a closed reduction and placed the split on her for now until the swelling goes down so they can apply cast."

"We're all lucky it wasn't any worst than that." Bill whispered, looking over at Lisa.

House watched the old man looking at Lsia, wondering why he was so concerned about her.

"Do you mind if we talk outside for a few minutes?" Bill then asked, turning to face him.

House nodded in agreement, letting go of Lisa hand as he took one last look at her before limping out into the hallway with Bill.

"I told one of the nurses down in the ER that you were on your way to Dellucci's to meet Wilson for some drinks when you drove up upon the accident just to squash any rumors that may have started to circulate regarding you're behavior with Lisa tonight." Bill informed House as they both leaned against the wall outside of Lisa's room.

"Why would you do that?" House asked suspiciously, rubbing his aching thigh.

"Let's just say that I consider Lisa to be a good friend and if she can see something in you that made her want to be with you than I guess you can't be that much of jerk." Bill responded with a slight smile.

House studied the old man's face. "You love her, or rather you would love to be in love with her, but since you're not into playing Hugh Hefner, you've settled for being her friend." He said wisely.

Bill chuckled nodding his head. "Your right, if I was twenty years younger I'd be giving you a run for your money, but I'm far too old to try and win the heart of someone as vivacious as her. Lisa needs someone who's going to challenge her ever step of the way and make her a better person because of it, and for her that someone she needs seems to be you." He conceded with a shrug.

"You do know talking like that will land you in the pscyh ward gramps." House stated, uncomfortable with Bill's openness when expressing both his feelings as well as he thoughts on the relationship he was having with Lisa.

"You look like you could use a coffee." Bill offered, giving House the reprieve he needed.

"I also could use a few minutes away from a meddling old man." House snarked in return.

"I get the hint; I'll take a little walk and leave you alone with her for awhile before come back with the coffee." Bill said with amusement, turning and leaving without saying another word.

House's stood in the hallway for a few more minutes, watching the older physician stop at the nurses station once he had reached it, engaging in a short conversation with the nurse standing behind it who was enjoying his company immensely based upon the huge smile she had on her face.

Turning back around to enter the Lisa's room, House was struck by the realization that he too rather liked the old doctor, fitting him into the category of those rare people that seemed to be able to adapt to any personality they came across, filling the needs of the people he interacted with by make them feel as if they were far better than they were, a sense of comfort exuding from the older man that urged you to come and take a look at it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Ok guys the next few days are going to be very hectic for me, but I did manage to get a new chapter up for you:) I don't think I'll have time to post another one until Wed or Thurs though so …as always enjoy and thank you so much for the great posts!**

**By the way the inspiration for the character of Doctor Bill Martin came from the movie "Field of Dreams" in which a legendary film actor named Burt Lancaster playas a physician by the name of Doctor Graham;)**

**I'm glad to see how many of you really enjoy the addition of his character to the story.**

**Chapter 16**

Sitting in a chair pulled up to Lisa's bedside, House drank the last drop of coffee out of the styrofoam cup that Bill had given him earlier before tossing it in the trashcan resting in the corner of Lisa's private room.

"Two points." He whispered to himself in a voice that was slightly strained from the night's events.

Looking back at Lisa, House carefully placed his fingertips onto her face, needing to touch her soft skin and feel the warmth of the blood that flowed beneath it, needing to assure himself in some strange way that even though she still looked a little pale life indeed remained within her.

Starting at the widow's peak of her hairline, House guided his index finger down to her temple before moving his thumb over to her cheekbone, caressing it softly with his eyes tracing every curve of her face, his thumb traveling over to her full lips next where they delicately began to caress them as well.

Taking in a breath he was struck by how much of hold she had on him, the power of what they had together with each other, keeping him tethered to her side, unable to break free, unwilling to break free even if he could.

This was exactly why he had avoided getting involved with someone for so long.

He did not want to care about anyone this deeply because when you do and bad things happen to the person you care about, it hurts you as well, and pain was something he had experienced enough to last a lifetime…..it's lessons well versed within him now……but still the fact remained, bold and unchanging, honest and true, however brilliant of a doctor he may be, he still could not cure _this_, he could not give himself an antidote to free him from the feeling of needing her in his life…. more than anyone else, hurting when he saw her in pain.

Lost in his thoughts, House hand moved his hand down to Lisa's neck without realizing it, his thumb gently stroking her jawline with the touch of man whose instincts responded to her need for comfort even in dreams, while his intellect wrestled with coming to terms of the devotion he felt towards her.

********************************************************

Lying on the hospital bed next to House, Lisa was a million miles away, dreaming peacefully as the waves of a gentle tide carried her within its warmth, keeping her safe and guarding her from all harm.

She breathed in deeply as the scent of wildflowers carried on the wings of hot summer breeze invaded her senses.

It was a scent that had been tucked away deep in her subconscious, a treasured memory from when she had been a child and would visit her grandmother before life became all too complicated for her, before boys who became men came along and broke her heart, before she had to fight tooth and nail for what she wanted in life, her mind taking her back to a place in time when she dreamed of having children while playing outside with her dolls in her grandmother's flower garden, picking out their names under the summer sun amidst a halo of floral blooms, not knowing at that time she would give up that dream along the way…….. only to have it return to her, haunting her with the beauty of it later in life.

Feeling the wind moving through her hair, Lisa felt the warm touch of a hand on her face, the feel of it familiar… with strength residing on the edges of the comfort it was giving her, making her smile when it made its presence known to her.

She leaned into the caress which soothed her, opening up her eyes as the scent of wildflowers escaped her, looking up into the blue eyes of Gregory House whose face was etched with deep concern, the shadows of the dark room adding to his somber look.

She tried to speak but her mouth was unable to push the words forth from her lips, her throat dry with a dull ache to it.

"Mmmmm." She hummed instead, reaching for House's hand that was resting on the curve of her neck.

"Hey." House said in low and weary voice, the tug on his heart at seeing he awake carrying a sting with it, piercing him with the truth he had tried to run from earlier tonight.

"Do you want some water?" He asked her, seeing her struggling to speak.

Lisa nodded her head yes, watching as House reached behind him, grabbing a small plastic pitcher as well as a plastic cup.

Once House had poured the water into the glass, he turned around to face her again, finding her staring down at her right foot, confusing filling her face.

"You don't remember do you?" He questioned.

Lisa looked up at him and shook her head no as he offered her the cup.

"You were in an accident, you suffered a mild concussion and your right ankle was broken, but other than that you're fine. Doctor Sawyer from Ortho reduced the fracture and after the swelling goes down a bit you'll be placed in a cast."

House watched Lisa silently processing what he had just told her as she continued to hold the cup in her hand, her mind trying to search for the illusive memory that was of great importance to her.

"Quit trying so hard to remember and take a drink." House urged, placed his hand over hers and moving the cup up to her lips.

Lisa took a small sip of the water, closing her eyes for a moment.

The water was cold and felt good as it traveled down her parched throat, giving some relief to the dull pain that resided there as a result from being intubated during the reduction of her fracture.

"How's Wilson?" Lisa asked him in a husky tone resting the glass against her chest.

House gave her a concerned look. "What's the last thing you remember?" He said studying her face.

"I was driving to Dellucci's with Wilson. That's was when the accident happened right?" Lisa asked.

House shook his head. "You got into the accident on your way home from Dellucci's _after_ the board meeting."

Seeing the panic rise up on her face House spoke once more.

"You know as well as I do most people who sustain a concussion have gaps in their memories. Sometimes it can take a few hours for those memories to come back."

"And sometimes they don't come back at all." Lisa interrupted, tightening her grip on the plastic cup.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it for now…" House started to say, placing his hand over hers once more and lifting the cup up to her lips.

"I want to talk to Wilson. I need to find out what happened during the board meeting with Jeff." Lisa interrupted again without taking another sip of the water.

"You can't talk to Wilson right now." House told her, knowing things were about to get worse in their conversation.

"I thought you said Wilson wasn't hurt?" Lisa questioned, easing herself up in the bed a bit before placing the plastic cup on the nightstand beside her.

"Wilson's not hut….…he's in jail. Which means you'll have to wait to talk to him." House said carefully.

"Why is Wilson in jail?" Lisa pushed sitting up further in the bed.

"For starting a fight with Jeff outside of Dellucci's." House confessed with sigh.

This was exactly what she did not need hear and yet there really was no way to steer her around the truth.

Lisa took in a breath, looking away from him for a moment.

"That means something did happen during the board meeting." She said softly, feeling a dull throbbing pain ripple through the back of her skull towards her forehead.

"You need to lie down." House told her, noticing how her brow had furrowed just before she moved the fingertips of her left to her temple.

"I'm fine." Lisa replied back with an edge to her tone just as Bill stepped inside the room.

"Lisa, I'm so glad you're awake now, I hope you're feeling better." Bill said softly with a gentle smile upon his face.

"Bill you were at the board meeting tonight, tell me what happened there." Lisa demanded ignoring his concern.

Bill shot House a glance, hesitant to respond.

"She doesn't remember." House told him.

"I am _not_a child House, I'm your boss as well as Bill's and I need to know what the hell happened." Cuddy snapped, taking in a breath as she rubbed her forehead.

"I'm sorry Bill… I didn't mean to…." She apologized immediately as Bill reached her hospital bed.

"Lisa it's ok….you've been through quite an ordeal tonight." Bill told her reassuringly, not offended in the least, pulling a chair up next her on the opposite side of her bed that House was seated on.

"The board meeting itself went rather well." Bill started to say, giving House another glance before he placed his hand on top of Lisa's hand.

Lisa looked down at Bill's hand covering her own, his touch reminding her of her father in an instant, the flickering memory of him, making her heart to stand up and take notice.

"And after the board meeting?" Lisa questioned, looking over at him.

"A waiter came and told you there was a phone call for you in the manager's office. After you left I noticed Jeff following you back there. Something didn't' seem right to me so after a few minutes I went back into the kitchen looking for you. I knew by the way you were acting around Jeff during the meeting the two of you were not on good terms." Bill explained, pausing for a moment to let his words sink in, hoping they would help jog a few missing pieces of Lisa's own memory free.

"Where the hell was Wilson?" House asked with annoyance.

"Wilson received a page from the hospital and went out into lobby to make the call." Bill answered, seeing the stress written across House's face.

"Bill." Lisa said, directing his gaze towards her once more.

"What happened between to me in the manager's office?" She asked even though the pain in her head was now increasing.

"Honestly Lisa, I don't know, I knocked on the door and you told me to come in, you were very upset and rushed by me, headed outside before I could say anything to you. According to Jeff the two of you were having a lovers quarrel, but of course I knew he was lying." Bill responded, holding her gaze before giving a knowing look in House's direction.

Lisa felt her stomach turn……the silent glances Bill had given both of them unnerving in light of everything else she had been through.

"You know about us?" Lisa questioned before looking over at House.

"Bill figured out on his own when we were outside the restaurant with Tritter." House explained.

"Wait, Tritter was there too?" Lisa asked, placing her hand on her forehead as she closed her eyes, trying to will away the throbbing headache.

"There's going to be time to talk about what happened later but right now you need to rest." House told her sternly, deciding it was time to put an end to the conversation for now after seeing how it was affecting her physical status.

"Lisa….House is right, you need to rest. We can talk about all of this later." Bill agreed, watching her lean back against the pillow behind her as her eyes remained closed.

"Ok." Lisa relented, feeling sick to her stomach as another wave of pain shot through her head.

Bill looked back over at House who had clasped his hands under his chin, the strain on his face growing along with his aggravation over the entire situation.

"I'll go to the nurse's station and get Lisa some Tylenol, after that I'll leave the two of you alone so you can both try to get some rest." Bill told him before getting up and leaving the room.

********************************************************

Wilson had taken off his jacket and placed it on the concrete floor of the cell he was locked inside of before sitting down and resting his back against its cold steel bars.

It was almost midnight, and thankfully all of the drunks, including the frat boy with the bump on his head were sound asleep as a chorus of their snores echoed throughout the jail.

Wilson closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep as well, knowing it was probably a futile attempt at best, opening his eyes once more in an instant when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

He looked up and saw Officer Fan staring down at him.

"Wanted to let you know that Doctor Cuddy is going to be fine. She did sustain a fracture to her right ankle and a mild concussion, but other than that she's expected to make a full recovery." Fan announced.

"Thanks." Wilson said in a surprised voice preparing to get up off of the floor.

"Don't thank me; thank Doctor Martin when you see him." Fan responded, turning and walking away before Wilson could question him further.

********************************************************

It was two o'clock in the morning when the silence in Lisa's hospital room was broken by the sound of her voice.

"_Nooooooo!"_ She cried out in a tone thick with dread as her subconscious mind placed the final pieces of her missing memory together for her.

House, who had not been unable to sleep was standing at the window in her room when he turned around quickly, watching as Lisa pushed herself up in the bed, her eyes scanning the darkness in confusion at first before she remembered were where was.

"Are you ok?" He questioned as he limped over beside her.

"I remember what happened." Lisa told him with a hushed whisper, closing her eyes in effort to will the uneasy feeling surging through every part of her body.

House carefully sat next to her on the bed, his right hand moving to her back where he gently began to rub it, showing her silently all the things he couldn't say to her at times.

"What did Jeff do to you?" He asked needed to hear the answer even though he knew his reaction would be anything but good.

Lisa exhaled and leaned into him, not wanting to look into his face when she spoke.

"Jeff trapped me inside the manager's office and forced himself on me; he kissed me and grabbed my breast. He was telling me all these crazy things; he actually thought we were going to get back together. Thank god Bill showed up when he did." She said, looking up at him now that the words had been spoken.

House left the subject of Jeff untouched for now, his temper warning him it was not good to go down that road just yet.

"What about Tritter?" He asked, taking another route in their conversation.

Again Lisa exhaled, her face weary of the nightmares that were indeed real.

"Tritter basically told me he didn't care about what Jeff did to me, that I deserved it saying I was sleeping with both you and Jeff along with saying every other degrading remark he could think of." She answered, shaking her head in disbelief at the entire situation.

"Tritter tried to pull the same crap with me, apparently he's never gotten over the fact that he lost his case against me and now he's teaming up with Jeff, trying to get some kind of justice that he feels he was cheated out of because of your testimony." House replied.

"Do you think Jeff and Tritter had something to do with the accident?" Lisa questioned, hoping that her suspicions would be snuffed out by his response.

"We both know there's too much involved for them not to be involved with the accident." House answered in a solemn tone, the actual verbalization of the ominous situation they were up against filling the air around them.

Lisa opened her mouth to speak but held her tongue as House's cell phone began to ring.

House reached inside his suit jacket with his left hand, still keeping his right hand upon her back.

"House." He answered.

"House, it's Bill, I just wanted to let you know I've talked to security here at the hospital and a guard is going to be coming up to Lisa's room shortly."

House removed his hand from Lisa's back and placed it on his neck, feeling the tense muscles underneath his fingertips.

"What did you tell security?" He questioned.

"I felt that I had to let them know about Jeff's and Lisa's relationship and that he was giving her a hard time for ending it. I know Lisa may not have wanted her private life to be made public knowledge but Jeff did do something to her inside that restaurant and when she does finally remember I hope that she understands that I did what I though was right." Bill explained.

"She remembers and she's awake now, maybe you should talk to her about this." House responded before glancing over at Lisa and handing her the phone.

"Hi Bill." Lisa said with a small smile that faded a bit once he began to speak to her.

Feeling a tremor of pain go through his thigh, House took in a sharp breath rubbing the area with his fingers, trying to soothe it away, his actions not going unnoticed by Lisa as she continued to talk on the phone.

"Bill, you don't need to apologize, things have gotten out of control and you did the right thing." Lisa assured the older physician before telling him goodbye.

Turning to give House back his phone, Lisa gave him a look of concern.

"Are you ok?" She asked glancing down at his thigh.

"Going to share your IV with me if I'm not?" House questioned.

"Don't joke, if you're in pain…" Lisa started to say, letting out a gasp when she turned her right ankle in an effort to face him, a sting of pain warning her not to do it again.

"I've got vicodin. I'll be fine. So stop worrying about me and start worrying about yourself for a change!" House told her rather loudly through clenched teeth, getting up from the bed and limping towards his cane as the anger within him in regards to her lack of concern for her own wellbeing began to grow.

"I'm fine! And keep your voice down!" Lisa shot back, with a heated whisper, not sure how their conversation had turned so quickly into an argument, but one hundred percent sure she did not want the entire hospital finding out about it.

House turned to face her again, lowering his voice but keeping the edge to his tone.

"You're not fine! You've just been in a car accident that Jeff and Tritter were probably behind, you have a concussion, your ankle was mangled into a pretzel and to top if off that sick bastard forced his tongue down your throat while he groped your breast inside that office!" He growled leaning heavy on his cane as he glared down at her.

"Doctor Cuddy? You ok in here?" A male voice asked from the doorway of the room.

Lisa looked over at the security guard who she knew by name.

"Yes John. I'm fine." She answered, shooting House a disapproving look.

"Ok, well if you need me I'll be right outside your door." The security guard informed her, giving House a glance of his own before he turned and left the room.

"So are we going to continue arguing?" Lisa asked, directing her gaze towards House as he popped a vicodin into his mouth.

"Nope, because I'm going to leave." House stated, limping towards the doorway.

"That's great because leaving now is really going to help me try and relax and get some rest." Lisa responded smartly.

Her words stopped him dead in his tracks, a sigh of exasperation escaping his lips.

"You need to get some sleep and as long as I'm here you won't be able to do that." House told her turning around to face her once more.

"I want you to stay." Lisa responded, her words a mix between and order and a request.

"Can we at least have sex until_ I_ fall asleep?" House asked her, limping up to the bed and taking a seat in the chair next to it.

"With enough vicodin and morphine, I'm pretty sure we could give it a try." Lisa countered with a smile watching him place his cane next to the nightstand.

"That's my little nympho." House said with a wicked grin.

Lisa opened her mouth in protest but before she could speak House placed his index finger up to her lips.

"Shh….they'll be plenty of time for dirty talk later…right now you need sleep." He teased with a smirk.

Lisa removed his hand from her mouth, holding onto it while she whispered to him with an evil smile displayed on her face.

"Keep it up, and tomorrow I'll have you giving sponge baths to all the geriatric patients on the fourth floor." She warned.

House held their gaze. "Keep it up and I'll be giving _you _a sponge bath while the security guard watches." He countered.

"Really? Because I always though John was kind of cute." Lisa responded with a sexy tone to her voice.

"Shut up and go to sleep nympho." House grumbled, stealing one of the pillows behind her before placing it on the back of his chair.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi Everyone! Sorry it took so long to get the next chapter up but my days just seem to keep getting busier. Hope you like this latest installment and as always reviews are always appreciated:)**

**Chapter 17**

The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon when House was stirred from his sleep in the chair next to Lisa's hospital bed by the sound of a woman's voice.

"Doctor House, what are you doing here?" The voice asked.

House blinked his eyes, rubbing his right leg that was stiff from the awkward position it had been in for the past couple of hours, focusing in on the woman who was standing in the doorway.

For a moment he thought in fact he was still dreaming .....as it was Lisa's silhouette that occupied the space in the shadows of the threshold.

The woman took a step closer to him and as the early morning light illuminated her face.

"I asked you a question Doctor House." Ruth Cuddy, who was of course Lisa's mother said again while she studied the scruffy doctor sitting next to her sleeping daughter.

To say that Lisa resembled her mother was of course stating the obvious. The two women a picture perfect image of each other with the only exception being that while Lisa had the grey blue eyes of her father, Ruth's eyes were a dark chestnut brown.

"Mrs. Cuddy, so nice to see you again." House said cheerfully while reaching for the vicodin bottle inside his jacket, thinking back to the handful of times he had met the woman, always impressed by how well she had held up over the years.

He emptied one of the pills into the palm of his hand before popping it into his mouth, looking over at Ruth as she gave him a disapproving look.

"How is she?" Ruth whispered gazing down Lisa.

There was no emotion in her voice, no wavering of her speech...just a cold calculating stare that was adding up all the visible injuries on her daughter's body.

"She'll survive." House responded back dryly, noticing the peculiar way Ruth looked at Lisa.

"I'm so glad that the head diagnostician employed by my daughter has confirmed she will indeed _survive_.." Ruth replied back, not caring for his personality or presence in her daughter's room.

The sound of the voices woke Lisa from her sleep, causing her to let you a yawn as she breathed in deeply, looking down at her mother who was standing at the foot of the bed.

"Mom what are you doing here?" Lisa questioned with surprise, reaching for the controls on the side bed so she could elevate herself up into a seated position.

"The police called and said you were in an accident. They wouldn't give me any details, just said that I should make the trip up from Cape May." Her mother answered back in a very even toned voice although inside her chest her heart was racing after seeing the marks the accident had left on her daughter's face as well as the horrible bruise on her splinted foot.

House took notice the way Ruth's hand clutched her purse tighter as she spoke to Lisa, her knuckles white from the grip she hand on it, as if it was anchor for her.

"Mom, I'm sorry you had to make the trip up here, it's really nothing serious." Lisa said almost as if she was apologizing to her mother for being in the accident as House, who was mesmerized by the scene in front of him, rested his chin on the hand that was holding his cane.

"Of course it's serious, Lisa you ankle look horrible and your face…." Ruth started to as her tone took on a higher pitch, the veil of control she as holding onto slipping a bit, causing her to readjust the grip on her purse.

"What's wrong with my face?" Lisa asked turning her eyes away from her mother as she looked over at House.

"They're just some superficial abrasions and few tiny bruises, it's nothing serious." House told Lisa, shooting an annoyed look Ruth's way.

Ruth Cuddy was not intimated in the least by the smug and unruly man before her, not only meeting his gaze but challenged it with a fierce glare of her own.

"Did it really take seven years of medical training to come up with brilliant deduction? Oh don't worry it's nothing? What if there's a piece of glass imbedded in her skin that gets infected? Or is that something that Lisa shouldn't worry about either?" She snapped at him before reaching inside the anchor of her purse and producing a small compact.

"Do you want to see for yourself?" Ruth then asked her daughter, softening her tone just a touch as a fine almost undetectable tremor of guilt ran through it.

Lisa nodded taking the compact while House continued to study her mother.

"Considering your daughter's face hit the airbag and not the windshield, I'm _pretty sure_ she be fine, unless airbags are now made out of glass." House said, clenching his jaw before he stopped mid sentence when he saw Lisa draw in a breath, her hand reaching up to her face as she looked in the mirror.

"Oh.." Lisa whispered as she carefully touched the tiny dots that were scattered over the left side of her face.

The open skin had already scabbed over resting in the circles of some darker patches of skin where small bruises had formed.

Something from her memory suddenly whispered to her, telling her she had seen these types of injuries on her face before… a long, long time ago, the exact details, surrounded by a thick fog she could never quite get through.

"Oh god….aren't you being a bit overdramatic? In a day or two those tiny scabs will heal all and you'll never even know that they were there in the first place." House said with distaste, watching Lisa's eyes dart over to him.

She was way too pretty to be concerned about the temporary specks that would soon fade from her skin, more beautiful than most women could ever hope to be... and vanity was not something he could stomach for too long, especially not with the long ugly scar hidden beneath his jeans.

"Don't you dare talk to her that way!" Ruth warned him as she placed her hand on Lisa's bed, her emotions suddenly breaking free as her chestnut eyes focused in on him.

"Would you rather I talked to you that way? Because I have to tell you when it comes to being bitch, you've got her beat by mile." House snarked, not backing down for one minute as he got up out of the chair beside Lisa's bed.

Ruth let out a small sarcastic laugh. "I've dealt with your kind before Doctor House and I assure you…….you do not want to mess with me." She warned again, standing up straight even though House towered above her from across Lisa's hospital bed.

"Mom please. House is a jerk but he means well. He just doesn't have a buffer like some of us do." Lisa interjected; wanting to stop the argument before it became even more heated.

Ruth glanced over at her daughter, "It's sad that you feel the need to make excuses for him Lisa, but you're right. The last thing you need is more stress in your life especially after all that's happened." She conceded, looking over at House and awaiting his response.

"Well? Are you going to act like a human being or continue to be an ass?" Ruth pushed as her fingers drummed softly on the mattress of Lisa's bed.

"I could ask you the same thing." House answered in a low tone.

"House, maybe you should leave." Lisa stated, knowing at this point neither one of them were in the mood to be civil.

"Fine besides since you've got that bum leg, it's not like we can have sex or anything." House remarked, shooting a glance Ruth's way.

"House!" Lisa yelled as her eyes darted over to her mother's face.

"Doctor House, I think my daughter asked you to leave and hopefully when she recovers from her injuries she'll fire you for making such an inappropriate and crude comment about her." Ruth hissed, not believing his statement for one moment.

House opened his mouth, ready to blast the ice queen before him with a few little details regarding the parts of her daughter's very private anatomy. Particularly the tiny strawberry shaped birthmark Lisa's had on her inner thigh that any mother would of course remember, but before the words inside him had a chance to break free, his pager went off.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, House pulled the black electronic device off of his hip.

"I'll be back later to talk about sex." He told both women who narrowed their eyes at him simultaneously before he turned and limped out into the hallway, stopping as he passed by the security guard outside of Lisa's room.

"Make sure to keep a good on Doctor Cuddy and don't let any male visitors in the room without paging me first." House instructed the guard who looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Yeah right." The tall and menacing guard remarked looking down at him.

House stepped closer to the man. "I'm not kidding about the male visitors, I want to be paged and ….if I find out you let someone in there that you weren't supposed to, I'm going to run and tell all your security guard buddies about the time you did it with the cafeteria lady in the kitchen during the Christmas party a few years back. Your buddies won't think you're such a chick magnet once they hear about how you banged a woman old enough to be your grandma." He warned.

The guy looked back at him shocked. "I was drunk and how did you …"

"Just do what I say and you private shame remains private understand?" House questioned.

"Fine." The guard answered with a huff, straighten his pose.

********************************************************

Cameron was walking towards the front doors of hospital on clear morning, enjoying the warm weather surrounding her as she thought about the busy day she was going to have.

Because of a shortage of personnel in the ER, Cuddy had asked her as well as Chase and Foreman to fill in and help out in the department over the weekend. With the promise of sending them all as guest speakers to a lecture in Boston a few months from now.

Humming out the tune that was playing in her head, Cameron smiled at the morning sun that was following her until she stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Chase getting out of a blue Honda Civic that was being driven by Honey.

Chase walked over to the driver's side door of the car, deciding he needed one more kiss from his girlfriend before heading inside, leaning down into the car as he pressed his lips against her own, smiling at her as Honey put the car into drive.

"I'll call you tonight." He told her with grin.

"OK." Honey responded with smiled before driving away.

"Hey!" Cameron said sternly, poking Chase on the shoulder once she had caught up to him.

Chase turned around, surprised to see her.

"Hey yourself." He responded.

"Just what the hell is going on?" Cameron questioned, pursing her lips.

"Ah....it's called going to work?" Chase answered opening up the door for her.

"Don't play dumb with me, I saw you just now in front of the hospital kissing _House's_ girlfriend." Cameron hissed, remaining outside with him.

"First of all who I kiss is none of your business anymore, and secondly she's not House's girlfriend anymore......she's mine." Chase informed her.

The words hit Cameron hard across the face.

She was left speechless, not knowing which of his statements shocked her more...the fact that Chase had said the words to so coldly _or_ the fact that House was no longer dating Honey.

Chase saw the familiar look in her eyes and instead of waiting for her to recover from the initial blow of his statement; he hit her with another right hook.

"Better go run off now and find House, I'm sure he'll need a shoulder to cry on." He said sarcastically.

"Go to hell!" Cameron snapped back, infuriated that he was treating her like a wide eyed school girl.

"I've already been there...it was when I made the mistake of dating you." Chase shot back, heading inside while letting the door slam shut behind him.

********************************************************

"Lisa, why is there a security guard outside you door?" Ruth questioned, sitting in the chair House had vacated.

"Mom, it's complicated." Lisa answered in return wanting to avoid the subject.

Ruth looked over at her daughter. Wanting to take Lisa's hand in her own, but being stopped by the dark memories that lived inside of her before she could do so.

"Mom? Are you ok?" Lisa asked, seeing the blank stare move across her mother's face, knowing the look of it all too well from the echoes of her childhood.

"I'm fine Lisa." Ruth responded, shaking free of the disturbing thoughts.

"Are you sure?" Lisa questioned. Her voice just above a whisper, reaching out for her mother's hand and watching in disappointment as her mother moved it off of the sheet before she could touch it.

"I've decided I'm going to stay with you for a few weeks until you leg is healed." Ruth announced to her daughter abruptly.

Lisa looked back at her with surprise, "Mom…..I'll be fine." She assured her, completely caught off guard by the gesture, seeing as how for the last twenty years her mother had all but become a ghost in her life.

"I'm staying and that's it." Ruth insisted putting her foot down. "Now let's talk about that security guard outside of your room." She added, not wiling let go of the subject.

********************************************************

Reaching his office, House stopped before opening up the glass door when his cell phone began to ring.

"House." He answered not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Do you have a case?" Lisa asked him on the other end of the phone as she sat alone inside her hospital room.

"I have a case of the 'I hate your mom's guts'." House responded back in a juvenile tone.

"Knock it off. The page you got earlier. Was that regarding a case?" Lisa stressed.

House smirked. "Actually that was my bookie." He told her, smiling wider when he heard her let out a aggravated sigh.

"You gave your bookie your pager. Why am not surprised?" Lisa responded back sarcastically.

"I don't know maybe because you're as dumb as your mom?" House snarked. "By the way where is the dried up shrew?"

"_My mother_ went down to the cafeteria and since you don't have a case, you need to go to my house and get all of your crap out there." Lisa told him.

"Oh god, she's staying?" House said with disgust.

"Yes. I told her I would be fine, but she insisted." Lisa confirmed.

"For how long?" House asked leaning against his cane.

Lisa paused. " A couple of weeks."

House looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head.

"Was this before or after you told mom about Jeff and Tritter?" He questioned knowingly.

"Before."

"So mom's got some guilt issues. I wonder if that's a hereditary trait?" House asked keeping the sarcasm in his tone.

"Listen, I know all of this is a bit overwhelming right now, but at least this way you can spend sometime at your place, away from my mother as well as all of the other crap that's going on." Lisa reasoned tracing the corner of the bed sheet below her with her fingertip.

"I'm not going to leave you alone at your place, not after happened with Jeff and Tritter." House told her without hesitation.

"_House_…..you can't stay, my mom doesn't know about us and I want to keep it that way." Lisa remarked quickly.

"Sorry _Cuddy_…gotta go get my underwear from underneath your bed…..at least for now." House replied, cutting her off and hanging up the phone before she could argue with him some more.

Turning around and limping back towards the elevator, House let his mind start to ponder the ways in which he could secure a spot back into Lisa's home, determined that no matter what, he would be there with her in case Jeff or Tritter decided to make an uninvited appearance.

********************************************************As the morning gave way to afternoon the story of Lisa Cuddy's automobile accident spread throughout the entire hospital as it rolled over the tongues from one employee to another, seasoned furthermore by the fact the Dean of Medicine now had security guard stationed outside of her room because of an obsessive ex boyfriend, while thankfully for now, no one else besides Bill knew about the new man in Cuddy's life.

Currently Lisa was sitting up in her hospital bed, her right leg elevated by a pillow beneath it, the room she was occupying, quickly becoming filled with flowers and cards from well wishers as several staff members stopped in to see how their boss was doing.

At the moment her latest visitor's were Chase, Foreman and Cameron who had brought her a beautiful bouquet of flowers from the gift shop.

Stepping closer to the bed after placing the flowers on the window sill of the room, Cameron smiled at Cuddy, reaching inside her lab coat and pulling something out from it.

"Here I figured once you get your cast you might need these." She said, handing Cuddy a handful of multi colored markers.

Cuddy responded with a slight smirk, taking the markers from her.

"I really don't think it would be very professional of me to have people sign my cast, but thanks anyway." She declined, ready to hand the markers back to Cameron.

"Since when have you ever been professional?" House snarked as he entered the room.

Lisa glared at him as she gripped the markers in her hand.

"Maybe you'd like these markers to write out some phony scripts for vicodin under Wilson's name. You know red for Monday, Blue for Tuesday…." She countered not missing a beat.

House almost smirked at her, catching himself when he realized they were not alone.

"Don't the three have you have something to do?" He asked, glancing over at his team.

"We just stopped up during our lunch break in the ER and we were just getting ready to leave." Chase said as he stood leaning against the wall in the room with his arms folded and his jaw set.

"Unclench Chase." House commanded. "You're getting to be as uptight as that one." He finished pointing to Cameron who remained standing by Lisa's bed.

"_No one_ can be as uptight as her." Chase remarked just before walking out of the room.

Cuddy glanced over at Cameron after the rather harsh statement by Chase, seeing his words had upset her.

"Cameron, would you mind putting these in drawer for me?" Lisa asked her, thereby allowing Cameron to turn her back to House and Foreman as she regained her composure.

"What's up with all the flowers? It's not like you died or something." House questioned Cuddy as he looked around at the dozens of bouquets that adored her room.

"You see House….some people actually like to make a person feel better when they're in the hospital as opposed to your methods." Cuddy countered before looking back over at Cameron.

"We better get going." Cameron said, giving Cuddy a grateful smile, turning back around to look at Foreman. "Ready?" She asked him.

"Yep." Foreman answered, letting her walk ahead of him.

"Yes the two of you better go, I'm sure there are at least a dozen patients who have arrived at the ER with things shoved up their rectums that need your expertise." House snarked, watching them go.

"If you don't tone it down, you'll be heading down to the ER to join them in the elusive search for foreign bodies." Cuddy warned him.

House scoffed at her statement.

"So where's Mommie Dearest at?" He asked making his way over to her bedside.

"She left about twenty minutes ago to get some of my things and bring them to the hospital. I trust you got all of your stuff out of there?" Lisa asked him.

"Everything but the handcuffs." House answered wiggling his eyebrows at her. "And since the Ice Queen's away ….time to get in a little lovin." He added with a wicked grin.

"Yeah right." Lisa replied back sarcastically.

"I'll draw the curtain." House offered shrugging his shoulders in a joking manner as he inched closer to her bed, setting his cane against the chair.

He was now towering over her and started to take off his suit jacket while putting his left leg up in air in a mock performance of jumping on top of her.

"Don't you dare!" Lisa exclaimed with a gasp, feeling her heart leap in her chest just before House halted his progress, reaching inside his suit jacket and pulling out a single stemmed salmon color rose.

She blinked once as a small smile formed on her face, shaking her head and wondering how he could be such a jerk one minute before taking her breath away a split second later.

"It's beautiful." Lisa said with a whisper, taking the flower from him.

"That rose doesn't come without a price you know." House said low voice, looking down at her.

"I'm not kissing you. Someone could walk here." Lisa argued softly.

"Suit yourself." House replied, looking over at the door quickly before placing his hand on her left breast giving it a gentle squeeze.

The sheer fabric of the hospital gown gave only the thinnest barrier between his hand and her soft skin.

"You better enjoy this while you can."' Lisa warned, placing her palm against his chest, getting ready to push House away if she saw the slightest movement coming from the door, allowing the grope to continue none the less.

Seeing that her gaze was firmly fixed on the doorway, House quickly rubbed his thumb over her nipple, a pleased smile forming on his face when it perked up immediately in reaction to his touch.

"Stop it!" Lisa gasped, snapped her head around to look up at him as he once again pushed past the boundary she had given to him, a flush of crimson entering into her cheeks as the surge a electricity moved through her, pooling between her thighs.

No man had ever affected her so strongly and watching House smile down at her, Lisa knew he was well aware of that fact.

"What do you say about drawing the curtain now?" He whispered with a wolfish horny grin before removing his hand quickly upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Here." Lisa said, handing him the rose which he promptly hid behind a get well card resting on her nightstand just as her mom entered back into the room.

"Why are you back here?" Ruth questioned to House as she placed a small suitcase beside the dresser in Lisa's room.

"It's a hospital and I'm a doctor……therefore the two of them kind of go together." House said with a snide tone.

"Well I think you've harassed my daughter enough for one day, so I suggest that you leave." Ruth replied in return.

"Mom, we were discussing a patient." Lisa lied with the stoic face of an experienced poker player.

"See ….now you probably feel like an ass for jumping to conclusions about me." House snarked unable to resist.

Ruth let out a irritated sigh. "How do you put up with this kind of nonsense everyday?" She asked her daughter, placing her purse on the dresser beside her just as Bill Martin walked into the room.


	18. Chapter 18

**Ok guys here's another chapter. Hope you all enjoy it :)**

**Chapter 18**

When Bill Martin stepped into Lisa Cuddy's hospital room, the first thing he noticed was the subtle smell of perfume that carried with it a hint of lilac.

The second thing he noticed when the petite woman standing before him turned to face him, was how his heart skipped a beat inside his chest… causing him to hold the breath inside his lungs.

A feeling that lay dormant within him for so many years, gathering dust as it prepared for an almost certain never ending slumber after the death of his late wife, suddenly bloomed once more, rushing through every part of him the instant his eyes connected with the eyes of Ruth Cuddy.

"Hell…..Hello." Bill said suddenly, tripping over the single mumbled words that managed to escape from his lips as he remained captivated by the striking woman looking back at him with golden chestnut eyes.

The woman who was of course Lisa's mother he knew that the second she faced him, her dark hair and strong cheekbones a dead give away to the alluring matriarchal traits that had been passed onto her daughter through birth, her full lips parting slightly as she looked up at him.

Bill watched her forehead crinkle between her brows at his blundered introduction.

"Hello yourself." Ruth responded, giving the tall man with broad shoulders and head full of white hair a puzzled look before glancing over at Lisa for an explanation as to who this newest visitor to her room was.

"Mom, this is Doctor Bill Martin. He works here at the hospital and is one of my best physicians. Bill this is my mother Ruth." Lisa said, introducing them with a small smile on her face.

"It's very nice to meet you Ruth." Bill said softly with a gentle smile.

"Nice to meet you as well Doctor Martin." Ruth responded a little warily. At least this doctor friend of Lisa's appeared to be normal, but it really was too early to tell. She did like his white hair though as well as his coloring of blue eyes, something among them having an honest quality to them.

"Please call me Bill." The older physician then told her with another soft smile.

Watching the obviously love struck Bill standing at the foot of Lisa's bed with Ruth; House proceeded to barge his way into their conversation.

"Ruth's got quite the bod for a sixty-five year old broad doesn't she Bill? I know I was thoroughly impressed by the lack of sagging." House said, pointing his cane directly at Ruth's breasts.

Ruth snapped her head around in House's direction.

"Do you ever actually work in this hospital?" She questioned with a sharpened tone.

"Only when your daughter gets rough with me and by rough I'm talking bondage. You do know what bondage is, don't you Ruth?" House answered back, leaning forward on his cane with a smug smile.

Lisa looked up at House with anger. _"Enough."_She stressed with even but firm tone, watching House looked down at her, keeping the triumphant smile on his face.

"So…..Lisa, how are you feeling today?" Bill asked suddenly, steering the conversation away from the dangerous path it was headed towards.

Lisa breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Bill had spoken when he did.

"I feel really good." Lisa answered watching Bill making his way towards her.

"You're swelling's gone down a lot since last night." Bill remarked approvingly, looking at her ankle in the splint.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get my cast on sometime this afternoon." Lisa responded, looking down at her ankle as well.

"And how are you dealing with the pain now that they've taken you off the morphine?" Bill asked with concern.

"Bill..... How dare you talk about Cuddy's mother like that?" House snarked from across the bed.

Bill smirked at the comment, watching as both mother and daughter shot House the same disapproving look.

"Doctor House has a unique sense of humor." Bill said to both Cuddy women trying to soften the blow.

"I've seen better wit come out of a horse's ass." Ruth snipped without hesitation as she kept her eyes fixated upon House.

"Mom!" Lisa exclaimed in shock, her mother showing a side of herself that Lisa had rarely if ever had seen in quite some time.

"Finally you're ready to take off the kid gloves." House said with low tone as he focused in on Ruth.

Once again Bill saw the need to interrupt the conversation.

"Lisa is there anything I could get for you? Perhaps something from the cafeteria? It is after twelve and since I didn't see a tray in here I assume you haven't eaten yet." He offered, trying his best to cut through the growing tension in the room between House and Ruth.

"I'm really not that hungry Bill, but maybe my mother would like to go down to the cafeteria with you." Lisa replied, taking advantage of the opportunity Bill had presented to her as a means to separate the two opposing foes in her hospital room.

"Well Ruth, what do you say? Would you like to go have lunch with me down in the cafeteria?" Bill questioned, looking her way.

Ruth paused for a moment before glancing over at her daughter. "I'll be back in a little while. Hopefully Doctor House will take the same hint you've given me and be gone before I return." She told Lisa knowingly.

"Mom, I didn't mean it that way ….I just..…" Lisa started to say.

"I understand Lisa, there's not need to make a big deal out of this." Ruth interrupted, turning away and heading out the door without saying another word.

Bill looked over at Lisa, seeing the concern on her face. "Don't worry I'll catch up to her." He assured her, before adding in a soft tone. "By the way does your mother know about the two of you?" while glancing over at House.

"No, and after what just happened now I want to keep it that way." Lisa responded quickly, looking over at House as well.

"Hey she started it." House replied in his defense to, watching Lisa roll her eyes at him.

"We'll talk about that later." Lisa remarked back to him, focusing her gaze back over to the empty doorway.

********************************************************

Wilson had been so focused on the security guard standing outside Cuddy's room that he hadn't even noticed the woman walking towards him until she had almost passed by him.

"Mrs. Cuddy?" Wilson questioned with shock, trying to smooth out the wrinkles on his shirt as she stopped to look at him.

"Doctor Wilson I see you've taken up the personal hygiene of your friend Doctor House. What a pity, you always seemed like such a well respected physician." Ruth said sarcastically to that disheveled man before her who was in need of a bath as well as a good shave.

"I…." Wilson started to say, wanting to tell her that a night in jail was the cause for his appearance, but deciding based upon the look on Ruth's face to keep his mouth shut.

"Ruth." Bill said from behind them as he walked down the hallway to where they were standing.

"I don't need a chaperon Doctor Martin; believe it or not I've had lunch in this cafeteria before." Ruth told the older physician in no uncertain terms.

"You forgot your compact." Bill said softly, handing her the small mirror.

"Oh." Ruth said with a soft tone, feeling an unexpected blush rise up in her cheeks as she unzipped her purse, placing the compact back inside of it.

"By the way if you would like a companion, who would in no way be a _chaperon _to join you down in the cafeteria for lunch, my offer still stands." Bill said with a small smile.

Ruth studied the handsome distinguished face of the man standing before her.

"I'm walking towards the elevator now, If you happening to be going that same direction and we happen to end up in the same place, then maybe we could end up sitting at the same table." Ruth replied back to him, turning away from both men as she started to walk down the hallway once more.

"Nice to see you again James." Bill remarked, shaking Wilson's hand with a huge smile while patting him on the shoulder before heading down the hallway after Ruth.

"Oh Bill….you have now idea what you're in for." Wilson whispered under his breath, knowing from the few times he had been in Ruth Cuddy's presence that she could turn her personality from hot to cold in the blink of an eye.

********************************************************

"You need to stop harassing my mother." Lisa warned House as he sat down in the chair next to her.

"Are you going to tell her the same thing about me?" House challenged, having no intentions of backing down.

"_Greg_…" Lisa started to say before movement in the doorway to her right halted her speech.

"Oh my god." House whispered with a smile just as Wilson entered into the room with a five o'clock shadow and wrinkled suit.

"Don't you dare say a word." Wilson warned walking up to Lisa's bedside.

House of course ignored the request, opening his mouth without delay.

"Jimmy! What have they done to you? You smell like urine and three day old puke. Please tell me you didn't bend down to pick up the soap?" He said, clasping his hands in mock prayer.

Wilson refused to acknowledge the comment, leaning down to kiss Lisa on the cheek instead as he gently squeezed her shoulder.

"I'm glad you're ok." He whispered to her with a heartfelt smile.

"Wilson…you really do smell like urine." Lisa replied back softly with a grimace.

"I think of it as a badge of honor for defending you against that bastard." Wilson responded with a bit of heat to his tone.

"Oh god, was Jeff in the same cell as you?" Lisa questioned wiht alarm.

"No, he was in and out of there in no time thanks to Tritter." Wilson told her, looking over at House afterwards.

"So he's been out since last night." House said as his voice took on a more serious tone.

"Yeah." Wilson affirmed with a nod just as the squeaking sound of a wheelchair arose from behind them all.

"Doctor Cuddy, I've been sent up by Ortho to bring you down there so they can apply your cast." The orderly who had entered the room told her.

"Just give us a few minutes." Lisa requested to the young man.

"Ok I'll be waiting outside." The orderly responded, leaving the wheelchair in the room as he excited it.

"Make sure the security guard accompanies you down there and stays with you the entire time." House told her directly.

"I will." Lisa answered, wanting House to stay with her, but knowing it would all seem too suspicious to Wilson if he did.

"Did you eat yet?" House then questioned Wilson.

"Oh yes didn't I tell you? Breakfast this morning in big house consisted of champagne and strawberries, followed by crepes and an egg soufflé prepared by Bubba the prison guard." Wilson boasted with thick laded sarcasm.

"No need to get snippy Wilson, you act like you were lying in urine and feces all night.....oh wait you _**were.**__..._silly me." House shot back.

"I'm glad you were so concerned over my well being." Wilson countered.

"Come on Wilson, I'll make it up to by letting you pay for my lunch." House told him limping over towards the door.

"Remember Cuddy do what House says and make sure that security guard stays with you." Wilson said as he gave her another squeeze on the shoulder.

"I will." Lisa repeated again, catching the glance House gave her from behind Wilson's back before both men left her.

********************************************************

"I thought we'd be eating lunch in the cafeteria?" Wilson questioned as he and House walked past it towards the clinic.

"We need to talk away from the deranged creature known as Cuddy's mom who has come to pay a visit to her injured daughter." House replied, limping towards the front door of the hospital, "Ph and by the way ...Bill wants to bang Cuddy's mom." House added with a smirk.

"Yeah I kind of came to that conclusion myself when I ran into the two of them in the hallway early, but in Bill's defense I think he really is more smitten wiht her at this point than horny." Wilson said opening the door for them both as they made their way outside.

********************************************************

The local bar only a short distance from the hospital named 'O'Leary's Pub' was the place where House and Wilson had decided to eat lunch, the good food and low key atmosphere exactly what both men neede after a rather trying couple of hours.

They had opted for the booth in the far right corner of the bar, away from the other patrons in the restaurant.

At first neither House nor Wilson spoke as they focused in on the plates in front of them, the thick burgers filling their stomachs and aiding in a fundamental way to recharge their batteries.

"Jeff forced himself on Cuddy when you were out taking making that phone call in the lobby at Dellucci's." House informed Wilson after stealing some fries from his friend's plate.

Wilson placed the burger he had just taken a bite out of back onto his plate, swallowing hard before he spoke.

"Forced himself on her how? Did Jeff try to rape her?" Wilson asked with a hushed and concerned whispered.

"He didn't take it that far, but Jeff did manage to scare the hell out her." House answered.

"Did Cuddy say what Tritter's reaction was to all of this?" Wilson questioned.

"Tritter told her she deserved whatever Jeff did to her." House responded, pushing his plate of half eaten food away.

Wilson looked down at the plate, then back up at House.

"Tritter's involvement in all of this is because of what happened during your trial." He stated solemnly.

"I know." House admitted as the thought of the danger he had put Lisa in because of his actions in the past started to worm its way inside his brain.

"We need to get the police involved. There's a cop at the precinct named Fan that Bill seems to have some kind of rapport with. The guy came to me last night and told be about Cuddy's medical condition after Tritter refused to let me make a phone call. Maybe we could get Bill to talk to Fan again about what's going on." Wilson told his friend.

House nodded in agreement to the plan before looking down at the table. "Once Cuddy's released form the hospital....I don't think she should be alone." He stated.

"You want to stay with her?" Wilson asked with surprised.

"I think _one _of us should stay with her." House stressed looking back up at his friend.

Wilson studied House's face. "You have feelings for Cuddy that have more to do with than just your guilt over this situation. _You _want to be the one to protect her from Jeff and Tritter because of things you are finally letting surface from inside of you." He said with a knowing tone.

"Ah..those feelings usually surface in my crotch area." House said quickly.

"Alright I'm not going to push the issue with everything else going on, but… have you thought about how you staying over at Cuddy's would affect your relationship with Honey?" Wilson asked reaching for a fry in front of him.

"I thought you said you weren't going to push?" House questioned with irritation.

"I was just stating a slight complication that may arise if you end up staying at Cuddy's." Wilson said placing his left hand up in front of him.

"There's not going to be a complication because I'm no longer dating Honey." House told his friend.

"Wait? When did this happen?" Wilson asked with shock.

"A few weeks ago and now its time to drop it." House responded, giving Wilson a warning glare.

"Ok fine.... I'll drop it for now. But you have to promise me if you end up staying at Cuddys place you're not going to make things more difficult for her than they already are." Wilson insisted.

"Why do you always think the worst of me?" House asked innocently.

"Because you've been my friend for way too long." Wilson answered.

House let out a soft laugh before his mood turned serious once more. "After we're done here and head back to the hospital you need to call Bill and ask him about contacting Fan. The sooner we know whether that cop's willing to help us out or not the better off we'll be."

********************************************************

The cafeteria at hospital was packed as Bill and Ruth made their way towards the last available table in the corner of the room.

Arriving at the cafeteria Ruth had taken notice to all of the hospital staff who seemed to be very fond of Doctor Martin. Several of them stopped him to shake his hand, or simply smile at him while asking him how he was doing.

Putting the tray that held both of there lunches down on the small table in front of them, Bill pulled Ruth's chair out for her just as she reached for it.

"Thank you." Ruth said softly, watching as Bill took the seat across form her.

"Your welcome." Bill responded before placing his napkin onto his lap.

Throughout the meal they had made small talk, the clattering of silverware and sounds of the voices around them unheard as they concentrated on each other.

"So how long are you planning on staying in Princeton?" Bill asked Ruth, noticing how priecesly she was cutting the piece of chicken parmesan on her plate, using the skill of a surgeon while her slender hands dissecting the meat into identical sized portions.

" I've decided to stay for at least a couple of weeks until I'm sure Lisa will be able to manage on her own." Ruth replied, placing her fork down on the plate as she reached for the bottled water and empty glass beside her.

"It's very nice that you have such a good relationship with your daughter." Bill commented, puzzled by how carefully Ruth measured out the water into the glass, stopping the flow of it for a second or two before adding a few more drops.

_Control_, Bill thought. That was the word his mind had been searching for to describe his observations of her, the seemingly unimportant tasks in ones life, holding great importance to the woman seated in front of him.

"Ruth?" Bill questioned seeing her gaze turn away from him after he had made his comment to her in regards to her relationship with Lisa.

"This really is a very busy hospital. I don't know how Lisa keeps up with it." Ruth said to him as she focused on his face once more.

"Your daughter is one very busy woman, but I must say she seems to be able to handle anything this place throws at her, including Doctor House." Bill responded watching her smile at his remark, knowing at that moment his heart as well as his mind was open wide when in her presence.

"Yes, Lisa is a very determined woman." Ruth agreed, reaching for her fork once more while underneath the table she felt her left leg began to tremble.

She was doing too much. It was all too much. Her decision to stay here with Lisa, a stupid move on her part brought forth by the longing ache inside of her that now combined with the warm smile of the handsome man seated in front of her, creating a combination she was sure would bring nothing but disastrous consequences.

Biting down on the inside if of her bottom lip, Ruth pressed her teeth hard against the soft flesh, feeling her left incisor pierce the skin, reaching for the glass of water beside her to rinse away the taste of blood in her mouth as she fought against the demons of her past that her warned her of the bad things that could happen if she continued to stay here.

_******** Well that's all for now, but for those of you who are wondering…there will be some private Huddy in the next chapter;)********_


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks agian for the great comments guys! Here's the next chapter:)**

**Chapter 19**

After being wheeled down to Orthopedics by the orderly with the security guard accompanying them, Lisa was giving an administration of Conscious Sedation before the cast was applied to her right foot.

This type of sedation allowed her to remain awake during the procedure while providing a deeply relaxed state to her mind and body. The world around her becoming dulled by the narcotics that made their way throughout her system with every beat of her heart.

Time became nonexistent, words spoken to her by the physician and his assisting nurse, clouded by the drugs coursing through her veins.

Lisa remembered answering their questions to her in one word responses as they monitored her throughout the application of the cast. The feeling of being weightless, invading her body as she was helped back into the wheelchair before being taken up to her hospital room once more.

"Did we always have this color of paint on the walls?" Lisa asked with a smile on her face, looking up at the ceiling as the brunette nurse named Robin, with help from the male orderly, carefully placed Lisa back into her hospital bed.

"Yes Doctor Cuddy." The nurse said with a smile, knowing her boss was probably in the mist of a very good buzz right now.

"Oh." Lisa responded feeling her eyes getting heavy. "White is so boring, I'm going to have to do something about that." She mumbled just before she closed her eyes and slipped into a deep slumber.

Shaking her head in amusement, the nurse reached for the second pillow the orderly was handing her, lifting the sleeping doctor's right leg up and placing the pillow underneath it, thereby elevating the leg before leaving the room.

Taking a deep breath, Lisa smiled once more as she dreamed of Greg lying on top of her as they made love under the soft sheets of her bed.

His arms moved around her waist, pulling her up slightly from the mattress as she gazed into his eyes, wrapping her legs around his torso, feeling him pushing himself deeper inside of her, breathing in his scent as he whispered her name and began to kiss her neck.

She could feel the stubble of his beard brushing up against her cheek as her hands moved to his face…… and then he kissed her….and then it all changed.

His tongued plunged forcefully into her mouth, taking her breath away while his hands roughly pinning her wrists down onto the mattress.

She cried out into his mouth, his name muffled amongst their lips, turning her head away from his kiss before she looked up at him in shock…seeing Jeff's face looming above where Greg's should have been.

"Noooo!" Lisa cried out struggling to break free as Jeff smile down at her.

"You're mine. You'll always be mine." Jeff whispered with the sweat of his body coating hers, stroking violently inside of her of now as she twisted her body underneath him trying to escape him.

"Get off of me!" Lisa screamed, her hands forming into fists that lay helpless beside her as Jeff maintained his control over her, the bed beneath her changing into the cold hard floor of the manager's office at Dellucci's.

His weight was beginning to crush her, smothering her in his sweat as he continued to rape her inside the horrible nightmare, a ringing sound in her eyes drowning out her next scream, increasing in volume until it pulled her away from the wretched dream.

Lisa gasped as her eyes snapped opened, the ringing of the cell phone beside her on the nightstand, drawing her attention to it.

She turned on her side, immediately feeling the weight of her cast, noticing how badly her hand was shaking as she reached for the phone to her left.

"Hello?" She answered, feeling her heart pounding violently against her chest as she

"What's wrong?" House asked immediately, stopping in the hallway as he headed towards his office after coming back to the hospital with Wilson.

"Nothing, I just was having a bad dream, probably brought on by the different medications I've been on." Lisa replied trying to push the vivid dream past them both.

House tapped his cane against the floor.

"Did this nightmare involve Jeff?" He questioned, concerned with the way her voice sounded right now, the tremor coming from her vocal cords telling him whatever her nightmare had been about was still clinging to her in the conscious world.

"It's was about Jeff, but I don't want to talk about it." Lisa responded, suddenly feeling way too venerable for her own liking, closing her eyes for a moment.

House heard the change in her pitch, a wall rising up within the sound of her next breath. "Jeff took your control away from you inside that restaurant….. He started to say.

"House….don't." Lisa interrupted. "I can't take be psychoanalyzed right now, especially not by you." She told him with an eerie touch of sadness to her tone, while her ears picked up the sounds of voices coming towards her room.

"My mom and Bill are back I have to go." She then said, hanging up on him before House could question her any further.

********************************************************

Inside of House's office, Cameron sat in the chair directly in front of his desk, thinking of the best way to approach him with her knowledge of the break up between him and Honey.

"Hey Snow White why aren't you in the forest with the dwarfs?" House asked opening up his office door and making his way over to his chair.

"House I know." Cameron said, getting up from her seat standing face to face with him now.

"Know what?" House questioned, thinking immediately that somehow Cameron had noticed there was something going on between him and Cuddy.

"I know that you and Honey broke up." Cameron said softly, taking a step closer to him.

She looked up into his blue eyes, searching for the hurt she was sure was residing there.

House breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes it's true," He began with a solemn look on his face, "Honey finally admitted to me she couldn't keep up with the sexual stamina of a forty eight year old man anymore so we decided to end it." House continued, replacing the look of sadness on his face with a wicked smirk.

"House, you don't have to pretend with me." Cameron whispered, gently touching his shoulder.

House rolled his eyes at her. "Fine I'm devastated. I go home every night and cry into pillow. Happy?" He responded sarcastically, currently in no mood to deal with her right now after the phone call he just had with Lisa.

Cameron crinkled her noise in frustration.

"I know that breaking up with Honey had to affect you in some way. You brought her to the fundraiser because she meant something to you and now that's she's dating Chase ….I know it has to be bothering you." She stated with resolve.

"Chase is dating Honey?" House questioned as a small smile formed on his face.

"You didn't know?" Cameron asked with shock.

"Wow! So Chase went from dumping you to dating Honey? Do you think that's and upgrade or a downgrade…because I'm thinking he traded up." House remarked, moving past her and sitting down in his chair.

Cameron looked down at him, studying his face carefully. "Trying to make this about me isn't going to change that fact that you're obviously not happy about Chase dating Honey." She said in a self-righteous tone before turning and leaving his office.

********************************************************

Sitting inside his empty office after Cameron had left, House mulled over Lisa's confession to him about her nightmare, wondering if she would continue to hold him at arms length regarding it, knowing it was exactly the sort of thing he would do if their situation was reversed.

Leaning forward, House picked up the red and grey ball on his desk, tossing it against the wall and catching it just as Chase walked into his office.

"Is there a line outside of my door or something?" House asked with aggravation, placing the ball back on his desk.

"I came a across a case in the ER I thought you might be interested in." Chase commented, tossing the patient chart onto the desk in front of him.

House opened up the file and reviewed the patient's history.

"So how's life down in the ER? You and Cameron getting along ok?" He asked casually, taking note to the patient's sudden onset of seizures.

Chase placed a hand on his hip. "Cameron told you about me dating Honey." He stated matter-of-factly.

House looked up at him. "Make sure to rub in Cameron's face every chance that you get and congratulations, Honey's a great girl." He told the young fellow sincerely.

"Ahhh ok?" Chase responded, not quite surely of exactly what had happened between them just now.

"Do a MRI on the patient's brain if you don't find any tumors in the nooks and crannies page me. Oh and make sure before you leave to tell anyone else waiting out there I'm on my lunch break." House told Chase, handing him back the file.

"Will do." Chase answered before leaving the office, still a bit puzzled by House's response in regards to Honey.

********************************************************

Exactly twenty minutes later, Cameron came waking back into House's office again.

"Oh for the love of God!" House exclaimed rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his chair.

"Did Chase tell you that _he_ found our latest case in the ER? Because I actually was the one who treated the guy first before I got called away." Cameron stated with anger.

"So I'll give Chase a ten minute time out in the corner of the classroom, then the two of you can argue some more during recess." House responded.

Cameron sighed in frustration. "Is there ever a time where you don't act like a total ass?" She questioned.

"Is there ever a time when you don't let your personal live interfere with your work?" House asked her coolly.

"What are talking about?" Cameron snipped.

"You hate the idea of Chase dating Honey so much that you can't even focus on you job." House stated to her directly.

"Chase dating Honey is _not_ affecting me or my job performance." Cameron denied, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Stay right here." House instructed, leaving his office and going into the conference room attached to it.

Cameron folded her arms in front of her, glaring at him through the glass wall.

Within a few seconds House returned with a small rectangular mirror.

"Take this." He said offering her the mirror.

"Why?" She challenged.

"Just do it." House ordered.

Cameron begrudgingly complied.

"Now…. hold it up to your face." He instructed.

"Fine." Cameron muttered, rolling her eyes.

She looked at her imagine in the mirror… her brow was wrinkled and her eyes were slit in an irritated glare.

"Now I want you to repeat the exact words that you said to me before I went into the conference room.

Feeling the resentment within her start to boil over Cameron blurted out the words she had spoken earlier to him without hesitation.

"_Chase dating Honey is not affecting me or my job performance." _She hissed.

House looked her directly in the eyes.

"Try repeating that to yourself a few more times until you actually believe it." He said flatly before turning and leaving the office.

Cameron clenched her jaw watching him go, looking in the mirror one last time before throwing it against the wall in front of her.

********************************************************

Walking into the MRI booth, House sat down next to Chase as he finished up on the last series of images for the patient.

"Well?" House questioned.

"Nothing in any of the images shows a tumor." Chase replied.

"Get Foreman and do an EEG." House instructed before getting up and leaving the room.

********************************************************

A little after eight pm House finally pulled himself away from his office after having solved yet another case by having a revelation at the last minute that ended up saving his patient's life.

He headed straight for the elevators and once inside, pushed the button for fourth floor that would lead to Lisa's hospital room, relieved that visiting hours at the hospital were now over and for the first time since they had arrived here late last night he would finally be alone with her without anyone around to piss him off.

Walking into her room, House noticed the stacks of papers and files on the serving tray beside her bed as Lisa sat on the edge of it with the small suitcase Ruth had brought earlier for her today resting open on the mattress beside her.

She had just pulled a light pink nightgown out from inside the suitcase when she was alerted to his presence by the dull thud of his cane.

"How's your patient doing?" Lisa questioned.

"How long have you been doing paperwork instead of resting?" House asked her in return.

"Last time I checked I was the boss and you were the employee." Lisa reminded him.

"_No_… the last time I checked you were a patient at this hospital who needs to rest instead of worry about signing things in triplicate." House countered seeing the weariness in her eyes.

"I'm fine," Lisa stressed, holding the nightgown in her hands as she rested them onto her lap.

"Not fair!" House suddenly yelled as he looked down at her right leg.

"What's not fair?" She questioned.

"Someone got to sign your cast before me." House said, pointing down to the white cast with his cane.

"Oh for the love god." Lisa muttered rolling her eyes.

"Gimmie." House demanded, pointing to the markers on the TV tray beside her.

"What color do you want?" Lisa asked him, knowing it was pointless to tell him he could not sign her cast after she had already let Cindy her assistant as well as the head nurse in charge of the floor sign it.

"Red of course …..it will match the color of your mother's eyes. Oh did I say that out loud?" House snarked.

Lisa held onto the marker. "No profanity. No pornographic drawings. No mention of my ass or my boobs. Understand?" She warned.

"Yes Mom." House whined, grabbing the maker from her before handing her his cane while he squatted down in front of her.

He gently pulled her leg towards him and pressed the marker onto the fiberglass material, his hand moving carefully from right to left while a small smile formed on his lips.

"What are you writing?" Lisa asked suspiciously, peering down at him, trying to make out his chicken scratch.

"No peeking." House muttered, lifting her foot a little higher before writing out the last part with the smile remaining on his face.

"Done!" He then announced handing her back the marker before reaching for the mattress with his right hand as he slowly got back to his feet, taking his cane back from her.

"If you put anything inappropriate on my cast…"Lisa started to say narrowing her eyes at him.

The look went through House like a thunderbolt, igniting the spark within him that burned for her.

"You need any help getting changed?" He asked, leering down at her with a look she knew all to well.

"I think I can manage on my own." Lisa responded rolling her eyes at him as she reached for the crutches at the end of her bed.

House took a step back from her as she started to stand up, placing his hands around her waist immediately when he saw her knees buckle underneath her.

"House ..I…." Lisa whispered, gripping onto his biceps as a wave of dizziness passed through her.

"I've got you." House whispered locking eyes with her as he carefully eased her back down onto the bed.

"Do you have anything to eat or drink this afternoon?" He questioned tilting her chin upward, checking her pupils.

"Yes. I'm probably just a little light headed from being stuck in that bed for so long. This is the first time I've been upright in hours." Lisa said dismissively.

"Any nausea?" House questioned.

"No." Lisa answered taking in a deep breath, determined to get vertical again.

"I think I'm ok now," She added, placing the crutches underneath her arms once more.

"Not so fast gimpette." House replied, taking one of the crutches away from her, placing his right arm around her waist after switching his cane to his left hand.

"This really isn't necessary." Lisa told him in a low tone.

"I know." House replied with a nod, taking the nightgown from her and slinging it over his shoulder as she placed her arm his waist.

"Ok now on the count of three we'll get up together." He said looking into her slate grey eyes.

"One…., Two…, Three."

They stood up together and at first Lisa felt a little unsteady on her feet, gripping the rung of the crutch with her left hand and leaning into him until she regained her balance, his right hand wrapped protectively around her waist preventing her from falling forward.

"Ok?" He asked looking down at her.

Lisa took in a small breath and nodded.

"Then let's roll." House urged with a soft tone.

With a combined gait that was somewhere between a limp and slight hop they made their way over to the bathroom door.

House reached for the doorknob and twisted it open, feeling Lisa start to move past him, intent on going inside without him.

"No way, you're not steady enough on your feet to go in there alone." He told her.

Lisa hesitated for a split second weighing the risk of having him accompany her inside.

"Come on…..but you _have_ to behave." She whispered to him with a before smile, pulling him closer to her with the hand that was not holding onto the crutch.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together as he locked the bathroom door behind them with Lisa's back resting against the small bathroom counter.

"I don't think you'll need this for a while." House said with a smirk, taking the lone crutch from her and resting it next to his cane on the end of the edge of countertop beside them as she placed her hands upon his chest.

"Now what?" Lisa questioned looking into his eyes.

"This." House answered back, placing both of his hands behind her on opposite sides of the counter before leaning down and brushing his lips against hers.

It was the first kiss they had shared since the night of the accident. The aching within them both making it feel as if they had been apart for years.

Lisa moved her hand onto his neck as she deepened the kiss between them, the silence surrounding them now baring witness to the fleeting moment that reminded them of what they had found in each other.

House moved his right hand to her waist, pulling her closer to him as his fingers traveled to the small of her back, finding the small gap in the hospital gown he knew would be there, feeling the incredible sensation when she hummed into his mouth with a smile upon her lips when he snuck his hand underneath the fabric, caressing her soft skin with the pad of his thumb.

He was listening to everything she was telling him in the kiss they were sharing, holding onto her, lingering in the warmth it provided until the need for air made them break apart.

"Is that it?" Lisa asked in a hushed whisper.

House smiled down at her. "You said you wanted me to behave." He reminded her.

"I lied." Lisa she told him softly, looking into his eyes briefly before puling him closer so she could kiss him again.

Feeling her heart beating faster inside her chest in that oh so good kind of way, Lisa jumped slightly, catching her breath as a loud knock on the bathroom door startled both of them out of the kiss they were sharing.

"Lisa, its Bill…are you ok?" The gentle voice asked from behind the door.

Lisa and Greg both let go of the breaths they were holding and breathed in a collective sigh of relief.

"I'm fine." She responded with a slightly higher pitch to her tone, reaching over to open the door, deciding that their fun for the time had ended.

But before she could twist the knob, House stopped her.

"It's Bill." He reasoned. "Which means we can stay in here for a few more minutes. Besides you have still have to get changed out of that gown." He added, trying his best to keep both inside of the bathroom.

"You can help me get changed, but that's it." Lisa stressed, pointing her finger in his chest, letting him know she was serious.

"Exactly what I had in mind, let me just make sure Bill didn't bring company." House agreed, before unlocking the door and turned the knob.

He opened the door just a few inches, pushing his face into the crack of it as he peered out at Bill.

"You alone?" House questioned.

"Yes." Bill answered, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Good…… then help a brother out and keep and eye on the hallway while _I _help Lisa change out of her hospital gown." House whispered with a wink.

"Alright, but just remember you owe me one." Bill said with a smirk, thoroughly amused with the fact that Lisa would risk such a bold move right under the noses of the entire hospital staff.

"Don't worry, I'll help you get Ruth's depends around her ankles if it's the last thing I do." House replied before shutting the door in Bill's face.

Shaking his head, Bill exited the room, tapping the shoulder of the security guard who had been listening to his IPod, deciding to pass the time by talking to the young man beside him while the supposedly "adult" couple locked inside the bathroom continued their make out session.

House looked over at Lisa a she pressed his ear against the door, listening to Bill talking and laughing with the security guard out in the hallway.

He would definitely have to start being nicer to older people, they were great allies... who did not feel the need to cock block him.

Engaging the lock once more House smiled.

"Ready to get naked?" He asked her with excitement.

Lisa let her eyes travel up his body slowly. "I think I'm going to need some help with the ties on the back of this gown." She answered with a seductive tone, turning around so that her back was facing him, making sure to brush her ass up against his crotch.

"Oops! Sorry about that; I guess I'm still a little unsteady on my feet." She teased, balancing most of her body weight on her left leg.

"You better knock that off unless you want the entire hospital to hear you moaning my name." House warned, sliding his right hand onto her stomach as he pressed himself against her and placed a kiss on the side of her face.

She looked at their reflections staring back at them in the mirror as he rested his chin on top of her head.

"Still think those tiny abrasions on your face are such a big deal?" He asked her softly, stunned by how breathtaking beautiful she looked right now staring back at him with those eyes of hers that seemed to have come back to life with a piercing quality to them.

"No." Lisa answered back just as softly, the sight of them together like this, taking her breath away for a moment.

Without saying another word, House took a step back from her and pulled on the first of the three bows that had been tied in the back of her gown.

"How are you doing back there?" Lisa questioned with a smile, watching him in the mirror, noticing the crease that had formed in his center of his brow.

"Who ties these damn things anyway?" House questioned, struggling with the first knot for a few more seconds before moving on to the remaining two having more success with them.

Opened up the gown, he smiled, gazing down at her cute ass.

Lisa let out a giggle that surprised both of them as she finally got a chance to see what he looked like when he was checking out her behind, his head titled to one side as his eyes twinkled with the amusement of a thirteen year old boy.

"What the hell was that about? Did they up your morphine or something?" House asked with a puzzled expression looking up at her image in the mirror.

"I'm not on morphine anymore you idiot, now lets get this show on the road before I freeze to death." Lisa told him, keeping the secret of the funny look on his face to herself.

He let out a big sigh "Ok." He said with regret before proceeding to give her right check a good squeeze.

Lisa muffled her yelp of surprise.

"Behave." She warned again glaring at him in the mirror as he removed the gown from around her shoulders, letting it fall softly to the floor.

"Oh we're way past that stage Doctor Cuddy." House teased as his eyes in the mirror focused in on her round soft breasts.

"I'm missed you guys." He whispered as he cupped both of her full breasts in the palms of his hands, pressing his pelvis into her backside.

Lisa took in a breath, feeling his growing arousal pressing into her back, his shallow breath against her neck, giving her goose bumps.

"Stop." She said with a firm tone, placing her hands over his.

House looked up at her face in the mirror, his erection growing harder when he saw by the look on her face she was saying the words not only for him, but for herself as well as he caressed her nipples with his thumbs, the sheer power of the look in her eyes, one that fed his ego like no other.

He let out another deep sigh, sliding his hands down to her waist.

"Arms up." House then instructed her, pulling the nightgown off of his shoulder before he slipped it over her head watching gravity take it down over the curves of her body.

Lisa turned around carefully and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Thanks." She whispered to him.

"So….no underwear?" He questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"I didn't even want to attempt to put them on over the cast, besides the material of the gown is thick enough that you can't even tell." Lisa answered with a shrug.

"I guess you're right. Besides no underwear means I can do this." House said with a low growl, slipping his hand between them both and guiding it underneath the hem of the gown, gently caressing the faint hairline below her navel before lowering his fingers into the heat between her thighs.

"We have to stop." Lisa gasped, gripping his biceps once more as she looked up into his eyes.

"You know I never know when to stop." House whispered back to her with a grin, wrapping his free arm around her waist…….cursing the air around them as Bill began to cough loudly, letting them know someone was headed their way.

"Doctor Wilson." Bill said loudly, blocking the doorway to Lisa room as he heard the bathroom door being opened up behind him. "Keith and I were just discussing the new movie out starring Bruce Willis. Have you gone to see it yet?" He asked.

"I've been so busy lately I can't remember the last time I've even gotten to watch any movie." Wilson answered; completely unaware that Bill was trying to give the secret couple in the room behind them some extra time to get situated.

"Oh where are my manners. Doctor Wilson I don't think you've met Keith before. Keith Webb this is Doctor James Wilson, he is the head of the Oncology department." Bill said, watching both men smile as they shook hands.

"You can just call me James." Wilson told the man.

He had seen the security guard around in the hospital a few times but had never thought to introduce himself to the guy, always being too preoccupied with his own life or House's life that sometimes felt as if he walked with blinders on to the rest of the world around him.

He really needed to learn from Bill's example, the guy was never too busy to stop and talk to someone and because Bill took the time get to now the people in his world, he had become not only the most well known doctor at the hospital but also most liked and respected one as well.

After spending a few more minutes talking to the security guard Wilson and Bill headed into Lisa's hospital room finding her sitting up in the hospital bed wearing a modest pink cotton nightgown, with her right leg being elevated by the pillow beneath it, while House was seated down in the chair next to her.

"Hey you two what's up?" Wilson asked, glancing over at House suspiciously.

"Cuddy's pissed at me because I refused to clean her bed sores." House snarked, getting up from the chair.

"You're a jerk." Lisa remarked glaring over at him.

"Cuddy are you feeling ok? You look a little flushed?" Wilson asked as he walked up to her bed, placing the back of his hand against her forehead.

"I'm fine. I just got back into bed after changing out of my hospital gown. I guess it took more out of me than I thought." Lisa lied as House looked over Bill with a shit eating grin on his face.

"What was House doing while you were in the bathroom?" Wilson questioned, arching and eyebrow at her before glancing over at House who had just wiped the triumphant smile off of his face.

"Luckily House got here _after_ I changed." Lisa commented with a flat tone.

"Well there's always next time." Wilson replied back to her with a smirk, unable to resist teasing her about the touchy subject.

"Can we please tell her why we're here so we can go before she ends up asking me to give her a sponge bath?" House said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone that was of course all part of the show he and Lisa were putting on for Wilson's benefit.

Wilson nodded as all three men gathered around her beside.

"Cuddy….Lisa……we don't think you should be alone after what happened with Jeff and Tritter at Dellucci's'." He explained to her in a soft tone.

Lisa looked up at Wilson with confusion. "What is all of this about?" She demanded playing along, knowing exactly where Wilson was headed with the conversation.

Wilson paused in his reply, looking over at House and Bill before he spoke.

"The three of us have decided we would take turns staying with you and your mother in case Jeff or Tritter try anything."

"And House agreed to this?" Lisa asked suspiciously, gazing over at him.

"I just want the chance to see you naked, or you mom naked because that way I'll know what you'll look like when you're sixty-five." House told her with a shrug.

"Ignore him for now." Wilson interrupted, getting Lisa to focus back on him.

"Wilson this really is a very sweet gesture but…" Lisa started to say, knowing she had to put up a bit of protest over the idea.

"Lisa please, all of us _including_ House believe it or not, would feel a lot better if we knew one of us was at you home watching out for you." Bill added in a soft tone, playing along.

Lisa looked at all three men before letting out a big sigh.

"Ok." She agreed nodding her head.

"Hopefully if everything goes well when Bill talks to Fan we won't be camping out at your place for more than a few days." Wilson replied with smile before his eyes wandered down to her cast.

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked watching Wilson leaning closer to her right leg, narrowing his eyes as he read House's inscription in red marker.

"You let House sign your cast? Are you insane?" Wilson asked glancing up at her with shock.

"I'm on painkillers and he's actually been acting like a human being to me these past couple of hours." Lisa argued.

Wilson shook his head. "Wow, those must be some prêt-ty good pain killers your on." He remarked, glancing back down at the cast.

"What does it say?" Lisa demanded, glaring over at House who was trying no to laugh.

"Well gotta go." House announced limping quickly out of the room.

"House! Get back here!" Lisa ordered. "Wilson …_what does it say_?" She demanded with gritted teeth.

"You really sure you want to know? Wilson teased with a smile.

"Yes!" She answered in her best Cuddy voice this time.

Bill, who had walked closer to the bed, took out his bifocals reading the inscription over Wilson's shoulder before looking up at her with wide eyes.

"You're not going to like it." He said apologetically.

"Dammit Bill! If one of you doesn't tell me what House wrote on my cast, its going to find a new home in one of your colons." Lisa threatened.

"Ok ..OK." Wilson said, clearing his throat before he began to read the words aloud ….trying his damndest not to laugh.

"_Cuddy….. I was looking up your hospital gown when I was signing your cast. Thanks for the free show. Love…. House."_

"Cover it up!" Lisa demanded, as he jaw hit the floor, grabbing the red marker from the TV tray beside her and shoving it towards Wilson.

"No way! House would make my life miserable if he knew that I covered up his masterpiece." Wilson said holding up his hands as he backed away from her.

"_I'll _make your life miserable if you don't." Cuddy hissed.

"Sorry but House has more practice in making people miserable than what you do." Wilson replied.

"Bill." Lisa said, shifting her gaze towards him, offering him the marker while giving him a soft smile.

"Sorry Lisa, but House might get violent with me and break my hip." Bill apologized, choosing to stay out of the craziness that the two of them thrived on.

"So he's gotten to you too?" Lisa questioned as the smile fell from her face, making Bill feel as if he had just clubbed a baby seal.

"It's really not that bad, Cuddy the lettering is so small you have to get up close in order to read it." Wilson told her.

"Nice try, Wilson but the two of you better leave now before a before I surgically remove your balls before handing them over to House." She told them both with a stare as cold as the glaciers in Antarctica.

"Lisa what in god's name is going on in here? I could hear you all the way down the hallway." Ruth Cuddy asked as she entered the hospital room knowing she was not going to like the answer her daughter would give her.


	20. Chapter 20

**Well guys its been a crazy day but I did manage to get another chaper done. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for all the reviews and support!**

**Chapter 20**

"Mom, what are you doing here? I though you went back to my place for the night?" Lisa questioned.

"Never mind what I'm doing here Lisa. What the hell is going on in here?" Ruth demanded, walking briskly into the room as Wilson and Bill stepped out of her way.

"It's nothing to worry about mom." Lisa answered in a voice so soft she hardly recognized it as her own, something in her mother's eyes just now as the seemed to fill all to quickly with anger reminding her that the strong woman before could indeed be broken even though her armor seemed impenetrable.

"Don't lie to me Lisa!" Ruth warned, feeling a tremor inside of her send a resounding wave of anxiety through her body after she had spoken the words to her daughter.

Lisa took in a breath, holding it inside her lungs, the look on her mother's face at that moment taking them both back in time to place that had changed their relationship forever

"Wilson…..Bill…would you please excuse us?" Lisa asked the men standing before her who were currently stunned into silence after witnessing the struggle between mother and daughter.

"Sure thing Lisa." Wilson said softly, giving her a sympathetic look that pierced her in the center of her heart as he turned to leave.

"I'll call you tomorrow Lisa." Bill said, offering her a small smile, while giving Ruth a concerned look before he followed Wilson out the door.

"Well?" Ruth asked after Wilson and Bill had left, walking up next to Lisa's beside.

"Mom, I told you before it was nothing." Lisa repeated, dropping the red marker back onto the tray beside her.

Ruth's eyes followed the slim white barrel as is rolled over the stack of papers it had been placed upon; glancing down at Lisa's cast where she spotted the red writing that matched it, focusing in on the words written just below her knee.

"Mom, it was a joke." Lisa whispered seeing the anger flash inside the warm chestnut brown of her mother's eyes once more.

"A joke?" Ruth whispered sarcastically as her eyes made their way up slowly from the cast to her daughter's face.

"You don't understand, House…" Lisa started to say hating the look her mother was giving her right now, feeling the uneasy knot start to form in the bottom of her stomach because of it.

"You're right Lisa; I don't understand why someone as intelligent as you would allow a man like House to use you as the butt his childish and crude jokes." Ruth hissed reaching for the marker on the tray, gripping it tightly in her hand.

"It's not like that mom, House can be a real jerk but he's also a brilliant doctor who can saves lives that nobody else can." Lisa replied, defending the man who not only had her respect but also was now the keeper of her heart.

"And because House saves lives he's allowed to treat you like garbage?" Ruth questioned not backing down an inch.

"He's not treating me like garbage and in case you've forgotten I am the Dean of this hospital and will handle House in _my own way_…..he's my problem not yours." Lisa shot back with a bite to her tone, holding back the rest of the words she wanted to speak to her mother when she noticed her taking in a sharp breath.

"You can deal with him all you like but I'll deal with_ this_ part of it right now." Ruth told her coldly, uncapping the marker before she began to scribble over House's writing with small precise circles until the inscription that he had penned on her cast could no longer be seen.

"Mom." Lisa whispered as her anger left her, after seeing the way her mother's chest was now heaving as she capped the marker once more before carefully placing it back onto the tray.

Ruth looked away from her, staring out at the window as she slowed her breathing.

"Mom, talk to me." Lisa whispered again, reaching out for her mother's hand.

Ruth recoiled from her daughter's touch as if it had seared her skin. "I'm leaving." She said in a voice that was as fragile as the barrier that had been thinned inside of her because of their argument.

"You don't' have to go mom." Lisa pleaded with worry, watching her mother turn away from her, feeling the guilt from their past wash over her with the force of a tidal wave.

Ruth paused for a moment, biting down on her bottom lip and shaking her head before continuing out the doorway and down the hallway. Waiting until she was alone inside the elevator before letting out the breath she had been holding inside her lungs.

"I shouldn't have come here." Ruth whispered, damming her heart for coaxing her into the decision that would only end up hurting them both.

*******************************************************

Opening up the door to his empty apartment; House dropped his backpack on the floor, glancing over at the leather sofa in his living room, remembering the last time he had sat on it with Lisa, making out with her like a teenage boy on prom night.

The memory of the two of them so anxious to be naked together brought an amused grin to his face as he closed the door behind him before limping out into the kitchen and opening up the fridge.

He bent down and let out a disappointed sigh, seeing nothing inside the metal box that would even pass for food anymore.

_That's what you get when you shack up with someone at their place instead of yours_, his mind told him.

House stood straight up as his mouth stayed open in shock.

Oh god, that's what he had done, that's what they had both done without saying a single word about it….. they were ….living together.

Without clauses or agreements, without a long discussion of whether it would work out or not, it had just happened and now that the threat of Jeff and Tritter had been elevated he need to be with had only intensified.

From behind him the ringing of the phone hanging on the kitchen wall disrupted his currents thoughts.

"What?" House asked answering the phone.

"Cuddy's really pissed about what you wrote on her cast." Wilson said.

"Cuddy's always pissed." House replied, closing the refrigerator door.

"So tell me House…. how was the free show? Was it all you ever dreamed of?" Wilson questioned, dying to know if House had really looked up Cuddy's gown or if it was just another one of his smartass remarks.

"Let's just say that it put the view of the Sistine chapel to shame… and that Cuddy definitely shaves." House said baiting his friend.

"Seriously?" Wilson asked in a slightly high pitched voice leaning back on his sofa.

"No you moron, do you actually think Cuddy would be dumb enough to let me crouch underneath her and get full view of her squish mitten?" House scoffed.

"No. I guess not." Wilson said slightly disappointed.

"Aww don't worry Wilson, I'm sure I'll be seeing plenty Cuddy and her landing strip during my stay at her den of sin." House replied with a smirk.

"Actually I'm not sure Ruth's going to let you come within in ten feet of Cuddy after she saw your little inscription on her cast." Wilson informed him.

"I thought that old bat went back to Cuddy's place or the night?" House questioned.

"Well you thought wrong and judging by the way Ruth was talking to Cuddy, I'd say your chances of staying there are slim to none." Wilson advised him.

House exhaled in frustration. "I'll give Cuddy a call later to see what the verdict is." House told his friend.

"Good luck, but at this point I think I'll be the one seeing Cuddy's landing strip before you ever do." Wilson responded with a smile before he hung up the phone.

House chuckled at the comment, for a brilliant oncologist Wilson really was rather dense at times.

********************************************************

Sitting up in her hospital bed, Lisa rubbed her temples, trying to push away the throbbing headache that had arrived the moment her mother had left the room.

She couldn't remember the last time they had fought because, in truth, for the past two decade they rarely if ever truly spoke to each other.

Sure there were the weekly phone calls between them, where they would talk about her job or the weather down at the Cape, avoiding any topics that would even touch on an emotional level, and for most of her adult life, she had come to expect nothing more.

Letting out a sigh, Lisa allowed mind travel down the dark path it had chosen, looking out of the window in her hospital room and thinking back to the moment in time when she was a twelve year old girl with a secret so big she could not fathom the consequences it would have once it was revealed, her mood turning as black as the starless sky above her.

From the nightstand beside her, the ringing of her cell phone tugged at the sleeve in the corner of her mind, turning her away from the dark place she sometimes visited whenever she had been in the presence of her mother too long.

"Hello." She answered with tone as dull as her outlook.

"I heard your mom was pretty pissed." House remarked.

"Yeah she was. Oh and by the way…. I'm doubling your clinic duty." Cuddy said getting ready to hang up on him.

"You can't do that. Put Lisa on phone; I bet she found my joke to be hilarious." House demanded.

"Goodbye House." Lisa told him with an annoyed tone.

"What's going on between you and your mom?" House pushed before she could hang up on him.

There was a brief pause and for a moment he was sure that he would be hearing the dial tone on the other end of the line.

"Nothing." Lisa denied.

House scratched his head. "If you didn't want to talk about it you would have told me to drop it or hung up on me. Since you didn't, I assume you do want to talk about it." He told her.

"Just promise me not to push my mom's buttons ok?" Lisa asked him, still unsure of how much of her painful past she wanted to reveal to him tonight.

"Ah uh ..this goes way beyond what your mom feels about me. She is overly protective of you, ready to jump all over anyone who she feels is a threat to you, while at the same time being scared to death to make any physical contact with you or show you even the slightest glimpse of affection." House told as his thoughts about Ruth came spilling forth from his lips.

"She just has a hard time dealing with emotions, you if anybody should be able to understand that." Lisa told him.

"I had a hunk of flesh taken out of my thigh. What did you mom have taken away from her?" House questioned.

Lisa felt her defenses begin to rise. "You've always been the way you are even before your leg." She argued.

"But you mom hasn't always been that way...I can tell by the way you look at her, you miss the way things used to be between the two of you. You can't miss something you never had. Which tells me something happened to her; something that you feel is your fault." House challenged hearing her draw in a sharp breath in reaction to his statement.

"House…I can't do this now." Lisa said, closing her eyes for a moment as she rubbed her forehead.

House exhaled, looking up at the ceiling.

If he pushed her before she was ready, he would only be creating more chaos for them to wade through along with the mess Jeff and Tritter had created for them.

"Wilson told me he didn't think your mom was going to let me stay at your place after my harmless little note on your cast." House finally said, deciding to change the subject.

"You're staying, no matter what she says." Cuddy answered with conviction.

That made House smile. "Just can't leave me alone can you?" He teased.

"Just remember you'll be sleeping in the spare room _behind_ the master bedroom." Lisa cautioned feeling a small smile return to her face, knowing he had given up the pursuit of questioning her past because he cared about her more than solving the very personal puzzle of her past.

"I'll sleep in the spare room _after _we do the mattress mambo in YOUR room." House said in a low whisper.

Lisa let out a small laugh. "This sneaking around stuff really turns you on, doesn't it?" She questioned.

"Yes secret lover, but tell no one of this or I will be forced to do you until you have multiple orgasms…..understand?" House asked in a corny French accent.

"Good night Inspector Clouseau." Lisa said with a smile feeling the throbbing pain in her head start to decrease in strength.

"Goodnight Agent ninety-nine." House replied in return.

********************************************************

Shortly after ten pm, Ruth Cuddy arrived at her daughter's home, removing her shoes in the foyer before making her way into the kitchen.

The refrigerator in front of her hummed softly as she opened it up reaching inside for a bottle of water, closing the door she walked over to the cabinet next to the sink to retrieve a glass from it.

She took a few steps and sat down at the kitchen table, twisting off the cap of the bottle of water and pouring some of it into the glass before placing the cap back on the bottle and setting it off to her right.

Her legs were crossed at the ankles underneath the table, her back was straight and her head held high.

She was in control of every inch of her body on the outside while on the inside she was literally falling apart.

But appearances where everything. Appearances could fool people into thing you were just as normal as they were. That you hadn't done things that you still regretted to this day which broke your heart every time you thought about them, that made you feel so incredibly pathetic and weak it was almost unbearable to take in another breath.

Ruth felt her bottom lip quiver as she sat alone in the dark kitchen and quickly reached for the glass of water to wash away the taste of regret that filled her mouth, the taste that reminded her of her failures and the sin she would never forgive herself for committing.

Placing he glass back down on the table as she felt the cold water travel down her throat, replaying the fight she had earlier with Lisa in her mind, knowing that her daughter was under the perception that she hated House when in actually ………..she as scared to death of the man.

House was the type of man who could reach inside of you just by looking into your eyes. The type of man who would make you do things you didn't want to do. The type of man who would hurt you and make sure you remembered it.

_Is that really House is? Or are you thinking of someone else again? The one who you compare all others to? The one who still lives in you? _A small voice asked.

Ruth felt entire body tremble, the voice inside her head that spoke in rhymes with the tone of a small child one she had not heard from in years.

"Stop." She whispered, feeling the twisted anguish of her own past before Lisa come rising up from the bottom of her thoughts, riding off the previous regret, reminding her why she distrusted men so much, why most of them indeed scared the hell out of her and brought out every wild part of her that would stand toe to toe against them.

"_What about Jeff? What are you going to do about him? That man hurt Lisa…she told you herself. What are you going to do about Tritter? All of these men are after Lisa…and you're one person..you're alone in this you know. One lonely old woman pathetic woman who is afraid of her own shadow."_ Her mind told her with the coldness of her past failures.

I'm going to stay here with her and I'm not alone, Lisa does have friends ………..like Bill." Ruth thought, pushing past the doubts that tried to get in her way.

Bill was a good man, she had felt it from the first moment she had met him, just like her late husband John had been a good man and the devoted father who made sure Lisa was taken care of after that horrible night that changed her and her daughter forever.

"Maybe this time things will be different." Ruth whispered, looking down at her hands that were trembling, realizing with complete sadness that after giving up on hope a long time ago, she wasn't even sure it existed in her life anymore.

********************************************************

Across the miles of flat landscape in the center of Texas, country music blared throughout the Houston strip club known as "The Maverick" as a bevy of silicone enhanced bleached blondes gyrated up on the three stages in the back of the room.

The strip club was filled with smoke and drunken cowboys who shouted their catcalls and whistled loudly to the performing strippers while waitresses clad in the skimpiest cowgirl outfits circled around the tables with drinks as the patrons checked out their lovely behinds.

Already more than one patron had found out the hard way that if he grabbed for more than his drink from the pretty girls he would get a punch in the face by security before being thrown out of the back door of the club.

It was inside the dark club which smelled of testosterone and sexual frustration that Jeff was seated at a small round table with his business client Russ Grange in the private VIP section of the club.

Russ was from the old school of Texas businessman, dressing the part to at tee with a ten gallon hat cowboy hat atop his head and a huge silver belt buckle holding up the pants of his expensive god awful white suit.

The guy was in his mid fifties and had existed on a steady diet of partying, liquor and women for the better part of his life, the diet taking a toll on his body, leaving him overweight, out of shape and with a liver engulfed with cirrhosis.

"Goddamit where the hell is Jerry?!" Russ grumbled in thick southern accent, draining the last sip of whiskey from him glass.

"Does Jerry know how impatient of a man you are?" Jeff asked with a grin after having dealt out his best line bullshit to the cowboy for the better part of the night before heading over here.

"He damn sure does!" Russ answered in aggravation, just before the door to their left was open.

"Finally!" Russ exclaimed while his eyes watched the manager of the club accompanied by two strippers enter into the room.

The manager was a small wiry man with a narrow face and thin mustache, his close set dark brown eyes adding to his weasel like appearance.

"Gentleman I'm sorry to keep you waiting but I want to make sure you got the cream of the crop." The man said with grin, watching Russ rub his hands across his crotch as he continued to stare at the tall blonde stripper to his right who had had huge tits and a killer ass.

"What's your name darling?" Russ asked the blonde.

"Sable." The blond replied with a huge fake grin.

The manager then turned his attention to Jeff who was studying the very young petite stripper to his left.

"You said you liked brunettes." The man said slyly.

Jeff ignored the man, keeping his gaze fixed on the young woman.

"What's your name beautiful?" He asked, giving the stripper, who was dressed in a purple g-string and matching bra a wide smile, figuring that she could not be more then twenty.

"Amber." The young woman responded with a smile that was anything but fake, completely thrilled that she would be dancing as well as doing other things to the good looking man with curly black hair and a chiseled jaw who was sitting before her.

"Jerry … I think it's time we made this party a little more private." Russ said letting the manager know he could be on his way.

The manager nodded, "Have a good time fella's" He said with a lecherous grin before turning and closing the door behind them.

"You feel like making a lot of money tonight Sable?" Russ then asked the tall blonde standing before him.

"Actually I feel like seeing how hard I can get your dick." The blond stripper replied with a sinful smile, knowing if she played her cards right it was going to be a very profitable night for her.

Russ let out a big Texas laugh.

"Is that so? Well then I think you better stop talking and get your ass over here." The cowboy drawled as he pointed to his lap.

The tall blond wasted no time straddling him and Russ smiled as her breasts met him at eye level.

"Jesus Christ those are some big tits." He exclaimed turning and looking over at Jeff with a huge grin as stripper removed her bra.

"Hey sugar, quit looking over at your friend and take a good look at these huge tits." The stripper instructed the overweight slob, grabbing his face and pulling it forward so her breasts were now mere inches away from his face.

Laughing softly the dark haired girl walked over to Jeff, getting ready to straddle him so that they would be face to face as well.

"Turn around." Jeff commanded just as she was getting read to sit on top of him, spreading his legs so that her round firm ass would have to rest squarely on his package.

Once the stripper was in place, Jeff placed both of his hands firmly on her hips, pulling her bottom tightly against him as she arched her back.

"Oh you're an eager boy aren't you?" The dark haired stripper asked with a giggle.

"You have no idea." Jeff whispered back to her with a low tone he knew would make her wet between her thighs.

The stripper, whose real name was Laura felt the delicious heat pool between her legs as the handsome man she was grinding on top of continued to whisper to her, telling her she was beautiful again while his hands caressed her hips.

Jeff moved his face closer to the back of the stripper's head, her dark raven hair the exact same shade as Lisa's.

He closed his eyes as she began to move her hips against him in a slow circular motion; her small hands reached behind her back as she unhooked her bra and tossed it to the floor.

Laura felt the man she was on top of become hard instantly, taking in a breath as she felt a slight tingle between her thighs. He was gripping her harder now and although his fingertips digging into her skin hurt a little bit she had to admit she was getting turned on by the handsome stranger, her ass rubbing up and down on his erection with pleasure.

Leaning forward, her dark shoulder length hair fall across her face and in true stripper fashion she flipped it back making sure it brushed across his face that was inches away from her.

"Lisa." Jeff whispered into her ear as he took in the scent of her hair.

"It's Laura." She whispered back, the way he was pushing his pelvis so hard against her with such passion, making her slip up and give him her real name.

Jeff opened up his eyes as the fantasy in his mind had been broken for a moment, taking one of his hands from her hips and grabbing her by the back of the neck before he began to squeeze the soft flesh.

Laura gasped as the sharp pain traveled down her spine.

"I don't care what the fuck your name is bitch. If I say your name is Lisa tonight then that's what it is….understand?" Jeff whispered to her coldly

Laura nodded her head the best she could as he kept applying more and more pressure until she thought he would snap her spine.

"Now what's your name?" Jeff asked through gritted teeth.

"Lisa." She whispered back as a tear rolled down her cheek, knowing that with these men in this room she better not cause a scene.

"That's a good girl Lisa" Jeff whispered back as her, keeping his hold on the back of her neck as he moved his other hand up to her left breast, squeezing it until as he heard her muffle the scream in her throat, caressing it softly afterwards while he nuzzled his face in her hair.


	21. Chapter 21

**Well guys things keep getting crazier for me and now that Christmas is only a few days away, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I hope you enjoy this one. Also I want to thank all of you again for the great reviews. It has been a wonderful experience for me to repost this fic on here and I am happy that those of you who have read it perviously on the fox site like the changes I've made.**

**Chapter 21**

**Bill Martin's Residence…..**

Sitting in the comfortable large recliner in his living room, Bill glanced up at the clock resting on the mantel on top of the fireplace before him.

It was nearly midnight and yet he couldn't sleep. His mind filled with so many thoughts it refused to let him be, his heart aching from the feelings stirring inside of it that it kept him anchored in the plush chair he had eased himself into a few hours ago.

Running his thumb and index finger across the coarse white hair of the mustache above his lip, Bill thought about the way Ruth and Lisa had acted towards each other tonight, the tone in Ruth's voice causing him great concern, the look in Lisa's eyes only adding to the additional worry he had for both woman.

He could tell they were both hurting, the shared heartache between mother and daughter, something he felt compelled to alleviate.

Leaning back in his chair, Bill closed his eyes even though he was not the least bit tired, allowing his mind to conjure up the memory of Ruth's face, needing to linger in her beauty if only for a little while in an effort to ease some of the strain of his weary mind.

As the seconds ticked by on the clock resting atop the mantle, he recalled the way the fine lines tucked on the outside corners of Ruth's golden chestnut eyes had deepened when she let down her guard for a moment, giving him a genuine smile, a smile that told him somewhere beyond the suspicious woman who held onto control for dear life lie something more...…something lovely that needed a gentle touch in order to help break it free from the rocky past that kept it from reaching out towards the light of day.

Suddenly Bill sat straight up in his chair. A rogue thought interrupting his silent worship of the woman who had already stolen his heart.

"Fan." He said aloud, reaching over to the end table beside him to pick up the cordless phone resting there.

Bill had promised Wilson he would call the cop and talk to him about Tritter and Jeff to see if the man would be open to hearing their story, but because of all that had happened earlier, he had forgotten to make the call.

Pausing for a moment, Bill looked up at the clock again, not sure calling at such a late house was a good idea until it dawned on him that Fan probably worked the night shift, seeing as how he was in the jail with Wilson after midnight the other day.

Placing the phone up to his ear after dialing the number he had filed away in his memory, Bill listened to it ring four times before the cop answered.

"Fan." The cop stated walking out to his car after his shift had ended.

"Officer Fan, this is Bill Martin."

Fan stopped in his tracks, fishing his car keys out from inside his right pants pocket.

"Did one of your friends get arrested again?" The cop asked.

Bill let out a soft chuckle. "No, it's nothing like that. I just wondered if maybe I could ask you for some help in another matter."

Fan started to walk towards his car again. "Listen Bill, if you think I'm the guy to call in order to get you out of some parking tickets, you're sadly mistaken." He told him flatly.

"Actually I'm hoping you'd be the type of guy who would listen to an old man with a very strange story to tell." Bill responded, knowing that any good cop on the beat was a sucker for the promise of an intriguing tale.

"Go on." Fan replied with interest, pushing the small black button on his key chain to unlock his car doors.

********************************************************

Just before midnight, Lisa was sleeping in her hospital bed, lying on her back as her brow furrowed, the throws of another nightmare coming to greet her in the depth of her slumber., finding herself standing in the middle of a dark forest. Wearing the pink nightgown she had changed into earlier. Shivering in the cold night air as a pale moon looked down upon her.

Lisa watched the air in front of her become clouded with the breath escaping her lungs as she rubbed her arms as she tried to warm them, glancing down at her bare feet and noticing there was no cast on her right leg.

_Where am I?_ She wondered, looking around the thick forest that seemed to stretch on for miles, searching for a light in the distance that would guide her home.

A snap of a tree branch beside her caused Lisa to turn to her left where she spotted the tall figure of a man looming in the darkness just a few feet away from her..

_Run! Run! Run!_ Her mind screamed as Jeff stepped out into the moonlight revealing himself to her.

Her legs bolted into action, taking her down a muddy path thick with the roots of trees that tried to grab onto her feet.

She could hear Jeff behind her as his shoes slapped against the slick puddles in the trail. His breath ragged and shallow, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Lisa pushed her legs harder, feeling them start to burn at her urgent request, her body turning quickly onto the fork in the path that appeared on her right, spotting a clearing just ahead of her.

Off in the distance was the light she was seeking..... the light that would take her away from here….away from him.

Picking up the pace in search of the light, Lisa let out a gasp as the ground disappeared beneath her feet. Gravity pulling her down into the dark and hollow black pit that appeared out of nowhere.

Her body hit the dirt bottom with a loud _THUD _and she felt the impact of the fall vibrating up her spine.

_"Uhhhh." _She groaned as a gust of air escaped her lungs.

Lying on her back, Lisa stared wide eyed up at the pale moon above her. The sounds of footsteps drawing closer to her sending another wave of panic throughout her system as seconds later Jeff's fell down into the pit, landing next to her.

_Get up! Get up! Get up_! Her mind screamed, telling her not to look over at Jeff who was stirring beside her, telling her she needed to act quickly.

Lisa turned on her side, forcing her aching body to move, to escape the man trying to hunt her down before he could catch her.

Peering through the shadows of the pit she could see it was lined on all sides by the same type of thick and gnarly roots that had tried to grab at her feet on the muddy pathway, but fearing them less than the monster trapped in the darkness with her, Lisa reached out to them without hesitation.

_Twenty feet is not that far_, her mind told her after it had calculated the distance to the surface as she made her way towards the pale moonlight above her before her mouth let out a cry of surprise when the fingers of her left hand lost their grip on the water soaked root she had been holding onto to.

Feeling her body slip back a few inches towards the monster in the dark Lisa began to tremble with fear.

_Don't give up! _Her mind pleaded, refusing to think of what may happen to her if she surrendered to the utter darkness below.

Lisa grunted, reaching out once more for the root in front of her, the muscles in her arm and legs strained from the grueling task they were performing, feeling as if they would snap in the center like a rubber band stretched to its limits.

The wet and slimy clay from the wall she was climbing began to coat her skin, mixing in with her own sweat. Perspiration and dark terracotta dirt combining and changing into a color that made it look as if she was literally covered in blood instead of soil.

Within her next heartbeat a primal instinct of survival took hold of her body, a desperate rhythm formed as arms reached up, allowing her hands to grasp the roots above her while her legs pushed her forward as her toes dug into the thick clay underneath them, the harrowing motions repeated over and over again as she scaled the wall growing ever closer to the surface.

She was almost there…only a few more inches and she would reach the top of the pit, her mind assuring she would indeed make it until she felt a strong hand wrap around her foot.

Lisa cried out to the moonlight looming over her and held onto the thick twisted root cutting into the palm of her hand with all of her might, sinking her nails into pulp of it as she looked down into the pit, seeing Jeff crawling up behind her as he held fast to her ankle.

_No! No! No!_ Her mind screamed while her eyes stayed locked on the demon beneath her.

With black eyes that seemed to have Satan hidden among them, Jeff smiled up at her, his teeth having been replaced by tiny shards of broken glass which glistened in the moonlight as his saliva coated them.

"_Get away from me!" _Lisa yelled, kicking him in the face and causing him to relinquish his grip on her as he fell back into the darkness as she held fast to the roots of the trees.

A loud thud echoed up the round tunnel as Jeff plummeted to the bottom of the pit, her mind now barking out hoarse commands to her body. Commanding tissue, muscle and joints in a generals tone to haul her ass up out of the chasm where danger was only a breath away from her.

Focusing her eyes on the surface once more, Lisa took in a deep breath, determined to get out of the darkness.

Reaching out to the next root above her, Lisa froze as the outline of another dark figure appeared and peered into the darkness from above her.

"Mom! Help me!" Lisa screamed with every ounce of strength she had left in her, thrusting her hand towards Ruth who stared down at her without emotion.

"I can't help you Lisa……you lied to me…you took it all away from me." Her mother whispered back to her in a sorrowful tone before turning and walking away.

_"Noooo! Come back! Please come back!"_ Lisa cried out with her hand still outstretched into the open air, feeling her throat tighten and her heart begin to race just as Jeff grabbed hold of her ankle again.

"Stay with me." He whispered to her through shards of broken glass, giving her leg another sharp tug with his strong hand.... causing her to fall back into the darkness with him.

"Nooo!" Lisa gasped, sitting straight up in the hospital bed, shaking the phantom hand of her nightmare away from the cast around her ankle.

Thankfully the pillow elevating the cast cushioned her movements, sending only a dulled aftershock of pain into her recently re-aligned joint.

"Doctor Cuddy…. are you ok?" The security guard asked as he stepped into her room and headed towards her bed.

"I'm fine …….I just had a bad dream." Lisa answered feeling slightly embarrassed that an employee of hers had found her this way.

"Ok then, I'll be right outside the door if you need me." The guard replied before turning and leaving the room.

After he had left, Lisa looked over at the clock on the nightstand beside her bed, the red numbers glaring back at her, letting her know it was now 12:45am, the cell phone resting beside it a temptation that begged her to reach for it.

_"No,"_Lisa whispered refusing to call House as her eyes searched the dark corners of the room for any part of the nightmare that may still linger there.

_Besides what am I going to say to him? Oh by the way I had another nightmare about Jeff and this time my mother was in it as well? No….it was just a bad dream and nothing more; _she tried to convince herself while a shiver traveled up her spine caused by the cold sweat that covered her body.

_It was just a bad dream…..and nothing more_, she repeated inside her mind, pulling the sheets tighter against her body.

Besides, tomorrow she would be released from the hospital… and once she was in her own bed… and in her own house ….the nightmares would stop she assured herself ……

_They had to_, Lisa reasoned before easing her body back down into the hospital bed once more, knowing that sleep for her tonight would be as illusive as the hand of her mother she had tried to reach out to during the nightmare.

********************************************************

The next morning at 8 am, Bill walked into the hospital cafeteria to get a cup of coffee and a doughnut before heading up to Lisa's room.

Starting in the back of the cafeteria line, he reached inside one of the plexiglass doors of the small cabinet in front of him, snagging one of the mouthwatering doughnuts coated in a glaze of sugar.

"Good morning Doctor Martin." A young and attractive medical student by the name of Kelly said from behind him.

"Good morning Kelly. Are you headed off to class or just planning on meeting up with Michael so you can sneak in a few kisses with him in the hallway when you think no one is looking?" Bill joked with a smile after turning around to face her.

"Oh Doctor Martin you're as bad as my father. He always teases me about my boyfriends." Kelly responded with a smile of her own.

"Well then it sounds like your father is a man after my own heart," Bill said with a grin, watching the young girl before him beaming because of the attention he was giving her, " by the way, it looks like Michael is waiting for you," he added nodding towards the entrance of the cafeteria.

Kelly looked out into the hallway and smiled at the young man with tussled blond hair who was waving at her with a huge grin.

"I guess I better go." She said, looking back at the older physician who had to be the sweetest man she had ever met.

"Have a good day Kelly and don't forget to let me know how you did on your anatomy exam." Bill told her, waving to Michael as the young man waved back to him with a grin.

"I will." Kelly promised before turning and leaving the cafeteria, giving an annoyed look at House while he nearly knocked her over.

"Jerk." She muttered under her breath quickly making her way over to her boyfriend.

"You do know it's very creepy for a man your age to be flirting with a girl who's young enough to be your great grand daughter." House commented to Bill as he limped up beside him.

"Jealous?" Bill asked with a raised brow.

House looked back at him with shock. "You old pervert." He said with a smirk.

Bill shook his head, moving his tray along the counter as he reached for an empty Styrofoam coffee cup.

"Kelly's a good kid who's been feeling homesick lately since she transferred here from Duke a few weeks ago, I try to keep an eye on her just to make sure she's doing ok." He clarified.

"How on earth do you know all of that stuff about her?" House questioned watching the old man place his cup under the spout of freshly brewed coffee in front of them.

"Because I actually take the time to talk to the people here." Bill answered with a wiry grin, placing a clear plastic lid ontop of his cup after filling it.

Approaching the register, Bill paid for his breakfast, thanking the cashier as she handed him his change.

"Bill you shouldn't have." House said as the man turned to leave, taking the coffee and doughnut from his tray.

Any other person would have of course given House an annoyed look for stealing their food, but Bill just smiled, "I'm happy Lisa's going home today too." He remarked to House in a soft whisper, heading back to the end of the line.

House, who had just taken a bite of the confiscated doughnut, looked over at the physician with displeasure.

"Don't worry House, your secret's safe with me, but you need to keep that smile of yours under wraps before someone else notices it." Bill cautioned, placing another doughnut on his tray.

"Don't worry as soon as I see my arch nemesis, Ruth 'wicked witch of the west' Cuddy. Her ugly mug will wipe the smile from my face. As well the make the little children on the Ped's ward start to cry." House snarked.

"She's not that bad House." Bill responded as they had made their way through the cafeteria line where he paid for his breakfast for the second time today. "You coming?" He then asked as he headed towards a small table in the back of the cafeteria.

"You've been blinded by Ruth's nice rack and rotundas posterior." House said, limping up to Bill as he studied the old man's face to see how he would react to the comment.

"Yes….I have." Bill answered back calmly.

"You're not going to deny it?" House questioned giving him a sideways glance.

"Why should I? I'm not getting any younger. So why beat around the bush when it comes to my feelings for Ruth?" Bill answered with a smile sitting down in the chair to his left.

"You just met her." House argued, taking the other seat.

"I like her." Bill told him, with the smile never leaving his face.

"No….. your retired penis_ likes her_. There's a big difference." House countered.

Bill shook his head. "It may have been awhile since I've made love to a woman, but ……that's not the only reason I'm attracted to Ruth." He answered softly.

"Quit talking like a chick, it's creeping me out." House said with a grimace.

Bill chuckled, "Fine ….it may have been awhile since I've gotten _laid _but that's not the only reason I'm attracted to Ruth." He rephrased.

"Ruth's would be a handful for any man, let alone an old fart lke you whose got the personality of Mister Rodgers….but….whatever, it's your funeral." House said dismissively before adding. "I just hope the sex is worth it, then again if Ruth's anything like her daughter in the sack, you'll be in for a very good time."

This time Bill grimaced. "I never was into that whole mother/daughter fantasy thing...it always creeped me out a little. I mean mothers and daughters fight enough without having to compete over whose better in the sack." He joked with a shrug.

House smirked, liking the old man's comeback,"Enough talk about the boobie twins. Did you get to talk to Fan last night?" He asked.

Bill nodded, "Fan didn't believe me when it came to Tritter's involvement with Jeff…..but, he did agree to check Jeff out anyway to see if he's had any past complaints from the other women he's dated before Lisa."

House leaned back in his chair. "I guess that's better than nothing," he said dryly.

Bill studied House's face. The man was tired and no doubt struggling with all that had been dumped onto his lap within the last few days.

"House....." He started to say, wanting to assure the man before him that he was not alone in this mess.

"I'm going upstairs to annoy the crap out of Ruth. You're welcome to join me if you want to." House muttered before getting up from the table, Bill's voice having too much of a fatherly overtone to it for his liking, the father he did have, leaving scars behind on him that provided a thick layer of bitterness whenever it came to any older man who may try to mentor him.

********************************************************

Entering into the Lisa's hospital room with House, Bill looked over at Ruth whose back was facing them as she stood beside the windowsill, gathering up some of the flowers and cards Lisa had received during her short stay at the hospital.

Ruth's dark hair that fell just below the nape of her neck, caught the rays of the morning sun that filtered through the window, her petite figure illuminated in the mint green sweater she was wearing and the black skirt that fell just below her knees, the black two inches high heels upon her feet, accentuating her toned smooth calves that boasted of a woman who time had been very kind to indeed.

"Sure it's not just your penis that likes her?" House questioned, whispering over to Bill after watching the older physician's eyes trace Ruth's enticing figure.

"Hey I didn't hear the two of you come in." Lisa said with a smile, looking up from the stack of paperwork piled upon the tray in front of her.

"Lisa Cuddy you should not be doing paperwork when you are supposed to be resting." Bill scolded, sounding more like her father than her friend.

"You!" Ruth exclaimed turning around quickly and walking past by Bill as she headed straight for House.

She stood toe to toe with tall diagnostician, pointing her finger in his face. "The next time you feel like writing something why don't you try signing your name on a resignation letter!" Ruth hissed with a fire in her eyes.

"If you're feeling a little left out, I can hoist you up on the bed and look up your skirt next." House commented back to her, not backing down at all.

"House!" Cuddy yelled, wanting to strangle him for starting in on her mom this morning after their discussion on the phone last night.

"Oh come on Cuddy your mom and I were just having some fun. Weren't we Ruth?" House asked the feisty woman standing before him who was ready to ring his neck.

"You may talk to my daughter like that House, but I'll be dammed if you'll talk to me like that." Ruth warned him, keeping her eyes fixated on his face.

House turned his head away from her and looked over at Lisa. "Should I be afraid of you mom Cuddy?" He asked, pulling out the first of his theories on why Ruth was so imbalanced when it came to showing her daughter affection.

"What? No…of course not." Lisa answered immediately with a confused expression.

Ruth glared up at House as he returned his gaze to her. "I have a pretty good idea why you keep showing up here. Why you talked my daughter into letting you stay at her house. You have some kind of sick twisted obsession with........"

"Should I be afraid of you Ruth?" House interrupted not letting her escape from the question.

Ruth took in a sharp breath through her teeth, feeling her heart starting to pound inside her chest, feeling the control within her start to slip away.

"Ruth……why don't I help you take some of those flowers down to your car." Bill offered, gently touching her arm, knowing she needed to be separated from House before he ended up pushing her over the edge of the very narrow cliff she was currently standing upon.

Ruth gave Bill a sharp glare that told him silently to release her arm immediately, leaving him to wonder if she was angered by his interference _or_ afraid of the contact he had made with her.

"I can take the flowers down by myself." Ruth told him in an even tone, giving House one last look before she turned towards the windowsill, picking up two the arrangements and walking briskly out of the room.

"Bill." Lisa whispered softly looking over at him.

"I'll go after her and make sure she's ok." Bill assured her.

Once Bill left the room, Lisa focused her gaze on House as he limped up to her bedside.

"I told you to leave my mother alone." She said to him, keeping her voice down while conveying her anger within her tone.

"You look tired." House said in return, ignoring her question.

Lisa let out a disgusted laugh. "Really?" She shot back sarcastically.

"You had another nightmare." House stated rather than questioned, looking down at her.

Lisa hated the position they were in, him towering above her more than usual thanks to her broken ankle. "I can't do this. I can't have you questioning me at every turn just because you found another puzzle you need to solve. This _my family_ you're playing your head games with and I will not let you hurt my mother just because you need answers." She told him emphatically, keeping her eyes locked on his as he sat down in the chair next to her.

"You and your mother are the ones who need answers. You're just afraid to ask the questions." House replied back to her in a low tone, resting his cane on the side of her bed.

Lisa raised her eyes to the ceiling. "That maybe true House," She conceded letting out a breath, "but I can't deal with my mother, Jeff and Tritter at the same time….it's just too much."

"Then tell your mother to go home." He told her with brutal honesty.

"No." Lisa told him with disdain, shocked by his statement. He had no right to do this, to dig so deeply into her personal life while sharing none of his own with her up to this point in their relationship.

House leaned closer to her, "Either talk to your mom or tell her to go home. It's as simple as that."

"You know it's not that simple." Lisa replied.

"It can be, if you want to."

"Was it that simple for you? Did you shut your parents out of your life in one fail swoop or did you just push them away little by little?" Lisa challenged, watching his eyes dart to the floor.

"My parents…" He started to say.

"Have everything to do with what you're trying to get me to do to _my mother_." Lisa interrupted.

House looked up at her, his eyes wide with shock as she pulled him towards the truth whether he liked it or not. "You can't let her drag you down, not with all that's going on right now." He said in a hollow tone.

"I'm not going to turn my back on mother just because of what's happened to us in the past _and _I'm not going talk about my past with you until I'm ready. I thought you understood that last night." She answered, searching his face.

"Understanding and agreeing are two different things when it comes to me, you know that." House told her.

"I know that, but sometimes..... you do end up listening to me in the end, when you know it's the right thing to do." Lisa reminded him, holding onto their gaze.

House let out a sigh, "I'll try not to drive you mom insane while I'm staying with you….but .....I can't promise you that I'll be able to keep my word," he said flatly letting her know not to invest too much of her faith in him.

Lisa smiled back at him, seeing the intensity in his eyes that told her he was trying harder with her than he had with anyone in a very long time. "Ok." She agreed simply with a nod.

********************************************************

"Ruth." Bill called out as he watched her turn the corner just ahead of him.

Ruth paused, closing her eyes for a moment trrying to slow her breathing, listening to his footsteps drawing closer to her.

"Please let me help you with those." Bill requested once he had reached her.

"I told you before I can handle this on my own." Ruth answered back to him avoiding his gaze.

"Ruth." Bill said softly, gently reaching for the floral arrangement in her left hand. "I'm sorry but as honorary flower inspector of this hospital I cannot allow you to exit this building without my approval." He told her watching her brow furrow before a small smile appeared on her face.

"Did Lisa tell you to come out here after me?" She questioned still holding onto the arrangement he was now holding onto as well.

"Yes." He answered honestly.

"I don't need a babysitter, I'm a grown woman." Ruth muttered, relinquishing control of the flowers in her left hand to him as she started to walk towards the elevator in front of them.

"That's no the only reason I came after you." Bill told her softly as he matched her stride.

Ruth turned to face him just as they reached the elevator doors.

"Why else would come after me?" She asked looking up into his steel blue eyes.

"To tell you that you look beautiful today and to ask if you would like to have dinner with me sometime." Bill answered, watching her chestnut eyes grow wide with surprise.

"Oh…." Ruth said softly unable to look away from him as the elevator opened up behind them.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great Holiday and thanks for the well wishes from all of you: ) Finally after eating way too much and opening presents I'm back with another chapter as well as to answer some of your questions. **

**_belladionne - I've been combining several chapters as I go and making some changes as well, so right now I'm thinking there will be at least 37 more chapters but of course that is just a guess._**

**_To everyone wondering about the past between Ruth and Lisa it will take a little time to unravel but we will get there and I hope that you enjoy it ;)_**

**_As far as when Ruth and Wilson are going to find out about House and Cuddy being much more than friends.....sorry my lips are sealed :P_**

**_Ok that's all for now ........hope you all enjoy this latest chapter and please let me know your thoughts._**

**Chapter 22**

"Well?" Bill questioned looking down at Ruth as she gazed up into his eyes, waiting for an answer to his request.

"Lisa's lawn needs mowed." Ruth replied back quickly, watching as Bill moved his hand past her to hold the elevator door open for them.

"Excuse me?" Bill questioned, titling his head to the side with a small smile on his face, completely mesmerized by Ruth's adorable shy demeanor right now.

"Lisa's lawn," Ruth repeated once more, feeling a warm blush rise to her cheeks, cursing herself because of it, "and in fact her entire yard really needs some work done to it. I know she used to have a handyman that kept up with those types of things, but…. I thought if you'd be interested in coming over today and helping me out in the yard. Maybe afterwards I could make dinner for the three of us."

"Oh." Bill replied softly, loving the way Ruth was looking up at him right now, the soft touch of sweetness peeking out from her behind her chestnut eyes heading start for his heart.

"That is of course only if you want to." Ruth added, surprised by how rapidly her heart was beating at the moment. How being in Bill's presence had changed her mood within the blink of an eye from anger over House, to a delightful excitement she had not felt in a very long time.

"I'd love to help you Ruth," Bill responded with a smile, taking in the scent of her perfume, "but aren't you forgetting about the additional guest who is also going to be joining us for dinner tonight?" He reminded her, deciding that now was as good a time as any to try and smooth out some of the rough edges between her and House.

Ruth let out an irritated sigh, "Of course. How could I forget that thanks to my daughter's temporary insanity around a certain physician who should have been fired years ago, the charming Doctor House will be gracing me with his presence for the rest of the week," she replied back in a bitter tone, stepping into the elevator.

Bill let out a soft laugh, following her inside the elevator, "Come on Ruth, House really isn't _that bad_." He reasoned in much the same manner as he had done with House in regards to her earlier this morning in the cafeteria.

"Not that bad? The man is the epitome of rudeness, arrogance and embodies everything that I would _not _look for in a physician." Ruth snipped glaring up at Bill as he stood beside her.

Watching Ruth clench her jaw, Bill kept the soft reassuring smile on his face. "Even though House may indeed be all of those things, he does care a great deal about your daughter and considers her to be a good friend. He just has a unique way of showing his concern." Bill told her, trying his best to get Ruth to see House in another light, knowing that sooner or later Ruth would indeed find out that the man she thoroughly despised was in reality the same man who captured her daughter's heart.

Ruth studied Bill's face carefully as he spoke to her, not believing a single word he was saying, "House is a bully who used to getting what he wants and after seeing him with Lisa these past few days, it clear to me _he wants her_. I see the way he looks at her. How he uses every excuse he can thing of to be in Lisa's hospital room with her. He's just waiting for her to have a weak moment so he can take advantage of her and this current mess with Jeff and Tritter is _exactly_ the type of thing he needs to get what he wants." She commented back to him, gripping the flower arrangement in her slender hands a little tighter.

As the elevator doors opened, Ruth steeped out into the hospital lobby, her heels clicking in a fast rhythm beneath her, carrying her away from the conversation.

"Ruth slow down." Bill said softly after catching up to her, needing to let her know she didn't always have to run away from her fears.

"I really have no desire to talk about House anymore with you." Ruth told him flatly as they paused in the middle of the lobby.

Bill looked down at her, determined to get through to her, "Lisa is a grown woman who is assertive, intelligent and knows how to handle House. You really don't need to worry about her as much as you do Ruth. You've shown her by the way you carry yourself, how to be a strong person.'" He said gently.

Ruth felt a lump rise up in her throat, ready to give a typical mother's answer to his statement, without Bill knowing the dark truth behind it. "I'll always worry about Lisa." She whispered, just before the ringing of Bill's cell phone interrupted their conversation.

Shifting the flowers he was holding into his left hand, Bill opened up the phone. "It's Officer Fan." He told her.

Ruth bit down on her bottom lip, taking the flowers from him as Bill answered the call.

The conversation between the two men was brief, with Bill listening to Fan for the most of part, adding only a few simple one word responses every now and then.

"Thank you Officer Fan and I really do appreciate all the help you've been giving us." Bill then said before he hung up.

"Well…what did Fan say?" Ruth questioned anxiously, hopeful that the cop had found something out about Jeff which would aid in keeping him as far away from Lisa as possible.

Again Bill looked down into Ruth's chestnut eyes, wishing he had better news to tell her, "Fan didn't find anything in Jeff's past that would indicate past troubles with his previous ex-girlfriends." he informed her with slight regret.

Ruth looked back at him with disappointment as a frown tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Reaching for the flowers she had taken from him, Bill spoke to her once more as they continued across the lobby towards the front doors of the hospital. "Fan did have a bit of good news for us though, apparently Jeff was telling the truth about leaving for a business trip in Houston," he offered, hoping to raise her spirits at least a little bit.

Ruth breathed a small sigh of relief at hearing then news. "Was Fan able to find out how long Jeff is going to be out of town?" She asked.

Bill nodded, "Fan told me that Jeff purchased a round trip ticket back to Princeton a week from today."

***************************************************************************************************************

Meanwhile back in Lisa's room, House's pager began to go off as he remained seated at her bedside.

"Who is it?" Cuddy asked with curiosity, leaning towards him as House looked down at the lighted display.

"Your mom. She says she wants to have hot angry make up sex with me in the janitor's closet." House muttered back to her as he got up from his seat.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him. "Very funny," she replied back, "now who is it?" She repeated with a firmer tone.

"Foreman, looks like I may actually have a case." House answered, clipping the pager back onto the waistband of his pants.

"Foreman should have come to me first." Cuddy stated, not liking being kept out of the loop.

"He would have but I told him as well as Cameron and Chase to avoid you like the plague." House replied.

"House, I'm not an invalid and you still need me to approve any risky procedures you may be thinking of doing whether I'm in my office or up in this bed." She argued.

"Being a stubborn control freak who refuses to listen when she's told to take it easy for the next few days, is not a very good look for you, but don't worry my screeching shrew…I have made it my mission to tame you….even if it kills me." House countered with a wiry grin.

Cuddy narrowed her eyes at him, "For someone who had a major meltdown after losing _control_ over a parking spot a few years back, I really don't think you're qualified to tame anything." She uttered with contempt.

"That parking spot has sentimental value attached to it. Do you realize how many times I've sat in my car in that _exact spot_ and watched your low cut tops blow open on a windy day?" House teased watching Lisa bite back her grin.

"Get out of here and go do some work before I take your parking spot away again." She told him evenly, keeping him locked in her gaze.

"You will pay dearly for this atrocity Doctor Cuddy, good thing I"m willing to let you sleep with me in order to amend you evil shrewish ways." House said with a low whisper, letting his eyes roam over the curves of her breasts, adding an additional spice to the comment before he turned and left her with a delicious smile on her face.

*************************************************************************************************************

Within a few minutes of House leaving, Bill and Ruth had returned to Lisa's room where Bill filled her in on the conversation he had with Fan, telling her how the cop had confirmed that Jeff was indeed in Houston at the moment as Ruth continued to gather up the flowers and cards surrounding them.

"I should call House and let him know about Fan contacting you." Lisa remarked after Bill was done speaking, reaching for her cell phone beside the bed.

Ruth turned around from the dresser she was standing in front of and let out a tsk of disapproval, "Lisa…… Bill can call House and let him know about the phone call. Besides now that you've been discharged I thought you'd want to get home to some peace and quiet before House comes along and invades it with his craziness." She scolded.

"Ok mom." Lisa agreed, not wanting to add to her mother's already growing suspicions about her relationship with House, choosing instead to carefully move her legs over to the edge of the bed so she could get changed into the clothes her mother had brought for her the other day.

"Here you go Lisa." Bill said softly, handing her the crutches that had been resting near the foot of the bed.

"Thanks Bill." Lisa responded with a small smile, placing them under her arms.

Standing at the foot of Lisa's hospital bed, Ruth watched silently as Bill gently placed his right hand on Lisa's back as she got up from the bed, making sure her daughter was steady on her feet before letting her pass by him.

"Sure you don't need any help?" Bill questioned to Lisa with a small smile.

"I'll be fine." Lisa assured him making her way over to her mother.

"I'll get your clothes and put them into the bathroom for you." Ruth instructed her daughter before adding, "Oh and by the way, I wanted to let you know I asked Bill earlier if he would mind helping me out in your yard today after we got back to your place."

Lisa looked over at Bill with a smile, "Bill, that's very sweet of you, but I've been meaning to call someone to take care of the yard. I just haven't had the time to do it." She told him, not wanting to take advantage of his kind nature.

"Lisa I don't mind at all, besides your mom offered to cook me dinner as payment for my services. So I'm the one who's really making out in the deal." Bill told her with a grin watching the smile broaden on her face.

"Are you sure we wouldn't be keeping you from something you'd rather be doing?" Lisa asked him.

"I'm sure" Bill assured her, "now you better hurry and get dressed before House comes in here to bug you again," he teased with a wink.

**************************************************************************************************************

Arriving at Lisa's house, Bill had escorted both women inside before he made his way out to the garage, having stopped with them at his house first so he could change into jeans and an old t-shirt.

Standing inside the garage by himself now, Bill was pleased to see that Lisa had all of the basics tools needed in order for him to get started on the lawn.

Wasting no time, he opened up the garage door so he could push the lawnmower out onto the driveway, checking the oil and gas in the machine first before reaching down and pulling the the cord to start it.

Meanwhile inside the house, Lisa stood in her living room, watching as he mother carefully placed an elaborate flower arrangement she had received during her stay at the hospital onto the center of her oak coffee table. "Are you sure you don't need me to help you mom?"She asked, not at all comfortable with being a spectator in her own home or in any other aspect of her life for that matter.

"I'm fine Lisa. You on the other hand need to get off of your feet and rest." Ruth responded before looking out of window to her left and into the front lawn as Bill began to make his way back and forth on the carpet of green grass with the lawn mower.

Lisa followed her mother's gaze, watching Bill as he walked with a determined stride from one end of the yard to next before turning around and starting the mower in the opposite direction.

"How old is Bill?" Ruth questions as her eyes traced his profile, taking note of that fact that he lacked the lower belly paunch of most older men, his abdomen remaining flat and lean.

"Bill just turned seventy a few months ago." Lisa answered continuing to watch Bill.

"He's in very good shape for a man his age." Ruth said in an impressed tone, noticing the muscles in his toned forearms.

"Mom, do you _like_ Bill?" Lisa asked with a smile, turning to face her.

"Of course I like Bill, he's a very nice man who's been a good friend to you." Ruth answered, tiptoeing around the question.

"That's not what I meant." Lisa replied.

"I know what you meant Lisa." Ruth responded.

"Mom it's ok if you like him. In fact I think Bill kind of likes you too." Lisa stated, knowing she had hit the nail on the head.

Ruth shook her head, getting ready to drop the subject, "Lisa I just met Bill and......"

"And what mom?" Lisa questioned, following her mother's gaze over to the window once more.

"I told Bill I would help him out in the yard, but I just realized, I didn't bring any clothes with me that would be suitable for that kind of work." Ruth told her in a worried tone.

Lisa let out a small laugh, "Mom I'm sure I can find something of mine you can wear," she said with a smile.

********************************************************************************************************************************************

"Lisa, I cannot go down there like this." Ruth said adamantly as she stood in front of the floor length mirror in her daughter's room wearing the pair of faded hip hugger jeans along with the tight light blue v-neck t-shirt her daughter had given her.

"You look fine mom." Lisa assured her.

"This really isn't my style Lisa."Ruth commented, continuing to study her imagine in the mirror, feeling awkward at the way the clothes showed off the curves of her hips and swell of her breasts.

"Mom you're only doing yard work and besides your only other option at this point would be to wear a pair of my shorts and a tank top instead." Lisa teased.

Ruth looked over at her daughter. "I just don't want Bill to think...."

"That you have a gorgeous body most women half your age would kill for?" Lisa interrupted with grin.

Rolling her eyes, Ruth glanced back at herself in the mirror, "I guess I should get outside before Bill things I've tricked him into being our workhorse for the day," she said with sigh, resigning herself to the fact that the pair of jeans and a t-shirt she had on were indeed ten times better than showing off her legs and additional skin if she donned the shorts and tank top that were her next option.

"You'll be fine mom," Lisa assured her mother again, delighting in the moment between them, "and there's bottled water in the fridge if you guys get thirsty, in the meantime while the two of you are outside, I'm going to go ahead and take a bath," she added, moving over to the dresser next to them with the aid of her crutches.

"Are you going to be able to get into the tub by yourself with that cast around you leg?" Ruth questioned with concerned.

"I'll be fine mom and if I need you I'll yell out the bathroom window." Lisa joked with a smile.

"Ok, but I am going to come up and check on you in a little while to make sure you're doing you dont' need my help." Ruth replied back before turning and leaving the room.

Watching her mother go, Lisa's smile grew wider, the small amount of time they had shared both downstairs and up in her room, lifting her spirits higher with each passing second between them, giving her some much needed hope that this time things could end up be better between the two of them, that maybe they could find their back to the relationship they once had.

Lost in the enticing thoughts of what the future may hold for her and her mother, Lisa was still smiling inside her bedroom as the cell phone on top of her dresser began to ring.

"Hi." She answered softly after seeing it was House who was calling her.

"Speaking of high. What have you been smoking that has you answering the phone so sweetly when you know it's me?" House asked

"How's your patient doing?' Lisa questioned, ignoring his comment.

"She's holding her own for now. Still haven't figured out what's wrong with her though. Just calling to see how you were fairing with Mommie Dearest." House answered, leaning back in his chair.

"Things are actually going really well between us." Lisa confessed with another smile.

"Well enough that I'll be able to hop into bed with you tonight with your mother's blessing?" House questioned with a smirk.

"Not that well, but.... I think we can try and sneak some alone time later on. My mom's helping Bill out in the yard right now so hopefully she'll be tired by the end of the day and go to bed early tonight." Lisa told him, feeling like a plotting teenage girl at the moment.

House could not help but smile at they way her voice had lowered into almost a whisper as she spoke to him of their "secret affair", the thought of sneaking around behind her mother's back, conjuring up memories from his youth when he first became every parents worst nightmare when it came to dating their daughter.

"So how long do you give Bill until he sneaks into your mother's pants? Because I'm thinking two weeks tops." House asked, scratching at the stubble on his face, uable to resist speaking his thoughts aloud to her.

Lisa let out a gasp of surprise."We are not going to discuss this and Bill is a very nice man."She stated with a warning tone.

"_A very nice man who wants to DO your mother_." House informed her, loving the fact that she was of course embarrassed to talk to him about her mother's sex life.

"I'm hanging up now." Lisa stated flatly.

"Hmmm.....you're getting awfully upset, should I take that to mean your mom is as vocal in the bedroom as you are? Did her and Daddy wake you up every now and then during their hot monkey love freak sessions?" House asked quickly.

"Grow up." Lisa muttered.

"Never." House countered.

"Goodbye _House_." She stressed.

"Goodbye love monkey.....I mean Cuddy." He responded, hearing a dial tone greet him shortly after the remark.

"He's such an idiot sometimes." Lisa whispered to herself with frustration, placing the phone on the bathroom sink after making her way inside of it, hating the fact that after hearing his voice she was in fact anxious to see House again despite the crude remarks he had made at her mother's expense, the magnetic pull he had on her both physically and mentally growing stronger with each passing day since they had first made love down in the foyer of her home, the thought of how incredible that night had been bringing another smile to her face.

**Coming up...................House finally makes his way over to Cuddy's place.....and oh what fun they are going to have :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Ok guys as promised, House and Cuddy reunite in this chapter. By the way there is more fun to come so enjoy for now and please let me know your thoughts.**

**Chapter 23**

After closing the bathroom door, Lisa turned on the water to the tub and tested the temperature with her hand before reaching for her favorite bottle of scented bubble bath, pouring some of into the flowing stream of warm water.

Placing the cap back on the bottle, she sat down on the closed toilet seat behind her and moved her hands to the hem of her top, lifting the white t-shirt she had put on early today at the hospital over her head and dropping it down onto the floor where it was soon followed by her modest cream colored bra.

Next she placed her thumbs inside the waist bands of both the navy blue track pants and cream colored low rise panties she was wearing, lifting her bottom up from the seat for a moment so she could move the clothing down past her thighs before carefully maneuvering them around the cast on her right leg, tossing them next to her shirt and bra.

Now that she was freed from her clothing, Lisa reached for the countertop beside her, getting into an upright position once more so she could open up the cabinet doors of the sink.

Inside the sink and off to the right were a few small white trash bags with red plastic drawstrings. Using one of them would provide the perfect barrier between her cast and any water the may try come in contact with it as she enjoyed a long soak in the tub.

Sitting back down on the commode, Lisa stuck her right foot inside the small white bag, pulling the drawstrings tight just below her kneecap before tying them in a bow.

Pleased with her handiwork, she got up and reached for one of the pile of three towels next to the tub, rolling it up and placing it on the bottom corner of the tub as she rest her right palm on the wall beside her for support.

The bath was now full and she carefully leaned forward and turned off the water.

_This was going to be tricky,_ Lisa thought as she looked down a the mound of bubbles inside the tub, but compared to some of the obstacles in her life, getting into the tub without losing her balance was a rather easy task for her to complete.

Turning sideways, she slowly lowered herself onto the edge of the tub, placing her left foot into the soapy water while keeping a firm grip on opposites sides of the tub with both of her hands as she started to ease her body down into the soothing water, holding her right foot out in front of her and away from the water below it.

Once she her torso was submerged, she placed her right foot onto the rolled up towel at edge of the tub, turning it slightly to one side so it was out of the way of the mountain of bubbles inside the tub.

The water was a little hotter than she expected but it felt tremendously comforting on her weary muscles, the heat soaking into to them immediately as she leaned her head back and let out a big sigh.

She inhaled the intoxicating scent of the bubble bath which was a mixture of cherry blossoms, peach and white jasmine, thinking about House and their phone call, amazed by how much she missed him even though they had only been apart for a few hours at best, the way she longed to be near him, coming alive in his presence and the fire of his touch, something she had believed was only true in the trashy romance novels she read the few times in the past when she allowed herself to go on vacation and soak up the summer sun on the white sand beaches of a far away tropical island.

Back then in the days of not so long ago, those books had been her therapy in a way, a means to fill the void of her own dormant and negated love life, the affect of them always leading her to thoughts of House over and over again throughout the years, the strong male leads in those books, however far fetched they may be, reminding her of him, of how he made her feel when they found themselves locked inside an intense stare with one another as only the smallest fraction of space remained between them.

She had told herself several times it was only because the fine line between anger and lust could easily blurred and misinterpreted between them, not willing to admit to herself back then that their one night stand from long ago often came to visit her on lonely nights when she moved her hands over her body, pretending they were his, reaching back into the past and recalling the way he breathed her name as his stubble grazed her cheek.

Sinking further into her thoughts of him as the heat of the water around her relaxed every fiber of her being, Lisa's slender hands found their way to her breasts where she brushed her thumbs against her nipples, reenacting the actions that House had performed on her when he stood behind her in the bathroom at the hospital as they looked at their reflections in the mirror.

Taking in a breath through pursed lips as her eyes remained closed, she let her hands travel down her taunt abdomen and over to her round hips and soft thighs, imaging they were his hands once more, delicately caressing her curves, a small smile forming on her face as she thought of the way his stubble would often tickle her most sensitive spots when he nestled his face between her legs and looked up at her with a grin before going in for the kill.

Being pulled deeper into the sensuous pool of arousal taking over her body, she moved the fingers of her left hand between her thighs, allowing them to slide across the aching part of her that the thoughts of him had brought forth, the smell of his skin and hot breath on her neck resurrected from her memory to join her in the fantasy.

Her heart was beating faster now, getting primed for the welcomed and familiar rush of ecstasy that would soon envelope her…..when suddenly……..she opened up her eyes,staring at the ceiling above while faced with the undeniable and startling truth that she did not want to experience an orgasm, unless Gregory House was an acting participant in it with her.

Letting out another sigh, Lisa shook her head in disbelief, "Thank god House is not a mind reader, otherwise I'd never hear the end of this," she muttered, before reaching for the bar of soap to the left her the was resting on the edge of the tub.

********************************************************

Taking in a deep breath, Ruth reached for the doorknob that would lead her out of the kitchen and into the backyard, holding the plastic bottle of water she had just taken out of the fridge in her left hand as her mind raced with everything that had transpired in the day thus far.

Closing the door behind her she mentally pushed aside the warnings from the ghosts of her past that told her she was treading on very dangerous ground, determined to find her way back to the place in her life she had denied herself as well as her daughter of for so very long.

Feeling the summer breeze greet her as she stepped out onto the concrete patio of Lisa's house, Ruth immediately spotted Bill in the far corner of the backyard, kneeling on the border of the flower bed that curved in the shape of a kidney.

His white hair reflected the rays of the summer sun, his strong right arm digging around a rather large weed, as his bicep flexed. The vision of him… masculine, breathtaking and something she knew could spell trouble to her heart that had been badly bruised in the past.

_You came here because you wanted to free yourself from the past. Well…. you can't do that without stepping forward into the future, t_he small part of her mind that held the dreams of youth within it coaxed.

Nodding in agreement to her thoughts, Ruth started out across the lawn, with her heart guiding her every step of the way.

Underneath the sun that was held high in the sky above him, Bill was trying his best to pull out a rather stubborn weed encased in harden clay, when the small shadow of Ruth Cuddy appeared on the ground to his left.

Looking up at her as the sun shone down upon her face, he was momentary stunned into a blissful silence, amazed by her beauty and the revealed curves of her body that had been wrapped up in a tempting package of denim and soft cotton for him to see. "Wow." He uttered softly, not meaning to say the word aloud.

Ruth bit back her smile, clasping the water bottle between her hands, feeling so much younger than sixty-five as she smiled at him while a flutter of excitement moved through her stomach.

The affect Bill had on her was one she had not felt since her late husband John had courted her many years ago, back when their love was young and new, without the tarnish that time and heartache had placed upon it.

"I though you might be thirsty," She said softly as he stood up to face her.

"Thanks." Bill responded, catching his breath as his fingers brushed against hers, getting lost within the chestnut color of her beautiful eyes as she smiled up at him.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get out here." Ruth told him as he twisted the cap off of the bottle.

"Your timing is perfect," Bill assured her with a small smile before taking a long sip of the cold and refreshing water, "besides if you would have walked out here any sooner I'm afraid you may have heard some very strong language coming out of my mouth aimed at that darn weed." He joked, wiping his brow before he pointed down to the tangled plant below him.

Ruth laughed softly, studying every feature of his handsome as her took on a more flirtatious tone, "Why Bill, I don't think you could say an unkind word anyone or anything …even a lowly weed," she responded watching his smile broaden as her heart skipped a beat inside her chest.

********************************************************

Standing in front of the bathroom vanity drying her hair, Lisa was now wearing a thin white v-neck t-shirt, a soft pair of low rise pink cotton shorts and most importantly, a sheer white lace bra with matching panties that curved in the back just below her spine, leaving the soft round flesh underneath it exposed.

She had told herself that the reason she had chosen the clothes was because they were comfortable. The shorts and lace panties easy to slide over her cast, but in truth the real reason she had picked out the outfit was to make sure House's jaw would drop to the floor the moment he saw her. A part of her eager to see the look in his eyes when he discovered what was hidden beneath the soft fabric of the shorts hugging her hips, knowing that he would indeed try and get in a quick grope of her lower anatomy when her mother wasn't looking.

Turning off the hairdryer while her dark locks were still slightly damp, she used her fingertips to style her hair into soft loose curls before applying a very light amount of makeup over the abrasions on her face that had almost healed completely now, the tiny cuts taking on an appearance similar to that darkened freckles.

Checking her reflection one last time, Lisa smiled as the relaxing mood that had captured her inside the bathtub earlier remained with her, providing her a welcome reprieve from the more somber thoughts of Jeff and Tritter.

Things were going better for her now, as well as for everyone she cared about. Bill's relationship with Fan, providing her with hope that soon she would be able to put the mess of Jeff and Tritter behind her once and for all, the treasured conversations she had enjoyed with her mother earlier today, giving her even more hope that they _could _move towards a more meaningful relationship with each other.

But most importantly at the base of all of it was the fact that her relationship with House had remained intact through some very trying times that could have easily torn them apart this early in the game of lovers they were playing, the very man who infuriated her beyond belief at times, reminding her time and time again by the loyalty and commitment he gave her without hesitation, why she never hesitated to put her faith in him.

********************************************************

Sitting behind the desk in his office, House looked down at his watch, seeing that the time was now four pm, the hours that had past since he had spoken to Cuddy, proving very costly for his patient who was declining at a rapid pace.

Picking up the red and grey ball on his desk, he turned in his chair, tossing it against the glass wall beside him as he went over the patients symptoms in his mind, trying to come up with a diagnosis that fit.

_Early this morning, the patient presented in the ER with chest pain, extreme anxiety, and an irregular heartbeat……._

_The patients EKG had come back normal, and Cameron took a detailed history, finding that the patient suffered from nausea and vomiting a few days prior to her trip to the ER. _

_The woman assumed she had a stomach virus and was not concerned until she developed the chest pain._

_In less than an hour…..the patient suffered loss of speech._

_Two hours after that…. the patient experienced numbness in her throat, hands, and mouth along with hypotension_

_Up until her visit in the ER…the patient was a healthy fifty year old white female…. Who… under additional questioning by him…. finally confessed to having an extra marital affair a few months ago._

And that was when he was sure that his patient was being poisoned, by either the husband or her lover she had rejected, but thus far his treatment of starting the patient on an activated charcoal drip and atropine had not shown any signs of improvement in her status.

Growing more frustrated by the minute, his mind took a hard right in another direction, flooding him with thoughts of Lisa Cuddy as he dropped the ball back onto the desk.

The part of him that worried about her and her lack of sleep these past few days told him that he should call Lisa again and see how she was doing, the look of exhaustion on her face this morning countered by her overwhelming happiness during their last discussion, warning him she was walking a very treacherous tightrope of emotions, with one false move in either direction possibly resulting in a dangerous fall for her.

"Dammit." He muttered closing his eyes at his leaned back in his chair.

This was _exactly_ the type of thing he did not want to happen to him, the loss of his medical perspective because of a personal relationship with her, helping neither of them at the moment.

Somehow he had to find a way around this, back to the place he needed to be.

"Think." He whispered, picking up the ball from his desk again.

_Ok if I wanted to poison someone…say Cuddy's pain in the ass mother Ruth….how would I go about it?_, House thought, trying out the tactic of merging his personal and professional life to aide him in his diagnosis.

_Household cleaners were easy to obtain, but …they usually left behind a chemical trace and attacked the body in a more rapid fashion then the patient's current symptoms._

_Poisoning someone by giving them a lethal dose of prescription pills was also another method, but ………drugs potent enough to cause death would have shown up in the lab tests._

_So whoever was poisoning this woman wanted her to suffer, but was clever enough to make the poison hard to trace, ensuring that she would most certainly die in the very near future._

_Well whoever did this to her was very clever_, House mused thinking that if he himself ever spiraled into madness and wanted to off Cuddy's mom, poisoning her with a hard to trace substance, really would be the best way to do it.

The morbid thought producing a soft laughter from him as his memory took him back to an old forties movie he had watched as a kid entitled "Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde", which told of a seemingly brilliant man who turned into a monster after drinking a concoction of his own invention.

That first initial thought gave way to a flood of old horror movies he had watched throughout the years, from Dracula, to Frankenstein as well as The Phantom of the Opera. The faces of Lugosi, Karloff and Chaney, flashing through his mind until suddenly the images stopped on another actor from that era who played a monster plagued by guilt.

"Wait a minute." He said aloud to the empty room, feeling the tingle of excitement rush into him as the last piece of the puzzle was put into place.

Earlier, his team had ruled out several possible toxins and poisons but this ancient herb was rarely if ever seen in the United States, the person who had poisoned his patient, having to know this plant of folklore was not easy to come by and once in their possession, needed to be ground into a fine powder it eliminate detection in food and drink.

Leaving behind the ball on his desk, House grabbed his cane as he headed out the door to and down to the lab so he could have his team run the necessary tests.

Limping down towards the elevator, his mind continued to repeat the old phrase from the 1940's horror film that had scared the crap out of him as a ten year old boy.

"_Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers at night. May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright."_

Wolfsbane…..or rather the proper name of the herb_"Aconitum ferox"_, was a plant that contained large quantities of the alkaloid pseudaconitine, which when consumed by humans was a deadly poison that would produce all of the symptoms his patient was experiencing.

********************************************************

Shortly after Lisa had finished getting dressed, her mother appeared in her bedroom once more, making good on her promise to check on her daughter and ensure she was not in need of any help.

Lisa Cuddy of course true to form, not only insisted that she was fine, but also informed her mother that she could rejoin Bill out in the yard rather than spend the afternoon hovering over her, wanting to give both her mother and Bill some more time alone so that they could mull around their feelings for one another as they worked together outside of the house.

At first Ruth protested the idea, telling her daughter she was more than happy to stay with her, until finally she relented after Lisa assured her for the second time that she was beginning to get a little tired and had decided to take a nap on the comfortable sofa that resided inside the living room downstairs.

Sitting down on the couch in the living room, Lisa waited until she heard the back door of the kitchen shut, letting her know that her mother had gone back outside before she reached for the small wicker box underneath her coffee table where several shades of nail polish were held inside of it.

Propping her right foot up on the coffee table, she applied a thin even layer of soft pink polish onto her toes, deciding to do a little more preening before House's arrival.

After she was done with the toes of her right foot, Lisa carefully lifted her cast off the coffee table before placing her left foot onto the table and repeating the process.

Once she had the first coat applied to those toes as well, she reached for the remote and turned on the TV, surfing through a few stations with no luck of finding anything that interested her.

"There is absolutely nothing on." She mumbled before pressing the button for the DVR menu.

Scanning through the recorded programs, she stopped as an episode of 'Prescription Passion' came up on the screen.

Thanks to House….she was now hooked on the soap, but of course she didn't let him know how much she enjoyed the program, rolling her eyes and putting up a fuss every time he would pull her down on the couch next to him and _make_ her watch it with him.

She watched the first half hour of the program while applying another coat of nail polish to her toes as well as an additional clear shiny top, putting the polish back inside the box before lying down on the couch with her right leg propped up on a small pillow as she settled in to watch the rest of drama unfold before her with a small smile on her face.

Dosing off for what seemed like only a few minutes, she was awakened suddenly by a knocking at her front door as the evening sun was setting in the sky outside her window.

********************************************************

House was whistling a Rolling Stones song, with his duffle bag in his left hand as he knocked on Cuddy's front door.

Watching the knob twisted below him, he prepared himself for a cold greeting from Mommie Dearest, not prepared for who answered the door instead.

"Hi…..Mrs…Cud…" He started to say smugly, stopping mid sentence as his eyes widened and his face took on a pleased grin. "Hmm now what do we have here?" he asked in a low and lust filled tone as he looked down at Lisa who was looking up at him with sleepy eyes and an intriguing smile.

She was wearing the sexiest pair of pink shorts he had ever seen, her toned exposed legs so soft and inviting he wanted to bury his face between her thighs and slowly kiss his way all the up to the promised land until she moaned out his name.

Remaining silent for the moment, Cuddy watched the smile as well as the arousal grown on House's face as the seconds past between them.

House tossed his duffle bag inside the foyer, never taking his eyes off of her as they traveled up to the curves of her hips where his fingertips held the memories of the way they gripped onto them in the heat of passion, his mind telling him not to linger there for too long for fear of missing the view of her round breasts that were peeking out at him from the low cut v neck t-shirt she had on.

"Do you want to come inside? Or are you planning on camping out on my front porch?" Cuddy asked him coolly, arching an eyebrow in his direction.

House looked into her grey eyes and swallowed hard as they stared back at him with a smoldering desire that told of woman who was a dangerous combination of sinful beauty and the kind of intelligence that would challenge you both in the bedroom as well as the office.

"Where's Mommie Dearest and Bill?" He asked her in a hushed voice as the sunlight reflected off of her raven hair while she stood before him, leaning on the single crutch resting under her arm.

"They're in the back yard." Lisa told him casually stayed locked onto hers.

Within a second after she had spoken the words to him, House move his arm around her waist, carefully pushing her back inside as he took the crutch away from her and placed it against the wall next to them, closing the door behind them with his left foot as he lowered his lips onto hers, parting them with his tongue.

Lisa moved her hands to his face, sliding her tongue into his mouth before he could enter hers, turned on beyond belief by the way he wanted her and made no apologies for it, needing to feel the electricity that flowed between them in the worst way.

House let out a low moan of approval into her mouth, delighted at her eagerness to join him in the kiss, pushing the envelope further as he slid his hand down from her lower back to the curve of her ass, keeping them balanced by leaning into her until her back made contact with the wall.

Lisa gasped into his mouth as he squeezed her soft round cheek before she upped the ante between them by rubbing her pelvis in small circles on the front of his jeans, smiling against his lips at the thrill of intimacy they both could never get enough of.

House pulled her torso tighter against him, pressing his pelvis into hers, fingers splayed across her ass, his tongue sliding back into her mouth with every part of him so very alive at that moment he never wanted to come back down from the high she gave him.

Trapped willingly in the passion they created, both Cuddy and House jumped in surprise, with their lips parting suddenly as the sound of the back door closing echoed out into the foyer.

"Lisa?" Bill called out from the kitchen.

"I'm in the foyer with House." She yelled back as House stepped back from her.

Letting out a sigh of disappointment for the interruption, Lisa eyes grew large when they focused in on the lower part of House's body.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed in a panicked whisper.

"What?" House questioned with a furrowed brow.

Cuddy pointed down to his pants where the tip of his rock hard penis was peaking out from the top of his jeans.

"Do something!" She shrieked through clenched teeth as the thought of her mother walking into the foyer and seeing House with a huge erection flooded into her brain.

"Easier said than done." House responded, looked down at 'little house' with pride before quickly taking off his suit jacket and folded it over his right arm so that his erection would be hidden from view.

Hearing the sounds of footsteps approaching them, Lisa smoothed out her hair and reached for the crutch beside her.

"Ah…. you need to do something as well." House informed her, pointing to her chest as he flashed her a wicked smile.

Lisa looked down at her shirt and gasped. Her nipples were as rock hard as his erection, pointing straight out in front of her through the thin fabric of her bra for everyone in creation to see, "Oh my god!" She whispered again with panic, thinking quickly as she reached for the doorknob to the closet beside her, pulling out a light summer jacket, hurriedly putting it on just as Bill entered into the foyer.

"Lisa are you planning on going somewhere?" Bill asked walking up them both.

"Um no …I was… just….a little cold, that's all." Cuddy responded, making sure that she kept her focus on Bill and not House, already feeling the warm rush of embarrassment filling her cheeks.

Seeing how uncomfortable Lisa was acting around him as her cheeks turned a bright shade of crimson, Bill turned his attention to House to see if he would offer up any sort of clue regarding her sudden odd behavior.

"She's having hot flashes. Not uncommon for a woman her age." House said trying his best not to laugh as he held his suit jacket against his waist.

Putting two and to together, the realization of what he had walked up on suddenly hit Bill like a ton of bricks. The two "adults" before him trying to recover from the physical ramifications of making out in the hallway like a bunch of horny teenagers.

"I'm going to give the two of you a few moments to compose yourselves while I keep Ruth occupied in the kitchen." Bill said with a soft chuckle as Lisa's face turned a darker shade of crimson.

"I don't know about her, but I'm fine." House boasted pointing over to Cuddy even though his erection had not toned down in the least.

Bill merely shook his head with a grin of amusement before walking back down the hallway towards the kitchen.

"That was so embarrassing!" Lisa uttered, exhaling deeply as she tried to will away the redness in her cheeks.

"You don't think Bill has ever seen nipples before?" House questioned with a wiry grin.

"Don't talk like that! The last thing I want to think about at this moment is Bill looking at nipples….especially _my nipples_." She warned taking off the jacket, relieved to find that her erect nubs had relaxed once more underneath her lace bra.

"You do know Bill wants to see your mom's nipples right?" House teased receiving a hard smack on his left arm from her because of the remark.

"Stop it right now or I will call Wilson and guilt him into staying here tonight while you go back to your place and make love to your pillow." Cuddy told him with a glare.

"You couldn't send me home right now if you life depended on it. Your lips may say no but your nipples say YES." House shot back triumphantly.

Cuddy gave him a dirty look before making her way into the living to retrieve her other crutch not even bothering to try to argue with him at this point ….because in fact he was right.

Leering at her from the foyer, House tracked the curves of Lisa's round ass with his eyes as she leaned over to pick up the crutch lying next to the couch.

"Down boy." He whispered to his erection, thinking of Wilson in drag wearing one of Cuddy's low cut blouses and short skirts in order to make it retreat in horror.

That did the trick and now 'little house" was as soft as Cuddy's ass, resting comfortable inside his boxers once more.

Walking up to him with a swing in her step because of the crutches, Lisa moved her lips to his left ear, "Just remember even though my nipples may be saying yes to you later, you're going to be the one begging me not to stop." She informed him, brushing her hand against his crotch, causing his penis to stir inside his boxers once more.

"Oh it's on." He whispered back to her as he followed her down the hallway.


	24. Chapter 24

**Wow guys!! Thank you all so much for the great reviews! They really are an inspiration for me and I'm grateful that you are all enjoying the story so much. **

**This next chapter will probably be the last one for the next few days as I am planning on ringing in the New Year by partying like it's 1999!!! (hopefully there are some of you who grew up in the eighties like me and will know what I am talking about) lol *winks*. **

**Anyway ….**

**HAVE A GREAT NEW'S YEAR'S EVERYBODY!!!**

**And I really hope you enjoy this next chapter ;)**

**Chapter 24**

Walking into the kitchen, House did a double take when he saw what Ruth Cuddy was wearing as she stood by the sink. The tight jeans hugging her hips and framing her plump ass …making him give thanks that Ruth had passed the genes of great butt to her daughter's anatomy for his viewing pleasure. The v-necked t-shirt stretching over Ruth's ample breasts letting him know that those nice round apples would hold up very well on her daughter as well during the passing years of time.

Keeping his eyes fixed on her cleavage, he did a quick check between Lisa and Ruth to see whose boobs were in fact bigger.

Although it was a close call, Lisa's funbags won out in the end being approximately a half cup size larger than her mother's.

Pleased the he had the bigger breasted Cuddy in his possesion; House limped closer to the women as Bill watched him with interest, no doubt getting ready to reprise his role as mediator if he ended up pushing Ruth too far again.

"Mrs. Cuddy! It's so nice to see you again." House said cheerfully watching Lisa give him a quick warning glare.

Ruth glanced over at him as she started to wash her hands underneath the running water of the facet, "Have you actually run out of vulgar comments? Or does it just take you awhile to get warmed up?" She questioned suspiciously.

Never one to back away from a challenge, House glanced down at the jeans Ruth was wearing, immediately noticing the dirt marks ground into the denim fabric, "If I had known you were going to be on your knees all day I would have gotten here sooner." He said with a sinful grin.

"Don't worry…you got here just in the knick of time. I'm performing free castrations out in the back lawn. Hold on and I'll get my tweezers." Ruth shot back as Bill and Lisa stood in stunned silence at her response.

House narrowed his eyes at her, interested in the fact that instead of being applauded by his remark to her, Ruth had retaliated with a rather wicked comeback, "Being around Bill today must really bring out the naughty girl in you Ruth," he said with low tone, keeping his eyes fixed on her as he poked around her sudden change of tactics in regards to him.

Ruth shrugged her shoulders, drying her hands with the dishcloth she had picked up from beside the sink, "I figured if you can't be shamed into behaving like decent human being. I'll give you exactly the type of treatment you love to dish out to others." She responded calmly.

House looked over at Cuddy, "You do realize this means I will be commenting on your mom's nice ass and perky breasts from now on." He said with a gleam in his eyes.

"You will not!" Lisa protested as she felt her mother place a reassuring hand on her back that surprised the hell out of her.

"Oh Lisa, let him be. I've heard some men really get off on ogling at women who are old enough to be their mother." Ruth said with a cool tone.

House gave her a wicked smile, "Wanna hear about what _really_gets me off?" He asked her slyly, resting his palm on the countertop of the center island separating them, remembering how he had screwed her daughter on top of it a few weeks ago as she moaned out in pleasure.

"House, if want to talk about what gets you off, I suggest you dial up a 900 number." Lisa interrupted while shooting him a look that told him he better keep his big mouth shut.

"Fine but this time you better not charge me three dollars per minute." House responded with smirk, watching her squirm.

"You're impossible." Lisa muttered before turning to face Bill, "I'm sorry you have to witness this and the fact that my mother seems to have decided to sink to House's level," she said dryly.

Bill looked back at Lisa with a comfortable grin, "I like this seeing this side of your mother because it let's me know she's as ingenious as her daughter is when it comes to dealing with the likes of House," he admitted glancing over in Ruth's direction as she smiled back at him.

House let out a sigh of disgust, focusing his attention on Bill, "Why don't you just _ask _Ruth to drop her panties for you and get it over with already? Because this lame line of crap you're feeding her is really getting on my nerves," he muttered with contempt.

"Only you could take a genuine compliment and turn it into something sexual." Lisa remarked shaking her head at him.

"Doctor Cuddy….are you coming on to me?" House asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her as she tried her best to bite back her smile.

"Oh for the love of god, stop trying to flirt with my daughter and make yourself useful by getting that salad bowl on top of the refrigerator for me." Ruth commented sarcastically, making her suspicions in regards to House's intentions towards Lisa known to all of them.

House paused and studied Ruth's face, she was testing him, thinking at this point _he _was the one pursing her naïve little girl, "You've got it all wrong Ruth, your daughter is the one who's all over me. I seem to have that effect on a lot of woman, just wait and see, sooner or later you'll be tossing Bill to the curb and jumping aboard the love train in my pants." he said smugly reaching to his left in order to get the bowl down off of the top of the fridge for her.

Lisa looked up at him with bewilderment, "Yes mom, didn't you know that the _only reason_ why I put up with House's crap is because I'm madly and hopelessly in love with him," she scoffed, grabbing the bowl from him before handing it to her mother, knowing House was loving every minute of the dangerous conversation.

Ruth laughed, placing the bowl down on the countertop in front of them as she smiled over at Lisa , satisfied that although House was hoping for something more with her daughter, Lisa seemed to be doing a good job at keeping him at arms length. "Listen I planned on serving dinner at six- thirty and since Bill and I both have to changed out of our dirty clothes, why don't you try and see if you can threaten House into helping you set the table for me," she said before moving around the island towards Bill who was standing by the kitchen table.

"By the way Bill, thanks again for helping me today out in the yard." Ruth then said, touching his arm gently.

"Your welcome." Bill said with a small smile as he and Ruth began to towards the doorway leading out into the hall.

"I guess I should have asked you if starting dinner at six-thirty would give you enough time to go home and get a showered before coming back here." Ruth added as they crossed the threshold of the kitchen.

"Six-thirty is fine Ruth." Bill assured her with another smile as they entered into the hallway.

"Your mom is totally gonna give it up to Bill." House whispered over to Cuddy after they had left.

Lisa looked up at him with an unimpressed expression on her face, "Just try to keep the dinner conversation civil tonight for my sake." She told him before wincing as a random sharp pain traveled through her ankle.

"You ok?" House asked with concern.

Lisa nodded, "My ankle hurts a little, but it's nothing I can't handle," she answered before moving past him with her crutches over to the cabinet where the dinner plates were located.

House limped over next to her and grabbed the plates before she could reach them. "Want some vicodin?" He questioned placing the plates down on the countertop as he reached inside he suit jacket.

"I have a prescription for codeine in my bathroom upstairs, but thanks anyways." Lisa replied sarcastically, opening the drawer where the silverware was housed.

"Come on ...my stuff is so much better. Besides judging by the bitchy tone in your voice, you need to take something now and between trying to set the table for your mother as well as preventing me from throwing you up on the counter and having my wicked way with you; it could be another _hour_ before you get those pills upstairs." House reasoned.

Cuddy looked up at him with a serious face, "Give me _half_ a pill." She instructed, placing her palm out towards him.

"Anything you say sweet cheeks." House responded, reaching for a butter knife in the drawer beside her before popping open the bottle of pills and shaking out one of them into his palm.

Placing the single small white tablet on the countertop, he pressed the dull serrated blade of the knife in the very center of the pill before pressing down slowly on it.

"I need a glass of water too." Cuddy told him with a smile, after he handed her half of the pill.

House gave her an annoyed look, but reached for a glass in the cabinet next to him anyway as he popped the other half of the pill into his mouth, filling the tumbler up midway with water before handing it to her.

"Thanks." She said sweetly, placing the pill on her tongue while moving the glass up to her lips.

Watching the movement of the muscles in her throat as she drank from the glass, House felt the sly smile forming on his face that accompanied his dirty thoughts, "That's right baby swallow it just like I taught you to." He said in a low whisper, unable to resist.

Cuddy looked over at him with the glass still up to her lips, taking another big gulp of water before shooting a stream of it onto his shirt as she pushed the liquid out from in-between her teeth.

"Hey! Knock it off!" House yelled in shock.

"You're such a big baby." Lisa teased with a small chuckle, reaching for the dishrag beside her and tossing it to him.

"I'm telling you mom." House warned, dabbing his shirt with the towel.

"If you don't' NARC on me I promise I'll make it worth your while." She offered, setting down the glass and reaching for his package, gently caressing it through the denim of his jeans as he smiled down at her.

"Nice try ….but I'm no where near the begging stage yet." House said, dropping the dish towel on the countertop as he pushed his groin into her hand.

"Are you sure? Because by the sounds of the water running upstairs in the spare bathroom, we could easily duck into the pantry for a quickie before my mom gets back down here. All you have to say is please." Lisa told him with a sultry tone, brushing her thumb over the bulge that had started to rise up in his pants.

"The only time I'm going to be saying please to you tonight is when I ask you to _please stop_ moaning my name so loud as you're riding my magic stick." House told her with a smile.

Lisa folded her arms in front of her, not backing down an inch.

"Just remember, we have to be careful because the last thing I want to have happen tonight is for my mom to walk in on us while _you're_ begging me for more." She countered with a grin.

********************************************************

Later that evening after Bill had returned to Cuddy's home bringing with him a fresh baked apple pie for dessert, Ruth announced to all of them they could take their seats inside the dining room.

The long walnut table that resided in the dining room was large enough to accommodate six people but since it would only be a party of four tonight, Bill had removed two of the chairs and set them in the corner of the room, with Ruth and House sitting at opposite ends of the table facing each other as Lisa and Bill sat across from one another.

The table was filled with a simple yet hearty feast consisting of spaghetti with a marinara sauce, fresh toasted garlic bread, and a garden salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, along with two bottles of merlot that House had brought out from the inside kitchen, intent on somehow making sure that Ruth had enough wine during dinner to knock her meddling ass out for a goodnight's sleep, thereby insuring that he would be having a very goodnight with her daughter without threat of being interrupted.

Once the pasta, garlic bread and salad had been passed around among them, House watched with interest as Bill began to fill up all of their glasses with the first uncorked bottle of wine, deciding now was as good time as any to kick start Ruth's alcohol consumption.

Reaching for his wine glass, House cleared his throat, "I'd like to propose a toast to you Ruth, for cooking this fine meal for us," he announced just as Bill started to sit back down, watching everyone turn in his direction with suspicious collective looks on all of their faces.

"Should I wait for the snide remark where you tell me that I'm as good in the kitchen as I am on my knees?" Ruth questioned, reaching for the glass of wine beside her.

"Hadn't thought of that but…sure… why the hell not." House responded with smirk raising his glass up to her.

Ruth kept her eyes focused on him as she brought her own glass of wine up to her lips with Bill and Lisa both following suit, taking a sip of the wine resting in their hands as well.

"Lisa, do you really think you should be drinking?" Ruth then questioned, turning in her chair to face her daughter.

"I often have a glass of wine with dinner, and since I haven't taken any pain medication, I'll be fine." Lisa told her, feeling the heat of House's stare from the end of the table as she conveniently left out the fact that she had indeed taken half of one of his vicodin tablets little more then a half hour ago.

"Bill, what do you think?" Ruth asked turning to face him.

"She should be fine." Bill said with a nod, watching Lisa's clench her jaw in anger.

"You know mom, last time I checked, I did have the initials MD after my name as well." Lisa informed her mother with an even tone.

Not able to resist, House jumped at the opportunity to put in his two cents in as well, "I don't know Ruth, seems like that smartass attitude your daughter has towards you is only going to get worse after she's got some wine in her. If I were you I'd proceed with caution." He said smartly, reaching for his own glass of wine and taking another sip of it as he smirked up at Cuddy.

"I don't recall my mo asking for you opinion." Cuddy hissed, keeping her eyes locked on House's face, incredibly ticked by his wiseass remark.

"Are you on drugs or something? Because you're acting _very _hostile right now." House shot back.

"Shut up and eat." Cuddy remarked, picking up her fork while narrowing her eyes at him.

"Lisa, I'm sorry if I made you angry." Ruth whispered to her daughter, placing her hand on top of Lisa's right hand that was resting on the table.

"It's ok mom. Let's just try and have a nice dinner." Cuddy responded softly, looking down at her mother's hand as her thumb brushed against her skin, knowing that this gesture along with the reassuring hand her mother had placed on her back earlier inside the kitchen was the most physical contact that had occurred between them in years.

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Throughout the rest of the dinner the conversation actually flowed quite nicely, with House seemingly transformed into a man who was in the mood to tell humorous and interesting stories about the patients he had treated in the past, stopping now and again to take another sip of his wine, watching as everyone seated around the table joined him in placing their lips to their glasses as well.

Focusing intently on House as he did his best bullshit dog and pony show, Lisa took another sip of her wine, still feeling the heat of anger within her at his behavior towards her early, deciding to fill her wine glass again after it was empty just to spite him.

After noticing that second bottle of wine was almost gone, House leaned back in his chair, his mission very much accomplished at this point as he noticed Ruth's smile was now coming forth from her in a more relaxed state as Bill spoke to her, the laughter escaping her lips kissed with the soothing affects of the alcohol.

Turning his gaze towards Lisa however, he soon realized that he now had two tipsy Cuddy women on his hands instead of just one as she looked back at him with a very relaxed smile of her own, no doubt riding high off of the combined buzz of half a vicodin and two glasses of wine, her stubbornness leading the way to her now inebriated state.

Watching House looking over her daughter, Ruth placed her empty wine glass back down on the table, "Would any of you like some pie for dessert?" she questioned, thereby forcing him to look away from her, feeling some sort of small comfort in the act.

"When it comes to pie, I'm your man." House responded in a chipper tone.

Ruth nodded at him before glancing over at her daughter, "What about you Lisa?" She asked.

"I'd love some pie mom." Cuddy responded with a warm smile, placing her elbow on the table as she rested her chin in her palm.

"Lisa are you ok?" Ruth questioned immediately, noticing the glow in her daughter's cheeks.

"I'm fine mom." Lisa assured her, lying through her teeth as she held back a giggle.

Ruth studied her daughter for a few more seconds, reaching for the empty wine glass in front of her before standing up from the table, surprised at the head rush that greeted her, halting her in her tracks for the moment.

"Ruth why don't you let me help you out with the pie." Bill offered, standing up beside her, knowing full well the three glasses of wine she had drank throughout dinner we now catching up to her quickly.

"Thank's Bill that's very sweet of you." Ruth said, taking in a deep breath before exciting the room, feeling him place a reassuring hand on her back as he followed her out into the kitchen.

Once Bill and Ruth were out of earshot, House leaned forward in his chair, "You're trashed." He whispered to Cuddy, pointing his finger at her.

"I am not…."Lisa whispered back, letting out a soft giggle and reaching for his hand…..which she promptly placed on her left breast.

"What the hell are you doing?" House questioned with surprise.

"I figured since you've been looking at them all night you may as well cop a feel while you can." She told him with a huge grin, watching his eyes widen at her response.

"Stop it or you're gonna get us busted drunko." House warned in a low tone, pulling his hand away from her boob just before Bill and Ruth returned to the dining room with the pie.

Ruth stopped in mid stride, looking over at House who was leaning towards her daughter as he remained seated in his chair.

"Stop trying to look down her shirt!" Ruth warned, totally unaware that her daughter had just allowed House to get a very nice grope of her left breast no more then two seconds ago.

"Tell your daughter to quit wearing low cut tops and I will." House replied, leaing back in his chair.

"Mom, we were just talking about work." Cuddy lied again with her best poker face.

Ruth studied her daughter's face once more, "Are you sure you're ok Lisa?" She asked feeling slightly dizzy again thanks to the wine she had consumed, holding onto the back of the chair in front of her as she placed the pie on the table.

"I'm fine mom, now take a seat so we can all enjoy dessert." Lisa insisted, somehow managing to fighting off the amazing warmth of intoxication enveloping her for a few brief seconds.

Sitting down in her chair, Ruth reached for the knife Bill had brought into the dining room along with the small white plates, ready to the divide the pie into six sections.

"Here Ruth, why don't you let me do that since you've worked so hard on preparing us all dinner." Bill offered, taking he knife from her after seeing her struggling to keep it steady.

"Thank you." Ruth whispered looking up at him with smile as he quickly began cutting the pie, placing individual pieces of it onto the three of the four small plates and handing them out to everyone.

After slicing one last piece for himself, Bill sat back down as they all began to dig into the delicious dessert.

Thoroughly enjoying the forkful of pie she had placed in her mouth, Lisa closed hers to enhance the taste of it, letting the diced apples, cinnamon and sugar dance around on her tongue.

_My god! This has to be the best_ _piece of pie I've ever had!_, she thought with a stretched smile as a deep sound of satisfaction escaped from her closed lips with enthusiasm.

"_Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!" _Lisa hummed loudly with a throaty moan as she swallowed the sweet pastry.

Ruth gave her daughter a sideways glance, knowing full well at this point that Lisa was feeling the affects of the wine she had consumed more then she had let on a few minutes ago.

House cocked his head studying Cuddy, wondering if anyone had actually ever had experienced an orgasm while eating dessert.

Bill looked over at Lisa at the same time, wondering if her mother made the same type of noise after she was completely satisfied.

Slightly embarrassed by her daughter's behavior, Ruth focused her attention on Bill. "Thank you so much for bringing this pie for dessert, it's simply delicious." Ruth said, smilingly sweetly, not sure why Bill started to blush when their eyes connected.

"I have to say if there's one thing Bill knows about ……its pie. Why the other day I saw him walking around the hospital with the juices from a fresh pie all over his face."" House stated innocently as he took the conversation by the hand, dragging it straight into the gutter.

Although Bill looked down at him with a knowing glance the comment had completely gone over Ruth's head, her mind unaware of the type of "pie" House was now talking about.

Lisa on the other hand, had almost choked on the piece of pie she had just placed in her mouth, cough loudly as she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Here Lisa." Ruth offered handing a glass of water from the table.

Lisa took a small sip of the water, "Thanks mom." She whispered not believing what she had just heard come out of House's mouth.

"You should take another drink." Ruth coaxed before condescendingly looked down at House. "And by the way I hardly think that Bill is the type of man who would walk around the hospital with the juice of a pie all over his face. _That _is something more up your alley House,'' she told him with a sarcastic tone, remaining clueless as to the real meaning of the conversation they were having.

House held back his laughter, delighted beyond belief that Ruth was completely ignorant to the fact he was talking about the soft and warm "pie" of the female anatomy, rather than the pastry stuffed with fruit. "You know what Ruth, you're right …that does sound exactly like me," he conceded before adding, "In fact I can't tell you how many times I've walked around with the juice of a warm pie all over my face, thanks of course to _your daughter_," he informed her with a smile that actually hurt the corners of his mouth.

This time Bill was the one who almost choked on the forkful of pie he had just placed into his mouth, while Lisa swallowed a huge gulp of water for fear of spitting it out on the table, darting her eyes towards her mother and praying that she would not understand the true meaning of what House had just said to her.

"Are you telling me that my daughter is_ forcing _you to eat pie?" Ruth asked with utter confusion, wondering at this point if House was drunk as well.

"Not just any pie......_her pie_." House responded slowly, still expecting the light bulb to kick on at any moment inside Ruth's brain.

Ruth shook her head dismissively, "I swear you're even more of an idiot when you drink, because on the rare occasions when Lisa actually bakes, there is no way in hell she would shove a piece of pie into your mouth, force you to eat and then let you walk around with the juice of it all over your face," she told him, folding her arms across her chest, growing tired with whatever stupid game House was trying to play with her.

Lisa, who had been stunned into silence along with Bill after hearing her mother speak, slowly placed the glass in her hand back on the table before letting out the most loud and totally drunk laugh House had ever heard.

"_Ahhhhhh ha ha ha ha!"_ She exclaimed with a high pitch bellow of happiness. The sound of her complete and utter amusement regarding all that had transpired between her mother and House filling the air around them, laughing so hard at this point she could hardly breathe as she slapped her hands down on the table while her entire face lit up.

House looked up at her and decided hands down that a drunk, high on vicodin Lisa Cuddy was probably the sexist and most hilarious thing he had ever seen.

"Lisa! _Are you drunk?_" Ruth asked incredulously, dropping her fork onto her plate as her daughter stifled her laughter into a small giggle.

"Just a little." Lisa finally confessed with a sheepish grin.

Ruth shook her head in disapproval, "Well I think you've had you share of fun for the evening so let's get you up into bed before you embarrass yourself any further." She muttered.

"But mom I didn't get to tell you the story about House's summer sausage yet. You do know it's world famous." Lisa exclaimed with another laugh escaping her lips as she looked down at House with a silly smile stretched across her face.

Ruth followed her daughter's gaze, "I hope you know I blame you for her acting this way after hearing the crap that comes out of your mouth on a daily basis." She told him coldly, rising up out of her chair when suddenly she felt another wave of dizziness wash over her, causing her knees to buckle.

"Easy Ruth, I've got you." Bill whispered to her gently, easing her back down onto the chair after coming to her aid.

"Mom, are you alright?" Lisa whispered, reaching out to touch her mother's shoulder as the waves of booze and vicodin kept a strong hold on her.

"Talk about embarrassing, I don't know who's worse, the Cuddy with the vulgar mouth or the Cuddy who's practically passing out." House cracked with a grin.

Bill looked down at him with a pleading glance, "House would you help Lisa out into the living room while I take care of Ruth?" he asked with sincerity.

House nodded and got up, limping over to Lisa who was watching her mother.

"Come on Cuddy." House said as he held out his hand to her.

"I need my crutches." She told him in a thick voice.

"You'll fall on your ass if you try and use those things, just put your arm around me and don't forget to lift you right leg up when we start walking." He told her, shaking his head as she smiled up at him.

"Okey dokey." Lisa agreed with a nod, forgetting about her mother as she gazed into House's gorgeous blue eyes, feeling a spark run through her as he practically lifted her up next to him after wrapping one very strong arm around her waist.

"You're really tall." She then told him with another smile, resting her head on his shoulder as they made their way out into the living room.

"You just figured that out now booze hound?" House asked her raising an eyebrow in her direction as they arrived in the living room and stood next to the couch. "Ok now easy does it," he told her, bending ast his waist so she could take a seat, ignoring the sharp pain the shot up his thigh as she pretty much slid out of his arm and onto the center cushion of the sofa.

"You're so cute taking care of me like this." Lisa said in low purr, placing her arm around his shoulders as he took a seat next to her.

House glanced out into the dining room, making sure Ruth's back was still turned towards them before answering her, "Is that so?" he questioned with a smirk, looking into her radiant grey eyes.

Lisa nodded, moving her lips to his neck, getting hornier by the minute thanks to the cocktail of alcohol and pain meds. "I want you to have sex with on this couch right now," she then whispered into his ear before sucking the soft flesh of his earlobe into her mouth.

House pushed her body away from him. "Your mom is ten feet away from us in the dining room!" He reminded in a low whisper as he held her by the shoulders while she smiled back at him.

"Oh yeah ….right….…" Lisa started to say in a slow drawl, placing her palm up to her forehead, "well do just wanna play with my boobs instead until my mom goes to bed?" She asked, taking his right hand and placing it in between both of her breasts.

House looked down at his hand and smiled before looking back up at her, totally enjoying seeing this side of Lisa Cuddy, glancing out into the dining room once more to make sure Bill was still keeping Ruth occupied.

"What I want to do is screw you silly, but I have an awful feeling that you're going to end up falling asleep on me very soon much like that drunken mother of yours." House told her, tugging her shirt down a bit as he moved his fingers up and down between her cleavage.

"I will not." Lisa argued with a stunning smile, giving him a happy peck on the lips before leaning into him and resting her head on his shoulder once more.


	25. Chapter 25

**Ok everyone after a very fun and busy past couple of days I'm back with a new chapter :) Hope you enjoy it and of course I would love to hear your thoughts!**

**Chapter 25**

Just as House had predicted, five minutes later, Cuddy was fast asleep, with her head still resting against his shoulder, and her palm placed in the center of his chest.

"I never thought I'd see the day when vicodin would actually _prevent _me from getting laid," He whispered softly to himself looking down at her sleeping face while with his thumb rubbing the soft skin of her thigh.

Looking out of the window to his left, he watched the moonlight cast a soft glow on the tree in Lisa's front yard, feeling the warmth of her body pressing against him, the smell of her skin drifting into the thoughts running through his mind as he wondered what the future may hold for them, never one to rest in security when misery could be waiting for you just around the corner, the way fate pulls you by the wrist whether you're ready for it or not, causing him to brush his lips against the soft dark hair on the crown of her head as the moonlight continued to shine down on the leaves of the oak tree in front of her house.

Walking into the living room, Bill paused before speaking, wanting to observe House and Lisa together on the couch for a few more seconds before breaking the spell, the sight of the two of them together with Lisa sleeping peacefully against House's chest as he gently caressed her back and stared out of the window beside them and into the night, stirring memories from his past of his late wife Anna, his heart hoping that the silent comfort House was providing Lisa would be remembered by him when the inevitable storms clouds of life would eventually roll in as they do with all of us.

Clearing his throat softly to alert House to his presence, Bill moved further into the room until he was standing in front of the couch. "Ruth is feeling a little better so I was going to help her upstairs to her room," he whispered softly not wanting to wake Lisa from her slumber.

"Hold on a few minutes and let me get her settled on the couch first." House requested gazing down at Cuddy.

"If you want, I could help you take Lisa upstairs." Bill offered.

"It would be better if we don't disturb her, moving Lisa around too much at this point might cause her to toss her cookies….. or in this case her pasta." House told him, gently easing her out from under his arm as he reached for the pillow behind him and placed it under her head.

Lisa let out a mumble neither one of them could understand, keeping her eyes closed as she remained sleeping.

Crouching down beside her, House carefully lifted up her legs and placed them on the couch as well, taking another pillow at the end of the couch and placing it underneath her right foot while she remained resting on her side before reaching on top of the couch and covering her up with multi-colored afghan resting on the back of it.

"Ok, you can bring the drunk out for her walk of shame now." He then told Bill with a small grin.

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"Ok Ruth are you ready?" Bill asked holding out both of his hands to her as she remained seated at the dining room table.

Ruth nodded, grasping his hands as Bill lifted her up to her feet before wrapping his right arm around her waist. "I can't believe what a fool I've made of myself." She whispered with embarrassment as they headed out towards the living room.

"Nonsense Ruth, do you really think you're the only person on this earth who has ever succumbed to the effects of alcohol?" Bill questioned softly, looking down at her with a genuine smile.

Ruth tried her best to smile back at him but failed, "How's Lisa?" she asked softly as they moved across the hallway.

"House is taking good care of her," Bill assured her as she followed his gaze when they reached the living room.

With chestnut eyes that were filled with concern, Ruth moved away from Bill as she walked over to the couch where Lisa lay sleeping, brushing by House who had just picked up the remote from the coffee table..

"Are you sure she's ok Bill?" Ruth questioned in a voice just above a whisper as the old memories within her began to surface.

"She'll be fine." House responded back to her flatly as he turned to face her.

"I'm staying down here with her just to be sure," Ruth responded, never taking her eyes off of Lisa, daring to let her fingers gently touch the side of her daughter's cheek.

"You're in no condition to take care of _yourself_ let alone her." House muttered watching the color drain from Ruth's face after he had spoken the words to her. "Oh god, if you're going to puke, aim that way," he informed her, pointing over towards Bill who was still holding onto her hand.

Bill wrapped his arm around her waist again, "Come on Ruth, I'll take you to the bathroom," he told her gently.

"_I don't need to go to the bathroom!" _Ruth insisted with a harsh tone, pushing herself away from Bill and closing her eyes for a moment while the words House had spoken to her helped the dark thoughts of her past to gain momentum as they crested from deep within her memory.

"Ruth ….look at me." House ordered, placing his hand onto her neck, wanting to make sure her little outburst was not anything more serious than reaction while under the affects of alcohol, always needing to peer just below the surface for things that may be hidden at first glance.

Ruth's eyes flew open the instant House had placed his fingers onto the pulse of her neck, her hand slapping it away as she took a step back from both men. "Don't touch me!" She warned House in a guarded whisper as her face took on an eerie expression which was a mix between anger and fear, "_I told you both I'm fine now leave me alone_," she added evenly, regaining the strength in her voice as she glared over at not only House, but Bill as well.

"Ruth….we were just trying to help you." Bill whispered, watching her eyes dart back to him with the speed of an animal that has been cornered by its predator, instincts formed from god knows where, making her feel hunted by them at the moment.

House's eyes now searched Ruth's face intently. Although physically she appeared to be ok, something within her had snapped to attention the instant he had touched her, cutting through the alcohol coursing through her veins with the fierceness of a tiger. The tension within her, sharp and ready to cut through both men who had suddenly become her enemies, "You know Ruth, drinking really seems brings out the bitch in you." He said in a calculated tone, offering her the out she seemed to desperately need right now, the insult giving her a way to fight back at him while staying behind the mask of her emotions she had let slip a few seconds ago.

_Oh god he knows….House knows there was something wrong with me and now Bill knows it too, _Ruth thought as the panic rose up in her with the force of a tidal wave, letting another part of her brain take over to try and save face while she waited on the other side of reality. Safe and sound and so very quiet now she could indeed disappear into the emptiness of it just like she had done twice before in her life. "I'm sorry for the way I just acted," she said quickly with a voice that sounded very, convincing, "you see my father used to get very mean when he drank, which is why I usually avoid alcohol, but I guess I was just having such a good time tonight I got a little carried away" she lied, hoping that her dead father would understand the need for the statement she had just uttered.

"Ruth, you don't have to apologize we've all been through a lot these past few days," Bill assured her without question as Lisa stirred on the sofa behind them all. Another mumble escaping from her lips as the dream she was having continued to play on in her head.

"I should go upstairs before I end up waking her." Ruth said in a hushed voice, glancing back at her sleeping daughter.

"Sounds like a great idea to me." House agreed with a cool tone, his blue eyes staying locked on Ruth as she moved past him with Bill following closely behind her.

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After walking with Ruth up to the spare bedroom on the second floor, Bill turned to face her outside the doorway. "I guess this is goodnight then." He said softly, worried by what he had seen in her eyes down in the living room.

"I guess it is." Ruth agreed looking away from him.

"Ruth," Bill said in another soft whisper, ever so gently touching her chin and titling it towards his gaze. "Are you sure you're ok? Because if you need me to stay with you, I will." He offered with a compassionate tone.

"I'm fine." Ruth replied, lying again as she reached for his hand still resting on her chin, holding onto it as he looked down at her, "Like you said, it's been a very trying couple of days on all of us and I know getting a little rest with do me a world of good," she added.

"Alright then….. I'll let you get some sleep, but…if you need me for anything, either tonight or for the rest of the time you're staying here I want you to call me. I'll leave my cell phone number downstairs on the kitchen table for you ok?" Bill told her, noticing the hint of sadness now rimming the chestnut brown of her eyes.

"You're a good man Bill." Ruth whispered up to him before placing a soft hand to his face and tenderly kissing him on the cheek.

Bill closed his eyes for a moment as her lips touched the side of his jaw, falling into her gaze once more as she took a step back from him.

"Goodnight Bill," Ruth said in a soft voice before turning away from him.

Goodnight Ruth," Bill whispered back to her, watching her enter into the bedroom, leaving him alone inside the hallway.

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As the night around them grew darker, Bill and House stood at the backdoor of the kitchen after Bill had scribbled down his cell phone number on a small notepad House had found for him.

"Promise me you'll take care of both of them tonight." Bill said in a worried tone, placing his right hand on House's shoulder.

"I will, if you promise never to touch me again." House answered with a flat tone.

Bill removed his hand from him and squared his shoulders, "Ruth needs you just as much as Lisa does even if you may think she doesn't deserve either your time or attention," he told House bluntly, turning and reaching for the doorknob, leaving House to think about the words he had spoken as he left, closing the back door of the kitchen behind him.

House looked out the window of the backdoor, watching Bill get into his white Cadillac parked in front of the garage, knowing the old man had been shaken by emotional stumble Ruth had taken inside the living room, no matter how quickly she had seemed to recover from it.

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Once he had made his way back inside the living room, House lowered himself into the chair directly across from the sofa, thereby insuring he would have the perfect view of Lisa as he kept his silent vigil over her.

Reaching for the remote on the coffee table he paused before pressing the power button, his head cocking to one side as he honed in on the muffled noises being created by Ruth who was a walking across floor above him.

Running water and then the sound of a door closing alerted him to the fact that she had just been in the spare bathroom and was hopefully now on her way to bed.

Leaning back in the chair, he waited a few more seconds to see if any other sounds would come traveling down the stairs before finally switching on the remote and lowering the volume of the TV, surfing through a few channels before stumbling across the opening shot of the old Orson Wells film "Citizen Kane".

Setting the remote back onto the coffee table his eyes were drawn to the image of the camera panning up from the 'No Trespassing' sign as it traveled slowly across the chain link fence that guarded the elaborate mansion sitting atop a hill where a single light cut through the darkness of night surrounding it. The image of Kane's lips uttering the word "Rosebud" on his deathbed while holding onto a snow globe, drawing him into the film in an instant while above him, Ruth …who had just slipped under the covers of the bed inside the spare room was draw just as quickly into the nightmares awaiting her as soon as she had closed her eyes.

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Deep in the part of night that stretches into early morning, where dreams can take on sinister purposes, Lisa found herself back inside the dark forest of her previous nightmare, being hunting down once more by Jeff as the sounds of his shoes slapping against the puddles of the muddy trail she was running across in her bare feet echoed loudly into her ears.

This time when the path forked, she took the trail to her left, exhaling in heartbreaking relief as her legs carried towards the small house just in front of her.

A sanctuary found in the forest of misery.

An opportunity to escape Jeff and lock him out of her memory before he could do any harm to her… just a few precious feet in front or her.

She heard the sounds of her feet drumming against the wooden steps as she ran up them, the protesting screech of the door as she pulled it open with force before slamming it behind her and engaging the deadbolt, turning around and pressing her back against it as she gazed upon the figure of her mother.

"You knew……you knew and you kept it from me." Ruth whispered to her daughter as the years melted away from her face until they both were back in the fateful place in time, inside Lisa's bedroom in the house she had grown up in.

"I…..I promised." Lisa told her mother with the voice of the twelve year old girl she once was.

"_Promised to lie to me?"_ Ruth questioned as the tears began to fill her brown eyes.

"Mom….please." Lisa begged, moving her hand up to her lips as she had done so many times as a child when confronted with emotions that released the aching growing pains of adulthood while behind her Jeff pounded on the door, causing her jump away from it and towards her mother, reaching for her hand.

"Just say away from me Lisa!" Ruth warned her, backing up to the doorway of her old bedroom as her voice changed into a mournful tone as her hand clutched tightly onto her chest.

Once more the loud banging of the door behind them echoed inside the bedroom of Lisa's youth.

"Let me in! Open this door and let me in!" Jeff shouted as his right foot connected with the wooden plank in the center of the door, sending small splinters of it scattering onto the porch.

"Mom we have to get out of here! We have to run!" Lisa pleaded, reaching out for her mother once more.

"You can't run Lisa. You have to stay here. We all do ….even him." Ruth told her, pointing behind her daughter.

Lisa felt her entire body tremble as Jeff's breath registered on the back of her neck, "No…." she whispered , shaking her head with aching disbelief, feeling her heart pounding fiercely inside her chest.

"It really is better this way Lisa…. you'll see." Jeff whispered down to her as he placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her as he smiled at her with teeth made of broken shards of glass.

"_Nooooo!"_ Lisa cried out just inside the border of her nightmare before her eyes snapped open, the steady hum of the television announcing to her that she had now entered back into the world of reality.

She pushed herself up into a seated position on the couch as the top half of the afghan slipped down onto her lap, the dull ache in her head, reminding her of the wine she had drank during dinner, the icy feel of the bad dream she had just awoken from, causing her to look around the room for any phantoms of it that may still linger here. Her eyes stopping in a heartbeat the moment they spotted House sleeping in the chair across from her.

Deep inside a dream, House was stirred from his sleep by the touch of Lisa's hand, his eyes opening up as she looked down at him.

"You ok?" He questioned feeling his heart beat a little faster in his chest studying the haunting look on her face.

Lisa shook her head no, tugging on his hand, unable to tell him about her nightmare just yet, only wanting him to take her as far away from it as possible.

"What's wrong?" House asked her, rising to his feet as she held tightly onto his hand.

"I…." Lisa started to say before feeling her throat tighten under the weight of the old memories mixed in with her nightmare, rendering her silent once more.

House studied her face, the disturbing expression still residing within its borders showing no sign of retreating anytime soon, "Come on let's go into the kitchen and I'll get a glass of water," he offered, handing her the crutches he had placed next to his chair before reaching for his cane, knowing that whatever had ripped her from her slumber was still keeping a tight hold on her.

Letting House lead the way, Lisa followed behind him with her eyes focused on the back of his head, her mind torturing now with the past that had sent her world crashing down upon her at the age of twelve, her hand reaching out for him suddenly just as he passed by the laundry room door inside the kitchen.

"Wait." She whispered as he turned around to face her.

House remained silent, giving her an opportunity to speak, parting his lips when no words were spoken by her, "Lisa….you need to talk to me." He told her in a voice that was reserved only for her.

"I…. I…can't.." She told him with and ache to her tone, reaching beside her and opening up the door to the laundry room, slipping inside of it and pulling him into the room as well.

House closed the door behind them getting ready to switch on the light as Lisa placed her crutches against the wall.

"No." She whispered feeling hopelessly lost at the moment, looking up into his eye as she pulled him into her kiss.

House could Lisa's hands trembling as her fingertips caressed his neck. Her kiss was filled with an aching he had never felt before. The waves of emotions coursing through her body and now entering into him, scaring the hell out of him, the fact that she was investing everything inside her on the believe that he could provide the depth of emotional comfort she was seeking, making him push himself away from her embrace.

"You need…" House started to say, breaking away from the kiss.

"Don't talk….just be with me." She asked him softly under the veil of moonlight that illuminated her tortured face through the small window in the laundry room, her hands removing the shirt from her body as he watched her silently.

House took in breath as she touched his chest, her lips moving up to his once more.

This was more than he had barged for, the look in her eyes just now slamming into him with a hard cold reality that confirmed he would indeed risk everything for her. His hands moving down to her waist and pulling her closer to him as he walked past the mines he laid long ago in order to reach her, feeling her hands lifting up his shirt and pulling it off his body as he raised his arms in order to help her with the task.

The rest of their clothes were shed as quickly as possible beneath the pale moon inside the tiny room, words left unspoken at her request as kisses on bare skin and shallow breathing with beating hearts behind them took over, the silence invading the space between them once more after he had surprised her by hosting her up onto the washer behind them.

"Your leg." Lisa gasped feeling the cold metal seep into her skin as her thighs gripped his waist.

"I'm ok." House whispered down to her before grabbing one of the freshly dried towels on top of the dryer beside them as she watched his every move. "Lift up." He then told her as he placed the towel underneath her, searching her face to see if she really wanted to continue. Their location, plus the fact that her mother was currently sleeping a floor above them, not one of the wisest moves considering all that could go wrong if Ruth were to suddenly wake up and find them in here.

Lisa pulled his face towards her again without hesitation, kissing him deeply, her hands running up and down his back as he lifted up her right leg, taking on the weight of her cast while she was taking in every part of him, from the smell and warmth of his skin as it rubbed against her own, to the beat of his heart as he pulled her closer and move his lips to her neck, the feel of his erection pulsing between her thighs, telling her how much he desired her, the longing to become one with him and create the powerful bond that nightmares could never take away from her, overwhelming at this point.

House felt the vibration of the soft moan that escaped Lisa's throat on his lips as he placed his left hand around the small of her back, pulling her bottom dangerously close to the edge of the washer as her left hand traveling down his stomach towards his erection.

She looked up at him and kissed him softly, silently letting him know she trusted him to keep them steady, guiding his hard shaft inside of her where it easily slipped into place as the warmth of her arousal welcomed him back into the familiar place he had missed.

House began to move in an out of her slowly, his eyes connected to hers, the feeling of being inside of her again sending chills up his spine, her legs spreading open wider as she arched her back, allowing him to penetrate her deeper as their mouths connected once more, tongues moving in time with the rhythm of the lower parts of their bodies…… in and out ….back and forth, the carnal thrusting of lovers consumed by the fire they've created.

House sped up his rhythm as she moaned into his mouth with agreement to the route he was taking, his arm hooking underneath her right thigh, her arms wrapping around his neck, her cast brushing against his back with a sting a pain. "Lean back." He grunted in a hoarse voice into her shoulder, feeling himself plunge deeper inside of with the next stroke as she complied and moaned out again in pleasure.

"Oh god." Lisa cried out as he was now entering into her deeper and deeper with each stroke, feeling her knees begin to shake, pushing her pelvis up to meet his with even more force now the friction that their bodies were making taking an erotic toll on her clit, until she felt herself beginning to slip down off of the washer with a gasp of surprise escaping from her lips.

"I've got you!" House exclaimed quickly with a heated breath, hooking her left thigh with his other arm so he was holding onto both of them now, flexing his biceps while bent his knees slightly and pushed her back onto the washer with a strong and powerful thrust from his hips that sent his shaft up into a part of her that it had never reached before, exhaling loudly into the night air around them as the jolt of ecstasy raced through his body, feeling Lisa's body tremble as she threw her head back before it fell onto his chest, the muffled her cries of orgasm washing over his skin in breaths soaked with complete fulfillment from her lover.

_"OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD!"_ Lisa moaned as her lips pressed into his chest, feeling her thighs shaking as the electrifying sensation washed over her g spot and nub in deep pulsing waves that swept over every inch of her body.

House reached for the control panel of the washer behind them, gripping it tightly, feeling his knees get weak as the muscles inside of her contracted around his shaft, letting out a shaky gust of air as he released into her during his next thrust, continuing push his hips up to meet her own while holding onto the incredible feeling of his orgasm until his thighs began to burn from the unrelenting pace he had put them through.

The sound of their heavy breathing echoed in the still night air, mixing in with the steady hum of the refrigerator just outside the door as Lisa wrapped her arms and legs around him.

House kissed her left temple as the side of her face remained resting against his chest.

Closing her eyes, Lisa took in a deep breath, holding onto him tightly as she began to speak of the secret she had kept for so many years. "When I was twelve, I found out my father was having an affair with his sectary one day when I stopped into his office unexpectedly after school. He told me he that he and my mom were having problems and the he had made a mistake, promising me he was going to end the affair while making me promise not to tell my mother, and because I could bare the thought of my parents getting a divorce…I agreed" She whispered in a dull tone looking over at the light switch inside the room as she focused on the small screws that held it in place, telling herself the memory would not harm her if she could mange to keep it at arms length.

House felt the coldness of Lisa's past trying to take hold of her as she stiffened in his embrace, but refused to let her be drawn into it. Rubbing her back gently with both of his hands as he spoke to her, "Did you mom ever find out about the affair?" He asked as the side of her face remained pressed against his ribcage. It was ok if she didn't want to look at him just yet, the painful scars our lives leave on us still remain sensitive to the touch no matter how long ago the wound may have been inflicted.

Lisa nodded against his chest, "My dad's secretary called a few days after he had ended it with her one night when my Dad was working late and told my mom everything. Including the fact that I knew about the affair as well," she told him, closing her eyes again.

"You honestly don't believe that anything that happened back then with your parents was your fault right?" House questioned with suspicion.

"I knew my dad had cheated on my mom and I kept it from her." Lisa answered, looking up at him before pulling away from his embrace.

"You were twelve! And your dad manipulated you into feeling guilty, something that thanks to him you've carried with you all the way into adulthood." House challenged in a low voice as she placed her hand on his chest, trying to push him out of the way so she could get down off of the washer, "Hold on …you're going to end up hurt yourself." He warned offering his arm for her to grab onto.

Cuddy refused to look at him as she placed her hand onto his bicep hopping down off the washer and onto her left foot before losing her balance as wave of dizziness took over her.

"Dammit I said hold on." House told her with frustration, pulling her against him.

"Why? So you can psychoanalyze me some more?" Cuddy challenged with sharp tone, "No thanks, I get that crap enough when we're at the hospital…..I don't need it here," she added, freeing herself from his grip and limping over to the pile of their clothes on the floor behind them, "Beisides…it doesn't matter how old I was, I should have told my mother." She muttered with her back facing him, reaching down for the white t-shirt at her feet before slipping it over her head.

House limped over to the pile of clothes as well, watching her turn to face him as she rested her back on the wall behind her so she could slip on the pair of white panties she had just picked up off of the floor.

"Whatever you parents may have said or done to you…….none of what happened back then was your fault and the way your mom treats you know is bullshit. You were kid……" House started to say placing his hand onto the wall beside her, seeing the anguish rise up into her face in an instant.

"Don't you dare blame her! My mother ended up having a nervous breakdown because of what my father did to her!" Cuddy yelled at him in a voice that filled with the strain of old painful memories.

"Were you with her when it happened?" House said carefully, watching her eyes looking away from him.

"Yes." Cuddy told him, looking up into his eyes once more. She could feel him looking into her soul now, the scattered puzzle pieces in front of him being put into place inside his mind.

"Why is mother afraid to touch you?" He asked.

"Don't do this." She warned.

"What did she do to you?" House pushed. In order to help her ….he had do know everything……no matter how much she may hate him for it later.

"She didn't do anything…." Lisa whispered as a glimmer of tears rimmed her eyes, "my mom was falling apart in front of me when she found out about the affair and instead of calling my dad or one of my aunts so that they could help her. I followed her throughout the house as she tried to get away from me until we were both standing on the landing of the basement steps. When she started to head down into the basement, I grabbed her arm to stop her……that's when I lost my balance and we both ended up falling down the stairs. I suffered a concussion as well as a dislocated shoulder, and the next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital with my Dad sitting beside my hospital bed. He told me then that my mom was ok but that she had gone to visit my Aunt for a few weeks who lived in Camden at the time. I found out years later just before I left of medical school that my mother had actually been sent to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital instead."

Now that the words had been spoken ….there was not going back……..House knew everything about the dark secret that had haunted her for years and she was at this very moment, completely exposed to him.

"And even after everything that happened, your parents still stayed together?" House asked, searching her face.

"My dad never forgave himself for what he put both me and my mom through, and so he spent the rest of his life trying to make it up to us. My mom came back from the hospital and went through the motions of what a good suburban mother and wife of a successful lawyer is supposed to be, but the part of her that made her who she was left the night she found out about the affair." Lisa told him with the last remaining facts of her horrible past moving past her lips.

"That's why you mom reacts the ways she does every time she feels threatened by any true emotional connection with you." House stated, relating to Ruth's plight more than he cared to admit.

Lisa let out a sigh and nodded, "But this time it's different. I don't know if it's Bill or the fact that she feels the need to protect me from Tritter and Jeff..…or a combination of both, but either way my mom's reached out more to me in the past few days than she has in years," she told him with a soft tone of hope attached to her words.

Reaching down beside her, House grabbed his boxers, looking away from her for a moment as he slipped them on.

"What?" Lisa asked, feeling a nervous tremor travel through her as she saw the lines on his forehead deepen.

House moved closer to her, his hand finding its way to her hip. "The fact that your Mom is reaching out to you like this…could result in her suffering another breakdown if things become too much for her," he said in a low whisper.

"Do you think I should tell my Mom to leave?" Lisa questioned with sadness, placing her hand on his chest while her grey eyes looked to him for the truth she needed to hear no matter how painful it may be.

"No," House replied, keeping his eyes locked onto hers, "making you mom leave now would do more harm then good at this point. We just have to keep on eye on her and make sure if she starts to show any signs of mental instability, we get her the help she needs as soon as possible," he told her honestly, not holding anything back.

Lisa removed her hand from his chest, placing it on her throat as she fingered it for the necklace that wasn't there. "Ok." She responded with a nod looking up at him one more and hoping with his help they could take on the additional and very important responsibility of helping her mother get back to a place of peace in her life.


	26. Chapter 26

**Hi everyone! Well I'm back with another chapter as well as a few answers to some questions one of the readers asked me...**

**PureAsDrivenSnow: ****As far as my first version of this fic on the Fox Site, I wrote the chapters as I went along with a vague outline of where I wanted to take the story, posting updates every other day if I could. As far as staying focused....believe me there were many times where I struggled and had to step away until that certain "spark" or "muse" if you will returned:) In saying this I am now revising the fic again in its second posting on this site ...trying to make it flow a little smoother while giving you all what I feel is a better insight into each the characters. As far as how I came up with this story.....I of course love House and Cuddy and my own tastes in stories are ones that range from romantic to drama with some really good twists along the way....that along with the fact that I love the author Dean Koontz... lead me to develop this type of story....but enough about how I came up with the story.....IT'S TIME TO READ THE NEXT CHAPTER !!! LOL!! ENJOY EVERYONE!!**

**Chapter 26**

As a crescent shaped moon continued to shine down on the residence of Lisa Cuddy, with the warm lazy breeze of summer moving over its rooftop in soft yawning gusts, Ruth Cuddy took in a shuddered breath, lying on her side and trembling under the covers in guest bedroom. Trying to escape the tidal wave of her past once more as it crashed into her dreams, running from it as fast as she could, only to have it wash over her in dark never-ending waves of gloom and suffering….. carrying her back to the place in time before her marriage to her husband and birth of her daughter….back to when she herself had been a twelve year old girl…………back to when a demon had entered her life and changed it forever.

_Oh god it was so dark here….so utterly black she could not see her outstretched hand shaking in front of her…… nothing but emptiness surrounding her now as she lie in wait for the evil that would come for her……..._

With the muscles in her legs flexing against the sheets that covered them, Ruth tried once more to run away from what was going to happen next; but like countless nights before this one, when the nightmare of her past came to visit her, no matter how hard she tired to escape it, she would remain trapped in the dark tide that was rising higher around her, beginning to fill her mouth and lungs with every evil and vile thing that had happened to her when a cruel twist of fate placed her in the hands of a madman. The demon who continued to haunt her after all of these years…. fashioned from the human race they both belonged to, made of flesh and bone just as she was making him all the more terrifying.

Still trembling in her sleep, Ruth's body moved into the well remembered fetal position on the bed, the sound of Bill's gentle voice in the distance, cutting through the darkness for a brief moment, telling her to hang on, urging her not to give up hope after coming so far in her journey.

But that was easier said than done. Bill's voice, although true and pure, no match for the evil that was coming for her now.

No matter how many times she prayed for it to end, the demon would always return, sometimes within days …sometimes waiting a few years before rising up from the darkness inside of her ….but rest assured just like the waves on rocking sea, time and time again it always came for her. Taking another piece of her soul down into the part of her it called home. Leaving more and more emptiness behind when it departed. The ever increasing hollowness within her soul assuring sooner or later it would end up break completely, her spirit finally broken by the demon who lived with now for so many years.

Getting read for the onslaught of his attack, Ruth knew this time when the demon came for her, it would be even more cruel to her than the times before, finding out that she had started to become filled with something he had not seen in a very long time….the light Lisa held within her brilliant smile and open heart, beginning to fill up the empty pieces in her soul once more, the kindness Bill had shown to her, reminding her she could indeed still become whole again if she was brave enough to try and take the narrow and treacherous steps out of the darkness.

Gritting her teeth, Ruth squeezed her eyes shut as the demon entered into the abyss surrounding her, his blood lust and anger sniffing her out in the darkness while she vowed to fight him like never before, the light she had found…too precious to give up on now.

"_No…...I won't let you take it away from me…..not this time…." _Ruth whispered in her dream with the voice of the child she once had been as the sound of the demon's heavy footsteps drew closer, making her shiver in the emptiness of complete and utter darkness it called home.

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Inside the spare bedroom directly behind Lisa's room, House stared up at the ceiling, lying on his back and listening to the sounds of the crickets outside of the bedroom window.

He had come up here a little over a half hour ago after talking with Lisa for a few more minutes down in the laundry room, parting ways with her as she made her way into the master bedroom, stopping in the hallway after she had closed her bedroom door behind her, turning back around and slowly opening the door to Ruth's bedroom that was located across the hallway from her daughter's room, plagued by the thought that the puzzle regarding Lisa and mother was not complete. Sure that certain pieces of it where still missing …Lisa's memories, only telling half of the story at this point.

Thinking back to the way Ruth had been curled up into a ball when he had looked in on her through the darkness of the room, the nagging feeling of the missing pieces grew inside of him considering during the few days he had spent with Ruth Cudy one thing he knew above all of else without a shadow of a doubt was that she was indeed one very strong and determined woman.

The kind of woman who would challenge you with her wit and cunningness at every turn, the kind of woman who raised her daughter to be exactly like her in those aspects as well as many more...... and there is where he was sure the first missing piece in the puzzle was buried. Ruth Cuddy would not be the kind of woman who would have a mental breakdown simply because her husband had committed adultery; rather she would be the kind of woman to throw her cheating husband out on his ass while telling him off in the process.

And so, no matter how he looked at the problem of the missing pieces, turning it every which way he could think of the only thing he kept coming back to was the fact that Ruth Cuddy had some secrets of her own, secrets that came into play whenever high emotions were at stake. Secrets that surfaced whenever she was around Lisa and felt her daughter being threaten, unable to distinguish friend from foe in some situation when it came to the daughter who she feared for and yet was afraid to touch as times..…perceiving everyone, including herself as a potential threat to the woman who bore her resemblance.

Rubbing his thigh that was now comfortably pain free after the vicodin he had taken shortly entering the spare bedroom, House closed his eyes, the job of diagnosis the mother of the woman who now possessed his heart, not an easy task to complete, seeing as how the end result could end up destroying them all.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, House opened up his eyes again, staring up at the ceiling and searching for answers somewhere among plaster and paint, glad in a way he was not sharing Lisa's bed with her currently, knowing she would see right through him now if she would have been lying beside him…… asking him for answers he was not ready to give her yet.

Turning on his side, House looked out the bedroom window, knowing he would be lucky if any sleep made its way to him tonight, fingering the pieces of his latest puzzle in his mind as he contemplated on how to make the missing ones to fall into place without causing irreversible damage to the keeper of them along the way.

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At seven am the next morning, Ruth opened her eyes up to light filtering into the guest bedroom. The memory of the nightmare, trying stubbornly to cling to the corners of her mind.

Last night, the demon had tired with all his might to pull away the light from within her, digging its claws of horrific memories into her flesh, making her scream out in agony until her vocal chords where paralyzed.......but somehow she made it through the emptiness while keeping the small part of soul still attached.

Sitting up in the bed, Ruth stretched her arms as they protested against the actions, the muscles in them as well as the ones in the rest of her body, angry and sore over the tense position they had been forced into for hours during the long and harrowing night.

Pulling the covers away from her, Ruth stood up in the bedroom, taking a step into the morning light that moved through the pane of the window she was now standing in front of.

Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes as the warmth of the rising sun kissed her face, the memory of Bill's voice that had come to her in a time of desperate need….whispering to Ruth once more in a soft and gentle tone.

Turning back towards the bed, she reached for the tangle sheets and comforter on the mattress, humming an old song her father used to sing to her down by the river of the house she grew up in as she hopped across the rocks sticking out from the waters surface, smiling as she recalled what a good man her father was, how soft and gentle his voice had been when he spoke to her.

_Just like Bill_, her mind informed her, making her smile again.

"Just like Bill." Ruth whispered to herself in agreement, fluffing up the pillow on the bed before walking over to the dresser in the room, determined that today she would fill herself with so much light it would blind the demon the next time he came and visited her in her dreams.

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After getting dressed, Ruth silently made her way over to Lisa's bedroom door, opening it slowly before peeking inside, pleased to find her daughter sleeping peacefully in her bed with a small smile on her face, remembering in an instant how quickly her little girl had grown into the beautiful woman she now was.

"I'm going to make you proud of me again…just wait and see." Ruth whispered to her sleeping daughter before closing the door and heading downstairs.

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With a sudden jolt, House woke up from the few hours of sleep he had managed to get throughout the night. Whatever image in his dream that had startled him back into the walking world, escaping from him as soon as he had opened up his eyes.

Rubbing his face while feeling the dull aching pain in his thigh, he looked over his watch which he had placed on the nightstand, the small pointed hands telling him it was seven thirty in the morning as he exited the bed and limped towards the bathroom so he could answer the early morning call of nature.

Yawning as he relieved himself, House opened up his eyes widely when the aroma of an honest to goodness hot breakfast along with the smell of fresh brewed coffee wafted up the stairs from the kitchen below him.

Someone else was also up at this ungodly morning hour and….. he had a pretty good idea of who that someone was.

Limping out of the bathroom, House headed towards the stairs and down into the kitchen where he knew Ruth would be, hoping that he could catch her alone for a few minutes in oeswe to gauge how she was fairing after last nights events.

********************************************************

When is came to dealing with a mystery, medical or otherwise, House's preferred choice was to use the direct approach. Which meant, as he limped into the kitchen with Ruth's back facing him as she stretched to reach one of the large mixing bowls on the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet, he did not hesitate to walk up behind her and grab her ass, figuring this was a sure fire method in finding out if Ruth was actually afraid of him physically touching her as opposed to him mentally touching on the secrets she was trying to keep hidden from him.

"_What the hell are you doing?"_ Ruth shrieked, turning around in a flash as she glared up at him.

"What?" House asked with a shrug, "I usually have a little ass grab with my morning coffee when I have my hookers stay overnight with me and since I'm doing your daughter a favor by staying over here, I refuse to break from my morning routine," he told her with an evil smirk, noticing that although Ruth had been shocked by the grope, she was definitely _not _afraid of him touching her…but rather royally pissed at him for the grope.

"In case you didn't realize……._I am not one of your hookers_." Ruth shot back, still feeling the sensation of his strong hand squeezing her behind.

"I can give you twenty bucks if it will make you feel better. It always seems to work for the hookers." House offered, reaching for one of the empty coffee cups Ruth had placed on the kitchen counter.

"I would never take anything from you." She snipped, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Oh so that was a free ass grab? Mrs. Cuddy, are you trying to seduce me?" House asked, raising an eyebrow to her as he poured himself a cup coffee.

"I am _not _trying to seduce you Doctor House." Ruth clarified, as a small smile popped on her face before she could stop it, amused by the look he was giving her.

House smiled back at her…this was very interesting indeed, "See I really am a lot of fun to hang around with Ruth….just ask your daughter," he whispered over to her watching her smile turn into a disapproving frown.

"What's going on in here?" Lisa asked as she entered into the kitchen on her crutches, wearing light blue pajama bottoms and a light pink tank top with spaghetti straps.

"Your employee Doctor House just came in here and proceeded to grab my ass!" Ruth informed her daughter, placing her hands on her hips, watching Lisa's jaw drop.

"Hey..I thought it was you." House chimed in with another shrug, unable to resist as he watched Lisa's eyes practically bug out of her head.

"Doctor House." Cuddy started to say in a stern voice as she prepared for her Emmy award winning performance. "If you cannot keep your hands to yourself and show my mother some respect I will have to ask you to leave," she finished.

"You're just bitchy because you're hung-over." House told her stepping up to her with his coffee in hand.

"I'll be even bitchier if I have to hire a new head of my Diagnostics Department." Cuddy stated evenly, hating the fact that he could tell by the look on her face she did indeed have a nagging pain in the back of her head.

"Sure you don't want some vicodin to take away your headache?" House asked, producing the pill bottle from his pajama pants pocket before shaking it vigorously in her face as she reached for her forehead.

"I just took two Tylenol upstairs… but thanks anyway." Cuddy answered back sarcastically, glaring at him while clenching her jaw.

Turning away from the stove, Ruth looked over at them both, "House, either leave my daughter alone or I'm throwing your breakfast in the trash." she warned, pointing the spatula in her hand at him.

"Cuddy….I think your mom wants to _do me she's been giving me her bedroom eyes all morning_." House gloated with a cheesy grin, looking back over at Lisa while Ruth shook her head and let out sigh.

"Just sit down and shut up before I call Wilson to take your place as my noble guardian." Cuddy replied back in an exasperated tone.

House stuck out his tongue at her and reached for the morning paper on the center island of the kitchen, "I am so outta here when I turn eighteen," he muttered under his breath as he took a seat at the kitchen table.

Glancing over at Lisa, Ruth watched the way her daughter's eyes followed House as he sat down in the chair.

There definitely was something between the two of them, but for right now she was not sure if that something involved the two of them sleeping together or merely seeing which one could drive the other one crazy, "Lisa I wanted to tell you, Bill called me this morning and asked me if I wanted him to help me out with the rest of the yard work today and since he's been doing so much for both of us, I invited him to come and eat breakfast with us today."

"Bill is such a great guy," Lisa responded with as smile, watching her mother turn her attention back to the stove and the pancakes she was making, "Mom is there anything you want me to help you with?" She asked.

"Actually you can start frying up the sausage." Ruth said, cringing after she spoken the word "sausage"

House snapped his head up from the paper and wiggled his eyebrows at Ruth as he saw the blush rise up into to her cheeks.

"What?" Lisa asked looking at them both with complete ignorance to the subject as she rested her crutches against the edge of the countertop, limping over to the stove.

"Nothing." Ruth responded before flipping one of the pancakes she was cooking on the grill part of the stove. Thankfully, Lisa seemed to have no memory of their dinner discussion from the previous night and that suited Ruth just fine.

Lisa gave her mother a suspicious look before focusing her attention back on House.

"Just make sure to handle my sausage with care and try not to burn it." House told her with a wide grin.

"Grow up." Lisa muttered as she opened up the package of breakfast sausage.

Just then House thought or a rather risky but brilliant way to test Ruth's reaction to the unexpected again, seeing as how she seemed to be more than up for his challenges this morning.

"Maybe you should tell your mom to grow up since she's the one who got totally trashed last night and made an inappropriate comment about _my _sausage …IF you know what I mean." House said, giving Cuddy and exaggerated wink.

Ruth would need to use the spatula she was holding in right her hand to pick her jaw up off the kitchen floor after what House had just said about her.

"I….I never! You!" Ruth stammered, pointing the spatula in his direction once more.

Lisa looked over at her mother with eyes that were as wide as when she was tripping off vicodin and booze last night.

House rubbed the stubble on his chin, and waited for Ruth to recover. The ball was in her court now and he wanted to see how she would serve it back to him as more of the person who she truly was had begun to surface, the woman who handed down her wit and as well as biting charm to her daughter, someone who he actually hoped would be able to stick around for awhile.

"I may have had too much to drink, but believe me when I say _your sausage_ was the last thing on my mind last nigh." Ruth shot back without batting an eye.

"Maybe we should wait till Bill comes and then we can ask him about it." House said innocently, while inside he remained impressed by Ruth's continued ability to joust with him.

"NO!" Lisa and Ruth both said in unison.

If there was one thing Lisa did not want to hear, it was sexual remarks about sausage coming out of Bill's mouth. It was bad enough when House had put the mental picture of Bill looking at mom's nipples into her head.

Ruth of course knew that Bill was too honest of a man to lie about the details of last night's dinner and the last thing she wanted to hear was Bill confessing to Lisa of how she had spoken about House's "sausage" while House smiled at her widely like the Cheshire cat.

"You know if I had a plate of food in front of me, I bet I wouldn't be able to talk at all." House said coolly…. giving both women the hint that he could indeed be bribed into keeping his mouth shut.

********************************************************

A little after 8am, Bill pulled his white Cadillac into driveway of Lisa's home, shutting off the engine and walking over to the back door of the kitchen like Ruth had told him to do when he called her this early this morning.

Reaching the top step, he knocked, being greeted by none other House who had a broad smile stretched across his face.

"Come on in Bill, I've got the womenfolk working hard this morning making us men a hardy breakfast." House said cheerfully, wiping his mouth with a napkin as he stepped back from the doorway.

Bill looked over to Ruth and Lisa who had turned around with less than amused looks on their faces in regards to House's comment, "Something smells delicious in here." He exclaimed with a grin as he crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him.

Ruth looked over at Bill noticing how the tan shirt he was wearing brought out the color in his eyes, "You're just in time, and if you hurry, House may even share some of my pancakes with you," she told him with a smile.

********************************************************

After everyone had finished eating breakfast Lisa had volunteered both herself and House to clean up the dishes so that Bill and her mother that they could go and finish up the yard work outside.

"My mom seems to be doing really good today. Don't you think?" Lisa asked House with a hint of worry to her tone as she started to rinse off the dirty dishes in the sink before placing them inside the dishwasher.

"Does you mom always laugh that much or did you steal some of vicodin when I wasn't looking and slip some into her morning coffee?" House questioned in return as he limped up behind her, placing a dirty glass int the sink.

Lisa turned to face him, "My mom used to laugh all the time when I was younger..…but it's been years since I've seen her this happy, Bill seems to really know how to reach her, how to bring out the best in her," she told him closing the door to the dishwasher.

"It's not just Bill you know. Being around you is obviously doing your mom some good as well although for the live of me, I can't see why." House teased with a dry tone.

Lisa rolled her eyes at him, "So now that my mother isn't around, you need tell me about this whole 'sausage' thing," she said coolly looking up into his eyes.

House smiled, looking out at Ruth and Bill in the backyard before moving his hand onto roundness of her ass, "_You_ were a really bad girl last night," He said with a low tone caressing her plump behind.

"Are you complaining?" Lisa asked, completely missing the point he was trying to make as she arched and eyebrow at him.

House let out a sigh, "I wasn't talking about the laundry room when you were a sex crazed animal. I was referring to your dirty talk at the dinner table last night." He clarified.

Lisa furrowed her brow at him, "What did I say?" she questioned.

"Oh nothing much …..….just about how I should feed your mom my summer sausage …." House said nonchalantly raising his eyes to the ceiling.

"I did not!" Lisa gasped, placing her hand up to her mouth.

House could not help but chuckle at her expression. "Yeah you did…. but in all fairness I kind of egged you on a bit." He confessed.

"What do you mean you _egged_ me on?" Lisa questioned slowly.

"Well I was sort of boasting about how good your _pie_ was." He said slyly, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck while staring down at her crotch.

"_Oh my god! _What did my mother say?" Lisa asked with a grimace, moving the palm of her hand up to her forehead.

"Apparently when it comes to pie the only kind your mother has ever heard of is the baked kind that Bill brought over last night." House assured her.

"She really didn't know what you were talking about?"

"Nope….but lucky for me, Bill did." House told her with a devilish grin.

"Alright you don't have to say anything more." Lisa insisted as she placed her hands up in front of her.

"_Oh but there is so much more to tell Doctor Cuddy!"_ House teased as he placed both of his ohter hand on her ass before pulling her close to him.

Moving his lips to the side of her face, he began to whisper to her word for word what he had said in regards to "her pie", stopping in certain spots as she looked up at him with a shocked but amused smile….letting him know she too was surprised that the very risqué topic of conversation had completely gone over her mother's head.

Finally House looked down into her sparkling grey eyes as he told her about what she had said in regards to "his sausage" that was completely understood by her mother.

"So do you think my mom knows about us?" Lisa asked him, with her hands now resting on his chest as their bodies had inched closer during the conversation.

House thougth about her questions for a moment, "I think your mom may have her suspicions, but she was also pretty lit at that point so luckily Bill hauled her ass up to bed before she could start any Jerry Springer stuff with me, accusing me of banging her baby girl right under her nose." House answered, slipping his hand underneath the back of her pajama bottoms so he could feel the soft skin that resided there.

"You just love to push your luck don't you?" Lisa asked, turning her head to make sure her mom and Bill were still preoccupied in the backyard.

"You like it when I push. In fact I can remember several times when you've moaned out for me to push harder…and faster." House answered, squeezing her left cheek with a grin.

"Keep it up and I'll be pushing your hand out of my pants." Lisa warned with a low whisper, pressing her breasts into his chest.

"You..wouldn't.......…._dammit_." House muttered looking away from her.

"What wrong?" Lisa asked following his gaze out the kitchen window before letting out a sigh of disappointment as she saw her mother and Bill walking up from the yard towards the back door of the kitchen.

"I think we need to start rethinking this plan about not telling your mother about us." House stated with emphasis before taking a step back from her just as Bill opened up the door that lead into the kitchen.

********************************************************

In the city of Houston Texas, Jeff Hansom had just gotten done pouring himself a glass of scotch at the bar of the executive suite he was staying in when he heard a knock on the door.

"Mr. Hansom, this just arrived for you at the front desk." The hotel staff attendant said, handing him the large white envelope that had been stamped 'priority mail' after he had opened up the door.

"Thank you." Jeff replied, taking the envelope from hotel employee and tipping the man generously before closing the door.

Walking back to the drink that was waiting for him at the bar, Jeff loosened his tie before heading over to the seating area in the suite, placing his drink onto a small round cherry coffee table as he sat in down in the cream colored high backed cushion chair.

Tearing open the envelope he reached inside of it, pulling out the manila folder that was thick with the contents it contained.

Resting the folder on his lap as he tossed the envelope aside, taking a sip of the drink beside him before flipping the folder open, revealing a pile of glossy black and white photos.

Looking down at the photograph of Ruth Cuddy as she stood the backyard of Lisa's house, Jeff could not get over how much the Lisa resembled her mother, even though the man he had hired to keep tabs on Lisa while he was out of time had informed him of this fact over the phone yesterday.

Holding the photo up to the light, Jeff studied the fine lines on Ruth's face that the high quality camera brought out, the delicate footprints of time enhancing her beauty rather than taking away from it.

Setting the first photo aside, he picked up another picture that held the image of Ruth and Bill Martin, who of course he already knew, the both of them standing side by side in the backyard.

Seeing nothing in the photograph that interested him, Jeff tossed it onto the floor beside him as he reached down into his lap for another one, this time taking in a sharp breath as his eyes connected with the grey irises of Lisa's eyes that still maintained their magnetic hue in the black in white photo.

She was talking to House whose back was facing the camera inside what Jeff knew was her laundry room.

Picking up the next photo, he turned his head away and closed his eyes in disgust after looking at the image of Lisa kissing House as he held her in his arms.

_It was going to be ok,_ Jeff assured himself, reminded of all the powerful men he had brought to their knees when the dared to step in the way of what he wanted, knowing in the grand scheme of things…. House was little more than a pesky cockroach scurrying under his feet.

Placing current photo on top of the one of Ruth, Jeff looked down at the next photo resting in his lap, letting his fingers trace the profile of Lisa's face, dragging his fingernail down over her the exposed skin of her slender arm, following to where her hand rested on House's bare chest, the bottom curve of her right breast visible underneath as she stood naked before the drug addict who represented all the filth in the world he so despised, House's back taking up the better part of the imgae in black and white, preventing him from seeing the rest of Lisa's naked body that he so desperately longed for.

Flipping through the rest of the photos, Jeff scanned through the last dozen of them, noticing that House's body always managed to be positioned in such a way that he continued to block Lisa's body from his view, standing in his way once more from what he had already claimed for himself.

Looking at the final photo, Jeff studied the expression on House's face as he gazed down at Lisa, his piercing eyes giving away the truth that he was indeed deeply in love with the woman before him as Lisa looked up House with the expression on her face that Jeff had wanted for himself ever since the day they had met.

"_Desire._" Jeff whispered as his finger traced the outline of her face once more.

It had been in her all along and even after all that he had given of himself to her when they were together Jeff know bore witness to the fact that it had been House who brought out of the hunger and longing desire inside of Lisa like he never could.

While any other sane man would have realized the defeat staring him in the face, Jeff found himself even more determined than ever to get back what he considered to be his…by any means necessary.

Getting up from his seat, still clutching the photos in his hand, he made his way towards the large bay windows on the other side of the room, looking out into the night at the city skyline of Houston.

Leaning his forearm against the cool glass of one of the large windows as he gazed upon the tall buildings surrounding him, a small smile of comfort appeared upon Jeff's face, brought on by the knowledge that money had always gotten him everything he had ever wanted in his life and that no matter what obstacles he may face this time, money would end up getting him the one thing that he could not live without.

Looking back down at the photos he held in his right, Jeff released them from his grip, watching them drift softly to the floor like leaves caught up in the autumn wind.

Walking over to his cell phone resting on the small cherry table, Jeff picked it up and dialed the number of the man he had hired to watch over Lisa, reaching for the two photos he had placed beside him earlier.

"Hello." A gruff voice answered.

"I want you to find out everything you can about Ruth Cuddy." Jeff instructed.

"That's going to cost you and extra five thousand." The voice informed him.

"Does it sound like I'm worried about how much it's going to cost me?" Jeff asked with irritation.

"No." The voice replied, backing down from the man who was paying him a very good price for his services.

Hanging up the phone Jeff gazed down upon the image of Ruth Cuddy once more. She was a new player in the game he was orchestrating, a rouge piece he knew nothing about ….unlike the others who his private detective had investigated for him.

"Who knows Ruth, maybe you'll end up being the person to help me show Lisa the error of her ways. That would be something, dont you think?" Jeff whispered down to her with a cold smile before letting the photo of her fall from his hand where it drifted softly to the floor beneath him.


	27. Chapter 27

**Happy weekend everyone! Hope you enjoy this latest chapter and please let me know your thoughts :)**

**Chapter 27**

As the days of the week passed by them, House and Cuddy continued to live under one roof while sleeping in separate beds. The arrangement made out of the necessity at first to keep their relationship a secret from Ruth, growing very thin in its circumstances with each passing hour. The time to tell her the truth circling them now and getting to ready to land a few days later when it's flight pattern was delayed when House had acquired a case, causing him to spend more and more time at the hospital, while Cuddy, who was under doctor's orders to refrain from coming into work for the week, spent her time at home with her mother, taking some more carefully placed steps to rebuild with her what they had lost so very long ago.

Of course the Dean of Medicine still made sure she was kept up to date on what was going on _her _hospital, as well as continuing to work on the things that she could in her home office upstairs, using Foreman as her eyes and ears for matters regarding House, while she gave her body the rest it needed in regards to her injured leg, pleased when he has solved his latest case two days later.

Now as another Saturday morning made its way onto the calendar of their lives, Cuddy and House were seated on opposite sides of the sofa in her living room, watching TV as they waited for her mother to come down from guest bedroom.

"Where in the hell is she?" House muttered, changing the channel with the remote as he exhaled in frustration.

Cuddy gave him a sideways glance, "Wow you must really be horny," she whispered, leaning towards him so he could get a good look down her shirt as she smiled over at him.

House's eyes zoned in on her ample cleavage, the lace of the red bra Cuddy was wearing under the pink sweater, bringing a sly smile to his face, "We haven't had sex in five days because of your mom, and as soon as she leaves with Bill…...Thelma and Louise are going to be going on the adventure of a lifetime," he told her, reaching out and grabbing "Thelma" with is left hand.

"My mom could come down here any minute!" Cuddy scolded, pushing his hand away.

House leaned back on the sofa glaring at her, "So when are you going to tell your mom about us?" He questioned impatiently before looking down at her chest again.

"I hope you know when _we_decide to tell my mother about us, that does not mean you'll be grabbing my boobs in front of her." Cuddy replied smartly.

"But is does mean I'll be back in your bed, making you moan into the pillow when I hit the sweet spot until Mommy tells you to keep it down so she can get some rest." House countered with a wicked grin.

Cuddy cringed, "Sweet spot? That's really creepy in a bad porno kind of way….even for you." She commented back, crossing her arms in front of her.

"So you've been critiquing pornos behind my back huh? We are going to have _so much fun_ when your mom leaves." House responded with a sweet but oh so sinful whisper.

Just then the sound of Ruth coming down the steps was heard by both of them.

"If you keep your mouth shut, maybe I'll teach you a few things I picked up from those pornos." Cuddy whispered under her breath, watching his eyes grow wide with excitement as her mother walked into the room.

"Lisa, are you sure you don't mind me going out with Bill today?" Ruth asked, standing in front of her daughter.

"Oh for god's sake….it's not like Cuddy's suddenly going to forgot how to use the bathroom or dress in those low cut tops of hers." House remarked sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Ruth stepped in front of him, liking the fact that because House was sitting down on the couch, she could for once tower over him. "Nothing you say to me today is going to upset me House. Do you want to know why?" She asked him with cool expression.

"Bill finally got the Viagra he ordered online?" House questioned, watching as Ruth roll her eyes at him.

"No you idiot. Nothing you say is going to bother me because after today I won't have to see or hear from you for a whole week." Ruth told him with a wide grin, placing her hands on her hips.

"You do realize the changing of the guards means you'll have the most infamous panty peeler at the hospital under this roof? By the way I've heard Wilson's always had a secret fantasy about a mother/daughter combo so you better make sure Bill doesn't wear you out too much today." House told her, getting up from the couch as he smiled smugly down at her while Ruth narrowed her eyes at him.

A knock on the front door, halted their conversation in it tracks much to Cuddy's relief, "I'll get it." she announced pushing herself up from the sofa and reaching for her crutches.

Ruth watched her daughter quickly make her way out to the foyer where she opened up the front door for Bill who was standing behind it before turning her attention back to House, "So should I really be worried about Wilson trying to seduce my daughter? Or does that only pertain to you Doctor House?" She asked, studying his face.

House held their gaze, "Actually Ruth you're the one I'm trying to seduce…." he replied back to her in a cool tone of his own, avoiding the real question she was asking and removing his eyes from her face as Bill and Cuddy walked back into the room.

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Fifteen minutes later after Ruth and Bill had left, two cells phones lay side by side on the nightstand in Cuddy's bedroom, keeping watch and ready to alert the naked lovers underneath the sheets if Bill and Ruth should return earlier than expected,

"Did you lock the doors?" Cuddy gasped, lying on her side as House pulled her close and kissed her neck.

"Yes." House muttered against her skin, sliding his hand down from her ribcage to her hip as he pressed his erection into her abdomen.

"You really think Bill knows enough to call us if my mom decides she wants to come home early?" Cuddy asked, gasping again as her hand caressed the back of his neck.

House looked up at her from the curve of her shoulder with an annoyed expression, "In case you didn't know……..talking about your mom and Bill while I'm trying to have sex with you is a _major _turn off," he told her flatly, capturing her lips with his own just as she opened her mouth to speak, his tongue moving into her mouth while his hand cupped the swell of her left breast, the pad of his thumb brushing over her spiked nipple.

Hearing Lisa take in a quick breath, House knew he had gotten her back on the right path, removing his mouth from her lips and guiding them down to the hollow base of throat until he found her right breast, taking her erect nipple into his mouth, sucking and rolling his tongue over it as she let out a soft moan of approval, her fingers finding their way to the back of his head. God she smelled so good and felt even better, the sound of her shallow breathing, an intoxicating rhythm to his ears as he moved his mouth over to her other breast, his teeth grazing the hard nub before stroking it with his tongue, his hand caressing its way down over her abdomen before sliding between her thighs that had parted for him in anticipation.

Lisa let out a shuddered breath followed by a soft hum, her eyes closing and her pelvis rising up from the mattress the instant his thumb rubbed over her clit, his middle finger sliding gently inside of her next as his tongue flattened against her nipple, his mouth sucking harder on the sensitive pebbled flesh surrounding it.

The combined rhythm of his fingers, lips, and warm mouth sent chills up her spine. "_Oh god that feels so good_," she whispered down to him, feeling his long finger continue to move in and out of her with the heat of her desire coating it while his thumb made small circles on her throbbing nub.

House looked up at her, keeping his mouth locked onto her breast, pursing his lips as increased the pressure of his suction, pushing his finger deeper inside of as she bucked her hips and looked down at him with eyes that were slit and weighed down by desire, her white teeth biting down on her full bottom lip before releasing the flesh as her head fell back against the pillow. "_Greg_," she whispered to him with a long drawn out breath as her hand moved to his shoulder before traveling down his arm, pulling his fingers away from the heat between her legs, coaxing him upwards because of the need to feel him inside of her, trembling as his hot breath was felt on the nape of her neck when he positioned himself on top of her.

Bracing himself above her with his strong arms that where placed on opposite sides of her pillow, House looked into her eyes before leaning down to kiss her. Entering into her in one long stroke and exhaling deeply as he started to move in and out of her slowly. Holding onto the feeling of being one with her again as she moved her hands from around his neck to his hips. An incredible smile displayed on her face as her pelvis began to match his rhythm. The way they complemented each other in this carnal dance, the kind of thing meant to be savored for the treasured thing it truly was. Finding in her everything he had denied himself of for so very long.

_"Tell me you want me._" He commanded in hoarse whisper as his eyes searched the beauty of her face, carefully hooking his arm around her right thigh and pulling it up from the bed so he enter deeper inside of her as she arched back to meet him with her own thrust of passion.

"_I want you….'_" Lisa moaned, feeling the exquisite aching inside of her building. Her left leg wrapping around his waist. Her right thigh being lifted up from the mattress by him as he changed the angle of his stroke, his lips tracing her jawline as her heart now raced along with his, hoping the what they found with each other would last forever, her voice crying out again, filled with emotion as she felt crest of her orgasm come crashing into her.

Lifting his head from the warmth of her neck while feeling the pull of his own orgasm, House looked down at her, _"Always, wanted you…..since the first time I saw you," _he confessed with a strained voice as his blue eyes connected with hers and the electricity between them filled the room, followed by the powerful silent tremor between their souls as they reached the heighten peak of ecstasy together within their next mutual thrust.

Closing her eyes, Lisa dug her nails into his back as she rocked her hips faster and faster up to meet his pounding thrusts, an unbridled string of words filled with desire falling from her lips as her arms held onto him tightly, wanting to stay tangled up for an eternity in their lovers embrace as the heat of it washed over them both.

House heard the sound of his labored breath rushing out of his lungs with her name begin carried along with it as her nails pierced his skin, his eyes closing as the softness of her hair caressed the side of his face, her lips finding their way to his collarbone and kissing him there as he rode out the final waves of his orgasm. One last breath of utter and complete satisfaction rising forth from him before he rested his forehead against hers, kissing her softly on the lips while a smile formed on his face, loving the fact that her legs remained wrapped possessively around him, even if her cast had caused another brush burn on his lower back. "You know you're gonna have to let go of me sometime," he teased, pulling back from her a bit as they both gasped for the oxygen needed to keep them alive.

"I though you had all this pent up sexual frustration? Don't tell me you're already down for the count after one round?" Cuddy challenged with smirk.

"Don't worry, I'll have you flat on your back again in a few minutes." House answered smartly, taking in a sharp breath as the vibration of her laughter sent a bolt of electricity to the head of his penis still nestled deep within her.

"You ok?" Cuddy asked, moving her hands down from his shoulders to his forearms.

"The anaconda's a little sensitive right now." House informed her, closing his eyes for a moment as he held himself perfectly still on top of her.

Cuddy let out a small sigh, "That's really too bad because I was planning on taking a shower and I was hoping maybe you and your anaconda could join me," she informed him with a grin, watching his eyes snap open.

"He's sensitive, not dead." House responded letting his eyes travel down to her breasts, "besides with that cast on your foot, you really need someone behind you in the shower to keep you from falling on your ass," he added with a smirk, cupping her left breast before glancing up at her again.

"And you're planning on keeping me from falling on my ass by holding onto my boobs while we're in the shower?" Cuddy questioned with amusement.

House nodded, "When it comes to saving your ass…I'm willing to do whatever it takes," he confirmed with a grin.

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Meanwhile, after driving twenty miles beyond the city limits of Princeton, Bill pulled his Cadillac into the gravel parking lot of Johnson's Nursery which resided alongside a quiet country road. "Well here we are," he said softly, turning to face Ruth in the passenger seat after he had shut off the engine.

"This place is amazing." Ruth remarked with wonder, looking out at the small white single story building that was surrounded by every plant, evergreen, and shrub imaginable, splashes of brilliant reds, purples, yellow, pinks and orange set against varying shades of green, as the potted flowers and shrubs rested upon wooden skids in preparation for being plucked from them by eager patrons.

Bill looked over at her and smiled, pleased that Ruth, much like himself was drawn to the comfort and simple beauty that nature could provide, "If you thinkthis is something, just wait till you see the plants in the greenhouses," he told her, watching the smile on her face grow as she reached for the handle of the car door beside her.

Once they were outside, Bill and Ruth walked side by side through the maze of plants, stopping from time to time to check out some of them more closely as they worked their way back to the left hand corner of the lot.

Approaching a section of rose bushes, Ruth stopped once more with Bill by her side, leaning down to smell one of the pale pink blooms from a particular rose bush that had just opened up to the afternoon sun above them, "Oh Bill you have to smell this rose," she whispered softly with the excitement of a child, touching his hand and taking it into her own as her mind replayed the old memory of the roses that had surrounded her in her grandmother's garden.

Bill bent over, taking in the sweet scent of pretty rose. "Mmmmmm.." he hummed, closing his eyes for a moment to enhance the smell of the flower's pleasant aroma before opening up his eyes once more. "You know Ruth; I think I may have to buy this one for my own garden." He told her, feeling the warmth of her hand that was still holding onto his as he straightened back up and looked into her chestnut eyes.

Just then a young high school boy who was working at the nursery, banged his wheel barrel into the sprinkler control system as he tried to keep it from toppling over with the heavy load of soil he had heaped upon it, the sprinkler heads which were placed atop five foot high pieces of metal piping standing in the center of each skid, sputtering to life and releasing fine streams of water into the air that sent the customers standing among the plants scattering for shelter from the man made rain.

Still holding onto Ruth's hand, Bill led her into the empty greenhouse behind them, a small gust of late summer wind followed them into the structure and creating a sweet serenade from group of wind chimes that hung down in the center of the greenhouse.

"Well I guess we got our shower for today." Bill said laughing as Ruth released his hand and began to wipe the water off of her exposed arms.

"My hair must look awful." She exclaimed with a laugh, running her fingers through it as she shook out the moisture, causing one stray dark lock to fall across her face.

Bill looked down at Ruth as she smiled up at him while the wind chimes above them continued to play, deciding he could not have asked for a better place to kiss her than right here inside this greenhouse as the tiny droplets of water in her raven hair reflected the beams of afternoon sun. "Ruth you could be trapped inside of a hurricane and still take my breath away," he whispered, using his right hand to gently brush the stray hair away from her face before his fingers tilted her chin up and leaned down into her.

Ruth looked up into Bill's steel blue eyes just before they closed, feeling her heart begin to pound wildly in her chest as his lips pressed against her own, all the sounds around her fading into the background until the only one that remained was the beating of her own heart combing with the feeling of his hand caressing her cheek.

Bill placed his left arm around Ruth's waist as he moved his right hand into the curls of her hair that felt like delicate lace on his fingertips, her slender hands moving up his chest as she kissed him back, the knowledge that love had now found him again, confirmed in the softness of her full lips.

After a few brief seconds, they pulled away from each other, and for a moment..... neither one of them spoke as the magic of their first kiss danced around them in the summer air outside the open door of the greenhouse.

"I think it's safe." Ruth finally whispered, looking into his eyes as Bill continued to hold her in his embrace.

"Ruth whenever you're with me you'll always be safe." Bill promised, caressing his cheekbone with his thumb.

Ruth gave him a sweet smile before pointed outside to the nursery lot. "I meant out there.….. the sprinklers have been turned off," she said in a soft tone.

Bill touched her cheek so she would look at him again, "I meant what I said Ruth, whenever you're with me you'll always be safe," he repeated softly with a voice that held the truth of his emotions within it.

Ruth looked up at him wiht an open heart, catching her breath as the man she had only know a few shorts days promised with a deep devotion that came from deep inside of his heart, to shelter her from any storm clouds that may come her way.

********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Tucked under the sheets once more with the damp curls of her hair clinging to the side of her neck, Cuddy was laughing into House's shoulder as he wrapped a strong arm around her waist and grabbed her ass with his free hand as he pulled her on top of him just as her cell phone on the nightstand began to ring.

Carefully easy her body away from his, Lisa rolled onto her side and picked up the phone, "It's Wilson." She informed him with a hushed voice.

"Why are you whispering? You haven't even answered the phone yet?" House teased, pulling the covers off of her naked body as she leaned against the headboard.

"Stop it!" Cuddy warned pulling the covers back up before flipping open her cell phone, "Hi Wilson," she answered, watching House moving closer to her, resting on his side and cupping his chin in his right hand as he looked up at her.

"Hey, I was just calling to see how you were doing and when you want me to come over tomorrow." Wilson responded with a smile, standing in front of the open door of his refrigerator in his apartment.

"I'm doing great and as far as tomorrow, you can come over whenever you want." She responded with a smile of her own before if fell rapidly from her face when House snapping the sheet down from her again before she could react.

She looked over at him with her mouth opened and a crease in the center of her forehead. _"What in the hell are you doing?"_ she mouthed. Only half listening to Wilson was telling her as she began to get out of the bed.

There was no way in hell however, that House was going to let her get away that easily, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist as he pulled her back onto the mattress until she was resting on her back once more.

"I'm sorry Wilson, what did you say?" Lisa asked in a slightly irritated tone as she tried to squirm away from him.

House was losing his grip on her and decided that he had resort to more drastic measures in order to keep her still, placing his lips around her full breast that was in front of his mouth, hearing a gasp escape her lips as she remained on the phone with Wilson.

"What do you mean Anderson gave you his two weeks notice?"' Lisa blurted out as she looked down at House who was mercilessly now flicking her nipple with the tip of his tongue.

"Cuddy I told you three weeks ago that I had my suspicions Anderson was looking elsewhere for employment." Wilson countered, not understanding her drastic reaction.

"I know," Cuddy acknowledged, "but you're short staffed as it is and losing another oncologist is only going to make things worse," she managed to get out, covering up her reasponse to House's skillful tongue as her eyes widened when she saw his hand moving down from waist, heading straight between her legs.

She shook her head "_NO_" vigorously and tried to get up from the bed but House still had his mouth latched onto her breast and was pushing his palm down onto the mound of her pelvis, effectively pinning her to the bed before slipping his middle finger inside of her while his thumb began to rub her clit.

"Wilson, can we talk about this later? I'm starting to feel a little tired." Lisa yelped, trying to get Wilson to hang up with her so she could beat the living crap out of House.

House looked up at her with blue eyes that sparkled with mischief as he now focused all of his attention on her clit. Cuddy had slipped up by trying to guilt Wilson into getting off the phone with her and now Wilson was of course starting apologizing to her for bothering her with hospital business while she was on the mend.

"_It's really ok Wilson."_ Lisa stressed with a slight quiver in her voice as House continued to tease her body.

"No Cuddy I was wrong to tell you about Anderson." Wilson apologized, scanning the fridge while hearing what he perceived as stress in the tone of her voice.

Cuddy clenched her jaw, wiling herself to remain focused on the conversation as Wilson continued to speak to her, glaring down at House and trying to think about anything else but what he was doing to her right now. _I am going to kill him if he doesn't…. oh…oh god…. you son of bitch you know how much I like that, _she thought, squeezing her legs shut to try and put an end to his little game.

House dropped her breast out of his mouth and smiled widely up at her, pushing his thumb down harder on her clit while his index finger continued tickle her G spot.

Cuddy stifled a squeal, opened up her legs and using the heel of her left foot to kick herself up further on the bed until her butt was resting on the pillow, her body finally free from his lecherous acts.

"Cuddy are you ok?" Wilson questioned, furrowing his brow on the other end of the phone.

"I'm fine." She assured him, breathing heavily into the phone whle looking down at House with a triumphant smile. _Hah! _She thought…close but no cigar….or more importantly, no orgasm while she was on the phone with Wilson.

"You don't sound fine." Wilson responded with doubt, closing the refrigerator door.

"I was just hopping over to the couch without using my crutches and got a little winded." Cuddy lied as House began to run his hand up her leg, "Yes, he's here, as a matter of fact he just walked into the living room…..let me get him for you."." She then said into the phone with a smirk before shoving it in House's direction.

"Wilson!" House said cheerfully, placing the pillow on his side of the bed behind his head, sure that Cuddy would now make her escape.....but instead of exiting the bed, she surprised him by carefully moved her body on top of his before backing down to his waist and pulling the sheet away from where it rested just below his belly button.

House gulped as Wilson kept on talking when he realized that Cuddy wasn't going anywhere, the feel of her soft hand wrapping around his penis sending chill up his spine.

"So how are things going over there for you." Wilson asked leaning against his kitchen counter.

"Same old same old…….Cuddy's ass keeps getting bigger and her voice keeps getting more annoying." House remarked sarcastically before taking in a sharp breath as she rubbed her thumb over the head of his now fully erect penis, looking up at him while gliding her tongue across her upper lip.

"You better be helping her out instead of being your usual pain in the ass." Wilson warned him, placing his free hand on his hip.

"Of course I'm helping her out but if you don't stop questioning me like an old mother hen, I'll leave right now and make you drag _your _sorry ass over here." House shot back, clearing his throat as Cuddy kissed the tip of his shaft before moving her warm mouth onto it as her hand caressed his thigh.

"Listen if you're starting to go stir crazy over there I can come over today so you can go back to your apartment." Wilson offered.

"_Noooo!" _House groaned, pounding his fist down on the mattress as Cuddy looked up at him, moving her mouth up and down on his erection with an rhythm meant to drive him wild, pursing her lips when she reached the top of it before blowing lightly on the tip of his aching member.

"What the hell was that about?" Wilson questioned.

"Cuddy just turned on Dancing with the Stars." House lied, watching her smiled up at him before taking his penis into his mouth once more.

He was now in very deep trouble and in no position to stop her from giving him a killer blow job, meant to drive him over the edge.... but if he could just hold on and hang up with Wilson before she made him completely lose it. He would win this little game they were now playing.

_OK……… focus….you are drowning in a sea of old naked women…….with wrinkly sagging tits, _he told himself before his eyes traveled down to her once more, unable to keep from watching the incredible act she was performing on him_…...._

_DAMMIT..she looked so goddamn hot right now, _he cursed inside his head, watching he full breasts jiggling as she moved her mouth up and down on him while her lovely ass was perched up in the air as she remained kneeling on the mattress underneath him.

"House?" Wilson questioned after hearing nothing but his friend's labored heavy breath for a few seconds.

"My leg's acting up, gotta go." House croaked into the phone before slapping it shut and throwing it off the bed.

Hearing what he had said. Lisa let out a muffled laugh with her mouth still moving up and down on his erection, causing him to move his hand into her hair as his hips bucked underneath her in response to the vibration.

Reaching the head of penis once more, Cuddy pulled her mouth away from his rock hard shaft and looked up at him. "I win!" She exclaimed with a victorious smile.

"How do you figure that you won, I didn't even……." House began to argue just before she went down on him again, "_You win_," he then moaned a few seconds later in a deep husky voice between the rushing waves of his orgasm, looking down at her and wondering why in the hell he had waited so long to make a move on the woman below him who possessed the power of goddess within her slate grey eyes that were locked onto his.

******************************************************************************************************************************************************

A short while later, House stood beside Cuddy in front of the large cherry dresser in her bedroom. Dressed once more in his t-shirt and faded jeans. Watching her pulling her shirt down over her head, covering up the sexy red bra he had taken off her body earlier, greeted by the smile on her face as she pulled her dark hair out from the back of the shirt. "We better get this bed made and head back downstairs before my mom and Bill come back," she told him reaching for the bedpost behind her so she could hop over to the top of the bed without using her crutches.

"Not so fast." House told her, pulling her body against him before cupping her ass with both hands and giving it a firm squeeze.

"Trying to get all of the groping in you can before Bill and my mom come back?" Cuddy questioned with smirk before pulling herself away from his embrace.

"I consider it my civic duty to serve the greater good by groping one fat ass at a time across America." House teased, limping over to the other side of the bed where he turned on the alarm clock radio, moving the dial until he found a classic rock station.

Reaching for the covers beside him, he began to hum along with the Beatles "Penny Lane" as he helped her smooth out the sheets they had rolled around in earlier. Still caught up in the afterglow of how good it felt to be with her like that, the connection between them always taking him a million miles away from the world around them.

Cuddy looked over at him as she pulled the sheet tight on her side, seeing him relaxed and happy like he was now, reminding her of the young man she met in Michigan all of those years ago, smiling when she realized even after all that time, it still was as much fun battling him now as it had been then back then.

Finished with her side, she then limped over to him as he smoothed out the top cover of the bed, "I want to tell my mom about us today after her and Bill come back from the nursery," she told him as he turned around to face her, "I don't want you to go back to your apartment. I want you to stay with me," she added, realizing that even though she was worried about how her mother might react to the news, House would be the one person she could trust without doubt to help her deal with any emotional consequences the truth may bring upon her mother.

"So you're finally gonna make an honest man out of me? I guess banging you senseless really does bring out the romantic in you." House whispered, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Just remember _no groping _in front of my mom." Cuddy warned, poking her finger into his chest.

House shrugged, "As long as I get to spank you in the bedroom I'm cool," he replied, gripping her waist with both hands before pushing back down onto the bed.

"Don't you dare!" Cuddy began to say as he sat down beside her and proceeded to pull her over onto his lap until she was in a position to be spanked.

"Sorry but mommy isn't home and that ass has been begging for a spanking all day." House told her holding her down while his eyes sized up the round target covered in tight fitting cotton track pants.

"House stop!" Cuddy yelled, trying to wiggle free from him.

"Don't talk back to daddy." House said sternly, staring to laugh as he raised his hand high in the air.

"_What the hell is going on?!!" _Wilson shouted from the doorway of the bedroom as his jaw dropped to the floor and his eyes went from House's hand to Cuddy's ass.

"Oh shit." House muttered looking up at Wilson with his hand still held high in the air as the radio playing behind them filled the room with the voice of Freddie Mercury…….

_Oh won't you take me home tonight?  
Oh down beside your red firelight,  
Oh and you give it all you got  
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round  
_

.


	28. Chapter 28

**Ok guys this chapter is a little shorter than the others but there is a lot going on so I hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 28**

Wilson stood frozen in the doorway, unable to move after what he had stumbled upon was absorbed by his shocked brain.

Cuddy was flung over House's lap on her bed, and House.....with a huge grin on his face was getting ready to spank her.

It was unbelievable, it was incredible, and it temporarily left him speechless.

"Wilson it's not what you think!" Cuddy said as she scrambled off of House's lap. Placing her hands up in front of her in a delayed response to try and stop him from seeing what he had already witnessed.

"Forget it sister, the gig is up." House muttered, reaching for her arm and pulling Cuddy back down on the bed.

"I can't believe this!" Wilson blurted out, stepping inside the room before starting to pace in front them, "House did you drug her or something?" He asked moving towards Cuddy to check her pupils.

"_No I didn't drug her!!"_House barked as he pushed Wilson back from Cuddy.

"So you let him spank you on a regular basis then?" Wilson asked raising an eyebrow to Cuddy, wondering just how twisted the relationship between his two friends really was.

"He's never spanked me!" Lisa answered in a high pitched voice as she looked over at House, "Tell him you've never spanked me," she commanded.

"I've never spanked her." House said, knowing if he would have told Wilson then that Cuddy actually did like an occasional smack on behind during sex ...…his spanking days would be over.

"_Just how long has this been going on between the two of you?" _Wilson demanded, fixing his gaze on Cuddy for the answer.

"Since the fundraiser." Cuddy admitted with a sign before glancing over at House.

"Since the fundraiser?" Wilson yelled with disbelief.

"Think I should give him a vicodin to mellow him out?" House whispered over to Cuddy.

"That's your answer for everything." Lisa muttered back to him, crossing her arms in front of her and shaking her head as she though of what she must have looked like when Wilson caught them in here with her ass facing the ceiling.

Taking in a deep breath, Wilson looked over at his friends, hurt in a way that neither one of them had confided him, deciding since the truth had now been confessed, he would get in a few digs at their expense in order to make himself feel a little better about the whole situation.

_"_So the two of you have been seeing each other for a few months now?" He said coolly as they looked up at him, "Well I guess I can only assume after what I just witnessed, the two of you were trying to add some spice into your love life _and....._being the good friend that I am to both of you. I think you guys need to continued with your little sexual foreplay…while I of course critique it and give you some pointers. In fact I'll even give you a helping hand House, since usually you're the one getting spanked by Cuddy in the hospital." Wilson said smugly, pushing his way in-between the two of them as he sat down onto the bed.

"Watch it." House growled, shooting his friend a warning look.

Wilson chuckled and turned his gaze to Cuddy. "Come on bad girl, hop up on daddy Wilson's lap and let me show you how it's done." He whispered with a sly smile.

Cuddy glared at him, "Keep talking to me like that and you'll be walking out of here minus an organ that is very near and dear to you." She said evenly, looking down at his crotch.

Leaning closer to her Wilson smiled again, "You are _so sexy _when you're mad, no wonder he wants to spank you," he remarked. Pushing his luck.

"SHUT UP!" Cuddy and House said in unison, with House nailing Wilson in his arm using a closed fist while Cuddy gave a pretty good back handed smack to Wilson's left arm.

"Ouch! What the hell did you guys do that for?" Wilson exclaimed as he rubbed his arms in a style that made him look as if he were in the middle of Siberia on a cold winter's night.

"Your really have to ask?" Cuddy replied sharply, changing her tone to make him feel guilty about the sexual remarks he had made.

Wilson rolled his eyes at her, "Oh please, like House wouldn't have commented on getting in on the spanking action if he caught me in here with you flung over _my_ lap," he informed her smartly.

For that comment Cuddy punched him hard in the arm with a closed fist.

"Ouch! Knock it off…that one really hurt!" Wilson yelped, rubbing his right arm.

"Nice to know my new girl can beat the crap out of my old girl." House said dryly with a wiry grin.

Still rubbing his arm, Wilson noticed the peculiar, almost calm expression on House's face as he looked over at Cuddy, seeing in it something that he could hardly believe, "Oh my god," he stated with surprise before glancing over at Cuddy. "No wonder the two of you wanted keep your relationship a secret…..this is more than a just a fling between two spank buddies. You guys are actually in LOOOOOOOVE!" He exclaimed with a loud voice, falling back on the bed and laughing as he smiled up at the ceiling.

Cuddy glared over at House, "This is all your fault. If you would have locked the doors like I….." she started to say before Wilson cut her off.

"The doors were locked, but after I knocked a few times and nobody answered I used the key you gave me after the accident when I stopped by to get your laptop for you." He informed Cuddy, looking up at her from the bed.

House gave her a dirty look, "Smooth move Cuddy, lucky you're really good in the sack otherwise…." He started to tell her.

"Shut up now, or risk dismemberment." She hissed back to him.

Again Wilson laughed, "Wow, you guys must have A LOT of angry make up sex," he commented with a big happy sigh, fixing his gaze on the ceiling, "Boy if this room could talk…" He added whimsical tone.

House gave Cuddy a serious look, "Now that Wilson knows the truth…you know what this means," he whispered to her before turning his attention to Wilson who was still lying happily on his back.

"You hold him down. I'll find a blunt object." Cuddy replied without missing a beat, giving Wilson and evil glare.

"You two will bump off each other before you ever get to me." Wilson told them both with a chuckle, resting his hands on his chest.

Cuddy let out a sigh, glancing over at House, "He's right, we're doomed," she admitted, lying down on the bed next to Wilson as her eyes found their way up to the ceiling as well.

Following her lead, House let out a frustrated sigh before lying down on the bed as well. "So what do you want in order to keep your mouth shut?" He asked his friend. Bitterly clenching his jaw.

"I'm not sure yet." Wilson said coyly, deciding to get a little bit more information first. "So Cuddy, does your mom know about the two of you?" He asked, taking his gaze away from the ceiling so he could study her face.

"I was going to tell her today." Cuddy replied, turning her head to look into his brown eyes.

"Where is your mom by the way?" Wilson asked.

"She went with out with Bill for a little while, but they should be back soon." Cuddy answered.

Wilson turned his head to look over to House, "What's going on with Bill and Ruth?" He asked, wanting a little gossip on them as well.

"Bill's been trying his damndest to get the panties off Ruth, but so far she's not wiling to play his little game of let the doctor hide his sausage in her cave." House remarked, raising Wilson's arm up from the bed the instant Cuddy had flung a backhanded slap in his direction; effectively letting Wilson's arms take the brunt of her wrath.

"Hah, blocked you." House said triumphantly to her, dropping Wilson's arm back on the bed.

"You're an ass." Cuddy told him with a slight smirk. She had to admit it was a very clever move on his part.

Wilson ignored the battle between Cuddy and House for the moment as his brain began to switch gears and he started to realize that there were some more sinister complications that had resulted from the secret affair between his two friends. Turning to face Cuddy once more as her smile faded when she looked into his eyes and saw the worry residing there. "If you and House started seeing each other after the fundraiser, that means you broke it off with Jeff to be with House and you wanted to keep your relationship with House a secret because of all of the crap Jeff's been putting you through." he stated with understanding.

Cuddy nodded, "Yes," she answered softly.

Wilson studied the expression on her face as she continued to look at him. The reality of all that she had been going through these past few months rushing towards him in an instant. "I promise I won't tell anyone about you and House." he told her solemnly, sitting back up on the bed.

"Thank you." Cuddy whispered to him, sitting back up as well before planting a small kiss on his cheek.

Wilson gave her a soft smile before looked over at House who had sat up next to him, "What no kiss from you?" He questioned.

House rolled his eyes, "Cuddy doesn't like it when I kiss other girls."

Wilson shook his head, "Fair enough." He replied before getting up off the bed and turning around to face them both, "Oh and by the way……..even though I'm keeping my mouth shut about the two of you does not mean I won't be teasing the crap out of each of you every chance I get." He informed them with a grin.

********************************************************

After sharing their fist kiss, Bill and Ruth had walked out of the greenhouse hand in hand, back towards the potted rose bushes placed upon the wooden skids outside of the nursery where Bill proceeded to pick up the rose bush with pale pink blooms before taking it inside the nursery store to purchase it.

Now as Bill started up the car, he glanced over a Ruth as she looked out the passenger side window, remembering how soft her lips had felt when she pressed them against his own.

"Ruth I was wondering if you'd mind taking a more scenic route back to the city before we grab a bite to eat for lunch?" Bill asked, not wanting to share her with the rest of the world just yet, too caught up in the feeling of what being alone with her gave him.

"It's such a pretty day. It would be nice to take a drive in the countryside." Ruth agreed, smiling over at him.

Within a few minutes down the paved road, Bill had slowed his car down to make the right hand turn, "There's a dirt road up here that that leads to a small family owned winery a few miles back. They kept the process of making their wine as authentic as is was when their great grandfather founded the business. It really is a sight to see, if you'd like to stop," He informed her with a smile.

"I'd love to." Ruth responded without hesitation, studying the face of the man who was quickly beginning to capture even more of her heart, the feelings he brought out in her, blinking in awe with the promise of rebirth.

"You're really going to love it Ruth, it's so peaceful out here. Like time has forgotten the place." Bill told with another smile as he made the turn onto the narrow dirt road, easing back on the accelerator as his tires rumbled softly on the ground beneath them kicking up a fine cloud of dust as they made there way past a lush green meadow filled with weeping willow trees.

After a few more miles of breathtaking scenery passing them by, they came upon another much larger meadow with its tall grass blowing softly in the wind.

"Oh Bill look! There's a doe out in the pasture." Ruth told him with the excitement of a child pointing out her window to the direction where the graceful creature stood.

Bill slowed the car even more before coming to a complete stop. "That's strange. Usually the deer are bedding down at this time of day. I wonder if that doe has a little fawn running around somewhere?" He commented, putting the car into park as he leaned against the steering wheel to get a better view, hearing Ruth take in a sharp breath and feeling his heart stop cold in his chest when he turned to look at her.

_"Ruth? Are you alright?"_ He asked slightly alarmed, cursing himself for the tone in his voice.

Ruth didn't answer, her body ....frozen in a fixed position in the passenger seat.

Her eyes had glazed over with a blank stare and her face had drained of all its color as her fingernails dug into the palms of her hand.

"Ruth, talk to me." Bill coaxed, gently touching her shoulder.

"_Oh god no….not here……not in front of Bill!" _Ruth screamed inside her mind as the ancient and dark memory came slamming into her with an angry rage that tore at her very soul.

_So long ago…… so far away ……buried so deep inside of her she was sure it would only escape inside her nightmares where it would do no harm….._

She was back there now…….. back in the place that had turned her into what she was today, back to when she had been a twelve year old girl, lying face down on the dirt floor of the musty basement. Surrounded by total darkness. Back to where she had awoken in the pitch black room, not knowing how she had gotten there as the taste of dirt and cotton filled her mouth with the rag she had been gagged with. Letting out a frightened cry as she reached to take the soiled cloth out of her mouth only to find her arms as well as her legs had been tied behind her back with a coarse rope that had cut into her skin.

Then the first noise had come in the darkness as something had scurried across the floor. Inching closer to her before touching her hair.

She tried to scream but the gag in her mouth distorted the sound, turning into a mournful whimper as the tear ran down her face and mixed in with the dirt below her.

"_Shhhhhhh…... he'll hear you."_ The tiny voice whispered to her in the darkness back then as it touched her hair again.

_Trapped in the darkness ….with no way to escape …..and I can't breathe! _Ruth thought, as the rag sucked the moisture out of her mouth leaving only the grit of the dirt behind.

"Ruth, come back to me…you're safe…you're safe…here....." Bill whispered gently, rubbing her shoulder after checking her pulse, knowing at this point Ruth was suffering a panic attack.

"_I can't breathe……"_ Ruth whispered through clenched teeth as her eyes remained focused on the heart wrenching memory from her adolescence.

"It's ok Ruth…..you can breathe. There's nothing blocking your airway......just take a breath." Bill reassured her, undoing the latch of her saftey belt with one hand as he tenderly held onto her shoulder with the other one.

Ruth tried taking in a breath through clenched teeth, a sickening wheeze sound escaping her lungs and filling the inside of the car before her body started to tremble uncontrollably in the passenger seat.

"Come Ruth…you can get through this…just breathe…breathe Ruth," Bill told her, keeping his voice calm and steady while inside he was being riped to shreds by the sight of the struggle she was enduring.

Thinking quickly, he turned and reached for the knob to the air conditioner in the car, turning the dial all the way to the right before leaning over and pressing the electronic buttons on his left to roll the windows back up. Hoping the gust of cold air would help to bring her back from whatever terrible place she had gone to.

"_Come on sweetheart….you're safe here with me…no bad things here…only good things here.." _Bill told her, softening his tone even more. Talking to her as if she was a child as he gently stroked her hair, using the most nonthreatening manner in his approach to pull her free from whatever dark thoughts had sunk their claws into her.

_I can't leave her down there alone, _Ruth thought, as a cold gust of air filled her lungs, causing her to gasp loudly as she pulled her hands up to her chest, clenching them into fists once more as she looked over a Bill who held a soothing expression on his face.

"Just breathe Ruth.....slow deep breaths." Bill told holding his peaceful tone as he continued to stroke her hair.

Her face was still drained of all its color but at last he had reached her.

"It's ok…Ruth…..you're alright." Bill assured her again, taking one of her trembling hands in his own, watching as her eyes looked away from him and down to the cup holders in the dash board where two bottles of unopened water where placed. "You want some water?" He asked, feeling her trembling hand gripping onto him tightly.

Ruth nodded her head yes, starting to reach for the bottle closest to her, holding back a cry of fright when she saw how badly her hand was shaking.

"It's ok sweetheart…I'll help you." Bill whispered, placing his hand over hers to steady it and twisting the cap off the bottle before guiding it up to her mouth so she could take a drink.

Taking a long sip of the water, Ruth started to choke as the film of road dust that covered her teeth filled her mouth.

Pulling the car door open, she turned in her seat and vomited up the small amount of water onto the ground below her.

"Hold on honey. It's ok…you're going to be fine." Bill told her, unbuckling his seatbelt in a flash and getting out of the car to run to her side of the vehicle just as Ruth place her feet on opposite sides of the puddle of watery vomit below her.

"You're going to be ok Ruth." Bill said, crouching down in front of her as she hung her head, dropping the bottle out of her right hand.

"Just leave me alone Bill." Ruth said in a small weak voice, putting her hand up towards him as she senses him reaching out for her, embarrassed that he had seen her like this.

Instead of backing off,Bill gently took hold of the hand she placed in front of her to him, "I'm sorry but I'm not that easy to get rid of and I've seen people in lot worse conditions than you so there's no need for you to feel ashamed about what just happened," he told her sincerely, hoping the words would get her to look at him instead of the ground below them, finding his heartbreaking once more when she did meet his gaze with eyes that were rimmed with tears.

"It won't be ok Bill. It never is…...just when I think things can be good again…….it all turns bad." Ruth whispered to him in a strained voice as the tears began to fall silently down her face.

"Don't' say that Ruth…things will get better I promise you. I'm here for you and Lisa is here for you too." Bill said as he placed his hands on her face, gently coaxing her up from the seat as he pulled her into his arms.

Ruth pressed her face into his chest, gripping the material of his shirt tightly in her hands, _"You don't understand Bill…….I don't deserve to be happy ……I let him kill her ……I should be dead too."_ She cried into the beating sound of his heart before trying to pull herself away from him.

Bill felt his blood run cold as he kept her wrapped securely in his arms, "Ruth….whatever happened to you I can tell you with all of my heart you do not deserve to die because of it," he whispered with soft spoken conviction.

"It will never be ok......he won't let it be." Ruth whispered into his chest, trapped in her misery as her knees gave way to the weight of her body.

Bill let out a surprised gasp of air, "It's ok Ruth, I've go you," he said, holding onto her tightly as he gently eased her back down into the passenger seat.

"He took it all away…." Ruth mumbled as she teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.

"Who took it all away from you sweetheart?" Bill asked her in the same soothing voice that had coaxed her out the panic attack as he gently caressed her cheek.

"_He took it all away…..he took it all away from me...." _Ruth answered with a fading breath as her eyes rolled back in head, feeling the strong arms of her past take hold of her once more, pulling her into the darkness that was waiting for her.


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to post but I had to do a major revision on this part of the story….in order to take it in a slightly different direction in regards to Ruth's secret. Also wanted to thank all of my readers who have read this fic over on the Fox Site who are reading it again, I think the changes will help to keep it fresh for you:)**

**Chapter 29**

After talking in the bedroom for a few more minutes, House, Cuddy and Wilson made their way out into the hallway, heading for the stairs that would lead them to the first floor.

Looking over at Cuddy who was walking beside him with the aid of her crutches, House smirked, "You do realize if your mother walked up here right now and saw us you would have a lot of explaining to do. Especially about how you managed to keep two men satisfied in your bedroom," he told her with amusement before shooting a smartass smile at Wilson.

Cuddy however was not amused with the comment, stopping at the top of stairs where she turned around and gave House a look that told him he had not only crossed the line ....but in fact ran over it with a Mack truck.

Seeing the expression on her face, Wilson took a step back from her, "Hey you're the one who was stupid enough to start sleeping with the guy," he said with smile, watching her narrow her eyes at him because of the remark.

"Oh come on Cuddy, lighten up." House said with a smile on his face, not about to back down or apologize for the comment…..especially not in front of Wilson.

Cuddy darted her eyes up to him, letting out a cold chuckle "You know what, you're right House….it could be sort of fun trying to keep two men satisfied at the same time." She said coolly keeping her eyes locked onto his before handing him her crutches and stepped up to Wilson, backing the surprised oncologist up against the wall as she placed her hand upon his chest.

"Cuddy….what are you doing?" Wilson asked nervously as he looked down into her smoldering slate grey eyes.

"Wilson …you know exactly what I'm doing." Cuddy purred in a sultry tone, letting her hand caress its way up from his chest to his jawline before moving her lips closer to his own until only the smallest fraction of space separated them.

House stood before them and stubbornly held his ground, his arm lopped around her crutches and his cane, his resolve as strong as harden steel.

That was until he saw Wilson gazing into Cuddy's eyes with a small smile forming on his face, as Cuddy produced a smile of her own, titling her head and closing her eyes just before their lips touched.

"All right …you proved your point!" House yelled as he pulled her away from Wilson, his right arm wrapping possessively around her waist to keep her steady as he pressed her against the front of his body.

"What's wrong? I thought that's what you wanted." Cuddy asked with a wickedly innocent tone as she stared up at him defiantly.

House gave her a scowl of disapproval, "Just look at you…..now you've gotten Wilson's germs all over your lips!" He said with disgust, rubbing his thumb across them before planting one hell of a kiss on her as he pulled her tightly against him, gripping his cane and her crutches in his left hand, causing her to let out a cry of surprise that sounded more like a moan as he made sure the curved top of his cane pressed firmly into her ass.

Watching them, Wilson touched his lips, remembering the fullness of Cuddy's lips upon his own and how soft they had been, his jaw dropping with shock when Cuddy upped the ante of the kiss she was sharing with House by biting his bottom lip as she slowly opened up her eyes, the passion held inside of them the kind thing any man would kill to call his own.

Feeling the slight tug on his lower lip from her teeth as she released it, House pressed his cane into Cuddy's ass a little harder, watching the flames shoot up in her eyes in reaction to it, "Don't ever do that again." He stressed with a low masculine tone to her, referring to the kiss she had initiated with Wilson.

"Don't' ever make me have to again …understand?" Cuddy responded back in a tone that was soft but clear in its meaning.

House nodded and handed her back her crutches, letting her go ahead of him as she made her way the stairs.

"God….. I hope you screw up…just one time." Wilson said patting House on the back as they stood on the landing and watched Cuddy's cute ass bounce down the steps.

"You know people die going down the stairs everyday." House warned with a dull tone that was just a little bit creepy.

"Point taken." Wilson said quickly, removing his hand from House's back before motioning him to go ahead of him.

********************************************************

Driving back to Lisa's home, Bill glanced over at Ruth much like he had done during the entire ride, wanting to speak to her but holding his tongue for now as she gazed out of the windshield with a blank expression on her face.

After regaining consciousness, she had spoken but one word to him.

"_Please"_ with a soft but urgent voice, making eye contact with him briefly before turning away.

The single utterance of the word had assured him that she had indeed come back to him, the look in her eyes however; telling him wherever she had been was not something she was willing to discuss with him…at least not yet.

Glancing back at the road, Bill made the last turn that would take them back to Lisa's place, his mind telling him that he needed to try and get Ruth to open up before they stepped back inside the house while another part of him argued that Ruth was the one who needed to initiate the conversation between them as he pulled up into the driveway.

Once Bill had put the car into park, Ruth felt the tightness in her throat return, looking out of the windshield in front of her with the realization that all the hopes she carried with her from Cape May of what could be repaired between herself and her daughter had been snuffed out within a blink of an eye by the old memory that would not let her be.

Keeping her eyes fixed forward, Ruth parted her lips, "I don't want Lisa to know about what happened to me today," she said softly, refusing to look at over at Bill even though she could feel his gaze upon her.

"Ruth," Bill said just as softly, "Lisa needs -"

"I said no!" Ruth interrupted with an aching in her heart, turning her head to look in Bill's direction. Refusing to let another tear fall down her cheek no matter how badly it wanted to.

Bill held her gaze while reaching for her hand, "Ruth…..Lisa is not a little girl anymore, she's a grown woman as well as a physician who would be heartbroken to know that you kept this from her," he reasoned.

Ruth shook her head, lowering her eyes in defeat, "You don't understand Bill. I can't let Lisa know about this. I've hurt her so much in the past by not being strong enough for her when she needed me to be and with all that's going on with her now…the last thing she needs to be doing is worrying about me."

Moving his hand to her face, Bill titled Ruth's chin up so he could look into her eyes once more, "Ruth, you are an incredibly strong woman and so is your daughter, and…..you owe it to Lisa to let her know what happened so she can try and help you, otherwise you're only going to end up hurting her all over again," he told her simply.

Ruth swallowed hard, trying to remain strong even though she felt as if she was being torn apart inside_. Oh god how was she going to get through this? _Bill was of course was trying to be supportive, having nothing but her best intentions at heart, but he didn't know what had happened to her all those years ago _and _she had promised herself a long time ago after death had taken her only confidant and keeper of her secret from her that no one else would ever know the truth..……especially not Lisa….especially not her child.

"Bill, I know you mean well, but ......I can't risk having another attack in front of Lisa. It would better for her if I left and went back to Cape May," she told him evenly as her defenses started to rise around her.

"Are you going to see a doctor when you get back to Cape May?" Bill asked her directly, knowing by all he had witnessed with her during this past week, Ruth had been playing a dangerous game with the emotions inside of her for a very long time.

Ruth took in a breath, unable to lie to him. "No." She admitted sadly, hating herself once more for being too weak to cope with the secret inside of her.

"Ruth, we all have secrets, some of them more frightening than others," Bill whispered to her sympathetically while continuing to look into her eyes, "but running away from this isn't going to solve anything. I know that you're afraid but you also have to know you are not alone. There are people here who care about you, first and foremost your daughter who thinks the world of you and if you let me….. I'd like to help you too." He offered, giving her the small reassuring smile she needed desperately at that moment.

Studying Bill's face, Ruth found nothing but truth residing in his eyes, reminding her of the trust she once had in others before it had been taken away from her, "Ok." She agreed tentatively with a nod, reaching down to the hopes inside of her that had been shattered, praying that somehow she would be able to find a way to make them whole again.

********************************************************

Inside the kitchen, House, Cuddy and Wilson were seated around the table, discussing Cuddy's upcoming return to work on Monday as well as her desire to tell her mother about her relationship with House.

"I just can't see keeping it from her any longer, my mom deserves to know the truth." Cuddy said to Wilson with an affirmative nod, resting her hands in her lap.

"Do you want me to leave when you Mom comes back so you and House can tell her in private?" Wilson questioned while his eyes traced the fullness of her lips and delicate curve of her nose.

Cuddy shifted in her seat next to House, thrown a bit off guard by the way Wilson had been looking at her ever since they had sat down at the table. "Quit staring at me like that……you're creeping me out," she demanded with a furrowed brow before leaning back in her chair.

House looked over at her and laughed, "Hey, after the way you threw yourself at him, it's no wonder Wilson's thinking about you naked right now," he told her with a smirk, squeezing her right thigh under the table.

"I was not thinking about your girlfriend naked. I was thinking about having sex with her……._naked_." Wilson said with smile of his own, glancing down a House's hand while Cuddy rolled her eyes.

"Will the two of you please stop." Cuddy said with distain, watching House's smile fade as the door behind Wilson opened up with her mother walking into the kitchen followed closely by Bill.

Cuddy got up from her chair in an instant, "Mom, are you ok?" She questioned with alarm, shocked by the paleness of her mother's completion, the redness in her chestnut eyes telling her that she had been crying.

Ruth looked over at Lisa but didn't speak, her eyes darting towards House and Wilson…… their presence at the moment, very unnerving to say the least.

Sensing the panic threatening to take hold of Ruth once more, Bill walked pasted her and towards the men seated at the table, "I think Lisa and Ruth need a little privacy," he told them causally.

House glanced over at the two women, remaining seated as Wilson got up from his chair.

"Come on House." Wilson urged his friend with a pat on the shoulder.

House looked up at him before fixing his gaze on Cuddy and Ruth once more, going against everything in his nature by keeping silent and pushing himself up form the chair before reaching for his cane.

Lisa watched her mother's eyes follow the men as they made their way out to the living room, waiting until they were gone to speak, "Mom, what's wrong?" she questioned with ache in her heart, holding onto the counter as she took a step closer to her without the use of her crutches.

"I…." Ruth started to say as her bottom lip began to quiver, the secret inside of her sending a piercing sting of agony to her soul, the memories of the time when everything came crashing down around her in horrific brutality, hovering over her. Threatening to take her down with it at any minute as she tried with every ounce of strength she could muster to take that first unsteady step past it.

"Mom, please talk to me…" Lisa pleaded in a soft tone, closing the gap between them and reaching for her mother's hand.

Letting out a gasp as if she was fighting to breathe amidst a raging tide that was dragging her under, Ruth pulled her daughter into her arms, holding onto her child with all the love she had inside her heart, "I'm so sorry Lisa……I'm so sorry for all that I put you through after I found out about your father's affair," she whispered with aching regret, keeping the darker secret hidden for now.

"Mom …it's ok …that…that was a long time ago." Lisa said in a shaky voice, profoundly touched by the emotion in her mother's embrace, shaken by how deeply it was affecting her.

Pulling back from her slightly, Ruth moved her hand to her daughter's cheek, "You were always such a good girl," she said softy before kissing Lisa on the cheek as a single tear fell gracefully down her own cheek.

"Mom, what happened to you today?" Lisa asked with a worried expression, studying the defeated look held within her mother's eyes.

Ruth shifted her gaze to the floor, deciding at this point telling Lisa what had occurred without giving her the true reason behind it would be a safe step for her to take, lifting her eyes up to meet her daughter's gaze once more. "Lisa…..I had a panic attack today, in the car while Bill was driving and…it's not the first time I've had one," she confessed, feeling her heart break a little when she saw the stunned look overtake her daughter's face.

"How long have you been having them?" Lisa questioned with concern.

"For quite some time….ever since…," Ruth started to say before taking in a breath, "ever since I found out about the affair," she finished.

"You've been having panic attacks for over thirty years?" Lisa asked in an uneasy tone, the gravity of the situation now pressing heavy upon her chest.

Ruth reached for her daughter's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, while inside she was dying…this is exactly what she did not want to happen. "LIsa it's not what you think....they don't happen that often. In fact usually... I can go for years without experiencing them," she explained in a rather calm manner, trying to take away the worry written across her daughter's face.

"Have you spoken to your doctor about this?" Lisa questioned, pushing past the façade her mother had offered.

Ruth let out a dismissive sound, "Lisa, I'm fine…I've learned to live with it...I know it's an irrational fear….something left over from a very stressful time in my life…" she began to say.

"Mom…..I know." Lisa said softly, placing her hand upon her shoulder.

Ruth felt her heart sink into the bottom of her chest. "_Oh god._" She whispered in silent desperation, feeling the ground begin to buckle beneath her feet.

*******************************************************

Inside the living room of Lisa Cuddy's home, Wilson, Bill and House stood together in front of the empty fireplace, with Bill having just told Wilson and House the details of the panic attack Ruth had suffered.

"Are you sure you saw no neurological symptoms?" House asked, studying the expression on the old man's face carefully.

"No, her pupils were equal and reactive there was no sign of seizure and after rRuth egained consciousness I asked her all the standard questions." Bill stated as the physician within him came to the forefront.

"You know a tumor in the brain could cause what would appear to be a panic attack. Nerves getting increased pressure on them from the growing mass….." Wilson started to say.

"Spoken like a true oncologist, but I don't think Ruth is going to submit to a CT Scan anytime soon because the problem in her head has nothing to do with cancer." House replied with confidence, glancing over at his friend.

Bill studied House's profile before turning his head and looking back into the hallway behind him to make sure Ruth and Lisa were still in the kitchen, "House is right," he confirmed turning back around to face them, "just before Ruth fainted, she kept repeating the same phrase to me over and over again……saying....._he took it all away from me_…more than once until she passed out," he explained to them with the worry for the woman he had fallen deeply in love with coming out in his tone.

House rubbed the stubble on his jaw, the secret Lisa had told him in confidence now needing to be revealed in order to try and help her mother, "Cud….." he started to say before taking in a breath, "Lisa told me that when she was twelve, her mother suffered a nervous breakdown after she found out her father was having an affair with his secretary. Apparently her reaction was so severe Ruth was admitted into Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital for a period of time," he informed them.

Bill immediately looked over at Wilson, knowing at this point the man would start to grow suspicious after House had chosen to use his boss's first name, the inflection in House's voice giving away his true feelings for Lisa Cuddy without hesitation.

"It's ok Bill..... I know about the two of them." Wilson stated simply, reacting to the expression of concern on the older physician's face before focusing his attention back to House, "Even though finding out about an extramarital affair can be a very stressful time in a person's life, Ruth hardly seems like the type of woman who would completely fall apart over a cheating husband," he stated placing his left hand onto his hip.

House nodded, looking over at Bill, "What do you think?" He questioned knowing the man before him was the one person Ruth seemed to trust without question at this point.

"I think something very painful happened to Ruth long before her husband had an affair, something she's never been able to get over." Bill answered back quietly,feeling a sudden heaviness fill air insde the room they were standing in.

********************************************************

"Mom, it's ok…..seeking medical help because of what you went through with dad is nothing to be ashamed of," Lisa said quickly after seeing the look of panic take over her face.

"Wha….when did you find out?" Ruth questioned with surprise, reaching for Lisa's shoulder while internally she breathed a sigh of relief as the darker secret she carried with her still remained hidden from view.

"Just before I left for medical school." Lisa confessed softly, hoping the revelation would not send another wave of anxiety through her mother.

Ruth lowered her head, unable to look at her daughter, "I'm sorry I never told you Lisa, I just felt so horrible about the whole thing and the fact that I failed you by not being the kind of mother you deserved to have," she whispered as the enormous weight of her guilt crashed down upon her.

Without delay, Lisa pulled her mother back into her arms, "Mom…you did the best you could. That's all any of us can do when life tries to knock us of balance…. and even though you may think you've failed me. _I wouldn't be who I am today without you_," she whispered sincerely, holding onto her mother tighter as she emphasized the last sentence.

Closing her eyes Ruth tried to believe her daughter….but the guilt of the passing decades at this point were proving to be too hard of an opponent for her mind to conquer.

Placing a gentle hand on the back of her daughter's head as they stayed locked in the embrace, Ruth took in a breath, getting ready to tell Lisa of the decision she had made out in the car with Bill before they had come inside, "Lisa…..after what happened to me today I've decided to that I can't stay here with you right now." She whispered quietly, hoping the tone in her voice would help to ease the sting of her words.

Lisa pulled away from their embrace, "Mom, you can't leave. I know you're afraid…but I can help you. In fact....House….House and Wilson and Bill ...we all can help you." she said in a rushed sentence that echoed of the girl she once was, who had been separated from her mother during that dark time in their past.

"Lisa, I'm not going back to Cape May, but Bill has offered to let me stay with him for a few days and that's what I'm going to do. I need some time sort this all out and I can't do that here." Ruth responded, taking hold of her daughter's hand.

"If you're worried about being alone....I don't have to go back to work on Monday, I can take some more time off to help you get through this…." Lisa pleaded, unwilling to let go of the closeness she had begun to feel with her mother that seemed to be slipping away from her now with every passing moment between them.

Ruth placed her hand upon her daughter's cheek, "Lisa, don't think this is because of you…..I …I can't be around you because of what _I'm_ feeling right now. You are the one _good thing_ that I can always turn to when I feel afraid.......you're my light honey...….and in your eyes I find the strength to go on. I don't want that to be tarnished by what I'm going through. Please just be patient with me. I promise it will only be for a few days." She requested as the need to protect her daughter from seeing the awful darkness within her resounded with every beat of her heart.

********************************************************

At that same time, past the Appalachian Mountains and down to where the Gulf of Mexico resided, Jeff tapped his carbon fiber pen against the wood of the cherry office desk he was seated behind in his executive suite at the Four Seasons, reviewing the pile of documents that were spread out in front of him with great interest.

Looking down at the old faded cover sheet inside the dog eared folder before him, his eyes scanned over the typed information that provided the preface for the secret that was held within it.

GREYSTONE PARK PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL

PATIENT NAME: RUTH ANN CUDDY

DATE OF ADMISSION: NOVEMBER 12, 1979

DATE OF DISCHARGE: DECEMBER 12, 1979

ATTENDING PHYSICAIN: DR HAROLD MACKLEY

DIAGNOSIS: POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME

After reading those words, Jeff turned the page that had been stained yellow by the hands of time, a musty odor filling his nose as he glanced down at the handwriting in black ink. Pleased to see that the penmanship of the nurses and hospital staff as well as the attending physician for the most part were still legible even after all these years……..

_**November 12, 1979**_

_White female mid thirties admitted to GPPH at 11:30 pm…. arrived in a catatonic state accompanied by her husband ……._

_Patient is in a rigid fixed position….her arms placed against her chest and hands clenched into fists…_

……_husband states he found the patient in her current condition after he arrived home from work shortly before eight pm….._

_**November 18, 1979**_

_The patient continues to show signs of depression with an unwillingness to open up to staff or her attending physician……she is often found huddled in the far corner of her room with a blank fixed expression on her face….after these events however the patient recovers quickly, denying that they have occurred…._

**_November 20, 1979_**

_...........in seeing this type of behavior in other patients I have treated in the past it is obvious to me this patient is in an extreme state repression over some traumatic event in her life…..the patient's constant need to maintain control …even if it means denial of her actions…. leading me to believe at some point in her life control was taken away from her and the will of another forced upon her…..I suspect the possibility of sexual, physical or mental abuse having taken place during early childhood or in the patents adolescence stage of her life….…_

_**December 3, 1979**_

_Patient still shows unwillingness to discuss the issues she is struggling with even after numerous psychiatric counseling sessions….while now portraying an impressive sense of well being and confidence in her appearance and mental outlook…… the patient reacts in a highly intellectual manner with the staff, at times making it hard to believe this was the same fragile woman who was brought to us in the first place….it is only when the patient is pushed by the staff to talk about her past….specifically her childhood.... when her demeanor becomes extremely defensive, unwilling to speak or make eye contact with staff members or her attending physician….her determination to keep the events of her life hidden, all encompassing to her at this point……._

_**December 12,, 1979**_

_I have diagnosed the patient with post-traumatic stress syndrome and feel that she has lived with this disorder for years without proper diagnosis because of her ability to mask its symptoms until the severity of it was brought to the forefront after the death of her father a few months ago…...while I feel her father is a key to unlocking her past...the patient has remained oppoesd in opening up to me aobut him....._

_In light of this, I have informed the patient's husband John Cuddy of my diagnosis while explaining to him that although his wife may show the appearance of making a full recovery from this disorder… it is in my opinion it will only a matter of time before she suffers another traumatic breakdown because of her refusal to address a disturbing event in her past..…_

_Based on this knowledge and the patient's unwillingness to commit to treatment I have recommended to the patient's husband that she remain with us at GPPH until she feels comfortable enough to speak about the events of her past but ….. as of 7:15 this morning I have been notified by Dr. Robert Conter the Hospital's Administrator at Greystone the patient's husband will be arriving tomorrow and that the patient shall be released from the hospital under his care…_

_This decision had been made by the medical director of GPPH…. Dr Franklin Walters who is a client of the patient's husband John Cuddy, a well known lawyer in the greater New Jersey area._

_I am now stating as the patient's personal physician that I strongly disagree with this decision and feel we are releasing this patient with neglect to her well being. I can only hope that one day she will seed out the medical care she needs._

_Harold Mackley MD_

Jeff started to chuckle softly as he put the weathered document back down on the desk, reaching for the small stack of glossy black and white photographs that lay in a neat pile on the right hand corner of it, thinking to himself that money truly was a wonderful thing…the kind of thing that could resurrect secrets which were thought to have been buried a long time ago.

The kind of secrets he could use to his advantage in the game he was playing.

Sucking on the cold metal tip of the pen, Jeff looked down at the photo of Ruth Cuddy he now held in his right hand, studying the delicate features of her face and wondering if her skin felt as soft as her daughter's did…..if she carried the same sweet scent with her that he was now conjuring up in his memory.

_"You know…..I really can't wait to meet you Ruth…."_ Jeff whispered down to the photo with a small smile, already thinking of the ways he would torture the beautiful woman before him with her past until she gave him what he wanted, content with the knowledge that by this time tomorrow he would be back in Princeton where he belonged.


	30. Chapter 30

**Hi everyone:) Sorry this took so long but work has been crazy and since I'm revising this part of the story from scratch it's taking me a little longer to get it done but please know I have been reading your comments and can't thank all of you enough for your great reviews!! By the way it may be a little longer of a wait for the next chapter as well as I complete the new twist on this part of the story but hopefully it will be worth the wait ;)**

**Chapter 30**

After Ruth had finished talking to Lisa about her plans to stay at Bill's place for the next few days, both women made their way out into the living room where House, Wilson and Bill were standing together in front of the fireplace.

As Ruth walk up to them, Bill placed his right hand onto her shoulder. "How are you feeling?" He questioned softly.

"Better." Ruth responded with a small smile before looking over at House and Wilson.

Following her gaze, Bill spoke to her once more, "I told House and Wilson about what happened to you today in the car, just like you asked me to before we came in here," he informed her with a reassuring tone as she looked up at him.

Ruth nodded, before turning her attention to House and Wilson, "After what happened to me today, there's is something I need the both of you to do for me," she informed them, taking in a breath.

"Whatever you me do for you Ruth, I'll do it." Wilson said without hesitation.

"And what about you?" Ruth questioned, looking over at House who was watching her intently.

"Depends on what you're asking." House replied coolly, not willing to commit to something blindly without hearing the reasoning behind it first.

Taking a step closer to him, Ruth touched his arm, seeing the surprised expression overtake his face, knowing instantly as she looked into his eyes that she was not the only one who was haunted by the ghosts of her past, "I told Lisa out in the kitchen that I'm going to be staying with Bill for a few days and since Jeff is going to be coming back to Princeton tomorrow, I need you and Wilson to say here with Lisa so she won't be alone in case Jeff tries to make contact with her again," she explained with her fingers pressing her fingers into the muscles of his forearm as she held his gaze, letting him know through the contact she was placing her trust in him to protect the one person in her life who she loved more than life itself.

Moving his eyes away from her face, House looked down at Ruth's hand as she slowly removed it from his arm, "I think I can do that." He answered flatly as his mind moved past the uncomfortable way Ruth's touch reminded him of his own mother's emotionally charged grip when she would step in between the fights he was having with his father.

********************************************************

Later that night after Ruth and Bill had left, House stretched his legs out on top of the mattress in Cuddy's bedroom, taking a vicodin from the pill bottle on the nightstand and swallowing it before rubbing his thigh while inside the master bathroom Cuddy brushed her teeth after having taken a shower, the damp ringlets of her towel dried hair, falling across her face as lowered her head to spit the toothpaste inside her mouth out into the sink.

With her mind a million miles away at the moment, she tucked the offensive lock behind her ear as she straightened back up, wiping her mouth with the towel before letting out a deep breath that carried with it the weight of the day's events as she left the bathroom and headed into the bedroom.

"So can I assume since your mom didn't give me the evil eye tonight when she asked me to stay here with you, she still doesn't know about us?" House asked casually as Cuddy made her way over to the foot of the bed without her crutches.

"I really didn't think tonight was the best time to tell my mom about us considering all that she's been through." Cuddy replied, spotting the bottle the lotion she was looking for on the nightstand beside him.

House paused before responding to her as his eyes traced the curves of her body underneath the fabric of the burgundy satin nightgown she was wearing, a part of him that missed being in here with her like this wanting to savor the image just for a moment before moving on to other matters, "Speaking of your mom. Any chance her mom and dad… aka '_your_ _grandparents_' are still alive and kicking?" He questioned as Cuddy made her way over to his side of the bed.

"Their both deceased and why do you want to know?" Cuddy responded with a confused look, motioning for him to scoot over on the bed so she could sit next to him as she reached for the bottle of lotion.

"Does your mom have any brothers or sisters who are still alive?" House continued, ignoring her question.

"House, where are you going with this?" Cuddy asked studying his face as she placed the lotion back down on the nightstand.

"_Just answer the question." _House stressed, growing impatient with her.

Cuddy exhaled in frustration, "My mom has two sisters, my Aunt Rachel who's oldest and my Aunt Sarah who's three years younger than my mom. Now tell me why this is so important to you," she demanded.

"Do any of your Aunts live around here?" House pushed, ignoring her question again…..however this time instead of answering him, Cuddy folded her arms against her chest, refusing to speak.

Letting out a sigh, House shook his head before he made eye contact with her once more, "The reason I'm asking you is because I wanted to know if there was anyone in your extended family who was above the age of twelve at the time your mom had her nervous breakdown." he explained.

Cuddy looked back at him with shock, knowing immediately the direction he was taking, "I am not going to let you question my aunts about my mom's nervous breakdown!" She stated adamantly.

"Then I'll just ask your mom about it instead." House commented with a shrug, keeping his eyes fixed on hers.

"You know my mom's not ready for something like that." Cuddy argued, leaning closer to him as she felt the tension within her grow.

"With Jeff coming back to Princeton tomorrow..... I need to know exactly what we're dealing with in regards to your mom, and that's not going to happen by me sitting around and doing nothing." He stated evenly.

"So you think you can just bully my mom into talking about something that still incredibly painful for her? No! I won't let you do that to her and I certainly won't let you do it to my aunts either!" Cuddy shot back with harsh tone.

"Dammit Cuddy, you need to be objective about this! Your aunts can give us a grown up perspective on what happened back then to your mom that isn't marred by your childhood guilt." he told her, letting his aggravation with the entire situation they were facing get the better of him, with the result making Cuddy feel as if she had been slapped across the face.

"Don't dare try and manipulate me like that!" Cuddy hissed at him, getting off the bed and clenching her jaw as she pointed her finger in his direction, "You just want to pull my mom apart so you can see what she hiding because to you she's just another puzzle to solve. You don't care about what happens to her if we can't put her back together again!" She added, turning to leave, feeling her heart begin to beat faster inside her chest.

House took hold of her wrist, preventing her from going, "You can believe whatever you want about me... but deep down, you know I'm right." he said to her in a low tone as she made a feeble attempt to jerk her hand free from his grip.

Cuddy raised her eyes to the ceiling before turning around to face him, "If my mom ends up having another nervous breakdown because of something we did to her..….because of something I did to her….." she started to say, feeling her heart pounding against her chest.

"Right now that's a chance we're gonna have to take...because doing nothing could lead to your mom having a nervous breakdown too." House told her, leaving her in much same position as she was in the hospital when he came to her about his patients.

Taking in a deep breath, Cuddy sat back down on the bed, the decision she was about to make ….one that would cause her heartache anyway she looked at it, "My Aunt Rachel lives in New Brunswick, and since currently you don't have a case……I could re-arrange my schedule so we could go there tomorrow morning to talk to her." she informed him, placing all the trust she had inside of with him, hoping they were doing the right thing.

********************************************************

The next morning House and Cuddy were sitting inside of House's car in the driveway in front of her home, with House in the driver's seat while she sat beside him in the passenger seat.

"Remember if you guys need anything call me." Wilson told them both as he leaned down and looked into the vehicle.

"Just remember to tell my assistant if my mom calls the hospital she needs to get in contact with me immediately." Cuddy told him with a nervous edge to her tone.

"Don't worry I will and I hope whatever you guys find out will help your mom." Wilson said with a genuine tone.

"So do I." Lisa responded softly with a nod.

Putting the car into reverse House glanced up at his friend, "No hitting on Cuddy's assistant while we'll gone, that desk in her office is for us to have sex on……not you," he said smartly with a small grin.

"I'll be sure to keep the in mind." Wilson replied with a soft chuckle, waving goodbye to them as House pressed his foot on the gas pedal and slowly backed the car down the driveway.

"Filing cabinets and the copy machine are free game though so go nuts!" House yelled to Wilson after pulling out into the street.

"Thanks for the tip." Wilson answered back, laughing when he saw Cuddy smack House across the chest with her hand for the comment.

"I have neighbors who are still asleep you idiot!" Cuddy scolded as she shot House a glare.

"If they haven't woken up after all of the times I've given you your daily dose of early morning delight as you moaned at the top of your lungs, they'll sleep through anything." House told her smugly.

"House ……" Cuddy said in a softer tone causing him to look her way with a more somber expression, "do you really think this is the right thing to do?" she asked him, with the knowledge of how horrible things could turn out for her mother if they took a misstep in trying to help her.

"Yes." House answered simply before turning his focus back to the road in front of him.

********************************************************

Pulling up in front of a pristine white colonial style home, House put the car into park before looking out of the windshield at the tall man with grey hair who was leaning down into the open hood of a 57 powder blue Chevy, pulling the dipstick out from the engine to check the oil.

"I take it Herman Munster over there is your uncle?" House asked, looking over at Cuddy who had a melancholy smile on her face as she watched the man wipe the excess oil off of the dipstick with the rag he had taken out of his back pocket.

"Yes, that's my uncle Sam." Cuddy responded not even acknowledging the remark he had made, totally focused on her uncle as the memories of the time she had spent with here with him and her Aunt Rachel after her mother's nervous breakdown came flooding back to her.

House studied her face, the expression on it as she gazed out at her uncle providing him with a small glimpse of the girl she once was, "Lisa…if you really don't want to do this….." he started to say in a voice that held onto the secrets of his own past while the ghost of the young boy he had once been took notice to the sadness reflected in her eyes.

"I'll be fine," Cuddy replied quickly, opening up the car door after she had seen her uncle looking over at them as he backed away from his car.

"Hey," House said, touching Cuddy on the shoulder as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"House I said I'll be fine." Cuddy stated in a hushed even tone, wanting to run on autopilot instead of thinking right now, forcefully pushing her emotions down into a place she hoped they would stay.

"I just thought you might need these." House told her, reaching into the back seat for her crutches before offering them to her.

"Thanks." Cuddy said softly with a small smile, hearing the approaching footsteps of her uncle outside of her car door as she turned to face him.

"Lisa! I thought that was you!" The tall well built man in his late seventies said, before leaning down and taking her crutches from her as she got up from the seat, putting a strong arm around her waist as he pulled her against him, giving her a robust and loving hug that included lifting her off the ground a few inches.

"Uncle Sam you're too old to be doing this!" Cuddy said with a surprised voice, wrapping her arms around him as House walked over to her side of the car never taking his eyes off of the two of them.

"Nonsense Lisa I'll never be too old to give my favorite niece a proper hug and from the looks of it I'm actually in a lot better shape then you are young lady." Sam told her, kissing her on the cheek before gently letting her feet touch the ground again.

"You say that to all of your niece's Uncle Sam." Cuddy responded with smirk, smoothing out the creases on her suit jacket.

"Who told you that? Was it Jennifer? You do know she's very jealous of you of Lisa." Sam teased, handing her back the crutches while nodding down at her cast, "Your mom called us and told us about the accident before she went up to Princeton to take care of you but we haven't heard from her since, and….. judging by the way you're dressed I assume you're passing through here on your way to something that has to do with hospital business," he concluded.

Cuddy nodded, "I was on my way to a Medical Conference in Newark with a colleague of mine and decided to stop by and pay you and Aunt Rachel a visit on the way there." She lied, needing some time to work up to the truth behind her visit.

As she spoke, Sam glanced over at the man who had made his way up to them with the use of a cane, the stubble on his jaw and intense expression on his face, telling him the man was not a people person. "I take it this is your colleague?" He questioned looking back at his niece.

Again Cuddy nodded, "Uncle Sam this is Doctor House, the head of the Diagnostic Department at the hospital," she explained.

"Nice to meet you Doctor House." Sam said, offering the rough around the edges physician his hand.

"You always give the womenfolk in your family a bear hug when you see them?" House asked dryly, shaking hands with the older gentleman who had the aged physique of a linebacker past his prime playing years.

Sam chuckled, "Nope……only this one because I know how much she likes it," he replied smiling over at Lisa as she leaned on her crutches.

House darted his eyes over to Cuddy, "Doctor Cuddy I want you to know if you ever miss getting picked up by your uncle…. I'll be more than happy to help you out with that." he said slyly with a wink.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him, "Uncle Sam you'll have to excuse Doctor House, he seems to get humor and sexual harassment of his boss confused at times." She replied with a dull tone even though she knew House had made the comment to her as means to make her feel more within her element as she prepared to talk to her aunt about her mother.

Sam smiled at the two of them, noticing right away what was going on between his niece and the ornery doctor accompanying her, "So tell me Lisa how long have and Doctor House been dating?" He asked with an amused grin as they started to make their way to the front door of the house.

Cuddy stopped abruptly, "Doctor House and I are not…"

"Lisa?" A voice asked from the doorway of the home, the tone of it sounding so much like Cuddy's voice; House's eyes immediately followed it up to where a petite and very thin woman stood, her dark raven hair cropped close to her head in small curls that told of how new they were to her scalp. The smile upon her face that mirrored her niece's, highlighting the hard edges of her cheekbones where the skin was stretched tight as the summer sun illuminated the dark circles under her chestnut eyes she had tired to conceal with a layer of makeup.

It was then House was hit with the reality of the profound consequences Cuddy had struggled with last night up in her bedroom, the emotions that came pouring out of her then, becoming crystal clear to him now.

Looking over at Cuddy as he walked beside her, House leaned down to whisper to her as her uncle moved passed them towards the front door to where her aunt was waiting for them. "Why didn't you tell me your aunt has cancer?" He asked her as she kept her eyes forward.

"Would it really have mattered to you?" Cuddy replied flatly, glancing at him briefly before placing the rubber soles of her crutches onto the concrete landing in front of her. "Aunt Rachel, it's so good to see you." She said softly with a smile, carefully talking the woman who was for a time her surrogate mother into her into her arms as her uncle held the door open for them, swallowing back the gasp of heartbreaking surprise in her throat as she felt the grooved bones of her aunt's spine beneath a very thin layer of skin.


	31. Chapter 31

**Hi everyone sorry its been a little bit of wait for the next chapter but I finally got it done. Hope you enjoy it an as always I'd love to hear you thoughts.**

**Chapter 31**

Inside the home of Rachel and Sam, House sat in a high backed Queen Anne style chair after being introduced to Cuddy's aunt as her 'colleague' once more as Cuddy and her aunt sat next to each other on a floral patterned couch while her uncle stood beside them in front of an antique cherry curio cabinet.

After a few minutes of excited conversation over the arrival of the surprise guests, Sam looked over at House, "Can I get you something to drink?" he offered.

"A beer would be great." House replied, watching Cuddy shoot a disapproving look his way, considering it was only nine am.

"Some _coffee_would be great Uncle Sam," Cuddy announced keeping her eyes fixed on House.

"Ok…coffee it is." Sam agreed with a small smile before turning and leaving the living room, thoroughly amused with the way House seemed to know just how to ruffle his niece's feathers.

Studying her aunt's profile, Cuddy reached for her hand, "So how are you really feeling?" she asked softly now that her uncle had left the room, knowing her aunt was the type of person to put on a brave front in order to spare her husband from worrying about her more than he already was.

"The last chemo treatment was hell, but I'm holding my own. Besides I'm far too stubborn to let a little thing like breast cancer get the better of me," Rachel said with a determined voice, placing her other hand on top of Lisa's hand as she gave it a reassuring squeeze, "and now that I've told you the truth…. you need to tell me why you're really here," she whispered looking into the brilliant grey eyes of her niece.

"Aunt Rachel I told you…." Cuddy started to say, looking into her rich chestnut eyes that mirrored her mother's.

"Lisa, you may have told me you were on your way to a medical convention, but if that was really true …..you would have brought your mom with you to visit me and picked her up on your way back instead of coming here with your boyfriend who you also told me was just a 'colleague' of yours." Rachel stated, holding onto the gaze they were sharing.

"I think I like your Aunt Rachel." House said in a low tone from the chair he was seated in, watching as both women turned their heads in his direction just as Sam entered back into the room.

"Coffee should be ready in a few minutes." Sam announced walking back over to the couch as he studied his wife's face carefully, seeing the trouble expression on her face in an instant, "Rachel, what's wrong?" He asked with concern.

"I don't know," Rachel answered softly, looking up at him before turning to face her niece once more, "but I'm hoping Lisa will tell me."

Remaining silent, House was now totally drawn into the moment. The way the ailing woman before him could read her niece so well, of great interest to him.

"Aunt Rachel….I..." Lisa started to say, looking down at her lap before raising her eyes up once more, "I need to talk to you about my mom. You see yesterday……….my mom…."

"Yesterday Ruth suffered a panic attack." House interrupted, trying in his own way to take away some of the unnecessary guilt Cuddy was feeling right now by assuming control of the conversation, watching as both women looked over at him with surprise along with Uncle Sam.

Feeling the old warning sings of long ago rise up inside of her, Rachel focused her attention back onto her niece, "Lisa, where is your mother now? You didn't leave her alone did you?" She questioned in a panicked voice as Sam stepped closer to her.

"She's with a friend of mine, another physician who she's grown very close to and trusts." Lisa explained quickly as the anxiety now displayed openly on her aunt's face caused the alarm within in her to grow.

"Why are you worried about your sister being left alone?" House questioned to Rachel, leaning forward in the chair as his gaze on her intensified.

The older woman immediately looked up at her husband as a silent question that was not to be heard by anyone but them was asked, her eyes becoming rimmed with sadness as he nodded in agreement.

"Aunt Rachel, why shouldn't my mom be left alone?" Lisa questioned softly as the fear inside of her started to grow.

Instead of answering her, Rachel looked over at House, her first priority as protector over her niece needing to assure a safe environment for Lisa before they started down the very treacherous path that would lead them to a painful truth, "Doctor House, maybe it would be better if you went outside with Sam for a little bit while I talk to Lisa," she told him, dropping the not so subtle hint that the secret she was about to reveal was the kind that would change her niece's life forever.

House glanced over at Cuddy as he gripped the armrests of the chair, getting ready to push himself up from it. The family secret about to be spoken inside the cozy living room, the menacing kind that did not take well to strangers witnessing its arrival.

"House…..I want you to stay." Lisa whispered over to him, just before he became vertical granting him access without reservation into a part of her life that most people kept hidden inside their hearts for fear of the pain it would bring.

Not willing to accept her niece's decision so quickly, Rachel shot a wary gaze towards House before looking back at Lisa, "Are you sure you want him to stay?" She asked in a tone that warned once more of the bad things to come.

Lisa nodded, "I trust him Aunt Rachel." She said simply before glancing over at House whose gaze was intently focused on her.

Placing her hand onto her niece's hand once more after Lisa had once again expressed her faith in the man sitting across from them, Rachel looked up at her husband, "Will you please get it for me?" She asked him, not needed to speak of the object she was requesting.

Sam nodded with a heavy heart, remaining silent as he exited the room.

Watching him go, Rachel placed her arm around Lisa's shoulder, pulling her closer to her. "Lisa I just want you to know keeping this from you was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I promised your grandfather…." she started to say, jumping in her seat as the dull thud of the heavy object dropping onto the floor of the attic above them echoed through the house.

Feeling her aunt's frail body tremble, Lisa reached for her arm, "Aunt Rachel you shouldn't be doing this ……whatever you think you need to tell me ….let Uncle Sam do it," she pleaded.

"I can't Lisa, I promised…..I promised your grandfather that if your mother ever started to suffer the panic attacks again, I would tell you the truth about what happened to her," Rachel whispered in an aching tone as the sound of her husband's footsteps echoed in the hallway before he came back into the room, holding a small mahogany chest the size of a shoe box in his hands that was worn by the passing of time.

Lisa looked over at her aunt with a puzzled expression on her face, "Aunt Rachel…....Grandpa died when I was eleven, _before _my mom had her nervous breakdown," she stated with as her uncle now stood before them both with the small chest in his hands.

Taking in a breath, Rachel took the first step towards the horrible past that her sister had endured, "Lisa…your mom has been suffering panic attacks since she was twelve…" she whispered as the ghosts of time rose up and took notice.

"I…I don't understand? How could she have…" Lisa questioned, stumbling over her words and watching as even more color drained out of her aunt's already pale and hollow face.

"You will honey, as much as I hate the thought of it…you'll understand soon enough," Rachel replied with an ache in her heart before turning towards her husband. "Sam did you bring the key?" She asked him with a pained expression

Sam nodded, handing over the small chest to her as he fished the key out of his pocket, watching House get up from the chair he was seated in and make his way over to the empty space beside Lisa on the couch. "Here honey." He then said in a somber voice as he gently placed the key into the palm of Rachel's hand.

With fingers that shivered from the ghosts of the past, Rachel took the key from her husband, placing her left hand on top of the box to keep it steady and exhaling deeply as she struggled to place the key inside the lock with her right hand.

A short gasp of surprise echoed through the dead silence of the room when at last Rachel pushed the key inside the chamber, disengaging the lock with the turn of her wrist.

Staring down at the wooden box with the unknown secret resting inside of it, Lisa felt House place his hand on the small of her back, looking up a him for a brief moment in acknowledgement of the comfort he was trying to provide her in the split seconds remaining between her present and future as they ticked away from her within her next breath when she felt the weight of the box being transferred onto her lap as her aunt rested her hand upon her shoulder, garnering her attention once more.

"Lisa before you open this, you need to remember how strong of a person you mother is and how much she loves you. When you were born, for the first time in years….I saw a part of my sister come alive again. You are her light in this world that blinds her to all of the awful things of her past…. I need you to remember that." Rachel whispered as her voice began to buckle under the strain of the dark history that now loomed heavy upon them all.

Unable to speak, Lisa looked down at the box resting on her lap, letting her slender fingers travel down to the brass latch in the center of it and flipping the lid open with her thumbs, her brow furrowing with confusion once more as she gazed upon the first in a series of folded and yellowed newspaper clippings inside the box glancing over at her aunt who gave her nod to proceed before she reached into the box and pulled out the aged clipping resting on top, unfolding it carefully before she began to read the bold headline in front of her.

"_**MANHUNT FOR CHILD MURDERER IN NEIGHBORING NEW JERSEY COUNTIES COMES TO AN ABRUPT END"**_

Feeling her heart leap inside her chest, Lisa's eyes darted toward the black and white photo of the middle aged man with a haggard face underneath the heading before moving to the finer print below it.

"_August 18…1955......._

"_Local school janitor Thomas Crane was found dead in the basement of his home after abducting and murdering five young girls from neighboring counties in the state of New Jersey. ……."_

"_Thanks to a neighbor of Crane's who noticed suspicious activities going on outside of the house during the early morning hours of August 17__th__….."FBI and police officials finally received the tip they needed in order to track down this cold blooded killer….."_

"_According to FBI and police officials it is believed Crane held his victims captive down in his basement for approximately 3 to 4 days, torturing the frightened little girls before ultimately raping and strangling them…… burying their lifeless bodies in a small field behind his house……however in a final twist of irony… Crane's most recent victim…. a 12 year old girl abducted two days ago on her way home from school would ultimately be the one to put and end to the ruthless man's killing spree after she fatally stabbed him in the neck with a piece of broken glass she had unearthed in the dirt floor that had become her prison…as he was attacking her…."_

"_The 12 year old girl whose name has been omitted from all official records to protect her identity was reported to be in a severe state of shock when police found her…. wandering outside in the field where the other little girls bodies had been buried and suffering from multiple physical injuries that had been inflicted upon her by Crane. The brave little girl was ultimately rushed to the local hospital by FBI officials before being released into the custody of her parents several days later_….."

Raising her eyes from the paper, Lisa looked over at her aunt once more, feeling House take the clipping from her hands that had begun to tremble, "Aunt Rachel….I don't understand…..this can't be…" she said with a gut wrenching tone as the truth pounded its fists against her mind that was trying to block it out.

"I'm sorry Lisa…..I'm so sorry….." Rachel whispered pulling her niece into an embrace, "that horrible man took your mother when she was walking home for school one day by herself….." she started to say.

"No….." Lisa argued shaking her head while the harsh reality slammed into her with the velocity of a freight train.

"I know this hard for you Lisa….." Rachel said as the sharp sting of tears filled her eyes, feeling her niece pulling away from her. The completely devastated look on Lisa's beautiful face, tearing her apart inside.

"Did Crane rape my mother?" Lisa asked her aunt in a shaky voice as a solitary tear ran down her cheek. Too much in shock at the moment to even try and swipe it away with as is traveled down to her chin.

"No honey by the grace of god he didn't…but…he tired to ….and that's when your mother..." Rachel started to say before pausing. Feeling the bone chilling cold of the past run up her spine, "that's when your mother did what she had to so in order to survive…...which is why after she came back to us….your grandfather made us all swear never to tell anyone about what had happened her and never to leave her alone like that monster did down in the basement. It was all so painful for her your grandfather ended up moving our family to Cape May….so your mom could have a chance at leading a normal life instead of being reminded again and again of what happened to her at the hands of that bastard."

Watching his wife taking in a labored breath, Sam sat down on the coffee table in front of her, "Rachel…slow down….." he warned gently, seeing in her face the decades worth of grief that had accumulated inside of her.

Moving his hand to Cuddy's hip, House took the opportunity to pull her a little closer to him, the unthinkable horror she must be experiencing at this very moment bringing out the primal need him to keep her close as his mind raced towards the questions that needed to be asked as he made eye contact with her uncle, "If Rachel promised her father not to say anything about what happened to Ruth, how do you know about it?"

Sam looked over at House while taking hold of his wife's hand, "I was dating Rachel when it happened. We were both juniors in high school and after her family moved away. I drove up every weekend to Cape May just so I could see her," he explained before focusing his attention onto his niece. "Lisa I know this is a lot for you take in but there are things about that time you need to know in order to try and help your mother. She was such a lost soul back then…we didn't think she would ever be able to get over what that sick bastard did to her….. but then one day….. your grandfather took your mom for walk out behind their house… to where a small patch of woods were…."Sam informed her, carefully taking the box from her lap, "and that's is where he gave her this," he finished reaching underneath the newspaper clippings inside the chest and pulling out a red leather bound diary which he placed into her hands.

Looking down at the book, Lisa shook her head once more, holding back the tears that wanted to fall down upon it. "Did you?" she started to say with a whisper.

"I've never read it Lisa. In fact the only person who knows what's inside of that diary is your mother, but in giving it to her, your grandfather offered her a way to express all the things she was feeling at that time that she could not bear to speak of……and in the end along with the love of her family. Your mom came out of the other side of her nightmare. I only hope in giving this to you that you can help her steer clear from it before it has a chance to take hold of her again."

********************************************************

Sitting in the passenger seat of House's car, Cuddy gazed out of the passenger window at nothing. The red dairy of her mother's lost youth resting upon her lap. The conversation she had with her Aunt Rachel and Uncle Sam after he had placed the book into her possession, nothing but a blur to her right now as the haunting truth ran through her mind at a merciless pace.

Outside of the passenger side window it has started to rain. The fat droplets of precipitation, drumming onto the metal exterior of the car as the wipers in front of her swiped back and forth with a rhythmic beat of monotony.

There was one time before in her life when she had felt this numb to the world around her and that time had been when she was a twelve year old girl and watched her mother fall to pieces in front of her. The pain of knowing what had been the hidden cause behind it now making her throat to tighten as she brought her fingertips up to her mouth in order to keep the sound of a cry of anguish from escaping it. Beside her she heard House shifting in his seat as he rubbed his right thigh, the few words exchanged between after they had left the home of her aunt and uncle, steering painfully clear of anything that would evoke a conversation regarding her mother. The emptiness between growing with every mile that passed beneath the tires of the car.

As the rain began to increase in volume, beating heavy upon the windshield and blocking the view of the road in front of him, House slowed the vehicle down, pulling over onto the shoulder of the empty highway before putting the car into park.

Looking over at Cuddy who continued to gaze out of the passenger window beside her, House reached for her hand that was resting upon the worn and faded dairy, knowing she needed to be comforted, not sure of how much he was going to be able to help her with that.

Cuddy stirred from the contact but kept her eyes fixed on the rain falling outside of her window, "I should have listened to you. I should have told my mom to go home at least that way she wouldn't have suffered another attack." She said in a dull tone that now held the weight of her mother's secret within its borders.

House traced the curve of her neck, studying the pulse that moved underneath her delicate skin, "After what you aunt told us about your mother, she never would have left you even if you kicked her ass out the door. It's been in her nature to protect you ever since the day you were born." House told her in a low but affirmative tone, watching as she turned to face him.

"I'm so afraid for her…." Cuddy confessed to him as she felt his thumb caressing the back of her hand as he looked into her eyes.

"I'd be questioning your sanity right now if you weren't afraid for her," House informed her before continuing, "but one thing you have to remember is your mom isn't that little girl anymore. She's a grown woman who somehow managed to carry on with her life despite of what had happened to her and this time as she faces all the bullshit of her past she'll have her daughter watching over her as well as a white haired physician who's falling in love with her and of course a very brilliant diagnostician who's trying to score points with her daughter. Add to that a determined Jew oncologist who is ready to pull out his knight in shining amour routine in a moments notice and I'd say for once in her life your mom actually has the odds stacked in her favor."

In some completely weird and totally unique way, House's words found a way to make a smile appear upon Cuddy's face amidst the dark clouds that were looming above her. The way he could reach her and take hold of it with the use of mere words, something that took her breath away at times, "Whatever happens I want you to know I couldn't have even imagined facing this without you," she said softly, placing her hand upon the stubble of his jaw.

"Not a good idea to try and have sex with me in the car when your mom needs us to get to Princeton." House told her flatly, in part to make light of the faith she had him instead of letting her know how deeply he treasured it.

Letting out a small laugh, Cuddy watched him place the car into drive, the rain having slowed to a more leisurely pace now, knowing that whatever may lie ahead of them together they would get through it one way or another.

********************************************************

As the ran fell against the jet black paint of his jaguar, Jeff sat inside of his car at the airport, watching a jet take off from the runway as he listened to the voice on the other end of his cell phone.

"Lots of stuff going on while you were away. So much so I had to get another guy involved." The voice informed him.

"This other guy better be someone you can trust." Jeff warned the man.

"Believe me this guy knows how to keep his mouth shut." The gruff voice assured him.

Jeff paused before speaking, "Next time you decide you need additional help you better call for approval first or this little agreement of ours is over. Got it?" he said with authority.

""Yeah." The man responded quickly, not wiling to jeopardize the ever increasing sum of money he was getting from the rich businessman.

Knowing the crooked private detective had received the message loud and clear, Jeff moved on, "So tell me the latest about what my little friends have been up to since I've been away."

The man on the other phone let out a soft chuckle, "Well apparently Ruth Cuddy is as fast as her daughter is when it comes to shaking up with a man. Last night my guy watched her leave her daughter's home and spend the night with Bill Martin…. and from the looks of the suitcase she took with her I think she'll be staying there for quite a few days."

Jeff leaned back in the driver's seat, "So that's why you needed the extra help," he said with understanding.

"Yep, I've got my guy watching Ruth and Bill while I've been tailing Lisa and House. By the way I thought you might like to know their on there way back from visiting Lisa's Aunt and Uncle in New Brunswick."

Scratching his temple a broad smiled appeared on Jeff's face, "Sounds like Lisa may be having a few problems dealing with that crazy mother of hers," he commented in a pleased voice.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too." The man agreed.

"Well now that I'm back, I want you to beef up your surveillance on our friends and the minute you spot either Ruth or Lisa alone …I want to know about." Jeff instructed.

"Sure thing boss." The man answered with a grin.


	32. Chapter 32

**Hi guys! Well at long last here is another chapter for you! Hope you all enjoy it, thanks for the great reviews while I was away and as always let me know your thoughts:)**

**Chapter 32**

Once they had arrived back in Princeton, House and Cuddy headed to the hospital in the late afternoon hours of the day. Intent on finding Wilson so they could fill him in on what they had found out about Cuddy's mother.

To say the Wilson was shocked by the news was of course an understatement, the surprise as well as deep concern spreading quickly across the oncologist's face as the three of them sat inside his office the kind of reaction you wished would never appear on another person's face because of the grieve and agony another human being had endured to cause the response in the first place.

Keeping her eyes fixed on Wilson, Cuddy leaned back in her chair as he expressed his deepest sympathies over the awful situation her mother had experienced while internally the strong front that she had been displaying for him as well as House was beginning to wear thin. The weight of the red dairy resting on her lap and clasped tightly between her hands, reminding her of the dark and painful things that still needed to be unearthed from their graves.

Reminding her that inside the worn pages of the weathered book resting on her lap was where a part of her mother's soul had been left behind, achingly exposed by the mind of twelve year old girl who had put it there for safe keeping after coming out of the depths of her own personal hell. The haunting cries of an innocence lost so very long ago, piercing her heart that was still trying to recover from the bruise it had received earlier today.

"We need to let Bill know about this as soon as possible." House stated, looking over at Cuddy as her hands kept the firm grip they had on the book resting on top of her lap.

"I planned on sending Bill a text to call me when my mom's not around so I can fill him in," Cuddy responded, pushing aside the thoughts inside of her head before they would show on her face.

"Lisa… if you want me to, I could call Bill for you." Wilson offered as his dark brown eyes studied her with worry.

"No….I'll tell him." Cuddy insisted, slipping the red diary inside of her purse before reaching for the crutches resting next to her chair. Getting up in an instant and heading out the door as Wilson and House watched her leave.

"I'm worried about her." Wilson said in a low whisper to House after Cuddy had gone, his eyes still focused on the doorway she had passed through.

"Cuddy will be ok." House remarked flatly, reaching for his cane.

Turning in his chair, Wilson placed his elbows on the desk before him and leaned forward. "Cuddy may be fine….but _Lisa_ is going to need you to be understanding and supportive of her through this. I know that may not an easy thing for you do but…you can't push her or Ruth for that matter into moving forward in this whole mess just because you need answers," he warned.

Standing up House looked down at his friend, "Jeff is back in town. Ruth is showing signs of having another nervous breakdown and god knows what Tritter is planning. So yes, right now I am very well aware that _Lisa_ is going to need my support. What you don't seem to understand is…… getting answers about what happened to Ruth is going to help _Lisa _more than holding her hand and lying to her that everything is going to be ok." House replied simply before limping out of the room.

********************************************************

Later that evening after having talked to Bill and repeated the story of her mother's past that her tongue had now grown weary of telling, Cuddy sat up in her bed with House sitting beside her, staring blankly at the image of the TV screen in front of her as the red diary she had been given by her aunt rested next to her on the nightstand still unopened. The brief and heated exchanged she had with House over it on the ride back to her place now playing on inside her mind along with the equally brief conversation she had with her mother a little over two hours ago with the sting of the lie she had told her mother about being swamped at work to keep their call as short as possible….. leaving a dull pain behind in her heart that would not go away, the heat of House's stare on her now that she had been trying to avoid for the past fifteen minutes ……too scorching to ignore any longer.

"What?" Cuddy questioned with sharpness in her voice, snapping her head around in his direction.

House held their gaze for a moment, letting her know the anger she was directing towards him was in no way going to deter him, "If you can't read that diary. You need to give it to me so I can," he stressed in an even tone, moving his eyes past her to the book resting beside her.

"I'm not going to discuss this with you now." Cuddy whispered, lowering her tone a bit knowing that Wilson was spending the night at her place was in the bedroom directly behind hers.

"You need to face this." House responded, following her lead and lowering his tone as well while not backing down in the least.

"Stop doing that! You can't keep trying to _force_me into doing what you want me to do. It doesn't work at the hospital and is sure as hell is not going to work here!" Cuddy answered, pulling the sheets away from the lower half of her body and leaning forward as she got ready to exit the bed.

"You can't run away from this!" House argued, reaching for her arm to stop her.

"Let go of me!" Cuddy ordered, pushing him back against the headboard with her left hand, the heat of her anger giving the action more force than she intended, causing a dull thud to echo inside the room.

"Stop it." House said sternly as if he was scolding a small child, keeping a firm grip on her arm while making sure he was not hurting her in any way.

Immediately Cuddy's eyes honed in on his with the precision of a laser, "Quit acting like a Neanderthal and let go of me!" She hissed, feeling the searing heat of frustration over the absurd battle they were now having coursing through every inch of her body.

"Start acting like an adult and maybe I will." House shot back.

"You of all people- " Cuddy started to stay, exhaling sharply as the pitch of her voice rose an octave.

"Dammit Cuddy what do you want from me?! At least at the hospital you'll listen to reason!" House stated as her grey eyes blazed with intensity. His body jumping slightly as she answered him by straddling his lap before pressing her lips hard against his own.

Taking the breath away from his mouth, Cuddy moved her hands around House's neck, snaking one of them into the back of his hair and telling him without speaking a single word that _this_ was what she wanted from him.

A place in time where he could take her away from everyone and everything that was currently crashing down around her. The primal need to become one with him, rising up from somewhere deep inside of her that had been pushed to the brink of both mental and physical exhaustion after carrying the weight of pain and sadness that seemed to be ever increasing in her life. The ache within her to hear his words entangled in the whispers of longing and feel his skin warming her own as they took on the role of lovers once more……a necessity as fundamental to her as the air she was currently depriving herself of as she deepened the kiss between them.

Opening up his eyes as Cuddy slowly released him from the kiss; House studied her face as she removed the pale blue nightgown she was wearing from her body. Revealing to him the voluptuous contours of her body and soft lace panties that were clinging to the sides of her hips as she placed her hands upon his chest.

At that very moment he could have kept the argument between them going by simply opening up his mouth and asking her once more to relinquish control of the dairy to him, but looking at her now with the moonlight outside the bedroom window revealing the expression on her face that told of a woman who had just exposed not only her body but soul to him as well, he found himself unable to speak. The comfort Wilson had told him Lisa would need from him, something needing to be felt by him as well in a way the stretched far beyond the physical act she was asking him to join her in. The connection he had found with her, an addiction that anchored him to her side, causing his hands to move to the small of her back as he pulled her close to him while his lips kissed the hollow base of her throat before taking the fullness of her left breast into his mouth when she rose up onto her knees, his tongue circling her areola until her nipple peaked in arousal as she arched her back, leaning into him.

Letting out a gasp of desire, Cuddy gripped the headboard behind them with her left hand as her right hand cupped House's shoulder, helping to keep her steady as she slowly began to slowly grind her hips into his erection, kissing the crown of his head as a moan escaped her lips when he began to suck harder on her pointed nipple.

Moving his hands down to her hips, House's fingers slid underneath the waistband of the thin lace panties Cuddy was wearing, intent on pulling them down past her thighs when suddenly she pulled away from him.

"I can't." Cuddy gasped, trying to catch her breath as she looked down at him.

"What do you mean you can't? Don't tell me you forgot how." House said in a low tone filled with the powerful yearning she had caused.

The expression on his face made Cuddy smile, the furrow in his brow combined with the way his eyes held an almost pleading manner to them. One of the things she had missed seeing so very much, "Wilson's sleeping in the room right behind us," she reminded him, lowering herself onto his lap once more.

"Just keep your moans of ecstasy down below a primal scream and he'll never know." House whispered up at her with a wicked smile on his face, loving the smile she was giving him as he tugged on her panties.

"It's not me I'm worried about mister." Cuddy replied raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah right." House scoffed, pulling her closer to him until only the small fraction of space was keeping their lips from touching.

"You _are _worse than me and you know it." Cuddy argued with a triumphant glare before leaning down and whispering in his ear. _"OH ……JESUS….LISA! RIGHT THERE! OH GOD! HOW DO YOU DO…THAT?!" _She moaned in a husky voice before giggling softly.

"You are so full of crap. _You are ten times worse than me." _House whispered back to her, leaning forward and whispering into her ear. _"OH GOD! GREG…DON'T…STOP! HARDER! HARDER!"_ He mimicked in a slightly higher pitch as bucked his pelvis into the heat between her thighs.

"I DO NOT sound like that." Cuddy replied, leaning back from him while trying to keep the smirk from forming on her face as her eyes traced the smile on his lips.

"Listen, _Mona Lisa_I don't want to argue with you. I want to do you ......and judging by the way you hopped up onto my jock a few minutes ago…I'm pretty sure you want to do me too." House whispered, moving his hands to her breasts as he caressed them gently. The playful yet os so devious banter they had slipped into, one that they both needed in light of the stressful day they had been through.

Cuddy looked down at him as her front teeth pressed down on her bottom lip. "Come on, I've got an idea." she said, carefully maneuvering herself off of him and towards the edge of the bed, mindful of the cast on her right leg.

House groaned but got to his feet and followed her, another smile stretching the corners of his mouth as he watched her cute ass clad in the soft lace bounce away from him towards the foot of the bed.

"Floor." Cuddy then commanded, pointing down to it as she turned around to face him while the warm glow of the television illuminated their bodies, "This if we keep it down, Wilson won't be able to hear us over the sound of the TV." she went on to explain.

House nodded, "Panties." He then commanded pointing at her hips, "off …now," he finished before pushing his boxers down to the floor as his eyes traced the curves of her body.

"You're such an idiot." Cuddy responded, rolling her eyes with a smile on her lips as she sat down on the edge of the bed to remove them.

"An idiot who's going to make sure Wilson hears how good I am at getting you off." House countered, carefully lowering himself onto the floor beside her.

"Greg…no….." Cuddy started to warn him again.

"What are you saying you _don't_ want me to get you off?" House questioned with a smirk.

"You know what I meant….of course I want you to get me off but we have to keep it down." Cuddy stressed, reaching for the hands he was offering to her as she placed her feet on opposite sides of his body.

"Hey in order to get you off, I plan on keeping it UP tonight. As far as keeping it down …..you just have learn a little self control in the '_oh my god Gregory House is boinking my brains out_' shagging session." House teased watching her slowly getting down onto her knees.

"_House_….I'm not kidding.....you need to-" Cuddy started to warn him again getting ready lower herself on top of his pelvis.

"Whoa…not so fast sex kitten…. I want a closer look at that first." House whispered up to her as his eyes moved down from her breasts to the faint hairline between her thighs.

Cuddy gave him an amused and sexy smile, "Anything you say doctor," she whispered back to him, carefully moving forward until her knees were now resting on opposite side of his head as her pelvis hovered above him.

"Hold onto the foot of the bed and try to keep your mouth shut…. if you can." House teased with a grin, moving his hands up to her hips as he pulled her lower body down closer to him, softly kissing the delicate skin of her inner left thigh.

Taking in a sharp breath as she watched him, Cuddy grabbed onto the footboard of the bed with her left hand as she rested her right hand on her stomach just below her belly button, closing her eyes briefly as House's lips moved over to her other thigh, kissing it just as softly before brushing the stubble of his jaw against it.

Inhaling the scent of her body lotion, House proceeded to move his mouth, lips and tongue up and down each of her thighs slowly while his fingertips caressed the curves of her hips before he started to apply those same soft kisses to the soft, warm, and now very wet part of her.

Pursing her lips, Lisa muffled the low moan of pleasure that had escaped her throat, pushing her pelvis into the warmth of House's tongue as it slid up and down on the silky heat between her thighs before he slipped it inside of her, moving it in purposeful strong thrusts with a mind-blowing rhythm, sending the first batch of shivers up her spine.

Keeping a tight hold on her hips, House titled his chin, pushing his tongue up further into her, hearing her gasp as her hips bucked into his face, pulling tongue out of her and dragging it over her clit while groaning approval as she bucked her hips once more and let out a moan that was not hindered this time by her closed lips.

"_Oh god……that feels so good!"_ Lisa exclaimed in voice that was filled with hunger, feeling Greg move his lips to her inner thigh once more.

"I thought you said you were going to keep it down," House murmured against her skin with a smile before looking up at her.

"I can't believe you stopped!" Cuddy gasped with shock and disappointed. Not really giving a shit right now whether or not they had woken up Wilson, looking down at House, trying to catch her breath as her heart pounded furiously inside her chest.

"I guess it's safe to say no one gets in the way of you and your orgasm then?" House questioned with an amazing grin before he dipped his tongue inside of her once more, feeling her tremble above him as he used the tip of it to make small intense circles on her G spot, reaching for her hand resting on her stomach and placing it over her now swollen clit.

Taking in a shuddered breath, Cuddy kept her eyes locked on his as House guided her fingers into performing a slow stroking motion over her now ultra sensitive nub, releasing another moan of pleasure before throwing her head back when she felt the amazing experience of her fingertips and his tongue working in unison to take her over the edge. Crying out louder as her thighs began to shake before falling forward with her hands splayed out onto the soft carpet in front of her as House placed his palms firmly on her ass, continuing to trust his tongue into her over and over again until she placed a trembling hand onto his wrist, quickly moving her pelvis down towards his hard shaft and slipping him inside of her as he let out a loud moan that moved into the shadows of the bedroom around them.

House closed his eyes, exhaling loudly, _god she was so tight right now after climaxing and she knew it_…. her actions making sure he would not be keeping his mouth shut either as she begin move her hips in a slow circular motion, massaging ever inch of him that was nestled deep within her, another deep moan rising up from his throat as he moved right hand onto her left breast.

"Shhhhh….Wilson might here you…." Cuddy whispered to him in a soft seductive tone, leaning down and kissing the side of his cheek before thrusting her pelvis down onto him so he would enter into her deeper.

"_Fuck…_." House groaned, moving both of his hands onto her hips, trying to slow down the incredible rhythm she was creating for fear that he may actually voice his approval louder than what she had.

"Oh no you don't…" Cuddy countered with a smile on her lips, breathing hard and grasping House's hands, pinning them down on the carpet beneath them as she arched her back and began to ride him in long, deep strokes.

House gasped for air as his eyes locked onto hers once more, "God….you're so good." He moaned in a gruff and rugged voice, feeling the muscles inside of her contracting around his shaft, her efforts to drive him mad with the type of sexual skills a man dreams about on dark lonely nights, making him release inside of her with a another loud moan as his body shook underneath her.

Letting go of his hands, Cuddy lowered her body down on top of his, kissing him softly as she slowed her pace until finally halting it. Feeling House move his arms around her waist as he began to caress her back while she rested the side of her face on his shoulder, his hot breath moving rapidly through the dark curls of her hair.

"If Wilson asks about the noise, I'll just tell him I was watching a porno after you gave me the cold shoulder." House told her with a haggard voice that was still recovering from his orgasm.

Laughing into the side of his neck, Cuddy kissed his earlobe, "Let's just hope Wilson is a very heavy sleeper, otherwise we will have to kill him before he ends up teasing the hell out of us for screwing like porn stars," she replied, feeling House's body vibrating below her as he laughed and placed a kiss on the side of her cheek…….knowing at that very moment that she loved him more than any other man who had entered into her life before him and would love him with all of heart for the rest of her life. Closing her eyes and praying in the brief seconds before she lifted her head to face him again that she would never have to deal with the reality of losing all that she had found in him.

********************************************************

Inside the guest bedroom that sat directly behind Cuddy's bedroom, Wilson was lying down on the mattress with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. Unable to sleep as the story House and Cuddy had told him earlier in his office about Ruth continued to play on in his mind. The unimaginable hell Cuddy's mother had been put through affecting him deeply as the part of him that felt compelled to save the fairer sex struggled with what would come of the revelation of Ruth's secret amidst the turmoil of Jeff and Tritter...... when suddenly, the sound of muffled voices coming from the other side of the wall that was shared between Cuddy's bedroom and the one he was occupying drifted into the air surrounding him.

Holding his breath, Wilson focused in on the sounds. The harsh pitch of the muffled voices telling him House and Cuddy were fighting.

Exhaling in disappiontment, Wilson closed his eyes, trying to make out the exact words his friends were now saying to each other, the tone of Cuddy's voice telling him how very upset she was right now.

"Dammit House I told you not to push her," Wilson mumbled under his breath, opening his eyes back up as he heard what sounded like the dull thud of something being pushed against the headboard.

Sitting up in the bed Wilson held his breath once more. _They were fighting right? The headboard thing couldn't be because? _He thought with suspicion before getting out of the bed and tip toeing over to the other side of the room where the noises had come from, stopping abruptly when he heard the distinct sound of Cuddy giggling in the room next to him.

"Oh my god….they've gone from fighting to make up sex in the span of five seconds." Wilson whispered to himself with amazement, placing his hand over his mouth as he stared at the wall a few inches away from him before proceeding to rest his left ear against it.

Closing his eyes once more, Wilson tried to hone in on the muffled conversation between House and Cuddy, still unable to make out the words but knowing with a shadow of a doubt now that the two of them were indeed speaking to one another in the tone that lovers used, a protesting groan from the bedsprings making its way through the wall accompanied by more whispering and then ……..dead silence.

Removing his ear from the wall Wilson furrowed his brow. Whatever had been going on in Cuddy's bed appeared to have ended very quickly.

"Never took you as the one minute kind of man House." Wilson then commented softly with a grin as he walked back to bed inside the room, staring up at the ceiling again once as his thoughts of House and Cuddy played on his mind.

_He had never imagined the two of them together would actually work , but somehow it did. Despite all of the bickering and power plays, House and Cuddy had found quite by accident_ _what he had been searching for in earnest for as long as he could remember_.

"_The One."_ Wilson whispered up to the ceiling as his definition of exactly what _"The One"_ meant to him played on inside of his mind that refused to let him drift off to sleep.

_It's that one person who you can't do without. The one who may push you to the limits one minute and pull you back into their arms the next to keep you safe from harm. The one who would stand by you even when you give them every reason to abandon you. The only one you wanted to see in the morning when you woke up and the last person you wanted to see at night as you rested your head on the pillow beside them._

Rolling onto his side once more as the definition hung above him suspended in the night air, Wilson closed his eyes, wondering if there really was that one person out there for him that would keep the wolves of misery at bay for a little while.

Hearing the echoing far away sound of Cuddy's voice that had changed into the tone of a woman deep within the throws of passion, Wilson opened up his eyes briefly, hoping with all of his heart that both of his friends would be able to keep whaty they had found in each other from being ripped apart by the weight of the world. The painful memories of how things had fallen apart in his own life, assuring him that sleep would not come to him anytime soon.


	33. Chapter 33

**Well guys its been another hectic couple of days but here's the next chapter. Again thanks to all of you for the reviews. They really keep me inspired even when I'm super busy with real life stuff:)**

**Chapter 33**

In the early morning hour of two am, House was sitting on the couch in Cuddy's living room after having slipped out of bed an hour ago as she lie sleeping peacefully next to him. Taking with him, the diary from the nightstand while knowing full well by doing so his actions could end up driving a wedge between the two of them, doing it anyway because the need to find the rest of the missing pieces in the puzzle of Ruth's past could no longer be ignored.

Reaching to his right, House turned on the small lamp sitting on top of the end table beside him before opening up the diary Ruth had written in back when her world had been torn apart by a man named Thomas Crane. His eyes being greeted by complete and utter darkness as he looked down at the first page that had been scrawled with looping circles over and over again using the coal black lead of pencil, the pattern covering the page in every possible direction until not even the slightest pigment of the white paper could be seen beneath it.

Flipping past the first page, House thumbed passed four more pages that were identical to the first one as the young girl who Ruth once was struggled to get by the darkness eating away her soul, his index finger stopping abruptly and gently caressing the sixth page where the stains of tears shed long ago by Ruth blurred the blackness before him with small droplets of grey in a speckled pattern a misery…… a solitary sentence written in shaky handwriting, placed on the very bottom corner of the page were the tiniest white square of white remained.

_**HE TOOK IT ALL AWAY FROM ME.**_

From the deep pattern worn into each letter, House knew Ruth had traced these words several times. No doubt repeating them silently to herself as the battle to deal with the insanity that had forced its way into her life played on inside her head.

Turning the page, his eyes traveled over the scattered sentences that held the fractured thoughts complied by a terrified little girl's trembling hand.

_**I tried to kill myself today. Took the blade from Daddy's razor and placed it on my wrist but he found me in the bathroom before I could do it…**_

_**I wish he wouldn't have….**_

_**I know my Daddy loves me…along with Mommy, Rachel and Sarah….but I don't feel anything anymore……not after what I did…..**_

_**I don't know how to get it back…..feeling something….anything…not after what I did…**_

_**I killed a man.**_

_**Took a piece of glass and cut his throat with it and watched the blood spray out of his throat as he screamed…..There was so much blood….I could smell it in the air…I never knew what blood smelled like before…**_

_**I'm not sorry I killed him. In fact sometimes I wish I could kill him over and over again ….so maybe I wouldn't have to hear Jessica crying out for me to save her.**_

_**I still her cry. Even though I know she's dead. I still hear her crying for me to save her.**_

_**I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM! **__**I HATE HIM!!!!!!**_

_**She was…only seven….as old as my sister Sarah and he took it all away from her.**_

_**Blonde hair….. blue eyes and a little heart shaped face.**_

_**My scared little angel…..the sweet little girl who wanted me to be her sister.**_

_**Her name was Jessica and she was beautiful. **_

_**HE KILLED HER! HE KILLED HER AND I COULDN'T STOP HIM FROM DOING IT!**_

_**I PROMISED HER OUR DADDY'S WOULD COME…**_

_**I PROMISED HER I WOULD LET HIM HURT HER ANYMORE!**_

_**I SHOULD BE DEAD TOO…**_

_**BEING DEAD IS BETTER THAN LIVING WITH THIS…**_

_**I still hear cry. Even when it's daylight and I'm done having my nightmares. I still hear her cry EVERDAY…**_

_**Being dead has to be better than this….at least if I'm dead I won't hear Jessica crying anymore….**_

House took in a deep breath, turning his head away from the book while his mind reeled from the secrets Ruth's diary had revealed to him.

_The bastard had two of them down in his basement. Two frightened little girls…..clinging to each other as they waited desperately for someone to come and save them. With Ruth taking on the role of the older sister to the younger girl who Crane had abducted. Her mental status torn into shreds at her failure to keep the sister she adopted out of compassion safe from the kind of monster you wished only existed in gruesome fairytales._

Looking back down at the book, House moved his fingers across the tear stained page in front of him that had wrinkled from the weight of heartbreaking tears Ruth had shed so very long ago, amazed by the fact that the tortured and suicidal little girl who had scribbled her disturbing thoughts inside the weather pages had somehow found her way back from the devastating experience at the hands of a monster. Growing up and giving birth to the woman he was now devoted to with every fiber of being. The strength Ruth Cuddy had summoned up from god knows where, something that left him with a silent respect for her as he leaned back into the sofa, intent on reading the diary in it's entirety while deciding how he could use the contents inside of it to help Ruth wage the battle against the demons of her past once more before it was too late.

********************************************************

Meanwhile, across town in a cozy little Cape Cod style house, Ruth Cuddy was sleeping in the guest bedroom at Bill's house, sinking deeper into her nightmare as she felt the strong and menacing hands of her past pulling her towards the darkness as the taste of blood and smell of dirt filled her senses.

"_Shhhhhhh…... he'll hear you." Said the soft, small voice of a little girl from darkness surrounding her, causing Ruth to tremble in her sleep as she felt the child's tiny hand begin to caress her hair._

_Oh god….she was back here again…back to the place that would haunt her until the day she took her last breath on this earth. Time doing nothing to dull the memory of Jessica's angelic and innocent face as she looked down upon her with wide blue eyes as a dirty lock of long blonde hair feel across her precious face._

"_If you promise not to scream I'll take this off. I know it's scary down here but if you scream….. he'll come down here and hurt you." The little girl explained._

_Nodding her head in acknowledging of the warning as a sliver of light from a window far above them reveal the shocking dark and angry bruise on the left side of the child's face, Ruth held back her scream._

"_My Daddy's going to beat the tar out of the man who brought us here when he finds out what he's done to me," The girl said with hushed cry, the tears beginning to fill her eyes as undid the gag around Ruth's mouth_

_Living the nightmare once more, Ruth swallowed a couple of times in her sleep, trying to work up the salvia in her mouth that had been absorbed by the gag that placed around it. "Where are we?" She then asked in a raspy whisper getting up into a seated position and drawing her legs underneath her thighs._

"_I don't know but I'm sure my Daddy is going to find us very soon and then that bad man is going to get the tar beat out of him." The little girl answered in a shaky voice, clinging to the only hope her young mind had._

_Ruth felt her heart sink into the bottom of her chest, "How long have you been here?" She asked._

"_I…I don't know. It's always dark here." The little girl answered as her bottom lip began to tremble._

"_Shh…. Hey it's ok..." Ruth whispered, as the older and protective sister inside of her took over. Reaching out for the little girl who immediately crawled into the comfort of her lap, "What's your name?" She then asked softly, wrapping her arms around the girl as she started to rock her gently._

"_Jessica." The girl whispered up into her dark hair while above them the heavy thud of footsteps caused the girl to dig her fingernails into Ruth's back as she muffled a scream into her shoulder. "He's coming! We have to pretend we're sleeping! Sometimes if he thinks I'm sleeping he'll leave me alone!" The girl cried out with a frightened whisper, taking hold of Ruth's hand and pulling towards the corner of the basement._

_Feeling her heart pounding inside her chest, Ruth moved her body into the fetal position remember the cold feel of he dirt floor inside the basement that was once her prison, hearing the footsteps above her in the nightmare, echoing inside her brain as they man made his way towards them. The loud groan of the hinges from the doorway that lead down to the basement announcing the arrival of the demon……_

"_NO!!! Don't touch her! Leave her alone!!! Leave us both alone!!!"_ Ruth screamed as she clenched her hands into fists, snapping her eyes open as she staring up at ceiling.

"Ruth….are you ok?" Bill asked from the doorway, awakened a few minutes ago by the sound of her crying out into the darkness of the guest room.

Ruth looked over at him, taking in a deep breath as she pushed herself into a seated position on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chest, "I'm fine…I just had a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bill offered, walking over to the bed as the moonlight cast a soft glow on his white hair and the dark navy pajamas he was wearing.

Ruth studied his face for a moment before shaking head, "I'll be fine." She insisted, moving her eyes away from his gaze as Bill sat down beside her.

"Ruth, you told me the other day when you had your panic attack that it was brought on because of something that had happened to you a long time ago, something that you still have a hard time dealing with to this day. Now after hearing you say that to me, I can only assume that the nightmare you just had was brought on by the same thing that caused your panic attack in the first place." Bill replied, gently taking Ruth's hand in his own as the conversation he had with Lisa earlier today urged him into trying to get her to open up to him so that they all could begin to help Ruth deal with the horrible events of her past.

Looking down at Bill's hand as it held onto hers, Ruth felt her throat tighten. The decision on whether or not to finally confess the past that she tried so desperately to bury for all these years, coming to her quickly as her heart grown which had grown weary from carrying the burden of her secret begged to be set free.

Clearing her throat, Ruth kept her eyes fixed on Bill's hand, "When I was a twelve….a man abducted me on my way home from school. He did some horrible things to me as well as some other little girls that weren't as fortunate as I was," she whispered, shocked by the almost unrecognizable sound of her own voice. Preparing herself for the fact that Bill would never look at her the same way again. His eyes forever rimmed with the pity he would surely feel for her now. The change in the way he would now see her, almost as painful as the memories she had tired to forget.

"Ruth..." Bill said softly, touching her chin and lifting it towards him, refusing to let an awkward silence pass between. "I'm so sorry about what happened to you, but one thing you have to remember is …..whatever that man did to you did not change who you are as person. Who you are in here," he finished, placing his index finger gently above her heart while watching the surprise spread quickly across her beautiful face.

"How can you say that?" Ruth asked him with shock. The expression on Bill's face, one of understanding instead of the look of pity she had prepared herself to see.

"Because from the first moment I met you, I knew one thing without a shadow of a doubt. You Ruth Cuddy, face the world and everyone in it with the kind of strength that is born out of tragedy. The kind of strength that has turned you into the incredible woman you are today…. and that is something no one can ever take away from you." Bill answered, looking into her dark chestnut eyes before softly kissing her on her forehead and pulling her into his embrace.

Taking in a sharp breath, Ruth moved her arms around the broad span of Bill's chest, closing her eyes and savoring the moment between them for a few seconds before lifting her face from his shoulder. "I know you think I'm strong Bill, but right now I've never been more scared in my entire life. I've never told Lisa about what happened to me back then because I thought I was protecting her from having to hear about what that horrible man did to me along with what _I_ had to do in order to survive. At the time I though I was protecting her, but now I've come to realize how much I ended up hurting Lisa by not telling her the truth, and now that I'm finally ready _to tell her the truth_…….I'm scared I won't be strong enough to follow through with it without breaking down emotionally…..I….I've had issues dealing with this. When Lisa was younger…I ended up having a nervous breakdown because of the problems I was having with my marriage that brought back all of the old memories from my past." Ruth confessed, with heartbreaking honestly resounding through the words spilling out from her lips. The floodgates of repression inside of her finally bursting free with a force that carried her thought swiftly across her tongue.

Watching her eyes become wide under the glow of the moonlight as she spoke to him, Bill reached for her hand once more, "Ruth…….being scared does not mean you aren't strong. Being scared is part of human nature. It's our internal alarm that steers us clear of the danger heading our way. Being strong means even though you may be scared…you face the danger in front of you anyway with an unyielding determination to conquer it and I have _no doubt_ in my mind you'll be more than strong enough to face your past and tell your daughter about what happened to be back then so you can both be at peace with it," he said softly, kissing her forehead once more as he continued to hold her securely in his embrace.

********************************************************

The next day, morning came far too quickly for Lisa Cuddy as her alarm went off at promptly at 5:30am, her eyes weighted heavy in protest as she rolled onto her side and hit the snooze button.

"_My god why are you getting up this early?_" House groaned as he rolled over to face her, pulling her next to him and placing his left hand on her smooth, bare ass as she lay naked beside him, acting as she would expect him too while he concealed the fact that he had just gotten to bed a little over two hours ago after having finished reading Ruth's diary.

"It's going to take me longer to get ready for work now with this cast around my leg." Lisa murmured into his chest while her palms pressed against his skin.

"I think you've forgotten the fact that I'll be the one soaping you up in the shower this morning which should shave at least fifteen minutes off of your getting ready for work time." House whispered back, resting his chin on the top of her head as he kept his eyes closed, feeling completely exhausted after staying up most of the night.

"I think you meant to say you'll be _adding_at least fifteen minutes to my time considering there's a hundred percent chance you'll end up wanting to me to play with 'little house' in the shower." Cuddy stated in a drowsy voice, keeping her eyes closed while kissing the center of his chest, knowing that she still had ten minutes before the alarm would sound again, deciding to linger in the warmth of House's body before leaving the bed.

House let out a small chuckle, feeling Cuddy smile against his skin before his tired mind and body pulled him quickly into a dream about her within a matter of seconds.

********************************************************

"_Hey you two __Sadomasochists__! It's seven- thirty and if you guys still plan on going to work today you may want to change out of the black leather and get a move on_!" Wilson yelled while knocking on Cuddy's bedroom door.

House and Cuddy both opened their eyes at the same time as their bodies remained formed in the embrace they had been in earlier this morning.

"We'll be downstairs in a few minutes!" Cuddy yelled back as she looked up at House with panic in her eyes.

"Could you yell a little louder next time? So I can go deaf in both ears?" House said sarcastically as Cuddy tossed the covers off of them and left him alone in the bed.

"Dammit! I must have hit the snooze button! There's no way I'm going to make it to my nine am meeting. I need to get a shower, get dressed, put on my makeup and……" Cuddy started to say as she hopped around the bedroom on one foot, grabbing her clothes from the closet before heading into the bathroom.

"_Relax_. I told you I'd help you out and in the shower and I'll even help you get dressed to save you from having a coronary." House yelled at the direction of the bathroom, hearing Cuddy turning on the shower as he thought about the hot little red push bra and thong panties he was going to slip over her gorgeous body this morning if he had his way, "You are on your own with the makeup bit however…unless you've decided to go for the whore look today," he then added before getting out of the bed as well, heading straight for the bathroom.

"No fooling around this morning. I mean it." Cuddy said hurriedly as she pulled out a small white trash bag from under the sink, sticking her right foot with the cast on it inside of the bag before pulling the drawstring and tying it.

"Shut up and let me work my magic will you? Now hop in and get all nice and wet for Daddy." House replied as his eyes traveled over her naked body.

"I mean it House…no fooling around." Cuddy warned again before pulling the shower curtain open and carefully moving underneath the spray of hot soothing water.

*******************************************************

Twenty minutes later, House and Cuddy came down from her bedroom and walked into the kitchen where Wilson was seated at the table.

Looking over at his friend whose head was buried in the morning paper, House adjusted his cock which was still semi hard from the sensation of washing Cuddy's curvy and luscious body with his soapy hands as he tried to talk her into a little shower sex. In then end however she had turned down his request, compromised by giving him a quick but very hot hand job as the water ran over their naked bodies, leaving "little house" feeling somewhat cheated by the action that in now way compared to the warmth of being inside of her.

"Coffee? Wilson you are a godsend!" Cuddy exclaimed as she placed her crutches on the side of table, hopping over to the fresh pot of brew on the countertop.

"Yeah… well what can I say, making coffee and giving wake up calls to the 'bondage twins' is one of my many hidden talents." Wilson responded as he sipped his coffee and turned the page of the paper in front of him.

"We need you for more than that Wilson. Why without you who would be our moral compasses?" House replied, walking up beside Cuddy and grabbing a coffee cup from the cupboard beside her before grabbing Cuddy's ass and giving it a firm squeeze.

"House!" Cuddy exclaimed, startled and slightly embarrassed by the fact that he had groped her in front of Wilson who was now grinning widely over at her.

"Sorry sweet cheeks but when we're not a work that ass is mine to do what I want when I want …besides you know you like it." House teased, winking at her as he moved closer to her and motioned for Cuddy to pour some coffee into his empty cup.

Setting the pot down, Cuddy moved behind him, placing left her hand on House's jean cover ass before giving it a hard squeeze that made him yelp with the surprise.

"Ouch! What in the hell did you do that for?" House yelled, rubbing his right cheek before shooting a glare at Wilson who was laughing his ass off.

"Don't let him fool you Wilson …when we're alone House can't get enough of his ass being squeezed…or spanked by me for that matter." Cuddy said with a wicked grin as she picked up the pot once more and poured some coffee into House's empty cup.

"So is it like this every morning between the two of you?" Wilson asked with amusement, resting his elbow upon the table.

"All except for the part where I throw Cuddy up on the kitchen table and screw her brains out before we head to work." House answered in a gleeful tone.

Wilson's eyes immediately darted over to Cuddy whose cheeks were turning red, "Oh my god! _On this table_? Really?" He questioned with awe.

Opening her mouth while preparing to lie through her teeth, Cuddy felt her heart stop in her chest as House cut her off before she could speak.

"On the table. On top of the countertop over there at least three times. On the floor…_and_….in the chair you're sitting in right now….twice." House boasted with a grin.

"_Really?"_Wilson asked with wide eyes as his jaw dropped, focusing his gaze back onto Cuddy.

"You forgot about the time when you had me pressed up against the kitchen door just before the seven dwarfs came out and told you what a Big, Big man you are before they whipped out their camcorders and started taping us doing it for a new x-rated Disney special." Cuddy replied casually, glancing over at House as she rolled her eyes.

"I knew he was lying." Wilson said with disappointment, folding the paper up in front of him before getting to his feet and passing by them both as he placed his coffee cup inside the sink.

House looked down at Cuddy with a glare as she innocently looked up at him with a smile, her lie completely fooling Wilson despite the fact that they did indeed have sex all throughout her kitchen, "You're riding to work with Wilson today," he told flatly.

"Don't tell me you're mad at me because of what I said?" Cuddy asked coyly as Wilson walked up to them.

"I'm not mad. I just know after lying like that to Wilson you'd probably try and give me a hand job in the car to make up for your treachery and since _I _don't want to end up in an accident it's better for both of us if you to ride with Wilson." House responded smartly.

"Hey….if House doesn't want his hand job I'd be more than.." Wilson started to say, grinning down at Cuddy.

"Finish that sentence and they'll be nothing left of you that will be able to get a hand job." Cuddy warned Wilson as she narrowed her eyes at him.


	34. Chapter 34

**Hey guys! Thanks for the great reviews! I must say writing the House, Cuddy and Wilson banter is one of my favorite things about this story so I'm thrilled to find out how much you like it. More Hudson (House/Cuddy/Wilson) action coming up in this chapter along with a few more things that I hope you will enjoy as well :)**

**Chapter 34**

"So tell me, what is your favorite memory from the many times you had sex with House inside your kitchen?" Wilson teased, glancing over at Cuddy as he drove them both to the hospital while House following behind them in his car.

"That's really none of you business. Besides I told you House was lying about the whole thing anyway." Cuddy replied coolly keeping her eyes fixed forward.

"House lies about a lot of things….however I don't think he was lying about this especially after the way your face turned about five different shades of red." Wilson countered with amusement, glancing over at her again with a huge grin.

Cuddy pursed her lips, turning in her seat to face him, "Wow Wilson, by the way you're smiling at me right now I can only assume that either you must be very horny or very disturbingly obsessed with the fact that I'm sleeping with House instead of you. Either way I think you need to get laid and seek professional help before its too late." She responded casually with a wicked grin before focusing her eyes back on the road in front of them once more.

Wilson chuckled, "Well after the way I heard the two of you going at it last night can you blame me? I mean my god woman I'm surprised you and House didn't wake up the whole neighborhood with your love making cries of passion," he informed her with a sly grin as he slowed down the car a bit to allow another motorist beside them move into the lane in front of them.

Cuddy looked over at Wilson with shock, "That…that wasn't us. The TV…." She stared to say, feeling the blush of embarrassment rising up into her cheeks once more as she tripped over the words she was speaking just as the cell phone inside her purse began to ring.

"Saved by the bell. How convenient." Wilson commented over to her with a smirk.

Wrinkling her nose at him, Cuddy pulled the phone out of her bag, "It's House," she then told Wilson before answering it.

"Hello."

"Put the phone on speaker." House said with a direct tone.

"What? House I'm not in the mood for one of your games." Cuddy responded.

"Just put your phone on speaker and place it on your lap." House ordered, putting more emphasis on his words.

Cuddy took in a breath and looked over at Wilson, "House wants to talk to both of us." She said quickly, pressing the speaker button on the phone before placing the cell phone on her lap, knowing by the way House was acting, something was very wrong.

"House, what's going on?" Wilson asked, glancing into the rearview mirror and spotting his friend two cars behind them on the freeway.

"We're being followed by the blue sedan about ten feet behind you in the passing lane." House told him.

"Are you sure?" Cuddy questioned, looking down at the phone in her lap.

"Yeah…. and from now on you and Wilson need to keep your eyes away form your lap so our stalkers don't know we're onto them. Understand?" House replied.

Cuddy nodded, looking over a Wilson for a moment before focusing her eyes back on the road in front of them.

"_Stalkers…. _as in two people?" Wilson asked his friend taking a quick glance in the driver's side mirror to try and get a look at the car as well.

"Two people inside the car, both male." House answered, carefully keeping his distance while keeping up with the morning traffic around him.

"Do you think it's Jeff and Tritter?" Cuddy questioned with worry keeping her eyes focused forward.

"It's not Tritter or Jeff," House assured her.

"What do you want to do House?" Wilson then asked his friend, causing Cuddy to snap her head over in his direction.

"House is not going to _do _anything. We're all going to the hospital then we're calling Officer Fan to let him know about these guys."

Ignoring Cuddy's protest House responded to Wilson's previous question, "I need to get a better look at them, so after you get off the exit ramp, if they follow you, make sure to keep your speed down to around thirty five," he instructed.

"And if they don't follow us just what exactly are you planning on doing?" Cuddy challenged clenching her jaw as she fought with everything inside of her not to look down at the phone in her lap.

"Then I'm following them." House responded.

"House no!" Cuddy argued as her eyes darted down to her legs, "we don't know what type of people we're dealing with. They could-"

"Cuddy …you don't have to worry about House following because they're still following us." Wilson interrupted in a low tone after he had moved his car onto the exit ramp, glancing up in his rearview mirror at the blue sedan that had moved into their lane a few seconds ago behind the red pick-up truck that now separated them.

Taking the exit ramp himself, House placed his cell phone on the passenger seat beside him after pressing the speaker phone option, letting another car merge in front of him so that there were now three cars separating him from the car following Wilson and Cuddy. "Remember Wilson keep the car at thirty five," he repeated into the air surrounding him inside the car.

"Just be careful and don't do anything stupid," Wilson replied.

The line of cars then took their turns entering into the roadway to their right from the ramp, merging with the other early morning commuters onto the busy two lane city street.

House watched as the driver of the blue sedan slowed down, allowing another motorist to merge in front of him in an effort to give more space between him and Wilson's car which stayed in the slower lane.

Mimicking the blue sedan's actions, House took his foot off of the accelerator and lowered his speed as well. This caused two of the cars behind him to move over into the passing lane and rush by him before heading back into the slower lane in front of him.

While all three cars continued on their journey, House flipped open the lid of the console beside him while keeping his eyes focused on the rode in front of him. His fingers, beginning to feel around in the cramped space for a piece of paper within the compartment that was packed with loose change, winter gloves, and something sticky that his brain quickly recognized as the forgotten treasure of a red lollipop, before they stumbled upon a piece of crumpled paper.

Pulling the old sales receipt out from the plastic compartment, House smoothed it out on the steering wheel, keeping it in place with his left palm as he reached for the pen resting in the cup holder beside him next.

All three cars were now stopped at a red light with some of the other motorists around them having thinned out after they had turned onto another route, leaving only one car separating House from the blue sedan that was still three cars behind Wilson's car.

"Come on dammit," House mumbled to himself, impatiently waiting for the light to turn green, intent on moving his car into the left lane once it did, thereby giving him a perfect view of the license plate of the blue sedan following Wilson and Cuddy.

"House…..please be careful," Cuddy whispered to him softly, her voice moving up from his cell phone and into his ears.

House didn't answer her, too focused on what he was going to do next, turning his wheel in anticipation and pressing down on the accelerator once the light changed from red to green.

His actions causing the car he had cut in front of in the left lane to beep its horn at him. "Shit," he exclaimed, watching as the blue sedan which was approximately eight feet in front of him swerved abruptly before taking a sharp right turn, the driver screeching its tires as the vehicle darted into a narrow alley before disappearing from his view.

"House what's wrong?" Cuddy asked glancing back in the rearview mirror as he pulled his car over onto the side of the road.

"I'm sure he's fine." Wilson told her as he glanced back at House's car in the rearview mirror as well.

House didn't answer, ignoring both of them as he scrawled down the license number of the car.

"House talk to me!" Cuddy ordered with worry.

"I'm fine now shut up for minute!" He yelled back continuing to write on the small paper in front of him.

The men in the car had of course spotted him, but he had spotted one of them as well, catching a glimpse of the passenger inside the blue sedan who looked back at him briefly as the car darted down into the alley.

_Young male, late twenties, dark brown hair…goatee_. House wrote in tiny block letters onto the paper in front of him before turning it sideways and continuing, "_crescent shaped pink scar about 2" long on the right side of the face." _He added, underlining the last bit of information.

*******************************************************

_A short while later inside the hospital…….._

"Fan's still not answering." House grumbled, hanging up his cell phone as Wilson and Cuddy stood before him inside Cuddy's office.

"Just leave him a message to call you back," Cuddy instructed evenly. The look on House's face telling her he was not only stressed emotionally over what they had just found out but feeling physical pain in his leg as well because of it.

"The guy's a damn cop! He should be answering his phone instead of sitting on his fat ass eating donuts!" House yelled in frustration at her before turning away from both her and Wilson as the office door in front of him was opened by Cuddy's assistant.

"Doctor Cuddy…you're going to be late for your nine o'clock." Cindy informed her boss with a wary tone, looking up at House who stood looming before her with a menacing expression on his face.

"Thank you Cindy," Cuddy responded, titling her head to make eye contact with the woman who was hidden behind House's tall frame before she turned and left the room.

Watching the attractive blonde close the door behind her before sitting down at her desk once more, Wilson spoke to his friend, "House…..Cuddy's right…you need to leave Fan a message and tell him to call you back."

Following his friend's gaze House scoffed, "Maybe instead of kissing Cuddy's ass…you should just go out and ask Cindy for a quick blowjob so you can get your hormones back in check and concentrate on what we're facing." He responded sharply watching Wilson meet the glare he was giving him.

"House, stop it! We're all frustrated over this but that doesn't give you the right to act like an ass to everyone who's unlucky enough to be in your presence right now." Cuddy warned, leaning forward on her crutches and grabbing his arm, making him face her once again.

"Better hurry up before you miss your nine o'clock ass kissing session boss." House replied back to her coolly, glancing down at her hand gripping his bicep.

Cuddy exhaled with aggravation, "My nine o'clock can wait-"she started to say before the cell phone on her desk began to ring.

Picking up the phone Cuddy's face filled with worry, "It's my mom." She told both men now standing in front of her before answering the phone.

"Hi mom."

"Lisa....do you have minute?" Ruth asked tentatively.

"Sure mom." Cuddy replied softly, feeling the weight of both House's and Wilson's gaze upon her.

"Lisa…are you ok?" Ruth questioned, sensing the underline tension her daughter was trying to hide from her.

"I'm fine mom….it's just….." Cuddy started to say before taking in a breath, "it's just that this morning, House spotted a few men following us on our way to the hospital." She confessed knowing that at this point, telling her mother the truth was better than lying to her, even though she was worried sick about the additional stress it my cause to her.

"Did House call Fan and tell him about it?" Ruth asked quickly, with strength to her voice that surprised her daughter.

"He's been trying but so far Fan isn't answering his phone," Cuddy replied.

"I'll tell Bill to try and get in contact with Fan." Ruth told her daughter as she stood in the living room of Bill's house, watching him walking out to the curb to retrieve the trash cans he had placed their last night.

"Ok," Cuddy responded with a nod, "Mom was there a specific reason why you were calling me this morning?" She then asked.

Ruth bit down on her bottom lip, keeping her eyes fixed on Bill as he pulled two empty trash cans up the driveway, "I wanted to see if you, House and Wilson could come over to Bill's place for dinner on Friday night. I've missed seeing you and after staying here for a few days I think by the weekend I should be ready to stay with you again," she said with a soft tone that was still not quite sure of the words it was speaking.

"Mom…..is everything alright?" Cuddy asked glancing up at House and staying locked within his gaze.

"I'm fine Lisa, Bill has been so sweet to me and now that I'm starting to come to terms with what caused my panic attack, I need to talk to you as well as House and Wilson so I can start to move forward with my life." Ruth answered, hoping the words regarding the secrets of her past would come just as easy to her when she spoke to her daughter face to face.

"Mom…if it's that important to you, I can head over to Bill's right now so we can talk." Cuddy offered in a steady voice that hid her worry, continuing to stare deeply into the piercing blue of House's eyes that were fixed upon her.

"It can wait Lisa, especially after what you just told me about those men following you. Let's try and get some help from Fan first then we can talk about everything on Friday. Ok?" Ruth said calmly while inside the thought of how much pressure her daughter was currently under made her heart ache with compassion for her child.

"Are you sure?" Cuddy asked.

"Yes honey I'm sure." Ruth assured her.

"Ok mom." Cuddy responded pausing and looking away from House for a moment, "I love you." She then whispered into the phone as the need to say those three words to her mother had almost brought tears to her eyes.

"I love you too Lisa, and don't worry…we'll find a way through all of this sweetie." Ruth replied in a voice that she had used in the past shared between them to soothe her daughter's concerns for her.

"Goodbye mom." Cuddy replied hanging up the phone before the heaviness in her heart would take over.

********************************************************

After Cuddy had gotten done speaking with her mother, she then informed House and Wilson about her mother's plans to have Bill try and contact Fan as well as her invitation to all of them for dinner at Bills house on Friday night.

"How did your mom sound on the phone?" House questioned with interest.

"She sounded fine…but I know better." Cuddy answered as he took a step closer to her.

Mirroring House's moves, Wilson stepped closer to Cuddy as well, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Whatever your mom is going through right now at least she's opening up to you about it," he stated, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Cuddy nodded in agreement with him before gripping her hands around the rungs of her crutches, "I really need to get to this meeting…but if both or you are free around twelve we can talk more about what's going on in my office over lunch," she said, making her way past them towards the door.

Before she could reach it, House limped beside her and opened it up, "Before Friday we need to read your mom's dairy….ok?" He said as she looked up at him.

Again Cuddy nodded, "Ok." She replied back in somber tone before heading out the door towards the outer office where Cindy got up out of her chair in order to open that next door for her.

Watching Cuddy making her way down the hallway Wilson leaned closer to House. "You already read the diary. Didn't you?" He asked, looking over at his friend.

"Yeah." House replied, popping a vicodin into his mouth.

"Are you going to tell her the truth or just lie about it?" Wilson questioned.

"I haven't thought that far ahead yet." House answered honestly before limping out of the office.

********************************************************

An hour later Bill was on the phone with Officer Fan, who to say the very least …was not in a good mood.

"Next time House calls and I don't pick up, tell him to leave a message instead of continuing to call me every minute. I work for the city of Princeton not the two of you. Understand?" Fan barked into the phone with a low growl.

"I understand and I'm sorry if House's calls interrupted your work." Bill replied, not sure of what had brought on the foul mood in the officer. Only knowing that whatever it was had completely changed the demeanor of the cop he had dealt with these past few weeks.

Fan took in a deep breath, looking out of the windshield of Detective Tritter's car as Tritter opened up the door of an old abandoned warehouse he had walked into earlier and stepped back into the light of morning again, "Listen Bill I don't have time to talk now but I can meet you on Friday at four pm at Clifford's Diner. Do you know the place?" he asked.

"I know the place." Bill answered.

"Good, I'll see you then," Fan replied hanging up the phone just as Tritter started to walk across the street towards the car.

Opening up the car door, Tritter gave Fan an amused smile, "That broad you've been banging for the past few weeks still trying to talk you into coming over to her place tonight for a repeat performance?" He asked with a grin.

Fan smiled back at his boss, "Thelma is one needy and annoying woman, but with the set of tits she has on her it's easy to overlook those kinds of things," he responded, thankful that the lie he told Tritter earlier when House had been trying to get a hold of him had been believed by the detective.


	35. Chapter 35

**Well guys here's another chapter, but before you read I just wanted to thank the people who are reading this fic again and enjoying the changes I made as well as the new readers. Oh and ****cloybellsouth,net ….I loved reading all your reviews! And don't ever worry about posting too much…that's what most ff writers live for! Also since real life is being extra crazy for me right now …I've got a SUPER LONG chapter below in case I don't' have time to post a new one for a couple of days.**

**Finally a warning..... this chapter does deal with some dark subject matter. Nothing too bad though in my opinion but just wanted to prepare all of you.**

**Chapter 35**

Four days later on a Thursday evening, Cuddy sat alone in her bed with the covers pulled up to her lap, reading the diary of her mother. The painful journey into her mother's past, bringing with it more tears to her eyes than she could count these past few days as her mind absorbed the words written on the aged and yellowed pages in front of her, bringing to life in heartbreaking clarity, the horrific cruelty, pain and abuse the twelve year old girl her mother once was had endured at that hands of Thomas Crane.

Feeling a tear run down her cheek, similar to the ones she had shed during the past four days, Cuddy looked away from the book and closed her eyes, trying to will away the latest series of pages she had just read.

_He made me watch….tied my hands behind my back and made me watch as he told Jessica to unzip his pants…..._

_She was so scared….I saw her hand shaking …..she didn't want to touch it …..but he yelled at her and told her if she didn't he'd beat the shit of out her….Jessica started crying and that's when he wrapped his hands around her neck and started to choke her and I…._

_**I TOLD HIM TO STOP!**_

_Got up on my feet and told him if he didn't stop I'd beat the __SHIT__ of out __HIM__!!!!!!_

_That got his attention……made him stop hurting Jessica…..just like I thought it would._

_He came over to me and lifted me up off the ground…..He started shaking me…and yelling at me…_

_He told me if I didn't shut my fucking mouth….. he'd cut my throat.....but I didn't stop…._

_I told him I would do what he wanted……that I would touch him so Jessica wouldn't have to…..that I would be better at than she was…._

_I had to tell him that….even though I know it was wrong….I had to protect Jessica….._

_After I said it …..he__ stopped shaking me……and then….he smiled at me….. _

_I don't ever want anyone to smile at me like that again….NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!!_

_He said I was different from the others……..AND…he said that he liked that….…he lifted me up into his arms and told Jessica to stand in the corner….._

_She started to cry but I told her it would be ok…told her to sing the lullaby to herself that I taught her….. _

_He carried me over the mattress In the basement….the one Jessica and I would sleep on……_

_He made me sit down beside him…_

_He…_

_He….put his hand over mine…made me unzip his pants….and showed me what I was supposed to do with it……._

_I HATE HIM!! I HATE HIM SO MUCH!! HATE WHAT HE MADE ME DO!! HATE HOW HE KISSED MY CHEEK WHILE I DID IT!!! HOW HE CALLED ME HIS LITTLE GIRL!!!_

_I NEVER BE THAT TO HIM!!! NEVER HIS GIRL! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!_

_It makes me sick when I think about it now…..sometimes it makes me not want to eat …but my Mom and Dad say I have to so I try…..but nothing taste good anymore…..it all tastes the same…like dirt…the dirt from down in his basement…_

_Sometimes I think that maybe I'm dead and I just don't know it ..t__hat maybe this is hell for me…not able to FEEL anymore….not wanting to hug my parents back when they hold me in their arms because I'm too afraid he'll come back and take them away from me…_

_Daddy says that man won't come back…that he's gone forever….dead and buried but…._

_Daddy also told me when I was little that monsters weren't real…..now I know they are….. and… if monsters are real….then THEY CAN come back …._

_Yesterday I saw a bird outside my bedroom window……it was singing and it was beautiful…bright red…a cardinal singing as loud as it could because it was so happy to be sitting in the tree outside my window._

_I should have been happy too……happy to see such a pretty little bird…but all I could think about was if that man heard the cardinal outside my window…he would come back and kill it….…just like he killed Jessica……_

_If I was a bird…..… I would fly out into the ocean away from everyone that loves me until I couldn't fly anymore..….then I would fall into the water…….under the tide..…far …..far… away …where he would never find me……._

Choking back a cry, Cuddy wrapped her fingers around her mouth as the words seared themselves forever into her memory as she pulled her knees up to her chest, wishing that House was here with her right now instead of at the hospital, working on solving his latest case.

From outside her bedroom door came a small knock, "Lisa." Wilson said with a soft tone.

"Come in." Cuddy replied, taking in a deep breath and wiping away her tears.

Looking over at her as he made his way to the bed, Wilson felt the overwhelming urge to pull Cuddy into his arms as he sat down on the mattress next to her, wanting to hold her and comfort her…to be for her what House _couldn't _be right now. "I wish you'd let me sit with you when you read that especially since House hasn't been able to be with you as much as he should since his latest case," he said softly, looking down at the diary resting in her lap as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'll be ok." Cuddy responded in a weary voice that was trying to hold onto the last bit of strength it had.

"I want you to be more than ok. I want you to have someone to talk to ….even if I may not be as insightful as House." Wilson replied with a small smile, gently rubbing her shoulder.

Cuddy gave him a tired smile in return, "Wilson, you're a good friend, and in under any other circumstances I wouldn't hesitate to ask you for help, but right now I need someone like House who separate the emotional aspect of what happened to my mom and make me see the medical aspect of it that's going to be key to us helping her. You and I are too much alike, we feel more sometimes than we should. House just knows how to put it all in perspective for me. It doesn't affect him the way it affects me. He can remove himself from it because….because……"

Cuddy paused, her exhausted brain suddenly putting all the pieces into place that had transpired between her and House the past few days, the way he listened to her silently without interruption as she would tell him of what she had read in the diary that day. The way his face remained calm and eerily at ease as they spoke of how they were going to approach her mother with what they had found, her eyes not focused intently on Wilson as she saw the look of guilt wash over his face. "House read the dairy," she said in a tone that was unsure of where it belong, hindering between hurt, anger and mental exhaustion.

Wilson bit down on his bottom lip and nodded, "I didn't say anything because-"

"Because you hoped House would do the right thing and tell me himself….but of course House never dose the _right_thing. He takes any shortcut he can to help him solve his cases at the hospital, even if it means lying to me about it. Why did I expect this to be any different?" Cuddy interrupted with disappointment, raising her eyes up to the ceiling as her voice decided to take on the tone of anger.

********************************************************

It was a little after eleven thirty that night when House made his way back to Cuddy's place, stopping in the living room when he saw Wilson sitting on the sofa watching TV.

"Playboy bunny jello wrestling on?" House questioned as he limped closer to his friend.

Wilson looked up at his friend with a somber face, "Lisa knows you read Ruth's diary."

House let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down at the floor, "How mad is she?" He asked.

Shaking his head, Wilson got up from the sofa and walked over to him, "She's exhausted House. Lisa's at the end of her rope and along with everything else that's going on finding out you kept this from hurt like hell. She needs you on her side supporting her and that doesn't happen when you continued to lie to her," Wilson lectured.

"I am on her side!" House argued back, shooting his friend an angry glare filled with the exhaustion and frustration he was feeling as well.

"Then go upstairs and show Lisa that you are! And I'm not talking about arguing with her until she understands why didn't tell her about reading the diary. I'm talking about opening up to her and letting her know that even though you may not feel as bad as she does about what happened to her mother..…_you feel something_….that it hurts you to see _her_ hurting in that way." Wilson shot back.

"You think you've got it all figured out don't you? Well judging by your three failed marriages, I think you're the last person who should be giving me advice on how to relate to a woman on an emotional level." House said with anger, moving past Wilson and towards the hallway.

********************************************************

Opening up the door to Cuddy's bedroom, House saw her silhouette dressed in ivory silk nightgown that fell just above her knees, standing by the window looking out onto the street below them, the cast on her right leg, taking on a ghostly shade of white.

"I'm afraid it's way to early for Santa to be coming," House said to her not really knowing what to say at that moment.

Turning to face him, Cuddy studied his face, trying to find at least the slightest hint of guilt residing on it, "Did you solve your case?" She asked coolly after finding none.

House nodded and made his way over to her, "The guy had Cushing's lab tests confirmed it." he informed her as she turned and walked away from him.

"I'm going in the other spare room. I'll probably sleep there tonight," Cuddy said as she picked up the red diary from the nightstand before turning back around. Jumping slightly when she found House standing directly behind her.

"Do you want me to say I'm sorry for reading the diary? Fine I'm sorry." House told her with a dry tone.

"Go to hell!" Cuddy hissed at, pushing her way past him as she limped towards the door.

House sidestepped her, blocking her from making progress, "You're angry and I'm a jerk. That's nothing new. I can't be Wilson. I can't be the type of guy who's going to do the right things and say the right things to all the time and you know that." He told her with a stern tone.

"I'm not asking you to be any of those things!" Cuddy argued back as she clutched the dairy in her hands.

"Then what in the hell are you asking me to do?!" House countered in a tone that was louder than he intended.

Cuddy felt her hands trembling as she pushed the red diary she was holding into his chest, causing him to grab onto it, "I want you to tell me what happened to Jessica! I want you to _tell me_ how my mother killed Crane!" she demanded, watching the shocked look appear on his face.

"What?" House questioned as the lines on his forehead deepened.

"You've read the entire thing. And the whole time that I've sat up here in this room and cried for my mom and that little girl you never even once showed an ounce of compassion for them! I know you're a jerk. But one thing that I thought I also knew.....deep in my heart is that you actually gave a crap about people!" Cuddy yelled back at him.

"Crane took Jessica from your mother when they were both sleeping on the damn filthy mattress in the basement!" House yelled back at her an emotion set loose inside of him after being sequestered ever since he had read the dairy. Not prepared for the way his voice trembled as he spoke. "He tied your mother up down inside the basement, took Jessica upstairs and raped her. Then he strangled her and took Jessica's body down into the basement to show your mother." he continued as his voice soften in pitch….becoming almost hollow as it spoke of the malicious crime Crane had committed, watching as Cuddy's mouth dropped and a heartbreaking look of shock and anguish appeared on her face while his body trembled at the earth shattering release that had come forth from him.

"Oh god…" Cuddy whispered, placing her hand up to her mouth as she tried to make her way past him only to have House reach out for her and prevent her from leaving once again. "Crane came for your mother the night after he killed Jessica.." House whispered as he saw the tears start to well up in her eyes.

"Stop." Cuddy pleaded as her voice cracked, feeling House pulling her closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You need to hear this….." House started to say….feeling his throat tightening, feeling Cuddy's fists pressed into his chest, knowing at this point there was no turning back for him, no turning back for them as he felt the gut wrenching emotions inside of him forcing themselves up from the place where he kept them hidden, "Crane went down in the basement and forced your mom down on the mattress. He tried to rape her, but she ended up cutting his throat with a piece of glass she hidden inside the side of the mattress. She found it one day when her and Jessica where trying to dig there way out of the basement. Your mom planned on attacking Crane with it the night he came and took Jessica. She never forgave herself for not begin able to reach it before Crane tied her up and took Jessica upstairs with him the night before."

House's voice had now changed into a whisper, his right hand finding its way to the curve of Cuddy's jaw, "I'm sorry for what happened to your mother....and I'm sorry for what happened to Jessica. I don't think I could have survived what you mother did…I don't thing many people could have survived it." He whispered down to her as Cuddy placed her head on his chest and began to cry, her arms finding their way around him and pulling him closer.

"I keep telling myself that my mom made it through this, but it doesn't help. I see her as that little girl she was back then and I can't get past it. I'm worried that she may end up breaking down completely if approach her about this…..if she starts talking about it again." Cuddy whispered into his chest as she closed her eyes and forced herself to stop crying, knowing that although her tears were a much needed form of emotional release, giving into them for too long would not help her or her mother.

House cleared his throat, his hands caressing her back as she looked up at him, "Your mom will make it through this and so will you." He said simply.

"You don't know that for sure." Cuddy said in a hushed voice, seeing in his eyes a part of him that had been exposed for her alone to witness.

"There's something you need to read," House then told her before gingerly bending down to pick up the diary that had fallen to the floor, "By now you should know I don't base my conclusions on emotions or on the hopes that somehow good is going prevail over the evil of the world," he stated rising into a standing position once more as he opened the book up, "your mom is a _survivor_ in every sense of the word. That's something that can't be taught. You either have it in you or you don't. She was twelve years old and still managed to keep her wits about her. She comforted Jessica and tried to keep her alive even though that little girl was doomed the moment Crane took her. Your mom played mind games with that bastard to try and buy time for someone to find them, and on top of it your mom _kept trying_ to find a way to escape that sick son of bitch when any other kid would have lost it completely," he stated with conviction. "Here." He then said after finding the last entry in the dairy he had been searching for.

Cuddy took the book from him, holding onto the gaze they were sharing for a few seconds before she began to read her mother's handwriting inside of it.

_It happened today…when I was walking in the woods behind my house with my Dad. It had been raining earlier and there were big deep puddles along the trail we usually walked on. _

_They were so big and deep we had to walk around them to get to our place._

_The big rock where me and my Dad would go to everyday after supper. __The rock where my Dad would put his arm around me as I wrote in this dairy. Rubbing my back and holding me whe I started to cry. Giving me his coat to wear when I got cold. Telling me over and over again that I was his miracle. His light that no one could ever take away from him no matter how hard they tired._

_Today on our way to our rock I slipped and fell right in the middle of the BIGGEST puddle I've ever seen!_

_My Dad yelled my name…he was so scared that I got hurt! He squatted down and tried to pick me up….. but the mud around the puddle was slippery and instead he fell down into the puddle with me. Splashing around like a big fish as he reached out for me and grabbed my hands…..and then it happened….._

_I ......laughed…._

_I laughed today in a puddle with my Dad ...covered in water that looked like chocolate milk!_

_We laughed so hard that we scared the birds out of the trees!_

_I__ laughed so hard it made my belly hurt!_

_It felt so good to laugh again…I forgot how good it feels to laugh…._

_I thought that man had taken it all away from me..…_

_but it was here…inside my heart all along…._

_just waiting for me to find it again....._

_something he could NEVER EVER TAKE AWAY FROM ME!_

_MY LAUGH…..MY SMILE……..__MY __HOPE...._

_April 15, 1955….._

_This is the Diary of Ruth Ann Barstow who lost an angel and killed a monster._

_She is the daughter of Edward and Sylvia, sister of Rachel and Sarah……and the keeper of Jessica Castle's memory. _

_To my angel: I will never forget you and know that in the end God found you and brought you back into the light._

Cuddy closed the dairy and placed on the bed beside her, moving into House's arms once more and looking into his eyes, finding in the cool blue inside them what she had been waiting for, the look the true behind the mask that spoke of a man who still believed in hope. Who had placed all of it in her without saying a single world. Hoping that she would see past all the reasons why she would be better of without him, thankful that she was able to find the good in him that many overlooked, "Thank you for showing that to me, for saying those things to me just now." She told him before kissing his lips softly.

"All in a days work as the world's most brilliant and handsome man on the planet," House responded, watching her smile as she let out a small laugh.

"So does this brilliant and handsome man also have the world's biggest ego?" Cuddy questioned innocently.

"Oh he's got something big alright……but then again you already know that don't you?" House countered watching her smile up at him again as she let out another laugh.

"Tomorrow night at dinner, I want to tell my mom about us." She then told him as her eyes danced over the creases in his forehead.

"Think you're going to actually go through with it this time?" House asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously at her.

Cuddy shook her head at him, "Yes." She assured with a nod before pointing her index finger into his chest, "You just better be prepared for dealing with my mom once she finds out that you're dating her daughter," she warned.

House scoffed, "Moms love me …..in fact there was this one time I was dating a girl and her Mom actually DID actually love me ..in her bed ….while Dad was away on business."

"You never know when to shut up do you?" Cuddy remarked rolling her eyes at him.

"So I guess that means I'm back to being a jerk again huh?" House asked before he lowered his hands down to the soft curves of her ass.

********************************************************

As morning came the next day, House, Wilson and Cuddy arrived at the hospital together after having driven in two separate cars, with Cuddy once again seated in Wilson's car with him filling him in on what she had read in her mother's diary, while House followed behind them just like he had done for the past few days since he had spotted them men following them.

"So did you see anyone?" Wilson asked House after they had arrived at the hospital as all three doctors made their way down the hallway to Cuddy's office.

"No, but that doesn't mean they've stopped following us, they're just being more cautious about it." House replied, opening up the door to Cuddy's outer office and stepping aside so that Cuddy could get by with her crutches.

"Well hopefully after Bill meets with Fan today he'll agree to help us find out who these guys are and put a stop to it once and for all." Cuddy commented, watching as Cindy quickly got up from behind her desk in the outer office.

"Doctor Cuddy there's been an emergency meeting called for the Board this morning," Cindy informed her boss, while glancing over at Wilson.

Cuddy furrowed her brow at her assistant, "Who called the meeting?"

"Doctor Masters, he said it was an urgent matter that couldn't wait. I already rescheduled you eight-thirty and checked Doctor Wilson's schedule to make sure he was free as well. The board members are meeting on the fifth floor conference room at eight sharp." Cindy replied.

Cuddy looked over at Wilson and shook her head, "Come on, let's go see what's so important," she said, turning back around towards the doorway.

"Make sure to call me as soon as you guys are done." House whispered over to Wilson in a low tone as he started to follow Cuddy out the door.

Wilson nodded back at his friend before heading down the hallway beside Cuddy.

********************************************************

**7:55 am ~ Hospital Conference Room**

After sitting down at the conference room table, with Wilson flanking her right side, Cuddy leaned over and whispered to Bill who was seated to her left, "Is my mom at your place?" She asked with concern as the last two remaining board members entered the room, making their apologies for being tardy.

Bill rested his hand on top of hers, "Your mom came here with me this morning when I got the call about the meeting. She's in the hospital cafeteria right now getting some breakfast," he informed her, happy to see the small smile of relief appear on Lisa's face as she squeezed his hand.

As the last board member took his seat, Doctor Master's cleared his throat and got up from his seat at the other end of the table, looking down at Cuddy briefly before he started to speak. "As all of you know almost two weeks ago Jeff Hansom had presented a proposal to this board for a donation of one million dollars to our hospital. Because of Doctor's Cuddy's auto accident we had to postpone this follow up meeting, but now that she has returned to work full time, I think we need to make our decision and not keep Mr. Hansom waiting any longer." Masters said, before sitting back down in his chair.

Wilson folded his arms with disgust and looked down at Masters "And this was an emergency _because_?" He questioned with annoyance as he studied the small man with the pinched face.

"It was and emergency because it's not everyday someone walks into this hospital and offers us one million dollars," Masters replied back arrogantly, adjusting the horn rimmed glasses on his face.

Cuddy shot Masters a disapproving look, knowing that Jeff was of course behind the whole idea for the meeting, but moving forward with it none the less as she addressed the group of board members seated around her. "Since you all have had more than enough time to consider Mister Hansom's proposal. I move that we vote on the matter right now without any further discussion so that we can all get back to our obligations in this hospital as quickly as possible."

"I second that." Bill said immediately, "And for my part…. I vote to turn down Mister Hansom's proposal." He added raising his hand.

"I vote to turn down the proposal as well." Wilson said, raising his hand into the air along with Bill's.

Before Master's could even open his mouth to protest the quick decisions of the two board members, the rest of the physicians seated around the table including Cuddy, all raised their hands.

"This is unacceptable!" Masters growled with anger, "This board has been swayed by vicious rumors spread by Doctor Cuddy over a romance between her and Mister Hansom that didn't work out," he continued sarcastically, getting up from his seat as he glared down at Cuddy with his fists planted firmly on the table.

Cuddy who was stunned for a moment by the accusation, quickly gathered her resolve, opening her mouth to speak. But before she could, Wilson gently touch her arm and spoke instead.

"What is unacceptable is that you would have the nerve to bring Doctor Cuddy's character into question after all she has done for this hospital." Wilson shot back, getting up out of his seat.

"Doctor Cuddy's the one who decided to make her personal life public knowledge when she went running to hospital security." Masters countered as the vein in his neck began to throb.

Hearing the words Masters had spoken, Bill rose up from his chair, "I was the one who went to security and told them about Doctor Cuddy's need for protection after I walked on Mister Hansom and Doctor Cuddy's at Dellucci's and saw what was going on between them," he stated in a strong and clear voice, determined that the man before him was not going to succeed in causing Lisa anymore grief that what she was already going through.

"And what exactly was going on between them Doctor Martin? Did Doctor Cuddy file a complaint with the police? Did she press charges? No she didn't." Masters spat out, reaching into his arsenal of snide remarks and pulling out what he thought might help him win the battle he was so obviously losing.

"Paul! Quit embarrassing yourself and this board by continuing with this slander against Doctor Cuddy and sit down!" Doctor Walker, a tall lean woman with sandy blonder hair who was the head of the Radiology department hissed under as she tugged at Master's shirt sleeve.

Master's pulled his arm away from her defiantly, "I can't believe that all of you are ready to turn down one million dollars without even discussing the matter further!" He yelled as he moved his eyes up and down the table, staring at everyone last one of the board members, except of course for Cuddy, Wilson and Bill, waiting for at least one of them to crack, getting even angrier when they all held his gaze not intimated in the least by his tactics, their respect for Doctor Cuddy and her ability to keep the hospital they were all seated in running like a well oiled machine, not something any of them took lightly, "Just for the record, I want it recorded in the meeting minutes that _I _voted in favor to accept Mister Hansom's proposal!" Masters then barked over to administrative assistant who was taking the meeting notes before he turned and exited the room.

The entire board let out a collective sigh of relief as the door closed behind Masters, looking at each other while expressing their disbelief in the way he had conducted himself as they began to rise from their chairs, getting ready to leave the room as well.

"Doctor Cuddy do you really want me to put _everything_ Doctor Masters said in the meeting minutes?" The administrative assistant asked with bewilderment, causing the board members inside the room to erupt in laughter.

"Just record the start of the meeting. The vote count, and the end time." Cuddy instructed with an amused smile as she gave a nod to the all of the board members as they began to filter out of the room.

"Nice to have you back full time Doctor Cuddy." Doctor Walker said from across the table.

"It's nice to be back." Cuddy responded with a smile as the woman left the room.

"Well hopefully that's the last we'll hear of Jeff Hansom from Doctor Masters" Bill said, looking over at Wilson before looking down at Lisa.

"Bill, do you think you could stay here for a few minutes? I found some things out about my mom she had written in her diary that I think you should know about as well." Cuddy asked watching as Wilson made his way over to the door and closed it.

********************************************************

**Later that day……..**

**3:30 pm Bill Martin's Residence…..**

"Good luck." Ruth said, before kissing Bill softly on the lips.

"Thanks." Bill responded, holding onto her waist with both hands as he looked down into her chestnut eyes," Ruth….are you sure you are going to be ok here by yourself? Lisa said she didn't mind leaving the hospital early today since she'd be coming over for dinner at six anyway."

"I'll be just fine, now you better get a move on if you want to meet Fan by four o'clock." Ruth assured him with a confident voice.

"Ok. But if you need me for anything while I'm meeting with Fan…call me." Bill told her, gently touching her cheek with his fingertips.

"I'll be fine…now _go_." Ruth insisted, reaching up for his hand resting on her face and squeezing it gently before kissing Bill softly on the cheek as she opened up the front door for him.

Crossing the threshold, Bill turned to look at Ruth one last time before headed out to his car. "I swear you get more and more beautiful everyday I see you." He whispered to her with a small smile, watching her face light up from the comment, determined to make her smile for the rest of her life as long as he was in it after hearing what Crane had done to her.

"Go." Ruth whispered to him with a smile of her own, amazed at how deeply she had fallen in love with the man standing before her in the short amount of time they had spent together.

********************************************************

It had been about twenty minutes after Bill had left when Ruth looked up from the steaks she was preparing to cook on the grill later that night, turning around and looking over at the kitchen table she had set just before she had taken the meat out of the refrigerator.

The white china on the table had a simple yet elegant quality to it, the matching white linen napkins folded with great care by her before she rested the shiny silverware on top of it, the wine glasses nestled next to the place settlings, shimmering in the lazy sunlight of the afternoon that filtered through the kitchen windows. It all seemed perfect, and yet……there was something missing.

"Flowers." Ruth said to herself with a small smile, remember how much she loved the scent of them on her grandmother's kitchen table when her family would go there for Sunday dinner, a part of her now longing to recreate some of the nostalgic heartwarming memories of her past that had pulled her away from the darkness Crane had tried to imprison her in for an eternity.

The love of her family was what had finally pulled her free from the clutches of misery back then and now as she prepared to face the dark past of her life once more, Ruth was bound and determined to create a "family" out of the people who had entered into her life these past weeks, specifically the men consisting of Bill, Wilson and House, who proved their worth to her by protecting her daughter.

Turning around and washing her hands under the warm spray of the sink, Ruth smiled again before putting the steaks resting in their marinade back inside the fridge. _I'll go into town and get an nice bouquet of flowers to set on the table, then by the time I come back Bill should be home and Lisa, House and Wilson should be on their way here_. _Then after dinner I'll pull Lisa aside and tell her the truth. I know it won't be easy but….I need to protect her from Jeff and Tritter and I can't do that by worry about my past and once the truth is out, and I show them all I'm ok with it, everyone can stop worrying about me and focus on making sure Lisa is safe, s_he thought with a nod, reaching for her car keys resting on the counter beside her before heading out the door.

********************************************************

**4:30 pm ~ Clifford's Diner**

Inside the cozy diner, Bill and Officer Fan sat in a corner booth of the landmark establishment that had been around since the early forties, talking intensely for the past thirty minutes when their waitress came up to them, asking them if they wanted anything else.

"I'll take another cup of coffee, when you have the time." Bill answered with a smile.

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat Hon?" The waitress, who was a sassy red head in her late fifties asked as she smiled back at him.

"No thank you. I am actually going to home to eat dinner when I'm done here." Bill replied as the waitress smiled back him.

To say that the gentlemen sitting before her was handsome had to be the understatement of they year, Phyllis, the waitress thought, caught up in a spell of attraction as Bill continued to smile up at her before concluding that someone that charming and good looking had to have a "little misses" back home who was cooking his dinner right now, focusing her attention back on her other customer who had just finished his plate of meatloaf, "How about you? Anything else?" She asked Fan.

"I'll take a cup of coffee as well." Fan answered, handing the waitress his plate while Bill studied his profile.

Office Fan was a bulldog of a man, with a strong pronounced square jaw that was held in place by his thick neck, supported by his broad and muscular shoulders. The cop sitting before him, definitely not the kind of man you want to tangle with in a dark alley. His sheer solid mass enough to make any smart man move out of his way. However there was more to the man then just muscle, Bill had known it from the first time they had crossed paths, finding something in the peculiar shade of grey in Fan's eyes combined with the deep and weathered lines across his forehead, telling of a man who spent many nights awake in his bed. Pondering over the evil that men do to each other. A man who Bill believed was troubled by what he saw in his job….. a man who had the worry lines of an integrity carved into the wrinkles on his face and the cool grey of his eyes.

Looking directly into those eyes, Bill opened his mouth to speak after presenting Fan earlier with all of the information House had given him on the car and the men inside it that had been following Lisa, "So will you help us?" He asked after the waitress had left the table.

Fan rubbed his jaw and looked out of the window beside them at the cars speeding past them on the busy street "Yes." He answered initially, keeping his eyes fixed on the cars outside, "but I'm going to need a few days to look into all of this and after that…. _I_ will contact you. Understand?" The cop said in a stern voice as his eyes met Bill's once more.

"I understand …..and thank you for agreeing to help us." Bill said, offering his hand to Fan who paused and looked down at it before he shook it.

"Don't thank me just yet Doctor Martin. Your friend House may have scribbled down information, but unless the guys inside that car are loaded onto the police data base with some kind of criminal record, there's really not much for me to investigate." Fan warned before leaning back in the booth as the waitress brought the two cups of coffee they had ordered to their table while giving Bill a beaming smile.

********************************************************

Parking her car outside of a small florist's shop resting beside a busy street in the city of Princeton, Ruth unbuckled her seat belt and reached for her purse on the passenger seat. The smile remaining on her face as she stepped out onto the warm afternoon air before headed inside the store.

As the tiny bell above the door rang announcing her presence in the shop the smile on Ruth's face grew. Her legs taking her closer to the first aisle of flowers placed in dark green buckets.

Bending down to pick up a bouquet of deep purple lilacs, Ruth stood upright once more, bringing the flowers up to her nose to smell them.

"Mrs. Cuddy?" A male voice asked from behind her, just as she had closed her eyes to enhance the scent of the irises.

"Yes?" Ruth answered, turning around to see a tall, handsome man with jet black curly hair and a dazzling smile offering his hand to her.

"I'm Jeff Hansom." The man said as his dark brown eyes connected with hers.


	36. Chapter 36

**GEEZ!! What was up with these past few days? LOL! Anyway here's another chapter for everyone where you finally get to read about what happens between Ruth and Jeff! Hope it was worth the wait:) **

**Chapter 36**

Ruth took a step back from the man standing before her in the long black trench coat and three piece suit, "Stay away from me _and _stay the _hell_ away from my daughter Mr. Hansom." She said in a strong voice, while inside she was unnerved by the way he just had boldly approached her inside the shop, wondering how on earth he knew her name.

"Please Mrs. Cuddy, I didn't mean to frighten you, but your daughter is in danger and I'm desperate at this point to help Lisa before she ends up getting hurt." Jeff said with an urgent tone to his voice while his eyes roamed the elegant and timeless beauty in her face that mirrored Lisa's.

"_You're_ the one who's trying to hurt my daughter!" Ruth hissed as she felt her heart begin to race inside her chest.

"If I did end up unintentionally hurting your daughter in anyway, it was only because I was trying to get her to see the truth about House. You have to believe me Ruth. I was trying to get Lisa away from House before _he _ended up hurting her…….and you." Jeff whispered, softening his tone even more.

"House would not hurt Lisa." Ruth stated adamantly, placing the irises held in her hands back into the green plastic container behind her. Never taking her eyes off of Jeff for a second, "now leave me alone unless _you want_ to get slapped across the face by a woman who's not as dumb as you make think," she added getting ready to walk past him.

"Did Lisa tell you that her and House went to see your sister Rachel last weekend?" Jeff asked in a low whisper, halting Ruth in her tracks, watching the surprise light up in brown eyes.

"Rachel and Lisa would have both told me if they made contact with one another." Ruth replied as her voice took on a sharp edge, "you're playing a very sick and dangerous game Mister Hansom …..one that you are going to loose _and….. _if I ever hear of you trying to approach Rachel or Lisa….I assure you, it will be the last thing you do," she added clenching her fists as she looked up at the man that outweighed her by at least a hundred and fifty pounds, something deep inside of her coursing through her veins now while old memories warned her to lash out at the enemy before he had a chance to strike first.

Inside, Jeff held back the smile trying to from on his face. Knowing he now had Ruth exactly where he wanted her, "Are you sure about that Ruth? Are you sure House hasn't taken so much control over you daughter that she can't even think for herself anymore?" He asked coolly before reaching inside the long black coat he was wearing and offering her a series of five folded up, eight by ten black and white photos.

Ruth looked down at the pictures in his hand, their images concealed from her as they were folded inward, "I've told you to leave me alone Mr. Hansom - "

"Look at the photos Ruth and see who's playing games here. Look at them, and if you still want me to leave you alone I will. I'll turn right around and you and Lisa will never hear from me again." Jeff whispered, keeping his eyes locked onto hers.

Holding their gaze, Ruth snatched the photos from his hands, catching her breath as she unfolded them and was greeted by the image of Lisa on her crutches standing in the doorway of her sister's home with House, Sam and Rachel surrounding her. "You…..you've been following Lisa," she whispered even though she had known about the men Jeff had hired to spy on her daughter, flipping through the photos as the knowledge that both her daughter and sister had kept their meeting as secret from her, pierced deep inside her heart.

"I was desperate Ruth and didn't know what else to do. House …well he's changed your daughter. Not in a way that's noticeable at first, but rest assured he's doing his best to alienate her from the people who care about her. He did it to me… and now….he's doing it to you." Jeff warned as her eyes rose up from the photos to meet his.

"You're lying." Ruth responded in a voice that was slightly unsure of the words it had just spoken.

Jeff took a step closer to her, watching as Ruth backed up into the shelf behind them. His prey now strategically pinned." I wish I was lying Ruth…but photos don't lie… and if you don't listen to what I need to tell you I'm afraid House is going to win the game he's playing with you and your daughter, pushing you out of Lisa's life by having you locked up inside a mental hospital again."

"No!" Ruth protested as the fear inside her shot up just as quickly as the wave of dizziness taking hold of her.

Fighting with everything she had inside her to keep vertical, Ruth pushed past Jeff before staggering out of the shop and onto the street.

"Mrs. Cuddy…wait!" Jeff yelled as he followed her out the door.

"Leave me alone!" Ruth warned as she backed away from him, coming dangerous close to tripping over the curb behind her.

"Watch it!" Jeff cautioned as he reached for her arm, pulling her close enough to smell the scent of her perfume, looking into the face that reminded him so much of Lisa that it made him ache inside. "Please Ruth I didn't mean to upset you, but I had to tell you the truth. I know you're going to doubt me that you'll think I'm some sort of sick bastard for digging up the things in your past….but I love your daughter too much to just stand by while House's uses her up both mentally and sexually until there's nothing left of her."

"You're….you're lying again….. House and my daughter are just friends." Ruth argued, pushing herself free from the strong hold Jeff had on her.

"Lisa didn't tell you that she's been dating House for the past three months?" Jeff questioned, not believing at first the dumb luck that had shown up on his doorstep, taking hold of it before it could escape, "Surely Wilson must have told you or at least Bill since they've know about the relationship for quite some time," he added, seeing the confusion and fear in Ruth eyes, knowing he had just pushed her far enough to bring out whatever emotions still lingered from her nervous breakdown.

"Lisa and House are just friends," Ruth repeated, trying to hold onto the part of her that told her the man before her was like the monster she had faced long ago..…not willing to even think about the fact that her daughter as well as House, Wilson and Bill had been lying to her all along….…the surrogate family she needed to help her through her own misery now in jeopardy of collapsing around her.

Reaching back inside his coat, Jeff watched Ruth flinch, her reaction pleasing him to no end, "Ruth, I need you to promise me that after you find out the truth, you'll contact me so that we can talk. House is a dangerous man who is very good at manipulating people, but maybe together you and I may be able to help Lisa before it's too late." He said, pulling out his business card and offering it to her.

Ruth looked down at the card and then back up into Jeff's eyes before taking the card out of his hand with trembling fingers, feeling a wave of nausea begin to overtake her as she turned and left him on alone the sidewalk, crossing the street and walking quickly over to her car that was parked on the other side of it.

Watching her go, a smile began to creep up on the corners of Jeff's mouth. The whole conversation between them going better than he could ever have anticipated. Knowing by the look on Ruth's face just now he had succeeding in pulling her back down into the place she had feared the most. Down to the place where her sanity was questioned, where the shame of being labeled with a mental illness took any pride or self-worth away from her, leaving her with nothing. "That's right Ruth, you go find out the truth until it drives you insane. Find out how they all lied to you because they didn't want to deal with the crazy, mentally unstable person you are. Then if they don't end up locking you back up, your only option will be to come running back to me, begging for my help. Either way you'll be out of your daughter's life for good." Jeff whispered as the broad smile formed on his lips before he turned and walked down the street.

*******************************************************

**~ Lisa Cuddy Residence……**

"Hurry up and get ready! I told you I wanted to get over to Bill's place early so I could help my mom with dinner!" Cuddy yelled out into the hallway as she stood in the kitchen, having changed into a pair of black yoga pants made out of a material that could be pulled easily over her cast along with a simple white v-neck t-shirt.

"Hold on! You know I want to look my best tonight when you break the news to your mom that you're sleeping with a bastard!" House yelled in return as he limped out into the kitchen, wearing a pair of black jeans matched with a red sex pistols t-shirt.

"Impressive. You're sure to win her over with that ensemble." Cuddy remarked with a sarcastic bite to her tone as he walked up to her.

"The girls are looking very perky in that shirt," House replied moving his hands up to her breasts.

"House …no." Cuddy responded, knowing exactly what was on his mind as his fingers began to gently massage her breasts.

House smiled down at her before, lowering his face to the side of her neck and kissing the delicate skin there, "You do realize that after tonight …we will no longer be secret lovers?" He whispered as his right hand moved down to her ass while his lips made their way up to her face.

"Wilson could come in here any minute," Cuddy protested against his cheek, taking in a sharp breath when House rubbed his thumb across the pointed nipple of her left breast through the fabric of her shirt with cupping her ass with the other hand.

"I just talked to Wilson…..and it's going to be at least another fifteen minutes before he gets here." House whispered, brushing the dark hair on her neck aside so he could focus more intently on the spot behind her earlobe that drove her wild.

"Fifteen minutes huh?" Cuddy whispered with a smile, closing her eyes as her left hand made its way up his chest, feeling the shiver travel down her spine as House began to suck on the patch of skin behind the curve of her earlobe.

"Mmmmhmmm."" House whispered into her neck, feeling Cuddy move her hands around his neck as she pressed her body against him, her hard nipples rubbing into his chest through the thin t-shirt and bra she was wearing, the sensation making his erection spring to life in a matter of seconds.

"It has be quick, and not here where Wilson might walk in on us." Cuddy whispered with a soft moan trailing on the end of her words.

Looking down into her eyes, House raised an eyebrow, "Really?" He asked with anticipation.

Cuddy nodded, "Come on." She said before taking his hand and leading House back to the small bathroom that sat beside the laundry room while holding onto the wall for support with her other hand.

House tugged on her hand just outside the doorway, making her turn and face him, "You're nervous about telling you mom about us as well as what she may bring up about her own past so you plan on using me for sex instead of going to dinner all tensed up like you are now," he stated knowingly.

"Yes, I am." Cuddy replied with no apologies.

House gave her a nod, "Works for me," he said with a grin before open up the bathroom door for her.

********************************************************

Once inside of the tiny bathroom Cuddy pushed House up against the sink and unzipped his pants, slipping her slender hand inside of his boxers before wrapping her fingers around his erection while kissing him passionately.

"Wow you must be REALLY tense." House teased once their lips parted before letting out a load groan as Cuddy started to expertly move her hand up and down on his pulsing shaft while nibbling on the side of his neck.

"Quit wasting time talking." Cuddy informed him, taking a step back from him and pulling down both his pants and boxers in one swift motion while giving him a passion filled sexy smile.

Thoroughly amused and turned on by her eagerness, House placed his hand on her hips, "My turn," he replied in a low voice, pulling down both the lace underwear and black pants Cuddy was wearing in much the same manner as she had done to him, laughing softly when a gasp of surprise escaped from her lips as he lifted her up onto the edge of the sink.

"Your leg!" Cuddy exclaimed with wide eyes as her hands gripped onto his shoulders.

"My leg feels fine, which means you are in for one _hell_ of a quickie." House responded with a smile that oozed of testosterone, taking a step back from her and toeing off his pants before freeing her from the garments that had pooled around her ankles, parting her thighs with his strong hands and entering inside of her in one smooth stroke as he captured her lips with his own.

Cuddy gasped inside his mouth as he filled her completely, wrapping her arms around House's neck as she moved her thighs further apart, humming in approval into his mouth again as House slid his hands down her legs and hooked them underneath his arms.

"_You better hold onto me if you plan on staying up on that sink."_House then instructed her in a low husky voice, moving his lips to her neck as he began to thrust powerfully inside of her with an intense rhythm, feeling Cuddy tilt her pelvis up to allow him even deeper access into the silky heat enveloping his shaft.

Once the rhythm between them began, it wasn't long before they both felt the electricity surging to parts of them now locked together, with Cuddy feeling an amazing friction on her swollen clit from the angle House's pelvis was meeting her own.

"_Oh god…..oh fuck!" _Lisa cried out, feeling her thighs begin to quiver, squeezing House's waist with her thighs and thrusting her pelvis harder against him as the pulsing sensation came crashing into her core with the force of earthquake, creating tremors of pleasure that moved throughout her entire body.

"_Lisa...." _House groaned, feeling the overwhelming pull of his own orgasm_, "I love how you fuck me back....……" _he continued gasping out the words and panting with her as their bodies broke out in a shared sweat, riding high on the incredible orgasm he was experiencing that she had brought on by movement of her hips, his fingertips gripping onto her soft skin as he fell willingly body and soul into the pleasure she was offering to him.

Lisa moaned out louder as they continued to buck and roll their hips in unison, wrapping her arms tightly around House's neck as they climaxed within seconds of each other before pressing her forehead into the center of her chest as they both gasped for air.

"I can't wait until you get that damn cast off." House whispered into the side of her face after a few seconds as his hand caressed the pulse in her neck, watching Lisa lift her head and smile up at him while his lower back burned from where her cast had rubbed against it.

"You do know having sex sometimes comes with a very heavy price, especially when you're dealing with the kind of woman _who likes to fuck you back_." Cuddy teased with a smirk.

House gave her a smirk of his own, "I guess I just thought if I'd ever get road rash….. it would be from riding my bike instead of from riding my boss," he responded giving her a purposeful leering look.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him, "Turn around and let me see how bad it is," she instructed.

"Fine." House commented with a huge sigh before turning around, "but next time …just ask if you want to check out my ass instead of making up lame excuses," he joked with a wide grin.

********************************************************

Ruth gripped the steering wheel of her car tightly, hanging onto if for dear life as if it was the only thing that was currently keeping her afloat as the dark waves began to crash into her, pushing her down into the undertow…….trying with all their might to bring her back to where they lived.

She had pulled off of the road twice already, unable to focus on the street in front of her as her vision blurred from her tears she was crying as her head throbbed with the pounding ache of old memories.

Presently, she was taking deep slow breaths in an attempt to try and will away the panicked voice inside of her head that had been pushed to the forefront mistakenly. The voice that was forever changed the night she had been taken by Thomas Crane. The voice that rose up with a shrill of horrific fear, still trapped to this day in the horror it had witness when she was a child.

_House is going to take it all away from you! You shouldn't have trusted him! The voice cried out with a sharp edge of terror to its tone._

"No he's not." Ruth whispered, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

_Are you just going to stand by and watch him hurt Lisa? Watch him hurt her just like you watched Crane hurt Jessica?_ _Because that's what will happen if you don't stop him!! _

_Are you ready to see the bruises on Lisa's face? Wipe the blood from her mouth? Tell her that it is all going to be ok when you know it is only going to get worst?_

"House would not hurt Lisa!"Ruth argued with the voice.

_HOUSE IS NOT HER FRIEND!! HE IS AN EVIL MAN!!_

_He calls Lisa a WHORE!! _

_He touches her body…..making her cry… …making her do things to him that she doesn't' want to do!!!_

"_No! No! No!"_ Ruth yelled inside the car that was picking up speed, hitting her hand on the steering wheel. _"That's what CRANE DID TO ME, not what House is doing to Lisa!"_ She cried, gasping for air as the memories of her past filled her lungs, trying to suffocate her in their misery.

_HOUSE IS GOING TO RAPE LISA AND THEN KILL HER!!!!! HE IS GOING TO WRAP HIS HANDS AROUND HIS NECK AND STRANGLE HER AND YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HELP HER!! YOU NEED TO STOP HIM!!! STOP HIM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!! _The voice bellowed from deep inside of her sending with it the guilt with the force of tidal wave behind it.

"_NO HE'S NOT!!"_ Ruth screamed, hitting the steering wheel with her closed fist.

_YES HE WILL AND YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO STOP HIM!! __JUST LIKE YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO STOP CRANE WHEN HE KILLED JESSICA!! YOU LET HER DIE AND NOW LISA IS GOING TO DIE! _

As her entire body begin to tremble. Ruth reached for her chest with her right hand, feeling the sharp pain within her lungs as she began to hyperventilate. Hearing the loud ring of echoing of footsteps inside her head.

_"No. Please god. No." Ruth whispered, finding herself alone in the dark as the demon of her past moved into the space with her._

_"__You're too old to fight me now Ruth…. can't you see that? You'll always be mine….forever…. and soon Lisa is going to mine too." The voice of Thomas Crane whispered.  
_

"_You're dead you son of bitch!"_ Ruth wheezed, gasping for air and gritting her teeth as the tears continued to stain her elegant face, forcing her shaking hands to guide her car over to the side of the suburban street which was only a few blocks away from Lisa's house.

********************************************************

Gripping his steering wheel of his Cadillac tightly until he knuckles where white, Bill scanned the road surrounding him as he made his way over to Lisa's place, "Please be there Ruth," he whispered under his breath as he made the right turn_. I should have never left her alone, _he thought, switching his foot from the gas to the brake as he reached the stop sign in front of him.

Looking down at his cell phone that rested on the passenger seat of the car, he wrestled with the decision on whether or not to call Lisa. _If I call her it will only make her worry and there could be a very good reason why Ruth isn't answering her cell phone, _he reasoned, not ready to give into the panic just yet.

After going through two more stop signs however, Bill felt his heart sink into his chest when he turned left on the next street and spotted Ruth's car, still running on the side of the road with the driver's door open.

Stopping his car in the middle of the street, Bill ran up to Ruth's car. "_Oh my god no_." He whispered, looking into the empty vehicle and noticing immediately the small amount of blood smeared on the steering wheel before rushing back to his own vehicle to call Lisa. _"Please be there Ruth."_ He whispered again as Lisa's phone started to ring on the other end.

********************************************************

**~Lisa Cuddy's Residence……**

"How bad is the pain?" Lisa asked, watching House shake a vicodin tablet from the small orange bottle in his hand as they stood side by side, leaning on the edge of the island in the kitchen.

"Don't worry…….I will live to boink you another day." House replied, wincing with a half smile before nudging her with his shoulder as he dry swallowed the pill.

"Sorry for getting so rough with you….but I was REALLY tense." Cuddy whispered up to him with a wicked smile. "I guess we'll just have to take it easy for a couple of days until you recoup," she added.

House gave her an incredulous look, "Yeah right! I'll have you know it's going to take more than a little leg pain to put me out of commission for playtime with my sex kitten." He snarked, placing his hand on Cuddy's hip, pulling her closer to him.

"I'm so glad you're a team player when it comes to quickies." Cuddy teased looking up into his blue eyes before kissing him just as the phone in the kitchen began to ring and the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway.

"Sounds like Wilson's here." House murmured against Cuddy's lips as they continued to kiss.

"_You…..YOU LIED…"_The hollow sounding voice of Ruth Cuddy said to both of them from the doorway.

"Mom?" Lisa questioned, removing her hands from House's chest as he backed away from her.

Ruth's face was a ghostly shade of pale, her eyes red and glassed over, with small pools of dried blood crusted across her right hand that was angry shade of red from the abuse it had taken earlier when she pounded it against the steering wheel.

"_Mom, what happened to you?"_ Lisa asked in an alarmed voice, taking a step towards her who remained silent.

Reaching out for her, House pulled Cuddy behind him, not sure of exactly what they we facing right now with her mother, only knowing the vague and haunted expression on Ruth's face warned of a person capable of anything.

"_Don't' hurt her!"_ Ruth cried out to him in a small shrill voice as she raised her hand up to strike him.

"I'm not hurting her Ruth." House responded slowly, wondering what in the hell had happened to her and where the hell Bill was at.

"_House let me go! Can't you see that she's hurt?"_ Lisa demanded as he held tightly onto her hand and leaned his body back so that she was pinned between him and the counter.

"Stay put and be quiet." He whispered over his shoulder, giving her hand a squeeze while keeping his eyes locked on Ruth who was looking past him, trying to see Lisa with her hand still raised in the air against him, "Ruth….I told you I'm not hurting Lisa, now I need you to tell me what happened to you." He said with an authoritative tone designed to get her focus back on him.

Ruth's eyes darted up to his face again, but she remained silent while taking another step towards him.

"_House, let go of me so I can help her!"_Cuddy ordered as she twisted her body until she could see over his shoulder, finally able to lock eyes with her mother. "It's ok Mom…I'm ok…he's not hurting me." She whispered with words that were filled with anguish as well as honesty.

"Just give me a few minutes." House whispered back to her in a stern tone, hoping Cuddy would trust him.

Ruth's eyes moved back and forth from Lisa to House as her heart beat loudly in her chest. Lowering her hand only to form it into a fist along with her other one resting at her side.

"Ruth I'm not the enemy here. You need to talk to us. You need to tell us what's wrong." House said in an even tone, trying to get her to speak to him, using the word "us" to try and make her see Cuddy was not a victim, that the her fears rising up from the past had no place here.

Ruth opened her mouth as her eyes continued to move back and forth between Lisa and House in an eerie and hypnotic pace. All of the dark memories of what Crane had done to her and Jessica, combining and surging through her brain now without mercy as she clenched fists and stepped closer to the both of them, until she was toe to toe with House. "la…lettt…hhhherr…goooo…." she stuttered as the tears began to form in her eyes once more, the panicked girl she had once been taking over and reminding of her of how it felt to look into Jessica's lifeless face and trace the blueness of her lips with her fingertips as she cried in mourning for the murdered child.

Seeing the terror that had risen up on Ruth's face, House went with his instincts as he spoke to her, hoping they were right, "Thomas Crane isn't her Ruth…..he died a long time ago. You made sure he could never hurt anyone….ever again. He's not going to hurt you….and he's not going to hurt Lisa," he said in a gentle voice as if he was talking to a child.

Letting out a gasp of surprise at the mention of Crane's name, Ruth tried to speak once more, "He….he..said…he saidddd.."she repeated reaching out for House's right arm and holding it tightly as she tried in vain to communicate with him. The words needing to be spoken by her blocked by the emotional hurricane raging inside of her.

"Whatever Crane told you was lie Ruth, whatever he made you do was _NOT_ _your fault_." House assured her, keeping his voice gentle and soothing, feeing her fingernails pressing sharply into his skin as she tried to pull herself away from her past she was drowning in.

"_Don't let him hurt Lisa!__"_ Ruth suddenly sobbed, moving quickly into the tiny space between them, wrapped her arms around House and holding onto him with the last bit of strength she had inside her.

House stood frozen as the woman weeping in his arms buried her head into his chest, the comfort Ruth was asking him to give her, something that her sanity may well depend on. "I won't let Jeff hurt Lisa," he responded, feeling awkwardly out of place as his hands remained at his sides before he felt Cuddy gently guiding them forward, to hold onto her mother as she slipped out from behind him.

"Keep talking to her." Lisa whispered up to him as she gently began to rub her mother's back, "It's ok mom…I'm safe….you're safe…just breath."

House was sure once Ruth had heard her daughter's voice she would release her hold on him and move to the comfort of Lisa's arms, but contrary to what he believed, Ruth stayed anchored to him, her body still trembling, her face still buried into the fabric of his shirt as he felt the moisture of her breath seeping through it and onto his skin.

"Ruth, you need to talk to me." House said softly, keeping his eyes focused on Lisa's face as Ruth's body trembled in his arms. _Why me? Why are seeking comfort from me and not your daughter?" _His mind questioned, unnerved by the sensation of Ruth's heart beating wildly against his chest like a scared rabbit, feeling the hair stand up on the back of his neck when he heard the loud shuddered breath escape her lungs. "Fight it Ruth. Come on fight it." he whispered, knowing by her symptoms she was teetering on edge of another panic attack.

Ruth felt the small flex of House's fingers against her back. The contact, brief and uncertain…. but succeeding anyway in letting her know she had been right to place her trust in him.

Struggling to breath, Ruth pulled herself away from his chest and looked up into the cool blue of House's eyes as the tremors overtook her body.

"Just breath Ruth, come on….you can get though this…come on Ruth." House urged, watching her physically falling to pieces even in front of him, the fragileness of it all turning his stomach.

Ruth opened her mouth as the tremors grew more intense, determined to speak, when suddenly a violent wave of dizziness slammed into her hard, causing her knees to buckle beneath her.

"Mom!" Lisa cried out, reaching her mother as House pulled Ruth close to his chest again to keep her from falling.

"_Jefffff….heee… lieddddd to mamammeee.."_ Ruth whispered up to him gripping House's arms with force just before the next wave of dizziness washed over her and pulled her into the darkness waiting for her as her eyes rolled back in her head and her body went limp.


	37. Chapter 37

**Thanks to all of you for the great reviews and the support you've shown this fic. It really is a labor of love for me so it's always nice to hear how much you are all enjoying the story:)**

**Chapter 37**

House had grunted in pain when he bent his knees and twisted his right leg in order to catch Ruth as she fainted. Ignoring the searing sensation of hot poker being shoved into the small amount of tissue that remained in his right thigh in order to assure she would not suffering anymore injuries today.

"House….. hold on." Lisa said, positioning her own body directly behind her mother's in an effort to take some of Ruth's body weight from him as she saw the grimace of pain overtake his face.

"Watch your cast." House warned, cursing under his breath as the intensely painful spasm continued to radiate inside his thigh.

From behind them, the sound of the kitchen door opening drew both their gazes towards it.

"Hold on House, I'm coming!" Wilson exclaimed in an urgent tone, quickly make his way overt to them in a matter of seconds before scooping Ruth up into his arms.

House placed his hands on Lisa's shoulders, standing upright again with a wince as she held onto his hips. "Take Ruth into the living room," he then ordered Wilson, rubbing his thigh as Bill ran through the open door of the kitchen.

"Ruth!" Bill yelled before stopping dead in his tracks once he spotted them.

"Where in the hell have you been?!" House yelled back at Bill as they all made their way towards the hallway.

"House don't." Cuddy warned, giving him glare before reaching for Bill's hand and guiding him the rest of the way into the living room with them.

After reaching the sofa, Wilson gently placed Ruth down on top of it, grabbing some throw pillows and sticking them under her legs while Lisa sat down on the arm of the couch above Ruth's head.

"She's still breathing and her airway is clear," Wilson informed Cuddy after opening up Ruth's mouth.

"Pulse is good," Cuddy replied as her fingers rested on her mother's neck.

"Come on Ruth, wake up." Wilson said in a loud voice, rubbing her arm as Cuddy began to gently stroke her mother's cheek

"I should have never left her alone." Bill said softly with regret, looking down at Ruth's pale face as she remained unconscious.

"Saying that crap right now is not going to help anyone. So either make yourself useful and get the first aid kit inside the bathroom or stay out of the way," House remarked in a voice mixed with anger as well as the pain from his leg.

"House, knock it off!" Cuddy ordered, shooting him another glare before directing her gaze to Bill who was standing beside him, "_Bill this is not you're fault_," she added, trying to soother away some of the guilt he was feeling right now.

Ignoring the assurance Lisa was trying to give him, Bill turned to face House. "I'll get the first aid kit." He said solemnly, looking down at Ruth again before turning and leaving the room.

********************************************************

On the waves of an endless sea, Ruth floated with the tide that was gently carrying her body away from the shore where the sunlight peaked over the waves of blue surrounding her.

She inhaled deeply through her nose which became filled with the scent of roses, trapped in an utter and complete serenity, hearing the soft murmuring of voices behind her as they came floating up to her in the ocean breeze.

"Ruth, come on….wake up."

_Caring voice…. male voice……Wilson's voice, Ruth thought connecting the voice to the man as she continued to drift in the sea._

"Come on mom…wake up."

_Lisa's voice….my child's voice. LISA NEEDS ME. She needs me to protect her from HIM..., Ruth thought as the tide started to carry her back towards the shore…_

"Get out the way Wilson!"

_Commanding and impatient male voice. Stubborn voice. House's voice. He needs to know about Jeff! I need to get back there!_ Ruth yelled inside her brain, gasping and opening her eyes as House rubbed his knuckles across her sternum.

"See. Now that's how you revive a person." House said triumphantly, looking down a Ruth while Bill, Wilson and Cuddy watched her join them in the conscious world once more.

"You were kissing her. You were kissing Lisa." Ruth said in a raspy voice as she looked up at House with wide eyes. The broken thought having moved past the more urgent ones in her brain to escape her lips first.

House nodded, "I knew finding out about us would be a shock to you.....just never thought you'd take it this hard," he responded before quickly looking up at Cuddy.

"House, I need to talk to you, Jeff told me about you and Lisa….." Ruth said in a hoarse voice as she tried to push herself up into a seated position, feeling a rush of dizziness hit her again.

"You saw Jeff?" House questioned, sure that her previous words to him out in the kitchen about Jeff were based upon her fears rather than actual events

"Mom, you need to lay down for a little bit first." Cuddy said softly from behind her, placing her hands gently on her mother's shoulders as she eased her back down on the couch before taking a seat beside House on the coffee table.

"Ok Lisa." Ruth replied closing her eyes for a moment to try and will away the diziness before opening them back upand continuing with her story, "I went into Princeton today to get a bouquet of flowers to put on the dinner table tonight. I wanted everything to be perfect and I had just walked into a flower shop to pick some out when Jeff came up from behind him and introduced himself to me."

Cuddy reached for her mother's battered right hand, "Did Jeff do this to you?" She asked with great concern.

Feeling herself becoming centered once more, Ruth gently squeezed her daughter's hand that was holding onto her own, "No honey….I did to myself... afterwards, on my way over here….I…." she started to say before pausing as a wave of shame washed over her.

"Ruth it's ok we're all here to help you." Bill said gently taking a step closer to the sofa until he was standing directly beside Wilson.

Ruth bit down on her bottom lip and focused her gaze on House, "Jeff told me you and Lisa went to see my sister Rachel, and when I told him I didn't believe him …..he showed me pictures of all of you at my sister's house. Jeff has been following Lisa just like you thought" she informed him with a slight tremor in her voice as her eyes moved over to her daughter, "Lisa, why didn't you tell me you went to see Rachel?" She then asked with an ache in her tone.

"Mom…..I'm sorry. We were all so worried about you and I thought that by going to see Aunt Rachel, it would help us to help you deal with the things you wer going through." Cuddy responded.

"So it was your idea to see Rachel?" Ruth questioned, a part of her needing to make sure Jeff's lies about House's control over her daughter were not true.

"House and I both made the decision after discussing the best way to help you." Cuddy answered, placing her hand on House's left thigh.

Ruth looked down at her daughter's hand as it rested comfortably against the denim of House's jeans, "Jeff told me the two of you have been dating for three months. Is that true?" She questioned, looking up to House for the answer.

"I'm afraid so. You see your daughter has a thing for manipulative bastards." House responded without missing a beat, receiving a whack in the arm from Cuddy for the remark as well as a glare from her grey eyes.

Ruth studied House's face for a few seconds, actually pleased that he was treating her no differently than before the panic attack he had just witnessed, finding some strange sense of comfort in his rude mannerism, "What did my sister tell you about Crane?" She then asked, needing to know the truth now more than ever.

"Mom we can talk about the later, you really should take it easy for a little while." Cuddy interrupted, not wanting to risk her mother being stressed into experiencing another attack.

"I'm fine Lisa and I want to know what Rachel said." Ruth insisted while keeping her eyes on House.

"Mom…-"

Before Cuddy could protest again House spoke up. "Your sister told us you ended up killing Crane when he tried raping you, and that you had a hard time dealing with all that happened to you down in that basement," he stated bluntly as Cuddy, Wilson and Bill all held their breath.

Ruth nodded, "I see." She responded.

Even though House's words did leave a bit of a sting with the direct honesty they possessed, they were nothing compared to the hell she had been through, "Anything else you think I should know about?" Ruth pushed, wanting no secrets kept from her now.

House rubbed his jaw and leaned forward on the coffee table, "When we went to see your sister……she gave Lisa something to take back with her," he informed her before getting up and walking over to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room.

"House…..no." Cuddy warned, worried to death that the mere sight of the book would throw her mother back into the grips of fear and anxiety she had just escaped from.

"Your mom just can't hear part of the truth now Lisa. She needs to know everything so we know so we can try to prevent what happened to her today from happening again." House remarked back to Cuddy with an even tone as he pulled the red dairy down from where he had placed it earlier before walking back over to where Ruth was seated, placing the book in her hands as she sat up on the couch.

It took a moment for Ruth to realize what she was holding in her hands as the cobwebs surrounding the memory were cleared. Her expression changing in an instant to one that spoke of the long ago misery bound between the pages of her heartbreaking adolescent biography.

Moving her fingers with great care over the cover that held the history of the tortured and horribly lost little girl she had once been, Ruth cleared her throat. "So you all know then?" She questioned simply, looking up at all of them, the slight strain in her voice brought forth from the pain the revelation of the truth can sometimes bring.

"Yes." House answered for all of them as Bill stepped closer to the couch and sat down beside her.

"Ruth one thing you need to know is that we are all committed to see you through this, and that we were all amazed by the strength you showed all those years ago in dealing with everything that happened to you at such a young age. The same strength you're showing us all now." Bill told her softly as he took hold of her hand.

Ruth took in a breath and looked down at the book resting on her lap once more. The thought that had been pushed to the back of her mind now springing forward as she raised her eyes to look up at all of them again, "I know with all of your help I can make it through with what I'm dealing with," she informed them with a voice that found it's strength one more, "but…..before we concentrate on what _I _need to do for my own well being. I plan on making sure that Jeff Hansom is out of my daughter's life for good first," she concluded, locking eyes with Lisa and reaching inside the right pocket of her khaki pants and pulling out the business card Jeff had given to her in front of the flower shop.

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Cuddy asked as her mother handed her the business card.

"After Jeff told me about you going to see Rachel and the fact that House and you were more then friends," Ruth started to say as she turned her gaze towards House, letting him now with a brief raise of one of her eyebrows that she would be discuss that latter part of her statement with him some time in the very near future, "he told me to talk to all of you and find out the truth for myself. Then he gave me that card and said I should call him so that maybe he and I could try to stop House before he had a chance to hurt you anymore than he already had." She explained as he eyes moved back to her daughter's once more.

"Mom you are not going to meet with Jeff!" Lisa stated adamantly, knowing exactly what her mother was trying to purpose.

"It's a good plan." House interjected, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Absolutely not!" Lisa argued.

"House, think about what you're agreeing with." Wilson added glancing over at Bill for even more reinforcement to shoot down the idea before it had a chance to take flight.

Taking the cue, Bill placed his other hand on top of Ruth's, garnering her attention, "Ruth…….Jeff is a very dangerous man with an incredible amount of knowledge regarding you and your daughter. He purposely used the information he had on you to try and harm you with no remorse. God knows what he has planned for you if you agree to meet with him." he stressed to her, searching her eyes in the hopes that she would rethink her previous statement.

"Jeff Hansom is as arrogant as he is dangerous, and that's what's going to give us the upper hand." Ruth replied to Bill before continuing, "he thinks he's got all of us figured out," she added looking away from Bill as she glanced over at House, Wilson and Lisa, "Jeff thinks that by having his hench men following Lisa as well as digging up my past, he's kept himself ahead of the game he's playing with all of us…but…in doing so, Jeff's made a fatal error. By not keeping his eyes on all the players before he made his move on me today, we now have the advantage over him because based on his absolute arrogance in approaching me today I am _positive_ Jeff has no idea Bill's been talking to Officer Fan, and if we set this up right we can finally have someone on the police force witness the what a monster Jeff Hansom truly is." she explained with a cool voice, focusing her gaze back on Bill.

"I think I'm really staring to like your mother." House whispered over to Lisa in a dry voice as he kept his eyes fixed on Ruth, the mental readiness in facing Crane that had saved Lisa's mother in the past reminded him once more how uniquely interesting the older woman sitting before him truly was.

********************************************************

Later that evening after all of them had agreed that Ruth's plan with Fan's involvement could indeed provide the first step in getting Jeff Hansom out of all of their lives for good, Bill had reached for he cell phone and called the officer, setting up another meeting wth the cop in which Ruth would be accompanying him this time in order to go over the details of what Jeff had said and done to her while they hashed out a plan to have her contact Jeff in a few day to arrange a meeting between the two for them.

After the phone call, Bill had made his way out into the kitchen before heading out the back door and onto the patio as Lisa attended to the abrasions on her mother's right hand.

"Let me know if I'm hurting you." Lisa said softly as she began to expertly wipe the dried blood away from Ruth's knuckles with a damped washcloth.

Watching her daughter gently cleaning the tiny scraps Ruth spoke in a soft voice of her own, "Do you ever wish you could get back to doing this type of stuff instead of all the paperwork and meetings?" She asked.

Lisa looked up from her mother's hand, "I still do clinic duty, just on a more limited basis. Besides being in my position allows me help an even greater number of patients then I could ever do in a clinic setting," she answered with a small smile.

"As well as allowing you to spend more time with House." Ruth stated, studying her daughter's face.

"Yes, it does that too." Lisa acknowledged before diverting their conversation, "Can you flex your fingers like this?" She then asked her mother while making a fist before relaxing her fingers.

Ruth mimicked the gesture, "Does House know you want a baby?" Her mother asked keeping her gaze locked on Lisa brilliant grey eyes.

"What?" Lisa questioned, completed taken off guard by the question, expecting the more obvious _'Are you in love with_ _House?'_ to be the first question asked by her mother.

"Does House know you want a baby?" Ruth pushed; knowing the wish to have a child was something Lisa had dreamed of for some time now.

"He knows." Lisa answered back simply.

Ruth studied her daughter's face carefully before he mouth opened, "Did you ask House to be a sperm donor last year when you were trying to get pregnant through In Vitro?" She questioned with shock.

"What? No! I...…I just asked House to help with me with the _injections_ after he came into my office one day and told me he figured out what I was up to." Lisa stressed as she tripped over her words.

"But you _wanted _to ask him to be the donor," Ruth said with certainty after witnessing her daughter's fumbled response.

"House would have said no, that's why I didn't aske him." Lisa responded quickly, wanting to put an end to the unexpected direction their conversation was now taking.

Ruth shook her head, coming to the realization that the history between her daughter and House had been brewing on a very personal level for quite some time. "You know House would have said yes. You just weren't ready for him to say it back then…..otherwise you wouldn't be with him now," she stated plainly.

Lisa looked up from her mother's hand and nodded, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them back up, "We were both in different places back then and right now there's so much going on that having a baby is one of the last things on my mind….but I'm hoping when the time is right and all of this mess with Jeff and Tritter is past us…House will be open to me trying again," she confessed with the dream of having a child still resting deep within her heart.

Ruth carefully pulled Lisa into an embrace, "We'll get through this honey you just have to continue to be strong and once I meet with Jeff and Fan gets what he needs, you'll be able to put this all behind you and get on with your life," she assured her daughter, promising to herself silently that she would do whatever needed to be done in order to make sure Jeff would never bother Lisa again.

*******************************************************

In the heat of the summer air, Bill stood on the patio outside of Lisa's place with his back facing the house as he looked up into dusk of the summer sky that had just begun to show the twinkling of evening stars.

He had come out here for some air after speaking to Fan, his stomach still tied in knots after having walked into the kitchen and finding Ruth being carried in Wilson's arms out into the living room. The guilt he felt over the entire situation, including his agreement with the others to let Ruth meet with Jeff still eating away at him as he heard the backdoor open and close behind him.

"Don't feel guilty about what happened to me today Bill, I couldn't bare it if you did." Ruth whispered to him as she moved her arms around his waist from behind him, resting her head against his back in order to hear the steady beat of his heart.

Bill carefully removed Ruth's hands from him before tuning around to face her. "I let you down today Ruth, I should feel guilty." He said softly as he touched her cheek.

"You _did not_ let me down Bill; if anything …staying with you has made me a stronger person than I have been in a very long time." Ruth insisted, staring up into his eyes that were filled with regret.

"I should have made you come here when I went to the diner to meet Fan instead of leaving you alone at my place." Bill argued, looking away from her, not willing to let go of the responsibility he felt for the latest panic attack she had suffered.

Ruth carefully placed both of her hands on Bill's face, gently turning it towards her so he would look into her eyes again. "Bill, can't you see that sometimes I have to take a few steps on my own without you holding my hand? That I need to be able to stand on my own two feet if I am ever going to get over all of the things that have kept me from living my life for all of these years." She explained, hoping he would understand.

"You could have wrecked your car. Jeff could have hurt you; he could have taken you away from me….away from all of us." Bill whispered in earnest as he felt his throat tighten.

"I know you're afraid for me Bill." Ruth began to say softly, moving her hands to his chest, "but having the panic attack today was exactly what I needed to happen because it showed me that I was strong enough to work through it without closing myself off to all of you…especially to Lisa. I found out that today that I was strong enough to fight against the things that have kept me living in fear for all of these years and that I'm strong enough to be the kind of woman who can hold your hand and help you take a few steps every now and then as well," she finished as the moon cast a soft glow on the timeless beauty of her face.

"You are truly amazing Ruth Cuddy," Bill whispered down to her in wonder as the summer breeze moved gently through the dark locks of her hair.

"You're not too bad yourself." Ruth teased before leaning in to kiss him.

********************************************************

Meanwhile inside the kitchen Wilson, Cuddy and House had gathered around the sink, discussing Ruth's plans in greater detail to meet with Jeff.

"Here." Wilson said after they had finished their conversation, tapping House on the arm with the beer bottle he had just taken out of the fridge for him.

House looked away from Cuddy and turned around to reach for the beer but froze as his eyes widened at the sight just outside the kitchen window, "Wilson you gotta see this. Ruth is kissing Bill ....... it's like some kind of perverse geriatric soft porn." He whispered with a smirk.

Wilson quickly stepped over to the kitchen window to peek out at the older couple, standing on House's right side as Cuddy flanked his left side.

"Leave them alone, my mom deserves some privacy after the day she's had," Lisa protested with a small smile on her face, watching as her mother kissed Bill tenderly on the lips, "Oh……oh my!" She then exclaimed after her mother had moved her left hand around Bill's neck and deepening the kiss between them while pressed her body tightly against Bill's tall frame.

"Holy shit!" Wilson exclaimed before taking a swig of his beer and wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"I can't watch this." Lisa said shocked, backing awayfrom teh window as Bill began to move his hand down onto the top curve of her mother's ass.

"I knew he the old horny bastard had it in him! Arthritis my ass! Look at him go!" House said with great amusement, laughing over at Wilson who offered him a high five.

"Cuddy…your mom is a_ really_ good kisser!" Wilson then joked with a smile, looking over at her before looking out of the window at Ruth and Bill again.

"Shut up Wilson!" Cuddy remarked as she leaned against the counter behind him and House.

"Now I know where _youv_get it from my little nympho." House teased as he turned around and moved towards her, trapping Cuddy against the counter by placing both of his hands on opposite sides of it as he looked down into her slate grey eyes with a smile.

Wilson cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head, "The two of you might want to hold off on the countertop sex considering Bill and Ruth are on their way back inside," he warned after seeing the intimate look the two of them were sharing.

House stayed where he was, continuing to look down at Lisa as Ruth and Bill walked into the kitchen.

"_No."_Cuddy whispered up to him, knowing exactly what was on his mind.

"Sorry babe…but now that Mommy knows about us there no need for us to hide our love from her any longer" House whispered down to her with a devilish smile before lowering his face towards hers, kissing her lips while gently stroking her jaw with his thumb as he pulled her closer with the arm he had wrapped around her waist.

Cuddy knew she had two choices right now, either push House off her or...... commit to the kiss knowing that her mother was witnessing it only a few short from feet from her, taking in a surprised breath as her body reacted enthusiastically on its own without her permission when House brushed his thumb over her pulse and placed his tongue inside her mouth.

Ruth had stopped dead in her tracks the minute she saw what was going on, watching closely now as Lisa's arms wrapped around House's neck, her daughter's body pressing into his as she willingly participated in the kiss House had initiated.

"Ahem." Bill said clearing his throat, wondering how the two of them stayed locked together in a kiss for so long without getting dizzy.

"Are you done now?" Ruth then asked House, arching an eyebrow at him after he pulled his lips away from Lisa and looked directly at her.

"Are you?" House questioned back to her, nodding his head towards the patio to let Ruth know that he had witnessed the kiss she had shared with Bill a few seconds earlier.


	38. Chapter 38

**Hi everyone and once again.... thanks again for the all the reviews they really mean a lot to me! The next chapter is below but I must tell you that this weekend is going to be super busy for me starting on Friday so it may be a little while before I get another new chapter up...(possibly Monday or even Tues) but for now I hope you enjoy this one.**

**Chapter 38**

Three days later, on very early summer morning, House walked out onto the patio of Lisa's home, resting his cane on the side of the house, still dressed in the white t-shirt and pajama bottoms he had slept in, stretching his long arms above his head before limping over to the outdoor table and sitting down in one of the chairs surrounding it as the sun began to crest over the horizon, knowing that the reason for his premature waking was thanks to his mind's insistence on playing with the details of the events that would unfold today, one of them being small, but significant none the less as it meant the end to the cast around Lisa's ankle, the other, carrying with it grave importance, as this would be the day Ruth was going to meet with Jeff.

Hearing the sounds of someone moving about in the kitchen behind him, House groaned in frustration as he rubbed his face, knowing of only one other person would be up at this ungodly early hour, the same person who was now once again sleeping under Lisa's roof with them. _She better be making some damn coffee,_ he thought grimly, trying to enjoy the last few minutes of peace he had before Ruth would come out onto the patio looking for him.

After a few minutes just as he predicted the back door opened behind him, accompanied by the sound of Ruth's voice.

"I could use a hand." Ruth announced, holding a coffee cup in her left hand after setting the other one behind her on the kitchen table.

"Guess you should have thought about that before you went postal on the steering wheel of your car the other day." House replied back before getting up out of his chair and limping over to her, taking the mug from her.

Ruth chuckled at his sarcastic response, "Thank you for pointing that out to me. I guess next time I feel the need to hitting something I'll aim for something softer…like that lumpy, misshaped head of yours," she replied back to him with a biting wit as she turned and reached for the other coffee cup behind her.

House gave her a crooked smile as he walked back over to the outside table with her. "Hmm…..is that a hint of arsenic I smell in my morning coffee?" He asked, bringing the cup up to his nose to smell it as he watched Ruth sit down in the chair to his right.

"Actually ….it's rat poison. I've found it works much quicker than arsenic." Ruth answered without missing a beat, giving House a devious smile as he eased down into the seat beside her.

House studied the relaxed and happy expression on Ruth's face with suspicion, "I assume by the pleased look on you face, you're planning on doing something stupid today when you meet with Jeff," he remarked, noticing the gleam of a confidence in her eyes that often accompanies a person who has their mind set on achieving a goal.

"I'm not planning on doing anything _stupid_," Ruth answered back with a sharp tone as the smile fell from her face, "I'm just going to make sure when I do meet with Jeff today, Fan will have more then enough evidence to lock his sorry ass away for a good long time," she added after a pause, taking a sip of her coffee as she continued look into House's cool blue eyes.

"Oh… so you're being risky _and _stupid? Forgive me for the incredibly embarrassing faux pa on my part." House answered back in a cocky tone before taking a sip of his own coffee.

"No matter what you say to me House, I'm going to do everything in my power to protect my daughter." Ruth informed him in an even tone, setting her mug down on the table in front of him.

"There's a big difference between protecting your daughter and sacrificing yourself for her." House countered while holding their gaze, "and one thing you need to get through that stubborn skull of yours Ruth.... is that Jeff is not Crane, and Lisa is not Jessica. So whatever guilt you may still feel about the past….you need to let go of it and focus on the present. Which means not taking any unnecessary risks when you meet with Jeff today that may end up giving him back the advantage over us," he finished, resting his elbows on the table as he leaned towards her.

Ruth pushed herself away from the table and stood up, "You took a risk by going up to visit my sister _and _by reading my diary because you knew it was the right thing do, whatever the outcome may have been. So stop trying to talk me out _of what I know is right thing to do_. My decision to deal with Jeff on _my terms_ comes for the lessons I learned from the past… _not_ from guilt," she told him with a directness to her voice before turning and heading back inside.

Watching her go, House picked up his coffee cup and took another sip out of it, letting the warmth of the liquid wash over his tongue.

There was no point of going inside and arguing with Ruth any further about her decision. He knew her mind, like it or not was made up and that Ruth was going to try and push Jeff into either voicing or acting upon the dark nature they all knew he possessed. House only hoped that Ruth would be strong enough to endure the brutal force of Jeff pushing back.

********************************************************

After arguing with House out on the patio, Ruth had started to make breakfast inside the kitchen, hearing the sounds of footsteps and running water upstairs alerting her that both Lisa and Wilson where now up as well and getting ready for another day at the hospital.

Flipping the first pancake in the group of four she had poured onto the electric griddle, Ruth turned her head in the direction of the back door as it opened, watching as House, with Bill by his side stepped into the room, "Good morning Bill I'm glad you could make it to breakfast with us today," she said in a cheerful voice, smiling over at him as he made his way towards her while House limped past her heading for the coffee maker to pour himself another cup.

"Good morning Ruth," Bill replied with a gentle smile, placing an arm around her waist and kissing her softly on the cheek as she flipped the next pancake.

"Do the two of you need me to leave so you can start making out again or do you prefer it when people watch?" House questioned from behind them as he made his way over to the kitchen table

Ruth looked back at him with a smug smile, "Maybe you _should _stay and watch in order to see how to properly kiss a woman without swallowing half of her face," she remarked smartly as Bill laughed softly from where he stood beside her.

House smiled back at her as he sat down, "That's a very nice offer Ruth....in fact ….why don't I bring your daughter in here so she can watch too. Then afterwards I can tell Lisa to get her cute little ass up on this table so I can have sex with her in front you to make sure that I'm doing that right too since you're the self proclaimed expert at that sort of thing," he replied just as Cuddy entered into the room on her crutches, having heard only his response.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Cuddy asked with shock, looking over at House, completely appalled that he would say such a thing to her mother.

"Hey! Your Perv of a mom is the one who started it! She said she wanted me to watch her and Bill play tonsil hockey because she's under the false assumption that I don't know how to kiss. I only merely suggested since she's claiming to be _"Doctor Ruth"_ that maybe she should watch us having sex as well so I could prove her wrong by demonstrating my patented 'side stroke' in her presence." House explained casually.

Cuddy's jaw dropped as she sat down at the table, "Either stop right now or ….." she hesitated, looking over at her mother, knowing there was no way in hell she could complete the sentence by telling House he would be "stroking" himself if he didn't shut up with her mom in the room.

"Or what?" House pushed, grinning at her before following Cuddy's gaze over to Ruth.

"Or my daughter will make sure the only stroking you'll be doing is with your own right hand." Ruth informed him with a wicked grin.

"Mom!" Cuddy exclaimed with surprise.

"See ..I told you she was a Perv." House remarked, loving the completely horrified look presently on Cuddy's face as she continued to look over at her mother with shock.

"Oh Lisa….we're all adults here." Ruth commented with a shrug, "isn't that right Bill?" She then added, winking up at him.

Bill chuckled, "You really are in rare form today," he said with a grin before placing his arm around her waist and kissing the top of her head.

"Wait a minute….are the two of you having dirty old people sex behind our backs?" House asked them suspiciously.

Before either one of them could answer, Wilson stepped into the kitchen, "I could hear you guys carrying on out in the hallway. What did I miss?" He asked with a grin before sitting down next to Cuddy at the table.

"Nothing." Cuddy immediately replied, shooting House a warning look before glancing over at her mother who was looking up at Bill with a smile on her face, wondering if indeed something on a more intimate level had occurred between her mom and Bill during the time she had spent over at his house.

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Standing in the kitchen once more after House, Lisa and Wilson had left in two separate vehicles headed for the hospital, Ruth absent-mindedly rinsed the breakfast plates under the sink before placing them in the dishwasher as Bill handed them to her, replaying the argument she had with House out on the patio earlier in her mind, wondering why, when their breakfast conversation had turned in the direction of her meeting with Jeff today that House had not rehashed their disagreement in front of all of them.

"Ruth?" Bill questioned, his voice gently pulling her back into the present.

"I'm sorry Bill what did you say?" Ruth asked looking up at him.

Bill shut off the water from the sink before offering Ruth a towel to dry her hands with, "I asked if you were nervous about meeting Jeff today."

Ruth shook her head, "No." She responded, seeing the worry quickly filling his eyes.

"You know if you wanted to back out….no one would think any less of you. I understand that you want to help Lisa but I'm sure Fan could go about this in another way." Bill said, moving his hand to her hip.

"Bill, I told you I'll be fine. Besides you and officer Fan are going to be in the building directly across the street from where I'm meeting Jeff _and_ I'll be wearing a wire. Which means if Jeff even thinks of doing anything remotely stupid, the two of you will be there to stop him before he even figures out what's going on." Ruth assured him.

Bill looked down at Ruth, pulling her closer to him, "You know… I'm supposed to be telling you everything is going to be ok, not the other way around," he remarked with a soft smile, studying the flecks of gold held with the chestnut brown of her eyes.

Placing a small kiss on his lips, Ruth reached for Bill's hand, "Come one we really need to get going so we can meet up with Fan." she told him, guiding Bill towards the back door in the kitchen.

********************************************************

**Later that day…Orthopedic Clinic ---Exam Room 2**

"Well Lisa how does it feel to finally be rid of your cast?" Dr. Richard Stevens, the orthopedic doctor asked with a small smile after removing the last remnants of the fiberglass material from Cuddy's leg.

"A lot better than it looks." Cuddy replied, looking down with a grimace at four weeks worth of hair growth on her right leg.

"Don't worry it's nothing that a razor and a little shaving cream can't fix." Dr. Stevens joked, gently cleaning Cuddy's lower leg with the medical wipes he had pulled out of the dispenser besde him as she sat on the edge of the exam table.

"Speaking of which." Cuddy said before turning to her side and pulling out a razor as well as a small travel size container of shaving cream from the large canvas bag she had brought with her today.

"You brought your own?" Dr. Stevens asked with a chuckle as he raised and eyebrow at her with amusement.

"Well….. this shaving cream smells like raspberry and after not being able to shave my leg for four weeks, I need a higher quality razor than the ones we stock here." Cuddy informed him with a sheepish smile before her smile was replaced with a frown as House entered into the exam room.

"Doctor Cuddy, I need to talk to you." House announced in a loud voice looking down at the razor in her hand before shooting a quick glance at Steven's who was seated on a stool in front of her, " Did I get here in time for her bikini area or did you already do the honors?" He asked as the orthopedic doctor who looked back at him with a stunned expression.

Cuddy held her tongue for the moment and shot House a death glare before she focused her attention back to Dr. Stevens, "Would you please give us a moment?" She then asked him in an even tone.

"Sure thing." Stevens answered with a nod, taking off the latex gloves he was wearing and tossing them into the trash before getting up off of the stool and heading for the door House was standing in front of. "By the way House, I know being an ass comes second nature to you but…. the next time you make a crack like that towards Dr. Cuddy in my presence… you better be wearing a cup," he informed his fellow physician in low whisper before closing the door as he left the room.

House rolled his eyes, limping over to Cuddy, "And here I thought you wore that hot little outfit for me today to remind of the time you showed me that nice round ass of yours inside your office. Little did I know you wanted to make Doctor BoyToy drool all over you today," he remarked while studying the lines of the long, loose fitting black skirt and red scoop neck red sweater she was wearing.

"I only showed you my ass because I needed you to give me the IVF shots, and like or not… _Greg_….some of your colleagues actually don't find your insults aimed at me all that witty." Cuddy began to say with a wicked smile, deciding to use his first name just to add a little more bite to their current discussion.

"The reason only reason 'Dick' was pissed off at me is because I interrupted him while he was rubbing your leg." House shot back, pushing the stool out of his way with his cane before snatching the shaving cream from her hand. "My god you look like Bigfoot!" He then added, looking down at her leg while making a disgusted face.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him, carefully swinging her legs up onto the table and bending them at the knees as her black skirt pooled around the mid level of her thighs, "_Richard _is ten years younger than me and he has a girlfriend _and_ ……shut the hell up about my leg," she replied watching as House took the top off of the shaving cream.

"Age and a girlfriend mean nothing when faced with a hot boss who has killer legs as well as a hot bod _and_ I saw the way Dick was smiling at you when I walked in. He was hoping to make a run for the boarder with those eager little hands of his even though your leg looks like the arm of a grizzly bear," House remarked before pressing the dispenser button on top of the canister of shaving cream with his right index finger while cupping his left hand below the nozzle to catch the foam that was expelled from it. "Bend your leg a little more so I don't get this on your skirt," he then instructed with a nod.

"Why are you here anyway?" Cuddy asked, pulling her right knee up some more so that her heel was now resting flat against the table.

"Besides the fact that I get to look up your skirt?" House asked with a wolfish grin, tilting his head to get a better view of her silky thighs before carefully applying the shaving cream to her right leg.

Cuddy exhaled, rolling her eyes at him again, "Besides that." She replied trying not to smile back at him as House limped over to the sink to wash his hands after he was done.

"Bill just called me and told me that he and Fan were on their way to the building across the street from the place where your mom is supposed to meet Jeff today at ten." House answered, rinsing the shaving cream from his hands in the metal sink before wiping them dry with the paper towels to his left and opening up the cabinet doors in front of him.

"Did Bill say anything else?" Cuddy asked him with concern, looking up at the clock in the exam room and seeing it was now nine-thirty.

"Nope." House responded, taking out a medium sized plastic basin from one of the cabinets and filling it up halfway with some warm water from the sink, testing the temperature with his fingers before he limped back over to Cuddy with it, placing it beside her on the exam table.

"I just hope everything goes ok for my mom today." Cuddy said with a nervous tone to her voice, furrowing her brow as House reached behind her for the canvas bag resting on the head of the exam table. "What are you doing now?" She questioned with irritation.

"You may be able to fool Dr. McDreamy with your good patient routine and those ugly, black sensible shoes on the floor over there….but I know better." House informed her, pulling out the pair of black, four inch Manolo Blahnik pumps from her bag, "Nice try sweetheart but there's no way in hell you are going to wear these today," He added dangling the shoes in front of her.

"I just wanted to try them on." Cuddy replied innocently, reaching for the shoes at the same time House pulled them away from her.

"Doctor Cuddy….surely you know wearing high heels after recovering from freshly healed fracture is a BIG medical no no…even if you are the Dean of Medicine who thinks she can do whatever she wants. Now start shaving that grotesque leg of yours before I end up puking in these expensive shoes." House ordered, moving her shoes over to the countertop to his right so they were out of her reach.

"You are such a child," Cuddy muttered under her breath, dipping the razor into the warm water before she started to shave her leg.

"Yeah I'm the child here," House snarked limping back over to her while watching her hand expertly move up her shapely leg with the razor, "you know if you promise to be a good girl today and let daddy clinic out of clinic duty. Maybe I'll let you try those shoes on we get back to your place," he teased with a wiry grin.

"Shut up and get me some paper towels." Cuddy said in an irritated tone, submerging the razor head in the water to free it from the shaving cream coating it before repeating the same procedure on the remaining parts of her lower leg that were covered in the white foam until only her bare smooth skin was left behind.

"Here." House said, handing her the towels so she could pat her leg dry.

"Would you please get the lotion out of my bag?" She then asked with a sly smile.

"Anything else I can do for you? Swab some crotches, wipe some running noses." House replied back sarcastically before pulling the lotion out of the bag.

"I believe _you are_doing those things later this afternoon." Cuddy reminded him with a grin, reaching for the bottle.

"Not funny…and since you are obviously into playing the boss card right now, content on wasting my immense talent on idiotic clinic patients ….you need to balance things out by playing my girlfriend and letting me cop a feel before I head down to the clinic from hell." House responded with a low tone, taking the bottle back from her and squirting some lotion into his left hand.

Cuddy looked up at him and pondered the request, "All right…but don't even think about crossing the border." She informed him with a very inviting yet cool stare.

"Just as long as I get to infiltrate the border tonight I'm cool with that," House replied looking down at her with a testosterone filled grin as he started to rub the lotion onto her smooth leg, his fingers slowly working their way up from her ankle to her knee as he leaned down closer to her and whispered in her ear, "and by the way Doctor Cuddy…tonight….I am going to give you some much needed physical therapy that's going blow your mind," he bragged in a husky voice, taking the opportunity to slip his hand under the skirt that had pooled around her hips until his fingers made contact with the soft lace fabric of her panties.

"Stop!" Cuddy yelped with surprise, pushing his hand away from the part of her body that had felt the warmth of his touch.

"You won't be saying that tonight." House teased, reaching for his cane as he prepared to leave the room. "Oh crap almost forgot," he added, spinning around and limping over to the countertop to retrieve her shoes.

"Give me back my shoes!" Lisa commanded with authority, moving the small basin of water out of her way so she could sit on the edge of the exam table once more.

"Sorry but you can't be trusted….but... if you stop by daddy's office later and sit on his lap, maybe I'll consider letting you try them on for me." House teased again with smile as Cuddy gave him another glare as she fixed her skirt.

"House…" She then started to say as her voice took on a more somber tone, "I have a meeting at ten, so if Bill happens to call you instead of me – "

"I'll be sure to barge into your meeting, demanding you go out into the hallway with me." House interrupted.

"Thanks." Cuddy said softly before adding, "Now give me back me shoes," with a direct no-nonsense tone.

"Sorry I'm late for clinic." House responded before turning and leaving the room with her shoes still cradled in his left arm.

A few minutes later, Stevens returned to the exam room with a puzzled expression on his face, "I just saw Dr. House leaving my clinic with a pair of woman's shoes, which I can only assume belong to you?" He commented while pointing back at the door.

"I'm afraid they are mine, you see House is in fact a cross dresser." Cuddy explained with straight face while inside she was laughing hysterically.

"Wow……….no wonder he's always so bitchy around you, it must kill him to see you dressed up in designer clothes while he's stuck wearing his wrinkly t-shirts." Stevens replied. Playing along with a smile as he set her chart down on the counter, pulling the stool in front of the exam table again and sitting down on it before moving his hands to her lower right leg, "Does this hurt?" he asked, carefully applying pressure to the area around her now healed fracture.

"No." Cuddy responded.

"You were right Lisa, that razor you brought in really did do a better job than the crappy ones we have here." Steven's then commented as his touch began to turn more into a caress than an exam for pain while his bright green eyes traced the curve of her calf muscle.

"Are we done here Doctor Stevens?" Cuddy asked in full administrator tone, glaring down at him.

Stevens quickly removed his hands from her leg, "I ….I just need to write you out a script for some pain meds in case you need them." He replied as he stumbled through the sentence, padding the pockets of his lab coat, "I'm sorry Doctor Cuddy I must have left my prescription pad out by the nurses station, just give me one minute and I'll come back here with your script," he apologized before hastily leaving the room.

As he closed the door, Cuddy chuckled to herself, "House may be a jerk, but boy does know how to read people," she whispered with a small smile.

********************************************************

After calling House, Bill leaned back in the passenger seat of Fan's unmarked cruiser as he drove them into Princeton, listening carefully to the instructions Fan was telling him as the cop parked the car behind the two story building that sat across the street from a small coffee shop.

"So are you sure you're ready to this?" Fan asked, reaching into the backseat for the large duffle bag resting there.

Bill nodded, "As ready as I'm ever going to be," he answered.

Walking up to the back of the building, Fan produced a key from inside his coat pocket, unlocking the grey metal door before them both men walked inside of it.

They climbed a set of narrow wooden steps that had been painted a dark and putrid shade of green until they came upon another door where once again Fan produced a key that would unlock it as well, letting Bill step inside the room first before closing the door behind them.

They were now in the empty second floor apartment that was situated directly across the street from Baker's Coffee Shop.

Bill watched silently as Fan set up the high powered telescope inside the living room of the vacant place.

Fan checked and rechecked the placement and focus of the telescope len's to make sure he would get the best view of the front table in the coffee shop which sat directly behind the big glass window before hooking up the device that would record as well as give them the audio feed of Ruth's conversation with Jeff.

"Usually when we do surveillance it is a lot more sophisticated than this, but the equipment I brought today should be all that we will need." Fan explained to Bill before looking into the telescope's lens as he focused in on the coffee shop below them.

"Have you told anyone else on the force about this yet?" Bill questioned, continuing to study the stocky officer in front of him.

Fan shook his head, "No one else on the force knows that I'm here, and... until Hansom slips up or I can nail down which one of the three perps on the police data base that fit House's descriptions of the men following Doctor Cuddy is the guy we're looking for…. I plan on keeping it that way," he said before reaching inside the duffle bag at his feet and handing Bill a pair of binoculars, motioning for him to take a look outside the window, "Looks like someone has arrived a little earlier than expected," he then said in a low whisper leaning down and peering through the telescope's lens again.

Bill brought the binoculars up to his face and used his thumbs to focus them in on the table inside of the shop until Jeff's face became crisp and clear in the lenses.

The quality of the binoculars were of high quality, the detail that could be seen through them quite impressive to say the very least.

After counting the few strands of gray hair on right temple of Jeff's head, Bill moved the binoculars down from Jeff's face to the freshly pressed blue dress shirt he was wearing, finally focusing in on hairs on Jeff's hand that was resting on the table.

"See the way he's tapping his fingers on the tabletop?" Fan asked Bill while he continued to look down at Jeff with through the telescope.

Billed nodded in response, keeping his gaze focused on Jeff, "He's not a man who likes to be kept waiting." He said, clenching his jaw as a sudden anger threatened to take hold of him. _You better no harm a hair on her head you son of bitch,_ he thought, conveying the silent waring to the man across the street with a smug smile on his face.

********************************************************

Twenty minutes later, Jeff watched Ruth Cuddy park her car on the opposite side of the coffee shop before she crossed the street, looking up at him inside the shop before she reached for the door and headed inside.

When he talked to her on Friday, Ruth had been an emotional wreck, whispering desperately into the phone to him, exposing all of her weaknesses to him while confirming without a shadow of a doubt that his gut instincts about her had been right.

All of his life, starting at early childhood Jeff had found he had a talent for making people bend to his will. From his the countless woman he had lured to his bed, to his latest business deal with the Texas oilman who he had completed snowed with his charm, and now as the slender and elegant older woman with dark hair and alluring brown eyes approached his table with a mental status as fragile as fine china, Jeff was beyond determined in making sure not only would Ruth Cuddy bend, but by the time he was done with her….. she would be shattered into a million pieces.

"Ruth it is so nice to see you again." Jeff said, getting up from his seat to greet her as she took the last few unsteady steps towards the table.

"Hello." Ruth said in a soft voice, keeping her eyes fixated on the floor.

"Come, sit down and I'll get you some coffee." Jeff offered, touching her arm gently as he guiding her to the empty seat on her left.

Ruth nodded, placing her purse on the table as she eased herself into the seat, resting her hands on her lap as she watched Jeff walk up to the counter of the shop.

Within a few minutes, Jeff came back with the coffee, carefully sitting it on the table in front of Ruth as she gazed out the window with a lost look in her eyes.

"Thank you." She said softly, turning to face him, taking both of her hands from her lap before wrapping them around the large mug.

"You're shaking." Jeff said with concern, sitting back down in his seat as he locked eyes with her.

"You were right about all of them. They all lied to me… just like you said they did and now…._I don't know who I can trust anymore_." Ruth whispered as her voice cracked.

"Shh….Ruth it's going to be ok." Jeff whispered, reaching for her hand, seeing the fine and ugly crack of insanity showing through the strained beauty on of her face.

Ruth swallowed hard, acting as if she was fighting back a river of tears before willing the muscles in her bottom lip to quiver, placing the final brush stroke on her expression to complete the portrait of a broken woman.

"Talk to me Ruth." Jeff whispered, as his thumb began stroking her hand.

"House has been plotting against me. He has been telling Lisa that I'm unstable! That I need to be taken to the hospital for psychiatric care because of what I did a long time ago!" Ruth said, in a voice filled with agony and fear.

"Ruth....what could you have possible done in your past that was so bad House thinks he needs to lock you away in a mental hospital?" Jeff asked with a smooth voice that disguised the sharp fangs underneath it.

"Nothing." Ruth answered back in a quick hushed whisper, trying to pull her hand away from him.

"Ruth…..you need to trust me. Remember… _I was the one who told you the truth when everyone else lied to you_." Jeff said in a low but controlling voice, keeping hold of her hand.

"I….I can't…." Ruth stuttered, moving her eyes away from him and turning her head towards the window again.

"_Look at me Ruth._" Jeff commanded in a stern voice, increasing the pressure of his grip on her hand.

Ruth snapped her head back quickly, glancing down at his hand as it engulfed hers, feeling the sharp pain moving up to her wrist. _Is the best you can do?_ She thought, keeping her hand still as she looked away from him again towards the people in the line at the coffee shop.

"Don't worry Ruth .....they can't hear us." Jeff said assuming that was the reason for her hesitancy.

Ruth slowly turned her gaze back to him ready to take him a step further into her game. "_Please help me….I can't….I can't…..live like this anymore…House is trying to take Lisa away form me because of what I did back when I was a little girl….he told Lisa I've always been crazy….that I need to be locked away…..he thinks I don't know…..but I HEARD him say it!" s_he whispered in a defeated tone, feeling Jeff's hand increase the vise like grip he had on her as she shut down the part of her brain that had told her to scream.

"Of course I'll help you Ruth….I'm your friend....your only friend." Jeff said feeling his heart begin to beat a little faster as he watched her eyes becoming entranced in every word he was speaking, her will surrendering him with the next breath she took. "But in order for me to help you… I need to know that I can trust you." He told her stroking Ruth's hand with his thumb again as he eased up on the pressure he was applying.

"You can trust me," Ruth answered back quickly in a weak voice.

"Are you sure I can trust you Ruth?" Jeff questioned again.

"Please....I just want to get House away from my daughter. I don't care how ...I just want him out of her life for good." Ruth pleaded in a strained voice that struggled to hold onto its whisper.

"Exactly what do you have in mind Ruth?" Jeff asked, looking into the golden flecks of Ruth's eyes.

"I…..I don't know but you're a very rich man Mr. Hansom and if anyone can think of way to get rid of House…you can." Ruth said in a pathetic voice that gratuitously stroked his ego.

Jeff paused for a moment studying her expression, savoring the taste of victory over her,"If you're serious about getting rid of House once and for all there are many ways we can go about doing that Ruth, in fact a fairly easy way would be to have you plant some illegal drugs on House since he is staying at your daughter's place. You see…I found out by checking up on House that he's had trouble with the cops before regarding his vicodin use, so all you would have to do is slip some drugs that I would provide you with of course, into one of his suit jackets or that backpack he's always carry around, then all that would be left for you to do would be to call in an anonymous tip to the cops. Between his arrest and battling the charges against him, House would effectively be out of both of our lives for good," he explained confidently.

Leaning closer to him, Ruth smiled, _"You.....can go__ to hell you son of bitch."_ she whispered back to him, knowing that the wire taped to her body had now recorded the evidence needed that would land the bastard sitting in front of her in jail.

"What?" Jeff asked in a low but shocked voice as his eyes widened.

"I said go to hell you son of bitch." Ruth replied with a sweet smile before she continued. "Did you honestly think for one moment that I would ever believe _you_ over my own daughter?" She added, watching the smile fade from Jeff's face.

"Ruth, your daughter is in danger…. you have to believe me….. she's been brainwashed by House." Jeff said as he mind reeled from the turn of events, trying to move her back to the edge of the cliff he thought he had placed her on, not realizing that he was the one whose feet were now slipping on it.

"Listen to me you stupid bastard. Your little game is over, understand? House loves my daughter and she loves him and you are going to stay the hell away from the both of them or I will make sure that the next time you flash that arrogant smile of yours it's going to be minus a few teeth!" Ruth hissed, bearing her own teeth as she yanked her hand away from him.

"_NO! YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU STUPID BITCH!"_ Jeff yelled, grabbing Ruth's hand once again, causing the coffee cup in front of her to fall onto the floor before shattering beneath her feet.

"Hey! What in the hell are you doing?" A young man in his early twenties, who was standing by the counter asked as the rest of the patrons and workers in the shop stood frozen in shock by what they had just witnessed.

"This isn't over between us you bitch!" Jeff growled at Ruth, yanking her upper body closer to him as the young man at the counter started to move towards them while behind them all the bell on the door of the coffee shop began to ring its high pitched alarm as it was forcefully shoved open, announcing that at last, the Calvary had come.

"Let go of her right now Mr. Hansom!" Fan commanded in a strong voice as he drew his weapon.

Jeff looked up at the officer in shock, "You're going to pay for this, you crazy bitch," he whispered under his breath to Ruth, shoving her back into her seat before letting go of her hand.

"That's enough!" Fan yelled, seeing a blur out of the corner of his eye as Bill rushed past him and he proceeded to punch Jeff square in the jaw.

"You ever touch her again you son of bitch and it will be the last thing you do!" Bill yelled, as the anger inside of him was set free as he grabbed Jeff by the shirt as he yanked him out of his seat.

"Bill back off." Fan warned, keeping his gun drawn.

"Bill, please listen to Officer Fan and let him go." Ruth said calmly, getting to her feet while gently touching his shoulder.

"You are nothing but a gutless coward." Bill uttered to Jeff with a direct tone, looking the man dead in his eyes before shoving him back onto the chair behind him that tipped from the sudden onset of weight, sending Jeff falling to the floor where he landed flat on his ass.


	39. Chapter 39

**Hey guys! Well another chapter is done and ready for your reading pleasure:) Hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 39**

**11:00 am Hospital……**

"Do you hear anything yet?" Wilson asked House after he had stepped into the elevator with him.

"Nothing yet." House replied as Wilson looked down at his watch.

"We should have heard something by now." Wilson said with worry, placing his hands on his hips and tapping his foot against the floor of the elevator as it continued to make its descent to the first floor.

"Oh, so now there's a specific timeline involved when dealing with a demented bastard like Jeff?" House remarked, not letting on that he too was also concerned that they had not heard anything from Bill.

As the elevator door opened both men exited it and turned right as they headed towards Cuddy's office, stopping dead in their tracks as Cuddy walked up to them from the opposite direction, meeting them in front of the nurses station. "Bill just called me from the ER. He said Jeff was arrested by Fan for assaulting my mom…he said she was ok…..but..I…" she started to say as her face showed every ounce of the anxiety she was currently feeling.

"Come on." House told her with a low tone, placing his hand onto the small of Cuddy's back and flanking her right side while Wilson took the spot on her left as all three of them headed quickly down the hallway.

Once they were through the double doors of the ER, Cuddy immediately spotted Bill standing next to an exam table that her mother was seated upon. "What happened?" She asked with shock once she had reached them as Bill continued to exam her mother's wrist.

"Lisa ..its nothing," Ruth said dismissively, trying to clam her daughter's worry.

"Judging by the swelling and redness on your wrist, I'd say it is _something_." House remarked, noticing the beginning signs of a bruise forming in a circular pattern on Ruth's skin.

Bill gave Ruth a disappointed look, her motives to protect her daughter understandable, but the fact that she was trying to down play her injury upsetting to him, "The son of a bitch nearly broke her wrist." He informed them all as he reached into the drawer beside him for a splint.

"Oh god Mom, are you sure you're ok?" Lisa whispered before sitting down next to her on the exam table.

"Lisa …I'll be fine. Of course I can't say the same for Jeff, considering how hard Bill punched him in the jaw." Ruth responded, looking over at her daughter.

"You punched Jeff?" Wilson questioned with surprise to the older physician standing in front of him.

Bill nodded, carefully applying the lightweight splint made out of blue nylon and Velcro to Ruth's hand, "Jeff was just lucky Fan was there to stop me before I really got a chance to tear into him," he informed them all before taking in a breath to calm the anger inside of him, "Is this ok Ruth? It's not too tight is it?" He then asked in a softer voice as he gazed into Ruth's dark brown eyes once more.

"It's perfect." Ruth answered in a soft tone, saying in her gaze to him how much she appreciated everything he had done for her today, knowing the emotional wounds left behind in his memory by witnessing the assault needed to be soothed just as tenderly as her physical ones.

Studying the older couple in front of him, House rubbed his jaw, "So what exactly went down today with Jeff?" He then asked, wanting to make sure no details were spared that might prove to be crucial in the days to come.

******************************************************

Inside the unmarked police cruiser of Officer Fan's car, Jeff sat in the back seat with his hands cuffed in front of him as the taste of saliva and blood filled his mouth. Focusing his gaze on the back of Fan's head as the cop drove them towards the station.

Swallowing the mixture of blood and spit inside his mouth, Jeff shifted in the back seat, his jaw still feeling the sting of Bill's closed fist as his anger at being outwitted by Ruth Cuddy continued to grow inside of him.

"Got something on your mind?" Fan questioned, looking at Jeff through the rear view mirror as the man clenched his jaw.

Jeff stared back a Fan coldly, keeping his mouth shut_. You have made a big mistake by getting involved in this, _he though bitterly as he tongued the small cut on the inside of his bottom lip.

After checking the roadway in front of him, Fan took the opportunity to question Jeff again, using a slightly different tactic this time. "You know Jeff I'm really surprised that you didn't have one of your hired hands help you out with Ruth Cuddy today, but then I guess even a successful business man like yourself likes to get his hands dirty every once and awhile too, just like the rest of us." He said coolly, watching Jeff carefully when he stopped the car at a red light.

Jeff held their gaze for a moment before he shifted in the backseat again and looked out the passenger window towards the busy street beside them.

The cop coming into the picture at this point in his pursuit of Lisa Cuddy was one he had not expected, the result much like a very dangerous thorn entering into the skin that needed to be removed quickly before it could fester and cause any more damage.

********************************************************

_**Princeton Police Department**_

Tritter had been standing in the doorway of his office talking to another detective when Fan came through the front door of the precinct with Jeff in handcuffs, the image of the two men together, stopping him from chewing the nicotine gum in his mouth as his eyes stayed glued on the both of them, watching as Jeff was processed just like any other criminal would have been.

Feeling Tritter's eyes upon him as Jeff was being led away to his cell by another officer, Fan turned his and headed straight for the detective, walking past the ringing phones and cluttered desks of the crowded precinct until he was face to face with his boss.

"We need to talk about Jeff Hansom." Fan said, keeping his voice low.

"What did he do?" Tritter asked casually, nodding over to the jail cell where Jeff was now being housed.

"He assaulted Ruth Cuddy after trying unsuccessfully to get her to agree to plant drugs Doctor House, and after what I witnessed today it's obvious Jeff has become obsessed with Doctor Lisa Cuddy to the point of stalking her." Fan informed him.

"Let's step inside my office and talk." Tritter agreed, allowing Fan to enter into the room before closing the door behind them.

Once inside Tritter's office, Fan wasted no time in explaining to the Detective Tritter how he had been contacted by Bill Martin who had asked for his help in regards to Jeff and his unhealthy interest with Lisa Cuddy, going over the details of what had occurred thus far between Jeff and Lisa as well as talking to Tritter about the meeting between Jeff and Ruth with had ended in Jeff's arrest.

After he had finished, Tritter leaned back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head, "You know Fan….…you really don't strike me as the type of cop who is into charity cases. In fact, you've been on the force for far too long to get tangled up into that kind of mess, so what gives? Why are you so invested in all of this?" He asked flatly.

"I could ask you the same thing." Fan replied, standing his ground.

Tritter leaned forward in his chair, "Are you accusing me of having anything more than a _professional _interest in this case?" He questioned.

"I'm only stating the fact that you have been very invested as well in making sure things go Jeff Hansom's way during all of this." Fan answered, while studying Tritter's face intently.

"Listen to me Fan. It's been nearly two years since you transferred up here from Florida ....which means you've been around here long enough to know how things operate in MY precinct, and because you're a seasoned career cop who I've come to respect I'm gong to cut you some slack by telling you to forget about Bill Martin as well as doctors House and Cuddy and go back to what you do best, catching the bad guys." Tritter warned while keeping his eyes locked on Fan's.

"I'm not going to forget about this and if you don't do something about it I….." Fan began to say before Tritter interrupted him.

"Jeff made a mistake by putting his hands on Ruth, but all of us make mistakes at one time or another in our lives based on emotions. In fact I seen to remember a very costly mistake you made in your life after your wife was killed in that auto accident down in Florida." Tritter said calmly, leaning back in his chair.

"You have no right to bring that up!" Fan siad as he got up out of his chair.

"I have every right to know, and ….I must say I had no idea you would still be _this _idealistic after killing that kid down in Florida." Tritter stated in firm and direct voice.

"It was an accident." Fan replied as his fists stayed planted firmly on Tritter's desk.

"It was a lapse in judgment during a crucial point in your life," Tritter corrected, motioning for Fan to sit back down and waiting util he did before continuing, "You were distraught over the death of your wife, you had to too much drink and you made the mistake of getting behind the wheel of your car. Good thing your friends on the force were there to cover up the whole mess, otherwise you probably wouldn't be here talking to me right now."

"What I did-" Fan began.

"Was no different than what Jeff did today, he let his emotions get he best of him and nothing more." Tritter interrupted.

"You know damn well it's more than that!" Fan argued gripping the hands of the chair as the words pushed through his clenched jaw.

"I warned you once Fan, I'm not going to do it again. I won't fight you on keeping Jeff here for 48 hours since that is the minimum required by the state for assault, but after that you need to back off of this thing unless you want your own past brought into question. Understand?" Tritter asked leaning forward in his chair, making sure the officer knew exactly how serious he was about the threat.

Fan took in a deep breath, keeping his eyes focused on Tritter, "I'll back off," he finally agreed before getting up out of the chair and making his way towards the door.

"Fan." Tritter said causing the cop to turn around.

"Yeah?"

"Get Jeff out of his cell and bring him in here to see me." Tritter then ordered before reaching for the phone on his right.

********************************************************

Locked inside his cell, Jeff watched Fan making his way back to him with a less than pleased look on his face.

"Tritter wants to see you." Fan said flatly before shoving the key into the lock.

Removing his hands from the bars, Jeff took a step back so that Fan could open the cell door, the fact the his bottom lip was now beginning to swell from the punch he received from Bill doing nothing to keep the smug grin from forming on his face.

Fan looked up briefly at the condescending smile plastered on Jeff's face, "Something funny?" He asked with a cool tone although he would have liked nothing better than to wipe the smile off of Jeff's face with a mean right hook the would bust open his already wounded bottom lip.

"No officer, just happy to be let out of me cell after such a long stay." Jeff replied back smartly.

"Turn around and put your hands on your head." Fan then commanded.

Jeff complied, placing his hands on the top of his head after turning and facing the wall behind him.

Fan pulled Jeff's arms down one by one, slapping the cuffs back on him.

"Officer, is this really necessary?" Jeff asked, keeping his arrogant tone.

"Not really," Fan replied before gripping Jeff by the back of his shirt and holding onto the material with his strong right hand before leading the cocky businessman down the hallway like a dog on a very short leash, tugging on the shirt as he directed Jeff on where he was supposed to go.

Being yanked around like an unruly child who had misbehaved did not sit well with Jeff at all, his pride vehemently demanding that he turn around and challenge the officer about his treatment, the movement causing him to collide with another man who was being dragged into the station in handcuffs by a tall and lean officer.

"Sorry about that." Officer Stafford said to Fan as he pulled his guy away from Jeff.

"That's ok Jerry." Fan responded, turning Jeff back around and looking up at the cop before his gazed drifted over to the man his fellow officer had just brought in.

The scrawny young man was in his late twenties, with dark brown hair and a goatee, looking much like the several hundred young punks routinely brought into the precinct…. except for the pink, crescent shaped scar underneath the outside crease of his right eye.

Not believing his luck, Fan looked over at Jeff who at the moment was fixated on the man before them both, sending the young criminal a silent message that made the color drain from his boyish face.

"Do you two know each other?" Fan curiously asked Jeff.

Jeff slowly moved his eyes away from the young man with the scar and focused them directly on the officer.

"Never saw the guy before in my life." Jeff answered back flatly.

Fan let a small smile form on his face, before addressing the cop in front of him. "What did your guy do?" He asked Stafford while adjusting the grip he had on the back of Jeff's shirt.

"The dumb son of bitch held up a convenience store a few blocks from here. Seems this guy never learns. He was just in jail for over a year for doing the same exact thing." Stafford replied before shoving the punk towards the front counter of the station to get him processed.

Fan shook his head, leaning closer to Jeff, "You see .......that's the thing with petty criminals. Even when they land a good paying gig, they always go back to their roots," He remarked with another small grin.

Jeff looked over at Fan, the cop now having in his possession the key to making all his plans unravel regarding Lisa and House..........however there was no way in hell he was going to let that happen. Not by a long shot. "Again officer I have no idea what you're talking about." He replied with a face that was as cold as the stone foundation the precinct had been built upon.

Letting out a soft chuckle at the business man who was not so smug anymore, Fan spoke. "Well then I guess I better get you back to see Tritter before anymore old friends of yours decide to stop by."

********************************************************

**Tritter's Office………**

"You better get a handle on that son of bitch Fan or I'll make sure he's dealt with myself!" Jeff yelled loudly at Tritter after Fan had left them alone in Tritter's office.

"Don't come in here raising your voice at me Jeff. You need to remember where you are and who you are talking to." Tritter shot back in a low but stern voice as they stood face to face just inside the door of the office.

Jeff exhaled in frustration moving away from Tritter and taking the seat in front of his desk as Tritter sat down behind his desk and leaned forward in his chair.

"Really Jeff…..what in the hell were you thinking roughing up Ruth Cuddy like that?" Tritter asked in a disgruntled tone.

"The crazy bitch had it coming to her," Jeff spat out, rubbing his bottom lip with thumb and wincing in pain, wanting to remember who had caused the injury as the part of him that was already plotting his revenge took note.

"Dammit……Jeff what's gotten into you? We've discussed this numerous times. You were supposed to see if Ruth was going to be someone we could use against Cuddy and House, _and_if you had any doubts about her you were supposed to have backed off." Tritter said, annoyed at Jeff's sudden unpredictable behavior.

"We've got bigger problems that Ruth Cuddy right now. I just ran into Henry Williams who is out front getting booked for robbery." Jeff informed his conspirator in a steely whisper.

Tritter slapped his right hand down on his desk. "That stupid little shit! I though once his uncle got him the gig with you he would be smart enough to leave that petty crime crap behind him,"he replied, clenching his jaw.

"Well then it looks like we both fucked up." Jeff replied, cursing himself for listening to Tritter when he had recommended hiring Williams and his uncle. "and you need to find a way to get Williams out of here before Fan has a chance to talk to him," he added.

"Don't worry about Fan, I already made it very clear to him where his allegiance needs to be." Tritter assured Jeff.

"It didn't look like that to me just a few moments ago so you better make sure that he does not cause anymore problems for me or I'll get some of my own men to take care of him once and for all." Jeff ordered, not caring who Tritter was or where they were at the moment.

Tritter glared back at Jeff as the power struggle between the two of them continued.

"You need to get control of your emotions and stop flying off the handle. If you would have only kept your head, Fan would not have anything to go on. Now I am forced to keep you here for forty eight hours so we don't garner anymore unwanted attention. I suggest you use that time to think about what happened today and once you are released you need to lay low for a few days. We will get House one way or another and he will drag Cuddy right down with him, but we have to be patient." Tritter warned, claiming his status as alpha dog in their partnership.

Jeff looked back at him and said nothing.

"Believe me Jeff if this entire mess starts to stink too much for my liking I will wash my hands of it, and you without so much as batting an eye," Tritter informed him.

"Just make sure that cop knows his place or else you and I are both going to be up to her necks in this shit," Jeff replied with a warning of his own.

"Fan may be a stubborn son of bitch …..but he's been around the block long enough to know what happens to fellow cops who don't keep their mouths shut." Tritter assured Jeff before getting up from his seat.

********************************************************

Once Ruth had been attended to in the ER by Bill and the story of the meeting between her and Jeff had been told to Wilson, Cuddy and House, the entire group had all walked out to the parking garage to where Bill's white Cadillac was occupying a space.

Standing on the passenger side of the car with her mother, Lisa pulled Ruth into an embrace, "Try and get some rest Mom and I'll call you as soon as we leave work so we can pick you up at Bill's place on our way home." She whispered after gently kissing her mother on the cheek.

"Lisa, there's no need for you to do that. I'm staying with Bill tonight." Ruth responded watching her daughter's face fill with confusion.

"Mom it's ok if you stay with us in fact Wilson is…." Cuddy started to say before her mother's beaming smile halted her words. "What?" she questioned, remaining confusion.

"Honey, Jeff is in jail …and… for the first time in a long time you and House can finally have some time alone at your place without your mother, or Bill or even Wilson hovering over you," Ruth explained sweetly before glancing over at Wilson who nodded in agreement.

"You're mom's right Lisa, you two do deserve some time to yourselves after everything that's happened." Wilson acknowledged while looking over at House who had a mischievous smile on his face.

"See that Cuddy…even you Mom knows getting you laid takes top priority over you spending time with her." House informed her with the smile on his face broadening.

"She didn't say that." Cuddy argued back dismissively while giving him a glare.

"Actually Lisa….I was trying my best to give you the hint." Ruth responded much to the shock of her daughter just as Bill's cell phone began to ring.

Opening up the phone Bill's eyes quickly read the number on the caller ID. "It's Fan," he announced as Ruth and Cuddy moved over to his side of the car where Wilson and House were standing.

Answering the phone, Bill listened for a few minutes as Fan spoke before asking the cop to hold on so that he could relay his message to the group.

"Jeff is going to be held for seventy eight hours at the police station instead of the usual 48 thanks to the wire tap Fan presented during Jeff's arraignment in front of the judge. Fan also got the judge to issue two separate restraining orders, forbidding him to make contact with either Ruth or Lisa." Bill announced.

"That's such good news." Ruth said with relief, wrapping her left arm around Lisa's shoulder as she gave her a small squeeze.

Bill nodded with a small smile aimed at both ladies in front of him, getting back on the phone before quickly making eye contact with House as Fan started to speak to him once more. "Ok I'll let him know and thanks again for all your help on this," he then said to the cop before hanging up the phone and directing his gaze to House once more.

"Oh for god's sake Bill, hurry up and spit it out before _I _end up becoming old enough to join the AARP ," House remarked in an irritated tone.

"Fan just told me that he thinks that one of the men you spotted following Lisa may have been arrested today under a charge of burglary. He wants to talk to the guy first to see if he can get any information out of him, but after that he said he was going to call you to come down to the station and ID the guy either later tonight or first thing tomorrow morning." Bill explained to House as Wilson, Ruth and Cuddy listened intently as well to the words he was speaking.

"If this guy turns out to be the one who you saw…..he could blow things wide open on Jeff as well as Tritter," Wilson stated as he looked over at his friend.

House nodded, "Let's just wait and see before we get our hopes up," he commented as his eyes moved over the faces surrounding him, stopping on Cuddy's face while he hoped secretly to himself that the man Fan had called about would be the key in starting to end to the games Jeff and Tritter were trying to play with them.

********************************************************

Later that evening after her work at the hospital was done and another phone call to her mother had been placed, Lisa Cuddy made her way up to the master bedroom, still wearing the hideous black rubber soled shoes she put on her feet after her exam with the orthopedic doctor had finished. "So do you want to go out for dinner or stay here?" She yelled out into the hallway to House who was coming up the steps before crossing threshold and entering into the bedroom, heading for her closet and opening up the door as she bent down to pick up a pair of devastatingly sexy, open toed, midnight black Jimmy Choo stiletto's.

"Why would I go out for food when I can have it delivered to me here as I sit on my ass!" House answered back gruffly as he made his way to the top of the steps, his mind filled with thought of just when in the hell Fan was going to call him.

Kicking the practical and ugly shoes off her feet, Cuddy then sat down on the bed, slipping the sexier shoes on and standing up slowly before walking slowly towards the master bathroom, intent on checking herself out in the floor length mirror that was hung inside of the bathroom door.

"What in the hell are you doing?" House asked with a disapproving look, entering the bedroom just as Cuddy had entered into the bathroom, the thought of the phone call he would be receiving from Fan pushed swiftly aside by the sight of her.

Giving him a wicked smile as he started to limp towards her, Cuddy quickly closed the door behind her and locked it.

"Oh you are in BIG trouble." House warned as he made his way across the bedroom floor.

Looking at her image in the mirror, Cuddy smiled. It had been a long time since she was able to see both shapely legs donned in designer shoes and the effect was one that always gave her an enormous boost of confidence.

With her smile growing, Cuddy turned sideways to check out the curves of her calves in the mirror, jumping slightly as House began to knock loudly on the other side of the door.

"Open up this door or I will take the rest of your do-me pumps and start a bonfire in the back yard." House yelled.

"Since when did you become such a rule enforcer?" Cuddy asked, rolling her eyes as she reached for the knob and unlocked the door.

Pushing the door open wider as he stepped inside the bathroom with her, House let his eyes travel down to the shoes that oozed of sex appeal before they ascended upwards….past her toned legs to the curves of her hips, cerulean blue trailing over her flat stomach to the ample breasts incased in the tight red fabric of her sweater, "YOU…Doctor Cuddy have been a naughty girl, and now I must discipline you." House informed her, catching Cuddy's gaze in his own as he moved her back towards the bathroom counter.

"If you're trying to turn me on ….you're failing miserably." Lisa said flatly while liking the return of height her shoes gave her as she gazed up at House.

"Oh _I know_ what turns you on, and…. since you obviously want me to show you as well… be a good girl and turn around." House answered back with a low tone as a lustful smile crept up on the corners of his mouth.

"Tell me what I want to hear first and then I'll turn around." Cuddy remarked, moving her hand down to his crotch before her fingers started to caress the bulge of his manhood wrapped in denim.

"I want you. Right here. Right now." House said in a gruff direct voice, loving the seductive look held within her slate grey eyes as she stared up at him.

For the first time in several days they were completely alone, with no need to muffle cries of passion or rush the sex between them, and with that knowledge reciprocated within her eyes, House was going to make damn sure he that very soon he would have Cuddy moaning at the top of her lungs with everything she had inside of her, the perfection they created together long overdue to reach its full potential again.

Lowering her eyes to the erection she was now stroking, Cuddy produced a patented sex siren smile as her eyes trailed the fabric of the black t-shirt covering the span of House's chest before making eye contact with him once more, "Are you sure you can handle me now that I don't have that cast around my ankle? You know things could get very physical and I wouldn't want you to get hurt." She teased as he leaned his pelvis into her skilled hand that had made him hard in an instant.

"Turn around, hold onto that counter, and for once try thinking of the neighbors before you scream out my name at the top of your lungs." House ordered, smiling in the mirror in front of them as Cuddy made sure to brush her round ass against his throbbing erection when she turned her back to him, placing her palms on the bathroom counter.

Moving his hands on her hips, House rested his jaw beside her cheek as Cuddy looked back at him in the mirror. "You know this outfit you're wearing really brings back some very fond ass ogling memories for me," he told her with a grin.

"Is that so?" Cuddy responded with an amused smile on her face.

House nodded as his lips found their way to the nape of her neck, his right hand now moving across her hip towards her flat abdomen as he pulled her tightly against him. "Want me to show you what I really wanted to do to you back then instead of giving you that shot?" He whispered into her skin while slowly grinding his hips into her behind.

Cuddy kept her palms planted firmly on the countertop, trying to bite back her smile, "Actually I think I've already got a pretty good idea of what you had in mind," she informed him, letting out a soft gasp when his hand moved lower, resting firmly between her thighs, his middle finger finding her clit through the fabric of the skirt and her panties before applying pressure to it.

"So does that mean you want me to stop?" House questioned as both the motion of his hips and hand ground to a screeching halt.

"No!" Cuddy answered back quicker than what she meant to, moving her hand overtop of the one he had placed between her thighs.

House smiled at her in the mirror, "Alright I'll continue to fondle you ….but only if you tell me that you wanted more than just that alcohol swab touching your ass that day." He demanded.

"You know ….not everything is about you _House_," Cuddy started to say, watching the disapproving look overtake his face, "but you did have me in a very compromising position that day…one in which I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen next between us," she then added in a low and sinfully sweet whisper, seeing the glimmer return in his eyes.

"Did you think about me that night when you came home?" House asked, staring back at her with a look of lust held within his blue eyes that were hanging on her every word.

"Yes." Cuddy admitted without hesitation, catching her breath as he rewarded her for her honesty by slipping his hands under the red sweater she was wearing, cupping her breasts held in place by the black demi cup bra before giving them a squeeze.

"I thought about you too," House confessed as he voice lowered in pitch, "I wanted to have you just like this, with your ass pressing up against me inside my apartment, inside my bathroom, dressed like you are now. I thought about touching you like this and how good it would feel," he whispered into her neck as his fingers pushed her bra up away from her breasts so he could rub her nipples with his thumbs, feeling the soft moan in her throat vibrate against his lips when he did so.

"Tell me more," Cuddy demanded in an aching voice as his fingers continued to pinch and gently tug at her nipples. The physical and verbal combination that was Gregory House, a weakness she would gladly give into time and time again as the smoldering heat between her thighs intensified.

"I'd much rather show you." House said, nuzzling the hair on her neck aside so he could kiss the spot behind her ear lobe that would send the shiver down her spine.

"Mmmmm." Cuddy agreed with a hum of approval as a smile that burned with desire made its way across her lips, arching her back and pushing her ass into the motion of House's hips that were grinding into her from behind.

Within the next second, House moved his hands to the clasp of her bra, unhooking and cupping both breasts firmly, hearing Lisa moan again as his teeth nipped at the groove of her right shoulder, his thighs pushing her legs further apart, his hands then making their way back to her hips as she watched him in the mirror causing a surge of energy to course through him as he caught a glimpse of her reflection, the anticipation expressed within the coolness of her grey eyes, more powerful than anything he had ever known before. "God you're so fucking hot," He whispered back to her, watching the smile rise up on her face as his fingertips began to gather up the material of her black skirt revealing soft smooth legs and supple thighs as the hem of the garment rose to just below the curve of her ass. "Hold onto this and move that sweet little ass of yours back a little more towards me." He then instructed in a husky voice, positioning her body into much the same manner as it had been in the day that they had been alone in her office, remembering how she had smiled at him back then much like she was doing now when he had rubbed the swab on her ass, admiring the gorgeous view of her from behind.

"Sure you don't want me to just take them off for you? I could make it very entertaining." Lisa offered, referring to her panties as she moved her right hand over his, rubbing her thumb against his knuckles before she took the material from him, hiking the skirt up to her waist with both hands.

Smiling down at her beautiful ass that was now exposed and framed to perfection in the black lace of her thong, House shook his head, "The day I need your help getting your panties off is the day you stop wearing underwear," he answered, seeing the amazing smile on her face stretching the corners of her mouth as he carefully knelt down behind her, pulling the thong past her round hips, over her thighs and down her slender calves, "You and these damn shoes," He then muttered, gently lifting her right leg up so that he could free the skimpy lingere from around her ankle before repeating the same procedure with her left foot as he brushed lips against the back of her knee.

"If my shoes annoy so much, why don't you just take them off?" Cuddy questioned with a grin, knowing full well having sex with her in heels was a favorite guilty pleasure of his that had been denied for far too long thanks to her injury.

"Did I say you could talk?" House asked with a cocky tone before giving her bare ass a nice firm smack.

"Ouch!" Cuddy exclaimed in angry voice of surprise.

"Shhhh….I'll make it all better," House said with a happy grin as he gently rubbed the skin his fingers had just smacked before lowering his lips to her soft exquisite ass, kissing her there and smiling again as he heard her giggle above him while letting his left hand run up her inner thigh, the thumb of it gently starting to stroke the glistening sex of her inner folds as the tip of it played with her opening.

Cuddy gasped as her legs began to quiver, her hands griping the fabric held within her fingertips as the new and exciting ways House would come up with in an effort to please her, brought out so much lust, passion and desire from deep inside of her that she knew she would forever be a slave to his touch, a willing mistress to him and only him in every sense of the word.

Moving his right hand around to her front, House felt Cuddy's body tremble again as his middle finger found its way to her swollen clit, begging to rub it in small precise circles as his lips and nose caressing the soft skin of her round ass, his left thumb continuing to stroke between her thighs before he slipped into her entrance.

"Oh god," Cuddy moaned loudly, feeling as if her entire body had been set on fire, nipples peaked in aching arousal, knees struggling to keep from buckling as her clit throbbed and her inner walls contracted around the curve of House's thumb.

Letting out a hot breath soaked with testosterone, House moved his lips up to the small of her back. "I want you so much right now," he told her as he continued using both hands to please her, looking up at her as her head fell back and her dark curls cascaded over her shoulders.

Cuddy reached down, cupping his jaw with her hand, continuing to rock her hips into the his thumb that was pressing down mercilessly onto her g spot, opening her mouth with another gasp as she spoke, "If you want me then get up here and fuck me instead of talking about it," she told him with a voice that brought with it every fantasy he had ever had of her.

Gripping firmly onto her hips, House kissed his way up her spine as he rose to his feet before removing them from her body as he pulled down the zipper of his pants, pushing both his jeans and boxers to the floor and kicking them aside as another glance was shared between them in mirror as he lifted up the skirt that had fallen down across her legs once more when she lost her grip on it a moment ago, bunching the material up onto the small of her back before he slid his hard shaft inside of her.

Gasping, Cuddy reached for the backsplash of the countertop as he filled her completely, stretching her in all the right places as she rocked her hips back against him.

House exhaled with a shuddered breath as the arch of Lisa's back and motion of her hips granted him even deeper access inside of her, the smell of her skin and sound of her moan filled breaths combining with the feeling of being surrounded by the tight, heat soaked sex within her, the intoxicating affect, pulling him swiftly towards the orgasm that was threatening to come all too soon for his liking. "Slow down," he whispered to her only to find when she did the sensation of slipping inch by inch back into her warmth was even more pleasurable than the quick fast thrusts he had started with, groaning in sweet agony as he tighten his grip on her hips.

"Greg," Lisa whispered trying to increase the rhythm between them once more, having teetered on the edge of her own orgasm for far too long.

Giving another soft smack to her ass, House locked eyes with Cuddy in the mirror as she arched her back even more, moaning out loudly with full lips and a flushed face when he started to pump faster into her, the image of them screwing with the tops of her breasts bouncing faster an faster with every mutual thrust between them as they hung loose inside her sweater, the most erotic thing he had ever seen. _"God you're fucking beautiful…" _He groaned as he increased the force of his thrusts, feeling her ass slapping back harder and harder against him in response.

She was drawing everything out of him, making sure he would feel his orgasm down into the tips of his toes. Fucking him back with all of the passion she had inside of her for him and him alone. This woman who was indeed devastatingly beautiful in every sense of the word, wanting him just as desperately as he wanted her. That fact rushing through his head in full force now as he moved his right hand away from her hip,placing it back in between her thighs and rubbing the soft pad of his middle finger against her clit to make sure she would never stop wanting him like this.

"_Oh Gooooooodddd!"_Cuddy cried out as her voice trembled, her head falling forward with her mouth wide open as she experienced the powerful orgasm surging throughout her entire body, her fingers gripping the edge of the sink with urgency as House kept up the pace of his strokes inside of her so that she would fully enjoy the incredible sensation taking complete control of her now.

Behind her, House let out a loud gasp, watching Lisa's face as she lifted her head up, her eyes slit with desire, her mouth opened to draw in a breath, the visual of her climaxing with complete and utter ecstasy, taking him higher still, allowing him to continue to thrust inside of her as the beads of sweat popped out from his brow, his finger never leaving her swollen nub as he bent his knees slightly and pushed his hips up, his shaft plunging further inside of her over and over again as he gasped for air, listening to the sound of her voice as Lisa moaned again with a volume much louder than before, stretching out his name as he took her farther in her own orgasm to meet his own, his finger continuing to move back and forth on her clit until he released inside her with a loud moan of pure and complete rapture, his eyes closing as he pulled her upright against him, wrapping his arms around her waist as they both gasped for air.

Caressing House's right arm as she panted for oxygen, Cuddy smiled, her brain flooded with the endorphins thanks to the fantastic orgasm she had just experienced. "That …was… amazing." She gasped as House's arms tighten around her, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"_Amazing doesn't even begin to describe what just happened between us."_ He whispered into her neck, drawing in a breath as he looked at the reflection of them in the mirror, laughing softly as his eyes made their way down to the skirt around her waist which was now sticking to her legs like a second skin, thanks to the sweat covering her body.

"Oh god…what did you do to my skirt you naughty boy?" Cuddy said with chuckle, looking down legs in the mirror while House took a step back from her before leaning against the wall inside the bathroom.

"Are you ok?" Cuddy asked him with concern as she turned around and reached for his right arm.

"Nothing that a hot shower, some vicodin and more hot sex with you won't cure," He responded rubbing his thigh as she stepped closer to him.

"Well you definitely earned all of those things.... including Chinese take out." Cuddy teased before placing her hands on the scruff of his jaw and kissing him softly on the lips.


	40. Chapter 40

**First before you guys begin to read, let me thank all of those who have and continue to post reviews:)**** I cannot tell you how much this means to me and how it helps me get through some of the road blocks I face in revising and editing this story. **

**Chapter 40**

**Princeton Police Department~ Interrogation Room 4**

"You do realize that keeping your mouth shut about Jeff Hanson is only going to leave you taking the fall for all of his dirty work in the end?" Fan stated to young man with the crescent shaped scar on his face seated at the table as he stood in front of him.

"Again officer …I have not idea what you're talking or who Jeff Hansom it." Henry Williams replied, keeping his voice calm although right now he felt very much like a rabbit being chased by a pack of hunting dogs, every step he would choose from now on needing to be thought out carefully to make sure that all of the mutts stalking him did not get the chance to sink their fangs into his skin.

"Protecting Jeff Hansom is_ not_ going to guarantee your safety Williams. You're in way over you head. Playing a very dangerous game that _you will lose_. The only question is when you do lose…..do you still want to be breathing? Because unless you open up to me, Jeff Hansom is going to make sure you never get the chance to speak again." Fan remarked trying one last ditch effort to get Williams to talk.

Williams looked up at the stocky officer staring down at him, "Either take me back to my cell or get my lawyer on the phone because as far as I'm concerned this conversation is over."

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A little over two hours later, after taking a shower up in the master bathroom with House and relaxing under the stream of hot water with him as he made sure to help her in washing some of his favorite parts of her, Cuddy had slipping into a warm and comfortable long white terry cloth robe, while House had dressed in a pair of dark navy pajama bottoms and a gray graphic t-shirt before they both headed back downstairs where had Cuddy picked up the phone to order their dinner.

It was now nearly ten pm, another day slipping away quickly as they sat side by side on the living room floor with their backs resting against the front of the sofa and their legs stretched out under the coffee table where six white cartons of Chinese take- out were resting. The two of them silently enjoying their meal as the TV droned on in front of them, the bottle of wine Cuddy had opened, still having over half of the liquid remaining inside of it.

"Would you like some more wine?" Cuddy asked House with a small smile, setting the white take-out carton she had been eating out of back onto the coffee table to reach for the bottle in front of her.

"Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me again?" House questioned, lifting his glass towards her as she filled it up halfway, liking the way her hair had dried into long loose ringlets that framed her face, giving an almost innocent quality to it. The relaxed atmosphere something they had not enjoyed together for a very long time.

Cuddy let out a small laugh at his comment, "Actually I'm trying to get you drunk so you don't try and take advantage of _me_ later," she replied with a smirk studying the way his blue eyes lit up at her comment.

House raised an eyebrow, "So we're paying the lying game now?" He questioned before glancing down at the tops of her breasts that were beautifully exposed by the large v-necked gap in her robe, "You know I should have made you answer the door in that robe when the delivery guy came. One look at those steamed dumplings and we would have had gotten our meal for free along with a Chinese houseboy." He commented with a smirk.

Rolling her eyes at him, Cuddy opened her mouth to speak, pausing before uttering a single word as House's cell phone, which was resting on the coffee table as well began to ring.

House reached for the phone and flipped it open, "It's Fan." He informed Cuddy before answering it.

"This is House."

"House it's Fan, I know it's a little late, but do you have a minute to talk?" The cop asked.

"Yes," House answered, looking over at Cuddy as he leaned back against the couch and placed his left arm on the cushions behind them.

"I just got through talking to Henry Williams; the guy who I am now sure was following Lisa." Fan explained.

"And?" House questioned, noting the hesitancy in the cop's voice.

"And he's not budging. Which tells me he's scared about what Jeff may do to him if he admits to anything. Right now Williams is being held here until his bail is posted but after that I expect he's going to try and leave Princeton in a hurry." Fan told him.

House let out a sigh of frustration, "So our chance to nail Jeff and Tritter is basically going to run out of town with its tail between it legs," he muttered.

Fan rubbed his jaw, "I'm going to try my best not to let that happen, but in the meantime there's something I need you to do on your end since you're the one who is going to be with Lisa most of the time."

House looked over at Cuddy who was staring at him intently, "Go on," he then said to Fan.

"Do you spend most of your nights over at Lisa's place or do you guys split time between her place and yours?" Fan questioned.

"We've been staying at her place. Why?" House answered, wondering exactly what Fan had was going to ask him to do.

There was a pause in the conversation as if the cop wasn't sure how to approach the subject.

"House…..do you own a gun?"

For a moment House said nothing, his gaze shifting to Cuddy once more. His eyes, unable to hide from her that things had once again taken a dark turn for them. "Why do want to know?" He questioned back to the cop.

"Because after talking to Tritter today, it's pretty obvious his hands are just as dirty as Jeff's regarding the two of you. Which means you've got two very powerful men who are watching the cracks starting to develop in the plans they've made and these types of men can be very dangerous when the plans they've made start to crumble around them." Fan said in a hollow tone, looking up at the night sky above him as he stood outside of the precinct.

House's eyes focused over to Cuddy once more, knowing after he spoke his next sentence to the cop the softness in her face that was born from the their physical and emotional connection up inside her bathroom a few hours before when everything was so incredible right between them, would vanish in an instant as the rug was pulled out from under her once more.

Clearing his throat, House kept his gaze upon her, "I've got a Glock 23," he said as Fan listened in on the other end of the line while he was left to watch the darkness draw down the corners of Lisa's mouth, traveling up the bridge of her nose as it cast its shadow upon her expression, dulling the grey of her irises as it engulfed them in fear.

"_No guns!" _Cuddy whispered to him with an urgent tone, her hand immediately grabbing hold of his arm, the weapon he has spoken of sent a shock wave through her.

"Just hold on and let me finish." House responded to her evenly, needing to be cold to her right now.

"House if you want me to, I can explain all of this to Lisa, I know she may not be keen on the idea of keeping a gun at her place, but I wouldn't have suggested it if didn't feel it was necessary Fan offered after hearing the pressing tone of her voice on the other end of the line.

"She'll be fine with it." House responded wit a cutting tone, looking away from Cuddy while still feeling the sting of her glare.

Fan paused for a moment, deciding the matter was one House would have to handle on his own, "Well…. a Glock 23 is a really good firearm. In fact a lot of the guys on the force use them, but unless you know how to use a weapon like that properly it's really not going to do you much good," the cop stated, determined to figure out as quickly as possible whether or not having the firearm would in fact be a liability to the two doctors he was trying to protect.

"I haven't fired the gun in over a year, but it shouldn't take me too long to get the rust out. I used to go to the shooting range quite a bit when I first got the gun." House informed Fan, seeing the look of disbelief in Cuddy's eyes as she released his arm and turned away from him.

"That's good because right now while Hansom and Williams are behind bars and Tritter's busy trying to keep everything quiet, you're going to need what little time you have to get some practice in with that gun to get comfortable with it again as well as showing Lisa how to handle and fire that weapon _just in case_." Fan said as he stressed the last part of his sentence. "The only thing is I don't want the two of you going to any of the local shooting ranges in and around Princeton. There are too many cops that show up at those places and the last thing the two of you need right now is to be spotted by one of the cops Tritter has in his back pocket. I do however know of a place about thirty miles from here though that the two of you could go to."

As Fan spoke, House looked over at Cuddy, the palm of her left hand resting on her forehead, her elbow placed on the middle cushion of the couch as she kept her back to him.

"House?" Fan questioned.

Touching Cuddy's shoulder, House answered the cop, "I already know of a place we can go." He responded as Cuddy turned to face him.

******************************************************

**Princeton Police Department….**

After talking to House for a few more minutes, Fan hung up the phone, exhaling in the cool night air as he leaned up against the back wall of the precinct, his right hand searching for the pack of smokes inside his shirt pocket before he pulled out a lone cigarette, lighting it with the matches he had fished out of the right hand pocket of his slacks.

Today had started out rough note to say the very least, and he knew that it was only going to get worse once Tritter found out about the restraining orders as well as additional twenty four hours in jail he had convinced Judge Walters to issue against Jeff Hansom.

Taking a long drag off the cigarette, Fan jumped slightly when the back door of the precinct flung open with a large bang, accompanied by the tall frame of Detective Tritter as he walked out into the night.

"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?" Tritter asked while behind him the door he had opened groaned shut as he made his was over to the cop standing a few feet away from him.

"I am entitled to a smoke break." Fan answered back coolly as the sea of police cars in the parking lot in front of them bore witness to the second confrontation he was about to have with the detective.

"Don't give me that shit!" I told you that you were supposed to back off of this case!" Tritter said in a low harsh whisper as the anger inside of him hissed through his gritted teeth.

"I am going to back off, but before I do ….I had to make sure to cover my own ass! You know as well as I do that if I did not ask for the restraining orders as well as pushing for Hansom to spend some extra time in jail it would look suspicious to the judge, and even though _you_may have most of the department in your back pocket...." Fan started to say, looking Tritter squarely in the eyes.

"Are you a snitch?" Tritter interrupted, stepping closer to Fan and looking down at him as only the smallest fraction of space separated the two men.

"If I was a snitch….you would have already known about it." Fan answered back without hesitation, his gaze remaining strong as he dropped the cigarette in his hand, griding te butt into the macadam below them.

Tritter studied the officer's face for a few seconds, sizing him up while looking for any tell tale sings of deception, "You're a good cop Fan, but you're also one stubborn son of a bitch. And I hope for you sake that you are telling me the truth. Because if there is one thing you do not need ……it's me as an enemy." Tritter stressed before taking a step back from Fan and reaching for the handle of the door.

******************************************************

**Lisa Cuddy's Bedroom…..**

"I am not going anywhere with you and there is no way in hell you are bringing a gun into my home!" Cuddy said vehemently, still dressed in the long white robe as she walked briskly into the bedroom with House following closely behind her.

"Do you _think _I actually _like_ the idea of bringing a gun here?" House argued back, looking down at her as she turned to face him in front of her dresser.

"What I _think _is that you and Fan, have come to the same ludicrous assumption that using violence as a way to prevent violence somehow makes COMPLETE sense!" Cuddy shot back sarcastically.

House glared down at her as she folded her arms under her chest, "We don't have time for this now. So take off that damn robe and get dressed!" He yelled, growing more impatient by the minute.

"No!" Cuddy yelled back as her face contorted into one mixed with anger and hurt over the way he had just spoken to her.

"Dammit Lisa! Quit making things harder then what they have to be!" House responded reaching for her arm when she tried to turn away from him.

"Let go of me!" Cuddy hissed, ripping her arm free of his grasp.

In a split second, House moved his arms around her waist, pulling Cuddy tightly against him before she could take another step, her back pressing hard into his chest, her hands automatically reaching down to his forearms to free herself, "Stop." He whispered into her ear, holding her in place as he heard a small gasp escape her mouth. Not sure if it was going to be followed by a flood of tears or more angry words aimed in his direction.

"Don't you DARE try and pull this with me…" Lisa said with a heated whisper, refusing to give into the change in his tone and the hint of tenderness in the way he was holding her now. "Listen…I know that you're worried about me, about us….. and all of the terrible things that could happen ,but….. you can't just steamroll over me and expect me to listen to you. I need to know that I'm a part of this with you. That I'm more than just someone you feel the need to _emotionally shove _in the right direction," she told him, feeling House placing his hands on her hips as he turned her body to face him.

"Why would you even question that?" House began to say as the crease deepened in the between his eyebrows, "When haven't I come to you regarding every major decision both at the hospital as well as in our personal lives?" He added, lowering his tone while trying to get back to where they needed to be. Realizing that arguing with her had been the last thing he wanted to do under the circumstances.

Cuddy shook her head raising her eyes to the ceiling, "Coming to me and _listening_ to me are two different things and you know it," she informed him as her hands found their way to the center of his chest.

"I'm sorry did you say something?" House asked with a small smile.

"Greg…I'm serious." Cuddy stressed.

"I know," House acknowledged, "but right now we need to think about what's more important, me trying to be less of an ass in the future or heading over to my place to get my gun." House responded.

Exhaling with what seemed like the weight of the world on her shoulders, Cuddy looked away from him for a moment, biting down on her bottom lip as she pondered the ramifications of what bringing a gun into her home could result in , her eyes focusing once more on his face as she spoke. "Are you sure we need to this?" She questioned to him, searching his eyes for the assurance she needed.

"Yes." House answered.

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Inside the space of House's apartment the fine dust covering the black surface of the piano top came to life, floating up into the air above it as the front door was opened.

Stepping inside, House surveyed the place he now only came back to from time to time to pick up a few things and collect his mail. The realization hitting him immediately that his "home" was now nothing more than a storage unit for his things as his life had now become quickly interwoven with the woman who stood by his side. "Come on," He said, nodding in the direction of his bedroom to Cuddy after closing the door behind them.

Once inside his bedroom, House opened up the closet door he was standing in front of while Cuddy, who was now dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black v-neck top sat down on the bed and watched him. "House…..why on earth do you have a gun?" She questioned, never seeing him as the type of man who would feel the need to own a weapon.

"My Dad gave it to me one year as a Christmas present." House answered, moving aside some boxes and folded up clothing from the top shelf of the closet.

"Really?" Cuddy asked with surprise.

"Yep, seems the old man believes there is no better way of spreading holiday cheer then to give someone a gift that can be used to blow a hole the size of a grapefruit through someone's chest." House responded, reaching into the far right hand corner of the closet and pulling out a medium sized black duffle bag which he carried with him as he sat down on the bed next to Cuddy, "Ok…everything we need should be in here." He then told her, unzipping the bag before pulling out the small black plastic case that held the gun.

Cuddy watched House silently as he used his thumbs to flip open the small gray plastic tabs on both sides of the case before lifting up the top of the case and turning it around to show her the pistol that was held inside of it.

Both the glock and the clip that held the ammunition for the gun rested on top of a dimpled piece of gray foam. The gun a little under seven inches in length, the barrel fashioned out of cold black steel while the hand grip was wrapped in an additional layer of high impact black polymer.

Taking the pistol out of the case, House checked the chamber first before offering the weapon to Cuddy. "It's not loaded." He assured her, reaching for her arm and placing the gun carefully into her left hand.

"House…..I … I don't think I can do this." Cuddy said with trepidation, feeling cold weight of the firearm now resting inside her palm, wanting nothing more than to let the pistol fall from her hand and onto the mattress beneath them.

"Just wrap your fingers around the bottom of the grip like this and never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire off a round." House told her before she could protest further as he gently moved her fingers into place. "Also you have to remember to always keep the gun pointed away from you, just like you have it now," he added, watching Lisa stare down at the pistol that was aimed towards the floor and away from both of their bodies.

"This feels wrong. I can't even stand the though of holding this gun let alone trying to shoot it." Cuddy said, looking up from the gun and into his blue eyes while her stomach twisted in knots.

"You have to push aside any preconceived notions you have about this gun and think of it as a tool, as something that is going to help you to stay safe. That gun is merely a instrument, no different than a microscope or a scalpel. It serves a purpose just like they do." House told her, watching as the tremor of fear moved across her face.

"It's not the same as a microscope." Cuddy whispered back to him.

"For our purposes…..._it has to be_." House stressed, knowing if she could not get past this hurdle, the danger they were facing at the hands of the two men who had long ago sold their souls for greed and power, would devour her without mercy.

********************************************************

Meanwhile across town, Jeff sat on the bottom bunk of his cell, keeping a silent vigil as he looked down into the cell where Henry Williams was housed.

Occasionally Williams would look up at Jeff, trying not to show his fear, but after a few minutes the young punk leaned back further into his cell before walking over and lying down on the thin mattress of his own bunk.

Earlier in the evening, Jeff had watched as Fan had approached Williams cell, looking up at him before he had taken the young criminal into one of the interrogation rooms for questioning.

Trapped behind the bars of his cell like a rat in cage, Jeff waited; growing angrier by the minute as Tritter remained behind the doors of hi office while all that they had worked for was closer than ever to being destroyed.

Jeff had thought about the fact that Tritter may have decided to double cross him. That maybe the detective had made the choice to let Fan have his way in order to save himself from any implications of wrongdoing…but if there was one thing Jeff Hansom knew it was how to read people. And one thing he knew without a shadow of a doubt was that Detective Michael Tritter was not the type of man to back down at the first sign of danger. If anything Tritter, much like himself, was the type of man to lick his wounds in preparation for the next fight. Learning from his mistakes and using what had come about form it in preparation for the next move in the game they were playing. The odds stacked too much in their favor for them to even consider forfeiting at this point. And in the end, Jeff once more had been proven right as a little over a half hour ago when Tritter had come into the jail and yanked the small time crook out of his cell, pulling him into one of the interrogation rooms. Giving a glance down to Jeff much like Fan had done earlier.

When Tritter finally returned Williams to his cell, the young criminal had been pale and visibly roughed up, with Tritter making sure to glance back at Jeff again who nodded his head in approval to the tactics the detective had taken.

********************************************************

The next morning before the sun had even crested over the horizon, House turned on his side and rubbed Cuddy's shoulder as she lay sleeping next to him in the bed inside his apartment, "Come on we have to get moving," he told her after her eyes opened up and focused on his face, his decision to stay here last night brought forth from the fact that heading to the place they needed to be in the middle of night would only cause both of them even more fatigue. The few hours of sleep they did manage to get, hopefully enough to keep them moving towards the destination that could end up being their saving grace.

After packing his car with the black duffle bag containing the gun, along with two separate bags containing a few days worth of clothes for both of them, House started up the engine of the vehicle, pulling out of the parking lot next to his apartment complex and into the street.

"I want to stop over at Bill's before we go." Cuddy told him from the passenger seat as he made his way along the deserted early morning city street.

"We don't have time for that …..just call her after you call the hospital." House said, his voice as rough and tired as his thoughts were right now.

"I'm not leaving without seeing my mom." Cuddy insisted turning to face him directly in the car.

House glanced over her. The emotional need within her to assure her mother everything was fine even though it was the furthest thing from the truth right now, something that frustrated him to no end. The part of him that understood her reasoning for it, coaxing him into relenting to her request…at least partially, "We'll stop over at Bill's place for ten minutes...but that's it, " he answered, not prepared for the smile on her face his words had caused. The beauty of it reminding him of all the good things she seemed to find in him even when he wasn't sure there were any of them left to find.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied softly, reaching for his hand on the steering wheel and giving it a squeeze before reaching for the cell phone resting in her lap to call her mother and alert her to their impending arrival.

Glancing over at Cuddy again as she dialed her mother's number, House couldn't help but feel the sting of the what it be like to lose her, to not see that smile on her face that was just for him, turning away quickly and focusing his attention back on the road before the dark thought could bore itself any deeper into his skull.

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Opening up the front door of the cape cod style house as Bill stood next to her, Ruth produced a comforting smile even though it had been agony for her waiting the twenty minutes for Lisa and House to arrive after her daughter had called and told her about Fan's phone call, "Come in," she told them both with a soft tone, pulling Lisa into an embrace as soon as she stepped foot inside the doorway, "I've got some coffee on as well as some breakfast ready for the two of you," she whispered into her daughter's ear as she lovingly rubbed her back, her heart breaking a little with each heartbeat as she thought of the task Lisa was going to be facing.

"Mom…….I don't think we'll be able to stay that long." Cuddy told her with regret as she pulled away from her mother and looked up at House.

Looking over at Ruth, who was now showing him the gaze that ever concerned mother pulls out from deep within her heart in times of worry, House sighed, "We have time for a cup of coffee and if you're old ass can manage to move faster than a pace of snail... maybe even some breakfast." He muttered, giving into the gaze that he had seen so many times on his own mother's face before limping past them all towards the kitchen.

Following his lead, Cuddy, Bill and Ruth also made their way to the kitchen, with Ruth immediately heading over to the stove and uncovering the frying pans on top of it which where filled with scramble eggs, bacon and hash browns, scooping them all onto the plates she had stacked next to the stove in no time as Bill pulled out four coffee mugs and began to fill them.

Sitting around the kitchen table as they ate, House, Cuddy, Bill and Ruth talked more in depth about the phone call House had received from Fan as well as his plans to take Cuddy to a place where she could learn how to use the gun he possessed.

"How long are the two of you going to be gone?" Ruth then questioned to House with the tremor of uneasiness riding the edge of her tone as she reached for his empty plate from across the table before stacking it on top of her own.

"Two days…possibly three. It all depends on how she does." House answered, watching Ruth as she got up from the table.

"Two days?" Cuddy questioned from beside him, "I didn't agree to that. I though we'd be gone one day at the most," she stated, glancing over at Bill as he reached for her empty plate, "Bill you don't have to do that," she then added quickly.

"Lisa…. I think figuring out just how long you're going to be away from us is more important than taking you plate to the sink." Bill told her gently as he got up and walked past Ruth who had not moved an inch from the spot she had originally occupied when she had first gotten up from her seat.

"Two days...maybe even three? Are you sure the two of you need to be gone that long?" Ruth questioned down to House in a soft tone before focusing her gaze over at Lisa.

"Mom it doesn't have to be that long…I'm sure-" Cuddy started to say.

"Yes it does." House interrupted, looking over at Cuddy before turning his head to focus his gaze on Ruth once more, "Look…I know you don't want to be separated from your daughter, and that part of it comes from what happened to you in the past with Jessica, but…Lisa is going need as much time as we can spare before Tritter and Williams are released from jail try to and prepare herself as best she can from whatever Jeff or Tritter may have in mind….and like it or not she can't do it here," he explained, trying to prevent Ruth from giving into the enemy of anxiety that was looming at her doorstep.

Taking a breath, Ruth nodded her head, "I understand," she responded with a hint of sadness to her tone, looking back over at Lisa as the ache in her heart increased.

********************************************************

Standing at the doorway of the cap code style house once more, Ruth felt Bill slip his arm around her waist as she watched her daughter, with House by her side making their way out to the grey sedan parked in the driveway.

"I know this is hard for you Ruth, but if there is anyone you can trust to protect your daughter it's House because even though he may never admit to you ….he loves Lisa with all of his heart." Bill said softly, kissing Ruth's temple as she continued to look out of the screen door.

"I know," Ruth responded before catching her breath as Lisa turned and smiled back at her just before sitting down in the passenger seat of the car.

"I love you Mom and I'll call you as soon as we get there." Cuddy said haniding her head out of the open window of the passanger side, door, while holding back the sudden swell of tears that threaten to take hold of her as she gazed upon her mother's troubled face.

Pushing open the screen door in an instant, Ruth stepped out onto the porch, "I love you too honey." She said as Bill held the door open for her, waving goodbye to her daughter while House started to back the car into the street, internally fighting off the ache that wanted to enter into her tone as she forced a smile upon her face. "Pleas take care of her," she then whispered to House when he made eye contact with her for the briefest of seconds before he put the car into drive and drove away.

********************************************************

As the sun began to rise over the horizon, Jeff was stood at the bars of his cell. His tall and muscular frame, holding its stern posture as his brown eyes continued to stare down at Williams.

Even in the wee hours of the early morning the police station was already filled with noise, a place much like New York City that never seemed to sleep, always alive with activity, always waiting for people to come through its doors.

Currently five officers were hauling in four men inoto the staion who had been arrested for starting a brawl at one of Princeton's local bars, with two of the drunken men continuing to put up a struggle as they were pushed towards the counter where the processing cop waited for them.

Upon seeing their fellow officers struggling to contain the two drunks, four more officers got up from their desks to help out.

In the mist of this unplanned diversion, Officer Jenkins, whom was one of Tritter's most obedient cops, carefully made his way towards Henry Williams cell, unlocking it and pulling the young criminal out before placing him in the empty cell beside Jeff Hansom just as he had been ordered to do by Tritter before the detective finished his shift the night before.

"You've got ten minutes." Jenkins then said to Jeff before walking away.

Taking in a deep breath, Williams summoned up the courage to speak to the man in the cell next to him, "Look I know I screwed up." He whispered over to Jeff as both men stood at the bars of their respective cells, looking down the hallway towards the drunken men who continued to battle the officers.

"You sure did." Jeff answered back coldly.

"Mr Hansom please….you have to believe me when I tell you I didn't say anything to Fan and that I promise to keep my mouth shut." Williams whispered with an urgency in his tone.

"I have not doubt you will while you are in here. But what kind of guarantee can you give me after you are released?" Jeff asked in a calm voice.

Williams knew at that moment the calculating businessman was giving him one chance and once chance only to tell him why should not have him killed in order to keep what he knew from ever leaking out. "I have something you want," he replied back.

"What could you possible have that I want?" Jeff asked dryly glancing over at Williams.

"_I have something that you want more than anything._" Williams stressed, showing just a small corner of the card he was holding.

"I don't need anymore pictures of Lisa Cuddy." Jeff said with a dismissive tone.

"You may have enough pictures of Lisa Cuddy, but how long has it been since you've heard her voice?" Williams questioned revealing more of his card.

"I told you not to tap her phone because it was too risky, and... if you did it anyway, you've just signed your own death warrant!" Jeff said in a low and angry whisper.

"I didn't tap her phone," Williams said quickl, " but what I did do was sneak into Lisa Cuddy's house with the key you gave to me and my uncle. Then I planted some listening devices up in her bedroom. I only left them in there for a few days but I must confess I really did record some pretty good stuff in that short amount of time," he whispered with a small grin, boldly showing the ace in his hand.

Turning to face the man directly, Jeff squared his jaw, "What do you want in exchange for the tapes?" He asked with a harden tone.

"What I want is to be able to walk out of this cell in a few hours and know that I am not being followed. Then I want two days to disappear before I contact you. Once I feel that I am safe …….._I _will call you and arrange a place for us to meet where I will hand you over the tapes while you hand me two hundred thousand dollars." Williams answered back confidently.

"This is a very dangerous game you are playing with me Williams…. and if you end up double crossing me make no mistake I will find you and make you wish you never met me." Jeff warned the young crook just before Officer Jenkins walkedback up to them.

"You guys done?" Jenkins asked Jeff seeing the tension ablaze in his eyes.

"Yeah, we're done." Jeff answered back.

"Good, then I'll get this little shit back down where he belongs." The officer responded, unlocking Williams's cell before pushing him down the hallway to the open cell on the left.

Hearing the door to Williams cell slam shut, Jeff moved back to his bunk, lying down on the thin and dirty mattress.

Two days in the grand scheme of things was on that long at all…but to him it seemed like a lifetime away. "Two days before I get to hear Lisa's voice again," Jeff whispered looking up at the rusted metal box springs of the bunk on top of him as the parts of him that had ached for her for all of these months began to stir once more.


	41. Chapter 41

**Hi everyone and thanks for the great reviews! Another new chapter is waiting for you and though it may not be as long as the more recent ones, I hope you enjoy it anyway :)**

**Chapter 41**

**House's car……..**

As House drove further and further away from the city of Princeton, past the suburbs and towards the mountains stretched out over the horizon, his cell phone suddenly sprang to life as it began to vibrate in the cup holder beside him.

Turning in her seat, Cuddy reached for the phone, "It's Wilson." She then said after picking up the phone and flipping it open.

"He probably just got off the phone with Bill, which means he'll be upset with me, which means you better talk to him first." House said glancing over at her before looking out at the road in front of him again.

Cuddy nodded and pressed the green button on the phone, "Hi Wilson." She said, turning in her seat to look out at the road in front of them as well.

"What the hell is House thinking? The two of you need to get back here right now!" Wilson said in an angry tone, loosening his tie before sitting down in his office chair at the hospital.

"Wilson it's ok. I need to do this and since Jeff and Henry Williams are in jail, this may be the only chance I have to practice with the gun before they're released." Cuddy said, trying to assure him as well as herself that her little road trip with House was really no big deal.

"This is crazy! You don't need to do this Lisa! And I don't know what in the hell House said to you to make you think that you needed to do it in the first place, but you have to know there are other options besides this." Wilson argued with an urgency to his tone.

Cuddy removed the phone from her ear, placing her hand over the mouthpiece before looking over at House, "You need to talk to Wilson before he comes chasing after us," she said, offering him the phone.

"God! He's worse than a thirteen year old girl on her period." House muttered sarcastically, removing his right hand from the steering wheel to take the phone from her.

Cuddy pulled the phone back from him, "Wilson's worried and hurt we didn't confide in him before we left. Don't make him feel bad about that," she warned watching him grimace in response to her words.

"Ok mom." House whined, grabbing the phone from her before she could scold him any further, "What?" He then asked as Cuddy shot him a dirty look.

"Are you completely crazy or just temporarily insane?" Wilson questioned in an irritated tone as he leaned forward in his chair.

"I know what I'm doing so shut up!" House replied back sharply.

Hearing his response to Wilson, Cuddy hit House in the arm as they came to a stop sign at the end of the exit ramp. "_Stop being an ass__."_ She mouthed to him as the frown on her face increased.

House sighed, cradling the phone between his cheek and shoulder momentarily as he reached for his turn signal while Cuddy listened to the drone of Wilson's voice that remained urgent and full of anxiety as he continued speaking.

"If you want to take your gun to Cuddy's place thinking that it's going to make her feel safer that's fine, but driving her out of town and making her actually shoot that gun is only going to frighten her even more and you know it." Wilson said continuing to argue with the decision his friend had made while drumming the fingers of his let hand on the desk in front of him.

"Cuddy _has _to do this whether you like it or not Wilson….and if you'd drop the night in shining armor routine for ten seconds you'd realized that we can't live under the false sense of security that you or I will always be there to protect her. Cuddyneeds to know if push comes to shove and she's by herself…. she's got options that will stop either one of those jerks dead in their tracks." House responded in a normal tone as he told Wilson what he needed to hear.

For a few seconds there was silence on the other end of the line, "You're right." Wilson finally admitted with a sigh.

"Why couldn't you have realized that five minutes ago instead of nagging at me like some whiny housewife" House asked looking over briefly at Cuddy as she continued to listen to the conversation he was having with Wilson.

"So what do you want me to tell you team?" Wilson then asked while scratching his temple.

"Tell them that Cuddy and I are going away for a few days of kinky outrageous sex." House told him slyly, watching Cuddy's mouth drop in shock.

Wilson chuckled, "Actually at this point I don't think any of them would doubt that statement," he said with a grin.

"No funny and if I found out you've been gabbing to my team …." House started to reply.

"Oh come on House. It's not like all of them haven't noticed the way you and Cuddy have been acting towards one another these past few weeks. How you've been spending more and more time in her office, practically glued to her side…." Wilson began to ramble.

Moving the phone away from his ear as Wilson continued to speak; House glanced over at Cuddy, "Wilson's been telling my team how much you enjoy riding my big cane. You going to let him get away with that?" He questioned with a somber face while biting back his smile as Cuddy's jaw dropped once more.

"What?" Cuddy stammered taking the phone from House, "Wilson….what in the hell is going on?" She then demanded, irritated by the thought that her personal life was being shoved under the microscope by House's team.

"Whoah….slow down Cuddy! I didn't tell House's team anything, but at this point with all the rumors swirling around the hospital about the two of you, I hope for your sake you can come up with one hell of a cover story." Wilson informed her.

Cuddy slumped back in her seat, "This is exactly one thing I did not need," she whispered while closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead with her free hand.

"Relax." House said from the driver's seat. "My team is a bunch of idiots and as long as wonder boy doesn't stick his foot in his mouth we'll be fine," he added, slowing the car to take the next turn.

Hearing House's voice, Wilson responded to Cuddy's concerns as well, "Listen I'll talk to House team and try to keep it on a professional level and if they start to question why the two of you are away at the same time I'll think of something to keep them off-base," he offered.

"Thanks Wilson." Cuddy replied, looking out the approaching mountain in front of them and wondering just how many of those mountains she was going to need to climb before they ordeal they were facing was over.

********************************************************

Fifteen minutes later in the deserted bathroom of the fourth floor men's room at the hospital, Wilson checked his image in the mirror above the second sink, brushing aside a piece of stray brown hair with his fingertips before breathing in deeply and gripping the edges of the sink with both hands.

"Ok you just need to go into that conference room. Tell House's team that he won't be in for a couple of days and that he can be reached by cell phone if they need him. It's as simple as that," Wilson said to his reflection in the mirror as he pumped himself up for the conversation, "and remember if you screw this up both House and Cuddy are going to make your life miserable …so don't choke," he added, pointing to his image in the mirror before he turned and left.

*******************************************************

Inside the conference room, Foreman and Chase were seated at the far end of the long glass table closet to the door that led out to the hallway, while Cameron was standing at the coffee maker, having just poured herself a cup with all of their heads turning in the same direction as Wilson came through the door from inside House's dark and empty office.

"Where in the hell is House?" It's nearly ten o'clock." Chase asked, looking down at his watch.

"He won't be coming in today." Wilson answered moving next to Cameron as she sat her cup down on the table.

"Why not?" Cameron asked looking over at Wilson as she took a seat at the table.

"Something came up, but you can reach him by his cell phone if you need him." Wilson explained getting ready to leave.

Foreman eyed the physician in front of him suspiciously, "That something that came up wouldn't have anything to do with Cuddy would it? Because I know from talking to one of the nurses down in the clinic that Cuddy's not coming in today either," he said as Cameron and Chase raised their eyebrows at Wilson.

Wilson rubbed the back of his neck, "It's complicated, but yes House not coming in today does have something to do with Cuddy," he replied, trying his best to tip toe around the truth.

"Are they sleeping together?" Chase asked directly, leaning forward in his chair after picking up on the slight change of pitch in Wilson's voice.

"No they're not sleeping together!" Wilson answered a bit more vehemently then he had intended, watching the smile form on Chase's face as he looked over at Foreman and Cameron.

"See I told you…..now pay up." Chase said with a triumphant smile as he held out his hand towards his colleagues.

"Wilson just said House and Cuddy _weren't_ sleeping together." Cameron protested leaning back in her chair.

"He's obviously lying." Chase argued back to her.

"Wait. You guys have a bet going on whether or not House and Cuddy are having sex?" Wilson asked placing his hands on hips.

"Since the first day we all started working together on House's team." Foreman replied in a dry tone, "Although I must say I never really thought it would happen unless Cuddy was either drunk off her ass or had suffered a severe head injury."

Wilson ran his hand through his hair and looked away from them, taking in a breath before making the decision that would change everything for his two friends at the hospital, "Chase is right, House and Cuddy...are seeing each other," he then admitted turning to face them all once more, "in fact it's been going on for about three months now," he added, feeling the time to tell the truth had come because of the ever increasing danger his friends were facing, wanting even more allies in their corner in case things took yet another turn for the worse.

"Wait they've been seeing each other how long?" Foreman asked furrowing his brow, not sure he had heard correctly what Wilson had just said.

"Wow the sex between the two of them must be REALLY good considering they haven't killed each other yet." Chase remarked with a grin.

"You're a jerk." Cameron muttered, glaring over at him before she looked back up at Wilson, "So did House and Cuddy have a fight or something? I mean is that the reason they're ont hear today?" She then asked.

Letting out a sigh, Wilson reached for the chair in front of him, taking a seat next to Cameron, "House and Cuddy are fine, well as fine as two dysfunctional people into power plays can be but….there are some very disturbing things going on regarding the guy Cuddy was dating before she got together with House," he started to say.

"You mean that guy Jeff Hansom from the fundraiser?" Chase questioned.

Wilson nodded, "He's essentially been stalking Cuddy for months now and to make matters worse……Jeff's recruited Detective Tritter to help him in trying to make things very difficult for both House and Cuddy to say the very least," he told them, watching all of the fellows expressions change in instant to ones filled with great concern.

********************************************************

After hanging up with Wilson, Cuddy let out a big sigh, leaning further back against her seat, "Please tell me there is at least running water where you are taking us," she muttered looking out at the scenery that had changed drastically from city buildings to rolling hills and long gaps of green landscapes which were now only occasionally specked with a few modest small homes from time to time.

"I can assure you will be able to take a shower with me where we are going." House answered vaguely.

"Great so we have running water. How about electricity or is that too much to ask for?" Cuddy mumbled as she stared out of the passenger side window.

"Oh ye of little faith. Of course we'll have electricity as well as the finest bait shop and first rate selection of Hustler magazines that money can buy." House answered with a grin as he accelerated the car up a rather steep hill.

His response caused Cuddy to turn and face him again, "If you are taking to me to filthy and disgusting truck stop... you can forget about it." she told him adamantly.

"Now Lisa Cuddy does that really sound like something I would do?" House questioned to her as his smile grew wider.

"It sounds _exactly _like something you would do." Cuddy groaned, knowing from the smile on his face House was already eagerly anticipating what her reaction would be when they finally arrived at their destination.

"Just remember to keep that t-shirt your wearing dry and we shouldn't have any problems. Oh and don't smile too much, because the guys at the truck stop tend to go nuts over a woman who has all of her teeth." House teased, moving his right hand over to her left thigh and squeezing it gently.

"If we get there and I hear banjo music playing……I'm leaving your ass." Cuddy remarked as House turned onto an old beaten up paved road that had seen its better days.

********************************************************

"You have GOT to be kidding me." Cuddy exclaimed, peering out at the scene in front her through the windshield with a grimace on her face before darting her eyes over to House.

"Sorry sister, this is it." House answered, keeping the grin on his face as he put the car into park while watching her eyes moving back to the run-down buildings in front of them.

"There is _NO WAY _we are staying here." Cuddy whispered with disbelief, gazing out again at the ancient structures that looked to her as if they had been built around the time of the civil war, reading the bold black lettering painted by hand on the large white sign hanging above the doorway of the first building on her left that was a story and a half high with gray weathered wooden plank siding which informed her they were now at…….

"SALLY AND JACK'S GROCERY, MOTEL, GAS, BAIT AND AMMUNITION"

Adding that it was ….

"YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR A SHOTGUN WEDDING WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS."

Below the sign was a rusted tin awning that covered a long porch with a wrap-around handrail made from the same aged pine that covered the front of the building.

Offset a few feet back from the building, were ten connected small motel rooms with a largest one capping off the end, all of which were painted white on the outside, the color of them however now turned yellow, faded and dingy from the road dust and exhaust of passing cars throughout the years.

The third building, which was seated next to the grocery was slightly smaller version of its sister, having the same gray weather-beaten siding running vertical down the face of it as well as its own smaller tin awning and porch.

This building however boasted on its white sign that it was **"THE ROADKILL Restaurant and Bar"** and currently had two Harley's parked out in front of it.

"House ….there is no way I'm staying here." Cuddy repeated once more, looking over at him as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"This place has everything we need and it's a perfectly fine establishment." He answered, relishing in the open mouthed look she gave him when he spoke those words to her.

"I'd feel safer at the Bates Motel!"Cuddy argued, looking back him as if he was crazy.

"I promise it's not that bad inside. Now let's go." House said, motioning for her to get out of the car as he reached for his cane in the backseat.

Against her better judgment, Cuddy pushed the release button on the seatbelt and opened up the car door. "How on earth did you ever find this place?" She then asked, walking over to meet him in front of the car.

"I was on the lookout for some cheap hookers and heard that this place had them by the dozen," House answered initially as they made their way towards the front porch of the grocery store, seeing the disapproving gaze she gave him in return.

"That's really nice," Cuddy replied as she narrowed her eyes at him, "remind me to stock up on the condoms when we get inside," she then added.

House rolled his eyes at her, "Oh come on I was kidding. Actually I found this place one day when I was taking a ride on my motorcycle," he informed her as they made their way up the bowed wooden steps of the store when the sound of nails clicking against the linoleum floor inside of it drifted out to them on the summer breeze, past the screen door of the store that was propped open with an old and rusted railroad spike wedged underneath its frame to hold it in place.

Before Cuddy could turn and question House about the noise, the huge head of an enormous, fawn colored Mastiff , whose eyes and muzzle were outlined in black fur appeared in the open door frame.

"WOOF." The giant dog announced in a low bellowing voice.

"It's ok…he's friendly." House told her, looking back at Cuddy who had taken a cautionary step behind him on the porch.

Cuddy watched as House switched his cane from his right to left hand when the dog approached him.

"Max you smelly old son of bitch! How are you?" House then asked the mutt who proceeded to brush forcefully against his left thigh demanding that he be petted.

Leaning down slightly, House patted the large dog soundly on its ribcage as the mutt in turn leaned its weight into House's left leg.

After a few seconds the dog was satisfied and licked House's hand with its huge tongue.

"The next time you do that you're going to get a cane up your ass mutt." House said with a disgusted look on his face, wiping his hand on the front of his jeans as the dog then focused in on Cuddy, approaching her slowly with its big brown eyes studying her intently.

"Hi Max." Cuddy said softly, offering her hand, palm side up for the dog to sniff, amazed by the sheer size of the dog whose giant head came up to just below her belly button. The dog's bulky but muscular body a bit intimidating to say the very least.

The dog inhaled the scent on her hand with several deep breaths, exhaling loudly after each one before he looked up at her.

"I think Max knows you're in heat." House teased, watching as the mutt moved his head down to Cuddy's palm again, focusing in on her scent once more.

"Shut up, House." Lisa whispered with a soft smile, looking down at the dog as it gently nuzzled her hand. "Good boy," she then cooed as the dog leaned into her touch with a tender and shy manner, taking great care not to knock her off balance.

"No need to show off for her Max. This one's into the two legged dogs," House grumbled down to the mutt while nodding over at Cuddy, intrigued with the dog's infatuation over her considering that although the dog had always been friendly, it had always had a very bold manner about it and had never shown an inkling of the smitten pup that he was seeing now.

"Don't tell me you're jealous of a dog?" Cuddy questioned with a smirk as she continued to scratch the dog affectionately behind its right ear as Max continued to look up at her with adoration.

"_Dammit! I told Jack to close this door when he left!_" A feisty older feminine voice suddenly yelled out from inside the store, followed by the figure of the ninety year old woman known as Sally Marshall who owned it, standing proudly at a mere five feet in height with a wafer thin frame that looked as if one strong gust of wind would send her flying into the summer air, her silver hair pulled back into a bun with her tan and wrinkled face offset by a pair of cool green emerald eyes. "_Well_ ....if it isn't the miserable bastard. I was beginning to think maybe you weren't going to show up here this summer." The old woman said after seeing the guests standing on her porch, moving her eyes away from the familiar tall and lanky frame of the scruffy man she knew as House and focusing them in on striking woman standing beside him with dark hair and brilliant grey eyes who was currently petting her dog Max.

"Sally you shriveled up bag of bones. I was really hoping you would be in a pine box by now." House replied back sarcastically at the old woman who was studying Cuddy with great interest.

"I told you House I'm too mean to die. Even the devil himself doesn't want me. Now are you going to introduce me to your friend or not?" She asked frankly.

"This is Lisa Cuddy. Lisa this is Sally pain in the ass Marshall." House said in a dull tone.

"Don't you mean this your _girlfriend _Lisa Cuddy?" Sally questioned with a twinkle in her eyes before proceeding. "I mean really House it's pretty obvious by the way you're looking at her that she is indeed your _sweetheart_." The old woman teased with a wiry grin, relishing in the look of shock that erupted across House's face which was followed quickly by one that wanted to strangle her where she stood.

"Your keen observations on sexual attraction must be do to the fact that you haven't gotten laid since Lincoln was president." House shot back with gruffness to his tone as he began to recover from the comment.

Biting back her smile after hearing the exchange between House and the feisty old woman, Cuddy offered her hand to Sally Marshall. "It's nice to meet you Sally." she then said with a warm smile as the old woman smiled back at her while shaking her hand.

"You know in all of the years House has been coming up here he has never brought anyone else with him, let alone a member of the opposite sex as pretty as you are which means you must be someone very special to him" Sally told her with a grin while giving House a sideways glance.

"Lisa's special alright. In fact later on I am going to teach her how to tie her shoes so that the other 'special people' at the group home she lives at will quit making fun of her... oh and I'll be sure to tell your relatives there that you said hi." House shot back, trying to deflect the fact that what Sally had said did in fact hit him uncomfortably close to his heart.

Letting out a small laugh, Cuddy let the comment brush by her upon hearing the nervous tapping of House's cane against the wooden porch, looking up at him with a smile, "So do you want to go inside?" She questioned simply, knowing he had to be feeling uncomfortable as hell from the interrogation the old woman was giving him.

"Actually Lisa, I think you were right when you said there was no way in _hell _you were going to stay at this dump." House remarked, causing Cuddy to shoot her gaze over to the old woman in front of her.

"I didn't exactly say those words…I was just.." Cuddy started to apologize before Sally placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok Lisa…you're not the first one to think of this place as a dump, but let me assure you even though the outside of this place may in rough shape, its what's on the inside that really matters." Sally informed her in a soft tone while taking a step to her right and ushering the woman inside the shop.

"Oh for the love of god will you knock it off already you crazy broad!" House exclaimed, shooting a dirty glance Sally's way as she motioned a beaming and thoroughly amused Lisa Cuddy inside the store with Max following closely beside them.


	42. Chapter 42

**Hey everyone! Well I'm back with another chapter before another very busy weekend for me so I really don't know when I'll post another chapter…it might not be until early next week but if I can I'll try to shoot for Sunday. Once again thank you all so much for the reviews! I love reading about how much you are enjoying the story :)**

**Oh and I wanted to mention that back when I posted this fic on the Fox site one of the readers came up with "Buth" as the ship name for Bill & Ruth which of course I thought was very sweet …just like them;)**

**Chapter 42**

After walking inside the grocery store with Sally and House, Cuddy had quickly separated from both of them as she began to stroll up and down the narrow aisles of the business, checking out the merchandise it had to offer with an amused and impressed smile on her face.

Although the outside of the building was old and run down, the inside of the place was spotless with the linoleum floor and stainless steel fixtures shining brightly in the summer sun that shone through the windows of the shop. The hard work and pride in which Sally had put into keeping a pristine and orderly store while also providing every item imaginable she thought a traveler stopping in may need, appreciated by the hospital administrator as she studied the collection of items on the neat and tidy shelves as well as the coolers and freezers, all of which held staples such as bread, milk, peanut butter and eggs along with the sweet surprise of lavish high end shampoo's, soaps and luxurious chocolates which were tucked beside the more common Hersey Chocolate bars, with the emergency batteries, jumper cables, and oil being thrown in for good measure, all of the items combining into a completely unique collection of the everyday versus acquired refined taste ,occupying the space in the store that sat in the middle of nowhere.

While Cuddy continued to walk slowly up and down the isles of the store with the smile on her face, House stood by the front counter where patrons would pay for the things they purchased with Sally, explaining to the older woman that he planned on taking Cuddy up to the shooting range located behind the grocery store in a few minutes as well as letting her know that they would also be in need a room for night.

"Are you sure Lisa's going to be ok with handling that gun of yours? That's a pretty powerful weapon for a woman her size." Sally whispered over to House with concern while keeping her eyes on Cuddy as she continued to admire her store, seemingly as interested in detail and order as she was.

"I really don't have much of choice right now." House answered in a low whisper of his own.

"I see." Sally replied without questioning him further, knowing that sometimes when people showed up at the desolated spot she called home, they did indeed carry some secrets with them. "So I take it you'll need a couple of boxes of ammo then?" She asked shifting her gaze back to House as she made her way around the counter, producing a key from the front pocket of her jeans to unlock the glass case that held an assortment of shells for several different types of pistols as well as hunting rifles.

"Give me two boxes for now." House told her as he turned to watch Cuddy as well as Max, who had not left her side, the mutt still following beside her faithfully and becoming thrilled to death every time Lisa's hand would reach down and scratch behind his right ear.

"Lisa, if you want me to, I can start to gather up a few basic things the two of you might need for your stay here while you're both up at the shooting range." Sally offered to Cuddy after she had turned around and placed the two boxes of shells on the glass counter top, smiling over at the attractive woman as she lingered at the end of the third aisle.

"You don't have to go to any trouble. I can pick out some stuff now and get the rest when I'm done playing Dirty Harry." Cuddy answered back with a warm grin before reaching for a bottle of shampoo on the shelf beside her and twisting off the top so she could inhale the fragrance of the salon quality shampoo that you would never expect to find in a roadside store in the middle of sticks. Her smile softening at the edges when she looked down at Max as he sat in front of her with his tail happily sweeping the floor, "Your mommy really knows her shampoo Max," she then said with another grin, putting the cap back on the bottle before placing it on the shelf once more when she spotted a small collection of t-shirts hanging next to one of the coolers.

Walking over to the rack, Cuddy reached for one of the shirts, holding it out in front of her as she read the bright yellow lettering on the burgundy material that boasted _**"MY JUGS ARE REAL!" **_.

"Hey…I think you need try that one on." House teased from the counter with a shit eating grin on his face.

"Yeah I'll get right on that." Cuddy answered back, rolling her eyes at him before hanging the shirt back up.

"You know House your girlfriend really is something," Sally started to say in whisper with a smirk on her face, amused with the way Lisa had just spoken to him, "and judging by the way Max is acting towards her I think you may have indeed found a real and honest woman to put up with all of your carp as well as someone who is very easy on the eyes," she added leaning across the counter as she watched her dog following Cuddy back to the aisle where the shampoo was kept.

"Don't let the smoking body and pretty face fool you because for your information, Lisa Cuddy can turn from hot to annoying and bitchy in two seconds flat." House said sarcastically as his eyes traced Cuddy's figure as she made her way towards them, dressed once again in snug fitting jeans and a dark red t-shirt that enhanced the curves of her breasts.

"She very well may, but I can see by the way you looking at her right now that is exactly one of the reasons why you like her so much." Sally countered.

House produced a closed mouth grin in response to her comment, keeping his mouth shut as Cuddy took a spot beside him with Max of course sitting down in the spot next to her as she placed both a bottle of shampoo and conditioner onto the counter, "I guess I'll just a take these for now," she said, surprised when House suddenly moved his arm around her waist, puling her a little closer to him and resting his hand rested on her hip.

"Ok then, it looks like the only other thing I need is for right now is a few paper targets for my pistol packing mama here and we're all set," House said with a mocking grin, watching Cuddy roll her eyes at him again, deciding that he needed just a few more seconds of seeing her like this before it would all change once they headed up to the shooting range.

Ringing up the items Sally gave them both a small smile, "Ok that's going to be thirty five dollars including the shells but you two can pay for this later after I get your room cleaned while you're up at the range." She told them as she turned and reached behind her, taking a small brass key with the number '10' printed on the blue plastic keychain, "by the way I'm giving the two of you the Honeymoon Suite," she then added with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Oh we're not buying the shotgun wedding package….even though it does sound very tempting." Cuddy replied with a smirk placing her arm around House's waist while looking up at him as he slyly moved his hand a little lower onto her hip, splaying his fingers across the curve of her ass.

House nodded in agreement, "Yep that's right…. you see Lisa here likes the idea of me not buying cow since I'm getting the milk for free." he informed Sally with a smartass grin, his remark causing Cuddy to move her hand down to his ass just before she pinched it. "Ouch!" He yelped jumping slightly while glaring down at her. "You'll pay for that later," he then muttered, still keeping his arm around her waist.

Laughing at the way the two "adults" before her were carrying on, Sally pushed the boxes of shells towards House as she handed Lisa a bag containing the shampoo and conditioner, "Well I'll have you both know staying at the Honeymoon Suite comes with no strings….or should I say shotguns attached to it. Besides it's the nicest room I have, no cigarette burns on the carpet and no odor from sweaty bikers with road dust clinging to their bodies on the sheets." she joked.

********************************************************

Standing in the master bedroom of Bill's house, Ruth carefully folded the clothes she had washed earlier, separating them into two neat piles as she placed them on top of the dresser directly in front of her.

"Hey…I thought I told you I could do my own laundry." Bill said from the doorway before stepping inside the room.

"I needed something to keep me busy while Lisa's away and besides this is the only way I could get a look at your underwear without you knowing about it." Ruth teased as she turned to face him.

Reaching for her hand, Bill stepped closer to her, "I thought maybe you'd like to go out for dinner tonight. Then after we could go and see a movie to help you pass the time while Lisa and House are out of town," he said softly to her with a gentle smile on his face.

Ruth cupped the side of Bill's face with the palm of her hand, "You are so sweet to me Bill," she whispered before kissing him softly on the lips, feeling his strong arms immediately wrap around her waist.

Keeping her lips pressed to his, Ruth then moved her hands to Bill's chest and began to unbutton his shirt, feeling him pull back from her as she did so.

"Ruth…..I..I….can't..…" Bill started to say, looking down at her beautiful face as he moved his hands to her hips.

"Bill……" Ruth whispered with a smile, "I know it's been a long time for both of us but I think together we can figure out what we need to do next," she said softly, leaving no question of exactly what she had in mind for them both.

"It's not that," Bill told her as he reached for both of her hands, "You're going through a lot right now and I don't want to take advantage of you and have you regret this moment because we moved to quickly into an intimate relationship before you were truly ready," he tried to explained.

"Bill," Ruth whispered once more looking up at his handsome face as she moved into his arms, placing her hands upon his chest, "the only thing I could ever regret was not listening to my heart when it tells me that I've found something in you that I thought I had lost along time ago....and... no matter what happens today, tomorrow or for the rest of my life I'll never regret a single moment that I've spent with you. So instead of wasting your time worrying about what the future could hold for us I'd much rather have you kissing me instead," she told him feeling so much at home in his arms she never wanted to leave them.

Brushing his fingertips across the delicate curve of Ruth's left cheekbone, Bill gazed into the golden flecks of color held within her brown eyes, "I am going to love for the rest of my life Ruth....I promise you that…," he then whispered to her as his thumb stroked the soft skin on her face, hearing Ruth let out a short breath of sweet surprise just before he kissed her lips, giving into the feeling that had been aching inside of his heart from the first moment he had laid eyes on her as he guided her back towards his bed.

********************************************************

In the brilliant afternoon of a summer's day, Sally carried a plastic bucket filled with cleaning supplies in her right hand, with Max following behind her as she walked over the honeymoon suite at the end of the row of other motel rooms.

It had been quite a while since someone had stayed in the room and even though she cleaned the room on a weekly basis, whenever people came along that she felt were in need of the comfort the room provided, she would always make and extra effort to ensure once they stepped inside the room they would be swept away from any concerns that where filling their troubled minds.

Placing the bucket on the left side of her hip, Sally reached inside the front pocket of the smock she had put on, pulling out the master key for the room and unlocking the door. Once she had stepped inside, she set the bucket down on the floor as Max trotted in behind her while she walked over to the bed, getting ready to strip off the comforter and sheets intent on replacing them with new ones even though the set resting on the mattress currently were still clean.

After eyeing his mistress, Max quickly turned around, returning to the open doorway where he began to whimper as he looked out across the parking lot.

"What's a matter boy?" Sally asked, walking up to him before gazing out at what the dog was so intently focused on, seeing House and Cuddy standing at the back of House's car where he had just retrieved a black duffle bag from the opened trunk just before House slammed the trunk shut with Cuddy handing him back his cane before the two of them started to walk towards the outside corner of the store where a narrow path would lead them to the back of the building and up a small hill to where the shooting range that sat atop it.

The dog whimpered again, shifting his large body nervously while keeping his eyes glued to them.

"You wanna go with them boy?" Sally asked, glancing down at the mutt.

The dog immediately snapped his head up, looking to her with hopeful eyes.

Shaking her head, Sally smiled, "Go ahead." She told the dog who bolted out of the room like a rocket towards House and Cuddy, watching as Max caught up to the pair within a matter of seconds, slowing down just before he reached Lisa and gently nuzzling her hand with his head.

Upon seeing the dog approaching them Cuddy smiled as the dog took a place along side of her, keeping up her stride as she looked over briefly at Sally, giving her a wave as the three of them then turned the corner out of sight.

Turning back around and taking a few steps towards the bed again, Sally pulled the comforter away from the mattress, "What do you sense in Lisa that makes you feel the need to be with her, Max?" The old woman questioned to the empty room as she dropped the comforter onto the floor before pulling the sheets off of the bed.

********************************************************

Upon reaching the narrow dirt path behind the store, House let Cuddy move in front of him while Max, who had cut in front of them both, trotted at a leisurely pace up the small hill, leading the way past the tall weeds and apple trees that bordered the sides of the trail.

"Is he going to be ok up there with us?" Cuddy asked, referring to the dog while stopping in the middle of the path and turning around to look back at House.

"That dog's been around guns since he was a pup. Now get moving. This bag's getting heavy and the view of your ass bouncing up this hill is the only thing that's been keeping me going." House told her, motioning for her with his head to start walking again.

"You are _soooo _romantic, I don't how I ever resisted your charms for this long." Cuddy replied back sarcastically putting a little more wiggle in her hips as she took a few more steps up the hill.

"Keep that up and you'll be handling another type of gun when we get on top of this hill." House said in a low growl.

Cuddy let out a small laugh as she reached the crest of the hill, waiting for him to catch up with her, the clearing that she was now standing at the edge of, surrounded on all sides by tall pine trees.

"Come on." House said to her before walking over towards the two wooden picnic tables that sat approximately twenty feet away from four wooden posts which had been cemented into the ground and topped with wide plywood sheets that were cut into 25" by 40" squares which served the purpose of holding the paper targets they had brought with them in place, enforced from behind with two inch thick plates of steel that would take the brunt of the bullets force when they connected with the targets.

Letting out a sigh, Cuddy placed the paper targets she was holding onto the picnic table, "I just hope I'll be able to shoot that gun of yours without shooting off my foot in the process," she remarked with defeated tone to her voice.

"Oh quit being such a crybaby. You can run a whole damn hospital for god's sake." House said, refusing to let the confidence that he knew was hidden inside her from submerging any further than it already had, "Stay here," he then added, placing the duffle bag onto the picnic table before he limped over to the wooden posts so he could hang the targets onto them.

After he hand hung up the four paper targets, House turned around heading back towards Lisa, catching the gaze of Max who had stayed glue to her side, _You know she's nervous and you want to make sure she is ok don't you mutt? You can sense that smell of fear on her like the scent of rabbit hiding in the grass thanks to your genetic makeup, _House thought as the dog locked eyes with him.

Reaching the picnic table once more, House unzipped the duffle bag, handing Cuddy one set of the two sets of ear muffs inside of it as he placed the other pair around his neck for the time being. "I'm going to fire off a few rounds first just so you can see and hear what you are going to be experiencing first hand," he informed her, taking the gun out of the case before looking in her direction.

"OK." Cuddy said softly with a nod, waiting for him to continue.

House held their gaze for a moment before looking back down at the gun in his hand, "Now when you first take the gun out of the case you have to load it, which means you need to pull this piece back called the 'slide'…" he told her as he used his index finger and thumb to pull the piece of metal back until it locked into place, "then you need to load in the clip, squeezing the trigger so the slide snaps back into place," he added, slapping the clip up into the gun with the palm of his hand before he squeezed the trigger.

Cuddy watched him silently, taking great care to pay attention to everything he was telling and showing her.

"Now the gun is ready to fire." House informed her, "but it's very important you remember after this point NOT put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot." He stressed.

Cuddy nodded her head again.

"Hey…..stop thinking so much and just _listen_." House said with a direct tone as he studied her face.

"_I am listening_…..._I'm just trying to make sure I don't forget anything_," Cuddy whispered back to him as she held their gaze.

"Just remember I'm going to be right here to make sure you don't royally fuck up," House told her with a dry tone before lowering his eyes back onto the weapon and continuing with his instructions, "Ok…this type of gun is a semi-automatic, which means you can fire off several rounds without having to stop and pull back any sort of a hammer. You just keep squeezing the trigger. Now put on your ear muffs and stay here while I shoot off a couple rounds," he finished, placing his own set of earmuffs on as he walked past Cuddy and took up his stance, lining the first target up in his sites before he squeezed the trigger.

_BANG! _The gun shouted into the air as the sudden noise echoed through the forest around them.

Even with the earmuffs on the sound of the gun going off made Cuddy jump as the vibration of it radiated into her chest.

"Woof." The dog said softly as he scooted closer to her, offering her something to lean against.

House looked back at Cuddy and the dog.

"Ok?" He asked.

"Yes." Cuddy lied trying to stop her hand from trembling as she stroked the top of the dog's head.

"I'm going to fire off a couple rounds in a row now." He then told her before turning back around and taking a few seconds to zero in on the first target again.

"I guess if you're not afraid then I shouldn't be either." Cuddy whispered, looking quickly down at the dog and trying to slow her heartbeat by focusing in on the feel of mutt's soft fur on her fingertips.

"_BANG! BANG! BANG!"_ The pistol announced as House fired several shots in a row.

This time when the gun had gone off, Cuddy focused her eyes in on the target House was shooting at, trying to block out the sound of the gun, flinching after only the first shot before remaining still after the next two other shots were fired.

From her vantage point she could see that House hit the bull's-eye twice this time after his first shot had veered off to slightly to the right, his final shot just outside the outer ring of the bull's-eye.

"I'm impressed. You're really good at this." Cuddy said to him, taking in a deep breath as House made his way back to her.

"You should know by now Doctor Cuddy that I excel at everything I do….it's part of the persona of the man, the myth and the legend that is Greg House." House answered back to her with a smirk while keeping the gun pointed down at the ground and away from them both.

"Ready?" He then asked her, handing the gun over to her as if it was no big deal, not wanting to draw out the exchange and give her time to think about it too much.

"Ready." Cuddy confirmed with a nod_. "Ok I can do this,"_ she then said to herself as she felt the weight of the pistol in her hand.

"Good then go up to where I was standing before." House told her, taking a quick look over at the dog that had obediently stayed in place behind them both.

Cuddy walked up to where House had been standing, mimicking the stance she saw him take as he in turn moved behind her.

She was considerably shorter than him when wearing her sneakers instead of heels, making it easy for him to reach over her shoulders as he placed his hands over her left hand that was holding onto the gun now pointed at the targets.

"Ok, keep your finger off the trigger and put your hand up a little bit higher on the handle of the gun. There you go." House said as she adjusted her grip on the pistol. "Now put your other hand on this side of the gun and put your thumb right there." House instructed, carefully moving Cuddy's right hand into place as he kept his voice relaxed.

"See the two notches at the end of the pistol?" He then asked her.

"Yes." Cuddy answered.

"You want to line up this little notch on the back of the gun between those two notches at the end of the barrel, then move the gun in line with the bulls-eye on the target. You're going to be shooting at the second target…ok?" He asked, removing his hands from hers.

"Ok." She answered as she lined up the sights, with her heart beginning to pound furiously inside her chest.

"Now take a breath, not too deep…. just a normal breath. Hold it then squeeze the trigger with a nice even pressure from your finger. The gun is going to jump in your hands a little bit. Hold onto it and don't let it drop." House informed her while taking a step back from her, moving his left hand between her shoulder blades as he positioned himself off a little to her right.

Lisa took in a breath, eyed up the target and squeezed the trigger.

_BANG!_

"You're shooting a little low. Move the barrel up just a touch." House told her in a clam voice keeping his hand on her back.

Lisa could feel her heart racing in her chest as she raised the barrel just slightly and squeezed the trigger again.

_BANG!_

"Ok, that's a little better, but you're off to the left a bit, try to level the gun out, look through the sights again and shoot." House coaxed, feeling the rapid beating of her heart in the palm of his hand.

Lisa nodded and took in another breath, a part of her remaining scared to death by what she was doing, but the iron will within her that had been called upon in the past to get through the many obstacles in her life now starting to move swiftly past the fear, taking over control of her actions and thoughts as she squeezed the trigger once more.

_BANG!_

This time the bullet ripped a hole through the paper target two inches above the bulls-eye before it collided with the wood and steel behind it.

"There you go, that was a lot better. Do the same thing and keep shooting." House encouraged her, amazed at how quickly she had begun to master the gun, adjusting it in her slender hands with an innate skill, determined to succeed in hitting the white paper with the red bull's eye.

Lisa breathed again, not waiting for any further instruction from him this time, totally focused on the task at hand as she shot off another round within seconds of firing the first one.

_BANG!_

"BULLS-EYE!" House exclaimed from behind her as the fact that she was catching on so quickly boosted his moral right along with hers.

Cuddy breathed in with a small smile on her face.....House was proud of her, and that felt _really, really good_.

"You've got four more rounds left in this clip before I have to reload it, go ahead and keep shooting." House urged, wanting her to continue on her journey in getting comfortable with handling the weapon.

_Breath, squeeze the trigger and hit the damn bulls-eye_, Lisa thought as she lined the target up in her sights again, getting used to the weight of the gun in her hand.

Watching them both, Max rested down into the soft grass beneath him as the woman continued to fire the gun, the uneasiness within her now gone, drifting away softly on the summer breeze.

BANG! BANG!

"Two more rounds to go and you just got another bulls-eye. I must say Doctor Cuddy you're _very _good at handling big guns." House teased as he felt the muscles in her back begin to relax.

********************************************************

Later, after staying up at the shooting range until dusk had appeared on the horizon, House and Cuddy made their way back down the narrow path once more, towards the grocery store, motel and restaurant below them, the ringing of House's cell phone stopping him near the end of the path as he reached down to waistband on his jeans to answer it.

"It's our Boy Wonder of Oncology." House informed Cuddy before placing he phone up to his ear, "What's up homie?" He then said into the phone.

"So….how'd it go today?" Wilson asked, placing some papers into the briefcase resting on his desk before snapping it shut.

"Cuddy shot her foot off. I was going to call you earlier but I had to get the bleeding under control." House answered back solemnly.

"What?!" Wilson exclaimed, feeling his heart jump up into his throat.

"He's lying Wilson!" Cuddy yelled from beside House as they started walking together once more.

"You know House, sometimes you can be a real jerk." Wilson muttered, grabbing his briefcase as he headed out the door of his office.

"Only sometimes? Guess I'll have to work on being a jerk more often then. Don't want you or Cuddy to think I am slipping." House answered, making his way towards his car and leaning his cane against it once he gotten there so he could retrieve the keys out from the front pocket of his jeans and open the trunk, letting Cuddy place the black duffle bag she was carrying inside of it again.

"Well even though_ you _are a TOTAL jerk, I'm not.......which is why instead of _lying to you_, I'm going to come right out and tell you I told your team the truth about you and Cuddy today." Wilson informed his friend as he walked down the hallway.

House looked over at Cuddy, "You idiot! I hope for your sake you didn't need your balls because once I tell Cuddy what you did you're going to be know from this day forward as James "Eunuch" Wilson once she gets a hold of you," he warned with a gruff voice.

"What did Wilson do?" Cuddy asked immediately.

"The idiot told my team that you and I are doing the horizontal mambo together." House responded with anger.

"I'm going to kill him." Cuddy said flatly, taking the phone away from him, "Wilson! What the hell were you thinking?!" She then questioned in a biting tone.

"Lisa ..please listen…I" Wilson started to day.

"Don't you Lisa me Wilson! Why on earth would you do the _one thing_ you knew I didn't want you to do?!'" She asked angrily.

"Because my name is House?" Wilson responded back to her, while knowing that the fater of his balls could very well hinder on her reaction to the joke.

"You….." Cuddy started to say before pausing, unable to keep the smile from forming on her face after hearing his reply.

"Hey don't you dare let him off the hook for this!" House told her as he saw her expression start to soften, reaching for the phone in her hand.

"Stop it!" Cuddy replied, swatting his hand away, "Wilson why on earth would tell House's team about us?" She then asked, placing her free hand on her forehead.

"I made a judgment call. They were all were suspicious to begin with just like I told House earlier and I thought with everything you and House are going through right now they needed to be included. This thing with Jeff and Tritter keeps getting bigger and bigger and the last thing I think any of us would want is for Chase, Foreman or Cameron to be left in the dark, in case either Tritter or Jeff decided to approach on of them......just like Jeff did to your mom in order to try and get to you and House." Wilson explained.

Cuddy closed her eyes for a moment, "You did the right thing." She acknowledged, opening them back up and seeing the look of disapproval move over House's face.

"Listen, if you want to me to talk to House..." Wilson started to say as he stopped in front the elevator, pushing the down button.

"No....I'll talk to him." Cuddy replied before telling Wilson goodbye and hanging up the phone.

"So now you're on Wilson's side? Remind me to remind you of this the next time I ROYALLY screw up." House said to her in a condescending tone.

"There are no sides." Cuddy argued, handing him back his phone, "Wilson told your team because he didn't want what happened to my mom to happen to them," she explained.

"Wilson doesn't want my team to fall in love with Bill?" House questioned back like a true smartass.

"_NO,"_Cuddy stressed evenly, "Wilson doesn't want Tritter or Jeff approaching one of the members of your team without them knowing what's really going on," she informed him.

House said nothing for a few seconds, studying her face instead, "So you don't care about all the gossip and torrid stories of wild sex, including bondage that are going to be flying around the hospital regarding us?" He questioned.

Cuddy pointed a finger in his chest, "You start any of those rumors and I will tie you up and make sure you never do it again," she threatened, gasping as he pulled her close to him.

"You know some people are going to say you'll be giving me special treatment and not just in the bedroom. Sure you're ready to handle that?" House questioned again with a more serious tone.

Cuddy looked down at her hands resting on chest for a moment before returning her gaze to his face, "When we get back, I'm booking an appointment for both us to meet with HR," she informed him.

"What? Why in the hell do I get punished because Wilson can't keep his big mouth shut!" House protested.

Cuddy sighed, "I'm not punishing you, but now that Chase, Foreman and Cameron know about us it won't be long until everyone else in the hospital does as well. Which means the sooner we both let Human Resources know the better off we're going to be."

Pushing her gently away, House scratched his head, "I better be getting TONS of sex for this. Anytime I want it and however many times I want it. Understand?"

"And exaclty how would that be a change from me screwing your brains out now?" Cuddy replied looking directly into his eyes.

"So then I can count on you for desk sex inside your office?" House countered with a wicked grin.

"Work is a different story." Cuddy replied back quickly.

"But you just said-"

"House ...no desk sex, no elevator sex, no sex on the boardroom table, no sex in your office or any of the empty clinic rooms. In fact no sex anywhere else that you horny little mind may have dreamed up inside MY hospital." Cuddy stated while rattling off the various locations.

"So you've thought about having sex with me in all those places too." House said smiling broadly at her as she stood before him with her arms folded underneath her breast.

"I..I did not!" Cuddy protested.

"Liar." House replied pulling her against him once more by placing his hand on her hip as she tried to bite back her smile.

"Shut up." Cuddy said softly, knowing he had seen right through her.

Letting out a soft chuckle of triumph, House snuck his thumb underneath the hem of her shirt, brushing it against the soft toned skin of her abdomen," So … are you feeling adventurous tonight?" He then asked watching her raise her eyebrows at him before he turned and looked over at the Road Kill Restaurant and Bar.

Cuddy laughed, "Sure....why the hell not considering all of my other preconceived notions about this place have been wrong so far." She answered with a shrug.

"By the way I hear that possum soufflé is the special tonight." House teased with a grin as they started to walk together towards the bar just as the top of the sun dipped underneath the horizon.

"Mmmmmm…sounds yummy." Cuddy answered back rolling her eyes.

Upon seeing the direction they were heading, Max, who had been silently watching them, bounded up the steps ahead of them.

"Just remember mutt, when we head back to the motel room for the night I'm the only dog allowed inside." House warned before turning to Cuddy and letting out a howl.

********************************************************

Meanwhile on the outskirts of Princeton, Bill stood alone in the spare bedroom of his house, while Ruth was in the master bathroom taking a shower before they would head out for dinner and the movie he had promised her.

Making love to her for the first time had brought with it all of those amazing feelings every person longs for in their lives once they get a true taste of it. The look of pure and unequaled love for him held in Ruth brilliant chestnut eyes combined with the knowledge that the woman lying beneath him with such breathtaking beauty needed and adored him just as much as he needed and adored her, stretching deep into his heart where it found its home. It was that feeling of love that was so cherished by him as he lay in his bed with Ruth's head upon his shoulder afterwards that had brought him into this room, walking to the foot of the bed where a large cedar chest was placed.

Kneeling down on the carpet in front of the chest, Bill exhaled deeply. He hadn't opened the trunk in a very long time and needed to ready himself for what feelings could be stirred up because of his actions.

Gently placing his hands on top of the chest, Bill loving caressed the dark wood, this was the place were memories were stored, as sacred and holy as a church to him, his approach tender as he lifted up the lid before gazing down at the soft lilac sweater that had been his wife's favorite top.

It had been carefully folded and placed here by him on the day that she had finally succumbed to the cancer inside of her, lying on top of the other memories held here in its rightful place as it was the last thing that had been closest to her skin at the end of her life.

Lifting the sweater carefully out of the chest, Bill moved the garment up to his nose before his breathed in.

_So long ago now….over ten years, but a part of you is still here with me, _he thought with his throat tightening as the memory filled his senses, the scent of his late wife Anna, still held within the fabric of the treasured sweater, faint and almost undetectable now…….but it was still there.

Placing the sweater on his lap, Bill let his fingertips linger on the fabric for another brief moment before he reached inside the trunk again, pulling out the first of several photo albums that held the life he had shared with his high school sweetheart, flipping through each of them and watching as the black and white photos of their youth turn into ones of color as they grew together, still holding onto the spark that had ignited the dreams they shared, letting out a sigh as he then placed the albums on the floor beside him, reaching for the small black jewelry box that held the first ring he had ever given to Anna.

Bill had thought she would have wanted to be buried with the ring, but in accordance to her wishes while she lay withered and frail on her deathbed as the cancer ate away at her, he had promised to remove the ring from her finger once she passed and keep it with him instead.

The tiny box creaked as he opened it up, the corners of his eyes creasing as they tried to hold back the tears threatening to fall, gazing upon the oval cut ruby stone that was placed upon a raised setting.

He had given her the ring on Valentines Day, back when he was still in med school and she was enrolled in nursing school the surpise in her eyes when he gave it to her still fresh within his mind.

Bill placed the jewelry box on top of the sweater, realizing it was now time to move these memories to move to a new place just like they had five years ago when he had empty out her drawers in their bedroom, another of a series of short goodbyes that he hoped would make life without her less painful.

This time however the goodbye would also carry with it the promise of a new love that awaited him where an old love had once resided. The change of spring renewed again inside of him, taking root in his heart as he thought about the last thing Anna had said to him before she died.

"_Don't cry for me Bill. Miss me all you want but don't cry anymore. I need to know that you're going to be ok without me and that someday you'll find someone who deserves to love with all of her heart as much as I stll do." _

Thinking about the words Anna had spoken to him back then brought the single tear forth from his eye which he quickly wiped away, the thing he had been searching for inside the chest still needing to be found, his hands moving the sweater and ring on top of the photo album before he reached inside the chest and pulled out the grey metal box tucked in the back of the trunk.

Reaching into his shirt pocket, Bill pulled out a small key, inserting the into the lock before lifting the lid, being greeted by the cold steel with a black handle of a snub nose pistol, the weapon inside the box still as shiny and deadly as it had been a decade ago when he had first purchased it.

Bill picked up the gun, gripping the handle and letting his fingers get familiar with the feel of it again.

Shortly after Anna had died those ten years ago, Bill had gotten the odd urge to go out and buy the gun, telling himself that the sudden need for it was because it would be a good hobby that would keep his mind occupied, mastering the pistol providing him with a goal, an achievement if you will in honing the skills of an experienced marksman now that he found himself alone, surrounded by nothing but time.

However, it was on a cold November day a few months after Anna's death when the heart stopping realization hit him hard as he started to handle the gun more and more, taking it out of the metal box several times a day and keeping resting snugly in his palm long after he had left the shooting range.

_Did I really want to kill myself back then? Had I really sunk that low?_ Bill thought as the old memory crept into his mind, assuring him that indeed when Anna was taken from him there was a very big part of him that wanted to join her.

"Every man has his demons." Bill then said aloud, thankful that by some miracle he was able to pull through his depression, seeing now that just as God had taken away the woman he had loved with all of his heart the Lord had also rewarded him for his faith by bringing Ruth into his life along with Lisa, House and Wilson, who each held a special place inside his heart, "I won't let Jeff hurt Ruth ever again as long as there is a breath inside of me. I'm not going to let Jeff or Tritter hurt her or any of the other good people in my life I've come to love even if it means you'll damn me to hell for it." Bill whispered staring down at the pistol as he confessed the sin he was wiling to commit to God.


	43. Chapter 43

**Well guys RL has been real busy again but finally managed to get the next chapter completed. Hope you like it and as always let me know your thoughts:)**

**Chapter 43**

House and Cuddy had just crossed the threshold into the Road Kill Restaurant and bar when Cuddy stopped dead in her tracks after she had entered the room and was greeted by Jack Marshall, husband of Sally Marshall who was standing in front of a small bar on the opposite side of the room, dressed in full Civil War Union attire.

"You're not a rebel are you?" The short man with a thin build asked Cuddy, walking towards her as he reached for the civil war replica pistol resting inside the holster on his right hip while eyeing her suspiciously,"Because I once knew a woman named Scarlet O'Hara who looked an awful lot like you." The old man finished with his hand gripping the gun as he glanced down briefly at Max who had sat down quietly next to the woman.

"Is he serious? Or just crazy?" Cuddy whispered over to House who was standing to her left.

"Actually, he's a little bit of both." House whispered back with a smirk.

Jack took another look at the fetching woman who stood beside the scoundrel House, twisting the right side of his gray mustache that had been curled on both ends before speaking once more.

"Did this scallywag take you away from Tara? Or did you leave of your own free will?" He asked with inquisitive brown eyes as the pretty woman looked back at him stunned.

"What I am supposed to do? Just stand here or head for table?" Cuddy whispered nervously over at House while keeping her eyes glued on the peculiar old man.

"Considering you're standing in front of man with a gun in his possession who's asking questions, I'd say you better answer him." House warned before giving Jack a small smile.

Cuddy nodded, "_I __**came **__with him willingly_." she answered, stressing her words while furrowing her brow, hoping the old coot would be satisfied with her answer.

"Young lady do not come into my bar speaking about your sex life. It is not very lady like at all." Jack shot back with a huge grin, breaking the façade.

"What? I said I …._came_….." Cuddy said quickly before the blush rose onto her cheeks.

"House you dirty bastard! How on earth did you get someone this beautiful to follow you into my place on her own free will?" Jack then asked, walking up to the couple and offering his hand to House.

"Tara lost its magic and she couldn't fit into the bustle anymore." House replied back after giving Cuddy's behind a quick glance.

After the two men shook hands Jack reached for Lisa's hand, bending down and planting a kiss on the back of it in a chivalrous manner.

"I hope that you did not take offensive to my scandalous statement darling. I am at the core a gentleman, but every once and awhile I have to let the devil come out and play, especially when I see a newcomer with such a pretty smile." He said softly with a warm smile before releasing her hand as Max made his way over to the bar, laying down beside it.

"No offensive taken." Cuddy answered, still a little taken aback by the man's appearance and demeanor but truthfully not upset by the comment, having heard far worse from House on several occasions.

"Well in case my wife Sally didn't tell you, my name is Jack, proud co-owner of this establishment as well as husband to the most ornery woman I've ever met." He said introducing himself to Cuddy.

"Lisa Cuddy." She responded.

"Well then Lisa, let's get you to a seat." Jack replied, saluting both her and House before guiding them over to one of the tables in the empty restaurant.

Lisa looked around at the walls inside the bar that were adored with every type of stuffed animal, bird and fish imaginable leaving little room for much of anything else.

In front of the bar, which was made out of dark walnut were four stools with padded red vinyl seats.

In the center of the room were six small wooden tables with two seats at each of them. The tables covered with red and white checkered table clothes. A pool table in the very back of the room along with an old nineteen sixties style juke box, her preconceived notions of what this place would like from inside pretty much spot on except for the fact that the bar was spotless and neat as pin just like the store beside it.

As House and Cuddy sat down at the table, the old man spoke once more, "Well since you two are the only ones in this gin joint presently you will have the pleasure of my undivided attention unless some other rebel deserter decides to come along. Now how about a couple of beers?" He asked.

House looked over at Cuddy to see if she was indeed game.

"Since we don't have to go to work tomorrow, why not." Cuddy answered watching Jack click his heels before he spun around to fetch the beers.

"So did Jack pull his little routine with you when you first stopped in here?" She then asked House once the man had left as she picked up the laminated menu in front of her.

"Worse." House answered glancing down at his own menu.

"Worse?" Cuddy asked raising her eyes from the menu while arching an eyebrow at him.

"He made me take off my jacket to check for any concealed weapons I might have on me. Then pull out the pockets of my jeans and proceeded to have me sing the Star Spangled Banner to prove that I wasn't a rebel solider." House admitted begrudgingly.

"And you did it?" Cuddy asked with a shocked expression.

"He had that gun on his hip pointed at me with the hammer cocked! It wasn't until after he started cracking up that I found out the weapon wasn't loaded. Thank god it was only him and I in here at the time." House answered as Jack made his way back to their table.

"Ok, here you go.... two ice cold beers. Now what will the two of you be having for dinner?" Jack asked after placing the beers down before them.

"We will both have the groundhog burgers with two orders of fries." House answered.

"I will not!" Cuddy said quickly.

"Oh relax...it's not really groundhog and it's the best thing on the menu. The perfect meal after our Bonnie and Clyde routine up on the range." House told her.

"Fine, but no fries for me." Cuddy agreed handing the menu to Jack, knowing when it came to food House did not mess around.

"I should have it ready in a few minutes." Jacked answered turning to leave in the same dramatic way he had done previously.

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Once the burgers and side of fries were done Jack delivered them to their table promptly as House and Cuddy were discussing what would await them once they arrived back in Princeton.

"Looks like the two of you could use a couple of more beers." Jack said after setting their plates in front of them.

House and Cuddy both nodded in approval.

Jack reached for their empty bottles and went back to the bar to fetch two more.

"I really think Wilson should continue to stay with us at your place for a little while when we get back." House told Cuddy while placing the bun on top of his burger.

Cuddy let out a sigh as she nodded, "Ok." She agreed before adding, "I just can't wait until things go back to normal for us," with a voice that wished for brighter days.

"Exactly what do you think 'normal' is going to be for us?" House asked, studying her face carefully as he reached for the ketchup to his left.

"I don't know…I guess at this point, I'm just looking forward to spending some more time alone with you like we did before we came up here." Cuddy commented back, knowing when it came to her life with Gregory House, normal really didn't describe them in any way, shape of form.

"Ok so you want to have more hot sex with me…got it." House responded. "Anything else?" He pushed.

Cuddy titled her head, "Why are you suddenly wanting to talk about our relationship?" She questioned with suspicion.

"Eat your food." House responded, picking up his burger and taking a bite out of it while keeping his eyes locked on hers.

Cuddy placed the bun on top of her burger, took a bite and then sat it back down on her plate, getting ready to question him again about the subject but being stopped by the amazing taste inside her mouth, "Mmm..this is _really_ good." She commented after swallowing before she took hold of the burger on the plate, taking another bite.

"See…. this is yet another reason why you should listen to me more often." House answered before taking another bite of his burger as well.

Cuddy chewed slowly, savoring the taste of the burger before she spoke, "If I listened to you every time you came barging into my office we'd both be out of job." She replied back with a wicked grin before reaching for one of his fries.

House gave Cuddy a cold look as she bit down on the top of the fry. "You're lucky that you let me into your pants otherwise I would have killed you for stealing my food and by the way your ass is already big enough so after that one…no more fries," he informed her.

"Keep talking like that and you won't be getting into my pants tonight." Cuddy warned, defiantly taking another fry from his plate.

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For the rest of the meal House and Cuddy had exchanged their usual barrage of banter and snide remarks, leaving behind any talks of their relationship for now, enjoying instead each other's company in the little bar that was a miles away from everything else in their world.

From the bar, Jack had been watching House and Cuddy for quite some time now, turning to his right when Sally appeared in the doorway and made her way over to him behind the bar, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's like I'm not even here Sal ....and_I never _fade into the background...ever." Jack remarked to his wife with a whisper, keeping his eyes on the couple as Cuddy leaned back in her seat, biting down on her bottom lip, trying to hide her smile from House after he had leaned closer to her and spoken a few hushed words.

"They look good together don't they?" Sally whispered back to Jack.

Jack nodded in approval, "Are they married?" He asked her.

"No, but from what I have seen of them, I think they've known each other for a very long time. You don't have that kind of bond with someone unless they've seen you at your worst enough to know when to savor times like this." Sally replied.

"Want to get a couple of beers and join them?" Jack asked her with a wink.

"As long as you're buying." Sally answered with a smile, watching her husband pull two bottles of beer out of the cooler behind him.

"So I take it those two are going to be staying in the Honeymoon Suite tonight?" Jack asked after twisting the top off of the first beer and handing it to Sally.

"Yep." Sally answered with a grin before taking a swig from the bottle.

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"Are you drunk?" House asked Cuddy, nudging her a little as they made their way across the parking lot with two travel bags as well as the duffle bag House had slung over his shoulder.

"Nope……..not drunk, but definitely feeling good." Cuddy answered back with a wide smile.

"Feeling good enough to let me have my way with you?" House asked with a smirk.

"You can always have your way with me." Cuddy replied happily while looking up at the stars above her that consumed most of the night sky as they reached the door of their hotel room.

"Are you sure you're not drunk because that was a pretty cheesy line you just said…even for you." House teased.

"I am not drunk-" Cuddy began to say just before the door to the motel room was pushed open for her by House who stepped aside to let her go first.

"Wow …" Cuddy then whispered with surprise, stepping inside the room with House following closely behind her.

"Jackpot." House whispered behind her with a very horny and mischievous smile as they both surveyed the spacious room that boasted a huge king sized four poster bed to the left of them on top of which was a very luxurious and expensive comforter made of rich gold and burgundy fabric.

"These all have to be antiques." Cuddy remarked with an impressed tone, dropping her bag on the floor next to her as she walked over to the bed and ran her hand along one of the wooden posts before continuing over to the European-style mahogany armoire on the opposite wall and opening I up. "Oh my …….you _have_ to see this, you're gonna love it," she then informed House with a smirk as he in turn dropped his bags and closed the door behind him before limping over to her.

"Please tell me there's an endless porno supply hidden inside there." He said in a hopeful snide whipser, before stopping dead in his tracks, staring at the large flat screen TV tucked inside the armoire.

"Nice huh?" Cuddy asked him with a smile, before she turned and made her way over to the large picture window on the opposite side of the room, which currently had its drapes open so that a the breathtaking view of outside world, consisting a small pond off in the distance shimmering under the moonlight and surrounded by a lush green forest could be seen.

"I guess this _dump _will have to do." House commented dryly to her with a smirk, watching as Cuddy walked back over to the bed where two Godiva chocolates had been placed on top of each pillow, reaching for the note that had been placed there as well.

"Looks like Sally left you some instructions." Cuddy teased, opening up the folded card as she sat down on the bed.

"Now what does the wacky broad have to say?" House asked walking up beside Cuddy and sitting down next to her.

Cuddy smiled as her eyes scanned the small card as she read it aloud to him.

"_House and Lisa. _

_I hope you enjoy the room as well as your stay with us, and remember when you leave here as long as you are honest with each other you can weather any storm. _

_Love,_

_Sally_

_P.S. There are a few surprises waiting for you in the fridge and in the bathroom."_

"That was really sweet of her." Cuddy said, with a soft tone and small smile.

"That's it. I am convinced that broad is off her rocker." House replied sarcastically, getting off the bed and walking over to the small dorm size refrigerator in the right hand corner of the room that was sitting on top of a long, waist high antique dresser.

Cuddy let out a laugh, "Sally may be a bit eccentric, but her little note sure got you up off your ass in search of her _surprises_," she said smartly, following him over to the fridge.

House shot her a dirty look, "Quiet or you're going to get a spanking later," he told her as he opened up the door of the fridge and spied a bottle of champagne along with a medium sized bowl of pulp, fresh strawberries, before he opened up the smaller door of the tiny freezer and found two pints of vanilla Hagan Daz ice cream.

"Looks like you're ass is going to get even fatter thanks to Sally." House said to Cuddy as she rolled her eyes at him, handing her the bowl of strawberries and reaching for the champagne bottle next. "By the way ...I can't wait to see what this stuff does to you, hopefully it will make you even _louder_ in bed," he said with a grin as the cork escaped the bottle with a loud pop.

"Oh my _GOD_ these are _so good_!" Cuddy exclaimed after biting into one of the large ripe strawberries. "Here taste it." She then said, offering House the other half of the strawberry.

House bit down to the stem of the strawberry. It was sweet and covered up the stale taste of beer in his mouth quite nicely, of course he didn't tell her that, nodding instead to the end of the dresser, "Get those glasses over there on the table, close the curtains and let's get this party started," he told her instead in a suggestive tone, waiting until her back was turned to snatch another strawberry out of the bowl she had placed beside him on the dresser.

"Hey! Don't eat all of those!" Cuddy scolded, placing the glasses down next to him while reaching for another strawberry herself as she headed over to the curtains and closed them.

"Less whining …..more drinking." House replied in return, handing her a glass of champagne as she returned to his side.

Taking the glass, Cuddy took a sip of the champagne before she moved closer to him and planted a deep, sensuous kiss on his lips, sliding her tongue smoothly inside of his mouth, hearing House groan in approval as his hand found its way down to her ass and squeezed just before she pulled away from him, "I'm going to call my mom so go ahead and get in the shower and I'll join you in a few minutes." She told him with a seductive tone as she looked up at him with brilliant grey eyes.

********************************************************

Entering into the bathroom with a huge smile on his face, House took in the view of the tastefully decorated room, with a huge whirlpool tub, European style facets and light fixtures making him shake his head in disbelief.

"That crazy broad had to have shelled out a fortune for all of this stuff. No wonder her husband's nuts." House muttered to himself, picking up a bottle of vanilla scented body wash that was resting on the edge of the tub along with several vanilla scented candles. _Lisa will love this crap_, he thought rooling his eyes as he moved the candles and body wash over to the small counter space on the sink before he stripped out of his clothes.

Once under the steady stream of hot and soothing water inside the shower, House automatically reached to his right, where at Cuddy's place a bottle of shower gel awaited him, finding a freshly unwrapped bar of soap instead, hesitating to pick it up as truthfully he rather preferred the stuff she bought for him now on a regular basis.

As if reading his mind, House instantly heard the sound of Cuddy's footsteps on the ceramic tile as she entered into the bathroom where she proceeded to move aside the shower curtain a few inches, offering him the bottle of body wash she had packed earlier without his knowledge all while she continued to talk to her mother on the phone.

"Thanks! Now get in here and wash Mister Winky for me like you promised!" House shouted to her, opening up the shower curtain a little wider as he reached for the bottle, making sure he said the phrase loud enough so that Ruth would it hear it on the other end of the phone.

"You're welcome!" Lisa shouted back with a bit of sarcasm, snapping the curtain shut once more before she turned and left the bathroom.

Whistling loudly inside the shower, House squeezed out a handful of the soap into his palm before he rubbed it over his body, stopping the motion of his hand when the dark thoughts that had been kept at bay during the time he had spent inside the bar with Cuddy finally caught up to him.

"You idiot," He muttered to himself almost hating the fact that he was in such a good mood in light of the fact that back in Princeton, danger in the very threaten form of Jeff Hansom and Michael Tritter was waiting with baited breath for their return.

Lowering his head, House let the hot water run down his back, taking in a deep breath as he closed his eyes, certain beyond a shadow of a doubt now that Jeff Hansom was at this point a ticking time bomb, guaranteed to explode sooner or later, sending out shrapnel in the direction of Lisa Cuddy, making sure to mare her in some way as punishment for her rejection of him.

Raising his head once more, House let the running water wash the soap from his body before turning around, grabbing the shampoo and washing his hair while the feeling of time slipping through his fingers continued to play on in his head, the hours growing shorter, slowly pulling both him and Lisa back to where evil men wanted nothing but the worse for them, the feeling of dread weighting down on him heavy now as he shut off the water and opened the curtain back up.

"Hey I thought we were going to get a shower together?" Cuddy questioned from the doorway before stepping inside the room, looking over at him as he dried himself off with one of the plush cream colored towels he had hung over the rung of the shower earlier.

"I figured by the time you'd get off the phone with your mom 'little House' would have shrunken down to the size of the Vienna sausage." House informed her, not letting on for a moment about the thoughts running ramped through his head as he looked over at her.

"Little House looks just fine to me," Cuddy replied with a smirk, moving closer to him, but furrowing her brow when House proceeded to step out of the shower, wrapping the towel around his waist.

"Shower's all yours sweet cheeks but if you need any help reaching the naughty places just yell for me." House responded getting ready to limp past her.

"Hey are you ok?" Cuddy asked reaching for his arm as she looked up at him.

"No…but after you do me in that big bed in the next room I will be." House answered in true smartass fashion in an attempted to quell any suspicions she may have before he turned and left the bathroom.

********************************************************

Hearing the sound of running water as Cuddy started up the shower in the next room, House removed the towel from his body, slipping on the clean pair of dark red boxers he had taken out of his bag a few minutes ago before turning towards the small fridge and opening it up to get to the smaller freezer door behind it, reaching inside of it for one of the containers of ice cream, going with the rouge thought that had popped into his brain the moment he had stepped foot inside the bedroom once more that told him although time may indeed be running short for them in this place, right now at this moment both he and Lisa remained untouched by everything waiting for them back in Princeton. That hear in this room where it was only the two of them he would indeed be a fool to not seize the opportunity to connect with her once more, to give her comfort as her mind no doubt would soon turn to the dark thoughts that had recently haunted him.

This time not only being needed in preparation for the worst but also needed for them to become stronger together, bound tighter as they would ready themselves for a future that promised some kind of heartache along the way. It was time for him to make a memory with her so that when darker days would arrive, a piece of perfection that she would call her own, that would remind her why all of what they had gone through was worth it. "Spoon." House suddenly said aloud, looking until he found two of them resting beside the coffeepot that was on the other side of the long dresser, placing the ice cream container down on the piece of furniture before he snuck back into the bathroom.

********************************************************

Inside the shower Lisa stood with her back facing the hot soothing water, closing her eyes at it ran down her skin and released some of the residual tension that still lingered there while she thought of how strangely House had acted a few moments before.

They had a good day together considering the circumstances, she thought before pushing a gust of air through her nose.

"This is insane." She whispered to herself, shaking her head as her hands moved to the back of her neck while the reality of what they were really doing up here in the mountains came crashing down around her again, reminding her all too clearly that she was _not_ up here with House on some romantic getaway, but rather learning the skills needed to kill a person with the simple act of pulling of a trigger.

It was a cold and morbid thought that send a chill down her spine, cutting through the warmth of the water washing over her, trying its best to pull her in deeper to the harsh reality that was their life right now.

Reaching for the vanilla scented body wash behind her, Cuddy pushed the thoughts away from her mind before they could take hold. Telling herself the last thing she needed at this point was to think about death, thinking instead to the last time she had made love with House up in her own bathroom and how incredibly perfect it had been between them as the intoxicating scent of vanilla was brought to life by the steam surrounding her in the shower.

********************************************************

After she had finished taking a shower, Lisa had towel dried her long dark hair before drying off her body, reaching to her left for the white, ribbed cotton muscle shirt she had taken from House's bag after realizing she had forgotten to pack any pajamas or nightgowns for their trip.

The shirt was of course long on her, the hem of it falling midway on her thighs, the soft fabric actually a very comfortable piece of clothing to sleep in.

Brushing her teeth, Cuddy ran her fingers through her damp hair with, determined to keep the bad thoughts at bay at least for the rest of the night, wanting nothing more than to rest her head on House's shoulder and listed to the steady beat of his heart before drifting off to sleeping.

When entering back into the bedroom however, she was stunned into a shocked surprise at what awaited her, catching her breath, as the warm glow of candlelight illuminated her face in the darken room as the sweet smell of the vanilla scented candles filled her senses. "What's all this about?" Cuddy asked House with a small smile as he sat on the bed with a container of ice cream in his left hand and a spoon turned backwards in his mouth.

Looking up at Cuddy standing in his white shirt that fit her like a second skin, House, dropped his hand away from the spoon, leaving it frozen in place against his tongue as his eyes took a good long look at the amazing site standing before him.

Although Lisa had many sexy items of lingerie that would always entice him, seeing her dressed in his shirt had to be hands down one of the most desirable things she had ever worn, the fullness of her breasts stretching out the material on top as the outline of her dark nipples pressed against the fabric, the curve of her ass wrapped in tight white cotton that his eyes stayed glued on for what seemed like an eternity, causing him drop the spoon out of his mouth.....…luckily Lisa was too busy looking at the candles to notice and he quickly picked it up from where it had fallen on his lap.

"Hey I asked you a question." Cuddy said, after she had made eye contact with him once more, sitting next to him on the bed.

"I thought you might want to get drunk by candlelight." House answered casually, playing it cool. "How's your ankle by the way?" He then asked, placing another spoonful of ice cream inside his mouth while tearing his eyes away from her breasts to focus in on her foot.

"It's ok, a little swollen but it doesn't hurt. I'll put some ice on it later." Cuddy answered lifting her leg up slightly so he could get a better look at it, driving him completely insane as the shirt rose up to her hip on her right side, revealing to him for certain that she wasn't wearing any panties, "Can I have some?" She then asked taking the spoon from his hand and dipping it into the ice cream.

"Only if I _get some_." House countered as his eyes locked onto hers.

Cuddy gave him a lust filled smile as she moving the spoon up to her mouth, placing the of ice cream inside of it before pulling the utensil out slowly and licking her lips, "You already know you are going to get some." She whispered to him with another smile.

Without speaking another word House took the spoon out of her hand and placed it, as well as the ice cream container on the dresser in front of them.

He leaned into her and kissed her, brushing his lips against hers before he moved his tongue inside her mouth.

Cuddy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer before she felt him pull away from her, looking down at the white shirt covering her body.

"It's a shame I have to take this off but I want what's underneath more." House told her in a husky tone with a smile on his lips as his hands slid down from her waist to the hem of the shirt resting on her upper thighs, slipping under the material to the small of her back and reaching down to tenderly rubbing the soft supple skin of her gorgeous behind as she leaned closer to him as he started to pull the garment off of her body.

Cuddy raised her arms up to help him, kiss him again as he tossed the shirt behind them on the bed, gasping into his neck when House moved his lips from hers and lowered them, sucking hard on her left breast as his tongue circled her nipple and they fell back onto the mattress, his thighs pushed hers apart so he could press his pelvis against hers.

"You're even more beautiful now than you were the first time I met you back in Michigan." His whispered into her flesh, his lips now resting on her collar bone as they made their way back up to her face.

"What?" Cuddy questioned as her eyes met his, the words he had spoken, not something she was used to hearing from him, the tone of his voice just now sending chills up her spine as her heart quicken.

"I'm not repeating myself." House uttered in a dull tone, looking away from her, wanting to say those words to her for a very long time now, the reason for speaking them at this moment pushed forth by the impending doom that tried to take hold o f him once more, his need to shield her from it bringing out the more sacred thoughts of her from his lips.

Cuddy moved her hand to the side of his face, her fingers caressing the stubble there, "You don't have to say it again," she whispered to him, gasping once more as he in turn lowered his mouth onto her right breast, pulling her body up from the mattress as his tongue ran over her spiked nipple.

She kissed the top of his head with a frantic breath escaping her lips, knowing that right now he was trying to escape from the demons that haunted them both, pressing her pelvis into his while moving her hands to his back, feeling his erection still imprisoned in his boxers as he ground his pelvis in between her thighs causing her to moan in anticipation, "take off those off," she commended in a hushed whisper that turned into another moan as he sucked harder on her nipple before releasing it and looking up at her.

"Take them off for me." House told her before capturing her lips with his own, his body moving to accommodate her hands that had slid down his chest, moaning into her mouth when her left hand started to stroke his cock after having pushed his boxers down to his knees. "Wait." House gasped after breaking their kiss, quickly getting out of the bed and shimmy off the underwear before he walked back over to the dresser.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy questioned, propped herself up a bit on her elbows as she watched him.

"Getting ready to have my dessert." House answered with a sinful smile, reaching for the container in front of him before he limped back over to her, placing the pint of vanilla ice cream on the night stand next to them as he moved on top of her once more, kissing her deeply while lower his body onto hers, nestling inside her thighs again.

Cuddy caught her breath, her heart beating faster inside her chest as House kissed the valley between her breasts before he reached for the ice cream on the nightstand, locking eyes with her once more, "Ready?" He asked with a devastating smile, dipping into the ice cream with the spoon while using the thumb of his left to rub her erect nipple, the stage he was setting for her causing an intense pool of liquid heat to build between her thighs.

Cuddy nodded, her eyes tracing every inch of his face, biting down on her bottom lip as House moved the spoon over her left breast, turning it on its side and allowing the soften ice cream to slid off the utensil.

Lisa gasped as the ice cream made contact with her skin.

"Cold?" House asked her with a teasing smile, loving the look in her eyes right now.

"Yes." Cuddy whispered, with her left hand gripping his hip as she felt her nipple peak even higher up into the air.

"Just give me one more second and I'll warm you right back up." House whispered slyly as he placed another small drop of ice cream ontp her other breast, quickly setting the spoon down before sucking in the aching taunt nipple of her left breast into his mouth, his tongue enthusiastically licking it clean within a matter of seconds.

"_God that feels so good._" Lisa moaned, reaching for the back of his head as she felt his hot tongue and mouth moving across her chilled, sensitive, nipple.

House smiled against her skin and moved his mouth to her right breast, covering the abandoned left breast with his hand, massaging and rubbing the cold skin as he sucked and licked the ice cream of off her other breast.

Lisa tighten her grip on hold she had on the back of head, pushing her right breast further into his mouth as her breath became shallow.

House groaned in approval, feeling her pelvis pressing against the bottom of his ribcage with a rhythm that she would use when he was inside of her, the warmth of her soaking wet sex rubbing over the skin just above his belly button.

He moved his right hand down past her flat abdomen, inserting a finger inside of her, hearing her moan out louder this time as she arched her back, slipping a second finger into her before thrusting them both in and out of her using a smooth slow rhythm.

"Greg." Lisa panted gripping his bicep as his mouth continued to suck and tease her nipples, his fingers causing her thighs to tremble as the expertly moved them inside of her.

"Lisa….you feel hot," House murmured into her skin just below her breasts, in a low voice he knew would drive her mad as he flexed his fingers inside of her, "in fact I think I'm going to need to cool you off." He finished, removing his fingers from her as he reached for the ice cream container once more, looking up into her eyes that blazed through the flickering candlelight as he lowered himself down to her pelvis, stopping briefly at her belly button where he place a small drop of the ice cream, tonguing it mercilessly as he cradled the container in his right hand.

Lisa moaned as her left hand entangled itself in the back of head once more, her right hand gripping the sheet beneath them when he lowered himself even further onto her, his mouth now only inches above her aching sex, the knowledge of how the cold ice cream would feel on the most intimate part of body caused the muscles inside of her to contract in anticipation.

House smiled up at her, empowered and turned on beyond belief that he could bring out this side of her that wanted his mouth down on her in the worst way, her left foot stroking his ribcage as she ran her teeth across her bottom lip, watching him as he dipped the spoon into the ice cream again, "Not too much now…..I still want to taste you," he whispered up at her before he turned the spoon and let a small amount of ice cream drop onto her clit.

Lisa gasped, arching her back as her head fell down against the pillow, the cold substance feeling like an icy fire on her now intensely tighten and contracted nub.

Within a second, House moved the container down to the floor beside them, reaching for her legs and placing them over his shoulders as his licked an sucked at the meting ice cream, tasting a the incredible combination of vanilla mixed in with the taste of her, feeling Lisa squirming underneath him as the sensation of hot and cold collided, rushing through every part of her body.

"_Oh god!"_ Cuddy moaned, pushing her pelvis up into his mouth, holding on to the back of his head as he slid his tongue inside of her.

House let out a husky moan, his tongue now soaked with her juices making its way up to her clit, the heel of her left foot pressed into his back, begging him for more, his erection starting to ache from the passion in her movements, his hands now gripping firmly on her hips, pinning down onto the bed as he sucked and licked her clit hard with an intense rhythm, the stubble of his beard grazing against it from time to time just so he could hear her cry out in ecstasy again.

"Fuck!" Lisa cried out, the sound coming deep within her throat as her orgasm erupted in pulsing waves violently over her clit, bucking her hips while moaning out his name, reaching for House hands that kept her in place as his tongue slowed down its movements. "Cet up here and fuck me." She then ordered wanting to get him just as worked up as she was, seeing the fire in his eyes as he made his way quickly back up her body, kissing her as he placed her left leg over his shoulder.

House entered into her slowly, _"God you're so tight,"_ he gasped, looking down at her as he started to pump slowly inside of her, feeling a chill run up his spine as Lisa titled her pelvis, letting him slide deeper into her heat as she pulled him into a kiss, her hips keeping perfect time with his thrusts as he began to speed them up, her teeth finding the side of his neck as he hit the spot that made her moan once more.

"_Oh god! Right there! "_ Lisa urged with and intense whisper, knowing she was close to experiencing another orgasm, hearing House let out a loud shuddered breath as he raced towards his own climax, his hand reaching for her other leg and placing it over his shoulder as well, setting off a shower of fireworks inside of her, her mouth opening as he shut her eyes and road the waves of pleasure, the fine film of sweat on his back accompanied by the last few hard thrust that made him come as well.

Gently removing her legs from his shoulders, House gasped for air, locking eyes with her once more before collapsing on top of her, feeling Lisa wrap her legs around his waist as she embraced him and kissed his neck.

"Twice?" He questioned trying to catch his breath as he lifted his head from her chest.

"Twice." Cuddy confirmed with an exhausted but blissful smile, pulling him closer until their foreheads touched.

"Damn I'm good." House said with a smile, cupping her left breast before placing a small kiss on it, feeling her body shake underneath him as she laughed.


	44. Chapter 44

**Happy Friday everyone! Another busy weekend is ahead of me so not sure when I'll post again. This chapter is a little shorter than most but I hope you guys like it anyway and thanks for the reviews:)**

**Chapter 44**

Waking from a deep sleep the next morning, lying on top of the large king sized bed, Cuddy rolled on her side, reaching for House, only to find his side of the bed empty, blinking her eyes open as the sounds of birds chirping just outside the large window in front of her filled her ears.

Rolling onto her back, Cuddy propping herself up on her elbows, looking over at the bathroom to see if maybe House was in there, pulling her knees up to her chest as she sat up in the bed some more, clad once again in the white muscle shirt she had taken out of House's bag last night.

The bathroom door was open but the light was out. Apparently House had managed to get up, dressed and leave the room without waking her, yawhing she wondered if maybe House had gone up to the shooting range without her just before she heard the sound of a dog scratching at the motel door.

"Get back mutt because I swear if you make me spill this coffee I am going to kick your furry ass!" House growled from the other side of the door before he opened it.

Without hesitation, Max bounded into the room, making a bee line for the bed and resting his chin on upon the mattress while looking up at Cuddy with big brown eyes that held a world full of excitement between them.

"Good morning Max." Cuddy cooed softly to the dog, scratching him on the head and smiling at the seemingly overjoyed expression on the mutt's face this morning.

"How come you're never that nice to me in the morning?" House asked, handing Cuddy one of the Styrofoam cups of coffee he had purchased at the grocery store as he sat down on the edge of the bed beside her, placing his cup on the nightstand.

Cuddy leaned towards him and rubbed the top of his head with her right hand while keeping hold of the coffee cup in her left hand. _"Good boy."_ She teased with a smile.

House promptly took the coffee out of her hand and placed it on the nightstand next to his cup before taking hold of her wrists and pinning her down on the bed.

"You're dead." He said in a low whisper, hovering over her.

The dog immediately stiffened up his posture and released a low growl.

"Uh oh…I think you're in trouble." Cuddy whispered up to him with a smile, amused with the dog's reaction.

"Back off mutt!!" House yelled down at the dog, trying to scare him into submission.

The dog responded by baring his teeth just a little before growling at House again.

"You better let me up before Max takes a chunk out of your ass." Cuddy warned.

"I am not going to let some stupid dog tell me what to do. Besides that fleabag wouldn't know real danger if it bit him in his own stupid ass," House replied before leaning down closer to her.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy asked suspiciously.

"Just shut up and stay still." House replied in soft whisper.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him but did as he asked and stayed silent.

"_Ah look at how pretty she is today." _House then cooed down at Cuddy with a smile while the dog sat next to the bed watching them.

"Oh my god. You need to shut up!" Cuddy said with a laugh.

"Shhh ...." House warned in the same sickenly sweet tone before adding, "_She's so soft and sweet,"_ leaning down closer to her while looking over at Max.

The dog stayed silent, watching him intently.

"In fact she's almost good enough to eat." House remarked with lecherous wide grin, quickly moving his mouth to Lisa's neck and sucking some of her soft flesh in-between his teeth.

"Stop it, you'll leave a mark!" Cuddy yelled, trying to push him off.

Max lunged forward placing his front paws on the bed.

"WOOF!" The mutt said, lowering his head down at House, however this time not bearing his teeth, but instead wagging his tail.

House removed his mouth from Cuddy's throat, "See …..that dumb dog would have stood by wagging his tail while I ravaged you," he said triumphantly.

"That dumb dog knew you were only playing with him." Cuddy remarked smartly. "Now get off of me," she added as he continued to hold onto her wrists tightly.

"Not until you tell me who the big bad wolf is." House demanded, looking down at her with a mischievous grin.

Cuddy exhaled and rolled her eyes. "You are." She said in an exasperated tone.

"Damn right I am." House whole heartily agreed, "And you!" He added, pointing to the mutt. "Get off the bed!"

The dog backed down off of the bed immediately, sitting on his hind quarters.

"See even Max knows who the-" House began to say as he got up, just before the terrible searing pain irrupted in his right thigh.

He reached for his leg as he sucked in a breath, cursing softly.

"_Fuck." _He hissed as his eyes screwed shut.

Immediately Cuddy sat up in the bed, pulling the comforter off of her body, "Where are your pills?" She asked him, swinging her legs off of the mattress.

"On the dresser." House answered, using every ounce of strength he had left to keep his voice from changing pitch in hopes that she wouldn't pick up on how intense the pain really was.

Cuddy moved quickly out of the bed and past Max, reaching the pills on top of the dresser in a matter of seconds.

"How many do you want?" She asked.

"Two." House answered with a clenched jaw, watching as she looked down at him with concern, shaking the pills out into the palm of her hand before placing them in his left hand while he stayed seated on the edge of the bed rubbing his thigh with his right hand.

Witnessing this, the dog timidly moved closer to House and ever so carefully nudged at the hand he was rubbing his thigh with.

Cuddy held her breath, knowing that although House would never intentionally be cruel to an animal, the haggard look on his face told her that he was in a tremendous amount of pain right now and could be capable of anything, she went to make a move to reach for the dog's collar and guide Max out of the room, but stopped when House transferred his hand from his thigh to the top of Max's head.

"Good boy." House whispered hoarsely, knowing that the dog before him, breed to serve its master was trying in the only way it knew how to comfort him.

The dog whined softly, sensing the pain coursing through House's leg, licking the palm of his hand that held the bitter taste of the pills he had just swallowed.

House continued to stroke the dog's head, taking in deep breaths as Cuddy stood in front of him, her hand up to her mouth, fingertips resting on her bottom lip.

"Sit down and drink your coffee, the vicodin will kick in soon." House told her seeing the worry filling her eyes.

Cuddy nodded and sat down next to House, the coffee cup in her right hand as her left hand began to rub his back. "Tell me another story about Jack Marshall." She whispered, falling into the now common routine they would initiate when the pain hit him hard like this.

House took another deep breath, commanding his mind to focus on forming words instead of fixating on the pain, looking over into her cool grey eyes.

"There was this one time when four bikers stopped in the bar….." House started to say, tracing the beauty of her face as the dog nuzzled his palm.

********************************************************

After the pain in House's leg had subsided and Cuddy had gotten dressed, they left the motel room with Max trotting beside them and headed over to the Road Kill restaurant to eat breakfast before heading up to the shooting range where once again Cuddy had spent several hours practiced shooting the pistol as well as getting familiar with unloading and loading the weapon, feel of the gun comfortable in her hands, her mind now confident in its decisions on how to perform the tasks House had taught her.

At two pm they decided to head down to the bar to grab a late lunch, talking to Jack and Sally who joined them at the table while Max sat on the floor next to Cuddy, happily wagging his tail and being rewarded for his good behavior by House who secretly slipped a french fry down to the mutt when no one was looking.

Stopping back in their motel room after lunch with the intent of changing into some sweatshirts because of the cooler weather on top of hill this morning, Cuddy jumped slightly as House moved his arms around her waist from behind as she searched through her bag, his lips brushing gently against the delicate skin on her neck. "You are one very frisky boy today," she said with a smile, closing her eyes for a moment as he started to kiss her throat before he turned her around to face him. "What's wrong?" she then asked, looking up at him and seeing the haunting expression on his face.

"Nothing." House answered in a low tone, moving his hand into her dark hair as his thumb traced her jawline.

"If nothing's wrong then why…" Cuddy started to say, his lips pressing against hers before she could finish the sentence, his hand moving to her back as he pulled her closer to him.

It was then she realized the meaning of his answer, the aching truth that resided in his eyes, now traveling through his touch. Communicating the bittersweet fact that right now, in a motel room surrounded by mountains trees and blue sky…… everything was as perfect as it had ever been between them. Moving her arms around his neck, Cuddy deepened the kiss between them...... time once more their enemy in the struggle to make this perfection last, her lips finding their way to his chin as his hands reached for the hem of her shirt before pulling it off, her eyes meeting his as she placed a palm on his jaw, kissing him softly with full lips before removing his shirt.

Together in slilence, their hands now moved with purpose as they continued to undress each other.

No words uttered between the....... only kisses on bare flesh. Until a soft gasp escaped Cuddy's lips along with a hush of air that whispered through the still and tranquil room as she fell naked upon the mattress with House's hands holding onto on her hips.

He moved on top of her, his bare thighs parting hers once more, the small piece of heaven they had found here, achingly pulling away from them with each passing second as his mouth lowered to her collar bone, his right hand softly caressing her thigh while her hands moved to his back and traveled with grace down his spine. Their actions second nature to them , tender in intimacy that only true lovers know, the sense of losing something that was as illusive as the summer breeze urging them on.

Closing her eyes, Lisa kissed Greg's shoulder, feeling his pulse on her cheek, while the glaring truth that she would never love a man as much as she love him ran over her mind, her mouth too afraid to speak the words aloud to him for fear that fate may take them down a darker path, choosing instead to roll House onto his back before she straddled him, knowing the pain in his leg this morning had been caused by last night as he guided her with passion towards her second orgasm.

Looking up at her, House saw the hint of sadness in the cool grey of Cuddy's eyes and pulled her down towards him so he could kiss it away, his right hand sliding down her back as he whispered her first name into the side of her neck causing her to softly moan his in return as she reached down between them and guided his shaft inside of her.

They made love slowly this time, savoring the moment, with House's lips, tongue and hands moving over ever inch of her they could reach as their hips rolled against one another like the waves of slow breaking tide, Cuddy's hands caressing his chest while her teeth nipped and lips sucked on his skin until she arched her back and gave into perfection, feeling House buck his hips up towards her with a long drawn on moan, the sanctity of his embrace following shortly afterwards as her head found its way to his chest where his beating heart awaited her return.

They stayed that way for awhile, her hand caressing the span of his chest as he remained inside of her, his hand taking a slow and easy path up and down back as they listened to the birds outside their window who were singing their praises to the late afternoon sun.

"We should get dressed and go back up to the shooting range." Cuddy finally said, lifting her head to look up at him.

"We don't need to…you're as ready as your ever going to be." House told her as he moved a stray lock of dark hair away from her face.

"You really think so?" Cuddy asked him with a hesitant voice.

House nodded. Leaning down to kiss her and rolling her onto her back. Refusing to let either of them get out of the bed until the next morning when dawn approached, stealing what little time they had left inside her arms and inside of her.........where everything was perfect.

********************************************************

The next day in the early morning hour of seven am, House closed the trunk of his car and limped over to the passenger side door of the vehicle where Cuddy was standing as she said goodbye to Sally and Jack.

"Take care of yourself and it was a pleasure meeting you" Sally said to Lisa, touching her shoulder gently.

"I will and thank you for everything." Cuddy responded with a warm smile.

Sally then looked over at House and gave him a glare. "Be nice to her and try not to scare her away." she teased, pointing her finger at him.

"Lisa wouldn't know what to do if I was nice to her." House shot back, looking over at Cuddy.

"He's right, being a jerk to me is one of the things I really like about him." Cuddy responded in a heartbeat with a wicked smile upon her lips.

"You know the two of you may just be crazy enough to make it then." Jack chimed in before he gave them both a salute.

House gave the old man a grimace. "Ok this place is getting way to strange….. even for me, which is our queue to get out the hell out of here," he muttered, looking over at Cuddy again.

"Just give me one more minute." She informed him, looking down at the dog waiting patiently at her feet.

"Oh for the love of god, make it quick." House replied with a disgusted look on his face.

Lisa squatted down, coming face to face with Max, placing both of her hands on the big dog's floppy ears before rubbing them gently with her fingertips.

"Bye Max and I promise we'll come back up and see you again." She whispered to the mutt in a soft tone as he looked up at her with big brown eyes.

********************************************************

On the front porch of the grocery store, Max watched the blue car moving across the parking lot headed towards the road, shifting his weight from side to side and whining urgently before yelping.

"What's all of this fuss about boy? They said they'd come back, maybe even as early as the fall to visit us again." Sally said to the mutt as she patted the dog's head trying to soothe him.

Ignoring his mistress, Max bolted through the parking lot towards the car, almost reaching it just as it turned onto the road before he stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the part where the lot and open road met, his heart pounding inside the massive span of his ribcage as he lifted his nose into the air, taking in a deep breath.

Max whined again with a trouble growl following it.

He had thought that the two humans were going to stay with him. He _thought_ the soft spoken woman and tall man with the pain in his leg had come here because they knew this place was safe.

With the summer breeze confirming the sour and pungent scent of danger was indeed coming from the exact direction the man and woman were now heading, Max lifted up his head and howled out in mournful tone, hoping the man and woman would hear his warning and be able to prepare themselves before the danger that smell of rotting flesh crept up upon them and devoured them whole.

********************************************************

Later that morning on the outskirts of Princeton, Bill Martin stood in his bedroom with Ruth as she eyed him carefully.

"What did House say when you told him about the gun?" Ruth asked Bill as he guided the brown leather shoulder harness under his arm before placing the pistol inside of it.

"He told me that if I shot my foot off he wasn't going to be the one to patch me up." Bill replied nonchalantly with a small grin, watching the corners of Ruth's mouth fall into a frown.

"Hey you don't need to worry about me shooting my foot off I promise," He then added softly taking a step towards her.

"It's not that." Ruth whispered, moving her eyes away from his gaze.

"Then what is it?" Bill asked placing his finger on her chin so she would look up at him again.

Ruth reached for Bill's hand and pulled him closer, "I'm scared that you're going to do something to Jeff because of what he did to me as well as what he's being doing to Lisa." she whispered.

"Ruth I-" Bill started to say.

"You have to promise me not to go after Jeff." Ruth stressed interrupting him.

Bill looked away from her, the ability Ruth possessed in reading the thoughts that had now plagued his mind for days, disarming to say the very least.

"I was just going to go and talk to Jeff man to man and tell him to leave us all alone." Bill whispered back to her, feeling the soft touch of Ruth's hand as he looked into her chestnut eyes.

"You know Jeff is beyond reasoning," Ruth said staring up into his steel blue eyes, "and if you act on emotion right now …you'll be playing right into his hands," she told him with an ache to her tone.

Bill exhaled and placed his hand on her waist, "I know…." He conceded, "I just-"

"Want to do everything in your power to make to stop this before it gets anymore dangerous." Ruth finished softly before adding, "but like or not Bill all any of us can do right now is hope that Fan finds the evidence he needs so_ he_can stop both Jeff and Tritter before they make their next move."

********************************************************

Its was close to noon by the time House and Cuddy pulled up in front of Bill Martin's home, with the sun following them all the way here, peaking out behind big fluffy clouds, unaware of the worries in the minds of the two people inside the blue sedan.

Walking up to the front porch, House felt Cuddy reach for his hand and immediately looked down at their fingers which were now intertwined, the last few seconds of the remaining barrier between them and the changes that had occurred while they were away ready to be breached the moment the door in front of them was opened.

"Wanna have a quickie on the porch before we go in?" House asked Cuddy in low whisper, trying to ease the look of anxiousness on her face.

Cuddy let out a small laugh, "Don't tempt me," she responded, just to see his smile again before her finger pressed the doorbell.

Hearing the chime echoing through the house, Ruth immediately got up from the couch in the living room with Bill following closely behind her, "Lisa, I missed you so much!" She said in a soft voice after opening the door, pulling her daughter into a warm embrace.

"I missed you to mom." Lisa responded with a smile enjoying the feel of her mother's touch.

Releasing her daughter, Ruth stepped aside so that Bill could give Lisa a hug as well and was now standing directly in front of House, "You look tired," she said soflty to him after studying his face.

"That's because I-" House started to say getting ready to make a smartass remark about all the sex he had with her daughter this weekend, startled when Ruth moved her arms around his chest and gave him a hug as well.

"Eww get off!" He grumbled, squirming uncomfortably in her embrace.

"Looks like Ruth missed you too House." Bill said with a small smile as he stood next to Lisa who was smiling over at the two of them as well.

"Looks like your not satisfying your girlfriend in bed, otherwise she wouldn't be all over my jock." House responded, shooting Ruth a dirty look as she pulled away from him.

"Relax it was a hug, not rape." Ruth responded back to him rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Keep your sick 'rape the doctor who's doing my daughter' fantasies to yourself Ruth." House replied back just as quickly, wiping off the front of his shirt as if she had infected him with some rare disease.

Ruth let out small laugh. It was a pretty good comeback on his part, but she was far from done.

"We'll talk about my fantasies when we're alone…away from them," Ruth countered looking over at Bill and Lisa before giving House a wink, "but for right now lets go and sit down in the kitchen and talk," she finished, moving past House as he flinched in fear of yet another hug, wrapping her arm around Lisa's waist instead before both woman headed down the ahll towards the kitchen.

********************************************************

"I got a phone call from Fan on our way back here." House informed Ruth and Bill after they had all taken a seat at the kitchen table.

"What did Fan say?" Ruth asked with interest, leaning closer to him.

"He said that he had uncovered some evidence that connects Tritter to Henry Williams." House informed both her and Bill, seeing their faces perk up with hope.

"Fan also said that this was the type of evidence that should allow him to take his concerns about Tritter to the district attorney." Lisa added with a smile, hopeful as well that soon their lives would all return to normal.

"That's such good news! " Ruth reamarked, feeling Bill place his arm around her shoulder as he kept his gaze fixed on House and Lisa who were sitting next to each other as well.

"Well hopefully this will be the first step in getting both Tritter and Jeff out of your lives for good." Bill said with a bit of relief attached to his tone as his eyes met House's gaze.

Studying the older physician, House spoke once more, "So when am I going to see this gun of yours?" He asked Bill as the silent message that they were still too close to danger to let down their guard was conveyed between the men.


	45. Chapter 45

**Ok guys I'm rushed for time tonight but here is the next chaper. It's really long and there's a lot happenning so I hope you'll all enjoy it, and of course reviews are always welcome:)**

**Chapter 45**

**Wednesday…..**

The next morning, at eight am sharp, Cuddy walked into the main entrance of the Human Resources Department for her appointment with Ann Sullivan, dressed in a black knee length skirt, scoop necked pink top and signature black pumps.

Seated to Cuddy's left behind a U shaped desk was a young and attractive woman with dark red hair who Cuddy guessed was in her early twenties.

Hearing the sounds of someone approaching, the young woman turned her head away from her computer, recognizing the Dean of Medicine instantly from her previous visits to the department.

"I'm sorry Dr. Cuddy but Ann is running a little behind schedule, if you would like I can let you into her office so you can wait for her in there." The young woman offered.

"Thank you Shannon that would be great." Cuddyanswered back, studying the small freckles dotted across the secretary's face that gave her a unique kind of beauty all her own.

After Shannon had guided Cuddy down the hallway to the last office on the right, she stepped back and ushered her into the room, "It shouldn't be much longer now," the young woman said as Cuddy took her seat, before she closed the door.

Sitting down in the in the blue cushioned chair in front of the dark cherry desk, Cuddy let her eyes wander around the room as she waited.

Ann Sullivan was five years older than her and had worked at the hospital for almost as long as she had, the two women immediately taking a liking to one another when they had first met, establishing a casual friendship as well as professional relationship throughout the years, going out to lunch every now and then when both of their busy schedules would allow them to escape and talk about anything but hospital business.

The inside of Ann's office was filled with photos of her family and several times when Cuddy had been in here she would often find herself drawn to the picture of the two little girls Ann had adopted from China as infants after numerous failed attempts of having a child of her own with her husband Bruce.

The oldest girl who Ann and her husband named Emily was now smiling back at Cuddy in her kindergarten photograph on the windowsill of Ann's office, the precious face of the sweet child tugging at the part of her that still longed for a child or her own.

Two years after Emily was adopted Ann and Bruce went back to China, bringing home another baby girl who they named Alyssa, the child just as beautiful and precious as her older adopted sister.

Moving her gaze over to the family portrait beside Emily's picture where both girls smiled along with their parents Cuddy took a breath of longing, wondering if she would every be lucky enough to have photos of her own child to fill her office with one of these days, unable to stop herself from thinking what a child mixed with the traits of her and Gregory House would look like, knowing in her heart that back when she had tried to get pregnant with IVF two years ago, extreme interest House had taken in her plight to become a mother was more than just a casual one.

Before any deeper thoughts on the matter could be explored by her churning brain, they were ground to a halt as the door beside Cuddy was opened.

"Lisa, I am sorry I'm late, I was helping Bruce get the girls ready and it took a little longer than usual." Ann apologized, running her fingers through her mussed shoulder length brunette hair. "Now tell me what's so important that you needed to see me first thing this morning," she added placing her briefcase on top of her desk while taking her seat.

Cuddy could not help but smile over at the Ann who had changed from '_mommy' _to HR professional within a few seconds, the tall long legged woman with a confident stride, commanding attention the moment she walked into a room. "I wanted to meet with you because I've been dating an employee here at the hospital for the past few months and thought it was time to make HR aware of the situation," she stated simply.

"I see." Ann replied giving her a look of interest while reaching for the legal sized tablet beside her with her left hand as she picked up a pen in her right one, "and who might this employee be?" she then asked.

Cuddy drew in a breath, "Doctor House." She answered,

Ann dropped her pen onto the desk with a shocked look on her face, "Lisa…are you serious?" She asked with amusement, sitting back in her seat as a huge smile moved across her face.

"Are we talking as friends here or are you trying one of your many HR tactics to gauge my response?" Cuddy asked suspiciously.

"HR tactics? Um I don't think so. In fact, last time I checked our tactics were pretty much limited to asking you a few questions before reviewing our policy on Supervisor-Employee relationships after which I'll decide whether or not to remove House from your immediate direct reports." Ann answered back in a professional manner.

A somber expression overtook Cuddy's face, knowing that House would not last five minutes under someone else's supervision, "So what do you need to know?" She questioned ready to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was more than capable of keeping the unruly physician who had become her lover under control.....well at least as much as someone as House could be controlled.

"Is House good in bed?" Ann asked while a smile crept up upon her face.

"What?" Cuddy asked with a shocked tone as Ann let out a small laugh.

"Oh come on Lisa, we've talked about your dates before in the past when we've gone out to lunch. Surely you're not going to hold out on me now." Ann replied, thoroughly enjoying the look on her colleague's face as she kept her off balance.

Cuddy pursed her lips and mulled over the statement Ann had just made to her. "House is very adequate in bed," she replied coolly while biting back her smile.

Ann studied Lisa's face for a moment before picking up the pen again, "You do know what you're getting into dating a man like him?" She questioned with a touch of concern, glancing back up at Cuddy.

"I know…….and before you ask, House is well aware that our personal lives cannot be part of our professional relationship here." Cuddy assured her.

Ann chuckled, "Well if the two of you actually succeeding in doing that let me know and I'll have you teach a class on it to other people under this roof dating each other," she said before writing down some more notes on the tablet in front of her.

"So exactly how long have you been seeing House?" She questioned.

"Almost four months." Cuddy answered.

"No hanky panky going on hospital grounds I hope?" Ann asked glancing up at Lisa again.

"Absolutely not." Cuddy replied, holding the woman's gaze.

Again Ann looked down at her tablet, scribbling a few more notes onto the yellow legal paper before placing the pen on top of it. "Ok I think I have everything I need." She then said leaning back in her chair once more.

Cuddy felt her heart pick up pace inside her chest, "Ann wait….. I feel we need to discuss this a little further before you make your decision," she stressed, trying her best to plead her case, knowing that in reality it was House's career at the hospital that was at stake right now.

Ann looked into the cool grey eyes of the woman seated before her, "Relax Lisa, I'm not going to remove House from your under your supervision." She replied softly, letting a small smile form on her face once more when she realized her fellow colleague and friend had at last found someone who was worth fighting for on a personal level as well as a professional one.

A crease formed in the center of Cuddy's brow, "That's it? No more probing questions? No scolding for not coming to HR sooner?" She asked, not prepared for things to go as smoothly as they were right now.

Ann crossed her legs smiled once more, "Lisa, believe it or not my many years in HR has made me pretty good judge of people's characters, and since you and I have known each other for quite a long time both personally and professionally there are a few things_ I do_know about you. First and foremost is that you would not enter into a relationship with an employee of yours unless you were certain it was something that was going to be more than just a casual fling that could end up causing trouble for you down the line if things didn't work out, and....I also think you're smart enough to know that you are not to treat Dr. House any differently now then you did before they two of you become involved, so instead of wasting anymore of your time, lets get you to sign this form stating that you do understand what we've just talked about so you can get back to doing your job for this hospital," She said before reaching inside o her drawer and pulling out the form she had spoken of as Cuddy sat across from her in a stunned but happy silence.

********************************************************

Meanwhile across the hall from Ann Sullivan's office, House had just been escorted into the office or a very young HR rep named Nathan Wright shortly after Ann had arrived in her office, his piercing blue eyes sizing up the fresh faced kid that stood up behind the oak desk offering his hand for him to shake while looking as though he wasn't even old enough to shave, let alone tackle the sticky messes a position in HR would bring.

"Dr. House, would you please take a seat." The young man said as House internally laughed at the grown up voice the kid was trying to pull off.

House nodded and sat down in the seat across from the desk, studying the boy's perfectly gelled black hair as the kid nervously brushed a stray piece of lint away from the expense charcoal suit he was wearing.

"Nice suit. Where did you get it? Pimps are Us? House questioned to the young man.

"I….I bought.." Nathan started to say holding onto House's personnel file with his sweaty palms, trying collecting himself as everything he had been warned about from his supervisor regarding the cranky physician in front of him played through in his mind.

_Ok calm down Nathan… you can handle this guy,_ the kid thought, clearing his throat as he opened up the manila folder in his hands.

"Dr. House I can see from your file that you have been an employee and subordinate to Dr. Cuddy for quite some time now." Nathan began, looking up uneasily at House who was watching him like a hawk.

House smiled back at the kid, "That's right _I have _known Dr. Cuddy for a quite a long time, but as you know Nathan it has only been recently that she has started to threaten me into sleeping with her." He announced watching the young kid's mouth drop.

"But my supervisor told me you and Dr. Cuddy were coming in here today because they both of you-" The kid began.

"Forget about what your boss told you kid. I'm hear to speak the truth.......even though you've probably heard some very horrible stories about me, most of them started by Dr. Cuddy herself, but you have to believe me when I tell you they are NOT true. In fact Doctor Lisa Cuddy has made it her mission to turn this entire hospital against me and for years and I could never figure out why she would do that and still keep me here……that was until now." House said with a serious tone.

"Dr House surely you can't expect me to believe-" The kid started again.

"Are you calling me liar?" House challenged adding even more bass to his tone.

"No…it's not that …it's just that well.... Doctor Cuddy is a highly respected physician here." Nathan tried to explain as he felt a cool sweat underneath his armpits spring up.

Seeing his chance for even more amusement at the kid's expense, House interrupted him again. "Nathan…" He said in a more fatherly tone, " you have to understand that Doctor Cuddy suffers from a medical condition that is not her fault," he explained before letting out a big sigh and continuing.

"You see, Lisa Cuddy is what we call a sexual predator…..a nymphomaniac if youwill, who has finally managed to sink her claws into me, her next victim. She has exhibited this type of behavior in the past too, namely with Dr. James Wilson as well as Dr. Bill Martin, but they were too afraid to tell anyone about it. Hell, Dr. Martin almost suffered a coronary because of her insatiable sexual appetite and now..... I live with the day to fear of having Lisa Cuddy ordering me to have sex with her two, or even three times a day. Sometimes in her office, sometimes in my office ….sometimes even in one of the empty exam rooms in the clinic." House confessed with a straight and slightly embarrassed face as the kid's eyes grew wide.

"Go on." Nathan urged, completely under the spell of Gregory House now as he listened to a story that could have been published in the many Penthouse magazines he had purchased throughout his young and horny adult male life.

House held back the laugh trying to escape his throat as he looked over at the kid who was probably getting a huge boner because of the lie he was telling him, "Look I know it sounds crazy Nathan, but you have to believe me. Cuddy has everyone at this hospital snowed and so I had no choice but to do what I had to do in order to keep my job here. Besides how many men do you know that would come running to HR about being forced to have sex with a boss that looks like her? It's only afterwards, when you are alone in your bed that you begin to feel dirty…..at least that's what Doctor Wilson told me." He finished as a wiry smile moved across his face.

Knowing now that he had been duped, Nathan squared his jaw and glared back at the physician smiling in front of him, "Dr. House, this matter between you and Dr. Cuddy is serious and your insistence to make light of it is not helping anyone." He said in a stern voice, getting pissed off at the middle aged doctor who had almost pulled one over on him.

"You don't believe me? Well then, I suggest we call Doctor Wilson as a character witness" House exclaimed in an offended tone, pushing the speaker button on the phone resting on the kids's desk while dialing Wilson's extension before Nathan could stop him.

"Wilson it's House, I am in HR right now with Nathan Wright and he needs you to confess to him about the time Doctor Cuddy touched your special place." House stated as Wilson sighed on the other end of the line.

"House you're an ass." Wilson managed to get out before Nathan pressed his thumb down on the speaker button, disconnecting the call.

"Doctor House this is a waste of time!" The kid yelled in an angry voice as he rose up from his chair, determined to shut the cane wielding bastard up.

"Now you know how I feel!" House shouted back standing up as well and towering over the kid who was five inches shorter than he was before limping towards the door.

Nathan panicked, if House left he would have to tell his boss about what had happened between them and he was still on his 90 day probationary period.

"Dr. House, please come back here and sit down. I can't let you leave until I document that we discussed this matter seriously and I need you to sign this paper or my boss is probably going to fire me." The kid pleaded, finally cracking as he held up the form for House to see.

"Is your boss good-looking?" House asked turning around.

"My boss is a man." The kid answered with a furrowed brow.

"So no way you could sleep with him to get out of this? I mean because of the hair gel I figured you could go either way." House responded pointing at the kid's head with his cane.

"Very funny …." Nathan answered in a defeated tone, looking away from House as he let the form in his hand drop onto the top of his desk.

House shook his head, deciding since Cuddy would ream his ass if he did indeed walk out without singing the paper he would let the kid off the hook, "Listen hair gel boy, I'll make you deal, I'll sign your paper, but our discussion about my sex life with the Dean of Medicine is over. Ok?" He offered with a dull tone.

"Really?" The kid asked in an eager tone, looking every bit as young as his twenty-one years.

"Well don't just stand there, get me a damn pen before I change my mind!" House yelled, just to make the boy jump.

"Right." Nathan answered, scanning the desk until he spotted the pen, grabbing it in a hurry before handing it to House.

Resting the hook of his cane on his right wrist, House leaned down and began to sign the form as Nathan looked on.

"Dr. House…I do need to inform you that from now on Dr Cuddy's yearly reviews as well as any disciplinary action that she makes towards you will be supervised by HR in order to assure fair treatment from both sides." The kid explained with a wary tone, hoping he would not set off the grumpy physician again.

House glanced up at the young man, "Disciplinary action like bondage type stuff? Because actually Doctor Cuddy does do a pretty good job of that now without any supervision," he replied, handing the kid back his pen.

"Are you serious?" The kid asked as his wide eyes filled with testosterone.

House straighten back up, "My boy you have a lot to learn about women and bondage, and when you finally figure it out.... I still won't give a crap," he remarked, purposely leaving the kid's question unanswered as he headed for the door.

At the same time, Ann Sullivan's door swung open as well from across the hall as Cuddy made her way out the office, getting a rather creepy look from the young male HR rep standing beside House before the kid darted his eyes towards the floor, scurrying past both with the signed paper in his hand.

"What did you tell him about us?" Cuddy immediately asked House as they made their way out of the HR Department together.

"I told young Nathan that you were into bondage." House answered, holding the door open for her that lead to the hallway.

Cuddy stopped dead in her tracks after crossing the threshold, turning around to face him as the door swung shut behind House, "You better not have!" She warned in a high pitch.

"Relax the kid didn't buy it anyway." House replied starting to limp down the hallway with Cuddy of course following quickly him.

"Why would say such a thing?" Cuddy then asked in an exasperate tone as she caught up to him.

"Feeling mad? Wanna hit me or something?" House teased her as he glanced down at her cleavage.

"Yes!" Cuddy hissed stepping in front of him so quickly to halt his progress that he almost fell on his ass.

House looked down at her with an evil smile, giving her a nod before he spoke. "Your face has dominatrix written all over it right now. Sure I was really telling the kid a lie when I told him you liked the restraints and whips?" He asked in a low tone.

"You're impossible. Get away from me. Go swab a crotch in the clinic or something." Cuddy answered back, turning and leaving him behind as her high heels clicked beneath her.

"Yes mistress! Anything you say mistress! Please don't hurt me……..wait.....please DO hurt me mistress!" House yelled, taking advantage of the empty hallway they were in as he increased his stride to try and catch up with her.

Cuddy smiled, shaking her head as she walked on, "Get a move on Gimp or else there will be no rubber ball in your mouth tonight," she replied over her shoulder with a sashay to her hips as she rounded the corner to where the elevators were located.

********************************************************

**Later that day PPTH Clinic Exam Room 4……………**

"Mrs. Johnson what can I do for you today?" House said in an overly cheery and sarcastic manner looking down at the patient chart as he walked through the exam room door before closing it behind him, finding Cameron standing where his patient should have been.

"House," Cameron said in a soft voice.

"That's my name don't wear it out, now lets play another game of help the doctor find his patient." House replied, closing the file.

"You're actually doing clinic duty instead of hiding out in your office, in fact you did even come up there to put your backpack away this morning." Cameron commented, taking a step closer to him.

"Actually now that I'm dating Cuddy, _I get to put my nice big __backpack inside her nice warm office whenever I want.... _IF _y_ou know what I mean." House answered waggling his eyebrows in true smartass fashion.

"Do you love her?" Cameron asked in a hushed tone, ignoring the comment meant to keep her prodding from any further into his personal life.

House exhaled with frustration, "Why do you even care?" He asked not liking the uncomfortable situation he was now in thanks to her.

Cameron took a step closer to him, placing her hand on his arm, "Because part of me will always love you." She confessed to him with a tone that had an innocence to it.

"Funny how damaged never loses its shine in your eyes." House replied back to her.

"That's not why I-" Cameron started to argue.

"Why on earth do you want to know if I love Cuddy? Because if I say I don't you'll think there might be hope for us?" House asked sharply, in a tone meant to make her feel as ridiculous as she sounded right now.

Cameron took in a harsh breath, "Only you would see someone opening up to you as a bad thing," she whispered determined not to cry even though his words had hit her in the center of her heart.

House looked directly into her eyes, "Too bad that reasoning doesn't work anymore Cameron, especially since I've obviously opened up to someone who is going to be coming in here soon to make sure I am indeed doing my clinic duty," he told her with a low tone as her eyes darted away from him.

"I don't love you in that way. I just wanted you to know that I'll always be there for you." Cameron replied with a half whisper, forcing herself to look up into his eyes again.

"Instead of telling me all that crap, why don't you go and find someone who actually needs to hear it. You know..... you seemed to have a good thing going with Chase, maybe it's not too late for you to try again with him." House remarked flatly before heading for the door.

"You never answered my question about being in love with Lisa." Cameron stated, trying to take the sting out of the words House had just said to her.

"I think I just did." House answered back before opening the door to the exam room. "Mrs. Johnson?" He then yelled out to the waiting room.

Upon hearing her name being called a plump fifty-two year old woman with dark brown hair stood up, hacking into the Kleenex inside of her hand before blowing her nose with it.

She hobbled over to House who preceded to hand her chart to Cameron.

"Dr. Cameron will see you now." He said as he moved out of the way so that the woman could enter into the room.

*******************************************************

**Wilson's Office 4pm……**

"Aren't you suppose to be in the clinic?" Wilson asked House after he entered into his office and found his friend sprawled out on his couch playing with his gameboy.

"Aren't you supposed to be spreading the gossip about me and Cuddy to all of the other girls?" House replied back, never taking his eyes off of the tiny screen.

"I haven't told anyone about you guys except for your team." Wilson said defensively before House shot him a look of disbelief.

"Ok…ok….I did tell Nurse Brenda…and the two other nurses she was with…and…well one of my fellows." Wilson confessed taking his seat.

"Nice to know I can count on my best friend to keep his mouth shut." House said sarcastically still concentrating on the game.

"So how did your talk with HR go? I'm assuming since you are lying here instead of getting chewed out by Cuddy things went ok even after your phone call to me." Wilson said while leaning back in his seat.

"Met a nice young fellow named Nathan, told him Cuddy was into bondage and then signed a paper that officially states I am doing the Dean of Medicine. So all in all it wasn't that bad at all." House answered, finally shutting off the gameboy before sitting up on the couch.

"You're just lucky that Cuddy has connections in HR." Wilson responded, rolling up his sleeves as House got up from the couch and walked over to his desk.

"Fan called me this morning and told me he wanted to meet with all of us on Friday night. He thinks he may have everything that he needs on Tritter and Jeff to go to the district attorney." House stated as the fingertips of his right hand moved across the edge of the desk.

"That's great news!" Wilson exclaimed looking up at House, "Wait, why don't you think it's great news?" He questioned after seeing the more sullen expression move across his friend's face.

"It still doesn't change the fact that Jeff is going to be released from jail tomorrow." House replied, scratching his temple.

"But at least when Jeff _is_ released there will be someone on the police force keeping an eye on him." Wilson offered.

"Fan can't keep tabs on Jeff twenty-four seven." House reminded his friend.

"I know that, but between the both of us, Bill, hospital security and Fan.......Jeff's going to have a harder time trying to make contact with Cuddy again." Wilson reasoned.

House nodded in agreement, realizing that he had done everything that Fan had suggested he should do in order to keep Cuddy safe and now it was just a matter of hoping that Fan would be able to get to the District Attorney before Jeff and Tritter could make their next move.

*******************************************************

Later that afternoon, a little before 6pm, House and Wilson were standing next to the glass doors outside of Cuddy's office, waiting for her to finish up on some paperwork before they all headed back to her place.

Seated to their left in the outer office was Cindy, who was Cuddy's assistant, her eyes glued to the computer screen in front of her as she sent out appointment reminders for the next board meeting, her eyes glancing up at Wilson who was staring at her…….or to be more specific….. who was staring at her breasts.

When she caught his gaze, Wilson gave her a mischievous boyish grin that made Cindy catch her breath. The handsome oncologist, the kind of man who could make you fall for him with very little effort at all.

After observing Wilson's roving eyes, House looked down at his watch.

Growing more impatient by the moment he rapped his cane against the glass of Cuddy's office doors.

"Let's go!" He yelled in at her through the glass as Cindy shot him a dirty look.

Cuddy had looked up briefly at House and mouthed the words '_I'm coming_' to him before rolling her eyes when the big grin appeared on his face as the sexual interpretation of her phrase filled his mind.

Feeling Cindy's eyes boring a hole through the back of his head House turned around to address her.

"What? Suddenly you're not my friend anymore?" He asked with a condescending tone.

"You never were my friend. You just used me to get information on your _girlfriend_." Cindy shot back, unable to keep from grinning.

Wilson looked over at House with a smile, waiting to see what his friend's response would be to Cindy's little dig.

"Who told you Cuddy's my girlfriend?" House asked, taking a step closer to Cindy.

"The question is who _hasn't _told me that Dr. Cuddy is your girlfriend." Cindy replied, flipping back a piece of her blonde hair before she started to count the names of the people on her fingertips.

"I have heard it from Dr. Chase, Nurse Brenda, a Pediatric Resident, one of the cafeteria workers, Dr. Foreman, and a lab tech just to name a few. Now do want me to continue or are those enough people to satisfy you?" She asked.

House's gave her a glare, "Doesn't anyone in this place have anything better to do than talk about me?" He complained as Wilson started to laugh.

"You should feel flattered." Cindy said in a sweet voice, taking a quick glance over at Wilson with a small smile on her face.

"Listen Cindy, I suggest that you keep your mouth shut before I play a game of ring the cane around the receptionist neck." House warned her with a low tone.

"House...you better stop that or your girlfriend is going to get mad at you." Wilson replied, showing off in front of Cindy who was smiling over at him with the prettiest pair of pale blue eyes he had ever seen.

"Prepare to digest cane oncology boy!" House growled, grabbing Wilson by his shirt, ready to make sure his friend did not get the best of him in front of the bimbo he was trying to impress.

The sound of House yelling outside of her office caused Cuddy to snap her head up from the paperwork she was signing, the visual of House holding Wilson by the front of his shirt sending her legs into action and moving her out of her seat as she headed towards the glass doors. "I swear to god sometimes I really do feel like his mother." She muttered under her breath, halting for a moment just before she reached the doors when she saw House abruptly let go of Wilson as both men turned their gaze towards Cindy who was now speaking to them.

In a split second Wilson's face changed from a defiant grin to a look of shock while House's face had changed from one filled with anger to a ridiculously happy one wiht huge grin that was showing almost every single tooth inside his mouth.

"What in the hell is going on out here?" Cuddy asked harshly after opening up the door and entering into the outer office.

House looked over at her with the huge smile still plastered on his face as Wilson's face held the same blank stare.

"Tell her what you just told us." House whispered over to Cindy with his face beaming.

"I…I can't…..she's my boss…" Cindy whispered back to him as the blush rose up on her cheeks.

"She's my boss too and Wilson's boss as well _and_ since you told us it's only right that _you _tell her. She's gonna find out sooner or later anyway." House argued not letting go of his smile.

"I…..I…." Cindy began to stutter.

Cuddy exhaled, completely annoyed at this point, rubbing her hand over her forehead.

"Just tell me what you said to them Cindy." She demanded in an irritated tone.

Cindy took in a deep breath and looked over at both men before she spoke.

"Well…when Dr. House looked like he was going to punch Dr. Wilson I knew I had to stop them from fighting. So I told Dr. House that he shouldn't be upset about everyone knowing about the two of you." Cindy began to say.

Cuddy face took on a shocked expression, "What do you mean everyone in the hospital knows about us? It's only been a few hours since we were up in HR, how is that possible?" She interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah….the whole hospital knows." House answered quickly, waving Cuddy off with his hand so that Cindy could continue.

Cuddy scrunched her face at House and smacked his hand away before she focused back on her assistant. "Ok let's hear the rest," she agreed, with a sigh as the pretty blonde's cheeks were now turning an even brighter shade of red.

"Well like I said, those two were fighting and I wanted them to stop so I told Dr. House that he shouldn't be upset about everyone in the hospital talking about the two of you because …." Cindy started to explain once more, pausing to muster up the courage to finish her sentence, "because accoring to almost everyone at the hospital the only reason they thing you are dating Dr House in the first place is because he must have a HUGE PENIS….which makes up for all of the ignorant crap he says to you on a daily basis," she confessed, bashfully looking away from Cuddy after she had finished.

"Except she didn't say 'PENIS' the first time…..she said I have a HUGE DICK!" House exclaimed proudly, giving Cuddy a shit eating grin.

"What?!" Cuddy exclaimed as her jaw dropped.

"I'm sorry Dr. Cuddy ….but it does kind of make sense, I mean that would be a very good reason." Cindy started to say.

"Oh god ….I can't believe this." Cuddy muttered with and embarrassed tone, rubbing her forehead as Wilson, who was finally able to break his silence after watching Cuddy's reaction to the news, looked over at House who was still grinning from ear to ear.

"Exactly how in the hell do you come out of this smelling like a rose when anyone else would have been reeking of shit at this point?" He asked his friend in disbelief.

"Ask Cuddy." House replied slyly, elbowing her in the side.

"We are leaving......_NOW_." Cuddy ordered, darting her eyes over to House before walking back into her office to get her purse and briefcase.

"Do you think Dr. Cuddy's going to fire me because of what I said?" Cindy asked both House and Wilson with a worried tone.

"Don't worry Susie …I wont' let her, just leave it up to me and my HUGE DI-" House started to say with another grin.

"House! Shut up!" Cuddy yelled from inside her office, shooting him a death glare when she came into the outer office.

********************************************************

**Thursday Morning**

Inside the large and expensive mansion covered in cold dark granite, Jeff Hansom stood underneath the powerful shower head in his bathroom, letting the stream of hot water wash away the grim and filth of the jail cell that had been his home for the past three days.

During his entire stay there he had not slept, too consumed with the revenge now coursing through his veins as steady as the heartbeat in his chest.

As the hot water continued to run over his tall and muscular body he thought back to the voicemail he had received from Dr. Masters on his cell phone while he was still in jaill, the one he hadn't been able to listen to until this morning after he was released from the police station.

Masters said that Lisa and House had gone to Human Resources and confessed that they had been dating for a couple of months before asking Jeff if he knew that they were a couple, and if that is was why he had been so intent on his bid to become a donor at the hospital, basically accusing him of not being able to let go of a failed relationship with Lisa Cuddy.

Masters was longer someone Jeff needed in his life. The arrogant smart mouthed doctor very lucky indeed that he had other people who needed to be dealt with at the moment.

Turning off the shower, Jeff dried himself off with a towel before slipping on some boxers and heading for the kitchen.

Once he was there, Jeff opened up a large pantry door, pulling out an assortment of candy bars that were placed inside a large plastic tub.

Since he was a kid he always had a sweet tooth but thanks to good genetics, the sugar-laden bars had little if any effect on his perfect teeth.

Reaching inside the tub, Jeff pulled out one of the candy bars, tearing the wrapper open with his teeth before shoving half of the bar inside his mouth. He then reached for the refrigerator door, opening it and taking out a can of Coke.

Jeff popped open the top of the can and proceeded to guzzle nearly all of the liquid inside of it before shoving the rest of the candy bar in his mouth, chewing the mixture of chocolate, nougat and caramel with a clenched jaw.

In a few minutes he would get the sugar and caffeine high he needed to keep him alert, focused and on track. The strange diet, a relied upon staple during his long nights in the past when he had struggled free from childhood poverty to become the man he was today.

The hooker that had been his mother, left behind him in the gutter as soon as he had crawled free from the stench surrounding them both.

Sometimes he wondered about what had happened to her. The woman who was basically no more than an incubator for him. The whore who thankfully had somehow fucked the right John that had given him the good looks and intellect he had today.

But in the end it really didn't matter to him if his mother was alive or dead. If she was still turning tricks at the ripe age of sixty, or if she had long ago been beaten up and left for dead along the dirty of the city streets by her pimp.

Even as a boy he felt nothing for the woman you had given him life, even back then he knew the utter filth of her existence was something he was determined to scrub free from his body regardless of what the cost may be.

Looking up at the clock inside the kitchen Jeff realized he needed to get a move on if he was going to meet Tritter at 9 am like they had planned, tossing the empty soda can into the trash can to his left as he headed down the hall and back into the bathroom.

Studying his face in the mirror, he ran his hand across the stubble on his jaw that was dark and thick thanks to three days worth of growth.

"Is this what you like about him Lisa?" Jeff asked aloud inside the empty bathroom.

"Does it turn youon to feel this against your skin? Rubbing between your thighs?" Jeff continued, looking over at the razor to his right as he contemplated whether or not to shave.

Closing his eyes, Jeff tried to will away the image of Lisa and House together in her bed, her body being covered in the cripple's filth as he moved on top of her…as he moved inside of her.

Opening up his eyes, Jeff gazed at his image in the mirror once more, "You'll see. Once I have everything I need I'm going to make you clean again. Make you understand what happens when you lay down with filth. Then you'll realize that you never should have let that son of bitch touch you Lisa." Jeff whispered before reaching for the shaving cream resting on top of the bathroom vanity.

********************************************************

**Thursday Morning ~~~~ Anchor Road…..**

In the back of an old abandoned church, tucked along a desolate country road, two cars were parked side by side.

One car, a dark blue late model Ford, with four doors, weathered paint, marred with several tiny starches upon its surface, having seen its better days a long, long time ago.

The other car ....black, shiny and new, with a sliver Mercedes emblem fixed upon the hood.

Inside the vehicles two men sat behind the wheels of their cars.

One man, common looking with a round expressionless face, weathered and stained teeth inside his mouth from smoking on endless cigarettes and later on countless packs of nicotine gum as he had seen his better days pass him by, lines etched into the corners of his eyes as he peered out at the crime ridden world in front of him.

The other man was handsome, sleek and powerful with a winning smile upon his face and a killer instinct inside his heart.

As the breeze moved through the aging willow tree beside the church, the handsome man got out of his car and made his way over to the passenger side of the dark blue sedan, reaching for the handle before slipping inside of the vehicle.

Today behind the old church and under the battered wooden white cross that sat atop the steeple, two men would plan to do evil as the stained glass faces of the angels and saints looked down upon them.

"You look a hell of a lot better." Tritter remarked with a smirk to Jeff as he took the seat next to him in the car.

"Tell me about your plan." Jeff answered, letting Tritter know it was time to talk about the business at hand.

Tritter nodded, "Wilson is going to be in for a big surprise tomorrow," he informed the businessman, reaching into the backseat of his car to retrieve the small cardboard box resting on the seat.

"I told you I wanted to go after Bill next." Jeff argued, looking coldly over at Tritter.

"That would be way too obvious at this point and you know it. Especially since your little run in with Ruth." Tritter reminded him with authority.

Jeff held the gaze they were sharing, "Fine, we'll leave Bill alone, for now," he agreed, showing Tritter he was indeed a reasonable man.

Tritter smiled, "I really think you're going to like what I have planned for Wilson," he remarked with satisfaction before handing over the box resting on his lap to Jeff.

Looking inside the box, Jeff pulled out one of several DVD's placed inside it along with a few glossy black and white photos, a smile forming quickly on his lips.

"Did you plant some of this stuff already?" Jeff asked before placing the DVD back inside the box.

"I have one of my men working on it now. Wilson's been spending so much time over at Cuddy's it will be fairly easy to get the stuff into his apartment then later tonight, my guys are goin to put some of that stuff in his car as well." Tritter explained.

"When do you plan on all of this going down?" Jeff asked with great interest.

"Tomorrow evening ..at around six or seven pm." Tritter answered.

"And you'll call me to let me know?" Jeff questioned.

"Yes." Tritter confirmed.

Jeff handed Tritter back the box so he could place onto the backseat again.

"So did you have a nice talk with Williams?" Tritter asked after turning back around.

"Williams is scared shitless." Jeff answered, keeping the details of his conversation with the young punk to himself.

"He should be." Tritter confirmed.

"So when are you going to take care of him?" Jeff asked.

"I am going to wait until Saturday; I want to concentrate on our plan for Wilson first to make sure it goes off without a hitch." Tritter answered.

"You know this Williams could end up running on us." Jeff warned.

"Williams isn't going anywhere." Trttter assured him before adding, "You see when I took Williams into the interrogation room yesterday I made it clear to him that if he even thinks of running I am going to send some of my guys after his mother first before they go after him. I told him I would make sure they broke every finger on her right hand _before _they really started to get rough with her," he explained with a cold and confident smile.

"That's good….that's real good." Jeff replied, admiring Tritter's tough guy tactics.

"Like I told you before Jeff, you do not want me as an enemy." Tritter boasted turning to face him more directly.

"I definitely can see why." Jeff answered, feeding into the detective's ego.

After a few more minutes of discussion, Jeff got out of Tritter's car and headed back to his Mercedes, placing the seat belt across his chest as he watched Tritter pull away in the blue sedan. Another smile emerging from his lips as he thought about how overly confident Tritter had been.

"You may have threatened his mother, but Williams knows in the end _my money_ is going to be the only thing that will keep him alive." Jeff whispered, turning over the engine in his car before heading to his next destination.

There were two other people Jeff needed to see today.

One of them would be offered a large sum of money to help rid of some of the filth that was trying to rise above him.

The other was going to be dead before the sunset.


	46. Chapter 46

**Thanks once again for the reviews guys and I hope you enjoy this next chapter….**

**Chapter 46**

**Friday Morning……2am…**

In the place inside your mind where dreams can turn into nightmares, Cuddy felt the weight of the gun in her hands. Cold metal slipping inside her palms that were sweating. Slate grey eyes glued on the menacing figure of Jeff Hansom as he stood above House who was bound to chair in the center of a room with black walls. A single light dangling down from the black painted ceiling to illuminate her worst fear come to life.

"Get out of here." House told her in an even tone as his eyes moved past her towards the open doorway to her left.

"She's not going anywhere. Isn't the right Lisa?" Jeff said, stepping to the side of House as he ran the blade of the knife over the wooden arm of the chair before resting it on House's right pant leg with the tip piercing the denim of his jeans.

"Stop!" Cuddy yelled, aiming the gun at his head.

Jeff smiled back at her, "You can't stop me Lisa…you should know that by now." He replied with a smile.

"Lisa get out of here!" House ordered. Crying out in agony when Jeff pressed down on the knife. The tip of the blade piercing deep into the flesh of his thigh.

"No!" Cuddy screamed as her finger squeezing the trigger of the gun, the dull sound of clicking coming from where an explosion of gunpowder should be, sending a shockwave of utter devastation to her soul.

"Just watch Lisa. Watch how I make him pay for what you did to me." Jeff whispered. Adjusting the knife in his hand before slicing across House's leg with blade, cutting through skin, muscles and tendons until it found its way to the bone.

"_Noooooooo!" _Cuddy cried out into the still air of her dark bedroom. Her body, jerking in response to being jolted out of its slumber. Her left hand still formed to the grip of the pistol she held in her nightmare.

The sound of her scream caused House to flinch, his eyes opening immediately as reached out for her, a protect hand wrapping around her waist as he pulled her closer to him, "What's wrong?" He asked, catching his breath as he realized that the only intruder inside the bedroom had been her own sleeping mind.

"I was having a nightmare." Cuddy whispered. Looking over at him while trying to make out his features in the dark bedroom.

At first she could only see the outline of his jaw but then as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, his mouth, nose, and eyes all came into view.

He was still here. They were still here together, safe inside her bed.

"Want me to turn on the light?" House asked, feeling the cold film of sweat covering her naked body on the palm of his hand that remained on her hip.

"No…I'll be ok." Cuddy whispered back before she shivered under the covers.

House removed his hand from her waist, noticing right away the strange panic in her eyes when he did so. "I'm just going to get you my shirt to wear." He assured her, holding their gaze for a moment before he reached down for the t-shirt that she had tossed on the floor earlier after removing from his body when they had made love a few hours ago.

Sitting up in the bed, Cuddy pulled the covers up to her chest, "Do you think I woke up Wilson?" She asked as House handed her the shirt.

"If you did he would have been over here by now." House answered watching her pull the t-shirt over her head before placing her arms through the sleeves.

She was shaken and still reeling from the nightmare with a haunted look in her eyes

"You ok?" House asked, placing his hand on the pillow behind her.

"I'm fine." Lisa whispered back, even though her heart was still pounding wildly inside her chest.

"If your nightmare was about Jeff …if he was hurting you… or doing something else…" House started to say.

"He wasn't hurting me." Cuddy informed him, in tone that still felt the ache of the bad dream, "In my nightmare…Jeff was hurting you…." She confessed, closing her eyes as her voice cracked, her emotions suddenly on the edge of collapsing.

"It was just a nightmare, brought on by the fact that Jeff is being released from jail today." House reasoned trying to take away some of the power the bad dream had over her currently, studying her carefully as she looked back over at him with a tortured expression on her face.

"Oh god don't look at me that way. You know I'm getting my period in a few days and that's why I'm so emotional." Cuddy stated, refusing to give into her hormones that seemed to be waging war with her at the moment.

"You know if I would have blamed this on your period, you would have hauled off and hit me in the arm." House told her as his thumb rubbed against the small of her back.

Cuddy let out a small laugh, "You're right." She replied.

"So are you ready to tell me about your nightmare now?" House asked.

"I_ told you I'm fine_." Cuddy stressed.

"Quite being stubborn and just spit it out." House responded, needing to hear what had gotten her so upset.

Cuddy initially gave him a defiant gaze before darting her eyes down to her hands resting on her lap, "I dreamed that Jeff had you tied up to chair with a knife his hand. I had your gun and I tried to stop him from hurting you but when I pulled the trigger nothing happened. Jeff sliced your leg open, severing your femoral artery….and you were screaming. I tried …I tried to stop him but he-"

House cut her off before she could continued, "Don't tell me you're stupid enough to let a meaningless nightmare make you doubt yourself or you ability to fire that gun." He told her as her eyes rose up to meet his own.

"Thanks for the sarcastic vote of confidence." Cuddy replied dryly.

"You know what I meant." House responded staying locked in their gaze.

"I just want all of this to end. The guns, the worrying about Jeff and Tritter. I just want to go back to the way things were before." Cuddy said with weariness to her tone.

"Things can never fully go back the way they were before. At best they'll only be slightly less screwed up for us then they were before." House replied matter-of-factly.

"And at worst?" Cuddy asked.

"We're not going to talk about that now." House answered, easing back down in the bed.

Cuddy looked down at House for a moment before lying next to him in the bed. Her hand finding its way to his jaw before caressing the stubble there.

"Maybe after we meet with Fan today, our lives_ can _start to get back to being slightly less screwed up." She told him with a small smile.

"Go to sleep before I decide you need more lovin from Dr. Feelgood." House whispered to her, moving his hand down to her ass as he gave it a gentle squeeze, still not convinced that the worst of their days were over.

********************************************************

It was nearly 4 am as Ruth sat in the dark living room inside Bill Martin's home, facing the large bay window that provided a wide view of the quiet street before her.

The soft light of street lamp gave the black and slightly damp macadam of the road an eerie glow.

The stillness of night always was an unsettling vision for her to behold, but no more so than the bright light of day that sometimes held far more sinister things within it.

It had been daylight out when Thomas Crane had abducted her on way home from school all those years ago. The false sense that in the light no evil could be done, forever changed as she felt his large hand clamp over her mouth as she looked up into a clear blue sky and tried to scream.

Closing her eyes, Ruth willed the memory away. Back to the place deep within her where it could do no harm. The nightmare she had just awaken from a few minutes ago needing her full attention.

With dark chestnut eyes that stared out into the night, Ruth took in a shuddered breath, replaying the nightmare in her mind. The sound of Lisa voice crying out to her as Jeff pulled her daughter into the darkness of Thomas Crane's basement causing a shiver to run up her spine.

_"Lisa is not Jessica." _Ruth whispered to herself as thumb moved with worry across her bottom lip, "_and Jeff is not going to hurt my daughter…..not as long as I have a breath in my body." S_he added as her heart ached with the unknown that was yet to come in regards to Lisa's future.

"Ruth….are you ok?" Bill asked with a gentle voice as he entered into the living room, finding her with her legs tucked underneath her body as she sat upon the couch. The haunting expression on her face telling him the demons of her past that still plagued her where once again bringing pain into her life.

"I'm fine." Ruth responded in a flat tone as she tried to fake a smile.

"You are not fine." Bill replied, sitting down next to her before he placing his right arm over her shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

Looking up at Bill as the moonlight gave a magnificent glow to the white hair on his head, Ruth leaned into him, "I'm just worried about Lisa." She told him, placing her right hand up to his chest just so she could feel the steady beat of his heart under her palm.

Bill leaned down and softly kissed her lips, "I know this is hard on you Ruth, but after we meet with Fan today we'll be one step closer to getting Jeff out of Lisa's life for good," he said, gently caressing her shoulder with his thumb.

"I hope you're right." Ruth whispered up to him.

********************************************************

Walking with Cuddy to her office as House headed up to the fourth floor where his team was waiting for him, Wilson placed his hand her shoulder. "Are you and House ok?" He asked after witnessing the silence between them earlier as they had all sat down at her kitchen table eating breakfast before coming here.

"We're fine." Cuddy assured him, reaching for the door in front of and giving Cindy a smile as she made her way to the glass doors of her office.

Wilson also looked over at Cindy, giving her a smile as well before following Cuddy into her office and closing the door behind them.

"You look tired." He commented studying the hint of dark shadows underneath her eyes.

"I had trouble sleeping last night, but I'm fine." Cuddy responded, placing her briefcase beside her on the desk as she sat down.

Wilson placed his hands upon his hips, "Is there anything I can do for you to help the day go any faster?" He asked.

"Not really unless you've got six hours of your time to devote to budget proposals." Cuddy replied before leaning forward in her chair, "Wilson I'll be fine, and after we meet with Fan tonight I'm sure I'll sleep much better," she added.

Wilson gave her nod, "Alright..but if you need me today for any reason just me a call," he told her before turning and leaving her office.

********************************************************

**5:30pm…Lisa Cuddy's office.....**

"Any sign of Wilson yet?" Cuddy asked House reaching for her purse as they got ready to go home.

"Not my turn to watch him mommy." House replied waiting for her by the door.

Cuddy ignored the remark and picked up the phone on her desk, dialing Wilson's pager number before hanging up, "How's your patient doing?" She then asked him as they waited for Wilson to call them back.

"He's stable but I still haven't figured out the reason for the fever and increased lower extremity pain." House responded as the phone on her desk began to ring.

"Wilson where are you?" Cuddy asked as she turned to face house.

"A patient of mine who is having a severe reaction to his chemo was just brought into the ER. I'm on my way there now." Wilson answered as he walked down the hallway towards the entrance to the emergency room.

"Do you want us to wait for you?" Cuddy asked.

"No just go back to your place with House and I'll get there as soon as I can. I don't want the two of you to have to wait any longer to hear what Fan has to tell you." Wilson responded.

"Ok, I guess we'll see you then." Cuddy replied before telling Wilson goodbye and hanging up the phone.

********************************************************

A little after five thirty, officer Fan was driving his car in the direction of Lisa Cuddy's house. His final destination a little more than twenty-five minutes away thanks to rush hour traffic. His mind currently swimming with the information he was about to tell her along with the rest of the close knit group of people joining them tonight at her place as his hands gripped the steering wheel.

Deciding to get off the freeway and make the rest of his way to Cuddy's place by using the back roads, Fan took a right and headed down the exit ramp, turning left onto the next road after the stop sign.

"Dammit." He suddenly muttered under his breath, glancing in the rearview mirror and seeing the same dark maroon car that had been following him for a half of a mile peaking out from behind the car that was sandwiched between them.

Shaking his head, Fan reached for his turning signal and pulled onto the side of the road. Not surprised in the least when the maroon car pulled up behind him, the two men inside the car although dressed in civilian clothes, recognized by him immediately as two of his fellow officers that Tritter had securely placed under his thumb.

********************************************************

Twenty minutes later, Wilson had just turned off of the freeway exit that would lead him to Cuddy's place, looking down quickly at the clock on the dashboard.

He was running late, but not too late, and hopefully should be able to arrive at Cuddy's before Fan did.

With his foot on the brake, Wilson looked right, left and then right again at the stop sign before he turned onto the street in front of him, applying pressure to the gas pedal underneath the sole of his right shoe. Immediately looking up into his rearview mirror when the sound of a siren, accompanied by flashing lights of the police car came roaring up behind him.

"Just great." Wilson mumbled, thinking he had been caught in a speed trap before pulling his car off to the side of the road, not knowing a few miles away from him Fan's car was also pulled alongside the suburban street in the opposite direction.

********************************************************

**5:45 pm….**

After pulling out of the driveway of his home, Bill pressed his foot on the gas pedal and turned his car in the direction that would lead both him and Ruth, who was seated beside him in the passenger seat to Lisa's place.

"I hope Fan has some good news for us." Ruth commented as she stared out at the road through the windshield.

"I'm sure he will." Bill replied back to her, place his right hand over hers briefly before resting it back on the steering wheel as he made his way down to the end of the street, turning right onto a busier main road filled with rush hour traffic.

"Oh I forgot to tell you when Lisa called me earlier she said Wilson may be a little late." Ruth said as the car started to pick up speed.

Before Bill could respond to Ruth's statement, the flashing lights and siren of an unmarked police car came racing up behind them.

Looking into his rear view mirror, Bill pulled off to the side of the road, placing the car in park before looking over at Ruth who was staring into the passenger side mirror intently.

"What is on earth is he doing?" Ruth asked shifting her gaze back to Bill.

"Just stay clam." Bill whispered, looking back at Tritter through the rear view mirror.

********************************************************

**6:35pm Wilson's car….**

Keeping his hands on the steering wheel, Wilson looked into the rear view mirror, watching as one of the cops got out of the cruiser and approach the driver's side door of his car while the other cop who was riding in the passenger seat exited the vehicle and walked up to the trunk.

He rolled down his window as he waited for the first cop to reach him.

"Do you know why I stopped you sir?" The cop asked.

"I know I was speeding officer and I am sorry." Wilson answered. Wanting nothing more that to get the ticket and be on his way.

"Actually that was only_ one_ of the reasons why I stopped you. The other reason is because you've got a busted taillight." The cop said looking back at his partner.

"That's impossible officer, I would have noticed something like that." Wilson replied back quickly.

"Are you calling me a liar sir?" The cop responded with a bit of authority to his tone.

"No, not at all officer" Wilson answered, taking a glance back at the second officer who was now squatted down behind the trunk inspecting the taillight on the left hand side of the car.

"Do you want my driver's license and registration?" Wilson offered, returning his gaze to the first officer.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?" The first cop asked looking down at Wilson suspiciously.

"I'm not in a hurry to-" Wilson began to say before his eyes moved back to the rear view mirror when he noticed the second officer standing back up and giving a nod to his partner.

"Open the trunk and step out of the vehicle sir." The first officer said abruptly.

"Why?" Wilson questioned with confusion.

"Are you disobeying my orders as a law enforcement officer?" The cop asked with a stern tone, placing his hand on his weapon.

"No officer, not at all." Wilson said with a wary tone, reaching under the steering column and popping open the trunk as an uneasy feeling began to settle in the pit of his stomach.

"Hey Foster, you need to get back here and take a look at this." The second cop yelled who was standing by the trunk.

The cop looked down at Wilson who was beginning to unbuckle his seat belt. "When you exit the vehicle I want you to turn around slowly and keep your hands where I can see them as we both walk back to where Officer Brennen understand?" Foster instructed.

"Ok officer anything you say," Wilson assured the rugged looking cop with the flat nose, compiling with the officer's orders.

The second officer, who was a tall and slender man met Wilson's gaze with a disgusted look on his face as both he and the first cop made their way back to the trunk.

"You are one sick son of a bitch." Brennen muttered to Wilson before glancing over at his partner, "Foster you are not going to believe what this sick fuck has in his trunk," he continued as the first cop grabbed Wilson by the back of his shirt, guiding him towards the rear of the vehicle.

Wilson looked into the trunk and felt his heart sink into the bottom of his chest before it began to beat wildly.

"That stuff is not mine!" Wilson exclaimed looking up at both officers who were standing to his left.

"Sure that's what the all say you perverted bastard." The first officer remarked before slapping the cuffs on Wilson and pushing him by the neck down towards the trunk.

"Officer I am telling you this stuff is not mine!" Wilson pleaded as his eyes stayed glued to the contents in the trunk.

The first cop reached inside Wilson's back pocket to retrieve his wallet.

"Well would you look at this? Hey Brenner..... says here this guys a doctor." Foster scoffed to his partner, handing him Wilson's driver's license.

Brennen looked down at the image of the dark haired physician. "So Doctor James Wilson. What do you think your patients are going to say when they find out that you are into kiddie porn?" The cop asked sarcastically as he leaned down to look at the stunned man whose eyes were wide with shock.

"I told you this stuff is not mine." Wilson repeated in a numbed tone as the glossy black and white pictures of children in various sexual positions stared back at him from inside the trunk of his car.

"Come on let's get this asshole inside the cruiser." Foster said to Brenner before grabbing Wilson back the back of his shirt again.

********************************************************

**Tritter's Car…….**

Shutting off the engine to his car, Tritter smiled, watching as Ruth continued to look back at him through the passenger side mirror of Bill's white Cadillac. "Ready to play Ruth?" He then whispered in a low tone before he exited the vehicle

He had been keeping an eye on the older couple for a few hours now just to make sure they would not be the way when his two men arrested Wilson on the phony kiddie porn charges. His experience in using the law to his advantage also helping him in making the decision to send two of his other men after Fan to teach the officer a lesson on what happens to cops who don't play by the rules of his game.

Just as he reached the trunk of Bill Martin's car, Tritter's cell phone began to ring.

"Is it done?" He asked waiting for Officer Foster to reply.

"Yep, we have Dr. Wilson inside the cruiser and we are taking him downtown as soon as we get the evidence out of the trunk." Foster confirmed, standing on the outside of his vehicle while looking in at the physician handcuffed in the back seat.

"Good job Foster and remember to make sure to send a team over to Wilson's apartment ASAP." Tritter replied with a smirk before hanging up, making a mental note to call Jeff as soon as he was done having a little fun with the older couple who were watching him intently from inside the parked car in front of him, taking the last few steps towards the driver's side door.

Bill had already rolled down his window and was watching Tritter carefully as he as the detective placed his cell phone back inside his suit jacket pocket.

"Need to look at your license and registration." Tritter said dryly, resting his hand on the edge of the car door.

"You know Bill hasn't done anything." Ruth challenged, looking up at the arrogant detective.

"Shhh Ruth …it's going to be ok." Bill whispered over to her as he reached for his wallet.

"You better listen to Dr. Martin and keep your mouth shut Mrs. Cuddy." Tritter warned, keeping the smug look on his face as Bill handed him his driver's license before the old man reaching across the vehicle towards the glove box to retrieve his registration.

"Hold it right there Dr. Martin!" Tritter suddenly commanded in a loud tone, pulling out his weapon.

Bill froze realizing that when he had leaned over, Tritter had spotted the gun he had tucked inside the shoulder harness which had been concealed underneath his suit jacket.

"Tritter I can explain-" He started to say.

"Step out of the car NOW!" Tritter barked with a booming voice of authority, pulling the driver's side door open while keeping his gun pointed at Bill's head.

"Bill has a permit to carry the gun on him!" Ruth shouted back at Tritter as her hand reached out to take hold of Bill's arm.

"Shut your mouth and keep your hands off of him!" Tritter warned her never taking off of Bill.

"Ok Tritter, I am doing what you are asking me to. Ruth, it's ok." Bill said calmly as he began to remove his seatbelt.

"I said out of the car….NOW!" Tritter shouted, reaching for Bill's left arm and pulling him forcefully out of the vehicle before dragging him towards the front of the Cadillac and slamming him face first against the hood.

"Let go of him!" Ruth yelled at Tritter from inside the car, unbuckling her seatbelt in an instant as she pushed the passenger door open.

"Stay right where you are Ruth or I will not hesitate to shoot!" Tritter warned, pointing the gun at her as she rounded the front of car, heading straight towards him.

"Ruth stop!" Bill pleaded.

"Stay down!" Tritter growled shoving Bill against the hood of the car again when he had tried to stand up.

A gasp of air escaped Bill's lungs as his eyes locked on Ruth whose hands had balled into angry fists. Her eyes cold and piercing as they focused in on Tritter, "Ruth please stop," he wheezed as his lungs tried their best to fill with air again.

The sound of his voice garnered her attention.

"Bill.." Ruth whispered, her eyes connecting with his as he struggled to breath before rising to meet Tritter's gaze once more.

"You son of a bitch let him go!" She then hissed with a voice that held the anger of every bad thing that had been done to her by Crane inside its tone.

"Take on more step towards me Ruth and I will shoot." Tritter responded coldly, pulling back the hammer of his gun.

********************************************************

**Lisa Cuddy's Residence……**

Walking through the doorway that led from the garage to the kitchen, Cuddy placed her keys on the kitchen table as House followed her inside, her head abruptly turning as the long and mournful wail of a siren entered into the air around them.

A few seconds later, as if it had heard the call if its mate, another siren joined in the mournful serenade that way being played across the city of Princeton.

When the sound of a third siren erupted into the air, House and Cuddy gave it each other a knowing glance as their feet guiding them both into the living room.

Something big and menacing was happening and people were going to be hurt.

Riding up on the backs of the three previous wailing sirens came a fourth and more powerful siren. Its sound almost completely eclipsing the others. Its presence, quickening the heartbeat inside Cuddy's chest as House reached for the remote, turning the channel to the local TV station.

Within a few seconds the image of the male anchorman appeared on the screen, the man adjusting his ear piece just before he spoke……

"_**We are interrupting you regularly scheduled program to inform you that a total of four fires have been reported across the surrounding Princeton area….."**_

"_**The exact locations of these fires have yet to be confirmed…and there are several of our crews are in route to these areas.**_

"_**We will be updating you with that information once it is received……"**_

"Oh god." Cuddy whispered with her eyes glued to the screen.

Looking out of the front window of Cuddy's home, House's eyes grew wide, "We need to get back to the hospital." He said in a hollow tone, looking out at the four plumes of thick black smoke that were rising up into the horizon.

"Get the car out of the garage and I'll meet you in the driveway." Cuddy replied, reaching inside her purse to retrieve her cell phone.

Without saying another word, House limped out into the kitchen, snatching the keys from the table before heading back out into the garage.

The roar of the sirens became even louder as a mixture of neighboring smaller fire companies joined in the now eerie chorus, the musical chaos accompanied by baritone voice of the TV news anchor filled the living room as Cuddy dialed the mainline to the hospital.

"_**We have now just received confirmation on the locations of all four fires and they are as follows….**_

_**Bridgewater Baptist Church on Walker Street…**_

_**Oakridge Feed Mill on Vanhorne Road….**_

_**Princeton Meadows Apartments on Washington Street…**_

_**And Montgomery Cinemas on Freeland Drive….."**_

"_**Because all of these locations are spread out so far from one another, fire crews are stretched thin as they try to contain the blazes and are asking for all neighboring counties to send help….."**_

"_**The location of these fires are in highly populated areas and city official's fear there could be several people injured as a result of the fires…."**_

********************************************************

Leaving the car running in the driveway, House limped at a fast pace back into the garage, almost reaching the door that led to the kitchen before a sharp and radiating pain shot through the back of his head.

He fell his knees as they buckled, his body falling towards the floor as mentally he was preparing for the feel of his face smacking against the hard concrete, letting out a gasp of utter shock when a pair of strong arms gently lowered him onto the surface.

His vision became blurred as he felt something warm and wet running down the left side of his face.

Out of reflex, on the edge of unconsciousness, he reached up with his left hand to feel the back of his head where the pain was coming from. His fingers registered the knowledge of the huge gash in the back of his head to his brain, his eyes trying to focus on the pair of black men's shoes that had moved beside him.

"_No_." House croaked in voice barely above a whisper, moving his gaze up to the man who wore the black shoes.

"It's nice to see you again too House," Jeff replied, watching the cripple at his feet struggling to lift his head up off of the concrete as he wiped House's blood from the butt of the gun onto his blue dress shirt.

"_You fucking bastard……" House_ mumbled, grabbing for Jeff's shoes as he stared to feel the darkness close in around him.

Jeff simply smiled down at him, reaching to his left as he pushed the button to close the garage door. "Lisa and I are going to have a lot of fun while you're out here in the garage." He then whispered, bending down to grab House's arms once the door had shut completely, binding House's hands together with a pair of thick plastic zip ties.

House tried to wrestle his arms free but the wave of unconsciousness was now turning into a raging tide from which he could not escape.

"_I'll kill you. If you touch her I'll……"_ House slurred before the rouge wave trauma pulled him into an ocean of utter blackness.

Letting out a soft chuckle, Jeff grabbed House's feet, binding them together with another pair zip ties as well before connected House's bound hands and feet with another final pair of zip ties, essentially hog tying him.

Pulling on the ties to make sure House was secured bound, Jeff then tucked the gun in his hand underneath the waistband of his pants, behind small of his back.

********************************************************

"Dammit." Cuddy muttered under her breath as the line rang busy, closing the phone before she tucked it back into her purse, still standing in front of the TV as her eyes focused on the images of the fires now flashing across her screen.

"House we have to hurry, this looks really bad." She then yelled out into the kitchen after hear the back door close, keeping her eyes glued to the TV screen, the sound of raging sirens masking the fact that the man walking into the living room was not aided by the dull thud of a cane.

"Don't worry Lisa, I can assure all of the really bad things are going to be happening right here." Jeff said in a low whisper as he stepped behind her.

TBC....

_***And yes I know I am leaving you with a very intense cliff hanger and will try my best to update no later than Monday as weekends are very busy for me. Hope you enjoyed this latest installment and as always please let me know your thoughts.**_


	47. Chapter 47

**Ok so far things have worked out fairly well with my weekend which means of course I've had time to edit and post another chapter...... however we are now at a very dark part of this story so…..**

***FAIR WARNING TO ALL READERS, THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET VERY INTENSE AND THE SUBJECT MATTER WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC***

**Chapter 47**

_**RUN! RUN! RUN!**_

Cuddy's mind screamed at her after feeling the heat of Jeff's breath against her neck, but the sad truth was there was no place for her _to _run. Jeff was blocking the only escape out of the living room and she was trapped.

As the seconds ticked by, anchored in fear, Cuddy found herself unable to move, frozen in terror.

"I've missed you Lisa. Did you miss me?" Jeff asked, moving his hands up to her hips.

Cuddy turned around quickly, using the only weapon she had available to her, removing the purse from around her shoulder and striking Jeff across the face with it before she ran past him.

"_HOUSE!"_ She yelled out at the top of her lungs, running from the living room, past the staircase and heading for the front door.

"You are not going anywhere you little bitch!" Jeff screamed from behind her, grabbing her by the hair and dragging her back down the hallway just as she had reached for the doorknob.

Cuddy's hands went up to her hair where Jeff was holding onto her.

Her fingernails digging into his skin as clawed at his hands trying to break free.

"Let go of me!" She screamed as she tried twisting her body free from his grasp.

Jeff merely smiled down at her, tugging at her hair with great force as he brought her within inches of his face.

"You don't understand yet Lisa. You DO NOT tell me what to do…but soon enough you'll learn." He whispered before slamming her up against the living room wall and grabbing her by the throat with his right hand.

Cuddy felt a sharp pain radiating up her spine as the air escaped her lungs, leaving her gasping for breath as she grabbed hold of Jeff's right arm with both of her hands to try and pull herself free from it.

"Run away from me again and I'll break your fucking neck you little bitch." Jeff warned her through gritted teeth.

Cuddy's eyes were wide with fear, taking in every part of Jeff as he his thumb pressed down on her larynx, his face holding a wild and crazed expression, the monster hidden within him finally revealed to her, along with the fact that his wrinkled blue shirt was stained with blood.

_Not Greg...please God...let Greg be ok_, she thought as let out another desperate gasp for air.

In the background surrounding them Cuddy's cell phone and pager were frantically going off where they lay scattered on the living room floor, having spilled out from inside her purse while beside her the television continued to play, announcing the new and morbid details of the raging fires.

**_"We have just confirmed at least one fatality as a result of the fire in_** **_Princeton_****_ Meadows Apartments on _****_Washington Street_****_……"_**

Jeff immediately took his focus off Lisa's face and looked towards the TV, jerking her away from the wall and pulling her body against his own body so that her back was facing him, wrapping his strong forearms just below her breasts so that the both of them would be facing the screen.  
_  
"HOUSE!" _Cuddy cried out again.

"Shut the fuck up!" Jeff yelled into her ear, removing one of his arms from around her ribcage and clamping his hand down on her mouth, smashing her lips against her teeth.

"You see that Lisa? See all of that power and destruction? That's all because of me!" He then whispered harshly into the side of her face pulling her tighter against him. "I hired a man to start all those fires knowing that the cops as well as the fireman in this city would be scattered across the Princeton trying to control them. I did that because I needed time to make you pay for what you did to me," he continued lowering his tone while becoming aroused at the feel of her body pressed against his own.

Cuddy was trying with all of her might to squirm free of Jeff's grasp, letting out a moan filled with frustration, anger and fear.

"God you smell so good Lisa." Jeff muttered against her cheek, moving his left hand underneath the fabric of her pink sweater, his fingers caressing her stomach before moving upwards towards her left breast.

Screaming out again into Jeff's hand, Cuddy sunk her teeth into the soft flesh of his palm with all of her might.

"You bitch!" Jeff cried out in pain.  
_  
"Get your fucking hands off of me!" _Cuddy screamed, stomping the heel of her left shoe against Jeff's foot as hard as she could.

"_Fuck! You fucking little bitch!"_Jeff yelled stumbling backwards and thereby releasing her from his grip.

Again Lisa took off running, focusing everything she had inside of her to keep her legs moving as the spasms pain from her collision with the living room wall ran up her back, desperately trying to reach the front door one more time.

_**RUN! RUN! RUN!**_

Her mind screamed.

Just two more steps and she would be at the front door.

Two more steps and she would be free. The feel of the cool brass doorknob now registering onto her fingertips as she started to pull the door open.

"I warned you." Jeff growled hoarsely from behind her, slamming his palm against the door to prevent her from opening it, leaving behind the smudge of a bloody palm print before he gripped her roughly by the shoulders, turning Cuddy around and throwing her against the door as he began to choke her again, this time wrapping both hands around her slender throat.

"I was good to you! I treated you like a lady! And what did you do? You went out and fucked that cripple behind my back!" Jeff screamed at her watching as Lisa struggled to breathe under his grasp, seeing her grey eyes wide with fear before he abruptly let go of her, staring at her coldly as she collapsed down onto the floor beneath them.

He did not want to kill her…not just yet.......he had other things he wanted to do to her first.

Cuddy gasped, taking in deep ragged breaths while fighting against the dizziness she was experiencing due to the lack of oxygen to her brain.

_I have to get away from him. I have to get away from him or he's going to kill me, _she thought crawling back towards the door even though Jeff hovered above her.

"Come on Lisa let's make up for lost time. I missed you so much and there's so many things I want to do you but I'd rather do them up in your bed instead of fucking you down here on the cold floor." Jeff whispered as he bent down to pull her up into his arms again.

_"Get the fuck away from me!" _Cuddy screamed as her vocal cords strained under the trauma that had just endured, her left arm swinging back towards him in an attempt to elbow him in the side.

"Don't' fight too hard Lisa…I really want you to fuck me as good as you do House." Jeff told her with a laugh, picking her up from the floor before pushing and shoving her towards the staircase.

"Leave me alone!" Cuddy yelled, trying to move past him and away from the staircase, but the dizziness and pain in her back were working against her.

"You know Lisa I never knew how much you liked to fuck until the guy I had following you played me a few tapes he had recorded from the mics he left up in your bedroom and I must say hearing you moaning like some little whore has made me realize where I went wrong with you, but don't worry I'm going tomake it up to you and treat you like the little slut you are." Jeff told her, enjoying the pale and horrified expression on her face, giving here another hard shove until she fell backwards onto the foot of the steps.

Cuddy kicked at him with her shoes, hitting him twice in the shins before Jeff grabbed onto both of her feet as he looked down to where her skirt had risen up to her thighs.

"I really do love that skirt on you Lisa........ in fact I may let you leave it on while I fuck you in all the ways House never could." Jeff told her before grabbing her arm and yanking her upright again, pulling her up the staircase with him.

"No!" Cuddy yelled, kicking and hitting him with her fists and feet, trying like hell to fight him off.

"You want to play rough? Well guess what Lisa? That's exactly what I had in mind!" Jeff hissed twisting her arm behind her back until she cried out in agony, "Now get up those fucking stairs before I bend you over this railing and fuck you right here!" He shouted, pushing her step by step up the staircase while continuing to twist her arm until they reached the second floor.

Cuddy was now in her bare feet, her shoes having been kicked off as she fought against him, her arm on fire with a scorching pain feeling as if it had torn out from the socket and yet somehow she mustered up the strength to bend her knees, and push her body back against Jeff, sending them both tumbling down the stairs.

Jeff hit his head against the solid oak banister as the gun that was tucked into the back of his pants gouged a hole into his skin leaving him lying dazed and confused as he reached for his head while feeling the sharp pain radiating in his lower back.

With her arm throbbing and her heart pounding, Cuddy crawled up the steps as fast as she could, getting to her feet as she reached the second floor before running towards her bedroom, heading for the gun that was tucked inside the nightstand on her side of the bed.

_**RUN! RUN! RUN!**_

Her mind begged with a gut wrenching cry as she turned the corner.

_**HURRY! HURRY!**_

It pleaded as she jumped onto the mattress and ran across it rather than make her way around it, pulling the drawer to the nightstand open.

She reached for the gun and gripped it tightly, swinging it around when she heard the sound of Jeff's breathing behind her as he reached the doorway of her bedroom.

_**NOW! NOW! NOW!**_

Her mind screamed before she pulled the trigger.

_Click….click….click……._the gun whispered.

Lisa gasped as the gun refused to fire, her eyes locked onto Jeff as he started to walk towards her.  
_  
Pull back the slide, aim and……… SHOOT!,_ Lisa thought, fighting back her tears, repositioning the gun as Jeff made his way towards her.

_Click…click…click……._the gun whispered once more.

*******************************************************

Along the side of the road, in the company of two fellow officers that Tritter had in his back pocket, Fan was trying his best to convince the men beside not to go along with the plans the detective had laid out for them.

"You guys know me. Do I really seem like the type of guy who would NARC on his brothers?" Fan argued while keeping his tone even.

"Tritter thinks you're a rat and that's good enough for me." The first cop in plain clothes responded, taking a step towards him.

Fan looked over at the second officer, seeing the indecision expressed in the cool green of his eyes, "Gary, we've been partners before in the past. Tell Steve what you know about me. Tell him that Tritter is way off base with this stuff," he urged the man.

The second officer looked down at the ground for a moment, "Steve…I....I believe Fan…" he started to say before he voice was eclipsed by the sound of raging sirens cutting through the air around them.

"What the hell?" The first officer said as his eyes moved upwards to the plumes of thick dark smoke rising up into the clear blue sky as the radio inside both his and Fan's cars began to go off.

"We need to go." Fan stated flat as he turned to leave.

"Not yet." The first officer warned, grabbing hold of his arm.

The second officer darter his eyes quickly over to his partner, "Come on Steve let's go, its not like we're not going to know where he is and besides when we get to the fire, Fan's going to be surrounded by so many cops he wouldn't dare to try and make a run for it." The man reasoned as Fan looked over at them both.

Steve nodded back to his partner before focusing his gaze on Fan, "Ok ....but this is over between us and remember even if you do make a run for it. You're not going to get too far," the cop warned.

Fan nodded back to the man as the the first officer released the hold he had on him, all three men then heading towards their vehicles and speeding down the suburban streets towards the city of Princeton with Fan taking a sharp right just as they reached the city limits as the car with the two cops ahead of him merged into the center of the pack of black and white cruisers, his gut telling him he needed to go back to the location where he had been stopped by them.

********************************************************

Turning off the exit ramp and heading towards Lisa Cuddy's place, the tires on Fan's car let out a loud screech of protest as he slammed on the brakes after spotting Tritter, Ruth and Bill along the side of the road.

Tritter had Bill face down against the hood of the Cadillac, with his gun pointed at Ruth Cuddy who was standing in front of the car, facing him.

Tritter, Ruth and Bill were so caught up in their own saga at first they did not even notice Fan's car when he initially passed by them, however when he jerked the wheel and squealed his tires for a second time they all took notice.

Fan turned the car around in the middle of the roadway which was left empty because of the traffic jam on the freeway and exited the vehicle.

Ruth watched Fan get out of his vehicle with his gun drawn, her heart pounding like the engine of a freight train in her chest, Fan's stocky frame squared with purpose, his eyes focused and clear as the sound of siren's were wailing around them.

"Put the gun down Tritter!" Fan commanded, stopping in front of Tritter's car that was parked behind Bill's Cadillac.

Tritter moved the gun away from Ruth, aiming back on Bill, "This man was carrying a concealed weapon," he replied coolly, not backing down an inch.

"I said put the gun down!" Fan ordered.

Tritter gave Ruth a warning look before he leaned over and spoke to Bill, "You stay in that position or I will blow your head off," he said coldly before turning and taking a step towards Fan.

Tritter placed his hands up in front of him while still keeping hold of his gun in a mock gesture of good faith.

Fan let Tritter take a few more steps towards him before he stopped him.

"That's far enough, now put the gun down." Fan told the detective, keeping his gun pointed at him.

Tritter sucked in his bottom lip before he spoke.

"Think about what you are doing Fan. Think about who you are messing with. It's not too late you know. All you need to do is turn around and walk away." Tritter said in a low and steady tone, conveying his message in his voice as well as in his eyes.

"Put your weapon _down_." Fan responded, keeping his voice as strong and steady as Tritter's.

"You do know you are committing career suicide right? And by the time I'm through with you …..you'll never work as a cop again." Tritter threatened.

Behind them, Ruth had quietly made her way over to Bill as he slowly got up off of the hood of the car, both of them watching the showdown going on between the two in front of them silently until Ruth saw Bill move his hand over to his heart.

"Are you ok?" Ruth whispered up to him with worry filling her eyes.

Bill nodding and stepped back a bit to rest his hand on the hood of the car.

Through the sirens and cries of the ambulances Tritter's well trained ears caught the sound of Bill's feet shifting against the gravel, his body turning around in an instant as he pointed the gun at Bill once more.

"Get back down on the hood of that car …NOW!" Tritter yelled pulling back the trigger.

The volatile situation had gone on for far too long now and the time had come for Fan to lay his cards onto the table and put and end to it.

Keeping his gun aimed a the back of Tritter's head, Fan walked in a long silent gait up to the detective who was turned around facing Bill the cold steel of his weapon pressing softly again Tritter's temple.

"Speak Agent Frank Collins FBI…_.NOW DROP YOUR WEAPON OR I WILL PUT YOU DOWN! " _Fan announced with strength and integrity in his voice that commanded attention, leaving no doubt that Tritter would be dead if he did not comply.

"You just made a fatal error my friend." Tritter whispered, dropping the gun to the ground, his mind not yet comprehending that his power had just been trumped by a higher authority.

Fan took out his cuffs and slapped them on Tritter while Bill and Ruth watched him with wide eyed shock.

"Are you two ok?" Agent Collins asked them.

Ruth and Bill both nodded in agreement.

"Good ......then go and check on House and Lisa to make sure they are ok too and call me if you need me." Collins told them as he pulled Tritter back towards his car.

"Thank you." Bill whispered giving a quick nod to the FBI agent before he and Ruth got back into his Cadillac.

********************************************************

**Lisa Cuddy's Bedroom…..**

"You know Lisa the bad thing about guns are…… if someone takes the bullets out of them they aren't really much help at all." Jeff said with a cold smile, having went through her place with a fine toot comb since he had arrived a little over two hours ago.

Proving him wrong, Cuddy hurled the gun at Jeff, striking him in the forehead before she jumped off the bed taking her first hurried step towards the open door.

"You think you can get away from me?!" Jeff shouted as her caught up with her, grabbing her by waist before turning her around and throwing her onto the bed where he climbed on top of her, pinning her body underneath him.

"_HOUSE!__" _Cuddy screamed put with an agonizing voice, turning her face away from Jeff as she felt the blood from the gash on his forehead dripping onto the side of her neck.

With all of his weight on top of her Jeff grabbed for the gun tucked beneath the waistband of his pants, shoving it under her chin and grabbed hold of her throat.

"_Don't you ever say his fucking name again! Do you understand me?!_" Jeff growled pressing the tip of the gun into her soft skin.

Lisa held her tongue and bit down on the inside of her lip.

"You know what I am going to do to you right now?" Jeff asked without waiting for an answer from her before he spoke again.

"I am going to _fuck _you until you scream _MY_ name louder than you ever moaned his!" He said in heated burst of words before crashing his lips violently against hers and forcing his tongue past them.

Lisa screamed into his mouth, too afraid to fight back at this point with the cold steel of the gun digging into the skin underneath her jaw.

She gagged as his tongue plunged deeper, hearing the sickening moan that escaped his throat.

_Oh god please …please …someone help me_, she thought choking back her tears.

Jeff released her from the kiss and looked into her eyes.

He wanted to fuck her until she was raw from him and make her scream as he pumped inside of her over and over again, burning his image into her mindfor an eternity, the mixture of lust and rage within him becoming potent and strong.

He looked down at the gun in his hand.

If he put the gun down he could touch her with_ both_ of his hands.

If he put the gun down, he could move his hands over every inch of her body.

"You know I can kill you with or without this thing." Jeff told her squeezing down on Lisa's neck with his other hand as he placed the gun on the nightstand.

_"Get... off me me me...!"_Cuddy choked, punching him in the chest with both of her fists.

"Do not tell me what to do! You belong to me and you'll do as I say you little bitch!" Jeff yelled back at her, reaching down and grabbing onto her left breast. Squeezing the soft tissue until she cried out in pain.

"Say it! Say you belong to me!" He ordered increasing the pressure again.

_"NO!"_ Lisa screamed back at him as the white hot dagger of pain shot into her breast.

Jeff smiled as he watched a solitary tear run down her cheek.

"Oh you will say it Lisa…hell by the time I'm done with you…you'll be screaming it at the top of your lungs." Jeff whispered before his teeth found their way to the delicate skin on her neck.

******************************************************

**Lisa Cuddy's Residence……**

When Bill and Ruth had pulled up into Lisa's place and saw House's empty car running in the driveway the wave of urgency and dread hit them hard.

Ruth was now on autopilot, compelled by her instincts that pulled her out Bill's car and towards the back door of the house.

If Jeff was inside there with Lisa and House she would need the element of surprise.

If Jeff was there they needed to be quiet.

And if Jeff was hurting Lisa or House ….Ruth swore under her breath that she would kill him.

Unlockin ghte back door with the spare key LIsa had given to him, Bill reached for Ruth's hand and lead her into the kitchen.

They could hear noises coming from upstairs and started to move in that direction until they heard the sound of House as he cried out from the garage in a hoarse voice.

_"If you touch her I'll kill you….."_ House croaked, teetering on the edge of conscious, trying desperately to pull himself out of the darkness that was surrounding him, hearing two sets of footsteps starting to make their way towards him.

"House.... it's Bill. We're here. Ruth and I are here.....just hold on ……." Bill whispered before squatting down next to him and resting on one knee.

"Oh god." Ruth whispered as her eyes ran over the large gash in the back of House's head.

"He's hurt pretty bad." Bill whispered, looking up at Ruth as she stood beside him.

_"You have to find Lisa….Jeff ....Jeff has her…."_ House stressed, forcing the words out of his dry mouth.

"Hand me those garden shears." Bill told Ruth, pointing to them on the shelf.

Ruth handed him the tool just as sound of Lisa screaming traveling down the stairs, sending a piercing ache into her womb.

Bill felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as he cut away the plastic zip ties that bound House who kept slipping in and out of consciousness.

"I'll find her House.... I'll find Lisa ..…" Bill whispered quickly, pulling out his cell phone and hitting the speed dial number for Fan's phone before he placed the phone down on the concrete floor.

"Tell Fan we need help." Bill said to House before turning quickly to leave, seeing that Ruth was no longer by his side.

" Oh god no." Bill whispered under his breath, running out into the kitchen.

******************************************************

"I told you to say it!" Jeff screamed at Lisa as he cried in agony beneath him.

"_NO!" _Cuddy sobbed as she prepared for Jeff to crush her breast inside his palm again.

"You think I'm playing games here? You think I'm some kind of joke you little slut! I'm going to fuck you every which way I can think of! Make you take me deep into that pussy of yours until its the only cock you'll remember!" Jeff shouted, moving his hand down from her breast and shoving it underneath her skirt, his fingers digging into her left hip as he spread her legs further apart with his strong thigh muscles.

"_GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER YOU BASTARD!!"_ Ruth screamed from behind them both, shoving the long butchers knife she had grabbed off the kitchen counter deep into Jeff's side before pulling it out just as quickly

Jeff left out a gasp, his eyes wide with shock as he fell off the bed into a kneeling position on the floor.

Ruth held the knife tightly in her hands as Jeff began to get to his feet.

She had hurt him, but apparently not enough.

When Jeff took a step towards her, Ruth caught her first glimpse of Lisa, her daughter battered and bruised, moving slowly while trying to sit up on the bed, shaking uncontrollably from the terror that Jeff had unleashed on her.

"_LISA……. RUN!!!!"_ Ruth screamed before she lunged towards Jeff again with the knife, but Lisa was unable to move…..too numbed with shock to reach towards salvation, her eyes never leaving her mother's face.

This time Jeff was prepared for Ruth, grabbing hold of her arm that held the knife before swinging her body violently across the room, sending her crashing into a large chest of drawers.

"_NO!!" _Lisa cried out watching Jeff as he moved towards her mother who had collapsed to the floor.

"You fucking smart mouthed bitch!" Jeff shouted, reaching for the knife on the floor that had fallen out of her hand.

One of the brass handles on the dresser had punctured the side of Ruth's temple and the skin began to bruise immediately as a small trickle of blood sprung forth from it, Ruth however was oblivious to the pain, pushing herself back up to face Jeff again, not caring if he had the knife, consumed only with the reality that her daughter was in danger and needed to be saved.

Jeff watched Ruth come after him, grabbing hold of her once more and placing the knife to her throat before he turned to face Lisa.

"I'll fucking kill her if you don't do what I say." He told her.

"No ….please…just let her go." Cuddy begged getting off the bed as she took a step towards them.

"Lisa don't! RUn! Get out of here now!" Ruth pleaded, wincing in pain as Jeff squeezed her ribs.

"Get behind the bedroom door Lisa or I'll slit her fucking throat." Jeff ordered, walking towards her with his left arm secured tightly around Ruth's shoulders.

Lisa obeyed and stepped behind the bedroom door, feeling her heart sink when she realized the Jeff's gun was only inches away from her on the nightstand.

"Touch that gun and your mom dies right in front of you" Jeff warned keep his gaze fixated on Lisa just before he lowered the knife to Ruth's arm, slicing it open just above the elbow.

"_NO!"_ Lisa screamed jumping on top of Jeff's back as he struck her mother's face with the back of his hand which held the knife, sending Ruth falling towards the bed.

Lisa made a move for the gun but Jeff was quicker, picking up the weapon as he clamped his free hand down over her mouth, moving them both behind the door while holding the gun to her head.

"Make a sound and I'll splatter you pretty little head all over this wall for you mother to see." He whispered into the ear.

********************************************************

With his gun drawn, Bill made his way around the spilled contents of Lisa's purse and past her shoes that were scattered apart on the steps, following the same path that Ruth had taken only seconds before him.

Midway up the steps he had heard Ruth screaming followed by Lisa screaming and began running with everything he had inside of him, feeling like his feet were treading through quick sand as he made his way towards the master bedroom.

When Bill finally reached the entrance to the room, he stopped dead in his tracks, watching Ruth fall from the bed and onto her knees, a wide ribbon of blood running down her arm and pooling in the palm of her hand before it dripped onto the carpet.

Ruth's brown eyes locked onto Bill's as he stood in the doorway before her.

"_Shoot him! Shoot him….!"_ Ruth tried to scream but all that came out her mouth was a soft and mournful whisper that did not find its way to his ears.

"Oh god Ruth…..hold on.." Bill began to say crossing the threshold.

With his left hand wrapped around Lisa's mouth Jeff pushed the door against Bill with his foot.

The gun fell out of Bill's hand as he stumbled to the left of the door.

Jeff held up his gun and pulled the trigger.

The bullet slicing through the air before slamming into Bill's chest, sending him falling towards the floor.

********************************************************

House could hear his own ragged breath echoing in his ears as the agonizing pain shot up his right thigh.

His eyes were fixed on the phone in front of him that was so close yet seemed a thousand miles away.

_Just reach out and get that fucking phone! Tell Fan to come! _His mind yelled at him.

House flexed the fingers of his left hand, willing them to move from his side towards the phone.

He cupped his hand and pushed the phone as close to his ear as he could.

It was ringing but…..no one was answering.

_Get on your fucking feet before that son of a bitch kills her! _His brain screamed to him as the echo of Lisa's screams found their way to him once more as they traveled down the staircase.

House took in a deep breath, trying to clear the waves of dizziness from his head, positioning his hands underneath him as he started to try push himself up off of the floor.

An immense wave of pain in the back of his skull hit him hard, slamming his body back down on the concrete, his arms splayed out to his side.

_Fuck! _His mind cursed watching the cell phone spin away from him after his left arm had knocked into it.

********************************************************

Officers Foster and Brennan were taking an alternative route to get back onto the highway, deciding to go to the fire closet to them first before taking Wilson to the police station where he would be booked.

"What in the hell?" Foster exclaimed when they drove up on Officer Fan who was starting to shove Tritter into the back of his car.

Foster slammed on the brakes, sending the cruiser into a skid for a few feet before it finally stopped in the middle of the road.

Wilson watched both of the cops get out of the cruiser with their weapons drawn, heading directly towards Tritter and Fan.

"Just what in god's name are you doing Fan?" Brennen asked.

"I am placing Detective Tritter under arrest for police corruption." Agent Collins shot back moving Tritter off to his left so he could keep his gun aimed at the two officers.

Both cops halted, looking back at him dumbfounded.

For a moment not a word was uttered between the group of men, the ringing of Collins cell phone on the side of his belt taking up the space between them.

"This guy's an undercover FBI agent and we are all going to be taken down by him, unless you two do something." Tritter warned looking over at the two men.

Collins watched the two cops contemplating their next move while their hands gripped the pistols at their sides as the seconds passed by them.

Watching all that was unfolding before him, Wilson slid over closer to the passenger side window, locking eyes with the FBI agent for one brief second before the gunfire started.

**To Be Continued…..**


	48. Chapter 48

**Ok guys here it is another chapter! Hope you all enjoy it and I cannot wait for tonight EPISODE! As always please let me know your thoughts :)**

**  
* AND AGAIN…FAIR WARNING TO ALL READERS ,ANOTHER INTENSE CHAPTER AWAITS….AND THE SUBJECT MATTER WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC***

**Chapter 48**

"_NOOOOOOOO!_" Cuddy screamed in horror, struggling to free herself from Jeff's grasp as Bill collapsed onto the floor in front of her, his gentle blue eyes filled with shock as the blood quickly seeped out from underneath his shirt, staining the white cotton fabric.

As Bill landed on the floor beside her, Ruth reached out for him, her heart feeling as if it had been ripped out of her chest, her eyes connecting with his as Bill coughed out a crimson spray from inside his lungs.

Seeing that Bill Martin was no longer a threat to him, Jeff tucked his gun back into the waistband of his pants near the small of his back and stepped out from behind the door with his right arm securely wrapped around Lisa waist, beginning to pull her with him as he started to exit the room.

"_Let go of me!" _Cuddy shouted, kicking Jeff with her feet and hitting him with her fists again, her voice raw from the abuse she had taken at his hands, her heart pounding frantically along with her head as she remained trapped in the nightmare come to life.

Upon hearing her daughter's cries for help, Ruth grabbed Jeff by his ankle as he tried to make his way past her.

"Get the fuck off me!" Jeff cursed down at her, kicking Ruth's hand away, feeling his hatred for her increasing as Ruth undaunted, reached for his ankle again.

"Fucking bitch!" He then growled before kicking Ruth hard in left side of her ribs as he continued to try and wrestle Lisa out of the room.

"_Leave her alone!"_ Lisa screamed_,_ kicking and elbowing Jeff as he held onto her until finally one of her blows landed squarely in his midsection, hitting the spot where Ruth had stabbed him earlier.

Jeff cried out in pain and immediately dropped to the floor with Lisa falling on top of him before she rolled off to the side of him, coming face to face with her mother on the floor.

"_Run Lisa! Get out of here!"_ Ruth whispered in desperation, grabbing onto her daughter's hand, her elegant face now marred by the cuts and bruises.

"Not without you!" Lisa responded with an ache to her tone, holding back her tears as she took in a breath and pushed past her pain,determined to pull them both out of that room.

"You need to get the gun Lisa," Ruth whispered to her daughter as Lisa started to move her arm around her waist in an attempt to help her to her feet.

Lisa turned around quickly, seeing that Jeff had turned onto his side, his body curled up in a fetal position with the gun resting underneath his ribcage.

She tried to make a move for the gun but at the same time Jeff rolled onto his back, looking up at her with the eyes of a madman, grabbing her by the throat and holding her in place as he reached for the gun beneath him before sitting up.

Ignoring the searing pain in his side, Jeff started to pull Lisa up from the floor with him, letting out a grunt as he strained against the force tethering Lisa's body like an anchor to the carpeted floor beneath them, causing him to fall to his knees once more as Ruth held on tightly to her daughter's hand.

"Let her go!" Ruth yelled at him as their eyes met, her voice haunting and desperate to save her child while Lisa locked her other hand around her mother's wrist that was coated with the blood still oozing from the open cut on her arm.

Breathing hard through gritted teeth as Lisa's weight shifted in his arms, Jeff tried to pull her free. The three of them now playing a barbaric game of tug of war as they all remained kneeling on the floor, his eyes staying locked onto Ruth's face as he removed his right arm from around Lisa's waist and began striking their interlocked hands with the butt of the gun.

Both women cried out in pain but refused to let go of one another even when the skin on their knuckles broke open and burned with pain, trying to save each other from the monster set on destroying them both.

With a low primal sound that came deep from deep within his chest, Jeff leaned towards Ruth with Lisa trapped between them, placing the gun to her throat as he got ready to pull the trigger.

"No!" Cuddy cried out, pushing the gun away from her mother as Jeff took the opportunity to pull her to her feet, with Ruth slumping backwards against the side of the bed as a wave of dizziness brought on by her ever increasing loss of blood began to over take her.

"_MOM! _" Lisa cried out as Jeff began to drag her out of the room, twisting in his arms as he reached for the door to close it.

"_LISA!"_ Ruth screamed out in misery, falling onto her hands and knees as Jeff slammed the door shut behind them before locking it.

********************************************************

**Lisa Cuddy's Bedroom……**

"_No…please god no…__ please don't let him hurt Lisa…! Don't let him hurt my baby!!!"_ Ruth sobbed, lying face down on the floor with her heart breaking, hearing the sounds of her daughter continuing to fight with Jeff in the hallway while her tears mixed in with her blood that was being absorbed by the fibers in the carpet below her.

She was empty. She had failed. Just like she did with Jessica all of those years ago. Feeling herself getting weaker by the moment as the blood continued to run out from the open wound on her arm.

"_Oh God…please don't let him kill my baby!"_ Ruth sobbed again, feeling all the hope inside her heart come crashing down around her just as violently as the wrath of Jeff's insanity.

"_Shhhhh….Ruth…."_ Bill gasped as his hand blindly reached out for her, his blinking open, unsure of where they were, only knowing that she needed him.

"_Bill!"_ Ruth cried out, using the last bit of strength she had left inside of her to crawl towards him before collapsing next to him on the floor.

"_Don't….give up…"_ Bill wheezed as he coughed up more blood, his blue eyes now open and focused on her face that was inches away from him.

"_Don't YOU give up on me Bill …you hear me?" _Ruth whispered, as she took his hand in her own, looking at his face that was a ghostly shade of pale, his lips coated with the blood from his lungs.

Outside of the bedroom Ruth heard Lisa cry out again, her heart torn between the man she loved that was dying in front of her and her daughter who was fighting for her life out in the hallway, unable to do anything to help either one of them as her own injuries were now very quickly catching up with her.

"_Just breathe….Ruth.....justt…breatheeeee….."_ Billed whispered, taking in a labored breath before his eyes started to lose their focus.

"_NO! Don't give up on me Bill."_ Ruth pleaded, sobbing into his shoulder while pushing past everything that told her she couldn't move as she pulled herself up onto her knees.

"_I'll get to Lisa …I'll save her from that monster....and then we'll come back for you…_" Ruth whispered as Bill's lips began to turn blue.

Crawling towards the doorway and making it halfway there before she was pulled under by the waves of unconsciousness, collapsing onto the soft beige carpet that was covered in blood.

********************************************************

In the middle of a suburban street on the outskirts of Princeton, three men stood where four had been, with Detective Tritter for the first time in his career, stunned into a shocked silence while Officer Foster lay dead at his feet after having been shot by Officer Brennan.

Agent Collins looked over at Brennan before looking back at Tritter.

"Tritter, I'd like you to meet my partner Agent Dodson." Collins said with a solemn tone as his put the final nail in Tritter's coffin.

"It's been a real pleasure working for you Detective Tritter." Dodson said unable to hide his grin as the once smug detective's face now turned a ghostly shade of white.

Reaching down for his cell phone, Collins read the display that told him he had missed a call from Bill Martin's phone, "Dodson, take care of Tritter while I go and get Dr. Wilson out of those cuffs," he then said handing off the detective to his partner as he approached the cruiser Wilson was seated in.

*******************************************************

Inside the hallway on the second floor of her home, Lisa Cuddy was still fighting against Jeff, gripping the doorframe outside of her bedroom, trying to prevent him from taking her anywhere else.

However Jeff remained crazed and determined in spite of the wound in his side, yanking at her body again until she lost the hold on the rounded piece of wood, dragging her towards the spare bedroom as her left hand slid across the wall, sending the pictures hanging upon it crashing to the floor as screams and gasps from inside her throat were all that consisted of her vocabulary now. Her hands desperately grabbing onto the tiny square table just outside the spare room, knocking it over and sending a tall thick crystal vase with pale pink roses inside of it with a thud to the floor as Jeff lifted her up off of her feet, entering into the spare bedroom with her in his arms before throwing her down onto the mattress and taking in deep labored breath as sweat beaded over his brows while he looked down at her.

Cuddy scrambled backwards, pushing her heels against the mattress, trying to get to the other side of the bed, crying out once more as Jeff latched onto her left ankle with one hand, pulling her towards him as he reached for the gun resting in the waistband of his pants with the other hand.

"Move and you're dead." Jeff said in a monotone voice as he aimed the gun at her head, staring down at her with eyes that were dark and disconnected as she was her lying on her back with her knees bent over the edge of the bed, her black skirt pushed up to her thighs, her pink sweater covered in blood.

Cuddy looked up at him with a terrified expression. A wrong move by her now most assuredly resulting in her death. Her mind screeching to a halt for the moment as he lowered himself on top of her with his knees resting on opposite sides of her hips as he placed the gun against her temple.

"You are mine." Jeff told her coldly, grabbing the top of Lisa's sweater with his left hand.

With one fierce tug he ripped the thin sweater open, exposing her pink lace bra underneath, his fingers slipping underneath the lingerie as he rubbed his thumb roughly over her left nipple.

"_Don't touch me!"_ Lisa cried out, too afraid to smack his hand away with the gun pressing against her skull.

Jeff ignored her and continued, moving his hand down from her chest, over her stomach and to the hem of her skirt, shoving his hand underneath the fabric and cupping her pubic bone, "Everything you are belongs to me now. Even this heat between your thighs is mine," he whispered before dragging his teeth over her neck as he kept the gun pressing into her temple.

Lisa felt the tears streaming down her face, the hopeless of her situation, now staring her in the face as Jeff started rub his fingers over the thin silk of her panties, intending on making good on his threats of raping her.

"This belongs to me…now say it!" Jeff demanded pressing his thumb down on her clit as his middle finger started drawing the fabric of her panties away from her core while he took in a shuddered breath.

"_No,"_ Lisa answered back with a mournful tone, refusing to let him take that part of her away, choking on her tears as she prepared herself for his finger forcefully penetrating inside of her and the pain that would follow it.

"Oh you will say it you little bitch." Jeff whispered down at her, keeping the gun aimed as her head as he got up to his feet, roughly pushing her skirt up to her stomach before, moving his left hand to the side of her hip and ripping the panties off of her body.

"I'll never say it." Lisa cried, closing her legs in front of him in an attempt to shield herself from his sickening gaze.

"You really think you are going to stop me from fucking you?" Jeff whispered back mockingly as he unbuttoned his pants, "Now either open up your legs like a good little whore or I will put this gun inside your mouth and pull the trigger while I'm fucking you!" He then shouted, slapping his hand hard against her hip, the sharp echo of it reaching into the corners of the room.

Lisa turned her head away from him, sobbed with her shoulders shaking as she opened up her legs, having no choice but to comply with him, praying that god would somehow present her with an opportunity to get the gun away from him, hanging onto the last string of hope that was quickly out of her grasp with every passing second.

Jeff moved down on top of her, his tall and muscular frame seething with anticipation as he switched the position of the gun from Lisa's temple to the side of her neck and forcefully kissed her.

Lisa gagged as Jeff moved his tongue inside of her mouth, feeling him violently thrusting his pelvis against hers, the fabric of his pants and underwear all that was keeping his erection from entering inside of her while he tormented her with the knowledge of just how brutal he was going to be to with her causing her to cry out into his mouth with terror.

Jeff released her from the kiss and looked down at her. "_I am going to fuck you like I should have fucked you when we were together! Fuck you until you tell me that you are mine!"_ He shouted, letting go of the gun as grabbed a fistful of her hair, thrusting violently against her once more as his cock grew harder inside his pants.

"_Get off of me!"_ Lisa cried slamming her pinned fists against his chest in vain as he smiled down at her.

Her thighs were burning, his pelvis was crashing into hers now with a force so strong it was pushing her up further onto the bed, her arms pinned between them, unable to reach for the gun laying beside her.

Jeff looked down into Lisa's eyes and saw the terror held within them, for months he wanted to see passion in her eyes when she looked back at him but now as her chest heaved beneath him and her eyes filled with horror he finally found all that he had been looking for, the realization sending his heart racing, causing him to lower his mouth to the side of her neck while he breathed in the scent of her.

"_After we are done up here Lisa_ _I am going to take you down into the garage and fuck again in front of House, so he can see that you are mine. Put you down on all fours and fuck you from behind while I make him watch before I shoot that crippled fucking bastard in the head!" _Jeff whisper softly into her ear as the depth of his inanity reached out for her as if she was indeed his lover.

Lisa's entire body began to tremble, her mind overloaded with the things Jeff had said to her as the numbness of shock began to take hold of her.

Jeff moaned, feeling Lisa's body shaking beneath him, lowering to his teeth to her throat as he bite down onto the soft flesh of her neck.

"_GET OFF OF ME!!" _Lisa cried out, the pain jolting her away from the numbness trying to swallow her whole, trying with all her might to push him away from her.

This only excited Jeff even more, his left hand wrapping around her throat while he shifted on top of her, moving his right hand down to his pants. "Oh that's right Lisa fight back, move those hips of yours just like that while I give you the kind of fucking a little slut like you deserves." He growled.

Lisa heard the sound of Jeff unzipping his pants and she screamed again, feeling his strong muscular thighs pushing her thighs apart while every muscle within her body tensed in fear.

J_ust think of anything else. Just take yourself away from here...far, far away……, _her mind whispered with desperation, trying to remove her mentally from what was about to happen her physically.

Lisa closed her eyes and turned her face away from Jeff, the tears running down her face hot with the knowledge of what he was about to take from her.

"_OPEN YOUR FUCKING EYES!"_ Jeff yelled down at her, reaching for the gun and pressing it into her neck, wanting to look into her face as he shoved his cock inside of her and took what she had refused to give to him.

Lisa cried out once more opening up her eyes and focusing them above Jeff's head, letting out a gasp of disbelief when she saw House standing above them ......with a crystal vase in his hands.

"_GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!"_ House shouted as he swung the heavy crystal vase towards Jeff's head, the impact of it making a sickening noise somewhere between a _THUD_ and a _CRACK_ when it connected with skin and bone.

Within a flash, three of Jeff's teeth went flying through the air as the vase slammed into his jaw, his body falling backwards off the bed as he cried out in pain reaching for his face.

After witnessing the violent act, Cuddy looked back up at House, her heart pounding, her eyes wide with shock.

House's face was caked with dried blood on the right side, his eyes hollow and raw, his completion ...a dangerous shade of pale white.

As Jeff fell to his knees House did not give him the chance to recover from the first blow, stepping up to him and striking him again with the vase, this time on the left side of his face.

Jeff's head swung violently around to right, the blood bursting forth from his mouth in a crimson spray, the vase leaving a four inch jagged tear on the left side of Jeff's cheek.

House did not look back over at Lisa, knowing that the adrenalin pumping through his veins would only last for so long, the painful fresh memory of seeing Jeff on top of her thrusting into her as she was screaming, with her torn panties lying discarded on the floor next to her consuming him now with rage as he took another swing at Jeff with the vase.

"_YOU FUCKING RAPED HER YOU BASTARD AND I AM GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THAT!!_ House yelled, knowing only at this point what his eyes had shown him when he had limped into the bedroom.

On his knees, Jeff ducked this time as the vase moved past him, mere inches from the top of his head. _"SHE'S MINE!!! "_ He cried out before he punched House in his right thigh.

House fell down onto his knees dropping the vase, coming face to face with Jeff who quickly took hold of him by his shirt.

Cuddy watched in horror as she backed up to the headboard, pulling down her skirt, stunned and shocked into silence…..her body frozen in fear.

"_YOU'LL NEVER TOUCH HER AGAIN YOU SICK FUCK!!"_ House yelled grabbing Jeff by the throat, ignoring the searing pain in his thigh while keeping hold of the fury within him.

Jeff balled his right hand into a fist again and struck House on his temple.

"_SHEEEEE'S MINE!"_Jeff shouted as the gaping wound in the side of his cheek oozed with salvia and blood.

As House fell back onto the floor, Jeff quickly got to his feet, heading towards Lisa once more.

"_NO! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM…ME!!!"_Cuddy screamed, her hand searching blinding for Jeff's gun on the mattress, her eyes unable to look away from him.

House's right hand slapped down hard against the bottom of the mattress as he pulled himself upright again.

"_GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!"_ He yelled charging at Jeff with everything he had inside of him, driving the bigger man into the wall.

Jeff grabbed a hold of House's shirt, throwing him against the far wall of the bedroom, his side feeling as if it had been ripped open, his madness however keeping him on his feet as he walked the distance between them in a matter of seconds, picking up the crystal vase from the floor.

"_NOW IT'S TIME FFFFFOR YOU TO BLEED YOU FFFFFFUKCING CRIPPLE!!!!!!"_ Jeff shouted through the gaps of his missing teeth.

"No!" Lisa yelled, wrapped her left hand around the gun that her fingers had finally come in contact with, her arms shaking uncontrollably as she raised the pistol up into the air as Jeff raised the vase over House's head.

_BANG! _

_BANG! _

_BANG!_

In a matter of seconds, three well placed shots escaped Agent Collins gun as he stood in the doorway of the bedroom.

The first shot hitting Jeff in his right hand, shattering the vase that he was holding onto.

The second shot striking Jeff in the back of his right knee cap, sending him falling towards the floor.

The last shot, hitting Jeff in his back severing his spinal cord.

Still trapped in the nightmare come to life, Cuddy dropped Jeff's gun, sobbing loudly as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

Wilson, who was standing behind Collins in the doorway walked past the agent to get to her.

"Shhh Lisa it's ok." Wilson whispered, gently touching her shoulder.

Cuddy flinched away from his touch with her face still buried on the tops of her knees, her mind still reacting to the memory of Jeff's hands upon her body.

Looking over at her, House gasped for air, leaning against the wall as the man knew as Officer Fan came walking over to him.

"You ok?" Collins asked.

House nodded, stepped over Jeff and limped painfully towards the bed where Cuddy remained curled up tightly in a ball as her body trembled.

He gave Wilson a quick glance and his friend stepped back.

"Lisa." House said, keeping his hands at his sides, knowing that right now she may not want even him to touch her.

Cuddy immediately moved toward the sound of House's voice, grabbing hold of him and pushing herself up onto her knees, pressing face against his chest and wrapping her arms around the span of it as she pulled him onto the bed with her.

"_He didn't rape me…..he was going to ….but you stopped him…_" She sobbed into his chest, taking in a deep breath, trying to stop herself from shaking.

House wrapped his arms around her, breathing a sigh of relief as he glanced up at Wilson before his kissed the top of her head.

"_Jeff was going to rape me …..but you stopped him" _Cuddy sobbed again, holding onto to House as if her very life depended on it.

"Shhh… it's ok….it's over Lisa." House whispered down to her, rubbing her back tenderly as his eyes moved over to Collins who was squatted beside Jeff.

"The son of bitch still has a pulse." Collins said flatly looking over at him after placing his fingers onto Jeff's neck.

Before House could respond the sound of Wilson's voice interrupted him.

"_HOUSE I NEED YOU IN HERE!!!"_ The oncologist yelled out in an urgent tone after walking down the hall and into the master bedroom.

TBC...


	49. Chapter 49

**Ok guys another chapter is waiting but before you read I must say it was great reading your reviews of the last chapter, it really was a pivotal point in the story and I hoped it would be as well received here as it was on the Fox site so thanks to all of you!**

**Chapter 49**

When Wilson broke down the locked door to the master bedroom his mouth fell open with shock, the amount of blood covering the mattress, carpet and walls, leaving the room looking as if it belonged in a gory teenage horror flick, but this was no movie, and the two people lying on the floor beneath him were not actors……….they were his friends who desperately needed his help.

Bending down Wilson checked Ruth's pulse first.

It was weak but it was there and she was breathing on her own**.**

"_HOUSE I NEED YOU IN HERE!!"_ Wilson yelled before rushing over to Bill who had a bullet wound in the right side of his chest.

"Come on Bill, I know you're a strong son of bitch." Wilson whispered down the unconscious man, placing his finger against the carotid artery on Bill's neck.

Bill's pulse was very faint as well but it was still there.

Immediately Wilson covered up the hole in Bill's chest with the palm of his hand and began giving him mouth to mouth as House limped into the room, followed closely by Cuddy who was holding onto his hand and wearing the buttoned up blue suit jacket Agent Collins had given to her so that she could cover up the torn pink sweater on her body.

Wilson looked up at them both after giving Bill two short breaths, the expression on Cuddy's face as she gazed down at her mother heartbreaking to say the very least.

"She shouldn't be in here." Wilson warned House who was gingerly kneeling beside Ruth as Agent Collins stood in the doorway dialing 911.

Ignoring him, House looked up at Cuddy, "I need your help." He told her simply, taking advantage of the numbed state she was in right now. Needing to pull her along with him because in truth if he without her help, both Ruth and Bill could very well die.

Cuddy nodded, kneeling down on the other side of her mother, placing her hands around gently around Ruth's neck to keep it stable as House carefully rolled Ruth over onto her back.

"She's lost a lot of blood," Cuddy whispered looking down at her mother's pale face, moving her left hand down to the open wound on Ruth's arm that continued to bleed.

"We need to apply a tourniquet to control the bleeding or she's not going to make it." He said to Cuddy in a solemn tone after lifting Ruth's closed eyes lids to view her pupils.

Cuddy paused for moment as the shock of his words set in before looking up at Agent Collins, "There are some clean towels in the master bathroom. I need you to get them for us," she instructed before looking over at Wilson who was continuing to do CPR on Bill.

"And Wilson's going to need some gauze, petroleum jelly and medical tape to create a seal for the chest wound Bill has. You'll find all of that stuff in the medicine cabinet," she added keeping her eyes on Collins as he made his way to the master bathroom.

As Cuddy had turned her head to speak to the FBI Agent, House got a good look at the angry purple bruises and deep set of teeth marks on the side of her neck. The thoughts of what Jeff had done to her threatening to consume him as his stomach turned in knots. His need to look away from them, causing him to focus his gaze on Wilson**.**

"Are you doing ok with him?" House asked Wilson while glancing down at Bill.

"I'm gonna need your help with the chest wound." Wilson responded, unbuttoning Bill's shirt as Collins returned with the supplies Cuddy had asked him to get for them.

"I'm going to go help Wilson. You ok with her?" House asked Cuddy. Fighting the urge to look down at the teeth marks on her neck again.

"Yes." Cuddy answered, looking away from him as she took one of the towels Collins was offering her.

House rose to his feet and limped over to Wilson, opening the plastic top of the petroleum jelly lying beside him on the carpet while glancing over quickly at Cuddy once more.

"Hold on mom ….just keep holding on for me ok." Cuddy whispered softly to her mother as she began to wrap the towel around the deep laceration on her arm.

********************************************************

Inside of the hospital, Foreman, Cameron and Chase had been paged to come and lend a hand treating the many victims of the fires that had arrived in the now overcrowded and frenzied Emergency Department, all of them shocked as the messages were received by the ambulances now en route which told of the terrible occurrences at Dr. Cuddy's place.

"When are those ambulances getting here?" Cameron asked Chase as the both of them continued to work on their patients in the hallway of the ER.

"ETA is three minutes." Chase said in a steady voice examining the minor abrasions of his male patient.

"Here take a slow deep breath." Cameron instructed her patient who was suffering from smoke inhalation as she placed the oxygen mask up to the young woman's face while Foreman walked up to both of them in the hallway with two residents flanking both sides of him.

"Baker and Robbins can take over for you two so we can meet House and the others when they get here." He told Chase and Cameron.

"Thank you." Cameron said with a sigh of relief, looking over at the two residents before both she and Chase followed Foreman arrival doors of the ER.

********************************************************

**Hospital ~Ambulance Bay……**

Jeff Hansom was the first person to arrive at the hospital, the paramedics wheeling him in to the through the double doors and being descended upon by immediately by a surgical team as all three fellows looked over at him coldly.

"That son of bitch should have died on the way here." Chase muttered over to Cameron who was standing to his left.

"If we're lucky maybe he'll end up dying on the operating table." Foreman added without an ounce of sympathy in his voice.

"How could one person cause so much pain and suffering." Cameron asked to both of them in a hushed whisper of disbelief, watching Jeff's gurney rush past her.

Within a few seconds Bill and Ruth were being pushed through the double doors of the Ambulance entrance with Wilson continuing to work on Bill with the aid of one of the paramedics.

Looking up Wilson spotted Chase, "I'm gonna need you." he told the young fellow who immediately ran up to the gurney and started to assist Wilson as they made their way towards the OR while Foreman moved towards the team that was surrounding Ruth, disappearing into one of the ER patient rooms with her.

Standing alone now, Cameron anxiously waited for House and Cuddy who were going to be arriving with Agent Collins vehicle because of the shortage of ambulances due to the fires.

Spotting them as House opened up one of the double doors for Cuddy, Cameron put her hand up to her mouth.

"_Oh my god."_ She whispered studying the couple before her who were accompanied by Agent Collins along with three other FBI agents.

House was pale and battered with dried blood coating the right side of his face. His blue eyes dulled and clouded from the physical ordeal he had endured. His limp more severely pronounced because of it as well, but........ it was the visual of seeing Cuddy that had taken hold of Cameron with a fury, affecting her in way she had never felt before.

Throughout her many years of experience as a doctor she had sadly examined far too many women that had been the victims of sexual assault and rape, however seeing Lisa Cuddy battered and bruised as she wore the battle scars of the hell she had been put through at the hands of madman was something that hit her deep within her heart.

She _knew _this woman.

She had worked with this woman who ran this entire hospital with the skill and confidence she hoped to one day gain. And now ....as she saw the blank expression written all over Cuddy's face as she walked towards her, Cameron was at a loss for words, fighting back a strange batch of tears that seemed to want to spring forth from her eyes.

Just before they reached Cameron, House moved Cuddy over to a tiny corner in the ER where there were no patients. Forcing himself to gaze into her eyes no matter how much it hurt him to see the vacant stare residing in them now as the realization of what had happened to her was setting in. The cruel and brutal memories of being chocked, violated and abused .....no doubt replaying over and over in her mind now.

Tentatively, House touched Cuddy's cheek; keep his voice low and soft as he spoke to her.

"I need you to listen to me ok?" He told her staring intently into her lost eyes.

"Ok." Lisa answered back, keeping hold of his hand that she had not let go of since they had entered into the back seat of Agent Collins car.

"You know that you'll need to be examined and that the police have to take photos for evidence of what Jeff did to you. I think Cameron would be a good person to help you with that, but I need to know what you think." House told her, trying to help her by showing her that she still had control over what happened to her body even after Jeff had temporally taken that control away from her.

Cuddy looked over at Cameron who was biting down her bottom before she focused her gaze back on House.

"I think that would good." She answered in a voice void of all emotion. The feelings within her, now hidden out of view for safe keeping. The painful fresh memories and smell of Jeff on her skin causing them to retreat into a safer place.

"Ok then…let's go." House simply said, guiding her once again towards Cameron.

Taking another step towards Cameron, who's face displayed the look of shock and sadness she could not hide, Cuddy felt as if she was trapped inside a fishbowl. Looking out into the hospital that had become such a big part of her world as a visitor now instead of the ruler of it. An invisible barrier keeping her from entering into it fully. People rushing by her in the busy ER with their bodies distorted from her blurred vision. Their voices muted by the numbness that had taken hold of her.

Some of those people gave her a stunned look of disbelief before they moved on, while other members of the hospital staff paused for a moment as if they were going to approach her before they moved on as well when they looked over at House who was by her side.

"House ……Cuddy….I am so sorry -" Cameron started to say as they reached her.

"We are going to take Doctor Cuddy to one of the exam rooms in the clinic. Away from all of this crap." House informed Cameron in an even tone before she could continue.

********************************************************

"I'm going to leave you with Cameron and I'll be back in a little bit." House told Cuddy, keeping his tone soft as he went to let go of her hand as they stood outside the doorway of one of the clinic rooms.

Cuddy looked down at House's hand and gripped it a little tighter, not wanting him to leave her.

Holding onto their gaze briefly, House then turned his head and looked over to Cameron who was watching all of this in silence.

"Give us a minute." He told her.

Cameron nodded and walked down the hall to the policewoman who was checking out her camera equipment.

House then turned and looked back at Cuddy.

"You know that Jeff is being operated on as we speak." He began to say.

Cuddy looked up at him and nodded before averting her eyes down to the floor.

"And you know there is no way in _hell _he could hurt you again." House emphasized.

Again Cuddy nodded in agreement, looking up at him briefly before looking down at the floor once more.

"But the simple truth is, even though you know all of this ......there is some part of your brain that won't let you believe it." House finished as his thumb caressed the back of her hand.

"Yes." Cuddy admitted in a whisper, trying not to cry as a solitary tear ran down her cheek.

"Hey, look at me," House urged, pulling her a little closer to him as he held onto her hand.

"It's normal for you to feel that way and you know it. It's going to take time for you to get over this so don't be so damn hard on yourself because you feel vulnerable right now. It doesn't make you weak in anyway and no matter what happens, _you are_ _still the same person you were before all of this happened._" He whispered while keeping her locked within his gaze. Letting her know his words were not being spoken out of sympathy for her but because they were indeed the truth.

"I know." Cuddy replied, aware that at the core she would remain the same, but also knowing apart of her would be forever changed by what Jeff had done to her, looking up at House and noticing the florescent light reflecting off of the dried blood in his hair.

"You need to get that wound on your head checked out." She said, moving her hand tenderly up to the side of his neck, needing desperately to change the subject right now.

"I'm fine. Took some vicodin before we left your place." House answered.

"You're going to need stitches." Cuddy argued, taking a step to the side as she examined the back of his head.

"Going to do that now." House told her as he caught a glimpse of a part her that was familiar when she looked back at him.

"Ok." Cuddy answered. Letting her thumb caress the pulse on his neck before she removed her hand.

Turning to leave, House motioned for Cameron to approach them once more, giving Cuddy one last look before the two women entered into the exam room together.

He then limped down the hall towards the policewoman, stopping directly in front of her.

"I don't care how many times you have done this before. You better make sure that she is ok with every picture. _Do not_ rush her or make her upset because you want to get done with your shift understand?" House warned leaning hard against his cane.

"Like I told Dr. Cameron, I have this job because I wanted it, not because it was assigned to me." The tall woman with sandy blonde hair replied back in a firm but understanding tone.

House merely nodded, before limping away.

When he was out of sight, he leaned against the wall and clutched the back of his head, exhaling in pain while holding back a scream of anguish, feeling the wave of nausea wash over him.

He had lied to Cuddy about taking the vicodin.

********************************************************

**Operating Room Number 4………..**

As Chase was scrubbing in to assist with Bill's surgery, House burst through the double doors outside of the OR, his face.... haggard, angry and mean.

"Is that bastard in there?!" House asked, not waiting for an answer as he began limping past Chase.

Chase stepped in front of his boss, placing his hand on House's chest, preventing him from going any further.

"Bill's in there….not Jeff. And you need to get out of here and get that gash on you head checked out." Chase told him.

"If Jeff's not in there then what damn OR is he in?" House questioned ignoring Chase's comment.

"Why do want to know? So you can and beat the crap out of him while he is lying on the table?" Chase challenged.

"Something like that." House growled while turning and getting ready to leave.

Chase moved past him and blocked his way.

"You are not going to charge into every OR room looking for Jeff." He argued.

"Watch me!" House answered back, pushing Chase out of the way with his free hand.

"Going after Jeff right now is not going to change what he did to Cuddy!" Chase argued, moving back in front of him again.

"Get out of my way!" House yelled, pushing Chase back for a second time.

Taking in a harsh breath through his nose, Chase readied himself to tackle House to ground if that's what it would take to keep him from bursting into the operating room where Jeff was.

Fortunately before the scene between them could escalate any further, Wilson came through the double doors of the OR scrubbing area searching for House.

"House you need to get out of here and get your wound checked." Wilson said with concern.

"Yeah, already heard that line from Chase. Come up with some new material and I'll get back you on that." House responded sarcastically, moving sideways to get past Wilson before he fell onto one knee when a double shot of pain hit him both in his right thigh as well as in the back of his head.

"House...." Chase started to say getting ready to help his boss up off of the floor.

"Chase, go and help with Bill. I'll take care of House." Wilson instructed bending down and offering House his hand.

Chase nodded, giving House one last glance before turning and entered into the operating room.

"That son of bitch deserves to die after what he did to he. After what he did to all of them." House whispered in a ragged voice as Wilson helped him to his feet.

"You are not god, even though sometimes you may think you are. And right now you need to get yourself checked out so that you can be there for Lisa." Wilson said letting go of House once he became upright again.

"I may not be god but even you would have to agree that god seriously fucked up by letting that bastard live." House said flatly.

Letting out a sigh Wilson nodded in agreement, "But there's nothing either of us can do about that now except make sure that the people Jeff hurt al get through this," he told his friend as both men walked out through the double doors of the OR.

********************************************************

**Clinic Exam Room Number 4….**

"I'll be waiting right outside the door while you get changed." Cameron said softly to Cuddy, handing her a blue cotton hospital gown.

"I want you to stay." Cuddy infromed her, touching Cameron's hand as she took the gown from her while hating the fact that did not want to be alone…not even for a second at this point, even though the logical part of her mind was telling her there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Ok…I'll stay." Cameron responded with a nod. "Do you need me to help you with the gown? She then offered.

"_No, I just ….I just need someone here with me…" _Cuddy replied, unable to look at over at Cameron, feeling as if she was in some bizarre movie, not sure of what part she was supposed to play.

"Just take your time and if you need me just let me know." Cameron assured her before turning her back to Cuddy in order to give her some privacy.

Taking in a breath, Cuddy slipped off the jacket Agent Collins had given her and placed it on one of the chairs next to the exam table, the muscles in her back sending out sharp darts of pain as she performed the maneuver.

Refusing to cry out, she stifled the scream, reaching for a pair of surgical gloves from the plastic box adhered to the wall.

"If you want I can bag your clothes for you." Cameron whispered over her shoulder quickly after hearing the snap of latex as Cuddy put on the gloves.

"No…I'll do it." Cuddy replied reaching for the large plastic bag on the exam table marked 'POLICE EVIDENCE' in red letters and opening it.

Closing her eyes, Cuddy then pushed another breath through her pursed lips and removed the tattered sweater that was soaked with blood, her body starting to tremble as the cold air of the exam room made contact with her skin, her fingers almost dropping the garment onto the floor because her hands were now shaking uncontrollably.

"Are you doing ok?" Cameron asked keeping her back turned.

"I'm fine." Cuddy replied, refusing to let any more of her raw emotions show in front of Cameron even though they were tearing her apart inside, looking up to the ceiling as she reached to the back of her skirt, unzipping the garment before sliding it down past her thighs and towards the floor.

As she bent down to free the skirt from around her legs, Cuddy winced in pain letting out a small cry through her tightly closed lips.

"Lisa, please let me help you." Cameron whispered, feeling her heart aching for the woman who had to be in a tremendous amount of pain from the physical abuse she had endured.

"I told you Cameron I'm fine." Cuddy answered back, adding a bit of sternness to her tone, determined to at least undress without any assistance,needing to prove to herself that she could at least complete this simple task.

Taking in a deep breath and still determined not to cry, Cuddy then reached behind her back, unhooking her pink bra as another dagger of pain shot up her spine, placing the lingerie inside the police bag that held the rest of her clothes.

Under the stark bright fluorescent lights she looked down at her nude body, the bruises and cuts covering it along with the taste of Jeff still lingering inside for her mouth making her feel nauseous, the random piercing thought the she did not have to remove her underwear because of course Jeff had ripped them off her body before getting ready to rape her, making her eyes well up with tears that threatened to fall one by one down her cheeks.

_No! I will not do this! I have to be strong. I can't let him do this to me, _She argued inside of her mind biting down on her bottom lip while stubbornly pushing back her tears.

As an afterthought, she touched the pearl necklace around her throat, her fingertips moving over the ivory globes that had by some miracle remained on her throat even when Jeff was choking her.

The pearls had belonged to her grandmother and were a cherished family heirloom but no matter how much she loved them, she could not bring herself to keep them.

Not after Jeff had placed his hands upon them while he tried to rape her.

Feeling the emotional pain of having another thing being taken from her, Cuddy slowly removed the pearls, placing them inside the bag with her clothes before reaching for the gown resting on the exam table and slipped it on.

"Ok ..I'm done." Cuddy then announced to Cameron in a dull tone, needed to close herself off a bit from the every increasing mental trauma surging in her mind, turning around and feeling herself tremble again when Cameron offered her hand to her so that she could step up upon the small square foot rest beside the exam table before sitting down upon it.

"I know you have to be in a great amount of pain." Cameron explained softly as she continued to offer her hand to Cuddy who was looking down at it with eyes that were dull and aching from the ordeal she had been through.

"I'll be ok." Cuddy whispered back to her, getting ready to rest her left hand on the table, refusing to let Cameron help her.

"I know you will." Cameron replied with a soft tone again.

"Cameron…stop….I can't -" Cuddy started to say as she sat down, fearful of yet another tidal wave of emotions dragging her down to the place she did not want to go.

Seeing the anquish displayed on Cuddy's face, Cameron cleared her throat, "I'll get the exam done as quickly as possible." She then replied back in a normal tone, quickly retreating into the professional role Cuddy was used to seeing her in, cursing herself for overstepping the boundaries that the Dean of this hospital clearly needed to be in place right now.

With a nod, Cuddy took in another breath as Cameron reached for her chart, the younger female remaining professional and asking all of the questions she would have to any other patient who had been the victim of an assaulted while cleaning the small cuts and abrasions on her body, taking samples from underneath her short fingernails, as well as applying antibiotic ointment to the scrapes.

Finishing the exam Cameron tossed her surgical gloves in the trash. "Are you ready for me to let the police officer in now?" She asked Cuddy.

Cuddy nodded once more, knowing that per hospital protocol, Cameron would remain in the room with them, holding her breath and counting the seconds between the time Cameron had left, to when she returned with the female officer, a chill running through her as she gazed down at the camera in the woman's hands. The thought of her bruised body being exposed and captured on film for others to see making her heart pound as her throat tightened.

Seeing the all too familiar panic rising up on the understandablely shaken woman's face, the female office took a step closer to Cuddy.

"Mine name is Sarah and I assure you Lisa, this will only take a few minutes. And I promise if you need to take a break at any time _I will_ stop. I'm not going to do anything until you're ready. I promise you that." the female cop assured her, using a soft tone just above a whisper as Cameron stood behind her remaining silent.

"Ok." Cuddy replied back with a nod.

"Good, then let's start with the injuries to your hands. You can either hold them out in front of you or placed them palm side down on the exam table." The officer explained to her.

After hearing the instructions, Cuddy held her hands out in front of her without speaking a word.

The officer then focused the lens in on her bruised hands and pressed the shutter release button.

The quick flash caused Cuddy to jump slightly.

"Are you ok?" The officer asked.

"Yes." Cuddy answered holding onto the gaze they were sharing.

"Ok then.... let's move on to the injuries on your neck. It would be better if you got off of the exam table for that." The female officer told her.

Placing her hands down on the exam table, Cuddy stood up while her body let out another painful protest, her lips once again tightening and refusing to release a cry of pain.

"You'll need to pull your hair back a bit so I can get a good view of the injuries." The officer then told her, keeping her voice soft and comforting.

Cuddy gathered up her dark with her left hand, holding it away from her neck.

"That's good Lisa, now I need you to turn your head to the right just a little bit." The officer instructed, focusing in on the bite marks and bruises on left side of her neck.

Cuddy turned her head to the right, flinching slightly after the flash went off.

"Now let's do the same thing with the other side." The officer said.

Again Cuddy turned her head, this time in the opposite direction.

The officer focused once more on the dark bruises Jeff's hands had placed upon her neck and pushed the shutter release button again.

And once again Cuddy jumped when the flash went off.

"Now as far as the bruising and abrasions on your legs and thighs, the easiest way to do this is to raise you gown up just a little one leg at a time while turning it to the side like this." The officer instructed, showing Cuddy what she wanted her to do by turning her own leg.

Cuddy nodded, pulling the gown up on her left leg and turning it while the officer snapped another photo before lifting up the gown on her right leg just as the officer had instructed.

The female cop snapped a few more photos, checking with Cuddy again to make sure she was ok before she continued.

"Alright now let's move onto the injuries on your back." The officer said.

"Lisa...do you want me to help you with your gown?" Cameron asked Cuddy locking eyes with her for a brief moment.

Pausing for a moment, Cuddy nodded, "Yes." She agreed, knowing with Cameron's help the task would be far less painful for her, accepting the offer while trying to still the tremors in her body that continued to run through her.

"Just let me know when you are ready Lisa." The officer said softly, watching as Cuddy turned her back to her while Cameron stepped up beside her.

Cameron delicately opened up the first two ties on the back of the gown before she gently moved the material away so that the injuries to Cuddy's back could be photographed.

"Is that good?" Cameron asked the officer while she stood off to the side a bit.

The officer nodded and then spoke.

"Lisa if you can, I need you to tilt your head down a bit."

Cuddy lowered her head as her arms remained in a crisscross pattern on her chest.

Another flash from the camera eliciting another flinch from her.

"You're doing great." Cameron whispered over to her softly as the female cop snapped another photo, hoping her words would help to soothe Cuddy in some small way.

"Ok Lisa were almost done, but I need you to turn back around and lower your gown so that I can take a few photos of your breasts." The officer said with a very gentle whisper.

At hearing the words, Cuddy took in a shuddered breath and looked over at Cameron.

"You can do this." Cameron whispered to her. "Just focus on something in this room and I'll lower the gown for you," she offered, keeping her voice steady while holding their gaze, letting Cuddy know she was not pitying her but rather aiding her in getting yet another task accomplished while still keeping herself behind the border that had been laid.

Cuddy took in another breath and turned around, focusing her gaze above the female officer's head to the vent that brought the heat and air conditioning into the room, starting to count the metal slats in the grate as Cameron gently moved the material of the gown she was wearing off of her shoulders and down to her elbows.

_One ..two …three… _Cuddy began to count.

Cameron then moved behind her and held the gown in place from the back so it would not slip down any further.

_Four …five …six….._

"Ok hold still." The female officer instructed focusing on the dark bruises shaped like fingerprints on Cuddy's left breast first.

_Seven…eight….nine…_

_FLASH ……flinch……deep breath_…..

_Ten…eleven ..twelve…._

"Doing ok Lisa?"

_Nodding …..…..thirteen….. fourteen…. fifteen….._

_FLASH….…..Oh god please let it be over soon……..fifteen….FLASH_

"Ok that's it Lisa we're done." The officer then announced resting the camera on the side of her hip.

Cameron quickly moved the gown back onto Cuddy's shoulder's and fastened the ties.

Once Cuddy had turned back around the officer spoke to her again, "I'm going to find Agent Collins now, he told me he still needs ask you some additional questions," she said before turning to leave.

Once the female cop had closed the door behind her, Cameron turned to face Cuddy, watching silently as she slowly sat down in one of the chairs inside of the exam room with a wince.

" Lisa… I'm gong to go ahead and get you some pain meds from the pharmacy, but I wanted to let you know I have some clean workout clothes in my locker and if you wanted me to, I could get them for you to change into. I'm pretty sure we are about the same size and they would be much more comfortable than that god awful hospital gown," she offered.

Cuddy looked up at her for a few seconds without saying a word. "That …that would be really nice Cameron.…thank you." She finally said, not able to let the gratitude she felt over the gesture show too much because of all the other emotions it would bring with it.

********************************************************

After receiving stitches and some much needed vicodin as well as going down to Radiology for a precautionary CT Scan of his head at Wilson's insistence, House had made his way back up into the clinic.

He paused outside of the exam room door for a moment, trying to ease the worry lines on his face before he knocked.

"Come in." Cameron said from the other side of the door.

House opened up the door before closing it behind him. His eyes immediately focusing in on Cuddy who was standing by the sink on the opposite side of the room dressed in Cameron's light blue t-shirt and navy blue yoga pants.

"I'm going to head back to the ER now that you're here." Cameron informed House after watching him and Cuddy staring silently at each other.

House nodded, keeping his eyes focused on Cuddy as Cameron left.

"How are my mom and Bill doing?" Cuddy asked immediately once they were alone.

"Your mom needed four units of blood and they've got her on morphine, but she's stable for now." House answered, limping closer to her.

"Was there any damage to the tendons in her arm from the knife wound?" Cuddy questioned as her anxiety started to build again.

"No. The only procedure performed was a layered closure of her laceration." House assured her.

Cuddy nodded drawing her bottom lip inside her mouth a bit with her teeth, "What about Bill? Is he?" She started to question holding back the tremor that wanted to attach to her voice.

"Bill's still in surgery, but he's holding his own. The bullet actually went straight through his chest wall and exited just underneath his right armpit." House answered before he saw yet another question looming in her eyes that she was afraid to ask, going ahead and answering it for her anyway because like it or not ....she needed to hear it.

"Jeff's still in surger. Odds are he's probably going to be paralyzed from the waist down," He added flatly.

"Oh." Cuddy managed to say darting her eyes towards the floor. Hating how the mere mention of Jeffls name had caused a shiver to run through her.

"I'm sorry." House suddenly said, shifting his eyes to the floor beneath them as well.

"Why?" Cuddy questioned with a crease in her brow, looking in up into his face. The deep sincerity in his voice snapping her out of the thick fog miesery that was surrounding her.

"I'm sorry for not stopping Jeff before he attacked you." House told her in a low tone, becoming weighted down by the guilt that had been lying in wait for him, unable to look into her eyes as he felt her gaze upon him.

"You stopped Jeff from raping me." Cuddy whispered up to him with conviction, touching the stubble on the side of his face, making him look at her again.

"I should have been able to reach you sooner." House responded in a hollow tone, closing his eyes when he felt the familiar caress of her hand on his face that only served to reminde him of how horrible it must have been for her to be treated so brutally by Jeff.

"Greg, stop it….you-" Cuddy started to say using his first name to try and reach him, when a sharp and painful spasm radiated up her back.

She cried out, biting down on her bottom lip as she reached for the countertop beside her, immediately seeing the look of alarm rising up into his eyes.

"I'm ok…it's just a muscle spasm." She assured him taking in a deep breath.

"Did Cameron give you something for the pain?" House asked, trying like hell not to let her see that seeing her like this was worse than any hell he could have imagine. Longing to place a hand on her hip to steady her but holding back..... too afraid of causing her anymore pain by touching her bruised body.

Cuddy nodded, pointing over to the countertop on the opposite of the room.

House limped over to the counter and reached for the small plastic orange pill bottle, glancing down at the label as he made his way back to Cuddy.

"Here take these and then we'll go up and see your mom." He said once he had returned to her side, shaking out two of the pills into the palm of her hand while he snatched one of the disposable cups out of the holder, filling it with water for her.

"Thank you." Cuddy responded softly before swallowed the pills with the water, dropping the paper cup in the trash when she was done.....all while her eyes remained focused in on House who was tapping his cane against the linoleum floor, hoping that the haunting feeling inside of her that was reflected in his eyes would not end up tearing them both apart.


	50. Chapter 50

**Thanks once again to all of you for the great reviews! Hope you enjoy the next chapter :)**

**Chapter 50**

**Hospital ~~~~5th Floor….**

As House and Cuddy walked into Ruth's hospital room they found Wilson standing at the foot of her bed, keeping a silent vigil as he scanned over Ruth's medical chart.

Upon seeing Cuddy, Wilson placed the chart back into the plastic bin attached at the end of the bed before taking a step towards her.

"Hey. How are you doing?" He said softly as he made his way over to her.

"I've been better. And I'm sorry for the way I reacted to you earlier, after Jeff-" Cuddy started to say, placing a small kiss on the side of Wilson's cheek as she rested her hand upon his shoulder.

"Lisa…..you have nothing to apologize for." Wilson answered back, giving House a glance before taking hold of her hand as he guiding her towards Ruth's bed.

Holding her breath, Cuddy looked down at her mother, her fingertips gently touching the curve of Ruth's jaw as she studied the small puncture wound and bruising on the left side of her face.

"Did the doctors perform a CT Scan of her brain to make sure there wasn't any internal trauma?" Cuddy asked Wilson as she continued to gaze down at her mother.

"Yes," Wilson confirmed while studying her profile, "And it came back clean, just like the one I did on House." He told her, grateful to see the small sense of relief spread across her face as she turned her gaze to him.

"Any more news on Bill?" House asked Wilson, leaning on his cane as he stood at the foot of the bed looking up at them both.

"Nothing yet." Wilson replied before looking over at Cuddy again who had returned her gaze to her mother. "Your mom is doing exceptionally well considering all that she's been through. She's a real fighter …just like her daughter." He whispered to her, thankful that by some miracle both women had survived the wrath of Jeff Hansom.

"She was so brave." Cuddy whispered before slowly bending down and kissing her mother's forehead as her stiff and sore muscles continuing to send sharp needles of pain up and down her spine.

Wilson gave a look of concern over to House regarding Cuddy's tentative movements. The look he got in return from his friend telling him that they needed to talk.

Wasting no time, Wilson pulled one of the two chairs inside the room closer to the bed, "Here Lisa, why don't you take a seat and we'll give you some time alone with your mom." He then offered.

"Thanks." Cuddy responded, carefully sitting down in the chair before she reached out for her mother's hand again.

********************************************************

After they had left Ruth's hospital room, House and Wilson walked down to the end of the hallway before taking a seat on the cushioned bench a few feet away from the elevators.

"I want you to go down and get Lisa's chart for me then meet me back in your office." House informed Wilson.

"House……if you want to know the extent of Lisa's injuries you should talk to her instead of going behind her back and reading her medical record." Wilson replied with a hesitant tone.

"Right now the last thing I want to do is question Lisa about what Jeff did to her. She's a mess both physically and mentally, even though she's trying her best to hide it." House argued.

"This is only going to result in Lisa getting even more upset than she already is. She needs you to be honest with her, not go behind her back and read her chart because don't want to deal with your own issues about how painful it is for you to open up to someone else." Wilson countered in low urgent whisper, trying to get through to his friend.

House clenched his jaw, "You do know the first thing Lisa's going to want to do after we leave here is wash the smell of that bastard off of her body." He informed his friend with a cold whisper before he continued.

"And the last thing Lisa needs is for me to be staring at ever mark that son of bitch put on her body while he was attacking her. If I look at her chart, I'll know what to expect before hand so I don't end up making her feel like some kind of freak." House explained as his patience began to wear thin.

Wilson studied his friend's face closely, the agony churning inside of House's mind regarding the best way to help Lisa start to cope with what had happened to her displayed in the deep lines of his forehead.

"Ok, I'll do it." Wilson agreed with a heavy sigh, hoping that the deception House was planning would end up helping both of his friends in the end. Not allowing himself to worry about what would happen if it didn't.

********************************************************

Another twenty minutes passed by before House made his way back to Ruth's hospital room, having successfully read through Cuddy's medical record written in Cameron's feminine handwriting as well as studying the markings Cameron had made on the drawing of the female patient figure that documented where the injuries currently concealed under the clothing Cuddy was wearing were located on her body.

"Hey." Cuddy said to him, looking over at House stepped inside the room.

Her eyes were dull and fatigued, the corners of her mouth, finding it impossible to even attempt the smallest of smiles.

The beauty of her face, continuing to be held captive by the emotions inside that were powerful and strong in their despair.

"Any change in your mom's condition?" House asked as he limped towards her while Cuddy remained leaning forward in the chair, keeping her legs crossed at the ankles.

"She's still the same, but she did squeeze my hand for a few seconds as I was talking to her. I also called Foreman while you were gone and talked to him about backing off her morphine in the morning so she can regain consciousness." Cuddy informed him, glancing down by his waist when House's cell phone began to ring.

"It's Chase." House said to her after he had opened up the phone.

"What." He then said simply, taking into the receiver.

"Bill's out of surgery and they are moving him to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit before they take him up to the seventh floor. I though maybe Cuddy would want to come down and see him." Chase said removing the surgical cap from his head.

House looked over at Cuddy as she continued to hold onto her mother's hand.

"We'll be down in a few minutes." He responded.

********************************************************

**Post Anesthesia Care Unit**

Upon entering into the PACU, House and Cuddy were greeted by Chase who was still dressed in his surgical scrubs.

"I have something to tell you both." Chase said in a hushed whisper as he motioned them over to a quiet corner of the recovery room.

Cuddy felt her heart start to sink inside her chest, staring back at Chase and searching his cool green eyes to see just how bad the news he was about to deliver them was going to be.

Chase looked at House first before focusing his gaze on Cuddy, his expression softening along with his voice.

"Jeff died on the operating table a few minutes ago, shortly after I called you guys." He informed them, clutching his surgical cap in his right hand while hoping the news would at least start to bring some small sense of peace to both House and Cuddy.

For a moment Cuddy said nothing. The news she has heard, needing time to sink through the layers of armor she has started to put up around her.

"What..what happened?" She finally questioned.

"Jeff went into A-Fib on the table just shortly after the surgical team staring working on him," Chase explained, shifting his eyes over to House.

"Where's Bill?" House asked, seeing the surprise rise up in Chase's face as he completely avoided talking about Jeff any further.

"He's down here." Chase replied, still a bit shocked that the man who usually wanted to know everything had just seemingly walked over the topic of Jeff's death without a second glance.

Heading down the center of the room that had separated into individual sections for the post operative patients, House and Cuddy followed Chase until he reached the last partitioned room on his right.

Chase pulled the green curtain open, allowing them to step inside in front of him.

In the center of the room, Bill was lying unconscious, currently hooked up on a ventilator and in a drug induced coma.

House picked up Bill's chart, holding it in such a way so that Cuddy could read it as well.

"Bill's in amazing shape for a man his age. I think that's a big reason why he got through the surgery so well." Chase told them as Cuddy made her way over to the head of bed, leaning down with a bit of difficulty and gently kissing Bill's cheek.

"Remember you have a lot of people that love you so hurry up and get better." She whispered, touching Bill's arm as she gazed down upon his face.

As Cuddy continued to speak softly to Bill, caressing his arm, Chase and House watched her, both men turning slightly when Wilson entered into the partitioned room.

"How's he doing?" Wilson asked.

"Bill's holding his own." House answered, handing Wilson the chart.

After glancing down at the chart, Wilson turned his gaze towards Cuddy who was still focused on Bill, her hand having moved down to Bill's hand as she held it gently.

"You should take Lisa back to your place so the both of you can try and get some rest." Wilson then whispered over to House.

Overhearing the words Wilson had spoken Cuddy turned the direction of three men standing at the foot of the bed.

"I'm not leaving." She told all of them flatly.

House caught her gaze and locked onto it.

"You're in no shape to be sleeping in a chair beside your mother's bed and right now, and there's nothing medically that any of us can do for your Mom or Bill." House told her directly in an even tone.

Seeing the apprehension start to spread across Cuddy's face, Wilson spoke up.

"Lisa……House is right, you need to try and get some rest. I'll stay here until the morning and call you if anything changes in either your Mom's or Bill's condition." He offered.

Cuddy bit down on the inside of her bottom lip, knowing both men were right, however that still did not bring peace to the part of her that was aching at the thought of leaving her mother and Bill.

"_You promise to call me if anything changes in their conditions_." Cuddy finally said after a few seconds of silence, stressing the words as she spoke them to Wilson.

"I promise if anything happens good or bad I'll call you." Wilson responded, watching Cuddy take a very tired step towards him.

*******************************************************

Inside House's apartment, as night approached the early morning hour of 1 am, House was standing inside his bathroom with Cuddy, watching her as she leaned over and turned off the faucets in the tub she had just filled.

"Sorry I don't have that bubble bath crap you like." House said looking over at her, hating how awkward the words coming out of his mouth sounded as he tried to fill the silence between them once more.

"That's ok." Cuddy replied softly before looking away from him and down into the still water as the wisps of steam began to rise above it.

The sudden urge to start crying took hold of her viciously with the power of hurricane, causing her to bring her fingers up to her mouth in an effort to hold back the small sob that was trying to escape her lips.

Watching the solitary tear run down her cheek, House cleared his throat, the gaps of silence, filled with pain growing between them inside the small bathroom, what he had found in her, that no other could match, slipping swiftly through his fingers with every shallow breath escaping his lungs.

"Do ….do you need me to help you get undressed?"" He suddenly asked in a thick voice coated with the emotions only she could bring out in him.

The sound of his voice drew Cuddy's eyes to his face, the expression upon it belonging to a man who was trying with everything he had inside of him to reach out to her and lift her up from misery trying to swallow her whole.

"I'd like that." She whispered back to him as her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to push past the darkness trying to take hold by taking a step towards him.

Keeping his eyes fixated upon her, House hung up his cane on the towel rack beside the tub before reaching for the bottom hem of her shirt, getting ready to take it off of her when Cuddy suddenly moved her hands on top of his, stopping him.

"Jeff…." Cuddy started to say with a painful voice before swallowing hard and continuing.

"He got pretty rough with me when I was trying to get away from him. And there are some bruises and abrasions on my body that you haven't seen yet." She warned softly, looking away from him again as her heart felt the haunting sting of her reality once more.

"Have you forgotten I have to look at Nurse Brenda's ugly mug every morning when I walk into the hospital? Trust me if I can endure that on a daily basis I can pretty much stomach anything." House joked in a soft, low, tone, hoping that this part of them, where he could bring a smile to her face during even the most tragic of times would still remain whole and untouched by the evil that had entered into their lives.

"That's an awful thing to say." Cuddy responded with the left side of her mouth rising slightly as she placed a hand upon his chest.

"Awful ..but true." House countered staring to pull her shirt up again.

"Greg…I-" Cuddy started to protest once more.

"Hey in case you've forgotten_ I am _a doctor," House started to joke once more before he softened his voice as he gazed into her eyes that were dark with worry, "I promise I'll go slow and if you feel any pain or want me to stop just tell me alright?" He finished, brushing his thumb against her navel to test her response to his touch.

"Ok." Cuddy agreed, lifting her arms up slowly.

House let his thumb travel up the lengthy of her abdomen as he pulled the shirt off of her body, watching her dark hair fall down upon her shoulders once more as he released her from the shirt.

Cuddy was not wearing a bra, the bruises on her breasts now exposed to him with painful clarity, but instead of lower his gaze, House kept his eyes focused on Cuddy's face.

"You can look." Cuddy whispered with an ache, closing her eyes as she turned her face away from him.

Dropping the t-shirt in his hand to the floor, House moved that same hand to the side of her neck that hand not been injured.

"Look at me." He whispered back to her as they stood before the first painful barrier they had yet to cross.

Cuddy opened her eyes. Focusing them on House's face as her heart pumped faster inside her chest, her mind wishing that somehow they could fast forward through this part so she could appear before him without the marks and cuts on her body that reminded her again and again of how completely Jeff had taken control of her….especially during the end before House had saved her.

As his thumb began to caress her cheek, House leaned closer to Cuddy.

"What Jeff did to you is nothing you should be ashamed of. You fought that son of a bitch with everything you had. " He told her, holding onto their gaze until he was sure she was ready to move forward, his eyes then lowering to her neck, past the bite marks and contusions there until his they found their way to her breasts.

The purple bruising on her delicate flesh was deep, dark and angry, just like the man who had put them there.

Feeling Cuddy began to tremble, House carefully lowered his lips to the side of her cheek and kissed her, sharing the intimate space with her in order to reinforce once more to her that she was still the strong, confident and brave woman she always had been who would forever steal his attention the moment she stepped foot inside a room he occupied.

"In a few days you know those bruises will start to fade away, until then don't give them anymore power over you than the already have. You're better and stronger than that. " House whispered down to her, knowing there was no way in hell she could deny the marks on her body, however determined as hell to chip away at the painful memories as much as possible for both of their sakes.

Cuddy nodded in recognition of his statement, keeping her eyes locked onto his as House moved his hands to the waistband of the yoga pants she was wearing, gently pulling them down past her hips before getting down onto his knees as he lowered them further until she could step out of them.

Cuddy placed her hands on his shoulders and felt the warmth of his breath on her skin. The familiar and treasured sensation reminding her of all the countless times they had made love between the whispers and moans of their shared passion for one another.

Drawing in a breath, she wondered if they would be able to get back to that place. Back to where their bodies became one with such grace that it had solidified in her mind, without a doubt she had finally found what she had been looking for throughout the long years she had spent alone, the thought causing her heart to ache at the possibility that the fulfillment and beauty she found with him may end up being forever lost in the dark memory of what Jeff had done to them both.

"Ready to get into the tub?" House asked as rose gingerly to his feet once more.

"I…..yes." Cuddy answered back quickly with her eyes searching his face.

She had been so completely lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed if House had been studying the bruises on her inner thighs while he was on his knees. And in some small strange way.... it was the first tiny piece of salvation she was able to take hold of.

"Then come on before the water gets cold." House coaxed, seeing the worry lines in her face begin to relax as she looked up at him.

Holding onto his bicep for support, Cuddy placed her right foot into the tub before following it with her left one.

Looking down at Cuddy as she let go of him and sunk into the hot and soothing water beneath her, House's eyes traveled down the line of connected bruises and scrapes on her back that looked far worse than the other marks on her body.

As Cuddy eased down further into the tub the abrasions on her back made contact with the water, causing her to suck in a sharp breath of air through her teeth.

"You ok?" House asked, watching the ripple of pain dart across her face, hating the feeling of not being able to take that away from her.

"It just stings a little." Cuddy answered leaning forward in the tub slightly as she brought her knees up to her chest.

House moved his eyes away from her face as Cuddy closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Crap." He suddenly muttered looking over to the corner of the tub.

"What's wrong?" Cuddy asked, opening up her eyes and following his gaze.

"That bar of soap looks like some kind of bad science experiment." House told her, grimacing as he bent down and picked up the slimy remnants of the rectangular bar before tossing it into the trash.

"Let me see if I can find you another one." He then said, limping over to the sink to wash the residue off of the old bar of soap off of his hands before he squatted down, opening up the bottom doors of the small bathroom vanity.

Inside the cluttered vanity House's eyes scanned through the contents packed inside of it until he found what he was looking for.

"Ah ha." He said getting up and turning around with four small bars of travel soap in his hand that he had snatched from various hotels rooms where he had stayed, limping back over to the tub and sitting down on the closed seat of the toilet next to it as he fanned out the soaps in his right hand, holding them as if they were a deck of cards.

"OK here are your choices. We have the classic Dove soap, definitely a girlie scent. The umm…Spa Essentials soap with ….seaweed extract?" House said wrinkling his nose, "By the way I think I got that one when you agreed to let the hospital pay for an outrageously over priced suite in Atlanta just so I could tell the other doctors at the medical conference they were a bunch of idiots." He commented dryly before continuing, "The third one here is some kind of glycerin crap that's probably made out of rendered animal fat and the last one has Aloe and Vitamin E in it," he finished.

"I'll take the one with Aloe and Vitamin E." Cuddy replied as a small smile began to appear on her face in reaction to his display that she knew he was doing in an effort to try and ease them back into at least a little bit of normalcy during a completely abnormal time in their lives.

"Good choice." House remarked with a nod, unwrapping the tiny bar before handing it to her.

He then limped back over to the vanity and tossed the other three bars back inside the cabinet while throwing the wrapper of the bar of soap Cuddy had chosen in the trash.

"Washcloth?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Yes, please." She answered.

After reaching for the clean washcloth hanging on the hook to his left, House made his way back to her, handing her the small towel.

"I'm going to find my gameboy." He then told her before limping out into the hallway.

Cuddy watched House leave the bathroom, feeling her heart start to beat a little faster.

_Just concentrate on something else. He'll only be gone a few seconds_. _It's no big deal_, Cuddy told herself as she dipped the washcloth into the bathwater before rubbing it against the soap in her other hand to create a lather.

After the soap produced a soft mound of suds she removed it from the washcloth, setting it on the side of the tub.

She then pulled her right leg towards her, bending it so that she could start to wash it, feeling the throbbing ache in her inner thigh when she did so that caused her to take in another deep breath.

As promised within a matter of seconds House limped back into the bathroom.

He watched Cuddy for a moment as she started to move the washcloth up and down on her right calf, knee and thigh before turning on the gameboy as he sat down back down on the toilet seat beside the tub.

Cuddy looked up at him briefly before she slowly eased her right leg back into the tub and started to wash her left leg.

Without saying a word to one another they knew what this was. This next step away from the past and towards the future, taken together by two people who were to say the very least scared of where it may lead them. But taken together none the less, while the simple truth that House did not want Cuddy to be alone as she began to wash over the painful memories of what Jeff had done to her along with Cuddy's need for House to be with her now more than ever resounded in both of their minds.

After a few minutes, Cuddy moved the washcloth over her to left breast, inhaling sharply and adjusting the pressure of her hand when the tender tissue reacted with a piercing needle of pain.

House looked over at her as Cuddy gently worked the washcloth around the tender area, placing his gameboy behind him on the back part of the toilet before he got up, taking a few steps over to the vanity once more and retrieving a large green plastic cup from inside it that had a picture of Grave Digger stamped on the front of it.

Limping back over to her, House sat down on the edge of the tub watching as she scooped some water up into her left hand to rinse the soap from her breasts.

"Tilt you head back." He told her as he in turn scooped some of the bathwater into the cup.

Cuddy looked over at him briefly before she closed her eyes and titled her head back.

After pouring three cups of the water onto her hair House reached for the shampoo behind her.

"I figured it was better to wash you hair this way so you wouldn't have to lie down on your back." He told her as he squeezed out a small amount of the shampoo into his palm before showing it to her.

"Is this enough?" He questioned.

"Yes." Cuddy answered with a small grateful smile.

"Good, then close your eyes again so I don't end up blinding you." House told her, smoothing the shampoo over the top of her head before placing his fingers into her hair.

He began to work the shampoo throughout the top of her head, gently massaging her scalp and base of her neck before he gathered up the dark wet locks from her shoulders.

"You know when I was a kid, my Oma used to wash my hair just like this. Of course my hair wasn't nearly as long as yours and my Oma's boobs sagged a lot more than mine do." House commented while continuing to work the soapy lather throughout her hair.

Cuddy kept her eyes closed and smiled.

"Oma? That's Dutch for grandmother right?" She asked.

"How do you know that?" House asked with a small smirk with his eyes tracing the corners of her closed lip smile.

"Contrary to popular belief there are some things you _don't _know about me Gregory House." Cuddy whispered back to him as the touch of his hands continued to melt away the tension in her body.

"Well Lisa Cuddy, I'll have you know contrary to popular belief….Mr. Winky does not fall off if you yank on him like my Oma tried to tell me." House countered keeping his tone playful as he studied the marks on her back, wishing he could wash them away as easy as the shampoo in her hair.

His words made Cuddy laugh and the sound of it echoed inside the small bathroom.

"How old were you when your Oma talked to you about Mr. Winky?" She questioned with a smile on her face, keeping her eyes closed as she tuned in to the sound of his voice.

"Ummm thirteen I think. I know for sure it was after she found a stash of Playboys under my bed when she was over at my parents house watching me one time," House told her, smiling as another small laugh escaped her mouth before frowning slightly as the contrast of Lisa's warmth and breathtaking beauty came face to face with the memory of her terrified tear stained face that he had looked down upon before he had struck Jeff with the vase up in the spare bedroom of her house.

"Tilt your head back." House then instructed, pushing the latter memory away while rinsing the shampoo from her hair with another cup full of water before seeing her slate grey eyes open up to him, filled deep with the exquisite brilliance of all she held inside her heart for him as she stared back up at him from the tub.

********************************************************

"_Bill?" _Ruth mumbled inside the darkened hospital room as she felt the touch of a man's hand holding onto her own.

Wilson, who was staring out of the hospital window at her bedside turned around and spoke to Ruth as she tried to open up her heavy eyes.

"It's Wilson." He told her in a soft voice while giving Ruth's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Lisa! Where's Lisa?" Ruth suddenly cried out with a groggy panic to her voice as her eyelids snapped open, trying to focus on Wilson's face the was blurry and distorted.

"Lisa's fine Ruth. She's with House and they both are fine." Wilson assured her with a whisper taking his other hand and placing it over hers.

"_I want Bill….I want him to find Lisa. He has to stop Jeff from hurting her! He has to…"_ Ruth mumbled as her eyes began to close while her thoughts remained clouded and stuck in time by the powerful pain killers she was on.

"Lisa's ok Ruth and so is Bill. You're all going to be ok." Wilson whispered to hers as his thumb caressed the back of her hand.

"Don't let Jeff hurt Lisa," Ruth mumbled again before slipping back into unconsciousness.

"Jeff is never going to hurt Lisa or anyone else ever again Ruth." Wilson whispered down to her as the monitors beside Ruth's bed that kept track of her heart rate continued to show the muscle's steady beating.

After watching her for a few more seconds, Wilson turned his gaze back towards the window, remembering the promise he had made to Cuddy about calling her, deciding that since technically there had been no medical change in Ruth's condition he was not going to bother her, hoping by now Cuddy was fast asleep with House lying beside her.

********************************************************

**3:18 am**

Inside of his dark bedroom, House was dragged forcefully out of his dreamless sleep by a dull throbbing pain in the back of his head that prodded at him with an irritating rhythm.

Keeping his eyes shut, he carefully moved his fingertips across the stitches placed in the back of his scalp earlier by Wilson as he lay on his side before opening up his eyes, ready to reach for his vicodin bottle on the nightstand when he noticed Lisa sitting up in the bed next to him with her legs pulled up to her chest. The sound of her soft and muffled sobs heard by him immediately even though she had tired to keep them to herself.

Feeling House moving into a seated position on the bed beside her, Cuddy wiped away her tears.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." She managed to say in a voice weary from the tragic memories that would not let her be.

House looked over at her as she turned her gaze away from him.

"You don't need to be sorry….not about this." He said in a low tone, moving his hand to her shoulder where he knew there were no bruises.

The touch of his hand sent a shiver through her as the horrible thoughts of what Jeff had done to her collided with comfort House was trying to give her and in a panicked response to it, Cuddy turned towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his with her tongue forcing itself into his mouth.

_I can't let this change. I can't let us change. I don't want him here with us. I need you so much. So much right now, _Cuddy thought as she pulled House down on top of her, being greeted by a sharp deep pain that radiated up her back as it was pressed into the mattress with the weight on House on top of her.

House froze as he heard Cuddy cry out into his mouth in pain. Her actions towards him totally unexpected and catching him off guard. His heart stopping cold in his chest, afraid of what would happen to her if he did not find a way to help her through the excruciating mental and physical pain she was experiencing right now without having her feel as if he was pushing her away.

In an instant he softened their kiss before removing his lips from her own, looking down into her eyes that were wide and full of fear.

"Lisa.... we can't-" House started to say.

"Make love to me Greg." Cuddy pleaded in a voice that was lost and lonely, pulling him down towards her again as her spine unleashed another piercing jolt of pain that made her gasp out in agony.

House pressed his hands firmly into the mattress beside her, preventing her from taking on his weight again.

"Lisa stop." He said in a voice that was soft but firm, watching her grey eyes began to fill with tears,"This can't happen right now....I don't want to hurt you." He added, moving his right hand gently to her bare hip, feeling the warmth of her naked body beside him and underneath the covers.

"I need this Greg….I need us." Cuddy replied back to him as a tear ran down her cheek, so afraid of falling apart she was wiling to risk any amount of pain to feel him inside of her again, to know beyond a shadow of a doubt he still wanted her and needed her as much as she wanted and needed him.

House rubbed his thumb against her hip, "Not like this." He whispered, carefully lowering his lips to hers and brushing against them lightly before lowering his head to her collarbone where there were no bruises and kissing it just as softly, feeling her start to tremble beneath him.

"No! I don't ….I don't want you to pity me!" Cuddy choked out with misery as another tear ran down her face.

House lifted his head up, looking directly into her eyes, "That's something I would never do." He told her directly, taking hold of her left hand and rubbing her fingertips over his lips as she watched him under the moonlight.

"Because no matter how you feel about yourself right now.....you're still sexy as hell to me." He whispered into the underside of her wrist before kissing it while pushing the blanket down lower on her body with his free hand as he remained lying on his side.

"And every time you walk into a room its all I can to keep myself from thinking about the two of us together…..like we are now," He continued, looking deeply into her eyes before lowering his head to her abdomen where he began to leave a trail of soft, delicate kisses, moving across from one hip to the other as her left hand begin to caress his jaw and her trembling ceased.

"I'll always want you Lisa." House confessed into the bottom of her ribcage where his lips were now located before lifting his head back up to look at her, holding his breath as the sight of her looking down at him with more adoration then any man deserved was displayed upon her face, carefully moving up to kiss her mouth once more as her left hand glided down the length of his side while she breathed into his mouth.

Breaking the kiss between them House gazed down upon Cuddy once more, her dark hair fanned on to top of the pillow where her head rested, the light in her eyes showing him he had not failed her in his efforts to comfort her.

"Get some sleep now and we'll talk about when you're allowed to boink my brains out again tomorrow, over coffee." He whispered to her with smirk, watching her smile up at him in return before he laid back down on his side watching her as she carefully turned on her side to face him, placing her hand upon his chest.

"Thank you." Cuddy whispered over to him, feeling the beating of his heart underneath the palm of her hand.

"For allowing you to boink me again in the near future? It was nothing really." House responded moving his hand back to her hip while watching the smile stretch across her face once more.

********************************************************

Later, after Cuddy had fallen back to sleep, House listened to the sound of her steady breathing, stroking the soft skin of her hip with his fingertips as his heart pounded loudly inside his chest as the realization of how close he had come to losing her came crashing down upon him.

He swore after Stacy that he would never fall in love again. Never give his heart to someone else in that way. But now..... lying in his bed with the moonlight shining down upon Lisa's sleeping face he knew without a shadow of a doubt he loved her more than any other woman who had entered into his life. The truth in it, guiding him into hoping that he could indeed bring more than pain into Lisa's life in the long run. That maybe, unlike Stacy, he would be able to keep the adoration in Lisa's eyes burning for him for a very long time.

It had been a long time since he had hoped. And as his body received the message from his brain, it responded by sending a chill up his spine, reminding him not to hope for too much for fear of losing it all again just like he had in the past, leaving him with only the bitter loneliness that always seemed to be waiting for him.


	51. Chapter 51

**Hi everyone! Well another chapter is done but before you read I wanted to answer some questions that some of you have asked.**

**1. No I am not a cop. LOL…. sadly my job is very boring, but at least I don't get shot at (crosses fingers).**

**2. The word "Oma" which is Dutch for Grandma was used by House himself in the ep One Day One Room. I like it so when I was writing the scene with House and Cuddy in the bathroom I decided to put it in along with the story House told to Cuddy.**

**Finally thanks again to all of you for the great support and reviews hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

**Chapter 51**

At six am, just before the alarm clock would have gone off inside her own bedroom, Lisa Cuddy woke up in Gregory House's bedroom, looking over at him as he continued to sleep before she focused her gaze on the digital clock beside him on the nightstand.

After seeing what time it was, Cuddy carefully reached over House so as not to wake him, feeling a sharp pain travel up her back as she twisted her body to retrieve her cell phone resting next the clock, wanting to check her messages in case Wilson had called during the night without either of them hearing the phone.

Looking down at the display that told her she had no new voicemails, Cuddy let out a deep but quiet breath in response to the throbbing pain in her spine. Closing her eyes for a moment to try and will it away while knowing that outside of House's apartment a new day was beginning. With people inside their homes getting ready for work while their children ate breakfast at the kitchen table before they heading off to school.

But for her would be no work today and in fact for the next few days the only a visits to the hospital she would make would be to see her mother and Bill, thanks to the twisted rampage of a madman who had torn through her life with the velocity of a tornado.

Glancing over at House again as he remained sleeping, Cuddy traced the stubble on his jaw with her eyes. Remembering all that had gone on between them after they had arrived back at his place last night, becoming overwhelmed with emotion as she thought of how gentle and understanding he had been with her, opening himself up to her in a way he had never done before, proving to her exactly why she needed him in her life as much as she did.

"_I love you." _Cuddy suddenly whispered over to House as he continued to sleep, meaning every single word in the short but powerful sentence.

As her words traveled over to him, House stirred in his sleep before turning on his side to face her and opening up his eyes.

"Did Wilson call?" He asked, letting out a yawn after noticing the cell phone resting in her hand.

"No." Cuddy answered back softly.

"You know if something had gone wrong with your Mom or Bill, Wilson would have called regardless of what time it was." House told her as he saw the worry appearing on her face, rubbing the stubble on his jaw before propping himself up in the bed beside her.

"I know." Cuddy replied before touching his cheek and kissing it tenderly.

"You also know we still can't have sex right?" House teased as she pulled away from him.

"Well then, the least you can do is make me breakfast." Cuddy teased back, poking at his side to make him squirm.

"Hey! Knock it off before I -" House started to say, stopping mid sentence as Cuddy placed her hand up to her forehead as she closed her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sitting up straighter in the bed as she opened them back up.

"Nothing...I just felt a little light headed for a moment." Cuddy said before easing back down onto the pillow behind her.

"How's your vision?" House asked as he checked her pupils.

"It's fine." Cuddy answered.

"Any nausea or tingling in your extremities?" House pushed.

"House…I've had maybe a total of two hours of sleep night and considering all that I've been through the dizziness is most likely a symptom of exhaustion." Cuddy replied dismissively as he continued to hover over her.

"If it happens again you're getting a CT Scan." House replied back to her as the gnawing feeling that something more was to come of this took up residence inside his brain.

********************************************************

**House's Apartment 7:00 am**

_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"I don't think we should have come here. House is going to be pissed." Chase said after knocking on House's door as he and Cameron stood outside of the apartment.

"Cuddy will need this stuff and we also brought them food. And there's no way House is going to pass up free food." Cameron replied.

"I noticed that you cleverly tired to steer your way around the 'pissed' part." Chase shot back just as they heard House grumbling on the other side of the door.

"Whoever's out there better be prepared to get a cane up their ass." House yelled before unlocking the door and looking at his two fellows with distain.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" He then asked, eyeing the black nylon bag in Cameron's hands first before checking out the two coffees held in a cardboard travel tray and brown paper bag in Chase's hands.

"How's Lisa doing?" Cameron asked in a hushed whisper as House kept the door as closed as possible to them.

"She was sleeping until you two idiots woke her up." House replied.

"I was already up. Now stop being a jerk and let Chase and Cameron in." Cuddy yelled from behind the door after hearing their conversation.

House exhaled and moved out of the way so they both could enter into the apartment watching their expressions when Cameron and Chase both spotted Cuddy who was sitting on the couch wearing a white t shirt he had given her earlier along with and a pair of his pajama bottoms that she had rolled up several times around her waist.

"Lisa how are you?" Cameron whispered, quickly making her way over to Cuddy and leaning down to give her a gentle hug on the upper part of her body, mindful to avoid the bruises on her back.

"I'm doing ok." Cuddy answered back watching House studying both her and Cameron closely.

Once they women released their embrace Cameron sat next to Cuddy on the couch as Chase and House stood side by side.

"So are the two of you going to tell us why you're here? Because I'm really not in the mood for twenty questions of dealing with idiots today." House remarked with a gruff tone.

Cameron gave House a glare before focusing her gaze on Cuddy, "Last night after you guys had left the hospital I asked Agent Collins if Chase and I could go to your place with him and pick up some things for you." She explained, offering Cuddy the black nylon bag she had carried in with her.

"Thank you Cameron." Cuddy replied with a small smile.

"Collins also asked us to tell you guys that that his team should be done collecting evidence by this morning and that he would call you sometime this afternoon." Chase added still standing beside House.

"We also thought you guys might need some breakfast so we brought bagels and coffee." Cameron said, prompting Chase to hand the food and drink over to House.

"Great. Food and clothes. Well looks like the two have served your purpose, now beat it." House responded.

"House." Cuddy warned with a disapproving look as he handed her the brown paper bag containing the bagels.

"That's ok we should get going anyway." Cameron replied, making her way to her feet and walking over to Chase.

"Well thank both of you for going to so much trouble for us." Cuddy told them, shooting a glance House's way in hopes that he would thank them as well.

"Remember hands of my stuff while I'm gone. Especially the porno downloads." House warned his two fellows.

"I've never looked at your porno House." Chase replied back smartly.

"I wasn't talking about you." House countered as he gave Cameron a devious smirk.

"I …I never." Cameron started to say before House slammed the door in both her and Chase's faces.

"Well that was fun." He then said, turning around to find Cuddy sitting on couch silently holding onto a red turtle neck sweater she had pulled out from inside the nylon bag, staring down at it with a melancholy expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" House asked her causing Cuddy to look away from the sweater and up at him as he approached the couch and sat next to her.

"This sweater was still in the back of my closet because it's only September and it hasn't been cold enough to wear it yet. Which means Cameron took time to find something I could wear today to the hospital that would cover up the bite marks and bruises on my neck." Cuddy whispered, swallowing hard as she willed away a tear.

"And before you say it, I know I shouldn't be getting this emotional over a sweater …..but I -" She started to add.

"Actually what I was going to say is that I call the blueberry bagel." House responded watching roll her eyes at him as she let out a soft laugh.

"Oh." Cuddy remarked shaking her head as House opened up the brown paper bag between them and began rummaging through its contents.

********************************************************

**Chase's Car….**

"Lisa did look ok to you…….right?"" Cameron asked Chase as he drove them to the hospital.

"She's doing fine." Chase replied, glancing at Cameron briefly while she stared out of the windshield.

"You think House is treating ok? I mean do you think he's being supportive to her?" Cameron questioned as she looked over at Chase.

"Cuddy wouldn't be with House if he didn't treat her right." Chase assured her, "You on the other hand need to start watching how you're treat Cuddy," he added.

"What do you mean?" Cameron asked furrowing her brow at him.

Chase sighed; turning to look at her while he waited for the traffic light in front of them to turn green.

"Allison, you are a very caring person, which is a very good thing, but…even though you had a connection with Cuddy on a personal level last night when you helped her get through the physical exam at the hospital. You need to back off a bit." Chase explained carefully as he pressed his foot on the gas once as the light had turned green.

"So you're saying I should have left Cuddy go to the hospital today dressed in House's t-shirt and pajama bottoms?" Cameron argued, instantly offended by his words.

"No, that's no what I'm saying. What you did was a good thing, but you have to stop calling her 'Lisa' all the time and being overly concerned with her well being because it's only going to serve as a reminder to Cuddy of exactly why her you suddenly feel the need to enter into her personal life. You know Cuddy will want to get back into her routine as hospital administrator as soon as possible in order to reaffirm that this event in her life has not changed who she is as a person. And in order for her to do that, we need to remember our places in her life, which are as her employees and not her friends." Chase explained to her.

After a few seconds of silence Cameron spoke. "You're right." She admitted with a sigh while looking over at Chase.

"See if you would have just admitted that more often while we were dating, maybe we wouldn't have broken up." Chase said with a smirk as he focused his eyes back on the road.

********************************************************

As House and Cuddy entered in to Ruth's hospital room, they heard Wilson's voice before spotting him as he sat beside Ruth's bed talking softly to her.

Wilson's face had a days worth of stubble upon it. His clothes, wrinkled from sleeping in them the night before however, Wilson's brown eyes were bright and alert as his held Ruth's hand, while she in turn was listening intently to every word he was saying to her as he filled her in on the details regarding Jeff Hansom and the impact he left on everyone, including his death on the operating room table.

Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, Ruth turned her head towards the doorway."Lisa." She whispered in a voice that sounded like it had been years since she had last seen her daughter. The strong and instant pull on her heart at the sight of her child, painful and sweet at the same time.

Walking over to her mom, dressed in dark blue jeans and the red turtleneck sweater Cameron had brought for her, a small smile appeared on Cuddy's face, the relief at seeing her mother safe, conscious and in the company of a trusted friend like Wilson doing her a world of good after the ordeal she had been through.

"Hi Mom." Cuddy replied back softly, moving to the opposite side of the bed from where Wilson was seated so she could lean down and give her mother a hug.

"Oh Lisa, I'm so glad you're ok." Ruth whispered into her daughter's ear before kissing her on the cheek.

Cuddy returned the kiss before gasping in pain as her mother pressed her hands into her back in order to pull her a little closer.

"Lisa, what's wrong?" Ruth asked, immediately letting go of her as Cuddy stood upright once more.

"I….I have some bruising on back from when Jeff attacked me." Cuddy informed her with a hesitant tone.

Without delay, Ruth looked over at Wilson,_"You told me Lisa was ok."_ She stressed in a worried voice.

"I'm sorry Ruth, I just thought it would be better if Lisa told you herself about what happened to her instead of…" Wilson tired to explain before House cut in.

"Yeah that's a real smooth move on your part Wilson. Now thanks to you Ruth feels like crap for hurting her daughter which means the nurses will have to up her morphine again until she passes out. Wait….maybe that isn't such a bad idea." House remarked while keeping his gaze fixed on Ruth, not understanding why in the hell she was smiling at him in such a peculiar way as if he had just paid her the biggest compliment in the world.

"What? Did they already up you morphine or something?" He then questioned to Ruth, continuing to study her face.

Suddenly Ruth's expression changed into a more solemn one.

"House, I want to thank you for saving my daughter from that monster. I hate to think about what Jeff would have done to her if you hadn't been there to stop him." Ruth said with the weight of her undying appreciation for the man standing at the foot of her bed and leaning heavily on his cane coming through in the tone of her voice.

"You're welcome." House said quickly, caught of guard for a moment by Ruth's heartfelt gratitude before turning his attention towards Wilson.

"Come on Wilson, I need to take a piss and I can't hold this thing all by myself." House remarked, pointing down to his crotch before turning abruptly and leaving the room.

Watching him go, Cuddy shared a knowing glance with Wilson as he followed behind House before turning her gaze back to her mother.

"What you said to House just now really meant a lot to him. Even though he'd never admit it." Cuddy said while reaching for Ruth's hand.

"I was completely wrong about House, and the type of man he really is behind all of the crap he pushes forward for everyone to see. And …I must say after everything that has happened I'm a little ashamed of how quickly I judged him before I go to know him." Ruth confessed to her daughter.

Cuddy chuckled, "Oh god, don't every let House hear you say that or he'll never let you live it down."

"Ok I guess we'll keep that secret to ourselves." Ruth agreed letting out a soft laugh of her own before easing herself over on the mattress and patting the now empty space beside her.

"Sit with me." Ruth then requested to her daughter, "Unless you can't because of the bruising."

"I'm fine mom, besides this bed is actually much more comfortable then those chairs over there," Cuddy assured her while taking a seat next to her on the mattress.

Gently moving her fingertips into Lisa's dark hair, Ruth smiled over at her, "Remember when you were little and we used to sit together like this on my bed while I brushed you hair?" She asked.

Instead of answering Ruth's question, Cuddy focused in on the narrow strip of gauze taped to her mother's arm.

"Mom, you have to be careful or you'll rip your stitches out." Cuddy warned softly, easing her mother's hand onto her lap with a tender touch.

"I thought mothers are the ones who are supposed to worry about their daughters. Not the other way around." Ruth joked softly to Lisa when she saw the concern starting to rise upon her face.

"I just want to make sure your laceration heals quickly with the least amount of scarring as possible." Cuddy tried to explain.

"I know that honey," Ruth replied, "but right now you need to concentrate on healing yourself more than worrying about me or anyone else for that matter."

"Mom…I told you I'm…." Cuddy started to say.

"Lisa." Ruth interrupted. "I know what you're going through because of what Thomas Crane did to me all those years ago. You want to move on. You want to forget about what happened. But right now you're stuck. You can't move forward and you can't go back. You feel like your in quicksand and you're going to keep feeling that way for a little while. But you have to trust me when I tell that _you will_ pull yourself out of this mess. It's just that sometimes you'll need someone to help you no matter how much you want to do it on your own."

Listening to her mother speak brought a fresh batch of tears to Cuddy's eyes, her throat tightening as their combined histories of heartache and misery intertwined.

"I'm sorry mom. I…I didn't want to cry in front of you." Cuddy whispered as she looked down in her lap and willed the rest of her tears away.

"Lisa…" Ruth whispered, touching her daughter's cheek so that she would look at her, "I would take the memories of your tears over the silence of not having you here with me any day," she explained, moving her hand to her daughter's shoulder so she could caress it.

Cuddy let out a gasp of complete and utter awe at the eloquent words her mother had just spoke to her, "I love you so much Mom," she whispered in return before giving Ruth a tender embrace while kissing her once more on the cheek.

********************************************************

"This doesn't look like the bathroom to me." Wilson commented as he and House stepped inside the hospital cafeteria.

"Really? And here I though the crap they serve here was really crap." House remarked.

"So how's Lisa doing?" Wilson asked, pouring them both a cup of coffee.

"Fine." House answered watching Wilson as he then paid the cashier for both cups.

"How about you? How are you doing?" Wilson pushed as they made their way over to a table by one of the large windows in the cafeteria.

"You should know considering you're the one that stitched me up for god's sake." House replied as he avoided the question.

"How bad are Lisa's bruises?" Wilson then questioned not about to drop the subject.

"What in hell do you mean are they bad? They're bruises." House shot back, looking away from his friend.

"Jesus they have to be pretty bad for you to react like this.'" Wilson replied in a hushed tone.

"They're no different than any other bruises I've examined, so stop trying to analyze this to death." House replied in an irritated tone.

"_It __is__ different because those bruises aren't on just some random patient……..they're on her_." Wilson stressed.

"What do you want me to say Wilson? That when I saw what Jeff had done to Lisa I wanted to drag his dead body out of the morgue and run if over with my car before I kicked it into a bloody pulp? That it made me sick to my stomach to think about how much pain she went through at the hands of that bastard? That I should have stopped…" House started to say before he caught himself revealing too much, suddenly turning away from Wilson's gaze and focusing on the window beside them.

"Wait….you're not actually blaming yourself for not reaching Lisa sooner…..are you?" Wilson questioned.

House looked him square in the eye, "If it wasn't for this damn leg I could have prevented Jeff from going as far as he did with her." He replied back with cold and distant tone before getting up out of his chair.

"House." Wilson said, getting up as well and grabbing his friend by the arm to prevent him form leaving, "You stopped Jeff from raping Lisa and whatever Jeff may have done in between the time you saved her -"

"Lisa experienced an episode of dizziness this morning at my place." House interrupted bluntly.

For a few brief seconds Wilson said nothing.

"That …that could be a result of any number of things. From a physical reaction to the emotional trauma of what happened to her to the fact that Lisa is clearly on the verge of exhaustion." Wilson tried to reason.

"Or maybe it's because she's suffered some brain damage from being chocked repeatedly by Jeff while I was lying on the garage floor." House replied before turning and walking away.

Watching his friend go, Wilson took in a breath, "It's just exhaustion House, " he whispered, knowing that if Cuddy's _one _symptom did indeed turn out to be anything more House would never be able to forgive himself for what he believed was something he could have prevented from happening to her if he still had the full use of his right leg.

********************************************************

A half an hour later, House, Cuddy and Ruth entered into Bill's hospital room in the ICU, with Ruth being pushed in a wheelchair by none other than House who had refused to let Lisa take on the task because of her physical injuries.

"Now remember mom, Bill is on the ventilator to help with his breathing while his body is trying to heal itself from the surgery. He's also is in a drug induced coma but he is doing very well." Cuddy said softly, preparing her mother as House pushed Ruth's wheelchair up to Bill's bed.

At first Ruth held her breath, shocked by the image of Bill lying in the bed unconscious. The tall, strong man she had fallen in love with, looking so helpless at the moment, hooked up to barrage of machines that filled the room with a constant electric hum. His arms having IV's coming out of them while in his mouth was the tube from the ventilator that carried the oxygen to Bill's lungs.

Pushing past her fear, Ruth reached out, holding Bill's hand in her own.

"Hi sweetheart." She whispered, kissing the top of his hand before making a move to get out of the wheelchair.

"Easy there Ruth, you need to get up slowly because I sure as hell I'm not going to pick you up if you end up falling on your ass," House warned, grabbing her free hand and placing it on the bedrail to steady her while Cuddy looked on silently.

Ruth glanced back at House briefly before returning her gaze to Bill.

"Hi Bill." She then whispered, leaning down and brushing aside some of his white hair from his forehead as she kissed it.

"Now listen to me, you have to hurry up and get better honey because we all need you and miss you so much." Ruth said in a soft voice, stroking Bill's cheek.

As Ruth spoke, House watched the black screens of the monitors, seeing the lines upon them seemingly reacting to the sound of her voice.

He had seen this happen on rare occasions before and it had always fascinated him.

"Keep talking to him." House whispered to Ruth as he took a step back from the bed while Cuddy moved closer to him.

"Bill…I want you to know you were the one who kept me holding on when I wanted to give up. So now I'm here to remind you not to give up. You hear?" Ruth said, keeping hold of his hand.

"It really is amazing thing to see isn't it?" Cuddy whispered over to House as both of their eyes remained fixated on the monitors.

"Interesting yes, amazing…no." House replied as the blips on the screens reflected in his eyes.

"Call it whatever you like, but Bill is reacting to the sound of my mother's voice." Lisa answered back softly.

"How about if I just call it dumb luck then?" House asked as the familiar feel of their conversation helped to sooth his worried mind for the time being.

"It's more than that and you know it." Cuddy responded with a small smile, reaching for his hand while watching Bill's heart rate on the EKG screen jump slightly again when her mother kissed his cheek.

********************************************************

**Friday ****12:05 am**** ~ INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.....**

Lying on his back, Bill felt weightless as he floated in the middle of clear blue ocean.

The sun was shining down on him brightly, warming his face as smile streched across it.

The waves of the ocean carrying him gently towards an island with a white sandy beach.

Unable to resist the beauty of the island any longer, Bill flipped over onto his stomach and started swimming towards the beach. The rich foliage and sounds of animals and birds on the island sparking his curiosity.

He did not know how he come to be in this ocean but as he swam towards the island with white sands one thing was certain.... he had never felt more alive.

Reaching the shoreline, Bill stood up and watched the water run off of his body like tiny sparkling droplets of crystal before they exploded on the white sand beneath him, changing into tiny marble sized balls filled with a burst of varying bright colors, breathtaking hues of red, green, purple and blue surrouding him along with soft pale pink that looked like cotton candy and a dark rich brown colored droplet the reminded him of smooth and satisfying chocolate bar.

So many colors, dancing at his feet as the sparking water had come to life on the sand, some colors so amazingly beautiful Bill did not know they even existed before now in the world.

Placing his hand on his chest as he smiled at the colored marbles of light bouncing around he feet Bill was suprised to find that although he had been floating the in the ocean, his body was completely dry.

"That can't be." Bill whispered to himself, looking down and noticing that in addition to being dry he was dressed in all white.

A white suit no less, with matching white dress shoes and a white tie.

Shaking his head in utter amusement, Bill started to walk up from the beach towards a short and stout palm tree as the balls of light were swept back into the ocean.

Upon the palm tree he found a white rimmed hat and with another smile, he placed it on his head, pulling down on the brim just as a breeze came up to him from the ocean.

Breathing in the air around him, Bill closed his eyes to concentrate on the scent coming in from the crashing waves, opening them abruptly when he smelled the old familiar scent of perfume mixed in with the salt air.

Looking over at the shorline, Bill's steel blue eyes widened in shock, his breath catching in his throat as he watched he late wife Anna walking towards him on the beach.

_BLIP____/\___BLIP____/\___BLIP__________**_BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!_**

_"HE'S CRASHING!" _The ICU nurse yelled out to the other nurse, running into Bill's room, pulling out the cart in the corner of it as she began to charge the paddles.


	52. Chapter 52

**Hey guys! Well after a crazy couple days I finally was able to complete another chapter. Hope you all enjoy it and thanks for your support :)**

**Chapter 52**

"_Anna?"_ Bill whispered, still not believing what his eyes were showing him as his late wife came walking up to him wearing a long, elegant white dress made out of lace and silk chiffon.

The material was delicate and flowed in time with the ocean breeze as she drew nearer.

"_Hi Bill._" Anna whispered touching his cheek with the palm of her hand as her pale blue eyes sparkled with the promise of a secret she wanted to share with him.

"It's really you." Bill exclaimed with awe, his eyes tracing her face that was full of life with a dazzling smile upon her lips as her golden hair reflected the luminous rays of the sun above them.

She was just as he had remembered her.

_Beautiful and Vibrant._

_Breathtaking and Lovely_.

Without a trace of the cancer that had taken all of that away from her in the end before she had died.

Moving his hand over Anna's that was placed on his cheek, Bill felt the warmth of her skin.

"I've missed so much sweetheart." Bill whispered to her in a voice that had longed for this day ever since she had been taken away from him so many years ago.

"I know honey." Anna answered before standing on her toes with her bare feet sinking into the sand as she kissed him gently on the lips.

Bill placed his arms around Anna's waist, his senses becoming filled with everything that was her.

Her touch, her smell, and her voice….all here for him in this perfect place in time.

As there lips parted, Bill looked down in her pale blue eyes, "I almost forgot how good it felt to hold you." He told her before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I almost forgot how good it felt _having_ you hold me." Anna said with a small laugh, resting her head upon his chest.

They stayed like that for a few moments with the ocean crashing into the shore beside them before Anna moved away from Bill, taking his hand in her own as she looked up at him.

"Oh Bill….you don't know how much I wish you could stay here with me, but .....it's not your time yet and that means you need to go back." She explained to him in a soft voice.

"But…..I don't want to go back Anna." Bill replied, firmly holding onto her hand as he felt the pain of her words in his heart.

"I'm sorry Bill, but it's not your time yet, and right now there are people in your life that need you ..including Ruth." Anna said while keeping her tone soft.

"You know about Ruth?" Bill asked with surprise.

Anna nodded.

"Does it hurt you to know that I love her too?" Bill asked with concern.

"No sweetheart." Anna said cupping his face in her hands and kissing him again before she continued.

"Right now your concept of love exists within the physical boundaries of the earth, gut in this place love has no boundaries. It exists everywhere and when you come back here again you'll be able to see it with your own eyes." Anna continued.

"I can see the love in your eyes no matter where I am." Bill told her softly causing Anna to embrace him once more.

"Bill I need you to come with me, there's something you need to see." Anna then requested, reaching for his hand and leading him back to the ocean's waves that continued to wash over the sand.

Keeping his eyes fixed upon her face, Bill walked with Anna down towards the waters edge, holding onto her hand before stopping as the waves came up to kiss their feet.

"Do you see that Bill?" Anna asked pointing out into the ocean a few feet in front of them.

Bill's eyes followed the direction to where Anna's finger was pointing to.

"Yes." Bill said with amazement,as rising up from the water, a few feet from the shore were hundreds of round, golf ball sized rays of white light hovering above the surface of the water just before they took flight, swirling together and forming a cylinder shaped pattern that reached high into the clear blue sky.

"What is that?" He then asked with wide eyes full of wonder as he continued to look at the beautiful lights.

"Why don't you go and find out." Anna coaxed him with a small smile.

"Come with me." Bill requested, tugging at her hand as he took a few steps into the water.

Anna silently agreed with a nod and a smile. Walking into the warm ocean with him until the water was just above their knees.

They were now standing just a few short inches away from the small orbs of light that were spinning and dancing in the air in front of them.

Slowly, the spheres then began to move towards Bill and Anna, encircling the couple as the color inside the orbs changed from white, to an artist's palette of colors until there were an infinite number of varying shades of purple, red, orange, yellow, blue, green and pink surrounding them.

As the velocity of their spinning increased Bill became hypnotized by the balls of light, closing his eyes as they continued dancing and twirling in the air.

His nose then became filled with the sugary smell of springtime when all of the flowers were in bloom.

The tip of his tongue finding the sweet taste of watermelon on a hot summer day upon it.

"It's incredible …isn't it Bill?" Anna whispered to him while squeezing his hand.

"Yes." Bill answered with a smile as his eyes remained closed.

One again the spheres of light circling around him picked up even more in speed.

Bill instantly felt the touch of every warm embrace that had ever been given to him throughout his life wash over his body.

From the first remembered gentle hug of his mother, to the many embraces he had shared with Anna up until the last time he had hugged Ruth, and then strangely………he started to experience the warmth of new embraces that had not occurred yet in his life. With one in particular touching him deep within his heart because of its innocence. The promise of happiness it possessed, truly one of lives more treasured miracles to behold.

"_I have to go back."_ Bill suddenly whispered, opening up his eyes and watching as Anna who was standing in front of him now began to fade into the background of the island until she herself turned into one of the orbs of light with a deep ruby hue while the other spheres were now suspended in mid air, pulsing with every color imaginable.

"_Now do you understand why you have to go back?"_ The voice of Anna whispered to him on the ocean breeze.

Bill nodded. "I do."

"_Remember what you have felt and seen here Bill and know all of this will be waiting for you when it is your time to join us. Remember what you have smelled and taste and remember the lights. It's not often you find that in the world beyond this one and when you do, you have to make sure that light last as long as possible. The power of the light is what brings us all here and she's going to need you Bill to show her how to find that light deep within her heart when she thinks she's lost it and how to hold onto it with both hands and never let it go. You time with her is important Bill, remember that."_ Anna's voice whispered into his mind.

Again Bill nodded before lowering himself back into the ocean as the orbs of light, included Anna's ruby red orb joined him, all of them submerging into the body of warm water and washing over him with the tide, filling his soul with the promise of love in its most pure and divine form.

_Innocent and Sweet_, Bill thought with a smile.

"_Like the flowers in springtime or the childhood memory of the taste of watermelon on a hot summer day. Comforting and true like an embrace that warms your heart."_ Anna whispered to him.

Bill closed his eyes as the tide began pulling him away from Anna and the other orbs of light, taking him back to the physical world he hand escaped from before placing him into a deep sleep, where the taste of watermelon was still on his tongue and the sugary smell of springtime soothed him.

"CLEAR!!" The ICU nurse shouted placing the paddles on Bill's chest.

Blip…….Blip…….Blip…….Blip……. Blip

"He's back." The charge nurse announced with relief to the other hospital staff in Bill's room just as the cardiac physician rushed through the doorway.

"Way to go Bill." She then added while touching him gently on the arm.

*******************************************************

**Wilson's Apartment ~~ 12:48 am**

"Hello?" Wilson said in a groggy voice, answering the ringing cell phone that had awoken him from his dreams.

"Dr Wilson this is Kelly in the ICU, I know Dr. Cuddy wanted any updates on Dr. Martin's condition referred directly to her, but with all that she's going through I thought it would be best to contact you instead." The nurse started to explain.

"What's happened?" Wilson questioned, becoming fully awake now as he sat up in his bed.

"Dr. Martin suffered a cardiac arrest a few minutes ago. He's stable now and I looks like the worst is over, but I thought it was best to at least let you know about so you can inform Dr. Cuddy in the morning."

Wilson scratched his head as his brain started to think of what his next move should be, "Who's the cardiac attending on rounds?" He then asked then nurse.

"Simmons. Do you want me to page him for you?" Kelly asked.

"Yes and thanks for calling Kelly." Wilson said before the nurse put him on hold as he dialed Simmons pager.

********************************************************

That morning as Wilson woke up to the sound of his alarm clock, he reached for his cell phone once more to call House.

"Hey Jimmy." House answered in a low whisper while standing in the doorway of his bedroom, looking in at Cuddy who was sleeping on her side.

"What's wrong?" Wilson questioned noticing the weariness in his friend's voice.

For a moment there was silence between them.

"Lisa woke up around 3am last night and she hasn't been to get back to sleep until just a few minutes ago." House informed his friend.

"Oh god, did I wake her?" Wilson asked.

"No, I got to the phone before she could hear it." House assured him.

"Did she have a nightmare about Jeff or something?" Wilson then questioned with great concern.

"Yeah, she dreamed the son of bitch was raping her while she was crying out for me to help her. Combine that along long with the fact that she's too stubborn to take anything stronger than acetaminophen for her back pain and I'd say Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine is on the right road for a complete meltdown." House answered back as the exhaustion from the night before began to take its toll on him while he limped down the hallway towards the living room.

"You both had a bad night, but at least she confided in you. It's just going to take time for the two of you to sort this all out." Wilson tried to assure his friend while rubbing the back of his neck.

"God Wilson did I really sound that desperate?" House asked sarcastically.

Wilson moved his hand through the hair on the top of his head, "Spoken like a man who feels he's said too much, but I am here for you House, whenever you feel the need to talk about this any further. Until then, try and get some rest and I'll see at the hospital later," he remarked.

"So, was there and actual reason for your call besides your need to be needed?" House questioned as he eased himself down onto the couch.

"Actually yes. Last night one of the ICU nurses called me to let me know Bill suffered a cardiac arrest." Wilson told him before getting up out of his bed**.**

"Is Bill ok now?" House questioned with far more concern in his voice than what he intended.

"I've been checking with Bill's cardiologist and he's been stable ever since." Wilson told him.

"So I guess it's my job to tell Cuddy about this when she gets up then." House replied.

"I thought it would be better if it came from you." Wilson answered.

"Goodbye Doctor Chickenshit." House then responded before hanging up the phone.

Reaching for the afghan on the back of the couch, House slowly moved his legs up on the cushions of the sofa as the thought of telling Cuddy about Bill swam through the corners of his mind.

These first few days were no doubt going to be crucial for their survival as a couple, he knew that. And he also knew that right now treading water was the best they could hope for as the tide continued to rise against them.

However it didn't mean he had to like it, and in truth it was a frustrating as hell, knowing that all a person could do was try and stay above the misery intent on drowning them within its depths.

Getting even more frustrated at their situation House clenched his jaw.

All of his life he hand never bowed to the rules that society and the establishment made for him….well at least for the most part, except for the times when the woman currently sleeping in his bed would make him bend to her will like no other could.

Lying back on the sofa, House moved his hand to his forehead, knowing that with Lisa Cuddy he actually tried because being with her made him see all that she saw in him. And despite all of the fights and arguments between them, she believed in him no matter what and had faith in him when others would have walked away with their hands in the air.

Rolling onto his side, House looked over at the dark screen on the television that sat silent in front of him, bearing witness to the new thought that suddenly crept up inside his brain. The one that told him much like his medical decisions, his decisions on how to move forward with Lisa had to come from his gut instincts. Those same instincts that told him to go against conventional wisdom, daring him to be bold in his pursuit to find the truth, to be relentless and unorthodox in his methods instead of being another sap who was content to tread water and hope for the best while their world and the person they loved slipped away from them.

Closing in his eyes, House finally allowed the fatigue within him to carry him onward into a deep sleep, where thoughts of Lisa Cuddy and her smile played on in his memory along with his plans to take control of their situation and lift her up and away from the misery trying to pull them down into it, more determined than ever to make fate bend to his will no matter what.

********************************************************

Later that morning just before 10 am, Cuddy woke up alone in House's bed as the bright sun outside of the bedroom window filtered in through the curtains. A part of her feeling empty without the warmth of his body next to her own as she looked over at her ringing cell phone on the nightstand before picking it up and listening to the voice of one of the ER attendings on the other end.

After hanging up the phone, Cuddy got up out of the bed as her sore muscles protested the movement, silently making her way out into the living room where she found House sleeping on the sofa.

Because of his positioning on his side, Cuddy was able to sit down next to him in the tiny unoccupied space of the center cushion, her fingertips caressing his jaw with the ease of soft flowing breeze as she stared down at him.

Feeling the contact on his skin, House opened up his eyes, focusing them in on Cuddy's face and seeing the worry in her eyes.

"Did you have another nightmare?" He asked feeling her hand move down to his chest.

"No." Cuddy responded, "I got a call from the ER…….you have a new case waiting for you at the hospital." She informed him.

"Great…..and just when I though I could stay here all day and stare at your boobs." House joked, as his eyes made their way down to the open v of her robe while his mind began to move forward with his plans to drag them both out the bullshit they were currently neck deep in.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and let out a small tired laugh, getting ready to thank him for the twisted compliment when her words were cut short by his lips pressing against her own after House had sat up beside her.

Automatically Cuddy's left hand moved to his neck as she caught her breath, the surprising heat of desire he was showing to her as he teeth grazed against her lips, making the spark within her that was just for him come alive in an instant.

Hearing a short gasp escape her mouth, House let out a low moan of approval as Cuddy moved her tongue past his lips, the electricity that had been a part of them since the moment they had met all those years ago back in Michigan, something he refused to lie dormant even though other people who had been in their situation would caution the bold approach he was taking.

Breaking the kiss between them, Cuddy's eyes were now wide with excitement from the eager display of affection House had given to her, a broad smile taking over her face in knowledge that he still wanted as much as he ever did.

"That was nice." She whispered softly to him with her eyes tracing his face.

"I aim to please." House replied with a low tone as his hand moved to her knee while he tried to think of the best way to tell her about Bill.

"Is something wrong?" Cuddy asked immediately while seeing the change in his expression.

House nodded, "Last night, Bill suffered a cardiac arrest."

********************************************************

A little over an hour later House and Cuddy had gotten dressed and had made their way to the hospital where they were now standing outside of Cuddy's office doors.

After telling her the news about Bill, House watched Cuddy struggle with the latest tide wave trying to crash over, doing his part to keep her from being pulled down by the undertow as he continued to pull them forward, making sure to rest his hand on her thigh as he drove them here, looking at her directly now as she gazed up at him.

"Just because I'm here on business doesn't mean_ you_had to get dressed in a skirt and do-me pumps. Which of course means you're planning on going against doctors orders by trying to get some work done while you're here visiting your Mom and Bill." House remarked as he leaned closer to Cuddy.

"I'm just going to check some emails. Besides, if I don't do something to keep myself busy I'm going to crazy." Cuddy answered back.

House studied her face for a few seconds, "Fine, but if I end up having to stay here late tonight because of my patient, you have to promise to go back to my place with Wilson instead working yourself into exhaustion," he ordered.

"Ok." Cuddy answered with a nod as his eyes lowered on her figured.

"By the way…. your ass looks really good in that skirt and if we were alone in your office I would defiantly give a nice little squeeze, but since I can't ...just know as you walk over to the elevator I'll be leering appropriately." House informed her with a grin, watching the small smile rise up on Cuddy's face before she turned on her heels and left him with the smallest sashay to her hips.

Wrapping her arms around herself as the elevator made its way down to her, Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip as her smiled increased. Her spirits bolstered even higher as House once more, in his own uniquely twisted way let her know without a shadow of a doubt that she was indeed as attractive and desirable as to him as she had ever been.

A few short minutes later however, just outside of Bill's hospital room Cuddy's mood was quickly turning sour as she and Wilson were engaged in a deep conversation while Ruth sat inside of the room next to Bill, holding his hand.

Letting out a sigh, Wilson then handed over Bill's chart to Cuddy as she kept the disapproving look on her face.

"I can't believe you didn't call me after you found out Bill had suffered a cardiac arrest last night." Cuddy said in a stern, low whisper, reviewing the latest entries in Bill's chart.

"There was nothing anything of us could do for him at that point and he has been stable ever since." Wilson argued in his defense.

"So is this how it's going to be now between us? With you feeling the need to keep secrets from me in order to protect my fragile mental state?" Cuddy asked sarcastically with anger while glaring up at him.

"I didn't want to upset you." Wilson tried to explain.

"In case you forgot Wilson, I am a _doctor _at this hospital as well as Dean of Medicine" Cuddy shot back.

"Lisa…..you also have a vested personal interest in the case as well as having been through a very traumatic ordeal. I was just trying to keep you from experiencing anymore stress." Wilson said, trying to get her to see where he was coming from.

"Stop treating me like one of your ex-wives Wilson and get your ass back to oncology where you belong." Cuddy hissed, shoving Bill's chart against his chest before she stormed off with her high heels clicking in a sharp rhythm against the linoleum floor.

"Lisa….wait…." Wilson said, trying to get her to turn around, but instead Cuddy kept on walking straight towards the elevator, pushing the down button and stepping inside of it before he had a chance to catch up with her.

********************************************************

After getting off of the elevator, Cuddy then stormed into her office, heading straight for the chair behind her desk.

Sitting down it in it roughly she cursed herself when tender skin on her back yelled out to her nerves in protest.

Closing her eyes she exhaled sharply.

"Why in the hell did I just do that to Wilson?" She then questioned to herself before opening her eyes again and looking down at her desk, taking in a breath of surprise at seeing the string of pearls lying across the top of her keyboard.

Leaning forward, Cuddy reached for the pearls with her right hand while opening up the small folded piece of white paper that had been stuck in between the keys with her left hand.

As her eyes read over the note, Cuddy's face softened into a warm smile as the words on the small piece of paper touched her heart at a time it needed it the most.

_**Lisa,**_

_**A few years ago when we went to Singapore to attend that boring medical conference, I bought this necklace because it reminded me of you. I think after all this time however, it would look better around your neck than sitting in my closet collecting dust.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Greg**_

With the smile remaining on her face, Cuddy placed the pearl necklace onto her desk in a straight line before she picked up the phone, dialing the number to House's cell phone.

"Busy working so the boss doesn't come down on me like a banshee in heat…oops …sorry Doctor Cuddy I should really learn to check my caller ID." House answered, thereby letting her know his team was with him.

"Thank you for the necklace, it's beautiful." Cuddy whispered to him while running her fingertips over the pearls as she looked down at them.

Walking out of the conference room and into his office, House let a smile creep upon his face. "Actually those were meant for the cleaning lady, who's also named Lisa _and_ who has also been on my jock for years now." He informed her.

"Is that so?" Cuddy asked, playing along while her thoughts began to drift back to Wilson and the way she had treated him.

"What's wrong?" House asked, immediately picking on the subtle hint of guilt in her tone.

"I yelled at Wilson a few minutes ago." Cuddy confessed.

"So what? I yell at him all the time." House replied reaching for his red and gray ball as sat down in his chair.

"But he didn't deserve it." Cuddy explained with a sigh while continuing to stare down at the pearls.

"Wilson usually doesn't deserve it when I yell at him either, but it's still fun do, and don't worry, I predict in about thirty more seconds Wilson's overly caring ass will be marching into your office to set things right between the two of you." House told her, throwing the ball up into the air before catching it.

"Listen I've gotta go." Cuddy suddenly said, watching Wilson coming into the outer office through her glass doors just like House had predicted.

"I was right wasn't I? Wilson's there now isn't he? Just like I predicted." House questioned with a smug smile.

"Yes he is amazing Carnac. Now get back to work." Cuddy said quickly into the phone before he could gloat anymore, hanging up the receiver just as Wilson walked into her office.

"Wilson I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted the way I did earlier in the ICU." Cuddy immediately apologized as he closed the door behind him.

"Cuddy, it's not your fault I should have told you about Bill's condition last night." Wilson responded as he walked up to her desk, noticing the pearl necklace at her fingertips.

"Did House give that to you?" He then asked with a small smile.

"Yes." Cuddy answered with a smile of her own.

"Wow…...I mean, that was really romantic of him. I honestly didn't think House had it in him anymore." Wilson commented while keeping the grin upon his face as he saw how happy the gift from his friend had made Cuddy.

"Do you want me to help you put it on?" Wilson then offered.

"Sure." Cuddy agreed, continuing to smile as she got up out of her chair and handed the necklace to Wilson.

Moving to the corner of the desk to meet her, Wilson then waited as Cuddy pulled her raven hair up and out of the way so he could place the string of pearls around her neck.

"So things are going ok between the two of you?" Wilson asked softly as he moved the pearls around Cuddy's neck and over top of the dark plum turtle neck she was wearing before engaging the clasp.

Cuddy let her hair down and turned to face Wilson.

"We had a rough night, but compared to all of the craziness we've been through in the last couple days I think we're holding our own." She said, while touching the pearls with her fingertips.

"I'm glad to hear that and by the way….those pearls look beautiful on you." Wilson whispered in return just as his pager went off.

After looking down at the number, Wilson touched Cuddy's arm. "I've gotta go." He told her before placing a small kiss on her cheek.

Watching him leave, Cuddy titled her head slightly as Wilson stopped at Cindy's desk to talk to her before he left, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke, while giving her assistant his patented boyish grin as she smiled back at him.

"Wilson I swear if you end up breaking her heart I'm going to put you in charge of finding me a new assistant." She whispered aloud, before walking back to her chair and pulling her desk drawer open, reaching for the compact inside of it.

Sitting down Cuddy opened up the compact and held the small round mirror encased inside of it in front of her, looking down at the pearls on her necklace which reflected the light in her office with a brilliant lustrous quality.

"Wow…you definitely know your jewelry Greg House." She whispered softly with a smile, running her fingers across the pearls as they picked up all the colors in the room surrounding her, the tiny white orbs reflecting hues of pink, purple, red and yellow, turning into some of the most beautiful shades of color that Cuddy had ever seen.

********************************************************

Later that afternoon, inside the Intensive Care Unit, Ruth continued to sit by Bill's bedside, holding onto his hand and speaking softly to him as the monitors beside him continued to display his breathing and heart rate.

After last night Bill condition had rapidly improved over the last several hours to the point that his attending physician felt comfortable with taking him off the ventilator while the rest of the staff continued to check on his progress regularly.

"Bill you know in a little while Lisa is coming back here to check on you." Ruth said in a soft voice as her chestnut eyes traced the square jaw of Bill's profile.

"And your cardiologist who was in here earlier said since you've been doing so well, he's having the nurses wean you off some of the medications your on." Ruth added just as one of the nurses came into the room.

"How's our patient doing?" The young and petite nurse asked Ruth with a small smile.

"He's not much of a talker …but I'm hoping that will change soon." Ruth replied with a smile of her own as the nurse adjusted Bill's IV bag.

"Well now that Dr. Simmons has reduced some of Bill's medications, he could be waking up very soon." The nurse informed her with another smile before glancing down at Ruth's arm.

"And how are you doing Ruth? Any pain or discomfort at your laceration site I should know about?" The nurse questioned.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine." Ruth assured her as she gently stroked Bill's arm with her hand.

"Well if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." The nurse informed her just as Bill moaned out in a thick voice from the hospital bed.

"Bill? Honey can you hear me?" Ruth whispered down to him with an urgent tone, holding onto his hand as he slowly opened up his eyes.

Bill responded by squeezing Ruth's hand as he flexed his tongue inside his mouth that was dried out from lack of use, trying to work up some saliva in order to speak.

"Bill it's Kelly……you're in the ICU. You had surgery because of gunshot wound in your chest. Do you understand?" The nurse asked him as he turned his gaze to her.

"Yea….Yes." Bill replied in a thick voice as he eyes immediately went back to Ruth.

"Ruth…I..." He started to say, struggling to find the words to all the questions he had.

"Shh….don't try to say too much all at once Bill ...just take your time." Ruth coaxed as the nurse checked his vitals.

Bill nodded and closed his eyes for a moment, forming the words in his head before speaking them from his mouth.

"Lisa and House?" He whispered to her, opening his eyes back up

"Lisa and House are both safe Bill so you don't need to worry." Ruth assured him.

Bill nodded once more as his eyes focused in on the white gaze taped to Ruth's arm.

"Don't worry about that Bill, I'm ok too. In fact you've been that one everyone has been worried about." Ruth joked softly.

From his bed, Bill produced a very tired but gentle smile as he squeezed Ruth's hand again.

"He's doing very well," The nurse then commented to Ruth as she looked down upon her patient lying in the bed.

"Bill, I'm going to page Simmons so he can come down and take a look at you. Ok?" The nurse then informed him.

Again Bill nodded watchign the nurse leave the room before his eyes moved back to Ruth.

"Jeff?" He then asked as he kept his gaze focused on her face.

"He's dead Bill. The man you knew as Officer Fan turned out to be an undercover FBI agent named Collins. He shot Jeff three times and later that monster ended up dying on the operating table after the ambulances took us all here." Ruth explained as she brushed away a stray lock of his white hair from his forehead.

"Gooo…..good." Bill replied, feeling his eyelids beginning to get heavy just as the shape of another person entered into the room.

"Le…..Lisa." Bill then said as his tired eyes tried to keep their focus on her face as she walked towards him.

"Hi Bill." Cuddy replied softly, making her way to the other side of the bed where the ICU nurse had been standing before taking hold of his hand.

"Lisa, I'm so glad you're here. The nurse said it wouldn't be long until Bill would wake up but I never expected it to happen to quickly." Ruth told her as Cuddy quickly checked the monitors at Bill's bedside.

"I guess Bill just was tired of sleeping all the time." Cuddy joked as she looked down at him again.

Trying his very best to keep his eyes open, Bill felt his heart leap inside his chest as the sight of tiny white orbs of glowing light around Lisa's neck came into view, reminding him of the journey he had taken to island where he had seen Anna. Reminding him why he had chosen to come back.

_I have to tell her. She needs to know_, Bill thought, opening his mouth to speak once more as he squeezed Lisa's hand.

"Bill, what is it?" Ruth asked with worry as she saw his steel blue eyes grow wide with urgency.

"Bill are you in pain?" Cuddy immediately asked, leaning down closer to him as she checked his pupils.

Bill shook his head no; opening up his mouth to try and speak once more just before he was pulled into unconsciousness thanks to the exhaustion running ramped inside his weary body.

"Bill is going to be ok …isn't he?" Ruth asked Lisa in a worried tone, looking up at her daughter while continuing to hold onto Bill's hand.

"He's going to be fine Mom, it's just that these first couple of hours Bill will slip in and out of consciousness very easily." Cuddy explained before gently touching Bill's arm.

Ruth nodded drawing her bottom lip beofer she kissed the back of Bill's hand.

"I love you Bill." She then whispered to him, letting out a small gasp of relief as Bill gently squeezed her hand in return.


	53. Chapter 53

**Ok guys..it's been a very busy but beautiful weekend for me so far, however I did manage to get another chapter completed this morning that I hope you will all enjoy. Once again thanks to all for the reviews they really keep me inspired :) Oh and by the way I CANNOT WAIT FOR MONDAY'S EPISODE!!!**

**Chapter 53**

Two days later, inside the bathroom of House's apartment, House and Cuddy stood face to face inside his shower, with the warm water running down their bodies as they held each other close while slow moving rivers of soap suds made there way down their wet bodies.

This was the first shower they had taken together since Jeff's attack on them both and now as the days had passed and Cuddy's bruises were beginning to fade, the current that had drawn them together for years without consummation pulled them closer, needing for them to take another step back towards the physical part of their relationship that had become so vital to them during times of stress and fear in both of lives, bringing with it the confirmation that together they had found a sacred gift between them that could indeed conquer anything in its wake.

"Are you sure you're ok with this?" House questioned softly with their bodies touching as his left hand gently caressed her hip.

"Yes." Cuddy told him with a nod, moving her hand up to his chest before giving him a small kiss.

After accepting her kiss, House took in a breath, keeping his eyes locked onto hers as he carefully moved his right hand to her breast.

"If you need me to stop, just tell me ok?" He whispered down to her, continuing to gaze into her eyes while his right hand started to tenderly caress the swell of her left breast, with his thumb gently rubbing her nipple.

Cuddy drew in a sharp breath in reaction to his touch. The affect it had on her, more powerful than she had remembered.

Seeing the worry immediately flare up in House's eyes at the thought that he had hurt her, Cuddy moved her hand to his jaw.

"I'm ok." She whispered up to him, kissing him softly at first before her tongue moved past his lips.

Closing his eyes and giving into the kiss, House continued to caress her full breast, gently squeezing it as his other hand slid down lower to the curve of her ass before cupping it in his palm, the feel of Lisa's naked body against him, making his cock rise up and take notice within a matter of seconds.

_I have to go slow. We can't do much more right now…..it's still too soon. I have to give her time_, House thought, starting to pull back from her before letting out a gasp as Cuddy lowered her hand between them, sliding it down to his erection before gently starting to stroke it.

"Lisa….you don't have to." He groaned out, opening up his eyes to find hers focused directly on him.

"Shh……I want to do this." Cuddy whispered, pulling him down into another kiss before he could protest, wanting more than anything to at least give him some kind of pleasure in the midst of the pain that had filled their lives recently while knowing because of the lingering bruises on her back and thighs it would probably be at least a few more days before they could even attempt to have sex again.

Letting out another gasp as Cuddy released his lips, House lowered his mouth to her neck where the bite marks and bruises upon it had started to fade away, kissing the skin there gently before a deep moan escaped from his throat as she begin to speed up her rhythm on him, moving her hand skillfully along on his length, her fingers curled with just the right pressure, her thumb stopping and circling the tip of his shaft as she kissed his chest.

There bodies were as close now….closer then they had been in days with Cuddy caressing and touching him in the ways she knew would cause his breathing to become shallow as he raced towards ecstasy.

Feeling his heart beating faster, House leaned back against the shower wall as the strong pull of his orgasm began to take hold of him, keeping his hand on Cuddy's breast and caressing as she looked up into his eyes, continuing to stroke him.

"_Lisa… that feels so good." _House choked out roughly, rubbing his thumb over her nipple as he trembled under her touch, feeling his climax coming fast and hard as she leaned into his caress, letting out a soft moan of yearning while her hand continued to move up and down on him.

Within the next second, his eyes screwed shut, his mouth gasping for air for air as his orgasm rushed through him, feeling Cuddy's lips softly kissing his neck as her left hand slowed its rhythm on his shaft before stopping completely, the water from the shower washing over the side of them both, keeping the heat between them.

With his heart pumping hard inside his chest, House opened up his eyes again, moving his hand that had remained on her hip, carefully down to the faint hairline between her thighs.

He saw the surprise rise up on Cuddy's face immediately, her mind still unsure if she would be able to accept the same intimate contact she had just given to him, the result creating acrease of worry in the center of her brows.

"Greg..I don't know if…." Cuddy started to say with hesitation.

"I'll go slow ….and if you want me to stop just tell me ok?" House whispered, letting her know once more he was giving her the control on how far things would go between them before lowering his head into her the side of her dark hair and gently nuzzling her neck, feeling so incredibly good right now he wanted her to experience that same feeling as well, wanting nothing more than to please her they way she had just pleased him.

"Ok." Cuddy responded softly into the side of his cheek feeling House gently move his other hand to the small of her back. Closing her eyes and taking in a breath as his nose brushed aside some of her hair so his lips could find the spot just behind her earlobe.

"Lisa ..you feel so good." House whispered to her, staring off slowly just as he had told her he would with his fingers caressing the soft strip of hair just above her sex, feeling her respond by placing her hands onto his chest while lifting her chin up to kiss him.

_Go slow_, House reminded himself again as his hand moved lower onto her body, his middle finger now just barely brushing against the nub between her thighs while a chill ran up his spine at the knowledge that she was indeed aroused by his touch as the silky heat of her coated the tip of finger as the building steam inside the shower kept them both in its protective cocoon.

"_Greg that feels so good."_Cuddy whispered out with gasp, moving her left hand up to his neck, as her lips placed kisses across his chin, wanting him so much right now it hurt.

Hearing the aching in her voice, House moved his middle finger towards her entrance, teasing it gently as his thumb took over the spot on her nub, apply more pressure to it.

"Oh god," Cuddy moaned as her body started to tremble while both of her hand gripped House's biceps with her forehead pressing into the center of his chest.

Carefully, House slipped his middle finger inside of her, gently rubbing the tip of it around in her heat as his thumb stayed outside of her, circling her clit, feeling her body shudder and hearing her breath catching in her throat.

He knew she was close, but he also felt the small vein of tension holding her back, knowing her mind was questioning if she was ready for this while wondering once more if he was doing this out of pity for her, the way a wounded heart often does when it is completely exposed and vulnerable, remembering all too well the horrors the world has shown it.

"_Close you eyes Lisa and think of yourself on top me while I'm buried deep inside of you as rock your hips and fuck me until I can't take anymore. Show me that you want me just as much as I want you."_ House whispered against her ear, letting her no matter how gentle he was being with her right now he still hungered for her with a raw passion that was unmatched in its need, helping her let go of any doubt lingering inside her mind.

"_Oh God! Oh god .......Greegggg!"_Cuddy moaned out loudly after hearing his words wrapped inside the deep masculine tone of his voice, her eyes closing tightly as her legs shook underneath her.

She was on fire, with electricity coursing through her body now as her left arm wrapped around his neck, moaning out again into his neck as her pelvis continued to thrust against his thumb.

Her orgasm had been incredibly powerful, forcefully breaking free from the shell of misery that was trying to keep it prisoner, leaving her gasping for air as House carefully wrapped his arms around her.

"You ok?" House whispered, kissing the crown of her head as the water from the shower drummed against his back.

"Yes," Cuddy gasped with her lips pressed into the groove where his collar bones met just as another shiver of ecstasy ran down her spine.

Looking down at her as Cuddy lifted her head from his chest and rested her chin upon it, House gave her a small smile, brushing aside some of the dark locks of her hair that were clinging to the side of her beautiful face which was filled with the expression of sweet release and perfection at its best.

"Come on lets get washed off before we're both late for work and my boss is going to go medieval on my ass." He then teased, moving them both up closer to the shower head so she could feel the warmth of the water on her skin while inside of her grey eyes he lingered in the look of adoration she had for him as her lips turned up in a smile that rivaled the brilliance of the sun.

********************************************************

Meanwhile across town, Ruth stood in the kitchen of Bill Martin's home after being released from the hospital the day before, currently staying at Bill's place, along with Wilson who had offered to keep her company until Bill was discharged from the hospital as well.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" Wilson asked Ruth as he walked into the kitchen, picking his jacket up from the back of one of the one of the chairs where he had placed it earlier.

Ruth nodded, reaching for her purse on the counter, "Wilson…I just want to let you know I'm grateful that you offered to stay with me. I just couldn't see myself imposing on Lisa and House right now and truthfully being here by myself would have been a little lonely." She told him as Wilson opened up the door leading out to the garage for her.

"Hey... the way I look at I'm the one actually making out on deal. Considering you've ironed my shirt for me and made me breakfast before eight am." Wilson replied with a small smile.

Again Ruth nodded, making her way over to the passenger side of Wilson's car before getting inside of it.

Staring up the engine, Wilson looked over at her, seeing the sad expression on her face.

"Is something wrong Ruth?" He asked with concern.

"Do you think Lisa is going to be ok today when Agent Collins comes to see her and House?" Ruth asked with worry as they sat inside Wilson's car.

"Lisa will be fine." Wilson assured her.

Ruth looked away from him, shaking her head as the worry within her remained, "I hope so I……I just wish Lisa would let me be with her when Collins comes to talk to them." She confessed.

Letting out a sigh, Wilson reached for Ruth's hand, "Ruth, you know your daughter better than anyone," he began, "and with that being said, like it or not ….the one thing that's going to help Lisa get past all of this is for her to be control of the situation."

Looking over at him, Ruth let out a sigh of her own. "I know, but…that doesn't mean I have to like it." She replied.

********************************************************

A few hours later inside the hospital, House walked into Cuddy's office, causing her to look up from the papers she was signing.

"I take it our FBI agent isn't here yet." House grumbled in a low tone as he walked up to her desk, sitting down in one of the two chairs placed in front of it.

"Collins called just before you came in here and said he'd be here shortly." Cuddy informed him as she placed the pen she was holding in her hand onto the desk in front of her before leaning back in her chair.

"How's your back today?" House asked as his eyes searched her face for any trace of pain while he reached inside his jacket pocket, taking out his bottle of vicodin.

"Actually I think that nice hot shower with you this morning really did me a world of good." Cuddy replied with a soft and sexy smile, causing House to pause before popping the vicodin pill into his mouth as a wiry grin moved up onto his lips.

"Why Doctor Cuddy are you trying to seduce me?" He asked before swallowing the pill as his eyes traveled down to her cleavage.

Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip as her eyes lowered to House's crotch, "Well if you've got what I need I think we can……" she started to say before a knock on her office door interrupted her.

"Come in." Cuddy then said to Agent Collins as he stood in front of the glass doors while House turned in his chair to look in his direction as well.

"Doctor Cuddy. Doctor House." Collins said to them as he stepped inside the room.

"Agent Collins, please take a seat." Cuddy offered as the FBI agent approached them.

Collins nodded at the offer, feeling House's gaze upon him as he sat down next to him.

"Listen, I know the both of you are very busy so I'll try to keep this as short as possible." The agent informed them, moving his gaze between Cuddy and House, amazed that both doctors were back at work so soon when many other people in similar situations needed weeks or sometimes even months to recover from the trauma they had experienced.

Shifting in his chair House waited for Collins to continue as the agent turned slightly in his own chair in an effort to face both him and Cuddy.

"After I arrested Tritter, he was pretty tight lipped about everything that had gone on between him and Jeff even with all the evidence we have against him. That was until I told Tritter about what Jeff had done to you." Collins continued as his gaze shifted back to Cuddy.

Not sure of what, if anything to say, Cuddy remained silent, her eyes glued upon the stocky agent's face.

"Tritter claims he had no idea that Jeff was going to attack you in that kind of way." Collins told her, watching as the corners of her mouth fell further south into a frown of worry, knowing she was once again reliving the past he was speaking of.

"That's a load of crap." House remarked from his chair, causing both Collins and Cuddy to look in his direction.

"There's no way in hell Tritter didn't have clue that son of bitch was going to end up losing it in a big way." House continued.

After listening to House, Collins spoke.

"House, I agree with you that in Tritter 's line of work he would have had to have have seen the warning signs that sooner or later Jeff would eventually snap, but…Tritter is absolutely adamant that he did not know Jeff was going to break into Doctor Cuddy's home and attack the two of you." Collins explained.

"So then Tritter just gets a free pass on the controlling psycho plotting with the demented psycho to try and kill and terrorize as many people as he can? Nice to know my tax dollars are helping to employ a bunch of idiots at the FBI." House shot back.

"House…..stop!" Cuddy ordered, glaring at him before focusing her attention on the FBI agent.

"I'm sorry Agent Collins; this has been very hard on both of us." She apologized.

Collins nodded at her before returning his gaze to House, "I do understand how you feel House, but believe me when I say that I'm going to nail Tritter to the wall with as many charges as I can, not only for what happened to the two you but also for his abuse of power as detective under the Princeton Police Department"

Studying the agent's face carefully, House narrowed his eyes at him.

"From the way you moved your eyes away from Doctor Cuddy just now, I'd say you've got something else on your mind besides this news about Tritter ....something that's been bothering you since you first walked in here." House said dryly.

Surprised at how well the man seated beside had read his thoughts, Collins held their gaze for a seconds before speaking, "You're right…..there is one more thing I need to tell both of you." He admitted, looking over at Cuddy again before continuing.

"When my team searched Jeff's home, we found some audio tapes inside his bedroom. And from what we have pieced together so far it looks like it was Henry Williams who provided those tapes to Jeff after he planted listening devices inside your bedroom. I believe what was on those tapes was what finally pushed Jeff over the edge." Collins said, seeing the all too familiar look of shock rise up upon Cuddy's face.

"Oh god….are you telling me Williams taped us while we were….." Cuddy whispered, unable to complete the sentence as her eyes darted over to House and her stomach turned in disgust.

"Yes." Collins confirmed, "but I can assure you those tapes are in a secure place. And I'm hoping that with all of the other evidence mounting against Tritter we won't have to present them at his trial." Collins replied, trying to ease her fears in some small way.

"I may not be an FBI agent… but I'm pretty sure "hoping" isn't agent codes talk for "guarantee" is it Agent Collins?" House responded in a dull tone as his eyes stayed locked on Cuddy whose face had become pale.

"House…I promise I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that those tapes are only presented in court as a last resort." Collins answered back to him before looking over at Cuddy once more.

"Lisa.....I know this is a very hard thing to come to terms with but I am going to go after Tritter with both barrels." Collins said using her first name to try reach her after seeing the far away look in her grey eyes that had dulled under the strain of his latest revelation.

"I understand Agent Collins and I know you'll do your best to make sure those tapes aren't used." Cuddy replied, putting on a brave front for both men seated before her even though a part of her was dying inside at the thought of Jeff listening to her and House as they made love inside her bedroom.

In the few seconds of silence that fell over the group, Collins phone began to ring.

Looking down that the number on his caller ID he answered it immediately, addressing one of his fellow agents while telling the man he as on his way.

After hanging up, Collins addressed House and Cuddy again, "I'm sorry but I have to go." He said getting up out of his chair, "but I will be keeping in contact with the both of you just in case we find out anything more about Jeff that I think you should know." He added.

"Agent Collins?" Cuddy said, rising to her feet while feeling the heat of House's gaze upon her as he watched her silently.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I want to thank you for all that you have done. Not only for me, but for all of us. I don't' know what we would have done without you." Cuddy told him sincerely offering him her hand to shake.

Collins reached out and clasped her slender hand in his own, "Remember Lisa.....don't let this latest blow about the tapes knock you down. You are far too strong of person to let that happen." He told her with softness to his tone, conveying in his words the amount of respect he had for her after all that she had been through.

"I won't." Cuddy replied even though she was unsure if she could, letting go of the agent's hand while House stayed seated, keeping his eyes fixed upon her.

After releasing her hand, Collins looked down at House.

"House, I want you to know _I am_ a man of my word and I that I wasn't just telling you a load of crap when I said I was going to do everything in my power _not _to have those tapes brought before a judge." The agent stated again as House briefly glimpsed up at him before returning his gaze to Cuddy.

"Thank you again Agent Collins." Cuddy repeated, trying not so show her disappointment at House's lack of gratitude towards the man who had put Jeff's insanity to a halt.

"You're welcome." Collins replied before turning and leaving her office.

After the FBI agent had closed the door behind him, Cuddy looked over at House as she remained standing.

"You know you could have at least shook Collins hand and thanked him." She said, watching him rise to his feet while leaving his cane resting on the side of the chair for now.

"No, I couldn't." House replied quickly as he rounded the corner of her desk.

"Wha...…why…not?" Cuddy stuttered as a strong wave of dizziness crashed into her.

"Because I wasn't sure how long I would have to catch you before you fainted." House told her with grunt, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her body against him as Cuddy went limp.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

A few seconds later, Cuddy opened up her eyes, finding herself lying on the couch in her office as House sat next to her on the chair he had pulled up beside it, flashing the penlight in her eyes as he spoke to her.

"That's the second time you've experienced dizziness, which means time for a CT Scan." House told her as he moved the listening piece of the stethoscope down over her heart.

"House I'm ok …….I just got a little lightheaded for a moment because of what Collins told us." She said taking in a deep breath.

"No…you _were _lightheaded …...then you fainted which means your ass is getting a scan whether you like it or not." House argued back at her.

"House ..I'm not…" Cuddy started to say, quickly sitting up on the couch before rreaching for House's shoulder as a small wave of vertigo left over from her fainting spell passed through her.

"Dammit lay back down." House ordered in a voice that stern but soft as he eased down onto the couch again.

"Now..follow my finger." He then told her, moving it from side to side in front of her.

"House I told you I'm fine." Cuddy stressed as her eyes followed the movements of his finger.

House gave her a long look before speaking to her again. "Why are you so adamant about not getting a scan?" He asked as his eyes stayed locked on hers.

Cuddy swallowed hard and looked away from him, only to feel House place his finger upon her chin, turning her gaze to him once more as he waited for her answer.

"I don't want the people at this hospital to look at me the same way they did when I came into the ER after Jeff had attacked me." She confessed in a voice that was as raw as her nerves right now.

Holding her gaze, House moved his hand down to his own thigh, "Then we'll just go down to the CT room during lunch and sneak you in while everyone else is busy stuffing their faces." He replied while knoiwng there was more to her hesitancy than just her fear of being looked upon by her staff like a bug under the microscope.

"House.....if something is wrong with me…" Cuddy started to whisper.

"Then once we know what it is we can start to fix it." House interrupted in a low voice.

"What if it can't _be_fixed?" Cuddy challenged as her voice stayed soft as her heart pumped inside her chest.

"I'm not going to let you expect the worse when we have no idea what this could be." House replied even though the same thought had been running through his head.

*******************************************************

It had been just about twenty minutes before twelve when House had left Cuddy's office. With the intent of meeting her down in the CT room a little after twelve as the current thought buring through his mind caused him to limp at an ever increasing pace towards the conference room attached to his office, pleased to find it empty as his fellows were busy running test on his latest patient.

Once he had entered inside of the room it only took a few minutes for House to find Cuddy's chart buried underneath a stack of others on Cameron's desk.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cameron suddenly said from behind him after entering into the room unnoticed by House as he opened up the chart.

"I'm pretending to be you." He replied casually as his eyes began to scan the results on the blood test that had been run on Cuddy when she had been admitted into the ER.

"Nice try..... but you need to loose at least a foot in height to wear my clothes." Cameron remarked smartly before walking up to him and snatching the chart away.

"Good thing I don't have to worry about growing any breasts. Now give me back that chart before I give my morally outraged look." House countered with a warning glare.

"Last time I checked, Cuddy was your girlfriend not your patient." Cameron replied coolly after checking the patient name on the first page of the chart.

"Which means the only reason you'd be interested in Cuddy's medical record is if you thought there was something medically wrong with her," She then realized with her voice taking on a softer tone as she looked into House piercing blue eyes in search of an answer from him.

"Hey I'm the one who's supposing to playing you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find Chase and have sex with him the janitor's closet." House responded wiggling his eyebrows at her before snatching the chart out of Cameron's hand and limping towards the door.

"House if something is wrong with Cuddy…." Cameron started to say as he opened up the door.

"You'd be the last person I'd be discussing it with. Oh and by the way ...that was me being me just now." House yelled over his shoulder before leaving the room.

********************************************************

Limping into the CT room with Cuddy's chart tucked under his arm, House made his way over to the machine where Cuddy was waiting for him.

He had indeed found something in her blood tests and as she was leaning against the table that fed the patient into the imaging part of the scanner, he couldn't help but noticed that although color in her face had returned ......the worry in her eyes was still present and rising as he closed the space between them.

"Is there something wrong with your patient that you needed me to see?" Cuddy questioned as he presented her with the chart.

"Nope, somethings wrong with you." House replied, pointing to the label on the medical record where her name was typed.

"It would have been nice if you would have asked me before you stole my chart." Cuddy responded evenly...holding the folder next to her chest as she glared up at him, feelign such a mix of emotions right now she wasn't sure what was going to come out of her mouth next.

"Didn't really feel the need to ask since it was in my conference room underneath a bunch of Cameron's crap. Besides if I didn't get a look at your chart before Cameron did.......She'd be the one telling you that you're pregnant right now instead of me." House told her matter-of-factly watching her eyes grow wide as her mouth opened in shock.

In the split second it took for House's words to reach Cuddy's ears, her world once more was turned upside-down as her heart ached with the knowledge that a dream so cherished by her, had somehow made its way through the heartache that a had been born of the recent events in her life, breaking over the horizon with such brilliance the mere thought of it took her breath away.

"Wha….What?" Cuddy replied with a dry mouth, sure that his words had somehow not meant what they said.

"The mood swings, the dizziness and the fainting, all classical symptoms of early pregnancy, however because of the bullshit going on with Tritter and Jeff we both thought of the worst answers instead of the simplest answer." House informed her as he fought to keep the smile from forming on his face.

"But…I'm on the pill..and I…" Cuddy tried to argue still keeping the truth at arms length.

"You know the pill is only 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy and when adding in the fact that you've probably slipped up at least once and forgotten to take a pill during all of this bullshit with Jeff and Tritter, thinking you'd be safe to take it the next day because of your age and past medical history with IVF .....you Doctor Cuddy are left with this." House told her, pulling the chart away from her chest as he opened it up to the blood test results on the first page.

"Good thing hospital policy states that all women who have been the victim of a sexual assault get tested for pregnancy along with STD's even if a rape has not occurred, otherwise we would have cost the hospital a whopping amount of money for a useless CAT Scan." He added with low tone, watching her eyes scan over the results with disbelief before she placed her finger under the reading that stated "positive".

"I'm …I'm pregnant." Cuddy whispered with a voice that was now at the divine mercy of the dream she had longed for with all of her heart, looking up into House's face with the most tender and guarded piece of her heart completely exposed to him to now.

"I think I've told you that at least twice already." House responded softly, seeing the glistening of tears begin to fill her eyes as he took the chart from her, placing it behind her on the table.

"I never thought I could…. I mean I always hoped ...but I…" Cuddy started to say in a shaky voice, moving her hand to her flat abdomen as she stared down to where a new life was growing inside of her.

"Apparently you were just messing around with those sub-par donors. Good thing my boys now how to swim." House replied with a small smile.

Cuddy's eyes instantly shot up to his face again, "So….you're ok with this?" She questioned warily, not really sure how he truly felt about the bombshell that had just been place in both of their laps.

"You've wanted this for a long time." House said as he eyes stayed fixed upon hers.

"I know I have….but ..do you want this?" Cuddy pushed as her hand remained splayed over her abdomen.

House looked down at her stomach, pausing before answering her. "I've never really though about having a kid, until you started up with the IVF thing and even then all I though of it as was 'your' kid because that what it would have been."

"That's not an answer." Cuddy replied keeping her eyes focused on his face.

House let ou a deep sigh. "I don't want to screw this up." He then confessed in a low whisper, placing his hand over top of hers as his thumb brushed over the fabric covering her navel.

Cuddy left out a soft laugh, using her free hand to take hold of the lapel on his suit jacket, pulling him closer.

"I have news of you House…_we are _going to screw up from time to time but I think between the two of us this baby will have enough stubbornness and arrogance to make its way through life without us have to worry too much." She told him with a smile as the thought of a child with his striking blues eyes began to fill her mind.

"Nice to know you have such low expectations of us." House replied back dryly, trying to keep himself grounded even though the amazing smile on Cuddy's face was making it hard for him not to be pulling into the joy she was experiencing.

Seeing the worry in his face Cuddy placed her palm up to the side of his jaw, caressing the stubble there. "Hey...remember ...we've got nine months to try and figure alll of this out." She reminded him.

"If you think we're going to figure everything out after nine months ........you really have no clue about what it take to be a parent." House remarked smartly to her while unable to keep himself from looking down at her stomach again as the strange feeling inside of him, attached to what was little more than grain of sand inside Lisa's uterus claimed its stake on a piece of his heart. Clinging stubbornly to him in the promise it held as life showed him how it could twist fate within the beating of a heart into something totally unexpected that could take your breath away.


	54. Chapter 54

**Ok everyone another chapter awaits. Sorry this one took me a little longer to get up….I've been in kind of daze since the latest Huddy promo on Fox :)**

**Chapter 54**

After exiting the CT room, House and Cuddy walked side by side towards the elevator.

"Did you get to eat anything yet?" House questioned looking over at her.

"No, I was too worried about coming down here." Cuddy answered glancing up at him as they continued down the hallway.

"Well, according to my 'Wilson schedule' our Wonder Boy of Oncology is already in the cafeteria. And since you definitely need to get working on that pregnancy ass I'm going to be chasing after…. I think we should let him buy all three of us lunch." House informed her with a smart ass grin while glancing down at her waist.

But instead of rolling her eyes at him as she normally would, Cuddy took hold of House's arm, halting their progress for the time being.

"Greg…about the baby…."She said softly while looking up at him with a somber expression.

"I want to see my OBGYN Dr. Taylor as soon as possible just in case there's something wrong because of what Jeff did to me." Cuddy said in a hushed tone as her hand moved towards her abdomen once more.

House nodded keeping his eyes fixed on her. He knew sooner or later her thoughts would turn in this direction much as his did the moment he had read the blood test.

"You think you can get Taylor to see you today?" He asked calmly.

"I'm sure I can get him to pull some strings for me. It's one of the perks of being Dean of Medicine." Cuddy whispered in a feeble attempt to make them both smile while between them.

"Just remember…..you've already beaten the odds by getting pregnant first place. And beside the fainting and dizziness which are normal symptoms _of pregnancy_ you haven't had any bleeding or cramps that would point to complications with this pregnancy. So we need to wait before we start thinking of worse case scenarios again." House reminded her, determined to hold onto the promise of something good happening for her as with each minute he was pulled further into the dream she had longed for.

"Ok… no worse case scenario's until we know for sure if there _is _something to worry about." Cuddy agreed, pushing down the voice whispering to her that just around the corner misery and heartache could be lying in wait for her.

********************************************************

Reaching the entrance of the hospital cafeteria with House by her side, Cuddy immediately spotted Wilson at a table in the far right corner having lunch with her mother.

Taking in a breath and pausing where she stood, she felt House place his hand on the small of her back.

"You better be prepared to lie your ass off if you don't want either one of them knowing about the baby yet." He whispered into her ear before grabbing a red plastic tray beside them.

"I don't know if I can do that….especially to my mom." Cuddy whispered back to him with worry, looking down at the large metal trays of hot food before her in the cafeteria line.

"Just follow my lead and everything will be ok." House told her in a low voice as she looked up at him.

Nodding, Cuddy moved forward in the line, reaching for a cup of strawberry yogurt inside the small refrigerated case in front of her and getting ready to close the door when House prevented her from do so by reaching inside of it as well and grabbing a small container of low fat milk, placing it on the tray they were sharing.

"You need start getting more calcium in your diet." He then said simply to her as he motioned for her to move forward in the line while a smile small of hope crept up upon Cuddy's face.

********************************************************

"So how did things go with Collins today?" Wilson asked House and Cuddy as they took their seats at the table he was sharing with Ruth.

"Collins told us Tritterisn't saying much, but he's confident with all the evidence the FBI has against him Tritter's going to be facing several charges including police corruption." Cuddy responded sitting down next to her mother while shooting a glance House's way as he nodded slightly in recognition.

Just like the baby growing inside her womb, Cuddy was not about to tell her mother or Wilson about the tapes the FBI had found at Jeff's place. Hoping that somehow Collins would be able to gather enough evidence against Tritter so that the tapes would not be needed.

After studying her daughter's face as she was speaking to them, Ruth reached for Lisa's hand that was resting on the tabletop. "Lisa…..are you ok? You look a little pale?" She questioned with concern.

"I'm fine mom…..just a little tired." Cuddy responded quickly, feeling her heart pick up its pace inside her chest.

"Did Collins say if he found out anything new about Jeff?" Wilson then asked, now studying Cuddy's face as well.

"Other than the fact that Jeff was a psychopath …..no." House responded dryly before stealing a fry off of Wilson's plate as he kept his eyes focused on Cuddy.

"Hey! You have your own food so why do you continue to still mine?" Wilson asked with irritation, looking down at the Reuben sandwich resting on a plate in front of House as his friend stuffed the entire fry into his mouth.

"Because stolen food taste better." House mumbled while chewing before he reached across the table and plucked a tomato off of Ruth's salad and popped it into his mouth next as she rolled her eyes at him in response to his actions.

"Really House …if you wanted a tomato that badly I would have given you one." Ruth remarked.

"I like stealing better, but if you still want to give something. How about a nice lap dance to prove that the cougar in you still knows how to shake her money maker?" House proposition, watching Cuddy's jaw drop open wide while making sure the last thing on Wilson's or Ruth's mind was going to be how pale Ruth thought her daughter looked today.

********************************************************

Later that day, just after 5pm inside the OBGYN clinic, Lisa Cuddy sat on the exam table in room number five, having changed out of her clothes and into the blue paper hospital gown.

Because of House's newest case that was not going well at the moment, Cuddy had made the decision not to call him and inform of the visit she had managed to book withTaylor until after the exam was over with. Telling herself that for the good of the hospital House needed to focus on his patient for right now as she sacrificed her own comfort of having him here with her.

And so as she waited by herself for Dr. Taylor to come into the room and start her exam, Cuddy's eyes moved to the large glossy poster hanging on the wall beside her depicting the internal images of a pregnant uterus with a developing fetus inside of it during various stages of the first, second and third trimesters.

"If I'm lucky enough we'll get all the way to the end of the cycle on that poster over there. So make sure you stick around ok? Because I can't wait to see how incredible you turn out to be." Cuddy whispered down to her unborn child as her fingertips moved tenderly over her womb before looking back up at the poster again and taking in deep breath.

Just then a soft tapping on the door caused her to move her eyes away from the poster and focus them on the doorway.

"Bob…thank you again for…" Cuddy began to say until she saw is was House entering into the exam room instead of her OBGYN doctor.

"How.....how did you know I was here?" Cuddy asked, watching him limp towards her.

"I followed a trail of empty candy bar wrappers and baby magazines." House replied, sitting down beside her on the exam table.

"House….you have case." Cuddy said to him softly as her eyes moved across his face.

"I also have this thing called a pager." House replied pulling the small black device out of his suit jacket as another soft knock came from the door.

"Lisa….I.." Dr. Taylor started to say, opening up the door as he looked down at her chart before stopping dead in his tracks when he saw Dr. House sitting beside her on the exam table.

"Don't worry she's the one who's going to be in the stirrups." House assured the physician with dark brown wavy hair who was a few inches shorter as well as a few years younger than himself.

"Well that's a good thing to know." Taylor responded with amusement, closing the door behind him as he studied the rough looking physician with three days worth of stubble on his chin getting up off of the exam table as he grabbed his cane.

Taylor had never had a run in with House personally but, he had heard the horror stories from other colleagues who were not so lucky, however it was obvious to him that no matter how big of an ass House may be, the man had stood beside Lisa Cuddy who was now carrying his child during a very intense and stressful time in both of their lives.

"So is Doctor House going to stay for the exam?" Taylor then asked Cuddy while shifting his gaze to her.

"Yes." Cuddy answered before looking over at House.

"I mean only if you want to." She added, giving him an out it he wanted to take it.

"I'll stay." House answered seeing the relief wash over her face as he spoke.

"Oh and by the way Taylor, even though Cuddy claims the kid's mine, I have a sneaking suspicion our Dean of Medicine has been cheating on me with Dr. Wilson. So we may need a paternity test today as well." He then added, feeling suddenly a bit overwhelmed at the thought of what was about to transpire inside the room as the dream Lisa had yearned for was now resting on the edge of a very sharp cliff, with one misstep ready to send that dream crashing around her feet.

House's words caused Taylor stare at them both dumbfounded for a moment with a confused expression on his face.

"Is he serious?" Taylor finally asked Cuddy, learning from years of experience as a OBGYN that sometimes people did sometimes think more with their sex organs than their heads.

"He's just nervous and it tends to bring out the ass in him." Cuddy remarked without batting an eye.

Glancing over at House again, Taylor couldn't help but smirk. "Well since it's a little bit early for a paternity test… let's start with the physical exam first." He then said,reaching for the stethoscope around his neck.

Keeping his eyes focused on Cuddy, House started to tap his cane on the floor as Taylor began to conduct the exam.

"Ok Lisa I need you take in a deep breath for me." Taylor said.

Complying with his orders, Cuddy took in a breath, keeping her eyes on House while his eyes moved to the poster in front of him.

"Alright Lisa you can let it out." Taylor then instructed as he moved his stethoscope from the front of her chest to her back.

Again Taylor instructed Cuddy to take in a breath and again she complied as House's eyes stayed focused on the same poster she had been looking at only moments before, seemingly becoming detached from the situation surrounding him as his gaze remained transfixed on the images.

"So besides the dizziness and episode of fainting earlier today, you've had no other symptoms?" Taylor asked Cuddy as he continued on with the exam, testing her reflexes by using a small rubber mallet, gently tapping her right and then left knee with it.

"No, that's it." Cuddy replied looking over at House again while feeling as if she was inside the room by herself with Taylor as he remained silent and uninvolved, continuing to stare at the glossy poster.

_Don't shut down on me…not now, _Cuddy thought, knowing that at that very moment the man who struggled greatly at times with his own life was wrapped up in the reality that providing her exam went ok, he was going to be a father, a key and crucial player in molding another human life, bringing with it a heavy weight of responsibility unlike none he had never felt before.

As Cuddy remained trapped her thoughts, Taylor carefully placing his hands on her neck that still held the marks of a few small yellow bruises, checking her lymph nodes by running his fingers over them.

"Lisa, have you noticed any shortness of breath during your dizzy spells?" He then asked her while removing his hands.

When Cuddy failed to answer him, Taylor gently touched her shoulder.

"Lisa?" He questioned, following her eyes that were looking away from him towards House.

"I'm sorry….no shortness of breath." Cuddy answered quickly while looking into his brown eyes.

"Well, so far everything looks good." Taylor told her with a small smile before pulling out the metal extender on the end of the exam table so she could lie flat on the table.

Taking in a breath Cuddy turned on the exam table, moving her legs up to it as she laid down upon it.

Looking down at her Taylor took in a breath of his own. This wasn't going to be easy considering from reading Lisa's chart and knowing of her recent assault, she was still going to have some faded bruises on her body as well as the psychological remnants the attack running through her mind, but in order to assure the health not only his patient who happened to be the Dean of Medicine at this hospital along with the baby growing inside of her, he needed to do a breast exam on her before then continuing with an internal exam.

Taking in another breath while determined to move on with the exam as delicately as he could, Taylor looked down at Cuddy with a comforting gaze.

"Ok Lisa, I need you put your left hand behind your head so I can start to exam your breasts." He then said in a soft tone, gently moving the paper gown up past her waist.

Placing the palm of her right hand behind her head as she had been instructed, Cuddy then turned her head to the side, looking over at House as the rubber stopper of his cane continued its dull rhythm on linoleum floor.

He was looking at her now. His blue eyes wide with an expression on his face that was so lost it took her breath away. His body paralyzed at the moment by his fears of not being able to comfort her without some smart ass remark leading the way

_I need you Greg_, Cuddy thought silently to herself, keeping her eyes locked in their gaze before closing her them and taking in a sharp breath as she felt Taylor's fingers move to her left breast.

It was of course the first time since the assault that someone other than House had touched her in such a personal manner, the ghost of Jeff Hansom lingering in the unfamiliar hand upon on her body even though she knew the owner of it meant her no harm.

"Are you doing ok Lisa?" Taylor asked knowingly after seeing her reaction.

"Yes." Cuddy responded, opening up her eyes once more and finding much to her surprise and relief that House as moved over next to her by the exam table, looking down at her while his index finger started to move slowly up and down against the blue paper gown covering her shoulder.

"Have you noticed any tenderness or swelling not associated with your injuries?" Taylor asked glancing up at House gratefully for coming to her aid before moving his fingers with care over the skin that was blotched with the same shade of dreary yellow as the fading bruises on her neck.

"No." Lisa replied biting down on her bottom lip as she continued to look up at House staying locked into the cool blue of his eyes.

"Ok Lisa I need you to lift you other arm up now." Taylor requested, watching as House took a step back from the table so he could exam her right breast.

Within a few more minutes the breast exam was over, concluding with Taylor moving her paper gown back down past her thighs.

"Alright Lisa I am going to move onto the internal part of the exam now." Taylor then told her, keeping his voice soft and reassuring.

Nodding in understanding, Cuddy bent her knees and moved her feet up further up on the padded exam table so that Taylor could put the stirrups into position, reaching out to her right in the process to take hold of House's hand as he stepped up beside her again.

"Lisa…. I'm going to take this slow and if you feel any discomfort or you want me stop. Just let me know. OK?" Taylor said softly while placing a pair of surgical gloves on his hands before glancing up at House again, thankful once more that he was there to help both them both through the next part of the exam.

"Ok." Lisa replied with another nod, getting her body into position as she placed her feet inside the stirrups.

Draping a sheet between the two stirrups, Taylor continued to speak to her softly, sitting down onto a stool at the end of the exam table as he conducted the external part of the exam.

Clenching her jaw, Cuddy turned her gaze away from House, closing her eyes once more.

"Are you doing ok Lisa?" Taylor asked, stopping the exam for moment.

"I'm fine …please continue." Cuddy replied back to him as she fought against the demons of the past raging inside of her, feeling House squeeze her hand. Causing her to open her eyes once more, turning her head in his direction.

House had not said one word to her, but in his silence had reached her in a way no one else could.

After a few more minutes Taylor moved back from her on the stool, turning to his right and preparing the metal speculum on the tray beside him for insertion by squeezing out some water based lubricant upon it before turning to face her once more.

"Are you ready to proceed?" Taylor asked her, keeping his tone soft while speaking to her in a professional manner.

"Yes." Cuddy answered even though she felt the tightness in her throat begging her to say no. The anxiety within her resulting from the assault beginning to rise at a dizzying pace as thoughts of Jeff's hands on her body and his pelvis brutally slamming into her suddenly burst free from her mind, moving swiftly throughout every part of her body.

"Just relax Lisa, deep slow breaths." Taylor said with a soft tone, starting to put the speculum into place.

The feel of the metal. Hard, smooth and rigid sent another shockwave of panic through Cuddy as her left hand gripped the side of the exam table.

"Lisa are you doing ok? Do you need me to stop for minute?" Taylor asked her from behind the sheet draped across her knees, noticing that her left leg had starting to tremble.

Continuing to fight off the bad memories, Cuddy shook her head no.

"I'm ok." She insisted even though she felt as if her world was coming apart.

"Cuddy.......I need you to talk to Nurse Brenda. She purposely took all of the red lollipops out of the container in the nurse's station." House suddenly announced, watching Lisa's face go blank for a moment before it reset with a puzzled smile.

"What?" Cuddy asked, hearing Taylor open the speculum before locking it in place.

"Nurse Brenda. The lollipop thief. She must be stopped." House said while still keeping hold of her hand.

"Are you still hanging in there with me Lisa?" Taylor asked from behind the sheet, not knowing exactly what the hell House was talking about but noticing immediately that when he started speaking to her, Lisa's body, including her leg had become totally relaxed.

"Yes." Cuddy replied as her eyes traced the smirk on House's face, biting down on her bottom lip as her smile increased.

"Good then I'm just going to get a sample for your PAP test since you were due to come in next month for annual check up anyway." Taylor told her.

"Ok." Cuddy replied shaking her and rolling her eyes when she realized she was actually on the verge of laughing in the middle of getting a pelvic exam.

"You better stop smiling like that or Taylor here is going to think you have the hots for him." House muttered down to her, causing her OBGYN's head to pop up from behind the sheet.

"Lisa I would never…." Taylor immediately said looking up at her with a panicked expression.

"I know that Bob." Cuddy assured him before giving House a disapproving but slightly amused look.

After obtaining the sample Taylor removed the speculum and got to his feet.

"Ok Lisa the only thing left for me to do is check the size of your uterus then we'll be done." Taylor said leaning forward a bit from behind the stirrups and placing his hands onto Lisa's lower abdomen as he pushed gently down upon it.

"Are you feeling any pain?" Taylor asked her as he moved one hand down towards her pubic bone.

"No, just a little bit of pressure." Lisa answered looking up at House as their future nestled inside the lining of her uterus received its first official exam.

"That's perfectly normal." Taylor commented with a small smile, moving both hands over to her left side and pressing gently down on it.

"Still doing ok?" He asked looking down at her.

"Yes." Cuddy replied softly watching Taylor move his hands to the right of her abdomen and pressing down on it before taking a step back from her.

"Well Lisa we're officially done with your exam." Taylor then said, removing his latex gloves and throwing them in the trash can beside him.

"Thanks again for taking time out of your day to do this for me Bob." Cuddy said as she remove her feet from the stirrups.

"Your welcom." Taylor responded before adding.

"I'll give you a few minutes to get dressed, then come back into the room to discuss the results with you and House." Giving a nod of approval to House as he passed him for his help during what could have been a rather difficult experience for Lisa.

Getting back into a seated position as Taylor left the room, Cuddy let out a deep breath.

"You doing ok?" House asked her immediately with low tone moving his hand to her knee.

"Yes and thanks for being here." She responded with a small smile, looking up at him.

"Figured it was the least I could do considering that you're knocked up with my bastard." House remarked smartly, relieved to see the smile on her face instead of the look of panic that tried to take hold of her a few minutes ago.

********************************************************

Within the next few minutes as promised a soft knock was heard by House and Cuddy as they waited inside the exam room.

"Come in." Cuddy said, looking over at House as they now stood side by side in front of the exam table.

Watching Taylor enter into the room and walk the distance between them, Cuddy felt as if her legs were going to give out from under her. The next few remaining seconds all that was standing between the dream she had longed for with all of heart being confirmed as healthy and viable on a cool autumn day she would remember forever.

Meanwhile standing beside Cuddy, House narrowed his eyes at Taylor as he drew nearer. Looking for any signs written on the man's face that would tell of bad news. Holding his breath when he realized how quickly his heart was beating inside his chest as it waited with an ache that was piercing and real in its power over him. The tentacles of it running deep and latching onto the very core of him that knew from this day forward his life was going to change forever……hoping that misery for once would decide it had enough of him for awhile.

Taking a final step towards them, Taylor broke the silence between them.

"Now of course both of you know it is really too early in the pregnancy to detect any congenital abnormalities, but from the physical and initial internal exam I performed everything does appear normal and currently I have found nothing that would prevent Lisa from carrying this pregnancy to term." Taylor informed them with a broad smile, watching as Lisa Cuddy's face light up in instant while beside her House breathed a sigh of relief wiht a small smile making its way to his face as well.

"How soon are you planning on doing an ultrasound?" House then asked without delay, wanting to leave no stone unturned.

After hearing the question House had asked, Taylor turned his gaze to Cuddy.

"What I would like to do is have you come back to see me at 6 weeks into the pregnancy so we can do an transvaginal ultrasound and check on the progression of the embryo as its organs begin to develop." He explained in a calm tone.

Cuddy nodded her head in agreement. "That sounds like a good plan to me." She responded, looking over at House for his thoughts on the matter.

"You could actually do the ultrasound at five weeks but delaying it by another week will allow for the embryo to develop more just like you said." House agreed as well as inside of him, he felt the weight of doom being lifted off of him for now.

"So exactly how far along am I in the pregnancy?" Cuddy asked Taylor with a hint of excitement in her tone as her hand moved to her stomach.

"You, Lisa Cuddy... are officially four weeks into your pregnancy now. Which means you should be delivering around May 28th." Taylor informed her with a smile.

********************************************************

**Hospital ICU~~ Bill Martin's Hospital Room….**

"Ok we saw Bill now let's get out of here." House said impatiently to Cuddy from the foot of the bed, looking up at Bill who was sleeping peacefully after staying awake for most of the day as Ruth visited him.

"Stop it." Cuddy whispered sternly to him while gently touching Bill's arm as she stood at the head of the bed.

"Bill's so out of it right now he doesn't even know we're here." House remarked back to her in a low whisper, picking up the chart on the end of the hospital bed.

Ignoring his comment, Cuddygently ran her fingertips across, Bill's arm. "I'm sorry we didn't get up to see you sooner." She whispered with a small smile that increased when Bill opened up his eyes.

"Le…Lisa." Bill whispered. "so good to see you." He added in a voice that was fighting to speak as his body pulled at him to return to the dream he had left.

"It's good to see you too Bill." Cuddy whispered back to him while taking hold of his hand.

"House…..come up here and say hi to him." Cuddy then added, keeping her eyes focused on Bill.

House exhaled and limped up to the head of the bed.

"Hi Bill. I upped your morphine by like fifty percent, so pretty soon you're going to see us melting into the walls. You can thank me later." House said sarcastically, looking down at the older physician.

"Behave." Cuddy whispered over to him, shooting House a sideways glance as a weak smile appeared on Bill's face.

"Hey he thought it was funny." House then pointed out to Cuddy, nudging her shoulder with his own as Bill looked up at them both.

"Hou…..House." Bill then said as his eyes became locked onto his face.

"You…..you need." Bill struggled to say, taking in a labored breath.

"Bill, don't try to talk. Just rest for right now." Cuddy told him, caressing his hand with her thumb.

But instead of relaxing Bill continued to move his lips with his eyes remaining locked on House's face.

With curiosity now prodding at him House, leaned closer to Cuddy,

"Get closer to Bill and see if you can hear what he's trying to say to us." House urged watching as Cuddy lowered her head down to Bill's mouth.

"What do you want us to know Bill?" She then asked as his lips began to move again.

Bill's words were soft and hard to make out but one word that came in clear to her was 'mother'.

Straightening up again, Cuddy responded with what she thought Bill wanted to hear.

"Don't worry Bill my mother is coming back very soon to visit after she has dinner down in the cafeteria." Lisa said as Bill's eyes become heavy.

Disappointed that Bill was only concerned about Ruth visitng him instead of revealing to them something interesting, House let out a sigh.

"Now can we get out of here?" House asked Cuddy with an irritated tone, while internally that fact that she had been on her feet for more the ten hours was playing with the part of him that knew she needed far more rest in her current condition than she was getting.

Looking down at Bill who seemed to have slipped back into unconsciousness Cuddy nodded her head.

"Goodbye Bill," She then said, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

"And don't worry, I'll come back here tomorrow morning to see you as soon as I can." She added before turning and leaving the room with House.

With his eyes now closed, Bill let tides of his dreams carry him away, the words he had wanted to speak drifting along with him.

_House...House needs to take care you Lisa. You need to take care of each other.....and don't worry Lisa. You're going to be a good mother to that baby of yours. Just you want and see, _Bill thought as smile moved over his lips while his breathing became deep and serene.


	55. Chapter 55

**Sorry for the wait guys, but wasn't last night episode amazing!!! By the way I got so excited about the promo's for this episode I wrote a one shot titled "After the Fire" a few days before it aired and posted it on here for any who would like to read it..and**** now... onto more October/October ;)**

**Chapter 55**

A few days later on a lazy Sunday evening, House was inside his bathroom, soaking in the tub with the back of his head pressing against the tile wall. His eyes shut as the muffled sounds of the television inside his bedroom crept under the open space of the door.

A few hours ago he had ordered dinner for himself and Cuddy from a little Italian place about block away, the two of them opting to eat on the sofa while watching TV before finding themselves in the middle of a very steamy kiss after they had finished some decadent and sweet Zeppoles he had ordered them for dessert.

Smiling as his eyes remained closed, House though of the look on Cuddy's face as she moved in to closer kiss him, the way her eyes were filled with excitement at the secret they both shared. The life inside of her something that had kept her soaring for days, helping to lift her away from the trauma she had been through.

And it was in the midst of their kiss when he felt her hand moving lower upon him, awkwardly unbuttoning his jeans as their lips remained pressed against each other, but getting the job done none the less before her slender fingers made their way inside of his boxers where his erection was waiting for her.

Opening up his eyes, House rubbed the stubble on his chin with the palm of his hand, remembering how he had removed her hand from him, seeing the look of disappointment in Cuddy's eyes when he did so.

He had told her then that his leg was bothering him, and although he did feel a dull tremor of pain in his thigh, that wasn't the real reason why he had put a halt to any further advancement by her. The thorn of another reason regarding his leg digging deep within him, still present and jabbing as he stared down into the water, moving his hand to his right thigh.

Of course his scar looked bigger than normal, thanks to the magnification of the clear and now tepid water.

Running his finger across the line of skin where muscle used to be, House took in a breath at the weird sensation it caused, a heightened tenderness along with an ache for what once was there running up the nerves that sent the signals to his brain.

He would never get that piece of him back. Forever marked by the infarction in his leg. Becoming so bitter over the lost that he had completely ignored any attempts to try and improve upon what remained. Better to shun the gaping canyon of twisted skin then to ask it to do anymore than support his weight as he pushed himself through life with the aid of a cane.

But that had started to change from the first time he had made love to Lisa Cuddy after the hospital fundraiser. The rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he pumped inside of her, allowing him to hear her cries of passion as she shuddered against him, the pain he felt in his thigh afterwards, a small price to pay.

And if that had been the only time he would feel pain, he could have easily managed it however…of course ....that was not the case.

Pain came for him relentlessly, never tiring of its hunger for him. Sneaking into his dreams to wake him. Lying in wait around corners in the hospital as he limped down its hallways…..always finding him again and again as it unleashed its fury upon him.

He could never put a complete stop to the pain and he knew that, but ever since he found out the Lisa was pregnant one nagging thought had plagued him. As much as pain hungered for him, he had done nothing to curb it's appetite, letting it feast on him at will, popping pill after pill until is was drugged into submission.

But he couldn't do that anymore, not with a kid who was going to be looking to him for guidance as the thought of his child seeing the haunting face of man addicted to vicodin caused a shiver to run up his spine inside the tub.

Closing his eyes again, House pondered the next step he was planning to take. The risk of disappointment in it so great he had already decided not to tell Cuddy.

He would start out slow. Build up what muscles where left inside his thigh while trying to cut back on the doses of vicodin he was taking.

His kid deserved that much and in truth Lisa deserved it too, even though she would never ask it of him.

Opening his eyes once more and leaning forward, House flipped the drain on the tub up before reaching for the towel beside him on the rack.

"Just one step at a time." He whispered to himself, clenching his jaw as he gripped the side of the tub and lifted himself out of it.

********************************************************

Walking back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, House made his way over to Cuddy who was sleeping on her back. The 'quick nap' she had decided to take after dinner now lasting over an hour.

Carefully he eased down onto the bed next to her, pausing and resting on his elbow on the mattress as he looked over at her.

A soft sigh escaped Cuddy's mouth, her eyes remaining closed as her left hand fell from its resting placing on her stomach. Her t-shirt having rose up in her slumber, exposing her navel as well as a few inches of skin around it.

Carefully, House moved his hand over to the bare spot, his fingertips ever so lightly caressing the skin where underneath a life was growing, while both the promise of happiness and the fear of the unknown continued to plague his weary mind.

Lost in his thoughts as his fingers made circular trails over Cuddy's lower abdomen, House didn't realized he had awakened her until he felt her hand reaching for his arm.

"Mmmmm..... what time is it?" Cuddy asked with a husky tone as her eyes opened to the subdued light of dusk filtering into the room.

"A little after seven." House told her as his eyes roamed the beauty of her face, never imagining in his wildest dreams they would be at the point in their lives that they were now.

"Is your leg still bothering you?" Cuddy questioned, not sure of what to make of the somewhat solemn expression on his face, raising her hand up to his jaw while the warmth of his touch moved from her stomach to the curve of her hip.

"Leg's fine." House answered back simply, taking in a surprised breath as Cuddy pulled open the front of the towel around his waist.

"Good." She then said with a smile small before pulling him down into her kiss.

House tasted the hint of lingering sugar from the dessert she had eaten earlier on her tongue as he moved on top of her and parted her thighs, his right hand sliding down past the cotton shorts she was wearing and to her bare thigh, getting ready to wrap her leg around his waist when he felt her tense underneath him.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked quickly, even though the bruises and scrapes on her body had now healed.

"No…I'm…I'm sorry." Cuddy whispered as he stared down her, hating that the suddenly anxiety of bad memories had taken over mind and body again.

"I'm an idiot." House muttered, getting off of her and moving his legs over to the edge of the mattress as Cuddy in turn mimicked his moves, ending up sitting beside him on the bed.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Cuddy said with urgency moving her hand to his thigh.

Turning to face her, House could see the battle going on within her written all of her face, knowing she wanted desperately to make love to him again and renew the cherished bond between them while a part of her remained afraid of taking that first step because of Jeff's haunting memory that had left a scar upon her heart.

"Come here." He said softly to her, taking her hand and pulling her gently off of the bed so she was now standing in front of him.

"If this is going to happen, you need to tell me what you want me to do." House told her, carefully moving his hands to her hips again.

Nodding, Cuddy caressed his jaw. "I want you to touch me." She whispered back to him as her fingertips moved through the damp hair above his ear.

Raising up her t-shirt with his left hand and holding it in place, House then moved his right hand gently across her flat abdomen before lowering his head and kissing her there, rubbing the stubble of his chin against her navel while listening to her breathing just to make sure she was doing ok.

Letting out a gasp, Cuddy's moved the fingers of both of her hands to the back of his head, drawing him closer. His were kisses soft, wanting and delicately placed upon her skin causing her hands to reach for the hem of her shirt which she removed first, dropping it to the floor before unhooking her bra and tossing it onto the floor as well.

Looking up at her, House held onto her hips as his thumbs caressed the waistband of the cotton shorts she was wearing.

"Take them off of me." Lisa whispered down to him, resting her hands upon his shoulders.

Hooking his thumbs inside the elastic waistband of the shorts, House pulled the shorts down past her toned thighs, allowing Cuddy to step out of them before looking up at her again as her thin white lace panties were all that remained on her body.

"Taken them off too." Cuddy urged him as moonlight now illuminated the space in his bedroom.

Kissing her stomach, House's fingers touched the soft fabric before moving the lace down over her hips, his tongue traveling across the soft skin just above the faint strip of hair a few inches below her belly button, tracing the outline of it.

"Oh…." Cuddy gasped, biting down on her bottom lip and running her fingers through his hair again as she stepped out of her panties while House's mouth kept the contact on her skin, his gentle approach making her legs weak as her mind giving into the smoldering ache of his touch as House moved her thighs further apart before the warmth of his mouth and hot sensual feel of his tongue was felt on the part of her that had been longing for him.

Breathing the scent of her body lotion as he tasted her, House moved his tongue slowly through the glistening parts of her sex before stopping and brushing his lips against her inner thigh when he felt her legs begin to tremble.

"Do we need to stop?" He whispered into her skin, placing a kiss there while looking up at her.

"No." Cuddy answered, caressed the back of his neck with her fingertips before she gently pushed him down on the bed, becoming filled with a mixture of love and lust as she looked down at his devastating handsome and rugged face, finding the love he had for her reflected in the cool blue of his eyes.

They then moved in unison, with House backing himself up to the head of the bed as Cuddy crawled on top of him, kissing him as he placed an arm around his waist.

House was now in a half sitting position, his upper body slightly reclined, his knees bent, as Cuddy straddled him.

After breaking another kiss between them Cuddy watched House move the pillow on her side of the bed underneath his head before resting her hands upon it on opposite sides of the pillow as she leaned down to kiss him again.

She could feel his hard shaft pressing against her as she sat on top of him while her brain began fire off the memories reminding her of how passionate Greg was when it came to making love to her.

Lowering his lips to Cuddy's neck, House slowly moved his left hand up to the side of her ribcage finding her left breast as her pelvis began to rub against the part of him was hard and throbbing for her.

"Tell me that you want me." She whispered into his ear, needing to hear the words as she kissed the side of his face.

"I'll always want you Lisa." House replied in a low whisper of his own filled with honesty, taking her completely by surprise as he moved his hands to her sides and lifted her body up higher so her breasts came within reach of his mouth.

"Greg…._Oh god_…" Cuddy gasped as he took her left breast into his mouth, sucking gently on her taunt, erect nipple.

Hearing the enthusiasm in her voice House proceeded to move his hand up to right breast caressing it before moving his mouth over to it, twirling his tongue around the nipple as he sucked it into his mouth.

Cuddy let out a soft moan, arching her back and moving her hips up the entire length of his shaft that was underneath her, hearing him groan in approval to her actions as he kept her breast inside of his mouth.

"Do you want me to do that again?" Lisa whispered down to him with her left hand gripping the headboard as her voice trembled.

Releasing her breast from his mouth, House grunted out a "yes"...... his hands moving her hips down to the base of his shaft, groaning out loudly as she rubbed the warm slick folds of her sex up the entire length of it once more.

This time the head of his penis came in contact with her entrance as she reached the top of it, her thighs squeezed around his waist in response.

Locking her eyes onto his, Cuddy moved her hand in –between their bodies as her breathing became shallow.

There was no denying that their days of abstinence from penetration were over, she needed him to be inside of her again, so she could feel the fire between the two of them when their bodies formed the conduit fueled by passion, adoration and bliss.

The air inside the room became still with House staring into Cuddy's grey eyes as she wrapped her fingers around his erection before guiding it inside of her.

Immediately his head fell back against the pillow, his mouth pulling in a deep breath as they became one again.

Cuddy gasped, leaning forward and pressed her body down against his, resting her face on the side of his neck as a shiver ran down her spine.

Her hips then began to slowly move up and down on his length, her left hand caressing the side of his neck as she kissed his jaw.

"I want this to be good for us." She whispered into his ear, holding onto his shoulders as she rose above him, another shiver running though her body as he filled her completely.

"Just go slow. We don't need to rush this." House whispered up to her as his hands grasped onto her hips.

The sight of her on top of him again almost more than he could bear, her dark hair now bouncing softly against her shoulders as her hips rolled with the rhythm of a slow moving tide. The fact that they had found their way back to this moment through the tangled mess of rumble at their feet and were now standing on the edge of a future that was almost to good to hope for taking his breath away just as much as the feel of her body completely surrendering to him.

Pulling her down towards him again, House took her right breast intohis mouth as she continued the hypnotic up and down rhythm of her hips, the sound of her soft moans and short gasps of passion filling his ears while the velvetly soft walls inside of her made it hard from him to keep holding back his passion for her.

His mind started to replay all of the other times she had been on top of him in the past with her raven hair cascading around her shoulders. The hunger within him commanded that he move his right hand to the soft cushioned curve of her ass before he squeezed it gently.

Cuddy responded with another moan drawing in a breath as she pushed up from him once more.

"Tell me how much you love being inside of me again." She requested in a hushed low whisper as she placed her hands onto his shoulders, changing the direction of her hips from an up and down movement to an erotic circular motion.

House took in a sharp breath of air, "You feel so good." He groaned, fighting against the part him that wanted to thrust up against her with everything he had.

"Don't hold back on me. Showing me how much you missed this." Cuddy gasped out into the air, titling her pelvis so he could slip deeper inside of her before moaning again.

Her entire body was alive with desire for him and after the words she had spoken to him, House finally let the last barrier of caution come crashing down around them, gripping her hips before his own hips bucked against them, thrusting himself deep inside of her with a rhythm that was intense and powerful.

Cuddy caught her breath and moaned his name, arching her back and moving her hands to his chest where her fingernails pierced his skin, her head falling back and her eyes slit while her lips parted.

"You don't know what you do to me Greg. How good you feel inside of me!" She cried out, rolling her hips in time with the thrusts of his pelvis now, her heart racing inside her chest, trying to catch up to the orgasm surfacing from within her as her thighs began to shake.

House felt a hot bolt of liquid fire shoot down to his erection as the muscles inside of Cuddy's body contract around him, his mouth letting out a low groan of ecstasy as he moved his thumb over to her clit.

"Yes….OH GOD!" Cuddy moaned, rocking on her knees as she reached out and grasped the headboard behind them.

With another mutual thrust of their hips they were both sent over the edge, with Cuddy shuddered and gasping for air as her thighs quivered and the part her that he had reached pulsed with a frenzy while the electric waves of pleasure of House's orgasm raced from the head of his penis down to his toes, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her down on top of him, continuing to pump inside of her as of yet unwilling to let go of the incredible sensation.

That was until he heard Cuddy take in a short breath as her shoulder's shook above him.

"Lisa? Shit ….did I hurt you?" He whispered, quickly moving his hand up to the side of her neck as her face remained buried in his shoulder.

"No." She whispered back, pushing herself up from him with the palms of her hands.

House watched in silence as he saw a tear escape from the corner of her eye and roll down her cheek.

"You should have told me to stop." He said with regret, touching her stomach while feeling his throat tightening.

"Greg I'm ok." Cuddy assured him, brushing the tear away with the back of her hand before moving that same hand over to his shoulder.

"Then why were you crying?" House questioned in a hollow tone.

"I was afraid that after what Jeff did to the both of us ….we might not be able to be like this with each other again." She explained before leaning down and kissing him softly on the mouth.

At hearing her words, House deepened the kiss between them, moving his arms around Cuddy's waist before carefully rolling her onto her back, holding back the wince as his right leg protested the motion, looking down at her now as the world outside his apartment hummed passed them in moving cars, underneath the city lights.

"There's no way that son of bitch could ever take this away from us." He then told her before brushing his lips against hers again, kissing her slowly with the beat of her heart pulsing into his chest, trapped in time as he silently promised to try to be all he could for her and the baby that had been conceived out of moments like this …..where everything in world was right for him.

********************************************************

Meanwhile after night had surrendered to morning, back inside the walls of the hospital, Bill Martin was sitting up in his bed, having healed at an impressive and rapid pace from his gunshot wound and now laughing softly as he played cards with Ruth who was seated in the chair next to him.

"You cheated!" Ruth exclaimed placing her cards down on the TV tray that she and Bill were sharing, pouting at him playfully.

"Sweetheart….I did not cheat and I would have never guessed you'd be such a sore loser." Bill replied back, winking at her.

Ruth smiled, reaching for Bill's hand.

"You know I cannot wait until you're discharged from the hospital tomorrow so I can stack the deck in my favor once you get home." She whispered slyly while squeezing his hand.

Bill brought Ruth's hand up to his mouth to kiss it before giving her a more serious look.

"You know Ruth….we've never talked about how long you plan on staying in Princeton now that Tritter is in jail and Jeff is dead." He said softly.

Ruth titled her head, and pondered the question.

"Well with everything that's gone on, I haven't really thought about it all that much. I mean I know Lisa's planning on selling her house and finding a new place because of what happened and considering all that she's been through I'd really like to help her with that as much as I can." Ruth replied back.

"And after that?" Bill asked keeping her hand in his.

Ruth paused again before answering.

"Actually come to think of it…I actually think I'd like to move to Princeton so I can be close to Lisa and make up for all of the time we've lost." She finally answered.

Bill smiled over at Ruth, rubbing his thumb across her hand.

"Well maybe when you move up here permanently I can take you out on a date sometime." He teased in a gentle manner, watching Ruth blush slightly as she flashed him a dazzling smile.

"That would be very nice considering I'd definitely need someone who knows the city to show me around." Ruth esponded with a sparkle in her chestnut eyes as she played along.

"Well since I was born and raised here I think there's no other person more qualified than I am to show all that Princeton has to offer and ....if your interested ....I also know of a very quaint cape cod style house you could stay at while you decide whether or not to sell you house in Cape May ." Bill said innocently, letting a small chuckle escape his lips.

"Bill, are you asking me to live in sin with you?" Ruth asked arching an eyebrow.

"No….of course not. You would have to pay half of the rent and sleep in the spare bedroom…...that is unless you'd rather sleep in my bed instead to keep warm on cold winter nights." Bill answered raising an eyebrow of his own as the white mustache on his face curled up around the corners of his mouth.

"And what about during the summer?" Ruth questioned with a grin moving the tray between them aside so she could sit on the edge of Bill's bed.

"I'm very good at opening up a window and removed blankets among other things….to keep us cool if necessary." Bill replied with handsome grin of his own.

"Well then I think you've just found yourself a tenant." Ruth replied as she leaned in to kiss him.

********************************************************

**Later that day……**

"Wow…I can't believe you're actually bringing food into my office." Wilson said, opening up his mouth wide in an exaggerate state of shock while House limped in through the door with a container of Tupperware in his hand.

"Lisa made spaghetti last night." House answered, placing the plastic covered bowl onto the desk in front of him as Wilson gave him a goofy grin.

"What?" House asked with irritation.

"It's nice to hear you call her Lisa instead Cuddy." Wilson remarked, keeping his boyish grin.

House rolled his eyes, taking the seat across from Wilson before leaning his cane on Wilson's desk and opening up the lid of the Tupperware.

"I called her Lisa because when she made this she _was _Lisa …not Cuddy." House grumbled.

"Is everything ok with the two of you?" Wilson asked a bit concerned over the sullen mood his friend was in currently.

"Things are fine." House answered back.

"Is your leg bothering you?" Wilson questioned, noticing that House had rubbed his thigh before he took the lid off of the plastic container.

"Leg's fine. I'm hungry." House ansered while unwrapping the plastic fork he had snagged in the cafeteria.

"Well if it's not Lisa or your leg.... then there has to be another reason as to why you are so miserable." Wilson said, not letting his friend off of the hook.

House stopped twirling the spaghetti with his fork and sighed deeply.

He had two choices right now.

Continued to deflect or come clean.

And right now his leg was bothering him a little too much to play a game of cat and mouse with Wilson.

Besides he actually did need Wilson's help in carrying out the plan he had in mind.

"I'm going to back to Lisa's place tomorrow when Bill's discharged from the hospital." House announced.

"House if you need me to pick up some more things for the two of you- " Wilson started to say.

"This isn't about picking up things." House replied.

"Well if you think going back there is going to help you try and make some sense out of what happened you're wrong." Wilson argued.

"I'm going" House simply stated again.

"And of course you don't want Cuddy to go with you." Wilson replied in a flat tone with a sigh of frustration.

"No, I don't." House confirmed before adding. "So are going to help me with this or not?"

Wilson shook his head. "Are you really sure you want to keep this from her?"

"Cuddy wants to sell the house, so there is not point in her going back there herself, but if she finds out I'm going back there she'll want to come with me." House answered, tapping his fork on the side of the plastic bowl.

"You know Cuddy needs some closure of her own as well ...and part of helping her get that includes you being honest with her." Wilson said carefully.

"Right now what Cuddy needs is to keep focusing on the present instead of dwelling in the past." House responded in an even tone.

Seeing the drastic change in his friend's expression, Wilson leaned forward in his chair, placing his elbows on the desk in front of him.

"House…is everything ok with Cuddy?" He questioned with concern.

"Cuddy's doing fine, so drop it." House stated abruptly, letting Wilson know he was done with this part of their conversation.

Deciding not to push House on the matter any further,Wilson relented for the time being, picking up the sandwich he had placed in front of him earlier before House had come into his office and taking a bite out of it instead.

Watching his friend as he chewed, House twirled some spaghetti onto his fork.

"So word on the streets is you have the hots for Cuddy's assistant …Blondie Big Boobs." House remarked casually before shoving a mouthful of spaghetti into his mouth.

"Did Cuddy tell you that?" Wilson questioned with surprise, reaching for the can of soda on his desk.

"No.... the boner in your pants whenever you see _'what's her face'_ told me that." House remarked, snatching the soda can before Wilson could get to it, taking two long gulps from it before setting it down in front of him.

Wilson let out an exasperated sigh. "I think Cuddy's assistant _is_ an attractive woman....."

"And?" House asked before belching loudly.

"You're disgusting." Wilson remarked.

"You're defecting." House said with a wise ass smirk.

"And nothing." Wilson replied.

House cocked his head to the side. "Why on earth are you suddenly playing it cool with Big Boobs Magee when it's totally against your nature?" He questioned before reaching for the soda on his right and taking another gulp of it.

"Her name is Cindy and I like her for more than just her boobs." Wilson commented dryly as House choked on the soda inside his mouth before letting out a curt laugh.

"Yeah….her boobs mean nothing to you." House replied sarcastically.

Wilson rolled his eyes.

"Yes…..Cindy has a nice body..but she's also very sweet and I…"

"Oh go no." House interrupted as his jaw dropped.

"House.. I know what you're thinking, but this is different." Wilson started to argue.

"No it isn't." House argued back. "You need to get it through your thick, love soaked brain that all you want to do with Cindy is screw her and nothing more."

"I don't want to just screw Cindy!" Wilson replied.

"Sure you do and that's what I'm trying to make you realize. You don't have to be in love with Cindy to have sex with her, but you have the bad habit of digging into the cereal box and reaching around for the prize in the bottom of it before you check out the other contents inside of it." House told him.

"So now you're equating my love life to a box of cereal?" Wilson asked rubbing his forehead.

"Yes….and until the moment comes that you realize there are other things inside that box beside the shiny toy you want so desperately, you will continue to fail with the opposite sex." House confirmed.

"So because I want to fall in love I'm a failure?" Wilson countered.

"You just don't want to fall in love. You _demand to fall in love....._and in doing so, you let it blind you to all the other parts of the person you are so frantically trying to fall in love with. Then…. after it ....or rather after love has lost its shine for you toss the box away." House answered.

Wilson shook his head, getting tired of House's so-called keen observations of his life.

"Well you know House….some of us don't have the opportunity to land someone as beautiful and smart as Lisa Cuddy just because she's got a thing for arrogant bastards."

House scoffed at his friend. "Fine…I was going to tell you I was wiling to help you out with this Cindy thing, but if you want to keep going on your destructive pattern until you pull an STD out from one of those cereal boxes just say so." He snarked back.

"You know _you_ are as much to blame for my failed relationships in the past as I am." Wilson pointed out.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to bring that up so let me remind you that unlike the times in our pasts, I now have a new pimp for my 'attention whoring' named Lisa Cuddy…but don't worry I'll still screw around with you on the side from time to time." House countered.

"Enough talk about cereal boxes and whores." Wilson responded getting agitated.

House looked back at him with a smirk.

"Ok then ....lets move onto phase two of my plan. Getting Cindy to ask _you_ out instead of the other way around." House said.

"Wait? What plan? And what happened to phase one?" Wilson asked, titling his head.

"Wilson…you really need to keep up with my mastermind genius instead of sitting on the bench like Forest Gump. Now for phase two of my plan not only do I want Cindy to ask you out but…I also want her so worked up that she's also going to jump in the sack with you on your first date." House said with a sly smile.

"So you're going to cure me by getting me the shiny prize in the bottom of the box right out of the gate?" Wilson questioned.

House exhaled in frustration.

"Sex is not the shiny prize you moron. Love is." He said sharply before he continued.

"I figure you need to have an unapologetic, no strings attached, hot and heavy sex encounter with Cindy first before you dip your fingers any deeper into the box. Because if she sucks at sex there's no way you're going to stay faithful to her in a relationship no matter how you try and convince yourself you will." House explained as only he could.

"This just one little problem. What if Cindy doesn't want to sleep with me, especially after only one date?" Wilson replied.

"Oh believe me she will." House answered confidently.

"There's no way you can guarantee that." Wilson said dismissively, leaning back in his chair.

"Wanna bet?" House asked widening his grin.


	56. Chapter 56

**Well guys after dealing with a ton of RL stuff along with the season finale I finally had time to complete another chapter. I hope you all in enjoy and as always reviews are most certainly welcomed :)**

**Chapter 56**

Limping inside Cuddy's outer office the next day, House was halted from opening the double glass doors by the sound of her assistant's voice.

"Dr. Cuddy asked not to be disturbed." Cindy announced to House as he started to reach for the doorknob.

"Private meeting going on in there?" House asked, noticing that the blinds to Cuddy's office were down.

"No..... Dr. Cuddy is in there alone, _but she asked not to be disturbed_." Cindy stressed firmly.

"So….how are things going with Wilson?" House then questioned suddenly.

"What are you talking about?" Cindy replied looking at him suspiciously.

House moved closer to Cindy's desk, sitting down sideways on top of it.

"Listen...Wilson would kill me if he knew I told you this, but……..he really likes you." House informed her in a low tone.

Even though Cindy was trying to play it cool, the blush in her cheeks gave her away.

"Dr. Wilson is a nice man, and we have started to develop a friendship, but that's all." She replied, still wary of the cranky doctor who had duped her in the past.

"You don't fool me Cindy, I know you want more from Wilson than just his friendship but I have to warn you….there might not be too much time left for you to get what you want." House said solemnly.

"What do mean there might not be too much time left?" Cindy asked crossing her arms under her ample breasts.

House sighed, looked down at the floor before producing the most sincere face he could muster.

"Cindy, there's no good way to say this so I'm just going to tell it to you straight. Wilson………. is dying." He announced, biting back his smile as he watched the initial state of shock wash over her face.

"You're lying." Cindy remarked back to him, trying to regain her composure.

Again House sighed and looked away from her, adding a dramatic twenty second pause before he spoke again.

"I really wish I was Cindy, but it's the truth, in fact why do you think Wilson's fiancée broke up with him a few months ago?" House asked.

"James told me that he broke up with her." Cindy answered with certainty, leaning closer to House.

_Ka-Ching_, House thought with confidence as he looked directly into Cindy's pale blue eyes.

"Ah, poor Wilson…..the guy always wants to put up a strong front, but the sad truth is his fiancée broke up with _him_ when she found out about his terminal illness." House said with bitterness.

Cindy watched as House tapped his cane on the floor, looking away from her again. After a few seconds she finally spoke.

"James doesn't look sick." She then challenged with a soft tone as he turned to face her again.

"People with Lou Gehrig's disease really don't look all that sick in the beginning. They just seem a little clumsy ...tripping over things or sometimes dropping stuff when the muscles in there hands react to the disease." House replied shrugging his shoulders while knowing full well that Wilson had just told him no more than twenty minutes ago he had dropped the pen out of his hand the other day just to see Cindy bend down and pick it up for him while she was wearing a low cut top.

"Really?" Cindy asked, thinking back to the pen incident as well at that very moment.

House nodded, "Really." He confirmed.

"But if all of this is true then why are you telling me about it? I only recently just started talking to James." She questioned.

"Because Cindy, I am going to ask you to do a selfless act in order to help out my dying friend." House informed her.

"Exactly what do you want me to do?" Cindy questioned with a puzzled expression.

"Wilson has just recently had his heartbroken by the cold hearted woman who used to be his fiancée, and before he dies I think it is only right that you show James Wilson there are still a lot of good women out there who do care." House explained, while inside he was calling upon everything he had to keep from laughing.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Cindy asked as her brow furrowed.

"By asking Wilson out on a date and sleeping with him of course." House replied.

For a moment, Cindy stared blankly back at him, her long eyelashes blinking at a few times before she spoke.

"You…..you want me to sleep with James?" She asked with utter shock.

"Yes." House replied.

"You are a jerk and a pig." Cindy huffed with anger, pushing herself away from her desk, getting up and ready to move past him and out of the office.

But before she could leave, House stood up, blocking her with his cane as he whispered into her ear.

"Just think about it Cindy. If the roles were reversed and you were the one who was dying. Wouldn't you want your last few months on this earth to be filled with the love and companionship from someone like Wilson?"

Cindy looked over at House, trying to read into the lines on his face.

Even though he was a jerk, House did seem to be telling the truth and she could tell by the way the two men acted towards each other House really did care about Wilson.

"Fine….I'll think about what you said, but I'm warning you if this is some kind of trick I will make you pay for it." Cindy whispered back before brushing past him and heading out of the office.

Watching her go, House smiled broadly before turning around and bursting into Cuddy's office.

"Hey Preggo!" He said cheerfully, his mouth turning into a frown when discovered he had awakened Cuddy who had been lying on her couch, fast asleep.

"Mmm..what time is it?" Cuddy asked, letting out a yawn and rubbing her forehead before sitting up on the couch.

"Almost one fifteen." House answered, looking down at his watch before limping over to the couch and taking a seat next to her.

"I need to get going for a one thirty meeting in the Ortho department. Did you need me for something?" She asked, running her fingers through her hair and slipping on her shoes before getting ready to move off of the couch.

"I need you need to sit for minute." House said bluntly, seeing the tired expression on her face.

"House, I'm fine. I'm just a little extra tired because of the baby, who by the way is also fine." Cuddy answered, picking up the cell phone from the table in front of her to shut off the alarm on it she had set earlier.

House gave her a disapproving look, "You need to start getting more rest at my place instead of working on spreadsheets and looking at reports on your laptop."

"I _need_ to look at that stuff and the only other option in regards to getting more rest is to cut down on the amount of time I spend having sex with you. And _I know _you certainly don't want me doing that." Cuddy replied smugly, looking over at him with a sinful smile.

"Spoken like a good little sex kitten. Have to keep Daddy happy." House agreed squeezing her thigh as Cuddy shot him a glare.

"Aren't you supposed to be in clinic right now?" She asked, getting up off of the couch.

House got up as well and moved directly behind her as she reached for the black portfolio on her desk.

"I'd rather stay here and measure your ass for my research study on pregnant hospital administrators." He said in a low whisper as he stared down at her round and tempting posterior.

Cuddy smiled with her back facing him before turning around and placing her hand on his chest and giving him a sultry look.

"Sorry, but like I said before both me and my ass have a meeting to go to, but feel free to ogle at it as I walk out the door." She whispered, moving past him with an extra swing in her hips.

"Fine but just remember later tonight that ass is mine." House whispered under his breath with a smirk as he watched her hips sway while following her out the door.

********************************************************

**Bill's Hospital Room…..**

After Bill's attending physician had entered his room a little over twenty minutes ago and reviewed his chart along with doing a quick physical examination, the nursing staff was then given the orders to have him released from hospital.

In anticipation of his discharge, Ruth had brought some clothes to the hospital for Bill the night before which she had placed in the bathroom for him.

Now, shortly after the physician had left the room, Bill had begun to slowly make his way into the bathroom in order to change into them.

"Are you sure you don't want me to help you?" Ruth offered as he walked away from her.

"I'll be fine honey." Bill responded looking back at her with a smile while he reached for the doorknob to the bathroom.

Within a few minutes Bill emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a pair of khaki slacks, white polo shirt and a dark brown sports jacket, finding that while he had been inside the bathroom, Wilson had arrived with the wheelchair that would take him through the hospital and down to the lobby.

********************************************************

As the elevator doors opened on the first floor of the hospital, Wilson waked out of the elevator pushing Bill's wheelchair with Ruth by his side, the three of them heading towards House and Cuddy who had just left Cuddy's office and were walking side by side as they spoke in hushed whispers to each other.

There was a span of about twenty feet separating the two groups of friends, but just as Wilson started to close the gap between them, a medical student came up to them, halting their progress by presenting Ruth with a single, long stemmed, light pink rose.

"This is from your secret admirer." The pretty young woman said with a smile before turning and leaving.

Smiling , Ruth looked down at Bill as he sat in the wheelchair, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you Bill, that was very sweet of you." She said softly while giving his shoulder a squeeze.

Bill merely smiled back at her as Wilson started to push him towards House and Cuddy who were now waiting for them at the nurse's station.

After a few more steps, a young male medical student approached Ruth, handing her another long stemmed pink rose.

"Your secret admirer wants you to know that you take his breath away every time he looks at you." The young man said with a smile, before turning and heading in the opposite direction through the crowd of people moving throughout the lobby.

"Bill, you really didn't have to do this." Ruth said with a soft voice of surprise, looking down at him as the beautiful words the young man had spoken to her touched her deep within her heart.

"Who said I did any of this? For all you know Wilson could be the one who's your secret admirer." Bill teased with a wink.

Ruth shook her head and continued to smile, enjoying the sound of Bill's voice and the look in his eyes as they once again started to make their way over to House and Cuddy while beside them, Wilson who was now bursting with excitement over the secret he shared with Bill reminded himself to keep his composure, not giving anything away as two more medical students approached them in a crisscross pattern with each of them handing Ruth another long stemmed rose.

"You're secret admirer wants you to know your smile is like thousands sunsets."

"And he also wants you to know the touch of you hand is like the kiss of a gentle breeze on a summer's day."

"Oh for the love of god." House grumbled over to Cuddy, watching as the groups progress towards them become halted once more.

"Shut up." Cuddy whispered back with a smile, completely taken in by the sweet gesture Bill had planned.

"Bill is such a good man." She then added, watching as several more groups of medical students approached Ruth until she was holding a dozen pale pink roses in her hands.

Wilson then took the final few steps that lead them all to House and Cuddy.

"I can't believe you guys finally made it over here. I thought at the rate you were going, Bill was going to suffer another cardiac arrest before he even got out of that chair." House remarked sarcastically while looking over at Ruth who was grinning from ear to ear as she smelled the bouquet of roses in her hands.

"Actually, I'm afraid you are going to have to wait a little longer House." Bill announced from the wheelchair before he started to get up from it.

"Bill, you need to sit down and let Wilson take you out to the car." Ruth said with a look of worry upon her face.

House watched Bill carefully as he got to his feet while Cuddy bit her bottom lip, both of them remaining silent as they figured out simultaneously what Bill was really up to after observing the small crowd now hovering around in the lobby, including all of the medical students who brought Ruth the roses.

"Ruth…I would have liked to have gotten down on one knee to do this." Bill started to say with a smile, reaching inside his suit jacket pocket to retrieve a small black velvet jewelry box with his right hand while keeping taking hold of Ruth's left hand, "but with situations being what they are I guess this will have to do." He added, taking in a deep breath as her eyes grew wide with surprise.

"Ruth, you stole my heart from the first moment I met you, and every day since then I cannot not picture my life without you in it. In your eyes I find the dreams of my youth come to life again, and that is why I am standing before you now to ask you if you will do me the honor of becoming my wife so I can continue to see my dreams held within your eyes for the rest of my life."" Bill finished, letting go of Ruth's hand for a moment so he could open up the jewelry box.

Gasping, Ruth switched her bouquet of roses over to her right arm, placing her right hand up to her mouth and swallowing hard as she held back her tears.

Inside the tiny black box was a two carat, oval cut, pink diamond that matched the color of the roses she was holding.

Fighting back her own tears, Cuddy placed her hand up to her mouth as well while House silently watched her for the briefest of seconds before turning his attention back to Bill and Ruth.

"Of course I'll marry you." Ruth whispered up to Bill with a smile as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Upon hearing Ruth's answer, the entire crowd surrounding them, including Wilson and Cuddy began to clap with loud approval as Bill carefully took the ring out of the box and placed it on Ruth's left finger before he leaned down and kissed her softly on the mouth.

"Please god don't let there be tongue." House muttered under his breath, looked over at the Ruth and Bill with his arms folded across his chest.

Cuddy elbowed him in response to the comment.

"Don't be such a jerk." She whispered, continuign to look over at her mother and Bill while smiling and wiping away a tear of her own as they embraced.

House exhaled and gave a half hearted clap of applause before folding his arms in front of him again as Wilson stepped up beside him.

"I suspect you had a lot to do with this." House sated to his friend.

"Why would you think that?" Wilson asked innocently.

"Because you live for this kind of crap." House answered as both men watched Ruth and Bill separate from the embrace they were sharing when Lisa approached them.

"Congratulations mom." Cuddy whispered, giving her mother a gentle hug while being careful not to crush her roses.

"Oh Lisa, just look at how beautiful this ring is!" Ruth gushed, holding her hand up for her daughter to get a good look at the pink diamond.

Lisa reached for her mother's hand, bringing the ring closer to her face.

"It is absolutely gorgeous." Cuddy remarked softly, watching the facets of the diamond reflect the light above them with brilliant clarity.

"You really did a good job picking this out Bill." Cuddy then added, looking over at him with a warm smile.

"I knew it was the one for you Mom the first moment I saw it a few weeks ago." Bill remarked with a grin as Cuddy took a step towards him so she give him a hug as well.

"Congratulations Bill. I know you'll make my Mom very happy." Cuddy whispered before kissing his cheek.

Taking in a breath, Bill's nose was immediately filled with the sweet smell of springtime as the taste of watermelon moved across his tongue as Lisa had wrapped her arm him, the embrace he had experience when his heart had stopped up in the ICU several days ago, finally coming to fruition

Holding onto her, Bill whispered softly in her ear, "It's mean a lot to me to know I have you blessing Lisa and even though you may still be struggling with a lot other issues right now because of what happened to you…. there's no doubt in my mind you're going to be a great mother to that baby you're carrying." He replied, so filled with the innocent and pure love that radiated out from inside her, he could no longer contain himself from speaking of her secret.

Cuddy gasped in surprise, remaining frozen in the embrace.

"Bill how do you?" Cuddy started to say in a whisper, looking up at him with surprise as her heart began to beat a little faster inside her chest.

"Congratulations Bill." Wilson said with a broad smile, interrupting their conversation while reaching for Bill's hand as Cuddy moved a few steps back from them.

"I couldn't have done it without your help." Bill replied to Wilson while giving Cuddy a quick glance to let her know he would indeed find time to talk to her about his knowledge of her pregnancy.

Cuddy nodded back at him as her mother stepped closer to Bill, placing her arm around his waist as she spoke to both him and Wilson.

"So exactly how did the two of you pull this off in such a short amount of time?" Ruth then questioned as the small crowd around them listened in as well for their response.

As Wilson and Bill started explain how the two of them had planned for this day, Cuddy walked back over to House who had remained in his original spot a few feet back from everyone else..

Seeing the stunned expresson on her face, he discretely reached for her elbow, pulling her closer to him.

"What's wrong?" He questioned, trying to make eye contact with her as Cuddy's gaze stayed fixed upon the floor beneath them.

Looking up at him, Cuddy was for a moment at a loss for words, placing her hand over her left hand on her stomach as what Bill had said to her a few minutes ago continued to play on inside her head.

Becoming even more worried about her, House quickly looked up to make sure that everyone, including his own team of ducklings who were moving up through the crowd towards Ruth and Bill were currently focused on the newly engaged couple and not them as he guided Cuddy over to a corner in the lobby.

"Are you in pain?" He asked looking directly into her eyes as he placed his hand over top of her own that had remained on her stomach.

"Bill knows about the baby." Cuddy finally explained in a bewildered, hushed voice.

"What do you mean Bill knows?" House questioned, glancing over at Bill as he laughed at something Ruth had just said to him.

"When I congratulated Bill on the engagement he told me I was going to be a great mother to _our baby_." Cuddy answered, following House's gaze.

Meanwhile as House and Cuddy continued to whisper to each other in the corner of the lobby, Cindy Lark..who had come out of Dr. Cuddy's office after hearing the sounds of applause echoing down the hallway made her way into the lobby.

"Hey Cindy." Wilson said upon seeing her, giving Cindy a small smile as he went to steps towards he before stumbling back slightly when his foot got tangled up with another person's in the crowd.

"Oh! Are you ok?" Cindy asked reaching for Wilson's arm to steady him.

"I'm fine. I guess I'm just a little clumsy today." Wilson responded, liking the way Cindy's hand felt on his bicep as he flashed her another small smile.

_Oh my god, House was telling the truth,_ Cindy thought as he pale blue eyes focused on Wilson's face after he had almost tripped in front of her.

"Well I guess sometimes we're all a little clumsy." She then responded quickly with a somewhat higher pitch to her tone.

"You know this is really great. I mean the news about Ruth's and Bill's engagement that is." Wilson remarked, noticing that Cindy was now staring intently at him.

"Yes...yes...it is." Cindy answered as the thoughts about what House had told her regarding Wilson's illness began to run rampant inside her mind.

"In fact it's rather amazing when people go through something like Bill and Ruth did only to come out of it more determined than ever to make the best of the time they have left on this earth." Wilson commented as he watched Cameron giving Ruth a hug as she congratulated her.

Wilson's words hit Cindy harder than she expected as she felt a lump rise up in her throat.

"It really is amazing." She agreed, echoing Wilson's words before rising up onto her tiptoes and kissing him softly on the cheek.

"Hey….what was that for?" Wilson asked with surprise as he smiled down at her.

"For being such a sweet and caring man. Who, would make my day if he would agree to going out to dinner with me on Saturday night?"

"You're asking me out on date?" Wilson questioned, studyign Cindy's beautiful face that held a touch of innocence somewhere between its borders.

"Yes, I am." Cindy answered while flashing Wilson a dazzling smile that traveled swiftly to the center of his heart.

********************************************************

Later that day, just after four pm, Wilson and House sat inside Wilson's car that was parked in the driveway of Lisa Cuddy's home.

"House….are you sure you really want to do this?" Wilson asked shutting off the engine of the car.

Sitting beside him in the passenger seat, House did not answer, instead reaching into the front pocket of his suit jacket for his pill bottle, opening it up and shaking out a single tablet of vicodin which he then dry swallowed before exiting the car.

Wilson watched for a moment as House limped towards the keypad beside the garage door, punching in the code so the door would open before he exited the vehicle as well.

"Do you plan on giving me the silent treatment the whole time we're here?" Wilson asked once he reached House as the garage door continued to rise above their heads.

House looked over at Wilson with a stern gaze, "I can't have you psychoanalyzing me in there. So if you insist on coming with me, you need to keep your mouth shut and stay out of my way." He responded, already feeling the icy fingers of the not so distant past reaching out for him.

"House I-," Wilson started to say, before the sound of a car door shutting from the street beside them caused both men to turn their heads in the direction of the noise.

"You told her, didn't you?" House muttered over to Wilson as Cuddy, who had been driving her mother's car came walking up to them.

"House I swear I didn't say anything." Wilson responded as Cuddy made her way up to them.

"I can't believe you were going to come here without telling me." She then said, looking up at House while he in turn stared down at her intently.

"How'd you know I was here?" House asked her in a dull tone.

"Because you're supposed to be doing clinic duty and when I found out you weren't there along with the fact that Wilson had left early for the day and neither one of you were at Bill's place it didn't take me long to put two and two together." Cuddy answered as her face showed the anger she was feeling at the moment because of his deception.

"Well now that you know where I am, you can go back to the hospital where you belong." House replied, refusing to give into her gaze that was meant to make him feel bad about not telling her of his plans.

"I'm not going anywhere." Cuddy responded with adn even tone as her eyes narrowed at him.

"I get it...you're mad because I lied to you, now go." House said, as he voice lowered into a harsher tone.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Cuddy shot back.

"Guys…come on…" Wilson started to say, no longer able to stand by and listen to them arguing.

"Stay out of this Wilson1" Cuddy interrupted, turning her icy gaze in his direction for the moment before focusing it back on House.

"Keep getting upset like that and maybe if you're lucky you'll end up passign out again." House warned her while keeping the secret between them.

Cuddy clenched her jaw, folding her arms across her chest, "I don't care what you say to me right now. Like it or not, if you're going inside, then _I'm going inside._" She told him with a stubborn tone.

And there it was, the gauntlet laid down by her and thrown at his feet while knowing full well as long as Wilson was here with them there was no way in hell House was going to be bring up the baby she was carrying as even more reason why she should indeed go back to the hospital instead of venturing inside her home.

Holding her gaze as that fact hung heavy in the air between them, House parted his lips, shifting his eyes over to Wilson who was watching them both intently.

"Wilson, get out of here." He then said while feeling heat of Cuddy's gaze upon him.

********************************************************

"You do realize now that Wilson's gone your ass isn't getting any closer to going inside then where you're standing right now." House said, watching as Wilson pulled out of the driveway before heading down the street.

"Then I guess we're _both_goin g back to the hospital because I'm not going to let you go in there by yourself." Cuddy replied as he turned to face her.

House let out a deep sigh of frustration. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big boy who is more than capable of taking care of himself, which means I'll be fine.... while you on the other hand have more to worry about than just yourself now.' He stated with a flat tone while looking down at her stomach.

Cuddy bit down on the inside of her bottom lip, looking away from House for a moment before reaching for his arm and drawing him closer to her, "I'm not going to let you go in there and torture yourself with scenarios of how think you could have gotten to me sooner." She started to say, reading his thoughts before removing her hand from his arm and placing it onto her stomach.

"Because no matter what you may think you could have done differently, the fact is, you saved me and _our_ baby from that son of a bitch who was hell bent on destroying us all and in the end ….that's all that really matters." She finished in a voice that was strong in its convictions as she looked up into his blue eyes.

********************************************************

A short while later, outside of Bill Martin's residence, House reached for Cuddy's arm as she stood beside him on the porch, turning her to meet his gaze just as she was getting ready to ring the doorbell.

Her cheeks had now taken on a rosy hue, caused by the rather brisk September day that was brought on by a cold front from Canada.

"Thanks." House then said a low voice as Cuddy looked up at him with a small cloud of her warm breath filling the space between them.

"Your welcome." Cuddy responded before standing on her tiptoes and giving him a soft kiss.

Pulling her closer, House felt Cuddy wrap her arms around his neck as he lingered in the sensation of her lips pressing against his own, the words she had spoken to him in front of her home something he really did need to hear from her.

It was strange..and yet comforting for him to have that again, the support of someone who was planning a future with him included in it.

Stroking his jaw with her left hand, Cuddy then slowly moved away from the kiss, looking up at House as his arms remained wrapped around her waist.

"Are you ready to go inside now?" She asked as the cold gust of air moved through her hair and over her face.

"Unless you'd rather stay outside and have Eskimo sex with me to keep us both from freezing to death." House answered, watching as Cuddy rolled her eyes at him in response.

******************************************************

After Bill had answered the door, greeting both House and Cuddy with a warm smile, House immediately locked eyes with the older physicain.

"We need to talk." He said in a low whisper while hearing the sounds of both Ruth's and Wilson's voices in the kitchen.

Bill nodded, moving his eyes from House to Cuddy. "Just come in and let Lisa say hi to her mother first so I have time to think of way to get the three of us alone without her getting suspicious." He replied.

"Bill, is that Lisa?" Ruth called out to him.

"Yes….and House is with her." Bill answered before motioning for House and Cuddy to follow him into the kitchen where Ruth, along with Wilson were both seated at the kitchen table talking with each other about plans for Ruth's and Bill's wedding.

"You know Carnegie Park has beautiful scenery and of course there's also the lake." Wilson informed Ruth who was seated to his right.

"That really would be lovely spot to get married during the summer." Ruth agreed before turning around as to Lisa and House entered into the room.

"Lisa, I thought you said you were coming right here after you left the hospital? What took you so long?" Ruth questioned as she watched Bill taking both her daughter's and House's jackets from them.

"I had to stop by the store quick before coming over here." Cuddy responded casually, deciding that at this point lying was the best options available to her rather than explaining what had really occurred back at her place.

"So anything else new beside Wilson gushing about your upcoming nuptials to the old fart." House asked Ruth, making sure there would be no further questions about their whereabouts as Wilson shot him a knowing glance.

"You only wish you'll end up looking half as good as Bill does when you're his age." Ruth remarked smartly to him.

House smirked as Bill stepped beside Ruth and placed his arm around her waist, giving her a small peck on the cheek.

"Why thank you sweetheart." Bill said with a grin.

"Actually considering how much your daughter likes to put out…I'll be lucky if I don't die of a sex induced heart attack before then." House countered as he stared down at Ruth.

"House!" Cuddy yelled in protest even though her mother was actually trying to hold back her smile, seemingly finding the comment he had made to her rather amusing indeed.

"Oh relax _Lisa _…..even Mama Cuddy knows the sex kitten doesn't fall far from the tree. Isn't that right Ruth?" House responded as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"No comment." Ruth replied simply before taking a seat at the table beside Wilson once more as Bill stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

Having had his fun with Ruth for the time being, House decided to pick on Wilson next.

"You know Ruth …...you really should get Wilson to be your wedding planner. God knows he's had enough experience with that sort of thing." He said with a sly grin as he looked over at his friend.

"Do you always have to be such an ass? I was merely suggesting some nice places for them to get married in the summer." Wilson replied dryly as he watched Cuddy take a seat at the opposite side of the table from him while trying to hold back the laughter escaping her lips.

"You know Wilson; you are really good at that sort of stuff. In fact… I actually think House is right, you really would be a great wedding planner." Cuddy said with a smirk.

"I can't believe you said that!" Wilson responded in a slightly offended tone.

"You know Wilson, I really could use some help planning the wedding, considering that Lisa is going to busy looking for a new house along with her job at the hospital." Ruth said with a smile that many a mother had used throughout the ages which made it impossible for a person to say no.

"Fine, I'll do it." Wilson agreed with a sigh as Ruth reached for his hand.

"Thank you so much James." She then said, squeezing his hand while Bill leaned over and patted him on the back.

"Yeah thanks Jimmy." House commented. "Oh and by the way I can't _wait _until you go with Ruth to pick out what lingerie she's going to wear for the big wedding night." He added with a smartass grin.

"Who says I'm wearing any?" Ruth countered with a wicked grin, "Like you said Bill's an old fart and the less clothes we have to deal with-"

"_Mom!"_ Lisa stressed, interrupting Ruth before she could go any further_. You're going to be a grandmother for god's sake_, she then thought while biting her tongue.

"I'm sorry Lisa." Ruth apologized, reaching for her daughter's hand. "It's just your _boyfriend_ tends to bring out the worse in me." She added, with another smile as her eyes moved back over to House.

Cuddy simply shook her head and let out sigh, trying to get the unpleasant visual of her mother going 'commando' in a wedding dress out of her mind.

Letting out a soft laugh as he watched the blush of embarrassment begin to leave Lisa's cheeks, Bill then opened his mouth to speak as he looked over in House's direction.

"House, there is something I want to talk to you and Lisa about regarding the wedding in private. Would the two of you mind going upstairs with me for a few minutes so I can fill you in on the details?" Bill then requested.

"As long as I personally don't have to do anything in regards to this wedding, I'll be fine with it." House answered before getting up from his chair.

"Wait shouldn't I come too since I am the wedding planner?" Wilson asked, of course completely unaware that the wedding was not the true nature of Bill's request.

"Not for this part." Bill answered; resting his hand on Wilson's shoulder before he turned to leave after Lisa had gotten up out of her chair as well.

********************************************************

**Bill Martin's bedroom……..**

"Alright Bill…how do you know about the baby?" House asked without hesitation as soon as Bill had closed the bedroom door behind them.

"Do you want to sit down first?" Bill offered, motioning to his bed as Lisa and House stood before him.

"Come on, let's sit down." Cuddy agreed, reaching for House's hand.

"No thanks I prefer standing, beside if I end up sitting down next to Bill he might end up touching me and telling me I have prostate cancer." House replied back sarcastically.

"Not really the most tactful way to start this conversation." Cuddy remarke with a glare before looking over at Bill with a smile and reaching for his hand as they sat down on the bed beside each other.

"Lisa I'm really sorry for upsetting you by what I said to you early today." Bill whispered sincerely over to her as House towered above them both.

"Bill it's ok. We just want to know how you found out about my pregnancy." Cuddy assured him while keeping hold of his hand.

Bill exhaled and looked up at House.

"You're not going to believe me." He said with dull tone.

"Try me." House responded, leaning forward on his cane.

Bill rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, placing the events of his mind in order before speaking.

"When I suffered the cardiac arrest in the hospital and my heart stopped for those few seconds, I went somewhere else …." Bill started to say watching the skepticism quickly move across House's face.

"And let me guess you saw God and _he _told you about the baby how lovely and completely unbelievable." House interrupted as Cuddy shot him a disapproving look.

"House…let him finish." She warned before glancing over at Bill again.

"Go ahead Bill…tell us the rest." Cuddy then urged.

"Actually I didn't see God …..but I did see Anna." Bill answered in a soft whisper.

"Anna? Your dead wife?" House asked with a vein of irritation in his voice.

"Yes." Bill replied.

"And was she happy to find out you were now shacked up with Ruth?" House questioned with cutting tone.

"That was totally uncalled for! Bill's just trying to explain to us how he found out about the baby and that means you need to shut up." Cuddy stated with a bit of anger to her tone.

"It's ok Lisa…… I know this story is hard for House to believe." Bill said to her before looked up at House once more.

"Anna didn't really tell about the baby…she... well she let me experience it instead." Bill started to explain again, not offended in the slightest by House's remarks.

"Experience it how?" House pushed as he set his jaw.

"There were these orbs in the place where I visited Anna, and they changed from white to the most brilliant colors I have ever seen." Bill started to say as he looked over at Lisa, focusing in on the pearl necklace she was wearing.

"Ok.... so you saw these lights and they told you about the baby. Did these lights happen to be male and female? With voices that sounded like .. oh I don't know…. maybe Cuddy's and mine?" House questioned going with the theory that he and Lisa had somehow slipped up and discussed the baby in Bill's room a few days ago when he was sleeping in his hospital bed.

Bill shook his head, "They didn't _say_ anything, but when they began to spin around me. I felt….or rather experienced…" He tried to explain.

House ran his hand through his hair with aggravation and motioned over to Cuddy.

"Hey…you wanna find out how painful your labor is going to be around eight months from now? Just ask Bill if he can take you to the place where the spinning 'orbs' will let you _experience it_ first hand _before _it happens" He stated mockingly while shooting a disgusted look her way.

"Dammit House…give him a chance to finish!" Cuddy ordered with a sharp tone.

"That's exactly it." Bill answered, not distracted from his story in the least by their bickering.

"What's exactly it?" Cuddy asked him with a questioning look.

"What House just said. Those lights spun around me and suddenly I _felt _all of the love I had received over the years. Every warm memory. Every cherished embrace." Bill replied.

"Enough with the fairytale Bill, your mind tricked you into thinking you went somewhere when in actuality you were still laying in that hospital bed with our brain being deprived of oxygen." House argued.

"Watch your tone." Cuddy warned as Bill got up from the bed, pointing his finger into House's chest.

"I am telling you I _felt _that baby's presence when I was there with Anna _and...... _when Lisa hugged me today I _felt_ it again, and knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was pregnant with _your child_." Bill argued back, keeping his tone even while saying the words with conviction.

"No.......you overheard the both of us talking about the baby when you sleeping in your hospital bed." House stressed leaning closer to Bill while feeling the pressure of the old man's finger in his sternum.

Bill held their gaze for a moment before removing his finger and taking a step back from House.

"You don't have to believe me, but I know what I felt and it was as real as you standing before me now." Bill answered, feeling at that very moment kind of sorry for House who's mind remain closed when it came across something that defied the context of everything he had been taught could be explained by either medical or scientific reasoning.

"I believe you Bill." Cuddy whispered, while looking up at him.

"Don't lie to him just to make him feel better Lisa." House remarked.

"I'm not lying." Cuddy shot back quickly. "I _know _that we didn't say anything about the baby around Bill while he was in that hospital bed. Which means the only conclusion I'm left with is that Bill did experience _something_ when his heart stopped."

House shook his head. "Great, so now Bill is the new predictor of the future. I guess then instead of having your ultrasound we could just let Bill tell us everything we need to know about the kid."

Cuddy narrowed her eyes at him.

"Knock it off. You wanted Bill to tell you how he knows about the baby and he did. The fact that you don't believe his story is your problem, not his." She informed House before looking back over at Bill.

"Listen, I'm sorry House is acting like such an ass to you after you just got home from the hospital..... and thanks for telling us your story. Near death experiences have always fascinated me because there is so much we don't know about them. Cuddy added, trying to guilt House into backing down a bit.

Bill shurgged, "House has every right to be upset. The two of you have been through so much in such a short period of time and even though he may refuse to believe my story, I think there is one thing we can all agree on. " He stated before pausing and taking hold of Lisa's hand as she got up off the bed.

"And what's pray tell is that Bill?" House asked rubbing his temple while exhaling with annoyance.

"That this baby is blessing and miracle for both of you and instead of arguing over how I found out about it. I'd rather focus in on how happy I am for the both of you." Bill answered with a sincere smile.

At hearing his response, House looked over at Cuddy while pointing his cane at Bill.

"Se this is why Bill's no fun to fight with, the guy's so nice he makes Mr. Rogers look like an asshole." He commented with sarcasm.

Cuddy let out a soft chuckle, looking back over at Bill.

"It is a blessing." She then whispered, echoing his early sentiments.

"So exactly how far along are you Lisa?" Bill then asked, gently placing his hand on her stomach for a moment with a smile upon his face while watching the excitement begin to fill her face in response to his actions.

"A little over five weeks…..and next Friday I am going for my first ultrasound." Cuddy told him with a smile that was filled happiness.

Remaining silent, House watched the exchange between Lisa and Bill, studying how animated her features had become as she spoke of _their _baby.

"So have you picked out any names yet?" Bill asked her softly, removing his hand.

"No, I ..I just think it's a little too soon yet." Cuddy confessed with a bit of hesitation.

"Don't worry Lisa. You look great and I'm sure your baby is just fine." Bill told her before surpisng her by wrapping his arms around her and giving her a tender hug.

Even though House did not believe Bill's story one bit, the care and concern the old man showed towards Lisa was _real_ ....and something that was good for Lisa to have in her life because Bill could be gentle and soft with Lisa in a way the he never could and Bill would take on the role of a doting step- grandfather whole heartily which is something Lisa would love and cherish for the rest of her life.

"Ok girls…..baby talk time is over." House then remarked after Bill had released Lisa from his embrace, having seen enough of the tender moment between them.

"House is right; we should be getting back downstairs before my Mom or Wilson start to get suspicious." Cuddy agreed.

Billed nodded before speaking once more, "So how long do you think it will be until you tell you Mom about the baby?" He asked.

Cuddy thought about the question before looking over at House.

"I think I'm going to at least a few more weeks, just to be safe." She answered while moving her hand across her stomach.

House scoffed at her response.

"You'll never be able to hold out that long, beside depending on how quickly the twins start to grow, you may have to tel her earlier than that anyway." He informed her.

"Twins?" Bill asked with surprise, knocked off guard for the moment by House's comment as he looked down at Lisa's stomach.

"Not those kind of twins, Bill …..I'm talking about _these ones_." House explained with amusement, pointing his cane at Cuddy's breasts before she quickly knocked it away.

"Oh." Bill replied softly, bashfully looking away from Lisa who had, in essence, become like a daughter to him now.

"You're such an ass." Cuddy muttered under her breath to House while cringing with embarrassment from the look of awkward embarrassment on Bill's face.

"Hey without this ass you wouldn't be knocked up with the 'miracle baby' so if I were you I'd take Bill's advie and start count my blessing instead of focusing on the negatives." House remarked in true smartass fashion.

"And on that note, I think we should all head back downstairs." Bill remarked before ushering them towards the door.


	57. Chapter 57

**HAPPY FRIDAY POST TO EVERYONE and once again ...THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! Hope you enjoy this next chapter :)**

**Chapter 57**

The next morning, which happened to be a Saturday, House carefully made his way back into his apartment, clutching a brown paper bag in his right hand.

Today he had walked three blocks to a little coffee and bakery shop while Cuddy remained sleeping in his bed, the early morning excursion all part of a bigger plan to start to exercise the remaining muscle in his right thigh.

Rubbing that same thigh as he made his way to the kitchen and placed the bag down on the table, House took in a deep breath, the tissue underneath his fingertips was throbbing, but it was not a sharp, piercing, pain and therefore instead of reaching for a vicodin table, he instead opened up one of the kitchen cabinets, reaching for the bottle of extra strength Tylenol he had placed there a few days ago, popping three of them into his mouth before swallowing them dry.

It was another step for him in the goal to try and rid himself of some of the pain he experienced, small but poignant non the less, and hopefully with enough of these small steps taken over time .....one day he would look back at the path he had traveled, knowing that as he reached the end of it he had indeed accomplished what he had been capable of all the long.

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A short while later, after the pills, House walked into the bedroom where Cuddy was still sleeping.

"Good morning sunshine." He said in a cheery tone, sitting down on the bed next to her with a cup of coffee in his hand.

Cuddy groaned, keeping her head planted firmly against the pillow while lying flat on her stomach.

"I said GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!" House repeated, increasing the volume of his voice.

"I heard you the first time." Cuddy replied with thick morning voice as her eyes remaining closed.

"What time is it anyway?" She then asked as she blinked her eyes open.

"It's almost 10:00 am slacker. Which means time to get your keister of bed." House answered, rubbing her back before he moved his hand down to her butt, giving it a firm squeeze with a smile on his face.

"Why did you let me sleep in so long?" Cuddy questioned rolling onto her back as she rubbed her face with her left hand.

"I figured it's the least I could do after you hopped around on my Johnson like it was pogo stick last night." He teased with a lecherous grin.

"Ha ha… very funny." Cuddy mumbled.

"What no witty comeback?" House questioned moving his hand to her thigh.

"I just woke up." Cuddy responded, resting her arm on her forehead as she looked up at him.

"You know some of this delicious hot morning java would perk you right up. Too bad you can't have any thanks to the parasite." House commented before taking a loud, satisfying slurp from his cup.

"I hate you." Cuddy said with a groan, closing her eyes while the aroma from the freshly brewed coffee invaded her nose.

"Ah poor Lisa Cuddy, who knew you would be so_ ADDICTED_ to caffeine." House whined mockingly.

"If you came in here merely to torture me.......congratulations mission accomplished. Now get the hell out here before I spill that coffee on your pogo stick." Cuddy replied, snapping her eyes back open and shooting him a glare.

"Hey calm down……. you'll scare the baby." House joked before resting his free hand on her stomach.

"Don't worry son…Mommy didn't mean it." He then added with a wiry grin.

"Who says our baby is going to be boy?" Cuddy challenged while pushing herself up in the bed.

"Duh? Obviously my sperm is the take no prisons, fill your egg with tons of testosterone before it knows what hit kind of sperm. Believe me sweet cheeks like or not you're going to have two of me running around here in less than nine months." House told her confidently.

Cuddy let a smile move across her lips. "Care to make a bet on it?" She questioned, confident in her own right by some unknown feeling deep within her that the baby was going to be a girl.

"What do have in mind?" House asked with interest.

"Which ever one of us is right about the sex of the baby gets to pick the name of our offspring." She offered matter-of-factly.

House cocked his head. "What's the catch?" He asked knowingly.

"Whoever loses is on diaper duty for the first two months." Cuddy replied with sly expression.

House rubbed his jaw and pondered the stipulation.

"One month of diaper duty." He countered.

Cuddy mulled over the proposal. "Alright." She agreed.

"Good, now that we've settled that matter, you need to get your pregnant ass out of bed." House then informed her.

"Why?" Cuddy asked, watching as House reached behind the lamp on the night stand, taking hold of another Styrofoam coffee cup that he offered to her.

"It's decaf, cream no sugar…and me getting that for you means I get some extra special tricks from you tonight in this bed." He told her with a low growl.

"Thanks…I'll be checking up on the porno sights later under S&M so you won't be disappointed." Cuddy remarked back sarcastically, "Now tell me why you're so insistent that I get out of this bed when any other time you usually do everything in your power to keep me in it?" She asked again.

"It's time for me to stop carting your ass around along with Wilson so ....we're going car shopping today." House said with a twinkle in his eyes as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Car shopping? That's what's gotten you this excited?" Cuddy questioned with a crease between her brows.

"Hey the prospect of not having to listen you criticizing my driving for at least part of my day is worth more to me than you'll ever now." House exclaimed, looking as happy as an eight year old boy on Christmas morning as Cuddy wrinkled her nose at him.

"Fine, we'll go care shopping, but you are going to _behave _yourself as in ....not making an ass out of me by being a jerk to the car salesperson." Cuddy replied sharply.

House smirked, looking down at her stomach as he talked out of the corner of his mouth.

"Better hope you get your sense of humor from me kid, otherwise you're doomed."

********************************************************

**Lexus Car Dealership, First Street~~~ Downtown Princeton….**

After Cuddy had taken a shower and both she and House had eaten breakfast, they headed out towards the Lexus dealership in downtown Princeton, with House parking his sedan in the back lot of the dealership, thereby out of sight from the salesmen for the time being.

"Ready?" House asked as he unclipped his seatbelt.

"No." Cuddy responded.

"Oh god…..what now?" House questioned.

"Listen to me Greg." Cuddy started to say in a steady voice, " I have a certain salesman here that I've bought my last three cars off of at this dealership and I am not going to let you screw that up for me by being a jerk to him." She finished, unbuckling her seat belt as well.

"Fine…go deal with your sales jerk. I'll just find something else to do while we're here." House replied back casually as Cuddy studied his face.

"House…"Cuddy started to say evenly, knowing him all too well.

"Oh using the boss voice. I think I'm getting turned on. Care to hop in the back seat with me for a few minutes?" House pushed as her cool grey eyes light up.

Cuddy let out a huff of hot air through her mouth. "Listen...I don't care if you go around this cart lot and annoy the crap out of everyone you come in contact with as long as you _stay away_ _from me._ Understand?" She asked him.

"So no coming up and grabbing your ass? Or peeking down you shirt when you sign the sales agreement?" House questioned smartly.

"Exactly. You can have all the fun you want but _we _do not know each other. Am I making myself clear?" Cuddy stressed.

"Perfectly. See ya later who ever the hell you are." House answered with a nod, grabbing his cane before quickly getting out of the car.

********************************************************

Walking up the up to the front of the dealership Cuddy's high heeled black boots echoed along the macadam as the sight flare of black low rise dress pants she was wearing glided along with them, her red v-neck sweater with long sleeves keeping her warm on yet another brisk early autumn day, the entire ensemble she was wearing today completed with a gold necklace that held a small ruby pendant which fell on the hollow base of her throat, her wrist surrounded by the ruby studded bracelet she was wearing as the entire outfit gave her a stylish yet somewhat low -key appearance.

Walking past House who was standing next to young salesman by a shiny red convertible, Cuddy kept her eyes focused forward.

"Hey sweetheart! Nice ass!" House shouted over to her with a smile just as Cuddy went to reach for the front door of the dealership.

She cringed for a moment before stepping inside, technically House hadn't broken the rules and she couldn't blame him for taking advantage of the fact that they were not to suppose to know each other per their agreement.

"Um, Greg that's really not the type of atmosphere we here at the Lexus dealership try to display." The young sales man who looked to be in his early twenties said, standing beside him as he nervously adjusted his tie.

"Listen, Jerry. I am a doctor with a boatload of money to spend and..... when I see something that fine walk by there is no way in hell I'm going to keep my mouth shut. Besides if it really bothered her, she'd be out here in two seconds flat with your manager." House said confidently, watching the fresh faced kid before him start to chew on his bottom lip.

"I hope you're right." Jerry said adjusting his tie once more as he looked through the large glass windows of the dealership as the attractive woman that had just passed by them started talking to one of his fellow salesman.

******************************************************

"What do mean Ted no longer works here?" Cuddy asked looking into the face of the balding, heavy set, middle aged man with the bad comb over.

"I'm sorry Lisa, but Ted moved down to Florida three months ago, however I'm sure I could help you in buying a new car." The man offered while checking her out.

The guy had zoned in on Cuddy as soon as she walked through the door, introducing himself as Randy while asking for her name in return.

_Hmmm ....nice rack, designer clothes and probably not a brain cell in that pretty head of hers. This is almost going to be too easy_, the opportunistic salesman thought.

"So is your husband out on the lot already?" Randy then questioned just to be safe.

"I'm not married, and.... believe it or not I came here by myself to buy a car. Now, do you think you can help or should I look for someone else" Cuddy answered, already feeling the heat of the chauvinistic vibe the guy was giving off.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you Lisa, it's just that I thought a woman as attractive as you would surely be taken. If you wait right here I'll get you some brochures with our latest models of cars." Randy apologized, pulling out a chair for her and thinking he was smoothing things over when in actuality he was making things worse.

Sitting down in the chair, Cuddy decided to hold her tongue for the moment instead of telling the guy off like she wanted to. Knowing by her many dealings at the hospital sometimes she had to put up a good front with jerks like him in order to get what she wanted in the end and right now what she wanted was not to pay full sticker price for her car.

"God I miss Ted." Cuddy then whispered watching as the pudgy salesman approached her again.

********************************************************

A short while later, outside of the dealership, House was watching Cuddy out of the corner of his eye as she and the overweight salesman who was dressed in a dark blue suit that was obviously one size too small for him walked out onto the lot.

The guy had a pronounced beer belly with a pushed in nose and round full cheeks that reminded him of a piggy bank he had as a child.

_He even has the same stupid grin as that bank_, House thought to himself as he continued to watch the man and Cuddy.

"And as you can see Greg, this car has top of the line performance tires on it." Jerry the car salesman said as he continued to rattle on about the sports cars amenities, temporally distracting House from Cuddy.

"Jerry…do you think there is such a thing as a male version of the camel toe?" House asked, turning his attention back to the kid.

"Pardon me?" The young man questioned.

"Your fellow salesman over there has grabbed his crotch at least twice since he came out onto the lot. So at this point I'm thinking either the guy has crabs or serious case of male camel toe." House replied, pointing over to the other side of the lot with his cane while not liking one bit the way the creep was standing so close to Cuddy as she tried looking at the cars in front of her.

"Umm….I …I really don't know...." Jerry commented back with a stunned expression on his face as Randy once more adjusted himself in front of the attractive woman.

"Oh well, just because one of your co-worker looks like a dog scratching his balls is really no concern to me. So when do I get to take this beauty out on the road?" House then asked before he took a purposeful, horribly exaggerated limp around to the front of the car as his eyes moved across the lines of the convertible that already had the top down.

"Are you sure you're okto drivethis car?" Jerry asked carefully watching as the tall man in front of him flipped the visor on the driver's side of the car up and down repeatedly while he kept his eyes focused on the attractive, dark haired woman further down the lot.

"It's because of my leg isn't it?" House asked in an insulted tone, turning to face the young man.

"Please ...Greg….I hope you were not offended by my comment. I just …I just wanted to make sure you were physically able to drive this sportscar..it does have a very powerful engine." Jerry explained, cursing himself for the fact that selling this car, which held a big commission in it for him had temporarily blinded him to how severe the mans physical condition really was.

House let out a rather loud chuckle. "Don't worry Jerry…"I'm not offended at all." He started to say, taking another deliberate pronounced limp towards the young and now bewildered salesman.

"In fact I get a lot questions like yours about my leg ever since I was in that bad car accident a few months ago." House finished noticing the first bead of sweat pop out on the kid's forehead.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear about your accident." Jerry replied .....wondering just what exactly he had gotten himself into.

"Don't be, it was my own fault. Can't seem to keep my foot off of the gas pedal…… but hell that's what sports cars were made for right Jerry? So let's say we work on you giving me the keys to this finely tuned machine so I can see what she's got hiding under the hood?" House said with broad smile and gleam in his eyes.

********************************************************

Meanwhile across the lot, Cuddy stood a few feet back from two cars that were identical except for their color, pondering over which one to go with.

One of the cars had the champagne paint job of her previous vehicle, while the other one had a deep burgundy color that she really liked as well.

As she rubbed her fingers across the gold chain of her necklace she was reminded once more of the slimeball car dealer's close proximity to her by his labored breathing which traveled into her right ear.

"I think I want to test drive the burgundy one." Cuddy said taking a step back from him.

"It's a good choice, very stylish looking and I think it even matches the bag you are carrying." Randy said as he pointed to her purse.

"I am more interested in how the car handles, then wether or not it will go with purse." Cuddy answered back coolly.

"Ok, well let's head back over to the office so I can get a copy of your license and then we'll be on our way." Randy offered to her with a cheesy grin as they started to make there way over to the glass front of the building.

"Actually I'd like to drive the car by myself." Cuddy informed him causing the sales man to stop in his tracks.

********************************************************

As Cuddy and her salesman remained outside in the lot discussing her decision to test drive the car solo, House and his car salesman had stepped inside the dealership, with House promptly reaching for the wallet in the back pocket of his jeans and pulling out a card which he then handed to Jerry.

"Um, this is a card for Alcoholics Anonymous ....not your driver's license?" The young salesman said, looking up at House.

"Opps, sorry about that. I had the sudden urge to drink a few beers before I got here and tried to get in contact with my sponsor." House explained, before taking the card out of the Jerry's hand and replacing it with his license so the kid could make a copy of it.

The look on the kid's face was priceless and House was having a blast until he noticed Cuddy and the car salesman, outside of the dealership through the glass windows.

He could tell by the look on Cuddy's face she was growing irritated with the guy who seemed to have no clue about personal space as he continued moved closer to Cuddy even when she looked over at him with an ever increasing annoyed stare.

When Jerry came back with House's license and the dealer plate for the convertible he was more than ready to get out of the joint.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you on the test drive?" Randy asked leaning in closer to Cuddy.

"I'm sure." Cuddy answered turning and starting to walk towards the front door of the dealership again.

Randy stayed glued to her side refusing to give up. "You know this particular model has a lot of features you might not understand. It really would be better if I went along to explain them to you." He offered.

Cuddy stopped abruptly and faced him.

She didn't know if it was the fact that she had been through so much crap lately or the fact that the life growing_ inside_ of her was amplifying the emotions _inside_ of her, but before she knew it the heated words running through her mind escaped onto her lips and went sailing over to the rude salesman before she had a chance to think about what she was saying.

"I don't know if you are just stupid, chauvinist or both and right now I really don't care, but if you don't back off and start treating me with some respect, that cheap, tight suit of yours is not the only thing that's going to be crushing your balls!" Cuddy hissed, staring over at the salesman with a look as cold as the icecaps on the North Pole.

Randy stood stunned with his mouth open wide as House pulled up along side them both, revving the engine on the sports car.

"Wanna ditch porky the pig and go for a ride with me instead?" House asked her, now wearing a pair sunglasses along with a wicked smile.

"Absolutely." Cuddy responded, breathing a sigh of relief before turning back to face the still shocked car salesman. "And when I get back here, I'll be looking for another one of your salespeople who's not trying so hard to compensate for a having small penis." She added, letting the last bit of the steam escape from inside of her before getting into the car.

House chirped the tires as they pulled out onto the highwa, turning on the heat in the car so they could stay warm as the cool autumn air swirled around them.

"So how bad did you want to knee that asshole in the balls?" House asked over the humming engine, watching Cuddy's raven hair for a moment as the wind moved through it.

"A hundred times more than I ever wanted to knee you in the balls." Cuddy answered with a grin. "But I shouldn't have said what I did to him, now I'm going to end up paying out the nose for the car I want…if ....they don't end up throwing us off the lot when we get back first." She added.

"Relax I'll get my buddy Jerry to help you out." House answered.

"So I take it Jerry is your salesman?" Cuddy asked glancing over at House, who she had to admit looked very handsome sitting in the driver's seat of the convertible.

"Yep, and I've got that guy so screwed up right now he doesn't know which end is up. It would be like taking candy from a baby." House assured her before down shifting the car into third gear as they approach the next exit.

After leaving the highway House turned onto a few streets that would lead them to some less populated back roads with a few curves in them, maneuvering the car over to the side of the road withing a few minutes and putting it in first gear as he pulled up the emergency break, leaving off of the clutch.

"Your turn to drive…… that is if you know how to handle a stick." House then infromed Cuddy, looking over at her with a smirk on his face.

"I think you should know by now I am _more _than capable of handling a stick." Cuddy replied back to him, arching an eyebrow bfore getting out of the passenger seat.

Once Cuddy got behind the wheel she took off smoothly without stalling or jerking the car.

House watched as she shifted through the gears and concentrated on the road ahead of her. Much like his '_stick' _Cuddy had the right touch and confidence to handle both with ease.

"So what do you think?" He asked moving his hand over to her thigh as he eased back in his seat.

"About what?" She questioned, pressing down on the clutch and shifting as she maneuvered through a turn.

"The car. I really think you should buy this one because it totally kicks ass." House answered.

"Um, in case you didn't notice, there's no back seat. Unless of course you were planning on strapping the baby's car seat to the hood." Cuddy replied glancing over at him briefly.

"Actually I was planning on throwing the kid in the trunk." House responded to her in true smartass fashion.

********************************************************

When Cuddy pulled the red convertible back into the dealership lot a short while later, she was not surprised to see Randy, Jerry and a third man who she remembered meeting before here, recalling after a few seconds that he was the dealership manager, standing out in front of the building waiting on them to return.

"Oh great. This is going to be fun." Cuddy muttered over to House.

"Relax, you've got money, they've got cars to sell…...and in the end even if money can't buy you love, it can certainly buy you the car you want from these jerks." House replied taking off his sunglasses and tucking them into his suit jacket pocket.

Parking the car in front of the men without apprehension, Cuddy was determined to at least let the manger know what she thought about his salesman_ 'Randy the Chauvinist Pig' _before she stormed off the lot and asked House drive her to another Lexus dealer thirty miles away from this one.

Standing in front of the red convertible that had just pulled back into the lot, Mark Thompson the manger of the Lexus dealership studied both the dark haired attractive woman behind the wheel as well as the man who accompanied her in the passenger seat with two days worth of stubble and a wiry smile on his face.

Thompson had already gotten the woman's name from Randy after the salesman had come barging into his office claiming the woman and the man were pulling some kind of con job on him and had just stolen the convertible from off of the lot.

However a few seconds after Randy came into his office, Jerry entered into the office as well and told him although the customer he knew as 'Greg House' was a bit peculiar he did not think the man would be the type of person that would steal a car in such a blatant fashion and so instead of giving into the panic Randy was trying to create Thompson had looked up the name 'Lisa Cuddy' in his computer system, finding she had been a previous customer of Ted Riley, one of Thompson's top salesman that had just recently left to move to Florida, who was then of course replaced only a few weeks ago by Randy with Jerry staring as a salesman on the lot only this week.

Shutting the car door, Cuddy confidently walked over to the group of three men , darting her eyes towards Randy the pudgy salesman and getting read to tell him off again when she was caught off guard by Thompson who stepped in front of the salesman, offering his hand to her.

"Lisa, I'm so glad to see you decided to come back to us to look for your new car. I don't know if you remember me or not but my name is Mark Thompson and I am the manager of this dealership." Thompson said, watching Cuddy's thoughts become temporally interrupted by his gesture.

"I do remember meeting you before and I thought I _had_made the right choice in coming back here, but now I'm not so sure." Cuddy answered, shaking Thompson's hand while shooting another glare over at Randy.

As House watched the impeccably dressed man in the dark charcoal with neatly groomed gray hair suit smile at Cuddy while trying to smooth things over with her, he decided to throw a curve ball at the guy just for fun.

"Yeah Mark this is my first time here... and I gotta tell ya…. if that creep to your right had been my salesman I would have kneed him in the balls. Good thing I was lucky enough to have Jerry here helping me out." House interrupted, putting his arm around the stunned kid while looking over at Cuddy and Thompson.

"Well, it's nice to know you feel so highly of our newest salesman Greg." Thompson replied not sure what to make of the unusual man, but offering the guy his hand to shake anyway as he glanced back over at Cuddy.

"So I take it the two of you _do _know each other then?" He asked.

Cuddy nodded. "Yes." She replied.

"I thought you said you came here by yourself?" Randy interrupted with a condescending tone to his voice.

"I'm surprised you even remembered anything I said after the way you were treating me." Cuddy shot back, narrowing her eyes at the plump man who was sweating profusely even though the temperature outside was cool fifty five degrees.

At hearing the exchange, Thompson gave Randy a warning look, the last thing he wanted was for an argument to break out in the car lot while several other customers where roaming around in it.

"Lisa, why don't you and Greg come inside the dealership where we can discuss this matter further?" He offered then offered in a very professional manner.

Seeing that Thompson was willing to hear her out Cuddy agreed. "Ok." She replied with a nod before heading to the front door of the dealership with House limping beside her.

As Cuddy and House went inside the dealership Thompson looked back at both of the salesmen. "We have two more couples out on this lot who need assistance and I strongly suggest both of you get back to work and help them out." He said with a cool undertone before turning and heading inside as well.

********************************************************

"Promise me you're not going to cause a scene when the dealer manger comes back in here." Cuddy whispered to House as they sat side by side in waiting area next to the vending machines.

"Hey you're the one who told Randy he had a small penis, not me." House reminded her causing Cuddy to make a face at him just as Thompson made his way back into the dealership, walking up to them both.

"Would the two of you please come into my office?" The dealer manger then requested before escorting them down the hall.

********************************************************

Once inside the office, Thompson apologized to Cuddy for the way Randy had treated her before then he proceeding to talk to her about the type of car she was looking for.

House for the most part kept quiet, but did throw in a few jabs about Randy to remind Thompson what an asshole the guy really was.

Cuddy was impressed by Thompson's character and his ability to handle the rather odd situation.

"I want to assure you Lisa that your experience with Randy is not something that will ever happen again at this dealership and if you still are interested in buying a car here I will guarantee that you will be treated with respect." Thompson stated as he leaned forward in his chair.

"Well …since you have been willing to hear me out and address my concerns, plus the fact that I have had good service from your sales staff in the past, I'm willing to give you and your dealership another chance." Cuddy agreed.

Thompson nodded and then personally walked out into the lot with Cuddy and House before handing over the keys to the burgundy sedan she had wanted to test drive.

"Now….I want you both to know I am aware of how precious your time is and since Randy has seemed to have wasted so much of your time I want the both of you to go out and have lunch on me while you test drive the car. Just bring me back me back your receipt when you're done and I'll cover the expense." Thompson stated.

"That's really not necessary." Cuddy replied, getting behind the wheel of the car as she attempted to turn down the offer.

"Yes it is." House stated strongly. "I'm starving and feel the sudden urge to eat some pork." He then added with a grin, while sitting down in the passenger seat next to her.

********************************************************

After taking the car for a test drive and eating an incredible lunch at a posh restaurant that Thompson recommended just before they left the dealership, Cuddy had ended up driving out of the dealership with the burgundy car she had admired at the price she wanted to pay for it along with Thompson's business car tucked inside her purse with an assurance from him that she could contact him at any time if she had any questions or concerns about her new car.

As Thompson watched Cuddy pull away in her new car he called Randy over and fired him on the spot.

He then called Jerry over as House pulled out of the dealership in his old beat up blue sedan, following after Cuddy.

"Well son are you sure you still want to sell cars for a living?" Thompson asked, watching a House blew the horn and flipped off at a passing motorist who had just pulled into the lot almost colliding with his front fender.

The young man paused for a moment before answering.

"After dealing with that guy..... I think I can handle pretty much anything else that gets thrown my way my Dad." Jerry said with a grin that mirrored his father's as House punched the accelerator of his car and sped down the highway after Cuddy.

********************************************************

**Saturday night ~~~~Cindy Lark's Apartment Building**…..

After going out to dinner with Cuddy's assistant, Wilson was now leaning against the doorframe of Cindy's apartment, gazing into her pale blue eyes as she smiled up at him.

The dinner date between them had gone unbelievably well. Their conversations filled with laughs instead of the uncomfortable pauses that first dates sometimes bring, with Wilson hanging on every word Cindy was saying to him.

"Do you want to come in for a drink?" Cindy offered as she reached for her keys inside of her purse.

"Sure." Wilson answered with a smile.

_It's just a drink, nothing more_, Wilson told himself as his eyes moved down to the cleavage revealed by Cindy's low cut pink top before he followed her inside.

Although the place was small, Cindy had made the most out of the tiny apartment, selecting furniture and accessions that gave it a warm and welcoming vibe.

"Why don't you have a seat on the couch and I'll get us each a glass of wine." Cindy then said with a smile.

"Are you sure you don't want me to help you?" Wilson offered.

"I'll be fine, but thanks anyway." Cindy responded, before giving him a quick kiss on his cheek and moving into the kitchen.

As Wilson sat down on the couch, which felt as comfortable as it looked his eyes were immediately drawn to the photograph in the coffee table in front of him.

Picking up the photo of eight people, who were all standing in front of a huge two story colonial house, Wilson let his finger travel over the smiling face of Cindy who was standing in the center of the group.

"Is this a picture of your family that's on your coffee table?" Wilson asked over his shoulder.

"Yep that's them." Cindy replied as she uncorked the wine.

Wilson studied the three younger men in the photo who were tall and muscular just like the older man to the right of the photo who was obliviously their father.

The women in the photo including Cindy, her sister and her mother all shared a family resemblance as well along with petite and trim bodies and full breasts that immediately pulled out an admiring smirk from Wilson.

"You guys look like a Swedish swim team." Wilson commented over his shoulder again just as Cindy entered back into the living room.

"We actually won the gold back in ninety- six Olympics." Cindy joked, as she handed Wilson a glass of wine before sitting down beside him.

Wilson smiled over at her and took a sip of the wine before placing his glass and the photo on the table next to Cindy's glass.

"You know Cindy I had a really good time tonight…." He started to say before Cindy cut him off by leaning into him, beginning to passionately kiss him.

Wilson melted under the power of her kiss as well as the weight of Cindy's breasts pressing against his chest.

"We…we don't have to move so fast…" He finally blurted out, catching his breath as Cindy moved her lips over to his neck, nibbling at it with her teeth.

"Shhh……just relax and let me take care of you." Cindy whispered seductively in Wilson's ear before pulling him off of the couch.

"Cindy..if this.... …if House … said..." Wilson started to say, remembering his conversation with House the other day.

"James." Cindy started to say in a breathless whisper as she pulled her top over her head, "the last thing I want to do right now is talk about House." She finished reaching for his yellow polo shirt which she quickly removed as well before locking her lips onto his once more.

Wilson caught his breath, his hands moving to Cindy's waist where within the next few minutes of mutual kissing and touching they succeeding in stripping each other of their remaining clothing before Cindy pushed him back on the couch with his erection pointed towards the ceiling as she stood before him gloriously naked.

Dishelved and incredibly turned on, Wilson was in a state of shock and ecstasy all at the same time as Cindy then slide down on top of him, letting the his cock sink deep inside of her before she began to ride him hard and fast, fucking him like this was their last day on earth together.

Her body was even much more voluptuous than he had pictured it would be, her beautiful, round, full breasts and curves of her hips working him into a frenzy as his mouth moved back and forth between her nipples, sucking and flicking them with the tip of his tongue as his hands squeezed her pulmp ass possessively, his pelvis now bucking up strongly into her, taking control of the rhythm between them.

"God you're incredible." Wilson whispered into her neck as he hands roamed up her back, his fingertips memorizing ever inch of herskin they passed by.

Gasping, Cindy was taken by surprise when the loud and throaty moan of passion escaped her mouth as Wilson moved his left hand back down to her hip, his fingers pressing into her flesh, his mouth licking and sucking on her throat, her world turned upside down at that moment.

This …in all honestly was supposed to be a mercy fuck and not one of an emotional nature, however as James began to slowly caress and tease her body, whispering into her ear again and telling her how beautiful she was a switch suddenly became turned on inside of her lighting the way to her heart.

"_OH GOD JAMES!"_Cindy moaned out again as he shifted her position on his lap while the powerful thrusts of his pelvis that seemed to know exactly where to reach her continued to send her into a state of excitement unlike any she had ever known before nearly causing her to fall of him as she arched her back while her fingers gripped onto the tuffs of dark brown hair on the back of his head.

Feeling her falling, Wilson quickly pulled Cindy closer to him, turning them both as he wrapped her legs around his waist so he was now on top of her on the couch as her chest heaved heavily beneath him.

"Now where were we?" He then asked in a low tone as he began to slowly stroking inside of her once more, letting her know he was in hurry to rush what was happening between them.

Looking up at him as the shiver ran down her spine Cindy saw in that very instant exactly why so many women at the hospital seemed to be unable to resist James Wilson, his deep brown eyes making her feel like she was the only woman in the world at the moment just before he lowered his mouth onto hers, kissing her deeply as she trembled underneath him.

*******************************************************

It was nearly a half hour later when Cindy finally cried out as the powerful orgasm inside of her raced through her body, causing her thighs to shake as Wilson held firmly onto her hips, locking eyes with her while he in turn came inside of her with one last powerful thrust, her name spilling forth from his lips just before he collapsed on top of her.

Feeling the beat of Wilson's heart against her chest, Cindy held back a tear trying to escape the corner of her eye, knowing while tangled up in their post coital bliss that the man she had intended to screw tonight had instead turned the tables on her and made love to her instead thereby pulling her into a very dangerous web of emotions she knew would only make saying goodbye to him all the more difficult as the fatal disease she believed with all her heart he was inflicted with would eventually succeed in taking him away from her forever.

"Hey are you ok?" He asked her, looking down at her and moving away a lock of her honey blonde hair that had fallen across her face.

"Yes....let's do it again." Cindy whispered back as a smile that wanted to keep them like this for as long as possible moved over her lips.

"Wow…..really? Again?" Wilson questioned with a broad smile of his own.

"Mmmhmm." Cindy hummed before pulling him down into another kiss as she chased the demons whispering to her of a dommed fate away for now.


	58. Chapter 58

**Hi guys! Well…I'm back with another chapter but wanted to let you all know I've got some real life commitments that are going to keep me busy until at least sometime next week. If I can I'll try to post another chapter, but if not there probably won't be a new one up till either Wed or Thurs next week.**

**Chapter 58**

**One week later…Friday ~~~~~ Lisa Cuddy's Office….**

"Six weeks." Cuddy said aloud to herself as she sat in her office chair gently rubbing her stomach.

It may not mean anything to anyone else, but to her it was a milestone because this pregnancy had now surpassed her previous one that had ended in a miscarriage a few years back when she had tried to get pregnant through In Vitro.

_Six weeks and aside from feeling tired at times….I actually feel great. No morning sickness, no spotting and no cramping, _Cuddy thought with smile on her face, knowing that in a few minutes she would be heading down to the OBGYN clinic to get a first look at the life growing inside of her. The promise of the happiness she had longed for made even sweeter because of the fact that the father of her baby had turned out to be the one person who she had been too afraid to ask to be a donor in the first place.

Shaking her head, Cuddy let a small laugh escape her lips, thinking of how, despite all the apprehensions she had in regards to starting relationship House throughout the years, absolutely sure it would ultimately end in disaster, she could not have been more delighted to be wrong in her entire life. The way they had not only to beat some very formidable odds in their path recently but actually had knocked them flat on their asses.......confirming to her that the bond between them, which stretched over twenty years had just needed the right mixture of fuel to ignite it and create the kind of breathtaking brilliance we all long for.

Continuing to smile, Cuddy looked down at her stomach once more, "You know….I really can't wait to see you today." She whispered in a soft tone filled with anticipation, suddenly pulled back into reality by the ringing of her office phone.

"Dr. Cuddy."

"Appointment's at ten thirty right?" House asked as soon as she had placed the receiver to her ear.

"Yes, can you still make it?" Cuddy questioned, looking down at her watch that read 10:18 am.

"Yep, I have my team doing all my work as usual. Good thing I knocked up the Dean so I can get away with that kind of crap." House replied.

Cuddy let a small sarcastic laugh escape her mouth before she spoke.

"I'm so excited." She then confessed to him in a whisper, unable to control the happiness that was filling her completely.

"Yeah, and you think you're going to be able to wait another six weeks before you tell your mother." House remarked while rolling his eyes.

"Shut up." Cuddy said with a pout on her face.

"Quit sticking out your bottom lip and get your ass down to Taylor's clinic so we can get this show on the road Preggo." House countered.

Cuddy's face was now beaming after hearing something extra in his tone that went straight to her heart while he was trying his best to mock her.

"You know…..I think somebody is just as excited as I am to see our baby." She told him with a grin, tapping the pen in her left hand against her desk.

"Then only thing I am excited about is seeing you in stirrups again. It's a twisted fantasy I know, but hey….. what else would you expect from a sick bastard like me?" House answered, while wearing a small smirk.

Keeping the smile on her face Cuddy logged out of her computer as she got ready to leave. "You don't fool me Doctor House and I'll have you know I have a few fantasies of my own that would blow your mind."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line and Cuddy could have sworn she had heard House gulp in response to her statement.

"Still there?" She questioned with a sultry tone.

"Ah yeah……we'll talk about that later." House responded rather quickly.

"You're not alone anymore are you?" Cuddy asked knowingly.

"No I'm not." House responded, looking up at Foreman who had entered into his office and was now standing in front of his desk, waiting for him to finish the phone call.

"Ok, I'll let you go and see you in a few minutes then." Cuddy said before hanging up.

********************************************************

**PPTH~~~~~~OBGYN CLINIC…..**

A few minutes later Cuddy was in the special procedure room in the back of the OBGYN clinic, having just undressed from the waist down before reaching for the blue cotton sheet next to her and draping it across her lap.

_This time things are different….. I can feel it…..and this baby is going to be fine_, Cuddy assured herself as an air of confidence came washing over her.

Within a few minutes there was a knock on the door before Taylor came through it, followed closely by House.

"Look who I picked up along the way." Taylor said with a smile to Cuddy as House closed the door behind them.

"I tried to make a run for it, but Taylor here tripped me before I could make my escape." House commented, walking up to Cuddy.

Taylor ignored the comment and spoke to Cuddy.

"How have you been feeling Lisa?" He asked, reaching for his stethoscope to do a quick physical exam on her.

"Aside from being a little more tired than usual... I'm fine." Cuddy responded before taking a deep breath and letting it out as Taylor moved the stethoscope to her back.

"Any problems with spotting or cramping?" He questioned, motioning her to lie down on the table.

"No." Cuddy answered glancing up at House who was watching her intently as Taylor lowered the blue sheet down slightly towards her pubic bone so he could exam her abdomen.

"Any pain or discomfort?" Taylor asked, outlining her pregnant uterus with his fingertips as her applied a gentle pressure to them.

"No." Cuddy answered once more.

"Well since everything looks and sounds good I think we can proceed with your ultrasound." Taylor said, pulling the sheet back up into place.

"Great." Cuddy said with a nod and a smile, looking up at House who was now standing directly next to her before she moved her legs into the stirrups and scooted down on the table a bit as Taylor turned the ultrasound machine on and prepared the probe for placement.

The transvaginal ultrasound technique Taylor would be using was far more accurate in picking up the image of the embryo at this early stage of Cuddy's pregnancy than a traditional abdominal ultrasound, which would of course be used after the baby inside of her had developed for a few more weeks.

Once he was ready Taylor then looked up at Cuddy.

"Ok Lisa I'm going to insert the probe. Just relax and taek some slow deep breaths." He coached.

Cuddy nodded and reached for House's hand as she took in a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment.

House studied Cuddy's face as Taylor positioned the probe into place, watching her closely to make sure she was doing ok.

For a few seconds Taylor said nothing, keeping his eyes glued on the ultrasound screen that was turned towards him.

Cuddy held her breath as she opened up her eyes, wondering if her high hopes were about to coming crashing down around her as a few more seconds ticked by.

Feeling the pulse of his heart pounding on the side of his right temple, House set his jaw, watching Taylor's face closely during those few seconds as well while his mind began to warn him of how often life could knock the wind right of you, bringing you to your knees within the blink of an eye.

"Ok …..are you guys ready to take a look at your baby?" Taylor then asked, turning the screen for Cuddy and House so they could see the image he had just studied, watching with a small smile as they both were jolted out of their mutual feelings of dread by the first precious image of their child.

With her cool grey eyes fixed upon the monitor, Cuddy let out a soft gasp of overwhelming happiness, her left hand, moving up to her mouth while her other hand that was clasped inside House's hand held onto him tightly as she looked at the tiny embryo on the screen in front of her.

It was and would be....until the end of her days on this earth, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The heart inside of her chest swelling with pure and unyielding love as the visualization of her dream that was captured in black, white, and gray within the monitor had now become reality, her baby... alive, well, and thriving inside of her.

"Now remember it may be a little early for us to hear a heartbeat." Taylor reminded both of them before he gently maneuvered the probe with the guidance of the ultrasound machine.

_Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh….._

Ah, there it is." Taylor then said with a smile as the ultrasound continued to play the rhythmic music of the baby's heartbeat.

At the exact moment the silence in the room was broken by the sound of the baby's beating heart, Cuddy had felt a tear run down her cheek.

"Hey sweetie." She whispered to the screen, biting her bottom lip as another tear escaped from the corner of her eye, feeling House squeezing her hand as she spoke the words to their baby.

Looking up at House, who had the expression on his face that many fathers before him worn when first presented with the visual image of the child that would change their lives forever as the gravity of the incredible responsibility sent them all into a temporary hushed and wondered silence, Taylor continued with the exam. "There's the fetal pole, yolk sac and gestation sac, all of which look good." He commented watching House leaning closer to the monitor to study the formations as well.

Listening to what Taylor was saying, House focused in on the gray images displayed on the screen, taking in every feature of his child, his thoughts mirroring Taylor's comments on the ultrasound's images.

"And of course here's the embryo inside the sac." Taylor continued, using his index finger to point to the structure on the screen.

Finally, House let out the breath he had been holding, feeling Cuddy squeezing his hand again as she glanced up at him briefly with a smile before focusing back on the screen.

"If I'm not mistaken there seems to a penis right there." House then commented, pointing his finger to a spot on the monitor.

"That…is _not _a penis. You know it's far too early in the pregnancy to determine the baby's sex." Cuddy replied back looking up at him and shaking her head while she continued to smile.

Taylor looked over at the couple who were obviously overjoyed with the first image of their baby.

"Sorry House but I have to side on Lisa with this one…no penis just yet, but of course we could do another ultrasound in a few more weeks to see if you can find it then."

"I still think I saw a penis. You're just not used to seeing one the big. Probably mistook for a leg or something." House replied back dryly to Taylor just as his pager went off.

Removing the pager from his belt, House looked down at the display.

"Damn……I've gotta go." He then said to Cuddy.

"I'll be fine and I'll give you a call later." Cuddy assured him with a nod.

House nodded in return, getting ready to leave the room, but stopped just before he reached the door and looking back at the image of their baby on the monitor one more time as Taylor continued to talk to Cuddy.

The embryo was just a tiny speck on the screen right now, but it already had begun to develop its arms and legs along with its lungs and other major organs, the tiny brain inside the baby's skull growing along with the nostrils that had formed and eyes now set in their sockets

_There's nothing different about you then any of the other images of fetuses I've seen on any other ultrasound, _House thought before he exited the exam room, while inside he was still holding onto the odd sense of pride that had taken hold of him the instant he had seen the images of the child he had helped to create.

"But there is something different in me when I look at you. " He whispered to himself as the images he had seen were now playing on inside his mind as he limped down towards the elevators with a small smile on his face while the shimmer of hope reflected in dull images of gray brought with it the promise of whole new world for him.

********************************************************

As the elevator doors opened up in front of him, House spotted Wilson standing alone inside of it, no doubt heading back up to his own office as well.

"Hey." Wilson said as House took a spot beside him.

"Hey." House answered back, studying his friend's profile.

"So how's Cindy doing?" He then asked Wilson.

"I wouldn't know." Wilson answered back coolly.

"Yeah, right …you owe me fifty bucks." House stated confidently.

"No actually _you_ owe me fifty bucks." Wilson countered.

"So are telling me you didn't make the 'beast with two backs' with Cindy after your little date on Saturday?" House questioned, once more scrutinizing his friend's face.

Wilson turned to meet House's piercing stare head on. "That's exactly what I'm telling you." He stated.

"Oh my god! Don't tell me 'Little Wilson' had a problem at launch time?" House said with a grimace while glancing down at his friend's crotch.

"House…there never _was _a launch time." Wilson muttered.

"Why wasn't there a launch time?" House pushed.

"Because……" Wilson started to say as the elevator doors opened to a crowd of people who were waiting for it.

Exiting the elevator, both men kept their mouths shut as the crowd of people moved into it, picking up the conversation after they had walked down the hall a bit.

"There was no launch time because Cindy and I did not click at all on our date. There was just no chemistry between us." Wilson lied.

"Just because you didn't click doesn't mean you still didn't show her your _stick_." House replied smartly.

"Ha ha ..your poetic genius is right up there with Keats." Wilson responded back sarcastically.

House stopped their progress, looking Wilson squarely in the eyes.

"So you really didn't have sex with her?" He asked his friend.

"No." Wilson answered emphatically.

"Then you must have done something wrong, deviated from my plan somehow. That's the only explanation that makes sense. Which means we have to regroup and …" House began to say.

"House….we are not going to regroup. I told you there's not spark, so there's no need to dig any further into the box." Wilson interrupted waving his hands in front of him.

House exhaled in disbelief.

"Yeah right, don't forget I've seen the way you look at Cindy….. or rather her boobs." He commented back to his friend sarcastically as he started to limp down the hall again, taking in a breath when his remaining thigh muscle, which was tender because of additional exercise it was getting, sent a bolt of sharp pain through his nerves that registered insdie his brain.

Immediately Wilson noticed the more distinct limp in House's gait.

"Hey…what's going on with you?" He asked with concern.

"I'm trying to get you laid." House replied, continuing down the hall.

Wilson nodded down to House's limb. "Your leg…. is it bothering you?" He pushed.

"No, you're bothering me." House shot back.

"Has Cuddy noticed how pronounced your limp is today?" Wilson questioned, ignoring the deflection.

"She's the reason for the limp." House answered watching Wilson brow furrow.

"What?" Wilson asked.

"Cuddy is …and always has been a sex fiend. Her desires kept under warps until I got a hold of her… and now that we actually have some privacy instead of a house full of idiots staying with us, Cuddy's been getting her freak on quite a lot these days." House replied with a huge grin.

"Wow. So you guys are really doing that good huh?" Wilson asked his friend with a smile.

"Wilson you have _no_ idea. Wait… I guess you kind of do now because of the 'Cuddy is a sex fiend'….and the… 'freak on' comments." House answered smugly.

"Well…..I'm really happy for the both you. I mean it's nice to know that Cuddy's been able to be intimate with you after all that's happened to her." Wilson commented as the neared the door to House's office.

"Yeah…well…. gotta go cure this patient of mine so I'm free to give Cuddy her afternoon delight later." House responded limping closer to the door as Wilson stayed behind in the hallway.

"So I take it by you saying '_afternoon delight' _you mean you are going to have lunch with Cuddy today instead of me?" Wilson asked.

"Not so much lunch as hot office sex on her desk." House answered.

Wilson chuckled before turning to leave, "See ya later House." He said, starting to walk towards his office.

"See ya Jimmy." House replied.

********************************************************

Once inside the conference room and after being prepped by his team of his newest patient's symptoms, House wasted no time in barking out his orders for them.

"Foreman get an MRI of the patient's brain. Cameron talk to the family about our patient's sudden change in personality and Chase I want you to run all of the labs again." House said, twirling his cane in front of them.

"You want me to run all the labs for a second time?" Chase questioned as Cameron and Foreman got up from their seats.

"Ummm I think when I said 'Chase run all the labs _AGAIN'..._… I meant for a SECOND TIME…unless …of course _AGAIN _now has a new definition in the dictionary." House snarked.

"Fine." Chase said with a huff, following Cameron and Foreman out the door.

As all three ducklings then proceeded to walk down the hall together, heading towards the elevator, Chase spoke.

"Anyone interested in starting up another bet regarding House and Cuddy?" He asked.

"What?" Foreman asked as the elevator door open up in front of them.

"Chase you can't be serious?" Cameron questioned as the three of them stepped inside the empty elevator.

"Give me a good reason why we shouldn't." Chase replied in an arrogant manner.

"_Because __House and Cuddy have both been through a terrible experience."_ Cameron stressed as she looked up at him with displeasure for even suggesting the bet.

"It's been over a month and House is back to being an obnoxious ass while Cuddy is back to trying to keep House's ass covered, and besides you saw the way House was acting just now. He's in a good mood, which means he's been getting some from Cuddy again." Chase said confidently.

"Just because House in a good mood, doesn't mean he's been 'getting some' from Cuddy." Cameron replied while rolling her eyes at him.

"Foreman?" Chase asked, looking for his insight on the matter just as the doors to the elevator opened up to the first floor.

"I think Chase is right, when a couple goes through a situation like the one House and Cuddy went through it tends to do one of two things to them. It either pulls them apart or brings them closer together. And from what I've seen they don't look like their growing apart." Foreman commented as all three fellows walked down the hall together towards the Pathology Lab.

"Well I think you're an idiot for listening to Chase and I think he's and idiot for wanting to place a bet on House and Cuddy when its the last thing they need right now." Cameron argued stating her point again.

"House and Cuddy need normalcy and this bet will help to provide that." Chase said, defending himself.

Cameron exhaled in disgust. "You are only looking out for yourself because you want to win the bet." She stated to him accusingly.

"You're right I do want to win the bet, but I also know House and Cuddy would not want us walking on eggshells around them either. That's why all of us, with the exception of you…. haven't been dwelling on what happened to the both of them." Chase responded.

"If Cuddy finds out about what we're planning, she's going to be upset." Cameron replied to Chase, softening the harden look on her face.

"Cuddy will get pissed, not upset." Chase countered.

"And that's a good thing?" Cameron asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It may not be a good thing for us _if _she catches us .. it's not a bad thing either, Cuddy's stronger than you're giving her credit for right now and if you think about it…… Cuddy and House teaming up against us if they do end up finding out about the bet will only help them grow closer as a couple." Chase reasoned, going for an angle he was sure would sway Cameron over to his side.

"Or… Cuddy could get so pissed she could end up firing us all." Cameron argued back.

"Cuddy's not going to fire us." Chase said dismissively.

Stopping in front of the Path lab, Cameron turned to face Foreman.

"Well…what do you think? Are you going to side with the idiot or me?" She asked him in an annoyed tone, knowing at this point she was losing the argument.

"What I think Chase is a selfish, manipulative, bastard, but I also think going through with the be fun as hell considering how miserable House has made all of us throughout the years as well at the fact that he's gotten off way too easy in regards to him sleeping with Cuddy." Foreman answered honestly with a smug expression on his face.

Cameron let out a sigh before nodded at Foreman and turning her gaze back to Chase.

"Ok I'm in. So what exactly do you have in mind?"

Chase smiled, "The first one out of the three of us that snaps a picture with their cell phones of House and Cuddy in a compromising position wins the bet." He stated.

"You really think Cuddy is going to let House get her into any compromising positions at the hospital?" Cameron asked with suspicion, folding her arms across her chest.

"House does a lot of things Cuddy doesn't want him to do and since we all know how much he has appreciated her assets before he was allowed to have access to them….it's only a matter of time before he let's either his hands or lips do the walking over them." Foreman pointed out to her.

Thinking about what Foreman had just said to her, Cameron finally nodded her head in agreement. "Ok, but..... if Cuddy ends up hauling me into her office during any of this I'm going to tell her both of you talked me into this." She informed them both.


	59. Chapter 59

**Hey guys! Well I'm finally back with a new chapter. Thanks for hanging in there and as always thanks for the great reviews! They really are amazing and keep me going during crazy RL times like these :)**

**Chapter 59**

Two weeks later, on a chilly Monday morning, Lisa Cuddy stood in the kitchen of House's apartment with the prenatal vitamins Dr. Taylor had prescribed for her in the palm of her right hand while holding a plastic bottle of water in her left one.

After taking a few sips of the water, she swallowed the pills, carrying the bottle with her as she headed out to the living room where she reached for her car keys lying on the piano along with her cell phone, placing the phone inside of her purse that was resting on the coffee table before walking over to the living closet to get her coat.

Meanwhile inside the bedroom, House was still sleeping, having stayed late the night before at the hospital with his team while trying to figure out a diagnosis for his latest patient.

Pausing just before slipping her coat on, Cuddy tapped her foot against the wooden floor of House's apartment, as the feeling as if she was forgetting something continued to nag her.

"Pager." She suddenly said aloud, placing her coat and water bottle on the couch before slipping off her heels so that she would not wake House as she headed back into the bedroom.

Once inside the room Cuddy silently made her way over to her side of the bed, picking up the pager off of the nightstand before turning and headed towards the door.

"Not so fast Preggo." House mumbled, rolling over onto his side.

"Sorry….I tried to be quiet." Cuddy whispered walking up next to him as House moved into a seated position on the bed.

"You didn't wake me, I was already up after having a nightmare about you giving birth to quadruplets, who all looked like Wilson." House told her, rubbing his face with his right hand.

"Wow…...I'm surprised you didn't wake up screaming." Cuddy responded with a small smirk while placing her hand on the center of his chest before rubbing it. "Listen I've gotta go, but try and make in before eleven ok?" She then told him as she got ready to leave.

"You're not going anywhere until I check them." House replied with smirk of his own, taking hold of her hand as he patted the mattress next to hip with the his other hand.

"Is this really necessary?" Cuddy questioned as she exhaled in annoyance while sitting down on the bed as he had prompted her to do.

"The fate of my research hangs in the balance." House answered with a sleepy smile, placing her pillow beside him behind his back as he sat up straighter in the bed.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "No… the fate of your early morning wood is what's hanging in the balance." She countered while glancing down at the sheet covering his torso as well as the bulge inside his boxer briefs.

"Quit trying to distract me from my research by coming on to me Doctor Cuddy." House replied in a mock stern tone, moving his hands up to her breasts where he gently began to caress them as a wide grin appeared on his face.

"Hmmm there is more a bit more firmness to the girls today ….however no change in size thus far." He continued, furrowing his brow as he concentrated on his 'findings'.

"Ok you've had your fun…. now I've got to go." Cuddy replied, leaning away from him.

"Uh ah…not so fast. I need to _see them_ just to make sure there are no _visual _changes." House stressed while moving his hands to her waist and pulling her closer to him again.

"I don't have time….go back to sleep and we'll play doctor later." Cuddy responded before kissing his forehead.

"Either show me the goods now… or .....I'll pull you down into this bed with me and make sure you arrive at the hospital with some serious stubble burns on your neck as well as in-between the twins." House warned not about to be pacified with just the chaste morning kiss before her gorgeous ass headed out the door and away from his warm bed.

Cuddy exhaled, knowing better then to call his bluff.

"Fine I'll show them to you, but don't get any ideas. I have a meeting this morning with the Board and I can't be late." She warned again, unbuttoning her blouse and pulling it open as she reached for the front of her bra, but before she could unclasp the lingerie, House placed his hands over hers; stopping her after noticing that the very sexy lace pink bra was one he hadn't seen before.

"Hold on there a second….Dean of Medicine ….this bra is new _and_ it has frontal access. How very _naughty_ of you trying to keep such a thing from Daddy." He said with an appreciative grin, motioning for her to remove her hands so he could unhook the bra himself.

With the flick of his thumb and index finger the bra was opened in a split second, his eyes stayed glued to her full breasts as they giggled slightly after being freed from the garment.

"The bra was supposed to be a surprise for later." Cuddy informed him with sigh, placing her hands on her lap while feeling the cool air against her now exposed breasts.

"Don't worry I'll wrap them back up when I'm done and act surprised later too." House assured her with a very horny smirk, looking up at her briefly before carefully moving his hands over her amazing, round breasts, suddenly pulling her closer to him and lowering his head as he greedily covered her left nipple with his warm mouth.

Cuddy let a gasp of surprise, her left hand immediately reaching for the back of his head as House sucked gently on the taunt peak while his tongue glided over it.

"House stop….I can't be late." She whispered trying to pull away from him but having no success as he kept his arms firmly wrapped around her.

"You can be a little late." House whispered into the smooth skin of her breast while sliding his right hand under the black skirt she was wearing.

"No I can't." Cuddy argued feebly, a soft moan escaping her lips as House rubbed his thumb against the front of her panties.

"Tell the board members you got stuck in traffic. Besides like you said I've got morning wood….. and it would really be a shame to waste it." House reasoned with a smirk before he nuzzled her neck with the stubble of his chin while his left hand moved up to the fullness of her breast.

Cuddy bit her bottom lip, closing her eyes as House moved his other hand onto her hip, gently caressing it with his fingertips before his fingers then traveled to the soft round curve of her ass, giving it just the right type of possessive squeeze that he knew would drive her wild while she tried to fight against the flood of hormones coursing through her as they cried out to her, telling her that making love to House right now, inside the warm bed was a hell of a lot better than _thinking _about having sex with him all day during an endless stream of boring meetings.

Feeling her body responding to him as she started to cave, House moved his head into the valley between her breasts, "You're wearing new perfume too…..very sexy perfume….which means you wanted me right where I am now." He murmured, placing a small kiss on her chest where he felt the pounding of her heart against his cheek before he lifted his head and moved his lips up onto her own.

Releasing him from the kiss, Cuddy gave him a sultry smile. "You've got fifteen minutes to get me off. Think you're up to the challenge?" She questioned with a raised and perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"Don't worry Doctor Cuddy ….I guarantee I'll have you moaning out my name in less than five minutes." House responded, grabbing hold of her ass firmly with his right hand before lifting her towards him and carefully flipping onto the mattress so that she was now lying on her back, looking up at him with and excited and surprised experssion on her face.

********************************************************

**Monday Morning~~~~~~Cindy's Apartment….**

"_OH MY GOD!!!"_ Cindy moaned, riding on top of Wilson before he wrapped his arms around her waist, turning her over onto her back so that he was now on top of her.

"Shhhhh…….what will your neighbors think?" Wilson teased, trying to catch his breath as he kissed and nibbled at her neck.

"I can't help it you're just soooooo good!" Cindy moaned arching her back as Wilson started to thrust inside of her once more.

That enormous boost to his ego was all Wilson needed to send himself over the edge while pulling Cindy along with him as she moaned out his name, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist.

Collapsing on top of her, Wilson kissed the side of her cheek,"That was INCREDIBLE!" He gasped, rolling off of Cindy and onto his back while pulling her beside him.

"YOU were incredible." Cindy responded snuggling up next to his bare chest.

Wilson smiled and kissed her forehead.

"You're not so bad yourself." He whispered softly, feeling the pounding of her heart in his side.

After a few seconds their breathing returned to normal as they stayed resting in each others arms.

"James, how long have you known House?" Cindy asked as she continued to rest her head upon his chest with the palm of her hand resting above the beating of his heart.

"Longer than I care to remember." Wilson joked caressing her arm with the back of his fingertips.

"But you do consider him to be your best friend right?

"Yes." Wilson replied.

"What about Cuddy? How long have you known her?"

"I've known Cuddy for over ten years." Wilson answered, turning so that he and Cindy were now face to face. "Why?"

Cindy bit her bottom lip, pausing before answering him.

"Yesterday one of the administrative assistant's in Surgery told me about a bet going on at the hospital regarding House and Cuddy and even though House is a jerk and I really could care less about him……I don't want Cuddy to get upset because of it. She's a good boss and she's been through so much lately." Cindy confessed.

"Exactly what kind of bet is it?" Wilson asked while propping his head up with his right hand, resting his elbow on the pillow beneath him.

"Apparently the people at the hospital are placing bets on which of his three fellows is going to take a picture with their cell phones of House and Cuddy in a compromising position." Cindy explained.

After hearing her words Wilson let out a laugh.

"That had to be Chase's idea." He remarked with a grin.

Cindy gave him a confused look. "Aren't you worried about how Cuddy is going to take this when she finds out?" She questioned with concern.

"Cuddy's going to be just fine…..a little pissed maybe, but she'll survive." Wilson assured her while placing his hand on her bare hip. "Now we better get dressed before we're both late for work." He then added before kissing her softly on the lips.

*******************************************************

Later that morning, inside the hospital, Cuddy picked up her stride as she walked briskly down the hallway of the second floor before reaching for the door to the conference room in front of her, catching her breath as she then calmly opened it up.

She was late….ten minutes to be exact.

"I'm sorry I'm…" Cuddy began to say before she breathed a sigh of relief finding that Wilson was the only board member in the room at the moment

"I was beginning to think the meeting was cancelled." Wilson said as Cuddy took a seat next to him.

"Where is everybody?" Cuddy asked.

"I don't…" Wilson began to say when he stopped mid sentence as his eyes moved to the curve of her throat.

"Is that a new necklace?" He questioned, pointing toward the base of her neck.

"No? Why?" Cuddy asked touching the gold chain around her throat.

"I think you may be having some kind of allergic reaction to it." Wilson replied narrowing his eyes as he studied the small, raised bumps on Cuddy's neck.

"It's not an allergic reaction." Cuddy suddenly informed him, quickly pulling her collar up higher while moving some of her raven hair forward to cover the marks House's beard had left upon her skin.

"Then what? OH...I see...." Wilson replied with a small smile, watching with amusement as a slight blush rose up to Cuddy's cheeks.

"Wilson....stop." Cuddy warned, feeling her face becoming warmer with the blush of embarrassment while the memory of her legs wrapped around House's waist as his teeth grazed over her shoulder suddenly popped into her head.

Laughing softly again, Wilson decided not to cause her any further embarrassment, turning the conversation over and onto a new topic, "Listen there's something I need to tell you." He then started to say until he was interrupted by the door of the conference room being opened as several board members stepped inside.

Cuddy looked over at Wilson, waiting for him to continue as the board members began to take their seats.

Leaning closer to her, Wilson spoke to her in a low whisper, "Are you going to be in your office later this afternoon?" He questioned, thereby letting her know what he needed to talk to her about was something that needed to be addressed in private.

"Yes." Cuddy replied with a puzzled look on her face, not sure if Wilson's urgent need to talk to her was because of something of personal nature or a work related issue.

"Ok, I'll stop by then." He said before the board member to Cuddy's right tapped her on the shoulder to hand her a copy of the agenda for this morning's meeting.

***********************************************************

**Cuddy's Office 10am…..**

"House....listen to me carefully....….I don't care if you '_selflessly gave me your sperm out of the goodness of your own heart to create the master race'_….. YOU, like every other person that works in this hospital is required to do complete your yearly Compliance training." Cuddy informed the father of her child as they stood toe to toe inside her office with her best Dean of Medicine voice while trying to think about anything right now besides the fact of how amazing he had been in bed this morning as House inturn gave her a look that told her he was thinking about the exact same thing.

"Are you sure you really want to be arguing with me right now, instead of doing me on your couch like you really want to?" House shot back, staring at her intently while keeping a defiant smirk on his face, thinking about the way she had moaned out his name earlier this morning just before her orgasm had sent her into ecstasy inside of his bed.

"Right now I'm your boss, and if you want to keep working here I suggest you do what I tell you to do." Cuddy responded with a strong voice mixed with a hint of frustration and anger.

"Pregnancy hormones really suck don't they? One minute your screaming at me to do you harder and faster, the next minute you're screaming at me to do my job while fighting off the urge to do me again so you can play boss lady." House told her with an evil grin.

Cuddy narrowed her eyes at him. "House, either do your training or…" She started to say when her office door suddenly swung open, with Chase now standing in the doorway, holding his cell phone out in front of him.

"What in the hell are you doing?" House asked in an irritated tone as Chase quickly lowered the phone.

"I've got the latest CT images on our patient and thought you'd want to see them right away." Chase responded handing House the films after he had tucked his cell phone back into lab coat.

"I can see that blondie, now what's up with the phone?" House asked him dryly.

"I haven't been able to get reception all day and I was trying to get a signal." Chase lied, hoping that because of the arguing he had heard from outside the door there would have been at least a chance of House going for an ass grab of their boss to piss off Cuddy even more than she was right now.

"Nice to know my employee has his priorities in order. Cell phone usage _always _comes before dealing with a dying patient." House snarked while looking over at Cuddy.

"You're one to talk about priorities." Cuddy shot back with a glare.

"Well, since you obviously know more about priorities then I do, could you please let me know if I should continue to waste my time arguing with you in here _or_ am I allowed to leave your office and work on finding out what's wrong with my _patient_?" House asked smartly.

Chase watched the silent exchange of glances between House and Cuddy after House's comments, of course they were fighting but underneath the surface was a simmering heat of passion that was obvious from a mile away.

_I wonder how many times their arguments ended with Cuddy's panties hitting the floor, _Chase thought with a sly grin before Cuddy shot a glare his way.

"Chase, please escort House back to his office and help with him prioritize his patient's issues." She remarked sharply before focusing her gaze back on the man who was getting on her last nerve.

"Nice move, trying to emasculate me by using the pretty one as your whipping boy, but you and I both know the truth." House replied to her with a smug look. "Come on Chase we better get going before the boss lady here tries to gi after your balls too." He then added as he limped out the door.

Chase nodded before turning and leaving Cuddy's office.

Once they were out in the hallway, House reached for his own cell phone, checking the display screen.

"Hmmm..seems like the reception in here is fine, which of course then leads me to then ask how much the pot is up to?" He asked while looking over at Chase.

"I'm really not sure about the pot, but there's a Jamaican guy in Pediatrics I can ask if you're looking for a quick high." Chase replied without missing a beat.

House let out a sarcastic short laugh before turning and blocked Chase from walking any further in the hall by placing his cane to his fellow's chest.

"I know you're up to something pretty boy….something that requires photographic evidence." House said as he leaned closer to Chase with his blue eyes boring into him.

"I'm not up to anything." Chase replied a little too quickly.

"Either spill your guts about the bet or I will make your life a living hell." House warned.

"And how is that any different from what you do on a daily basis now?" Chase challenged.

"Ever have a drove of hookers show up at your apartment who have already been paid in advance, ready for some action with explicit instruction not to take no for and answer? And by the way ….I'm not talking about female hookers." House asked with a cold and crafty smirk.

"Fine." Chase muttered, "Cameron, Foreman and I are all competing over who can snap a photo of you and Cuddy either groping or kissing each other." He confessed.

"How much is pot up to?" House asked with great interest.

"Fifteen hundred bucks." Chase answered.

A lopsided smirk appeared on House's face. "Not bad. Guess a lot of people in this hospital really want to exactly how much access I have to Dean of Medicine behind the closed doors of her office." He said with amusement.

"And that I have all the information..... it's time to talk about my cut." He then added.

"I'm not going to.." Chase started to say before House interrupted him.

"Listen Chase….. _I know y_ou're an opportunistic bastard and I like that in you, so before you waste anymore of your time, I'll tell you that _I know _you planned on me figuring out you little plan the minute you walked into Cuddy's office waving your phone around like the paparazzi because _you know _without my help there is no way in hell you're going to get your money shot of Cuddy and me acting naughty in the hospital." House said with confident voice as they reached the elevator on the first floor.

"So then you're in regardless of any repercussions Cuddy may end up inflicting on you if she finds out about the bet?" Chase asked suspiciously as they stepped inside the empty elevator.

"Oh I'm in alright and I'm going to blame you for the whole thing of course if Cuddy does find out about it, and you're going to keep your mouth shut about my involvement because…." House said, motioning his hand over to Chase to complete the sentence.

"Because you're the King of Opportunistic Bastards who is going to send male hookers to my apartment if I don't do what you tell me to do." Chase muttered.

************************************************************************************************

**2pm~~~~~Cuddy Cuddy's Office….**

"What?!" Cuddy shouted with anger, moving the palms of her hands to her desk as she pushed herself up out of her chair.

"House's team is trying to get a picture of you and House…" Wilson said, starting to repeating the words he had just spoken to her, watching Cuddy as she made her way around to the front of her desk, walking over to him as he stood before her.

"_I know what they're trying to do_. It was a rhetorical question." Cuddy interrupted, waving her hands at him dismissively. "I just can't believe they actually thought up something as crazy as this….its just so…"

"Much like something House would do?" Wilson replied, completing her sentence.

"Yes." Cuddy agreed with a nod while crossing her arms.

Wilson moved closer to Cuddy, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He told her sincerely.

"I'm not upset ……I'm pissed." Cuddy replied, "and I've got to put an end to this quickly…… while teaching them all a lesson. Because if I don't, they'll start to pull more stunts like this until I have three additional House's running around here with whoopee cushions while telling everyone to pull their fingers. " She continued, dramatically waving her arms as she started to pace back and forth in her office.

Wilson let out a small chuckle as he watched her. "Well I don't think it's _THAT_ bad." He commented.

Cuddy stopped pacing and looked Wilson dead in the eye.

"This is serious Wilson…. I've got to come at them fast and hard before they get any false delusions of grandeur." She informed him while placing her hand onto her stomach and stroking it gently with her thumb.

For a moment Wilson watched Cuddy with great interest as the seconds seemed to tick by them slowly. The strange new mannerism of her thumb...one he had not remembered ever seeing before, the soothing rhythm it created against her abdomen, meant to soothe and comfort instead of signaling pain, his dark brown eyes grow wide as he noticed in another split second the expression of silent contentment and peace hidden among her eyes and reflected in her flawless, radiant skin.

_She's glowing,_ Wilson thought as his jaw dropped open wide when all of the pieces fell into place.

"Wilson….what's wrong?" Cuddy asked, moving her hand away from her stomach and taking a step towards him as the stunned look washed over his face.

"Oh my god.....you're pregnant!" Wilson blurted out with wide eyes that were now looking directly into hers.

"Wilson...I'm….I'm not….." Cuddy started to say, intending to lie to him until she saw the huge smile on his face that melted her heart.

"Ok fine…I'm pregnant. Eight weeks pregnant to be exact." She then admitted with a small smile, taking in a gasp of surprise when Wilson suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

"Lisa…I'm so happy for you!" He whispered, kissing her softly on the cheek while holding onto her tightly as his voice expressed how much he meant the words he had spoken.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied with a smile as she felt the sincerity in his hug.

Releasing her from the embrace, Wilson placed his hand onto Cuddy's shoulders while looking down at her stomach.

"So how's House handling the news of being a Daddy?" He questioned before looking back up at her.

"Like he handles everything ….with sarcasm, but his is very excited about it and even though he won't admit it a little scared as well." Cuddy replied honestly.

"But everything is ok with you and the baby right?" Wilson asked, keeping his hands on Cuddy's shoulders.

"I'm fine and the baby's fine, in fact I just had my first ultrasound two weeks ago." Cuddy assured him.

"Does your Mom know yet?" Wilson he then asked, knowing how thrilled Ruth would be at hearing the news.

"No…I haven't told her yet. I ….I just want to wait a little while longer before I tell her..... just in case." Cuddy answered while the old memories of her last miscarriage still clung to the corners of her mind.

"I understand and I won't say a word….but remember every pregnancy is different and you're off to a very good start." Wilson told her, gently rubbing Cuddy's shoulders before removing his hands from them.

"I know." Cuddy agreed while looking down and gently caressing her stomach again.

Watching her, Wilson felt another smile creep up on his face. "Well, I guess I really should get back to my office before my next appointment." He then said while thinking of how wonderful it was that his two friends had been blessed with such precious happiness after the hell they had been put through.

"But of course you _are _going to leave here and congratulate House..... as well as tease him about being a Daddy first before you got back to your office." Cuddy responded, catching Wilson's gaze with a knowing smile.

"What kind of friend would I bet if I didn't?" Wilson remarked with a smirk before he turned to go.

"Wilson…do me a favor and don't say anything to House about the bet…ok?" Cuddy requested just he reached for the doorknob.

"Are you sure you don't want him to know about it?" Wilson questioned, slightly surprised.

"I'm sure." Cuddy told him with certainty, "Because if House knows about the bet, then he may try and stop me from doing what I have to do just so he can try and prove to his team that _he's_ the one who's really in charge."

"So exactly how do you plan on stopping them?" Wilson asked with interest.

"I have a few ideas, but I need some time to figure it all out. One thing I do need to know though is if I need you….. would you be willing to help me?" Cuddy questioned.

"Are you kidding me? I live for these power plays between the two of you." Wilson said with a grin.

********************************************************

**PPTH ~~~~~~House's Office….**

After leaving Cuddy's office Wilson headed straight for House's office, pleased to see that House was indeed alone, with the ducklings nowhere in sight.

Turned in his seat, House was throwing his red and gray ball down at his carpet, where it ricocheted against the wall, catching it as is bounced back to him.

House had just thrown the ball again when Wilson burst into the door, startling him as quickly walked up to him, grabbed him out of the chair before pulling him into bear hug.

"YOU OLD DOG YOU!! I knew you had it in you!" Wilson exclaimed as he hugged his friend while the ball bounced down to the floor beside them.

"Get the hell off of me!" House said with a shocked voice, pushing Wilson away.

"Sorry, DADDY...I didn't mean to upset you." Wilson replied with a broad smile.

"Oh my god, Cuddy told you?" House questioned, rubbing his forehead in disbelief.

"Cuddy didn't tell me…..I guessed, because I am a brilliant and observant man." Wilson boasted with his hands on his hips.

"Did she also tell you to keep your mouth shut?" House asked before sitting down behind his desk again.

"Yes, and I will." Wilson answered with a touch of hurt in his tone as he took a seat across from his friend.

"Don't give me those puppy dog eyes Jimmy. You and I both know your loose lips have sunk many a ship. But if you screw up this time you'll find you testicles hanging off the end of my cane." House warned.

"I promise I won't say a word." Wilson assured him, with his gaze still filled with wonder as if he looked at his friend seated across from him in a whole new light.

"What now?" House asked with annoyance, pulling his game boy out of his desk drawer.

"You're going to be somebody's Father." Wilson stated with an air of awe to his tone.

"That's what usually happens when you knock _somebody _up." House replied back dryly, switching on the game boy.

"Oh my god….what if Cuddy has a girl? How in the hell are you going to deal with that?" Wilson asked as the question suddenly popped into his head.

"Oh my god… what if you leave now before I shove my cane up your ass?" House replied back dryly to him, keeping his eyes fixed on the tiny screen of the game.

Wilson laughed, unphased by the comment as he got up out of the chair. "Listen I understand why this is hard for you to talk about right now, but if you do need to talk about it later, you know I'm here for you…….ok Daddy?" He said with smirk.

The remark caused House to look up at with Wilson with a less than amused expression.

"Stop calling me Daddy…only your mom is allowed to do that and even then I insist she calls me 'BIG DADDY'." He shot back at Wilson who continued to stand in front of him with the same goofy look on his face.

"I still can't believe you're going to be changing poopey diapers and wiping baby puke off of your shirt in a few months." Wilson responded, taking another jab at his friend before he turned and left with the smile still upon his face.

Once Wilson had gone, House looked back down at the screen of his game boy.

"All I know is this kid better be worth all of the crap I'm going to be hearing for the next seven months." House muttered, pausing and rubbing his thigh while feeling the change in the remaining muscle that had grown ever so slightly because of the exercise he had been doing, his mind now set on showing not only himself, but everyone around him just how much he was willing to do whatever it would take to make sure his child got only the very best from him, knowing all too well from his own childhood how much it hurt when you were left to beg for only a crumb or two of affection from the father who treated you like more like a solider instead of a son.


	60. Chapter 60

**Ok guys, ready for a new, extra long chapter? Good because I've rolled up my sleeves to give you just that…soooooooooo…..here you go :)**

**Chapter 60**

**Tuesday…**

The next day, inside of the hospital, House road down in the elevator to the clinic on a mission to find Cuddy who he knew was seeing patients that day, whistling cheerfully to himself while the plan he had come up with that involved getting the Dean of Medicine to grab _his _ass while he cupped her breast in true 'pimp daddy' fashion, floated on the top of his other thoughts that were far less important to him at the moment.

When the doors of the elevator opened, with a mischievous grin on his face, House made his way up to Chase who was standing in front of the nurse's station, casually looking through a patient file.

"Exam Room two is empty and Cuddy is currently in exam room five with a patient." Chase informed him with a whisper once he had reached him.

House nodded, "Give me ten minutes once she's in the exam room with me before you make your entrance." He instructed before limping towards the room they had just spoken of.

*****************************************************

**Exam Room Two…..**

Opening the door to the exam room, Cuddy was surprised to see House sitting on the exam table in front of her after she had looked up from the patient's chart in her hand.

"What's going on?" She questioned suspiciously.

"My leg…it's been bothering me a lot lately and I wanted you to take a look at it." House told her in a haggard voice, rubbing his thigh with a pained expression on his face, guaranteed to lower her defenses.

Cuddy paused for a moment, studying the sincerity of his gaze before placing the patient chart down on the countertop beside her and walking over to him.

"How long have you been feeling pain?" She asked with concern moving her hand to his leg.

"Since a chunk of muscle was removed a few years ago." House replied in true smartass fashion, taking the opportunity to look down her shirt as her breasts peeked up at him through the cream colored lace camisole they were tucked inside of.

"This isn't a time for jokes." Cuddy told him, raising her eyes from his leg to focus in on his face just as House wiped the smile off of it.

Lowering her eyes again to his leg, her fingers moved over the indented piece of flesh beneath the jeans he was wearing.

Cuddy took in a breath of surprise.

"House….something's different…it's almost as if you have muscle growth underneath your scar." She then said in soft voice while continuing to run her hand carefully over his thigh.

"Either that or it could be a tumor." House responded brushing her hand away before moving down off of the exam table while taking in a deep breath of air through his teeth as if the action had caused him great pain.

Cuddy moved her hands to House's arms to steady him as he stood before her.

"Be careful." She said, taking a few steps back from him after he had regained his balance, "And don't talk like that until I have a chance to get an MRI of your leg."

House winced once more, "I'm just being realistic about it, unless you think having sex with you is giving the muscle left in my thigh a bigger workout than either of us had imagined," He joked with grin before he took a few wobbly steps in her direction, falling forward into her while being careful not to put too much of his weight on her.

On instinct Cuddy's hands went to his waist with her left hand now curved around his hip, but since the placement of her hand was not on the desired location, House adjusted his fake stagger, shifting forward once more while using his right elbow to push her hand down squarely onto his butt while his left hand slipped from her shoulder and was now palming her right breast.

For the briefest of seconds they stayed in that position until Cuddy promptly let go of him, watching House fall flat on his ass just as Chase opened up the door with his cell phone in hand once again.

"SHIT!" House yelled out as his behind made contact with the hard linoleum floor beneath him.

Chase looked down at House with shock before looking up at Cuddy.

"Chase if you don't get the hell out of here with that cell phone, you're going to have to get surgically removed from your rectum!" Cuddy snapped at him with an icy glare.

"Not a problem." Chase responded, quickly shutting the door.

Cuddy then focused her attention back on House, "And you better watch your language, there are patients right outside this room!" She scolded, while offering her hand to him.

"Why in the hell did you let go of me?" House asked gruffly, refusing her hand as he grabbed onto the exam table beside them instead.

"Because you were faking!" Cuddy answered back defiantly as he got to his feet.

_Oh shit! She knows about the bet,_ House thought looking into her blazing grey eyes.

"Listen…Cuddy…I…" He started to say.

"Save your sorry excuses. I can't believe you'd think I'd fall for a lame stunt like that just so you could get out of clinic duty now that your latest patient is cured." Cuddy interrupted while cleverly keeping her cards concealed.

House looked away from her, holding back his smile, "Well it was worth a shot." He told her, pleased that he would have yet another chance of winning the bet as he reached for his cane.

Reaching for his arm Cuddy looked up at him with a serious expression, "Greg…..the muscle in your leg…I know there's no way you could fake that and if you think it may be a tumor..." She started to say.

"I've been doing some strength training, nothing that's going to land me in the Olympics, but enough that it's starting to make a difference." He told her honestly.

For a few seconds she said nothing, continuing to look into his eyes as the weight of his words sunk in.

"Is it because of the baby?" Cuddy asked taking a step closer to him as her hand moved from his arm to his chest.

House nodded, feeling incredibly uncomfortable at the moment, even though he knew by using his leg as a means to win the bet this very topic would be brought up.

"I figured having two of us crawling around helpless in a couple of months would kind of be overkill at this point….even for you." He said simply, not able to find the words he really wanted to say to her.

Cuddy smiled, placing her hand on his jaw. "That has to be the most screwed up and yet sweetest thing I've ever heard you say and right now that almost makes up for you being such an ass a moment ago." She told him before giving him a soft kiss on the lips. "Now…. go out to the nurse's station, grab a chart and get to work." She ordered before turning and leaving the room, knowing that the small peck would leaving him cursing Chase's name as yet another golden opportunity to win the bet slipped out of his grasp.

********************************************************

Later on, as fate would have it, a patient House had seen in the clinic that day exhibited some unusual symptoms that caused him to become House's latest case.

And so a few hours later, House along with his team were up in the conference room, going over the differential diagnoses as Cuddy paced the floor in her office below them while deciding if now was indeed the time to proceed with the plan to bring House's team back into line.

Twirling the rubber band in her hands Cuddy weighed the pros and cons of her decision.

The move would be bold and daring to say the very least and would certainly be something that no one, including House would think she was capable of.

_But that's what I have to do, because it would catch all of them off guard, _Cuddy thought as she continued to walk from one side of her office to the other.

She could already feel the nervous excitement inside of her as the prospect of the outcome dangled in front of her, tempting her with its sweet fruit.

"That's it…..I've got to strike now, before House regroups. I have to be as unpredictable as he is." Cuddy said out loud, giving herself the last initial push she needed.

Entering into Cuddy's outer office Wilson gave Cindy a warm smile when she looked up at him from her computer screen.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love coming into Cuddy's office when I know you're in here?" Wilson said to her, suddenly finding himself all thumbs as he struggled to clip his pager back onto his belt.

"I bet you say that to all the girls." Cindy teased with a melancholy smile, looking back at Wilson as he fumbled with the pager before he finally snapped it back in place on his belt.

"So we're still on for tonight? Chinese take-out at your place?" He questioned as he stepped closer to her, brushing his hand over hers that was splayed out on top of the desk.

"Yep, be there at seven with the food or else you're not getting in." Cindy joked with another smile while looking up into is dark brown eyes.

"Ok then…I'll see you and your gorgeous smile at seven." Wilson agreed turning away from her and reaching for the doorknob to Cuddy's office before heading inside.

"Are you ready to do this?" Cuddy asked him as soon as Wilson closed the door behind him.

"Wouldn't miss if for the world." He replied with a grin.

"Good then lets get this show on the road." Cuddy replied back to him confidently, tossing the rubber band on her desk before they both headed out of her office.

********************************************************

**House's Conference Room…….**

Stepping back from the whiteboard after writing the patient's symptoms on the whiteboard, House hung his cane upon one of the empty chairs at the table to his right.

"Well?" He questioned his team.

"It could be autoimmune..or.." Cameron started to say before she stopped mid sentence as Cuddy walked briskly into the room followed by Wilson, breezing past the table while giving her, Chase and Foreman all a cold and calculating stare.

"Whatever it is I didn't do it…" House started to say with his hands held up in mock surrender.

Without speaking a word, Cuddy proceeded to wrap her arms around House's neck, drawing him into a deep, passionate kiss as all three ducklings looked on in shock.

Keeping House locked in the kiss with her, Cuddy then lowered her hands to House's ass, giving it a firm squeeze as Wilson snapped a photo with her cell phone.

As the seconds ticked away House leaned into Cuddy's kiss, getting lost in it as her tongue continued to massage his own with the sparks of desire mixed in with the actions their mouths were performing while Wilson cleared his throat behind them.

Breaking away from the kiss Cuddy couldn't help but smile briefly at the shocked and horny look on House's face before she walked away from him and up to Chase, staring down at the stunned fellow as he sat at the table before her.

"I expect fifteen hundred dollars to be sitting on my desk waiting for me when a get back from my three o'clock meeting. And if anybody has a problem with it, tell them to come and see me….understand?" She asked while tapping her manicured fingernails on the table.

"Yes." Chase answered back quickly, still unable to shake the image of steamy kiss that had just occurred between his two bosses out of his head.

"Good, and by the way....all of you, including House owe me ten additional hours of clinic duty since it seems your work on his team is not enough to keep you occupied." Cuddy added before she turned on her designer heels, getting ready to leave the room.

"Who told you?" House questioned, stopping Cuddy in her tracks.

Cuddy spun around on her heels and gave him a wicked smile.

"Who do you think?" She asked, watching House's eyes move past her and onto Wilson.

"You lied." House said coldly to Wilson.

"I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you." Wilson replied back, handing Cuddy her phone when she approached him.

'You lied about sleeping with _Cindy _who was the only person that would be dumb enough to tell you about the bet." House clarified as the smile on Wilson's face fell.

"Wait, Wilson's sleeping with Cindy? Cuddy's secretary?" Foreman asked.

Cuddy turned around, putting her hands on her hips while giving House and his team a glare of authority.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Now unless everyone in this room wants to double their clinic hours to twenty. I suggest you all get back to work." She said waiting to see if any of them was going to try and defy her with a smartass remark.

All three ducklings turned their eyes away from her glare, however House, true to his character kept his gaze locked onto hers.

"Hey Cuddy?" He asked with a sweet tone filled with sarcasm.

"What?" She responded, keeping her tone sharp and her posture strong.

"I think you need to come in here and grab my ass more often. It really helps to boost the moral of my team……..oh wait I'm sorry that was something in my pants that was boosted." He remarked, testing her to see just how far she intended on flexing her administrative muscle on him.

Cuddy felt all the eyes in the room fixated upon her, knowing she only had a split second to respond.

"Will talk about your boost later, right now you and _your team_ have a patient who needs you." She replied, giving a quick glance over to the ducklings.

House gave her one final look and nodded, Cuddy had reestablished her authority, while making sure not to make him look like her whipping boy.

"You heard the boss, time to get back to work kids." He then said removing his eyes from her and focusing them on his team seated at the table.

Cuddy nodded in return before turning to leave, with Wilson following closely behind her.

"You were great!" Wilson whispered to her with a smile as they continued down the hall together.

Cuddy stopped midway down the corridor to face him. "Promise me you'll take it slow with Cindy. She's a very sweet person and I don't want either of you ending up getting hurt." She requested.

"I am taking it slow with Cindy." Wilson lied, holding back the fact that once again he was reaching into the bottom of the box for the shiny prize that seemed to be within inches of his grasp.

********************************************************

Later that afternoon, Cuddy was sitting behind her counting a sizeable stack of money as she cradled her phone between her shoulder and cheek, listening to the voice mail she received while she was at her three o'clock meeting.

After the recording stopped, she pushed the button on her phone that would delete the message before she dialed the number for her mother's cell phone.

"Hello." Ruth answered.

"Hi mom. I got your message." Cuddy said, leaning back in her chair.

"Lisa I couldn't wait for you to call me back! Today when Bill and I went out to the store…. we saw the most beautiful house for sale and it's only few blocks away from Bill's place. I really think you and House need to come and see it for yourselves! It's perfect for the both of you!" Ruth explained with a beaming smile as she looked over at Bill who was standing next to her in the kitchen.

Cuddy smiled at hearing the excited tone of her mother's voice. "Mom...I haven't even asked House about moving in with me yet."

"Lisa, the two of you have been living with each other for months now....so what's the harm in looking at a house before officially asking House to continue to live with you at a new place that isn't the size of the shoebox of an apartment you're currently living together in now?" Ruth questioned.

"Why don't you and I look at first, then if I think the place has a snowball's chance in hell of meeting House's approval I'll take him to see it." She offered.

"_House..._ is a very picky man isn't he?" Ruth remarked with a smirk.

"Yes, he is and before I let him loose on unsuspecting Realtor, I want to make sure it's because I know he'll like the house. Not just so he can find a new victim to torture." Cuddy replied.

Ruth laughed. "So do you want me to call the realtor and set something up for us this week?" She asked.

"Mom, you don't have to do that I can…" Cuddy started to say.

"Nonsense, Lisa you're busy at work. Now tell me what days would work for you."

Cuddy pulled up her schedule on the computer and decided that tomorrow evening would actually work best since she had no late afternoon meetings.

She then told her mother about the day she had picked as they made additional plans to go out to dinner together as well on that night.

"I'll just head over to Bill's place and pick you up tomorrow after I'm done here." Cuddy then told her mother.

"Are you sure House won't be lonely all by himself?" Ruth teased.

"I actually think he needs some time by himself, he's had a lot on his mind lately." Cuddy responded, moving her hand lovingly across her abdomen.

"Nothing serious I hope?" Ruth asked with concern.

"No mom, nothing serious, just a lot of things going on at work." Cuddy lied.

"Ok honey, I'll see you tomorrow then." Ruth said with a smile.

"Ok mom, I love you and I'll call you later tonight." Cuddy responded.

"I love you too Lisa." Ruth said before hanging up the phone.

********************************************************

As afternoon gave way to evening, Wilson was now nestled underneath a warm and comfortable blanket on the living room floor of Cindy's apartment a she rested her head upon his shoulder.

They had just finished making love a few minutes ago and because of the sudden chill in the somewhat drafty apartment Wilson had slipped his boxers back on as Cindy reached for her light pink camisole and matching low rise panties before slipping them on as well.

"Wanna watch some TV?" Cindy asked Wilson, reaching for the remote on the coffee table they had pushed against the side of the couch earlier.

"Sure." Wilson said with a smile, sliding his hand down to her hip from underneath the covers.

Cindy flipped through a few channels before stopping at one.

"Raiders of the Lost Ark is on. Do you want to watch that?" She asked.

"Anything you put on is fine with me." Wilson responded as his eyes traced the delicate curve of her throat before heading up to her pale blue eyes.

"You really are a push over." Cindy teased, kissing him lightly on his lips before she got up.

"Hey, where are you going?" Wilson asked watching her cute, ass clad in the skimpy panties wiggle away from him as she left the room.

"I'm going to make some popcorn." Cindy called out from the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink?" She added.

"What every you have is fine. Remember… I'm a push over." Wilson yelled back with a smile, grabbing one of the pillows from the couch and propping it behind his back before he grabbed a pillow for Cindy as well, placing it beside him.

Within a few minutes Cindy returned with a tray in her hands that held a bowl of popcorn and two drinks.

"Here give that to me." Wilson said taking the tray from her so she could sit down beside him.

For the next hour they sat and watched the movie, kissing when the commercials came on as Cindy snuggled up next to Wilson's chest.

"James?" Cindy said as the next commercial came on, running her fingers through the hair on his chest.

"Yes?" Wilson answered watching the latest ad on the screen.

"Do you think it's good for people to keep secrets from one another?" Cindy asked feeling the sting in her heart as she spoke the words.

Wilson looked down into her eyes that were suddenly filled with sadness. "Is there something you want to tell me?" He asked.

"I know." Cindy whispered solemnly before looking away from him.

Wilson touched her chin with his fingertips, turning her face so she would meet his eyes again.

"You know what?" He questioned, completely unaware of what she was talking about.

"Please don't make me say it." Cindy responded as her voice trembled and she pulled away from him.

"Cindy, please …..you're really started to worry me. I promise I haven't kept any secrets from you." Wilson said as he hands gently held onto her shoulders.

Cindy looked deep into Wilson's gentle brown eyes feeling her heart begin to break.

_I shouldn't have let it get this far ….I shouldn't have slept with him……I shouldn't have started to care for him…..to fall in love with him…and now I'm in too deep, s_he thought as the panic of losing him set in.

While Cindy hesitated in her response, Wilson's mind brought up the fact that he had indeed been keeping a secret from her…namely, his knowledge of Cuddy's pregnancy.

_That can't be what she upset about….…or is it?_ He thought before choosing his words carefully.

"Does this have anything to do with Cuddy? Did she say something to you that has you upset with me?" He asked.

Cindy shook her head no. "Cuddy didn't say anything to me …..it was House." She informed him.

"House told you?" Wilson asked as his eyes grew wide with shock.

"Yes." Cindy admitted, feeling a tear escape the corner of her eye.

_There's no way this is about Cuddy's baby,_ Wilson though watching the tear roll down her cheek.

"What exactly did House tell you?" Wilson asked her slowly, feeling the anxiety rise up within him.

"He ….he….told me you were _dying_ James!" Cindy blurted out before she quickly got to her feet, practically running out of the living room and into the kitchen.

Wilson jumped up and followed her, pulling her into his arms as they stood in front of the kitchen table.

"Cindy….I'm not dying." Wilson reassured her, cupping her cheek she looked up with him eyes that were already red from the stream of tears that had escaped them.

"James please…..you don't have to say that just to spare my feelings." She said weakly while taking in a breath to try and calm the flood of emotions running through her.

"Look at me Cindy." Wilson commanded. "House lied to you. I AM NOT DYING." He said firmly, keeping her securely held within his arms.

"Oh my god…you're telling me the truth." Cindy mumbled placing a hand up to her mouth as she frantically looked up at Wilson.

"But…but…House sounded so convincing. He told me you had Lou Gehrig's disease……I saw you stumbling…I _saw_ you struggling with you pager this morning…." She continued in a shaky voice.

Looking down at her, Wilson removed his arms from around her waist, started to back away from Cindy while holding his hands out in front of him before he pointed his finger directly at her.

"That's why you slept with me on our first date. Why you continued to sleep with me? Because you thought I was dying…….because ..I was some kind of mercy fuck for you?" He said in a hollow tone, feeling as if he had just been kicked in the stomach.

"James wait! It wasn't like that at all…." Cindy pleaded, following him as he turned and walked out into the living room.

Ignoring her, Wilson roughly grabbed for his clothes scatted beneath him on the floor, putting them on quickly.

"James _please_….lets talk." Cindy begged with a strained voice as she stood in front of him, completely stunned at what had transpired between them a few moments ago.

"Talk? You want to talk?" Wilson scoffed as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"About what? How you get off on screwing guys who you think are dying?" He shouted before reaching for his shoes.

Cindy felt his words strike her hard, hitting her deep within her chest where her already wounded heart was beating hysterically.

"I can't believe you just said that. _I fell in love with you James._ I didn't want to, but I did. We are_ both_ the victims in this." She whispered as a fresh batch of stinging tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

Wilson shook his head as he sat down and tied his shoelaces. "You're not a victim. All you had to do was ask me about my _supposed_ disease." He hissed.

"I was too afraid to. I didn't want to upset you." Cindy argued as he stood up before her once more.

"But you weren't afraid to sleep with me, were you? No way that would get me upset? Especially when I found out the real reason why you did in the first place." Wilson said coldly, before he brushed by her and headed for the door.

"James! Please wait!" Cindy yelled, bursting into tears as he slammed the door behind him before sitting down on the couch and burying her head in her hands.

********************************************************

**Wilson's Car….**

Wilson was already halfway to House's apartment before he realized that was where he was heading.

His hands, gripping the steering wheel tightly, making the skin surrounding his knuckles turn a ghostly shade of white.

"_This time he's gone too far."_ Wilson said through gritted teeth as he pressed down on the accelerator causing the car to pick up even more speed as it drew closer to its destination.

********************************************************

Reaching House's apartment, Wilson breathed heavily through his nose before he balled his hand into a fist and knocked on the door.

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

"Who in the hell?" House grumbled from the couch, hoping that whatever idiot was knocking on his door had not woken up Cuddy, who had already gone to bed.

"House! It's Wilson, hobble your ass over here and let me in!" Wilson yelled from the other side of the door before pounding on it again.

Letting out a big sigh, House limped over to the door.

"Stop knocking! I heard you the first time." He grumbled, disengaging the lock.

As soon as the door swung open, Wilson punched House square in his jaw, sending him crashing towards the floor with a loud thud.

"Wilson! What in the hell are you doing?!" Cuddy yelled with surprise entering the living room, wearing a pink satin nightgown that fell just below her knees as she ran up to House who was lying on the floor.

"Your asshole of a boyfriend told Cindy I was dying!" Wilson shouted at her with his hands still balled up into fists.

"Is that true?" Cuddy asked House, crouching down next to him as he wiped the blood from his lip.

"I was doing you a favor." House responded, looking up at Wilson as Cuddy helped him back up to his feet.

"A favor? You were doing me a favor?!" Wilson said with a clenched jaw before he went to go after House again.

Seeing what Wilson had on his mind Cuddy stepped in between both men at the same time as Wilson grabbed a hold of House's shirt.

"Wilson, you need to calm down and close the door so we can talk about this." Cuddy said evenly, trying to stop the physical fight before it escalated any further.

Wilson held an intense gaze with Cuddy for a few brief seconds before he released House's shirt and turned away from them both, closing the door.

Putting his hands on Cuddy shoulders, House turned her around to face him.

"Don't you ever do anything that stupid again! Wilson could have hit you while he was trying to hit me!" He said sharply as his blue eyes zeroed in on her.

"I wouldn't have hit Cuddy…….because unlike you.. _I ..._try to avoid hurting people." Wilson shot back, moving over to the couch, thereby creating some distance between himself and House so he would not be tempted by his anger to go after him again.

Cuddy looked over at Wilson before looking back at House.

"You, stay here." She said to him with a stern look before taking a seat next to Wilson on the couch.

"Is your hand ok?" Cuddy then asked softly, taking Wilson's hand in her own as she studied the abrasion on his knuckles.

"What about my face?!" House said with a bit of envy in his tone while standing at the end of the couch.

Cuddy looked up at House coldly.

"Go into the kitchen and get Wilson some ice. I think that's the least you can do for him."

While House limped into the kitchen, Cuddy placed her other hand on Wilson's back.

"So I take it things were more serious between you and Cindy then you led me to believe earlier today?" Cuddy asked, seeing the hurt that was now filling Wilson's eyes.

Wilson pulled his hand away from Cuddy's. "Yes, things _were_ serious. I fell in love with Cindy and I thought she had fallen in love with me. And before you say it I know it's hard to believe you can fall in love with someone in such a short amount of time, but I did and before you add that this is my pattern with all of the women in my life, pointing out that I rush into relationships, thereby setting myself up for failure……just remember _this time...._I had a little help in screwing things up thanks to House." He spat out bitterly, releasing more of the anger from inside of him.

Cuddy gave Wilson a sympathetic smile, moving her hand to his shoulder just as House entered back into the living room.

"Here." House said gruffly, handing the her the dish towel with some ice cubes tucked inside it.

Once again Cuddy reached for Wilson's hand, placing the dishtowel on top to it. "Rushing into things isn't always a bad trait to have." She whispered trying to sooth Wilson's wounded pride as well as his heart.

"Yes, it is." House said, now standing in front of Wilson and Cuddy.

Cuddy snapped her head up to meet his gaze. "Oh really? So when you come barging into my office insisting that we _rush_ into a risky treatment for a patient? Is that a bad thing too?" She challenged.

House paused before answering. "No, because I'm always right."

Wilson exhaled in disgust and looked up at House.

"Why did you do it House? Was fifty bucks really worth all of this?" He asked.

Cuddy's jaw dropped as she turned her gaze away from Wilson and back up to House.

"Don't tell me all of this drama is all because of another stupid bet?" She exclaimed with disbelief.

House shot Cuddy a quick gaze to at least hear him out before he focused back on Wilson.

"I was going to tell you about what I said to Cindy after your first date with her but when you lied to me about sleeping with her, it threw everything out a whack." He tried to explain.

"Oh, so this is my fault?" Wilson said sarcastically as he tossed the dishrag onto Cuddy's lap and got up off the couch, preparing to leave.

"Just hold on for a second." House said, taking hold of Wilson's arm.

"Let go of me House." Wilson warned, smacking his hand away.

"Fine…you can leave but before you go there's something I need to ask you first." House said in a clam voice as Wilson turned around to face him once more.

"And what is that?" Wilson replied, holding the sarcasm in his tone.

"Is Cindy a whore?" House questioned.

"House!" Cuddy said with shock, getting up from the couch.

"Sit down and stay put Preggo." House ordered as Wilson clenched his fists again.

Cuddy sat back down and held her breath, hoping Wilson would be able to restrain himself.

"You didn't answer my question about Cindy?" House said, looking over at Wilson.

"No, _Cindy IS NOT WHORE_." Wilson answered coldly.

"Then is she some kind of nutjob sex fiend?" House pushed.

"Oh my god….hit him again Wilson." Cuddy exclaimed throwing up her hands in the air while leaning back on the couch.

"Cindy is NOT a sex fiend and she's NOT a whore!" Wilson replied through gritted teeth, starting to feel the anger within him trying to rise up to surface once more.

"Then why do you think she's been having sex with you?" House asked in a cocky tone.

"Because she thought I was DYING!!" Wilson yelled, pulling up his fist when he saw the smirk rise up on House's face.

"Calm down slugger." House said, taking a step back from him. "Cindy may have intended on giving you some because she thought you were dying, but since she's not a whore or some kind of sex fiend the reason why she's continued to sleep with you after your first date was because she's fallen in love with you."

"I'm convinced you have lost your mind and you're about to lose your best friend too." Cuddy remarked as she glared up at him.

"Being barefoot and pregnant does not give you the right to interrupt." House said looking over at Cuddy as she readied herself to tear into him with a boatload full of hormonal whoop ass that was surging inside of her.

"Just give me a minute to explain." He then added in a softer tone, knowing he would be dead meat if both she and Wilson decided to gang up on him.

Cuddy nodded at him slowly, holding her tongue as she granted him the reprieve for now.

Again House addressed Wilson.

"Did Cindy tell you she didn't love you after she found out you weren't really on death's door?" House asked.

"No." Wilson admitted. "In fact it was after she realized I wasn't dying that she told me that she _had_ fallen in love with me, but that was just because she was still in a state of shock…….once she has some time to think about she'll realize that she wasn't in love with me at all. It was just pity disguised as love for a supposedly dying man and nothing more."

"Are you sure about that? House questioned just before Cuddy spoke up as well.

"Wilson before you dismiss what Cindy feels for you, shouldn't you at least give her a chance to talk to you about it first?" She asked, getting up off of the sofa.

"Oh what, so now you're siding with House? Believing his crap of a theory that Cindy really is in love with me because she's not a whore?" Wilson replied.

"I'm not on anybody's side." Cuddy stated, "What House did was beyond his usual attempts at being a jerk-"

"Umm are you making a point here or just stating the obvious." House interrupted.

"Shut up." Cuddy responded sharply, hitting House in the chest with the back of her hand before focusing her attention back on Wilson.

"Wilson you said you fell in love with Cindy and that she told you she loves you too. And even though House may have turned up the dial on the emotions you and Cindy are feeling for one another….part of being _in love_ is not giving up on love when things get tough or in this case, incredibly screwed up thanks to some jerk." She said with the history of her own love of House held in the current of her tone.

Wilson let out a sigh, "Look, I know I can't even begin to compare my screwed up relationship with Cindy to what happened with you and House, but do you honestly think there's any hope for us to try and salvage a relationship out this mess?"

"There's always hope …..you just have to make an effort to reach out for it." Cuddy whispered back to him soflty.

"I guess you're right." Wilson agreed in low whisper.

"_Noooo_.. she's not right….. I'm right because I'm the one who shoved love in your face and made you deal with it." House stated boldly.

"You really _love _pushing your luck don't you?" Cuddy replied while glaring up at him.

"Always." House replied with a smirk as he reached behind them and placed the palm of his hand on her ass.

Shaking her head, Cuddy pushed a breath of air through her nose "Wilson are you sure you don't want to punch him again?" She asked.

"No, I'm tired of fighting and besides I can't make House any uglier than he already is." Wilson responded with a halfhearted smile

"See and you think _I'm _the jerk." House said to Cuddy as he gave her ass as squeeze just to see her eyes light up with annoyance.

"I think Wilson's seen enough of you groping me for one night," Cuddy informed him, rolling her eyes at House before looking over at Wilson.

"Do you want me to take you to the ER to have you hand checked out?" She asked, gazing down at his fingers that were dotted with a tiny amount of blood and a few small cuts.

"No, I'll be fine." Wilson responded just as his cell phone began to ring.

Pulling the cell phone out of his pocket, Wilson looked down the display screen. "It's Cindy." He said with surprise, looking over at Cuddy.

"Talk to her." Cuddy urged him, resting her hand on his arm for a brief moment before she reached for House's arm, starting to guide him back to the bedroom. "Come on, lets give Wilson some privacy." She said to him as he gave her an annoyed look.

"Fine." House muttered under his breath, placing his hand firmly on her ass as they walked down the hall.

********************************************************

When House and Cuddy crossed the threshold into the bedroom House pulled Cuddy closer to him.

"Good thinking, this way I can do you while Wilson's on the phone with Cindy." He said sliding his hand underneath the satin material that covered her ass which was wrapped in a a very skimpy thong.

Cuddy pushed his hand away, placing her hands onto her hips.

"You really were a jerk for doing that to Wilson, for doing that to both of them. I only hope they can work it out because if they can't … I'm going to have to find a new assistant and I really like Cindy." Cuddy informed him with a displeased look upon her face.

"Wilson will work it out with Cindy one way or another and even if he doesn't, you have nothing to worry about because Wilson's ex's still adore him to this day no matter what he does." House replied moving his hand back to her ass as he cupped the round flesh it once more.

"You better hope so.... and once Wilson is off the phone with Cindy .....you need to go and talk to him and apologize for what you did." Cuddy warned as she kept her body separated a few inches from him.

"Fine I'll tell Wilson I'm sorry. Now take off your panties." House said looking down into Cuddy's eyes with a devilish grin upon his face.

"Ah yeah….not going to happen as long as Wilson's here….however I will give you twenty minutes to get him out of here before I go back to sleep." Cuddy told him after hearing Wilson saying goodbye to Cindy over the phone as he stood inside the living room.

********************************************************

"So is Cindy willing to reconsider taking another ride on the Wilson express?" House asked Wilson as he made his way back into the living room.

"I'm still pissed of at you. You're just lucky Cuddy was here to save your ass." Wilson said with a bit of anger hanging onto the edges of his words.

"I said I was sorry." House whined.

"No ..you didn't….you never do. You just keep on playing you stupid games with me." Wilson exclaimed.

"Fine ….I'm sorry." House muttered limping towards Wilson.

"Are you truly sorry…..or are you just saying it because Cuddy told you to?" Wilson asked him directly.

"Geez you're a real ball breaker...and you wonder why I never say I'm sorry…… nevermind then, I take it back." House responded too stubborn to bend any further than he already had.

Wilson exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair.

"You really did a screwed up thing to me and Cindy and _I'm sorry_ if you can't seem to see that." He said bitterly.

House studied Wilson carefully. "By the way you're acting right now... you must have really fell just as hard for Cindy as she did for you….....and not just because of the incredible sex. You're worse than you've ever been with any of your three ex-wives." He stated.

"I can't help what I feel for Cindy anymore than you can help being in love with Cuddy." Wilson responded defiantly.

"I don't love Cuddy…I just use her for sex." House snarked.

"And you just shot down your chance for sex tonight thanks to your little comment!" Cuddy yelled out from the bedroom doorway as she eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Dammit woman! You promised!" House yelled back at her, causing Wilson to laugh.

House smiled over at his friend.

"Aw see …..there's the Jimmy I know and _LOVE._" He said emphasizing the last word.

"You're still an ass." Wilson said, unable to hold onto his anger after hearing Cuddy's remark.

"Duh? So am I forgiven or not?" House asked.

"Not yet. First you've got to make it right." Wilson said.

"What exactly do you have in mind? And please don't say it involves me grabbing your ass because despite whatever Cuddy may have told you ….I am not a whore either." House said.

Wilson pointed his finger at House.

"You're the one who messed up my life by lying to Cindy…..so now I'm not going to forgive you until you put just as much effort into cleaning up the mess you made." He stated.

"So you want me to make sure you contract some deadly disease? Thereby turning you into the dying man Cindy fell in love with?" House asked in true smartass fashion.

"No you idiot! For starters you need to apologize to Cindy for lying to her." Wilson informed him.

"Good for you Wilson." Cuddy whispered, continuing to stand in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Alright I'll apologize to Cindy. But just remember even though I told her the lie……….she was the one who was dumb enough to believe it." House reminded him.

"Cindy is not dumb….she just has a very caring person who's not used to dealing with a jerk like you." Wilson replied in her defense.

"Plus the fact that she has great boobs doesn't hurt either." House countered before quickly adding, "But Cuddy's boobs are much nicer and firmer." Trying to smooth things over with the sexy administrator who he knew was listening in around the corner.

"_You're still not getting any." _Cuddy yelled from the bedroom, leaning against the door frame while holding back her laugh.

"You heartless wench! I knocked you up, what more do you want?" House shouted over his shoulder before looking back at Wilson.

"So all I need to do is apologize to Cindy and we're good?" He asked, hoping Wilson would cave.

"Nice try. Apologizing to Cindy is a start, but you're going to have to do a few other things first then ….we'll be good." Wilson told him.

"You're as bad as her." House whined, nodding back towards the bedroom.

"And that's why you LOVE US both so much." Wilson said with a satisfied smirk. "By the way you might want to put some ice on your lip before you end up looking like Mick Jagger." He added while heading towards the door.

"Thanks for the tip…must feel really good to know you sucker punched a cripple. That ranks right up there with kicking a puppy in my book." House shot back at him.

"Oh don't cry the blues to me, you deserved it and you know it." Wilson replied as both men stood by the door. "Besides I'm sure Cuddy will give you some sympathy sex if you play up your injury enough to her." He added with a whisper.

House laughed and touched the bottom of his lip with his fingertips. "Sounds like someone has _already _forgiven me." He said to Wilson with a confident tone.

"Promise me you'll apologize to Cindy." Wilson stressed.

"I promise." House agreed.

"And you better make sure you give her a _REAL _apology and not one of your usual sarcastic filled, poor substitutes for one…. or I'm NOT going to forgive you." Wilson warned, pointing his finger at him.

"I said I promised now shut the hell up." House replied in an irritated tone, before he added. "So I take it from your phone call with Cindy she does want to talk about the possibility of flying the friendly skies on Wilson airlines again?"

Wilson rubbed the back of his neck. "We're going to give each other a few days to think about everything, then I'm going to take her out to lunch on Saturday."

House shrugged his shoulders. "Hell who knows if Cindy can end up getting through all of this crap, she may have what it takes to put up with your sorry ass for the long haul."

"Oh that does it!" Wilson exclaimed, faking a jab at House just to watch him flinch.

"You jerk!" House exclaimed

"Goodnight House." Wilson said with a smirk.

"Goodnight Muhammad Ali." House replied dryly back at him.

********************************************************

A short while later inside the small bathroom of the apartment, Cuddy stood face to face with House, gently dabbing his bottom lip with the damped wash cloth as he leaned against the sink.

"Hold still." Cuddy ordered as he squirmed under her touch.

"I would hold still if you weren't trying to rip my lip off!" House grumbled turning his head away again.

"Quit being such a big baby." Cuddy replied, grabbing his chin and making him face her again.

"Ouch!" House exclaimed the next time the cloth touched his lip even though he hadn't experience any pain.

Immediately Cuddy's eyes filled with concern. "Did that really hurt?" She questioned.

"Will I get laid if I tell you yes?" House asked with a wiry grin.

"You stand a better chance of getting laid if you tell me the truth." Cuddy replied, placing the wash cloth down into the sink.

"In that case …it didn't hurt." House said with a smirk.

"How about this ….does this hurt?" Cuddy said with a whisper before she gently brushed her lips against his.

"Mmmm ..nope…doesn't hurt at all." House said in a low whisper, as he felt the soft touch of her full lips caressing his own.

Cuddy pulled back from House, giving him a look that made his cock stand up and take notice.

"You know.......it looked like you fell pretty hard against the floor when Wilson hit you and since _I am_your doctor……. I think I should exam you thoroughly just make sure that you are not hurt anywhere else." She said with a seductive smile.

"Do I need to get undressed for the exam?" House asked with a broad grin.

"I'm afraid so." Cuddy answered with nod, matching his smile with a grin of her own

At hearing her words, House wasted no time in pulling his t-shirt over his head.

"I'm all yours to exam to your heart's content."

Cuddy smiled once more while moving her hands onto his chest. "Hmmm I seem to remember that you fell onto your back so I'll need you need to turn around." She instructed in a professional voice laced with a bit of flirtation.

"Anything you say doctor." House replied, turning around as she had informed him to.

"Now let's see. There's no visible evidence of contusions." Cuddy stated in a professional manner, running her hands up and down the length of his back slowly. "And no abrasions either…but I better get a closer look." She continued just before she moved her lips to his spine, kissing him there as her hands now rested on his hips.

House squirmed just a little, the feather soft touch of her lips now tickling his ribcage where they had traveled as he placed his palms on the wall in front of him.

Cuddy laughed, "Does that hurt?" She asked, whispering against his skin.

"You do remember that we both have to go to work in the morning so ….let's get this show on the road." House answered dryly, trying his best to hold still she moved her fingernails lightly over the sensitive spots on his sides that she now knew were ticklish as hell.

"Greg is my exam making you nervous? Because getting up early for work is something you _never _worried about before." Cuddy teased while lowering her hands to the waistband of the pajama bottoms he was wearing.

"I'm not nervous. I just know how bitchy you can be when you don't get enough sleep." House said before he gasped as the cool air in the bathroom ran up his legs as Cuddy pulled down his pants in one smooth motion.

"Why Greg! You're not wearing any underwear? How very naughty of you!" Cuddy said with a huge smile before she raised her hand high in the air and smacked his ass.

_WHACK!_

"Ok that's it! This exam is over!" House shouted, turning around, and grabbing Cuddy as he backed her towards the sink with the sound of her laughter bouncing off the walls surrounding them.

"Wait! I swear I saw a bruise on your ass! Turn around so I get a better look at it." Cuddy choked out while continuing to laugh, trying to catch her breath as she moved her hands down to his butt again.

"What in the hell has gotten into you?! Knock it off!" House said, squirming like a fish out of water again as Cuddy groped him and tickled him at the same time.

When House turned his body to the side in an effort to get away from her hands, Cuddy made a break for it, skirting by him, out of the bathroom and down the hallway.

"I told you weren't getting any tonight." Cuddy remarked over her shoulder, reaching the doorway of the bedroom before she stopped abruptly after she heard House cry out in pain.

She turned and saw House leaning against the wall in the hallway with his hand on his right thigh, walking back to him; she gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok?" She asked as his eyes stayed focused on his thigh.

"I'm ok …but you on the other hand… are in big trouble." House replied lifting his face up and giving her a devious grin before he grabbed Cuddy around her waist and pulled her body against his.

"Trying to get me back because my ass grabbing and comments in the living room to Wilson earlier?" He asked looking down at her.

"Maybe." Cuddy said innocently with her body now pressed against the wall behind her.

House studied her features for a few more seconds, from the sparkle in her eyes to the glow of her skin.

"That kid inside of you is really starting to mess with your hormones. It's almost eleven pm and you should be in bed……. not hopping around here like a meth addict." He commented to her in a low tone.

"So put me to bed." Cuddy responded, turning their playful banter into one that promised something more enticing before she moved her hands from around his neck and onto his bare chest.

House liked the change of her tone because it reminded him how quickly a pregnant woman's mind, particularly Cuddy's in this case could turn from one thought (revenge) to another…thought.....namely hot, passionate sex…….…with him.

"Before I put you to bed, I have to get you ready for bed." House responded, moving his hands down to the hem of the satin nightgown she was wearing.

As Cuddy raised her arms House pulled the nightgown off of her body, gazing down at the curves of her body that were now revealed to him before reaching for the panties clinging to her hips and pushing them forcefully down to the floor so she could step out of them.

"Come on." He then told her in low, commanding voice, reaching for her hand as he led her out into the living before positioning her in front of his piano after moving the bench out of the way.

"Are you going to play something for me?" Cuddy asked him coyly from over her shoulder as he took up the spot directly behind her while she placed her palms on the closed lid of the keyboard.

"Something like that" House whispered into her ear as he cupped her breasts from behind, lowering his lips onto her right shoulder.

Cuddy immediately felt the first wave of excitement enter into her body as the stubble on his chin teased her while his hands caressed her breasts, stopping every so often so that his thumb and index finger could tug on her now taunt nipples.

Hearing her breathing becoming shallow, House slide one hand down from her breast and past her abdomen, wrapping his fingers around her inner thigh so he could spread her legs further apart from one another.

Arching her back in response to his touch, Cuddy let out a soft moan, pressing her ass against his erection in anticipation.

Her eager response caused House to then slide his right hand between her thighs, his fingers now becoming coated in the silky heat of her sex as they started to rub the part of her that was aching for his touch, listening to her moan out into the air around them once more.

He loved how vocal she was during sex; how her voice would deepen the closer she came to climax, immersed fully in a sweet longing for him.

"_Oh god…that feels so good.." _Cuddy cried out in a throaty whisper with the edge of her desire resounding in the tone of her voice, reaching behind her and wrapping her arm around House's neck while placing a heated kiss along the Adam's apple of his throat before throwing her head forward once more when his fingers and thumb skillfully started a mind blowing rhythm on the most intimate part of her body that he knew so very well.

House took in a shuddered breath as Cuddy pushed her ass into his throbbing erection once more, grinding her hips while bucking them back and forth, telling him through the carnal motion that she was more then ready for him.

Moving his left hand from her breast, House grabbed hold of his erection, guiding it slowly inside of her where it was surrounded quickly by her tight, radiating heat.

He breathed out into the nape of her neck, his lips pressing against her soft skin there, feeling the tiny sting from the small cut on his lip as Cuddy began move her hips back and forth on his shaft.

"Fuck…..I love it when you do that." He whispered hoarsely into her dark hair, placing both hands onto her round hips as he joined her in the rhythm.

Cuddy hummed out a response to him, gasping for air and being jolted by the suddenly pressure of his middle finger now gliding over her clit as the head of his penis collided over and over again with her g-spot.

"Oh fuck." She moaned feeling her legs trembling beneath her as she came hard and fast, with her fingers griping the edge of the piano lid.

Within a few seconds House's own breathing became shallow, his erection throbbing when Lisa started to move her hips faster, pressing her ass harder against him as the sounds of their skin slapping against each other echoed up into the space surrounding them.

"_Jesus….Lisa…."_ House groaned, exhaling violently when his orgasm raced through his entire body as the sweat began to dot his forehead.

Cuddy cried out again as a second smaller, but none the less intense orgasm moved over her clit, which House was somehow still was managing to stroke through his own orgasm, the rush of hormones in her body making her feeling charged with a passion unlike any she had ever known.

With their bodies now equally satisfied and glistening with sweat, House placed the side of his head on Cuddy's shoulder as he pulled her closer to him and into and upright position once more as they both tried to catch their breath.

"I'm so glad Wilson woke me up." Cuddy joked, as her hand made its way to the side of his jaw while his heart pounded against her back.

House let out an exhausted chuckle, moving his right hand down to her ass before he gave it a squeeze.

"If you think I'm going to thank Wilson for getting me laid tonight you're out of your pregnant mind." He informed her as the sound of her laughter once more escaped the fullness of her lips before filling his ears with the sweet sound of a woman who was completely in love with him despite of what a jerk he could sometimes be.


	61. Chapter 61

**Hi guys! Well I'm back with another chapter and a little bit of information you will need to understand fully a part of the story a little further down inside the chapter.**

**In a certain area you will read about House using the term "FB" and for those of you who do not know what this means….FB is short for 'Fuck Buddy' lol..Crude I know, but trust me it will all make sense as well as making you laugh once you read the chapter.**

**CHAPTER 61**

**Wednesday…..**

"What in the hell happened to your lip?" Chase asked House, watching his boss enter into the conference room, limping past him and towards the coffee pot.

"A couple of Girl Scouts stopped by my apartment last night and wanted to sell me some cookies. I told them no and that's when things got ugly. Seems that getting that merit badge means you sell those damn cookies not matter what." House replied back to him dryly.

Chase scoffed and looked over at Foreman.

"I bet he probably pissed off Cuddy last night and she clobbered him." The young Aussie remarked with a smartass grin.

"Maybe he was sucking on Cuddy's toes last night and she got carried away." Foreman countered, leaning back in his chair with a smirk.

"Or maybe he got punched in the face for being a jerk." Cameron added, studying the small cut that had healed into a scab on House's bottom lip.

House clenched his jaw, stirring his coffee while looking over at all three ducklings.

"Or maybe I should call Cuddy and let her know you want that ten extra hours of clinic duty she promised yesterday." He responded.

"Threatening us with Cuddy?" Foreman asked, shaking his head. "You really are sleeping with the enemy now."

"I think he just wants his ass squeezed by Cuddy again." Chase remarked smartly.

House narrowed his eyes at Chase. "Speaking of asses, I suggest all three of you shut up now before I fire all of yours." He told them in a voice that warned them all he was dead serious.

********************************************************

Later that day at around 10 am, House made his way into Cuddy's outer office, finding her assistant Cindy standing by the filing cabinet with her back facing him.

He glanced in at Cuddy who had her head down and was engrossed in paperwork.

"A...hem." House said clearing his throat.

Cindy looked up from the file cabinet as House made his way over to her.

"So anything filed under Cuddy's Boy Toy?" He asked, peering down into the drawer.

"What do you want?" Cindy said coldly, slamming the door shut.

House took in a deep breath and glanced through the double doors of Cuddy's office once more, making sure that she was still involved with her paperwork. He did not want… or need a witness for this event.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for lying to you about Wilson." House replied in a low whisper.

"Do you really mean that?" Cindy questioned suspiciously.

"Yes." House replied even though it was killing him to do so.

"You know there's something I wanted to tell you as well." Cindy informed him as her pale blue eyes stayed focused on his face.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" House questioned, noticing the almost child like quality her voice had taken on.

Cindy stepped closer to House.

"I grew up with three brothers. One in particular who always loved to pick on me until I did this!" She said before grabbing House by the shoulders and kneeing him in the balls.

House yelped out in pain, falling down to his knees.

Upon hearing the sound of House's voice, Cuddy's head snapped up from her paperwork and she was out of her seat in a flash.

"Oh my god! What happened?" She questioned bursting through the doors her office and looking down at House as he reached for the file cabinet to steady himself.

"Your secretary just kneed me in the family jewels!" House wheezed, trying to take in a breath.

Cuddy looked over at Cindy with shock.

"I'm sorry Doctor Cuddy ..but well….he……House lied..." Cindy stammered trying to find any phrase that would justify her actions.

"Cindy, why don't you go down to the cafeteria, get something to drink and take a few minutes to collect yourself." Cuddy instructed, ushering her out of the office.

"That's it? Your secretary knees me in the balls and you tell her to enjoy refreshment while I writhe in agony!" House grumbled as Cuddy helped him to his feet.

"When you mess with peoples private lives sometimes the penalty is getting hit in your private parts." Cuddy quipped as she reached for House's cane, handing it to him before both to them entered into her office.

"I would think since you have a vested interest in those private parts you'd at least grab a fist full of Cindy's hair and get into a cat fight with her for messing with your man." House snarked, slumping down on the couch inside Cuddy's office.

Cuddy sighed and sat next to him, running her fingers up through his hair as she smiled over at him.

"You've been having a very hard time dealing with people lately." She whispered, taking advantage of the fact that they were alone in her office to give him a soft kiss on the cheek.

House looked her square in the eye. "Come on _I know_you can do better than that." He said while giving her a look that said exactly how much better she could do when it came to making him feel good....so good in fact that it should be a sin.

Cuddy gave him a sideways glance. "There's only so much I can do within the walls of this office and constraints of this hospital, but I can promise that what's hurting you right now will feel much, much better tonight once I get my hands…. as well as other things on it." She whispered glancing out of the corner of her eye at her office door before she kissed him again, this time on the corner of his mouth while placing her hand on the side of his neck.

House turned his face towards hers and pressed his lips fully against her own before he parted her lips with his tongue, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Stop it!" Cuddy gasped as she broke away from the kiss, pulling away from him and looking out through the glass doors of her office once more.

"I really don't think a trip to HR is going to make your day any brighter." She then warned, straightening out the lines of her skirt that had risen slightly above her knee.

House smiled over at her seeing the blush his bold kiss had brought to her cheeks.

"My groin actually feels better already……wanna check?" He asked reaching for her hand and pulling it towards his crotch.

Cuddy jerked her hand away from his grasp and got up off of the couch with a huff .........as well as a smile that was hidden from his view before she turned to face him again.

"Well since you're already on the road to recovery I suggest unless you have a problem regarding your patient it's time for you to go." She informed him, placing her left hand on her hip.

House got up from the sofa and stepped closer to her, close enough that only a fraction of space was separating them now.

"You know it's really mean of you to promise me all types of fun for tonight and then expect me to focus on my patient. I think I at should you should at least be pulled into the corner of your office and therefore out of sight of whoever you think maybe looking at us so I can get a much needed grope of your anatomy to tide me over." He whispered down to her.

"You're insane." Cuddy whispered back to him, unable to help but noticed he was wearing her favorite cologne today.

"And you're horny as hell thanks to those pregnancy hormones." House replied with a knowing smile.

"We can't. I've got an appointment with one of the hospital's biggest donors in about five minutes." Cuddy argued, cursing herself for not telling him 'no' instead of offering him a loophole he was sure to get around.

"One grope, ten seconds tops...I promise." House negotiated looking out into the hallway before he pulled Cuddy with him into the corner of the office and out of site of any wandering eyes that may glance in at them.

"Ten seconds." Cuddy warned, watching his eyes move down towards her breasts.

"_House_….remember…..ten seconds." She said again as his right hand moved up to her left breast, cupping it.

"This top looks really good on you." House whispered, rubbing the thin silk material of the purple blouse she was wearing with his thumb.

Cuddy counted mentally in her head, closing her eyes for a second as House kissed her neck and caressed her…._One thousand one, one thousand two….one thousand three…_

House then moved his hand down to the curve of her ass, wrapped in a tight gray skirt before giving it a squeeze.

Cuddy snapped her eyes open as he pressed his body against her, making sure she felt the bulge in his pants.

"The deal was ONE grope!" She stated with a high pitched voice, looking up at him as he smiled down at her while giving her ass another frim squeeze.

"I didn't want to play favorites." He argued with a smirk, continuing to caress her behind.

Cuddy's eyes grew wide. "You're trying to make me lose count!" She said with an irritated tone, pushing him back from her when she realized he had gone well over their ten second time limit.

"Do you want to penalize me by grabbing _my a_ss?" House asked watching Cuddy as she tried her best to hide the smile on her face.

"Get out." She ordered pointing towards the door.

"Just remember at 5 pm tonight…your fat, juicy ass will be mine, with no time restricts." He informed her while reaching for the doorknob.

Cuddy bit her bottom lip and looked away from him for a second.

"What?" House asked turning to face her.

"I made dinner plans with my mother tonight remember?" She replied.

"So what am I supposed until you come home? Sit alone in my apartment telling 'Little House' that your mother is more important to you then he is? I hope you can live with that." House whined.

"I think you and 'Little House' will be just fine until I get back." Cuddy responded before taking in a sharp breath, seeing the hospital donor entering into the outer office.

"No, he won't." House started to say seeing the donor as well.

"In fact I think he will need years of therapy in you skilled hands before he will ever fully recover." He added with a grin.

"Get out of here." Cuddy whispered, placing her hand on his back and pushing him towards the door.

Taking a step forward, House then immediately stopped, coming face to face with the hospital donor as he opened up the door in front of him.

"Dr. House, colleague and servant to Dr. Cuddy." He said, holding his hand out to the contributor who was an older female in her late sixties.

"Edith Randolph." The woman with sliver hair, tied neatly into bun on top of her head replied before glancing over at Cuddy from the open doorway House was currently occupying.

"Edith it is so nice to see you again and I am very grateful that you were able to take time out of your busy schedule to meet with me and discuss our new Children's Hospital." Cuddy said, secretly wishing she could give House a kick in his ass to send him on his way.

"It was no trouble at all Doctor Cuddy. Something as special as a Children's Hospital always takes top priority over boring stockholders meetings." Edith replied, glancing up at House as she waited for him to step aside.

"You know what else is special?" House asked the elderly benefactor, moving to his right so that all three of them were now inside the room, while catching the look of displeasure that came over Cuddy's face.

"No…but I'm guessing you're dying to tell me." The older woman responded with a puzzled expression.

House nodded.

"Dr. Cuddy in fact is a very special person, who continues to go above and beyond for this hospital. Why…. do you know not only is she a great hospital administrator, but she's also a highly skilled physician? Taking hold of one _hard _medical situation after another and working on it until the answer comes rushing out at her?"

Cuddy's jaw dropped as House's innuendo breezed by Edith Randolph unnoticed, heading directly for her as Edith nodded her head politely in agreement to his tastefully dressed and totally crude statement.

"I certainly can believe that Dr. House. From what I've seen in my dealings with Dr. Cuddy I know she leaves no stone unturned when it comes to this hospital." Edith responded, before she walked over to one of the seats in front of Cuddy's desk.

"You're dead." Cuddy whispered to House as he took a step back from her towards the open doorway.

"I love it when you talk post-mortem to me." House whispered in return with a small smile, giving her a wink before he turned and left.

*******************************************************

A few hours later, inside a very crowded Greek inspired restaurant, Lisa and Ruth sat at a small table with a large glass window beside it that faced a busy Princeton street which was illuminated by the tall steel lights above it.

"So what did you think of the house?" Ruth questioned as Lisa took a sip of her water.

"I love it." Cuddy confessed with a smile after placing her glass back down on the table.

Ruth let out a small laugh. "It really is the perfect house for the two of you." She commented before picking up her own glass of water as their menus sat untouched in front of them.

Cuddy nodded, "I think Greg will really like it as well." she agreed, watching he mother laugh again.

"What?" She questioned as her mother gave her a fully amused smile.

"I like it when you call House by his first name….in fact I think it's very sweet." Ruth informed her before picking up the menu in front of her.

Cuddy rolled her eyes, "I'm just used to calling him House because of our jobs and the same thing goes with him." She explained.

"But of course there are times when he calls you Lisa." Ruth responded with a smirk while peeking up from her menu.

"Yes." Cuddy admitted with a smile not sure why her mother was so intrigued with the subject.

"Like when you're having sex?" Ruth stated, holding back her laughter as she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Mom!" Cuddy said with surprise, quickly glancing around the restaurant to see if anyone had overheard the remark before breathing a sigh of relief when she realized they hadn't.

"I'm sorry Lisa, but I can't get over how happy you look. Which tells me that despite all of the odds that have been stacked against you recently; somehow you and House have found a way to push right past them." Ruth explained in a softer and more motherly tone.

Cuddy shook her head. "Why couldn't you just say that instead of the …_sex part_?" She asked whispering the last two words.

"Because…" Ruth started to say, reaching for her daughter's hand. "For the first time in a long time all the people I love the most in this world are getting the best out of life that they deserve…. and ….that actually tends to bring out a little part of me that was I thought was lost a long time ago. A part of me that you've only seen on rare occasions. Believe it or not Lisa…before Thomas Crane….I was a real handful for my parents; in fact I guess you could say I was sort of a hellraiser…..or as much of one as I could be at thirteen. Why at the drop of a hat I could make someone blush with sweetness while wanting to strangle me all at the same time." She explained quite proudly.

Looking over at her mother, whose face was filled with happiness, Cuddy rested her hand upon her stomach from underneath the table.

"You know Mom….the funny thing is …people often say that little girls end up growing up and falling in love with men who remind them of their fathers…but I guess in my case I've ended up falling in love with a man who reminds me of you." Cuddy remarked with a wit the was as quick as it was completely endearing, causing both her and her mother to erupt in a fit of laughter that had the entire room full of patrons seated inside the packed restaurant turn to look their way.

********************************************************

**Wednesday Evening ~~~House's Apartment…..**

Putting down the medical journal he had been reading, House removed his reading glasses and placed them on the coffee table next to journal, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his fatigued eyes, when he heard the jingle of keys outside of his apartment door.

"It's about time you got home." He said, turning just in time to see Cuddy, with a white Styrofoam take out box in her hands as she closed the door behind her.

"Sorry Dad, the gang went out for ice cream after the movie and I guess I lost track of time." Cuddy remarked with a clever smile, walking over to House before sitting next to him on the couch.

"What's in the box?" House questioned eyeing the container in her hands.

Cuddy rolled her eyes as she handed the box over to him. "My mom insisted that I bring you back dessert from the restaurant." She commented flatly.

"Your mother is a good woman." House teased opening up the box and smiling widely at the decadent piece chocolate cake inside of it.

"You didn't spill the beans to her about the little embryo did you?" He asked looked up from the box.

"No, I didn't." Cuddy replied shaking her head at him.

"Then why are you so happy?" House questioned, noticing she had been smiling as she had walked into the apartment.

"I think I may have found our house." Cuddy answered widening her grin.

House gave her an intense stare. "Our house?" He asked slowly.

Cuddy drew in her bottom lip, looking away from him for a moment. "I'd like you to move in with me." She then said, turning to face him once more.

"Why don't we just keep living here?" House countered, just to see her squirm a bit.

"This place isn't big enough for all of my stuff including a baby and all the stuff that comes with it." Cuddy replied coolly, knowing exactly what he was doing before adding. "But if you really need some space of your own…you can always keep this place."

House moved his hand to her thigh, ducking his fingers underneath the hem of her skirt. "I think I'd rather move in with you where I have access to a maid, a cook and very nice piece of ass."

"Good because I scheduled an appointment with the Realtor for us on Saturday." Cuddy responded without blinking eye.

"Great. I can't wait to test out the toilets in this dump." House countered with a wiry grin.

*******************************************************

That weekend on unusually warm Saturday afternoon, House studied the scenery along the suburban streets on the outskirts of Princeton as Cuddy drove them towards the house with a For Sale sign in the front yard.

For the time being he held his tongue, giving her the benefit of the doubt until he spotted the two story colonial house off in the distance.

As Cuddy slowed down the vehicle and pulled up into the home's driveway House turned and gave her an intense stare.

"No way." He said as she put the car into park.

"What?" Cuddy asked innocently.

"You know damn well what. This house is only four blocks away from Bill's house and there is no way in hell we are living that close to them." House stated while glaring at her.

"It's not like they would be living with us." Cuddy argued.

"_Oh of course not. Their wrinkly asses wouldn't need to live with us anyway because Bill's house is already up this house's ass."_ House said with a grunt.

"You are such a drama queen." Cuddy said, rolling her eyes.

"Take it back or I am going to reach over there and start playing with the twins, which I know you don't want me to do in front of that frumpy real estate agent over there." House warned, darting his eyes over to the middle aged woman who was standing by the front door of the house.

Cuddy followed House's gaze. "Fine I take it back, but you have to promise me to give this place a chance. Besides having my mom and Bill so close isn't such a bad thing." She reasoned.

"Maybe not for you, but what about me? Listen, I can tolerate the both of them in small doses, but what you are asking me to do is way beyond what any man.... much less a miserable bastard like me would do." House argued back

Cuddy exhaled. "I'm not asking you to do this just for me." She replied.

"I only see two of us in this car." House said, folding his arms.

"Greg." Cuddy whispered to him softly, pulling one of his hands out from under his arm and placing it on her stomach.

"Once the baby is born we are going to need help taking care of him or her, and unless you are planning on quitting your job to take care of our baby, having _my mom_ and Bill so close could actually benefit the both of us." She explained.

House looked down at her stomach before looking back up into her eyes.

"Ok, I'll take a look at this hell hole, but if I'm not impressed you need to promise me to let it go of the idea of rubbing elbows with the old and senile. People do have cars you know and an additional twenty minute drive from another neighborhood further away from Bill and your mom is not going to make that much difference." He told her.

"Fine." Cuddy agreed with a nod, knowing that once House stepped foot inside the place he would be as impressed by it as she was, hopefully enough so that he would indeed agree to living within a stone's throw of the old and senile.

********************************************************

**Downtown Princetown~~~~Flavors Bistro......**

"Hi." Wilson said softly, getting up from his chair as Cindy approached the corner table where he was seated.

"Hi." Cindy replied, watching as Wilson moved to his right to pull out the chair on the other side of the table for her.

While taking her seat, Cindy smelled the aroma of Wilson's cologne as he stood behind her, the scent, like him, was sweet with a masculine undertone to it.

"How have you been?" Wilson asked, sitting back down in his chair.

"Good." Cindy replied, knowing that for the past few days Wilson had purposely avoided coming into to Cuddy's office because of their situation.

Seeing the apprehension held within Cindy's beautiful pale blue eyes, Wilson decided right then and there that instead of any more small talk, they both needed to get straight to the issue at hand.

"Cindy…when we were together, did you ever express something that really wasn't true, just to make me feel good about myself? I guess what I'm trying to say is when we were having sex did you….. ever fake….." He started to say, diving head first into the delicate subject while removing his eyes from hers, focusing them back on the table in front of him.

"Never…not once…I swear James." Cindy replied, cutting him off quickly while reaching for his hand from across the table.

Wilson looked down at Cindy's slender fingers before he moved his eyes back up to her face.

Even though she was dressed simply in a pair of jeans and light pink v necked t-shirt, she looked absolutely gorgeous.

"Cindy…….you could have any man you wanted. And I don't want you to settle on me just because of what you may have felt for me before you found out the truth." Wilson said, letting her know he would not hold her liable for any of the emotions she had experienced during the short time they had spent together.

"James….I've been miserable without you." Cindy blurted out as she kept hold of his hand, "I've missed you so much and I want you in my life and it's not just because of the sex. I enjoy being with you because you make me laugh and when you hold me you make me feel safe and more special than anyone else ever has…..like I'm the only thing that matters to you most in this world." She added with a voice that was trembling from the truth it was speaking.

Wilson rubbed his thumb across the top of her hand, "But you and I both know it won't be like that all the time. In fact sometimes you're going to hate me for all of the time I have to spend at the hospital away from you... and....in all likelihood….. there will come a day when you'll wish you hadn't gotten involved with me in the first place. Trust me, I know because it's happened to me before." He told her while airing out some of the dirty laundry from his past.

"I work at the hospital too remember? And one thing I know it that I would never hate you for doing your job." Cindy responded.

"You can say that until you've experienced it." Wilson replied softly.

"Well then I'll just have to tear you away from the hospital every now and then and have mind blowing sex with you as compensation for all your time away from me." Cindy said with a flirty smile.

Wilson was drawn into the smile on her face immediately, but before he could sink into it any deeper ….the nagging doubt in his mind put stop to it.

"But what if the next time we do have sex…..you don't feel the same way about me as you did before?" Wilson asked in a hushed whisper, leaning closer to her.

Cindy continued to smile, mimicking Wilson's actions by leaning closer to him.

"I guess there's only one way to find out." She whispered, raising an eyebrow.

"Wait..are you saying want to have sex with me right now?" Wilson asked.

""You heard me James. I've told you I've been missed you and I didn't mean just emotionally and there is no doubt in my mind that I still love you and want you." Cindy stated in a hushed voice .

"Are you sure?" Wilson questioned.

"Yes and the sooner I get you have you again the better...and although I'd prefer a little more privacy if you'd rather throw me up on the table were seated at I'm good with that as well." Cindy whispered back to him seductively.

"Check please!" Wilson shouted just as a waiter passed them while keeping his eyes glued on Cindy.

"Umm sir you haven't even ordered yet." The waiter replied curtly before turning away from him and taking the tray of food he was carrying to the table across from them.

Wilson squeezed Cindy hand. "Are you hungry? He asked out of courtesy, while feeling the bulge inside his boxers growing.

"Not for food." Cindy answered, before biting down on the left side of her bottom lip.

"I Love you." Wilson responded with a smile, listening to Cindy giggle when he pulled her by the hand up and out of her chair.

********************************************************

**445 Oakridge Lane **

"Doctor Cuddy, it's so nice to see you again." Caroline Reed, the real estate agent said as the striking dark haired woman approached her.

"Please call me Lisa." Cuddy responded, before introducing the agent to House.

"Caroline this Greg."

House turned his head away from the impeccably landscaped lawn of the front yard to face the real estate agent, focusing in on the fake smile upon her face.

"Nice to meet you." He said flatly.

"Lisa tells me you are a doctor as well." Caroline said with a wide cheesy grin, offering her hand to the tall man who was in desperate need of a good shave.

"Actually my specialty is Proctology..... which can be a real pain in the ass at times… _if_ you know what I mean." House replied with a wide grin of his own, reaching for the woman's hand.

"Oh …..I see….well that is a very interesting field." Caroline replied, taken a bit off base while glancing over at Lisa who looked as if she had just sucked on a lemon.

"Interesting doesn't even begin to describe it Caroline. Why right before we came over here I was called into the ER to help out with a rather messy fecal impaction…and because Lisa told me we had to be over here at exactly twelve thirty, I didn't even get a chance to clean up afterwards." House replied while placing his other hand on top of Caroline's hand as he continued to shake it heartily.

"I…I…see." Caroline stammered, pulling her hand out of House's grasp as her stomach turned in disgust.

"He's kidding." Lisa assured her, shooting House a dirty look.

"About the fecal impaction or the not cleaning up afterwards?" Caroline asked with a blank stare.

"Greg is _not _a Proctologist." Cuddy clarified. "Although I must admit I've seriously considered going into that field myself lately just so I can understand _him_ better." She added, shooting a disapproving glance House's way.

"Well I have heard humor is one of the best things to keep a marriage going." Caroline said nervously, trying to recover from the shocking statements House had just made to her.

"Oh Lisa and I are not married….she's what the teenagers call my FB." House said, bending his fingers into quotation marks to emphasize the FB part.

Caroline furrowed her brow, trying to comprehend what exactly FB meant.

"I'm sorry I've never heard of that term -" She started to say before her eyes widened a bit as Lisa pulled Greg into her arms, kissing him passionately.

After breaking the kiss Cuddy pulled House even closer to her and whispered into his ear.

"If you tell her what FB really means.... so help me god I will make sure your next yearly physical exam required by your hospital contract includes a prostate exam done by Stevenson." She warned.

"You wouldn't do that, Stevenson has fingers the size of Twinkies for Christ sake." House whispered back to her.

"Don't test me on this on." Cuddy warned with another whisper before wrapping her arm around House's waist while smiling over at the Realtor.

"I'm sorry for the PDA Caroline, it's just that Greg is right….. we are FB's …….._first time_ _buyers_….together.. as a couple…..and we're really excited about it." Lisa explained fumbling through what she could make the words mean in order to cover up the true meaning of the abbreviation.

"But wouldn't that be FTB and not FB? And why would teenagers have an abbreviation for a homebuyer?" Caroline questioned while tilting her head.

House opened his mouth, feeling the gentle pat Cuddy gave his ass to remind him what was on the line before he spoke.

"Actually Lisa was lying about the 'first time buyers stuff' because she's little embarrassed about the cute nickname I call her. You see FB stands for…… _Funny Bunny_." House replied with a smirk, before he turned and rubbed his nose against Cuddy's.

"Isn't that right Funny Bunny?" He teased, watching her jaw drop.

Caroline laughed, watching Lisa blush when Greg called her by the pet name.

"Teenagers come up with some of the silliest things. FB………..Funny Bunny. I'm going to have to remember that one when I get home tonight and ask my son if he knows what it means." Caroline remarked, pulling the keys to the front door out of her pocket.

"How old is your son?" Cuddy asked, feeling her mouth become dry.

"Seventeen." Caroline replied unlocking the door to the home before letting Lisa and Greg go in ahead of her.

"You better pray that kid doesn't know what FB means." Cuddy muttered over her shoulder as she crossed the threshold with House while Caroline removed her key from the lock.

"That wasn't our deal. You told me that I couldn't tell Caroline what FB really meant and….…I didn't." House pointed out in a whisper to her before he looked up at the cathedral ceiling of the open foyer in front of him.

"It's nice huh?" Cuddy said with a small smile, watching House's eyes move down from the ceiling over to the curved oak banister that lead the way to the second floor before finally looking down at the white tiled floor beneath his feet.

"It's ok." He muttered in an unimpressed tone, masking the fact that he was indeed impressed with the house so far.

"Well Lisa, now that I've let you and Greg inside, I'm going out to my car to make a few phone calls. Once you've given him the tour come out and get me so we can talk." Caroline replied before she turned to leave.

"Thank you Caroline." Cuddy said as the agent closed the door leaving them alone in the house.

House studied Cuddy closely.

"The hunter.... or in this case huntress usually doesn't leave their prey unattended once they've cornered it. So what gives?" He questioned

"I knew there was no way you could give me along with this house your undivided attention if Caroline stuck around because you'd be too busy tormenting her. So I asked her if I could show you the house without her." Cuddy explained.

"And Frumpy didn't have a problem with that?" House asked.

"No, she didn't. And don't call her frumpy …she has a name. Now come on." Cuddy replied before turning to her left and walking into the formal dining room.

"Oh my god! No wonder Frumpy didn't stay with us!" House exclaimed, walking into the dining room with her while admiring the oak hardwood floor and wainscoting in the room.

"What are you talking about?" Cuddy asked in an irritated tone while turning to face him.

"I saw your face just before you walked in here. It screamed ……_I love this place…I must have it…and I will pay the full asking price no questions asked!" _House mocked.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him as they exited the dining room and went across the hall to the formal living room.

"It doesn't matter what you thought you saw on my face ….…because……Frumpy wasn't here to see it." Cuddy countered, watching House's expression as they stood in the middle of the formal living room that had a fireplace and opened up on the east end into the kitchen with two archways and center column.

"It's too damn bright in here. How do you expect me to watch my porn with this glare?" House commented, shielding his eyes.

"There's a family room down in the basement with a bar and… the seller's are leaving a pool table behind as well." Cuddy replied with a smile, walking into the kitchen and running her fingers along cool granite countertop of the center island while admiring the view of the spacious back yard through the glass French doors.

"Basement…… now." House ordered before adding. "And if you're lying to me about the bar and pool table….I am going to _SHOW _Frumpy what FB means."

"See for yourself." Cuddy replied, walking over to the door inside the kitchen and opening it up for him.

House limped over to the doorway and headed down the steps with Cuddy following behind him.

"Cool." He said with a grin, reaching the bottom of the stairs and making his way over to the bar and pool table that sat in the left hand corner of open living room.

"Of course not that you care, but there is a laundry room and half bath behind these this door." Cuddy said, opening them up for him to see.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." House said, waving her off for the moment as he racked up the balls on the pool table before reaching for one of the pool sticks from the stand against the wall.

After he chalked up the rubber tip of the pool stick he blew the excess blue powder off of it.

"Nice blow job." Cuddy teased.

"Shut up or you'll be walking out of here with a limp too." House replied back to her.

Cuddy smiled, watching as House lined up his shot, his blue eyes focusing intently on the table before him.

_WHACK!! _The cue ball announced as it struck the other balls, sending them in various directions on the table.

"Come on there's still more I need to show you." Cuddy said, taking the pool stick away from him and placing it back in the stand.

"But _MOM!_" House whined, going over to the bar to check it out.

"Are the seller's leaving the booze as well?" He asked.

"I'm afraid not." Cuddy remarked, motioning for him to head back upstairs with her.

After walking up the stairs and exiting through the French doors of the kitchen into the backyard, House leaned against the black, wrought iron fence that surroundedboth the in-ground pool and hot tub inside of it.

"You sure you want to live in a house with a pool?" His questioned, reminding her of the risks regarding children and accidental drownings.

"The fence is over the standard required height and it has a lock, besides the pool and hot tub would be great therapy for you leg." Cuddy replied softly while looking up at him.

"But I don't have to have it." House reminded her.

"I know. But I want you to." She told him sincerely. "Plus we could have a lot of fun in that pool and in the hot tub, once summer rolls around and the baby is born." She added.

"Such a dirty mind. I knew I liked you for some reason." House said with a smile, looking out at the pool which was currently covered with a plastic liner as well as the hot tub.

It was of course not an Olympic size pool by any means, but he could do some exercises in it and swim some short laps. That would nice... and the thought of being able to soak in the hot tub year round when his leg was bothering him was very nice as well.

"Are you ready to head upstairs?" Cuddy asked, studying House's profile as he continued to look at the pool.

"Lead they way FB." He answered giving her butt a playful pat when she turned away from him.

Once they were back inside, Cuddy and House made their way over to the staircase in the foyer and up to the second floor where she showed him the first three of a total of four bedrooms that where on that floor, stopping at the third one which sat directly behind the master bedroom.

"I thought we could put the crib right here." Cuddy said, turning and pointing to the left hand side of the room.

"That way the sun wouldn't be in the baby's eyes." She added.

"Uh huh." House replied, staring out the window and into the front yard, wondering if he truly did deserved to be in a place like this with a woman like her who always seemed to put him first in her life.

"Are you even listening to me?" Cuddy asked with an annoyed tone.

"I heard you…kid goes there." House remarked pointing over to the spot she had just pointed to.

Cuddy could see the worry in his eyes as the questions of how in the hell they both had winded up here with each other ran through his mind. "Wanna see where all the magic is going to happen?" She then asked seductively, hoping to pull him away from his doubts while heading towards the master bedroom.

"Is there a bed in there that seller's are leaving behind as well? Because I'd like to test out the mattress before we buy." House remarked, keeping his eyes glued to her ass as she guided him towards the room.

"Sorry you're out of luck. But I think you'll like it anyway." Cuddy replied watching House's face once more as he took in the big and spacious bedroom.

"Come on, you've got to see the bathroom." She then said with an excited tone. "I think it's the best part of the house."

Shaking his head, House followed her once more, an appreciative smile moving across his lips as he entered into the bathroom, finding Cuddy standing in front of a garden tub which was in the corner of the room that was big enough for two.

The tub was surrounded by a ceramic tile deck and two arched windows.

Off to the right of the tub was a separate spacious shower with large beveled opaque glass doors.

"Just look at how much room is in here." Cuddy said opening up the shower door to show House.

House limped over to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the shower with him.

"We could have LOTS of fun in here." He said in a low whisper, hanging up his cane on the shower door before he pulled Cuddy against him.

"_I know_…and…. I have some pretty dirty ideas of my own about what we could do in that tub as well." Cuddy remarked, looking up at House as he slid his hand into the back of jeans and underneath the lace panties she was wearing.

They kissed inside the shower for a few minutes as House continued to caress the soft skin of her behind until Cuddy began to feel his erection pressing against her stomach.

"Come on there's one more thing I wanted to show you." She then whispered, catching her breath and pulling House out of the shower as he reached for his cane.

"I have something to show you too." House said stopping her and placing her hand on his crotch while pulling her into another kiss.

Cuddy caressed his package gently before she broke away from the kiss.

"Although I've seen _that_ before, I have to say it never ceases to amaze me." She said with a smile, knowing how much it would boost his ego, liking that she was the one person who could affect him in that way.

"You must want this house PRET-TY to bad to come up with a line like that." House said with a hint of sarcasm, looking over at her as they made there way back downstairs.

"Shut up." Cuddy responded while trying to hide her smile.

As they made their way to the bottom of the staircase, House looked over at her once more. "So can I assume that now you're planning on taking me to the room downstairs that you so conveniently diverted me from entering into earlier?" He asked.

"You're so smart Funny Bunny!" Cuddy said sweetly and ever so sarcastically.

House smirked and smacked her on the ass for the comment.

"Ouch!" Cuddy exclaimed placing her hand on her left cheek.

"Watch you mouth Funny Bunny." House replied, grabbing for her hand before she could smack him with it as they continued to walk down hallway.

"So what's in that other room? Whips and chains? Leather masks and dominatrix outfits?" House asked as they drew closer to it.

"I'm not telling. You just have to wait and see for yourself." Cuddy responded coolly, although on the inside she was a ball of energy, anxious to see the look on Greg's face once he opened up the door to the room.

Upon reaching the door, House paused for a moment before pushing it open and stepping inside of it with Cuddy following behind him.

The rubber stopper of his cane made an echoing as he limped across another hardwood floor before stopping in the middle of the room which was in fact a very tastefully decorated Study.

In front of him was a picturesque view of the backyard through three long, slender windows, where two tall oak trees stood proudly within a sea of green grass and colorful flower beds.

Resting against the other three walls of the room where three tall, long solid cherry bookcases that could be filled with all of his medical journals, books and records along enough room left over for future collections as well.

The room was painted a deep burgundy color with white crown molding capping off the border where wall and ceiling met.

Nestled between two of the bookcases on the far wall opposite of the windows was a small fireplace made of Italian marble.

While House took in a panoramic view of the room, Cuddy leaned against one of the bookcases, silently watching him.

Although the entire house and its surrounding were breathtaking, seeing this room for the first time with the Realtor was what actually took her breath away.

Never before had she gazed upon a space that mirrored the man she had fallen in love it so completely.

The room was strong and masculine like him, but it also had deep veins of emotions hidden within the grain of its cherry bookshelves.

The room demanded to be paid attention to, while at the same time offering a glimpse of wondrous things right outside its windows that made its demands worthwhile.

In this room House would be at ease. In this room over all of the others in the home, he would find a sanctuary in which he could unravel the questions that sometimes plagued his mind.

Here he could find solace to look for the answers just out of reach.

Here he could listen to his music on the old record player that he loved, while trying to tune out the pain in his leg.

And it would be here that he would go when his heart became cold after dealing with life and all the ugliness it could sometimes bring, resting his body in a leather bound chair and stretching his legs out in front of the fire with a scotch in his hand until the warm glow of the embers would remind him that there were indeed some good things in this world as well, waiting for him just outside the door of this study.

"You better wipe that look off of your face or Frumpy is going to take us to the cleaners." Cuddy whispered, touched by the genuine emotion of belonging that was held within House's face currently as he moved his fingers across the shelves of the bookcase to his right.

House cleared his throat and glanced over at Cuddy, watching as the afternoon sun reflected in the shine of her raven curls.

"You do know we are going to have to officially christen every room in this place once we move in right?" He said with a suggestive smile.

"I'm up for the challenge if you are." Cuddy replied, walking over to him with a smile of her own.


	62. Chapter 62

**Once again you guys have been fantastic with leaving me such great reviews and I really appreciate it. Now without any further delay here is the next chapter which I hope you will all enjoy :)**

**Chapter 62**

Four weeks later.... after legal papers had been signed and boxes were packed, House and Cuddy were now standing inside their new home on 445 Oakridge Lane, awaiting the arrival of the movers.

Cuddy was currently three and a half months pregnant, happy, healthy and finally ready to tell her mother about the baby growing inside of her.

"My Mom and Bill should be here soon, I hope they get here before the movers come with our stuff." Cuddy remarked, looking down at her watch before she picked up the small cardboard box she had placed on the floor of the living room earlier.

"Will you leave that stupid box alone." House grumbled, sipping on a cup of fresh coffee he had purchased from a local convenience store on their way over here before looking out one of the windows in the living room.

Cuddy smirked, placing the box back down on the floor and walking over to him where she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind him. "I think you're actually anxious for them to get here as well so we can tell my Mom the good news." She said, looking out the window with him as she rested her cheek on the side of his arm.

"No, I'm not anxious …..I'm tired because we had to get up at the butt crack of dawn so could waste our time waiting on these stupid movers." House muttered feeling her breasts pressed against his back, secretly liking the way she seemed not to be able to resist touching him in some way as the days rolled by and her pregnancy hormones gained an even stronger hold upon her.

"Did Wilson say what time he and Cindy are coming over?" Cuddy asked, casually beginning to rub his chest with her left hand.

"Jimmy and the Bimbo are supposed to be here around eight." House replied, moving his eyes away from the window and focusing them on Cuddy as she moved to his side while keeping her arms wrapped around him.

"Don't call Cindy a bimbo." Cuddy told him as her left hand slid down to his hip.

"So what exactly is _this _about?" House asked looking down at her right hand that continued to rub his chest.

"What do you mean?" Cuddy asked.

"The way you're touching me. It's your……. _I want SEX touch_." He said bluntly.

"Yeah ok." Cuddy replied rolling her eyes and stopping the motion of her right hand.

Eager to prove his theory, House carefully put down his coffee cup on the windowsill in front of them, moving his hand up into the softness of her hair before resting it on the pulse of her neck while pulling her into a deep, soft kiss.

Cuddy closed her eyes and parted her lips, feeling House pressing his body against her own.

She could taste the flavor of coffee in his mouth, from the sweetness of the sugar on his tongue to the touch of creamer which was smooth and rich giving balance to the roasted beans and although she had kissed House more times than she could count by now, the further along she progressed in her pregnancy the more the sensation became all the more irresistible, strangely amplified to the point of making her heart race in an instant when combined with the feel of his hands on her body that seemed set off a thousand sparks within her, causing a soft moan to escape her mouth and travel into his as House lowered his right hand down to her ass, squeezing it with a firm grip as his tongue slide across her own.

House pulled away from the kiss and looked down at the smoldering fire in her eyes …..unable to keep the grin from forming on his face.

The tremendous flood of hormones racing through Cuddy's body was leaving her with wanting him more and more with each passing week, the sex between them occurring more and more frequently, sometimes even three times a day if his leg didn't hinder the process …..making him one very lucky bastard.

"Are you sure you don't want to have sex?" House asked in a low tone, rubbing her ass before giving it another squeeze.

Cuddy looked out the window and then down at her watch.

Her Mom and Bill could be coming at any minute but as her nose filled with the scent of House's cologne, which he seemed to be wearing more and more these days she found herself unable to say no…… or any other words for that matter, taking his hand and pulling him out of the living room instead.

As they passed by the front door she locked it, testing the knob just to be sure it was secure before reaching for House's hand again, guiding him into the kitchen.

Since all of their furniture was currently inside of a moving truck across town, Cuddy decided the countertop on the center island of the kitchen would have to do, and in truth as her mind played with the thought of House nudging her legs apart while she sat on top of it, her body was already starting to respond to the tempting notion.

Reaching the kitchen Cuddy turned to face House, drawing him into another kiss while moving her hands up and down along his back, pressing her breasts into his chest as he moaned into her mouth with approval, his hands now sliding between them as he started to unbutton her jeans.

"Wait." She said suddenly, breaking away from him and walking over to the French doors before locking them as well just to be safe.

"How can you be so horny and yet so anal at the same time?" House questioned as she walked back up to him before she silenced anymore smartass remarks from him by greedily kissed his lips.

House let out a low growl when her teeth nipped at his bottom lip a few seconds later, moving his right hand up and underneath her shirt as well as her bra, rubbing his thumb against her hard nipple as she gasped into the side of his neck.

"We have to hurry." Cuddy whispered with an ache, feeling his hands instantly respond to her words by sliding down to her waist and unzipping the jeans he had previously unbuckled.

Moving his lips to hers once more, House slipped his fingers into the front of panties, his erection throbbing as she moaned into his mouth again while pushing her pelvis towards the motion of his index and middle finger that were rubbing on opposite sides of her clit.

"I think we have more than enough time to get you off." He said in a low whisper as she took in a shuddered breath with her lips lowering to his jaw while his fingers continued gliding over the part of her that was already wet with anticipation for him.

Cuddy let out a sound somewhere between a whimper and gasp from behind her closed lips, gripping onto House's biceps as he pushed his middle finger inside of her, gently pressing on her g spot with the accuracy of a marksman.

It was almost more than she could take, her forehead now lowering and pressing against his chest as she moaned out with desire, her heightened sensitivity to his touch almost unbearable at this point.

"Oh god you need to fuck me now." She told him in a husky, lust filled voice, wanting every inch of him inside of her, quickly pushing his hand away from the inside of her panties as she then roughly unbuttoning his pants, lowering his zipper before tugging them past his narrow hips and sending them down to the floor along with boxer briefs he was wearing.

House had kept his eyes on Cuddy the whole time as she forcefully removed the clothes from around his waist, getting even more aroused by her actions, his erection now hard, aching and more than ready to plunge inside of her, his strong hands moving to her waist and tugging her jeans along with her panties down from her hips in much the same manner as she had done to him.

In a frenzied pace Cuddy toed off her sneakers and stepped out of her jeans as House kissed her lips, his teeth grazing over the fullness of them as she held onto his shoulders, bearing part of her own weight as then he lifted her up onto the countertop behind them.

His strong hips parted her thighs, opening her up as wide as possible before her fingers wrapped around cock and guided him toward her entrance where he slid deep inside of with a one strong push of his hips.

Cuddy let out a gasp, throwing her head back as his teeth nipped at the exposed skin of her neck..

He sucked on the sweet flesh his tongue he had just tasted thinking of how amazingly tight and wet with heat she was as his shaft moved in and out of her while her hot breath crashed into the side of his neck, her knees finding their place just underneath his armpits as he grasped the edge of the countertop behind them, his hips bucking against hers, her back arching as her left hand fisted in his hair while her right hand slid down to his ass, grabbing is possessively.

"Do you like that Lisa? Do you like it when I fuck you like this?" House growled out in low deep whisper when their foreheads met, seeing her eyes filled with a pure carnal need for him as he thrust faster and deeper inside of her.

"Yes." Cuddy moaned put without hesitation, her eyes slit with desire, her ankles locking behind his back and drawing him closer to her.

"Say it again." House commanded, loving the tone in her voice right now that ached for him, moving one of his hands to her ass and lifting it up slightly from the cool granite as he angled his strokes right where they needed to be.

"_Yes……oh…. God .Greg ….Yes!"_Cuddy cried out, trying to catch her breath with her hips flexing up and meeting his in an intense rhythm, feeling her body tremble as deep inside of her the spot that he was reaching as he filled her completely began to pulse with electricity.

House ran his warm mouth up the curve of her throat to her chin, pushing himself up on his toes, entering into her deeper still while feeling the nails of her right hand digging into his lower back.

"_Oh god yes...don't stop!"_Cuddy moaned in voice that quivered before arching her back again and meeting his thrusts once more.

As House picked up the rhythm of his strokes even more, a fine sheet of sweat erupted on his back and underneath his t-shirt as Cuddy moaned out louder.

"_God.. I love the way you fuck me!"_ She cried out, now drowning within the throws of their passion, bucking her hips wildly against him as she lost all sense of control.

When her orgasm crashed into a few seconds later with unbelievable force, a few lust filled words broke free from her mouth, escaping her past her lips and crashing into the side of House's neck as well as the unsuspecting air around them.

House felt vibration of the groan deep within his throat escape him, gripping the edge of the countertop harder with his left hand as the orgasm Cuddy had just experienced made her even tighter inside then she already was, sending a wave of shivers up his spine that temporarily took his breath away.

One again Cuddy found herself moaning, still feeling the pulsing waves of the longest orgasm she had every experienced coursing through her body as she felt House's body start to tremble against her own.

House gasped, saying her first name as he climaxed, his body shuddering as he came inside of her, his eyes closing shut for a few seconds as he took in adeep breath, trying to stop himself from shaking as the tremors of his release rippled through his entire body.

In the still air around them the scent of Lisa's perfume combined with the smell of his sweat, filling his nostrils with the intoxicating potion of what was them…. of what they had created once more that was indeed perfection, lust and love in the most potent form that he had ever experience as their bodies began to recover from their carnal union.

"Oh my god that was _amazing_." Cuddy gasped, looking up at him and continuing to catch her breath as her fingertips stroked the back of his neck.

"God had nothing to do with it….your hormones did." House responded, looking down at the satisfied smile on her face before it fell from her from the corners of her mouth when the echo of doorbell ringing traveled into the kitchen.

"Oh no." Cuddy whispered as her eyes darting towards the hallway that lead to the front door.

"Do you think whoever's out there heard us?" She added with a worried tone, looking back up at House.

"I think the whole neighborhood probably heard _you_." House teased, stepping back from her and reaching down to the floor, retrieving her jeans before handing them to her and helping her off of the counter.

"This isn't funny Greg." Cuddy remarked in a tone that had a nervous bite to it, quickly slipped one leg and then the other back into her jeans with her panties still tucked inside them as House watched her with amusement.

He took in another breath, wiping the sweat from his brow before pulling up own his pants and zipping his fly.

"Well it is _kind of_funny don't you think?" House questioned with a smirk as Cuddy reached out for his arm to steady herself, slipping both of her shoes back on.

"No ..I don't think it's funny at all. Now come on." She responded, grabbing by the arm once more as they both then headed down the hallway towards the front door.

A few feet away from the door after smoothing out her hair with her hands, Cuddy stopped in tracks, "Ok…how do I look?" She questioned to him with a whisper

"Like you just had an orgasm." House answered back honestly.

Cuddy exhaled in desperation. "Oh great!" She said with worry, taking in some deep breaths while trying to calm her nerves.

House grabbed her hand and stopped her before she could take a step closer to the door.

"Hold on.....now breathe and just relax. This is a big house and waiting an extra minute or two to answer that door will not seem suspicious at all to whoever might be out there." He reasoned while trying to calm her down a bit.

Cuddy nodded and took in a few more breaths. "Ok." She agreed while looking up at him.

"Oh and by the way…..just for the record. I love the way you fuck me too." House whispered with a smirk, still riding high off of his own orgasm while watching her trying to push down the flush in her cheeks.

"Stop it or I'm never going to be able to open that door." Cuddy warned, while trying her damdest not to smile as she turned away from him once more.

"You're the one who started it Preggo." House reminded her, watching her sexy ass move from side to side as she walked up to the door.

********************************************************

"Hi mom. Hi Bill." Cuddy said with a big smile, stepping aside to let them both into the house.

Ruth walked into the foyer with Bill and waited for Lisa to close the door before giving her daughter a hug.

"This is such an exciting day for the both of you." She with a smile, glancing over Lisa's shoulder at House who was leaning against the wall.

"Just remember before you come traipsing your asses over here, call first... and.... if you we don't answer that means were having sex …..so stay the hell away." House remarked back to her.

"Just remember the same thing goes for you too, Bill and I don't want to be interrupted during sex anymore than you do." Ruth shot back, watching House grimace in disgust as she walked over to him.

While Ruth and House exchanged a few more jabs Bill leaned over and gave Lisa hug.

"How are you feeling Lisa? Are you getting enough rest?" He whispered into her ear.

"I'm doing really good and thanks for keeping my little secret for so long. I know it had to be hard for you not to say anything to Mom." Cuddy whispered back, rubbing Bill's arm when they released from their embrace.

Cuddy noticed House glancing over at her with a small, wiry smile, letting her know with that smile that their sexcapade in the kitchen had indeed been unheard and undetected by either her mother or Bill.

"So did the movers bring any of your stuff yet?" Ruth asked House, watching him pop a vicodin into his mouth after a peculiar smile had formed on his lips.

"No those jerks move slower than you and Bill if you can believe that." House replied, glancing over at Cuddy again, this time seeing if she was ready execute her little plan.

"Oh mom that reminds me..... I found something that belongs to you in the storage unit the other day. You must have forgotten to take it with you when you packed your stuff and moved in with Bill. I brought it with me today so it wouldn't get lost with the other stuff in the moving truck and have it here in the living room." Cuddy said, walking into the room while House, Bill and Ruth followed her.

"I'm sure I got everything Lisa." Ruth said watching her daughter pick up the medium sized cardboard box that was about six inches deep and twelve inches wide.

"Here." Cuddy said handing her the box. "You probably didn't even realize you left it." She added as House moved beside her.

Ruth opened up the box and smirked. "Crotchless panties? Gee I wonder who put those in here?" She asked, glancing over at House.

Cuddy looked up at House and shot him a glare. "Yeah, I wonder who _did_ put those in there?" She said, placing a hand on her hip, as she exhaled in disbelief.

"What? I wanted to get your mother something for the upcoming wedding…and since she's something OLD I wanted to get her something NEW as in white, lace crotchless panties to balance things out a bit." House said innocently, giving an exaggerated wink to Bill who was still looking down at the panties in the box, his blue eyes wide with shock.

"See even Bill likes them." House whispered over to Cuddy as Bill let a small and embarrassed smile form underneath his mustache.

"I guess I should say thanks." Bill then said with a slight chuckle while giving Lisa a sympathetic grin.

"I'm so glad I'm going to be living with such a thoughtful man." Cuddy remarked, letting out a sigh of frustration.

House glanced down at her, making a face that told her to chill out before he turned his gaze over to her mother once more.

"There is however something else in that box beneath that tissue paper that belongs to you as well Ruth." He informed her while nodding down at the cardboard box still held between her hands.

"Oh boy …I can't wait to see what's next." Ruth replied with a suspicious voice and wiseass grin before taking the panties out of the box and tossed them over at Bill.

"Here.... hold onto these for now." She said, giving him a smirk as Bill quickly tucked the panties into the front pocket of his faded denim jeans.

Looking down into the box again, Ruth pushed aside the layers of white tissue paper with her fingerstips, revealing the eight by ten oak picture frame underneath of it.

Tilting her head slightly she began reading the flowing handwriting of her daughter on the light, yellow matte paper inside of the frame.

**_Coming soon to a picture frame near you…._**

**_Straight from the womb of Lisa Cuddy with the generous donation of sperm from Gregory House…_**

**_A little bundle of joy… who cannot wait to see Grandma for the fist time…_**

**_Estimated Date of Arrival …..May 28_****_th_**

Cuddy watched her mother's jaw drop in utter shock and surprise as she looked up at her.

"Oh my god!! YOU'RE PREGNANT!" Ruth exclaimed, nearly dropping the box with the picture frame inside of it to the floor before Bill quickly took it away form her.

"Surprise." Cuddy said with a huge smile as her mother pulled into a hug and began to cry, kissing her cheek repeatedly.

"Oh honey!! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" Ruth said, pulling away from the embrace and cupping Lisa's face in her hands.

"Thanks mom." Cuddy replied, feeling her eyes well up with tears as she looked into her mother's eyes and saw the depth of her love held within them.

"This is such a blessing." Ruth gushed placing her hand on Lisa's stomach and looking down at it tenderly.

"Oh Bill isn't this just wonderful?" She added looking over at him as a stray tear ran down her cheek.

"It sure is. Congratulations Lisa." Bill said softly, not letting on for one second about his previous knowledge of Lisa's pregnancy, instead walking over to his future daughter-in-law and giving her a heartfelt hug and kiss on the cheek after both women had wiped the tears from their eyes.

"And you!!" Ruth said with a high pitched voice, reaching for House's hand pulling him into an embrace before he could protest.

"Congratulations!! You are such a good man and you are going to be a great father. I really mean that Greg." She added before she kissed him on the cheek.

"Easy there Ruth…I didn't find the cure for cancer…I just knocked up your daughter." House said dryly while pulling away from her.

Ruth laughed, releasing House from the hug she had trapped him whish was obviously making him uncomfortable before focusing her attention back on Lisa and reaching for her hand.

"So how far along are you now? And did you find out the sex of the baby yet?" She asked with an excited tone.

"I'm three and half months right now..and we don't know the sex of the baby yet, but I do have an appointment with my OBGYN in two weeks and he's going to do an ultrasound then to try to determine the baby's sex at that time." Cuddy answered.

Ruth nodded, giving her daughter another hug, "Well until then there are so many other things we need to do Lisa." She informed her with a brilliant smile. pausing for a moment to tuck a stray lock of Lisa's hair her ear before continuing.

"We need to go shopping for a crib, and a car seat ..oh dear we're probably going to need a couple of those… oh and diapers, a stroller…and of course a highchair. That's it …we need to write a list before the movers get here…. there are so many things we need to buy and once we find out if the baby is going to be a boy or girl we need to paint the nursery and get it decorated. By the way ….which room is going to be the nursery?" Ruth asked as her mouth moved as fast as the thoughts running through her mind.

"I picked the bedroom next to the master bedroom. I want to have the baby as close to us as possible." Cuddy answered with a small smile, thoroughly enjoying the look of joy on her mother's face.

While Ruth and Lisa continued to talk about the baby and everything that needed to be done in preparation for it, Bill moved over to House and shook his hand, keeping up his ruse of just finding out about the pregnancy.

"Congratulations." Bill said sincerely.

"Just keep your distance, I have had enough senior citizen germs on me to last me a lifetime." House warned, glancing over at Ruth and studying the amount of happiness held in her face currently.

"So have you told your parents about the baby yet?" Bill asked.

Upon hearing Bill's question Cuddy looked away from her mother and focused in on House, knowing Bill had just opened the door on a rather touchy subject.

"I'm calling my Mom tonight after we get most of the stuff moved in here. Lisa is sending her a picture frame just like the one she gave Ruth, but I wanted to tell my mom first before she receives it in the mail." He answered, cutting Bill a break by not being a jerk to the old man as he stumbled into some very guarded and personal territory.

"I am sure you mother will be as thrilled as I was to hear the news, there is no greater joy then in finding your child is about to have a child of their own." Ruth said softly, while noticing that House's father John had been left out of his statement to them.

House nodded in response to Ruth's words and shifted his body weight, thankful that the ringing of the doorbell interrupted their conversation.

"I'll get it." He said limping out of the living room towards the front door.

When House left the room Ruth looked over to Lisa. "House is really hesitant to talk about his father isn't he?" She questioned.

Cuddy looked over at her Mom and Bill. "John was really tough on Greg when he was growing up." She replied.

Bill placed his hand on Lisa's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry Lisa, I'm sure this baby will help House and his father come to terms with whatever happened between them."

"I hope you're right Bill." Cuddy replied, looking up at him as her left hand rested upon her stomach.

"As long as House has you and the baby by his side he will be just fine.... no matter what happens between him and his father." Ruth assured her, placing a hand on Lisa's back and rubbing it soothingly.

Meanwhile outside in the foyer, the sounds of Wilson's, House's and Cindy's voices traveled into the living room shortly before their bodies soon followed.

Ruth smiled at all of them, focusing her gaze on Cindy and Wilson who were holding hands. "Cindy, it's so good to see you again and I really can't thank you enough for agreeing to help Wilson and me in planning my wedding."

"It's nice to see you again too Ruth, and you don't need to keep thanking me. Helping you actually gives me more time to spend with James." Cindy replied, kissing Wilson on the cheek as they stood before her.

"I knocked up your boss by the way." House announced out of the blue, watching Cindy's reaction just to see if Wilson had kept his promise about keeping his mouth shut.

Cindy's eyes grew wide as they focused in on Cuddy who was smiling with her left hand resting on her abdomen.

"Is he really telling the truth this time?" Cindy asked her.

"Yes." Cuddy responded with a nod.

"Oh….oh wow….this is really great! Congratulations!" Cindy exclaimed, giving her boss a hug.

"James can you believe this?" She then added turning around and facing him.

"Actually I can …..you see I've known about the baby for a couple of weeks now." Wilson confessed.

Ruth eyed up Wilson, grabbing him by his shirt sleeve as she pulled him beside her. "You knew and didn't tell me?" She asked with sternness to her tone.

"I'm sorry Ruth….I .." Wilson started to say.

"Mom, I asked Wilson to keep quiet about it and it's not like I told him…..he.... well he sort of guessed." Cuddy explained, resting her hand on her mother's hand that was holding onto Wilson's arm.

"Wilson how on earth did you know?" Ruth asked, letting go of his arm.

"Just look at your daughter Ruth…..she's glowing." Wilson said, directing her gaze over to Lisa.

Ruth studied Lisa face. "Well…now that you mention it …there was a flush to Lisa's cheeks when she opened the door up for us earlier." She replied.

"That's because your daughter and I just got done having sex in the kitchen right before you rang the doorbell." House announced loudly.

Cuddy opened her mouth in shock…ready to deny his statement.

"Yeah…yeah you and Cuddy had sex in the kitchen." Wilson mocked, waving his hand dismissively as he disregarded House's statement as another wise crack aimed at shocking them all, which ended up being what in fact everyone else in the room believed to be the truth as well except for the two people who had actually been screwing like mad a few minutes before.

"James, I can't believe you kept you mouth shut all of this time about Lisa's pregnancy." Cindy then blurted out, surprised that he knew about the baby for so long without uttering a word to her.

"Maybe you just don't have what it takes to make a man talk." House said smugly to her while shooting a sideways glance at Cuddy, letting her know that she could definitely make a man do a hell of lot more than just talking.

"Maybe you need to be reminded of what happened the last time when you decided to pick on me." Cindy warned stepping closer to House and placing her hands on her hips.

Still beaming from the incredible news of Lisa's pregnancy, Ruth stepped in between House and Cindy.

"I am very sorry Cindy, but I must protect my grandchild's father at all cost so if you're thinking about doing any harm to him …you're going to have to get through me first." She stated proudly with a smile on her face, placing her hands on her own hips with a dramatic flare.

"Oh god…somebody please shoot me before I have endure anymore of this woman's insanity." House grumbled, rubbing his forehead.

******************************************************

Later that evening, after Ruth, Bill, Wilson and Cindy had all left and as Cuddy was currently in the kitchen unpacking some kitchen utensils, House sat alone in the Study with his cell phone resting in his right hand.

Several weeks ago after Jeff had gone insane and launched his attack on them all he had called his mother, needing to hear her voice at a time when his world had been ripped apart, lying in tatters at his feet.

The phone call had been a shock to his Mom, especially when he had started it off the conversation by telling her that he was in a relationship with his boss one minute before letting her know about the injuries and destruction Jeff had caused to all of them within the next breath, but true to form …his Mom had remained calm during their discussion, listening to what he had to say carefully before asking questions about the ordeal and ever since that day House had made sure to call his mom once a week, keeping her filled in on his life that finally had more to offer him than just another solitary night in front of his television……reconnecting with her in a way that he hadn't been able to do in a very long time.

It was during these weeks that House had realized how much her missed talking to his mother and hearing the sound of her voice.

She had been the keeper of his dreams and secrets when he was a young boy. Telling him how he could achieve anything he wanted if he put his mind to it. Soothing him when his father dismissed his talent for music, his loud and commanding voice telling him that he needed to get out onto the football field instead of wasting his time sitting on his ass while strumming out a tune on a second hand guitar or moving his finger across the keys of an equally worn out piano…both of which his mother had bought for him even though she had to argue with his father for hours over what he had deemed to be a waste of money.... until he finally agreed to the purchases.

House often wondered what his mother saw in his father, what had initially even brought the two of them together in the first place.

They both were so different…… so totally opposite of one another.

His mother was an introspective person, with of love of literature, art and music, quiet at times, but with a wicked sense of humor as well.

His father on the other hand was a tough, rigid, and callous man. A man who would not accept failure of any kind. A man who could readily show his anger and disappointment in his son with the drop of pin, but seemed to bury all of his other emotions deep inside of himself, sometimes making a young boy wonder if there ever was the slightest hint of love for him in his father's heart.

And from both of them he had become the person who he was today. A man who loved music, a man who could lose himself in thoughts of a medical mystery before him, but also a man who could be as cold and uncaring as his father at times to the point of almost losing he few good friends around him, one of which had turned into the woman who he could no longer see himself without.

House exhaled deeply, leaning back in the leather chair that Lisa had purchased for him a few weeks back, looking down at the phone in his hand before finally pushing the speed dial number to his parent's house phone.

Lifting up the cell phone to his ear he prayed that his mother would be the one who would answer.

After three rings he breathed a sigh of relief, hearing his mother's voice on the other line.

"Hello?" Blythe answered.

"Hi mom." House replied, the sound of her voice always bringing a smile to his face.

"Hi Greg. So did you and Lisa get moved into the new house ok?" She asked in a gentle tone.

"It took forever for the movers to get all of the furniture into the place, but in the end Lisa and Ruth made sure every box was where it needed to be." House answered.

"You didn't yell at the movers too much I hope?" Blythe teased.

"Now Mom…do you real think I would do such a thing?" House replied with a smirk.

Blythe laughed, leaning back against the sofa she was seated upon.

"Well I assume that since you sound happy ..you didn't give them too much of hard time." She replied.

House took in a breath. "Listen Mom…there's something I need to talk to you about." He informed her.

"Ok." Blythe said with a little hesitation in her tone.

"Don't worry mom, it's nothing bad. In fact I think you are going to be very happy." House assured her.

"Are you and Lisa are getting married?!" Blythe asked with an excited voice.

"No Mom ....we're not getting married. I did however manage to get Lisa pregnant." House replied.

There was a pause on the other end of the line for a few brief seconds.

"Mom?" House asked, knowing she was crying after hearing her take in a sharp breath.

"Oh Greg…..I am so happy for you." Blythe whispered as she wiped away a tear from her eye. "So happy for both of you."

"Happy that I'm not getting married? Or happy that I knocked up my girlfriend?" House asked with a smirk.

"I'm happy about the baby you little smartass." Blythe answered with a laugh.

House laughed at hearing her laugh, the happiness in her voice something he was happy to have caused.

"Oh Greg your father just came into the room; do you want me to hand him the phoen so you can tell him the news?" She then asked carefully.

"You can tell him." House said bluntly, feeling the smile on his face retreat in an instant.

"Are you sure?" Blythe asked.

"Listen Mom, I've gotta go but before I do…. Lisa wanted me to ask if you and Dad would come down and visit us for a few days. She thought maybe next month, once we've settled in a bit." House told her.

"I think that would be wonderful, but Greg next month is December, are you sure Lisa will be up to having us during such a busy time?" Blythe asked.

"She wouldn't have asked me to ask you if she wasn't up to it." House replied, itching to get off of the phone at this point.

"Why are you eyes red? Have you been crying? Did Greg do something stupid again?" John asked, sternly looking over at his wife.

Upon hearing his father's voice over the line, House gripped the phone in his hand a little harder.

"Greg just called to talk that's all." Blythe answered.

"He never calls just to talk. What has he done this time?" John responded back coldly.

"Nothing, in fact Greg just told me some very good news." Blythe answered, once again defending her son to her husband.

"Mom….I really have to go. Call me later after you talk to Dad and let me know if you guys can come in December or not …ok?" House said, feeling both the anxiety and anger being to rise within him.

"Ok, Greg …I'll call you later. I love you." Blythe said softly.

"I love you too Mom." House replied before hanging up the phone and tossing it onto the desk in front of him, rubbing his hand over his jaw that up until now he hadn't released was clenched so tightly that his back teeth had started to ache.

********************************************************

After hearing House get off of the phone with his mother from the other side of the door, Cuddy slowly turned the knob and stepped inside the Study.

"Hi." She said in a whisper walking over to his desk and sitting on top of it as House leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Hi yourself." House replied back flatly before resting his hands in his lap.

"So, how'd it go?" She asked.

"Mom's happy you're knocked up." House answered leaning forward in the chair again.

"What about your Dad?"

"My mom's going to tell him about the kid." House replied getting up from his chair and staring to make his way around the desk.

"Not so fast." Cuddy said grabbing him by the waist and pulling him in front of him again.

"Sorry….not in the mood for desk sex." House muttered while looking down at her with a weary expression.

"Gregory House! I can't believe what you just said! Turning down sex? How dare you punish 'Little House' like that!! What has he ever done to you to deserve such cruel treatment?" Cuddy teased with a shocked tone in her voice, looking up at him before directing her attention to his crotch.

"It's ok 'Little House'….I still love you." She then whispered trying not to laugh as she gently touched the front of his jeans.

"So now the truth finally comes out. You want me for my pogo stick and nothing more." House said with a smirk, unable to keep the smile from forming on his lips even though the darker thoughts inside of his mind tried to prevent him from doing so.

"That's right, but….. in order to make sure your pogo stick is in proper working order I have to keep you fed, so what do say we head into the kitchen for leftover pizza?" She offered.

"Is there leftover beer as well?" House asked taking hold of Cuddy's right arm and pulling her up from the desk. Things were easier for him when she was around and in fact living with her for all of these months was in and of itself a kind of therapy for his mind, making him deal with things instead of sitting alone in his apartment like he had done in the past while drinking away his problems with the aid of his pills.

Watching his eyes remain a little distant from her, Cuddy placed a hand upon his chest as they stood face to face. "By the way I'll let you in on a little secret. After I'm done feeding you I plan on giving 'Little House' a bath in the BIG tub in our master bedroom." She said with a teasing smile while handing House his cane.

"I think 'Little House' would like that very much." House replied motioning for Cuddy to go ahead of him out of the door.

"I think maybe 'Big House' would like it as well since he's probably sore from having countertop sex earlier, in addition to actually moving most the boxes into this Study all by himself." Cuddy replied back knowingly.

********************************************************

After having his fill of pizza and drinking two beers House made he way up the stairs with Cuddy to the master bedroom.

Although there was still many things that needed to be unpacked, Cuddy had made sure that the bed, which was a newly purchased California King, had been put together before she and her mother placed the freshly washed sheets and comforter onto the mattress.

House looked over at the bed with an approving smile. "Big bed." He remarked following Cuddy into the bathroom.

"I figured we'd need a bigger one for when a little toddler comes in during the middle of the night to sleep with us." Cuddy answered, turning on the water in the tub.

"Wilson's big enough to sleep by himself." House replied pulling off his t-shirt.

"You know Wilson still gets scared during thunderstorms." Cuddy said seriously with a grin, playing along before adjusting the temperature of the water after testing it with her hand.

"Oh shoot! I forgot to unpack some towels…I'll be right back." She suddenly said, walking by House as he continued to undress.

"Hurry up, 'Little House' is in need of a good cleaning." House yelled out into the bedroom.

After House had stripped his body of the remaining clothes he walked over to the deep tub which had filled rather quickly, turning off the valves and testing the temperature of the water with his fingers before he carefully swung his right leg over the edge.

He slowly lowered himself into the triangular shaped tub with curved edges and was now facing the faucets. His longs legs were bent, but not comfortably so, and as he sank lower into the soothing water he closed his eyes, letting out a big sigh.

"Feeling good?" Cuddy remarked with smile walking back into the bathroom with an armful of folded towels.

"I'll be feeling a hell of a lot better once you get your ass in here." House remarked opening up his eyes as she stood before him.

"Don't rush me." Cuddy said in a sultry voice placing the towels down beside the tub before taking her time in removing her clothes, holding up each garment with her fingertips as seh stripped before letting them fall softly to the floor, making sure House got a good long look at what would be sinking into the water with him shortly.

House cleared his throat as his eyes roamed over her now naked body.

"Little House is getting very impatient and by the way…. your boobs are getting bigger." He informed her, taking a quick glance up at her face before focusing his eyes back on her breasts.

"You really think so?" Cuddy asked cupping her breasts with her hands and looking down at them before pushing them up with her palms as she smiled over at him.

"Oh….you are _such a tease_." House said with a wicked grin.

"How can I be tease when I constantly put out for you?" Cuddy countered, removing the cap from the bottle of bubble bath on the edge of the tub before pouring just the tiniest drop of it into the tub.

"I guess you do have point there." House remarked reaching for her hands as she got into the tub.

"Like what you see?" Cuddy asked, watching House continuing to stare at her breasts.

"I'm sorry were you saying something?" House asked with a smirk before Cuddy turned around in the tub so she could rest her back against him.

"Smartass." Cuddy replied with a smirk of her own.

"Still can't hear you." House replied, now staring at her ass before she lowered herself into the water.

Cuddy shook her head and laughed, feeling the warm water as it surrounded her. "Oh this feels good." She said resting the back of her head against House's chest.

"It sure does." House replied pressing his cock, that had harden the minute she had stripped herself of her clothes firmly into the soft cushion of her behind.

"Are you ready for more?" Cuddy then asked, turning her upper body slightly to face him.

"Always." House remarked wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Ok then." Cuddy replied, pushing the button to her right that would turn on the jets for the tub.

As the pulsing water massaged the areas of House's lumbar region and thighs that were pressed against the walls of the tub he let out a satisfied groan.

"Oh my! Did 'Little House' get an early start out of the gate?" Cuddy teased.

"Don't you worry about 'Little House'…… he's in it for the long haul." House replied moving his hands to Lisa's breasts and massaging them with his fingertips which were coated with the warm, soapy water of the tub.

"So this Christening thing of yours. Does it include all the bathrooms in the house as well?" Cuddy questioned closing her eyes as House continued to caress her.

"Yep." House answered, squeezing her breasts gently. "And these are definitely getting bigger by the way." He added.

Cuddy smiled, keeping her eyes closed. "Ok bathrooms count, but what about closets?" She asked.

"If you and I can fit in them ….then they count." House answered moving his hands down to her stomach.

"By the way…what room do you want your parents to stay in if they decide to come and visit us in December?"

"Not fair." House said flatly, stopping his hands from rubbing against her stomach.

"We're talking sex …..not parents." He pointed out.

"If we talk about parents now, we won't need to TALK about sex later." Cuddy responded, moving House's hands back onto her stomach as the jets in the tub continued to surround them with bubbles.

"I already told you, my Mom's happy about the kid so there's nothing more to talk about." House said, looking down into the suds in the tub as his fingertips registered that the concave of her stomach had filled in just a bit.

"But you didn't tell me why you didn't ask your Mom to put your Dad on the phone so _you _could tell him about the baby." Cuddy said placing her hands overtop House's hands.

"I didn't tell him myself because I didn't feel like listening to my Dad telling me that I am too old and set in my ways to have a kid and that sooner or later I am going to fuck this up while asking me what the hell I was thinking by getting involved with you in the first place before he would tell me it isn't bad enough that my life is in the crapper, but now I'm dragging you and a kid right along with me." House said in a voice filled with bitterness and a hint of sadness.

Cuddy turned around and lifted her body up out of the water a bit so that she could sit on House's left thigh. "You don't really believe any of that stuff. Do you?" She asked, touching the side of his jaw with her palm, thereby making him look at her.

"Are you seriously going to tell me it's not true? That a forty-eight year old man _should _be having a kid? That a man who has been known to push his vicodin and alcohol consumption to limits at times _should_ be in a relationship with his boss? That this same man, who is prone to anger and violent outbursts _should _be around a small child?" House challenged looking her directly in the eyes as all of the doubts that had been hounding him recently released themselves upon her.

Cuddy took in a deep breath, swallowing hard before she spoke from the only place that she knew would reach him. "Did your father ever say one good thing about you? Did he ever once praise you or show you that he did in fact love you?" She whispered as her voice strained under her words… so concerned by the look of self loathing in his eyes right now she could feel it piercing her heart.

"Don't do that Lisa. Don't feel sorry for me. We both know I'm far from being father of the year material." House said sternly, trying to move her off of his lap.

"I don't feel sorry for _you!_" Cuddy argued, gripping his shoulders tightly, refusing to budge. "I feel sorry for your Dad, because it's obvious he's too much of jackass to see how _amazingl _you really are." She added staring back at him before she shivered.

House exhaled and rolled his eyes at her. "Your hormones are acting up again and you're cold, now get back into the water." He said moving her body down in front of him once more.

Cuddy allowed him to help her back into the warm bath water, but quickly turned her around, carefully swinging her legs over his right leg so she could face him while placing a hand upon his chest.

"I may be hormonal, but I'm telling you the truth. You live with pain _EVERYDAY_ and yet no matter how much your leg hurts you end up saving the lives of hundreds of patients a year who would most certainly die without your help and …even though you may be a bastard to deal with at times….you still manage to teach your fellows while keep your sense of humor how ever twisted it may be and in your own way you let me know how much you love me _EVERDAY _without saying it. And if that isn't enough to show anyone how truly amazing you really are…..then I don't know what is." She stated never letting her eyes leave his face.

House looked away from her and into the water…not sure what to say at that point, rubbing the skin of his thigh with his fingertips instead as he collected his thoughts.

This wasn't like them….wasn't like her to speak so openly about how much she truly thought of him and needed him, which told him she was scared as hell about losing him because of what he had said to her a few moments ago..the fact that ...unbelievably …in a way …..she still had not realized that after all they had been through he could leave her sode even if by some insane reason he tired to.

Clearing his throat he looked back up at her.

"My Dad doesn't see me like you do…never has and never will and he's going to be a real bastard, not only to me, but to you too if he does decide to come with my Mom and visit us." He finally said to her.

"I really don't care about what your Dad thinks and remember I'm a hormonal, pregnant woman. I'd like to see him try and take me on if he decides to come and visit us." Cuddy replied, reaching over to shut off the jets in the tub.

"Hey I still wanted to ride the waves." House protested reaching for the button.

"Oh you're going to be riding the waves alright mister." Cuddy whispered as she lowered her hand underneath the water.

"Just so I'm clear….we're done with parent talk and onto the sex part?" House asked looking up at Cuddy as her fingers started to gently stroke him.

"Less talking….more sex." Cuddy whispered back, before leaning in to kiss him.

*******************************************************

The next morning House woke up from his sleep suddenly, turning over to his right to look at the clock which read six am.

It was Saturday and there was no need for him to get up just yet, but……the words Lisa had spoken to him last night refused to rest, hanging onto his subconscious until they finally succeeding in waking him from his slumber.

Turning on his side once more in the opposite direction he looked over at her, lying on her side facing him, still fast asleep.

He studied the peaceful look upon her face, the stray raven curl that had fallen across her brow, the soft curves of her body that were covered up with the comforter.

He wondered if there would ever be a time when she would stop thinking that he was 'amazing' …..if he would ever push her so far that she would lose sight of the parts of him that made her smile and believe in him with a faith that was unyielding in its conviction.

The though sent a chill through him and knowing that there was no way he could go back to sleep now; House carefully eased himself out of their bed and headed for the kitchen.

Walking down the stairs he rubbed his thigh, it was sore and tired from the moving of objects it had endured and the sex with Lisa he had enjoyed…but because he had continued with his exercises as the weeks rolled by it did hurt considerably less than it would have if he had remained stagnant.

Reaching the kitchen he lifted up the top of the coffee maker to see if Cuddy had already filled it with water, which of course she had, the part of her that was designated by her genes to take care of him, making him smile as he rubbed the stubble on his jaw.

He turned the pot and as the coffee started to brew, limped over to the French doors of the kitchen and looking out into the backyard.

The leaves of the oak trees bordering the landscape had turned brilliant shades of orange, red, and yellow and would soon fall from the branches of the trees, creating a carpet of color on the ground below before the wind and rains to come would brush them aside for winter's arrival.

Movement on his left caused House to shift his gaze over and past the hedges to his left, down the slope of a small hill towards the road where a beat up, blue Honda civic had just pulled over to the curb.

He watched as a teenage couple exited the vehicle….the boy, who had been the passenger in the car, walking around the front of it towards the girl who had been the driver, the young kid quickly pulling her into an embrace.

The boy was tall and skinny with dark blonde hair. The girl, petite with long, dark brunette hair that traveled down the length of her back.

House felt a melancholy smile creep up into the corners of his mouth, watching the boy move his hand down to the girl's ass, giving it a smack as the couple talked and laughed, breaking the delicate silence of the early morning with their voices before the girl placed her hand over the boy's mouth saying some words of warning that House could not make out from inside his home before the couple turned in unison, looking over at the two story house on the other side of the street.

A long time ago he had been like that boy….in love with a girl in high school, recalling her name now from deep within his memory as well as the smell of her perfume, remembering how he too had snuck back to his house in the early morning hours after spending the night with her, so high from their conversations and the emotions that came with having sex with a girl who told him that she loved him and meant it with ever fiber of her being.

Leaning against the frame of the glass door House continued to watch them as the boy pulled away from the girl, heading towards the two story house across the street before the kid turned around quickly and ran up to the girl one last time, lifting her up and swinging her around as she muffled her laughter in the curve of his shoulder.

The boy then put her back down and kissed one last time, turning and heading into the backyard towards the basement door of the home before sneaking inside.

As the scene before him came to and end, House backed away from the French doors of his kitchen, limping over to the cabinets and opening the doors of the in search of a coffee cup before he noticed that Lisa had placed a mug next to the sink for him.

His index finger traced the rim of the cup as he again thought about his own past that often brought up bad memories along with the good ….. remembering the vivid memory of sneaking into the window of his old bedroom on one of the army bases he lived on with his parents after another date with the girl he loved in high school, barely beating the morning sun that was rising behind him.

He didn't even have time to speak a word before his father, who had been waiting up on him inside the bedroom punched him square in the jaw, sending him crashing against his dresser.

House took in a breath, trying to steady his hand that was shaking as he poured the coffee into the mug before he allowed his brain to continue with the events of his past, flooding his senses with the sounds of his dad yelling about the pot he had found in his sock drawer as well as the sounds of his mother's footsteps rushing into his bedroom before her voice pleaded with his dad to stop, her hand reaching for his dad's arm and holding it back from striking her son again as he stood up before his father, defiantly wiping the blood from his mouth with a smartass grin upon his face that matched the coldness in his father's eyes.

Placing his palms against the cool granite of the counter top, House titled his head back, exhaling deeply before taking in a deep breath through his nose, the hint of Lisa's perfume that still lingered in the surrounding air filling his nose in an instant, bringing him back to the present.

He took his cup in hand and limped over to the island of the kitchen running his fingers across the dark, smooth surface while remembering how good it felt listening to Lisa moan out with estacy and urge him on as the made love inside the room, how much he had come to covet the feeling of her body pressed against his own, the feeling of being inside of her. wrapped up in her warmth, the sounds of passion that escaped their lips, his sweat mixing in with the familiar scent of her perfume.

Over thirty years later after his first love he had finally found something with Lisa that not only matched the pureness of the first love, but indeed had superseded all of the emotions he had felt the first time he had feel in love with that girl back in high school.

Lisa embodied everything that any man could hope for. She understood him and loved him despite of all his flaws. She had put up with his crap for years, never wavering in her loyalty to him. He enjoyed her company, enjoyed the banter between them and enjoyed how she could give herself so freely to him both physically and mentally.

It was his thoughts of her that pulled House away from the dark memories of his past just as they had always seemed to do recently when they threatened to rain down upon him as she had...... in every sense of the word become a touchstone for him now, easing the frown on his face and replacing it with a devilish grin as he limped into the Study after a rather amusing idea inspired by the memory of her face struck him, coming out of nowhere, and brought to life by the Muse inside of him that danced around his thoughts of her.

As House worked pulled some paper out from the desk in the Study he found a renewed determination that no matter what he Father may thing or say to him, he was going to be a father to _his _child in ever sense of the word.. and…hopefully with Lisa helping he would end up being a hell of a lot better of father than his Dad had been to him.

********************************************************

"I can't believe you're up this early." Cuddy commented with as sleepy grin, walking into the kitchen and finding House eating a bowl of cereal in front of the center island.

"Who could sleep with all of your snoring?" House replied watching Cuddy reaching for the loaf of bread on the counter beside her and undoing the tie.

"I do not snore." Cuddy said defensively, pushing the knob down on the toaster after she had placed two slices of bread inside of it before heading to the refrigerator for some orange juice.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." House said smartly, watching Cuddy pause before opening the refrigerator door when she spotted the large piece of white paper hanging upon it.

Cuddy titled her head with an amused look her face, taking the paper off of the fridge and turning around to place it on the island as she looked over at House.

"What is this?" She questioned with a smirk.

"It's a chart. Boy you are really dense in the morning." House answered.

"I know it's a chart. But I am almost afraid to ask what type of chart it is." Cuddy replied, looking down at the neat rows and squared off sections House had created with the aid of a pencil and a ruler.

"The chart does have a title." House said, motioning for her to flip up the top of the paper that had been folded over.

Cuddy bit her bottom lip and unfolded the two inch wide strip of paper on top of the page.

"Hmmm…. 'Christening Chart' …how very nice and somewhat sleazy of you." She said with a wide grin.

"I thought you'd like it." House replied, moving beside her as he lifted his cereal bowl up to his mouth, loudly slurping the remaining milk out of it.

Cuddy shot him a disgusted look, rolling her eyes before she gazed back down at the chart.

"I see there are smiley face stickers on the items listed as 'Kitchen.. and.. Master Bathroom' that look oddly familiar…like the ones we hand out to kids in the clinic at the hospital." She commented.

"Smiley equals sex on the chart and sex equals smiley on my face…..see?" House said producing a wide, cheesy grin.

"Thanks for pointing that out for me. I would have never figured it out without your keen insight." Cuddy shot back sarcastically.

"So are you saying you don't like my chart?" House asked sticking out his bottom lip, watching Cuddy walk by him to retrieve her toast when it popped up.

"Actually….I love your chart." Cuddy replied squeezing House's ass and giving him a peck on the cheek as she walked back to the island carrying the toast she had buttered on a small plate.

"But there's no way in hell we can leave it up on the fridge." She added, before taking a bite of her toast.

"Why not?" House challenged, snatching a piece of her toast, loving the glare Cuddy gave him when he did.

"Because there's no way I am going to leave a 'Sex Chart' up on the refrigerator for my Mom and god knows who else to see." Cuddy replied, shaking her head in disbelief as she turned to open the door of the fridge so she could grab the carton of orange juice out from inside of it.

"I already have it all planned out." House answered, reaching for the cabinet behind him and pulling out two of the medium sized glasses.

"Oh really?" Cuddy said, arching an eyebrow before she poured the juice into the glasses House had placed on the counter.

"Yes…really..and I know you're going to like it." House said confidently before he continued.

"We can tell anyone who asked about the chart that the smiley faces represent the rooms you have '_Child Proofed' _for the kid since you and I both know you'll be doing that even though it's going to be a long time before the Rugrat even gets to scooting its ass around here causing mayhem." He stated proudly.

Cuddy took a sip of juice and nodded her head. "That's good, but you have to tear off the top of the sheet…because I don't think my mother or anyone else for that matter is going to buy that story if you leave the "Christening Chart" title on the paper."

"Your mom didn't know what I was talking about when I told her about eating your pie." House countered, snatching the paper away from her while grabbing for his glass of juice.

"Either take the top piece off…. _OR_… no chart on the fridge." Cuddy replied standing her ground.

"Fine, I'll do it …under one condition." House said placing the paper back on the counter. "We go for this place next." He said pointing to the place on the chart marked 'GARAGE'.

"Why do you want to have sex in garage next? It's cold and filled with boxes." Cuddy asked, leaning down to look at the paper.

"Because my motorcycle is in there and we are going to have sex on it ...even if it kills us both." House answered giving her a horny look.

"What if I fall …or you fall….or the bike falls ..with us on it?" Cuddy questioned with concern, placing her hand on her stomach.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head Preggo, I've got it all planned out." House said moving his hand to her hip and giving her a wink.

"You are just full of plans today, aren't you?." Cuddy replied with an admiring grin.

"Just wanted to make sure you know there's more to me than just my pogo stick." House responded, ripping the top piece of folded paper off of the chart before placing it back on the fridge.


	63. Chapter 63

**Hello everyone! Another chapter it up for your reading pleasure and thanks once again for the great feedback especially regarding the baby. I've always felt House and Cuddy could have a child without turning into a mushy suburban couple so it's nice to read that you guys also agree and think I'm doing a good job at keeping the spicy, sexy and bickering side of Huddy thriving along with a little tenderness thrown in now and again which I think the shows creator David Shore has shown us both Cuddy and House do indeed possess despite all the banter and games ;)**

**Chapter 63**

**Bill Martin's Residence……**

Two weeks later on a crisp autumn day, Ruth was sitting in the kitchen of Bill Martin's home, writing out a list of baby items, pausing for a moment and putting the end of pen she was writing with up to her mouth before she scribbled down a few more things.

Satisfied with her list, Ruth placed the pen down and glanced up at the clock pm the wall in front of her that read nine am.

_Lisa is going to have her ultrasound at eleven so hopefully by twelve I'll know if she's having a boy or a girl. I don't care which one it is, I just want the baby to be healthy,_ She thought with a smile, looking down at the paper in front of her before her thoughts unexpectedly took her in another direction.

The funny thing about making list is sometimes the thoughts attached to a list can lead to many different and strange places, taking you by the wrist and guiding you down a trail that is uneven and filled with things that try to make you stumble, things you wish you could avoid, but ones that you know need to somehow get around before all the things on your list can truly be fulfilled.

As thoughts of days from long ago and ones of not so long ago held tightly onto Ruth's wrist, leading down its path the smile fell from her face, replaced first by a look of fear until it surrendered into one of understanding.

"Only one piece of paper? I thought by now you'd have a notebook full of things for your grandchild." Bill joked smiling down at her.

"Oh Bill, I didn't even hear you come in." Ruth replied, smiling back up at him as he took the seat next to her.

"I bet you can't wait until you get that call from Lisa today." Bill said, taking her hand in his own.

Ruth nodded giving Bill's hand a squeeze, keeping the smile placed high upon her face.

"What's wrong?" Bill asked immediately, knowing that even when Ruth tried to hide behind her smile…….her eyes always gave her away.

Ruth sighed, looking down at the list on the table and then back over at Bill.

"Do you ever wish life would be as easy a list? That you can add things that you missed and cross off the stuff that you don't want or need to be reminded of?" She asked.

Bill placed his other hand over Ruth's.

"That a very deep question on such an important day." He said, moving one of his hands up to her face to caress her cheek while giving her a warm smile.

"Bill, I know everybody has regrets and I know I don't have to tell you any of mine because you already know what they are.....and I know I can't cross them out or pretend they never happened but ……..there's something I need to do. Something I need to accomplish so that I can be ready for my grandchild when he or she comes." Ruth said as her brown eyes now held an earnest and determined look within them.

"Ruth, what are you talking about?" Bill asked softly, concerned about the worry he was now seeing in her face.

Ruth took in a deep breath, keeping her eyes focused on Bill as her voice became small, her tone just above a whisper.

"I need to go and see a psychiatrist Bill. I need to make sure that I'm ok. That I can be trusted with my grandchild. That I won't slip back into that dark place again."

Bill felt the lump rise up in his throat…. he was not expecting this at all.

"Are you having nightmares again or suffering panic attacks that you haven't told me about?" He asked feeling his heart break a little bit when he spoke those words to her while praying that she would indeed quickly put and end to his fears.

"No." Ruth assured him. "I've been fine and happier than I ever dreamed I could be, but before I can be a good grandmother to Lisa's baby I have to address the things in my own past. I have to look at them and pull them all out. I know with you I've done that to some extent just recently.......but...... unless I complete that journey I'm afraid that someday whatever remains unresolved inside of me may come back again." She finished with her voice much stronger now than it had been when she first spoke of the psychiatrist.

Bill stayed silent for a moment before speaking, "Come here." He said softly, patting his lap.

"I can't …..I might break your hip." Ruth teased with a small smile.

"Come here." Bill repeated softly.

Ruth moved from her chair and onto Bill's lap, where he placed his arms around her, giving her a hug before he looked up at her.

"You are a very brave woman." He informed her before giving her a small kiss.

"I'm not brave." Ruth said dismissively. "The thought of going to a psychiatrist still scares the hell out of me, but I know it's the right thing to do." She whispered with one of her arms wrapped around his shoulders..

Bill gently rubbed Ruth's back with his left hand, looking deep into her eyes before he spoke.

"You know……I think I may know of a psychiatrist that could really help you. Someone who I think you would be very comfortable with. I could give her a call today and see if she would stop by sometime this week so you could meet her at the house first before you made a decision." He offered.

Ruth nodded her head in approval. "Ok." She replied back to him softly.

"So, is there anything else you need to put on this list?" Bill asked reaching for the paper on the table in front of them.

"Grandparenting classes." Ruth said with a smile as Bill held the list out in front of them both.

"I don't need a class to show me how to spoil my grandchild." Bill remarked as Ruth laughed.

"Just think of it Bill, by the time we are married in August our grandchild will be 3 months old." Ruth informed him with a happy smile.

Bill smiled back at her. "You know if you wanted to…… I would marry you right now. We could go down to the hospital, get the blood tests and head to the Justice of the Peace this afternoon." He responded, wrapping his arms around Ruth's waist.

"That would really be nice, but I'm afraid I've got way too many things to do on my list to do that today." Ruth said, with playful frown.

Bill sighed.

"Oh, well I guess the arrival of a Grandchild takes precedence over Grandpa's needs." He countered, playing along with a very sad voice.

"Bill, I think you need to look at the list again." Ruth urged, taking it from him and scribbling down something on the top of the paper while covering it up with her other hand so he could not sneak a peek at it.

"Here." Ruth then said offer him the paper after she had finished writing on it.

Bill smiled widely, reading the words she had written aloud.

"Practice for honeymoon with Bill immediately." He said with a laugh.

"I don't think you are taking my list seriously at all." Ruth pouted, playfully crossing her arms in front of her.

"Oh I am taking it seriously." Bill replied before scooping her up in his arms and rising out of the chair with her.

Ruth instantly wrapped her arms around Bill's neck.

"Bill! Put me down! You're too old to being do this!" She exclaimed, shocked and impressed at the same time by his strength as he carried her out of the kitchen.

"Honey, I'll never be too old for this and if I ever am……. there's always Viagra." Bill replied with a wink as he carried Ruth down the hall.

"You'll never make it up the stairs." Ruth warned, worried that Bill was biting off more than he could chew.

"Who says I'm going upstairs?" Bill replied with smirk before turning into the living room.

********************************************************

**OBGYN Clinic …11:15am……**

Inside one of the OBGYN clinic rooms, Cuddy was lying on the exam with her stomach exposed and a paper sheet draped across her hips.

Earlier she had removed the skirt she was wearing as well as her suit jacket, pulling her blouse up until it met with the hem of her bra.

Her abdomen now had a tiny bulge in the lower section of it just about her pubic bone, but thankfully she was still able to fit in most of her clothes, being mindful to keep her suit jackets on at all times now with her pants and skirts, thereby giving her the perfect camouflage to hide the small pregnant belly she was developing for a little while longer.

"You know you could pull that shirt up a little more while we're waiting." House whispered down to her as Cuddy's OBGYN, Dr. Taylor's back was turned to both of them while he prepared the ultrasound machine.

"Stop it." Cuddy whispered back to him sharply, grabbing House's hand and giving it a good squeeze.

"Ouch!" House yelled, causing Taylor to jump in his chair, turning around quickly to face them.

"If you're done making the mother of your child angry. I can start with the ultrasound." He then said, looking up at House as he stood beside the exam table.

"She started it." House shot back.

"I highly doubt that." Taylor answered getting up from his chair with the ultrasound probe in his hand.

"Figures he'd take your side." House muttered, looking down at Cuddy before looking back over at Taylor.

"What did she promise you? New exam tables with wider stirrups?" He asked.

Cuddy smacked House in the arm as he stood beside her. "I can't believe you're so worked up about losing this bet that you're taking it out on Taylor." She commented with a confident smile.

"I am not! And remember if I win…I get to name the kid. So you better get used to saying _Iggy Pop _when you call our child in for dinner." House informed her with a grin.

"So I take it the two of you are betting on the sex of the baby?" Taylor questioned with smirk, thoroughly amused with the couple before him.

"Yes." Cuddy confirmed with a smile.

"Good catch there Einstein." House replied, while Cuddy rolled her eyes.

"So who's thinking boy and who's thinking girl?" Taylor asked, opening up one of the drawers next to him and pulling out a small plastic bottle of the clear gel he would be using with the ultrasound wand.

"She's thinking Philly. I'm thinking Stud." House answered.

"Well then I guess we should get this show on the road so the two of you won't have to wait any longer." Taylor commented, seeing the anticipation on both of their faces.

"Ok Lisa this is going to be a little cold." Taylor then added before squirting some of the gel onto her abdomen.

Cuddy looked down at her stomach while Taylor moved the transducer across it.

"I can't see anything." House griped, titling the monitor more towards his as well as Lisa's view.

Taylor chuckled, glancing up at the screen as he continued to move the probe.

"House....look at how beautiful our baby is." Cuddy then suddenly whispered up to him, catching her breath and reaching for his hand as the image of their child on the monitor came into view.

House glanced down at Cuddy briefly before focusing back on the screen.

He wanted to keep that image of her face with him forever, locking it away in his memory to remind himself when he was pulled down into his darker thoughts of his mind why all the pain and bullshit he experience in this world was worth it.

"Ok guys, I'm going to move the transducer around a little bit more to getter a better view before I confirm the sex of the baby." Taylor said, positioning the probe off to the left just a bit.

As the images of the baby's anatomy shifted, all three doctors concentrated on the new images displayed on the screen….while of all of them hunted for the same thing.

"Welll.. it looks like…" Taylor started to say before Cuddy interrupted him.

"It's a girl!" She exclaimed with a huge smile.

"She's right." Taylor said with a grin, looking over at House.

"It's a girl…and that means you lose!" Cuddy remarked, looking up at House with a smile while squeezing his hand gently this time as she teased him.

"I heard you the first time you said it was a girl." House responded, disappointed that he lost the bet between them, however not disappointed at all by the sex of the child, squeezing Cuddy's hand back as she continued to smile up at him.

"So are you guys ready for me to print out a couple images of your daughter now?" Taylor asked, looking away from the monitor and over towards House and Cuddy.

"Not so fast Taylor…..you need to check my kid out a little more thoroughly first before you get snap happy." House commented, nodding back to the screen and wanting to look at the images just a little longer to make sure that everything was indeed ok with _his daughter_.

Once again three sets of eyes narrowed in on the screen as Taylor moved the transducer around on Cuddy's abdomen, each pair of eyes from the three doctors they belonged to, checking for things that may be odd, out of place, or cause for concern.

After a few minutes the silence was broken by sound of Cuddy's voice.

"She's perfect." Cuddy whispered, moving her eyes up to House to make sure he agreed with her diagnosis.

"She is." House agreed simply with a nod before both he and Cuddy both looked over at Taylor for his take on the ultrasound.

"Wow..... for a moment there I wasn't sure you guys even knew I was still in the room." Taylor said jokingly before continuing.

"Lisa, I am happy to say you have a perfectly normal and healthy baby girl growing inside of you." He added with a more professional tone before focusing his eyes on House.

"So am I allowed to get snap happy now?" Taylor asked while giving House a smartass look.

********************************************************

**Lisa Cuddy's Office…..**

As Cuddy and House walked briskly by Cindy's desk she gave them both a huge and excited grin, noticing the manila envelope tucked under Cuddy's arm which she deducted had to have the ultrasound pictures of the baby inside of them.

Immediately House's eyes zoned in on Cindy's face.

"Forget it ball breaker. The only way you're going to find out the sex of my kid is by screwing Wilson and getting him to spill the beans……_if you can_." He snarked, sticking out his tongue at her before he followed Cuddy into her office, purposefully shutting the door and locking it behind them.

"I don't know why you have to be so mean to her." Cuddy remarked placing the envelope on her desk before reaching for her cellphone resting beside it.

"I can't help it, Cindy's like the younger, dummier, bustier little sister I never had." House answered, taking his cell phone out of his suit jacket pocket.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy asked sharply, looking over at him as she flipped her phone open.

"I'm calling Wilson to tell him the kid is a girl." House replied.

"Oh no you don't. I am going to call my mother first so _we c_an tell her the baby's a girl." Cuddy instructed walking up to him and reaching for his phone.

"Sorry..but you're not the boss of me when it comes to our kid." House informed her smugly, pulling his phone back just before she went to take it from him.

"Wilson's knew about the pregnancy before my mother did!" Cuddy argued placing her hands on her hips.

"That's your fault for being all _glowing_…. not his." House reminded her.

Cuddy sighed and looked away for a minute….. he did have her there.

"Why don't you call your mom and I'll call my mom. Then afterwards you can go and tell Wilson face to face." She offered.

"The purpose of telling Wilson over the phone is so I can hang up on him if he gets too annoying about the whole thing." House stated, dodging her offer for him to call his mother.

"Are you afraid your Dad will pick up the phone?" Cuddy asked carefully.

"NO." House said putting emphasis on the word.

"Then call your mom first." Cuddy said, touching his arm. "You know it would mean the world to her."

House exhaled and sat down on the couch with Cuddy following his lead by sitting next to him.

He gave her a sideways glance as they both pressed the buttons on their phones at the same time, the mirrored actions between them continuing as both of them leaned back against the couch.

"Hi mom." House and Cuddy then said in unison as both of their mothers answered at the same time on the other end of the line.

As their separate conversations ensued with similar questions, each of them paused, listening to the excited voice on the other end of the phone which was elated after hearing the news of the baby's sex.

After a few more minutes House and Cuddy turned to face each other, switching phones and talking for a little while longer to the prospective grandmothers before exchanging the phones again and hanging up.

Cuddy then closed her phone, holding it in her hand while looking over at House with a smile.

Tucking his phone back into his suit jacket, House moved his hand to Cuddy's waist, unbuttoning her suit jacket and placing his palm onto her stomach.

"What do you think you're doing?" She questioned with surprise, ready to slap his hand away.

House rolled his as at her, dismissing her concern that he was going to jump her inside her office. "So when are we going to let the cat or rather the kid out of the bag to everyone around here?" He asked with interest.

"Actually I planned on calling Chase into my office later today so the gossip as well as the betting can begin." Cuddy replied with an evil smile.

"So how much of a cut are you going to take?" House questioned, looking down at Cuddy's abdomen and spreading out his fingers before they started to trace the perimeter of her pregnant womb.

"I don't want a cut. I just want to make it clear to Chase that there are certain ground rules involved with the bet he's going to be starting.... under my supervision of course." Cuddy answered while looking down at his hand and marveling at how gently his fingers were moving over their daughter currently.

"Your hormones are throwing off you sense of greed. You need to get a cut of the action or at least let me cut of the action." House stated before he tilted his head as he looked back up at her. "And by the way it also looks like you're still a little horny even after having sex in the showe with me this morning." He remarked in a low whisper, moving his hand to the side of her hip.

"Regardless of what you may think….I can control my sexual urges despite my hormones." Cuddy replied back to him defensively while furrowing her brow.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you were not just thinking about me doing you on this couch right now." House challenged with a piercing glare.

At that precise moment Wilson walked into the outer office, stopping to talk to Cindy first before he reached for the doorknob to Cuddy's office.

"I think Wilson wants to see us." Cuddy said with a smug face watching as Wilson stared intently in at them while feverishly jiggling the handle of the locked door as he caught her gaze.

"So let him watch." House teased with a whisper,brushing his thumb against her stomach before letting out a sigh of frustration and leaning back from her as Cuddy got up from the couch, heading towards the door.

As soon as Cuddy disengaged the lock Wilson entered into the room before quickly closing the door behind him.

"Well?" He asked with an excited face looking at Cuddy first and then House as he stood up from the couch inside the office.

"No answers until you buy me lunch first." House stated.

Wilson exhaled and glanced towards Cuddy.

"Lisa?" He asked with hopeful eyes.

"Sorry Wilson, I've got a meeting to go to." Cuddy replied matter-of-factly, reaching for the leather bound agenda on her desk.

"You just have to say if it's a boy or girl!" Wilson exclaimed, shocked at Cuddy's refusal to tell him the baby's sex as she then walked past him, reaching for the doorknob before turning around abruptly to face him once more.

"You know Wilson… I guess I should tell you whether the baby is boy or girl, but…… I seem to recall a certain oncologist, who for months now has delighted in throwing some _oh so funny _little jabs my way regarding not only me, but the father of my child as well." Cuddy said with a sweet, animated tone before she stepped closer to him.

"You know Wilson….you really should know after years of dealing with House that paybacks can be a real bitch sometimes." She then added before looking over at House and addressing him.

"Make sure you go _out _for lunch with Wilson, somewhere really upscale like Lahiere's on Witherspoon. Then, order the most expensive thing on the menu you can find and bring something back for me as well. Oh and don't forget to get dessert before you tell him the sex of the baby." Cuddy instructed with a grin before turning on her heels and leaving.

House smiled widely, watching Cuddy as she walked out into the hallway.

"I can't believe she just did that." Wilson remarked, somewhat dumbfounded by her actions.

House slapped Wilson on the back while keeping the grin on his face.

"Ready to go to Lahiere's?" He then asked his still bewildered friend.

********************************************************

**John and Blythe's Residence…..**

After hanging up the phone with her son, Blythe looked out of the bay window in the living room as her husband John stood underneath the maple tree in their front yard, raking the fallen leaves beneath it into a neat and orderly pile.

Her eyes focused in on his movements which were sharp, defined and filled with purpose, his tall frame, strong and unyielding as he took rough strokes with the rake at the leaves beneath his feet.

"Prove me wrong this time John.....show me that you can at least have some sense of happiness about this baby." Blythe whispered to herself hopefully, before heading to the closet and retrieved her fall jacket.

The sound of the rake scraping against leaves, grass and dirt drifted up to Blythe's ears as she approached John…the rhythm he was making with the yard tool as timed and steady as marching soldiers.

John glanced up at her briefly when her figure cast a shadow on the ground below him before returning to the chore at hand.

"I just got done talking to Greg and Lisa on the phone." Blythe announced, looking over at John as he continued focus on raking the leaves.

"You did let them know we're only staying for two days when visit them next month right?" John asked dryly, pulling the leaves into a tighter pile.

"Yes, I did." Blythe answered. "By the way…Lisa had her ultrasound today and they found out she's having a girl."

John stopped raking and looked over at her.

"A girl huh? Well at least when our son screws up, Lisa won't have to go through the struggle of raising a boy all on her own." He said bluntly before turning and focusing back on the pile leaves. Once again starting up the melodic disciplined rhythm of his rake.

"Why do you have to say things like that?" Blythe asked, keeping her voice strong, refusing to let him see how much his words had hurt her.

Again John looked up at her, but this time he kept on raking.

"I'm being realistic Blythe. We both know Greg is prone to excessive behavior. He always has been ever since he was boy. Add to that his abusive need for pain killers as well as his stubbornness and recklessness nature and it's only going to be a matter of time before he pushes Lisa and their baby away from him when they get in the way of his own needs." John replied before looking back down at the leaves, thereby letting Blythe know that he had basically dismissed her from the conversation.

Blythe stood in silence for a moment, feeling the cold breeze that suddenly picked up around her go through the jacket she was wearing, watching the neat pile of leaves John had just finished raking scatter into the wind and across the lawn.

"Damn it!" John exclaimed, throwing his rake down in frustration as the leaves blew away from him.

"I'm going into town to buy some presents for the baby. I made you a sandwich for lunch and it's in the fridge. I'll be back in a few hours." Blythe said with a monotone voice as she watched the lines of anger over the scattered leaves wrinkle his face.

"John……" Blythe said once more, getting ready to repeat herself.

"I heard you." He answered with an irritated tone, giving her a cold stare before he picked up the rake and walked to the edge of the lawn where most of the leaves had traveled.

Blythe turned, walking back towards the front door of the house so that she could retrieve her purse off of the kitchen table before leaving in her car.

"You're wrong John, your son will not screw up with his child the way you did with him." She whispered under her breath as the cold wind bit at the roundness of her cheeks.

********************************************************

**PPTH Lisa Cuddy's Office……**

"You wanted to see me?" Chase said entering into Cuddy's office as she sat behind her desk.

"Take a seat and close the door behind you." Cuddy instructed looking up from her computer monitor.

After closing the door, Chase walked the distance one of the chairs in front of Cuddy's desk and sat down.

"Did I do something wrong?" Chase asked not sure why Cuddy had paged him, stressing she needed to see him as soon as possible.

"I need you to take at look at this." Cuddy said handing over the ultrasound image of her baby to Chase.

Chase reached for the printout, his thumb covering up the name of the patient whose baby he was looking at.

He narrowed his eyes at the photo and studied it for a few minutes before he looked back at Cuddy.

"I don't understand? This is an ultrasound of a normal looking baby girl. There are no abnormalities that I can see." He stated.

"Look at the name of the patient." Cuddy instructed, holding back her smile.

Chase lifted his thumb from the corner of the printout. His eyes growing wide as his jaw dropped.

"This is you!" He exclaimed with shock.

"Now I can see why House hired you. Your diagnostic skills are top notch." Cuddy teased with a smile, taking the ultrasound image from him.

"But that baby is at sixteen weeks gestation. And you don't look." Chase started to say as his eyes traveled down to her breasts before quickly looking back at her face.

"Oh …um yeah..your breasts…well… I just thought maybe you got some new bras or something." He blurted out still in shock.

Cuddy let the remark slide considering that she did just drop a bomb on the unsuspecting fellow.

"So now that you know about the baby, let's talk business." She said leaning back in her chair and resting her hands on her stomach.

"Huh?" Chase questioned as his eyes darted down to Cuddy's abdomen.

"Chase!" Cuddy said sharply, snapping her fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

"You and I both know that this news is a golden opportunity for you." She then added as his eyes focused back on her.

"Doctor Cuddy I would never…"Chase started to say before she cut him off.

"Save the speech Chase. You and I both know this baby is going to be the talk of the entire hospital. And I have no problems with you betting on the baby …but….there are some rules I need you to follow." She explained.

"Wait….so you're actually encouraging me to take bets on your baby?" Chase asked, looking down at Cuddy's stomach again briefly before looking back into her eyes.

"Yes….but only because it's going to benefit a good cause." Cuddy confirmed.

"What House's wallet?" Chase asked with a sarcastic tone.

Cuddy gave him a warning look before she continued.

"The NICU is in need of hats, booties and receiving blankets for the newborns and even though these are of course necessities for them, unfortunately they are not as important to the budget committee as the expensive equipment used to keep the babies in the NICU alive. With that being said I want half of all proceeds from this bet going to the NICU for these items along with a twenty five dollar bet minimum for all of those who wish to participate."

Chase nodded in agreement. "Fair enough." He agreed, "Any other stipulations I should know about?"

"Yes. Since you and I along with House and Wilson will already know this baby is a girl there's no point in guessing the baby's sex because I'm sure that news will get out rather quickly, so I think the bet should be about the baby's weight, length and date of delivery." Cuddy answered.

"Ok…so that's it?" Chase questioned starting to get up from the chair.

"Not so fast Chase ….sit back down." Cuddy remarked, pointing to the chair.

Chase stopped his progress and sat back down into the chair as she had instructed him to.

Honing in her gaze on him, Cuddy once more began to speak. "As you know Chase….some very important people walk through these doors on a daily basis so I want you to make sure this betting thing does not get out of hand because if a see any presence of it in these hallways……_YOU_ are not going to be happy…understand?" She asked.

"I understand." Chase said, exchanging a glance with Cuddy before he got up to leave. "By the way." He then added, stopping while turning around to face her once more.

"Yes?" Cuddy asked.

"Congratulations on the baby and you look terrific." Chase informed her with a sincere smile.

"Keep kissing up to me like that Chase and you'll be running your own department one day." Cuddy said with a smile of her own.

"I wasn't kissing up ….I meant it." Chase told her honestly.

"I know, and that's why one day you _will_be running your own department because much like your current boss….you do care despite all of the smartass remarks to the contrary." Cuddy replied before picking up the telephone that had begun to ring on her desk.

Chase held his gaze upon her for a few more seconds before he turned and left the office.

"I don't' know what's more shocking. Receiving a compliment like that from Cuddy or the fact that House is going to the Daddy of a little girl." He said to himself as he made his way out of Cuddy's office and over to the elevators down the hall.

********************************************************

**Lahiere's on Witherspoon……**

Inside ther very posh resturant, House leaned back in his chair, wiping his mouth with the napkin he had placed on his lap earlier before emptying the wine glass to his right with one long swallow as Wilson sat across from him at the table, giving him a glare.

"Ok!" Wilson exclaimed, "You've had two appetizers, two entrees, two glasses of wine and two desserts, as well as ordering another complete meal plus dessert for the mother of your child. Now tell me the sex of the baby!" He demanded, catching his breath after the mouthful of words he had just spoken.

House looked over at Wilson and smiled, reaching for the breadsticks in the center of the table.

"Sorry…not quite done yet." He said before Wilson grabbed the basket, pulling it over to his side of the table.

"Either talk now or I'm shoving these breadsticks up your uretha." Wilson warned with a scowl.

House chuckled, placing his napkin down on the table 'Oh calm down Uncle Jimmy.......Lisa's having a girl." He told him with a smile, deciding the man had suffered enough.

"A girl!!" Wilson repeated with a huge smile.

"That's what I said." House replied, snatching the bread basket from him.

"This is great……just great. You're going to have to play dress up with her and attend tea parties. I can't wait!!" Wilson chuckled, watching House as he stop chewing on the end breadstick he had just popped into his mouth.

"Not going to happen." House said back flatly.

"Oh sure it won't." Wilson said smugly.

"Oh waiter!" House yelled over to the server across the room, patiently waiting for the man to come to the table before continuing. "I think I need to add some additional items to our take out order."

"House this is already going to cost me over a hundred bucks!" Wilson said through gritted teeth, leaning closer to his friend.

"Maybe then you should learn to keep your mouth shut." House replied before popping the rest of the breadstick into his mouth.

********************************************************

**Cuddy/House Residence…….**

Later that evening after eating dinner, House and Cuddy headed up to the future bedroom of their daughter where a rather wide cardboard box containing the baby's crib lay on the carpeted floor beneath them.

House was still wearing the jeans and t-shirt he had put on this morning however Cuddy had changed into a white t-shirt and navy blue yoga pants.

"What the hell is this?" House asked after opening up the box and pulling out a piece of white paper that was folded at least a half a dozen times as he gingerly sat down on the carpeted floor of the bedroom.

"I believe those are what referred to as i_instructions_." Cuddy answered back to him smartly, sitting down on the floor beside him while holding a small plate in her hands that held a decadent chocolate pecan tart purchased by Wilson from Lahiere's at House's request.

As House gave her a glare, Cuddy smiled, putting a forkful of the tart into her mouth while trying not to laugh.

"Either share the dessert or get the hell out." House informed her with a gruff tone.

Cuddy laughed, moved the fork back onto the plate and pressing the tines down into the thick chocolate pastry before nudging House to open his mouth.

"Here grumpy." She then said with a pouted lip watching as House wrapped his mouth around the fork before pulling the dessert from it.

House closed his eyes, enjoying the sweet taste of the dessert on his tongue combined with the nutty flavor of pecans. "God that is good….Wilson really is the best." He joked before looking back at the rather large piece of paper he had just unfolded.

Letting out a sigh, House pulled his reading glasses down from the top of his head and placed them on his face as he started to review the iinstructions.

"Ok, please tell me how any moron that doesn't know you should never leave a child in a crib with the side rail down is also going to know how to fit Bolt A into the metal insert B." He muttered.

As he spoke, Cuddy leaned closer to him, her shoulder pressing against his own as she studied the wording on the paper.

"It says right there that _two _people should put this crib together. Which means you should have listened to me earlier when I told you to wait until the weekend so that Bill or Wilson could help you." She said, pointing to the sentence she had just read with her fork.

House wrinkled his face at her, dropping the instructions onto his lap.

"I don't want either of them to help me because they will annoy the crap out me." He informed her.

"I probably could help you with most of it." Cuddy offered, shrugging her shoulders.

"What makes you think you are any less annoying than Bill or Wilson?" House asked before nodding down to her stomach. "Besides she's your first priority, not crib assembly." He stated simply.

Cuddy smiled and touched her stomach with left hand while holding the small plate in her right hand.

"It's really nice to be able to refer to the baby as a 'she' now." She replied looking back over at House.

"You know what would even be nicer?" House questioned.

"What?" Cuddy asked.

"Calling her by her _name_." He stated, looking directly into Cuddy's eyes.

"You know I am really surprised you've held out for this long without badgering me about that." Cuddy remarked, lifting up the fork with the last bit of the tart on it for him to eat.

House took the fork from her and placed the piece of smooth chocolate into his mouth before he pointed the utensil back at her.

"It's not badgering to want to know the name of my own kid, created by the fruit of my loins. So spill it." He demanded, keeping the fork pointed in her direction.

Cuddy caressed her stomach again, looking down at it tenderly before looking back up at House.

"I want to name our baby Jessica." She then told him in a soft voice.

The name she had spoken instantly registered inside House's brain, making the look on his face change into one as serious as his thoughts.

"You want to name our baby after the little girl who your mother tried to save all of those years ago after Crane had abducted her?" House asked slowly as his gaze stayed steady upon her.

"Yes." Cuddy confirmed with a nod. "I want to bring joy back to that name instead of sorrow. That little girl was taken away form this world far too soon by a horrible man before her life even had a chance to really begin. So by naming our daughter Jessica I was thinking I can take away the pain associated with the name and replace it with something beautiful."

House studied Cuddy's face as she spoke, amazed at how her mind sometimes worked.

"Did you talk to your mom about the name yet?" He asked.

"No. I wanted to talk to you first. To see what you thought about it." Cuddy informed him.

"I like the name…..it's feminine but not too girlie. Plus I can call her Jess….and…I like that." He said honestly, handing the fork back to her.

"What do you think my mom is going to say? Do you think she'll be ok with it?" Cuddy questioned, placing the empty plate with the fork on top of it beside her on the carpet.

House paused for a moment before he spoke.

"I think you mom will like any name you pick for her grandchild, but I actually think naming our child Jessica will give her a sense of comfort in someway." He said, assuring her it was indeed a good idea before he continued.

"Now what about a middle name?" He asked.

"She's going to have two of them." Cuddy replied with a small smile.

"Oh god. Why pray tell does she need two middle names?" House asked shifting his position on the floor and pulling his left leg up so he could rest his elbow on his knee.

"Because Jessica has two grandmothers." Cuddy answered, amused with the surprised look that appeared on his face after she spoke.

"Go ahead….let's hear it." House responded, gesturing his hand towards her to speak the entire configuration of their daughter's name.

"Her name is going to be ...Jessica Blythe Ruth Cuddy-House." She announced with a grin.

"The poor kids going to have carpel tunnel by the time she reaches the third grade!" House groaned even though he did like the idea of the use of both of their mother's names.

"She'll only have to write her first and last name…..or rather hyphenated last name most of the time when she's in school." Cuddy argued back playfully.

House shifted his eyes over at her with a mock scowl before leaning down and addressing the baby inside her womb.

"Just remember Jess, you could have had a cool name like Iggy Pop…instead of one as long as the Magna Carta." He snarked.

"That so sweet! You're already giving our baby a History Lesson." Cuddy teased moving her hand to the back of his neck and rubbing her thumb against his skin.

House looked up at her once more before he looked back down at her belly.

"Close your eyes Jess…..while I teach _your _mommy another type of _lesson_." He said, removing his glasses and placing them next to the plate on the floor before he pushed Cuddy gently down onto the carpet, positioning himself on top of her as his thighs spread open her hips so he could nestle inside of them.

"What about the crib?" Cuddy questioned with a laugh, squirming as House nuzzled her neck.

"I'll get Wilson and Bill to put it together." He whispered against her skin as his hands moved up to her hips.

********************************************************

After making love to Cuddy on the floor of what would be their child's bedroom House had reached for her hand, guiding her down the hallway with him so they could take a shower together in the master bathroom before climbing into bed with her and underneath the soft down comforter.

It was now only ten thirty, but Cuddy had already been asleep for over a half hour in their bed.

Taking his eyes away from her sleeping form, House carefully reached for the printout of the ultrasound on his nightstand, reaching for his reading glasses next to them as he brought the image close to his face, studying every detail of his child that had been captured by the machine.

His index finger traced the curve of the baby's spine before he moved it up to the tiny bridge of the baby's nose.

_She's got a cute nose,_ House thought with a small smile, glancing over at Lisa for a moment.

"_Don't know if it's your nose or mine yet…because it's still too early too tell."_ He whispered softly over to her, focusing his gaze back on the ultrasound image which he studied for a few more minutes before placing the film along with his glasses back onto the nightstand, turning slowly onto his side to face Lisa as she remained locked inside her dreams.

Once he was back in a laying position, House then carefully moved his hand overtop of Lisa's hand that was resting on her abdomen, taking up the open space between her fingers, feeling the warmth underneath them.

"She's beautiful." Cuddy mumbled in her sleep, a small smile creeping up upon her face as she stayed within the borders of her dream.

House studied her smile, etching the memory of it into his mind before his eyes lowered once more to Lisa's stomach.

_"Goodnight Jess." _He then whispered to his unborn child under the pale glow of moonlight that filtered into the bedroom, keeping his hand in the place where his future was resting as he settled down onto the pillow beneath his head.


	64. Chapter 64

**More fun ahead guys! Thanks once again for the great reviews:)**

**Chapter 64**

Two weeks later on a Friday morning, Cuddy awoke to the sound of her alarm clock buzzing in the right side of her ear.

Turning on her side, she fumbled with the alarm before shutting if off, her eyes remaining closed until her ears registered to her brain the sound of the shower running inside of the master bathroom.

Opening up her eyes, Cuddy looked over at the other side of the bed where House should have been, finding his side of the bed empty. Sitting up she rubbed the last bit of sleep out of her eyes before swinging her legs over the side of the mattress and spotting a pair of House's sneakers along with a pile of his dirty clothes, consisting of sweat pants, a t-shirt and a hooded sweatshirt lying in a heap beside his dresser.

The sneakers had a few blades of grass sticking to the bottom of their soles along with a few fine shreds of mulch, those clues.... telling her instantly where he been as the sun had begun to rise over the horizon, causing a small smile to form on her face.

For that past several weeks now, after they were done with work and even sometimes on the weekends the both of them had started a routine of walking together down to the neighborhood park a few blocks away.

Initially Cuddy had brought up the idea of the walks as a way for her to stay in shape while she was pregnant, shocked at first when House informed her that he would go with her to the park.

_He's gaining more mobility in his leg and now he's adding some additional walking to his routine_, Cuddy thought, with the smile still remaining on her face as she stretched her arms towards the ceiling, getting ready to exit the bed and head into the bathroom when a slight tenderness in her breasts halted her progress.

"Oh my god!" She whispered aloud into the bedroom with shock, looking down at her breasts just as the shower inside the master bathroom was shut off by House.

With her eyes open wide, Cuddy continued gazing down at her breasts in disbelief, touching the left one tentatively with her fingertips.

They had seemed to have grown a full cup size…..literally overnight, the rounded tops of them peeking up at her proudly through the ivory, v-necked satin nightgown she was wearing.

Taking in a breath, Cuddy quickly pulled the nightgown over her head, needed to see her breasts free from the fabric that surrounded them tightly in order to better asses their grown.

At that very same moment House walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair damp and unruly from the rough towel dry he had given it.

"OH…..MY…..GOD!" He exclaimed, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head as he stopped dead in his tracks.

"I don't understand! I know they've gotten a little bigger as the weeks have gone by but this …this is _insane_. It's like they hit a growth spurt overnight!" Cuddy exclaimed, looking over at House with a bewildered expression.

"It's a miracle." House whispered with a wide smile, walking up to Cuddy and gingerly kneeling in front of her, gently pushing her thighs apart so he could be at eye level with his favorite twins.

"This is no time for jokes!" Cuddy said with a bit of panic in her voice. "I did by some larger bras because I knew this would happen, but I'm really not sure if they'll fit me now."

House did not even acknowledge her words, completely mesmerized by the sight before him. Looking at Cuddy's breasts like a man dying of thirst in the desert who has just stumbled upon a life saving oasis.

"House!" Cuddy yelled with frustration.

"Huh?" He answered, looking up at her briefly before focusing back on the twins.

"Great…. I don't know why I thought you'd provide me any type of compassion or reassurance." Cuddy muttered, placing both of her hands up to her forehead, beginning to rub it.

Cuddy's movements caused her breasts to jiggle just a bit, which caused House to plant his hands firmly on her thighs as he looked up at her with a beseeching expression.

The look on House's face temporarily pushed aside the anxiety Cuddy was feeling for the moment as she sighed in acceptance to her newly acquired anatomy, unable to keep from smiling down at his irresistible pleading face.

"Go ahead." She then told him, watching as House eagerly moved his hands to her breasts.

"They're so beautiful." House whispered with wide eyed wonder while cupping her fuller, rounder and incredibly gorgeous breasts in his hands.

"Ouch! Take it easy." Cuddy said, drawing in a quick breath.

"Sorry……" House said quickly, looking up at her. "I'm really sorry…I promise I'll be careful." He added before he moved his lips to her left breast, kissing it softly.

Cuddy smiled again, moving her hand to the back of his head as House then started to kiss each of her breasts with a the feather light touch of his lips.

"Ok you've had your fun…now I've got to get ready for work." She whispered down to him after a few seconds.

"No yet." House murmured with his lips pressing against her left nipple, before he carefully took it into his mouth, gently rubbing his tongue across it.

"Greg….I can't be late." Cuddy whispered, holding back the moan that was trying to escape her mouth as House then moved his right hand down from her small rounded belly, towards the lace panties she wearing.

"We've played this little game before remember… and…you I both know you want this as much as I do." House said in a low whisper, kissing the hollow base of her throat as his fingers slid into the front of her panties.

Cuddy really wanted to say no, but the current spell her pregnancy had cast on her refused to be broken, reminding her of the tremendous orgasms she experienced whenever they made love which were frankly just too damn good to pass up at this point.

When House felt Cuddy place her hand on the side of his jaw, drawing his face up towards hers so they could share a kiss he knew once again that he was going to be one lucky bastard and that she would be moaning out his name within a matter of minutes.

********************************************************

**Later that morning…House's conference Room……**

"How's Cuddy doing?" Cameron asked as House limped over to the coffee pot.

"Just because you call her Cuddy doesn't mean I like you snooping into my personal business any less." House replied reaching for the red mug resting on the counter.

"I'm not snooping. I just wanted to know how she was doing." Cameron said defensively.

"Still knocked up the last time I checked, but if you don't want to take my word for it…why don't you go and ask Cuddy yourself." House replied before taking a sip of the coffee he had poured into the mug while his eyes watched Chase as he entered into the conference room with them.

"What's your excuse for being late? Something come UP last night with that nurse on the fifth floor you're always checking out?" House asked his fellow.

"Actually I was down in Ped's taking bets on your pregnant girlfriend. Who by the way....looks very good this morning." Chase replied with a smirk before sitting down next to Cameron.

House smirked back at Chase.

"Makes you wanna knock up Cameron..dosen't it?" House said, letting a smile briefly take up residence on his face.

Cameron gave both men an annoyed glare.

"Gee, let me guess. Cuddy's boobs are looking especially well today?" She asked with a bite to her voice.

"Not especially well……EXCEPTIONALLY well." House corrected before he added. "And by the way jealously does not become you at all.

"I'm not-" Cameron started to say before House cut her off.

"Well I'd really like to stay here and chat about Cuddy's boobs with you, but……I need to find a good hiding spot to get out of clinic duty before I check in on Cuddy's boobs later this afternoon." House said before he left the conference room and headed down the hallway.

Cameron turned and looked over at Chase, narrowing her eyes.

"What's with the sudden fascination with Cuddy's boobs?" She asked.

"Well, there are kinda hard to miss right now and I am a man after all, in case you forgot." Chase answered.

"Oh, I know you're a man, but the question is just what kind of MAN are you?" Cameron questioned as a flush started to appear on her face.

Chase let out a soft chuckle. "Good thing what kind of man I am isn't something that you have to worry about anymore." He replied back to her smartly before getting up out of his seat.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Cameron asked him sharply after the blow he had just delivered to her ego.

"Since we currently don't have a case I'm thinking of going up to the fifth floor to see of Nurse Becky needs any help." Chase responded with an evil grin before leaving Cameron by herself in the conference room.

********************************************************

**Friday Afternoon~~~ Cuddy's Office….**

"Where is she?" House asked Cindy, pointing into Cuddy's empty office with his cane as he stood before her desk.

Cindy rolled her eyes and kept focusing on her typing.

"Lisa or rather….Doctor Cuddy took the afternoon off to try on dresses with her mother who's getting married in the summer. Maybe you've heard of her ..I believe her name is Ruth Cuddy." She replied flatly.

"That's today?" House asked looking down at Cindy... or rather looking down at her exposed cleavage.

"Yes that's today and as soon as I'm done typing up this memo, I'm heading to Davidson's Bridal shop to meet up with them as well as James.... and quit staring at my chest." Cindy shot back, glaring up at him for a brief moment.

"Lisa's boobs are now bigger then yours now Dolly Parton." House announced to her proudly.

"Whatever idiot." Cindy remarked, rolling her eyes before saving the document she was working on.

"Great comeback bimbo." House replied sarcastically, before leaning on his cane and deciding to terrorize her for a few more minutes.

********************************************************

**Davidson's Bridal Shop…..**

Meanwhile across town Lisa and Ruth had just gotten done picking out an assortment of dresses to try on, handing them off to the saleswoman that was helping them so she could take them back into the dressing room.

While waiting for Wilson to join them and give his opinion on the dresses mother and daughter sat on the couch in circular fitting area of the shop.

"Mom are you sure you're ok with me naming the baby Jessica?" Cuddy asked her mother carefully.

"Lisa, like I told you last week I think it's a very lovely and touching idea." Ruth assured her, placing her hand on top of her daughter's hand that was resting on her lap.

"Thanks mom, I just wanted to be sure because of all you're dealing with right now regarding the wedding." Cuddy replied.

"Plus the fact that I'm seeing a shrink doesn't help either." Ruth added, deciding that now was as good a time as any to let Lisa know she had been seeing a psychiatrist named Doctor Helen Reed that Bill had recommended to her a few weeks ago.

'Mom are you ok? Are you experiencing the panic attacks again?" Lisa immediately asked with concern.

"Don't worry honey, it's nothing like that. I have been doing great, but ..well…with the baby coming I just needed to talk to someone about what happened to me all those years ago when I was a young girl so I can finally deal with it and be a good grandmother to Jessica when she's born." Ruth explained, tenderly looking down at Lisa's stomach.

"Mom, you really are an incredible person." Cuddy whispered to her with an impressed smile.

"You're just saying that because I'm your mother." Ruth teased trying to downplay the compliment with a small laugh as she looked over at her daughter, while behind them the bell on the shop door rang, announced the arrival of another patron.

"Hey guys. Did you try anything on yet?" Wilson asked, walking up to them both.

Cuddy gave her mother another quick smile before addressing Wilson, "Trying on dresses before the Wedding Planner gets here? We wouldn't dream of it." She said with a smirk.

"Don't call me that." Wilson replied with a grimace.

"Well then what should we call you?" Ruth asked with a smirk of her own.

Wilson bit down on the inside of his bottom lip, raising his eyes towards the ceiling in thought.

"Wedding Coordinator…yeah that's sounds pretty masculine. Don't you think?" He asked both of them with a nod.

"Ok Wedding Coordinator. So are we free to try on the dresses now before I end up kicking the bucket?" Ruth asked with a grin.

"By all means." Wilson said, sweeping his hand towards the dressing room.

Lisa and Ruth both looked at each other and started to laugh, walking into the dressing room together.

"What?" Wilson asked.

"Nothing Wilson." Cuddy replied before sweeping her hand back to him in the same fashion as he had just done to her.

"Knock it off and go and try on those dresses." Wilson muttered before plopping down on the couch.

Within the next twenty minutes both women had tried on two dressed a piece that really did not add up to anything special and were now both trying on their third options.

"Wow Mom! You look beautiful." Cuddy exclaimed with a hushed tone after meeting her mother face to face in the narrow hallway of the fitting rooms.

"You really think so?" Ruth questioned while looking down at the dress.

Cuddy nodded, "I think you've found your wedding dress." She assured her mother.

While listening to her daughter, Ruth's eyes traveled across the gown Lisa was wearing.

"I think you may have found your dress too. This gown fits you perfectly." Ruth said with a small smile, touching the soft material of the garment.

"I had to go a size bigger because of my sudden growth spurt thanks to the baby" Cuddy said with a laugh while glancing down at her breasts,"But I'll have plenty of time after Jessica is born to get some additional alterations done later once things get back to normal." She added while touching her stomach.

Ruth smiled at her daughter before reaching for her hand. "Come on let's go out and show Wilson before he comes in here throwing a fit."

When both women walked out of the dressing room Wilson quickly got up from the couch, placing his hands on hips.

Ruth had on a simple yet elegant pink dress, opting not to wear white since this would be both hers and Bill's second marriage.

The dress Ruth was wearing came with a sheer, sculpted long sleeved jacket that matched the gown underneath it which was made of elegant silk.

Both the dress and the jacket were embellished with delicate patterns of beads.

Just above the left hip of the dress, the fabric gathered before separating out into three distinct flowing layers.

Standing next to her mother, Lisa wore a slightly longer lilac gown made of chiffon with spaghetti straps and a bodice top which separated into two light sheers layers of fabric at the waist, her small pregnant belly, hide underneath it.

"You both look beautiful. Absolutely stunning." Wilson said with a smile, motioning for both women to turn around.

As Ruth and Lisa did as they were instructed, a stunning white, lace wedding gown off to the far corner of the shop caught Lisa's eye just for a moment, making her pause before she turned around the rest of the way.

Quick to notice the brief direction of her daughter's gaze, Ruth leaned closer to Lisa.

"That dress would look amazing on you." She whispered with a smile.

"Mom, don't start." Cuddy whispered back as both women turned forward to face Wilson once again.

"Don't start what?" Wilson asked after hearing Cuddy's words.

"Nothing." Cuddy replied, not wanting to delve into subject any further.

"I think you should at least try it on." Ruth urged her daughter.

"Try on what?" Wilson questioned.

Before Cuddy could even attempt to divert their conversation into a new direction, Ruth spoke up once more.

"That wedding dress over there Wilson. Don't you think Lisa would look gorgeous in it?" She asked, giving her daughter a mischievous smile.

Wilson's eyes followed in the direction that Ruth's finger was pointing.

"Wow, you really would _l_ook incredible in that dress Cuddy. I think you should listen to your mother and try it on." Wilson agreed after looking over at the wedding dress.

"What's the point of trying on a dress I'm never going to wear?" Cuddy asked, her tone slightly annoyed while unable to tear her eyes away from the elegant gown.

"Come on what's the harm of trying it on?" Wilson reasoned.

Cuddy looked at both her mother and Wilson. "The two of you are not going to shut up about this dress until I try it on aren't you?" She asked.

"Nope." Both of them replied with matching smiles.

Cuddy exhaled, rolling her eyes.

"Fine." She agreed, picking up the hem of her dress and heading back into the dressing room while Wilson tracked down the saleswoman to get the wedding gown off of the mannequin.

While Ruth and Wilson sat down on the couch in the waiting room the saleswoman went inside the dressing room with Cuddy to help her put the wedding dress on.

After a few minutes Cuddy emerged with the saleswoman following behind her.

Upon seeing her daughter, Ruth placed her hand up to her mouth before letting it fall back down onto her lap as the tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh Lisa I don't think I've ever seen you look more beautiful than you do right now." Ruth said, trying to hold back her tears.

"Wow...if House could see you right now-" Wilson began to add before Cuddy cut him off.

"Stop it Wilson…in fact both of you sneed to stop it." Cuddy warned, getting ready to say more on the subject before her attention was drawn away from Wilson and her mother by the saleswoman who was tugging gently at the sides of the dress.

"They're both right Lisa, this gown looks amazing on you and would only need some minor alterations on the bust area." The woman remarked studying that area closely where Cuddy's newly enhanced cleavage crested over the curved arched top of the dress just a little.

"I'm not buying the dress. I just tried it on to please them." Cuddy informed the woman.

"Oh…ok." The saleswoman responded, shooting a glance towards Wilson and Ruth.

"Lisa we meant no harm." Ruth said softly just as Cindy walked up to them.

"Wow! Lisa you look stunning!" Cindy said with a huge smile as she entered into the shop.

Cuddy breathed out in frustration, pursing her lips while keeping her now irritated pregnancy hormones in check.

"Thank you Cindy." She said evenly before she spoke again, addressing all of three of them.

"Now listen all of you. I don't want anyone saying anything to House about me trying on this dress. Understand?" Cuddy stated in a direct tone.

Looking back at her .......Ruth, Wilson and Cindy all nodded in agreement, not wanting to upset her.

Seeing the expressions on their faces Cuddy sighed, picking up the hem of the dress before she spoke again.

"Look I know that all of you want me to be happy and I am. I'm going to have a baby and that is something that I had all but given up hope for, but just because Greg and I are having a baby does not automatically mean we need to get married. Ok?" She tried to explain.

"Ok honey. You go and change. None of us will say anything to House." Ruth assured her daughter while gently touching her arm.

Cuddy nodded at her mother, looking over briefly at Wilson and Cindy again before heading back inside the dressing room.

After she had gone, Wilson leaned over and whispered in Ruth's ear.

"How can you lie like that to her?" He asked.

Ruth turned and looked Wilson dead in the eye. "Because I'm her mother and I'm allowed to lie." She stated simply.

********************************************************

**Cuddy/House Residence……………….6pm….**

"Hey. I'm home." Cuddy called out into the house as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Hey. I'm starving." House yelled back from the Study.

"Do you want to order take out?" Cuddy yelled, placing all but one of the bags she held within her hands onto the kitchen table.

"You mean you didn't bring me anything?" House whined back to her with a sarcastic tone.

"I went to the mall after I was done trying on dresses with my Mom to pick up some things for the baby... and ....by the way, I think you'll survive for a couple more minutes until we get some food delivered." Cuddy yelled in response, heading for the bathroom on the first floor with the small pink bag in her hand.

"Where are you going now? Grab the phone and get in here so we can talk about how much food you are going to buy me." House yelled, after listening to the sound of Lisa's heels against the hardwood floor as she traveled further away from him.

"I have to go to the bathroom." Cuddy answered back before closing the door behind her.

"You can thank Jess for the extra pressure on your bladder." House remarked with a smirk while getting down from the chair he had been standing on so he could finish putting away a few stray medical journals that had remained in one of the cardboard boxes from the initial move, placing them on the top shelf of one of the wooden bookcases.

After his had feet touched the ground, Housethen limped over to the desk in his Study and started to sift through some envelopes and magazines he had tossed into that same box before they had moved, hearing the sound of Lisa's high heels once more as they drew closer to him.

"It's about time you got your pregnant ass......" House started to say, stopping mid sentence once he turned around to face Lisa who was standing in the doorway dressed in some extremely sexy lingerie she had purchased at the mall.

"I though maybe we could wait a little bit before we order the food seeing as how we still haven't christened this room yet." Cuddy said with a soft yet alluring voice, watching the way House was staring at her now as she stood with her left arm leaning against the doorway.

House let his eyes travel slowly down to the bottom of the high heeled black stiletto's Cuddy was wearing before they moved up to the thigh high black nylons gracing her sexy toned legs, pausing a moment with a smile appearing on his face when he gazed upon the very skimpy pair of leopard print panties hugging her hips, the small rounded belly above them making her even more desirable in his eyes which then traveled onward before pausing again and staring at the leopard print corset which her breasts were nearly spilling out of.

"Sex Kitten." He then whispered under his breath as she slowly walked over to him.

"Do you like it?" Cuddy asked in a low whisper, knowing that even though the outfit would not be her first choice…it was one that was sure to drive him wild.

"Hell yes." House answered simply, his eyes continuing to roam over her figure, stopping once more as they gazed at her full breasts that looked even bigger thanks to the built push up bra inside the corset.

As Cuddy drew closer, House took in the scent of the new perfume she was wearing, noticing that she had also tousled her hair to give it a sexy look as well.

"Whatever I did to deserve this, remind me to do it again." House remarked as Cuddy stood in front him, biting her bottom lip as she gave him a sexy smile.

"Come here a minute…..I want to show you something." Cuddy then requested in a low throaty whisper, taking House's hand and guiding him towards the chair he had just been standing on.

Standing in front of the chair, House looked into Cuddy's eyes, loving the way they were looking up at him currently before he started to move his hands towards her breasts.

"Uh ah…you have to patient." Cuddy whispered with a playful pout, pushing his hands away as the smile on her face changed into one that held the promise of sex that was going to be as hot as the outfit she was wearing.

"Is that so?" House questioned. "You do know Doctor Cuddy that I am far from being a patient man." He then added in low whisper, keeping his hands at his sides.

"Yes, that's so Doctor House.... now do as I say and sit." Cuddy replied, pushing him down onto the chair behind him with just a touch of force before resting her hand on his right shoulder as she started to walk around to the back of the chair.

Cuddy locked eyes with House again as he turned his head and watched her as she started to walk behind him, seeing him look up at her quickly when he noticed the barely there g-string she had on from the back.

"Very nice." House said with a smirk, noticing the way the thin black strings curved into an arch on each side of her ass, giving it a heart shaped appearance.

"I thought you'd really like that." Cuddy answered back with a touch of heat to her tone, making her way around to the front of the chair before carefully raising her left leg up and straddling House's lap.

Once she had settled into place on top of him, House's hands moved towards her breasts again.

"I said you had to be patient!" Cuddy said in a stern voice, grabbing his hands and placing them onto her hips. "Which means your hands stay where I put them on my body." She informed him.

"I can still touch you…even without the use of my hands." House replied back to her smugly.

Cuddy did not respond..... and instead... waited to see just what he would do, watching as Houes lowered his mouth to her cleavage which was at eye level for him, tracing the tops of her breasts with his tongue.

"This is one of the things I love about you. No matter what the obstacle is …..you always find your own way around it." Cuddy whispered with a smile while pushing her chest up further towards his mouth.

House hummed out a response as he sucked at the area of skin between her breasts that were tightly packed together thanks to the push up bra, slyly trrying to move his hands up from her waist and getting as far as her ribcage before Cuddy pushed them back down onto her hips.

"Ah uh….I told you ….. you have to be patient. So you need to leave your hands where I put them." Cuddy warned once more.

"How much more patient do you expect me to be when you're throwing you boobs in my face?" House asked with a defiant tone, looking into the glimmer of wickedness held within Cuddy's cool grey eyes.

Cuddy held back her laugh.....…keeping her face serious. "If you listen to me and behave…..I promise to make it worth your while." She then promised to him in a whisper, slowly grinding her hips against his erection that had sprung to life the minute she had sat down upon his lap.

"Is that so?" House asked, looking up at her face before looking down between them, watching the motion of her hips for a moment as he matched her timing, raising his pelvis up to meet her own just as her center moved over the tip of his shaft.....and so.... the game continued with House's hands remaining firmly on Cuddy's hips, while her hands moved up from his chest and onto his shoulders.

"You're so hard right now." Cuddy whispered into his ear before letting out a gasp as she continued to rub her pelvis against his hard cock, listening with a smile as House groaned out in approval. "But I know get I can get you even harder than you are right now." She added, kissing his neck before making her way over to his jaw, finally resting her lips onto the corner of his mouth.

"God." House muttered with his fingertips now pressing into the soft curves of her hips as he turned his head to meet her lips only to have Cuddy pull away from him at the last second while keeping the wicked smile on her face.

"No kissing…..at least not yet….. I've got something to show you first…..remember?" Cuddy reminded him, guiding his hands towards her back so he could unhook the corset she was wearing.

House stayed locked with her gaze as he made quick work of the tiny hooks, watching as Cuddy then removed the corset, tossing it off to the side of them before placing his hands back onto her hips.

"You can touch me…but not with your hands. You have to keep them on my hips. Understand?" Cuddy asked as she moved her hand up to the side of his jaw.

House nodded, liking the rules of Cuddy's game. "Move a little closer." He then instructed with a low voice, looking back at her and flexing his fingertips on the soft skin of her sides.

Cuddy obliged, scooting her hips even tighter against him.

When she was in place, House moved his mouth to her left breast, being mindful of the tenderness she felt, tenderly running his tongue across her nipple and kissing it before starting to suck on it gently.

Cuddy took in a breath and moved her hand to the back of his neck while resting her chin on the crown of his head.

House then moved his mouth over to her right breast, his fingers increasing their grip on her hips as he fought to keep them there.

Cuddy moaned, moving her head back from where she had placed on top of his head, creating distance between them and standing up, intending on turning around on him, before House stopped her, his hands remaining on her hips and therefore not breaking the rules of her game.

"Not so fast." House said with a low whisper before brushing his lips against her stomach.

Cuddy held her breath as House then started to kiss her pregnant belly, his tongue dipping into her navel while his hands remained on her hips.

She moved her hands to the back of his neck letting out a small sigh of content, loving the way his lips were so gentle and soothing when he kissed her there even when all the passion inside of him was boiling over, ready to explode at any second.

As House felt Cuddy's body relax against his lips as she had taken her guard down a bit he moved those same lips lower and onto the skimpy G string she was wearing ready to make his next move in their game.

Cuddy gasped as House slid his tongue down into her panties, flicking it against her clit before he flattened it out and moved it from side to side on her, his hands holding her firmly in place.

"That's not very nice of you to try and trick me into letting you breaks the rules." Cuddy remarked, abruptly pulling free from his grasp while knowing full well House was trying to get her to forfeit the game by getting her so worked up until she would whisper for him to pull down her panties, thus breaking the rules of his hands remaining on her hips.

"I don't know what you're talking about..in fact...I thought I was being VERY nice." House said innocently, looking up at her with an evil smile as his hands now rested on his own thighs, thanks to the space she had created between them.

Cuddy smiled back down at him before she turned around, sitting frimly onto his crotch, making sure to rub her ass just as firmly against it.

"Jesus." He whispered into her hair with the lust and hunger in his voice moving a few strands of her dark locks off of her shoulder.

"Does the feel good Greg?" Cuddy asked innocently winding her hips and ass against him, feeling his hands latching once more onto her hips.

"You know it does." House said gruffly as she pushed her ass a little harder against his cock that was now begging to be set free from his jeans.

Once again Cuddy reached for Greg's hands, taking them off of her hips and placing them onto his knees, "Now you need to keep these hands where I have placed them…or I'm going to stop do this….understand?" She asked him.

"Yes." House answered without hesitation.

"Good boy" Cuddy whispered back to him, placing her hands over top of his before leaning forward so he would get a good look at the top of her ass clad only in the black G string.

House exhaled with both excitement and frustration from the visual Cuddy was gving him as she continued giving him the best lap dance he had ever had while he wondered exactly where on earth she learned how to move like that.

Hearing the gasp of air escape his mouth, Cuddy let out a soft laugh. "Are you upset or excited right now?" She asked, turning her head and looking over her shoulder at him.

"Unzip my pants and find out for yourself." House remarked.

Cuddy smirked at his response and decided to tease him a little more, reaching for his right hand and placing it onto her breast.

"Do you think I'm excited Greg? Do I feel excited to you?" She asked guiding his fingers so that they would rub against her spiked nipple.

"Either that or it's colder in this room than what I thought." House replied back to her smartly before taking in a shuddered breath as Cuddy guided his hand down into her panties.

"What about now Greg? Do you think I'm excited?" Cuddy whispered with a soft moan while pushing his index finger against her clit.

"Yes." House muttered with heated breath as he started to kiss her shoulder, feeling his cock throbbing inside his jeans as Cuddy continued to guide his fingers with her own before pushing his middle one inside of her.

Cuddy moaned and bit her bottom lip as her finger pressed against the base of House's middle finger, thereby settling the tone of his thrusts inside of her. "Do you like that Greg?" She gasped arching her back as his thumb then moved out from underneath her control, rubbing firmly over her clit that was drenched with the wetness escaping from within her.

"Your turn to tell me how much you like this Lisa." House countered as he whispered against the skin of her shoulder.

"Mmmm I love it." She replied with a low voice filled with lust.

House smiled as his lips kissed her skin before suddenly feeling defeated in his bid to overtake her as Cuddy abruptly removed his hand and got up from his lap, turning around to face him once more.

"Exactly how long is this little game of yours going to last?" He asked with an aggravation, fueled by his aching erection.

Cuddy licked her lips, arching her left eyebrow at him. "You don't think you can handle the game…" She started to say.

"Believe me I can handle anything you want to try on me." House interrupted not about to let her gain whatever kind of victory would come out of this.

"Good." Cuddy replied with a nod. "Now would you like me to get sit down on top of you again?" She offered.

He nodded while giving her a slightly suspicious glance, wondering if her seductive actions would once again end with her pulling away from him.

As if reading his mind, Cuddy decided to up the ante a bit, moving her hands to the front of his jeans and unbuckling them before pulling down the zipper, tugging at the waistband of the pants as House lifted his hips so she could lower both articles of clothing down to his feet.

"My you're a very eager boy …aren't you?" Cuddy remarked with an impressed tone while staring at his erection as she started to stroke it with her left hand as she remained standing above him.

"Get back down here on my lap like you promised." House demanded before letting out a gasp when her thumb started to make small circles on the head of his penis.

Looking into his eyes, Cuddy lowered herself back down onto his lap, making sure however not to let his erection slide past the skimpy g-string she was wearing as he started to thrust his shaft up against her core, her mouth sucking on his flesh of his lower lip before she then skillfully removed his t-shirt before tossing it aside.

Once he was freed from the garment, House moved his hands to her hips before guiding one down to her ass while the other one tugged at her g-string from the side.

"No! I told you have to keep your hands where I-." Cuddy started to say moving her lips away from his own to look into his eyes.

"Good god woman will you stop all of this teasing and just fuck me!" House yelled out in protest, unable to take the feeling her wet entrance rubbing against his erection any longer.

Cuddy let a huge smile take over her face.

"Mmmm I like the way your voice sounded just now. So aggressive...…so strong. Tell me that again and maybe I will fuck you." She whispered in response to his words, moving her hands over his chest.

"I sadi....stop teasing me and fuck me…just like you know you want to." House replied with a smirk, knowing that Cuddy was now just as eager to end the game as he was.

"Anything you say Doctor." Cuddy replied with a wink before she drew him into a long and passionate kiss, deciding he had indeed suffered long enough.

House moved his hands down to her ass and gave it a good squeeze, feeling her rising up from his lap slightly because of it as she gasped into his mouth.

He took the opportunity to pull her g-string down past her thighs, until the thin material was stretched across her knees.

Cuddy broke away from his kiss. "Boy you must really want me to fuck you." She said with a smile before standing up so she could take the G string the rest of the way off.

House watched as Cuddy purposely took a few steps away from him, ready to shout out in protest once again if she decided on toying with him any further, letting a slow smile creep up onto his face as she instead turned her back to him while she bent over provocatively before teasingly taking off the skimpy underwear, smiling across her shoulder at him and tossing her panties in his direction once she had freed herself from them.

House caught the G string easily and twirled it with his index finger before letting it drop to the floor.

"Just remember this time when you sit down in my lap, make sure to get a good grip on the pole before you start working it." He told her while looking down proudly at his erection that was pointed towards the ceiling.

"Will do doctor." Cuddy assured him, lowering herself down on top of him while guiding his shaft inside of her, hearing House take in a deep breath when she did so.

The rhythm between them started off slow at first, with House's mouth finding his way to her breasts again as Cuddy worked her pelvis up and down on him, creating a erotic friction for herself while giving him deep access to the warmth inside of her.

"Oh god that's so good." Cuddy moaned with pleasure, finally letting the gates wide open on her raging hormones.

"Say it again." House commanded as his right hand moved onto the small of her back, angling her motion as she rode on top of him, feeling the muscles inside of her tighten around his length when he moved his hips up to meet hers.

"Greg, you feel so good inside of me." Cuddy whispered before moaning again as her hands moved from his shoulders to the back of the chair, gripping it tightly as she increased the rhythm between them.

House guided his hands back down to her hips, gripping them tightly and adding more force to her motions while thrusting up into her, feeling the pull of his orgasm begin as he started to hit the spot that caused Cuddy to arch her back.

Cuddy gasped for air, her breathing become shallow as she locked eyes with him.

The rhythm between them now turned into a fast and steady pace, the sounds of Cuddy's moans and House's low grunts filling the air around him.

With the next thrust House captured her lips with his own, his tongue plunging into her mouth and probing her in much the same manner as he cock was doing as is entered deeper inside of her, his mouth suddenly moving away from hers a he gasped loudly into her shoulder, feeling the sweet release of his orgasm while continuing to thrust up into her, feeling Lisa begin to tremble on top of him as she threw her head back.

She moaned out first name, wrapping her arms around his neck as her orgasm hit her hard, her breath.... coating the side of his neck as her head fell forward once more, the air from inside of her lungs hot and filled with emotion as her thighs quivered.

They stayed that way for awhile, listening to the sound of their combined, labored, breathing with House gently rubbing Cuddy's lower back as her thumb caressed the pulse in his neck.

"So you never did tell me what I did to deserve this?" House finally said after catching his breath, resurrecting the question he had asked to her earlier as he pulled back from their embrace to look up into her eyes.

"You knocked me up and I am now at your mercy." Cuddy replied simply with a smile.

"So being a Mom turns you into a sex starved nympho? Funny I always thought being a sex starved nympho was what turned you _into _mom because of all the sexing." House replied, teasing her with a devilish grin.

"Well I guess I'm the exception to the rule." Cuddy replied as her hands moved down to his chest.

"Speaking of Moms…. did your mom end up finding a dress that has easy access for Bill decrepit penis on their wedding night?" He asked.

Cuddy let out a deep sigh of disgust, rolling her eyes at him.

"_Yes my Mom did find a dress_, however whether or not has easy access is something I don't want to think about it." She answered.

House titled his head, "What's going on with you?" He suddenly asked.

"Nothing." Cuddy responded with surprise.

"Something's up." House said, watching Cuddy with interest as she got up from him, reaching for his t-shit on the floor before slipping it on.

"Greg….nothing is going on with me ok." Cuddy repeated with a furrowed brow as she pulled her dark hair out from underneath the collar of the shirt.

House kept his eyes focused on her while getting up out of the chair as well and slipping on his boxers before responding.

"Your faced changed when I brought up your Mom…..even before I mention the _all access_ part." House said bluntly.

"You're crazy." Cuddy replied as she brow stayed furrowed.

House took a step closer to her. "When you were at a bridal shop with your Mom this afternoon, did the topic of us and marriage happened to come up?" He then asked, going with his gut instinct.

"It did." Cuddy admitted, a little shocked that he had concluded as much from a brief glimpse into her eyes.

"Do you want to marry me? This is NOT a proposal by the way it's just a question." House clarified.

Cuddy looked away from him briefly. "I don't know…." She answered.

House took a few steps towards her, placing his finger on her chin and making her look into his eyes.

"Stop being evasive and answer the question. Do you want to get married?" House asked again.

At that moment Cuddy felt more vulnerable to him than she had ever been. He was asking her to expose a piece of her heart to him that he had not seen yet and right now...... in all honesty .....she truly wasn't sure of exactly what her answer would be.

"I guess a small part of me does want to get married ….but ....I think almost every woman has that part inside of her." Cuddy confessed looking back into his piercing blue eyes before continuing.

"But I don't _NEED _to get married because everything I _NEED_….I already have, most importantly you…. and this baby." She told him while resting her left hand upon her stomach.

House gazed down at Cuddy for a few seconds saying nothing, amazed at how stunningly beautiful she looked while standing in his Study with the light of the lamp on his desk casting a soft glow onto her features.

He cleared his throat, "And what if I'm _never_ ready to get married. If we never take that step. Would a small part of you _resent_ me because of it?" House asked.

A shocked expression quickly surfaced on Cuddy's face.

"I would _never_ resent you for that." She said without hesitation, moving closer to him and placing her hands onto his chest once more.

House looked down into her eyes and saw that Cuddy was indeed telling him the truth.

"I'm still hungry and in need of a hot shower with my baby mama." He then said, turning the serious conversation around into one that suited him better.

Cuddy looked up at House with a knowing smile. "I think I can help you out with both of those things. And don't worry… if I ever really want to tie the knot with you at some point, I'll just get you drunk and drag you off to the closest courthouse." She responded before kissing him.

********************************************************

Later that evening after taking a shower with House and eating pizza with him on the sectional sofa down in basement while watching TV, Cuddy made her way up to the baby's room with the clothes she purchased earlier at the mall, lovingly placing them with care inside the small child sized dresser in the room while running her fingers across there soft fabric before shutting the drawere and walking over to the crib which Wilson and Bill had put together a few weeks ago while House supervised them.

Looking down into the crib, a small smile formed on Cuddy's face as she spotted a small, stuffed lamb rested in the center of it.

She picked up the lamb, feeling the soft chenille fleece of its body on her fingertips before moving her fingers to the pink satin paw pads of the lamb's feet.

Hearing House enter into the room behind her, Cuddy turned to face him.

"This is adorable. Where on earth did you get it?" She whispered with a smile as he walked up to her.

"Some kid was carrying it around in the clinic the other day and I snatched it from him when he wasn't looking." House replied.

"Nice try. Now fess up." Cuddy responded, touching the cute pink nose of the lamb before rubbing the pink satin inside of one of its rounded ears.

House let out a sigh. "You know there are other things besides Porn that I look at on the internet when I'm supposed to be working at the hospital." He answered smartly, watching as Cuddy gently placed the lamb back inside the crib.

"Well your daughter is going to love that little lamb." Cuddy whispered up to him, stroking the lamb's fleece again before suddenly reaching for her stomach.

"What's wrong?" House asked feeling the alarm inside of him rise up to the surface immediately.

"The baby just moved." Cuddy informed him with a shocked expression.

"Here." She continued, reaching for House's hand and placing underneath her t-shirt to the spot where she had felt the sensation of fluttering inside of her womb.

House concentrated on the feel of Cuddy's skin beneath his fingertips, watching her as she narrowed her eyes and positioned his hand a little bit more to the left.

"There she did it again! Did you feel that?" Cuddy asked, squeezing his hand with tremendous smile on her face.

House looked up at her and nodded, pressing his fingers gently into the spot where the baby had pushed against them.

_Come on Jess…do it again,_ He thought, exhaling with surprise when the baby did in fact move once more against his fingertips.

"This is so cool." House remarked with a smile, looking up at Cuddy.

"I think she's may be done for now, but that was amazing." Cuddy agreed, feeling more in love with House at that very moment then she ever had been before when she saw the look in his eyes as their daughter made her first contact with them.

"Let's give her another minute and see if she's up for a repeat performance." House replied, deciding to move both of their hands with care across Cuddy's lower abdomen until he reached the place just underneath her belly button, seeing if it would spark their daughter's interest into following them.

Once again the baby moved, its tiny leg kicking towards the spot where House had placed both his and Cuddy's fingers which were now interlocked.

"I never imagined it would feel like this." Cuddy said in a soft voice , sounding as if she was repeating a sacred prayer while squeezing House's hand again with a smile so full of joy it lit up her entire face.

"Neither did I." House admitted, staring down at their hands tucked inside of her shirt as their daughter gave another small kick to the warmth the two of them had created.


	65. Chapter 65

**Hello everyone! Well here is the next chapter and I hope you all enjoy it. It's going to be another busy weekend for me, but I hope to post a new chapter on Sunday...so keep your fingers crossed. Also thanks to all of you who continue to read and review ;)**

**Chapter 65**

As the month of December rolled in on the calendar of the lives of Greg House and Lisa Cuddy their lives had become filled with activities and commitments, some involving personal issues others regarding hospital business, with the most recent event in there lives of this week being the arrival of Greg's parents John and Blythe.

**Hospital Parking Garage Friday 3pm……**

"Are you sure you've got the correct gate number for your parents flight?" Cuddy asked House as they walked side by side to their cars which were parked next to each other.

"For the hundredth time yes!" House replied back sarcastically.

As the sounds of Cuddy's high heels continued to invade the space between them, House glanced over her when Cuddy hadn't smacked him in the arm because of his remark, instead continuing to walk with him, not even registering what he has said to her or the tone in his voice, seeing in the way the frown was tugging at the corners of her mouth as she clenched her fists that she was in fact very nervous about his parents or rather his father staying with them.

"Hey." House said reaching for Cuddy's arm and stopping her just before they got to their cars. "I already told you my Dad is going to be an asshole no matter what, so don't worry about impressing an ass because at the end of the day he's still going to be an ass." He told her.

"I'm not trying to impress him. I just want everything to go well with your parent's visit." Cuddy replied.

"It won't, nothing with my Dad ever does." House stated simply as Cuddy fished her car keys out of her purse.

She looked up at him and sighed. "Maybe it _won't_…..but it _won't_be from lack of trying on my part." Cuddy said with determination.

House shook his head, knowing that although Cuddy did have an iron will…. when it came to his father, even the best laid plans would fall to ruin, but rather than fill her with doubt he kept his mouth shut ,instead placing both hands on his cane after they reached their cars.

"You know...... you've been leaving work early a lot lately. I think screwing the head diagnostician in your hospital has turned you into a slacker." He teased.

"I need to get home to help my mom with tonight's dinner and ….I'm pregnant..... and…..you're not the boss of me." Cuddy argued with a cute voice and an even cuter smile.

"How come you can get away with that type of sorry ass excuse but I can't?" House asked stepping closer to her.

"Because I have the ass for it and you don't." Cuddy shot back turning her sweet smile into one wicked far more wicked while giving House an answer that she knew would amuse him.

"You'll get no argument from me on that one." House replied in a low voice, moving his hand to her ass that had gotten just a little rounder thanks to her pregnancy and giving it a firm squeeze.

"House! Not here!" Cuddy said, chastising him as she nervously looked around the parking lot.

"Relax Preggo, technically were off the clock, besides since the people in this hospital have found out about us everyone thinks we get it on like bunnies all over the place inside those walls whenever we're alone…and I for one would like to keep those rumor mills spinning." House informed her.

"What people _think _and what they actually _see _are two different things. Now go pick up your parents at the airport and I'll meet you back at the house." Cuddy instructed.

"You have to kiss me goodbye first." House said.

"What?" Cuddy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"You heard me. You're pregnant with my kid, the least you can do is give me a kiss goodbye." House replied with a smug smile.

"I told you I don't want people here to see us-" Cuddy started to say, leaning closer to him.

"Either kiss me goodbye or I'm going for a boob grab." House warned.

Cuddy exhaled in frustration, looking around and seeing that the parking garage was indeed empty, except for the two of them.

"Fine." She then reluctantly agreed.

House leaned down closer to her with a big smile on his face, moving his hand to her hip.

Cuddy gave him a smile in return, reaching up to him and placing her hand on his jaw before given him a quick peck on the lips.

"What the hell was that?" House grumbled as she stepped back from him.

"You said you wanted a kiss so I gave you one." Cuddy replied coolly.

"No way ….I want a REAL kiss." House ordered, looking directly into her eyes.

"Why does it matter so much to you that I have my tongue in your mouth right now?" Cuddy questioned in an irritated tone.

"Because I don't know the next time I'll get a REAL kiss from you after I pick up my parents and bring them to our house and because you have to make up for all of the years you wanted to kiss me and didn't." House replied with a smirk.

"You are so full of yourself." Cuddy remarked while shaking her head.

"Am I really? I can tell by the look in your eyes right now that you want me to kiss you and that's not the first time I've seen that look on your face ……you just don't want to admit it." House said moving his lips down to hers again, before she could answer, knowing full well that she would not resist.

Cuddy felt House wrap an arm around her waist as he deepened the kiss between them, her lips parting automatically for him as they had done so many times before as his tongue found its way into her mouth.

After a few seconds they parted.

"OK we kissed…now you better get going." Cuddy whispered, trying to catch her breath.

"You are so lucky I have to go to the airport otherwise you would have ended up having sex with me just now inside your care." House said in a husky voice.

"Keep dreaming." Cuddy replied, moving back from him.

"Face it Lisa, your hormones are on MY side…and sooner or later…you won't be able to say no to them, even if we are on hospital property." House said with certainty.

Cuddy reached for the handle of her car while keeping herself locked within his confident gaze.

"You are not always right about me or my hormones." She said, with a voice that was just as confident as his own before she got into the driver's side of the vehicle and started up the car.

House waited for Cuddy to pull out of the parking spot before he limped over to the driver's side door of his own car.

"I love it when you play hard to get." He whispered under his breath with a small smile on his face, watching as Cuddy glance over at him with a annoyed glare before she drove away.

********************************************************

**Airport Terminal 12C….**

Standing inside the airport, House watched as the passengers started to come through the doorway of flight 528, spotting his mother immediately as she made her way through the crowd to get to him.

Blythe wrapped her arms around her son and kissed him on the cheek.

"Greg, you look so good!" She exclaimed hugging him tightly.

House hugged her back, kissing her cheek as well.

"You look pretty damn good yourself." He replied before looking up and spotting his dad.

House's posture immediately stiffened and Blythe knew it was time to let go of him.

"Did you bring anymore bags besides your carry ons?" House asked his father who was pulling two small suitcases behind him.

"There's one more we have to get down in the baggage claim, thanks to your mother." John answered while eyeing up his son.

"I can go down there and get it for you." House offered, feeling his mother place her hand on his back as she stood beside him.

"It will take too long for you to try and get down there with your cane. I'll just get it and meet you and your mother outside." John replied, purposely taking both small suitcases with him and moving swiftly through the crowd towards the sign that pointed him in the direction of the baggage claim area.

The old familiar sting of his father's carefully placed words still caused House to wince initially at times, especially when it had been a while since he had heard them.

"I'm sorry Greg, I don't know why your dad says the things he does sometimes." Blythe said, looking up at her son who was watching his father walk away.

"Don't worry about it mom, it's not that big of a deal and at least I don't have to live under the same roof as him anymore like you do." House replied looking into his mother's eyes.

Blythe exhaled softly and reached for his hand.

"Let's just focus on having a good time while I'm here ok?" Blythe said, giving Greg's hand a squeeze.

"Kind of hard thing to do when Dad's around." House replied flatly.

"I know but I am determined to make the best of the short amount of time that we have together." Blythe responded, the hope in her voice sounding very similar to the way Lisa would sometimes talk to him.

"Ok Mom." House agreed.

********************************************************

**Cuddy-House Residence……..**

When Cuddy walked into the foyer of her home, her nose was immediately filled with the scent of an apple pie baking in the oven.

"Mom?" She called out, making her way into the kitchen.

"Hi honey." Ruth replied, pulling the pie out of the oven and placing it on the cooling rack setting on top of the granite countertop.

"Mom, you didn't have to make a pie from scratch, we could have just bought one from a bakery." Cuddy said, walking over beside her mother as the aroma of the pie continued to fill her nose.

"Nonsense Lisa. I'm retired and I have the time to do it, besides I know how much Greg likes apple pie and since he is the father of my grandchild I thought he deserved a treat." Ruth answered moving over towards the sink where she had started to peel some potatoes.

Cuddy bit back the smile on her face when her mom spoke of House's love for apple pie, praying that he would at least keep his comments about eating "her pie" to a minimum while his parents were here.

"So what do you need me to do?" Cuddy then asked watching her mother expertly shed the skin off of a potato before placing it into a large bowl of cold water.

"Nothing, the roast is still cooking in the oven. I've already made a salad and baked some fresh rolls and it will only take me a few minutes to get everything else together when we eat at six." Ruth said.

"Mom, I told you I was coming home to help you." Cuddy said with a frown.

"Lisa, you're pregnant and you work hard enough at the hospital as it is…and….you need you to take some time to rest. This is going to be a very tiring month for you. You've got Greg's parents visiting now and Hanukah and Christmas are not too far away, not to mention the fact that you have that big medical conference in Las Vegas coming up and after that there's the Holiday Party at the hospital in January. Now as your mother and the future grandmother of your child I am ordering you to go upstairs and take a nap." Ruth answered in a very matronly tone.

Cuddy looked over at her mother and exhaled deeply, knowing there was no use in arguing with her after she had just rattled the list of things that she did intend to do in such a short amount of time.

"Mom, are you sure you have everything under control?" Cuddy asked, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, now go and lay down. Besides Bill will be here shortly if I do end up needing any help and I promise I'll wake you up once Greg and his parents arrive." Ruth assured her daughter.

********************************************************

**Cuddy-House Residence~~~ Master Bedroom……**

Cuddy was lying on her side with her back facing the bedroom door when House entered into the room.

He limped over to her side of the bed and watched her sleeping for a few minutes before carefully sitting down next to her.

Feeling House's hand move up her thigh, pausing on her stomach and caressing it for a moment before he moved it over to her waist, Cuddy opened up her eyes.

House watched the small smile appear on Cuddy's face and bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Wanna have a quickie before we go downstairs?" He asked with a grin.

"Mmmm …what time is?" Cuddy asked, rolling onto her back before sitting up in the bed and rubbing her forehead.

"Time for you to let me play with those amazing boobs of yours." House replied with a smirk.

Cuddy yawned, placing her hand on his knee.

"Maybe later. So I take it everything went ok at the airport?" She asked.

"Besides the fact the airport security has no sense of humor whatsoever when it comes to a cripple using his cane to look up the stewardesses skirts…. it went off without a hitch." House remarked.

Cuddy rolled her eyes, watching him get off the bed before House bent down and picked up her shoes off of the floor for her.

Smiling at the very gallant gesture, Cuddy continued to watch House as he handed her the shoes.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"Oh you'll be thanking me alright, later on....in this bed…while my parents are sleeping." He replied back to her.

"So is everybody here?" Cuddy asked, slipping on her shoes before getting out of the bed.

"Yeah even Wilson and Bimbo came shortly after I got here with my parents." House answered, checking out the casual outfit she had changed into before taking her nap which consisted of a red knit sweater and pair of low rise jeans that hugged her hips below her pregnant womb.

"Did I ever tell you how much I like the twins in a turtleneck?" House informed her, studying the way the fabric stretched over Lisa's full breasts as well as the way it outlined the top of her small belly.

"Hmmm…..sounds to me like someone wants a REAL kiss along with some playtime with the twins before we head downstairs." Cuddy remarked with a smirk as House took a step closer to her.

******************************************************

After spending a few more minutes up in the master bedroom with House, Cuddy then made her way down the stairs with him by her side, decided to turn and go into the kitchen when she heard the voices of her mother, Cindy and Blythe traveling into the hallway.

"Have fun with boys." She whispered over to House as he turned in the opposite direction, heading for the living room where Bill, Wilson and his Dad were.

"I would have rather of stayed upstairs and continued to have fun with you." House whispered, turning back around and giving her ass a quick squeeze before they separated.

"There she is!" Ruth exclaimed with smile as Lisa entered into the kitchen.

"Hi guys." Cuddy said with a grin, looking over at her Mom, Blythe and Cindy who had congregated around the center island in the kitchen.

"Oh Lisa, you look absolutely radiant and your home is absolutely gorgeous!" Blythe said enthusiastically, walking over Cuddy and giving her a hug before placing her hand on her small baby bump.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied, with her smile growing even wider. "Did Greg give you the grand tour yet?" She asked.

"Not yet I've just seen the first floor." Blythe replied.

"Oh, well would you like to see the rest of the house before we eat?" Cuddy offered.

"That would be great." Blythe replied.

"Mom do you need any help before I show Blythe the rest of the house?" Cuddy asked.

"No Lisa, I'll be fine, besides I need time to gossip with Cindy about Wilson anyway." Ruth answered with a grin.

Cuddy let out a small laugh before placing her hand on Blythe's shoulder. "I guess we'll start with the basement first." She said before walking over to the door that would lead them down into it.

********************************************************

**Cuddy/House Residence~~~ Living Room….**

"So how was your flight John?" Bill asked trying to make small talk.

"Same as always…..uncomfortable seats and crappy service." John replied back to him, taking a sip out the glass of ice water Blythe had brought out into the living room for him earlier.

"Sounds like the men's room at the hospital." House replied, just to piss his dad off a bit.

Wilson smirked, sitting next to Bill on the couch, watching as House stayed on one side of the room looking over at the grandfather clock across of him as his dad peered out of one of the windows in the living room, into the front lawn.

"Does every comment I make always have to illicit a smartass remark from you?" John asked, turning to face his son.

House paused acting like he was mulling the comment over before speaking.,

"Umm yeah …..pretty much." He answered noticing the cold stare that he got from his dad in return.

John took another sip of his drink and gazed out of the window again.

"You know this place has a pretty big front yard and I'm sure the back is just as big. Are you sure you'll be able to keep up with it? Or is it going to be Lisa's job to mow the lawn because of your limitations with your leg?" John asked, turning back around to face his son again.

John's choice of words had been carefully calculated and honed from years of experience, carrying just the right amount of bite to them that would break the skin.

Bill looked over at both men, not liking at all what John had just said to House, not sure why the man felt the need to say such a thing to his son while hoping that House would be able to keep his cool.

In true best friend fashion Wilson stepped in before House could speak.

"House mowing a lawn? Now surely you know your son better then that John? Just like at the hospital.....House.... will supervise the grunt work while he takes in the big picture….namely as in where he's going to be putting the Tiki Bar out on the patio and how tall of fence he wants to put up around the house to keep his neighbors out." Wilson said, trying to give his friend a boost while also trying to take the venom out of John's words.

John looked over at Wilson with an unimpressed smirk before staring back at his son.

House did not back down from the glare of his father and although he started talking to Wilson......his eyes remained locked onto his father's face.

"Wilson don't you know by now when it comes to my Dad, appearance is everything? Never mind the bullshit that's going on in the inside just as long as on the outside everything appears to be neat and in order. Isn't that right Dad?" He remarked, turning up the heat on their conversation while keeping the darker meaning behind it just between the two of them.

House watched as the right vein in his dad's temple began to throb, remembering all to well how scared he had been to see that feature appear on his father's face when he had been a young boy.

He had hit a nerve with the comment, knowing that when it came to family affairs, any mention of hidden secrets among outsiders would bring out the tyrant in his old man, but he had defiantly struck at the nerve anyway because the boy inside of him was no longer afraid of what may happen to him as the man he had become was almost begging for his Dad to clench his fists in anger at him, more than ready to drop the old man on his ass with a well place punch in his jaw.

John gripped the glass in his hand a little firmer, readying to put his son back in line, but….. before he could speak, Ruth entered into the room.

"Dinner is almost ready, why don't the three of you take a seat in the dining room." She informed the men, glancing briefly over at John and feeling the protective side of her take notice when she looked into his eyes.

"Come on fellas lets go." Bill urged them walking over to Ruth with a smile before reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze.

********************************************************

**Jessica's Room……..**

"I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am for you and Greg." Blythe said in a soft voice as she and Lisa stood over the baby's crib looking down into it together.

"I'm just glad that you and John could make it down to visit us and hopefully after the baby is born, you'll be able to come visit us more often." Cuddy replied.

"I hope so too." Blythe agreed before adding, " You know it's funny considering how long you and Greg have known each other, how very little you and I really know about each other." She joked.

Cuddy laughed. "Well it's probably because your son was too busy telling you how much of a pain in the ass I am." She replied.

This time Blythe laughed, touching Lisa's arm.

"He did say that on more than one occasion....but....the thing that always struck me was how much Greg would mention you, even if it was just in a wiseass remark. It always made me kind of wonder what exactly was going on between the two of you." Blythe said with a knowing smile.

Cuddy looked back at Blythe with an amused grin.

"Well there was always a lot of fighting and stubbornness on both of our parts for many years…. and of course there still is. But now I have all of him instead of just the parts he wanted me to see for so long." She confessed.

Blythe looked at the way Lisa's had face changed when she talked about her son as if her mind had instantly traveled back through the years, reliving all that they had been through up to this point. "You know..no matter how long it took for the two of you to realize just how much you cared for each other, the important thing is you did and even more important than that is the fact that the two o fyou ended up staying together even after life threw some pretty horrible things your way. Which tells me that _together _the two of you will be able to get through anything as long as you have each other." Blythe whispered almost shyly.

For a moment Cuddy spotted the familiar look of uncertainty on Blythe's face that House would sometimes have on his face when he spoke to her of matters close to his heart.

"Thank you Blythe….I can't tell you how much it means to me to know how much faith you have in us." She whispered, giving the House's mom a small hug, thereby letting her know that matters of the heart would always be safe when spoken in her presence.

Blythe took in a deep breath, pleasantly shocked at how gentle and reassuring Lisa's embrace was, the weight of its kindness almost bringing tears to her eyes.

It had been so long since someone had hugged her like that without holding back any of their emotions….why even her own son who she loved more than life itself, thanks to John was often wary to hold onto her for too long.

A small knock on the side of the doorway caused both women to look in its direction.

"Dinner's ready." Wilson said softly, hating that he had disrupted such a tender moment between the women.

Lisa and Blythe both nodded, releasing from their embrace before following Wilson back downstairs.

********************************************************

**Dining Room~~~~Cuddy-House Residence…….**

As everyone sat down in their seats at the long dining room table made of dark cherry wood, Wilson went into the kitchen with Ruth to help her bring out all of the food she had prepared.

Cuddy watched from her chair as John looked over at Wilson an annoyed stare, rolling his eyes when Wilson returned with a serving plate of roast beef, placing the platter in the center of the table.

_Does John actually think less of Wilson because he's helping my mother? _Cuddy thought, feeling House reaching for her hand under the table.

She turned to her left to face him as House leaned closer to her.

"It's another part of the old man's ass persona." He whispered to her after seeing the way she had been staring over at his father.

After a few more trips to the kitchen by Wilson and Ruth both of them then headed for their seats.

"Well I think that's everything." Ruth announced after placing the large bowl of salad onto the table as Bill got up out of his seat to pulled out Ruth's chair for her.

"You did a fantastic job with all of this." Bill commented to Ruth gently rubbing her shoulders with a smile on his face as she sat down into her chair

Watching them, Blythe felt a slight twinge of aching in her heart when she witnessing how kind and genuine Bill's words and actions were towards Ruth, not feeling jealously but rather a longing at how openly Bill showed his love for the woman seated to his right.

After Ruth placed her napkin upon her lap, Bill then uncorked a bottle wine, offering some to everyone at the table except of course Lisa who was drinking water instead.

Once all of the wine glasses had been filled, House reached for the large serving fork in the center of the roast that had already been sliced by Ruth.

"Hold on Greg, you know better than that. We need to say the Lord's Prayer before we eat." John replied with authority.

House looked down to the end of the table where his father was sitting.

"Sorry dad but since Lisa and I converted to Satanism the only prayers we say are to the devil…… after we've scarified a goat." House said smartly while pointing the serving fork down at the roast.

John exhaled and gave everyone around the table an annoyed look.

"I guess the rest of you think this is acceptable behavior?" He remarked with a disgusted tone.

"John, he's joking." Blythe said, trying to ease the tension in the air between father and son.

John looked over at his wife and shook his head while laughing in a disgusted tone.

"And you wonder why I have my doubts about Greg becoming someone's father. I can only imagine the kind of crap his daughter is going to pick up from listening to him." He told her, looking over directly at House as he finished the sentence.

"I think that House…..or rather Greg ....will make a very good father." Cindy spoke up to the surprise of everyone….. including House himself.

John looked over at Cindy with a condescending smile.

"Listen sweetheart you just need to sit there and continue to look pretty, because when it comes to conversations that don't involve makeup or hairstyles you are way out of your league. I think even Wilson can agree with me on that one." John remarked, letting Cindy know exactly where she ranked with him.

Cindy looked over at Wilson with shock, her pale blue eyes rimmed with the glistening of tears, the comment catching her completely off guard a John's words carried a serrated edge to them meant grip onto a person before cutting deeper in hopes of finding a hidden weakness.

Wilson placed his hand over Cindy's that was resting on the table.

"_I do not_ think that way about you Cindy and neither does anyone else at this table beside _him_." Wilson said softly, but with a stern tone, glaring down at John while holding back the few choice words he really wanted to say to the man.

"Oh come on Wilson …I was _joking_ …just like my son Greg does all the time." John replied before looking back over at Cindy and adding.

"Cindy I do not think you are stupid, just lacking in your experiences when it comes to my son…..which can be a good thing if you wish to keep your sanity." He added while moving his words around strategically.

Wilson wanted to get up and deck the old bastard for his continued rude comments to girlfriend as well as the snide remarks about his best friend, but he held back, knowing that that would be exactly what Cuddy did not wanted to happen.

For her part Cuddy was also holding back as well, wanting desperately to say something back to John about his behavior, but afraid if she did and John retaliated against her next, House would indeed go after his father in full force without holding anything back.

Meanwhile Ruth, who had also kept silent out respect for Blythe finally decided she would be the one to interrupt the very dangerous game John was playing with his son as well as Wilson before it could escalate any further and so......after giving Bill a determined glance, she pushed her seat away from the table and got up from it.

Bill started to reach for Ruth's hand, worried about what she was going to say to John, but he was too late to stop her and instead he, along with everyone else seated at the table was left to watch her as Ruth made her way down to the opposite end of the table until she stood before John who remained seated in his chair, now annoying looking up at her.

"Oh John, let me just say that I ….for one…. think you are even _funnier _than your son!" Ruth remarked in sweet voice laying it on thick before she continued.

"And I don't know how any of us _pretty women_ have been able to keep our hands off of you!" She added with an overstretched smile on her lips.

John studied Ruth with a confident smirk, ready to respond to her display with his next move, but however was cut off as Ruth grabbed hold of his face, leaning down and planting a kiss on his lips.

The look of utter shock on John's face was priceless as Ruth pulled away from him, his jaw dropping while the other people sitting around him at the table started to smile.

Ruth relished in the look on John's face for a few brief seconds before she spoke again….this time to Blythe who was seated to next to her husband.

"Blythe, you better keep your eyes on John here for the duration of your stay because I really don't know how Lisa, Cindy or I are going to be able to resist his charms." She said, smiling and giving her a win as she outplayed John in his 'JOKING' game.

Blythe caught the laughter inside of her throat before it could escape her and choked it down, reaching for the glass of wine in front of her to aid in swallowing it the rest of the way.

"You're.....you're crazy!" John shouted up at Ruth, his voice stumbling over his words as he leaned back in his chair, looking up at her as she held an unnerving gleam in her eyes.

"Tell me something I don't know." Ruth replied, smiling over at Bill who had started to laugh.

Bill's laughter proved to be infectious and soon the entire table….. except John of course started laugh as well.

"I really can't take her anywhere John. Why once Ruth even made-out with a cop just so I wouldn't get a speeding ticket." Bill joked with a chuckle, so pleased with the way _his fiancé_ had handled the situation he was beaming with pride.

House, who now had an amused smirk on his face thanks to Ruth's little stunt once again reached for the serving fork, piling several slices of the roast onto his plate.

"Hey! I thought I'm the one who's supposed to be eating for two?" Cuddy protested, reaching for the fork in House's hand.

"The cripple card outranks the pregnant card every time. So I go first." House responded, moving the fork out of her reach.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him as the rest of the table watched their exchange with interest.

"Fine, but then I get dessert _first_." She informed him, feeling her mother's hand brush against her back before turning in her seat slightly and watching her mother do the same to Greg's back as she walked behind them and sat back down in her seat.

"You know you really need to tell your mother the truth about apple pie by the way" House countered watching Cuddy's eyes grow wide.

"What truth about apple pie? Don't tell me your really don't like it House?" Ruth asked looking down at him as Bill quickly focused his attention onto Lisa.

"He loves it." Cuddy said quickly, looking up at her mother before moving her gaze back to House with eyes that pleaded for him to drop the subject.

Blythe furrowed her brow, not exactly sure what was going on, but enjoying the conversation and the looks on everyone's faces just the same while John silently watched all of them, reaching for the serving platter Blythe was handing to him.

House gave Cuddy an evil smile, leaning in closer to her and whispering into her ear.

"I'll let you off the hook….. _IF YOU….._ let me have the control over our next rendezvous in the hospital." He said before leaning back in his chair and giving her a few minutes to think over his proposition.

Meanwhile as the group continued to fill their plates whlile remaining oblivious to the words House had spoken to Cuddy ……Wilson leaned closer to Cindy and whispered into her ear.

"Are you doing ok?" He asked.

Cindy nodded.

"I'm fine." She reassured him, glancing down at John who had just put a scoop of mashed potatoes on his plate.

"Lisa." John then said in a monotone voice, causing her to turn in his direction and away from House's stare as he offered her the bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Oh……thank you John." Cuddy replied, reaching for the bowl while at the same time feeling House squeezing her thigh underneath the table as he silently let her know he was still expecting an answer from her in regards to his proposition to her a few moments ago.

Turning back to face her own plate, Cuddy placed a serving of the mash potatoes on top of it before scooping a hearty spoonful onto House's plate as well, leaning in closer to him as she did so and whispering into his ear while the rest of the people at the table carried on with their own separate conversations.

"You can call the shots when we attend the Holiday Party at the hospital …..take it or leave it." She offered.

House looked over at Cuddy and gave her nod of agreement, holding back the fact that he had been bluffing all along, never intending on telling Ruth the truth about Lise '_ pie_ ' because it was far too much fun to talk about it while Ruth remained oblivious to the true meaning of his words.

"You know there are other people at this table who need mash potatoes." Wilson announced, interrupting the intense stare between House and Cuddy.

"Sorry....here you go Wilson." Cuddy replied, handing him the bowl from across the table before reaching for the napkin to her left and placing it on her lap.

********************************************************

The rest of the dinner remained uneventful, the mood staying light while the conversations between the dinner guests flowed easily from one subject to the next as John remained silent for most of the meal, still continuing to study all of them and catching Ruth's attention from time to time when their eyes met, letting her know through the stoic expression on his face that he would not forget how she had turned the tables on him.

"Ruth I have to tell you the entire dinner was delicious." Blythe said with a smile as she placed her coffee cup back down onto its saucer.

"Thank you Blythe." Ruth said with a smile of her own.

"Blythe is right …it was all fantastic Ruth." Wilson added as he arm remained draped across the back of Cindy's chair.

"I'm going outside to take a walk." John announced to the table abruptly, getting out of his chair and exiting the room without saying another word.

Everyone seated at the table remained silent as House tapped his fork on the small saucer in front of him, listening with the rest of them to the sound of the front door being shut by John as he left.

"Blythe… I'm sorry if I upset John, I just was trying to- " Ruth started to say before House interrupted her.

"He'll be fine." House informed her before looking down at his mother.

Blythe nodded in House's direction before addressing Ruth.

"John has always had a hard time relating to people and so his first response to any situation that makes him feel uncomfortable is to put up his defenses." Blythe tried to explain while looking around at the rest of the people seated at the table.

"I think Dad was mods in attack mode tonight rather than in defensive mode." House replied, not liking the way his mother was always left to apologize for the messes his father made.

"Greg, please…. let's not get into this now." Blythe said in a half whisper.

House relented with a nod, realizing that he had almost let his emotions get the best of him, which could have resulted in him airing out the dirty laundry of his tumultuous past with his father for everyone around him to witness.

As House looked down at his empty dessert plate Cuddy turned in her seat to face him.

"Hey, why don't you and the guys go downstairs and shoot some pool?" She suggested.

"Wilson sucks at pool." House replied, looking over at Wilson with a smartass grin.

"I do not suck!" Wilson said defensively.

"He can't suck any worse than I do." Bill remarked, shrugging his shoulders.

Ruth laughed. "You guys should downstairs and play some pool, in fact go have a couple of beers as well while I clean up before I come downstairs and beat all of you." She said with a grin.

"Ruth you are not going to clean up. You made dinner and deserve to take it easy. I'll clean up." Blythe insisted.

"Blythe's right mom, you sit and relax and I'll help her clean up." Cuddy agreed before Cindy spoke up from across the table.

"I'm sorry Lisa but I promised your mother that there was no way I would let you clean up after dinner." Cindy said with a smile.

"Well I for one I'm not going to offer my help to anyone." House said with a wiry smile while getting up from his chair.

"Wilson are you coming?" He added, limping towards the basement.

Wilson and Bill both looked over at Blythe.

"Go ahead…. Cindy and I can handle this." Blythe assured them.

********************************************************

A little over fifteen minutes after heading down into the basement, House had already won his first game of pool against Wilson and was looking to take a very easy second victory as well.

"I can't believe how much you suck at this." House remarked to Wilson, leaning in and taking another shot which resulted in the orange striped ball sinking into the corner pocket of the pool table.

"I don't suck! It's just that you get a chance to practice more often than I do now because you have this pool table at your disposal every hour of the day." Wilson argued, leaning against the bar as House walked over to the other side of the table, eyeing up his next shot.

"Playing strip pool with Lisa does not count as practice because I never end up finishing…..the game that is." House remarked as he drove another one of the striped balls into the side pocket.

"You play strip pool with Lisa?" Wilson questioned with a wide eyed look.

"Among other things." House said slyly.

"What kind of other things?" Wilson asked quickly.

Bill chuckled from behind the bar, reaching inside the small refrigerator underneath it and pulling out three bottles of beer.

"Wilson…can't you see that House is trying to get you off focus with your pool game by talking about Lisa?" Bill informed him while twisting the caps off of the bottles.

"Hey Sarsaparilla Slim..... keep your mouth shut and FOCUS on playing barkeep until it's your turn to get you're ass handed to you courtesy of the greatest pool player alive." House snarked, reaching for one of the beers Bill had placed on top of the bar.

After taking a swig of the beer, House lined up yet another shot, sinking another ball into the center pocket again as Wilson sighed and reached for the bottle of beer Bill had placed in front of him.

"So why do you think Cindy stuck up for you tonight when your Dad was being a jerk to you?" He then asked decided he would try his hand at distracting House from _his _game.

"I think it's because Cindy is secretly in love me." House answered with a bit of sarcasm, missing his next shot.

Wilson looked over at Bill and smiled, walking back up to the pool table.

"Wow that shot was soooooo easy! I can't believe you missed it!" Wilson gloated as House gave him a dirty look before backing up to the bar.

As Wilson now eyed up his shot the basement door opened.

"Oh great, I told you Wilson……. no Bimbo's allowed." House muttered watching Cindy walking down the stairs while testing her to see if she had indeed recovered from his dad's comments to her earlier.

"You mom wants you upstairs and by the way….. your fly is open." Cindy replied, smirking when House looked down at his crotch.

"Ah ha….very funny." House remarked. "Tell me do you have any comebacks that aren't on a fourth grade level?" He asked.

"Actually I do, but I don't want to confuse you by using big words." Cindy shot back watching House limp up to her before handing her his pool stick.

House leaned down and spoke in a soft whisper to her.

"Don't ever let my asshole dad ever make you feel bad about again because he doesn't know shit." House told her simply before he made his way up the steps.

"What did House say to you?" Wilson questioned seeing the small smile form on Cindy's face.

"He said my boobs looked really good in this top." Cindy lied, deciding to keep the surprising words House had spoken to her a secret for now.

********************************************************

"Your mom is in the Study waiting for you." Cuddy said to House, meeting him at the top of the steps.

"Is everything ok with her?" He questioned.

"She's fine." Cuddy assured him placing her hand on his arm. "And she bought the baby some really cute outfits." She added walking with House until they reached the room.

"Oh and you should bring your mom down into the basement with you when the two of you are done so you can show her how to shoot a game of pool. She told me she'd really like to learn." Cuddy added with smile before turning and heading out into the living room.

When House entered into the Study he found his mother with her back facing him, looking at all the medical journals he had placed upon the cherry bookshelves after he had moved into the house with Cuddy.

"Hey mom." He said as Blythe turned around to face him.

"You know Greg... this room has you written all over it." Blythe told him softly, walking towards the desk in the Study to pick up the gift she had brought for her son before handing it to him.

"Mom, you didn't have to get me anything." House said holding the large rectangular, wrapped package in his hands.

"I know I didn't have to get you anything." Blythe said with a smile.

"Now open it up." She added.

House tore at the center of the wrapping paper, partially exposing a beautiful watercolor painting of a crystal blue lake and sandy shoreline along with the majestic green mountains surrounding it in the background.

House let his finger travel across the shoreline in the painting, the lake........one that he remembered from long ago when he had been nine and his father had been stationed in Germany, knowing right away that his mother had done more than simply buying him a present when in fact she had _made _the gift for him based on the memories deep within her heart.

Much like the young boy he had once been, House quickly tore the remaining wrapper off of the picture frame, his eyes darting down to the right hand corner of the canvas where he saw his mother's initials.

"Do you like it?" Blythe asked in a whisper, stepping closer to him.

"It's amazing." House whispered honestly as his eyes took in the lush colors of the lake and its surrounding scenery. "How long have you been painting mom?" He asked, turning his face to look into her eyes.

"For about five years now I guess…..I used to love to paint when I was a young girl and kind of picked it up again in fact I've actually been taking classes at the local community college in art for over a year now." Blythe answered seeing the look of surprise on her son's face as she revealed her secret to him.

"This is really good mom…and I'm not just saying that because you are my mom. If it was crap…..I would let you know." House said softly, looking down at the painting again and studying the delicate brushstrokes his mother's hand had created on the canvas.

Blythe laughed and shook her head.

"Do you remember that lake?" She asked watching the smile form up on the corners of her son's mouth.

"I remember you used to take me there all the time during the summer while dad was out playing his military games on the base." House replied, tracing the shoreline with his fingertip once more.

"Well _I _remember how much you liked to run down to the edge of the water with that red sail boat you used have while I held my breath, praying you wouldn't fall in and get soaked to the gills." Blythe said with a smile, gently placing her hand on her son's back.

The feel of his mother's touch caused House to turn and look at her again, seeing the love she had for him held within her eyes.

"You never got mad at me even when I did fall in those couple of times. I remember you running over to me……worried that I got hurt……but you were never mad. The only thing you were concerned about was getting me home and getting my clothes dried so dad wouldn't know about it." House whispered, seeing instantly how his mother's face had changed as an anxiety from deep inside crept over the smile on her face until it eclipsed it.

"Your father had a very hard life as boy Greg ..you know that...." Blythe started to say, starting to defend her husband once more.

"And that gave him the right to treat us the way he did? To continue to treat you the way he does?" House questioned with a touch of anger in his voice.

Blythe reached for the painting in House's hands, gently taking it from him and placing it on the desk in front of them before she moved her hands up to his face.

"We can't undo the past Greg, no matter how hard we try." She whispered before swallowed back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "We have to move on…… and right now you have to focus on your daughter. You need to be gentle with her Greg and make sure she knows you love her…and you need to know that I find peace in knowing _without a shadow of doubt_ you WILL NOT let your daughter down the way your dad let you down." Blythe finished slowly removing her hands from her son's face before resting them onto his chest.

"The painting." House started to say before clearing his throat and looking away from his mother.

"It helps you to remember the good things? It helps you to cope with Dad doesn't it?" He asked, willing his eyes up from the floor so he could look into her eyes again.

"Yes." Blythe answered.

"Is that really enough? Is that all you want out of life at this point? Just to cope?" House questioned.

"I've got my painting and a few good friends …..and right now… at this point in my life….. that is enough for me Greg and even though you may not think so ......there is a part of your father that needs me in his life." Blythe said, trying to get him to understand why she stood by the man who seemed to made out of cold steel.

House looked back at his mom, seeing in her everything that his father did not deserve to have.

"I have _no doubt_ that Dad needs you." He replied, "But what I could never understand is why _you _felt that you needed him."

Blythe held her breath as Greg's words threatened to unravel the protective cocoon she had wrapped around her heart.

Unable to hold the gaze between them Blythe turned to her left, reaching for the small box she had placed on the desk earlier along with the painting she had just given to him.

"Here, I brought this as well, just like you asked me to." Blythe said, feeling Greg holding onto her hand when she tried to make the exchange with him.

"Does Dad even know or care about your art? Has he ever once told you how good you are at it? " House asked as the boy within him reached out to her from the past.

The air around them became still, the beating of Blythe's heart echoing loudly inside her ears.

"Your father knows about my painting. As far as his thoughts on it…..you'll have to ask him…because he's never shared them with me." Blythe answered.

"And that's ok with you?" House asked, pushing past the barriers of their combined past once more.

A knock on the door halted the conversation between mother and son, granting Blythe a much needed reprieve.

"House?" Wilson called out into the room for the other side of the door.

"Hold on." House yelled towards the door, letting out a sigh of frustration as he turned away from his mother, walking over to the bookcases and pulling out a rather large medical journal from one of the top shelves.

Blythe watched as House opened up the book in which the pages inside of it had been hollowed out into a rectangular shape before he placed the small box she had given him inside of it.

"What exactly do you have that type of "book" for?" Blythe asked curiously, thankful that Wilson had interrupted their conversation before it could go any further.

"It's from my years at Med school ……and believe me you DO NOT want to know what I used to keep in there." House replied before walking over and opening up the door to the room.

"What do you want?" House asked in an annoyed tone, looking over at Wilson who was standing before him.

"You have to come down to the basement and see what's going on with your Dad." Wilson said with a hushed voice.

"You mean the old bastard's back from his walk?" House questioned.

"Yes and you really need to see what's going on." Wilson stressed.

"Why? Is Ruth getting drunk at the bar and doing a striptease for my Dad or something?" House questioned.

"It's better!" Wilson replied with an urgent whisper.

"Better?" House questioned tilting his head.

"Oh yeah …way better." Wilson assured him with nod.

House looked back at his Mom.

"Well Mom what do you say we follow Jimmy here into the basement to see what on earth could be better than a geriatric striptease?" House offered, stepping back so his mom could leave the room first.

"Ok." Blythe agreed with a smile before walking past her son and out into the hallway with Wilson.

**TO BE CONTINUED……………….**


	66. Chapter 66

**Well guys here is the next chapter and just an FYI in this chapter I mention the "American Legion" which an ****organization**** of ****veterans**** of the ****United States armed forces ****who served during times of war. Thanks for the continued support and reviews:)**

**Chapter 66**

**Cuddy-House Residence Basement……**

As House followed behind his mother and Wilson who were walking down the steps leading to the basement he looked off to his right, spotting Cindy… and…. of all people... his father, standing next to the pool table.

House tugged at Wilson's arm, stopping him midway down the steps while Blythe continued to descend the stairs, walking towards the bar.

"Is this their first game?" House questioned to his friend.

"No, they played one already and Cindy kicked your dad's ass." Wilson whispered proudly.

Hearing whispering coming from the stairs, John looked up at House and Wilson.

"Trying to play a game here boys." John said flatly before taking his shot…and missing.

Wilson and House gave each other a satisfied look and continued down the stairs, walking over to the bar where Ruth, Blythe and Lisa sat in front of it on the three black leather, high backed stools, while Bill continued his role as the bartender.

House placed himself between his mother and Cuddy while Wilson walked over to the other side of Ruth.

"Would the two of you like another beer?" Bill asked.

Before answering, Wilson looked over at Cindy who was eyeing up the table as she picked out her next shot.

"Do you need us to be quiet so you can concentrate?" He asked.

"Not at all, I'm used to playing in packed barrooms, so the more noise the better in my case." Cindy answered with a smile before chalking the pool stick.

That was all House needed to hear and after motioning for Bill to get him another beer he reached behind the bar, turning on a small radio that was tuned to a classic rock station, increasing the volume just enough to irritate his father.

Grabbing hold of his beer, House leaned over to his left and whispered into Cuddy's ear as she sat in the stool beside him.

"How good is she?" He asked as both of them glanced over at Cindy while she lined up her next shot.

"Really good….better than you actually." Cuddy whispered back to him.

House gave her a doubtful look before focusing back on Cindy.

Being a skeptical man he did not believe in a lot of things, but there was one thing he found to be true time and time again.

Just when you think you've got person figured out, every once and awhile they surprise the hell out of you, and right now Cindy was doing just that to him.

Studying her face as she studied the table before her, House had never seen Cindy more relaxed and in control as she was at that every moment.

Her moves where graceful and smooth, her ability to control the velocity at which the tip of the pool stick hit the cue ball, impressive to say the very least.

House then shifted his gaze to his father with the voices of his mother and Ruth blending in with the radio as they shared a conversation with Wilson and Bill.

His dad was also studying Cindy just as intently as he had been moments before, the furrow in his father's brow showing how internally the man who thought he knew everything was currently questioning his decision to dismiss the pretty blonde so quickly.

When Cindy bit down on her bottom lip and struck the cue ball harder than she should have, causing the green striped ball to bank against the side of the pool table just shy of the center pocket.............Cuddy tugged on House's sleeve.

House took his eyes off of his father who was making his way up to the table with a determined look on his face and leaned down to hear what she had to say.

"Cindy purposely missed that shot and that's the second time she's done it in this game." Cuddy whispered as she locked eyes with House.

Since House did not witness the shot because he was focused on his father he quickly glanced over at Cindy who had made her way over to Wilson.

Catching her gaze, House was again surprised at what he found. Just like Cuddy had whispered to him, Cindy's eyes reflected the fact that she was indeed toying with his old man, playing the ancient game of cat and mouse with him before she went in for the kill.

House leaned back and took a swig of his beer, his elbows now propped again the bar, his left hand making its way to the familiar spot behind Lisa's neck where his fingertips began to caress her skin.

Cuddy looked up at House and motioned for him to lean down towards her again.

"Your Dad insisted on playing best two of three, but if he loses, I'm afraid he'll get ugly with Cindy again." She whispered as both of them watched John make his next shot.

"He won't." House assured her as his eyes moved down from his father's face to his hands, seeing his dad readjusting the grip they had on the pool stick.

John held his breath before he guided the pool stick towards the cue ball, sending it forward to collide with the ball across the table, watching intently as the red ball traveled over the green felt towards the corner pocket.

But before it even reached the circular opening, John closed his eyes.

His shot had been off and he didn't need the visual to know that the ball would end up resting to the right of the pocket instead of going inside of it.

Blythe watched as John straighten up and stepped back from the table to let Cindy take her shot.

His face was placid, his hands wrapped around the pool stick in a comfortable manner…but even with his armor of ease, John's eyes gave him away as they quietly conveyed the message of a hopeful prayer that Cindy would indeed miss, giving him the opportunity to try and win the game he was currently losing.

Cindy stepped back up to the table with a confident stride........ ready to show John exactly how good of pool player she really was.

Leaning down, Cindy eyed her first shot striking quickly, sinking one of her remaining two striped balls into the left lower pocket of the pool table.

She then rounded the table to the other side, placed the pool stick behind her back and adjusting her grip before she took her shot, sinking the second striped by followed by the 8 ball into the right hand corner pocket.

"That was amazing!" Wilson said with pride as he walked up to Cindy and gave her hug before kissing her on the lips.

"You are a real pool shark young lady!" Bill added from behind the bar with a big smile as he titled his bottle of beer in her direction as Blythe and Ruth both got up out of their seats and walked up to congratulate Cindy on the win while Cuddy and House hung back at the bar.

Cuddy held her breath as John cleared his throat, focusing his gaze on Cindy.

"Who taught you how to shoot pool?" He asked.

"My father." Cindy replied looking up at John as he towered above her.

"He taught you well. Good game." John said simply, before walking over to the wooden rack against the wall and placing his pool stick back into on of the grooved holders.

All of the people inside the room…. except for House and Blythe who knew better were shocked by John's remarks, sure that the man was going to make a snide comment at Cindy's expense in an effort to taint her victory.

"Thank you." Cindy replied back to him a little stunned.

"So what does a guy have to do to get a beer around here?" John asked next.

"Coming right up John." Bill replied, opening up the small fridge once more.

Cuddy could not keep her eyes off of John who was now talking to Cindy with a relaxed smile on his face, asking her questions about pool and watching with everyone else in the group as she demonstrated her behind the back move with the pool stick again.

"Would you mind showing that shot you did where you sunk two of your balls into the corner pocket next?" John asked Cindy after she demonstrated the move.

"Sure." Cindy replied shrugging her shoulders, never having seen a more gracious loser in all of her life.

Cuddy got up from the stool just as Bill passed by her with a beer in his hand for John.

She reached for House's arm, turning him towards her and away from everyone else gathered around the pool table.

"How did you know your Dad wasn't going to get upset that Cindy beat him at pool?" She asked in a low whisper.

"Because Cindy played by the rules." House answered simply.

Cuddy drew in her bottom lip, understanding in an instant the weight of the words House had just spoken to her.

"And you don't." She stated with a slightly sad tone to her voice.

"You know me….never followed the rules and never will." House replied, taking a swig of his beer.

As the sound of John's rarely expressed laughter cut through the air, House felt the sting of it pierce him deep inside his heart.

The worst part about growing up with his father had not been the physical abuse he had endured, but rather the mental abuse which to some extent had never really gone away.

However hearing his father laugh had always been the worst for House because it reminded him that his father was indeed capable of feeling happiness…….just not with his son.

"Hey." Cuddy said softly, breaking House out of the thoughts that were currently washing over him.

"Hey." House responded back, looking down at her.

"Why don't you ask your mom if she wants to play a game of pool with you?" Shge suggested.

House shook his head. "Not while he's down here." He replied, nodding behind him to his father.

"Ok." Cuddy said with nod of her own, wishing she could take away the lost look in his eyes right now.

For the next several hours numerous games of pool were played by different sets of people down inside the basement as the conversations between them continued to flow just like the music in the background until Wilson and Cindy announced they were going to head out.

Shortly after their departure Ruth and Bill soon followed and after that John remained down in the basement by himself as House headed up to his Study while Lisa and Blythe had made their way back upstairs to the living room, talking about the baby and what the future would hold for all of them before the topic of their present situation was brought up by Cuddy.

"Has it always been this way between John and Greg?" She asked Blythe when a lapse in their conversation provided a moment to steer it in another direction.

"For as long as I can remember." Blythe answered honestly.

"That had to be very hard for you witness as a mother and a wife." Cuddy said softly as she sat on the couch next to Blythe.

Blythe paused before answering…..she had not spoken to anyone about the struggles within her family because of the hurt it caused her, the kind of hurt that makes you want to hide it away so you don't have to remember how bad it felt.

"All of us had a very fractured life back then and we moved a lot while Greg was growing up so he never really got to make any lasting friendships during that time and with John's career as a Marine he was often on edge, but eventually Greg grew up and despite all of the turmoil between him and his father, he did manage to become a very brilliant man and that's something that I am very proud of." Blythe replied.

Cuddy reached for Blythe's hand and held it in her own. "You do realize what you just told me is a testament to how good of a mother you were to Greg?" She pointed out.

Blythe squeezed Cuddy's hand and smiled.

"Now I know why Greg loves you as much as he does and why he is so at ease with himself now instead of the way he used to be for all of those years after the infarct. You have a way of making people see just how special they really are ….and that's why you're going to be a great Mother to your own baby." Blythe responded.

Cuddy smiled back at Blythe. "You know I'm really am going to miss you when you leave." She said sincerely, finding the presence of House's mother in her world something she wanted to have more of.

"Don't worry Lisa, I've already decided that after the baby's born, I'm going to make it my mission to come and visit you guys more often, even if John decides _he_ has better things to do. That is of course if it's alright with you and Greg." Blythe responded, touched by the words Lisa had just spoken to her.

"Are you kidding? Greg and I would love it." Cuddy replied happily.

"Then I guess it's settled." Blythe confirmed with a nod, happy to know that Lisa did indeed feel the same way about the instant bond they had formed together.

********************************************************

**Later that evening…..**

**Cuddy-House Residence~~~~Master Bedroom……..**

"What are you setting me up for?" House asked suspiciously, sitting up in his bed and wearing only his boxers as Cuddy sat behind him with her back resting against the pillows she had placed there.

"Nothing. You had a tense day with your dad…so I thought I'd be nice and give you a back rub." Cuddy responded, wearing a soft pink pajama set consisting of shorts and a spaghetti strap top.

"Hmmm…well then, since I have many tense days at the hospital thanks to you…. can I assume you'll be giving me back rubs there too? Preferably in front of my team ….while you're wearing that little leopard print number in your top drawer?" House remarked before letting out a loud groan of relief as Cuddy's fingers started to massage his shoulders.

"Shh! I don't want your parents to think we're in here having sex!" She warned.

"Don't worry ..unlike your Mom and Bill …I don't think my Dad even knows what sex is anymore and as far as my Mom, I think she'd be happy to know as least her son is getting some." House teased.

Cuddy let out a soft laugh. "You know I don't know what disturbs me more. My Mom and Bill's obvious excessive amount of sex at their age….. or…….your parents lack of sex." She commented with a smirk as her fingers worked on the knot in House's right shoulder.

"Ouch! Take it easy!" House said pulling his shoulder away from her.

"Sit still! You're such a big baby!" Cuddy remarked, pulling House against her by wrapping her arms around his chest.

"Not a good idea rocking our bed like that considering how the sound of the headboard banging against the wall might lead my parents into thinking you're having playtime with Mr. Winky." House informed her with a wicked smile.

Cuddy buried her face in the curve of House's neck to muffle the laugh escaping her mouth as her arms remained wrapped tightly around the span of his chest.

"Whoa…..did you just feel that?" House said in a low whisper when the tiny baby inside of her kicked him on the right side of his back.

"Of course I felt it…..I guess you even made Jessica laugh with that little comment of yours." Cuddy said softly, kissing House's neck as she rubbed his chest with her hands before leaning back from im and moving her hands to his shoulders once more.

House let a small smile form on his lips, he liked when she said things like that to him. "Too bad my Dad wasn't here to tell me how vulgar my last statement was and how I am already corrupting my kid even before she's out of the womb." He remarked.

"Who gives a rat's ass what you dad says or thinks about you." Cuddy said bluntly.

"My god you have such a dirty mouth! Which of course means that Jess will not only be smartass thanks to me, but…….she'll also have the extended colorful vocabulary of a sailor thanks to you." House informed her happily.

Cuddy moved her fingers into the hair behind his head, resting her chin on his shoulder. "You and I are going to do just fine with this baby." She stated as her other hand moved to the front of his chest again.

"So can I get maternity leave when Jess is born?" House asked out of the blue while scratching his temple.

Cuddy's hands immediately stopped their motion. "Are you serious?" She asked.

"Surprised the shit out of you just now with that one didn't I?" House asked, turning his head to catch a glimpse of the look on her face as her chin remained resting on his shoulder.

Cuddy smirked and shook her head.

"Well first of all it's called _Pa-ternity _leave in your case…. and secondly, if you file the paperwork for FMLA you can get up to 12 weeks, but of course I would insist on the stipulation that you would need to come into the hospital if any unique cases presented themselves within that time period." She informed him.

"Twelve weeks huh? That would give me a lot of time to play pool and catch up on my porn." House commented rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.

"As well as changing the baby's diapers and feeding her." Cuddy added.

"No way! That's _your job _seeing as how you've got the jugs for it thanks to Mother Nature and the expertise at cleaning up crap thanks to your role as hospital administrator." House protested.

"I'm going to be using a breast pump so we can _both _feed the baby and since I clean up your crap at the hospital only a daily basis, it's only fair that you help clean up some of Jessica's crap at home." Cuddy shot back with a definitive nod.

House bit his bottom lip, containing the smile that was trying to form on his face because of her response.

"You're really lucky your knockers feel so good pressing against my back right now or else I would make you pay _big time_ for that remark." He informed her.

"Was that threat meant to scare me or turn me on?" Cuddy asked coolly from behind him.

"Both." House answered, watching Cuddy as she moved out from behind him, sitting next to him on the bed.

"Sorry it's not working….try something else." She said flatly.

"Ok….......hmmm.....I seem to have recalled threatening you with spanking before and this time I think you've earned it." House told her before wrapping his arms around her and pulling Cuddy onto her knees while raising his right hand up in the air.

"Greg, don't you dare!" Cuddy whispered with a gasp as he held her upper body tightly against his.

House brought his hand down swiftly…but stopped it just before it made contact with her bottom, giving her a much softer smack instead, seeing her eyes light up when he did.

"Oh my god you liked that!" He then whispered with a huge smile.

"I did not." Cuddy replied defensively.

"_Yes you DID… and it's sexy as hell."_ House said in a low whisper rubbing his hand against the soft cotton of her pajama shorts before giving her ass another soft smack.

"I hope you know you are corrupting our child." Cuddy remarked in a mocking tone while wrapping her arms around hise neck as House nuzzled the spot between her breasts while giving her ass yet another soft smack before squeezing it.

Pulling away from her slightly, House looked down at Cuddy's stomach. "Close your eyes and cover our ears Jess because Daddy is about to remind mommy how we made you." He muttered with a smile before lowering Cuddy down onto the mattress.

*******************************************************

At around three am in the morning, Cuddy woke from her dreams and gazed up at the ceiling as she rested on her back.

House was lying next her on his side, his hand resting underneath her shirt and on her stomach, his breathing, deep and rhythmic as he continued to sleep.

Tracing the outline of his jaw with her eyes, Cuddy moved her hand on top of House's hand as the silent truth that she had finally found the kind of love so powerful and all encompassing that it literally does sweep you off your feet, taking you above any other type of love you have ever experienced before was now resting with her in this bed along with the man who had placed a protective hand over their future before drifting off to sleep.

"Your father would be considered lucky if he was half the man that you are." Cuddy whispered over to House..... in a voice so soft she almost did not recognize it as her own, caressing his hand that was resting on her stomach before carefully removing it from her body, looking over at him to make sure she had not awakened him.

Easing out of the bed with the intention of going down into the kitchen, Cuddy held her breath when the baby inside of stirred, no doubt missing the warmth of her father's touch.

_"Go back to sleep Jess."_Cuddy whispered, as she gently caressed her stomach, soothing her unborn child that was curled up within her womb.

********************************************************

**Kitchen………….**

After slipping on a soft white terry cloth robe, Cuddy made her way down to the kitchen without turning on any of the lights, the pathway to it now familiar to her since they settled into the house several weeks ago.

Reaching for the refrigerator door she was startled by the voice that spoke to her in the dark.

"You really think you've got a snowball's chance in hell at making things work with Greg?" John asked from the kitchen table behind her.

Cuddy turned around quickly as the phantom presence of Jeff's memory rushed through her when the masculine voice of John House caught her off guard.

"What?" She said, holding tightly onto the handle of the fridge as she studied the shadows covering the better part of John's face.

"Come on Lisa, I have not doubts you smart woman and I certainly don't have to tell you about how many times Greg has found a way to totally screw up not only his life ….but the lives of the people closest to him." John said as his eyes stayed fixated upon her.

Cuddy shut the refrigerator and walked up to the table.

"Just what exactly are you trying to say to me John?" She asked while folding her arms under her chest.

"I'm just trying to make you see that this thing between you and Greg will eventually end because my son is selfish and reckless man who loves to break the rules and tempt fate. Apparently you don't seem to have a problem with that at the hospital since you haven't fired him like the rest of his other bosses did in the past…..but trust me Lisa when Greg starts to break the rules in your personal life with him it will be only a matter of time before you end it." John replied.

Cuddy exhaled in disbelief. "That selfish and reckless man saved not only my life but also the lives of Mother and Bill when a maniac tried to kill all of us." She replied to him with a sharp tone.

"I knew it." John said with a smug smile, leaning back in his chair before speaking again.

"You are convinced because Greg did that one selfless act, which I admit was very heroic on his part shows that he's changed. Well I've got news for Lisa…….._Greg hasn't changed, _he never will and sooner you will realize that the better off you'll be."

Cuddy studied John's confident face carefully, seeing what he was trying to hide behind it.

"You're jealous of Greg." She stated watching John's smug smile begin to crack.

"What did you say?" John asked, leaning forward as he got up out of the chair before taking a few steps towards Cuddy.

"You're jealous of your son because he continues to succeed even though he breaks the rules that both you and society try to place upon on him." Cuddy clarified to him in no uncertain terms.

John let a condescending laugh escape his mouth before he spoke.

"Breaking the rules in life gets you one of two things. In combat it gets you killed. In civilian life it brings misery…which in Greg's case resulted in a bum leg and an addiction to vicodin." John spat out.

Cuddy felt her jaw tighten as she stepped closer to John.

"How dare you try and explain away a medical condition with your twisted view on life just because you are envious of your son's accomplishments!" She hissed, looking into John's eyes with a piercing stare.

"Sure Greg saves lives, but at what cost? How many lawsuits has the hospital had to foot the bill for because of him? How many of his stunts has put your own job on the line? My son could easily save lives without breaking the rules…he just chooses not to because he's and arrogant son of bitch you is only concerned about himself!" John countered with anger as his eyes stayed locked onto hers.

Cuddy took a step towards them so the were now standing toe to toe. "I've never seen a person more _miserable _because of someone else's happiness." Cuddy responded, refusing to let go of the real issue between father and son that John had just tried to sweep under the rug.

John shook his head.

"You've been around Greg for so long now there is no point in even trying to get you see that you are not only setting yourself as well as your child for nothing but heartbreak, but....at least I can go to bed with a clean conscience knowing I did try and talk some sense into you." John replied condesendly as he turned to leave.

Cuddy grabbed hold of John's arm as he tried to pass her, refusing to let him walk away from her with the last word.

"_You_…. are a bitter, hateful man who is being eaten up inside by the fact that your son has succeeded in life without any of your help or your rules! In fact it kills to know he has found a woman who loves him for who he is and that he has friends that defend him against you and your bullshit logic. So despite everything you may say or think about your song...your're wrong because…….Greg _will_ be a good father and his daughter and _will _love and adore her in way _you_ can never understand because unlike you…. Greg _will_ be man enough to be the kind of father his child deserves!"

Cuddy felt the last of her words come out of her like a rushing tidal wave, feeling her heart pounding hard against her chest as John looked down at her with a stunned expression at first before he roughly pulled his arm out of her grasp, giving her one final glare before suddenly turning around and leaving without a reply to the words she had just spoken to him.

Standing alone in the kitchen, Cuddy listened to the sound of the creaking banister out in the foyer as John placed his hand upon before ascending the stairs, exhaling deeply through her pursed lips as a hot tear, brought on from the strong wave of emotions inside of her rolled softly down her cheek.

********************************************************

After waiting a few more minutes inside the kitchen, Cuddy then made her way out into the foyer, getting ready to head up to the master bedroom again when the sound of the TV being turned on inside the living room halted her, causing her to turn in the direction of that room instead.

"What are you doing up?" She whispered, walking over to House as he sat on the sofa.

"I'm addicted to infomercials." House replied flicking through the channels

"How my argument with you father did you overhear?" Cuddy asked knowingly, sitting beside him on the couch.

"Enough to realize I've never pissed you off half as much as my dad just did." House answered, throwing the remote to his left and putting his arm across the back of sofa behind her.

"So much for having a nice visit with your parents huh?" Cuddy commented with disappointment.

"I'm just glad I'm not the one who fucked it up this time." House said with a wiry smile causing Cuddy to smile beside him as she shook her head.

"Well I'm glad at least you're in the clear this time." She replied back to him.

"Listen….don't worry about my dad, he'll be an ass tomorrow, but he won't mention anything about the fight between the two of you." House informed her.

"How do you know that for sure?" Cuddy asked while looking over at him.

"Because you played by the rules and won." House answered, looking into her eyes while still amazed by what she had said to his father out in the kitchen.

********************************************************

**Saturday~~~Cuddy/House Residence~~~Master Bedroom…**

The next day as the sun crept up from behind the horizon, Cuddy and House remained asleep in their bed.

Because of the events of last night, both of them had been unable to fall back to sleep intially, remaining out in the living room for some time after Cuddy's argument with John had ended.

Feeling the sun began to warm her face, Cuddy finally opened her eyes up and looked over at the clock.

"Greg." She whispered, gently shaking his shoulder as he lay on his side facing her.

"Mmmmm." House responded in a mumble.

Cuddy moved her hand to his face, caressing his jaw with her thumb.

"We've got to get up, your parents are probably already awake and I feel like a bad hostess." She informed him softly.

"Just can't wait to see my Dad again can you?" House said in a gruff morning voice as he opened his up his eyes and stretched, the motion causing him to suddently reach for his thigh, taking in a breath through his gritted teeth.

"Are you ok?" Cuddy asked immediately with concern.

"It's just a little stiff this morning." House replied back, rubbing his leg while a dull ached to over where the sharp pain had errupted just seconds ago.

"You know…..I actually like it when it's stiff." Cuddy replied back to him in a whisper just to make him laugh.

House glanced over Cuddy with an amused grin.

"_You know.....I think_ daily humping, being pregnant and telling off my dad really seems to agree with you." He informed her.

"I know….who would have thought?" Cuddy answered with a smirk, propping herself up on the bed with her elbow before adding. "but are you really ok?" She asked taking the playful tone out of her voice.

House nodded. "I'm fine, but if you want to give me some this morning just to make me feel better…..by all means…go ahead." He teased lying flat on his back, before reaching for his bottle of vicodin on the nightstand behind him and taking just one of them.

Cuddy rested her hand on his chest. "Parents first….…humping later." She told him before getting out of their bed.

"Hey! Humping always comes first!" House whined watching Cuddy as she slipped on her robe.

"If humping always came first for us we'd never get anything done. Which means I would get fired from my job…..which of course means you'd get fired too." Cuddy said with a laugh, reaching inside the dresser in front of her before tossing House a pair of his pajama bottoms to wear.

"Exactly…… which means we would have _even more time_ for humping." House countered, moving his legs over to the edge of the bed as he put on the pajama bottoms on.

"A man or even a woman for that matter cannot live on humping alone." Cuddy responded with a smirk, walking up to House and handing him a white t-shirt to wear.

"True." House agreed looking down at her. "But it would sure be a hell of way to go. In fact I can't think of a better way to go." He added moving his hand to her ass to squeeze it.

********************************************************

**Cuddy-House Residence~~~~Kitchen…..**

Blythe had just gotten done pouring her second cup of coffee when she heard the sounds of Lisa and Greg coming down the stairs while John was seated at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in his hand reading the morning paper.

"Blythe, I am so sorry we slept in." Cuddy said, entering into the kitchen with House while glancing quickly over at John.

"Oh Lisa, don't worry, the two of you work hard during the week. Why shouldn't you catch up on your sleep during the weekends?" Blythe replied, looking over at them both.

"See why can't you be nice like my Mom in the mornings and let ME sleep in without nagging me?" House remarked looking over at Cuddy.

Cuddy made a face at House before turning to speak to his mother.

"Well I'm glad you were able to find the coffee at least." She said before opening the refrigerator door to grab the carton of orange juice inside of it.

"So do you guys want to go out for breakfast or should I make something here?" Cuddy added, closing the refrigerator door and turning around.

John looked up from the morning paper.

"I already had some toast, and in about ten minutes an old marine buddy of mine who lives in Princeton is coming to pick me up here. I'll be spending most of the day with him." He announced in a monotone voice, folding up the paper and placing it on the table before finishing his coffee and walking his empty cup over to the sink.

"Oh…….ok." Cuddy replied, watching as John then exited the room without saying another word.

"I'm sorry….John only told me this morning about his plans." Blythe whispered over to both House and Cuddy after her husband had left.

Cuddy looked back at Blythe, wanting to say something but not sure of exactly what to say, feeling a bit guilty about the fight she had with John in the kitchen earlier this morning.

"Did Dad say when he made these plans?" House questioned after seeing the look in Cuddy's' eyes.

"You know you father Greg….he just announces things out of the blue. He could have made them weeks ago for all I know." Blythe answered.

"Well then I guess no Dad means more fun for us. So what do you want to do today Mom?" House asked with a small smile.

********************************************************

**Lake Carnegie ~~~~Princeton New Jersey…….**

"Did you have any idea that your mother would want to come here of all places?" Cuddy asked House as they walked a few feet behind Blythe…as well as Ruth and Bill who had joined them for breakfast at a local diner before all five of them drove to the lake so they could walk along one of the trails that bordered it.

"My mom always liked being outside, I think it was a way for her to get away from the drab military green that surrounded her for the better part of her life." House answered watching his mother stop on the trail with her eyes focusing on the way the afternoon light shimmered on the water below it.

"Your mom really seems to be getting along very well with my mom and Bill." Cuddy commented, watching as Bill pointed out a flock of geese that were preparing to land on the lake to Blythe and Ruth.

"My Mom gets along with everyone……even my Dad if you can believe that." House replied, watching as well as the geese landed delicately onto the water.

Cuddy took her hand out of the long wool jacket she was wearing and reached for his hand. "You know you and your mother are a lot alike in many ways." She said, watching as her mother, Bill and Blythe continued along the trail.

House looked over at her. "By the way did I ever tell you …I also have a flair for painting just like Mom.." He asked, watching as Lisa looked up at him with surprise as they continued down the path.

"Really?" She questioned.

House nodded. "Yes, except for the fact that I work strictly with nude models."

Cuddy shook her head. "I often wondered why I always seemed to find Wilson naked in your office......now I know why." She teased.

"Mom! Lisa's picking on me!" House yelled out…. watching as Ruth, Blythe and Bill all turned to look back at them.

"Tattletale." Cuddy remarked as she walked up to them while House stayed behind.

House placed his hand on the waist high fence to his left and watched from a short distance as Cuddy then spoke softly to his Mom before Blythe made her way back to him while Cuddy,Ruth and Bill walked on ahead of them.

"Lisa told me that since she can't get you to behave in public maybe I could give it a shot." Blythe said, slipping her arm inside of her son's that was bent at the elbow as he held his cane.

House let a small laugh escape him and started to limp down the path with his mother by his side.

In front of them Lisa and Ruth suddenly laughed in unison with Bill wore a huge smile on his face after telling them a joke.

"It's amazing how Lisa and Ruth even laugh the same way." Blythe remarked with a smile, watching as both women each took hold of one of Bill's hands.

"Yeah, just wait until you hear them in the confinement of a small room, the sound is deafening…… it's been known to shatter glass." House commented dryly.

Blythe squeezed her fingers around her son's arm.

"You are very lucky to have found all of them….. especially Lisa." She told him softly.

"I know." House replied just as softly with a nod.

"So are you going to tell me exactly who got into the argument last night with your Dad last night or do I have to guess?" Blythe asked out of the blue.

House stopped their progress and tilted his head in amusement. "How did you know?" He questioned.

"Your father was up, dressed and ready to leave with his marine buddy by six am. Obviously something made him very uncomfortable, he was practically crawling out of his skin." Blythe replied.

House chuckled and nodded towards Lisa. "It was her fault this time."

Blythe looked up at her son as they started to walk again. "Is Lisa ok?" She asked with concern.

"She's fine however…… she did render Dad speechless during their agruement." House told his mother.

Blythe placed her other hand over the one that was holding onto House's arm.

"Well if she can stand up to your father without batting an eye I think Lisa really is the right woman for you." Blythe joked, watching again as Lisa, Ruth and Bill stopped to look back at them to make sure they were keeping up.

"Hey the three of you need to turn around so I can watch my baby mama's ass waddle away from me!" House yelled out to them, smirking as Lisa and Ruth both rolled their eyes at him before they did turn indeed around, continuing to walk down the path with Bill.

"You just love keeping Lisa on her toes don't you?" Blythe commented with a smirk.

"She likes it, besides acting like a jerk most of the times makes my non-jerky times seem all the more surprising." House replied, guiding his mother away from a small puddle of water in front of them.

"I really like her Greg and I know I dont have to tell you how good she is for you.....Lisa is a very confident woman and whatever she said to your Dad really had an effect on him." Blythe responded.

House stopped and looked over at his mom. "If you wanted to know more about the fight between Dad and Lisa, you could have just asked me." He remarked watching his mother crinkle her nose at him before he continued.

"Lisa told dad that he was jealous of me. That he was bitter because I broke all the rules and still ending up having the kind of life that he felt I didn't deserve." House announced.

"Lisa said that?" Blythe questioned with shock.

"Yes." House replied.

"Greg, do you understand what this means?" Blythe asked with a hopeful voice.

House looked at his mother and felt his throat get tight.

"Don't do it mom. Do not put any faith in Dad like you have in the past......thinking that this fight is going to be the one that will turn it him around." House warned.

Blythe looked up into her son's eyes, knowing he was telling her the truth, knowing that she had pinned her hopes on John seeing the light and changing his ways more times than she countl.....only to have him continue to be blinded by his convictions.

"Ok, I won't get my hopes up." Blythe finally said moving her eyes to her feet as they started to walk along the trail once more.

"Mom.....I just want…." House started to say, hating that he was the cause for the more somber look that had taken up residence on her face now.

"I know Greg. You only want to protect me……you always did."" Blythe replied, moving her hand from Greg's arm to his back while deciding to hold onto the little sliver of hope that dangled out in front of her anyway.

********************************************************

**American Legion~~~~~~Princeton……..**

Later that afternoon, John sat next to his old wartime buddy Harry Adams on red circular leather-bound stools as the two men were served their first draft beer by the middle aged man behind the bar.

Before reaching for the beer John glanced down at his watch.

It was now past one pm and since his own rule of no consumption of alcohol before noon had passed he was free to partake of the beverage.

A few minutes ago, Harry had introduced John to another man at the bar named Paul Young and currently Harry and Paul were in the depths of a discussion over which branch of service was superior …the Marines which Harry and John belonged as opposed to the Navy which Paul had belonged to as John continued to swat at the buzzing thoughts Lisa had put into his head last night that seemed intent on pestering him.

Lisa had told him he was jealous of his son……_no one had ever told him that_

She had told him that he was bitter because his son had broken all the rules and still ended up winning.

John shook his head, trying to shoo the thoughts away, taking a long sip of his beer while tapping his index finger on the bar.

His life had been built on rules for as long as he could remember and they had been the stepping stones in his path, keeping him on track, directing him on where to go next ….on what to do next.

To questions those rules would mean he would have to take a few steps off the well beaten path into some dark and unknown territories.

To question the rules would mean his world may begin to unravel.

Those rules had kept him alive during combat and told him it was kill or be killed.

The rules had told him that being a good provider for his family was more important than spending time with them.

The rules had told him …….when his own father would beat him for disobeying that this was the way of the world.

That a boy needed to be prepared for the harsh life ahead of him and who better to do that than a boy's father who had been taught the same lessons by his father.

"Can you believe this guy John?" Harry asked nudging John with his elbow and thereby pulling House's father away from his thoughts.

"What?" John asked as his mind focused in on the present once more.

Paul exhaled out of his mouth loudly. "See it's just like what I told _YOU_ Harry…… Marines are all a bunch of crazy men that are only good at taking orders and when they get older…their minds are the first thing to go because they have so little of them to begin with." The Navy veteran said with pride.

John looked over at the overweight, balding man in his late sixties with a piercing glare.

The guy looking like the last thing he had waged war on was a package of glazed donuts.

"Well that may be Paul, but I'd rather loose my mind then have to live with the fact that my tits are now bigger than my wife's." John replied in true Marine fashion with a cold smirk.

Paul looked away from both men with embarrassment as Henry slapped John on the back.

"I told you not to mess with John." Harry said to Paul as he laughed at the chubby man whose face was beet red..

John took another look over at Paul, seeing if the man wished to continue their verbal battle.

Paul lowered his eyes down to the bar.

"Next rounds on me." Paul muttered to the bartender, signaling his surrender for fear of being the target of more harsh words from the man across the bar from him who had a razor sharp tongue.

As John emptied his glass the memory a frown formed on his lips as the words Lisa has spoken to him last night still continued to hum in his ears despite that fact that he had knocked the Navy man flat on his ass with his comments, refusing to let go of him even when Harry slapped him on the back again and commended John on his victory once more.

********************************************************

Later that evening as dusk gave way to night,John finally made his way back to his son's house with his pride and honor securely intact.

Walking into the foyer of the home he glanced out into the dining room where he saw that Ruth, Bill, Greg, Lisa and Blythe playing a game of cards.

They were laughing and talking about how good Ruth was a cheating as she innocently told them all what sore losers they were.

John caught Ruth's gaze and held onto it. The taste of stale beer lingering in his mouth, Lisa's words now turning into a relentless soft drone that would not let him be.

"Well are you just going to stand there and stare at us or are you going to join us?" Ruth asked John, alerting the others to his presence.

John walked into the dining room and looked over at his wife.

"What are you guys playing?" He asked her.

"Poker." Blythe replied looking up at him.

"Who's winning?" John asked next.

"Your son." Blythe replied, glancing over at Greg.

John shifted his eyes over House. "Are you cheating?" He asked his son directly.

"No." House answered, noticing the haggard look on his father's face and wondering what the old man had been up to while he had been out with his marine buddy.

"John, please take a seat and join us." Cuddy offered, extending out an olive branch for him to grasp.

John looked over at Lisa, studying her features that were feminine, but strong ….just like her mother Ruth who was seated beside her.

"We have an early flight in the morning and I'm tired." John replied before turning to leave.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us for just one game?" Bill asked also picking up on the peculiar beaten down mood of House's father.

John turned back around. "No." He answered before leaving the room.

"We could change the game into STRIP poker if that would make you stay." House yelled out into the hallway, testing to see just how worn out the old man really was.

"Greg." Cuddy whispered under her breath as John reappeared back into the room.

"Maybe if it was just the ladies I'd consider it, but the chance of seeing you and Bill in all your glory is too much of risk to take." John answered before turning and leaving for good this time.

"I think your dad actually made a joke." Bill commented to House with a gentle smile.

"He's just been dulled into being less of an ass because of the beer he's been drinking and by the way…… I raise you twenty." House replied throwing some chips into the pile in the center of the table.

********************************************************

**Cuddy – House Residence~~~~Guest Bedroom……**

As evening gave way to early morning and another day was laid to rest, John mumbled in his sleep as the thoughts of his argument with Lisa continued moved through the mind, remaining with him and refusing to let him be as he tried to make sense of the uneasy, complicated feelings that seemed to come along with the baggage he and Blythe had brought with them.

Turning on his side, he continued to wrestle with the words Lisa had spoken to him while he dreamed of the time where he had been a young man of twenty and men shouting orders at him through his headgear while he tried to keep his plane on course as the ghosts of the past and what had happened between him and his son nipped at the old marine's heels along with two enemy planes that were closing in on him fast.

_"You are jealous of your son",_ Lisa's voiced then shouted into John's headgear, overpowering the orders of his commanding officers.

"_It's not true!",_ John shouted back in his nightmare as he heard the sound of gunshots and felt the jarring of his aircraft when the bullets of his enemies ripped through the metal of his plane.

"_You're bitter because Greg has succeed in life"_, Lisa voice accused as John pulled up on the plane, trying to keep it from colliding with the ocean that was he was rapidly approaching.

"_I am not bitter …Greg needed to be taught the rules!"_ John screamed just before the plane slammed against the surface of the water.

He felt the pressure on his chest as the cockpit collapse under the weight of the sea.....the salt water beginning to fill his lungs and silencing his screams.

"John, wake up…you're having a nightmare." Blythe whispered, with her hand placed upon his chest.

John opened his eyes and looked over at Blythe as the sun crept into the room from the bedroom window, illuminating the color of her hazel eyes.

"Are you ok?" Blythe questioned with concern, rubbing John's shoulder.

"I'm fine, go back to sleep." John replied, allowing Blythe's hand remain on his shoulder and continuing to face her instead of turning his back to her as he had done countless times before.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Blythe pushed noticing how much of the nightmare still remained in her husband's face.

"Yes, I'm fine…..go back to sleep." John repeated before leaving the bed and heading towards the bathroom.

********************************************************

That morning out in the kitchen of his son' home, John remained quiet, reading the paper in front of him as Lisa, Greg and Blythe moved around him.

"I figured we could toast some bagels." Cuddy started to say to Blythe before she stopped mid sentence, feeling the baby stirring inside of her once more.

"What's wrong Lisa?" Blythe questioned, standing next to her at the center island in the kitchen.

Cuddy did not answer, instead placed Blythe's hand upon her stomach. "I think your granddaughter wants to say hi to you." She whispered.

"Oh my." Blythe exclaimed in a hushed whisper as her fingers pressed against the tiny hand on the other side of Lisa's womb.

John immediately looked up from the paper and over to the two women after hearing the change in his wife's voice.

"John come over here." Blythe urged him.

House watched his father intently from the sink where he had just poured himself a cup of coffee, waiting to see just what his father would do.

John looked over at Greg and hesitated for a moment, but amazingly did end up getting to his feet, putting the paper down and walking over to Lisa and Blythe.

Before John could protest Blythe removed her hand from Lisa's stomach and replaced it with his.

Lisa held her breath a part of her was still uncertain of exactly where she stood with House's father after the argument they had engaged in earlier.

"I don't know if you can feel it anymore." Lisa said, looking over at House as she spoke to John.

John started to remove his hand his but then felt the tiny sensation of movement under his fingertips. "I feel it...I mean her." He said in a tone that remembered all that he had lost throughout his lifetime.

"Do you remember the first time you felt Greg move like that?" Blythe asked her husband as she saw his face soften for just a moment.

Immediately John's posture stiffened as the guards around him took notice.

"That was a long time ago." John replied, taking his hand away from Lisa's stomach as his eyes purposely avoided looking at any of them while he moved back to the kitchen table.

House looked over at his mother, realizing from the words she had spoken that there was a time in his father's life when he had touched him without anger or disappointment in his heart, leaving House to wonder exactly when it had all turned sour for his dad.

Lisa placed her hand in the exact same spot where John's had been moments before, shocked by how gentle his touch had been.

Looking down at his watch John cleared his throat and addressed them all.

"We better get moving. I don't want to wait in a line full of idiots at the security check points in the airport if I can help it." He said.

********************************************************

**Airport……..**

"Goodbye Lisa and thank you for everything." Blythe whispered, embracing her outside of the airport terminal.

"Goodbye Blythe, have a safe flight and call me as soon as you guys land." Cuddy whispered back.

While both woman cointinued to talk for a few more minutes, John and House stood uncomfortably next to them looking over at the crowd of people that filtered in and out of the building instead of looking at each other.

Clearing his throat, John finally took his gaze away from the passersby and looked down at his son's leg.

"Your limp…it's not as bad as it was before." He commented to his son.

"I've been doing some exercises and strength training." House replied, waiting for his father to make an offhanded remark to him about it.

"Good for you. Keep it up." John said with a nod before he offered his hand for his son to shake.

House looked down at his father's outstretched hand both with curiosity and suspicion, but…… decided to shake it anyway.

The handshake lasted a mere second or two before both men broke away from it, however not before it was witnessed by both Lisa and Blythe.

John then turned to face Lisa. "Take care of yourself….and that baby." He said simply.

"I will." Cuddy replied with quiet surprise, touching her stomach.

With that John turned to leave while Blythe pulled her son into a hug.

"I love you." Blythe whispered to House as she kissed his cheek.

"I love you too mom." House whispered back, his eyes staying glued on his father who again was looking out into the crowd.

"See Greg having hope isn't such a bad thing." Blythe added as her voice remained in a whisper.

"I know mom." House answered back even though the small pebble of emotion his father had shown to him just now did not even begin to feel the great chasm of hurt and rejection that had been left inside of him by his father.

Watching his parents walking away from him, House felt Cuddy place her hand on his back.

"That handshake between you and your father was huge moment for the both of you…..wasn't it?" She asked following House's gaze.

"It was just a handshake." House replied back flatly.

Cuddy gave him a look of quiet disbelief, "I may have placed too much emphasis on it for your liking, but that handshake did mean something to your Dad….. and to you as well." She replied.


	67. Chapter 67

**Again thank all of you for reading as well as for the great review.s..and now onto more of Oct/Oct :)**

**Chapter 67**

**Two weeks later….Tuesday…Hospital~~~~Lisa Cuddy's Office….**

"Yes mom, that's right House and I have to be at the airport by six am tomorrow." Cuddy replied into her phone.

"Are you sure you don't want Bill and I to take you to the airport? It would be no trouble at all." Ruth offered.

"Mom you don't need to drive us to the airport, even though I'll be listening to House grumbling the whole there about how ungodly early it is." Cuddy informed her with a smile.

"But you guys are still coming over for dinner tonight right?" Ruth asked.

"Yes mom."

"Ok honey I know you're busy so I'll let you go." Ruth responded.

Just then House barged into Cuddy's office.

"Who's on the phone?" House asked walking up to her desk and taking a seat in front of her.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at the interruption.

"My mom." She replied as she studied House sitting before her.

"Tell her not to go snooping around our house while we're gone." House told her.

"Shut up." Cuddy replied, narrowing her eyes at him before talking into the phone again.

"Mom, House just cam in and he says he is really going to miss you while we're gone." She then said with a huge grin.

"Tell him I'm going to miss him too." Ruth said with laugh.

"Gimmie that!" House said pulling the phone away from her.

"Stay out of my house and out of Lisa's top dresser drawer because there are things in there you do not want to see." House barked into the phone as Cuddy's jaw dropped.

"I don't care what's in Lisa's top dresser but …_your _top dresser drawer is another story. I really need to know what you wear under those tight jeans of yours that don't leave a panty line." Ruth teased with another laugh.

"It's called going COMMANDO…you old broad.... something Bill told me you know all about." House countered with smirk.

"What does going commando mean?" Ruth asked with a confused tone.

"Think crotchless panties without the panties." House remarked before hanging up the phone.

"Do you always have to talk about sex with my mom?" Cuddy asked him with a wrinkled face.

"I feel educating your mother in sexual and perverse lingo benefits both her and society." House snarked before adding. "So where do you think Foreman and Cameron are going to be getting it on while you and I along with the Boy Wonder and the Aussie are all in Vegas?"

"Why on earth would Cameron and Foreman be getting anything on?" Cuddy replied flatly as her brow furrowed at him.

"Because Foreman is the only one left in the inner circle of my team who Cameron hasn't wanted to screw yet." House said slyly.

"You're horrible." Cuddy remarked, leaning forward in her chair.

House took a quick look down at her full cleavage that was magnificently displayed in the low cut top she was wearing.

"What do you say about sitting up on this desk and letting me rock your world?" He said frankly under his breath before looking back up at her face.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "I have work to do and unless you have a legitimate _work_ reason to be in my office now you need to go to the clinic, since _you_ currently do not have a case of your own." She ordered in a stern voice.

"Hmmm sounds like someone is getting a little turned on." House countered with a wicked grin.

"Get out …or….. I'll let you room with Wilson at the Bellagio while I shack up with Chase." Cuddy replied nodding towards the door.

House stood up and glared down at her.

"I always knew you had a thing for the star Quarterback!" House said in a dramatic, hurtful tone before pointing his finger at her, "And I hope you know your actions are driving me straight into Wilson's arms! " He added before turning dramatically and leaving her office.

"Idiot." Cuddy whispered under her breath after he had left, laughing softly before she focused her eyes on the computer monitor in front of her..

********************************************************

**Airport….**

The next morning Wilson, Cuddy, House and Chase were all in line at Gate 14D, waiting to board their flight that would take them to the Convention in Las Vegas.

"Did you bring enough condoms for all the strippers you're going to boink in Vegas?" House asked Chase who was standing behind him.

"I'm not going to be boinking anybody." Chase replied back dryly.

"Too bad because I'm going to be boinking the HELL out of the Dean of Medicine this weekend. No condoms needed by the way, thanks to the bun in the oven." House said pointing to Cuddy with his cane who was standing in front of him.

Cuddy turned around and gave him a glare. "If you don't shut the boink up I am going to make sure you spend more time with your right hand than with me this weekend." She warned.

Wilson's shoulders shook as he laughed at Cuddy's comment while he handed the flight attendant his ticket who was trying not to laugh as well after hearing the conversation between her boarding passengers.

"Watch out for those two." Wilson said pointed back to House and Cuddy. "Usually after they fight they boink…….. so you could see them sneaking back to the bathroom to join the Mile High Club." He informed her.

"That's it I'm leaving …you three jerks can go to the conference by yourselves." Cuddy stated with an irradiated tone, turning around and getting ready to leave the line before being stopped in her tracks by House who was standing directly behind her.

"Move along Preggo…..we don't have all day." House said in a lower tone, nodding towards the flight attendant while seeing the tension written all over her face.

Cuddy exhaled, rolling her eyes at him before turning around and handing the attendant her ticket.

"Wait….why am _I_ a jerk?" Chase asked from behind House who was now giving his ticket to the young woman.

"Being in the company of jerks breeds jerky behavior and I'm sure you'll end up doing something to piss me off before this trip is over thanks to jerks number one and two." Cuddy yelled back over her shoulder at him as she entered into the tunnel that led to the entrance of the plane.

Chase smirked and handed his ticket to the attendant as House waited for him just inside walkway the tunnel.

"I'm sure you could _never_ be a jerk even if you tried." The attractive and busty brunette flight attendant said to Chase as she smiled up sweetly at him, looking into his handsome face.

Chase smiled back at her. "Thanks." He replied before stepping next to House.

House gave Chase a knowing look as they started to walk towards the open door of the plane. "Better hope they have condom machines inside the bathrooms of the plane because judging from the look Susie Stewardess just gave you back there your chances of joining the Mile High Club seem very good." He remarked to his fellow.

********************************************************

Once inside the airplane Cuddy and House sat next to each other in first class while Wilson and Chase sat one row of seats behind them in first class as well.

After the flight attendants gave the usual instructions about what to do in case of an emergency Cuddy reached for her seatbelt, trying to adjust the strap of it so it would fit around the lower end of her small rounded belly.

House watched her with amusement as she tugged on the seatbelt trying to make it longer.

"You have to be gentle or it's never going to get any bigger." House whispered over to her with a dirty grin.

Cuddy huffed in frustration. "You do it then!" She said sharply. .

House smiled, reaching down to the seatbelt and lengthening strap within a matter of seconds..

"See you always need me to finish what you've started …don't you?" He said before gently clipping the seatbelt around her waist and touching her stomach briefly with his fingertips.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied.

House studied the look on her face, seeing the lines in her brow.

"You need to relax and stop worrying about the hospital while we're gone…I assure it will still be standing when we return." He said simply.

"You'd feel the same way if you were leaving a patient behind." Cuddy commented with sigh, placing her hand onto her stomach.

*********************************************************************************

After about an hour into the flight, two of the three flight attendants started to make there way around the cabin with a beverage tray.

"Excuse me gentlemen would either of you care for a drink?" The flight attendant who had boarded them asked Chase and Wilson while flashing a dazzling smile at Chase.

"I'll have Coke." Wilson replied.

"Just water for me please." Chase answered.

The flight attendant retrieved both drinks along with two small plastic cups from her serving cart, handing them to Wilson and Chase.

"I'll be back later to see if you need anything else." The flight attendant then said looking directly over at Chase.

"She is VERY cute." Wilson remarked to Chase after the attractive woman had left and entered into the standard class section of the plane.

"Yeah she is." Chase said with a small smile staring down at the napkin under his bottled water on which the flight attendant had written _"Chelsea 555-2897"._

********************************************************

**Las Vega Nevada ~~~~~Bellagio Hotel **

"Where's the stripper pole?" House whined as Cuddy tipped the bellboy who had brought there bags up into their suite as the young man was now giving them both a peculiar look.

"I didn't think you'd be up to performing for me after the flight." Cuddy shot back, before looking over at the bell boy as he stifled his laugh by covering his mouth.

"Thank you." She then said to the young man before closing the door of the spacious and tastefully decorated suite.

"Quit flirting with the bellboy Preggo." House replied, looking back at her with a smirk before walking over to the king size bed and plopping down on it.

"So are you ready for naughty Lisa does Greg in Vegas?" He then questioned, raising an eyebrow at her while patting the spot beside him on the bed.

"We are meeting Chase and Wilson for lunch in fifteen minutes, then we've got to head up to the Conference Room on the third floor to attend the first lecture of the convention." Cuddy reminded him as she walked up to the bed.

House folded his arms across his chest.

"If I would have known this trip was going to be all business I never would have come! Where are my strippers? Where is the booze and gambling? And where the hell is Joe Pesci?" He grumbled.

Cuddy ignored the comment. "Help me with this suitcase." She then said, pointing to the largest one on the carpet behind her.

House rolled his eyes and let out a big sigh.

"Just for you information…once you pop that kid out.... my heavy lifting days are _over_." He replied sharpluy before dropping the suitcase onto the bed.

Cuddy unzipped the suitcase, glancing over at him. "Hurry up and get changed." She ordered.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?" House challenged.

"You are not wearing that stupid t-shirt to the lecture." Cuddy replied pointing to the black shirt with the white lettering that read… "Ain't No Lovin Like West Virginia Lovin….Brother's and Sister's Unite J"

"That's it….. I'm going to the casino." House said turning to leave.

"Stop being so difficult! You can wear your jeans, but you need to put on a dress shirt and a blazer." Cuddy reasoned while grabbing hold of his arm.

"You know…you've been getting VERY aggressive lately… and I like it." House said, looking down at her hand that was squeezing onto his bicep tightly.

"Stop fooling around." Cuddy replied, shaking her head while letting go of his arm.

"Promise me you'll be this aggressive with me tonight and I'll get changed as well as keep my mouth shut during the lecture." House informed her.

"I'm not promising you any sexual favors for your good behavior while you're on the job." Cuddy scoffed, pulling out her makeup bag from the suitcase.

"Fine then, I guess I'll just have to piss you off until you feel the need to get rough with me." House replied, walking over to the smaller suitcase by the door.

********************************************************

**Bellagio Lobby…..**

"Why do you always have to be so difficult when it comes to doing your job?" Cuddy asked House as they stepped off of the elevator together.

"Why do you always have to be so uptight when it comes to doing YOUR JOB? We're in Vegas…not Shawshank… so lighten up." House replied, having changed into a light blue, button down shirt and black suit jacket before leaving their hotel room.

Both House and Cuddy gave each other annoyed looks as they continued to walk side by side until they reached Chase and Wilson who were waiting for them in the lobby.

"So where do you guys want to eat at?" Wilson questioned as Cuddy and House approached him.

"Buffet ….definitely buffet." House said with a gleam in his eyes.

"We don't have much time so the buffet is fine with me." Cuddy responded, shrugging her shoulders.

"Sounds good to me too." Chase replied.

"Ok then buffet it is." Wilson agreed before the group walked towards their destination on the first floor of the hotel.

********************************************************

**Bellagio Hotel~~~~Buffet Dining Room…….**

After making her way quickly through the buffet line, Cuddy walked over to an empty table, carrying with her a plate of food consisting of fresh fruit, a green salad, grilled chicken, brown rice and a piece of decadent chocolate…just to round things off as well as to help sooth the sudden craving for chocolate that had plagued her for two weeks now.

Placing a napkin on her lap in order to protect her black skirt from any stains or spills, Cuddy carefully scanned the crowded buffet lines for House, spotting him as he continued to pile a mound of food onto his plate.

The tension between them in their hotel room earlier was still with her now and she wondered just how far House was going to push her today, as well as why he suddenly felt the need to do so in the first place. This was a conference….and not a dying patient and yet he seemed more than eager to be as difficult with her as possible.

"There has to be reason." Cuddy whispered to herself as she watched House place a mountain of mashed potatoes onto his plate.

"Fifty bucks says House spills that plate on his way over here." Chase said to Wilson as they both sat down at the table with Cuddy.

"You're on." Wilson said reaching for his fork as now all three doctors were focused on House from aoss the room.

As House carefully placed a buttered roll on top of his heaping plate of food he glanced to his left, spotting a gray haired, motherly looking woman filling up one of the serving trays with freshly roasted new potatoes.

"Excuse me." House said in the most unassuming voice he could muster.

The silver haired woman looked over at the tall man who had spoken to her softly as he leaned heavily on his cane with a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Yes?" The woman asked.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but …I think I've put too much on my plate and …well…because of having to use this cane…I …..I can't......." House started to say, doing his best to stammer through the sentence convincingly.

"Oh my dear…don't say another word…let me take that for you." The woman responded, placing the large silver serving spoon into the tray in front of her before taking House's plate from him.

"I don't believe it." Cuddy whispered with her fork halfway up to her mouth, watching House faking a genuine smile as the older women with gray hair walked beside him, carrying his food..

"I do." Wilson commented resting his elbow on the table. "And by the way Chase……… looks like you owe me fifty bucks."

"I bet you that _House_ wouldn't spill the plate and since he's not the one carrying the plate…. you didn't win the bet." Chase replied back confidently.

"Fine." Wilson muttered as House approached the table, taking the empty seat next to Cuddy.

"There you go dear" The older woman said in a sweet voice, placing the plate in front of House.

"Thank you Cora." House said, giving Cuddy a smirk.

"Now do you need anything else before I go?" Cora asked while Cuddy rolled her eyes at House.

"Actually I didn't get a chance to pick out dessert." House said in meek tone.

"Oh well, just give me a minute and I'll bring something back for you." Cora said to him before turning and leaving the table.

"Have you absolutely no shame at all?" Cuddy asked him after the woman left.

"Why do constantly ask me questions you already know the answers to?" House replied, reaching for his fork.

"There's no way you are going to eat all that food." Chase said studying House's plate that was packed full with what looked like half of contents from the buffet.

"Wanna bet?" Wilson asked Chase with a smirk.

"No." Chase replied flatly.

"Speaking of betting………which one of you losers is going to ditch the conference early with me today and head over to the Casino?" House asked while chewing on a mouthful of food as he looked over at Wilson and Chase.

"You are staying for the ENTIRE lecture and the presentation after it." Cuddy told him incredulously.

"Wanna bet?" House asked with a smartass expression.

Just then Cora returned with a rather large plate, filled with one of every dessert the buffet had to offer.

"Here I wasn't sure what you liked so I gave you one of each because I figured your friends could eat whatever you didn't like." The older woman said with a smile.

"That was very sweet of you. Thank you Cora." House said pleasantly as Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip to keep her mouth shut from uttering what an ass House was in front of the kinder older woman.

"You are quite welcome and have a lovely time in Vegas." Cora replied, patting House's shoulder before turning and leaving the table for good.

"If only Cora was the Hospital Administrator, I'd be at the poker table right now." House remarked to Cuddy.

Cuddy looked over at Chase and Wilson. "Don't you two have to get some dessert also?" She questioned.

"But that woman said...._OH_…….come on Chase." Wilson replied after seeing the look in Cuddy's eyes that told him she wanted to speak to House alone.

Once Chase and Wilson left the table Cuddy leaned in closer to House.

"Just what the hell is up with you anyway? I thought I was supposed to be the moody one .....not you?" Shed asked in quick utterance of words.

House leaned closer to Cuddy, staring directly into her eyes.

"We are in Sin City and you're asking me to act like a choir boy!" He replied just as quickly.

"I'm asking you to do your job!" Cuddy responded back to him sharply.

"Sitting through lectures… is NOT my job. Saving patients is MY JOB." House countered, leaning back from her.

Before Cuddy could reply Chase and Wilson sat back at the table with their desserts in hand.

After taking his seat, Wilson looked down at his watch. "We better finish up soon because we've only got twenty minutes before the lecture starts." He informed them.

Cuddy shot House a glare before picking up her fork and piercing a piece of fruit with it, chewing on it slowly as she studied his face, knowing another power struggle between them had already begun.

********************************************************

**Bellagio Conference Room….**

Cuddy was the first one to enter into the large room where chandlers hung from the ceilings and gold and maroon fabrics and paint covered the walls.

The spacious room having auditorium style seating with several rows of chairs divided into five sections with aisles running up between them.

Spying four seats a few rows back from the front of the stage, Cuddy maneuvered her way through the crowd of physicians surrounding her to claim them.

Wilson kept up the pace, following Cuddy as House lagged behind followed by Chase.

Growing irritated at the people in his way House yelled out into the crowd.

"Handicapped person coming through!" He announced, watching with pleasure as the crowd of physicians around him suddenly parted like the Red sea in front of Moses.

Holding out his out his cane in front of him in much the same manner as the biblical man, House then bit down on his bottom lip so he would not crack a smile as he limped by them just as Wilson was getting ready to sit next to Cuddy who had taken the seat at the end of the aisle.

"Move over Jimmy." House said, watching Cuddy narrow her eyes at him.

Wilson got up and moved to the third seat, continuing to stand awkwardly as Chase moved past him to the fourth seat.

"You idiots can't even sit down without causing some kind of scene." Cuddy muttered under her breath, pissed at the fact that Wilson had moved when House asked him to.

House looked over at Cuddy seeing the irritated look on her face and loving every minute of it, happy that he was already doing a good job at getting her mad at him.

As the rest of attendees took their seats, Cuddy tried to focus on anything other than House, scanning the crowd to see if maybe she recognized anyone in it from the past conventions she had attended here.

Seeing that Cuddy was refusing to look at him, House turned and whispered to Wilson.

"Give me twenty minutes tops to get us out of here." He said to his friend.

"She's going to be royally pissed at you." Wilson warned, glancing over at Cuddy.

"That's the plan." House simply replied.

Just as Cuddy turned to see what exactly House and Wilson were whispering about she felt a tap on her left shoulder.

"Here are the handouts for the lecture." A young male hotel employee said to her, giving Cuddy several packets to hand down to the line of people in her row.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied, taking one of the packets while handing the other ones over to House while avoiding looking over at him.

House also took one of the packets before tossing the other ones on Wilson's lap.

"You know ignoring me is only going to make it worse." He then said to Cuddy as she looked down at the large white envelope resting on her thighs before opening it.

Cuddy pursed her lips, refusing to acknowledge House's words, pulling out the Clinical Trial Synopsis of Dr. Edward Wagner instead from inside the envelope along with a five by seven white notepad with the Bellagio's letterhead on it before reaching inside the envelope and pulling out a ball point pen with the Bellagio's logo on it as well.

"Ok…...I warned you." House muttered under his breath as he tore open his packet, emptying the contents onto his lap before he turned the large envelope upside-down and began to shake it.

"Where in the hell is the stripper's G-String I was promised? This is Vegas for Christ sake!" House announced loudly as Cuddy snapped her head up to look over at him.

The people surrounding House also looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Did you get a G-String in your packet?" House asked leaning forward while talking to the white haired elderly physician sitting in front of him whose jaw had dropped.

"I'll take that as a no." He said quickly before turning around, making sure to catch a glance at Cuddy first before speaking to the impeccably dressed woman seated behind him who looked to be in her early fifties.

"How bout you sweetheart? Any G-string in your packet or did you already slip it on?" House asked, wiggling his eyebrows at the woman.

"Shut ..UP!" Cuddy said through clenched teeth, grabbing House's arm and tugging on it hard so he would turn back around.

"Easy there Cuddy…don't get your G-string in a bunch." House commented back to her.

"You my friend are a dead man." Wilson whispered over to House after seeing the look of death in Cuddy's eyes.

"If he dies I call dibs on his desk." Chase remarked from beside Wilson.

"Excuse me. Is there a problem here?" One of the hotel security officers said walking up to the group after witnessing the events of the unruly man sitting beside the now mortified dark haired woman.

Cuddy looked up at the tall and muscular man. "There's no problem, my colleague Doctor House just had a few too many cocktails before we came into the lecture hall but I assure you he's harmless."

The man looked over at House before looking back at Cuddy. "If he interrupts the speaker once the lecture begins he's out of here." He warned.

When the man left House leaned over and whispered into Cuddy's ear.

"No matter what I do you always end up defending me...remind me to thank my penis for making me irresistible to you."

Cuddy turned and narrowed her eyes at House with an evil grin on her face. "You would have loved for that security guard to throw you out. Sorry but I am not going to make it that easy for you to run off to the poker table." She replied before focusing on the stage as the speaker approached the podium.

As the lecture began House leaned back in his chair, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Lisa was watching him carefully.

Wilson crossed his right leg over his left knee, listening to the physician on stage as he began to tell the audience of his latest clinical trial on Breast Cancer.

Chase leaned forward in his chair, settling in for the lecture as well, cupping his hands together as they rested on his thighs.

After a few more minutes Cuddy found her attention being drawn away from House as she listened intently on what the speaker was saying, that was …..until she saw House start scribbling with his pen on the notepad resting on his lap.

As she looked over to look at what his was doing, House covered up his paper with his left hand.

Cuddy a sighed and concentrated back on the speaker for a few more minutes until House nudged her in the arm, tilting the paper he had written on so that only she could see it.

House smiled widely as her eyes focused in on the paper before she slapped her hand over it, those same eyes immediately darted up to make contact with his and boring into his skull.

On the paper House had written the caption "I'D RATHER BE DOING THIS" before he proceeded to draw two stick figures.

The first stick figure which of course him, was taller than the second, with dots of stubble on its face, wearing a huge grin of squared teeth as it chased after the second stick figure.

The second stick figure, which was of course Cuddy, was shorter with curly shoulder length hair, and had a smile drawn on its face as well.

If that would have been the end of House's drawing there would be not be a look of anger on Lisa's face right now…...however.

The first stick figure under which House had written "ME" had a huge penis that was standing at full attention, so big that it was rising above the stubble speckled face of the grinning figure, while the second stick figure titled "YOU" had enormous boobs, a huge round belly and an equally exaggerated round butt.

"You are a total ass!" Cuddy hissed over to House as he continued to grin.

"Hey Wilson, want to see my notes on the lecture?" House whispered over to his friend, lifting the notepad up with Cuddy's hand still on top of it.

As Wilson shifted his eyes towards the paper, Cuddy snatched the notepad away from House before burying it under her own.

Behind them she heard someone whisper "Shh" as the speaker gave a quick glance down to the area they were sitting in.

"Oh my God I think I'm going to be sick!" House suddenly slurred in a fake, drunken voice before gagging.

That for Cuddy had been the last straw as the entire auditorium, including the speaker above them now were looking directly at all of them.

"Is that man alright?" The speaker questioned from the stage as the security guard made his way towards the group once more.

"He's fine …..I think he just needs some fresh air." Cuddy said before turning and whispering into House's ear as he doubled over.

"Fine, you got what you wanted, I'm pissed off so now you can go and have fun in the casino. I hope you're happy!" She told him sharply.

House looked up at her before gagging again. "Hold onto that anger for tonight ok?" He said with a wink just to see her eyes widen at his boldness.

"Ok sir let's get you outside." The security guard said with an authoritative tone as House rose to his feet, clutching his stomach.

"I'd better come with him just to make sure he's ok." Wilson said to the security officer.

Cuddy gave Wilson a death glare as he scooted by her, letting him know she was not at all amused with the fact that he was ditching the lecture that focused on _his _specialty.

As Chase went to follow both Wilson and House, hoping to get an early start on his gambling as well Cuddy turned, blocking him from exiting the row of seats.

"Sit down Chase!" Cuddy said in a hushed but stern whisper.

Chase blinked in shock at the amount of anger held within Cuddy's tone and took the seat next to her, looking over his shoulder as House looked back at him and gave him a grin as he made his way to the exit with the security guard and Wilson.

*******************************************************

**Later that day…..Bellagio Hotel Suite 367…..**

Entering into the hotel room by herself while using her key card, Cuddy immediately took off her shoes, tossing them over to the side of the room.

Both her feet and her back were killing her after sitting for hours in the rigid auditorium seats with only two fifteen minute breaks in between the lecture by the first speaker and the second presenter of the day.

Ever since House and Wilson had left the first lecture Cuddy had not seen either of them, but had made sure to keep Chase in her sights so that he would at least remain with her for the remainder of the first day of the convention.

"Why do you have to be such a jerk at times?" Cuddy muttered under her breath as she thought back to howHouse had acted towards her today.

_You've known for years that House is a jerk. The real question is why is it suddenly bothering you so much now that he was a jerk this time?_ Her mind responded.

Cuddy exhaled and decided that before she answered the question her mind had asked her, she would take a good long soak in the deep tub inside the marble bathroom of the suite in order to calm her nerves and sooth her aching muscles.

"How about you Jess….do you feel like a bath too?" Cuddy whispered down to her stomach as she caressed it, knowing that there would always be one thing in her life that would bring a smile to her face no matter how bad her day had been.

********************************************************

**Bellagio Casino…..**

Inside the packed casino, Chase made his way through the crowds of people, flashing lights and sounds of slots machines going off to the designated area of the Poker Room, knowing this is where he would find both House and Wilson.

After entering the room and being offered a drink by a pretty hostess dressed in a skimpy outfit, Chase spotted House at a poker table in the corner of the room with a sizeable stack of chips in front of him.

"Where's Wilson?" Chase asked, taking the empty seat beside House.

"Probably out looking for the fourth Mrs. Wilson to marry him." House replied before taking a puff of the cigar he was smoking.

The dealer at the table looked up at Chase, letting him know with a glance that he either needed to join in on the game or move out of the player's chair.

Chase reached for the wallet in his back pocket and pulled out three one hundred dollar bills handing them to the dealer who quickly exchanged for chips.

"Looks like you're doing fairly well." Chase said to House, glancing down at his chips as the dealer started to pass out the cards for the next hand.

"How's Cuddy doing?" House asked in return, studying the cards before him.

"She's pissed.....of course I can't really blame her after the stunt you pulled." Chase replied looking down at his cards.

"Good, because a pissed off Cuddy is a hot Cuddy." House responded, taking the cigar out of his mouth and laying it in the ashtray beside him before placing his bet.

"You really think it's a good thing that the mother of your child wants to kill you?" Chase asked.

House grimaced at Chase's remark.

"Did you leave your balls at the door when you came in here? Because just now I could have sworn I was talking to Cameron." House snarked, glancing up and noticing Wilson as he made his way through the crowd towards the poker table they were seated at.

"Well did you find the next Mrs. Wilson or not?" House teased as Wilson stood behind him and Chase.

"Very funny." Wilson replied before addressing Chase.

"Where's Cuddy?" He questioned.

"She headed up to her hotel room after the conference was over." Chase replied as he placed his bet.

"Thank god, hopefully she'll stay up there and not come down here to nag me." House replied, placing his bet as well.

"You know sometimes you can be a real ass." Chase commented to House.

"Hey handsome." A low and sultry female voice said from beside Chase, interrupting his conversation with House.

Chase looked to his right, seeing a tall, beautiful woman with dark chestnut hair standing next to him, wearing a red low cut blouse along with a very short, tight, black skirt, revealing her legs that went on for miles.

"Hi." Chase responded with wide eyes, trying his best not to stare at the woman's amazingly exposed cleavage.

"My name's Candy." The woman said with a smile, giving the dealer a wink before she looked down back down at Chase.

"I'm…..ah .." Chase started to say, watching the way the barely there skirt rose up on Candy's thighs as she took a seat next to him.

"His name is DOCTOR Robert Chase." House said with a smirk, checking out the woman who was obviously a hooker.

"Oh a doctor? You know I have been feeling like I've been coming down with a cold, maybe you could give me an exam later just to make sure I'm ok." Candy replied with a seductive smile.

"I take it you want in on the game Candy?" The dealer asked looking over at her with a smile of his own.

"Give me four hundred in chips Lou." Candy replied, reaching inside her small clutch purse and retrieving the cash.

House leaned over and whispered into Chase's ear.

"With a rack like that I would make damn sure she doesn't have a chest cold." He said with a grin.

Wilson who had been silently staring at Candy's cleavage along with Chase finally shook his head free of the image and leaned down to talk to House.

"Don't you think you should be heading up the hotel room to check on Lisa?"

House looked up at his friend with a wrinkled face. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world." He replied while nodding over to Chase and Candy.

********************************************************

**Bellagio Hotel Suite 367…..**

Lisa closed her eyes and exhaled deeply as she sunk down further into the warm and soothing water of the large Jacuzzi tub before breathing in the citrus scent of the bubble bath through her nose.

As the tension in her muscles began to melt away she thought back to the question asked by mind earlier when she had first stepped foot inside the room.

_I know he's a jerk…he's been a jerk for years so why all of sudden is it bothering me so much now? _Cuddy thought as her eyes remained closed.

She could have blamed her sudden feelings on her pregnancy, writing it off as another hormonal imbalance, but instead as the reality of why she felt they way she did hit her hard, her snapped her eyes open quickly.

"Oh my god. I was actually hurt because House didn't want to spend time with me. I took his incessant need to ditch that conference personally when it had absolutely NOTHING to do with us as couple." Cuddy said aloud as her voice echoed inside the marble tiled bathroom.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she moved her hand to her stomach, looking down at the mound of bubbles concealing it from her view.

"I actually miss your Daddy's company Jess...... I've actually gone from dreading seeing his face for years….into missing him when I don't see him….…how pathetic is that?" Cuddy questioned to her baby before continuing.

"Well... I guess can admit to you that most of the time I _do like_ seeing your Daddy's face even when he barges into my office, but that has to remain a secret between just us girls." She announced with a smile, deciding that after she was done taking her bath, she would order up some room service, including a hot fudge sundae and enjoy the time she had by herself instead of wondering where in the hell the father of her child was.

********************************************************

After finishing her dinner and dessert, Cuddy made herself comfortable on the king size bed in her room, propping up the pillows and watching TV as she stayed wrapped up in the long, white, terry cloth bathrobe the hotel had provided, her hair remaining in loose curls around her shoulders after she had towel dried it.

She had nearly started to doze off when she heard the sound of House stumbling into the room.

"Hey Preggo…you still pissed off at me?" House asked, watching her sit up in the bed while noticing how good she looked wearing one of the plush white bathrobes from the hotel.

"Sorry you're out of luck, I'm relaxe, fed and content at the moment." Cuddy replied, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and stretching before she got up off of it, walking towards House as he leaned against the wall.

House tossed his cane to the floor and wrapped one of his arms around her waist when she reached him.

"By the way I'm filthy drunk, lost a ton of YOUR money at the poker table tonight _and_ got propositioned by a hooker. Sure you're not still mad?" He asked.

Cuddy smelled the scent of scotch and stale cigar smoke on his breath as House smiled drunkenly down at her.

"Did you take the hooker up on her proposition?" She teased.

"Well…" House started to say as he staggered over to the bed, keeping his arm around her wais as he drug her with him.

"Greg…..you better be kidding." Cuddy said as she felt House shifting some of his weight onto her.

House looked down at her with guilt written all over his face. "I think you need to sit down." He mumbled shifting his eyes to the floor.

Cuddy sat down on the bed as House placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to stay focused on her face.

"This isn't funny." She whispered up at him, watching House as his body swayed back and forth slightly.

"I think I need to sit down too." House muttered before his left leg buckled underneath him, sending him down to a kneeling position in front of her.

"You're just trying to make me mad again." Cuddy remarked, placing her hand onto his face as she looked intently into his eyes.

From the way he was acting House wasn't _just drunk_, he was _REALLY_ drunk and that fact told her that he may have indeed done something without thinking about the consequences first.

"I'm not trying to make you mad, but there's something I did do that I need to tell you." House said in a sincere and haunting tone, watching her face fall as the weight of his words came crashing down upon her.

"Knock it off House." Cuddy replied keeping her voice calm even tough her heart was now pounding inside her chest.

House leaned forward and buried his head into her right shoulder wrapping his arms around her as he felt her body stiffen in his embrace.

"If I tell what I did ….promise me you won't get mad….I was drunk…and I'm an idiot and I…." He started to say in a voice filled with regret.

"Stop it Greg…….…this isn't funny anymore." Cuddy said in a hushed tone that had an inkling of hurt within it.

"Still not mad huh? Well then I give up." House said suddenly, pulling away from Cuddy as he slipped the exquisite one and half carat, antique diamond engagement ring onto her left index finger in one smooth motion.

Cuddy looked down at the ring stunned….not understanding for a moment just what the hell was going on.

"Well?" House questioned looking up at her with a grin.

Cuddy looked over at House with her mouth slightly opened and her eyes wide with shock.

"What…..what ..the hell is this?" She said, stumbling over her words as her eyes moved back and forth from the ring to House's face several times.

"Is called an EN-GAGE-MENT ring....but... if you don't want it I can give it to the hooker I met instead." House answered, trying to hide how much he was enjoying the look on her face right now.

"You're not drunk!" Cuddy stated with surprise, now looking into the clarity in House's crystal blue eyes as she saw through his deception before she quickly got off of the bed and walked over to the other side of the room.

"Not the kind of response I was looking for." House said, placing his hand on the bed and getting to his feet again before turning around to face her.

"There never was a hooker …..and you're not drunk…..which means you _PLANNED_ this. Which means you are _SERIOUS _about this." Cuddy replied looking down at the ring on her finger again before looking up at House as he limped towards her.

"Oh there _was _a hooker…but she was Chase's hooker not mine. Now enough with the hooker talk. What's your answer yes or no?" House said closing the gap between them.

Cuddy looked up into his eyes once more. "No." She whispered trying to turn away from him.

"_No? What do you mean NO_?" House questioned placing both of his hands on opposite sides of her head as she leaned against the wall.

"You told me a few weeks ago that you may _never _be ready for marriage…… you made that perfectly clear….and now… all of sudden you're placing a ring on my finger?" Cuddy asked with confusion.

House chuckled.

"This still isn't funny Greg." Cuddy replied placing her left hand up to his right arm in order to push it out of her way.

"Actually from my vantage point it kind of is….you should see the look on your face right now…AND…you aren't going anywhere until I'm finished." House replied as his arm stayed firmly in place even when she started to apply more pressure to it.

"That ring on your finger isn't just any old ring…it belonged to my grandmother…my Oma… and I asked my mom to bring it with her when she came to visit us. I even had the damn thing sized, because I wanted _YOU_ to have it." House said, letting her know the significance of the engagement ring he had just placed upon her finger.

"Which proves _MY _point. _You_ started to feel guilty after we talked about marriage and _that's _why you gave me this ring." Cuddy argued.

"When have you _ever _known me to feel guilty about anything?" House asked looking directly into her eyes.

Cuddy exhaled, looked away from House for a moment before looking back up at him.

"Never…at least not that you've ever admitted it to me." She answered watching the way his jaw line remained fixed.

"And when have YOU …. _or anyone else for that matter...._ever made me do something I really didn't want to?" House pushed with his eyes staring deeply into hers in order to get his point across.

Cuddy took in a breath before answering, the air around them feeling thick and heavy with emotion.

"Greg just because I'm pregnant…." She started to say, looking away from him again.

"Don't do that …don't use the baby as the reason for why I gave you that ring just now." House interrupted leaning closer to her and making her look into his eyes again.

"Then you tell me honestly_. Why did give me this ring_?" Cuddy said, with and ache in her voice, feeling her heart starting to beat faster in her chest.

"Do you really have to ask? After all that we've been through?" House replied in low but earnest whisper.

Cuddy looked up at him with her heart connecting with his own as she saw what was reflected in his eyes.

"No, I don't have to ask you." She said softly, realizing that their history together said more than mere words ever could.

House looked down at the floor and took in a breath before looking back up into her face.

"Tell me that you don't want this and we can act like it never happened....but....if you say no _again_… I WILL NOT offer that ring to you _again_…..so you better make damn sure you know exactly what _you_ want." House stated, not willing to let his pride slip completely away from him.

Cuddy swallowed hard and paused before she spoke, what House was offering her scared her to death because it was something she had convinced herself long ago _she _would never have.

"I want this and I want you." She admitte to him with her voice just above a whisper as she brought her hands up to his chest before moving them to his face.

"Then why did you have to be so goddam stubborn about it." House asked as some of the tension released from his brow.

Cuddy let a small laugh escape her. "I had to make sure YOU really wanted this too." She replied looking up into his face, watching with amazement as the smile formed on the corners of his mouth.

"So that's a yes?" House questioned, titling his head.

"Yes." Cuddy replied with a nod before brushing her lips against his while her fingertips caressed the stubble on his jaw.

Before the kiss could be deepened by either of them, Cuddy backed away from it suddenly.

"That's why you were such a jerk to me today! Why needed to get away from me so badly. You were nervous about asking me to marry you and you needed time to think about it!" She exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Being a jerk to you about that stupid conference is TOTALLY unrelated to this…and beside… technically I didn't ASK you anything, I merely requested an answer." House said with a hint of arrogance to his tone.

"Now who's the one being stubborn?" Cuddy questioned arching an eyebrow at him.

"I'm done talking. So either put out or give me my ring back so I can find someone who will." House replied as his face dared her into releasing the heat that had built between them.

"You really want your ring back?" Cuddy asked.

"No." House replied.

"But you really want me to put out?" Cuddy remarked with a grin, pulling him closer to her.

"Yes." House said with a nod, reaching down and pulling the ties of her robe apart, moving his hands to the exposed skin of her naked body underneath it.

"Well, since you gave me something………I guess it's only right that I give you something as well." Cuddy responded, stepping back from him and removing the robe from her shoulders before letting it slide down her body and fall softly to the carpeted floor beneath her feet.

**TO BE CONTINUED......**


	68. Chapter 68

**Enjoy the Huddy hotness my friends ;)**

**Chapter 68**

**Bellagio Hotel, Suite 367**

As Cuddy stood naked before him, House studied her figure, taking in the subtle as well as not so subtle changes brought forth by her pregnancy thus far.

Although her increased flood of hormones had made sex between them more frequent, her body was also the culprit as well, the enhanced curves around her hips just waiting for him to nestle between them, her abdomen no longer flat but with a nice little rounded arch to it, creating a nice place for him to stop with his tongue as he made his way down to the silky heat between her thighs, her breasts full, round and gorgeous, waiting nothing more then his mouth and hands upon them.

The mere sight of her, giving him instant hard on.

As his eyes moved back up to her face after languishing over her body, Cuddy met him with a smile.

"I thought you wanted me to give you some, but if you'd rather just stare that's fine too." She teased, feeling the heat from his gaze while also seeing the adoration he had for her body held within the intense blue of his eyes.

"Just deciding which part of you I want to touch first." House replied in a low voice before stepping forward.

His lips met hers; his tongue immediately granted entry to search her mouth for the passion he knew was hidden there, waiting for him to bring it out of her.

Cuddy placed her arms around House's neck and drew him in closer to her, feeling the fabric of his shirt brushing across her bare breasts as his strong frame pressed against her.

House let his hands roam her body.......the feel of her soft skin...... warm and responsive to his touch as his hands moved down the curve of her back, her mouth tasting sweet with the hint of the ice cream she had eaten earlier leaving its impression behind on her tongue.

Breaking free from the deep kiss between them he looked into her eyes briefly before placing some soft, slow kisses onto her full lips, his thumb caressing her jawline before allowing his lips to travel to the delicate skin of her neck where he began to suck gently on her flesh.

"You smell different." He whispered against her skin as the intoxicating scent of citrus and spice filled his nose.

It was sweet, but with a bite to it as well, just like her.

"Do you like it?" Cuddy murmured while his teeth nibbled at the part of her neck that sent chills up her spine.

"Very much." House breatheed into her skin as his right hand slid down and cupped her round ass.

Cuddy moved her hands to the suit jacket House was wearing, her fingers grabbing onto the lapels before she jerked it free from his body, pressing herself tighter against him as the intense feeling brought forth from the words spoken between them moments ago now coursed rapidly through her veins.

She wanted him more at that moment than she ever thought possible, more than she had ever dared to before in the past, the weight of the ring on her finger saying everything that he could not.

With the fever inside of her building, Cuddy took hold of the front of House's dress shirt and ripped it open, sending the buttons scattering in different directions throughout the room.

House smiled down at her, the gleam of desire quickly filling her eyes as she wasted no time in placing her lips against his chest, kissing his skin as she teased him with soft bites across the broad span of it, her hands moving up to his ribs and over his chest hair before lowering themselves to his waistline.

House stepped back from her and pulled his shirt the rest of the way off before he wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning into her until her back made contact with the wall behind her.

He then lowered his lips to her left breast, sucking her nipple into his mouth.

"_Greg……" _Cuddy gasped as her hands moved to his neck while his teeth gently grazed across the spiked nub, her left leg wrapping around his waist with the side of her foot now resting in the small of his back.

She moaned softly at the feel of his erection pressing into her pelvis through the fabric of his jeans, his tongue and lips that were now dancing across her nipple causing the ache to stir between her thighs as her fingers pressed into his back.

House moved a splayed fingers down to her left hip, gripping onto it tightly, grinding his throbbing shaft tighter against her.

"_Get the rest of your clothes off." _Cuddy whispered into his ear with a gasp as his tongue continued to tease her nipple.

House released her breast from his mouth, kissing his way up to her chin before taking a step back from her while his eyes staying glued onto her face as he kicked off his shoes.

Within the next second….both of their hands reached for his pants.

House flashed her a horny smile. "Ladies first." He offered removing his hands after they had undone the button on the top of his jeans while Cuddy's hands remained.

"You just love it when I take charge, don't you?" Cuddy replied with a seductive grin, unzipping his pants before sliding her hand into his boxer briefs where his bulge was located.

House took in a breath through his open mouth as she started to stroke him with her soft hand, her thumb circling the head of his penis before she knelt down before him, pulling his pants and boxers to the floor.

Looking down at her, House felt his breathing becoming shallow and filled with desire as he watched Lisa kiss the tip of his throbbing cock and taking it into her warm and amazing mouth, her tongue now sliding expertly along his shaft as her left hand lowered, cupping his balls gently before started to caress them.

"_God." _He grunted, his head falling back as he moved his hand into her dark hair, her head with that amazign tongue inside of it, continuing move up and down on his erection with the pace that was somewhere between fast and slow, her mind knowing it would drive him wild from all the times she had done this to him before, her right hand suddenly gripping onto his hip possessively while a soft humming sound escaped her throat, causing him to cry out again.

His eyes darted down to her just as Cuddy in turn looked up at him.

House let out another ragged breath at the sight of her.

"Lisa…that feels so good." He groaned as his thumb brushed against her cheek, feeling a chill run down his spine as her cool grey eyes stayed locked within the gaze they were sharing, her mouth releasing another hum as her tongue danced around the head of his penis, causing him to tremble where he stood above her, completely at her mercy.

"Get back up here." House then requested in a hoarse voice as the need to be buried deep inside of her as she moaned out with passion into the side of his neck became a priority for him now.

As Cuddy rose to her feet, House moved his hand up onto her neck, pulling her into another deep kiss as his other hand was left free to roam down her back, finding her plump, rounded ass once more and giving it a firm squeeze before he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Cuddy smiled against his lips, backing him into the mattress and pushing down upon it.

"Mmmm fiesty." House murmured against her lips as they continued to kiss, moving back towards the headboard as Cuddy crawled on top of him.

Her knees now rested just above his hips on both sides of his body, her hands planted firmly in the mattress beside his head on opposite sides as well as the mound of pillows underneath House's head left only a few inches between his mouth and her breasts.

House locked eyes with Cuddy again as her raven hair cascaded over her shoulders, placing his hands onto her back as he took her left breast into his mouth first, teasing her nipple with his tongue, while his hands moved to the curves of her ass, hearing a moan escape her mouth from above him.

Cuddy felt as if her entire body was on fire as House sucked her peaked her nipple while his hands rubbed and caressed the part of her that he was obsessed with before his fingers traveled lower, the tips of them just barely brushing against her entrance, causing her to gasp.

House moved his mouth over to her right breast, painting the nipple with his tongue before he blew a hot breath upon it, beginning to suck on it with more urgency as Cuddy hovered above him, her body starting to rock back and forth. His right hand coming up and squeezed her breast while his left hand remained possessively on her ass and squeezing it at the same time, feeling Lisa press her pelvis against his stomach with the silky wetness he had brought forth from her making contact with his skin, the sensation making his cock twitch as he sucked even harder on her right nipple.

"_Oh god!" _Cuddy moaned, resting her chin on the crown of his head before kissing his forehead and gasping for air.

Orchestrating his movements based on her responses that he knew so very well now, House guided his right hand down past the roundness of her ass to the spot between her thighs, his middle finger, entering inside from behind as he rubbed his stubble against her hard nipple before sucking it into his mouth again.

He felt Cuddy tremble above him as he started moving the finger in and out of her silky, wet core while the two fingers beside it brushed over her clit, her hot breath rushing into the side of his face.

"_Oh…fuck…." _Cuddy muttered with a gasp as she started to flex her hips up and down on his finger while House rolled his tongue across her nipple.

Cuddy's utterance of heated profanity told House that she was reaching her peak rapidly, but he was not about to get lax in his performance. He wanted take her to the point where she would cry out for him with a passion in her voice that let him know no other man could ever make her cum as hard as he could, that he was the only one who could make her lose all sense of reason and control.

Letting out a shallow breath, Cuddy swallowed hard as she felt the tingling sensation between her thighs start to build just as House removed his finger from inside of her and carefully flipped her onto her back.

House felt her hot breath against his face as Cuddy stared up at him, her eyes filled with lust, her arms automatically finding the place around his neck when he had rolled her over onto the mattress.

He removed her hands from his body, placing them onto the edge of the headboard behind them.

"Leave those hands were I put them. Right now I"m the only one who can touch." He ordered in a low voice as his eyes traced the curve of her jaw.

Cuddy nodding while taking in a deep breath, so turned on by the way he had spoken to her just now it sent another wave of electricity down between her thighs.

"Good girl." House told her with a deep voice that was promising something very amazing for her cooperation, lowering his mouth onto hers and kissing Lisa deeply as he rubbed his erection against her.

When House released his lips from her own, Cuddy watched his mouth travel down between the valley of her breasts, the tip of it now making a wet trail down to her navel, followed by quikcly by her goosebumps.

House planted soft kisses on her stomach next, feeling her body squirming underneath him, silently urging him to head to the place were she was now more than ready to receive his tongue.

He looked up at Cuddy and gave her a smile before he happily abandoned her waistline for the sweet heat below it.

With another loud gasp Cuddy gripped the edge the headboard with her fingers, pushing her pelvis up when his tongue slipped inside her soft pulsing core with a few amazing, powerful thrusts, her soft cry and gently bucking hips told him he could have all of her, granting him permission to do to her whatever he wished.

House made sure to look up at her again when he slid his tongue in-between the folds of her skin, continuing to taste her sweetness, letting a deep moan escape his throat that sounded more like a growl as he placed one of her legs over his shoulder before lowering his head and moving his right hand underneath her, gently sliding his middle finger inside of her once more.

"_Oh…god Greg!" _Cuddy moaned as House used the tip of his finger to stroke the internal ridges within her before letting it slide deeper inside of her, his tongue flicking against her clit and creating a rhythm meant to drive her wild.

Cuddy arched her back and House hummed into her clit before sucking on it harder, hearing her cry out again.

God he loved the sound of her voice when she was so deep within her ecstasy that she was nearly drowning in it.

Moving his left hand onto her hip, he then her firmly in place as he slide another finger into her tight entrance while his tongue now rubbed forcefully against her clit as he sucked it between his teeth.

Cuddy moaned out again with pleasure, her head falling against the pillow, her toned thighs, now shaking as another sound between a whimper and scream escaped her lips following by a string of urgent words.

"_Yes! Oh God! Don't stop!"_ She pleaded, feeling the wave of her orgasm beginning to a crest as hips rose up to meet his amazing mouth while her voice trembled.

House pressed his tongue firmly down onto her clit ….just barely moving it from side to side as the muscles inside of her started contracting around his fingers, another moan of pure ecstasy escaped her throat, her cries of passion filling the air around them, the muscles in her arms tensing as she gripped the headboard behind her while the liquid heat within her coated his fingers, her body so very alive at that moment it was causing his own breathing to become shallow as he watched her eyes slit, the incredible breathtaking site of Lisa reaching her climax as she moaned out for him again, sending a wave of testosterone directly to his throbbing shaft.

As a fine sheen of sweat broke out on her body, Cuddy let one last moan escape her, slowing the bucking of her hips within the next second while removing her left hand from the headboard and placing it on the side of House's face below her as he continued gently tonguing her clit, his fingers now removed from inside of her and stroking her inner thigh.

"Mmmm come back up here." She told him in a voice that was thick from the orgasm she had just experience.

"Was that good Lisa?" House asked, smiling as he crawled up the length of her body towards her face as her chest rose and fell rapidly below him.

"Very good." Cuddy answered with a gasp, "Now its time for me to get you moaning." She then added with a sinful grin, gripping his shoulders and pushing him onto his back before straddling him and quickly reaching for his cock underneath her.

House exhaled deeply through his mouth, looking down between them and letting out a groan as she sunk down onto his shaft, her tight entrance causing a mind blowing resistance at first before his entire length slid deeply inside of her.

"Do you like how that feels Greg? How good it feels to be inside of me?" Cuddy asked in a smoky voice that was still drunk with desire from the pleasure he given to her.

"Yes." House answered with a loud gasp as she started riding slowly up and down on his cock, her hands gripping onto his shoulders as she moaned out again, the feel of his erection filling up the still throbbing part inside of her, keeping the pulsing waves of her orgasm alive.

House immediately brought his pelvis up from the mattress to meet hers, his thrusts in tune with the rolling of her hips, uttering out her name in a rugged voice.

Cuddy increased her rhythm, arching her back and granting him deeper access inside of her, feeling him begin to thrust more rapidly up into of her because of it, the primal side of him awake and hungering for everything she was giving to him.

Sliding both of his hands firmly onto her ass, House pulled her entrance down tightly against each thrust of his hips as she continued to arch her back, his eyes glued to her face as Cuddy bite her bottom lip and cried out with approval, her hands sliding down to his chest, palms pressing against his skin him as she kept up with his timing, twisting her hips just before they sank down onto him again while inside her inner walls tensed, gripped onto his shaft and making the motion even more pleasurable for him.

A fever of heat soaked words escaped his mouth…her name burning among them, the sweat on her body releasing more of the sweet smell of citrus that had a bite to it as House felt his orgasm travel throughout his body, the sheer power of it knocking everything down in its path, leaving nothing in its wake.

Looking down at him, Cuddy watched the euphoria wash over House's face, his eyes connecting with her for the briefest of seconds before he completely let go, closing his them as his hips bucked up into hers once more as he came inside of her.

Cuddy leaned down and kissed his forehead, cheek and lips, catching her breath and continuing to slowly grind her hips until House squeezed her thigh with his hand, letting her know she could stop.

"God that was good_."_ House whispered into her hair, exhaling loudly as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body closer to him while kissing the side of her neck.

"Of course you do realize once we get married our sex life will become come to an abrupt end so you better get as much screwing in as possible before we set the date." Cuddy teased, slowing down her breathing.

House pulled her away from him and looked up into her eyes. "I want to get married tomorrow." He said bluntly.

Cuddy looked down at him with shock, pushing herself up so that she was now sitting on top of him.

"You have a lecture tomorrow at ten." She reminded him.

"Then after that." House said, moving some of the loose curls of her dark hair away from her face.

"Why tomorrow?" Cuddy asked, getting off of him before moving the comforter back and slipping under the covers beside him.

House looked over at her as he made his way under the covers as well, pulling her closer to him as she rested on her side.

"Listen I know this is probably not the wedding you had in mind, but I don't want to waste time planning and thinking about it …I just want to get it over with." He said, watching to see if she would take his words too literally.

"I can understand that." Cuddy replied not taking offense to his statements at all because she knew he was not one to follow any status quo on any matter, especially the ones regarding weddings and marriage.

House exhaled, seeing the disappointment in her eyes. "You want you mom to be at our wedding." He stated.

"Don't you want your parents to be there?" Cuddy asked.

"My Mom yes, my Dad…not so much." House answered before continuing.

"Lisa, I want to marry you, but having a big ceremony with every idiot we know in attendance while going through those stupid rituals attached to it is something I don't want." He explained.

Cuddy placed her hand on the side of his face.

"I know that getting married is a big change for you, and I know the last thing you want is to be in front of a group of people watching as you make that change while reminding you before and after it how big of a change it is, but we can have a small wedding without all of the pomp and circumstance." She offered.

House reached for her hand that was caressing his jaw.

"I don't want to wait." He said in a low whisper. "I don't want to risk the chance of something going wrong…for something to screw it all up." He said with difficulty, forcing himself to keep his eyes locked onto her.

Cuddy watched as old memories from the not too distant past began to fill his eyes, knowing how close they had come to having their lives ripped it to shreds because of Jeff Hansom and Michael Tritter.

"Ok…I'll marry you…. tomorrow." She agreed while moving her hand to his chest.

House turned onto his side so he could face her directly.

"When we get back after we're married here…..if you want to have some kind of reception type thing….I can do that…as long as it's small." He offered.

Cuddy studied his face and even though it broke her heart a little bit when she thought of getting married without her mother being present, she knew that getting married to Greg was the most important thing and _not_ who was in attendance when it happened.

"Ok." She agreed again with a nod.

House then reached for Cuddy's left hand that was resting on his chest and looked down at the ring he had placed on her finger earlier.

"I suppose you'll want a dress." He said in a low tone.

"A dress would be nice." Cuddy replied, studying his face as he looked back at her awkwardly for a moment.

"Well, after we tell Wilson about our engagement tomorrow maybe he could help you look for one once my lecture is over, since _he is_ the wedding planner extraordinaire." House then told her with an amused smile.

"You mean you didn't tell Wilson you were proposing to me?" Cuddy questioned, surprised House had not confided in his best friend.

"Hell no! That romantic jerk would have been hounding me the whole time if he knew." House answered.

Cuddy laughed and moved her hand to House's shoulder as they continued to lie on their sides facing each other.

"Ok, so I need to get a dress and you need to get a new suit _and_ we are NOT getting married by Elvis by the way." She stated firmly.

"Hey what did Elvis ever do to you?" House teased before adding. "I'll get a new suit," with a nod.

"A black suit." Cuddy added with a nod of her own.

"Fine….a black suit. Then we can get married and screw like bunnies until we leave this dump on Saturday." House replied, rolling onto his back again.

"Sounds good to me." Cuddy replied with a small smile, moving her head over to his chest.

"So you're really ok with this?" House asked, stroking her hair with the fingers of his left hand.

Cuddy rested her chin on the left side of his chest, looking up at him

"Yes." She replied before resting her head back down onto the space where she could hear the beating of his heart..

"This is great! I just knew I'd find someway to get out of that stupid convention again after my lecture." House said with smile, staring up at the ceiling while waiting for Cuddy to elbow him in his side for the comment.

"You do understand that by skipping the rest of the convention and getting married to me you are actually making and even longer commit?" Cuddy remarked with a grin.

"Oh god……and I don't even have tenure to wave in your face. What in the hell was I thinking?" House exclaimed dramatically.

Again Cuddy laughed, "You know there are there are other ways besides tenure in regards to getting out of trouble with me once we're married, you just have to figure them out." She informed him before raising her head and winking at him.

********************************************************

**Thursday Morning~~~Bellagio… Suite 367…..**

"What in the hell are you doing?" House questioned, looking over at Lisa from the king size bed in their suite as she slipped on her heels.

"It's called getting dressed." Cuddy replied smartly before walking over to him.

House rolled onto his side and looked at the clock on the nightstand, squinting his eyes to make out the numbers.

"It barely seven am, we don't have to be at the conference until nine thirty." He grumbled.

"I thought maybe you'd want to get some breakfast and I've got some phone calls to make before the conference starts." Cuddy replied before sitting on the bed and reaching for her cell phone on the nightstand.

"Calling your mom, who is three hours behind us because of the time zone difference just to tell her that I am finally making a honest woman out of you is really cruel…even for you." House said smugly as he placed his hands behind his head.

"Shut up." Cuddy said with smirk before dialing her mom's cell phone number.

As the phone began to ring House scooted closer to the side of the bed that she was seated on, but remained lying down.

"Hello?" Ruth said in a groggy early morning voice.

"Hi mom." Cuddy replied with a smile.

"Lisa, is everything ok?" Ruth asked with a worried tone.

"Everthing's fine Mom and I'm sorry to call you so early, but I am going to be in lectures for most of the day and I didn't know when I'd get the chance to talk to you." Cuddy apologized.

"That's ok honey....I understand how busy you are. So are you having fun in Vegas and is House staying out of trouble?" Ruth asked with a yawn.

"I don't know about having fun, but Greg did ask me to marry him." Cuddy said looking down at her ring before she made a face at House.

House watched the smile form on her full lips after she made the face at him, liking the fact that he was the cause of it.

"Mom?" Cuddy questioned after there was a pause on the ohter line.

"Did House really ask you to marry him?" Ruth said in a whisper.

"Yes." Cuddy confirmed with another smile.

"Oh wow! Oh ….this is just great!" Ruth gushed with an excited tone.

"Yeah…it is pretty great." Cuddy agreed, looking down at the ring on her finger and smiling once more.

"Well then I guess I should tell you Congratulations!" Ruth announced with wide grin.

"Thank you mom." Cuddy replied with her smile growing wider.

"So did you guys pick out a date yet?" Ruth asked as the excitement filled her voice once more.

"Not yet Mom…it all happened kind of suddenly." Cuddy lied while glancing over at House.

"Well there will be time for all of that once you come home. I still can't believe it! I am going to have to wake up Bill and tell him right away so I know I'm not dreaming. I am so happy for you honey!" Ruth told her daughter as she sat up in the bed.

As the twinge of guilt played upon her heart, Cuddy spoke once more.

"Listen Mom I've got to get going by I'll try and give you a call later on tonight ok?"

"Ok Lisa I'll talk to you soon." Ruth replied back to her before both women said their goodbyes and hung up.

"You know lying to you Mom is my job…. not yours." House said, watching Cuddy as she closed her cell phone.

"I just didn't want to have to explain to my Mom why we are getting married here instead of planning a wedding back home." Cuddy replied.

"Are you sure you're still ok with this?" House asked.

"Yes." Cuddy said with an affirmative nod before leaning over to kiss him.

*******************************************************

**A few minutes later…….Bellagio Suite 367**

"Would you quit looking at that thing….we're going to be late!" House exclaimed, slipping on the jacket of the charcoal grey suit he was wearing after he caught Cuddy admiring the ring on her finger.

"We have plenty of time." Cuddy replied rolling her eyes at House as he limped next to her.

"This really is a beautiful ring by the way." She then added softly, studying the intricately hand crafted designs of the band of white gold and setting that held the diamond solitaire in place.

House looked down at the ring with her, placing his arm around her waist as his hand rested upon her hip. "Yep…that ring should get me laid for quite awhile." He whispered smartly into her ear as he nuzzled the side of her neck with a smirk on his face.

Cuddy turned her head, placing her hand on his jaw and drawing him into a kiss despite of the smartass remark.

A knock on the door interrupted them just as House had started to move his hand down to the curve of her behind.

"For the love God." He muttered as Cuddy pulled away from him, walking towards the door.

"Hey." Wilson said with a smile after Cuddy let him into their suite.

"Hey Wilson did you find a stripper to marry yet?" House asked with a smirk.

Wilson ignored the comment. "So what's so important that it couldn't wait until we met Chase downstairs for breakfast?" He asked looking at both Cuddy and House who were now standing side by side.

Cuddy moved her left hand out in front of her, proudly displaying the ring on her finger for him to see. "This." She said with a smile.

"Oh my…...OH MY GOD!" Wilson said with a stunned expression, reaching out and taking her hand in his own to study the ring.

"You gave this to her?!" He then asked looking over at House.

"No, the bellboy did." House snarked.

"This is BIG NEWS…the two of you are engaged!" Wilson said with a huge smile, pulling Cuddy into an embrace as House watched them.

"Any more dumb statements you want to make Captain Obvious?" House then remarked dryly.

"Congratulations Lisa." Wilson whispered to Cuddy, kissing her on the cheek as he continued to hug her before he released her from the embrace, opening up his arms and moving towards House.

"Back off." House muttered…… but it was of no use as Wilson pulled him into a heartfelt hug, slapping him on the back with the palms of his hands.

"There is hope for you yet my friend." Wilson teased before House pushed him away.

"You better cut that shit out if you plan on being my best man." House replied, fighting off his grin.

"Youre best man? I don't even know what to say." Wilson remarked as he stood before his friend, running his left hand through his hair.

"Just say you'll be free today after my lecture today for the shotgun wedding in Vegas." House replied, watching Cuddy dart her eyes over at him with her mouth slightly open because of his remark.

"You guys are getting married _TODAY_?" Wilson questioned, looking at Cuddy for confirmation.

"Yes.... and we could relally use your help." Cuddy replied with a nod.

"Lisa….it would be my honor." Wilson blurted out, grabbing her gently by the shoulders before he spoke to her once more.

"I'm going to my room to get my laptop but I'll be back. We need to find you a dress, and a place to get married…..and …well a whole bunch of other things…."He said quickly before releasing her and heading out of the room.

Cuddy shook her head and laughed, hearing the echoing sounds of Wilson's shoes as he ran down the hallway to his room while leaving the door to their suite ajar.

"See who needs a meddling Yenta when you've got Wilson." House remarked with a shrug of his shoulders while looking over at Cuddy.

Within a few minutes, Wilson returned with his laptop in hand.

"Sorry I didn't get back here sooner, but on my way over here I stopped a hotel employee and asked him if he knew somewhere really nice that the two of you could get married." Wilson said as he caught his breath.

Cuddy smiled over at Wilson as House rolled his eyes.

"Well did this person know of such a place?" She asked in a playful manner, amused by Wilson's boyish excitement.

"Yes….he told me about this place a few miles outside of Vegas named The Seven Bells." Wilson answered, placing his laptop on the desk in the corner of the suite and sitting down in the chair in front of it while typing the name of the place along with into the search engine before getting up from the seat so Cuddy could sit down in it while he and House stood behind her.

As the site popped up on the screen with a picture of the inside of chapel and a couple standing inside of it, Wilson smiled.

"This place looks really nice. What do you think Lisa?" He asked softly.

"It does look very nice." Cuddy answered, impressed by the designed chapel which did not have even a hint of Elvis inside of it as her hand reached for the wireless mouse to her left.

After studying the initial photo, Cuddy moved the mouse to the top of the screen and started to click on the different menus items on the site.

"This place is amazing, they have everything." She whispered, scanning the additional pages and photos on the webpage that told her of the onsite bridal shop which also had an assortment of fine jewelry including wedding bands, a florist shop for designing signature bouquets, as well as an intimate banquet hall.

"Look there's also a men's clothing store where you can get a tux." Cuddy remarked over her shoulder to House with a small smile forming on her face.

"We agreed on a black suit remember?" House said as he leaned down to take a look at the screen.

"Well what do you think of the place?" Cuddy asked, keeping her gaze upon him.

"It's alright and if you want to go there and check it out after my amazing, spine chilling lecture…I'm game." House remarked casually, shrugging his shoulders.

Listening to House speak, Wilson glanced down at his watch.

"Oh man! Guys we need to get downstairs if we want to eat breakfast before you have to present your lecture." He then told both of them.

********************************************************

**Belliago ~ Dining Room A**

"Hey I almost gave up on you guys." Chase said to Cuddy, House and Wilson as they joined him at the table he had saved for them.

"Wilson needed help tying his shoes." House remarked opening up the menu in front of him.

"How's Candy by the way Chase?" Wilson said with smirk, slyly looking over at him.

"Who's Candy?" Cuddy asked reaching for the glass of water in front of her.

Chase gave Wilson a dirty look after he mentioned the hooker's name in front of Cuddy and was going to try and dance his way around the subject until he noticed what was on Cuddy's finger when she brought the glass of water up to her lips.

"Oh my god! Is that an engagement ring?!" Chase asked with his eyes fixated on the diamond adoring Cuddy's finger.

"I thought you were going to leave 'THAT' upstairs until the lecture was over." House said dryly while looking over at Cuddy.

"I was going to but…" Cuddy started to reply, trying to act innocent even though she had purposely kept the ring on, refusing to part with it for even a second.

"House….exactly how drunk were you last night?" Chase questioned to his boss with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you trying to say House would have to be wasted in order to ask me to marry him?" Cuddy asked Chase sharply as Wilson and House gave each other amused glances.

"Not at all." Chase said putting his hands up in front of him before he continued. "I just never thought House would have the balls to admit he needed someone else in his life besides himself."

Cuddy turned her head, smiling over at House after hearing Chase's comment.

"Wanna see if I have the balls to fire your ass?" House replied, giving Chase a warning glare.

"Hey since Chase knows about the engagement why not let him come…" Wilson started to say.

"_NO!" _House interrupted, cutting him off.

Cuddy shook her head at him, "Oh come on…Chase is a member of your team and……"

"I said NO! Chase is one of the idiots I was talking to you about last night." House interrupted again.

"Wait a minute…you guys are getting married HERE… in Vegas?" Chase questioned with wide eyes, looking over at House and Cuddy after putting the pieces together.

House exhaled and looked over at Wilson.

"You are no longer my best man." He said with a glare to his friend who sat across the table from him.

Just then the waiter came up to take their orders and the conversation between the group was halted for the time being.

"House…let Chase come to the wedding." Cuddy said to him after the waiter had left.

"No way…he's not worthy….besides he hasn't earned it." House replied giving Chase a smartass gring.

"He's kissed your ass for years! No offense Chase." Wilson remarked, placing his hand in front of him.

"Maybe I don't want to go. Did you ever think of that?" Chase stated coolly to all of them.

Cuddy, House and Wilson all laughed at his statement.

"Yeah right….you wouldn't miss this for the world." Cuddy said with scoff before taking a sip of her water.

"Fine you're right." Chase admitted, slouching back in his chair.

Wilson looked back over at House. "Come on House let Chase go to the wedding."

House eyed up Chase who was seated to his right.

"Bring a date…no wait…. ..bring TWO dates to my wedding and I'll let you come." House said, as he laid out his stipulation to his fellow.

"Done. Now where I am showing up and what time do I need to be there?" Chase answered confidently without hesitation as House gave him a skeptical look.

"As soon as we find out we'll let you know." Cuddy said with a smirk, placing her napkin onto her lap as the waiter appeared with their food.


	69. Chapter 69

**Thanks for the continued support guys. I'm trying to get the chapters up asap as I have an upcoming vacation in a few weeks. As always reviews are much appreciated;)**

**Chapter 69**

**Later that day.....**

When House took the stage at the Bellagio to present his lecture, Cuddy had closed her eyes briefly, praying that he would behave better than he had the day before.

To her shock, House not only carried off the entire lecture in a very professional manner but also without any smartass comments or sexual references and when the audience gave him a hearty round of applause at the conclusion of his presentation.....Lisa Cuddy thought she had literally stepped into the Twilight Zone.

"Earth to Cuddy." Wilson said from the back seat of the rental car that House was driving as she sat in the passenger seat in front of him.

"What?" Cuddy questioned, turning her head in Wilson's direction after being pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of his voice.

"I asked you what type of flowers you wanted in your bridal bouquet." Wilson repeated as House continued to drive them along a lonely highway, taking them away from the city limits of Vegas and towards the establishment known as the Seven Bells.

"Lilies are always nice." Cuddy remarked.

"What about your salmon colored roses?" House questioned from the driver's side.

"I doubt that's a flower they keep in stock." Cuddy replied.

Wilson leaned back and smiled, resting his hands behind his head.

"Did you just let one rip back there Jimmy?" House asked glancing into the rearview mirror, not liking his friend's smug grin.

"You know what her favorite flower is…..that's nice." Wilson remarked.

"Maybe if you'd remember those types of details you wouldn't have to be writing out alimony checks every month." House snarked as he pulled into the parking of The Seven Bells.

The building known as The Seven Bells was fashioned to resemble the historic mansions of the South, containing stong, tall white columns supporting the flat roof of the two story estate, with an overhang that covered the long porch on the first level.

Lush green foliage, blooming flowers, and sculpted shrubs, surrounded the majestic pale yellow building, all of which were complimented by a rolling carpet of emerald green lawn and a massive weeping willow tree that was offset to the left of it, the entire scene looking as if someone had gone to Georgia and plucked a piece of southern charm and elegance from its landscape before carefully setting it down the middle of the Nevada heat and sand.

Below the wide steps that led to the front door of the building were two large square signs which were meant to guide both brides and grooms to the separated shops inside the structure, insuring that the groom would enter the building in the back in order to avoid any chance of seeing his bride trying on her gown in the bridal shop that was located in the front of the building. Connected to the side of the mansion was the beautiful chapel that had been featured on the website, its copper steeple, reaching proudly into the clear blue sky above it.

"Ok, let me go around to the other side of the building with House and get him started on picking out a suit, then I'll come back and help you with your dress." Wilson said to Cuddy who was standing beside the car now as he took up occupancy in the passenger seat next to House after she had exited the vehicle.

"Ok." Cuddy replied with a nod, her purse slung over her shoulder as her left hand gripped onto the strap tightly.

Before they left she leaned down at bit more and glanced over at House from the passenger window. He looked a little nervous but did still manage to leer over at her cleavage with a smile anyway.

"Find a dress that keeps those puppies exposed they way they are right now and I promise I'll love you forever." House informed her with an evil grin as his eyes moved up to her face.

"I'll do my best." Cuddy replied, rolling her eyes at him before House put the car into drive, following the arched macadam to the backside of the building.

After they turned out of sight, Cuddy took in a deep breath and walked up the steps to the entrance of the bridal shop, holding onto the handle of the door for a few seconds before she stepped inside as the thought of what was going to occur in her life within a matter of hours rushing at her quick, halting her progress for the moment when she realized that although she had come to Vegas as Lisa Cuddy she would be leaving as the wife of Doctor Gregory House.

Thinking about it now brought a smile to her face before it faltered slightly as the nagging feeling of ache regarding her mother not being present at the ceremony gnawed at her.

Cuddy shook her head and banished the thought away.

"_I need to get past the fact that my mother is not going to be here. I told Greg I would marry him today and that is what I am going to do." _She thought to herself, stepping inside the shop as the brass bell that hung above the doorway announced her arrival.

"Hi darling." Said the woman standing behind a glass display case with a southern drawl whose features reminded Cuddy of the character of Ginger from the movie Casino.

"Hello." Cuddy answered back, studying the striking woman with shoulder length honey blonde hair who she guessed to be in her late thirties.

The woman was dressed in a similar type fashion as Cuddy herself did, wearing designer clothes that fit perfectly on her long and sleek frame as well as designer shoes with signature high heels that added even more length to her tall stature.

As the tall blonde rounded the counter, her stride was graceful and confident, her high heels clicking in a timed rhythm.

"My name is Nancy and I'll be the one helping you today." The woman said holding out her hand for Cuddy to shake.

"Lisa." Cuddy replied with a smile.

"Well Lisa I assume you're looking for a wedding dress as well as maybe a place to get married. Am I right?" Nancy asked as her southern drawl flowed through the air around them.

"Yes, that's right and my fiancé," Cuddy started to say before pausing as a smile appeared upon her face, "Is on the other side of the building with his friend picking out a suit, we found your place on the internet and I hope we'll be able to get married in your chapel sometime today." She informed the woman as her eyes started to scan the very sizeable store packed full of dresses hanging on racks in neat orderly rows.

Along with the wedding gowns, the store also offered every other accessory imaginable to go with the dress, from fine jewelry including wedding bands housed behind glass display cases, to shoes, along with inmate apparel to wear underneath the gown, with of course many different styles of garter belts.

"Well Lisa..... I think we'll have no problem finding something you'll love and I'm sure my husband Aaron, who runs the Men's clothing store on the other side of the building will also be able to find something that you fiancé will look very handsome in as well. Then it's just a matter of getting you booked in the chapel. By the way what is your fiancé's name?" Nancy asked, watching her client's eyes expertly scanning the dresses in the front of the aisles.

"Greg." Cuddy answered turning to face the woman.

"Well then, why don't you tell me what type of dress you would like to wear for Greg and I'll start pulling some things off of the racks for you to try on." Nancy offered.

Cuddy thought for a moment and then spoke.

"Something with a classic style and maybe some lace, but nothing too over the top." Cuddy replied.

Nancy took a step back from Cuddy and studied her figure.

"You know.......I happen to have a gown on a mannequin half way down the middle aisle that I think would look perfect on you. Would you like to see it? Nancy asked giving Cuddy a warm smile.

"Sure." Cuddy responded with a smile of her own, feeling her heart begin to beat a little faster in her chest as the excitement inside of her started to build.

As Nancy led the way, Cuddy followed beside her.........before stopping abruptly in her tracks when she noticed two women whose backs were facing her as they stood underneath a mannequin that was wearing the _exact_ same wedding gown she had tried on back in Princeton several weeks ago.

"Mom? Blythe?" Cuddy blurted out with astonishment as she walked with unsure footsteps towards the two women.

Ruth turned around to face her daughter, watching her blue grey eyes opening up widely with surprise.

"Hi honey." She said casually with a smile.

"What…..what are you guys _doing here_?" Cuddy questioned with shock, as her eyes moved from her mother to Blythe who had also turned around.

"Lisa, did you really think I'd miss your wedding just because House insisted on marrying you here in Vegas instead of back in Princeton?" Ruth said with a grin before pulling her stunned daughter into a hug.

After Ruth released Lisa from their embrace Blythe stepped up and hugged her as well.

"Congratulations Lisa." Blythe whispered placing a kiss upon her cheek.

"Mom, I talked to you this morning.....you were in Princeton." Cuddy stated with shock.

"Lisa, we all been in Vegas since yesterday, Bill and I took the next flight after yours and John and Blythe were already here when we arrived, in fact Bill and John are trying on their tuxedos right now with your _fiancé _and James as we speak." Ruth explained with a coy smile.

"So are you telling me that all House _planned_all of this?" Cuddy asked with a tone of awe.

"Yes." Both Ruth and Blythe answered in unison before looking at each other and sharing a small laugh.

"I never expected anything like this. I thought for sure House just wanted to get the whole thing over with. I never would have dreamed he would have come up with something like this." Cuddy rambled as she rubbed her forehead and started to pace.

"House said you'd react just like this and that we should tell you to calm down and face the fact that when it comes to you, he can always manipulate you into doing whatever he wants." Ruth said with smirk.

Cuddy stopped rubbing her forehead, stood still and looked over at her mother.

"He said that?"

"Yes, now have you calmed down?" Ruth asked, unable to keep from grinning.

"I don't know about being calm, but at least I can understand now why House was so upset when I turned down his proposal at first." Cuddy remarked.

"Actually Lisa …House told me that he was expecting you to be stubborn about the whole proposal." Ruth confessed.

Cuddy placed a hand on her hip.

"Is there anything else that he's told you lately that I need to know about?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

Ruth and Blythe looked at each other before looking back at her with smiles on both of their faces.

"Nope ..I think that's it." Ruth responded.

"Oh wait you forgot to tell Lisa that Cindy's here as well." Blythe added.

"Cindy's supposed to be at the hospital." Cuddy said with another shocked look.

"Now honey you can't really expect Cindy to stay at the hospital when her brother and sister-in-law are the ones who are hosting your wedding." Ruth replied.

"Mom..I don't understand." Cuddy replied with a confused expression while looking over at Nancy.

Before Ruth could answer her the ringing of the brass bell on the entrance to the shop caused all of them to look in its direction.

"Nancy?" Cindy called out from the front of the shop.

"We're down here." Nancy answered back with a smile on her face.

Ruth touched Lisa's arm so that she would focus back on her face.

"I think it's best if Cindy explains this to you." Ruth said.

Cuddy gave her mother another puzzled look before spotting Cindy who was coming towards them with a tall and handsome man that had the same color of blonde hair and shade of light blue eyes as she did.

"Lisa, I can't tell you how hard it's been keeping all of this from you." Cindy said with a warm smile, giving her boss a hug.

"I'm still a little unsure of exactly what's going on." Cuddy replied after they had parted from their embrace, glancing over at the man standing beside Cindy.

"Lisa, I'd liked to introduce you to my brother Aaron Ward, who owns the Seven Bells along with his wife Nancy, who you've of course already met." Cindy said with a grin.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Lisa." Aaron said in a deep but gentle voice, offering his hand for her to shake.

Cuddy shook Aaron's hand before focusing back at Cindy as her mind began to put all the pieces into place.

"_You _were the one who talked me into coming to the conference in Vegas in the first place instead of the one in Atlanta next month." Cuddy stated, realizing that her entire itinerary had been set up from the get go to lead her straight to The Seven Bells.

"Well…. I didn't have a brother with a wedding chapel in Atlanta." Cindy replied with shrug and a clever grin.

Cuddy shook her head. "Did House ever have any doubts that this plan of his might not work? That I may have actually said no to his idea to get married in Vegas?" She asked curiously.

"You do realize that your fiancé _is_ Doctor Gregory House?" Cindy replied with and arched eyebrow.

Cuddy stepped back from the people who were surrounded her, amazed at how flawlessly each one of them had executed their part of the plan that Greg had created just for her.

"Well all I can say is you are all a bunch of really good liars……. especially Wilson, he really had me convinced he knew _nothing_ about the engagement….. just wait until I see him." She said in an impressed voice.

"Well _I _for one have never been more proud to be called a good liar." Ruth said proudly, "but if we are going to get _you_ to the Chapel for your wedding at seven pm tonight, we really need to get that dress off of the mannequin's body and onto your body to see if any last minute alternations need to be done."

Cuddy's face soften at her mother's mention of the dress, her eyes moving back up to the lace gown…._back up to her gown_…which would be the one she would be married in today while all of the people she held close to her heart attended her wedding to the man who never ceased to amaze her.

"Has House seen the dress yet?" Cuddy whispered over to her mother as her eyes continued to take in every detail of the elegant gown she had fallen in love with from the first moment she laid her eyes upon it in the bridal shop back in Princeton.

Ruth placed her hand on Lisa's cheek, looking directly into her brilant grey eyes. "Now what kind of mother would I be if I let the groom see his bride's dress before the wedding?" She asked with a sweet smile.

********************************************************

**Seven Bells~ Men's Clothing Store…**

Standing in front of three long mirrors outside of the fitting room of the men's shop, House pulled on the white collar of his dress shirt as the tailor crouched down beside him checked the length of the midnight black tuxedo he was wearing.

Seeing Wilson checking out his own imagine in the mirror House spoke.

"Are you sure you don't want to make this a two for one deal? It really would be a shame after having Cindy fly all the way down here not to make her the fourth Mrs. Wilson."

Wilson scoffed. "Yeah right, you're so excited about this wedding there is no way I'm going to steal your thunder.'

House gave Wilson a death glare as Bill chuckled from the cushioned chair in the corner of the fitting room as he waited to try on his tuxedo as well.

"Isn't it time for your nap grandpa?" House said with an irritated tone.

Bill just smiled. "So how what do you think Lisa is thinking about right now?" He questioned with amusement.

House let a broad grin overtake his face. "That she is very lucky to be marrying a man as brilliant and cunning as I am." He boasted.

"Well thank god you didn't say modest." Wilson said smartly.

Just then John House walked out of the dressing room with his tux on, adjusting his bow tie.

"I hate these monkey suits." He said gruffly.

"You look good John." Bill replied, nodding over to him.

The tailor who was now checking the width of the shoulders on House's tuxedo turned to look over at Bill in the chair.

"Sir you can go and try on your tuxedo now." The man instructed.

Bill nodded and got out of his seat, heading back to the changing rooms.

"Are you done with me yet?' Wilson then questioned the tailor.

The man nodded, "You can got back and change as well, just leave you tux hanging in the changing room and come and get it in a few minutes." The tailor instructed, watching as Wilson turned and left.

"Just give me one second gentelman and I'll be right back." The tailor then said to House and John as the ringing of the phone on the counter was heard by all of them.

After the man left, John walked up to his son and stood beside him, looking at their reflections in the mirror.

"You did a good job planning this." He muttered under his breath.

"Hitting the booze _before_ the wedding?" House questioned sarcastically adjusting his bow tie as he studied his own image.

John exhaled, but kept his temper in check. "I'm trying here." He said with a low whisper.

House looked into his father's face reflected in the mirror. "I know." He responded.

"But that's not good enough for you is it?" John asked directly.

House turned to face the real image of his father instead of the one in the mirror.

"I was taught…… or rather disciplined relentlessly a long time ago not to lower my standards just to make things easy…and…. I'm not about to change that now." House answered, throwing the words spoken to him by his father long ago back in the old man's face.

John blinked but kept his face void of any emotion. "Fair enough." He replied back to his son.

********************************************************

**Seven Bells Bridal Shop…**

"Oh Lisa! You look absolutely stunning!" Blythe exclaimed as Cuddy walking out from the dressing room with her wedding gown on whiel Ruth was rendered speechless by the sight of her daughter, doing her best not to cry.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied with a smile on her face, gazing into the mirrors that surrounded her as Blythe, Ruth, Cindy and Nancy all stood behind her.

The dress was a combination of innocence, class and elegance with delicate V-shaped shoulder straps and an arched bustline embroidered in fine lace before the gown flowed down the length of her body gracefully with even more sculpted lace in two separate layers.

After eyeing the dress in the mirror, Nancy stepped up to check the fit of the dress.

"I don't think I need to make any alterations to the bustline of the gown thanks to your fiancé's almost uncanny knowledge of your cup size." Nancy said with a smirk as the group of women behind her laughed.

"Yes, my _fiancé _is very well schooled when it comes to that part of my anatomy." Cuddy agreed, shaking her head while trying to bite back her smile.

"Greg also made sure I got this measurement right as well. In fact he told me he checked everyday to make sure he got the measurement just right." Nancy informed her in a softer tone, gently resting her hands on first layer of lace material concealing Lisa's small pregnant womb.

Cuddy felt the lump rise up in her throat as she remembered how often House would place his hand upon her stomach during the past several weeks wiht his fingers gently checking the circumference of the growing baby inside of her.

"It's not too snug is it?" Nancy asked as her eyes expertly focused on the fabric that spanned Lisa's hips.

"No it fits perfectly." Cuddy replied with a whisper, once again amazed by how much House could say to her without speaking a single word.

**********************************************************.**

**Entrance Seven Bells Chapel…..**

After trying on her gown and changing back into her clothes, Cuddy walked by herself up to the large wood doors of the Seven Bells Chapel, feeling the unmistakable nervous flutter of butterflies in her stomach as the anticipation of seeing House for the fist time after his plan to secretly marry her in Vegas had been revealed to her, the nervous energy now filling her heart up completely.

According to her mother who had stayed behind with Blythe and Cindy in the bridal shop after meeting House inside the chapel and spending some time alone with him, all of them would then head out for a late lunch before coming back to the Seven Bells to start the final preparations for her wedding.

Pushing one of the doors open and stepping inside of the quiet Chapel Cuddy held her breath, watching the way the afternoon sun filtered through the stained glass arched windows that ran the length of the intimate room on both sides.

The picture of the chapel on the web did not do it justice, and although it was not a cathedral by any means …..the place held the magic of the fairytale that every bride-to-be dreams of.

Bordering the stain glass windows on each side were strong and proud white pillars that reached up for the ceiling of the room before stopping a few feet from it so that ivy plants in brass pots could crown them, the emerald leaves of the vines, cascading down the columns as they silently stood guard around two rows of rich golden oak pews.

A wide aisle in the center of the room separated the two rows of pews from each another and led the way up to the altar where two large, antique candelabra's sat on each side of the elevated stage.

Cuddy's eyes then moved up to the vaulted ceilings which had three ornate chandlers hanging from them. The teardrop design of the crystal pieces hanging from them captured the rays of the sun from the skylights above them, sending reflections of multi colored lights scattering onto the white ceiling.

"Hey what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be attending a convention? " House said in soft voice with a wiry smile after he entered the room through a door by the altar before he limped down the center aisle toward her.

"Hey." Cuddy whispered back starting to walk up the aisle to meet him halfway.

"If only the Hospital Board knew how easily…."House started to say before the rest of his words were left unspoken as Cuddy moved her hands gently to his face.

Her lips met his softly before the tender kiss deepened between them.

House let his cane drop against the wooden pews, its hollow sound echoing in the chapel, his grip on it slipping when he felt the slight tremble in Lisa's hands.

He placed his arms around her waist as one of his hands traveled up her back and into her soft dark hair.

"_Thank you so much." _Cuddy whispered up to him when their lips finally parted, putting emphasis on the words as she stared deeply into his eyes.

"So you're still not mad at me, even after all the lying and conniving?" House asked with a small smile, watching the light of the sun above them reflecting in her eyes.

"No...I'm not mad and in fact ......I'm so turned on by all that you did I'm actually thinking about have sex with you right now in one of those pews." Cuddy whispered up to him with a sultry smile.

"With God watching us?" House asked, raising an eyebrow at her before looking up towards the vaulted ceiling.

"God can close his eyes." Cuddy told him with a grin before brushing her lips against his once more.

House smiled against her lips. "Come on we better get out of here before you end up doing something that sends a lighting bolt down from the big man." He said, bending down to pick up his cane.

"I though we had some time to be alone for a little while?" Cuddy questioned with a bit of disappointment in her voice.

"There will be plenty of time for you to show me how much you adore me once we're hitched. That is unless of course you don't want to see your wedding band before I put it on your finger today." House replied coolly, standing up straight again.

*******************************************************

**Seven Bells Bridal Shop…**

When Cuddy walked back into the Bridal Shop with House, she was surprised to find it empty.

"Where did everyone go?" She asked, looking over at him.

"You said you wanted to have sex with me and I thought the jewelry counter would be a good place to start." House said with smirk while limping over to the case.

"I don't think the glass could hold us both." Cuddy replied with a smirk of her own.

"Speak for yourself Preggo." House countered.

Cuddy sighed, "I knew the romantic in you couldn't last forever." She remarked, before her eyes widened when she spotted the two wedding bands resting on a black velvet cloth on top of the glass jewelry counter.

"You were saying?" House teased watching Cuddy quickly take one of the two seats in front of the counter.

"Greg." She whispered with surprise, picking up her wedding band from the velvet cloth.

"Do you like it?" House asked, taking the seat beside her.

"It's beautiful. I can't believe the jeweler got it to match up so perfectly with my engagement ring." Cuddy said with a blissful smile while slipping on the wedding band that had the same intricate design of her engagement ring as well as three well placed smaller diamonds within it.

It was unique, and when paired together with the engagement ring, fused past and present together for all to see.

"How does yours fit?" She then asked, looking over at House who had put on his ring as well.

"Don't worry..... there's still enough room for you to latch a ball and chain onto it." House answered, wiggling the fingers of his left hand up in front of her and displaying the white gold band which had a more masculine version of the design of her two rings.

Cuddy made a face at him and reached for his hand, pulling it closer to her so she could look at his ring, her thumb brushing across the polished gold.

"I really like the way your wedding band looks....especially how good it looks next to my band." She told him, placing her smaller hand beside his larger one.

"Hopefully you won't mind the pornographic inscription inside of yours then." House remarked giving her a grimace.

"I'm not falling for anymore of your lies." Cuddy replied with a confident smirk before she pulled the wedding band off of her finger to look inside of it.

Holding the ring between her index finger and thumb, she read the inscription inside the band of white gold that had been cut by the jeweler's tool.

It read simply…..

**"_Always" _**

"I figured since I've tried to get rid of you for years with no success I might as well state the obvious." House teased with a whisper, leaning against her.

Cuddy smiled, placing the wedding band back onto the velvet cloth once more.

"Good thing you kept me around even after my crazy stunts at the hospital along with my total disregard to authority." She teased back to him before moving her hand up to his jaw and drawing him into her kiss, wanting to kiss him more and more with each amazing thing he had done for her.

The sound of the brass bell chiming on the shop door caused their lips to part as House and Cuddy looked towards the front of the store where Wilson standing.

"Our lunch reservation for Andre's is at one thirty, so save the make-out time for the honeymoon." He commented to them with a smug grin.

********************************************************

**Andre's Restaurant, Las Vegas Nevada…..**

Inside the very upscale restaurant on the south side of Vegas, the lunch conversation at the long dining table between House, Cuddy and their wedding guests was comfortable and lively, the reason for all of them gathering together at this place, setting a tone of happiness as well as excitement for what was to come, withe even John seeming to be in a more relaxed mood, leaning back in his chair and letting a few laughs escape his mouth when Bill told some very funny jokes regarding marriage.

It was while dessert was being served later that House took the opportunity to step out into the lobby of the restaurant to call Chase.

"So did you find your dates?" House questioned into his phone.

"Yes." Chase replied back.

"What's their names?" House asked.

There was pause.

"Mercedes...and ....Candy." Chase muttered into the phone.

House let out a chuckled.

"You're bringing TWO hookers to my wedding?" He said with a smirk.

Chase sighed. "With such short notice I wasn't left with a lot of options and once I told Candy I needed to bring a second date she said she had a friend who could join us."

"They all have _friends _Chase." House said snidely, looking out into the dining room where he spotted Lisa getting up from the table, starting to walk towards him with a determined gait.

"Seven o'clock…. Seven Bells Chapel, Google it." House said quickly into the phone before hanging up.

"Who were you talking to just now?" Cuddy questioned.

"Old girlfriend, she wanted to have a quickie with me before I tie the knot with you." House answered.

"Really....I didn't know Stacy lived in Vegas?" Cuddy responded without batting an eye.

"You're evil." House said looking down at her.

"Who was on the phone?" Cuddy asked again, looking up at him.

"Chase, I was giving him directions to the Wedding Chapel so that he and the two hookers who are joining him can find it." House told her watching the look of shock take over her face.

"Chase is planning on bringing hookers to my wedding?!" She exclaimed. " No…there's no way…" Cuddy started to protest.

"Sorry but it's too late for you do anything about it." House replied, cutting her off. "Now tell me why you just walked out here like you saw a hospital donor with money falling out of his pockets." He asked.

"I need to go back to the hotel." Cuddy informed him.

"What for?" House questioned with a crease in the center of his brow.

"I need to get something." Cuddy answered coolly.

"If you're looking for your Chastity Belt to wear underneath you gown…I think you are _at least_ twenty years too late." House remarked back to her sarcastically.

"I need to go back to the hotel, now give me the keys for the rental car." Cuddy said in a voice that had a hint of sternness to it.

"Not until you tell me what you are going to get." House replied, fishing the keys out of his pocket and holding them above her head just for fun.

Cuddy exhaled and placed her hands on her hips.

"You're such a child." She muttered.

"And you're avoiding answering my question." House countered.

Cuddy shook her head and exhaled deeply.

"I wanted to get the pearls you bought me out of the hotel safe in our room so I can wear them with my wedding dress...of cousre I wanted it to be a surprise , but thanks to you ….it won't be." She informed him .

"Oops." House said lowering his hand.

"Just give me the keys." Cuddy said holding her hand out.

"Why don't you let someone else get your necklace…like Wilson? I'm sure he wouldn't mind." House asked.

"_I want to get it." _Cuddy stressed with a steadfast tone.

House took a step back from her, giving her a wiry grin.

"You need to control something." He stated frankly.

"I don't have time for this." Cuddy said dismissively, reaching for the keys in his hand while House pulled them out of her reach, laughing softly.

"Oh my god…it's killing you that I planned this_ entire_ wedding without you so much that you're going to cart your ass over to the hotel just to show that you still have control over you life?" House questioned with a smug face.

"Fine, you've figured me out. I need control, now give me the keys." Cuddy responded, placing her hand out once more.

House kept the keys in his hand and nodded towards the dining room.

"Go tell them where we're going and I'll drive you." He said.

"I can drive myself." Cuddy responded.

"I know." House answered.

"Then why are you insisting on coming with me?" She challenged.

"To annoy you." He answered before adding. "Plus it will be faster if I drive and wait for you in the car, while you go in and get your necklace."

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him, "Fine." She agreed.

********************************************************

**Seven Bells ………..**

"I don't see why we couldn't have just pulled over and had a quickie in the car on the way back here." House remarked as he and Cuddy walked up to the Seven Bells past the Bridal Shop entrance and towards the Main entrance of the building.

"It was either have a quickie or get married……….and YOU chose to get married." Cuddy responded with a smirk.

"Just remember _after_ we're married YOU will have vowed to OBEY ME so enjoy your freewill while you can." House replied limping up the steps.

Cuddy stopped on the porch, turning to face him.

"We're not saying those awful traditional wedding vows are we?" She asked wrinkling her nose at him..

House gave her an amsued girn.

"Don't worry I made up some that are much better…...like…… Lisa agrees to be my sex slave and wear only thongs on Sundays." He answered.

Before Cuddy could respond Wilson opened up the front door.

"There you two are!" He stated, grabbing House by the arm.

"Hey easier there Wedding Planner!" House warned.

"We have to get a move on if the wedding is going to happen!" Wilson told him, pulling House inside the lobby where Ruth was waiting as well.

"Come on Lisa we need to go upstairs so you can get your hair done." Ruth told her daughter, taking Lisa by her hand and guiding her towards the staircase that led to the second floor.

House wrestled his arm free from Wilson's grasp.

"I am not going anywhere until I at least get to grab my fiancée's ass one last time." He argued like a tweleve year old.

Ruth rolled her eyes at him. "Enough with the games we need to get moving."

Cuddy gently pulled her hand free from her mother's. "Mom...give us a few minutes." She requested with a soft tone.

Ruth gave Lisa a warm smile before she narrowed her eyes at House who was standing behind her daughter with arrogant grin.

"You both have 5 minutes." She said sternly, pointing her finger at them as if they were a couple of kids before she and Wilson left them alone in the foyer.

"You wanna get an ass grab in too …don't you?" House said looking down at Cuddy who was now facing hi

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" She questioned looking up into his eyes.

"You first." House responded.

Cuddy drew in her bottom lip and shrugged her shoulders.

"I've been living with you for months now. I work with you everyday and I'm also pregnant with your child. Considering all of the commitments I've already made to you so far, this will be a piece of cake." She answered back coolly, even though there was a hum of nervous energy traveling through her right now.

House studied her face, moving his hand down to her hip and pulling her closer to him.

"Well then as long as you know waht a bastard I can be you can't say you went into this with blinders on." He informed her while knowing like he had for quite some time that Lisa Cuddy was indeed the only woman who would stand by him no matter what.

Just after he had spoken those words to her, Wilson entered back into the foyer with Ruth, both of them pausing for a moment to look at the way House and Cuddy were silently staring at each otehr as if the world had stood still for them.

"Well….looks like it's time to walk the Green Mile." House then said, looking down into Lisa's cool grey eyes with a smirk.

"Just remember the warden did offer you pardon….you were just too stupid to take it." She replied with a grin.

********************************************************

**Seven Bells….Bridal Suite~~~~Second Floor…**

A few minutes later, Cuddy sat in front of the antique vanity, her body covered in a long silk peach robe, her eyes watching the hair stylist place one last decorative bridal comb into her hair before she reached for the Swarovski crystal tiara she had decided to wear instead of a veil.

The stylist expertly placed the tiara on the crown of her head, securing it with some additional Bobbi pins.

"Well Lisa what do think?" The woman asked, looking into the mirror with her.

"I love it." Cuddy replied as a smile stretched across her lips, admiring how the stylist had pulled up some of her hair onto the top of her head while leaving the rest of her loose curls cascading down over her shoulders.

After the stylist applied her makeup, Cuddy moved into a larger room in the bridal suite where Nancy and Cindy helped her put on her wedding gown.

"Ok Lisa, that's it." Nancy said after zipping the back of her gown up as she stood on a small round platform in the center of the room.

"Lisa you look absolutely gorgeous!" Cindy exclaimed, snapping a photo of her as Cuddy smiled.

A gently rapping at the door to the suite was followed by the sound of Ruth's voice.

"Can we come in now?" Ruth called from outside of the room with Blythe standing beside her.

"Yes." Cuddy answered looking down at Cindy with a smile.

When Ruth stepped inside the room, her hand immediately when up to he mouth, the vision of her daughter dressed in lace and wearing the tiara of a princess striking a chord deep within her heart.

"Oh honey you looked so beautiful." She whispered as the tears in her chestnut eyes began to fall down onto her cheeks.

"Here Ruth." Blythe said, offering her a tissue while placing an arm around her.

"Lisa you look amazing, I don't think I've ever seen a prettier bride." Blythe said in a soft voice, feeling the tears starting to well up in her eyes as well.

"The two of you can't start that already or you're going to make me cry." Cuddy responded, biting down on her bottom lip.

Looking over at Ruth and Blythe gazing up at Lisa as the tears fell from their eyes, Cindy caught her breath, feeling the wetness of her own tears that were threatening to fall.

Having witnessed many moments like this before, Nancy stepped in front of Lisa and spoke.

"Ok ladies I need all of you to take some deep breaths, the last thing we need is for Lisa to ruin her makeup." She instructed, taking charge of the situation.

Blythe and Ruth both inhaled deeply at the same time causing them to laugh, breaking the spell of happy tears for the time being.

Another soft tap on the door caused all of the women inside of it to turn in its direction.

"Nancy I have the bridal bouquet. Is it ok if I come in?" Aaron asked from the other side of the door.

"Yes." Nancy answered.

Aaron entered into the room giving Lisa a warm smile while holding a bouquet that contained salmon colored roses mixed with white lilies in front of him.

"You look beautiful Lisa and Greg is not going to know what hit him when he sees you." He said while handing her the bouquet.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied with another smiling, bringing the flowers up to her nose to take in a bit of there amazing fragrance.

********************************************************

**Grooms Suite~~~~First Floor……..**

"I can't believe you cleaned up for the wedding!" Wilson said with an impressed tone, looking over at House as he waked out of the bathroom.

"I can't believe I'm the one getting married today instead of you." House replied back smartly, reaching for his tuxedo jacket that was lying across a high backed mahogany chair.

Although House had not shaved his stubble completely off he die shave the rough patches of it from his neck and trimmed up the edges of his beard along his jawline, which was more than Wilson ever thought he would do.

"So are you nervous?" Wilson asked watching House slip the jacket on.

"No, are you?" House questioned with a smartass tone.

"It's ok if you're nervous……this really is a big step for you....for both of you." Wilson said placing his hand on House's shoulder.

House glanced sideways at Wilson hand. "Do I really have to kick your ass on my wedding day?" He asked.

Wilson exhaled with frustration. "I just thought maybe you'd want to get some advice from someone who's been in your situation before." He remarked back to his friend.

House looked at him as if he was crazy.

"What makes you think I want advice from someone who couldn't get marriage right after three tries?" He commented, glancing over to his left when he heard the door being opened.

John walked into the room, noticing the neatly groomed appearance of his son, but saying nothing about it to him.

"Where's Bill?" Wilson asked.

"He just went upstairs, I think we should start heading into the chapel." John answered.

House nodded at his father, waiting until his Dad's and Wilson's backs were turned to him before he took in a silent deep breath, trying to slow his heart that seemed intent on bursting free from of his chest.

**To Be Continued……….**


	70. Chapter 70

**Hello to all my Huddy lovers! Well it's finally time for the wedding and of course the reception! As always reviews are much appreciated.**

**Chapter 70**

As House, Wilson and John made their way towards the chapel they found Blythe, Cindy and Ruth waiting for them outside its doors, all three ladies now wearing the dresses they had packed for the wedding in Vegas.

After talking for a few minutes, John and Wilson escorted Blythe and Cindy inside the chapel as Ruth stayed behind with House for the moment.

"You look very handsome." Ruth said with a small smile, picking a miniscule piece of lint that her eye had zoned in on off of his lapel.

"Quit hitting on the groom Mrs. Robinson." House muttered.

"I have my own handsome man in a tux. I don't need you." Ruth replied with a smirk.

Suddenly the sounds of high pitched feminine squeals of laughter filled the air around them as Chase rounded the corner, heading for the chapel with very attractive women who were dressed as if they were going to a nightclub instead of a wedding.

As her eyes widened with surprise, Ruth turned her focus back on House.

"This has _you_ written all over it." She commented under her breath as Chase and the two women walking with him approached them.

The woman who was on his right was named Candy and was the hooker Chase had met last night, the tall and leggy brunette now wearing a very short and tight navy blue dress with a plunging neckline that showed everyone how proud she was of her surgically enhanced D cups. Her brunette hair in long curls that fell down to her exposed cleavage, her makeup flawless, her body….built for sin.

The woman on Chase's left side was named Mercedes and was a few inches shorter than her friend with ebony haired, piercing green eyes, as well as an hourglass figure, consisting of a tiny waist and curves that made men drool the second they laid eyes on her.

Since the wedding was of course a formal occasion Mercedes, in her air headed brilliance opted to wear a tight cream colored mini skirt with a matching low cut V-neck top that exposed her natural and abundant big breasts as well as an inch or two of her bare midriff. Her spiked six inch cream stilettos completed the look.

"I didn't know you were invited to the wedding Doctor Chase?" Ruth said casually as she checked out the rather risqué clothing the woman accompanying him were wearing.

"House invited me at the last minute and insisted I bring two dates along to help fill up the chapel." Chase said with a sheepish expression on his face.

"Well why don't you go ahead and introduce me to your friends." Ruth said with a pleasant smile, glancing over at House briefly who was wearing a huge grin.

Chase took in a breath, glancing over to his right first. "This is Candy."

"Hi." Candy replied with a smile.

"And this is Mercedes." Chase added looking over to his left.

"It's very nice to meet you." Mercedes said.

Ruth smiled over at both girls. "My name is Ruth and I am the mother of the bride." She stated, knowing that House was enjoying every minute of this little display.

"Oh you must be so excited!" Mercedes exclaimed in a high pitched bubbly voice that caused everyone around her to wince.

"Yes, I am." Ruth replied keeping her voice calm while glancing over at House again

"And this handsome man over here is Greg, he's the groom." Ruth added.

"Congratulations!" Mercedes squealed as Candy bit her bottom lip.

"Boy you really must be something in bed in order to get away with a voice like that." House replied with another wince, sure that hooker had just burst his left eardrum with her annoying voice.

Seeing his opportunity as Mercedes looked back at House with a confused expression, Chase spoke.

"Well ladies I think we better get inside." He remarked, wanting nothing more than to find a pew inside, hoping that it would not catch fire as he sat down in it with his two dates.

After Chase and his dates had entered into the chapel House looked back at Ruth.

"Strippers?" Ruth questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"Hookers." House clarified proudly.

Before their discussion could go any further, Wilson came out of the chapel.

"Ruth, are you ready?" He asked.

"Yes." Ruth answered giving House one last look. "Just try to behave for most of the ceremony and don't worry you'll be do just fine." She said with a small smile before slipping inside the chapel as Wilson held the door open for her.

"After I escort Ruth to her seat, I'll come back and then we can walk up to the altar together." Wilson told House with a calming tone.

"Thank god you're here to help me otherwise I would have NO CLUE what I'm supposed to do next." House responded back sarcastically.

As the doors to the chapel closed again House looked down the hall to another door off to his right where he knew Lisa was waiting inside with Bill.

Seeing the door open he held his breath for a minute until he saw that it was Nancy who had opened it.

Nancy's long legs carried her quickly down the hall to House's side.

"Are you almost ready to start?" She asked him.

"Just waiting for the best man to get back here so we can skip up the aisle together." House answered dryly.

Nancy smiled over at him. "My husband makes the worst jokes when he's nervous too." She replied.

House was ready come back at Nancy with a comment about her breasts to show her just how unlike her husband he really was, but Wilson interrupted his thoughts when he opened up the chapel door once more.

"Ok we're set." Wilson said, keeping the door open.

House gave him a nod before turning and handing his cane to Nancy.

"Will you hold onto this until after the ceremony?" He asked.

"Sure." Nancy responded.

"Thanks." House replied as he turned and entered into the chapel with Wilson.

********************************************************

Inside a room that was twelve feet away from the chapel, Bill watched Lisa as she paced back and forth on the small piece of carpet underneath her feet.

"Worried about House screwing up?" Bill said jokingly, to ease the tension currently running through her.

Cuddy stopped in her tracks and looked over at Bill.

"No….I'm worried that I'll screw up. We haven't had a rehearsal of any kind so I don't know what to expect. What if I trip? Or stand in the wrong spot. Or worse… say the wrong thing?" She replied, moving her hand up to her forehead and rubbing her temples.

Bill stepped towards her and reached for her hand, holding it in his own.

"You'll do just fine Lisa, the hardest part is getting down the aisle and luckily you'll have me to help you with that." Bill said with a soft laugh.

His kind words put a smile on her face.

"Thank you." Cuddy said in a whisper as the sudden memory of her father brought on by Bill's kind gestures caught her off guard.

Bill felt Lisa's hand stiffen slightly in his grip as her eyes became rimmed with tears. "Lisa are you ok?" He asked with great concern.

"I was just thinking about my Dad and how I wished he could have been here today." Cuddy confessed in a melancholy tone. "Oh Bill …I'm sorry I didn't mean that the way it sounded." She then added quickly.

"It's ok Lisa…I understand what you meant. It's only natural for you to want you father to be here with you on such an important day in your life and I promise I'll do my best to make him proud when I walk you down that aisle." Bill said, gently touching her shoulder.

Cuddy gave him a soft smile. "You are such a good man Bill and I consider myself lucky to have a friend like you escorting me down the aisle on my wedding day." She said before kissing him on the cheek, while beside them there was a brief knock before Nancy entered into the room.

"It's time." She announced, looking over at Lisa and Bill.

********************************************************

**Seven Bells Chapel~~~Entrance……**

Cuddy tapped her foot against the carpet in front of the chapel doors, watching Aaron slip inside of them to alert the musicians while Nancy stayed behind.

Beside her, Bill leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Remember Lisa, you've tackled a board room full of doctors with a moments notice, so this will be a walk in a park for you, just hold onto me and you'll do just fine." He informed her with a soft smile.

Cuddy looked over at Bill and nodded, pushing a breath through her pursed lips.

"And by the by way…. you absolutely radiant today." Bill added as his steel blue eyes roamed over the beauty of her face.

"Thank you." Cuddy said with a smile, giving Bill's bicep a squeeze as her hand rested in the groove of it.

Within the next second, Aaron stepped back out from inside the chapel nodding at Nancy as his hand reached for the door to open it on the left side while Nancy's hand reached for the door on the right.

"Ok Lisa…. here we go." Nancy said softly, turning to look at her briefly as she and Aaron opened the doors at the same time.

As the doors opened before her, Lisa heard the gentle swoosh of air that moved over the soft lace of her gown as the keys of the piano started to play Pachelbel's Canon in D.

She took in a breath, her heart attaching to the music of the classical piece that had been a favorite of hers since she had been a young girl, its tender melody bringing tears to her eyes whenever it was played at the many weddings she had attended in the past….and now…it was playing at _her _wedding.

Immediately, she let her eyes traveled down the aisle until they connected with her mother who was turning to face her the thoughts of their past, of mother and daughter……moving between them seamlessly as the violinist's began pulling her bow delicately across the strings of her instrument.

The sound of beauty and grace floated in the air around them, piano and violin pairing in a divine unity.

Ruth blinked as a tear filled with emotion escaped from inside of her, followed closely by others as she watched Lisa take another step towards her, the daughter she loved with all of her heart looking as brilliant as the evening sun the was shining down upon her from the skylights above them, the memory of Lisa's laughter when she was a little girl suddenly echoing within her mind as she gasped at the beauty of the tenderly remembered sound.

"I think I'm going to cry." Cuddy whispered over to Bill, as they started to walk slowly down the aisle.

"Just think of House in a nurse's outfit." Bill whispered over to her.

Cuddy smiled widely, a small laugh escaping her mouth as she looked over at Bill before her gaze traveled to the front of the aisle becoming locked on House's gaze as he waited for her at the altar.

She felt her breath catching in her throat at the sight of him, the man she was about to marry looking devastatingly handsome in his black tuxedo, his bread trimmed and neatly groomed making his blue eyes even all the more irresistible in the process, his hands clasped in front of him as he stood strong and tall with Wilson by his side.

_Without his cane_……Cuddy thought, the smile on her face taking on more depth as the love she felt for him was proudly on display for all in the chapel to see, knowing that Gregory House had become more to her than just her lover, more than just the father of her child.

Within his eyes were the unspoken words that would light up the darkness when it threatened to pull her down into it. The well placed touch of his hand coming when she needed it the most. Letting her know he would never let her fall. His emotions speaking straight from his heart to hers without uttering a sound……. the truth always residing in his eyes for her to see.

"Wow!" Wilson exclaimed in a hushed whisper, watching as Cuddy walked towards them down the aisle escorted by Bill.

When House did not reply, Wilson glanced over at him, realizing his friend was at that very moment a million miles away, the look on House's face letting Wilson know that even if he had shouted at him at the top of his lungs right now, he would not have heard him.

Wilson turned his gaze to Cindy who was standing across from him on the other side of the altar, ready to help Cuddy with her bouquet and the train of her gown.

He gave her a small smile, watching her wipe a stray tear from her eye.

Cindy smiled back at him before she moved her eyes over to House, following his gaze that led straight to Cuddy.

House straightened up his posture even more as Cuddy drew closer to him, the air around him feeling charged with electricity. His mine…...completely mesmerized by the sight of her as she looked back at him, the smile on her face showing him everything that mere words could not even begin to express.

Fill the fine film of sweat on his hands that were clasped in front of him, House felt his throat tighten as he took in every part of her, from the tiara on Lisa's head to the long elegant gown that gathered and moved like the tide at her feet. The combination of white lace, pearls and crystal adoring her body with the beauty of her face as its centerpiece creating a breathing vision that would stay with him until he took his last breath on this earth.

He was now a prisoner, trapped inside the love she held for him within the border of her smile. The grace and strength that poured out from every fiber of her being, flowing freely now just like the dark raven hair that cascaded elegantly around her shoulders, the image of the woman ready to promise him the rest of her life staring back at him with her grey eyes that now glistened with tears as she was trying her best not to let them fall.

_That's where I find you… where I always find you…it's in your eyes no matter what we are saying to each other…no matter how bad it sometimes get….it's always in your years, _House thought as the sound of music filled his ears and the gravity of what he had found in Lisa Cuddy weighed heavy on the scared emotions deep within him.

As violin and piano continued to play, Bill slowed his pace when he neared the front pew where Ruth was seated at.

Feeling the subtle decline of their progress, Cuddy turned her gaze away from House and looked over at Bill, watching his hand as it reached for her mother's hand as she stood up in the pew.

"Your mother is going to take you the rest of the way Lisa." Bill then informed her in a whisper, placing Ruth's hand in her own before kissing her mother softly on the cheek.

Cuddy felt a stray tear run down her face as her mother squeezed her hand, her touch filled with warmth as well as the memories they had shared.

"Come on honey." Ruth whispered with an ache of happiness, fighting the urge to let even more of her own tears fall from her face as she guided her daughter closer to the altar.

As they walked hand in hand to the foot of the steps, House made his way down them, his limp barely noticeable, his hand outstretched and ready to receive Cuddy's when she reached him.

Ruth guided her daughter's hand to House's hand before leaning in to kiss House on the cheek.

"I know I don't have to tell you to take care of her, because you already do." She whispered, griping firmly onto both her daughter's and House's hands before she released them and stepped back.

As House and Cuddy ascended the stairs the music followed them. The notes of the violin reaching up with breathtaking grace towards the vaulted ceiling as the piano supported it strongly from below.

And so it was before that altar and the Justice of the Peace that Gregory House and Lisa Cuddy stood together as sweet serenade of strings and piano continued.

Inhaling deeply, Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip, trying to keep her tears at bay as the weight of the moment she was experiencing lay heavily over her heart.

"Come on getting married to me really isn't going to be THAT bad." House teased in a low whisper, offering Cuddy his handkerchief from his tuxedo pocket.

Cuddy let out a small laugh, looking over at House as he squeezed her hand.

After dotting her eyes with the handkerchief, she turned and handed it to Cindy along with her bouquet before reaching for House's hand again.

The Justice of the Peace before them then nodded to the musicians in the back of the room, signaling to them that they could end their playing.

"Are the two of you ready to proceed?" He asked with a gentle smile, looking down at the couple before him.

Cuddy nodded her head, letting out a breath as House caressed the back of her hand with his thumb as he nodded at well.

At witnessing their acknowledgement, the Justice of the Peace looked out into the small group of people that sat in the pews.

"Hello everyone and welcome this evening to the Seven Bells Chapel where today I will join Lisa and Greg in holy matrimony." He said in clear voice, offering the wedding guests a smile before.

The small crowd of friends and family responded back to the man with soft greetings of their own before the justice of the peace continued.

"In speaking with Greg about this wedding I feel I must inform you all that I promised him on several occasions when we have spoken over the phone that I would not make a mockery out of his wedding by filing it with a bunch of _bullcrap mumbo jumbo _as he so eloquently put it," the man said in a very serious tone. "But ….since he is now standing in this chapel and at my mercy _I am_ going to say a few words on the subject of marriage before we proceed."

After listening to what the Justice of the Peace had said, House gave the man a warning glare as behind him the soft chuckles of his friends and family traveled softly through the air.

Unphased by House's rather threatening demeanor, the Justice of the Peace continued.

"In our society when thoughts of marriage come up the word love is usually soon to follow and when the word love comes up I often find myself pondering its meaning. It is after all just a combination of letters grouped together from our alphabet, but is highly regarded by many to be the most important word in the English language."

As the man paused to take a breath, House let out a loud sigh causing Cuddy to elbow him ever so politely in the ribs, her action in turn eliciting a small chuckle of laugher from their wedding guests.

Letting out a small chuckle himself the Justice of the Peace looked down at both of them and continued.

"To me the word love itself means nothing in and of itself while the definition of the word means everything. For to speak of love does not make it so… but to _FEEL_love is what gives it life." The man stated as he paused once more to let his words sink in. "Lisa and Greg if I can leave you with only one thought it would be to remember to make sure both of feel the love you share everyday even if you never utter the word love to each other and now that I have succeeded in annoying the groom with my bullcrap we will continue with the rest of the ceremony." The Justice of the Peace then concluded.

After another soft rumble of laughter from the wedding guest the Justice of the Peace spoke once more.

"Greg and Lisa I will now ask that you to face each other."

Cuddy and House turned in unison; with Cuddy reaching for House's other hand so she could hold onto both of them.

House looked over at her and smiled a part of him amused to see how nervous and happy she was at the same time.

"Actually I need my hands…...at least for a little bit." House said, trying his best not to smile as a confused expression came over her face.

The Justice of the Peace turned to face Lisa. "Greg has something that he wants to say to you before you exchange rings." He explained.

Cuddy nodded and watched as House took out a folded piece of white paper from inside his tuxedo pocket.

"Actually I have a few things I'd like to say to everyone as well." House corrected with a wiry grin, turning to face his wedding guests.

He unfolded the paper and held it in both hands before looking out into the small crowd gathered in front of him.

"Life sucks!" House exclaimed loudly, liking the way his voice echoed in the chapel, watching as the look of shock moved across the people attending his wedding, except for Ruth who had a rather curious smirk on her face.

He gave her glance, raising an eyebrow at her before he continued.

"Life sucks, because there is always some jerk waiting around the corner ready to push you flat on your ass." House said, feeling the heat of Cuddy's wide eyed stare studying his profile.

Wilson leaned over towards House. "Is there a point to all of this?" He muttered under his breath.

House smiled, enjoying the irritation in Wilson's voice before he turned as his face took on a more serious expression as he faced Cuddy again.

"The funny thing is when people try and knock me flat on my ass you always seem to be there to try and cushion my fall…..even when the person pushing me flat on my ass… is me." House said with strong voice, connected with her eyes before he looked down at the paper in his hands again before turning his head to address their guests once more.

"Tom Cruise once told Renee Zeliwiger in a film that she _completed _him which is a bunch of crap and by the way......Tom Cruise is a moron." House stated proudly.

At hearing House's latest statement Bill chuckled in his pew as John's face continued to hold a look of curiosity as to just what in the hell his son was doing.

House let the statement sink in for a few seconds before he continued.

"If you are miserable…. and someone completes you…. that makes you _completely miserable_." He explained watching an amused smirk rise up from Chase's mouth.

"No way you're miserable today is there Chase?" House asked unable to resist.

Chase actually began to blush, feeling both Candy and Mercedes squeezing his thighs.

He cleared his throat and acted quickly before House could do anymore damage

"I think you need to focus back on your bride." Chase said, nodding over at Cuddy who was watching House with great interest.

House nodded at Chase and looked back at her. This was the moment he had dreaded. The moment when he could either be a man and tell her exactly how much she meant to him, or twist his next comment into a joke.

Taking in a deep breath, House folded the piece of paper back up and handed it to Cuddy, keeping hold of her hand as he spoke in a voice that was clear even though his tone was somewhat strained.

"When I'm with you I am incomplete in every sense of the word because I am not miserable. You have faith in me when all logic and reason tells you otherwise and I am a better man because you expect nothing less then the best from me and I refuse to let you win by being anything less_._" He said simply.

Cuddy took in a sharp breath….her mouth opening briefly before it closed as she pulled House closer to her, moving her hand up to his face and kissing him while her heart pounded inside of her chest.

House was initially shocked by her reaction, but soon willingly let the kiss continue drawing it out and joining her as she caressed her tongue with her own as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

The Justice of the Peace quickly intervened, placing a hand on Cuddy's shoulder, gently pulling the couple apart.

"You're not allowed to do that yet until I say it's ok." He instructed to her as everyone in the chapel laughed.

"Sorry." Cuddy said softly as her eyes stayed locked on House.

"Rule breaker." House whispered over to her, enjoying the look of excitement with a touch of embarrassment on her face right now.

The Justice of the Peace then spoke again, directing his attention to Cuddy.

"Do you have anything you would like to say to Greg before you exchange rings with him?" He asked.

Cuddy stared blankly at the Justice of the Peace for a moment before looking over at House.

"When I first met you…I thought you were a jerk." She stated bluntly.

Again the guests in the chapel chuckled as House gave her an impressed look for the way she was handling the situation as he waited for her to continue.

"But the funny thing is….no matter how much you annoyed me, even back in med school…..I could not help but want to be around you. No one has ever had that kind of affect on me before and despite everything that told me that you and I could never work as a couple. ..somehow we just do which proves to me that despite what logic may say…..it's the heart that really knows the truth." Cuddy said as her voice became filled with conviction with every sentence she had spoken.

Out of the corner of his eye House saw the impressed look on the Justice's face.

"Show off." House muttered under his breath with a pleased smile.

Cuddy let out a soft laugh as she smiled widely back at him tilting her head off to one side.

"We will now have the bride and groom exchange their rings." The Justice of the Peace announced, nodding first towards Wilson and then towards Cindy who both stepped up and gave House and Cuddy the rings they would place on each others fingers.

Turning to his left, the Justice of the Peace then addressed House.

"Greg, please place the ring on Lisa's left hand and repeat after me." He instructed.

House reached out for Cuddy's hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.

"I Gregory House take you Lisa Cuddy to my wife." The Justice of the Peace instructed.

"I Gregory House take you Lisa Cuddy to my wife." House repeated, making sure to look directly into Lisa's eyes when he said the words with a voice that was a clear and sharp as the evening sun shining down on them.

The Justice of the Peace then turned to Cuddy.

"Lisa, please place the ring on Greg's left hand and repeat after me." He instructed again.

Nodding, Cuddy reached for House's hand, slipping the ring on his fingers.

"I Lisa Cuddy take you Gregory House to be my husband." The Justice of the Peace instructed.

Cuddy looked up into House's eyes and repeated the words.

"I Lisa Cuddy take you Gregory House to be my husband." She said softly as she felt the silent tremor of those words echoing in the chambers of her heart.

The Justice of the Peace then paused for a moment before speaking.

"Then by the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Greg you may kiss your bride."

With a huge smile on his face, House leaned down and wrapped his arms around Cuddy's waist. The kiss that followed between them anything but innocent as Cuddy gripped the tuft of hair just above the nape of his neck.

"The man said kiss the bride…. not have sex with her." Wilson whispered over into House's ear.

House pulled away from the kiss, watching Cuddy bite down on her bottom lip with a smile.

The Justice of the Peace then addressed the wedding guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen I present to you for the first time every Mr. and Mrs. Gregory House."

Cuddy turned while still holding onto House's hand and whispered something to the Justice of the Peace.

He nodded and then spoke again.

"I am sorry…. may I present to you…. Mr. Gregory House _and_ Mrs. Lisa _Cuddy_-House." The Justice of the Peace clarified per his instructions.

"You always have to try and get in the last word don't you?" House said to Cuddy with a mocking tone.

"Yes, I do." Cuddy responded back proudly.

********************************************************

**Seven Bells ~~~ Reception Hall….**

After the wedding ceremony between House and Cuddy concluded, everyone moved into the Reception Hall so the celebration could begin.

Since it was a relatively small gathering of friends and family, Aaron and Nancy had turned the moderately sized room into an intimate and cozy atmosphere.

Fine cream colored linens covered two large round tables, each of them surrounded by six chairs a piece, still allowing more than enough elbow room for the guests who would be seated there.

Atop the tables were tall centerpieces in long cylinder vases containing salmon colored roses and white lilies. Below the vases were several candles, all reflecting a warm glow as the lighting in the room was dimmed.

The tops of the French doors that bordered the room held cream colored curtains in wrought iron rods with salmon colored silk cloth weaved between them.

Off to the left of the room was a fully stocked bar and to the right of the room sat a decadent three tier chocolate wedding cake on a long serving table which would please both House's sweet tooth and Cuddy's pregnancy cravings.

A small staff of waiters and other personnel, including the bartender worked efficiently together to get their guests settled and comfortable their skills well honed as drinks were pouring and served along with entrees before main courses.

In the center of the room and in front of the tables was a dance floor with a stage, where currently the band House had hired was playing some smooth jazz as everyone enjoyed their meals which had been prepared by one of Vegas's top chefs.

"I don't think I could eat one more bite." Cuddy remarked, pushing her plate away from her as she reached for the napkin in her lap.

House looked over at her with a stern expression on his face. "This is costing me a hundred bucks a plate….so eat up." He said, nodding down to her half eaten meal.

"I'm full." Lisa replied, leaning back in her chair.

House put his hand on the back of Lisa's chair and leaned closer to her.

"So I guess that means you don't want cake right?" He said while, following her eyes over to the dessert table.

"Well……we have to cut the cake…it's a tradition." Cuddy replied innocently in her defense.

"Sure we have to cut it ..but that doesn't mean _you_ have to eat it." House countered, finding a loophole that made her narrow her eyes at him.

All of sudden the smooth jazz music was interrupted by the loud clanking of a fork against a crystal wine glass causing House and Cuddy along with Ruth, Bill, Blythe and John who were seated with them to look towards the source of the sound which was coming from the table beside them.

With a huge grin plastered on her face, the ebony haired hooker named Mercedes continued to strike her fork against her wine glass while the effects of the three shots of whiskey as well as the beer she downed at the bar around twenty minutes ago were now coursing through her at full force.

"You two haven't kissed since the wedding and that was really _hoooooot_. I waaaanaaa see it _aaagain_." Mercedes slurred to House while continuing to strike the glass with her fork.

"Mercedes…shhhh." Candy warned, trying to grab the fork away from her as she sat on the opposite side of her friend.

"_Noooooooo!"_ Mercedes protested, pulling the fork away from Candy's grasp as her left breast came dangerously close to popping out of her low cut top before she pointed the fork over at House and Lisa. "_It's a wedddding reccceeepppption..and you two need to kissssss."_ She demanded.

Wilson turned his head with his shoulders shaking as he tried holding back his laughter as Cindy bit down on her bottom lip, watching the drunken girl seated across form them at the second table with her light blue eyes now wide with amusement as well as shock.

House looked over at Chase with amusement, wondering just how his fellow was going to handle the situation.

Chase turned to face Mercedes. "Listen why don't you give me that _fork_." He said in voice that was coated with his Aussie accent as he stressed the last word to her with a sweet smile upon his lips.

Mercedes smiled at him, her green eyes which were slightly bloodshot, staring at him dreamily.

"If you wannnnnnna fork….me……it's gonna cost ya five hun…five hundred dollars stud_."_ Mercedes replied with a wide grin pointing her fork at Chase before laughing hysterically.

Chase quickly picked up his own fork and started to tap it against his wine glass drowning out Mercedes's laughter as the tired to hide his embarrassment.

Wilson, who was now laughing at what Mercedes has just said, reached for his fork as well and joined the duet which was soon followed by Cindy who was laughing so hard she was close to tears.

"Look's like this reception is off to a good start." House said smugly under his breath at Cuddy with the corners of his mouth turning up.

Cuddy looked over at him and rolled her eyes, getting ready to respond but remaining silent as House moved in and kissed her instead.

"Yeah now thhhat'ssss what I'm talking about!" Mercedes shouted, lifting her wine glass up in a toast while swaying in her chair.

John turned again in his chair, looking back with annoyance at that completely wasted young woman.

"What kind of idiot brings two hookers to a wedding?" He muttered under his breath, giving Chase a glare before turning around to face the people seated at his table.

Ruth who was sipping her wine started to choke after hearing his remark.

"You ok honey?" Bill asked gently patting her on the back.

Ruth nodded taking in a breath, looking over at House who had just gotten done kissing her daughter, thinking she had never had as much fun at a wedding reception as she was having right now.

********************************************************

After the cake had been cut and served as well as Mercedes having been cut off as well, it was time for the first dance between House and Cuddy.

Once again House left his cane behind as he escorted Cuddy out onto the dance floor.

The band that had been playing Jazz had now exchanged some of their instruments.

Cuddy looked up at Greg as he moved an arm around her waist and took her left hand in his.

"Please tell their not going to play a sex pistols song?" Cuddy asked as the band took a few seconds tune their instruments.

"Just relax and let ME lead for once." House replied, staring down at her with a smirk.

Cuddy gave him a skeptical look as he pulled her a little closer to him just as the band started to play a few notes of the rock song.

She recognized the song immediately, its beat slightly slowed down from the version she had heard on the radio, the sound soften a bit with acoustic guitars instead of electric ones.

When the lead guitarist began to sing, his voice was deep and mellow as perfectly tuned as the guitar he was strumming.

"_Oh, this is the start of something good."_

"_Don't you agree?"_

"_I haven't felt like this in so many moons."_

"_You know what I mean?"_

Cuddy looked up at House with a smile on her face. "This is a nice song." She said with a surprised whisper.

"_And we can build through this destruction."_

_As we are standing on our feet."_

House looked down at her as their bodies swayed to the music. "I figured if I would have let you pick out the song …….we'd be dancing to the Carpenters right now." He teased.

Cuddy furrowed her brow. "The Carpenters have some really good songs." She protested.

"Just shut up and dance with me." House said in a low tone.

Cuddy shook her head and sighed before resting her cheek against his shoulder, closing her eyes while deciding to just enjoy the moment.

"_These reeling emotions they just keep me alive."_

"_They keep me in tune."_

"_Oh, look what I'm holding here in my fire."_

"_This is for you."_

Moving his hand to the small of her back, House liked they way their bodies fit together on the dance floor, the way he could feel Lisa's small belly pressing against him as hit reminded him once more of the life he thought he would never have.

The thought moved his nose down to the softness of Cuddy's dark hair, her eyes rising up to meet his own just as he lowered his lips to her mouth and kissed her softly out on the dance floor as the music stopped for a minute as the lead singer belted out the a few lines of the song with everything he had in him.

"_Am I too obvious to preach it_

_You're so hypnotic on my heart….."_

Within the second, the music stared up again…..guitars, piano and drums, playing the uplifting beat, the singer filling his voice with even more emotion.

_So since you want to be with me_

_You'll have to follow through_

_With every word you say_

_And I, all I really want is you_

_For you to stick around_

_I'll see you everyday_

"Did you ever think we'd be where we are right now?" House asked Cuddy, his voice just above a whisper.

She moved her hand from his shoulder up to his neck, caressing his pulse with her thumb.

"If you're asking me if I ever thought we'd ever get married, no, but I always knew you'd be in my life…. it was just a matter of how far you wanted to let me step inside of it." Cuddy confessed to him as her fingers gently caressed the neatly trimmed lines of his beard.

Lowering his head once more, House's lips met Cuddy's, kissing her softly as they remained locked inside of a world of their own as their wedding guest looked over at the couple out on the dance floor who had overcome some very troubled times to be where they were today.

"_Oh, this is the start of something good _

_Don't you agree?"_

******************************************************************************************************

After House and Cuddy had shared their first dance, the other couples soon joined them on the floor, with Chase having the task of trying to dance with two women at the same time since Mercedes, who was still feeling the effects of her booze refused to be civil and take turns with Candy.

Throughout the first few songs House and Cuddy shared different partners as their guest took their turns dancing with the bride and groom with Cuddy currently dancing with John while House danced with his mother.

As the last song came to its conclusion, Cuddy internally breathed a sigh of relief, turning to face House after John had stepped back from her.

"Do you want to sit down for a minute?" She asked him.

House nodded and they both walked off of the dance floor as the music continued to play.

Cuddy was first to sit in her chair, crossing her legs as House pulled his chair next to hers, placing his arm around the back of it as they faced the dance floor together.

Cuddy leaned into his shoulder, placing her hand on his left thigh.

"How's your leg?" She asked with concern.

"A little sore, but nothing I can't handle." House answered reaching across from her to retrieve his glass of scotch on the table beside her.

This was his first drink and he had been nursing it for an hour because the last thing he wanted was to be drunk on his wedding night, his mind already thinking about getting Cuddy out that pretty white dress, the idea of it turning him on more than he thought it would.

"Like the view?" Cuddy asked watching House's eyes tracing the top curves of her breasts from his vantage point above her.

"I'll like it better once I'm in the middle of it." He said taking a sip of his scotch before adding.

"So how was the dance with my dad?" Shifting his eyes to the dance floor where his mother and father were.

"Awkward." Cuddy replied watching House's parents as well.

House studied the way his father held his mother in his arms as she rested her head on his shoulder, his dad's posture fixed and strong as it remained unwilling to soften to the touch of the woman with whom he had been married to for over forty years.

"Hey are you ok?" Cuddy whispered after noticing the way House was looking at his parents.

"The real question Mrs. House on a night like tonight is…are you ok with having sex with Mr. House all night long?" He asked lowering his voice before he took another sip of his scotch.

Cuddy watched the way House's lips pressed against the rim of the glass, her eyes traveling up to his trimmed beard, with her fingers not being able to resist touching it.

"You know……I really like this." She said in a whisper, caressing the stubble of his jawline before her knuckles brushed against it.

House swallowed the rest of his drink while a smile crept up on the corners of his mouth, the tone in Cuddy's voice telling him she was thinking of getting him out of his tux just as much as he was thinking about getting her out of that dress.

Placing his empty glass on the table, House moved his hand onto her hip while everyone else in the room continued to dance, leaning in for another kiss.

Once more the sweet taste of chocolate was on her tongue mixed in with the desire in her lips.

As their lips parted, the music in the room stopped for a moment as Bill walked up to the band.

The lead singer nodded to him, before the band started to play a love song from long ago when teenage boys and girls made out in the backseats of their nineteen fifty Chevy's.

Cuddy turned her head following House's gaze as they both then watched Bill reached for her mother's hand while the lead singer opened up his mouth and began to serenade her with his voice.

_Hold me, hold me_

_  
Never let me go until you've told me, told me_

_  
What I want to know and then just hold me, hold me_

_  
Make me tell you I'm in love with you_

Cuddy smiled, leaning her head against the space on House's shoulder where it had been before, watching Bill holding her mother in his arms as their bodies swayed to the beat, their eyes looking deeply into one another's.

_Thrill me , thrill me_

_  
Walk me down the lane where shadows_

_  
will be, will be_

_  
Hiding lovers just the same as we'll be, we'll be_

__

When you make me tell you I love you

Bill was a very good dancer, guiding her mother across the floor and making her smile as he spun her around before pulling her back into his arms and giving her a gentle kiss on the lips.

_They told me "Be sensible with your new love"_

_  
"Don't be fooled, thinking this is the last you'll find"_

_  
But they never stood in the dark with you, love_

_  
When you take me in your arms_

__

and drive me slowly out of my mind

Totally drawn into the sweet scene before her, Cuddy paused for a moment before turning to her right after she felt House's hand squeezed her thigh.

"Check out Chase." House whispered to her with a huge grin, nodding towards the dance floor.

Cuddy looked over looked over at Chase, seeing that Mercedes was now the only woman dancing with him as Candy stood next to the bar with a drink in her hand watching them.

Mercedes was grinding her pelvis against Chase's crotch as if he had just paid her for a lap dance, her hands moving up and down his chest as he held her awkwardly in his arms.

As the song reached its climax, Mercedes moved her hands down to Chase's ass and gave it a frim squeeze.

_Kiss me , kiss me_

_  
and when you do, I'll know that you_

_  
will miss me, miss me_

_  
If we ever say "Adieu", so kiss me, kiss me_

__

Make me tell you I'm in love with you

"Oh my!" Cuddy said trying her best not to laugh as she placed her hand up to her mouth.

House watched as Chase's face turned the brightest shade of red he had ever seen locking eyes with his the fellow for a few brief seconds.

"I think Chase is going to get a frebbie tonight." He commented over to Cuddy as she continued to watch Chase as well.

"Chase better wear a condom." Cuddy replied before gasping as Mercedes plant a tongue filled kiss on the unsuspecting doctor.

_Kiss me , kiss me_

_  
and when you do, I'll know that you_

_  
will miss me, miss me_

_  
If we ever say "Adieu", so kiss me, kiss me_

_  
Make me tell you I'm in love with you_

"By the way I think my dad is getting ready to go ballistic." House replied, nodding over to his father who was now standing against the bar after having left the dance floor, as well as his mom behind after seeing the hooker's display.

Cuddy looked over at John briefly and then back to the dance floor. A smile appearing on her face again as she saw Wilson reaching for Blythe, pulling her into the dance he was sharing with Cindy.

_Hold me, thrill me_

_  
Never, never, never let me go_

__

Hold me, thrill me, never, never, never let me go…

"You know…Wilson is a really good friend." Cuddy said, stroking House's thigh as she took in a breath.

"Oh great…..Wilson's got the look." House muttered as his eyes now focused on Wilson as well.

Cuddy turned her head slightly to look at him. "What are you talking about?" She questioned as the band started to play another song.

"Are you two enjoying yourselves?" Blythe asked interrupting the conversation between them for the moment.

"Yes." Cuddy answered happily.

"I was until I realized that Wilson is now going to make an ass out of himself." House replied dryly.

"Greg…what are you talking about?" Blythe asked as Cuddy waited for a response from him as well.

House turned to face both women.

"Look over at Wilson. See that dopey smile? The way he's holding Cindy? How's he's laughing as she's talking to him?" He said.

"So? What's wrong with Wilson having a good time with Cindy?" Cuddy questioned as she and Blythe turned to face House.

House leaned forward in his chair.

"Wilson's got the bug again. He thinks he's in love and now he's going to do something stupid to make sure Cindy knows it." He explained.

Like clockwork as the last song ended Wilson walked up to the band, talking to the lead singer just as Bill had done earlier.

"So he's gong to request a song for Cindy, that's nice." Blythe commented to her son.

"Oh no he's not…. a simple song won't do….Wilson has something far more dimwitted in mind." House replied nodding over at the stage as Cuddy focused back on Wilson, furrowing her brow as she tried to figure out what the oncologist had up his sleeve.

Blythe felt the smile pull up on the corners of her mouth.

"Greg…..Wilson's…going to sing to her …….isn't he?"

House nodded his head in disgust.

"Yes, and since Wilson's has already had two martini's, he's actually going to think he's good at it." He confirmed, shaking his head.

Stepping on the slightly elevated platform of the stage, Wilson felt his heart beating rapidly inside his chest as he spoke to the lead singer of the band.

"You're sure you know the song?" He asked.

The lead singer rolled his eyes at him. "It's Vegas……of course we know that song." He replied.

"Ok, just give me a minute." Wilson said, placing his hands up in front of him before stepping off the stage and walking back up to Cindy.

"I want you to stay right here." He then said to her after guiding Cindy directly in front of the stage.

"Ok." Cindy replied with a puzzled expression.

"I think we should sit down." Ruth said to Bill who still had his arms around her.

Bill nodded and then tapped Chase on the back who was busy trying to keep Mercedes hands from going down his pants.

"Come on Loverboy, let's take a seat and see what Wilson's up to." Bill said with grin.

Chase let out a huge sigh of relief, grabbing Mercedes by the hand and pulling her towards the tables as Wilson stepped back onto the stage.

Leaning back in his chair House kept his eyes on Wilson as he whispered over to Cuddy.

"Please tell me why my friend has to be a complete moron when it comes to women?" He questioned.

"House….I'm sure he's not going to be," Cuddy started to say before thoughts of Elvis's white jumpsuit filled her head when the musicians started to play.

"Oh….oh no… Wilson….not this song.'" She then added as she cringed in horror.

Wilson cleared his throat, grabbing the microphone out of its stand before belting out the first verse of the love song.

_Wise men say only fools rush in_

_  
But I can't help falling in love with you.._

"Idoit." House muttered under his breath as Wislon continued to sing.

"Stop it." Cuddy scolded, even though Wilson did in truth sound horrible as he hit every note but the actual ones that belong to the song.

Cindy bit her bottom lip, touched by Wilson's attempt to serenade her, even if his voice was pitifully off key.

Wilson reached out his hand towards Cindy and continued with the song.

_Like a river flows surely to the sea_

_  
Darling so it goes_

__

Some things are meant to be…..

House had heard enough. "YOU SUCK!" He yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.

The bass player in the band laughed, the drummer missing his beat.

Wilson turned in House's direction.

"Yeah like you could do any better." Wilson challenged as the band stopped playing.

"A woman trying to give birth to an elephant would sound better than you." House answered back.

"House!" Cuddy said with shock.

"Come on that was a really good comeback." He argued.

Cuddy tried not to smile but couldn't help herself, "Ok it was." She agreed.

"Hey House….what's it going to be? If you can do so much better than me why don't you come up here and show me how it's done." Wilson yelled from the stage, not letting his friend off the hook.

House looked up at Wilson, then back to Cuddy.

"Come on.. my balls are on the line and I need your help." He said to her, reaching for her hand and guiding Cuddy back onto the dance floor.

"You can thank me for saving you further embarrassment later." House then said as he and Cuddy walked up to Cindy before addressing everyone in the room.

"The rest of you better get your asses out her too." He then instructed before leaving Cuddy standing in the middle of the dance floor.

Chase got up quickly, hoping not be groped by Mercedes for at least a few minutes.

Wilson gave a condescending smirk to his friend. "No way you'll be able to sing a love song to Cuddy or rather Lisa….. that's not your style." He said surrendering the mic to House.

House put the microphone back in the stand. "Get on the floor with your girlfriend and hope to god that she doesn't break up with you after that nauseating display of yours." He snarked.

While everyone else was now out on the floor as House had instructed, John decided to stay leaning against the bar, more interested in watching his son from a distance who was talking to the lead singer again before stepping towards the piano as the band member seated in behind it moved aside.

"Thanks, but I'd rather stand." House said to the guy, pushing the bench to the side for now.

He tested out the keys of the piano first, playing a simple and short set of notes before nodded over to the lead guitarist.

The guitarist then counted down.

One……Two…Three….

House's fingers pounded on the keys as the man on drums accompanied him, his voice singing out the clear and strong words of Jerry Lee Lewis.

_You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain  
Too much love drives a man insane  
You broke my will  
But what a thrill  
Goodness gracious great balls of fire!_

Cuddy felt a huge smile appear on her lips, amazed by how good his voice sounded as well as impressed at how skillfully his fingers danced across the keys as the rest of the band joined in.

_I laughed at love cause I thought it was funny  
You came along and moooooved me honey  
I've changed my mind  
This love is fine  
Goodness gracious great balls of fire!_

As the infectious beat took hold of the group in front of the stage, Bill started to dance with Ruth, while Chase offered his hand to Cuddy so he would not be stuck dancing with Mercedes again.

House gave Chase a warning glare not to move his hands anywhere near the delectable parts of his brides anatomy, continuing to sing as he stared directly into Cuddy's slat grey eyes.

_Kiss me baby....ooooooohhhh...feels good  
Hold me baby  
Girl just let me love you like a lover should  
You're fine, so kind  
I'm gonna tell this world that you're mine mine mine mine!_

Wilson reached for Cindy's hand, knowing already that House would mop the floor with him thanks to his ballsy rendition of the old rock song.

"Why don't you dance with Blythe and I'll get John away from that bar?" Cindy offered before they started to move.

Wilson smiled at Cindy…knowing that he was indeed madly in love with her as he listened to the words she had spoken to him.

"Ok." He agreed turning to face Blythe as Cindy walked over to the bar, noticing how closely John was watching his son play.

"My Dad taught me how to dance to this type of music a long time ago, wanna see if I'm better than you at it?" She questioned.

John at first hesitated until realizing that his only other option was to stay next to the bar where Mercedes was currently leaning over and flirting with the bartender while Candy took a shot of whiskey.

"Sure." He said with a nod, following Cindy out onto the floor.

Candy looked out into the group of people who looked like they were having a blast….. except of course for the old fart with the military haircut who the pretty blonde was trying to loosen up a bit.

"Mercedes do you want to dance?" Candy yelled over to the bar as she watched House ripping up the piano keys.

"Hell Yeah!" Mercedes said enthusiastically before reaching for Candy's hand.

Up on stage, House was really getting into the tune, noticing that Cuddy and Ruth shook their asses in much the same manner, grinning every time Chase turned her in his direction, catching the look in her eyes that told him she was very impressed by what he was doing.

House leaned into the mic again as his fingers picked up their feverish pace on the keys, moving rapidly against ivory and black and sliding back and forth on keys before pounding out the melody again while the beat of the drums behind him roared through the air.

_Wellll kiss me baby...ooooohhhh...feels good  
Hold me baby_

_I want to love you like a lover should  
You're fine, so kind  
Got to tell this world that you're mine mine mine mine!_

_I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs  
I'm real nervous but it sure is fun  
C'mon baby, you drive me crazy  
Goodness gracious great balls of fire!_

Now there were no words left to the song ……..only the music….. and House was putting everything he had into keeping the fever pitch going.

"Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!!!" Mercedes yelled from the dance floor, her body gyrating to the music as her breasts bounced up and down wildly with Candy seeing her opportunity to cut in-between the dance Cuddy and Chase were sharing as everyone stared over at her drunken friend.

"Mind if I cut in?" Candy asked Cuddy after tapping her on the shoulder.

"Not at all." Cuddy replied moving off to the side and now standing directly in front of House as her chest felt the vibrations of the music while the swing in her hips remained.

House locked eyes with her, keeping the pace of the keys racing letting her know with a well placed smile he did not want her to stop what she was doing.

Letting out a throaty laugh, Cuddy winked up at House, knowing by the way he was looking at her that he wanted her to continue to dance, for him …..and …without hesitation she willfully complied.

House watched as Cuddy begin to twist her hips a little more, her breasts moving deliciously under the white lace of her gown, her curves making some sweet music of their own as her brilliant seductive smile told him EXACTLY what kind of dance she wanted to be doing with him.

He got caught up in the moment, the rhythm in the keys he was playing changing, the band stopping for a few seconds until they realized what song he was now playing.

Cuddy heard the change in tempo and saw House daring her with his eyes to adjust to the beat. This was their game, seeing who was willing to do what it took to be declared the winner and she was loving every minute of it.

The devilish grin spread quickly across House's face as he watched Cuddy, his fingers touching the keys as if he was touching her before he sung out in a low lust filled voice.

_Come over baby whole lot of shaking going on  
Yes I said come over baby baby you can't go wrong  
We ain't faken it whole lot of shaking going on_

_Well I said come over baby  
we got chicken in the barn  
oooh... huh..  
Come over baby  
babe we got the bull by the horn-a  
We ain't fakin'  
Whole lot of shakin' goin' on_

House moved smoothly into the chorus, straight to the words that would do justice to what Cuddy was doing right now.

_Well I said shake baby shake  
I said shake baby shake_

_I said shake it baby shake it!_

_I said shake baby shake!_

"Holy Shit!" Wilson exclaimed watching Cuddy as she danced, her body doing the kinds of things men dreamed about on cold winter nights.

Cuddy abruptly stopped her dancing, realizing only then that everyone's eyes had been on her for quite some time, placing her hand up to her chest as the blush rose in her cheeks.

"Honey I think you and Greg need to go back to the hotel." Ruth remarked to her daughter with smile trying hard not to laugh as Lisa looked like she was ready to crawl under one of the tables.

Cuddy looked back over at House who had stopped playing before her eyes traveled over to the small crowd of her friends and family gathered around her once more.

"I...I…" She started to say, seeing Chase looking at her with a whole new appreciation for her in his eyes while Bill had a blush in his cheeks as well as he gazed over at her shyly, feeling a hand touching her shoulder gently.

"Oh my god ……that was FANTASTIC!!" Mercedes exclaimed before pulling Cuddy into an inebriated hug.

"Oh…no….I think I'm going to be sick." The drunken hooker then added before pulling away from Cuddy and running towards the door that lead to the bathrooms.

House limped down off of the stage, moving his arm around Cuddy's waist.

"Sorry folks but it's time for u s to leave." He announced proudly, guiding Cuddy over to the table where his cane was resting against one of the chairs.

"I can't believe I got that carried away…… I mean… you …..you were just so incredible …the way you performed that song." Cuddy said to him tripping over her words as she tried to recover for the incident.

House looked over at her tussled hair and flushed face. "My god you look like you just had an orgasm." He teased.

"House, stop it I'm embarrassed enough." Cuddy replied back to him while looking over at the people on the dance floor.

"Congratulations guys." Wilson said with a huge grin as Cindy moved into his arms.

"Goodbye guys and Congratulations." Cindy added as she hugged Wilson.

"Have fun tonight guys." Chase chimed in with a wide grin as Candy wrapped an arm around his waist.

"I'll call you tomorrow Lisa……..tomorrow afternoon that is......after your done shaking it." Ruth said with a spark of mischief in her voice.

"Oh god." Cuddy muttered into the side of House's shirt as he reached for his tuxedo jacket.

"Goodbye Lisa and Greg…and don't do anything I wouldn't do." Bill added with a chuckle as House looked back at his mother who was still a little shocked by Cuddy's display but from the look on her face had been very amused with it as well.

"I'll see you tomorrow Mom." He said waving at her as he moved towards the back of the room with Cuddy.

John who had walked over to the bar again nodding goodbye to his son, decided after the events that occurred tonight a stiff drink was in order.

As House reached for the door he whispered into Cuddy ear, "So does this mean you're too embarrassed to have an orgasm tonight?" He asked, holding the door open it for her.

Once they were outside Cuddy pinned House against the wall, the heat of what had occurred between them a few minutes ago on the dance floor still very fresh in her mind, pushing her feelings of embarrassment boldly out of the way.

"Actually I better be having more than ONE orgasm tonight after the way I've seen your fingers slide across those keys mister." She purred before pulling him down into a kiss.


	71. Chapter 71

**Well onto the honeymoon guys. Hope everyone enjoyed the Wedding and thanks to those who have reviewed :) It's always great to read your thoughts!**

**Chapter 71**

When Cuddy walked outside of the Seven Bells with House by her side she was surprised once more to find a limousine waiting to take them back to the Bellagio, looking over at him with another impressed smile as the limo driver held open the door for both of them.

Once they were seated inside of the limo, House immediately pressed the button that would bring up the partition between them and the chauffeur, dry swallowing a vicodin as a precaution just to make sure pain was going to be the last thing he would be feeling tonight.

"Now since I've been so good to you Mrs. House......... I think its time for you to be good to me." He then informed Cuddy, placing his pill bottle back into his suit jacket before moving her right leg onto his lap as she sat next to him.

"When have I ever _not _been good to you?" Cuddy questioned with a seductive whisper before tugging at House's bow tie and stuffing it into the pocket of his tux once she had removed it, starting to work on the buttons of his dress shirt next.

Her fingers quickly opened up his shirt to the point of his navel before she eagerly slipped one of her hands underneath the crisp white material, her lips pressing against his own while his mouth opened up, allowing her tongue entry.

As she leaned into him, House slipped his hand underneath Cuddy's dress, moving it past her toned calf and over her kneecap, heading to her thigh where he stopped its progress abruptly as his fingers registered something new against her skin.

"You're wearing a garter belt." He stated, staring into her eyes as his fingers rubbing along the satin strip of fabric.

"Most brides do." Cuddy whispered into his ear, pressing her upper body against him as she kissed his earlobe before lowering her lips to his neck.

House pulled her on top of his lap as his hands found their way underneath the hem of her gown once more.

Cuddy was now straddling him and resting on her knees, leaving both of his hands free to explore what was currently hidden from his view, the kissing between them intensifying as House moved his hands up to her hips while his fingertips sent mouthwatering mental images to his brain that underneath that dress beside the garter was a also a daring pair of panties with curved lace that covered only a smallest portion of her gorgeous ass.

"I'm ready to see what you've got under this dress." He whispered against her collarbone before rubbing the stubble of his chin across her cleavage as his hands cupped her ass.

Cuddy smiled down at him, resting on his lap while carefully not to put too much of her weight onto his right thigh.

"And I want to see what you've got on under this tux." She told him bluntly as the fire rose up in her eyes with her hands reaching down for his belt buckle.

With those same skilled hands Cuddy went about the completing her task and in the end, not only succeeded in unbuckling the belt in a matter of seconds, but also pulling down his zipper as well, looking up at House as she reached inside of his pants, feeling the bulge that was hidden there as her fingers registered the feel of cool satin, making a grin appear upon her face.

"Awwww…you're wearing special underwear too?" Cuddy teased, before giving him a kiss as she tried not to laugh.

House grabbed firmly onto her ass, silencing her laughter and replacing it with a gasp of excitement, letting a deep moan of approval escape his mouth and enter into hers mouth as she started to stroke his hard cock with her hand, the smooth sensation of satin against his erection increasing the pleasure just as the limousine came to halt.

Breaking away from the kiss, Cuddy let out a frustrated sigh, regretfully getting off of House's lap so he could zip himself back up.

"Perfect timing." She muttered over to him.

House looked back at her with a grin as he pulled the fly up on his tuxedo pants and button up his shirt part of the way.

"Don't worry Mrs. House, in just a few short minutes we'll be up in that hotel room and you will have more than enough of 'Little House' to last you for quite a while." He told her with a wiry grin.

Cuddy stuck out her bottom lip folding her arms underneath her breasts.

"But I want him now!" She pouted playfully just to watch the grin on his face widened.

House shrugged his shoulders. "Ok.... if you insist." He said pushing her down onto the seat of the limo and nuzzling her neck.

"Stop it!" Cuddy half screamed and half laughed just as the driver opened up the door for them.

Looking inside of the limo the driver casually turned and blocked any onlookers in front of the hotel from seeing them, "If you want to keep the limo so you can finish up…it's going to cost you another hundred bucks." He stated matter-of-factly to them both over his shoulder, having seen much more risqué things in his Vegas Limo throughout the years.

House pulled Cuddy up from the seat where she had been lying on her back thanks to him.

"Well what do think?" He questioned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"I think I'd rather have sex with you up in our big bed inside the hotel than in this cramped Limo." Cuddy replied with a hushed whisper as her eyes traveled down to his erection that was encased inside his tuxedo pants.

House gave her an appreciative wink, the sound of lust in her voice as well as the look in her eyes just now….more than any man could ever hope for.

He then turned to the Limo driver who had the door halfway shut.

"Thanks for the offer but we're going to go upstairs."

"Ok suit yourselves." The Limo driver said with a nod before moving out of the way so that Cuddy and House could exit the vehicle.

********************************************************

When the elevator doors to the Bellagio hotel opened up to the third floor, Cuddy let out a gasp of surprise, her left leg wrapped around House's hip as his mouth nipped at her neck with his hand underneath her dress once more and moving dangerously close to her lace panties.

"We have to stop." Cuddy informed him, looking out into the hallway of the third floor as her back was pressed against the elevator wall.....thankful that there was no one waiting to get on the elvator after them.

House smiled down at her, "That's not what you were saying a few minutes ago." He reminded her as she pulled him out of the elevator by the hand.

Reaching the door to their suite, Cuddy pushed House up against the frame of it as his right hand frantically searched inside his pants pocket in search of the key card.

Cuddy cupped his package once he had retrieved the card, "Hurry up." She whispered into his ear as her fingers caressed his stiff erection.

House pushed the door open with force, pulling Cuddy inside with him and turning her around so their lips could find each other, his fingers moving into her hair, his body pressing her body against the wall.

"Ouch!" Cuddy exclaimed, moving her hands up to the decorative clips in her hair, thereby breaking the spell between them for a moment.

House stepped back from her and removed the jacket of his tuxedo, throwing it aside before toeing off his shoes. "Get those things damn things out already." He said in a gruff voice watching her remove the last clip with a fire in his eyes.

"Get you damn shirt off already." Cuddy replied with authority while taking pearl necklace off from around her neck and watching with a smile as House stripped himself of the dress shirt within a matter of seconds, finding herself back in his arms as she took her next breath, stumbling awkwardly inside the room as House worked on the zipper of her wedding dress as she reached down to unzip his pants once more, laughing softly with him during the brief times their lips had parted as they bumped into the dresser before her gown slid down her body and onto the carpeted floor below them.

"I win." House said to her in a low tone as she stepped out of the dress, as his pants.....although loose around his hips because they had indeed been undone by her still remained on his body.

"Well then come get your prize." Cuddy responded watching as his eyes lowered down to the lingerie she was wearing.

"Very nice." House whispered back to her as his eyes moved up from the pristine white stilettos she was wearing, past her bare toned calves before stopping to zone in on the white lace garter placed high up on her thigh and mere inches below the sweetness between her shapely legs.

"Very nice indeed." He repeated stepping closer to her as his hand moved to the side of her hip and onto the delicate white lace panties she was wearing, his eyes now locked onto the sheer white demi-cup bra she was wearing as her gorgeous full breasts were nearly spilling out from the top of it.

"My turn." Cuddy whispered before he could go any further, kissing him softly as she pushed his tuxedo pants off of his narrow hips and down to the floor.

"Oh.....wow." She then said as an amused smile on her lips, staring down the black satin boxers he was wearing that had the word 'Groom' in red lettering written across them in several places.

"I wanted to go was going to go with a thong…..but I didn't want you to think I was easy…...or a male stripper." House replied pulling her closer to him.

"So do these feel as good as they look on?" Cuddy asked, placing her hand onto his hard cock, starting to rub up and down on it.

House took in a breath and leaned into her touch. "Not as good as when I'm inside of you." He whispered into her dark hair while pulling down the straps of the bra she was wearing before unhooking it from the back.

"Turn around." He then said to her so that they both would be facing the large mirror of the vanity behind her.

Cuddy did as he had asked, watching as House placed his hands on her hips.

"Just what are you planning on doing to me Mr. House?" She questioned with a sweet but deadly sexy tone.

"Remember how you moved your hips tonight when I was playing?" House asked as he slid his fingers into the front of her panties.

"Yes." Cuddy answered with gasp, instantly feeling the electricity of his touch.

"Do that for me now." He told her.

Cuddy smiled back at him in the mirror, resting her head rest against his chest as she started to slowing wind her hips as he held her tightly against him while his stiff erection pressed into the round, soft flesh of her ass.

"Mmmmm you know...you're really good at that." House whispered into the side of neck while his fingers stroked the silky wetness covering her clit before he inserted his middle finger into her warm entrance as he moved the hand wrapped around her waist up to cup her left breast.

Cuddy let out a soft moan, feeling his hips now grinding in time with her own, his finger moving in an out of her as his thumb rubbed over her clit.

House lowered his lips and kissed her shoulder, the thumb and index finger of his hand that was on her breast gently tugged and pulling on her hard nipple. The fire between them now stoked red hot again as the flames licked their bodies, leaving a radiating heat of burning desire behind as the moved in tune with a silent rhythm that only lovers know.

Cuddy moaned softly once more, her pelvis tilting down meeting his finger inside of her while the tip of it moved in tight circles, feeling her legs getting weak as his thumb pushed against her clit with an intense pressure, causing her to breathe harder as she willed herself to hold back from exploding in ecstasy.

"Do you want me Lisa?" House asked hoarsely against her neck, sensing how close she was to her orgasm.

"Always." Cuddy answered breathlessly before turning around and pulling him into her kiss before gasping suddenly into his neck as House picked her up from where she stood in front o him.....lifting completely off of her feet so that she was now cradled wihin his arms.

"Your leg!" She said in shock voice as House turned towards the bed behind them.

"Don't' worry about my leg. This is our wedding night and although I can't carry over the threshold....the least I can do lay you down on this bed and fuck you properly." House told her in a voice that was seething with a masculine tone while lowering her down onto the bed, stripping out of his boxers a second later before positioned himself on top of her.

Cuddy felt the mattress sink as it took on House's weight, his lips brushing against her own before he moved his tongue into her mouth, his thighs pushing her thighs even further apart as his hands quickly move to her hips, taking hold of her panties as he rose up from her just a bit to free them from around her ankles before taking off her shoes as well and tossing them onto the floor.

As soon as he moved back into place between her thighs, House leaned down and kissed Cuddy again with his lips searching her own as both of their eyes remained open while the head of his erection teased her entrance.

Tilting her hips up, Cuddy felt him slip inside of her, hearing House take in a sharp breath because of the incredible sensation as their eyes remained locked on one another.

"You looked beautiful tonight." House said to her in a deep, low voice while pushing himself up from her with the palms of his hands as he started to stroke slowly inside of her.

Cuddy gasped as he sunk deeper into her core with the next push of his hips, her hands gripping his shoulders as her own hips rose up to meet his next angled and purposeful thrust, her heart pounding in her ears as House leaned down to kiss her again. The amazingly slow pace between them feeling so good she never wanted it to stop.

After pressing her lips against House's once more, Cuddy then let out a heated breath, studying his face as she moved her hips in time with his, feeling the aching heat building between her thighs.

_"No one els has ever made me feel this good."_ She confessed to him with a moan as his hard steel stretched and filled up every part inside of her that longed for him and only him, while her hands traveled down the length of his sides and to his hips, gripping onto them as he pumped deeper inside of her with her legs now bent at the knees and her toes pointed towards the ceiling.

House stayed locked within her gaze, his hands remaining firmly planted, palm side down into the mattress as he sped up the tempo between them, feeling Cuddy's legs wrapping around his waist as her hands slid up from his hips and were now desperately gripping onto his shoulders.

"Right there…oh god …right there!" Cuddy moaned, her fingernails digging into his shoulders as he continued to hit the spot that sent a tidal wave of pleasure throughout her entire body.

House captured her lips once more with his own, his heart now racing along with the movement of his hips, his mouth, gasping for air when their lips parted, leaving his eyes to witness the amazing expression on Cuddy's face as she reached her climax.

"_Yes...OH God!!! Yes!!"_Cuddy moaned, her head falling back into the pillow, leaving her neck exposed for House to feast on as he continued to thrust inside of her while her hands that had slipped down from his shoulders where now gripping onto his biceps tightly as the electrifying orgasm traveled throughout her body.

Within the next second House exhaled loudly, groaning into the side of her neck, his breath hot and filled with desire as the rush of his own orgasm came chasing after hers.

"God….you feel so good." He half whispered and cried out in complete ecstasy as Cuddy continued to raise up her hips to his own, making sure he was just as satisfied as she had been during her own orgasm as she stroked his back with her hand and kissed the side of his neck.

Slowing down their rhythm, House lifted his head from her shoulder, looking down at her as Cuddy unhooked her legs from around his waist, moving them up his sides with her knees bent as he struggled to fill his lungs with air, feeling her chest rising and falling underneath him.

Finally after both of their hearts began to slow from their rapid pace he spoke.

"Well I think round one resulted in a knock out for both of us. Now you just let me know when you're ready for round two." House told her smug smile before rolling off of her and onto his back.

Cuddy laughed, turning her head to the side as she looked over at the very content face of her new husband. "I'm ready for round two whenever you are." She answered back confidently with a smirk watching an exhausted by amused smile rise up on House's lips from the words she had spoken to him.

********************************************************

In the end round two ended up occurring an hour later inside the shower of their hotel suite with Cuddy positioned in front of House while her back facing him and her hands pressed against the tile wall as the water ran down their bodies and the sounds of their mutual cries of passion echoed around them before the newly married couple made their way back to the king sized bed in their room.

Resting in House's arms Cuddy looked over at the clock, seeing that it was now 1:15 am, the day before them was now over while a new day was starting to begin.

She let a deep sigh escape her mouth, causing House turned to look down at her.

"Don't tell me you're ready for round three? I mean after the last time when you moaned out that I was the best you every had I thought that pretty much put an end to our honeymoon activities." House teased with a smirk on his face.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him initially before gently touching his face.

"It's tomorrow morning." She whispered.

"And?" House questioned with a furrow in his brow.

Cuddy lowered her eyes for a moment before lifting them once more to look up at him. "You know those days when everything is truly perfect? When all the pieces fit and you worlld suddenly seemed to be all you hoped it would be? The kind of day that you wish you could bottle and keep with you so you can open it up and re-live the experience of that perfect day whenever you want?" She started to say, the tone of her voice soft as her heart felt every word she was speaking.

House nodded, but stayed silent, sure of what she was going to say next to him and for once not wanting to spoil it by saying something cynical in return.

Cuddy watched the shift occur in House's face as she spoke. The lines on his forehead relaxing under the soft shadows of early morning, his eyes waiting for her continue with her thoughts.

She took in a deep breath as the weight of the words she was about to speak were lifted by it.

"Yesterday y_ou _gave me the _best _day of my life….. and I wanted you to know that, because we both know those kinds of days don't come along as often as they should." She then said before leaning closer to him and kissing him softly on the lips.

House looked into Cuddy's eyes as she pulled back from him, squeezing her hip that his hand was resting on before he moved that same hand over to her stomach, caressing the tiny swell of her lower abdomen.

"You'll have a lot more of those days ahead of you….thanks to her." He said as his voice cut through the darkness around them.

Cuddy placed her hand over House's hand that rested on her stomach. "So will you." She whispered before pulling him closer to her until there was no space separating them.


	72. Chapter 72

**Again thank all of you for reading as well as for the great reviews..............and now onto more of Oct/Oct :)**

**Chapter 72**

**Saturday Morning ~~~~Bellagio Suite 367**

Letting out a deep sigh, with her mind currently in the middle of a very good dream, Cuddy smiled as the scent of Gregory House filled her nose while the feel of his stubble brushing her against shoulder sent a shiver down her spine, his body pressed next to hers from behind, keeping her warm as well as starting a fire of heat down below her waist.

She could feel his erection rubbing the lower part of her back, his hand traveling slowly up and down the curves of her body as she rested on her side, fingertips stopping on different parts of her, first caressing her breast, then ribcage and down to her thigh before moving over to her stomach as she sighed once again.

In her dream House was whispering to her, telling how beautiful she looked in her wedding gown and how sexy her lingerie underneath it had been, his lips kissing the back of her neck before he asked her if she liked what he was doing to her if she wanted him to continue, guiding his fingers between the pulsing heat of her core as she flexed her hips in response, the seductive feel of his touch seeming so very real.

Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip as her hips were now moving in time with his fingers, her level of arousal stronger than in any other dream she had about him before.

"Does that feel good Lisa?" House whispered against her skin, kissing her shoulder as she moaned out softly into the air surrounding them as he searched her dreaming mind to make sure he was pleasing her.

"_Yes." _She replied in voice that was filled with desire before opening up her eyes as the veil of her sleeping mind fell down around her, revealing to her that the dream she was having was in fact reality as her lover's hand was indeed between her thighs, exactly where her mind said they would be with one of his long fingers now delving inside of her slowly as his thumb brushed over her clit, his front pressed against her back with the tremendous ache building inside of her all his doing.

Cuddy moved her hand overtop his as House continued to please her, a gasp escaping her mouth as she turned her head to look back at him while the part of her that he was stroking was so very wet right now she thought she might explode in ecstasy right then and there.

"Good morning." House muttered into her shoulder, brushing his nose against her dark hair.

"Hurry._"_ She managed to say with an urgent gasp arching her back into him as she opened up her legs up wider, letting him know that he needed to enter into her now before it was too late.

House moved his hand away from the heat between her thighs and lifted up her right leg just enough so that he could penetrate her from behind, taking in a sharp breath as her hips as well as her ass pushed back against him letting him slip inside of her fully with one stroke, exhaling loudly the next second while his hand found its way back between the silky wetness of her mound.

Once the rhythm between them started, it only took a few thrusts for each of them to reach a mutual breathless climax with House's mouth pressed hard against Cuddy's throat as his lips sucked hungrily on the delicate flesh there while she Cuddy out his name with her hand gripping onto his forearm.

********************************************************

**Bellagio~~~~ Suite 361…**

In the early morning light of dawn, in the hotel room that Chase and Wilson were to share during their stay in Vegas, Chase slept on his back, clad only in his boxers with Candy nestled in the crook of his left arm stripped down to her bra and panties.

On the other bed snoring softly was Mercedes, sleeping in the clothes she had worn to the wedding.

Wilson had of course opted to stay in Cindy's hotel room after the reception thereby leaving Chase in the company of two very pretty and available women.

Rubbing his face, the feel of a warm female form pressed against his frame caused Chase to stir, one of his blue green eyes opening to see who was occupying the bed with him.

At that same time Candy opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Good morning." Chase said, his voice still a little rough around the edges.

"Good morning." Candy answered back, knowing she should ease out of the comfortable space beside him, but deciding to remain in it for awhile anyway.

"Did you sleep ok?" Chase asked as his mind was surprised at how innocent Candy looked in the morning with the makeup of last night washed off of her face.

Candy nodded before speaking. "You know, the way you took care of Mercedes last night was really sweet. There aren't a lot of men would have done that. Hell I don't think I would have done as much as you did for her." She told him with a small smile.

Chase shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a doctor, it's what I do. I take care of people." He said casually.

Candy sat up in the bed and stared down at him.

"You did more than that. I saw the way you rubbed Mercedes back when she was puking her guts out and how you offered her a drink of water afterwards. The way you calmed her down when she started crying about god knows what before you carried her up to this room. You showed _genuine_ concern for her and that is something that girls like us don't get very often." She said softly, letting her hand find its way to the taunt muscles on his chest.

Chase pushed himself up in the bed and looked over at the woman before him who he knew absolutely nothing about, the sincerity in her voice and on her face bringing out a rather bold question from deep inside of him.

"What made you become hooker?" He asked bluntly.

Candy leaned back a bit, providing a barrier of air between them for them for a moment.

"You're asking a question that doesn't have an easy answer to it and in the end you really don't need to know because tomorrow you'll be on a flight back your life in New Jersey and I'll still be here." She responded.

Chase never took his eyes off of her when she spoke wanting to press the issue further, but knowing the words Candy had spoken to him with her breathtaking hazel eyes were indeed the truth. Come this time tomorrow he would be on a plane back to Princeton and any heartfelt discussion of how she had gotten to where she was today would be left behind in Vegas along with her.

"Ok then…tell me your name…you REAL name." Chase asked instead.

Candy paused for a minute before answering.

"Deb." She said before adding. "Not very sexy at all is it?"

Chase chuckled.

"Well I like it. It's easy to scream out in the throws of passion. Oh…Deb...Ooooooooh.. Debbie!" He joked with a smile.

Deb smacked him across the chest with the back of her hand.

"Don't' call me Debbie…my mom calls me that and I hate it." She replied with a grimace.

Chase smiled over at her. "Ok fair enough." He replied, holding up his hands in a truce.

Deb then pulled her long legs up to her chest and smiled back at him.

"You know my offer from last night still stands. I would have sex with you for free with no strings attached." She whispered as her eyes traced his body.

Chase exhaled loudly, the temptation to sleep with the beautiful woman in his hotel bed getting harder by the minute to resist.

"Hey you two …what in the hell happened last night?" Mercedes suddenly groaned from the other bed before sitting up in it.

Deb darted her eyes over to her friend.

"You got plastered and made an ass out of yourself." She said in a somewhat sharp tone.

Mercedes looked blankly back at both of them. "Well did I at least have fun?" She questioned.

Chase smiled over at her. "Yes, you did…....in fact I don't think I've ever seen anybody have as much fun as you did. At least that was until you started puking." He remarked.

Mercedes eyes grew wide as she got off of her bed, walking over to the bed were Chase and Candy were seated and sitting down beside them.

"You took care of me." Mercedes said to Chase with a small smile on her face.

"Yes." Chase answered.

"And you were so nice to me." Mercedes added as parts of her drunken memory from the night before began to invade her mind.

"It was nothing really." Chase said dismissively. "How are you feeling by the way?" He questioned.

"I feel great!" Mercedes exclaimed stretching her arms and noticing the way Chase's eyes darted down to the exposed cleavage inside of her wrinkled shirt.

"Really?" Chase questioned as his eyes moved back up to her face.

While Mercedes let out a loud yawn Deb answered for her.

"She's always been that way. Mercedes can drink like fish, puke till the cows come home and wake up the next day ready to find the next party." She explained shaking her head as she smiled over at Chase.

Mercedes studied the way her friend was looking at Chase, "Hey...... did you two fuck last night?" She asked, smiling widely when both Chase and Deb snapped their heads towards her in response.

"No." They then said in unison.

Mercedes laughed and got up off of the bed.

"Well that is really sad……you know you only live once. Anyway I'm going to take a shower so if the two of you want to fuck now…go ahead because I'll be in there for at least a good twenty minutes." She announced as she started to strip out of her clothes.

Chase felt his jaw drop to the floor when Mercedes unzipped her tight skirt and wiggled it off of her hips, revealing that underwear was not included in her ensemble.

Deb smiled over at him, studying his expression filled with shock along with of course excitement.

"Mercedes does know how to make herself get noticed." She said with amusement.

"Yeah, she sure does." Chase replied, swallowing hard and closing his eyes for a moment before he opened them back up, seeing that Mercedes was now standing completely naked in front of him.

"You know ...I think I'm going to take a shower too." Deb announced as she started to take off her bra.

Chase looked over at her as just as the she released her gorgeous breasts from the pink lace fabric.

"Wow." He whispered in a appreciative tone, making her laugh.

Mercedes then reached out for Chase's hand.

"Doctor Chase, I think after all you've done for both Candy and me …..the least we can do is make sure you get a proper shower." She propositioned with a smile along with a laugh that was edgy and real.

Chase laughed in return as Deb threw her bra at him.

"I really can't…" He started to say as his cock screamed at him that he was an idiot, while he mind reminded him about all of the medical reasons why he shouldn't take this any further.

Deb looked at him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"We get tested every six months and we always use protection, but if you don't want have sex with us that fine. You're the one in control here and if all you want is to do is shower with us I can assure you we are both very good with our hands." She told him before looking over at Mercedes who nodded in approval.

Chase pondered the decision for a split second, "Well when you put it that way. How can I resist?" He then said with a wolfish grin, reaching for her hand and pulling her off the bed with him as she laughed while the three of them headed for the bathroom.

"Wait." He said suddenly, walking back to his bed.

"Don't tell me you've changed your mind?" Deb asked with a bit of disappointment to her voice.

Chase flashed her brilliant smile, lifting up his suitcase from the floor and placing it on the bed before unzipping the front pocket of it and pulling out a strip of condoms.

"Just in case I change my mind." He said handing them over to Deb who in turn handed them to Mercedes.

"Doctor Chase….are you sure these are going to be enough?" Mercedes asked him with a sly smile before shaking her ass for him as she crossed the threshold into the bathroom.

Chase's eyes grew wide at the site while his mouth was overtaken by Deb's kiss as she pulled him into the bathroom with her as Mercedes turned on the water to the shower before stepping in side of it.

*******************************************************

**Bellagio Suite 367……….**

"_Ahhhhhh." _House exclaimed, exhaling loudly as he sunk down into the deep and spacious whirlpool tub of the master bathroom after taking a much needed morning vicodin.

"If I didn't know better I would have thought you just had another orgasm." Cuddy said with a smirk, putting the large serving tray consisting of croissants, bagels, cream cheese, fresh fruit, and orange juice onto the floor next to the tub before removing her robe and stepping inside of the warm water of the tub with him.

"I told you, I'd carry that thing over here." House said looking down at the tray as he reached for Cuddy hands to help her into the large tub, having already moved his legs apart with his knees slightly bent so that she could sit on the other side of the huge tub, facing him.

"And I told you the tray wasn't that heavy." Cuddy replied, sitting down inside the deep tub and noticing how intently House was currently looking at her.

"What?" She asked with and arched eyebrow.

"Next time you answer the door for room service make sure your robe is fastened a little tighter, because you almost had your boobs resting on that tray along with our breakfast when the hotel employee delivered it up here." House commented.

"Shut up, my robe was fine." Cuddy responded before leaning over to retrieve a glass of orange juice for herself and House. "Here drink this and try not to be annoying for once." She the said with a smirk, handing one of the drinks over to him.

House held onto her hand for a moment when she offered him the drink before he released it, taking a sip of his juice and placing the glass on the tiled deck of the tub.

"Don't play cute with me wifey…..I saw your eyes almost pop out of your head when you realized that the college boy who was handing you that tray had his eyes on Jess's future baby bottles." House said with his crystal blue eyes staring into hers.

Cuddy turned her face away from him, focusing on the tray below her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said in an innocent voice while reaching for a plump, red strawberry and taking a bite, chewing on it slowly as she looked back at him.

"You should have told me you were and exhibitionist earlier, it would have made last night a lot more fun." House teased just to see Cuddy narrow her eyes at him as he moved his hand up and down her left calf under the water.

Cuddy ate the rest of the strawberry, tossing the stem onto the tray.

"You do know that college boy was probably looking at this." She said, pointing to the large purple hickey on the side of her neck.

"Yeah sure he was." House replied looking down at her amazing breasts before watching her reach for a slice of cantaloupe from the tray next.

"I warned you about not giving me hickeys before and you should consider yourself lucky that it's winter in Princeton and I can wear turtlenecks to work." Cuddy scolded before sinking her teeth into the soft flesh of the fruit.

House let out a sarcastic chuckle, pulling her by her calves slowly towards him and placing her bent legs over his hips.

"In case you forget we got married last night so by law ……I am allowed to have sex with you now. Which means announcing to the world I did indeed screw you senseless as stated by that hickey on your neck is all perfectly legal." House replied smartly. "Now gimmie." He added opening up his mouth to get a taste of the fruit in her hand.

Cuddy gave him an annoyed glare, but put the cantaloupe up to his mouth and watched him bite down on it.

"Just because we have sex doesn't mean I want everyone in the hospital to know every time we do." She then countered, watching him finish off the slice of cantaloupe, leaving the rind behind in her hands/

As House licked the juice of the melon off of his lips, Cuddy felt the tingle between her thighs, wondering if he knew how goddamn sexy he really was.

"More food, less talking." He told in a cocky manner.

Cuddy leaned back from him and eyed him up.

"Excuse me….what do you say when you want your wife to get you something?" She questioned with an even tone.

House rolled his eyes and let out a big sigh.

"Oh please SEX GODDESS Lisa… with your huge boobs and a stupendous ass that makes me weak in the knees, will you do me the honor of getting me some more food?" He said, giving her a wide grin.

Cuddy let out a loud laugh, unable to keep it contained after the words he had spoken to her, shaking her head as she leaned down to reach for a croissant on the tray.

"Well I guess that's as close as I'm going to get to a sincere request from you." She said with a smirk, taking a bite of the pastry before offering some to him.

House moved his hands up her legs and leaned closer to her,"Would you rather I _not _call you sex goodness and maybe you'd like Pookie instead?" He asked with a smartass grin.

"Less talking, more eating." Cuddy replied shoving the end of the croissant into his mouth.

House chewed hardily on the pastry as her eyes stayed glued to him with a triumphant smirk.

********************************************************

**Sunday Morning~~~~Airport Las Vegas Nevada….**

The next day with the sun peaking over the horizon of the desert sky, House and Cuddy stood inside the airport terminal, saying goodbye to John and Blythe who were catching an earlier flight back home then the rest of their wedding guests.

"I'll call you as soon as we land and make sure you call me when make it back home too." Blythe whispered into Lisa's ear as they embraced, kissing her daughter-in-law on the cheek.

"I will." Cuddy responded before adding. "And thank you so much from coming here," as she released Blythe her from the hug they were sharing.

John looked over at Cuddy and gave her a nod, not sure of what to say to her as his mind was still not sure of what exactly to make of the woman standing before him, the different parts of her personality that ranged from serious to one bordering on overt sexuality with no apology for it, not fitting into any of the molds he liked to put people into.

"It's going to be cold when you get back to Princeton; the news this morning said the temperature there won't get past thirty five degrees today." He finally said, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them.

Cuddy gave him a small, slightly forced smile.

"I know, I saw the news this morning too and I've packed a pair of jeans and a turtleneck in my carry-on that I'm going to change into before we land." Cuddy responded, looking back at John and wondering exactly what was going on behind his blue eyes that were focused intently on her.

After they had spoken, Blythe stepped between them towards House who was watching both his dad and Cuddy intently. "Goodbye Greg." She whispered into his ear, hugging him tightly, "And you did a great job with the wedding." She then added while pulling away from him.

"Goodbye Mom." House responded watching her step back from him.

John then offered House his hand.

"Take care of yourself." His father said simply before turning and reaching for the small suitcase beside him.

Cuddy stood by House's side and watched as his parents walked towards the line of the boarding passengers.

"Well at least your Dad was less of jerk this time which means there may actually be hope for him yet." She said nudging his shoulder with her own.

"I don't know about hope, but at least he didn't go postal over Chase and his hookers." House responded.

Cuddy laughed softly, "Ready to go home?" She questioned as they turned to walk down towards their own departure gate.

"To my pool table yes, to clinic duty… no." House replied looking down at her with a cocky grin.

"So any chance of _you _being less of jerk at the hospital now that we're married?" Cuddy asked with a smirk as they continued to walk side by side.

House stopped their progress.

"What do you think?" He replied back to her before his eyes darted down to her cleavage.

*******************************************************

**Sunday Afternoon~~~~~Princeton New Jersey**

Driving along the highway through the center of Princeton after leaving the airport around twenty minutes ago, House turned up the radio that was playing an old Rolling Stones song while beside him, sitting in the passenger seat, Cuddy leaned forward and cranked up the heat inside the car.

"It's so cold here." She said as a shiver went through her body causing her to cross her arms and rub her hands against the wool of her winter coat.

House let a big smile take over his face as he continued to drive.

"You know this is _perfect _hot tub weather, too bad you're knocked up or you could join me for a soak and beer once we get home." He teased.

"I hate you." Cuddy muttered, making a face at him.

"Awww….Mrs. House are you trying to tell me the thrill is gone already? What happened to the woman who was on my jock for twenty four hours straight in Vegas?" He asked with a wiry grin.

Cuddy leaned back in her seat, studying his profile.

"As I recall _you_ were the one unable to keep your hands off of me _and _I've got the hickey to prove it." She shot back with a smug grin.

"Keep it up and you'll be getting another hickey." House replied as the ringing of her cell phone interrupted their conversation for the moment.

"Doctor Cuddy." She answered after seeing the phone number was one that belonged to the hospital.

There was a short pause from her before she spoke again.

"Ok I'll be there in twenty minutes." Cuddy replied before hanging up the phone and turning to look over at House once more.

"We have to go to the hospital." She informed him.

"Let me guess that no good crazy doctor who likes to stir up trouble is at it again……….oh wait I'm here with you." House said as he moved into the slower lane on the right and took the next exit so he could turn around and head in the direction of the hospital as Cuddy gazed out of the windshield with a look of worry upon her face.

"I actually wish it _was _something like that, but unfortunately over half of the ER staff has come down with the flu and to make matters worse the hospital is being overrun with patients. Half of which were involved in a major multi car pile up involving a tractor trailer truck while the majority of the other patients are suffering from the same flu that has wiped out most of the staff." She told him with tapping her fingernails on her closed cell phone.

"So what does that have to do with _you_ feeling that _you_ need to go to the hospital?" House asked dryly.

Cuddy shot him a glare.

"In case you've forgotten what happens in the ER does fall under my title as Hospital Administrator." She snapped back.

House glanced over at her quickly and pulled along the side of the road.

"Why are you stopping?" Cuddy asked in an annoyed tone.

"Because you have dozens of doctors like Wilson, Chase and Bill who can help handle the situation in the ER leaving us free to go home." House replied.

"The ER supervisor is contacting them as we speak but _I _still need to be there. Sorry to break it to you, but the honeymoon is over House." Cuddy argued back, getting irritated that he was delaying their journey back to the hospital.

"You need to think about what you are doing before you end up _doing _something stupid." House shot back with a slight irritation in his own voice.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Cuddy questioned rubbing her temples as she continued to glare over at him.

House exhaled and shut off the car.

"You're pregnant _and _the last place you need to be is in the ER exposing yourself to a contagious virus....you need to stay home." He then informed her directly with a serious tone.

"The hospital needs physicians _and _I plan on wearing a surgical mask and gloves." Cuddy answered back in an even tone.

House stayed silent for a moment.

"I'll drive you home then……I'll go to the hospital." He said letting some of the tension out of his voice.

Cuddy scoffed at him.

"You were going to be _going_ regardless because the hospital is contacting _ALL _available physicians….. so don't act like you're doing me a favor." She replied with a sharp tone.

House unclipped his seatbelt and turned to face her.

"Fighting with me is not going to make me change my mind about you staying out of the ER." He said with a look that told her he would indeed sit in this car with her for as long as it took until she gave in.

Cuddy looked back at him, letting a sigh of frustration escape her lungs.

"You know I'm doing everything I can to make sure this baby is healthy, but I'm also supposed to be the one that controls the chaos at the hospital and that's kind of hard to do over the phone." She said while resting her hand onto her stomach.

"Part of keeping our baby healthy is keeping yourself healthy too." House responded as his eyes stayed fixed upon her.

Cuddy held the gaze between them.

"I'm not going home. I'm coming to the hospital with you, but I'll stay in my office and out of the ER unless things really get bad. OK?" She offered.

House let a few seconds pass between them and then nodded.

"Ok." He agreed while starting the car back up.

********************************************************

**Hospital ~ Emergency Department…….**

"Where's Cuddy?" Wilson asked as House walked up to the nurses station in the ER.

"She's was a bad girl so I sent her to her office as punishment, that is until I take her home, then the real punishment begins." He answered with a devilish look in his eyes, picking up one of the charts from the overflowing bin.

Spotting House talking to Wilson, Cameron walked up to the station, her eyes showing the strain of the past few hours she had spent inside the packed ER.

"Thank god you were able to get here….did …did Cuddy come too?" Cameron asked, the repeating of the same word in her sentence brought on when her eyes focused in on the band of white gold around House's ring finger.

"She's here and still barefoot and pregnant in her office last time I checked." House answered following her gaze.

"Umm your hand….." Cameron said, unable to look away from the ring.

House wiggled his fingers.

"It's called an opposable thumb, helps me grip things like this file." He replied, starting to walk away from her.

Unable to stop herself, Cameron caught up with him.

"Did you get married to Cuddy in Vegas?" She asked, her voice unable to hide the small bit of hurt that was attached to it.

House continued to limp down to the last curtained off area in the ER.

"No, I got married to Wilson. I figured after wooing him for all of these years it was time to make an honest woman out of him. Now if you'll excuse me I've got a nose full of boogers to inspect." He told her.

Cameron grabbed his arm and turned House towards her.

"Did you ask Cuddy to marry you or did she ask you to marry her?" She questioned.

House titled his head. "Why do you care either way?" He asked.

At that precise moment Chase walked up to them.

Seeing a way out of the awkward situation, House turned and addressed him.

"Chase thank god you're here! Apparently Cameron has questions about the fact that I tied the knot with the woman who's carrying my child and since you were there to witness the blessed event along with the two hookers you took as your dates to my wedding, would you mind filling her in?" He said before opening up the curtain and speaking to the middle aged man sitting on the gurney.

"So what are you here for? Cut off a finger? Shove something up your rectum? Fall down a flight of stairs?" House snarked closing the curtain behind him.

The guy looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I have a fever and my body aches all over." The man replied slowly.

"Oh I see…… well let me explain something to you ...."ER" stands for 'Emergency Room' so unless you've just been electrocuted or have something is stuck up your wee wee you really shouldn't be here. Rest, drink plenty of fluids and for god's sake buy a box of tissues because that snot filled nose is not a good look for you." House said before closing the chart and turning to leave.

"That's it?" The guy asked.

House turned. "Unless you have something shoved up your rectum you're not telling me about."

The guy shook his head no.

"Good ..then my work here is done. Now go blow your nose before someone pukes." House replied opening up the curtain.

********************************************************

**Nurses Station ER….**

"You were actually at their wedding?" Cameron asked Chase watching him as he sifted through the charts in front of him.

"For the second time, yes…..I was." Chase answered back coolly.

Cameron let out a curt laugh.

"So how drunk was House when he proposed?" She questioned, studying Chase's face as he scanned through the medical record before him.

Chase looked up from the chart.

"House was sober and apparently planned the whole thing with Wilson and Cindy down to the last little detail." Chase replied, watching the blank expression overtake Cameron's face.

Feeling the weight of his stare Cameron tried to recover.

"And House's remarks about the hookers you took to his wedding?" She asked with a smug and confident smile.

"That was true as well and if you don't believe me I'm sure I could have Candy or Mercedes call you to fill you in on all the details." Chase responded before turning away with the chart in his hand.

********************************************************

**Later that day ~~~~~Physicians Lounge**

"House and Cuddy got married in Vegas." Cameron blurted out to Foreman as she sat on the couch in the lounge, cradling a cup of coffee in her hands.

Foreman looked up from the cup of coffee he was pouring.

"You're kidding right?" He asked.

Cameron looked over at him.

"No, I'm not. House is wearing a wedding band and Chase confirmed it." She answered.

"Are you sure this isn't some stupid prank House is pulling with Chase?" Foreman asked.

"Why would House do something like that?" Cameron questioned.

"Why does House do half the things he does…to get a reaction. Like the one he's getting out of you now. Go stop by Cuddy's office...... if she's wearing a ring then I'll believe it." Foreman said before putting the lid on his Styrofoam cup and exiting the lounge.

Cameron looked down at the coffee cup in her hands as the ache inside of her heart continued to build.

_Maybe Foreman's right, maybe it's all just some stupid prank House is trying to pull,_ Cameron thought to herself before getting up off of the couch.

********************************************************

Sitting behind her desk, Cuddy was catching up on the emails she had received while she was in Vegas, when she heard a knock on her office door.

Looking up she saw Cameron looking in at her through one of the glass double doors.

"Come in." Cuddy said waiting until Cameron closed the door behind her.

"Is everything ok in the ER? House isn't causing trouble is he?" She then asked watching Cameron walk up to her desk.

Cameron's eyes immediately went to Cuddy's left hand that was resting on the keyboard of her computer.

"Everything's fine in the ER." Cameron replied looking down at the exquisite diamond ring and wedding band on Cuddy's finger.

Cuddy noticed the direction of Cameron's stare.

"So did House tell you we got married or was it Chase?" She then asked with amusement while making eye contact with Cameron.

"House told me." Cameron answered quickly in a somewhat shocked voice. "Congratulations." She then whispered in a softer tone with her eyes looking back at the rings adoring Cuddy's finger.

Cuddy titled her head to the side, removing her hand from the keyboard and placing it onto her lap.

"Is everything ok Cameron?" She asked.

"Everything's fine, I should get back to the ER." Cameron responded getting ready to turn and leave the office.

"Cameron……..I assume you had a reason from coming in here and since it seems the only question you've asked me is about my marriage to House….I have to ask…if you still have feelings for House?" Cuddy question, a part of her unwilling to let the conversation end until she heard the truth.

"What? No…I ..it ...it was just a shock..." Cameron started to say.

Cuddy looked directly at her employee. "Cameron….sit down." She said nodding to the chair across from her desk.

Cameron hesitated, but then did take the seat in front of Cuddy's desk as she awkwardly looked over at the Dean of Medicine.

Cuddy studied her face for a moment and then spoke.

"Cameron if you still have feelings for House, you need to be honest with me." She said with a professional voice.

There was a pause between the two women as the situation in front of Cameron was a little too surreal for her to respond to at first.

Finally her lips parted.

"I don't want you to get the wrong impression. I was just shocked that House would actually ask you to marry him." Cameron responded, before adding. "I didn't mean that to come out the way it did."

Cuddy nodded, "I know what you meant Cameron….. and as long as you can work with House that's fine, but if you find you can't for whatever reasons you many have, you need to come and talk to me. Ok?"

"Ok." Cameron nodded. "Can I go now?" She asked.

"Yes you can go." Cuddy replied, watching Cameron as she left.

After she had gone, Cuddy leaned back in her chair with a troubled expression on her face.

"I though after all this time that you had gotten over House." She whispered as her eyes followed the silhouette of Cameron's white lab coat as it the woman headed out into the hallway.

********************************************************

**Cuddy-House Residence……..**

Later that night after coming home from the hospital and unpacking, Cuddy was now lying in bed together with House, trying to concentrate on the parenting book which was titled "First time Mother" that was oropped up on her lap, but having no success as the thoughts of Cameron inside of her office today continued to plague her.

Turning her head she glanced over at House who was currently watching a monster truck rally on the television inside their bedroom.

Feeling her gaze, House turned to face her.

"Does horny Mommy want another ride on the magic stick?" He asked her with a smirk as he eyes traveled down to her breasts that were almost spilling out of the v-neck nightgown she was wearing.

"Cameron came to see me today while you were in the ER." Cuddy informed him before placing the book on the nightstand beside her.

"Anything Cameron told you about me causing trouble in the ER is a lie." House said smartly while looking over at her.

Cuddy moved her hand over to House's right thigh, "Cameron came into my office today to see if what you told her about us getting married was true." She informed him.

House rolled his eyes at her dramatically. "Well I guess that's because I have… on occasion .....been known to lie." He remarked.

Holding onto her somber expression, Cuddy spoke once more, "Cameron's in love with you Greg. I thought she had gotten over whatever she felt for you when she started dating Chase, but I was wrong."

"Well can you blame her? I am pretty irresistible." House said making light of the moment.

Cuddy gave him a disapproving look. "Getting married wasn't just a change for us, it has affected everyone around us, including Cameron and if she can't deal with that you need to let me know." She told him.

House studied her face with her eyes telling him that this was something that was really bothering her, however not in terms of jealously but rather in the sense of how the patients he treated may be effected by whatever private turmoil Cameron may be going through.

"If Cameron can't deal with it. I'll handle it." He replied.

"You don't need to handle it I can.." Cuddy started to say.

"I said I'll handle it, she's on _my _team." House interrupted, his voice strong but not condescending.

Cuddy nodded.

"Ok, it's your team." She agreed.

House placed his hand onto her hip.

"Good. Now go downstairs and make a sandwich like a good little wife." He said with a smirk.

"Shut up and go to sleep before I smother you with your own pillow." Cuddy replied with an evil smile forming across her lips.


	73. Chapter 73

**Well guys I'm back with another chapter and t****hanks to all for the reviews and support of the fic;) It's great to read how much you guys are enjoying it!**

**Chapter 73**

Four weeks later Lisa Cuddy was inside of her office, standing behind her desk as she sorted through the small stack of phone messages she had received while she had gone out to lunch with a potential hospital donor.

Shaking her head, she wondered why today of all days everyone needed her to call them back ASAP, moving her hand to her forehead and letting out big sigh before a broad smile came over her face when the baby inside of her womb suddenly started to move

"Are you doing somersaults in there or what kid?" Cuddy questioned with a laugh, rubbing her stomach and making contact with the little hands and feet inside of her that seemed to be dancing under her skin at the moment.

She was now well within her fifth month of pregnancy and Jessica had become more active than ever while her belly now had a more pronounced rounded arch to it giving her the appearance of a small, but very cute pot belly which House now teased her about regularly, the profile of it taking on a half moon shape which had cause Cuddy to change from her usual work attire into carefully picked out maternity outfits that still resembled her signature style of clean lines and designs while also displaying a woman as confident in her body as she was in her mental abilities.

It was while Cuddy's head was lowered as she continued to talk to the energetic baby inside of her that House barged into her office.

"Good afternoon Mrs. House!" House said cheerfully.

Cuddy looked up at him.

"What are you up to?" She questioned, scrutinizing the garment bag he had slung over his left shoulder as well as the shopping bag he was holding in his right hand along with his cane.

"The hospital's Holiday Party is tomorrow… so I bought you a dress." House announced, limping closer to her.

"I already have a dress." Cuddy replied.

House dropped the shopping bag onto her desk.

"Sorry... but if you recall, you promised me that I could have _complete _control over what happened between us during the Holiday Party." He reminded her

"Exactly….which means you don't get to _control_ what I wear to the party." She countered.

House shook his head and moved the garment bag off of his shoulder.

"That wasn't the deal and you know it, we never went into specifics." He argued.

Cuddy looked over at the garment bag and then back to House's face.

"Show me the dress." She said, unable to ward off her curiosity.

House smirked and unzipped the black garment bag, revealing a very sexy red dress.

Cuddy's eyes studied the satin fabric of the gown as she walked around her desk to getting a closer look at it.

House's smirk grew into a confident smile as she pushed more of the garment bag away from the dress to get a better look at it, her hands pulling the gown towards her.

The alluring dress featured a low cut halter top with a built in bra, ensuring that her ample cleavage would be on display for all to see. Underneath the bust line was an accent piece made of red and white crystals that gathered the material, holding it in place where her sternum would be.

The gown then fell freely with just the right cut to fit her pregnant belly underneath it.

Cuddy looked up at House, but reserved her comments for now, carefully turning around the dress to view the back.

An impressed smile formed on her lips as she saw the crisscross pattern of the back of the dress, the straps meeting just below he shoulder blades leaving an open space which formed a diamond shaped pattern, where beneath it where even more bare skin would be exposed before the fabric gathered once more, forming a sleek tail of fabric over top the waistline of the gown, its intent to garner attention to her round ass that House couldn't seem to get enough of these days.

"Making sure I show off all of the goods? Why did I expect anything less from you? Hopefully you kept the receipt because this is going back." Cuddy remarked coolly stepping away from the gown.

House smiled wickedly at her.

"Nice try, but I saw the way you looked at this dress. Which was the same way a crackhead looks at a piece of crack. You just don't want to admit." He said with a self-assured tone, placing the garment bag on the back of one of the chairs in front of her desk.

Cuddy eyes stayed fixed on the crystal blue of his eyes.

"What's in the bag?" She asked, nodding over at it.

House held their gaze.

"See for yourself." He remarked casually.

Cuddy turned, giving him a sideways glance before she reached inside the large shopping bag, pulling out the package of thigh high nylons with lace trim.

She read the label and nodded in approval, she had to give him credit, House did pick out high quality hosiery.

"You must really like when I wear these." Cuddy commented to him with a smirk, giving him another quick glance, before placing the nylons on her desk, reaching for the small, thing white box inside the bag.

Opening up the lid, she bite down on her bottom lip, suppressing her smile as her eyes studied the sizzling pair of low rise thong panties inside the box.

House moved closer to her, placing his hand on the small of her back.

"I know how much you like to match so I made sure to color coordinate with your dress." He whispered into the side of her neck.

Cuddy looked up at him. "Just what do you think we are going to be doing at this party?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

"There's still one more thing in the bag." House replied, avoiding her question.

Cuddy placed the lid back on the lingerie box and sat it next to the nylons on her desk, pulling out the next box inside the bag which by the shape of it gave away the fact that it held a pair of shoes.

Wasting no time she opened up the shoe box. "Manolo's?" Cuddy exclaimed with and impressed tone as she pulled one of the high heeled strappy red shoes out of the box, holding it in her left hand with a wide smile forming on her lips.

The shoes were sexy as hell and luckily so far she had no problems still wearing heels despite the development of her pregnancy.

Feeling House's eyes watching her, Cuddy immediately removed the smile from her face.

"We are not having sex in this hospital." She said bluntly, putting the shoe back into the box and setting it on her desk before turning to face him once more.

"Who said anything about having sex? I just wanted you to look nice for the party tomorrow." House said with a very badly attempted innocent voice.

Cuddy pointed her finger into his chest.

"_You _don't buy a seven hundred dollar pair of shoes just so_ I_ can look nice for a party." She stressed. "All of this …..the dress, the panties and the shoes are like a big flashing red sign telling me you want to screw me in _this _hospital." Cuddy added with words formed through tight lips.

House titled his head, running his tongue along the back of his teeth as a wiry smile appeared on his face.

"So are you telling me that once you get dressed up in all of this stuff I will have complete control over you? That these _things_ will render you completely helpless to my advances?" He challenged.

Cuddy narrowed his eyes at him. "No." She replied evenly.

"Then what's the harm in wearing them? Don't tell my you've suddenly become a prude when it comes to fashion, especially not when you're wearing a top like that one." House said, looking down at her cleavage before giving her another smug smile.

Cuddy looked away from him trying to hold back the smile forming on her lips.

"Fine I'll wear the dress. In fact I'll wear everything you bought for me…..under one condition." She said, looking into his eyes once more.

"Let's hear it." House responded.

Cuddy stepped back from him and folded her arms underneath her chest..

"During the party tomorrow you are not allowed to grab my ass, make comments about my cleavage, or for that matter mention _anything _about my body ….or our sex lives… to anyone." She said smartly, leaning closer to him.

"That's more than one condition." House replied.

"Take it or leave it." Cuddy countered.

House studied her for a moment.

"Fine I'll take it." He responded, watching Cuddy wince as her hand reached for her stomach.

"Ouch!" She exclaimed with more surprise than actual physical pain.

"She's at it again huh?" House asked with a small smile.

"Yes." Cuddy answered with a nod before looking down at her stomach. "Hey little girl try not to kick me so hard next time." She then said softly, gently rubbing the spot where a tiny foot had just been.

House moved his hand down to Cuddy's belly as she removed her own from it.

"She probably doesn't like the fact that you are giving her Daddy such a hard time." He said, a small smile forming on his face as he looked down at her stomach.

"Oh give me a break....you..." Cuddy started to say before she took in a breath as Jess kicked again, her small foot striking directly into the palm of House's hand.

The sensation made House's entire face light up.

"That's my girl…. show Mommy who's boss." He said before glancing up at Cuddy

The look on his face made Cuddy's heart melt, but of course she didn't let him know that.

"Get out of here and go do some work before I change my mind about the dress." She warned.

House gave her a smug look, rubbing her belly again.

"Make sure to keep her in line while I'm gone kid." He then said to his unborn daughter before removing his hand and sticking his tongue out at Cuddy as he limped towards her office door.

********************************************************

**Friday Evening~~~~~ Cuddy-House Residence….**

Inside the foyer of his home, House tucked a cigar into the breast pocket of his tuxedo as he waited downstairs for Cuddy to finish getting dressed in the master bedroom, letting a small smile creep across his face as his plans for the evening replayed in his head, hoping that things would go as smoothly as he predicted while also amused at the fact that for once he was excited about attending a hospital function.

"Did you talk to Bill and tell him we're going to be meeting him and my Mom inside of the hospital?" Cuddy asked from the top of the stairs.

"Yes Preggo." House answered sarcastically before turning around to face her as she started to walk down the steps.

"Now get….your ass….ahh…….WOW…..." He stuttered mid-sentence being rendered speechless by the sight of her coming down the stairs.

The red dress she was wearing looked even better than he had imagined it would. The satin material hugging the curves of her hips like a second skin, the plunging neckline showing just enough cleavage to insure every man at the party would know what a lucky bastard he really was.

As Cuddy continued to make her way to the bottom of the steps his eyes traveled to her stomach where the fabric stretched across her round belly, creating the exact effect he had wanted. A beacon of sorts that would draw everyone's eyes at the hospital party directly to her pregnant womb, reminding all of them that not only was this stunning, smart and beautiful woman _his _wife, but……she was also was going to bare _his _child….. Gregory House's child….the man who many of them had thought would end up alone and addicted to vicodin, ruining his career as well as his life along the way.

"You were saying?" Cuddy asked with a smirk as she reached the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the stunned expression on his face.

"I was saying that I can't believe you are wearing such a revealing gown……. now turn around so I can a view of the back of it." House informed her in a low tone.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him, "Well since you asked so nicely." She remarked before flashing him a teasing smile as she turned around.

House caught the scent of her perfume when she moved and saw the way the light above them was captured in her loose raven curls traveling down her back before his eyes lowered to the curve of her spine.

"Your ass is truly a work of art." He then muttered under his breath as his hand moved towards the silky material, unable to resist squeezing one of her luscious cheeks.

Cuddy turned around quickly. "Hey! Did you forget our deal?" She said slapping him in the arm with her small, red beaded purse.

House grabbed her by the arm and pulled her against him, careful not to apply too much pressure where her swollen belly met his waist.

"We're not at the party yet." He informed her before moving both of his hands back down to her gorgeous bottom as he lowered his lips onto hers.

Cuddy accepted his kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck, feeling his tongue starting to explore her mouth as the smooth fabric she was wearing added even more to excitement to the moment as House's left hand traveled up the cloth, past her waist and over her exposed back until his fingers found their way into her hair.

Pulling away from the kiss, Cuddy's eyes filled with the spark of desire as she caught her breath, looking up at House as gave her a devastatingly, sexy smile.

"I bet you're mad at yourself for not adding a 'no kissing' clause to our little arrangement." He whispered down to her as his eyes looked deeply into hers while his thumb stroked her jaw.

Cuddy stepped back from him, wanting to wipe the broad smile off of his face as he fished out the keys to her car from his jacket pocket, continuing to watch her.

"Just remember Doctor House, the moment your hands travel anywhere they're not supposed to… or…the moment your big mouth says something inappropriate….this little game of yours is over." Cuddy warned, trying to tell herself that she was still in control even though the part in-between her thighs continued to tingle with an ache after House had kissed her.

********************************************************

**Hospital Lobby…..**

Even before House had opened the door for her, Cuddy could hear the muffled sound of the music being played inside the hospital by the band at the party.

Crossing the threshold and entering into the main lobby she took in a breath as she felt House place his hand onto the small of her back.

"Ready to have some fun sweetcheeks?" He asked her with a sly grin.

"Just remember our deal." She reminded him as they walked down to the coat check area just outside of the cafeteria which is where the party was being held.

House waited until Cuddy gave her wrap to the attendant before he placed an arm around her shoulder, trying hard not to laugh as she looked up at him as if he were crazy.

"I need you to put your arm around my waist and your hand in my suit jacket pocket." He then informed her with in a serious tone.

"What?" Cuddy asked with an arched eyebrow.

"You heard me, I call the shots tonight, so put arm around my waist." House repeated with a nod.

Cuddy pursed her lips and gave him an unimpressed glare.

"Fine, but I am _not _having sex with in this hospital tonight, no matter what you do, no matter what you say….. just remember that ok?" She told him before wrapping her arm around his waist and slipping her hand into his coat pocket as he had instructed to do.

"I understand completely." House replied with an evil grin, sliding his hand down to her hip with his fingers splayed across the curve of it as they prepared to head inside.

"Good." Cuddy said with a nod before she took in a deep breath as the anxiety within her began peering up from the surface when she looked inside at the crowded cafeteria.

"You know the sight of us walking into the party like this is going to send the hospital gossip mill into frenzy." She said under her breath as they walked towards the room filled with people.

"What's left for them to talk about? We're married now and the whole hospital knows about it thanks to Chase, and you're having my kid…. which again thanks to Chase everyone knows about. So the only real juicy gossip left is how often we have sex and what positions we like and thanks to you I can't talk about that." House replied nonchalantly.

"Just remember once you slip up, which I am sure you will…your little game of telling me what to do will be over." Cuddy responded as her eyes were now scanning the crowd, seeing several people turning to curiously to watch them as they walked into the cafeteria.

Thankfully the lights in the large room had been dimmed, which at least made her feel less like an attraction at the local zoo as the soft candlelight from evergreen and pine cone centerpieces that donned the tables draped in lush deep red table clothes helped to soften the scenery as well as the people around her along with the strings of small, clear lights that had been strategically placed to outline the stage, dance floor and bar.

Seeing House and Cuddy entering the cafeteria, Chase nudged Foreman as they stood next to each other at the bar.

"Wow.... Cuddy looks hot! I mean she always looks good, but that dress is something else! And would you look at the way she's hanging all over House." Chase exclaimed with great interest.

Foreman followed Chase's gaze, raising and eyebrow. "Cuddy is dressed very sexy tonight, even for Cuddy." He admitted tracing the curves of her body with his eyes, "And House still must be hitting that right in order for her to be all over him like that…well…..either that or he's drugged her." He added smugly.

Chase chuckled softly. "Even House isn't that much of creep to drug a pregnant woman, besides you didn't see the way Cuddy shook her ass for him at their reception like I did." He remarked as his eyes stayed glued on the couple.

Foreman moved his eyes back to Chase. "Do you have a crush on Cuddy?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"No…..nothing like that." Chase said dismissively, taking a sip of his drink.

Foreman tilted his head. "Then what is it?" He questioned.

Chase looked at him briefly before his eyes moved back to House and Cuddy who were making their way to an empty table.

"I want what they have." He said bluntly.

Foreman laughed. "What? The bickering and fighting? I thought you already did find that with Cameron?"

Chase gave him and irritated glare, "I knew you wouldn't understand since you didn't see the way House and Cuddy were acting towards each other in Vegas. Sure they're always at each other throats, but underneath all the crap.....they really care about each other." He said solemnly.

Foreman looked back at House and Cuddy as they had stopped by Wilson and Cindy to talk to them. "Those two have been through a lot. I guess they deserve to be happy just like anyone else." He said shrugging his shoulders with a bit of reverence in his tone.

Chase turned to look at him.

"Now I think you're the one who's drugged." He commented looking down into Foreman's drink.

********************************************************

"Wow…Lisa you look great!" Wilson commented, shocked at how gorgeous Cuddy looked tonight in the red dress that made her little belly even more appealing in his eyes.

"Quit checking out my wife's boobs Wilson……. Cindy might get jealous." House responded after noticing the quick glance Wilosn had taken at Cuddy's breasts.

"I wasn't looking at her boobs." Wilson stammered looking nervously over at Cindy.

"It's ok James." Cindy assured him before looking over at House who was staring intently at her.

"So any other smartass remarks you'd like to get ou tof your system?" She then challenged to him.

"It's nice to see you decided to show off your Bongo Drums tonight as well. Any chance I'll get to play them later? Or is that strictly Wilson's gig?" House respond, not about to back down.

Cindy made a face at House as Cuddy elbowed him in his side.

"You're skating on thin ice." Cuddy warned, reminding him of her rules in regards to his game.

House gave her a sideways glance. "I made a remark about _her _cleavage ….not yours." He pointed out with a whisper to her before looking over Wilson.

"Wilson do you want a drink?" House then asked, deciding he had enough fun with Cindy for now.

"Yes actually a martini.." Wilson started to say.

"Sounds good, but I want a scotch on the rocks so make sure you bring me one back for me." House interrupted.

Wilson let out a sigh and looked over at Cuddy. "Do you want anything?" He asked her.

"Club soda would be nice, thank you." Cuddy responded.

As Cindy and Wilson walked up to the bar House pulled out a chair from the table beside them and sat down.

"You can be such a gentleman at times." Cuddy huffed from beside him, reaching for another chair.

House put his hand over hers as it gripped the back of the chair.

"Oh no sweetheart…..your seat is right here." He said with a smirk pointing to his left thigh as he spread his legs apart a little bit.

"House…no." Cuddy protested.

"My night to call the shots remember? Now sit." House countered, looking up at her defiantly.

"You can't hold my weight now that I'm pregnant." Cuddy tried to reason.

"I held it just fine last night when you were riding up and down on my…." House started to stay before shutting his mouth at the point that would have ended his little game.

"This could very look bad for us from an HR standpoint." Cuddy replied, quickly tossing out another excuse not to comply.

"We are at a social event… that has nothing to do with our jobs here.... and…. you know as well as I do that far worse things than you sitting on my lap have occurred during these hospital parties. Need I remind you of Nurse Brenda's attempt to do a striptease after one too many shots last year and yet somehow her ass is still parked in front of the nurses station at the clinic." House said, letting her know that her latest excuse was not going to work on him either.

Cuddy looked around them, spotting quite a few people interested in what they were doing, some of them doctors from the board, others nurses from the clinic.

"I don't like to show this side of us to the people we work with ….. _and ...._up until tonight neither did you." She challenged.

House held her gaze for a moment before he looked out at a few of the faces that were looking in their direction.

Within a few seconds he had locked each of them individually within his gaze and watched confidently as they turned away from his stare.

House then turned his attention back to Cuddy.

"There the lookey lou's have been warned. Now quit stalling and sit." He told her with a firm tone.

Cuddy took in a breath, biting down on her bottom lip before she relented and eased her way onto House's thigh, crossing her legs once she was seated as her hand held onto his shoulder for support.

_I'm just sitting on his lap, nothing wrong with that….in fact last year Dr. Hunter's wife who runs the NICU practically gave him a lap dance after she had a few too many rum and cokes so this is nothing, besides as the night wears on more people will start to loosen up and have fun instead of worrying about what House and I are doing,_ Cuddy thought to herself with a small nod.

House smiled and moved his hand around her waist as Cuddy looked down at him.

"Now it's time to kiss me." He whispered with amusement, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"I'm not doing that, not here!" Cuddy stated adamantly to him.

"You have to, you _promised_." House reminded her.

"I didn't agree to this." Cuddy replied, with her eyes scanning the crowd around them once more.

"_Yes ………you did._" House said in a determined tone, wondering if Cuddy even realized his other hand was now resting on her knee, while he stroked it gently with his thumb.

With her eyes stopping at the doorway to the cafeteria, a small smile spread across Cuddy's face, "Oh look ....my Mom and Bill are here." She said, turning back around to face him before promptly getting off of his lap.

"Thank god." Cuddy whispered to herself as she exhaled in relief, walking with a quick stride over to the entrance of the cafeteria with a growing smile displayed on her face.

"Lisa you look absolutely gorgeous! And just love how cute your belly looks in this dress!" Ruth gushed touching her daughter's stomach tenderly as she walked up to her.

"Thanks mom." Cuddy said, shaking her head in amusement as Bill leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "You guys look great by the way." She exclaimed, taking in the view of both Bill who looked very handsome in his black tux as well as her mother who looked stunning in the dark purple dress that fell just below her knees.

"So how are you feeling honey? Is Jessica still kicking up a storm?" Ruth asked with another smile unable to resist touching Lisa's baby bump again.

Cuddy laughed, "I think she's sleeping now, but earlier when I was on the phone with you I swear she was practicing for the Olympics." She told her mother, placing her hand onto her stomach as well.

Smiling over at Ruth and Lisa as they shared the tender moment, Bill placed his hand on the small of Ruth's back.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to get us some drinks from the bar." He said before giving Ruth a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Ok." Ruth responded.

"Lisa do you want me to get you anything while up there?" Bill then asked.

Cuddy shook her head, 'Wilson is getting me some club soda." She informed him before Bill turned to leave.

As Bill walked away from them Ruth placed her arm around Lisa's waist. "Well now let's go and find that son-in-law of mine." She said with a mischievous grin as both women then turned and started to walk together towards the table House was seated at.

********************************************************

Entering into the Hospital Cafeteria, wearing a slinky black cocktail dress, Cameron's eyes immediately started to scan the crowd of people inside.

Turning to her left, she spotted Chase and Foreman at the bar having a conversation with each other as the band on the stage a few feet from them continued to play an old jazz tune.

The place was packed as she figured it would be, the Holiday Party a way for most of the hospital staff to unwind for a few hours, giving them one last hurrah after Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years before the bitter cold of winter would really set in.

After taking a few more steps inside the room Cameron spotted the table where House, Cuddy, Ruth and Bill were seated at.

She took in a sharp breath as her eyes registered the fact the Cuddy was sitting on House's lap, her arm placed around his shoulder, her pregnant belly proudly on display..... thanks to the red satin dress she was wearing.

Cameron paused for a moment and studied Cuddy's face as she talked to her mother and Bill who were seated across from her. It was obvious that Cuddy was nervous, she could see it in the way her mouth held up its smile, while House on the other hand was relaxed and smug as ever, his eyes glancing up at Cuddy from time to time with a mischievous smirk on his face.

_Cuddy's sitting on his lap because House's wants her to sit there,_ Cameron thought with her eyes now unable to look away from the couple as the realization that Gregory House, her boss ….and.......the man who she thought she knew so very well, who seemed to almost loath any outward displays of affection was sitting in complete comfort and ease with the woman he was now married to who was also going to have his child.

Although Cameron had seen House and Cuddy together before and had even witnessed a kiss between the two of them in the conference room several months ago at that time the shock to her heart had not been as severe because _Cuddy_had been the one to initiate the kiss ….but this was different because House was now the one initiating the contact between them.....and….. it was not because he was trying to embarrass Cuddy or play a joke on her….this time things had changed and the picture was crystal clear.

House was in love with Cuddy and in his own way was proudly showing off the woman who meant more to him than any other woma inside the packed cafeteria. The one woman who had indeed captured his heart and now held it within her possession.

When House spotted her from across the room and his crystal blue eyes locked onto her, Cameron turned abruptly almost knocking over Chase in her bid to move away from his gaze before he could spot the tears glistening in her eyes.

"Whoa! Leaving the party so soon?" Chase asked moving his drink out of the way so it would not spill.

Cameron looked up at him, but said nothing, too busy trying to fight away the tears that seemed intent on spilling out of her eyes at the moment.

"Hey….are you alright?" Chase asked before his eyes moved away from Cameron over to where House and Cuddy were seated, knowing immediately what was wrong with her.

"Allison." He then said to her in a low toen, with his eyes fixed onto hers once more.

Cameron held his gaze for a split second before she brushed by him, her legs carrying her quickly out of the room as she headed towards the lobby.

********************************************************

Across the room, House watched as Chase gave him another glance before he turned and walked out after Cameron.

Letting out a sigh filled with frustration as the sound of Bill's voice beside him faded into the background, House wondered if this would be the time Cameron would finally realize whatever feelings she had for him would always remain one sided and never acted upon by him in any way.

"Are you ok? I'm not hurting you leg am I?" Cuddy asked, noticing that House's fingers had stopped stroking her side.

House looked up at her, "I'm fine and you're staying right where you are Honeybuns." He told her with a smirk as he squeezed the side of her hip, "However it seems Wilson is taking his good old time getting back from the bar with my drink." He added with a grumble, nodding in the direction where Wilson and Cindy were talking to a group of physician's a few feet from the bar.

"You know you could just get up and get your own drink." Cuddy informed him sarcastically.

House gave her an evil glance. "You know what? You're right, I think I will go to the bar and get my own drink _and_ I also think you are going to come with me." He responded patting the side her thigh.

"I'm in the middle of a conversation with Bill." Cuddy protested, shooting a glance Bill's way, silently asking him to agree with her.

Bill looked over at Lisa and then at House ready to open his mouth to speak but getting cut off by House.

"Bill and your Mom will be here when you get back." He told her as he looked directly into her cool grey eyes.

"Fine." Cuddy muttered, not about to forfeit the game because she was far too determined that she would eventually get House to break the rules first, causing him to lose the very game he had created.

House smiled up at Cuddy. "Good…now let's see how many scotches you can carry back to the table for me without spilling them."

Cuddy arched and eyebrow at him, placing the palm of her hand on the table as she got up off of his lap.

"I am not carrying any drinks back here for you." She told him with authority, keeping her eyes locked on him as House got to his feet.

Hearing the change in her voice made hard for House to keep a straight face, especially when seeing how interested Bill and Ruth were in their conversation.

"Relax Honeybuns, I was just kidding about the drink part………you will however have to hold my hand as we walk up to the bar." He announced, raising up his arm and wiggling his fingers as he glanced over at Ruth and Bill again.

Ruth looked up at House with a small smile forming on her lips, watching as Lisa roll her eyes at her son-in-law before she reached for his hand. "House, if I didn't know you better I would think you're actually being very romantic and sweet to your wife tonight." She said with a gleam in her eyes.

"Trust me Mom….he's not being either of those things." Cuddy replied before she turned to leave, tugging on House's hand for him to hurry the hell up.

"Come on, let's get this over with." She then instructed looking over at House and hating the smug grin on his face right now.

"Anything you say Pookie." House responded as they started to walk towards the bar, almost busting out laughing at the expression on Cuddy's face when he called her the sickening pet name.

As Lisa and House made their way across the room, Ruth turned and watched them, smiling when House removed his hand from her daughter's and placed it around her waist as they stopped just short of the bar when a tall and attractive woman stopped them, thereby halting the couple's progress for now.

With the smile remaining on her face, Ruth focused her gaze back on Bill. "What do you think House is up to?" She asked him as he was watching them as well.

"I don't really know, but one thing I do know for certain is that both of them are enjoying whatever is going on…no matter how much your daughter is trying not too." Bill replied.

********************************************************

"Lisa it is so good to see you! And you look incredible!" Doctor Susan Walker, who was one of the board members exclaimed with a smile, studying the Dean of Medicine who looked absolutely stunning tonight in the red dress that complimented her figure while proudly showing off her small pregnant belly.

"Thank you Susan." Cuddy replied with a smile of her own. "So how was your vacation in Belize?" She asked while feeling a little nervous about the way House was holding her so close to him right now.

"The weather was amazing!" Susan answered before looking over at House, "Oh and I almost forgot to say congratulations to both of you on your marriage." She added with a somewhat smug smile.

"Thinking if Lisa got hitched after all these years they're still might be hope for you Walker?" House replied, checking out the tall woman with sandy blonde hair who had the toned body of tennis player while studying the way the strapless sleek cooper dress she was wearing covered her body.

Susan gave House an unimpressed look and focused back on Lisa.

"I heard House's proposal was quite unexpected and I am assuming since I know how charming he can be......... his choice of engagement ring is what made you say yes." She remarked, getting in a small dig at House's expense.

"He didn't do too bad." Cuddy replied casually, giving House a quick glance before lifted her hand up so that Susan could view both her engagement ring and wedding band.

Susan reached for Lisa's hand, the look of surprise taking over her face as she took in the dazzling brilliance of the diamond and the striking design of the white gold bands.

"These rings are beautiful! Where did you get them?"" She then asked, addressing House

Seizing the opportunity, Cuddy stepped in to answer before House even opened up his mouth, deciding a little payback was in order because of the stupid game he insisted on playing with her tonight.

"Actually _Greg_ got the engagement ring from his mother. You see it's a family heirloom that belonged to his grandmother and if that wasn't enough to sweep me off my feet, he then had a jeweler in Vegas make the wedding band to match the engagement ring without me knowing anything about it. _Now tell me Susan isn't that just the most romantic thing you've ever heard?_" Cuddy gushed, thoroughly enjoying embarrassing House for a little while after his insistence that she be made to attend to him like a love sick school girl during the party.

House shifted his weight onto his cane, Cuddy's counterattack to his treatment of her tonight as she gave her over the top, sticky sweet rendition of the story about the rings made him vow the next time he went down on her he would make sure to tease her to the point of utter frustration before making her cum fast and hard…..while screaming out his name of course.

That though brought a small face to his face, however it was short lived as he felt Susan shifting her gaze to him with eyes that were more than ready to add a heaping spoonful of embarrassment onto the one Cuddy had already placed in front of him.

"Why Greg, how very romantic of you. Who would have though underneath it all you truly are a sensitive and caring man." Susan told him with a delighted and devious smile.

"Who would have thought you liked to sunbath topless, but since I don't see any tan lines I am pretty sure the Walker twins got a good dose of the suns rays while you were in Belize. Any chance you let the kitty outside to play as well?" House asked with his eyes darting towards her crotch.

Cuddy's mouth dropped in shock, but Susan kept her cool, leaning in closer to House.

"Only my girlfriend knows that for sure and she's not telling." She replied slyly before giving Lisa a nod and walking away.

"I knew she played for the other team!" House said triumphantly under his breath as he watched Susan moving back to the table of physicians she had been sitting with.

"You're just figuring that out now?" Cuddy asked from beside him with a confident smirk before turning and starting to walkover to a less crowded area in the room.

"You knew about Walker and didn't tell me?" House asked, following her in the dim lit corner where she had turned around to face him.

"You never asked." Cuddy replied, looking up at him with an amused smile upon her face.

House gave her a nod, "Fair enough," He said with his mind still reeling from his new found information. "But did you know Walker also went out with Wilson while she was apparently still in her "closet" phase?" He asked her with an amused smile of his own as he took a step closer to her.

"Actually Susan told me about her dating Wilson a few years ago." Cuddy answered casually.

House titled his head.

"Wait a minute…..did Walker ever come on to you?" He questioned with the face of an excited teenage boy.

Cuddy looked up at him, unable to hide her smile.

"She did ask me out once, years ago…. when I first started here." She admitted while shaking her head and crossing her arms in front of her.

"And?" House asked with anticipation.

"And I said no you idiot!" Cuddy answered with a bit of bite to her tone.

House smiled down at her, letting his eyes lower to her cleavage.

"I always said you were a magnet for Lesbos……and now I have proof." He boasted.

Cuddy let out a sigh of annoyance. "So are we going to the bar or not?" She asked, uncrossing her arms and putting a hand on her hip.

"Just need to make one pit stop first." House replied before reaching for her hand once more.

Rolling her eyes, Cuddy placed her left hand in House's right hand, letting him guide her over to Wilson and Cindy who were still talking to a group of physicians.

She then watched with interest as House whispered something into Wilson's ear.

Wilson immediately turned around to face House.

"Wow! That explains A LOT." Wilson said with an astonished face.

House nodded with a huge grin and turned towards the bar.

"I'm assuming you told him?" Cuddy asked holding tightly onto House's hand tightly as she kept up with his stride.

Reaching the bar House ordered a scotch for himself and a club soda with lime for Cuddy before he answered her.

"Yes and the only way you're going to know the really juicy story behind me telling Wilson the truth is if you kiss me." House informed her as they waited for their drinks at the packed bar.

Cuddy looked around the bar at some of the familiar faces. "OK, but you have to tell the story first." She whispered, dying to hear the gossip.

House moved back from her when the bartender returned with their drinks, taking a sip of his scotch as he watched Cuddy take a sip of her club soda through the small plastic straw.

She was finally having fun, with her face now showing the amusement and interest she had in this new found topic, and that was EXACTLY what House had wanted, a chance for _Lisa _to join the party with him, because Lisa would have a harder time saying no to what he was planning to do later than Cuddy would.

"Are you sure I can trust you to hold up your end of the bargain?" House asked as his finger made contact with her bare elbow.

Cuddy nodded and continued to sip on her drink, her eyes sparkling as House then nodded in return before leaning closer to whisper in her ear.

"Wilson went out with Walker for six weeks and never told me about it until she ended it. Thinking there was something wrong with him because she never let him have sex with her, finally admitting to me after much nosiness on my apart that Walker was very intimidating and would practically order him to lick her carpet for hours, but would never return the favor…… only giving him an occasional hand job, while gripping his dick like it was a tennis racket." House informed her.

Cuddy nearly spit out her drink at hearing his words, placing her hand on his arm as she let out a laugh that was full and rich.

"Having fun now?" House asked her with a grin.

"Yes." Cuddy admitted with a smile, crinkling her nose up at him. "So why didn't you tell Wilson back then that you thought Walker was gay? She asked.

"Because it was more fun telling Wilson he needed to work on his carpet munching techniques." House responded

"You're evil." Cuddy replied shaking her head.

"I know. Now pay up." House said, pointing to his lips with his index finger.

Cuddy glanced around them again, leaned in slowly before giving him a very modest peck on the lips.

"What the hell was that?" House grumbled.

"It was a kiss, just like you asked for." Cuddy replied with a smirk.

"We've played this game before remember and that was not the kind of kiss I was talking about." House responded with a stern whisper.

"Then….you should learn to be more specific when you're negotiating with me." Cuddy informed him before flipping the hair off of her shoulder as she turned and walked away.

House let her get a few steps ahead of him before carefully cradling the drink in his hand, heading towards her with an impressed smirk now forming on his face.

After the smile she had just given him, he was now certain that tonight he would indeed have sex with Lisa Cuddy inside this hospital…. it was now just a matter of negation.

********************************************************

Meanwhile outside of the front entrance of the hospital, Cameron stood in the frigid night air with her arms wrapped around herself tightly.

"You know it's a lot warmer inside." Chase said after opening up the front door and walking out into the night with her.

"Just leave me alone Chase." Cameron replied as coldly as the air that was surrounding her, wiping away a stray tear.

Chase let out a sigh, taking off his suit jacket as he walked up to her.

"Here before you end up freezing to death." He offered.

Cameron refused to look at him but did take the jacket.

"Thank you." She muttered.

Pushing his hands deep inside his pockets, Chase looked up at the clear night sky above them.

"You know.......you may think I don't understand what you're going through, but I do know just because someone was never truly yours, doesn't make losing them hurt any less." He said, the statement telling as much about his feelings for Cameron as it did about Cameron's feelings for House.

Cameron looked over at Chase's profile.

"I did try with you…you know that." She whispered, even though at this point it was a feeble attempt to take away some of hurt she had caused him in the past.

"I know." Chase said in a hollow tone.

"Robert…..do you hate me because of what happened between us?" Cameron asked as the cold air that filled her lungs made her voice strain just a bit.

"No." Chase answered immediately, turning to face her. "But I do hate that fact that you never were completely honest with me about your feelings for House." He added.

Cameron nodded and looked away.

"I don't think I was ever really honest with myself about my feelings for House until I saw him with Cuddy tonight. I guess it's pretty pathetic to still have feelings for a man who's not only married, but is about to have a baby with his new wife." She said in a dull tone as a curt laugh of self-disgust escaped from her lips.

Chase stayed silent for a moment, not having any more words of wisdom to offer her as his heart to this day was still recovering from the bruise she had put there.

Instead, he cleared his throat, deciding instead to give her the choice to either stay out here and brood in her feelings for House or to come inside with him.

"Listen we both know I'm not the person who is going to stay out here with you and listen to you talk about House, but I think I know of something that may make you feel better…. at least for tonight." Chase replied, kicking at the snow around his feet.

"I'm not taking Meth again Chase." Cameron said dryly.

Chase laughed and looked into her eyes.

"I was going to ask you to come and hang out with me and Foreman, I know we're not as good as Meth but were actually quite funny once we've had a few drinks." He said, "Besides your only other option is to stand out here and wait to get hit on by some drunken doctor on his way home from the party." He added.

Cameron looked over as Chase and nodded.

"Ok." She responded, giving Chase back his coat before she walked towards the front door of the hospital.

**TO BE CONTINUED….**


	74. Chapter 74

**Ok guys here's the next chapter and for those of you who have asked about Tritter…don't worry he will be back. Also there are two songs featured in this chapter. **

**1. Sing, Sing, Sing (with a swing) ~ Benny Goodman**

**2. I've Got You Under My Skin ~ Frank Sinatra **

**Once again …thanks for the reviews ; )**

**Chapter 74**

Two hours later inside the Hospital Cafeteria, the party was now in full swing as conversations moved smoothly between the people inside the crowed room as many of them were aided by the taste of liquor on their tongues which in turn made faces more animated and quick to smile.

On the dance floor bodies moved along with the music, the empty spaces on the linoleum now becoming filled as once reluctant partners made their way out onto the open spaces. The booze coursing through their systems pushing past their feelings of awkwardness and lack of rhythm while the band on stage was really getting into a groove with the sound of horns, drums, and occasional electric guitar filling every inch of the air around them as the musicians closed their eyes from time to time, getting taken away with the beat as fingers pressed down on the keys of the piano in earnest while slides being pulled on trumpets lifted the room higher.

When the band had ended its latest song the audience in the cafeteria applauded loudly, showing their appreciation for the talented musicians.

The band leader, who was playing trombone, then turned to his fellow musicians and after a dramatic pause they started to play a rendition of the big band classic Sing, Sing, Sing with a Swing.

The room of people applauded again as drums announced the arrival of the tune before horns joined in with more couples taking the floor while the people sitting at tables and leaning against the bar began tapping their toes to the beat.

Currently out on the dance floor Ruth and Bill were the centers of attention, the people around them backing up and forming a circle as they danced to the upbeat tune from days gone by, the way the two of them moved together eliciting smiles and shouts of appreciation from the onlookers.

With his face beaming, Bill led Ruth around the floor as she kicked up her heels in time with him, adding a hop to her step when he spun her around, flirting with him by using a dazzling smile and twist of her hips as he leaned into her and gave her the kind of endearing and captivated look that never grows old.

With his next move Bill backed away from Ruth as they clapped and circled each other on the dance floor before clasping hands again, his arm then moving around her waist before Ruth moved behind him, squatted down with her hands reaching out for his so he could pull her through his legs.

The purple fabric of Ruth's dress flared in the air along with the roaring band, the smile on her face as bright as the spotlights illuminating the stage.

Watching the seemingly ageless couple with awe, one of the interns from Surgery placed his fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle as Bill and Ruth glided around the floor before Bill let of one of Ruth's hands go she could swing with him to the beat, the continued movement of her hips and the smile on her face making Bill smile even wider.

"Your Mom and Bill can really dance!" Wilson shouted over to Cuddy as they leaned against the bar watching them.

"Yeah for an old broad your mom can really shake her ass! You should be proud." House snarked from the other side of her while truthfully he was actually very amused by the older couple dancing their hearts out.

Cuddy ignored the comment and looked over at Wilson.

"They're both amazing." She said with a proud smile on her face, watching how her mother and Bill continued to mesmerize the crowd that was clapping and cheering for them.

Out on the floor, Bill then looked at Ruth and gave her nod, pulling her close to him and wrapping an arm around her waist before whispering something in her ear as the beat of the music slowed for a few seconds.

Nodding back with the smile remaining on her face, Ruth separated from Bill for a moment and began to pull a couple out onto the center of the floor with them, urging them to dance as Bill did the same to another couple on his side until there was a sea of people dancing, laughing and swaying to the beat, some of them watching Ruth and Bill and trying to copy their moves while Cindy….who was standing on the other side of Wilson, grabbed his hand.

"Come on let's dance!" She said with an excited grin.

"Ok." Wilson responded with a broad smile. "And House don't....... steal my drink while I'm gone." He added looking over his shoulder at his friend as Cindy pulled him out onto the floor.

Once Wilson took Cindy into his arms out on the dance floor, House reached across Cuddy and grabbed hold of the Martini his friend had left behind, drinking it in one large gulp.

"You don't even like Martini's." Cuddy commented to him, rolling her eyes before focusing back on the people who were dancing in front of them.

House studied Cuddy's profile carefully, from the smile on her face as she watched the crowd dancing before them to high heel of her left shoe that was tapping against the floor in time with the music, watching her eyes following Bill who now held Ruth tightly against him as they spun across the floor with his feet moving expertly in-between hers.

"Wishing you could be out there dancing like that?" He asked with his tone of his voice low as part of him almost hoped she hadn't heard what he had just said.

Cuddy turned and smiled at him. "I'd rather be here with you." She responded.

House nodded towards her. "You're a terrible liar." He informed her as he eyes searched her face.

Shaking her head, Cuddy placed her hand upon his chest. "You have all the right moves when it really matters." She whispered up to him in a sultry tone, moving her hand up to his neck before giving him the type of kiss he had been asked her for earlier, parting his lips with her tongue and taking the opportunity, while everyone else in the room was focused on the band and the dance floor to show him that she was indeed not lying when she had spoken those words to him.

House felt his heart start to beat in time with the drums as Cuddy slid her tongue inside his mouth, giving him the kind of kiss that made 'Little House' sit up and take notice as the wail of the trombone behind them made him smile against her lips.

"I never knew Big Band music was such a turn on for you. Remind me to hire these guys the next time we have sex." He said after their lips had parted, looking down into her eyes.

"As long as you don't mind not having the biggest horn in the room I'm game." Cuddy teased with a wicked smile.

"Hmm someone's a wee bit feisty this evening. Which tells me that same someone is a wee bit horny as well." House said to her slyly as his eyes stayed locked onto hers.

"I think _someone_has had too much to drink." Cuddy replied back to him coolly while feeling the heat from his gaze.

As the chemistry between them start to build, House leaned in closer to her as the music played on behind them. "It's getting hot in here. Wanna go outside with me for a few minutes?" He asked in low tone, keeping his eyes fixed on her.

"Sure, just as long as you realize 'going outside' does not mean having sex outside." Cuddy answered while keeping her eyes focused on the glimmer held within his eyes.

House placed his hand on the small of her back as they turned to leave. "Now..... why would I want to have sex outside in the cold with you when there's a perfectly good janitor's closet only a few feet away?" He remarked with a grin.

******************************************************

After they had left the cafeteria, House had waited until he and Cuddy were past the lobby and out of sight of any other partygoers as they walked towards the front doors of the hospital before he suddenly pulled her back towards the hallway that lead to her office, kissing her passionately on the lips.

He felt Cuddy hesitate at first, her body becoming stiff before she responded to his tongue moving into her mouth by wrapping her arms around his neck while his hand slid down to the curve of her ass, ready to give it a squeeze when she abruptly pulled away from him.

"You lose." Cuddy said with a triumphant expression upon her face as she looked up at him.

"We are not at the party, we're in the hallway." House argued before he turned her so that she her back was against the wall, kissing her again.

This time when their lips parted he moved his mouth to her neck, his stubble grazing her skin, his tongue tasting her flesh.

"Stop!" Cuddy gasped with her palms pressed against his tuxedo jacket pushing him away from her.

House looked down at her seeing the fire held within the grey blue of her eyes.

"If you really want me to stop then stay it again and I will." He told her with a gruff tone.

Cuddy paused for a moment, hearing the people inside the cafeteria applaud once more, not sure at this point what was happening between the two of them, only knowing that after the way House had kissed her, he had left her wanting more of him, more of the smell of his cologne, more of his strong body pressed against hers, more of his hands roaming her body inside the one place she swore to herself she would never let him have her in that way.

As the seconds ticked by her, the voice of the singer in the band started to filter out into the hallway once more as the notes of the classic Sinatra tune added to the current surge of energy circling around them.

_I've got you....... under my skin  
I've got you deep in the heart of me  
You're so deep in my heart, that you're really a part of me  
I've got you under my skin_

"Let's go home." Cuddy whispered in reply to the statement he had made to her those few short seconds ago.

House leaned into her and lowered his head, this time just barely brushing his lips against hers, waiting to see if she would deepen the kiss between them. If she was now feeling what he had been feeling all night ever since he saw her walk down the staircase of their home wearing the amazing red dress he had bought for her.

_I've tried so not to give in  
I've said to myself this affair never go so well  
But why should I try to resist, when baby will I know so well  
That I've got you under my skin_

Cuddy moved her hand behind his neck, pulling him closer with her tongue searching his mouth, the electricity between them heightened by the fact that they were now making out in the hallway they had walked down hundreds of times together.

_I'd sacrifice anything come what might  
For the sake of having you near  
In spite of a warning voice that comes in the night  
And repeats, repeats in my ear_

This time when they pulled away from the kiss House rested his forehead against hers, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to slow his rapidly beating heart, the effect of kissin her in this building even if there were no witness to see it... affecting him just as strongly as he knew it was affecting her.

"You don't want to go home and you know it. You want what I want, you're just afraid to give into it." He said in a low whisper with his thumb caressing her cheek.

Cuddy looked away from him for a minute, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip.

"Just tell me you don't really want this and I'll stop." House muttered before his lips found the delicate skin on her neck once more.

Cuddy took in a sharp breath while her mind waged war with what her body wanted so desperately.

_Don't you know little fool, you never can win  
Why not use your mentality, step up wake up to reality  
But each time I do just the thought of you  
Makes me stop just before I begin  
'Cause I've got you under my skin_

She knew shouldn't being doing this, even if they were now alone and away from the party going on inside the cafeteria. Someone could walk up on them, discovering them at any moment, even though this was a perfect opportunity to live out a fantasy she had for years of letting House make love to her inside of these walls. the forbidden fruit dangling in front of her so very tempting to the side of her that she closed off to the world most of the time. The rebellious side that loved to break the rules as much as he did.

Continuing to kiss and nip at her neck, House felt Cuddy press her body against him before she nudged him with her cheek, kissing him softly on the lips, her response telling him she was indeed game.

As the kiss ended between them, he pulled away from her and reached for her hand, guiding her towards her office door.

"No." Cuddy suddenly said, pulling him away from the outer office doors.

"You know you want to....." House started to say.

"It's not that..... they are too many times I have to face you in that office on a professional level. I can't have the two sides of our lives mixing any more than I've already let them inside there." Cuddy explained to him.

House nodded in understanding. She was right, even though she had let him take some personal liberties inside her office walls before, at this point in their relationship, marriage or not ..she needed to keep the delicate balance of work and personal lives in check when it came to the place were patients lives where in both of their hands.

"Well then let's go up to my office." He suggested moving an arm around her waist.

"No, that's off limits as well. I can't think about us having sex on your desk every time I have to yell at you for not doing your job." Cuddy stated firmly.

House exhaled out of frustration, but nodded again in agreement before his mind gave him a brilliant solution to their problem.

"Come on." He said guiding her by the hand once more towards the elevator.

"Where are we going?" Cuddy asked as House pushed the button on the wall.

"Switzerland." House answered stepping inside the elevator.

"What do you mean Switzerland?" Cuddy questioned, remaining outside the elevator with her free hand resting on one of the doors.

House looked out at her. "Somewhere that's neutral for both of us." House explained. "Now come on, we're wasting valuable boinking time." He added with a smile, tapping his cane against the floor of the elevator as Cuddy entered into the elevator with him.

********************************************************

When House stepped out of the elevator and turned to his right, Cuddy knew immediately where they were heading.

"Wilson's office is Switzerland?" She asked with amusement, walking beside him.

"Neutral ground for both of us." House confirmed, looking at her for approval.

"Ok." Cuddy agreed with a nod, trying to hide the excited smile that wanted to creep up onto her face.

Within a few minutes they had reached the wooden door that had Wilson's name written across it in bold lettering.

"I assume you have key." Cuddy said knowingly, watching House pulling out his wallet from his back pocket.

He looked at her with a grin.

"But of course Pookie." House boasted, taking the key inside the side pocket of his wallet out.

"Enough with the Pookie or there won't be any nookie." Cuddy warned, leaning against the wall as House turned the key inside the lock and pushed the door open.

"Ok Sex Kitten." House agreed with smartass grin before pushing the door open some more so she could step inside ahead of him.

The air inside the room was still and cool, but the room itself was not as dark as Cuddy thought it would be as Wilson had let the blinds open when he had left earlier today, leaving the silvery glow of moonlight to shine through the large glass doors on the far side of the office that lead out to the balcony.

Watching her, House closed and locked the door behind them before leaning his cane against the wall, keeping his eyes on Cuddy as she looked around the room.

With the stillness in the air still surrounding her, Cuddy's eyes traveled from the couch to the desk. Part of her half expecting to see Wilson sitting in the chair behind the desk waiting for them.

"We have to make this quick." She then said to him as the nervous energy and sexual excitement inside of her collided with one another.

"Anything you say Doctor Cuddy." House responded, taking a step towards her and deciding to use her professional title because it would make the act they were going to perform soon all the more stimulating.

Cuddy paused for a second, looking into House's eyes before reaching under her dress and pulling her panties down, holding onto one of his arms to keep her balance as she stepped out of them. "Just so you know if Wilson happens to come up here, I am running out onto balcony and you're on your own." She then warned as he continued to watch her, offering him her red lace thong to hold onto.

House gave her a smile and took the delicate fabric resting in her fingertips, stuffing the sexy underwear inside his jacket pocket.

"You don't know how many times I've dreamed of you willingly handing over your panties to me." He told her with a devious smile before he pulled her into a kiss, cupping her ass in his palms before he turned her around so that her back was now resting against his chest as his fingers started to gather the sleek fabric of her gown into his hands.

"Remember we have to hurry." Cuddy whispered with her heart picking up its pace as she felt his right hand begin to caress her rounded stomach, knowing where it would proceed to next.

"We have time. Now hold this up." House whispered into her ear, transferring the garment from his hands to hers while kissing the side of her neck, leaving her silky heat exposed to the cool air in the room as Cuddy held her dress up slightly above her waist.

Taking in a breath, she rested the back of her head against his chest as House's right hand traveled lower onto her body.

With another kiss placed on the side of her neck, House let his fingers move past her belly button, down to the silky and inviting heat between her legs.

"Mmmmm..tell me Doctor Cuddy…. do you ever get this wet when we're arguing inside your office?" He asked with a husky tone, rubbing his fingers over her sweet arousal that made him hard in an instant.

"You wish." Cuddy responded, giving him a little taste of the fire that occurred between them when they sparred together in her office, while the ache between her thighs continued to build.

"You're so amazingly hot when you lie like that Doctor Cuddy." House responded as she pressed her ass against him while his teeth grazed over her neck teasingly.

"And you're just hoping that I don't mention how often I've seen you head for the men's room after you've looked down my shirt for too long. Hopefully you were discrete when you pleasured yourself in one of the stalls." Cuddy replied wickedly before gasping as he pushed his hard cock into her backside while increasing the pressure of his thumb that was creating an amazing friction against her clit.

"What was that Doctor Cuddy?" House asked as he increased the rhythm of his thumb, feeling her squirm with pleasure while the wiggling of her ass against his erection that sent a volt of electricity coursing through him.

Cuddy was unable to answer him, too stimulated by the amazing things his thumb was doing to her throbbing nub right now, moaning instead while keeping her lips closed as the administrator side of her warned that letting the sound escape into the room without muffling it first would be a stupid risk to take.

'That's what I thought." House said gruffly before turning her around again with his hand leaving her body temporarily before finding her heat once more, his middle finger slipping inside of her as Cuddy held her dress up, the long finger stroking in and out of her entrance while he backed her into Wilson's desk as they kissed each other.

Within the next few seconds Cuddy broke free from his lips, so turned on at this point by his actions and words that it made her shiver.

"So Doctor House…..are you going to show me what you've wanted to do to me all those times in my office when you wanted me so badly, but weren't allowed to touch me?" She challenged sitting down onto the desk and letting go of the fabric held between her hands, feeling it slide against her upper thighs as it pooled over her lap.

House locked eyes with her, replaying all of the times they had been alone in her office in the mist of heated battle when he would see the fire in her eyes and feel the pull of his groin that took everything he had inside of him to try and ignore.

Looking up at him, Cuddy gave House as devastating, sultry smile.

She was now purposely adding fuel to the raging inferno between them. Taking him down into the flames with her with no apologies, teasing him with the fact that finally inside these hospital walls he would get to do her what he had fantasized about doing to her for years.

Stepping between her thighs, House left her questioned unanswered by his lips, deciding to show her with his body instead, moving his hands onto her knees and letting them travel up her thighs.

Cuddy locked eyes with him again, wrapping her left leg around his waist, pulling him towards her as he moved the fabric on her lap out of the way so he could veiw her glistening heat in all its glory.

Her hands worked quickly on his belt and zipper, her mouth now receiving a deep and sensual kiss from his mouth while she pulled his pants and boxers down in one swift motion, her fingers finding his hard shaft with her thumb circling the head of it before her fingers wrapped around it and moved up and down upon it, quickly priming him for fornication.

House moaned loudly inside Cuddy's mouth, his hands gripping her hips, pulling her closer to the edge of the desk.

Cuddy then expertly guided his hard steel towards her entrance and he filled her completely in one smooth stroke, causing her to break away from their kiss and rest her forehead on his chest.

She let out a loud gasp, her hands moving from his chest to his back before titling her head up to lock eyes with him once more.

House captured her lips with his own, the sensation of being inside of her as they fucked each other with purpose and hunger........ mind blowing to say the very least, the next deep moan escaping his mouth answered by one of hers, their hips meeting in joined thrusts of lust and excitement for the forbidden.

Cuddy arched her back and wrapped both legs around his waist, crossing them at her ankles before leaning back with her arms behind her on the desk, knocking god knows what off of the flat surface as she planted her palms firmly upon the smooth wood that was cool to the touch.

She threw her head back and cried out his last name, knowing it would take them both even higher, the cautionary side of her being silenced by her passion.

House took in a sharp breath, leaning down and kissing her throat.

"Say that again." He whispered in a husky tone into her skin with his right hand sliding into the open space in front of her dress and underneath the built-in bra, with his palm squeezing the fullness of her breast.

"Fuck me House.....just like you wanted to everytime we're along in my office." Cuddy hissed out with fever and ache, adding more words before and after his name while bucking her hips even faster against him as his thumb brushed over her nipple.

"Cuddy." House grunted hoarsely with every memory of them inside the walls of her office flooding his senses now as his hand pushed aside the part of the dress hiding her left breast from him, taking her nipple into his mouth and sucking on it with an unbridled hunger until Cuddy moaned out once, feeling her velvet walls tightening around him as his own orgasm was only moments away at this point.

Panting, Cuddy wrapped and arm around his neck with the other curled around his waist, moving her pelvis in an intoxicating rhythm up and down on his shaft, feeling the tip of it hitting the part deep inside of her that caused her knees to shake.

She let her head fall back again and felt the cool air of the room collide against her nipple as it fell free from House's mouth, her eyes left to stare up at the ceiling for a moment as felt the wave of her climax starting to crest before the sound of House's own labored breathing caused her to lock eyes with him again.

"Tell me you wanted this just as much as I did, that thinking about fucking me inside this hospital gets you as wet and tight as you are right now." House told her in a voice that was raw with his desire for her, pulling Cuddy tighter against him with his palm planted firmly on the small of her back, pumping into her now with an urgent and hungry rhythm.

_"Yes...oh god yes ……oh god!"_Cuddy moaned, her mouth now pressed against the lapel of his tux, her arms wrapped around him tightly as House continued with his pace, making sure her orgasm was not going to be fleeting, knowing instinctively how to take her to an even higher peak.

Hollow sounds began invading the air around them as more items from Wilson's desk fell to the floor beneath them, pens bouncing onto the carpet and rolling under the desk, a small clock striking against the padded surface of the chair before falling onto the floor as well.

Closing his eyes, House released a loud gust of air escape from his lungs, saying her last name as he came inside of her mere seconds after Cuddyexperienced her own orgasm, feeling so alive in the wake of his orgasm that he never wanted to come down off of it.

Catching his breath, he moved his hand up into her hair, his fingers caressing the delicate skin of her neck as the sound of their combined heavy breathing hung on as the last remnants of the amazing sex they had just experienced.

Opening up her eyes, moved her face away from House's chest and looked up at him, where she found a very satisfied smile on his face as well as the lips that wanted her to kiss them again.

********************************************************

Underneath Wilson's office, where floors were separated by concrete and steel……noises of a curious nature where being made in the dark behind the locked doors of Lisa Cuddy's outer office.

"Oh god James!" Cindy moaned out loudly, with her back pressed against the wall next to the filing cabinet across from her desk as her right leg was currently wrapped around Wilson's waist as his hips drove his hard cock up inside of her again and again.

"Shhhhhhhh." Wilson whispered with his broad smile pressing against Cindy's neck while the palms of his hand were planted firmly on the wall above her.

Cindy let out a loud gasp, her lips finding their way to his neck where they showered it with kisses.

"You're so good James….oh god …...I love you sooooo much." Cindy whispered in a voice that trembled, trying to keep the volume of her voice down even though she wanted to shout those words out into the air surrounding them.

As her words moved into Wilson's ears, the honesty in her tone caused him to lift his head and look into her pale blue eyes.

"I love you too." Wilson said with his words coming straight from his heart as they often did, but this time carrying a new weight to them.

Cindy smiled back at him, moving her pelvis against his that had stilled for a moment.

Wilson looked down between them into the sea of blue of her dress that concealed the very enjoyable thing she was doing to him currently.

"Trying to get me to moan now?" He questioned looking back up at her as he quickly matched Cindy's rhythm with his own hips.

Cindy smiled before she moved her mouth to his, another moan escaping her when James reached for her leg that was currently planted firmly on the carpet below them, hooking it underneath one of his strong arms as he continued to make love to her, supporting her weight with the help of the wall behind her.

********************************************************

Meanwhile inside the cafeteria Chase, Foreman and Cameron sat together around a small square table, the music inside the room going strong just like the lovers had on different floors.

"Come on Cameron....... quit stalling and drink." Foreman said, slamming his shot glass down on the table triumphantly.

Cameron narrowed her eyes at him. "I wasn't stalling." She commented before downing the shot in front of her.

Chase watched as Cameron wiped the small trickle of whiskey that fell from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.

Somehow between sharing jabs with Foreman, Cameron had entered into a drinking contest with him while Chase leaned back in his chair and observed it all going down in front him.

He figured this is what she needed tonight after their talk out on the front steps of the hospital. A little something to help numb the sting of seeing House and Cuddy together, knowing her feelings would always remain unrequited for the man who she idolized in some ways as much as she desired him.

"Ready for another shot?" Foreman asked Cameron keeping the gaze between them.

"Ready whenever you are." Cameron responded crossing her arms in front of her.

"I'll go get them." Chase offered, rising up out of his chair and heading towards the bar.

As Cameron watched Chase leave Foreman spoke to her.

"Why don't you just give up. I weight more than you do so it's obvious I can tolerate much more alcohol in my system than you can." He said with a confident tone in his voice.

Cameron turned and faced him, "I'm not giving up until I wipe that smug smile off of your face." She replied tapping the empty shot glass in her hand against the table.

********************************************************

As House stepped back from Cuddy after catching his breath, he watched her intently as she rubbed her lower abdomen.

"You ok?" He asked with concern.

Cuddy smiled back at him.

"I'm fine. I just think sometimes 'Little House' scares Jess a bit." She joked, gently soothing the baby inside of her belly as she moved the strap of her dress over her breast to cover it once more.

Cuddy's words caused House let out a soft chuckle with an amused smile on his face as he looked back at her.

"Sure blame it all on 'Little House' ........like you had nothing to do with scaring Jess as well." He replied, zipping up his pants before reaching inside his jacket pocket and pulling out her panties.

"Here…make yourself decent." He then said to her, tossing the red panties in her direction.

Cuddy caught the skimpy underwear and stayed seated on the desk as she carefully moved the material around her high heeled shoes, pulling the lingerie up past her ankles, calves and thighs before stepping down off of the desk and lifting them up to her hips.

House watched Cuddy as she then smoothed out her gown and ran her fingers through her hair, wondering if she knew how much he really did love her, how seeing her sometimes, like she was now would take his breath away, how her wit and sense of humor was as much of a turn on to him as her gorgeous body.

It sometimes still blew him away to think about what he had found with her, a woman who knew him so very well and yet who could also bring out a hunger inside of him for her that was unlike anything he had ever experienced with anyone else before.

Noticing the way House was looking at her, Cuddy spoke.

"Something on your mind?" She asked, taking a step towards him.

House moved his hand to her hip.

"When you called me House just now….while we were having sex…..I really liked that." He responded, keeping his deeper feelings to himself.

Cuddy moved her hand that had been resting on House's chest to the back of his neck, her thumb rubbing against his skin.

"I could tell." She said with a seductive smile before asking. "Do you want me to call you that more often when we're having sex?" With a curious glance reflected in her eyes.

House looked down at her with his fingers now stroking her side, he complete confidence in her own sexuality and her willingness to try new things to add even more heat to their already red hot sex lives a real turn on in and of itself.

He shook his head no.

"You dont have to do that at home, but the next time we have sex at the hospital please feel free to..…." House started to say before Cuddy backed up from him with a stunned expression her face.

"_House_… there's not going to _be_ a next time." She replied with a bit of shock to her tone.

"You're kidding right?" He asked.

Cuddy placed her hands upon her hips.

"No…….. I'm not. I was willing to take a risk this time, but we both could have potentially lost our jobs if the wrong person would have happened to walk in on us a few minutes ago." She stated.

House rolled his eyes. "We were fine and you are making way too big a deal out of this as usual."

Cuddy scoffed. "And once again you aren't concerned with the risks just as long as you get what you want in the end." She shot back.

"And you didn't get what you wanted? Or was that someone else's thighs that were shaking uncontrollably against my waist?" House asked boldly, closing the gap that was separating them.

Cuddy kept her eyes locked with his. He could be such an ass at times, but when House talked to her like that with a confidence and directness in his voice that could not be faked, she had to admit, he was the sexiest man she had ever met.

She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine the sex was fantastic, but that doesn't mean I'm going start screwing around with you inside this hospital." She answered.

House smiled at her.

"Fantastic huh? I thought it was more on the lines of earth shattering. In fact I actually could have sworn I felt a tremor." He teased before adding.

"And I'm not talking about screwing around all over this hospital until we get caught like Cameron and Chase did, but we definitely need to do it at least a few more times here. We owe it to ourselves." House finished giving her a serious look while holding back his devilish grin.

Cuddy arched an eyebrow at him.

"In case you didn't hear me the first time, let me repeat myself……I said NO." She replied with a definitive nod.

"Oh I heard you alright, but then again I also heard you moaning at the top of your lungs a few minutes ago when I rocked your world. And in my world…….. I'd say passionate moaning beats logical reasoning any day." House countered with a definitive nod of his own.

Cuddy exhaled. "You're impossible." She muttered starting to walk past him, intent on getting back to the party.

House reached for her arm and turned her to face him again.

"Ok fine, we'll limit the risks by only having sex at the hospital once a year, during the Holiday Party." He stated using his best negotiating skills while looking directly into her grey eyes.

Cuddy let a few seconds pass between them, studying his face intently as she weighed her options.

The sex between them in Wilson's office had been amazing and it was something she would like to do again, but the administrator side of her still needed to maintain the control in what would _or_ would not happen between them inside the walls of _her _hospital.

"Once a year at the Holiday Party seems fair….." Cuddy started to say, pursing her lips and adding another pause in the conversation before continuing.

"But…. only if you can come up with a different place to have sex that doesn't include your office or mine, _and_ .....wherever it is there has to be a lock on the door as well as an escape route. If you can do that …….then I'll _think _about having sex with you again inside this hospital…. but I'm not going to guarantee anything." She finished, laying down the ground rules that would keep her in control.

"I knew you'd eventually see things my way Doctor Cuddy." House boasted, moving his hand down to her ass and giving it a squeeze.

Cuddy rolled her eyes.

"Come on…… let's get back to the party before you annoy me into changing my mind." She said starting towards the door again.

"Ah, aren't you forgetting something?" House asked with a raised eyebrow, pointing over to Wilson's desk which was an absolute mess thanks to their passionate love making.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I forgot about having to clean that stuff up!" Cuddy said, quickly walking over to the desk and bending at her knees so she could start to pick up some of the items that had fallen onto the floor.

"It's probably because most of the blood in your body rushed down to your _pleasure zone _and it's only now making it's way back up to your brain." House snarked, limping over by the door to get his cane.

"You know you could help with some of this." Cuddy remarked glancing up at House who was now towering over her.

"If I get down on the floor with you, we're going to end up having sex again which means you'll end up with one hell of a rug burn." He commented while staring down at her cleavage.

Cuddy made a face at him. "Here." She said handing him some pens that had fallen to the floor.

"Now put that stuff back up there and straighten out Wilson's monitor." She ordered.

House fixed the monitor but dropped the other stuff onto the desk just to see Cuddy narrow her eyes at him.

After collecting the rest of the items from the floor Cuddy stood up and arranged everything as it had been before she had hopped up on top of the desk.

"Perfect." She said with her arms folded against her chest as she inspected her handiwork.

"Not quite." House responded.

"What's wrong with it?" Cuddy asked furrowing her brow.

"Nothings wrong with _it_ but," House started to say before he reached for her backside again.

"I just didn't think you'd want to go back to the party with a post-it note on your ass that says to 'call Radiology on Monday' with Wilson's handwriting on it." He finished handing her the square piece of sticky yellow paper.

********************************************************

Riding down in the elevator with House by her side, Cuddy laughed again at the thought of the post-it note that had been stuck to her ass.

"Wow! Having naughty office sex really makes you giddy." House commented looking over at her.

"Stop it." Cuddy said with a smile, moving her hand to his jaw and giving him a quick kiss before the doors opened up in front of them.

As House and Cuddy started to walk towards the lobby once more, they immediately spotted Wilson and Cindy who were on their way to back to the party as well.

"Where were you two just at?" House asked noticing the small beads of sweat on Wilson's forehead.

"I could ask you the same thing." Wilson responded, noticing House seemed to be limping a little more than usual.

Cuddy and Cindy both looked at one another, noticing right away the flush in each others cheeks.

"I think we all need to head back to the party." Cuddy said reaching for House's arm.

"Sound's good to me." Cindy agreed as she moved her hand into Wilson's hand.

House looked over at Wilson as they all waked towards the door, deciding he would grill his friend later for the details about what had gone on between him and Cindy as for now there was another free scotch with his name on it inside the doors of the cafeteria along with the fact that he really didn't want to piss Cuddy off by exposing their sexual escapade up in Wilson's office which would thereby put a grinding halt to any future sex with her in this hospital.

Seeing that his friend was in no mood to talk any further about either of their extracurricular actives, Wilson motioned for House and Cuddy to move ahead them as they all then made their way inside the cafeteria once more.

********************************************************

After a few more hours, the party began to wind down, with people starting to trickle out of the cafeteria, destined for their cars left in the parking garage of the hospital.

For their part, Chase, Cameron and Foreman had all left together, with Chase being the designated driver for his two now very drunk friends while Wilson and Cindy had left shortly after coming back into the party, with plans of have sex again at Wilson's apartment and making a pit stop along the way to pick up some whip cream and strawberries.

Cuddy and House ended up leaving the party approximately an hour after returning from their secret romp in Wilson's office with Cuddy driving them home as Bill and Ruth had actually lasted the longest at the party out their group, surrounded by many young med students and residents who seemed to really enjoy the older couple who acted as if they were still in their mid twenties and so.........after a little coaxing from the young physicians and students around them, Bill and Ruth both agreed to go out for an early morning breakfast at two am to an all night diner that was a favorite of the younger crowd.

********************************************************

**Chase's Apartment Building…..**

"Come on Foreman, it's bad enough I have to carry Cameron up these stairs." Chase yelled over his shoulder when he heard his co-worker slumping down onto one of the steps behind him.

"I just need a rest for a second." Foreman replied, slurring his words while rubbing his face.

Chase turned around with Cameron cradled in his arms.

"Get your ass moving or I'm telling everyone on Monday how Cameron drank you under the table." Chase warned.

Foreman exhaled loudly. "Alright." He mumbled, before getting back on his feet again.

After reaching the door to his apartment, Chase breathed a sigh of relief, shifting Cameron in his arms so could retrieve his keys out of his suit jacket.

He then unlocked the door and pushed it open with his foot.

"Come on boozehound we're home." Chase remarked to Foreman who was leaning against the wall in the hallway.

Foreman rolled his eyes and let you another big sigh. "I don't see why you couldn't just take me to my place instead of yours." He said, staggering into the apartment before sitting down on the couch.

"Because." Chase started to say, resting Cameron next to Foreman on the couch so that she remained in a seated position.

"You and Cameron are far too intoxicated to be left alone." He finished.

"Oh man...........I guess you are pretty fly for a white guy." Foreman responded before laughing his ass off.

"And you're absolutely hilarious when you're drunk." Chase replied sarcastically, heading into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee so he could stay up and make sure his two drunken friends would make it through the night ok.

"Hey homie, grab me a beer while you're in there." Foreman yelled from inside the living room, laughing to himself some more as he looked over at Cameron who was passed out besdie him.

He leaned closer to her and started to play with her bottom lip, flicking it with his index finger.

"What's a matter Cameron? Too much drinky? I think someone is going to be praying to the porcelain god later." Foreman whispered before laughing again.

"Leave her alone." Chase muttered returning to the living room.

"Dude, where's my beer?" Foreman asked.

"You've had enough to drink tonight." Chase answered.

"Oh so now you're my Dad? Wait...that doesn't make sense, if anything House would be my dad and Cuddy would be my mom." Foreman clarified with his drunken rational before adding.

"By the way…..speaking of Cuddy… she really does have one luscious ass......and that thing is looking even nicer since she's gotten knocked up which means House must be in booty heaven." Foreman continued on from out of the blue, stretching his arms while leaning back on the couch some more with a goofy smile on his face.

Chase shook his head and laughed. "I'm going to put Cameron in my bed, you can have the couch." He told his friend.

"So you're putting Cameron to bed huh?" Foreman asked suggestively.

"You're a drunken idiot." Chase replied getting up from his chair and walking towards Cameron who was breathing deeply.

When Chase touched Cameron with his hand, she mubled softly in rsponse to his touch. "I love you House." She said, still locked in whatever dream she was having, her hand moving over to Foreman's chest as her eyes remained closed.

Stepping back from her, Chase looked over at Foreman who was now passed out at well before returning his gaze to Cameron.

"You know sometimes you make it hard for me to be nice to you." He whispered to his ex-girlfriend who was now snuggled up next to Foreman with a satisfied smile on her face while her mind remained deep inside the dream of the man who her subconscious refused to let go of just yet.

Chase ran his fingers through his hair, looking at Cameron and Foreman for a few more minutes as a slow smile crept up upon his face.

"This is way too good of an opportunity to pass up." He then whispered to himself as the vision of Foreman and Cameron now cuddling with each other on his couch in their drunken stupors was something he wanted to capture for an eternity.

With the smile growing on his face, Chase reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out his camera phone.

"Smile guys." He said with another whisper and a smirk, taking a picture of Foreman and Cameron before he carefully stepped up to them so he could position the two of them into even more amusing poses.

********************************************************

"You're taking the long way home; there was a short cut right back there." House complained, turning in the passenger seat of in the car before adding.

"You should have just let me drive so we could get home before you end up giving birth to Jess in this car and sending her off to kindergarten."

Cuddy rolled her eyes as she took the final turn that would lead them to their house.

"Yeah, I don't think so, not after you've been drinking." She replied back sarcastically.

"I had two scotches in the span of four hours and believe me, listening to you gabbing non stop since we left the party has more than killed any residual buzz I may have had going." House argued, shifting in his seat.

Cuddy glanced over at him quickly before returning her focus to the road in front of him.

"What is this? Some kind of new macho thing you're going through?" She asked with an amused smirk.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" House questioned with a bit of irritation in his tone.

Cuddy laughed and rubbed her belly with one hand while keeping her other hand on the wheel as she steered the car into the driveway.

"Well from what I've read, supposedly I'm going to be going through a _nesting period_ with this baby very soon, but apparently I think you're experiencing some pregnancy symptoms as well, namely what I like to call the _Protector of Wife and Baby phase._" She teased scrunching up her eyebrows as she said the phrase roughly to give it more emphasis.

House scoffed.

"Oh give me a break, even you know how much you suck at driving. So don't try to turn this into something it isn't." He replied, lying through his teeth to save face as he watched Cuddy push the button of the garage door opener, located on the visor of the car with her thumb.

"Whatever you say Father knows best." Cuddy teased, giving him a quick smile as she started to slowly pull the car into the garage.

"Just make sure to watch out for my bike lead foot." House said, moving his eyes away from hers and looking out of the windshield.

Seeing what was in front of the car, House opened his mouth again to speak, but closed it shut without uttering a single word. The sight before him, leaving him speechless for a moment as the image of the brand new .........black Triumph motorcycle that was now resting where his old motorcycle used to be came into view.

He turned and looked back at Cuddy with astonishment.

"Well, just don't sit there, get off your ass and go check it out." She said softly, nodding over at the bike with a smile on her face after seeing the shocked expression on House's face.

House unclipped his seatbelt, looking back at Cuddy one more time before he exited the car while she stayed inside the vehicle for a few seconds with the smile still held highly on her face, watching as House limped over to the bike with his fingertips gently touching the black leather seat before she got out of the car as well.

Hearing the car door shut behind him, House turned to see her as Cuddy walked up to him.

"Do you like it?" She asked.

"You didn't have to do this." House said, his voice now returning to him, but taking on the low tone as it often did when something or someone affected him in a deep and personal way.

Cuddy nudged him with her shoulder as she stood beside him.

"I know I didn't _have_ to do it. _I wanted to do it. _ Besides you are getting far too old to be riding around on that crotch rocket of yours." She answered, looking up at him.

House looked down at Cuddy with the smile on her lips showing just how much she had loved surprising him with the motorcycle.

"I thought for sure you'd want me to give up riding, especially after Jess is born." He said glancing down at her stomach before rubbing his jaw.

"Well….although riding a motorcycle isn't the safest thing in the world for you to do, in retrospect it does not even compare to some the stunts you've pulled in the past. Besides being on the back of bike seems to help you unwind and maybe after Jess is born l might even let you take _me _for ride on it, if you behave." Cuddy responded with a brilliant smile.

House smiled back at her.

"So you're all for being my Old Lady huh?" He teased.

Cuddy looked up at him an arched an eyebrow.

"Don't push your luck." She replied giving him a glare.

House leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.

"Thanks." He said sincerely before he kissed her softly on the mouth.

"You're welcome," Cuddy answered after their lips parted, "but just remember if you scare the crap out of me when you take me out for a ride on this bike, you're going to have to settle for Wilson being your Old Lady." She added.

"Fair enough." House replied, moving his hand down onto the bike once more and running his fingers over the gauges that belong to the very cool motorcycle that could really haul ass.

"There's a new helmet for you over there on the shelf if you want to take for a quick test drive." Cuddy commented with her hand now rubbing the lower part of his back while her eyes took in every detail of this moment that was written across his face.

"I'll probably freeze my balls off, but there's no way I'm going to pass up riding this thing for the first time." House replied limping over to the shelf.

Cuddy laughed and walked back to the car, getting inside of it once more to back it out of the driveway so House could take the motorcycle out onto the street.

She exited the car once she had parked along the curb with the sound of the motorcycle being started up by House breaking through the cold night air when the roar of the engine sprang to life.

Looking at House as he sat on top of the motorcycle, Cuddy could tell by his eyes that he was smiling, even though she couldn't see his mouth thanks to the full face helmet he was wearing.

Moving his feet onto the pegs of the bike, House slowly rode past Cuddy who was standing at the end of the driveway, beeping the horn at her just to watch he laugh before he gunned the engine and roared down the black macadam of the street, causing several neighborhood dogs to bark when they were startled from their slumber.

As the cool air kissed Cuddy's cheeks, she watched the red taillight of the bike travel away from her before House slowed the bike down, turning the handlebars so he could head back in her direction.

With her eyes tracing his figure on top of the bike as the moonlight shined down upon him, Cuddy touched her stomach, wondering if Greg knew how much she really did love him and how seeing him like he was now, full of life with a smile on his face that reached up to the blue in his eyes was often enough to take her breath away.


	75. Chapter 75

**Another chapter is up, but before you read any further I wanted to tell of of you all you that we are now heading towards the end of this story. In saying that I will let you know there are about 11 chapters left before that happens and if time permits I will try to post at least one more chapter before I go on vacation next week, then I'll come back and pick up the story upon my return, most likely after the July 4****th**** holiday. Again thanks to all of you for reading as well as a special thanks to those who review….it means the world to me as well as many other writers out there who devote so much time to bring you their stories. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 75**

In the month of February, on a cold winter morning several weeks after the Holiday Party, Lisa Cuddy sat in her office with her mind totally engrossed on the Excel sheet displayed on her computer screen.

She was now seven and a half months pregnant, with her very round belly proudly sticking out past her full breasts. The shape of it, resembling the the half slice of a basketball at this point with the current circumference of it resulting in her having to push her chair a little further away from the desk these days into order to accommodate its expansion.

Once again as in previous months before this one, Cuddy had made even more adjustments in her life as her pregnancy entered into its final stages. Leaving behind her signature high heeled pumps weeks ago and replacing them with sensible flats. Adding a cushion to the back of her chair at the office due to the increased pressure on her spine now that the baby was growing more rapidly inside of her while also making sure to get up and stretch more frequently during her long hours behind the desk as her due date grew closer.

Feeling Jessica moving in her womb, Cuddy placed her hand onto her belly as a broad smile formed on her face.

"Hey sweetie, did you finally wake up?" She cooed down to her unborn child, with her fingertips gently stroking the area where her daughter had made her prescience known.

The baby inside her......who was now able not only to hear, but recognize the voice of her mother became delighted by the familiar sound, reaching out with her small hands inside the womb to try and find the source of the sweet voice.

"Oh my little girl! You're really excited today aren't you?" Cuddy questioned with a small laugh, feeling the rolling movements of her child underneath the palm of her hand once more before the ringing of the phone on her desk caused her to glance over at the caller ID, where she saw Cindy's name and extension displayed in bold black lettering.

Earlier this morning, she had instructed Cindy not to disturb her unless the matter was urgent because of the current project she was working on and now as she let out a sigh, Cuddy hoped that whatever the issue was, she would be able to take care of it quickly.

"What is it Cindy?" Cuddy said into the phone after picking up the receiver.

"Lisa, I have a phone call I think you need to take." Her assistant informed her as she sat in her chair outside of Cuddy's office.

"Cindy if it's House …tell him…" Cuddy started to say.

"Lisa……it's Agent Collins**.**" Cindy interrupted with the tone of her voice trying to hide the apprehension her body was feeling.

Cuddy took in a breath, moving her free hand back onto her abdomen.

"Ok…put him through." She responded after a brief pause, keeping her voice strong as her heart began to beat a little faster inside her chest.

********************************************************

House was standing in front of the whiteboard in his conference room after having just gone over his latest patient's symptoms with his team a fem moments ago, staring at his own handwriting made with the strokes of the black marker.

He had already sent Foreman and Cameron to do an MRI, while instructing Chase to search the patient's home for toxins and was currently alone in the room just as the phone inside his suit jacket began to ring.

Pulling the phone out his pocket, House felt a slight sense of foreboding when he saw Cindy's number displayed on the caller ID.

"What's going on?" House said, not bothering with a greeting.

"You need to get down to Lisa's office." Cindy replied with a tone of worry now encompassing her tone.

"Is something wrong with her?" House asked, already heading for the glass door to his right.

"Lisa and the baby are fine House, but….. Agent Collins just called her a few minutes ago and after she hung up with him……well....she's just been sitting in her office staring at her computer screen." Cindy whispered to him while glancing in at her boss who had also become her friend as the worry lines moved across her forehead.

"I'm on my way." House told her before hanging up, limping quickly down the hallway and pushing the elevator button on wall once he had reached it.

Stepping inside the elevator, House pushed the button for the first floor with his index finger as he cursed into the air around him.

"Come on you piece of shit." He muttered under his breath, pressing the button once more and watching the lights on top of the elevator move slowly from each floor to the next as it descended.

********************************************************

**Lisa Cuddy's Outer Office…..**

After hanging up with House, Cindy had then dialed Wilson's number, telling him as well about the phone call her boss had received from Agent Collins.

She had just hung up with Wilson when House came bursting into the outer office.

"You just get done talking to boyfriend?" House asked, glancing at Cindy briefly before he limped over to the glass doors separating him from his wife.

Cindy nodded; silently witnessing the look of uneasiness in House's eyes that made her even more nervous than she was before.

"Wekk then...when Wilson comes down here, tell him that Ruth and Bill are at the hospital today, attending Grandparenting Classes on the third floor and that I want him to go and get them and bring them back here." House instructed, resting his hand on the doorknob of the office and looking in at Cuddy as she stared blankly back at her computer screen in front of her.

"What do you think Agent Collins told Lisa?" Cindy asked softly with the unsettling tone in her voice causing House to turn and look her way for.

He could see the look of panic staring to show on Cindy's face and it caused him to push aside his own concerns about Lisa for the moment in order to get Cindy back on track with him.

"Cindy I'm going need your help with this. Lisa is going to be ok, but she just needs a little time to process whatever Collins did say to her and in order for her to do that I need _you _to make sure no one else calls her or gets inside her office until I say so. Do you think you can do that for me?" House asked, being mindful to keep his tone calm while choosing his words carefully, hoping it would help to pull Cindy through the anxiety she was feeling at the moment.

Cindy nodded. "Yes, I can do that." She responded with her voice starting to return to its normal tone.

"Good." House said with a nod, taking in a breath before willing his fingers to turn the knob resting in his hand so he could enter into the office.

The door then opened with a slight groan, alerting his presence, however.. Cuddy's eyes remained focused on the computer screen as is she was still alone inside the room.

House took in every feature of her as he stood in front of the doorway. From the disconnected look in her eyes to the frown upon her face. Limping slowly over to her as Cuddy kept both of her hands resting protectively around her pregnant belly. Her eyes remaining fixated on the computer screen in front of her as her mind tried to reboot with the new information it had just received.

Seeing the blur of dark black that was House's suit flash in front of her, Cuddy flinched with her fingers flexing against the soft material of her maternity top.

"Hey ….easy does it now" House said softly even though the unnerving look held within Lisa's eyes currently took him back to the dark time they had been through in a matter of seconds.

Cuddy stared deeply into House's eyes while remaining silent, feeling the shroud of horrible memories from their past weighing down heavily upon her now and making it hard push the words she needed to speak past her lips.

"Agent Collins called." She finally managed to say with a slight strain to her voice.

"I know.......Cindy told me." House said, moving around the corner of her desk.

Cuddy nodded with her eyes once more watching House as he moved closer to her.

"Collins said he's on his way over here now and that he needed to talk to both of us about Tritter." She then continued with numbness to her tone as her eyes traveled back to the screen in front of her.

Listening to her, House made it past the corner of her desk, setting his cane against the wall next to him as he crouched down beside her, with his right leg being able to hold the position for a little while at least thanks to his continued therapy.

"Hey....look at me." He said in a voice that was careful to tread lightly on the tender, painful memories that were now surrounding her, touching her left hand while hoping that she would not be startled by the contact.

Cuddy looked over at him with eyes the were dulled and worn from the past, feeling his hand wrapping around her own before House's moved both of their hands onto her thigh, gently turning her chair with his free hand while being mindful of her pregnant belly so she could face him directly.

"What else did Collins say?' House asked while maintaining eye contact with her.

Cuddy stared back blankly at him while the echo's of Jeff's voice with the visions of him on top of her raced through her mind.

"I need to get this spreadsheet done before Agent Collins get here." She replied back to him abruptly, her voice having a hollow and disconnected tone to it as she turned her head to look at the computer screen once more.

House leaned over and shut off the monitor. "What did Collins say?" He asked again as her eyes returned to his own.

Cuddy shrugged, trying to take away the power of the few words the FBI agent had spoken to her, telling herself that they didn't mean anything, because in truth Collins had essentially told her nothing.

"He just said that he was coming to the hospital to talk to us. I tired to question him more about it, but Collins told me he'd fill us both in once he arrived here." She answered; wishing the sound of her heartbeat drumming inside of her ears would stop.

"Are you sure that's all he said?" House pressed, keeping their eyes locked before a sharp pain shot up through his thigh, causing him to wince.

"Greg….you need to get up." Cuddy said with concern as her eyes darted down to his leg.

"Are you really telling me the truth about Collins?" House asked, rubbing his thigh as he remained crouched in front of her.

"Yes." Cuddy replied, looking directly into his eyes.

House could see by the look in her eyes that were now clear and focused, Cuddy was indeed telling him the truth and so while placing the palm of his hand onto her desk he gingerly got up from his crouched position beside her.

"So did Collins say how long it was going to be before he gets here?" He asked, pulling the orange pill bottle out of his pocket.

"He told me he was just leaving the Princeton Police Department when he called me. So he should be here in about another fifteen minutes." Cuddy replied with her hand moving up the pearls around her neck, watching House as he dry swallowed the vicodin tablet.

"Listen just because Collins didn't tell you anything more…." House started to say while placing the bottle back inside his jacket.

Cuddy looked up at him, knowing why he was getting ready to lie to her about what they both knew would be coming with Collins's visit. HIs need to protect her and their child, running very deep within him now as he tried in vain to provide shelter to her and their baby when the threat of storm loomed above them.

Taking in a breath she reached for his hand still resting on her desk and looked down at the band of white gold on his finger before speaking.

"Greg…..we both know there's only one reason why Collins didn't want to discuss anything further over the phone. You're not supposed to deliver bad news that way." She said softly before returning her gaze to him.

********************************************************

**Hospital~~Third Floor Room 3801……..**

Inside a fairly sizeable conference room that was used for patient education, Ruth and Bill stood side by side in front of a long table along with the several other elderly couples who surround them.

"Ok Grandpas…. now it's your turn to change the baby." The instructor of the class, known as Rhonda Quarry said, watching the puzzled looks overtake most of the older men inside of her class as they attempted to remove the diapers from the small infant sized dolls in front of them.

Looking over at Bill with a small smile upon her face Ruth watched as he expertly removed the old diaper before gently replacing it with a new one.

"You are a natural at this." She then whispered proudly to him, placing an arm around his waist.

Bill smiled down at Ruth moving his hand around her waist before he looked to the front of the room where the instructor standing before them.

"Well now that's done. When do we get to the part where I buy my soon to be granddaughter a pony?" Bill asked the instructor with playful smile as his white mustache curled up at the corners of his mouth.

Upon hearing Bill's words, Rhonda along with the rest of the participants in the class started to laugh.

"I'm afraid the 'spoiling of a grandchild' lesson doesn't come until to the end of the class Bill." She joked with a smile of her own before turning her head when she heard the sound of the door to the room being open.

Seeing Wilson step inside the room, Ruth felt her heart sink as the look in his gentle brown eyes set off her mother's intuition that something was wrong very wrong.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but I need Ruth and Bill to come with me for a moment." Wilson said to the instructor before glancing over at Ruth and Bill as he approached them.

Rhonda nodded, watching as the oncologist who she knew as Doctor Wilson put his arm around Ruth, talking to her in a tone just above a whisper while Bill flanked Ruth's other side, listening intently to what Wilson was saying as all three of them headed out of the room.

The instructor then turned back to face her class.

"Ok everyone let's get back to changing those diapers." She announced, hoping that the sweet couple who had just been rushed out of her class was not being told any bad news.

********************************************************

**Lisa Cuddy's Outer Office….**

"How's she doing?" Wilson asked Cindy, nodding towards Cuddy's office as he along with Bill and Ruth all walked up to her desk.

"House is still in there talking to her." Cindy answered, looking over towards the glass doors.

Ruth walked past Wilson and up to the doors before gently knocking.

House turned and looked back her, motioning to her that it was ok for all of them to come inside.

Within a matter of seconds Ruth was through the door, walking briskly across the carpet as she watched her daughter rising out of her chair.

"Mom I'm ok." Cuddy assured her, seeing the look of worry on her mother's face.

"Collins should have called House first. He should have realized that in your condition….." Ruth started to say with the pitch of her voice filled with the tone of one very protective mother while her hand moved to the pregnant womb of her daughter.

"_Mom, I'm ok."_ Cuddy stressed, trying to take the look of uneasiness away from her mother face by resting her hand on Ruth's shoulder before glancing over at House who was now standing beside her desk.

Ruth followed Lisa's eyes over to House, watching him as he opened up his mouth to speak to her.

"You know your daughter is strong woman Ruth so don't start to doubt that fact just because of _her_ pregnancy and _your_ maternal instincts." He said bluntly.

Ruth held House's gaze before looking into her daughter's eyes once more. "What exactly _did_ Collins say to you?" She asked, trying hard to ignore the feelings inside or her that were sounding their alarms.

"Just that he was on his way over here and that he needed to speak to us." Cuddy answered, glancing over at House again.

********************************************************

When Agent Collins was greeted by the pretty receptionist he knew as Cindy from their previous introduction many months ago, he could tell she had been made privy to some of the information regarding the ordeal Doctor Cuddy had gone through in the not so distant past by the look currently held within her pale blue eyes.

"Let me see if Doctor Cuddy is ready for you." Cindy said after Collins had greeted her, trying to fake a smile with a heavy heart while picking up the receiver to the phone on her desk.

As Cindy dialed the extension to Cuddy's phone, Collins turned his gaze to the small crowd of people inside the office, recognizing all of them immediately before his eyes then focused on Lisa Cuddy as she picked up the ringing phone on her desk with left hand, while her right hand rested on the rounded arch of her very pregnant belly.

Thinking bakc to when they had first met, Collins had to admit he was at first struck by how much Lisa resembled her mother Ruth in both physical appearance as well as in mental toughness, the two women seemly made out of a core of steel in the center that was masked by their alluring feminine qualities and petite statures.

"Agent Collins, you can go inside now." Cindy announced to him after hanging up the phone.

The stocky FBI agent nodded at her and entered into the office with the words of what he was about to say to the group resting on the tip of his tongue.

"It's good to see you again Collins." Bill said once the FBI agent had passed through the doorway, offering the man his hand to shake.

"Good to see you too Bill, although I wish it was under different circumstances." Collins responded, feeling the eyes of the rest of the people inside the room focused squarely upon him.

When Bill released his hand, Collins turned and faced the group.

"I think it would be best if everyone sat down." He said to them, wanting to get all the key people involved with Tritter's case up to speed as soon as possible.

Ruth immediately reached for her daughter's hand.

"Lisa why don't you sit down on the couch." She said gently as she guided or her towards the sofa on the far wall of the room.

"Ok Mom." Cuddy said with a nod, feeling the earnest grip her mother had on her hand as the sat next one another on the floral sofa, with House taking up the empty cushion on her other side.

Collins then moved to the high backed chair next to the sofa while Bill and Wilson turned around the two wooden chairs in front of Cuddy's desk, before sitting down in them as well.

Before speaking, Collins leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hands together and directing his gaze towards Cuddy while wondering how on earth he could break the news he was about to tell her as gently as possible.

Clearing his throat he pressed forward without further delay.

"Lisa, first let me say I wanted to let you know I wasn't trying to be evasive on the phone with you earlier, but experience has taught me it's better to discuss matters like these face to face." Collins explained, deciding to try and take things slow.

"I understand." Cuddy replied.

Removing his eyes from her, Collins then glanced quickly at everyone else surrounding them before he spoke again.

"The reason why I came here today to speak to all you now is because my superiors at the FBI have just informed me that Tritter has refused the last plea bargain he was offered and a trial date for the case has been set for next month, which of course means all of you will be called upon as witnesses for the Prosecution." He stated simply.

Wilson, who was seated the farthest away from Collins, let out an aggravated sigh.

"Why in the hell would Tritter want to go to trial after all of the evidence you guys have against him?" He asked angrily, getting up out of his chair and walking behind it.

Collins looked up at Wilson, but before he could speak House answered for him.

"Because this is Tritter's last ditch effort to have some control over his life. And he's not about to let that go without a fight." House replied, leaning forward and interlacing his fingers before placing them under his chin as his hands rested on top of his cane.

Collins glanced over at House, briefly studying the man's face.

"House is right, Tritter is being stubborn and at the same time he's also holding onto the deluded hope that he and his lawyer will be able to prove that he only played a minor role in Jeff Hansom's plans regarding all of you." The agent confirmed with a nod.

Leaning slightly forward on the couch while moving her hand to her stomach once more, Cuddy felt a chill go through her body after hearing the name of the man who had attacked and almost raped her not so very long ago being spoken aloud once more.

Watching her daughter, Ruth reached for her hand again, holding it protectively in her own. "But Agent Collins, surely Tritter knows he can't possibly win his trial after all of the evidence the FBI has against him, not only in regards to Jeff Hansom but also with the other things you found regarding his corruption of the police department." She argued.

One more Collins nodded in agreement. "Tritter knows getting out of the charges against him is a long shot at best..." He started to say.

"But Tritter doesn't care, because his main concern is to try and inflict even more pain on all us before he's locked away in jail where he belongs." Bill interrupted with a bitterness to his tone that none of them had witnessed before.

Wilson looked over at Bill before moving his eyes moved back to Cuddy.

"Well….. one person who Tritter's not going to inflict anymore pain on is Lisa ......because I know for certain that every physician in this hospital will have no problem excusing her from testifying at Tritter's trial after what she's been through. And with the combined testimony of everyone else in this room, Tritter's not going to stand a snowball's chance in hell at beating even one of the charges against him." The oncologist said in a determined tone.

Cuddy looked over at Wilson and gave him a thankful smile before she directed her gaze to Agent Collins.

"Agent Collins....we've all been through so much. And it sounds like we may have to each go through a little bit more before this is all over. But before you go any further.....I want to thank you for all of the help you've given to us." She told him with sincerity.

"You're welcome." Collins responded while feeling the heat of House's gaze upon him.

"Hold on there a minute Mrs. House...I think you may have thanked our FBI agent a bit prematurely." House then stated with a cool tone.

Cuddy glanced over at House for a brief moment, seeing that his remark had not been made in jest, but rather had come from his keen insight.

"Agent Collins…..is that true?" She then asked focusing her eyes back onto the FBI agent.

Collins held his gaze with House for another brief second before he then focused back on Cuddy.

"I'm afraid so." He admitted before continuing. "You see Wilson was not the only one who was in favor of you giving a sworn statement instead of having to testify in court and in fact I was coming here today to tell you just that. Unfortunately though.... a little over an hour ago I was informed that Tritter and his lawyer are hell bent on having you appear in courtroom, which by this time tomorrow, you'll probably already have been served a subpoena to serve as a witness ….for the Defense." The agent confessed to her.

"Why on earth would Tritter want me to testify as a witness for the _De__fense_?" Cuddy asked with shock, repeating his words.

"Because the son of a bitch thinks he'll be able to break you down into an emotional wreck with the help of his lawyer, thereby showing the court you are a woman in no condition to be speaking of his "supposed" wrong doings." House answered with a bitter tone before the FBI agent could.

"Well then I'll fill out the paper work today that states Lisa needs to be to put on immediate bedrest due to her pregnancy and beat the son of a bitch as his own game!" Wilson exclaimed from his standing position, looking over at Cuddy while Bill and Ruth were momentarily shell shocked by the news.

"I'm afraid Tritter and his lawyer have already prepared for something like that by letting us know that if any medical conditions are presented to the court as a means to keep Lisa from testifying at the trial it will result in Tritter's lawyer filing charges of obstruction of justice against any staff involved."

"They can't do that!" Bill remarked with his fists clenched on his lap to hold back the anger that had just surged through him.

Shaking her head, Cuddy looked over at Bill, her mind now spinning with all the legal jargon she had heard throughout the years. "I'm afraid he can Bill....and... even though the charges are bogus...it would allow Tritter's lawyer to question not only any decision my staff has made on my behalf ..but also any of my own decisions as well."

From beside her, Ruth reached out to the FBI agent in front of them, placing her hand onto his forearm. "Agent Collins…...you have to stop this, Lisa is too far along in her pregnancy to be put through this kind of stress." She whispered with the ache of a mother who was trying in vain to steer her child away from the danger lurking in shadows ahead of them.

"I'm sorry, but at this point either your daughter testifies in court or.... Tritter's lawyer files the charges against the hospital staff preventing her from doing so." Collins told her regretfully.

Taking in a breath, Cuddy turned to face her mother before she spoke.

"Mom....the only way Tritter can hurt me is if I let him....and I'm not about to do that." She said adamantly, thereby giving her answer to Collins in the process of her statement.

********************************************************

After a few more minutes of very serious discussions among the group, Collins then asked to speak to Cuddy and House alone, waiting until Wilson, Bill and Ruth had left the room before he addressed them both as they remained seated on the couch together while he continued to sit in the cushioned chair beside them.

"After telling you guys the news about the trial, I wanted to let you both know in private that there is something good that has come out of all this." He started to say, looking ovet at their weary faces as the couple waited for him to continued. "After the judge assigned to the trail was played the tapes that were found in Jeff Hansom's house, he ordered that they be destroyed, not allowing them to presented as evidence in Tritter's trial." He stated.

"Thank god." Cuddy whispered with a small sense of relief.

Feeling Cuddy squeeze his hand upon hearing the news about the tapes, House turned his head to face her.

"Just remember....Tritter is still going to use whatever means necessary to try and tear all of testimony apart.....especially yours." He said before his eyes traveled down to her swollen belly where their future resided.

********************************************************

A little while later in House's conference room……Chase, Foreman and Cameron were going over the latest MRI results of their patient's brain.

"There's nothing abnormal here." Foreman muttered, holding one of the images up to the light above him.

"What about that?" Cameron said, pointed to an area of interest on the film.

Foreman squinted his eyes to study the spot on the film further, leaning closer to Cameron as they sat side by side while Chase tried to hold back a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Cameron asked Chase, turning away from Foreman and looking at him as he sat at the end of the table.

"The way the two of you were sitting so close together right now reminded me of how cute the both of you looked when you were drunk off you're asses and groping each other on my couch after the Holiday Party a few weeks ago." Chase answered with a smirk.

Foreman placed the film down onto the table.

"The only thing I remember about that night is when you told me you were taking Cameron into _your _bedroom." He remarked smugly.

Cameron arched an eyebrow at Chase, amused by Foreman's remark.

"Yeah, and if there _was_ any groping involved I think it would have occurred when _you_ helped me into _your_ bedroom." She replied with a sweet but somewhat condescending smile.

"Oh really?" Chase said with a smile, starting to pull his cell phone out of his pocket.

Just then House entered into the office.

"Well, what in the hell did you guys find?" He asked with an irritated tone, not bothering to look at any of them as he limped over to the whiteboard.

"There were no toxins of any kind in the patient's home." Chase replied.

"There was a small spot on the MRI…….but.." Cameron started to reply back cautiously.

House grabbed the MRI image off of the table. His anger spurned on by what had occurred in Lisa's office with Collins as the internal conflict within him about her need to testify clashed with his need to protect her and their child, forming the overwhelming dread inside of him now that everything they had built together between them could come crashing down around them as the demons of their pasts had been awakened once more.

Watching their boss seething with anger, all three fellows sat in silence as House examined the film, not sure what had put him into such a nasty mood, but knowing from experience that questioning him about it at this time would only provoke more venom from him.

Focusing in on the same spot of the MRI that Cameron had, House spoke.

"There's a small lesion in patient's frontal lobe, think that might be important?!" He snapped, dropping the film back onto the table.

"We saw it but we weren't sure…" Cameron started to say.

"If you saw it then why didn't you speak up instead of acting like some frightened first year med student when I asked you the first time?! Now go run a PET Scan on the patient's brain…..that is if you think you can accomplish it without a hall pass from me!" House yelled back at her, causing Cameron to flinch.

Chase and Foreman both held their tongues, leaving their seats and following Cameron out of the room who gotten to her feet immediately after House had spoken.

Once they were all outside of the office and traveling down the hallway Cameron spoke.

"Do you think something is wrong with Cuddy or the baby? She whispered under her breath to both of them.

Foreman looked over at both her and Chase. "Could be…but whatever is wrong I'm certainly not going to ask House about it." He replied.

Chase nodded in agreement, pushing the elevator button before speaking himself.

"Well….Cuddy seemed fine to me this morning but maybe one of us should try to find Wilson after the PET Scan to see exactly what the hell is going on with House." He suggested as all of them stepped onto the elevator.

********************************************************

**Later that day……..**

"I gotta say this is the last place I thought I'd find you." Wilson said, buttoning up his winter coat and walking towards the edge of the flat roof on top of the hospital where House was leaning with his hands placed on the waist high ledge, looking down at the people and cars below him.

"I tried hanging out in the Plastic Surgery clinic, but there is only so much silicone one man can look at before he starts to go blind…or gets escorted out by hospital security." House replied as his teeth were kissed by the cold air surrounding him.

"I knew you weren't ok about Lisa testifying at Tritter's trial." Wilson stated, taking a spot next to House as his friend continued to gaze down at the scene below them.

"I'm fine with Lisa testifying." House answered with his eyes scanning the blanket of white snow below him, focusing in on the edge of the street where the compacted flakes had turned black from the exhausts of passing cars.

"Then why are you up here?" Wilson pushed.

"I weighed the options and decided frostbite was better than doing clinic duty." House answered, rubbing his hands together before pulling the collar of his winter coat up around his exposed neck.

"I can see the benefit in that, however…….you currently don't have clinic duty because you have a patient._"_ Wilson countered, watching House turn away from the ledge and limp towards the door on top of the roof.

"You are absolutely right Wilson, I do have a patient. Which means I need to get back inside the hospital. But don't worry I'll be sure to lock this door on my way in." House yelled back over his shoulder, reaching for the handle to the door.

"Just stop it!" Wilson yelled, catching up to House and roughly grabbing him by the shoulder before spinning him around to face him.

"Get your hands off me." House muttered with a low growl over at his friend with a warning tone attached to his voice.

Wilson let go of the hold he had on House's arm, resorting to pointing his finger at him instead.

"Just admit it! You don't want Lisa to testify because you're worried the stress of the trial is going to end up harming either her or the baby! That's why your up here freezing your ass off you stubborn jerk!" He yelled with his voice growing louder as his breath formed into a cloud of mist in front of his face.

House glared back at Wilson.

"Of course I don't want Lisa to testify! You think _I want _to listen to her re-live every detail of what that bastard did to her in front of a courtroom full of people just so Tritter can get his rocks off one last time!" He yelled back as a cold gust of wind cut through the open space in his jacket, sending an icy chill down his spine.

"Then why aren't you down in her right now office trying to talk her out of it!" Wilson countered feeling his own anger growing.

"I can't do that!" House answered through clenched teeth as his lungs filled with even more of the bitter cold air that was witnessing their argument.

"Why in the hell not? You never have any trouble trying to impose your will on her any other time!" Wilson replied back sarcastically.

House took in breath, giving both Wilson and himself a moment to cool down before he spoke, lowering the volume on his tone even though he had wanted to continue yelling.

"Because you know as well as I do that my wife…would rather have her personal life ripped to shreds during that trail rather than go through questioning about the professional choices she's made at inside this hospital." House said, gripping the handle of his cane tightly with fingers that were tingling from the numbness that had set into them earlier.

Wilson exhaled in disgust, creating another cloud of frozen moisture in front of him, "Why on earth does everything have to boil down to careers between the two of you even after all that you've been through?" He responded with a mixture of sadness as well as some left over anger in his tone.

"For the same reason why you could never turn you back on those cancer kids that keep dying on you even when all of your marriages fell apart. You're just like us Wilson whether you want to admit it to yourself or not. Without the _one thing_ that harnesses our intellectual passion….we are only half the person we used to be." House told his friend simply.

Wilson ran his fingers through his hair, keeping his other hand on his hip. House was right of course..... however hard it may be for him to accept it. "Well then I guess all we can do is hope that the District Attorney assigned to Tritter's case knows what the hell he's doing." He replied flatly before looking up at the sky that was as bleak and gray as thoughts were at the moment.

House nodded at Wilson, without saying another word, reaching for the handle to the door once more before both men stepped back into the warmth while leaving the cold behind them.


	76. Chapter 76

**Well guys here you ago...another chapter! And thanks for all the kind words about this fic thus far as well as for all the great reviews:)**

**Chapter 76**

Two weeks later House was inside the clinic, having just finished up with a patient in exam room two when he spotted Cuddy walking into the front entrance of the hospital. After taking a few steps inside she took off her winter coat, folding it across her right arm with a determined look held within in her cool grey eyes.

She had left the hospital a little over an hour ago without telling anyone where she was going, and even though House was to say at the very least pissed off at her sudden need for secrecy, seeing her now a part of him could not help but smile with a wide grin as Lisa Cuddy…. the Dean of Medicine _"waddled"_ up to the nurses station, currently eight months very pregnant with _his_ child with her cute, round belly guiding the way for the rest of her body to follow towards the stack of request forms awaiting her signature at the nurses station.

During the past two weeks amidst all of the talk of the upcoming trial House waited in anticipation for Cuddy's inevitable deceptions to start. Knowing that sooner or later the Dean of Medicine would eventually find a way to discretely venture away from the people that were trying to help protect her and keep her safe as the independent streak that ran deep within her and was honed to solve every problem presented to her finally broke free to flex its mental muscle for fear of becoming atrophied.

NOw as he watched the way Cuddy's hand trembled every so slightly as she signed the last piece of paper in front of her, House felt the smile upon his face bid a hasty retreat as the more dominate emotions inside of him charged forward to replace them.

Taking in a breath, he approached the nurses station quickly without making a sound that would give away his position.

"Feel like ducking into a clinic room with me for a few minutes?" He asked Cuddy, standing behind her with his body having just barely brushed against her a half second before.

Cuddy looked up at him with a startled expression, caught off guard by his approach.

"Don't you have clinic patients to see?" She asked in a hushed whisper with an edge to her tone that had been carried over from the last appointment she had been at.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do." House replied calmly, taking her hand in his own.

Cuddy's eyes widened. "What are you doing?" She questioned, shooting a glance over at the nurse behind the counter who was watching them both with an amused smile.

"Taking you into one of the clinic rooms so I can get a consult. Why, what did you think I was doing?" House replied, guiding Cuddy over to the first room on his right while her coat remained on the counter of the nurse's station.

"Let go of me and get back to work." Cuddy ordered, not amused at all by his little display.

House looked down at her, taking a step closer to her with his hand still holding onto hers securely.

"Not until you explain to me why you didn't tell me about your little plan to go and see the District Attorney without me today." He said with a low direct whisper as his eyes locked onto hers.

Cuddy took in a breath. "It was a last minute change of plans." She said with her gaze shifting towards the floor momentarily.

"So last minute that you couldn't even call me, or let Cindy know where you were going?" House asked, releasing her hand and opening the door to the clinic room.

Cuddy looked up at him briefly before entering into the room, turning around quickly once House had closed the door behind them.

"Greg, I .." She started to say with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Get up on the table." House interrupted, placing his cane against the counter to his right.

"Excuse me?" Cuddy asked with her brows raised high in shock.

"Get up on the exam table so I can check your vitals." House clarified to her with a flat tone, nodding in the direction of the cushioned table while reaching for the stethoscope on the counter beside him..

Cuddy rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips.

"Greg, I'm fine…..and in case you've forgotten, I do have an OBGYN named Dr. Taylor, who I just saw last week."

House moved up to her quickly, taking away any inch of space that was separating them with her pregnant belly now pressed against his flat abdomen.

"I'm sure if you had told Taylor of your last minute plans this morning, he would have insisted on doing a vitals check on you after you returned from the DA's office. But since that wasn't the case we need to improvise. Which means you get stuck with me." He said, keeping his tone normal while placing his hands onto of Cuddy's hands that remained on her hips, slowly starting to back her up against the exam table.

"Ok…I know I should have told you about the appointment, but Hamilton only called this morning to tell me he had an opening in his schedule and since you were in clinic I decided to go by myself." Cuddy said trying to push the subject aside as House moved the square stool beside the table next to her by dragging it over with is right foot.

"Step up." He then said keeping hold of her waist.

Cuddy held their gaze as she placed one foot and then the next onto the stool before sitting down on the exam table.

"Fine…I know you're mad at me, but it's not like I went to visit Tritter in jail or something without telling you." She muttered as she felt a bit of heat escape with words.

House looked away from her and reached for the blood pressure monitor hanging on the wall.

"Pull your sleeve up." He instructed, ignoring her last statement to him.

Cuddy rolled up her sleeve...... waiting for him to open up and talk to her. But instead House kept silent, wrapping the black armband around her bicep before looking up at her for a moment as he moved the white ear tips of the stethoscope inside his ears.

Within the next second he started to pump the bulb of the blood pressure device with his fingers and the palm of his hand until the band was snug around Cuddy's arm before moving the circular, flat disk of the stethoscope to the crease in her elbow….all while Cuddy's eyes remained fixated on him, watching his fingers release the pressure of the bulb as the needle in the gauge began to register the readings.

Once he was done, Cuddy removed the armband quickly, looking up at him and waiting for House to say something to her. Growing more frustrated by the minute as he kept his mouth shut while returning her gaze.

"Stop giving me the silent treatment and talk to me!" She finally demanded while shooting him an angry glare.

"Your BP is 140 over 90 thanks to your little visit to the DA's office." House replied back with his tone remaining void of emotion.

Cuddy reached for his arm, pulling House closer to her as she remained seated on the table.

Her blood pressure was elevated and in a hypertensive range, but she was sure once she had a chance to relax it would drop down to its normal rate.

"I'll be fine." She then told him, softening her tone.

Once more House ignored her response to him, moving the disk of the stethoscope up and under her blouse so he could listen to her heartbeat.

Cuddy removed her hand from his arm and held her tongue, biting down on her bottom lip and breathing in through her nose, trying to calm the part of her that seemed to be itching for a fight with him currently..

"You heart rates fine but you still need to go to Dr. Taylor and have him check your hypertension to make sure you're not developing Preeclampsia. Unless of course you have some other secret appointments that you have to attend to first." House said after placing the stethoscope back around his neck. The level of anger at her disregard for what she was putting herself through now began to show.

"Speaking to me like I'm an idiot is not a good way to keep my blood pressure from rising anymore than it already is!" Cuddy pointed out to him through clenched teeth as his last statement was a little too sarcastic for her liking.

"Then quit acting like one and I won't have to!" House answered back unable to keep the remark from escaping his lips.

"I knew we couldn't talk about this without you acting like an ass!" Cuddy exclaimed with the palm of her hand now pushing against his chest, trying move him back from her so she could get up off of the table and leave.

House moved both of his hands to her shoulders and held her in place.

"Stop trying to fight with me unless _you wan_tto get even more upset until your blood pressure skyrockets and you end up stroking out or developing kidney failure!" He yelled with the anger inside of him suddenly bursting free and rushing up past his lips before he could take hold of it and reel it back in.

Cuddy pulled back from him with a look of shock quickly enveloping her face. Her left hand leaving his chest and reaching for her stomach.

"You have no right talking to me that way! Not after I've had to witness you abuse your body to the breaking point time and time again! With no regard as to who you might be hurting by _your_ actions! So before you accuse me of trying to _intentionally_ harm myself or this baby again……you need to take a good long look at your own life!" She hissed with his words still burrowing deeper into her heart where the memory of her previous miscarriage lay hidden.

House felt the repercussions from the words he had just spoken to her come slamming down into him with a fury…..knocking him squarely to the ground as the damage caused by them were now reflected in the tears that shimmered in her eyes as they clung stubbornly to the rims above her lower lashes, refusing to fall in front of him.

"Lisa……I...." House started to say, wishing he could take the words he has spoken to her back. His regret growing rapidly as the seconds ticked by between them.

"Just leave me alone. I can't deal with you …not right now." Cuddy interrupted with a hollow tone as her eyes moving away from him before closing them for a moment so she could focus on slowing her breathing with her hand caressing her stomach. Trying to clam her nerves as well as her now rapidly beating heart.

House swallowed hard as he watched her.

"Are you feeling dizzy" He asked with a sullen tone.

"House…. just leave. I can't have you in here right now." Cuddy answered with her voice trying to recover from the slew of emotions still raging inside of her.

A knock on the door caused him to flinch as the aftershocks of their argument continued to be felt by him.

Cuddy took in another deep breath, opening up her eyes and looking over towards the door.

"Come in." She said with the strain in her voice still evident as she watched House take a step back from her.

Cindy opened up the door, apologetically looking in at both of them.

"I am sorry to interrupt Lisa, but David Sanders has been waiting in your office for fifteen minutes."

"Tell him I'll be there soon." Cuddy replied, pausing for a moment when House offered her his hand to help her off the table.

From the doorway Cindy watched as House gently placed his other hand on the side of Cuddy's belly. His fingertips caressing the spot for a moment while keeping her steady as she placed her feet on the small stool in front of the exam table, his actions obviously trying to soothe away the muffled words of anger she heard spoken between the couple through the barrier of the wooden door.

As Cuddy then turned to leave House reached for her shoulder.

"Sanders can wait." He told her with a whisper while staring down at her and seeing the hurt still reflected in her eyes towards him.

"Mr. Sanders has been waiting long enough and you have clinic patients that need to be seen." Cuddy replied with authority, brushing by him and heading out the door before House could stop her.

Watching her leave, House exhaled in frustration, running his hand through his hair as Cindy, who had held the door open for Cuddy, looked in at him.

"Not one word Bimbo." House warned while giving her an icy glare.

********************************************************

Inside of her office once more Cuddy looked over the shoulder of the hospital donor she was speaking to for a brief second when she saw House walking past the doors of her office and away from the clinic.

Talking in a deep but silent breath she focused her eyes back on Sanders as the older man in his late sixties with a square jaw and imposing smile continue to speak to her.

"So Dr. Cuddy what kind of assurance can you give me that if I do indeed decide to contribute a rather generous amount of money to this hospital _it _will receive far better attention than what you have given to me thus far?" He challenged with an arrogant demeanor showing no signs of backing off the subject of the shoddy treatment he felt he received even if the very pregnant woman in front of him seemed to be a bit distressed at the moment.

Again Cuddy took in a breath, resting her arms on the desk in front of her.

"I can assure you David I will make sure your contribution to this hospital will be handled in the highest regard along with a press conference being held in the hospital lobby for both the local newspaper and the local TV station to alert them of your generosity." She informed the man, wondering if throwing a letter opener at at Sanders head while trying to hit him squarely between the eyes would be considered assault with a deadly weapon.

Sanders nodded, pleased with her proposal as he leaned back in his chair before he looked down at her pregnant belly.

"Well that all sounds very good Dr. Cuddy but…..I just hope you'll be able to keep your promises even after you give birth. It would be shame to see a professional woman like yourself give all of this up when she finds that being a "Mommy' was more than what she bargained for."

Before Cuddy could respond with either sharp words or the pointed edge of a letter opener, her beeper went off.

Seeing the page was from the ER she reached for her phone.

"I'm sorry David, but I have to take this." She said, watching as Sanders crossed his right leg over his left, settling in for round two of the very tense meeting between the two of them.

********************************************************

After taking the elevator marketed for 'Patient Transport Only" down to the hospital basement, House proceeded to limp down a narrow hallway located on the ground floor towards a room which held the medical records of deceased patients insides its walls.

Stopping in front of the locked door, he felt around in the front pocket of his jeans until he found the key he had tucked inside of it after picking it up from his office a few minutes ago.

Unlocking the door and puling it open a musty smell quickly invaded his nostrils, announcing to him silently through the air, that no life remained in this place.

Stepping inside of the room he was certain the smell would remain with him long after he left this place. His presence here now not the first time he had ventured into the rooms that held in many cases the final story of a person's life.

Limping past the metal cabinets to his right, House made his way towards a large cardboard box filled with old charts and resting against the far wall in the back of the cramped and dusty room.

The box, he decided would serve as his makeshift seat just as it had many time before in the past when he had traveld down here to spend some time with death and all of the silence it brings. Down were no life remained and long ago consequences for actions taken were no longer of any concern.

Easing his body onto the cardboard box, House gripped the side of it with his left hand. His movement causing the dust on the filing cabinet to his right to stir.

I was truly a morbid place to say the least. The smell of rotting paper, decaying as surely as the people who had once lived and breathed inside the hospital. His intent of staying down here with things that were forgotten somehow giving him a weird sense of calm. Knowing that sometimes being forgotten was better than being remembered for the things you have done in your life.

Reaching for the drawer of the file cabinet where the dust had stirred, House pulled it open easily with one tug, his fingers finding the chart he had place there many months ago, knowing sooner or later he would be called back here by fate to read its contents once more.

With fingers that were hesitant to open up the past, he paused before resting the patient file on his lap. The musty smell of death inside the room already seeping into its pages and claiming it along with all the other charts of death.

Taking in a breath he felt the fine film of dust coat his front teeth as he opened up the foler, staring down at the first page and jumping slightly when the beeper attached to his hip began to go off.

Exhaling to release a bit of the tension inside of him House unclipped the pager from his belt, reading the text message from Cuddy.

**"PT admitted to ER w/unexplained symptoms. Cindy will deliver chart to your office."**

Staring down at the words, he ran his thumb across the display, knowing without a doubt rigtn now he was indeed the _last person_ his wife wanted to see today. Knowing she had every right to feel that way about him after he had lost his temper with her inside the clinic room earlier.

_But dammit she had lost her temper too! And she was hiding the fact that she went to the District Attorney's office!_ His mind argued back to him.

Getting up House raised his eyes to the ceiling, shaking his head at all of words of anger that had been said between the two of them casused by the man who crept back into their lives without warning, bringing with him the ghost of another that would always cause raw and tortuous emotions to erupt from both of them.

Lowering his eyes from the ceiling, House gazed around at the rows of death that surrounded him, suddenly moving with a determined gait towards the door before the dust he had stirred up inside room could settle upon his shoulders.

Reaching the door he looked down at the paper chart still held within his fingertips, reading the name of "Jeff Hansom" typed in black font across the manila tab.

"You can't have her this time either." House whispered to the chart before he placed the folder on top of the metal cabinet to his left, locking it away inside the room that smelled like death with the turn of key.

********************************************************

After receiving the page about his newest patient, House had headed straight up to his office, hoping he would get there around the same time as Cindy would arrive so he could pump her for information on how Cuddy was doing.

Limping inside his office, he pulled the blinds closed on the glass wall that separated his room from the conference room just as his team started to enter inside of it.

Not knowing what to do next as he started tapping his cane on the floor beneath his feet, turning to face the door once more and wondering what in the hell was taking Cindy so long.

"Come on." House muttered growing more impatient just as Cindy came into view, walking quickly towards the door with a chart tucked under her arm.

"How's Cuddy doing?" House asked as soon as Cindy crossed the threshold into the room.

"Hello to you too." Cindy responded back dryly with an arched eyebrow.

"Fine I'm sorry about the Bimbo comment earlier." House muttered, not meaning a single word of the apology.

"No you're not. But..since its obvious you feel guilty about fighting with your pregnant wife down in the clinic earlier, I will tell you that shortly after her meeting with Sanders was over Lisa went down to the OBGYN clinic to see Dr. Taylor." Cindy responded, handing him the patient chart.

"Is she ok?" House asked ......unable to take ownership of the file just yet as the weight of it still rested within Cindy's hand.

Seeing the expression on his face, Cindy softened her own expression.

"Lisa is fine and in she tole me if you asked about her to tell you she's only going to see Taylor as a precaution because of her elevated blood pressure earlier."

House nodded. "Thanks." He said sincerely.

"Your welcome and by the way ….you're still an ass for yelling at your pregnant wife." Cindy replied back to him before turn around and leaving his office.

Watching her go, House could not help but let a small smile form on his face, thinking that Cindy was defiantly the type of woman Wilson needed in his life before his blue eyes gazed down upon the patient chart he had opened.

********************************************************

Within the next few minutes of reading about his latest case, House limped towards the door that connected his office to the conference room, pushing it open.

He then tossed the chart onto the center of the glass table causing his three fellows to jump in surprise as he moved towards the whiteboard.

Picking up the black marker, House began to write down the patient's symptoms as he spoke to them aloud while Cameron opened up the patient file.

"Nineteen year old male with a history of asthma. Experiencing shortness of breath and wheezing not relived by his inhaler or nebulizer treatment. Was reported by the ER to be cyanotic on arrival. Also presents with headache, vomiting, fever and generalized muscle pain."

"It's gotta be an allergic reaction of some kind." Cameron stated.

"Kid's had allergy tests at ages nine and twelve, both were negative." House replied.

"Then he could have been exposed to a toxin." Chase said from the end of the table where he was seated.

"Parents state no toxins in the home. And that all natural detergents and house hold cleaners are used because of their son's asthma." House answered.

"Fever could mean infection." Foreman offered, leaning forward in his chair.

"It could." House agreed with a nod, placing the marker down onto the edge of whiteboard. "Cameron, run another allergy skin test just in case the kid's developed an allergy within the past six years. Chase, search the kid's home because basement walls and musty attics don't care if our patient has asthma. Foreman, draw some blood and check for infection." He ordered.

All three fellows nodded, leaving the room quickly to set about collecting the information that hopefully bring a diagnosis to their patient.

********************************************************

Twenty minutes later as House sat behind his desk bouncing the red and gray ball he owned against the wall, the phone on his beside him began to ring.

Catching the ball he then placed it on top of his desk, feeling his stomach rise up in his throat after seeing Dr. Taylor's extension come across the caller ID as he picked up the receiver.

"House." He said with a voice that was still trying to find itself.

"Greg, it's Bob Taylor and I know you're in the middle of case but I just got a call from Lisa's assistant telling me that you wanted to hear how Lisa's exam went.

House breathed a sigh of relief, deciding if Wilson was ever dumb enough to break up with Cindy he would kick his friend's ass.

"Her BP was 140 over 90 a few hours ago." He then said to Taylor.

"I know, Lisa told me about the reading when she came in, but after examining her a few minutes ago her BP has dropped back into the normal range again." Taylor informed him.

"Did you do an internal exam on her as well?" House questioned.

"Yes, and everything is normal, but I did tell Lisa because of the stress that she's been under lately, I wanted her to leave early today to try and get some rest." Taylor replied.

"And what was her response?" House asked with interest.

Taylor let out a small chuckle.

"Well she didn't like what I told her, but after threatening to get you down here for a second opinion she finally agreed to leave at one o'clock." He answered.

House looked down at his watch seeing it was now twelve forty-five.

"Good." He stated simply.

"Listen House I've gotta go and see another patient, but if you or Lisa have any questions later on…….just page me ok?" Taylor replied.

"We will." House responded back to the man before hanging up the phone.

Within the next second the phone on his desk began to ring again.

"House." He said once more, not bothering to look at the caller ID this time.

A few seconds passed before his greeting was answered.

"Greg." Cuddy finally said with her cell phone cradled in her left hand as she leaned against the wall of the elevator that was taking her back down to her office.

House leaned forward, reaching for the ball resting on his desk, holding it between the palms of his hands as he cradled the phone with his shoulder.

"I just got done talking to Taylor." He told her, choosing his words carefully as he eyes traced the white line on the ball that separated gray from red.

"Then you know I'm leaving at one o'clock." Cuddy replied, caressing her stomach as the tone of his voice brought out an ache of sadness inside of her as the harsh words they had spoken to one another still hung heavy in the air around her.

"I want Wilson to drive you home since I have a patient." House announced with his thumb brushing against the red felt on the ball.

"Wilson has patients who need him and I can drive myself." Cuddy replied, closing her eyes as she said the words to him.

"_I want Wilson to drive you home."_ House insisted with his voice remaining low but filed with urgency just the same.

Cuddy took in a breath as the strangely guarded and tense nature of their conversation made her eyes start to well up with tears again that born out of the frustration and exhausted she was feeling as her stubbornness once more refused to let them fall.

"Lisa....talk to me." House finally said when she hadn't replied to him.

Cuddy cleared her throat that felt thick with the emotions raging inside of her right now. "I'll call my mom and have her come and pick me up." She told him, not wanting to take Wilson away from his duties at the hospital.

"I want a _physician_ to be with you." House stressed unable to shake the feeling that something bad was looming just around the corner..... waiting for him to screw up with her again no matter how irrational it all sounded.

For a moment Cuddy said nothing, too shocked by the sound of House's voice right now and the concern filling up the space between them that reminding her all to well of the way he had been when they had started to pick up the pieces after their ordeal with Jeff was over with.

Taking in a breath she nodded. "Ok….I'll call Wilson and ask him to take me home." She finally agreed**.**

******************************************************

Standing inside Cuddy's office a little after 1pm, Wilson watched as Cuddy packed up her things inside of her briefcase before snapping it shut. Her face currently showing no signs of the fight he knew had happened between her and House today thanks to the phone call he received from Cindy.

"Ok I think that's everything." Cuddy said catching his gaze as she walked over to the coat rack in the corner of her office.

"Here let me help you with that." Wilson offered, taking the winter coat from her so it would be easier for her to slide her arms inside of it.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied, pushing her arms into the sleeves before turning around to face him again.

Watching Cuddy as she buttoned up her coat over her very cute and round belly a boyish grin formed on Wilson's lips.

"Oh god Wilson…. stop looking at me like that." Cuddy remarked, rolling her eyes while knowing exactly what he was going to say next.

"I can't help it…..you just look _so__ adorable_ pregnant." Wilson said with the grin remaining on his face.

"Wilson I'm a person…. not a kitten." Cuddy replied back dryly.... trying to hide her smile. "And quit trying to suck up to me, because no matter what you say _I am not going_ to change my mind about _you _coming back to this hospital after you're done taking me home." She added, walking over to her desk to retrieve her briefcase.

Wilson walked up to her and took the briefcase from her hand.

"I wouldn't dream of it ….but I think you should call your Mom and ask her and Bill to stay with you until House gets done here. That way if you need something you've got both your mother and a physician at your beckoned call." He stated with an innocent face.

Cuddy gave him an inquisitive smirk. "Let me guess …you talked to House on your way down here and he knew that I was going to send you back to the hospital so the two of you had to come up with an alternate plan that keeps _him happy_." She stated while folding her arms underneath her breasts.

"I have no idea what you're talking about and by they way….you're even more adorable when you pout." Wilson informed her, watching Cuddy's jaw drop.

"I am _not_ pouting." She protested, giving Wilson a fake glare as he opened the door to her office so that she could walk through it ahead of him.

********************************************************

As Wilson drove his car along the city streets of Princeton towards the suburban streets a few miles away from them, Cuddy looked out of the passenger side window, her eyes staring up at the clouds in the sky that threatened to unleash a downpour of heavy rain**.**

"So do you want to talk about your fight with House?" Wilson asked from the driver's seat as he glanced over at Cuddy while her teeth pressed against the fingernails of her left hand that was placed against her lip as her right arm hugged the rounded curve of the baby resting inside of her.

Cuddy turned away from the window, removing her fingers from her lips.

"What exactly did House tell you about our fight?" She asked knowingly.

"Besides the fact that you went to see the District Attorney without telling him?" Wilson responded before taking the exit ramp to their right.

"Besides that." Cuddy replied with a flat tone after seeing the disapproving look on Wilson's face.

"He didn't really get into anymore details, but then again he really didn't have for me to pick up on the fact that House is worried sick about you …even though he'd never admit it." Wilson replied.

Cuddy raised her hand to her forehead and began rubbing it.

"The last thing I need right now is a lecture Wilson." She mumbled.

"I know that," Wilson started to say before continuing, "but you need to realize that you and that baby your carrying mean more to House than anything else in his life ever has." Wilson stated glancing over at her again.

Cuddy caressed her stomach, looking down at the swell of it.

"You think I don't know that?" She replied before raising her eyes to him, "Wilson I know you and House both think I was wrong by going to see the District Attorney on my own…but you can't expect me to change who I am just because I'm pregnant anymore than House can change who is just because he's going to be a father." She argued.

"It's not about changing who you are Lisa…..its about opening up to the people who love you when you need help." Wilson countered taking the final turn that would lead them to her place.

"I have opened up to House….more than you'll ever know." Cuddy informed him with a hint of hurt to her tone.

Again Wilson glanced over at her as he drove the car the last few feet towards her driveway. "I know you have..but..you can't say there isn't a small part of you that's afraid to need House too much because you don't want to think about what would happen if you ever lost him." He told her softly, putting the car into park.

Cuddy nodded drawing in her bottom lip slightly. "You're right." She admitted while glancing past him towards the front door of her home.

"Hey this isn't about being right." Wilson replied as he looked into the slate grey of her eyes. "It's about the same thing all of us go through when we find that one person who we cannot live without." He concluded, not having intended on making her feel bad about loving his best friend as deeply as she did.

Cuddy shook her head and let out a soft laugh. "Wilson ….you really are a hopeless romantic." She remarked to him with a small smile on her face.

"And you are a woman who is at times too stubborn for her own good." Wilson replied back to her.

"I'm not stubborn…I just like things done my way." Cuddy quipped with an amused smile taking up her face.

"Fair enough." Wilson said with chuckle as his eyes moved past her and towards the ray of sunlight just outside the passenger door, "You know…..it doesn't look like its going to rain after all." He commented over to her, noticing the first signs of buds on the Dogwood tree in the center of the yard.

Cuddy nodded in agreement, "I think we've had our share of rain for awhile." She replied as her hand gently caressed her stomach while she looked out at the sunlight that was dancing across the front yard.


	77. Chapter 77

**Ok guys today was a good day and so another chapter for your reading pleasure;)**

**Chapter 77**

While driving to Lisa's house, Bill kept one of his hands on the steering wheel while the other one held Ruth's hand gently in his own as it rested on top of her lap.

Looking over at her as Ruth gazed out of the windshield with a pained expression on her face Bill gave her hand a gentle squeeze, causing her to look in his direction.

"Ruth, I know you're worried about Lisa.... but Taylor is an excellent doctor and if he really had any concerns regarding her health or the health of the baby he would have placed her under observation at the hospital instead of sending her home."

Staring back at him, Ruth gave Bill a hesitant nod, "I know that Bill, but Lisa deals with so much at the hospital as it is I'm just afraid the additional stress of Tritter's upcoming trial is going to be too much for her." She confessed to him with great concern.

"Now honey….don't forget your daughter is one of the strongest people I've ever met. And even though she's going to be going through a very stressful time right now...…with all of our help she will make it through it to the other side." Bill told her calmly.

"I hope you're right." Ruth whispered back to him still filled with a worry that made her heart ache.

********************************************************

Before Ruth had even made it up to the front porch of the house, Cuddy had opened up the door and was walking out to meet her as well as Bill, a cold breeze greeting her and causing a blush to form on instantly upon her cheeks.

"Mom, I know you're worried but…..." Cuddy started to say before her mother quickly pulled her into an embrace.

"Lisa, don't talk….I just need to hold you for minute." Ruth whispered holding her daughter as close to her as her pregnant belly would allow while Bill stood silently beside them, offering Lisa a small smile.

Ruth then moved her hand down to her daughter's stomach, gently touching the spot where her granddaughter was currently sleeping. "And you little girl need to tell your Mommy she should be inside resting with her feet up instead of running out here in the cold after me." She added sweetly as the front door to the house opened up again.

"Hi Ruth. Hi Bill." Wilson said, appearing from the doorway while putting his suit jacket back on.

Ruth walked up to him, kissing Wilson softly on the cheek.

"Thanks for staying with Lisa unitl we got here." She told him with a soft tone.

Wilson nodded at her before directing his gaze towards Cuddy who was standing beside Bill. "By the way if this one gives you any trouble after I leave….call me." He teased, pointing his finger in Cuddy's direction.

"I think it's time for you to go back to work Doctor Wilson." Cuddy replied smartly to him while arching an eyebrow in his direction.

********************************************************

A little over an hour later after Ruth and Bill had arrived at Lisa's place a small knock was heard on the front door.

"I'll get it." Bill announced from the chair in the living room where all three of them were seated before heading towards the front door and bringing back with him two large brown paper bags as the delicious smell of the Italian cuisine inside of them filled the room.

"I still can't believe you got Dafino's to deliver." Cuddy said to him from the couch, having changed out of her work clothes and now dressed in a soft pink maternity t-shirt and black maternity cotton Capri's with her feet supported underneath by a pillow that was propped up onto the coffee table at her mother's insistence.

"Lisa …you should know by now there is nothing my fiancée can't do." Ruth informed her with a smile while looking over at Bill holding the bags that were bulging at the sides, each of them containing the contents of an Italian feast from her daughter's favorite restaurant.

"Well ladies are you ready to eat?" Bill questioned casually as if it were no big deal at all.

Ruth got up from the sofa, "Just take those bags into the kitchen and I'll set the table." She told him before turning around sharply when she noticed Lisa getting up off of the couch as well.

"Lisa sit back down. Bill and I are more than capable of getting things ready." She ordered.

"Mom..I told you…." Cuddy started to argue.

"Either sit or I'm going to call Dr. Taylor and tell him how non-compliant you are being." Ruth warned.

"Fine….I'll sit back down." Cuddy relented, carefully easing herself back onto the sofa with her left hand resting upon her stomach.

********************************************************

Later that evening as a bright silver moon hung heavy in the night sky, House's sat alone in the darkened conference room beside his office, having solved his latest case and sending Chase, Foreman and Cameron home a few minutes ago.

The 19 year old male patient had indeed been exposed to toxic mold, found in an expired box of pancake mix that the patient's mother had borrowed from the next door neighbor that morning. The box haven been discovered by Chase after he stopped at the parents home to do a second sweep of the house. The patent's sever reaction to the mold caused by his asthma and acquired mold allergy.

Getting up from the chair he was sitting in, House limped towards the whiteboard and erased the words upon it, turning with the intent to leave but pausing when he spotted Chase's cell phone resting on the floor underneath the conference table.

Taking a few steps towards the table, House bent down and grabbed the phone, smiling widely when he saw the picture displayed on the screen after he had opened the phone up.

He then limped into his office, deciding to stop at the computer for a few minutes before heading home.

********************************************************

**House –Cuddy Residence….**

When House walked through the front door of his home he immediately looked to his right. Spotting Ruth and Bill curled up on the couch together watching TV.

Hearing the noise of the door opening to her right, Ruth got up from the sofa, moving a lock of her dark hair that had fallen against her cheek out of the way as she headed towards the foyer with Bill following closely behind her.

"Here, let me take that for you." Ruth then offered as she reached House, taking the coat from his hands as he wiped his shoes on the mat underneath his feet.

"Getting ready to read me the riot act for fighting with your daughter today?" House asked her. Knowing Lisa would have had to have said _something_ to Ruth about their argument.

Ruth turned to face him once more after hanging up the coat. "I know you intentions were good and that's all I need to know." She whispered, her fingertips touching his arm for a brief second before she removed her hand.

House looked away from Ruth and towards Bill as he stood behind her.

"How is she?" He asked.

"I took Lisa's blood pressure at seven and nine pm and it was 120 over 80 both times." Bill answered.

"Good." House said with a nod, "Is she upstairs?" He then questioned to Ruth.

"Yes." Ruth confirmed with a nod of her own. "Lisa went to bed at around ten and I checked in on her a few minutes ago to make sure she had fallen asleep." She informed him.

"She needed to get some rest." House responded with approval, moving his hand to his jaw and rubbing the stubble there.

"You look pretty tired yourself." Ruth commented.

"Long night." House replied with a voice that was dull and worn out from the day's events.

"Well since you're home now Bill and I will go. There are leftovers in the fridge from Dafino's if you're hungry." Ruth told him, moving past House to retrieve their coats from the rack behind them.

Holding the door open for them as they got their coats on, House was surprised when Ruth moved into his arms, embracing him tightly.

"Remember House everything is going to be ok as long as the two of you have each other." She whispered up to him before she stepped back.

"Keep saying stuff like that and I will slap a restraining order on you quicker than you can say Grammy." House replied back to her.

Ruth rolled her eyes at him. "Goodnight House...and try and get some rest." She commented back to him.

"And remember House if you need us for anything……just call us." Bill added with a sincere tone.

********************************************************

**Cuddy-House Residence…..**

After Bill and Ruth had left, House limped over to the staircase, his body slightly fatigued from the day's events while his mind was still running at top speed as he made his way up the steps towards the master bedroom, popping a vicodin into his mouth to numb the dull throbbing pain of his thigh as he continued down the hallway.

He thought about what he had said to Lisa earlier today and how she had reacted to it. If there wasa one thing he knew for sue......he never wanted to see the look of hurt upon her face again.

Reaching the doorway of the bedroom, he leaned against its wooden frame, studying the curves of her body covered up in the comforter on top of their bed as Cuddy rested on her side, facing away from him.

By the way her chest was moving he could tell she was in a deep sleep. Her body finally winning the war over her mind that undoubtedly had wanted to stay awake until he returned home.

Rounding the corner of the bed, House limped as quietly as he could as not to wake her. Needing to see the beauty of her sleeping face which was something that he loved and hated at the same time as it often made him so painfully human in her presence, sometimes bringing out that parts of him that he despised as they too were drawn to the light she possessed.

Moving his hand onto the comforter, he let his index finger travel up onto the quilted fabric, guiding his hand delicately across the curve of rounded abdomen as Cuddy remained sleeping.

The moonlight cast a soft shadow on her profile, a stray lock of her raven hair haven fallen elegantly across her cheek as she continued to dream while their child resting peacefully inside of her womb. The promise of happiness Lisa had dreamed of so long so very close to her now it was almost within her grasp, yet still achingly just out of reach, currently teetering on a very sharp edge of a cliff at the moment as a result of his actions from earlier in the day combined with her visit to the District Attorney's office.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." House whispered to her in the darkness.

"I hope you know………..that's the last thing I ever want to do." He added before turning and limping into the master bathroom.

********************************************************

A few minutes later, Cuddy rolled onto her back with the heavy weight of her child following her, stirred from her slumber by the muffled sound of running water inside the bathroom.

Opening her eyes, she gazed up at the ceiling for a few minutes, caressing her stomach while all the things that had been said between her and House in the clinic room today came flooding into her waking mind.

They had both said some awful things to one another. The emotions attached to their words raw and grated as well as being unrelenting in there ability to hurt the other person, but the fact of the matter was what had happened between them today within the walls of that clinic room was the very essence who they both were and would continue to be …no matter what. The fairy tale of living happily ever after...leaving out the not so happy parts we all go through in our struggle to find happiness.

********************************************************

Inside the master bathroom, House stood in the shower with his palms resting against the tile, exhaling deeply as the soothing water washed over his body, helping to ease some of the tension out of his weary muscles.

Removing one of his hands from the wall, he cupped it under the warm spray before splashing the small pool of water he had collected onto his face. Rubbing it into his skin to will away some of the tension that was residing there as well and taking in a deep breath before he moved his hand to his jaw.

Hearing the sound of glass door being opened beside him, House turned his head in its directio, remaining silent he watched as Cuddy stepped into the shower with him, having left her nightgown resting upon the bathroom vanity, reaching out to take hold of his arm with an earnest look in her eyes.

"Greg….I'm…" She stared to say before her words were cut off by his lips pressing against hers.

Moving both of his arms securely around her, House pulled their bodies as close as her pregnant belly would allow before closing the door behind her with his lips gently kissing her own.

He didn't want her to say those words.

He didn't need to hear them spoken from her lips.

What had happened between them, even though it had been painful for them both, was who _they were_ and he never wanted her to be sorry about that.

Cuddy moved her hands up from House's chest to his face, her kiss urgent in its reply to his, wanting him to know he had not failed her today by his actions.

Wanting him to know she understood the reasoning behind them.

As their lips parted House looked down at her with his thumb now caressing the curve of her jawline while his other hand moved onto her hip.

When she opened her mouth to speak again, he captured her lips once more with another kiss, not wanting their words to get in the way and stall the progress they were making in trying to get back to where they needed to be.

Releasing her from the second kiss he then gently turned Cuddy around so that her back was now facing him, wanting the water from the shower to run over the front of her body, covering both her and their child in its warmth so it could help to soothe the tension from her body as well.

"Greg." Cuddy said once more.

"Don't talk….just be _here _with me. Ok?" He whispered into her ear, moving his left hand underneath the swell of her belly.

Cuddy nodded in response, feeling hid body pressing up against her own as he reached for the bottle of shower gel in front of her on the rack with one hand while keeping a protective hold around the bottom curve of her abdomen with his other hand, making sure she kept her balance as handed to her.

Cuddy then poured some of the liquid soap into her right palm and handed the bottle back to him to place on the shelf. Rubbing her hands together so she could create a lather as the feel of being next to his strong frame as the rest of the world waited outside the glass doors of the shower began to bring a small sense of peace to her that she had needed to feel ever since they had argued.

As she started to move her soapy hands over her body, House lowered his lips and began to kiss her neck. His nose filling with the scent of her perfume that had been brought back to life by the moisture of the shower, his hands now moving down her slender arms and over to her stomach where they soon became covered by the soapy lather she had created.

Cuddy turned her body slightly to look up at him before resting her hands on top of his.

House responded by kissing her lips softly, guiding her hands with their fingers laced together slowly up and down on her stomach as they traveled over their daughter and the promise of future happy memories she held for them.

Turning back around to face the shower head, Cuddy rested the back of her head against House's chest. Her hands remaining on top of his while her fingers filled up the empty spaces his splayed fingers had left behind as he moved their hands together over to the curves of her hips and then up her ribcage before reaching her breasts, holding them in place as he continued to kiss her neck before returning their hands to the starting point of her rounded stomach once more, repeating that same pattern again as his stubble, softened by the warm water brushed against the pulse in her neck, accompanied by the tender kiss of his lips.

Cuddy closed her eyes as she felt the connection between being to pulse once more as steady and strong as the beat of her heart as House's hands touched her body tenderly, his mouth now lowering to her right shoulder with his lips covering her skin with soft, well placed kisses.

House felt tension in Cuddy's body begin to melt away. Her hands now taking over control as the guides to her body, directing his hands on where they should proceed to next and making his body react in an instant with his arousal coming up quickly from between his legs and pressing firmly against the small of her back as she moved their hands between her inner thighs.

He took a ragged breath…..even now as Lisa neared the end of her pregnancy he still could not get enough of her body.

"Just remember…… if you need me to stop….." He started to whisper into her neck while moving one of his hands up to her very pregnant belly.

"Shhh…I know…._"_Cuddy whispered in return, turning her head slightly to kiss the bottom of his jaw.

"Ok." House responded, lowering his hand once more to the place where she wanted it to be.

And so.... in the very earlier morning hours of a spring April day, inside a shower made of glass and tile, House and Cuddy made love under the steady stream of warm accompanied by the sound that two lovers make when their souls meet once again under the sanctuary of devotion that washes all of the regret of words spoken in love but hidden within anger away.

********************************************************

A short while later, inside the kitchen House and Cuddy sat across from each other at the table as House polished off the plate of Italian food in front of him.

"You should be in bed." House remarked, pointing his fork at Cuddy as she watched him eat with her dark, damp curls resting on her shoulder as she sat before him dressed in a long terry cloth white robe.

"Well I _was s_leeping earlier, until the sound of the shower woke me up." Cuddy replied with a smile on her face as the love they had made up inside the shower a few moments ago created the current state of bliss she was now in.

House smiled back at her, now dressed in a t-shirt and pair of plaid pajama bottoms. "I don't remember hearing any complaining on your part in regards to the shower a few minutes ago. In fact I remember hearing something quite to the contrary coming out of your mouth." He replied.

"I never said I _was _complaining." Cuddy answered back to him with a smirk.

What she had just said to him combined with the way she was looking at him right now gave House's ego a much needed boost and his mind the peace it had been searching for ever since they had fought, but true to his nature, he could not leave well enough alone.

"So are you still determined to testify at Tritter's trial?" He asked watching the smile fade from her face before he looked down at his plate, gathering up the last bit of pasta onto his fork.

"Yes." Cuddy answered, leaning back in her chair.

House lifted his eyes to her and held their gaze.

"I can't do this if you lie to me again. Which means you need to be upfront with me from now on or we'll end up in the same spot we were in at the clinic today and I don't think either of us want to go through that again." He warned.

Cuddy reached for his left hand that was resting on the table.

"I promise from here on out I'll tell you everything as it relates to the trial." She responded sincerely.

House nodded before a small smile appeared on his face.

"You know….you worded that response very carefully Doctor Cuddy, didn't want to just say that you would tell me _everything_ without added a few more words to your statement to specify that that _everything _only included the trial and not any other deep dark secrets you've got hidden from me." He teased as he studied her face carefully.

"That's because Doctor House I've learned to cover all of my bases when it comes to you." Cuddy replied smartly.

"Fair enough Preggo….besides whatever else I want to know about you, I'll just snoop around and find out on my own anyway just like I always do." House countered, reaching for the cannoli on his plate and taking a bite out of it while watching the way Cuddy's eyes moved along wantonly with the tasty morsel that just touched his lips.

"Oh for god sakes!" He exclaimed, taking another bite of the cannoli before he offered the end of it to her.

Cuddy looked over at House with a huge smile, opening up her mouth and allowing him to feed the last bit of the cannoli to her.

"_My god that is soooo good." _She remarked with a soft moan closing her eyes to enhance the taste of the pastry on her tongue.

"Just don't say it's better than sex or _I will_ leave your ass for Wilson." House commented dryly as she opened her eyes back up again.

"There's _nothing _in this world that's better than sex when it comes to us." Cuddy remarked with a seductive grin.

"Even now?" House questioned looking over at her round belly, knowing she had to be uncomfortable at times when they made love as the weight of their baby was reaching its peak, putting a strain on her petite figure even though Cuddy rarely complained about it.

"Isn't the fact that we continue to have sex almost everyday enough to convince you how much I enjoy having sex with you?" Cuddy asked him with a somewhat stunned tone as her mouth formed a smile once again as she saw the hint of doubt that had appeared on his face when he had asked the question.

House looked back at her. "I just didn't want you to think you _had to_." He confessed wanting there never to be secrets between them when it came to the subject of sex.

Cuddy shook her head and laughed.

"Believe me……if I didn't want to have sex with you.... I wouldn't." She informed him with a wicked smile.

House eyed her up and down, decided he needed to recover from the honesty he had just shown her.

"You couldn't resist me if you tried." He boasted.

Cuddy looked back at him with a mischievous expression on her face.

"Just remember stud, you've got six weeks of no nookie coming up just around the bend after Jessica's born no matter how irresistible you think you are.

House's face fell. "Not funny." He replied, watching Cuddy's smile widen as laugh escaped from her lips.

********************************************************

**Hosptial….Gregory House's Office…8am…**

On a somewhat brisk spring morning a few hours later, Cameron sipped on her first cup of coffee while seated in House's chair behind his desk. Getting ready to log onto his computer and scan the emails he had received.

Reaching for the mouse and moving it towards her.......Cameron's mouth suddenly dropped wide open. The coffee cup in her hand, frozen in mid air by her arm before it could reach her mouth again as the monitor came to life, displaying a picture of her and Foreman sitting side by side on Chase's sofa, passed out and wrapped up in each others arms.

If that wasn't bad enough, the current photo was soon replaced by a second one with her hand resting squarely on Foreman's package concealed inside his dress pants, with her head placed onto his shoulder.

"What the hell?!" Cameron exclaimed in a voice filled with both surprise and anger as the screen then produced a third image that was part of a slide show House had installed.

"Oh my god!" She then remarked, placing her coffee cup down onto the desk, shocked once again by the last photo of Foreman's hand on her right breast that was covered in the low cut black cocktail dress she had worn to the Holiday party as his head rested happily on her left breast.

"I am going to kill Chase!" Cameron whispered through gritted teeth as the voice of Stevie Wonder began to play on House's computer.

_**I've got jungle fever, she's got jungle fever…  
We've got jungle fever, we're in love…**_

__

**She**

_**'s gone black-boy crazy, Ive gone white-girl hazy  
Ain't no thinking maybe, we're in love….**_

Just then, Chase walked into the conference room, spotting Cameron behind House's desk where he continued in her direction, intrigued by the wide eyed look currently upon her face.

"Hey…good morning." He said after entering into the office through the glass door that separated it from the conference room.

"Just what in the hell do you call this!!" Cameron yelled, standing up from the chair and turning the monitor in his direction.

Chase's eyes grew as wide as a laugh escaped his lips.

"Well........ I guess I call it a work of art by a man who knows how to pick just the right song for the right occasion." He then replied as the music continued to play while the images of Cameron and Foreman formed a repeating loop on the computer screen.

_**I've got jungle fever, she's got jungle fever…  
We've got jungle fever, we're in love…**_

Cameron narrowed her eyes at Chase.

"It's bad enough that you took these pictures, but I can't believe you would stoop so low as to give them to House as well." She hissed.

"I didn't give them to House, they were on my cell phone which must have fallen out of my lab coat last night." Chase replied, walking up to the desk and spotting his phone on top of it before picking it up.

"Why do you even take them in the first place?!" Cameron demanded.

"Because you and Foreman were being enormous pains in my ass that night and I needed some amusement. Besides Cameron ….even you have to admit you and Foreman really do make a cute couple." Chase teased with a grin.

Cameron looked at him, blinking her eyes in disbelief.

"I don't know why I thought that maybe you and I could work together after our breakup when it's obvious you can't get over me." She said with a condescending look on her face.

Chase laughed again, but this time a little more harshly.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better." He remarked before turning to leave.

Feeling the anger within her grow after Chase's last remark, Cameron spoke again.

"And by the way, Foreman is going to kill you when he finds out about this." She warned.

Chase turned around again to face her. "Foreman won't give a rat's ass about those pictures. In fact at the most he'll probably just crack one of his smug grins." He replied before leaving the office and deciding to hang out in the cafeteria where he had spotted Wilson earlier so he could fill the oncologist in on House's new desk top theme.


	78. Chapter 78

**Ok guys I'm back from vacation and managed to get a new chapter done before I head out to celebrate July 4th! I hope all of you will like it and thanks for the continued support of this fic ;) As always reviews are much appreciated:)**

**Chapter 78**

Two weeks later, in the city of Princeton and on a bright spring afternoon, a man dressed in a three piece suit drove down its paved streets, headed for the Mercer County Correction Center to meet with a prisoner there who had remained locked behind its bars for the past several months.

Stopping at a red light, the man known as Joseph Smith looked down at his watch.

He was running late and his client, Michael Tritter would not be happy about the delay.

Moving his gaze over to the driver's side window, Smith looked out at the cars and trucks that surrounded him, catching a glimpse of himself in the driver's side mirror.

His hair was cropped close to his scalp and perfectly groomed. The color of it....... a dull shade of brown. Not chestnut or coffee or any other alluring tones that hairstylist rave about for the matter....just brown as boring and unexciting as the word used to describe the color.

His eyes, which were set a little to close to the bridge of his nose were also brown through and through. No flecks of gold within them or hint of hazel around the rims…. just dull brown.

Smith's facial features followed suit with the theme of his eyes and his hair, plain and unremarkable. His appearance neither striking nor overtly unattractive.

Just ordinary in every sense of the word. A man you would meet one day and forget the next, with nothing that would call his face to your memory again.

It was because he was born with such an ordinary face that Joseph Smith knew from an early age he had to make his mark on this world with his actions rather than his looks.

The ordinary man with the ordinary face doing whatever was necessary to draw the attention to himself in order to capture the interest of others that he craved. Making him feel important and needed in a world that usually left men like him in the corner while casting the spotlight on more aesthetically pleasing individuals.

However, when a man seeks attention without regard as to how he gets it, there usually is a price that comes with it...... and right now as Smith sat in traffic inside the bustling city of Princeton, the debt he owed to Michael Tritter had suddenly come due whether he was ready to pay up or not.

Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, Smith continuing to gaze out into the street, looking out at nothing as his mind kept churning with thougts of what the future may hold for him.

From behind him the sound of a car horn promptly jolted Smith from his thoughts, causing him to press his foot onto the gas pedal once more and head towards the man with whom he owed a very pricey favor to.

One that if handled badly….. could result in irreversible damage to his career as an attorney.

********************************************************

**Mercer County Correctional Center~~~~ Interrogation Room….**

Inside a room made out of concrete block that had been painted a putrid shade of green, Michael Tritter sat in a hard, black metal chair behind a long table, watching silently as his attorney paced back and forth.

The two men had not spoken yet as Smith had just recently arrived while mumbling an apology under his breath for his tardiness before he began the back and forth pattern across the white linoleum floor speckled with the same putrid green color as the walls.

"For Christ's sake Smith just say what's on your mind!" Tritter finally spat out in an annoyed tone. Growing tired of watching the weasel in the charcoal suit in front of him running around in his cage.

Smith stopped in his tracks, looking across the table at Tritter whose eyes were focused squarely upon him.

"Lisa Cuddy is eight and half months pregnant and putting her up on the stand as a witness for the Defense is a suicide move." Smith stated to him frankly while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Tritter leaned back in his chair with a small smile on his face. "We've been over this before Joe, I'm not changing my mind." The former detective replied, crossing his own arms in front of of his chest.

The attorney let out a frustrated sigh. "Listen Tritter it doesn't take a genuis to figure out you're looking for some kind of revenge here, but my job as you attorney is to make sure you don't end serving anymore time then you need to regarding this whole mess." Smith tried to reason.

Tritter let out a small laugh. "I do admire your devotion Joe, but at this point it really doesn't matter how much time I spend in jail because my life and career are already over."

"Even if you get thirty years out of this, you'd still have the possibility of getting paroled after as little as five years." Smith argued.

Tritter's face screwed up in disgust at hearing Smith's reply to him. The anger he felt inside at his situation, bubbling into a slow simmer at this point. "Exactly what kind of a life do think I'm going to have _if_ eventually end up getting out of prison? Don't play dumb with me Smith, you know as well as I do I'd be lucky to get a job as a security officer in some second-rate suburban mall by the time Agent Collins and the District Attorney are through with me." He countered with a rough edge to his tone.

"Tritter," Smith began to say before sitting down across the table from the cop, "No matter how you feel about what happened to you and who is to blame for the mess you're in now...... the fact is you need to gather up what you can and make the best out of shitty situation. I can cross examine Lisa Cuddy when she gives her statement as a witness for the prosecution while poking several holes in the theory that you had anything to do with Jeff Hansom's actions towards her as weill as Greg House. And even though you might not have the future you wanted when you get paroled a few years from now…at least you would still have a future that doesnt' involve growing old inside a cell.

Tritter leaned forward in his chair, the way the attorney had just spoke to him now reminding him of all of the power he had lost.

"No, you listen to me Smith! For the past five years I have hand fed you clients guaranteed to get the media covered you wanted which in turned helped build your reputation as well as your wallet and never _once _did I interfere. Now it's time for you to pay me back for all that I've given you, so like or not you will call Lisa Cuddy up on that stand and ask her the questions that I have provided to you, just like we planned. Because this is_ my __life _and no one, not even a hot shot lawyer who seems to have forgotten his place is going to tell me what to do with my life." Tritter replied with his eyes now boring into the dull brown eyes of his attorney's face.

Sensing defeat Smith shifted his gaze to the table briefly before raising them back up to meet Tritter's gaze once more, nodding in agreement to the former cop as a fine film of sweat began to form on his brow, announcing silently the bad things that were to come.

********************************************************

The next morning inside her home, Lisa Cuddy stood in front of one of the double mirrors in the master bathroom, dressed only in her lingerie which consisted of a pair of low rise maternity, navy blue panties as well as a soft lace navy blue, maternity bra.

After she finishing brushing her teeth, Cuddy turned to her right, reaching for the navy blue, short sleeve dress she had decided to wear to court today that was hanging on the frame of the glass shower doors, getting ready to lift the dress off ot the hanger when the alarm inside the bedroom began going off.

Tilting her head to the side, Cuddy waited to see if House would wake up on his own.

The alarm fell silent after a few seconds, followed by the creak of their bed as House sat up in it.

Satisfied that House indeed had woken up and was probably on his way to the bathroom the right now, Cuddy started to unzip the dress resting on the hanger.

"The baby's dropped." House commented from the doorway of the bathroom, clad only in his boxers as his eyes focused intently on her silhouette where the curve of her belly had fallen.

"You know as well as I do the baby's head can settle deeper its mother's pelvis weeks before actual labor starts." Cuddy responded while turning to face him, knowing exaclty what his statement to her had meant.

Keeping silent, House traced the curve of her abdomen once more with his eyes.

"Greg, I'm ok…" Cuddy insisted in a softer tone, causing him to look up at her again, "And I've still got two more weeks before by due date, so there's no need to worry." She added in a whisper as he limped next to her.

House gently placed his hand onto her stomach, looking up at the image of them together in the mirror.

"If something happens to you in that courtroom today......." He started to say, keeping his eyes fixed upon her.

"I'm going to be fine." Cuddy reassured him, placing her hand on top of his while staring back into his crystal blue eyes reflected in the mirror.

******************************************************

An hour later, Bill and Ruth were riding in Bill's white Cadillac towards their destination of the Princeton Courthouse.

"I just wish Lisa could testify first and get it over with." Ruth said with worry as her eyes moved across the passing scenery outside of the passenger side window.

Bill glanced over at her briefly, "Lisa will do just fine, we just have to support each other while the prosecution presents its case first before she gets called to the stand by the defense." He answered, reaching for Ruth's hand and holding it in his own as his eyes stayed fixed on the road the road in front of him.

Ruth squeezed Bill's hand, looking out at the bright morning sky above them, "Lisa shouldn't have to be going through any of this. What she should be doing is getting ready for her baby to be born. This should be the happiest time of her entire pregnancy." She whispered to him with a sad tone.

Again Bill glanced over at Ruth.

"Lisa is more than ready for that baby to come and once we get her through this last hurdle, everything will be fine." He told her gently while praying that God would find a way to guide all of them, but especially Lisa through the approaching storm looming ahead of them.

********************************************************

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the city, Cindy drove herself and Wilson to the courtroom on a warm spring morning as Wilson sat in the passenger seat… adjusting his tie for the third time.

Glancing over at him, Cindy rested her hand upon on his thigh as she slowed for the red light in front of them.

"James, you know the FBI has more than enough evidence to convict Tritter of all the charges against him and this trial is just an arrogant man's last attempt to fight the inevitable before he's locked away for a very long time." She reminded him, trying to relieve some of the tension she had noticed on his face.

"But what if I get paged? Or worse….what if House gets paged and we have to leave Lisa by herself in that courtroom when she's up on the stand testifying?" Wilson replied with an urgency to his tone.

Cindy looking over at Wilson again, holding his gaze now that they had come to a complete stop in front of the traffic light before she spoke.

"If either of those things happens and you or House have to leave. We'll get the DA to ask the Judge for a recess." She said softly, moving her hand to the side of Wilson's face and caressing his jaw.

Wilson nodded before motioning to Cindy that the light had turned green.

She immediately turned, gripping the steering wheel with one hand, while placing the other on his thigh again as she pressed her foot on the gas pedal.

Beside her Wilson studied her profile as Cindy drove them towards the tall concrete building on the left side of the road.

"Thanks for being my voice of reason during this whole thing." He told her sincerely, reaching for Cindy's hand on his thigh while knowing that until Cuddy finished testifying in court his stomach would remain twisted in knots as his heart continued to sink further into his chest.

********************************************************

Later that day when Michael Tritter was escorted into the courtroom by the police officer, his eyes immediately focused on Lisa Cuddy who was seated in the front row behind the table of the District Attorney, with House seated to her right and her mother Ruth seated on her left while the remaining seats of the row were filled out by Bill, Wilson, and Cindy.

Holding Cuddy's gaze within his own, Tritter pinned down the smug smile forming on the corners of his mouth for now.

Just like he predicted, she had come to testify and he couldn't have been more pleased with the situation.

Tritter then lowered his eyes to Cuddy's stomach as she moved her hand protectively over it.

As he was then guided over to the table where his defense attorney waited for him, Tritter felt the burning glare of House's gaze. The man's eyes trying to engage him and take his focus off of Cuddy, but true to form the former detective refused to acknowledge House's presence, instead smiling a little wider and letting a sarcastic, low chuckle escape his mouth as his eyes traced the curves of Cuddy's swollen belly once more.

Seated beside her daughter, Ruth kept her gaze focused intently on Tritter as his eyes lingered with a disturbed gaze onto her daughter, reaching for Lisa's hand and holding it tightly in her own.

At that same time out of the corner of her eye, Ruth saw House who was on the other side of Lisa move closer to her, resting his arm across the back of her chair and leaning into her.

"You know it's still not too late for you to back out of this." House whispered over to Cuddy, trying to get her to look at him instead of at Tritter.

"I'll be fine." Cuddy answered back confidently as her eyes refused to look away from Tritter while her hand remained placed protectively across her stomach, guarding her child from arrogant detective's glare that was meant to make her tremble in his presence.

Before sitting down, Tritter paused for a brief second, finally moving his eyes away from Cuddy and locking them onto House before silently letting him know exactly who was going to be his intended target for the day as he glanced back over at Cuddy one more time.

It was then that the bailiff who was dressed in a police uniform spoke. "All rise. The Mercer County Court of Princeton New Jersey is now in session with the Honorable Judge Robert Aber presiding."

Along with the rest of the courtroom, Cuddy rose to her feet, holding onto the oak banister in front her that separated the District Attorney's table from the seating area to help her get vertical in this late stage of her pregnancy. Feeling House place his hand immediately to the small of her back and providing her some additional support for the weight she was carrying.

After the white haired judge, who looked to be in his early sixties had taken his seat the bailiff then instructed the people in the courtroom to be seated as the clerk announced the day as the 16th of May along with the docket number for the case.

Taking his cue from the judge, District Attorney John Hamilton, who was a tall, well groomed man with salt and pepper hair and a piercing green eyes then stood and introduced himself to the courtroom before presenting his opening statement to the jury seated to his right.

His voice was strong and confident. The conviction in his tone steadfast with carefully placed punctuation and pitch as the people seated in the juror's box fixated solely on the DA as he laid out the groundwork for his case. Informing them of the Conspiracy charges brought against Tritter in regards to his misuse of power within the Princeton Police Department.

Hamilton then began to speak of the additional crimes the former detective was being charged with including among them aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit murder while the tight knit group behind sat in silence. Their united front…. strong and unyielding as all of them listening intently while the ordeal they had all suffered through not so long ago was carefully being exhumed by the words spoken from the attorney's lips as he unwrapped the shroud of time from around it, letting it breath freely once more.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, not only did Detective Michael Tritter willingly and eagerly abuse his power in the Princeton Police Department by spreading his disease of tainted justice throughout the entire department while blatantly ignoring the oath he took to protect and serve the public……but…. the state will also prove how the defendant also conspired with a man by the name of Jeff Hansom to terrorize Doctors Lisa Cuddy and Gregory House. Turning a blind eye to Hansom's dangerous behavior and supporting him into making there lives a living hell that in turn resulted in Jeff Hansom launching a vicious attack not only Lisa Cuddy and Gregory House, but also on Doctor Cuddy's mother Ruth Cuddy and Doctor Bill Martin, both of whom were left seriously wounded. While in the wrath of his madness Jeff Hansom also attempted to rape Lisa Cuddy after he had brutally assaulted her, but thankfully Gregory House …..who even after suffering a life threatening blow in the back of his skull from the butt of Hansom's gun somehow managed to find the strength to make his way up from the garage in Lisa Cuddy's home, engaging in a physical altercation with the perpetrator before Jeff Hansom was finally stopped with several rounds fired at him by FBI Agent Frank Collins who had been assigned as an uncover agent to investigate the Princeton Police Department for over a year."

The District Attorney then paused for a moment, stepping closer to the jury.

Watching the DA rest his hands on the banister where the men and women of the jury were seated, Cuddy held her breath as Hamilton's delivery of the nightmare they had all experienced set a chill down her spine.

She felt House reach for her hand, holding it in his own as she turned to face him.

Are you ok?" House whispered over to her, studying her grey eyes with intensity.

Cuddy nodded back to him before her eyes were drawn to the front of the courtroom again.

Leaning in towards the crowd of jurors in front of him, Hamilton then spoke once more.

"Ladies and gentleman of the jury, there are not many times in history where tragedy can be avoided. Where one can predict an event and steer clear from the misery it holds, but today you will see how one man's blind ambition for absolute power led to the senseless and unnecessary pain and suffering of a group of people who did nothing more than stand up to former Detective Michael Tritter. Defying his self appointed declaration of being judge and jury for the residents in this city, thereby sealing their fate at the hands of a monster named Jeff Hansom."

*******************************************************************************

An hour later, inside the courtroom, House felt the sharp tremor of pain in his thigh shoot up to his hip, causing him to let go of Cuddy's hand to rub where his muscle used to be. Looking over at her and giving her a silent nod that everything was ok even though it was an unspoken lie to her.

During the hour since the trial had started the District Attorney had called several former police men and women to the stand who had accepted plea bargains from the state in exchange for testifying against Tritter, their combined testimony, putting the pieces into place of how widespread and reaching Tritter's grip on the police force had truly been.

With a solid foundation now in built, that had stood the test of Tritter's Defense Attorney's cross examination….. Hamilton then called his next witness.

"The state calls Doctor William Martin to the stand."

Bill looked over at Ruth and kissed her cheek before he rose out of his chair and walked up to the witness stand.

After he was sworn in, Hamilton approached Bill and spoke in the same tone as he had throughout the trial, establishing the older physician's relationship to Cuddy and House as both a friend and colleague through his questioning. Constructing a timeline that now led them both to the day when Tritter had pulled Bill over on his way to Lisa's home as the conversation then took on a very dark tone.

"Bill, would please tell the court in your own words what happened after Tritter pushed you down onto the hood of your car?" Hamilton asked.

Bill looked directly over at Tritter before he parted his lips and spoke.

"He held a gun to my head and told me not to move."

"And then what happened?" The DA asked.

"Ruth got out of the car and Tritter told her if she didn't stop walking towards us he would shoot her."

Hamilton watched out of the corner of his eye as several members of the jury followed Bill's gaze over to Ruth, knowing they would see as well as he did that this elderly couple had posed no threat to Tritter whatsoever, their only crime in Tritter's eyes being that they were devoted to protecting Lisa and Greg.

"So did Tritter make good on his threat to shoot Ruth Cuddy?" The DA then asked, getting Bill's attention focused back on him.

Bill shook his head. "No, thankfully Agent Collins arrived and stopped Tritter before he could harm her." He answered, shifting his eyes towards Tritter who looked back at him defiantly.

Hamilton then took a step closer to Bill.

"And what happened after you finally did make to Lisa Cuddy's home Bill?"

In a split second the DA watched the old man's face change, with his mouth taking in a shallow breath.

"Bill?" Hamilton gently asked trying to engage his witness once more.

Bill blinked as the echoes of the past suddenly came rushing at him with the force of a hurricane. His mouth opening slowly to speak among the raging winds that were trying to drownd ou his voice.

"I could hear her screaming." The older physician whissperd in a tortured voice as it cracked under the force of the memory.

"Who did you hear screaming Bill?" The DA pushed, needing the man to clarify his answer.

Bill looked down at his hands, wiling himself to go on. "I could hear Lisa screaming for help." He answered in a haunting voice that told how painful the memory had been for him.

"Bill ….what happened after you heard Lisa screaming?" Hamilton asked carefully as the man with the gentle voice and kind eyes was currently holding the jury's undivided attention.

Bill ignored the DA's question, too consumed with the past that continued to rage around him. "I could hear Lisa screaming for someone to help her while that monster had her upstairs doing god knows what to her. And we were too late to prevent it from happening because Tritter stopped us on the road." He whispered as his eyes looked up at Hamilton as if he himself had committed a sin.

"Bill, do you need a minute?" The judge asked from above him after seeing the stress on the older physicians face.

"No…. I'll be ok." Bill answered back with the earnest look in his eyes while telling the judge he was able to continue.

The judge nodded. "Carry on." He then instructed to the DA.

Hamilton nodded back at the judge before he spoke again, questioning Bill once more about the initial moment where he had set foot in Lisa's home and found House lying on the garage floor asTritter's defense lawyer, gritted his teeth realizing his uphill battle in the defense of Michael Tritter had just gotten even harder as the jury remained totally focused on Bill Martin as the expression on their faces showed how totally engrossed they had become as they listened to the older gentleman tell his versionof the nightmare he had suffered.

Beside him Tritter slowly leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"Don't forget to ask Martin about the concealed weapon he was carrying on him when I pulled him over." The former cop reminded him.

Smith looked back at Tritter with a blank stare, never before seeing a man so blinded by revenge that he could see the noose of his defeat dangling out in front of him.

********************************************************

As the time on the clock ticked by, Hamilton continued to aide Bill, through carefully placed words, back to revisit his past. His story however painful it may be.....needing to be told.

"Bill I need you to tell me that last thing you remember once you made you way up to the bedroom of Lisa's home before Jeff Hansom shot you." Hamilton then said as Bill now stood mentally at the grave of his nightmares.

"I…." Bill started to say before he cleared his throat, "I saw Ruth covered in blood. She was kneeling before me on the floor of the bedroom. She was pale and had lost a lot of blood. I could tell she was going into shock." He responded with voice that was choking on the sorrow it felt.

The air of grief in Bill's story moved over the courtroom and the occupants seated within it. Seeping into its walls where the other stories of pain and misery were housed and soaking into plaster and wood of the room as the tragedy of it became ingrained in its fibers.

Hamilton let the words spoken by Bill hang suspended in the still air around them for a few moments so the jury could absorb them into their minds thoroughly before he asked his next question.

"After you saw Ruth, what happened next Bill?"

"I walked toward her into the bedroom and that's when Jeff pushed the door into me. I dropped my gun and he shot me." Bill answered in a flat tone that had lost all of the life within it for the moment.

Hamilton nodded and paused before speaking again.

"Is there anything else you can remember Bill?"

Bill turned his head with his eyes moving past the DA and towards Ruth who was watching him intently, with her hands clasped gracefully upon her lap as she held a tissue between them while the features of her face remained strong and supporting.

"I told Ruth not to give up while she was lying on the floor next to me.....and...._I thank God everyday that she was able to hold on. That we all were able to hold on._" Bill answered with his gaze now resting inside the warmth of Ruth's chestnut eyes as his words spoke of his unyiedling faith during the horrible ordeal.

Hamilton stepped back from the witness stand as his eyes moved towards the judge.

"The Prosecution has no further questions for the witness your honor."

The judge nodded and turned to speak to Smith.

"Does the defense wish to proceed in cross examination of the witness?"

"Yes we do your honor." Smith answered before getting up from the defense table and continuing.

"Bill is it not true that on the day of the 18th when Detective Tritter pulled you over that you were in fact carrying a concealed weapon in your possession?" The lawyer asked quickly, hoping a faster paced approach would at least cause the old man to pause in his response thereby creating an illusion of an aging memory that may not be as accurate when describing the events which had happened between the witness and Tritter.

Bill nodded. "Yes that's true, but I did have a permit to carry the firearm."

"But Detective Tritter would not have known that would he? And therefore in his position he would have to use the utmost caution when he noticed the gun in the shoulder hostler you were wearing. Wouldn't you agree?" Smith asked.

Bill squared his jaw and looked directly into Smith's eyes.

"Detective Tritter had no just cause to pull me over and_ in fact_ he never told me why he had pulled me over. I complied with his orders and did not resist him or his authority as a police officer at any time." The older physician stated in a voice that was clear and strong voice, refusing to let Tritter's attorney try and twist what they both knew was the truth about his client.

Since Bill had thrown a roadblock in the path regarding Tritter's actions, Smith chose another direction.

"Doctor Martin at the time that Detective Tritter pulled you over, did he ever once mention Lisa Cuddy?" He asked.

"No" Bill responded.

"Did he ever say that he knew Jeff Hansom was indeed at Lisa Cuddy's house and that is why he pulled you over, to prevent you from reaching her?" Smith pushed.

"No.....he didn't." Bill replied back with an edge of anger to his tone.

Smith looked up at the judge.

"The defense has no further questions for the witness." He announced.

The judge nodded at Smith before glancing over at Hamilton.

"Does the state have any further questions for the witness?" Judge Aber asked.

"No your honor we do not." The DA answered.

After the exchange, the judge looked over at Bill.

"You may take your seat." The judge informed him.

As Smith sat back down at the defense table, Tritter leaned over towards him.

"I told you to push Martin about the gun issue, not toss it aside after one question." He uttered in a harsh whisper.

"There's no way I could have fought against Martin's testimony _and _Collins's FBI report of the incident. The only thing I could do was try and put doubt into the jury's minds as far as your knowledge of Hansom's actions on that day. Which is the one thing you do have in your favor." Smith argued back in a harsh whisper of his own as Bill walked past them, heading towards the group of friends and loved ones who awaited his return.

"Your honor the state would now like to call Ruth Cuddy to the stand as a witness for the prosecution." Hamilton announced.

Upon hearing her name being called Ruth stood up, meeting Bill in the aisle of the courtroom as he was leaving the stand and she was taking his place.

She reached for Bill's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze before she moved past him and up to the empty witness chair that awaited her.

Sitting back in his chair behind the Prosecution's table, Bill felt Lisa take hold of his hand, leaning over as best she could with her pregnant belly to whisper to him.

"You did a great job testifying." She told him sincerely.

"I'd face that stand a million times if it meant that Tritter would spend the rest of his life locked up for what he did to you." Bill replied back with a whispered of his own.

Cuddy gave him a small smile before turning her head when she heard the DA begin to speak to her mother.

Much like Hamilton had done with Bill previously, Ruth was now being guided down her own path into the past, stopping at the points where emotions flowed as quickly as the blood had from her wounds on that fateful day**. **

Recalling the past, Ruth's voice held its integrity as she spoke. Her testimony of events matching Bill's when it came to their shared encounter with Tritter before her path forked away from his as her footsteps raced up the stairs of Lisa's house to the sound of her child's cries for help. The pain she felt deep within her soul…..one she prayed she would never have to endure again for the rest of her life.

"Ruth, in your own words, please tell the jury what you saw when you reached the bedroom where daughter was trapped inside with Jeff Hansom." Hamilton said with an even tone.

Ruth took in a breath with her eyes moving over to the jury for a split second before she focused them back on the District Attorney.

"Jeff had Lisa pinned down on the bed and he was choking her." She answered before pausing, feeling how strongly her heart was now beating inside her chest.

"Ruth, are you able to tell us what happened next, or did you need a few minutes?" Hamilton questioned.

Ruth shook her head no, speaking once more.

"When I saw what was happenning I ran up to Jeff and stabbed in the back with the knife I had taken from the kitchen. I hoped it would be enough to stop him from attacking Lisa, but he was so filled with rage I don't think it even affected him and before I knew it Jeff wrestled the knife away from me and cut my arm with it." Ruth replied as her voice became lower.

Hamilton moved to his left so the jury could get a more direct view of her before he continued.

"So while trying to save your daughter from Jeff Hansom….he viciously attacked you? Slicing your arm open while hoping that he would stop any further attempts of you trying to save your daughter?" He questioned.

Ruth felt the lump begin to rise in her throat.

"Yes." She answered.

"But Jeff didn't stop you from trying to save your daughter did he Ruth?" Hamilton questioned.

"No…he didn't …." Ruth said with conviction, "Not even after that monster shot Bill in the chest and left us both for dead." She added as a wrinkle of unbearable sadness moved through the tone of her voice.

For the first time since the trial had begun, Lisa Cuddy suddenly felt a lump begin to rise into her own throat while the armor of strength she had surrounded herself in was unable to shield her from the sound of her of agony in her mother's tone. The inflection in her mother's pitch…..finding its way straight into her heart and through the layers of protective steel.

She felt House place his hand on her knee and turned in his direction, his glance telling her she needed release the air she was holding inside her lungs.

Cuddy exhaled softly through pursed lips while her eyes traced the fine beads of sweat that had formed just below House's hairline.

He was in pain and trying to fight it off with everything he had.

"You need to take a vicodin." Cuddy whispered over to him as her mother continued to testify.

"Not here." House whispered back with his eyes moving towards the profile of Tritter in the front of the room.

Cuddy followed his gaze. "Then go out into the lobby." She reasoned with a whisper, looking back at him.

"I'm staying here.'" House responded, even though the burning pain in his thigh wanted to make him scream the words out to her instead of whispering them.

In the mist of their hushed conversation, Hamilton's voice traveled from the front of the room back to where they were seated.

"Ruth, are you doing ok?" He asked after seeing the earnest look in her eyes.

The concern in Hamilton's voice caused both Cuddy and House to look back to the front of the courtroom.

Ruth nodded and spoke again, continuing with her story.

"I tried to hold onto Lisa as Jeff was dragging her out of the room, but …..he was too strong and I had lost so much blood…I couldn't…..." She stared to say as her voice threatened to break……while her eyes focused in on Tritter leaning over and whispering something to his lawyer.

"How on earth do you sleep at night you son of a bitch?" Ruth then questioned looking straight at the detective with a voice that had sharpened as it directed its anger towards him.

Tritter turned and gazed back at Ruth, with a condescending look on his face.

"Ruth…." Hamilton said in a warning voice, glancing quickly up at the judge.

Ignoring him, Ruth rose up out of her chair within the next split second with her hands gripping onto the oak railing in front of her as she leaned forward.

"I asked you a question you son of a bitch! I want to know how lay your head on your pillow at night knowing that _you _were the reason why that bastard was able to try and kill us all!" Ruth screamed over at Tritter as he eyes narrowed with even more anger.

The judge slammed his gavel. "The witness will be seated." He ordered in a strong voice.

Ruth looked up at the judge with her knuckles growing white as she held her grip on the rail.

"But don't you see? He made it happen...Tritter stood by and _let _it happen to all of us. He let that monster try and kill us all. What kind of man does that?" Ruth asked the judge with a voice that came from deep inside of her where the ghost of the girl she had once been still lived.

The judge leaned towards her as the look of shock on Ruth Cuddy's face was something he had seen all too frequently in the faces of countless other people who had been in the same spot where she was standing in now as they tried to make some sense out of the knowledge that some people in this world did not only passively let evil pass by them towards its intended victims….. but also sometimes guided it with a smile and open arms.

"Ruth, I understand the pain that you are going through, but I need to maintain order in this court." He stated to her in a calm but authoritative voice.

Ruth nodded and released her grip on the oak railing as she sat back down in the chair as the judge then addressed the clerk.

"Please strike Ruth Cuddy's last two statements from the record." He ordered.

The clerk nodded and did as she was told.

The judge then addressed the District Attorney.

"You may proceed with your examination of the witness."

"Your honor, the prosecution has no further questions for the witness." Hamilton replied, knowing that although Ruth's words may have been erased from public record, the message they had conveyed would still remain within the jurors minds.

The judge nodded and then looked to his right, "Does the defense wish to question the witness?"

Smith stood up from his chair, "No your honor we do not."

"Then I declare a sixty minute recess for lunch after which this trial will resume." Judge Aber announced to the courtroom.

********************************************************

**PRINCETON COURTHOUSE…..**

"Why in the hell didn't you question Ruth Cuddy!" Tritter demanded as he and his lawyer sat alone at a square table made out of dark cherry in one of the conference rooms of the courthouse.

"You saw how Ruth reacted to you. Did you really want her making any more comments like the one she did to you in front of the jurors again?" Smith argued while the food in front of the two men sat untouched.

Tritter pushed himself away from the table and rounded the corner of it so he could stand next to Smith who remained seated.

He then leaned down, resting one hand on the back of Smith's chair and the other firmly on the table in front of his lawyer.

"I told you _not _to cross examine Wilson because of the evidence against me regarding the phony child porn charges I had the police officers in his case try to pin on him. I said NOTHING about letting Ruth Cuddy run her mouth up on the stand without trying to put that bitch in her place." Tritter said with a seething tone of warning in his voice.

Smith looked up at the detective.

The former cop was trying to pin him into submission mentally by physically keeping him in the seated position.

"Once court resumes…… I will carry out your orders to the letter." Smith then informed him coolly before reaching for the sandwich in front of him.

Tritter leaned in closer to the man so that his face was only inches from his lawyer's.

"You better do just that Smith, or I will not hesitate to run squealing to the FBI about all of those clients of yours that I helped you with. Remember……I don't have anything more to lose…while you have EVERYTHING to lose. And this is the _last _time I'm going to remind you of that fact." Tritter remarked with a low whisper, giving Smith's chair a slight push before he removed his hand from it and walked back to his own seat.

********************************************************

Meanwhile, outside the bathrooms of a nearby restaurant Cuddy waited for House as the rest of their party remained seated inside the dining room.

Upon hearing the men's door open she turned quickly in its direction as House walked up to her.

"How's the pain in your leg?" She asked resting her hand on the lapel of his suit jacket.

"Better now that I took that vicodin outside of the courtroom." House answered.

"You should have left the courtroom and taken it sooner." Cuddy scolded, moving closer to him as a woman exited the restrooms behind her.

Suddenly a shiver ran through her body and in reaction to it, Cuddy moved her hands up to her arms, beginning to rub them.

"What?" She then questioned as House stared at her intently.

"You just shivered." He stated, continuing to look deeply into her eyes.

Cuddy immediately picked up on the meaning behind his statement.

"The woman's bathroom is freezing and I feel fine." She replied, dismissing the symptom that could be linked as another sign that her labor may in fact be coming early.

"I don't want you to go back into the courtroom until Tritter's lawyer calls you to the stand." House suddenly announced to her bluntly.

Cuddy looked up at him with disbelief.

"Greg, I can handle it." She said, trying to reassure him as another patron of the restaurant walked up to them trying to make his way past them to the men's room.

House took Cuddy by the arm and guided them both out into an open space just beyond the restrooms so they man could get by.

"You're asking me to dismiss your symptoms. That's something I don't do because ninety-nine percent of the time when I notice something in a patient…. it's relevant. Which means you need to stay out of that courtroom until it is your turn to testify just in case our baby decides to make an early arrival." He stressed.

"Greg, I'm not your patient. I'm your wife and you're letting your emotions make more out of what you're seeing with me than what's really there." Cuddy argued.

House stepped closer to her, resting his hand on the side of her stomach.

"The baby's dropped. You're under stress from the trial and..... you just shivered. All of which could mean an alteration in the level of progesterone inside your body. Those are _medical __facts_……and not emotional reactions. And up until now…you've always backed me when I've present you with medical facts. So why is it so hard for you to do now?" He countered.

Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip and looked up at the ceiling, knowing even though House was putting more emphasis on her symptoms because of who she was…..the symptoms were in fact still there.

She sighed before lowering her eyes and gazing into his eyes once more.

"Ok……I'll stay out of the courtroom until Tritter's lawyer calls me to the stand." She agreed.

"Ok." House replied with a nod while looking back down at her stomach.


	79. Chapter 79

**Ok guys time for another chapter and thanks to all for the reviews ;)**

**Chapter 79**

As the people began to filter back into the courtroom through the double doors of the main entrance Tritter and his defense attorney prepared to enter into the room through a single door in the front of it, but before Smith could cross the threshold….Tritter blocked the doorway with his arm.

"Just remember Smith when Lisa Cuddy is up on that stand, you _will a_sk her the questions that I gave to you so that everyone inside that courtroom will see for themselves that even with her medical degree and designer dresses….. Doctor Cuddy still nothing more than a lying bitch, knocked up with a drug addict's kid." Tritter warned with a bitter coldness attached to his words.

"I understand." Smith replied back to the ex-cop in a defeated tone, hating himself for what he was going to do to the pregnant woman on the stand, but willing to do it none the less because in the end he was a man of greed who had chosen self-preservation over honor time and time again throughout his life.

After Tritter's warning to him the two men then entered back into the courtroom with Smith walking ahead of Tritter who was busy scanning the faces of the people inside as they moved towards their seats.

Noticing the neither Lisa or Ruth were seated among behind the Distric Attorney's table, Tritter paused for a moment, studying the expression on House's face as the man stared back at him.

"Well it looks as if Lisa Cuddy might end up backing out of testifying after all." Smith said coolly after Tritter had then sat down beside him.

Tritter chuckled softly, "Oh no, Doctor Cuddy will be here. In fact I'd bet my life on it. House just wants her to stay away from me until the very last minute." He said with a confident tone.

Noticing the look on House's face as he continued to stare over at Tritter, Wilson leaned over in his chair towards his friend.

"Just remember to keep your cool and soon this will all be over." Wilson stressed in a whisper as both men glanced over briefly at Agent Collins who had entered into the courtroom a few minutes ago, sitting down in the empty chair at the end of their row of seats

House nodded towards Collins....... while trying to remain cool was the last thing on his mind.

The judge then entered the courtroom as the bailiff announced that court was once again in session.

"The Prosecution can now call its next witness to the stand." Judge Aber said after taking his seat.

"Your honor the Prosecution calls Doctor Gregory House to the stand." Hamilton replied.

Sitting down in the witness chair, House looked over at Tritter, feeling the anger and frustration inside himself growing as the seconds ticked by on the clock behind him.

Walking up to the witness stand, the District Attorney began to speak.

"Greg, it has been established through Agent Collins's report to the FBI that you and the defendant Michael Tritter had in fact known each other approximately two years prior to the incident on the 16th in which Jeff Hansom attacked not only you but Lisa Cuddy, Ruth Cuddy and Bill Martin as well. Is this correct?" Hamilton asked.

"Yes." House answered, removing his eyes from Tritter to focus on the lawyer in front of him.

The DA stepped closer, ready to delve into the somewhat murky past between House and Michael Tritter, knowing the connection these two men shared would be the cornerstone of the case he had been building against the corrupt detective.

"Is it also then true that at that time, former Detective Michael Tritter launched an investigation against you for the unlawful use of narcotics, specifically vicodin…..even though those pills were being prescribed to you by Doctor James Wilson for treatment of the chronic pain you suffer in your thigh daily as a result of an infarction?"

"Yes." House replied.

Hamilton then walked back to the prosecution's table and reached for a manila folder, taking it up to the judge.

"Your honor the prosecution would like to introduce the court transcripts and recommendation from Judge Helen Davis, who was assigned to the trial of Doctor Gregory House as evidence for this trial."

Judge Aber reviewed the contents of the folder briefly before giving his answer.

"The court will allow the documents to be submitted into evidence for the prosecution. The prosecution may therefore proceed."

Hamilton nodded back at the Judge and turned to face the jury.

"Ladies and gentlemen according to those documents, Judge Davis dismissed Doctor Gregory House from all of the charges filed against him by former Detective Michael Tritter along with a written documentation that goes on further to state that she felt Detective Tritter's judgment had been clouded by a personal vendetta against Doctor Gregory House. Finally the court transcript from the trial also shows that Doctor Lisa Cuddy's testimony was key in discounting the evidence Tritter presented in court that day and held significant bearing in the decision of Judge Davis."

After speaking, the DA watched the faces of the jurors briefly, making sure they were fitting all of the pieces together before he turned his attention back to House.

"Greg, would you say it is a fair assumption that Michael Tritter's entire investigation against you was based on a personal dislike of you rather than any true case of illegal criminal behavior?"

"Objection your honor, the prosecution is leading the witness." Smith interrupted.

The judge looked over at Smith. "Sustained. District Attorney Hamilton move onto your next question."

Looking back at House, Hamilton spoke again.

"Greg in your opinion. Do you feel it was because of Lisa Cuddy's testimony at your trial that Detective Tritter formed an alliance with Jeff Hansom so he could deal out the type of justice he felt both you and Lisa Cuddy deserved?"

"Objection your honor!" Smith interrupted again.

House gritted his teeth in aggravation, watching as a smug smile formed on Tritter's face , showing how amused the man truly was by the scene being played out in front of him.

"The witness is allowed to have an opinion on this matter so I will therefore allow him to answer the question. The objection by the defense is overruled." Judge Aber announced.

"You honor I would like to repeat the question for the witness." Hamilton said.

"Go ahead." The judge responded.

The DA repeated the question.

"Greg in your opinion, do you feel it was because of Lisa Cuddy's testimony at your trial that Detective Tritter formed an alliance with Jeff Hansom so he could deal out the type of justice he felt both you and Lisa Cuddy deserved?"

House leaned forward, his eyes intense as the words spilled forth form his lips unabated.

"You want to know what I think? I think this entire trial is a bunch of bulllshit!" House muttered with a heated breath as he got up from his chair. Unable to sit back quietly as Tritter gloated from the sidelines.

"The witness will sit down!" The judge ordered, pounding his gavel onto the wooden bench in front of him.

House ignored the judge, with his anger growing as he leaned forward on the stand with his directed squarely at Tritter.

"I hope you're enjoying this you son of a bitch! Because after you ass gets thrown into prison…the only amusement left for you will be in find out which inmate claims you as his bitch!"House shouted at Tritter.

"Doctor House you will respect this courtroom! Now sit down!" The judge warned again as the bailiff ran over to the witness stand.

The muscular cop then quickly wrapped his arms around House trying to subdue him.

"You need to calm down sir." He said in firm tone.

"Go to Hell!" House shouted while somehow managing to wrestling free from the man and now heading towards Tritter with a steady limp.

He wanted to punch Tritter across the face so hard that it would knock a couple of teeth out of his smug grin. Push his pompous ass down onto the floor and kick the shit out of him for what he had done to Lisa....for what he was trying to do now to both of them.

The District Attorney moved in front of House, stopping him before he could reach the defense table.

"Before you do something stupid… think about your wife." Hamilton whispered placing a firm hand on House's chest.

House lowered the fist he had made and stepped back from Hamilton, feeling the bailiff roughly pulling his hands behind him and getting ready to slap the cuffs on him while Tritter leaned back in his chair and smiled over at him.

"Bailiff Sheppard..wait." The Judge ordered.

The bailiff kept House's arms locked behind him, but held the cuffs in his right hand while awaiting further instructions from the judge.

"Greg I know this is an emotional time for you and that your wife is due to give birth very soon. So against my better judgment I am not going to charge with contempt, but from this point forward I do expect you to honor the rules of this courtroom and if you cause another disruption like you just did I will not hesitate to have the bailiff remove you from this courtroom for the rest of the trial. Am I making myself clear?" The Judge asked.

House nodded as the bailiff loosen the grip he had on his arms, taking in a deep breath and cursing himself silently for almost giving Tritter the satisfaction of having him absent from the courtroom when it would be Lisa's turn to testify.

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Meanwhile inside a conference room down the hall from the courtroom, Cuddy was pacing back and forth across the oriental carpet that adored its floor while Ruth was seated across from her on a leather bound sofa.

"I shouldn't have agreed to stay in here." Cuddy muttered under her breath, looking up with worry at the clock above her.

Ruth got to her feet, placing her hands onto her daughter's shoulders.

"Lisa you need to stop all of this and sit down, Greg will be fine." She tried to assure her.

Cuddy shook her head. "I should be in there with him." She replied in an urgent tone.

Cupping the left side of her daughter's cheek, Ruth sighed, putting her arm around Lisa and guiding her over to the sofa with both of them sitting down on it at the same time.

"Lisa I know you're worried about Greg, but whatever does end up happening to him in that courtroom we'll deal with it. Right now you need to think of your baby and how all of this is affecting you."

Cuddy leaned forward as much as could with her enlarged belly, closing her eyes and moving her hands up to her face as she exhaled deeply.

"Mom, it's not like I have a switch that I can turn off and on whenever I like when it comes to him." She whispered through her fingers before removing her hands from her face while keeping her eyes closed for a few more seconds.

Ruth studied her daughter's profile. "I know honey." She whispered in return, tucking one of Lisa's stray locks behind her ear before rubbing her back gently.

********************************************************

After things had settled down in the courtroom, the judge called the trial into session once more with House again seated in the witness stand.

"The prosecution may continue its questioning of the witness." Judge Aber said.

Hamilton looked up at the judge.

"The prosecution has not further questions for this witness." The DA replied, deciding because of the overwhelming evidence he had presented thus far against Tritter the risk of House losing his temper again was not one he was willing to take.

The judge nodded and turned his gaze towards the defense's table.

"Does the Defense wish to cross examine the witness?" He asked.

"No your honor we do not." Smith replied to the surprise of everyone inside the courtroom.

Turning towards House the judge spoke once more.

"The witness may now leave the stand." The judge said, "I am now requesting that attorney Smith approach the bench." He then added.

Hearding the judges order, Smith got up and walked over to the bench as House limped past him.

Once the man had reached him, Judge Aber leaned down, lowering his voice as he spoke to Tritter's lawyer.

"Listen Joe, I've seen you in my courtroom for many years. And you've always done an excellent job. But the way you are handling this case is making me consider putting a halt to it right now." He stated as he held hte man's gaze.

"Are questioning my intent when it comes to supporting my client?" Smith asked.

The judge glanced briefly over at Tritter.

"The way this trial is unfolding thus far leads me to think that your defendant Michael Tritter, has no other desire other than to inflict more pain on the people he is accused of victimizing along with Jeff Hansom. And…. if I see anymore evidence of that fact I will call for an immediate end to this trail." The judge warned in no uncertain terms.

Smith nodded in acknowledgement of the warning and headed back to the defense table where Tritter was waiting for him.

"Your honor the prosecution now calls Doctor James Wilson to the stand." Hamilton announced.

From behind the DA's table, Wilson looked over a Cindy who was seated next to him at the end of the aisle, squeezing her hand before he got up.

He then quickly moved past her and entered into the aisle, turning for a brief second as he watched House making his way out of the courtroom from behind him.

Tritter's eyes followed Wilson as he made his way to the stand, before he whispered over to his attorney.

"Ask Wilson a couple of questions about House's drug addiction." The former detective said casually.

Smith looked back at Tritter dumbfounded.

"You said not to ask…" Smith started to say before Tritter interrupted him.

"The last thing I want is for the judge to declare a mistrial before Lisa Cuddy gets up on that stand." Tritter replied knowingly.

Smith nodded in agreement and began to scribble down a few questions on the yellow legal pad in front of him as Wilson was being sworn in by the bailiff.

********************************************************

When House opened up the door to the conference room where Lisa and Ruth were seated, he heard the air become still as the conversation they were having was left unfinished.

"How'd it go?" Cuddy asked, getting quickly off of the sofa and making her way to his side within a matter of seconds.

"I almost got thrown in the slammer, but the judge fell for my boyish charms and let me off easy." House remarked.

"You're not kidding….are you?" Cuddy said softly moving back from him as they walked over to the couch where Ruth remained seated.

House looked down at Ruth with an unapproving glance. "I told you to calm her down, not give her speed." He remarked dryly.

"She is calm. Lisa was just worried about you." Ruth replied back to him.

"See, I'm calm. Now quit stalling and tell me what happened." Cuddy then insisted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Sit down first Preggo." House replied.

Cuddy shot him a displeased look, but did sit down like he had asked her to.

Ruth then moved further down on the sofa so House could next to her daughter.

"Fine… I'm sitting down, now tell me what happened." Cuddy said, turning her body to face him after he had taken up a spot on the couch next to her.

House exhaled. "I got pissed off and basically told Tritter to have fun getting raped in prison. Oh…and I also told the bailiff to go to hell." He informed her.

"What did the judge say?" Cuddy asked with shock.

"He told me if you weren't knocked up…I'd be locked up." House answered.

Cuddy ignored his attempt to lighten the mood.

"What did Tritter's lawyer say to you that got you so upset?" She asked with a concerned whisper.

House clasped his hands together, looking down at them for a moment before he looked up at her.

"Tritter's lawyer didn't say anything to me. I got pissed while the DA was trying to question me and Tritter kept giving me that smug grin of his that makes me want to punch him in the face. And after my little outburst the judge warned me about my behavior. By the way…..Tritter's lawyer told the judge he didn't want to question me."

Cuddy's brow furrowed as she looked back at him. "I don't understand. Why wouldn't Tritter's lawyer want to question you?" She asked.

House moved a hand to her knee, looking down at it for a second before he spoke. "Because Tritter wants you up on that stand, not me." He answered in a hollow tone, leaning back against the sofa as he gauged her reaction.

Upon hearing House's words, Ruth reached for Lisa's hand, getting ready to tell her daughter she could not possibly testify after what House had just told them.

But before the words could be spoken by her lips a knock came for the other side of the door.

"Doctor Cuddy ....the defense has just called you to the stand." A young man in his early twenties who was one of Hamilton's assistants said to her as he stood inside the threshold of the door he had just opened.

********************************************************

Outside of the courtroom doors Cuddy, House and Ruth stood together in a small circle.

"Remember Lisa when you are up on that stand you need to look at us and not Tritter." Ruth told her before moving towards her daughter and giving her a hug while knowing that trying to argue with her daughter about not testifying at this point would do more harm than good.

"I'll remember mom." Cuddy assured her as her mother softly kissed heron the cheek.

Easing out of their embrace, Ruth then placed her hand on Lisa stomach and looked over at House. Feeling at a loss for words at the moment as her heart ached with worry.

"You better get back inside and make sure to leave the aisle seat empty for me." House remarked over to Ruth, giving her the nudge that would send her where she needed to be.

Ruth nodded, and looked over a Lisa once last time before reaching for the door to the courtroom and heading inside.

"I know you think I'm doing the wrong thing." Cuddy said, looking up at House after her mother had left.

"You're doing what you think is right, but that doesn't mean it's the safest thing to do." House replied back to her with a tone that was respectful of her decision even though his mind was screaming at him to stop her from going through with it.

"Greg, I'll be fine and the only way Tritter or his lawyer can hurt me or us if is _I_let them." Cuddy reminded him in a strong voice before reaching for his hand as one of the doors to the courtroom swung open with an officer of the court appearing in the now exposed space of it.

"Doctor Cuddy the judge has ordered, that if capable …..you need to appear before the jury." The man said focusing in on her stomach.

Cuddy nodded and started to walk towards the door that the officer was holding open for her.

House moved beside her, reaching for her arm with his eyes studying her face closely when she turned her gaze towards him.

Her demeanor was determined and steady with her features showing him the look she would display time and time again at the hospital when she was faced with the types of obstacles that would test her abilities to the limit....and even though their baby had lowered into her pelvis and she shivered in the restaurant earlier, Lisa Cuddy was at this very moment in _total control_.

"Just remember if things start to go bad in there……"House started to say.

"I'm not going to take any unnecessary risks. I promise." Cuddy interrupted, resting her hand on his jaw and looking up into his eyes.

"Doctor Cuddy….you need to get inside." The officer stated once more.

"Ok." Cuddy replied with another nod, watching House move in front of her and past the officer as he made his way down the aisle to the empty seat beside Ruth that awaited him.

The thumping of House's cane against the carpet caused the people seated in the courtroom to turn and look his way before their eyes moved past him to Lisa Cuddy who was standing in the doorway with her hand placed protectively against the unborn child resting inside her womb.

Taking in a deep breath, Cuddy then entered into the courtroom with her eyes immediately getting locked into Tritter's gaze as seh took her first few steps and he turned in his chair, smiling back at her.

**To Be Continued……**


	80. Chapter 80

**Ok guys I managed to get a lot done last night and so.......here is the next chapter! Hope it was worth the wait :)**

**Chapter 80**

After taking two more steps down the aisle of the courtroom, Cuddy turned her eyes away from Tritter and focused them on the judge seated at the long, oak bench in front of her.

In only a few more seconds. Maybe a minute or two at best. She would pass by both the Prosecution and the Defense tables before taking a seat up on the witness stand.

Mentally, Cuddy began to count each of her steps. Filling her mind with that one specific thought and blocking out everything else as her feet carried her closer to her destination while House, who was seated to the right of her next to the aisle in the front row had his body turned in her direction. His eyes studying her carefully as she drew closer to him as the time he had dreaded for both of them more than anything was now only a few seconds away.

Reaching the second row of chairs behind the wooden barrier, Cuddy stopped abruptly. Her eyes darting down to House's face in an instant. The depth of her gaze.....taking hold of him quickly as she exhaled loudly with a sharp gasp of air escaped her lungs.

Her right hand reached for the back of the chair he was seated in while her left hand clutched the swell of her stomach as the strong and powerful labor pain traveled from her lower back and into the front of her abdomen.

"Doctor Cuddy…….are you ok?" The judge questioned with the concern, looking down at her.

"I….I'm…" Cuddy stuttered as her breath escaped her for the moment, her eyes growing wide with shock.

House rose out of his chair as the words escaped her lips, moving in front of Cuddy while the people inside the courtroom sat in stunned silence focusing in on the two of them.

"Breathe." House whispered calmly, resting his right hand on her stomach.

"Greg…the baby…it's too soon…." Cuddy uttered, startled by the intense strength of the contraction that hung on for longer that it should have.

"Come on… you need to sit down." House said, moving her carefully to an empty seat two rows back from them on the Defense's side of the room.

Seeing that Lisa was indeed going into labor Ruth, Bill, Wilson and Cindy had all gotten up out of their seats and flooded into the aisle beside House as he gingerly crouched down in front of the chair she was now seated in.

"Lisa… just breathe honey….it will be ok." Ruth whispered nervously, placing her hand on House's shoulder.

Cuddy looked up at her mother and pushed another breath through her pursed lips as the pain in her abdomen began to subside.

Meanwhile, Wilson and Cindy had both moved beside Cuddy's chair as Bill stayed in the center of the aisle, glancing over at her quickly before he looked up at the judge.

"We need to get her out of here." He informed Judge Aber with a pressing tone.

The judge nodded, looking to his right where the court officer stood.

"Bailiff Shepard, clear the courtroom and call for an ambulance." Aber instructed.

Upon hearing the words spoken by the judge, Tritter got up from his chair. The revenge he had sought and planned out so very carefully for months, slipping through his fingers within a matter of seconds.

"No! This isn't over yet! Not by a long shot!" Tritter shouted up at the judge, slamming his hands against the table in front of him.

"Tritter sit down!" Defense attorney Smith warned while grabbing a hold of Tritter's arm.

"Get off the fuck off of me!" Tritter yelled back, roughly pulling his arm out of the attorney's grip before turning around and swinging his right leg over the oak railing that separated the defense table from the seats behind it.

In a matter of seconds, Tritter made his way over the barrier, as the people seated between him and where Cuddy was seated scattered to get out of his way.

With his eyes blazing, Tritter pushed the chairs in his way aside with ease. His nostrils flaring as the adrenaline pumped furiously throughout his system.

Reacting out of instinct, Ruth quickly moved into the small space behind House and the only remaining chairs Tritter had not yet cast aside.

"Stay away from her!" Ruth shouted feeling Tritter's breath hitting her in face as he reached for her.

She knew Tritter was getting ready to try and toss her aside much like he had done to the chairs that stood in his way earlier and braced herself as waited for him to make contact, refusing to move.

In the next instant she felt the brief touch of Tritter's hands on her before the flash of two figures passed by her, inadvertently knocking her back into House as they raced to subdue the out of control former detective.

House felt his body being pushed forward from his crouched position and reacted by planting his hands firmly on the armrests of the chair Cuddy was seated in, sparing her body from any of the impact.

The deafening sound of chairs crashing violently against the oak barrier echoed throughout the courtroom along with the frighten screams from several people who were watching the fierce struggle unfolding before them as Agent Collins along with Bill Martin attempted to wrestle Tritter to the ground.

From the corner of his eye, House saw Wilson reaching behind him, pulling Ruth away from the fight as two officers from the back of the courtroom rushed past them.

"Oh god." Cuddy whispered with a panicked voice, her eyes looking over House's left shoulder while she gripped his forearms tightly as another contraction radiated fiercely into the center of her pelvis.

"Don't look over at them….focus on me." House said to her in a steady voice even though his heart was racing inside his chest as the sounds of the continuing struggle of the men behind him grew in intensity.

_"THIS ISN'T OVER DOCTOR CUDDY! YOU THINK YOU CAN WALK AWAY FROM ME AFTER WHAT YOU DID?! OH NO! YOU WILL PAY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER FOR WHAT YOU AND YOUR DRUG ADDICT HUSBAND DID TO ME!_" Tritter screamed out in a voice the roared like thunder, trying to punch and kick his was through the sea of men that had now swarmed around him.

"Goddammit Tritter stay where you are!" Collins yelled, pushing the detective forcefully against the banister as Bill and the other three officers moved with him.

Twisting his arm free from the men that were trying to hold him against the oak railing, Tritter managed to land a rather nasty blow to Bill's midsection causing the older physician to double over in pain.

As he felt the wind being knocked out of him, Bill gasped as the smell of pepper spray began to fill his nose and the sound of Tritter's booming voice rang inside his ears.

_"THAT LYING BITCH NEEDS TO GET ON THE STAND! SHE NEEDS TO PAY FOR WHAT SHE DID TO ME! THEY BOTH NEED TO PAY!"_Tritter yelled with his eyes and throat now burning from the spray that the officer had directed towards his face.

House looked up at Wilson as Cindy stood behind him and Ruth flanked his right side.

"We need to get Lisa out of here……….NOW." House informed them all in an even but direct tone.

Wilson nodded as Cindy turned to face the frightened and shocked crowd behind them.

"I need all of you to make room for us so we can get this woman to the hospital." Cindy announced in a voice that was slightly unnerved by the situation happening around them.

The crowd of people parted, moving into the rows of seats on the bordering sides of the aisle.

House then turned around in his squatted position to asses the fight going on behind them.

The intensity of the brawl was dying down, with Bill being pulled out of the way by the bailiff as Agent Collins started to apply the handcuffs to Tritter who had fallen to the floor and was now resting face down on his stomach with the FBI agent's knee in his back.

"Bill!" Ruth exclaimed, running up to him as he moved out into the aisle before placing his hands on his knees and wheezing as he tried to catch his breath.

Turning back around House looked up at Wilson.

"Hold onto the back of Lisa's chair to keep it steady while I help her up. In case that bastard tries to get away again." He ordered, knowing they needed to move quickly.

Wilson stepped behind the chair without saying a word, holding onto it tightly just as House had asked him to as the two men shared a brief glance.

House then took in a breath, locking his eyes onto Cuddy.

"Hold onto me and on the count of three we'll both get up at the same time." He instructed.

Cuddy nodded, gripping his forearms once more and taking in a deep breath of her own.

"One….two… three…." House counted, never letting his eyes leave her face.

Getting up Cuddy felt House taking on most of her weight as he lifted them both into an upright position, moving his right arm around her waist as they turned towards the aisle.

Once House stepped into the aisle with Cuddy, Wilson positioned himself on the other side of her as Cindy placed her hand upon House's back.

"Go." Cindy instructed them all before turning and offering her hand to Bill, who had made his way up to her with the help of Ruth wiht her arm wrapped around his waist.

********************************************************

Once all of them had made it outside of the courtroom, two separate cars sped out onto the city streets of Princeton, racing towards the hospital that was twenty five minutes away, with the maroon Acura which belonged to Cuddy in the lead and being driven by Wilson as the white Cadillac belonging to Bill Martin, followed closely behind it with Cindy residing in the driver's seat.

"The contractions are coming too fast…..it's too soon." Cuddy said in a voice that trembled sitting in the back seat of her car as a another tremor of pain coursed through her.

Sitting in the back seat with her House placed his left hand onto her stomach.

"Just hold on ....we'll be at the hospital soon." He said, keeping his voice calm as a million worse case scenarios played out in his head.

"And you're only two weeks early Lisa, remember that." Wilson added from the front seat, looking back at her through the rearview mirror.

"Just shut up and get us there." House replied sharply to his friend, feeling completley helpless at the moment as he felt Lisa's body tense once more underneath his palm.

Cuddy let out a moan, leaning forward and gripping the headrest of the passenger seat as two quick breaths escaped her mouth.

"_Wilson….. please hurry_." She whispered, closing her eyes while trying to ride out the latest jolt of intense pain that ripped through her lower pelvis.

House looked down at his watch, noticing only two minutes had passed since Lisa's last contraction.

Her labor was progressing rapidly and in a very short amount of time.

"Wilson, I don't care if you have to run every red light between us and the hospital just get us there." House told his friend through gritted teeth while glaring up at him from the back seat.

*******************************************************

"How long until we get there?" Ruth questioned nervously from the back seat of Bill's Cadillac as Cindy took the exit to her right.

"Not much longer Ruth, don't worry." Cindy replied back to her, keeping her eyes glued on the taillights of the maroon Acura in front of them.

"Bill how are you doing back there?"Cindy asked while pressing down on the accelerator after merging onto the city street that would lead them the final way to the front entrance of the hospital.

"I'm ok now, just got the wind knocked out of me." Bill wheezed, leaning forward in the backseat as Ruth continued to gently rub his back.

"You're not ok." Ruth whispered hearing the sounds of his labored breathing.

"I just need some oxygen that's all." Bill replied, looking over into Ruth's chestnut eyes and taking her free hand in his own.

Ruth held his gaze before looking up at the front of the car and through the windshield towards the maroon Acura that held Lisa inside of it.

"If anything happens to Lisa or that baby." Ruth whispered as the tears began to form in her eyes.

"Lisa and her baby are going to be fine." Bill told her, keeping his voice strong even though the breath he took in was painful as hell.

*******************************************************

**Hospital…..**

For Gregory House the next few minutes of his life passed by him within the blink of an eyes as he stood still.

His mind being placed on autopilot as Wilson guided him through it.

"Come on, you need to get your scrubs on." Wilson said to his friend, handing House the green garments as they stood in the locker room area of the OR.

House felt the fabric in his hands but remained frozen.

His mind not able to let go of the image of Lisa sitting in the wheelchair before she was pushed away from him by one of the nurse's in the ER.

"HOUSE!" Wilson yelled, snapping him out of his daze.

"Come on and get your ass moving! We don't have much time left!" Wilson added putting on his surgical cap.

House looked down at the scrubs in his hands, tossing them on the bench next to him as he quickly began to strip out his clothing.

Within no time he had replaced the clothes on his body with the green surgical scrubs.

"Taylor?" House questioned, turning to face Wilson.

"He's already in the OR with Lisa. Now hurry the hell up!" Wilson replied, pushing House in front of him towards the exit door of the locker room.

Before they could exit,House turned around abruptly, facing Wilson once more.

"You need to find out if Bill's ok in case Lisa asks about him." He told his friend as the random thought popped into his head.

Wilson hesitated for a moment but then nodded. "Ok." He replied watching House leave the room, headed for the OR's while knowing at this moment neither House or Cuddy were prepared to deal with any complications that may arise in Bill Martin and so he had been handed the torch for now.

********************************************************

Walking up to the OR room labeled "Number 3", House looked down at his hands that were trembling as they moved up toward the double doors that marked the entrance into the room.

Pushing through them his eyes were immediately drawn to Lisa who was lying down on the operating table, her legs held up in stirrups as Doctor Taylor sat on a stool between them.

"Greg." Cuddy called, reaching out for him.

House limped over to her and felt the powerful surge of her grip as she seized his hand in her own, noticing the fine beads of sweat that had now formed across her brow.

"_AAAAAAHHHHH!" _Cuddy moaned out loudly into the OR room as another powerful contraction moved through her.

"Ok Lisa this baby is ready to come out _now_. So you're going to have to start pushing." Taylor instructed to her from the foot of the table.

Cuddy lifted up from the table a bit and bore down, gritting her teeth as she pushed with her stomach muscles.

"That's good Lisa, keep pushing." Taylor said, as one nurse flanked his right side while the other nurse continued to check her vitals as well as the baby's heart rate on one of the monitors at the head of the table.

Seeing the baby's head quickly coming into a crowning position, Taylor spoke once more.

"Ok Lisa, you can stop pushing for now." He said in a gentle voice.

Cuddy's head fell back against the table, her eyes moving over to House as she gasped for breath.

House open up his mouth but couldn't speak. His mind being overloaded with the fact that their future was now about to become their present.

"It's going to be ok." Cuddy said between a labored breath, squeezing his hand just before another contraction hit her while glancing over at the monitors that told her the baby was doing fine even if she was making one hell of an entrance.

Within the next second, the monitor on her left began to beep as another labor pain began to crest inside of her.

"Remember Lisa don't push….. not just yet." Taylor said as he gently repositioning the baby's head.

Cuddy bit down on her bottom her lip, muffling the sound of the moan coming from deep inside of her chest as she looked up at House again, telling him silently to hold on with her.

The pain she was experiencing was more than she had ever imagined it would be, but the determination to get her daughter into this world safely was giving her the motivation to press on through it.

"Alright Lisa this is it. You need push again and don't stop until I tell you to." Taylor instructed.

Cuddy nodded and took in a deep breath through her nose, propping herself up on her elbows with the help of the nurse on her left side as House kept a firm grip on her hand.

Letting out a small cry, she squeezed her eyes shut……tapping into every bit of strength she had inside of her and began to push.

"Good...Lisa! That's really good! Keep going! Keep pushing!" Taylor encouraged her, watching as the baby's right shoulder became exposed.

At hearing his words, House leaned over towards the end of the table, feeling his heart leaping up into his chest at what he was witnessing.

"Keep pushing Lisa!" He blurted out in a voice that was hollow with wonder, looking back at her while getting completely pulled into the moment as he finally saw the amazing image of _his _daughter being born.

Cuddy drew in another deep breath through her nose and continued to push with all of her might, letting out a yell of determination.

"That's it Lisa! Keep pushing! You're doing great!" Taylor coached, glancing up at House as he leaned further down towards him while still keeping hold of his wife's hand.

"She's almost out Lisa! Keep pushing! You gotta see her! She's got a ton of dark hair!" House told her with a rush of excited words, in absolute awe of the sight before him as their tiny baby slid out from inside of her womb and into the hands of Doctor Taylor within in matter of seconds.

"You did it Lisa! You can stop pushing now." Taylor said, reaching for the suction bulb the nurse offered him, quickly clearing out the baby's nose and mouth with it.

In an instant, the loud and yet frail cry of life erupted inside the OR Number 3...filling it completely as Jessica Cuddy-House made her presence in this world.

"Congratulations Doctors…you are now the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl." Taylor announced, holding up the baby for a few seconds for both of them to see.

Cuddy exhaled in joy as the tears began to stream down her face while Doctor Taylor cut the umbilical cord and handed Jessica off to the nurse on his right.

"Go to her Greg…..make sure she's ok." She whispered, looking up at him and seeing the wonder of the moment displayed across his face.

House nodded and let go of her hand, limping over to where the two nurses were cleaning his daughter off on a small table in the back of the OR.

He hovered over them as they weighed, measured and checked the baby's vitals. His eyes counting fingers and toes as he checked out the baby's coloring and watching the rise and fall of her small chest as Jessica continued to cry, carefully studying the movements of her tiny arms and legs as she stretched them out into the world she had just been born into.

"Six pounds, ten ounces, eighteen inches. You've got one very healthy and petite little princess on your hands Doctor House." The first nurse teased, turning to look up at his face while the second nurse began to wrap the baby in a soft cotton receiving blanket.

"Congratulations Doctor House." The second nurse said as she placed the newborn into his hands.

House looked down at his daughter, whose face was currently scrunched up in anger. Her tiny eyes shut tightly while her equally small mouth was open wide as she continued to cry.

"Hey you…..being stuck with me as your Dad really isn't _that bad_." House whispered down to the little girl who had captured his heart from the moment he found out about her existence.

The baby's cries instantly began to diminish. The grimace on her face relaxing and giving way to a more peaceful expression as the sound of a familiar voice soothed away some of the shock from entering into the sterile environment that felt cold and unwelcoming compared to the warmth of her mother's womb.

House paused for a moment as he made his way over to Lisa, noticing the sudden calming effect his voice had on their daughter.

"Is she ok?" Cuddy asked him with a tone of worry.

"She's perfectly healthy." House assured her, carefully limping the rest of the way over to her as Cuddy watched his every move.

"And by the way...... I think she gets the yelling part from your side of the family." He added, gently placing their daughter into Lisa's waiting arms.

Cuddy felt her eyes filling up with tears once more, the overwhelming sensation of holding her daughter in her arms for the very first time, turning her dreams into reality within the passing of a second.

The baby nestled against her chest where the remembered pacifying sound of her mother's beating heart resided.

"Hey sweet girl. I've waited so long to see you." Cuddy whispered to her daughter as a tear rolled down her cheek, kissing Jessica softly on her forehead while brushing the tip of her nose against the softest skin she had ever felt.

Hearing her mother's voice, Jessica's eyes opened, searching for the sound she had heard echoing inside of the womb she had called her home for such a long time.

"Greg....she has your eyes!" Cuddy exclaimed with a huge grin, looking up at him as an overwhelming happiness filled up every inch of space inside her heart.

"They could change ……blue eye color in newborns is a very common…in fact..." House started to say, caressing the baby's cheek with his index finger, finding himself unable to resist touching his daughter as she looked up at him for the very first time.

"Not that shade of blue." Cuddy interrupted, "Isn't that right Jessica?" She then asked, smiling down at their child.

House shook his head as a broad smile stretched over his face as well.

"You better enjoy giving Jessica's opinion for her now while you still can." He replied softly, glancing over at Cuddy briefly before his eyes moved back to their daughter's tiny face.

"Just look at how _beautiful _she is Greg." Cuddy then said in a hushed whisper, taking in every feature of their baby's precious face. From the piles of dark hair that graced the top of her head, down to cute little chin, gently touching one of Jessica's small round cheeks with the tip of her index finger before moving it over to her cute button nose and tracing her full lips, noticing that they were formed in much the same manner as her own.

"Doctor Cuddy." The nurse beside her said, hating that she was interrupting the tender moment between the new family, "I'm sorry…but……I need to take your daughter so that Doctor Taylor can finish taking care of you."

Cuddy looked down at Jessica and kissed her again, this time on her tiny lips.

"I love you." She whispered softly to her daughter before getting read to hand her baby off to the nurse.

The newborn stirred once more, a small whimper of protest coming from her mouth as she was removed her from the warmth of her Mother's chest.

"Shhh it's ok." Cuddy said softly to her daughter, looking up with surprise as House took hold of the baby before the nurse could, nestling Jessica into the crook of his arm.

"Not way I'm going to let Nurse Butterfingers take my kid over to the nursery with her track record of having the most surgical instruments dropped in the OR." House informed Cuddy while giving a warning glare to the nurse standing across from him.

The nurse looked back at him stunned. "I would never drop a baby!" She exclaimed defensively.

"Save that story for the other gullible parents who _don't_ work here." House remarked before turning with Jessica in his arms while everyone in the OR, including Doctor Taylor smirked at his comments to the her.

Just as he was about to push the door open with his elbow, House stepped back a few feet from it, turning with the baby in his arms and looking over at Cuddy once more.

"Say goodbye to Mommy Jessica, while I remind her once again of how _your Daddy is always right_." House remarked with a wiry grin, making sure she remember that he was indeed certain she would be giving birth to their daughter today, watching as Cuddy tried to hold back her smile as Wilson came rushing into the OR, catching his breath.

"House I…." He started to say before he looked down at the infant his friend was holding protectively in his arms.

"Lisa had the baby!" Wilson then exclaimed in an astonished voice looking back up at him..

"No Wilson, actually this is someone else's kid, I just wanted to show Lisa what a newborn looked like so she'd be ready."

Ignoring his friend, Wilson smiled down at the tiny baby resting comfortably in House's arms. "She's gorgeous House." He whispered, gently touching the baby's face with his fingertips as she looked up at him with the same color of piercing blue eyes as her father's.

"Congratulations guys." Wilson then added turning to look back at Cuddy as she rested on the OR table beside them.

"Thank you." Cuddy said with a tired but grateful smile.

"So …how's Bill doing?" House asked, tenderly rocking his daughter in his arms as if he had done it a million times before.

"Bill's doing fine, he just needed a little oxygen and by the way...it looks like a certain someone already has you wrapped around her finger." Wilson commented, looking down at Jessica who was now fast asleep in her father's arms.

"Shut up and hold the door open for me before I have Nurse Butterfingers drop a surgical tray on your foot." House muttured back to him.


	81. Chapter 81

**Nice to hear everyone loved Jessica's arrival! Hope you will enjoy this next chapter as well :) Only about seven more chapters left at this point.**

**Chapter 80**

**7****th**** FLOOR PEDIATRICS…..**

"You move pretty well with her." Wilson commented, watching House walking down the hallway beside him with his daughter secured against his chest by his left arm as he gripped his cane with his right hand.

"Been practicing with a five pound bag of arrogance. It's a little lighter than she is but people seemed to be less annoyed by her." House said in an offhanded manner turning left towards the nursery.

"I've also noticed that your limp has decreased somewhat these past few months and I'm not the only one. Your team came to me a few months back as well wanting to see if I was helping you with rehab." Wilson added as they continued down the corridor.

"Did you tell my team that 'A' it's none of their business what I do and 'B' that you tried to make go to Rehab before but I said no, no, no?" House asked.

Wilson stopped in the hallway turning to face his friend directly. "I don't care what you're doing. I'm just glad that is seems to be working and that your bottles of vicodin seem to be lasting a little longer as well." He said sincerely.

House rolled his eyes and looked down at his daughter who was still sleeping.

"See Jessica, this is why everyone thinks your Uncle Wilson is gay."

Wilson smiled. "So I get to be her Uncle?" He asked proudly.

"Yes Wilson, because everyone needs to have at least _one_ gay uncle in their family." House replied starting to walk down the hallway again.

Wilson caught up to him just as he reached the nursery.

"Wait, since I'm her Uncle. Don't you think I should at least get a chance to hold her?" He asked.

House looked down at Jessica and then back over at Wilson.

"Fine, but be careful with her." He muttered, transferring his daughter into Wilson's arms.

Wilson gently supported the back of the baby's head with the elbow in his right arm as he moved his left hand up to her chest.

The baby opened up her eyes once again with her nose crinkling as if she was about cry as a small whimper escaped her mouth.

"Shhh Hey Jess…don't cry, your Uncle Wilson's got you." Wilson whispered down to the infant with a smile on his face, rocking her in his arms gently.

"That's probably why _she is crying. _Now give her back." House said reaching for the baby.

Wilson moved Jessica away from House's reach, turning his back to him.

"You held her all the way down here." Wilson argued before he cooed to the baby. "Your Daddy's suffering from separation anxiety already Jess and you're not even a day old. I hope you know that means no social life for you."

House moved to Wilson's side and looked down at his daughter before speaking to her in a soft tone.

"Your Uncle Wilson's going to be suffering from a cane up his ass if he doesn't shut the hell up." He replied sweetly.

Hearing the voice of her father... the baby stopped fussing, her eyes growing wide as she looked up at both men.

"Wow! That's amazing! Look at the way she reacts to you." Wilson whispered, delighted at how the baby seemed to know exactly when House was speaking to her as opposed to him.

"What can I say, my kid is a genius. Now give her back before you go and dummy her up." House ordered.

Wilson sighed and handed the baby back over to House before a look of shock appeared on his face.

"What?" House asked repositioning the baby up against his right shoulder.

"I was supposed to call Ruth and Bill to let them know how Lisa was doing, but everything happened so fast I forgot!" He exclaimed, taking his cell phone out of his suit jacket.

Watching Wilson for a brief moment as he pulled out his cell phone House then turned towards the door of the nursery.

"Wait, aren't you going to talk to them?" Wilson questioned.

House shook his head no.

"I'll see them up in Lisa's room after the nurses get done with Jess in here." He replied, motioning for Wilson to hold open the door of the nursery for him.

Wilson reached for the handle and held door in place as House limped inside.

"Hello?" Ruth said, answering the phone.

"Hello Grandma." Wilson replied back wearing a huge grin as he watched House limp up to the one of the nurses on duty while holding his daughter in his arms.

********************************************************

**NURSERY…..**

After the nurse had checked Jessica's vitals again, she placed a signature pink cap, tiny diaper, pink booties and a pink onesie on her body before wrapping the baby up in a pink receiving blanket.

She then walked across the room. Placing the baby in a clear plastic bassinet at the end of row where ten other babies were held in their own bassinets in the front of a large viewing window, all while House stood in the corner of the room watching her.

Turning back around the nurse spoke to him.

"I should be taking your daughter up to Doctor Cuddy's room in a few minutes so you can go now." The nurse informed him in a wary tone, not sure how to take the usually grumpy doctor even if he _had_ just become a daddy.

"I'm sure you have better things to do then try and kiss my wife's ass by hand delivering her baby to her. In fact there are two babies over there who have been crying for the past three minutes that you should probably take a look at." House replied limping over to the bassinet Jessica was lying in.

"Babies cry Doctor House and taking newborns to their mothers is part of my job and _not_ ass kissing as you so eloquently put it." The nurse replied back with a smart tone.

House gave her an irritated look, pointing his cane down the row at the two babies who were still crying.

"Those two on the end aren't crying because they've got nothing better to do you idiot. They obviously need something. And by the way… if you don't change "Stinky's" diaper in bassinet number three within the next few minutes you're gonna see it splattered up against that window!" House snarled, pointing over to where the large glass viewing area was.

The nurse backed away from him with a huff and headed for bassinet number three, gently picking the baby boy up who resided inside of it and walking him over to the far corner in the back of the room so she could change his diaper.

House watched the nurse for a few seconds before looking down at Jess as she stared silently up at him.

Tenderly he placed his hand on her small chest, noticing how his palm completely engulfed it.

Feeling the contact, Jessica moved her arms with one of her little hands escaping from the cocoon of the receiving blanke as some soft breathing sounds escaped her mouth.

"The first thing you've go to know Jess, is that in this world you are going to be surrounded by idiots." House whispered, brushing his index finger against her chin.

Reacting to his touch once more, Jessica's tiny hand reached for his finger, her slender fingers wrapping it up tightly in her grip.

The contact his daughter had initiated between them made House catch his breath. His eyes moving across Jessica's face as she lay on her back, completely helpless and utterly vulnerable to the enormous world that surrounded her. Needing him more than anyone else ever had in his entire life. Her very existence along with the person she would become…..dependant on how he and Lisa would nurture her.

The tremendous weight of a being the guardian of another human life….humbled him like nothing else in his life before ever had.

He leaned down closer to the bassinet, his voice just barely above a whisper as he spoke, his eyes moving over every inch of Jessica's tiny body as she continued to hold his finger in her small hand

"I promise to spend the rest of my life making sure you get the very best of me because you deserve nothing less than that. And no matter where you end up in this world, one thing you will know for sure, without a shadow of a doubt is ……._that you were loved and wanted by me more than anything else in this world_." House promised to her softly before picking Jessica up from the bassinet with his finger still being held firmly within her tiny hand.

Holding her in front of him, with left hand supporting her head he then pulled Jessica's hand up to his lips so he could kiss it, watching her tiny face scrunch up as her skin registered the feel of his stubble when he lowered her hand onto his chin. Her mind now trying to figure out what this "new" thing was.

House let out a soft chuckle, deciding he rather liked the inquisitive look on her face as the thought of getting to witness how Jess would take in her view of the world around was something that was exciting to him. Making him wonder if she would end up seeing things far differently than he did and …if in doing so would make him change his views on a view things now that she was here.

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, House spoke to his daughter once more.

"Come on Jess…….. let's go see your Mom before she ends up sending out a search party for us." He said with a smirk, turning and exiting the nursery once more with his daughter tucked securely in the bend of his arm.

*******************************************************

**MATERNITY WARD 7****TH**** FLOOR**

When House walked into Cuddy's room on the maternity ward with Jessica snuggled securely in his arm, he felt the smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. Watching her face light up immediately as she sat in an upright position on top of her hospital bed.

He knew she had to be exhausted after the emotional and trying day she had just experienced, but the happiness that filled her face currently eclipsed all of it as her joy at becoming a mother adding another layer to her already breathtaking beauty.

"Don't tell me you're trying to steal something from my hospital again?" Cuddy joked with a smile watching House approaching her with Jessica nestled against his left side.

"I didn't steal her. They were having a sale down in Peds and by the way ....she didn't like the hat so I took it off of her." House remarked, limping up to the bed and handing Cuddy the baby before pulling the pink cap out of his pocket and placing it on the nightstand behind him as he rested his cane beside it.

House then stood watching as Cuddy gently positioned their daughter against her chest.

"Hi sweetheart." She cooed, kissing her daughter 's forehead while softly stroking Jessica's cheek with her thumb.

House leaned down towards them, resting his hand on the side of the bed.

"You know Jess didn't just walk up here all by herself." He informed her while looking into her brilliant grey eyes.

"Hi" Cuddy whispered looking up into his eyes while moving her free hand to the back of House's neck before pressing her lips against his.

The kiss was tender and sweet, with things being said between them that were not formed into words.

As a few second passed their lips parted before meeting again while the baby resting in Cuddy's left arm watched her parents above her kissing and smiling at one another before the sounds of approaching footsteps, matched with a rather high pitched and excited voice entered into the room, causing the couple to break away from the kiss they were sharing.

"Congratulations!" Ruth exclaimed walking up to Cuddy's hospital bed, followed closely by Bill, Wilson and Cindy.

"Shh….don't you know how to behave properly in a hospital?" House asked in an offended tone, watching Ruth make her way over to him.

"You're finally a Daddy!!" Ruth gushed with a huge smile, wrapping her arms around House's waist.

"Eww get off!" House ordered with a grimace of disgust, however unable to keep from smiling as he watched the way Ruth was looking over at Lisa as she held Jessica in her arms.

"Mom do you want to hold her for a little bit?" Cuddy offered as her mother moved closer to her.

Ruth nodded with a smile, carefully accepting Jessica from her daughter's hands. "Oh Lisa…….she's beautiful! She's just so beautiful!" She whispered, in a voice that trembled with happiness as the baby looked up at her.

House let out a loud sigh, rolling his eyes.

"Like there was any doubt my kid was going to be a looker." He remarked.

"Yes and the fact that Lisa is her mother had nothing to do with it whatsoever." Wilson replied, giving Cuddy a wink.

"Hi Jessica ….I'm your Grandma." Ruth whispered, kissing the baby's tiny cheeks and nose as her eyes welled up with happy tears.

"Oh and this handsome man over here is your Grandpa." Ruth added, facing Jessica towards Bill so he could get a better view of the baby's face.

Bill smiled, placing an arm around Ruth's shoulder.

"Hey Sweetpea." Bill whispered, placing his hand on the baby's tummy and rubbing his thumb lovingly across her tiny chest.

"Do you want to hold her Bill?" Ruth asked.

Bill nodded and Ruth carefully transferring the baby into his strong arms.

Looking down at Jessica again, Bill saw a glimmer of light reflect in her crystal blue irises for the briefest of seconds that reminded him of the orbs of colors he had seen when he had journeyed to the place where his late wife Anna met him on a serene and peaceful shoreline.

"Isn't she just the most precious thing you've ever seen?" Ruth questioned to him while touching the baby's tiny fingers.

"She's a little angel." Bill whispered back as the moustache on his faced curled up around the corners of his lips.

Watching the heartwarming scene in front of her, Cuddy shifted a bit in her bed as her mind suddenly reminding her of how Tritter had landed a punch into Bill's midsection.

"Bill, how did you visit in the ER go is everything ok?" She then asked with a touch of concern in her voice.

"Don't worry Lisa, I'm fine. In fact I feel so good I'm ready to run downstairs to the gift shop and buy this little princess a present for coming early and surprising us all." Bill answered with a huge smile.

"Oh Bill, there was the cutest little pink teddy bear in the gift shop that I think Jessica would love." Ruth chimed in.

Cuddy shook her head and let out a laugh.

"You two are going to spoil Jessica rotten before she's even a month old." She commented with a warm smile displayed on her face.

"Well that _is_ our job as grandparents Lisa." Ruth replied before looking over at House as he watched them all, "So did you get to call your parents yet?" She asked him.

House shook his head. "Not yet."

Cuddy looked up at House as Bill walked over to Cindy and gave her the baby to hold next. "You know you really should give them a call." She scolded.

"I will…..just not right now." House answered watching as Wilson moved closer to Cindy.

Following his gaze Cuddy's heart melted after seeing the way her husband was looking over at their daughter.

"You're going to have to leave her side sometime." She whispered up him with a knowing tone.

"It's not about leaving her …I……..." House started to say before the baby suddenly started to cry with her little lungs filling with air as her mouth opened wide.

House reacted in an instant, limping over to the other side of the bed were Cindy and Wilson were standing.

"Shhh…… it's ok honey." Cindy whispered trying to soothe the baby.

"Here, give her to me." House said holding out his hands in her direction after having placed the curved end of his cane in the bend of his elbow.

Cindy bit back her smile and promptly placed the baby in House's arms as everyone else in the room looked over at him with delighted grins.

Feeling their gazes upon him, House spoke.

"What? She's crying? Which means she's trying to tell us something and since I'm the smartest one in here, I need to asses the situation." He replied casually, gently patting Jessica's back with the palm of his hand as he rested her head on his shoulder.

Hearing the pitch of Jessica's continued small cries, Ruth looked over at her daughter.

"Lisa, she might be hungry, do you want to try feeding her?"

Cuddy nodded over at her mother. "I think you're right." She agreed watching as House approached her with the baby.

As House started to limp over to the front of the bed again, Ruth ushered Bill, Cindy and Wilson towards the doorway.

"Come on everyone, let's give them some privacy." She said, heading towards the doorway with them before turning around just before she crossed the threshold and looking back at Lisa.

"I'm heading down to the gift shop so just call us when you guys are done." Ruth informed her daughter.

"I will mom." Cuddy responded with a smile, placing Jessica on her lap so she could un-wrap her from the receiving blanket.

After watching Ruth leave, House turned to face Cuddy again.

"Do you need some help?" He asked a little awardly while scratching his temple.

Cuddy looking up at him and nodded before carefully scooting over on the bed so he could sit down next to her, with Jessica still resting on the tops of her legs.

House sat down, gently placing his left leg onto the bed before cautiously bringing his right leg up with the support of his hand.

One he was settled, Cuddy spoke to him.

"Would you help me get my arm out of this gown?" She asked.

"Which side right or left?" House questioned.

"The right side." Cuddy answered, carefully leaned forward a little bit while holding Jess's tiny hands in her own and smiling down at her.

House moved Cuddy's hair out of the way and quickly undid the first two ties in the back of her gown, urged on to finish the task quickly as Jessica started to cry once more.

"Shhh it's ok….just a little longer sweetie." Cuddy whispered, kissing the baby's fingertips before sitting back up as House helped her pull her right arm out of the sleeve of the gown.

Cuddy then pushed the material down further, exposing her breast before positioning the baby's face next to her nipple. This first important test of motherhood, one that she hoped she would pass with flying colors.

The tiny baby moved her head from side to side, struggling with what to do next, her cries becoming frustrated and causing Cuddy to bite down on her bottom lip with worry.

Noticing her reaction, House moved his hand to the back of her neck, gently caressing the tense muscles there.

"Just relax…she's new at this too you know." House assured her.

Cuddy looked over at him and nodded, blowing a deep breath out from her pursed lips before looking back down at Jessica, who then nuzzled against her breast before promptly latching onto her nipple.

"See there she goes…….my kid knows a good breast when she sees one." House said with an amused smile.

Cuddy chuckled at his comment, feeling his hand continuing to massage her neck.

"You're such a good girl." She then whispered to her daughter, feeling a tear run down her cheek as the ancient bond between mother and child was felt by her for the very first time. With her hand gently stroking Jessica's dark hair as she looked up at her and continued nursing.

********************************************************************************

**Cuddy-House Residence…..**

Three days later, in the extremely early morning hour of two am, House was awoken from his slumber by the sounds of his daughter crying in her bassinet at the foot of the bed he shared with Cuddy.

"Hold on Jess, I'm coming." He whispered, rubbing his face with his hand as he rolled onto his side.

"I'm already up." Cuddy whispered over to him, just as she reached their crying daughter.

"Shhh……it's ok Jess, I've got you sweetie." She said in a soft and gentle voice, kissing the baby's cheek as she walked back over to the bed with her.

Sitting up in the bed, House watched the silhouette of his wife and child coming closer to him. Outlined by the soft glow of the hallway light they had decided to leave on in order to aid them in reaching their daughter whenever she would need them during the night.

Nestled securely in her mother's arms, the baby's cries had now settled into soft but urgent whimpers as Cuddy sat back down in the bed, bending her legs at the knees as she rested her back against the pillow behind her before moving the thin spaghetti strap of her nightgown down towards her elbow and pulling her arm out of it.

She then tenderly positioned the baby's face next to her breast as her child eagerly latched onto her nipple.

"You are one very hungry little girl Jessica! I think you get that from your Daddy." Cuddy cooed to her child, smiling down at the baby who was looking up at her.

Feeling House's gaze upon her, Cuddy turned her head to look in his direction.

"You should try and go back to sleep. Your parents flight is going to be arriving at eight am today." She whispered to him.

"What and miss the free show?" House remarked glancing down at her exposed breast before looking slyly up into her eyes.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him and smirked. "I guess you'll take anything you can get at this point, but you'll be sorry when your ass is dragging tomorrow." She warned.

House rolled his eyes back at her.

"Your Mom and _Bill_ are picking up my parents at the airport. Which means they won't be arriving here until closer to nine thanks to Bill's slow ass driving and Princeton's slow ass traffic." He said smugly.

Cuddy shook her head, trying to bite back her smile.

"Ok that _is_ true but you should still try and get some rest anyway." She responded in a concerned voice.

House gave her a defiant look.

"You're her Mom, not mine." He replied, glancing down at Jess.

"Sometimes I wonder about that." Cuddy answered back, realizing that Jess had stopped nursing and was now looking up at her.

"Don't tell me your little belly is full already?" She questioned sweetly, waiting to see if Jess would latch on again.

"She's probably wants you to quit nagging me so she can eat in peace." House snarked, reaching over to caress the top of the baby's head.

"Come on kid you need to eat a little more than that if you want to have the strength to run away from your Mommy later on when she starts bugging you like she does me." He added continuing to look down at his daughter as Jess started to nurse once more.

"Very funny." Cuddy commented, "So ......how do you think your Dad is going to be this time when he visits us?" She asked looking over at him.

House moved his eyes away from their daughter to look up at her.

"Why do you insist on asking me questions when you already know what the answer will be?" He asked.

Cuddy sighed, "I was just hoping that maybe after your Dad sees Jess, he'll be a little less of an ass to everyone, especially to you." She admitted.

"Jess is a baby ….not a miracle worker and my Dad isn't going to suddenly become Grandfather of the year because of her." House muttered in a low whisper, touching his daughter's soft dark hair with his fingertips once more before he looked up at his wife again.

********************************************************

Later that morning, just as House had predicted, Bill, Ruth, Blythe and John arrived at their home shortly after nine am, announcing their presence by ringing the doorbell.

"I'll get it." Cuddy said, handing the baby to House in the kitchen as she started to make her way out into the hallway.

Hearing the nervousness in her tone, House limped up to her side, with his cane held in his right hand and the baby tucked securely in the bend of his left arm, reaching her midway to the front door.

"Just remember my Dad is going to be an ass no matter what you do. And by the way……._your ass_ is looking exceptionally well today….so try and relax." House remarked.

Cuddy stopped dead in her tracks, turning to face him.

"I hope for once you're wrong about your Dad being and ass and thanks for the compliment on my ass." She replied, kissing him quickly on the cheek before swinging her hips in the pair of white dress Capri's she was wearing as her tan sling back sandals echoed in the hall and her mocha colored blouse clung to the curves of her upper body.

House smiled as Cuddy walked away from him, admiring the view of her from behind while pleased as hell at the fact that Lisa was able to fit into almost all of her pre-pregnancy clothes with only the slightest remnant of her once full and rounded belly left behind while her gorgeous full breasts along with the extra curves to her hips accentuated the hourglass shape of her figure even more.

Feeling the baby moving in his arms, House shook his head free of the impure thoughts running ramped through his mind currently, looking down at Jessica as she gazed up at him.

"You are going to get locked up in a convent until you're thirty if you end up taking after her." House whispered down to his daughter before limping the rest of the way towards the front door.

"Lisa you look amazing!" Blythe exclaimed, pulling her daughter-in -law into a hug as Cuddy opened up the front door.

"Thank you Blythe." Cuddy replied, kissing her mother-in-law on the cheek while John, Ruth and Bill walked into the foyer behind her.

"So how was your flight?"Cuddy asked when the two women released from their embrace.

"It was too long because I all I could think about was seeing my granddaughter!" Blythe answered with a huge smile as she looked into daughter-in-laws sparkling grey eyes.

"Well… I guess your wait is finally over then." Cuddy said with a soft tone following Blythe's gaze over to House and Jessica.

"Hi mom." House said simply as his mother moved to his side in an instant, placing her hand affectionately on his back.

"Oh Greg……she's gorgeous! And Lisa was right….. Jessica does have your eyes!" Blythe said in an excited whisper, gently touching the baby's chest with her slender fingers as the precious little girl looked up at her.

"Do you want to hold her mom?" House asked with small smile on his face, but before Blythe could answer, John decided to answer for her.

"Of course your Mom wants to hold her, that's all she's been talking about for the past three days." John replied back smartly as he moved out of the way while Cuddy shut the door behind him.

House ignored the comment and instead gently placed his daughter into his mother's arms.

"Oh my goodness ….what a pretty little girl you are." Blythe whispered down to her granddaughter, feeling her heart swell with pride at what she considered to be her son's achievement in life.

"Isn't she the most precious thing you've ever seen?" Ruth asked Blythe as she walked up next to her.

"I think you said that about a dozen times in the past few days Ruth." House commented dryly.

"Well, _it is_ the truth." Ruth replied back to him, looking up at House and giving him a wink.

Listening to the conversation, Cuddy smiled at the scene in front of her until she felt the weight of John's stare bearing down on her from her right side where he stood next to her.

Turning to face him, she was a bit unnerved by his strange expression, unsure of what exactly was going on inside the man's head.

"John is something wrong?" Cuddy asked as she felt him continue to size her up with his eyes.

"I was just thinking about how hard it is going to be for you to hand in your resignation at the hospital." John said bluntly.

Cuddy looked back at him with surprise.

"John, I may be on maternity leave now. But I do plan on going back to work at the hospital after it's over as I'm sure you know from talking to Blythe." She informed him.

After hearing what his Dad had said, House had immediately focused in on the conversation, as did his mother, Ruth and Bill.

Scratching his head John continued, refusing to allow the topic of discussion to end just yet as his agenda had not yet been fulfilled.

"Lisa, I just don't understand why you would want to go back to work? It's not like you and Greg are struggling to make ends meet. So why make the sacrifice of spending time away from the daughter you've wanted for so long?" John asked in a calculated tone.

Not liking the comment John had just made, Ruth took a step closer to Lisa sensing the tension John was trying to create.

"You know John this isn't the nineteen fifties and there are many women who do a fine job of raising a family while still having a career." Ruth interrupted, placing her right hand on her hip.

John put up his hands in a mock surrender, producing a smile across his lips.

"Now Ruth I didn't mean it that way. In fact I will be the first to admit your daughter is a very intelligent and ambitious woman who can pretty much do anything she sets her mind to. I guess I'm just having a hard time picturing Lisa placing her daughter in daycare while she runs off to the hospital everyday." John explained watching Ruth's eyes narrow at him.

"The baby isn't going to _be_ in daycare, Bill and I are going to watch Jessica when Lisa returns to work and we couldn't be more thrilled about it." Ruth replied, keeping her tone even as she felt Bill place his hand on the small of her back

"I'm glad to hear that Ruth, I really am. At least that way Jessica won't be raised by strangers and I guess when you think about it.....having you and Bill watch the baby does make a lot of financial sense as well because Lisa keeping her job at the hospital of course ensures that Greg will continue to have a job as well." John replied, moving his eyes over to House.

John's words had been swift, going straight for the jugular of his son with no remorse.

"John, I don't know what you are trying to imply but…" Cuddy started to say with her eyes fixated on him.

"What my dad is trying to say Lisa, is that it's because of me that you can't stay at home with Jess…..isn't that right Dad?" House interrupted without moving his eyes off of his father.

John chuckled, keeping his eyes locked within his son's glare.

"Now Greg.....all I'm saying is if you would be more responsible in your duties at the hospital, you could work with _any _administrator. But since you have to do things on 'your' terms. You end up putting your wife……." He started to say, that was before a very insistent hand grabbed hold of his arm, turning his body so he would have to face the owner of it.

"Before you start to give an opinion about my life and the choices that I make for myself and my daughter. I suggest that you may want to talk to me about it first." Cuddy stated firmly, looking John directly in the eyes and making sure she had his full attention before continuing.

"And as far as your son and his _'duties'_ at the hospital.....even though Greg may be unorthodox in his methods of treating patients. There are hundreds of physicians around the world that continue to send their patients to him because his diagnostics skills are unmatched by _any _other physician in this country. And THAT carries far more clout in the hospital we both work at than _any _influence I may have over the Hospital Board." Cuddy finished with her eyes searing into the smug expression on John's face.

"But Greg having you in his corner as his personal crusader for when things go bad _is _a pretty nice advantage for him to have wouldn't you agree?" John remarked back, not backing down from her gaze as the memory of how he had spoken to him the last time he had visited raged on inside his head, egging him on.

"John that is ENOUGH!" Blythe said in a harsh whisper as the baby slept in her arms,"We came here to visit our Granddaughter, _not_ to insult her parents." She then added to the surprise of everyone in the room.

John looked over at his wife, caught off guard by the anger held within her tone which he had not witnessed in several decades.

"I was only concerned about Jessica's well being." John muttered, feeling everyone's eyes upon him as the control he had over the conversation slipped into Blythe's hands.

"We all are concerned about Jessica's well being John. With your son and daughter-in-law leading the pack in that department. Now instead of trying to argue over what is best for Jessica….you need to come over here and take a look at your Granddaughter." Blythe told him, wanting her husband to at least try and feel the amazing depth of love that was washing over her right now as Jessica lay sleeping in her arms.

John looked over at his son once more before he moved by Blythe's side, staring down at the baby she held in her arms.

"She looks like Lisa." He remarked dryly.

"Here John, why don't you hold her….just remember you have to support Jessica's head with your arm." Blythe coaxed handing the baby over to him before her husband had a chance to protest.

John felt his muscles stiffen immediately as he held the sleeping baby awkwardly in his arms.

"Isn't she beautiful John?" Blythe whispered as she scanned his face for any trace of emotion hidden within it.

"She is." John agreed, looking down at the tiny sleeping face of his granddaughter.

Sensing the tension in the one who was holding her currently, Jessica began to stir just as the pang of hunger moved through her small belly. Her tiny voice calling out without delay to the ones who were familiar to her. The ones who she knew would comfort her and give her what she needed.

"Here you better take her back." John said to Blythe in a gruff voice as Jessica started to cry.

But before Blythe could reach for the child, House moved in front of her …..promptly taking Jessica out of his father's arms.

"Don't tell me you are going to change her diaper Greg?" John asked with an amused condescending smirk on his face.

"Actually…. after dealing with all of your crap throughout the years, it's really not as hard as you think." House replied back to him without missing a beat as he limped down the hall and into the kitchen.

Cuddy watched as House left with their daughter before turning her gaze back to the people in front of her.

"It's been almost two hours since Jessica nursed. I should check to see if she's hungry again." She explained.

"Go ahead honey, we'll wait for you in the living room." Ruth assured her with a small smile.

Cuddy nodded and made her way down the hallway and into the kitchen, finding House patiently rocking their crying baby in his arms.

"Shhhh …..it's ok Jess…your mom's here now, I told you she wouldn't leave with an empty belly." House whispered down to his child.

While walking up to House, Cuddy unbuttoning her blouse and moving the thin fabric of the nursing bra she was wearing aside before taking their child from him.

"I really thought your Dad might loosen up a bit after seeing Jessica and holding her ….apparently I was wrong." She whispered over to him in a disappointed tone, looking up at House as he leaned against the refrigerator as the baby in her arms began to nurse.

House closed his eyes, trying to will away the gnawing feeling that had crept up on him fast and without warning as the old alarms that were rusty inside of him began sounding off once more, called into action by the sight of his father holding Jessica.

"Greg, what's wrong?" Cuddy asked, watching House move his hand to his forehead as he opened up his eyes once more.

"I didn't like my Dad holding her." He said directly in a low whisper, looking down at his daughter as she continued to nurse.

"Why?" Cuddy asked, moving her left hand from under her child so she could touch his sleeve.

House reached for her arm drawing her closer and resting his hand underneath their child.

"I never want my Dad to be alone with Jess….not when we go up to visit him and my mom or when they come to visit us." He told her, with his voice echoing the warnings of a boy who knew all too well how dangerous the results could be from first hand experience.

Hearing his words, Cuddy felt her heart sink down in her chest, looking up into his eyes as he allowed her a brief glimpse of the things he usually kept hidden behind the rough and weathered layers of time.

"You know I would never leave Jess alone with your Dad. Not after what you've told me about how he treated you when you were growing up." Cuddy whispered back to him, moving her free hand up to the side of his face, as inside her heart ached with the knowledge that he still had many painful memories regarding his father that he would never share with her because it hurt too much for him to pull them up out of his past where he had buried them.

House nodded before he moved his head away from her touch. A part of him still feeling ashamed in some way by the fact that his Dad had physically and mentally abused him as a child even though his logical mind had told him time and time again that there was no need for him to give credence to the emotion.

"Thanks for not acting like Cameron in a moment like this." He muttered looking back at her as the intensity of their gaze increased while the baby between them was making the soft infant sounds of being utterly content, safe, and warm as she continued to nurse from her mother's breast.

"No problem." Cuddy responded to him with a soft whisper and an even softer smile as the sound of Jessica's soft sighs floated up to them when the baby exhaled against her breast.

"I think she's done." House said, breaking their gaze as he gently took Jessica out of Lisa's arms, limping over to the countertop to pick up the clean dish towel from it and tossing it against his shoulder, alll while Lisa remained silent, moving her bra back into place before buttoning up her blouse.

"Are you sure the two need don't need any help?" Ruth questioned entering into the kitchen and seeing House softly patting Jessica's back as she rested on his shoulder.

"No mom, she was hungry that's all." Cuddy answered softly.

"Lisa are you ok? John didn't upset you by saying those things to you did he? " Ruth asked in a hushed tone, stepping closer her daughter.

"No mom, I'm fine."Cuddy assured her mother, producing a smile.

Hearing the baby burp, House moved Jessica back down into his arms, looking over at Ruth as she walked over to him with a smile on her face.

"Let me guess you want to take Jess out into the living room so that you and my mom can fight over her." He remarked rolling his eyes.

'You guessed right." Ruth answered taking the baby from him and heading out into the foyer once more.

"Are you two coming?" Ruth asked over her shoulder as she smiled down at granddaughter, touching her cute button nose with her index finger.

"I just want to get some drinks for everybody." Cuddy answered back as House made his way over to her, turning her body slightly as he then leaned in and kissed her.

After a few seconds their lips parted with Cuddy staring silently into the crystal blue of House's eyes.

"Come on let's go see Mister Sunshine and hopefully if we're lucky, Jess will end up puking on him if he tries to hold her again." House told her, placing his hand on the small of Cuddy's back as they then heading out into the living room together.


	82. Chapter 82

**Ok guys..busy weekend for me, but I did manage to get another chapter done ;)**

**Chapter 82**

**Cuddy-House Residence**~~~~**4 WEEKS LATER……**

"Greg, are you sure you don't need any help?" Cuddy asked, turning her gaze towards the Master Bathroom where the door was ajar as she stood by her dresser wearing a pair of low rise black satin panties with a matching black satin push up bra.

House, who was standing in the bathroom clad only in his boxers, rolled his eyes at her question.

"Considering I can name every infectious disease known to man in the span of thirty seconds. I think I can handle giving my kid a bath all on my own without your help Mommy." He replied, glancing towards the open doorway briefly before he looked back down at his daughter who was lying in a small plastic baby tub rested on the countertop between the double sink vanity inside the room.

"Your Mommy needs to take a chill pill this morning before she ends up driving me nuts." House whispered to his daughter, gently moving the washcloth he was holding in his hand over her small belly, cleaning the area carefully.

Listening to his voice, Jessica let out an excited gasp of air and began moving her arms in response to his deep tone. Her blue eyes filled with wonder as the feel of the water and soap covering her skin combined with her Daddy's voice, stimulating her senses.

Smiling down at his daughter, House reached for her right arm so he could wash it next.

Holding it up gently with his left hand he felt Jessica wrap her tiny fingers tightly around his thumb.

"Gotta make sure your pits are clean too kid. Don't want you to end up being known as the 'stinky' new kid on the block." He told her in a serious tone, furrowing his brow as he moved the washcloth to the baby's underarm area.

Continuing to watch him in awe, Jessica kicked her feet in the tub, causing a small amount of the water to splash out onto House's bare stomach.

"I suppose you think that's funny?" House commented with a smirk as the baby's eyes grew wider.

A small sound between a sigh and a grunt escaped Jessica's mouth as her Daddy spoke. Her brain wanting her to make the same sounds he was making, but at this stage in her life….she was of course not quite developed enough to conquer that feat just yet.

"Greg we need to be at the District Attorney's office by ten. Are you sure you don't want me to finish up with Jess so you can take a shower and get dressed?" Cuddy offered, directing her gaze to the open doorway of the bathroom once more as she stood in front of her closet trying to decide on what outfit to wear.

"_You're _not even dressed yet…. so quit bothering me." House yelled out into the bedroom, removing Jessica from the tub and laying her on the soft pink bath towel Cuddy had placed there for him.

"I am dressed." Cuddy argued back as her eyes scanned the contents of the closet once more.

"YOU…..are a liar. A half naked lair …..but…a lair non the less." House responded limping into the room and holding Jessica in his arms as she remained wrapped up in the pink fluffy towel while his eyes roamed the curves of Lisa's body.

Cuddy looked back at him with a sexy smile, "I have clothes on …just not that many clothes on." She replied coolly, loving the sex starved expression on his face right now as House's eyes traced the roundness of her hips as she walked towards him before her mouth dropped when her eyes moved over to Jessica's tiny face.

"What on earth did your Daddy do to your hair Jess?" She then said in a pretend tone of shock while laughing at the 'Mini Mohawk' House had formed their daughter's dark hair into.

"Dude..... she looks totally cool like this." House responded, conjuring up his best 'stoner' voice.

Cuddy laughed again, shaking her head as she reached for the baby.

"I'm taking Jess away from you before you end up getting her belly button pierced while I'm getting dressed." She teased with a grin, removing their daughter from his arms.

"God Mom…you are _so uncool._" House remarked, watching Cuddy smooth down the baby's hair with the palm of her hand before she placed Jessica on the center of the bed, sitting down beside the baby and bringing her feet up so that her calves met against the back of her thighs.

"Did Daddy get you all nice and clean?" She than said sweetly to her daughter, tickling the baby's chest as Jessica moved her arms and kicked her legs while sticking out her little tongue.

House smiled, sitting down on the other side of Jessica on the bed and reaching for her left foot before brushing the sole of it against the stubble on his chin.

The baby let out a loud gasp. Her eyes darting over to him in an instant as her arms and legs stopped moving.

"I can't get over how much she likes it when you do that." Cuddy whispered over to House as she smiled down at their daughter.

"Most women do find the stubble irresistible you know. Especially you." House remarked smugly to her, checking out the cleavage that was practically spilling over the top of the black bra she was wearing as Cuddy laid down next to Jess in the bed, propping up her chin with her the palm of her hand.

After rolling her eyes at him, Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip mischievously before she directed her gaze back to their daughter, reaching for her small hand as she spoke to her.

"Your Daddy is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO HORNY right now Jessica! Just look at the way he's checking out Mommy's boobs!" Cuddy said in an exaggerated high pitched tone laughing before she gasped with surprise.

"Oh my god Greg! Did you see that?! She smiled! Jessica smiled!" She exclaimed looking over at him with her own smile that was broad and filled with lover for their child.

House nodded with a smile of his own, leaning down closer to Jess and placing his hand on her bare chest.

"Your Daddy also likes Mommy's ass is because it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fat!" He said with a huge grin, making sure to stretch out the 'O' sound with his voice.

Jessica's response was to squeeze her eyes shut as her cheeks rose up and a gummy smile stretched across her lips.

"Don't' say the word ass to her!" Cuddy scolded, releasing Jessica's hand from her own before she swatted House in the arm.

"Hey…. you said 'horny' _and _'boobs'….. …it's only right that I get to say ass." House shot back, reaching for Jessica's foot again so he could rub it against his jaw.

The baby grinned once more at him. Flexing her leg and pushing the bottom of her tiny foot against his stubble as another soft sound of amusement escaped her lips.

Cuddy shook her head as she chuckled, smiling down at her daughter's precious and happy face.

"I love her so much." She whispered, gently caressing Jessica's dark hair with her fingertips.

"Did you hear that Jess? Mommy's fat ass loves you." House said in a soft tone as he watched the baby eyes searching his face.

"Stop with the ass talk before you end up not getting any ass in two weeks." Cuddy warned, shooting him a glare.

House moved his left hand over to her hip.

"Let's not kid ourselves here sweetheart. You want it as much as I do. So you threatening me by withholding sex really is a poor and feeble tactic on your part oh Dean of Do-Me-Baby." He said smugly.

Cuddy scoffed at him.

"_I do not _want it as much as you do. In fact….dogs in heat don't want it as much as you do. Now get your ass moving before we end up being late for my appointment." She replied back confidently, pursing her lips when she was done speaking.

House leaned closer to her as their baby stared up at them from the mattress.

"I don't know what's funnier. You saying ass three times in front of Jess when you just told me not to ……..or….. you acting like you don't want to play with my magic stick. And before you lie again I'll let you know I saw the calendar down in the kitchen yesterday that has the date six weeks from the day Jessica's was born circled in red marker with a little smile face on it." House informed her with a self-assured grin.

"I marked the calendar to remind me about my six week check up with Doctor Taylor you idiot." Cuddy shot back.

House narrowed his eyes at her, studying her face.

"You're lying again." He said coolly.

Cuddy shrugged. "Sorry but it's the truth." She replied, wrapping Jessica up in the towel again before she scooped the baby into her arms.

House kept his eyes fixated on Cuddy as she kissed their daughter before getting up off of the bed.

"Anyway I'm going to get Jessica dressed now and if you still plan on coming with me I suggest you get in the shower." She than said nonchalantly, rounding the bed and heading for the door.

"You know your eyes may say no right now …..but…. your thighs will be saying be saying _yes _in two weeks." House called out to her as Cuddy crossed the threshold before he got up from the bed, making his way into the bathroom once more.

Walking down the hallway Cuddy smiled widely while holding Jessica close to her chest.

"It's nice to know I can still keep your Daddy guessing every once and a while even when I am lying through my teeth." She whispered to her daughter, kissing the top of the baby's head while smelling the soft scent of lavender in her hair.

********************************************************

Walking into the District Attorneys office with Jessica held in her arms, Cuddy stopped in front of the receptionist's desk.

The woman seated behind the desk, who looked to be in her early thirties, was graced with porcelain skin and delicate features. Her auburn hair pulled up neatly into a bun behind her head while her perfectly manicured fingernails tapped away on the keyboard.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked, looking up at Cuddy as her fingers stopped there tapping rhythm.

"Yes. I'm Lisa Cuddy and I have an appointment at ten am with District Attorney John Hamilton." Cuddy informed the woman with a small smile as House stood beside her with a Jessica's diaper bag flung over his right shoulder.

"The District Attorney is running a little behind with his nine o'clock appointment. Please take a seat and he should be with you very soon." The receptionist said with a smile while glancing over at the adorable sleeping infant held snugly in Cuddy's arms as she motioning over to the waiting area behind her that had five chairs lined against the wall as well as a large oak coffee table with several magazines arranged in a fan type pattern on top of it.

Cuddy nodded, walking over to the chair at the end of the row as House followed behind her.

Sitting down she then shifted Jessica in her arms, moving a bit of the pink blanket that the baby was wrapped up in away from her face as her daughter continued to sleep.

"Do you think I should take Jessica out of the blanket completely, it is kind of warm in here?" Cuddy asked House as he took a seat next to her.

House nodded, watching as Cuddy removed the blanket from around the rest of Jessica's body. Revealing the adorable pink onesie she had placed their daguther in this morning that had a scooped neck line and was decorated with tiny red and white hearts

Cuddy then handed House the blanket so he could stuff it inside the diaper bag he had placed on the seat next to him.

When Cuddy shifted the baby in her arms again, Jessica's eyes open up briefly before she yawned and shut them once more.

"You're such a good little girl." Cuddy whispered, gently brushing her fingertips across Jessica's hairline.

Leaning closer to her, House watched as Cuddy's grey eyes move up from their daughter's face to meet his gaze.

"Are you sure you're ready to do this?" He asked, studying her face intently.

"Yes." Cuddy answered with a nod just as Hamilton's office door in front of them swung open.

"Ok Phil, then I'll talk to you next week after I receive the papers." Hamilton said as he stood in the doorway of his office shaking the hand of one of his client's before the man turned and left.

Seeing that his ten o'clock had arrived, the DA turned his attention to the couple seated in front of him.

"Lisa and Greg, it's very nice to see the both of you again." Hamilton said, offering his hand to House as he got up from his chair.

"It will be a lot nicer once we get all of this crap behind us." House commented as he shook the lawyer's hand.

"Well hopefully we'll be able to get Lisa's statement taken care of rather quickly so the two of you can spend the rest of the day with your daughter instead of being stuck in here with me." Hamilton commented, shifting his gaze over to Cuddy who gotten up out of her seat as well with Jessica resting securely inside her arms.

"You know Lisa, you gave me quite a scare in the courtroom a few weeks back, but I am glad to see that everything did end up working out for you." The attorney remarked, looking down at the baby with a small smile on his face.

"Things have actually worked out better than I ever could have hoped they would." Cuddy responded with a small smile of her own.

Giving her a nod, Hamilton then directed his gaze towards his secretary, "Janet, would you please call Kathy and let her know our ten o'clock is here?" He asked.

The secretary nodded, picking up the phone and dialing the extension.

"Kathy is our Notary and she will be taking down your statement today." Hamilton explained to Cuddy before addressing House.

"So will you be coming in with us or staying out here?" The DA asked.

"I'm coming in with her." House answered, taking a step back so that Cuddy could walk in front of him towards the open door of Hamilton's office.

"Greg wait." Cuddy said halting him from going any further by moving her left hand from underneath the baby and reaching for his arm.

Noticing the look on Lisa's face, Hamilton spoke.

"Why don't I give the two of you a few minutes to talk since we have to wait for Kathy to arrive anyway. Then once she gets here, you can head into my office." He offered.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied, waiting until the DA went back inside his office and closed the door before she looked up at House once more.

Seeing the hesitation held within Cuddy's eyes, House stepped closer to her.

"If you're having second thoughts about going through with this. I'm sure Hamilton would be able to get the Judge to postpone the deadline for another couple of weeks." He told her.

"It's not that. I'm fine with giving my statement today." Cuddy started to say before taking in a breath and continuing.

"But when I do, I don't want you or Jessica to be in there with me. I can't talk about what Jeff and Tritter did to me if I have to look at either of you. It would just be too hard for me. " She confessed in hushed whisper as her eyes moved away from his face and down to their daughter.

"Then give Jess to me and go do what you have to do." House stated plainly, just before the door to the outer office was opened and a tall blond woman with a slender build stepped inside.

The woman smiled over at the receptionist and spoke a few words to her before she turned towards the couple in the waiting area.

"Hi, I'm Kathy McCall and I'm the notary who will be taking down the statement for the State today. Are the both of you going to be joining me in DA Hamilton's office?" The woman questioned before glancing down at the baby resting in Cuddy's arms.

"It's just going to be her." House answered, motioning over towards Cuddy with his head as she stood beside him.

"Ok, well I guess we should go ahead and get started then." The woman replied headed for the door to the office and holding it open for Cuddy.

"Greg ….are you sure you're ok with this?" Cuddy questioned with a quick whisper, searching his face as House took the baby from her.

"I don't want to make this harder on you than it has to be. Tell the DA what he needs for his case and then we'll get the hell out of here." House told her in a low tone, glancing down at their daughter briefly before looking over at Cuddy again

"Thank you." Cuddy replied in a soft tone before turning and walking into Hamilton's office as the Notary held open the door for her before closing the door behind them both.

Once inside the District Attorney's office, Cuddy pushed a deep breath through her lips.

"LIsa, please take a seat." The District Attorney offered, motioning to the chair on his right in front of his desk as the Notary took the seat to his left.

Once she was situated the DA spoke again.

"Ok Lisa if you're ready we can begin." Hamilton said, looking at her from across his desk.

"I'm ready." Cuddy answered with a nod, clasping her hands together in her lap as her right thumb brushed against the wedding band House had placed onto her left finger several months ago.

********************************************************

After Cuddy had went inside the attorney's office, House sat back down in his chair with Jessica held securly in his arms, with his mind currently working feverishly to fill his head with doubt by whispering to him about everything that could go wrong by letting her go into the DA's office without him, even though he knew it had been the right thing to do.

Determined to keep his gloomy thoughts at bay for once however, House then looked down at his sleeping daughter. Tracing the delicate curves of her full lips with his eyes while touching the tiny fingers of her hands that rested on her stomach with his right thumb.

Staying locked within the image of his sleeping daughter, ten minutes had pasted before House pulled his eyes away from the beauty of her tiny face, glancing over at the clock that hung above the receptionist's head just as Jessica began to squirm inside his arms.

The baby let out a cry that he knew was the one she used when she was hungry, her mouth opening wide as her eyes looked up at him.

"Ok, hold on a second Jess." House whispered down to her, reaching into the diaper bag beside him and pulling out a plastic bottle as he bounced his daughter gently in his lap.

"Do you need to warm that up in a microwave?" The receptionist asked him, looking away from her computer with concern.

"Nope. Fresh squeezed this morning just before we got here." House replied, skillfully placing the nipple of the bottle inside Jessica's mouth.

The receptionist looked back at him stunned for moment while a small smile appeared on her face.

"Well if you need anything ……please let me know." She offered, watching the baby nursing from the bottle her father was holding for her with his right hand as his left thumb gently stroked the top of the infant's head.

"Actually now that you've mentioned it, I could go for a scotch right now, but unfortunately babies and booze don't mix." House replied glancing up at the receptionist once more before he looked back down at Jessica.

The receptionist smiled over at him again, watching the rugged man with interest as he continued to take care of his daughter, encouraging the baby to drink more of the bottle by speaking to her in a voice just above a whisper. His gruff exterior softening immediately as he gazed down at the little girl in his arms.

"You know…..actually when you think about it, booze _has_ resulted in many babies. So I guess in there own strange way…booze and babies really do mix." The secretary pointed out to him while letting her smile widened a bit on the corners of her mouth as House glanced up at her again before the telephone on her right began to ring, ended their conversation for the moment.

"District Attorney John Hamilton's office." The receptionist answered before moving the computer mouse on her desk and typing on the keyboard once more as she continued talking into the phone.

House looked over at the secretary for a few more seconds before he whispered down to his daughter once more.

"Did you see the way she was looking at me? You... are a chick magnet kid! Better than a puppy! Good thing your Mommy's goodies are the only ones I want, or there could be ten of you running around before too long." He said with a smirk, feeling some of the tension from inside him begin to subside as Jessica's blues eyes stared up at him while she continued to drink from the bottle.

********************************************************

Meanwhile inside the District Attorney's office, Cuddy had stopped speaking in mid sentence while giving her statement to the Notary.

"Lisa, do you need us to puase for a moment?" Hamilton asked her, seeing the pained expression on her face.

Cuddy took in a breath before answering, wanting nothing more at this moment then to run out of the office and hold her baby in her arms. Longing for the smell of Jessica's skin and soft sounds that would escape her daughter's tiny mouth.......all of which reminded her that the pain and heartache she had been through in the past eventually had led to the happiness she now had in her life today.

"No, I'm ok." Cuddy finally replied after a few more seconds.

"Alright then Lisa, if you would please continue with your response in regards to the incident when former Detective Tritter questioned you outside of Dellucci's restaurant after Jeff Hansom had assaulted you then we can move on to the next part of this case." Hamilton stated, establishing the legal grounds of the meeting once more.

Cuddy nodded taking in another breath, knowing that she would now heading down a path she had hoped she would never have to travel upon again.

********************************************************

Once he was done feeding Jess, House looked up at the clock above the receptionist's head once more, seeing that another twenty minutes had already passed by.

From where he was seated he could hear the muffled voices of the people inside Hamilton's office, able to distinguish the pitch of Cuddy's voice instantly as the moments of silence between the conversation going on inside between told him taht she was indeed struggling with the past, but was also determined to push on ahead of it.

"Sometimes these things do tend to take a little time." The receptionist said from her desk, snapping House out of his thoughts.

He nodded in her direction, moving Jessica down from his shoulder where she was sleeping so he could look at her face while he waited for Cuddy to finish.

Within a few more minutes the door to Hamilton's office opened.

"Lisa you did an excellent job and I'll be notifying the Judge of your statement within the next hour." The District Attorney said while holding the door open for her.

"Thank you for all of your help." Cuddy replied, shaking Hamilton's hand.

The lawyer then reached over and patted House on the arm since his hands were currently supporting his sleeping daughter.

"Take care of yourselves and congratulations on the birth of your little girl and remember if the two of you every need me for anything, I'm only a phone call away." Hamilton informed them.

"Thanks." House responded, watching the DA turn around and head back inside his office.

"So are you ready to go?" He asked, looking over at Cuddy as she remained silently by his side.

Cuddy nodded while feeling as if her heart was about to explode inside her chest. Wanting nothing more than to get outside of the walls in the waiting area that seemed to be closing in on her at the moment.

Seeing the strong facade Cuddy was holding onto begin to crack, House reached for her left hand while continuing to hold Jessica in the bend of his right arm.

"Do you me to hold Jess? Or do you want to carry her out to the car?" House asked her in a low whisper.

"I'll take her." Cuddy answered back, reaching for their daughter with hands that had begun to tremble.

********************************************************

Outside of the District Attorney's office, Cuddy stopped abruptly on the front steps of the building, resting her back against the brick wall behind her as she tenderly kissed her daughter on the forehead, trying to keep the tears that were forming in her eyes from falling.

"Come on……only a few more feet and we'll be at the car." House urged her with a whisper, placing his left hand onto her arm as he guided her away from the building and down the steps, towards the parking lot.

"Ok." Cuddy replied in an almost hollow tone, holding Jessica tightly against her as the feel of the baby's soft breath against her neck aided her in moving forward once more.

House kept his hand on the small of Cuddy's back until they reached the car before he removed it, opening up the back passenger side door on his side and tossing his cane onto the floor.

He then placing the diaper bag inside the car as well before he turned back around to face her.

"Here, give Jess to me." He said looking into her eyes.

Cuddy handed him the baby and watched as House carefully buckled Jessica into the car seat.

"Once we get home…" House started to say, turning back around before his words were halted as Cuddy moved into his arms. Burying her face in his chest as her own arms wrapped tightly around his body……………holding onto him for dear life.

He felt her body tremble as a muffled sob escaped her mouth.

"Shhh ….hey don't let them win now Lisa. You are so much stronger than those two bastards will ever be." House whispered into her hair, moving Cuddy towards the back fender of the car while staying locked in their embrace.

"I….I just need a minute....that's all." Cuddy replied with a strained vocie as her forehead remained pressed in the center of his chest while her heart continued to feel the tremendous ache from the violence and cruelty she had just revisited a few minutes ago inside the walls of the District Attorney's office.

"Ok." House responded, honoring her request by standing there silently and holding Cuddy in his arms in the middle of the parking lot as a flock of sparrows flew over their heads and the traffic of the world around them passed by until her arms gradually relaxed the earnest hold they once held around his ribs.

Taking in a deep breath through her nose, Cuddy smelled the scent of Greg's cologne while feeling his right hand that had moved into her hair continue to caress the skin on the back of her neck. Hearing the sound of his voice next as it radiated from inside his chest as he spoke to her.

"By the way I thought you'd like to know the receptionist in the Hamilton's office was _totally_ hitting on me while you were inside his office giving your testimony. So I think it is your duty as my wife to go back in there and kick her ass." He joked, resting his chin on the top of her head.

This time when Cuddy's body trembled it was accompanied by a small laugh as she moved her face away from his chest.

"Well, although kicking someone's ass right now would really make feel a lot better. I think I'd rather settle for a hot bubble bath and a half gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream." She replied, as the spring breeze of the day moved gently through her hair.

"I've got an even better idea. How about if _I_ eat mint chocolate chip ice cream off of your body _before_ you take a bath?" House countered moving his hands lower, from Cuddy's waist to her hips.

Cuddy smiled up at him as another soft laugh escaped her.

"Sorry stud…but you've still got two more weeks left before 'little house' can come out to play." She answered, kissing him softly on the lips.

House exhaled in mock frustration.

"I'm not talking about 'little house' going crazy on the jungle gym or anything like that. Just maybe getting a helping hand from you before he goes down the slide." House responded back suggestively.

Cuddy looked up at him with another small smile, watching the way the afternoon sun reflected in the crystal blue of his eyes.

"Thanks." She whispered, touching his jaw with the palm of her hand.

"Do thank me until _after_ I'm done with my ice cream." House replied with smirk.

"So are you ready to finally get out of here?" He then asked.

"Yes." Cuddy answered, removing herself from their embrace and walking behind the vehicle so she could make her way over to the passenger seat on the other side.

*****************************************************************************

After pulling out of the parking lot and onto the city street, House moved his right hand onto Cuddy's thigh, his eyes tracing the elegance of her face briefly while he waited for the streetlight in front of them to turn from red to green.

Once the light had changed, he focused his eyes back onto the road once more but kept his hand in place with his thumb caressing her leg.

Glancing over at House's profile as he drove them home, Cuddy moved her hand on top of his while his thumb brushed against the silk material of her dress, easing back into her seat and looking up into the rear view mirror where she caught a glimpse of Jessica sleeping peacefully in her car seat, knowing that although it would be another twenty minutes until they would arrive back at their house….she was already home.


	83. Chapter 83

**And so the countdown beings....4 more chapters after this one folks! Hope all of you are enjoying the ride ;)**

**Chapter 83**

Two weeks later, on the last Friday morning in the month of June, Cuddy, House and Jessica were all in the kitchen of their house as the sun displayed itself proudly in a clear blue sky above them.

During the past two weeks leading up to this day, life had moved along quickly. Bringing with it some much needed comfort for House and Cuddy as Tritter was finally sent to the New Jersey State prison after being convinced under multiples charges, including Police Conspiracy and Conspiracy to commit murder for his part in helping Jeff Hansom with the jury in the case, having only taking thirty minutes to sentence the former detective to a combined term of eighty years with the judge adding the stipulation that Tritter not be eligible for parole until he had served at least twenty five of those years.

Along with the comfort Tritter's conviction provided to Cuddy and House came the joy of watching their daughter continue to grow and develop, her little smile showing up more and more frequently with each passing day. Her tiny voice ....now coming out of her mouth in soft and sometimes surprisingly loud coo's.

And now as the morning sun was filtering into through the double French doors, Cuddy hummed softly as she held Jessica against her shoulder. Patting her daughter's back and getting her to burp after feeding her a bottle filled formula, weaning Jessica off of her own breast milk within the past two weeks as she prepared both herself and the baby for her return to the hospital as the Dean of Medicine.

Moving the baby off of her shoulder, Cuddy smiled down at her.

"That was a one good burp Jessica." She whispered, wiping off her daughter's chin before walking over to the kitchen table where House was seated. Leaning in front of him as she placed Jessica in her infant car seat that was sitting on top of the table.

"Now remember Jessica you have to be a good girl for your Grandma today." Cuddy added with a smile still displayed u[on her face while uckling her daughter into the seat.

Finishing the last spoonful of his cereal, House glanced up at Cuddy.

"Now remember Doctor Cuddy _you_ have to be a good girl for your Number One Doctor at the hospital today. _If_ you want him to make you a very happy little sex kitten tonight. And that starts with moving out of the way so I can see the TV." House commented up to her as she continued to block his view of the small television that rested on the kitchen counter top across from them.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him, grabbing the remote from the table and switching the channel from the cartoon House had on, to the local morning news.

"Hey! I was watching that!" House protested glaring up at her.

"I want to see how bad the morning traffic is." Cuddy responded, clutching the remote closely to her chest as she stood next to House's chair.

Watching and listening to her parents in front of her, Jessica decided to try and join into the conversation as well.

"Aaaaaah…….Aaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaa." The baby cooed as her fingers flexed and she kicked her feet, staring at them both with wide blue eyes.

The sound of his daughter's voice produced a huge smile on House's face.

"That's right Jess it's time for Mommy's morning spanking for being a BAAAAAAAAAD girl again." House commented, stretching out the sound of vowel in the word 'bad' before he pulled Cuddy down onto his left leg.

"Don't you dare!" Cuddy exclaimed in shock, wrapping her left arm around House's neck while her right hand clutched the remote, holding it away from her body and keeping it out of his reach.

Completely mesmerized by the scene in front of her……Jess let out an excited sigh before cooing again.

"Oooohhhhh…..….Ooooohhhhhhh.." The baby exclaimed as her tongue darted in and out of her mouth and she breathed through her nose.

Leaning forward, Cuddy placed the remote behind Jessica's infant seat as she looked down at her daughter.

"Oooooohhhhh I know Daddy is a big jerk…..Oooohhh yes he is!!"Cuddy said with a huge smile, tickling Jess under her chin while trying to squirm free of the grasp House had around her waist.

"Oooooooooohhhhhhhh….." Jessica answered back, moving her arms and legs with a smile on her face. Thoroughly delighted with the way her mother was looking and talking to her.

Keeping both of his arms around Cuddy's waist, House placed his lips next to her ear.

"Give me back that remote or…suffer the consequences." He warned, while smiling over at Jessica before sticking out his tongue at her as the baby continued to coo.

"I think you need to let go of me before _you_have to suffer the consequences." Cuddy replied back, refusing to give in while keeping her head turned in the direction of her daughter and tickling the bottom of Jessica's foot.

Hearing his daughter let out some small short gasps that sounded very much like laughter, House chuckled, before his eyes glanced down into the pink blouse Cuddy was wearing. His smile widening even more at the lovely view he had of her cleavage thanks to her current position on his leg as his pants starting to feel a little tight around the crotch area from the feel of her firm round ass that was resting on his thigh.

"Believe me Lisa…. I am more than ready for you to get rough with me." House answered back in a delayed response thanks to his ogling.

Turning her head in House's direction as she sat sideways on his leg, Cuddy caught his gaze as his eyes made their back up to her face.

"Don't' even think about it ……we've got to get moving." She remarked, knowing exactly what was on his mind.

"We've got at least ten minutes." House answered back in a low tone, moving his left hand up to her breast and caressing the material of her blouse.

Cuddy let out small gasp as the stubble on House's jaw brushed against the skin of her neck, her hand moving to the back of his neck were her fingers weaved through his hair.

"Greg…..we can't. We have to get to work." Cuddy whispered to him with an edge of desire to her tone.

"Yes, we can. It's been six weeks remember?." House replied into her hair again before he captured her lips with his own as she turned her neck to face him.

He kissed her slowly, moving his tongue into her mouth a little more each time, feeling Cuddy respond by biting down seductively on his bottom lip, drawing it into her own mouth before running her tongue across it.

"Mmmmmmhmmmmm……MMMMM….MMMMMM….HHHHHHMMMMMM!!" Jessica hummed out loudly, kicking her feet and wanting to see her parents faces again as their kissing blocked them from her view.

Hearing the sounds her daughter had made, Cuddy broke away from their kiss and started to laugh, resting her head against House's shoulder.

"She is hilarious!" Cuddy exclaimed trying to stop herself from giggling.

House pulled Cuddy a little closer to him as he felt her body vibrating against him.

"Giggling like that after six weeks of abstinence is as sure fire way of getting 'little house' very excited you know." He whispered into her neck once more while feeling the pull on his groin.

Moving her face away from his shoulder, Cuddy kissed House softly on the mouth.

"Come on….. we really need to get going, and waiting a few more hours for playtime with little house is not going to kill you." She said, getting up off of his leg and smoothing down the black skirt she was wearing.

"Think you can help to smooth him out a little bit too?" House questioned, pointing to the bulge inside his jeans.

********************************************************

**Bill and Ruth's Residence ~~~~~~**

"Remember Mom if you need me for anything…." Cuddy started to say, standing in the foyer of Cape Cod style house as Ruth held Jessica lovingly in her arms.

"I promise I'll call you Lisa." Ruth assured her daughter.

"And if she gets fussy after you feed her …" Cuddy began once more.

"We'll rock her, just like you told us too." Bill interrupted in a gentle voice, smiling over at her.

"Ok." Cuddy said with nod, taking in a deep breath through her mouth before turning to look over at House who was standing on her right.

"I guess we should go then." She added with a sigh.

House rolled his eyes at her,"Jess will be fine, but you on the other hands I'm not too sure of."

Cuddy exhaled, trying to let go of some of her anxiety she was feeling because of leaving her baby for the first time even it the baby was going to be with two people who would make sure she got the best of care in her absence.

Deciding not to postpone the inevitable, Cuddy then turned and kissed Jessica tenderly on her forehead as the baby rested in her mother's arms.

"I promise to come here right after work and see you before Daddy and I go out to dinner tonight." She whispered to her daughter before she reached for the doorknob, needing to get outside and into the car before she would become even more upset than she already was at the moment.

Following Ruth's eyes that had watched Lisa rush out of the front door House spoke.

"Don't' you start. Lisa is going to fine." He informed her with an even tone.

Ruth looked up at him with doubt.

"Maybe I should take Jessica to the hospital over lunch so Lisa can see her for a few minutes." She commented back to him as she rocked the baby gently in her arms.

House let you and exasperated sigh.

"If you come to the hospital with Jess then Lisa's going to be a wreck for the rest of the day. Which means she might decide to come home early and that's going to screw up my plans." He reminded her with and annoyed tone.

Ruth laughed just to annoy House a little more.

"So you think you are really going to be able to pull it off without Lisa catching on?" She questioned.

"Hello? My name _is_ Gregory House." He stated, pointing to himself with pride.

Continuing to stand by Ruth, Bill let out a small laugh.

"You have to give it to him Ruth, when it comes to being sneaky, House wrote the book. Just look at how long he kept you in the dark with the fact that he was seeing your daughter." Bill commented over to her.

Ruth made a face at both men. "So then you and Wilson are going to come back here at twelve thirty today, right?" She asked.

House nodded. "Yep. Oh and by the way you better make sure to keep your mouth shut about my little plan when Lisa calls you today like we all know she will _and _you better not even think about having sex with your boyfriend slash fiancée while you're supposed to be watching my kid." He told her smugly before kissing Jessica quickly on the forehead and leaving through the front door.

Again Bill chuckled as Ruth looked up at him.

"You better be nice to the babysitter or you won't be getting any tonight." She warned.

"An idle threat from a woman who is going to be too wrapped up in her granddaughter to even give me the time of day." Bill remarked back to her with a slightly devilish grin.

Ruth laughed. "You are way too handsome and sweet to ever be ignored by me. " She replied back to him, walking into the living room as Bill followed her and looking out the bay window once she got there as House limped over to the car parked in the driveway.

Holding the baby up more so that Lisa could see her as House pulled out of the driveway, Ruth whispered over to Bill.

"Lisa is going to be so surprised tonight." She said with a small smile, feeling Bill place his arm around her shoulder.

"She sure is." Bill agreed, tickling Jessica's chin as she stared up at him.

"Hey there Sweetie, you know your Mommy is going to be so happy when she sees the surprise your Daddy is planning for her." Bill said in a soft voice, smiling down at the baby.

"OOooooh…..Ooohhhhh!!" Jessica responded back, kicking her feet and raising her eyebrows as Bill talked to her.

"You are just the sweetest little thing!" Ruth exclaimed looking down at the baby with a huge grin before kissing her granddaughter repeatedly.

********************************************************

**Hospital~~ Parking Garage….**

"You knew this was going to be tough." House commented over to Cuddy as they sat in the Acura that was parked on the third level of the garage.

"I know." Cuddy responded softly, looking down at her hands.

House followed her gaze and reached for her left hand.

"If you want I can start arguing with you about my clinic hours to get you back into the swing of things and take your mind off of Jess for a little while." He offered with a smirk.

Cuddy looked up at him with a smile. "Thanks but no thanks." She replied.

"Well then how about a quickie in the car? I'm sure having your legs up in the back seat would really get your mind off of Jess in a hurry." House commented in am more sinful tone.

Cuddy gasped and hit House hard in the side of his arm.

"I can't believe you just said that! She exclaimed in shock.

"Yes you can." He remarked with a devilish grin.

Cuddy exhaled. "You're right I can." She said with a slightly amused smile.

"So do you feel like going into work now and dealing with the hospital's crap now instead of continuing to stay out here and deal with my crap?" House questioned.

"Unfortunately when is comes to you, crap seems to follow me wherever I go... including the hospital." Cuddy countered, trying not to smile as she reached for the door handle on her right.

"Spoken like a true Dean of Medicine" House replied back to her, reaching for the door handle to his left so he could exit the vehicle with her.

***********************************************************************

**PPTH~~~~Lisa Cuddy's Office 12:30pm….**

After signing off on what seemed to be one of yet another never ending pile of forms on her desk, Cuddy dropped the pen she was holding in her left hand, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes for a moment while trying to will away the stiffness in her neck by kneading at it with her fingertips.

Letting out a deep sigh, she opened up her eyes once more. Looking over at the time displayed on the right hand corner of her computer screen before reaching for the phone on her desk and dialing the number to her mother's cell phone just like she had done three times already today.

"Hi Lisa." Ruth answered in a sweet tone, after glancing down at the caller ID.

"Hi Mom. Listen….I know Jessica is ok with you and I don't' mean to keep bugging you...." Cuddy started to say in an apologetic tone, moving her eyes to the photo of her daughter that she had placed onto her desk this morning.

"Lisa, you miss your daughter. There's no need to feel sorry about that." Ruth said in a soothing voice filled with understanding.

"Thanks Mom." Cuddy responded softly as her fingers traced the frame that held Jessica's image.

Ruth smiled on the other end of the line, happy that she had succeeded in easing the tension away in her daughter's voice.

"So, how are things going for you at work today?" She asked, looking down at Jessica who was sleeping in the crib Bill had put up in the spare bedroom of the house across the hall from the master bedroom.

"Things are going good….busy, but at least my day is going fast." Cuddy lied, not wanting to admit to her mother that time was indeed passing incredibly slowly for her today.

"Well just remember honey if you need to call again go right ahead, I don't mind at all." Ruth replied with a grin, studying the delicate contours of her granddaughter's sleeping face.

"Thanks again for taking care of her Mom. I don't know if I'd be able to do this if she was with anybody else." Cuddy responded, keeping her eyes fixated on Jessica's picture.

Just as Ruth was about to speak, she heard the sound of two car doors being shut in the driveway from the open window on the second floor bedroom.

Walking towards the window, she peered out into the front lawn, spotting both House and Wilson, who were both dressed in faded jeans and worn out t-shirts, heading for the front door.

"Mom?" Cuddy questioned into the phone after a few seconds of silence had passed.

"Oh I'm sorry honey, I was just looking at Jessica sleeping and kind of got lost in my thoughts." Ruth said, covering up the lull in their conversation.

"That happens to me a lot too." Cuddy replied in a soft tone as her eyes moved up from the picture of Jessica as she watched Cindy coming in through the double doors of her office.

"Listen mom, I've gotta go." She then added as Cindy handed her a pink message slip on which she had marked 'URGETNT' in red ink.

"Ok, honey but remember if you want to. You can call me back later today as many times as you need to… I don't mind at all." Ruth reminded her daughter. Turning back around to face the crib where she discovered that Jessica had awoken from her slumber and was currently staring up with wonder at the mobile hanging above her head.

"Ok Mom. I love you and I'll talk to you soon." Cuddy said while reading the phone message before nodded up at Cindy, who then turned and left the office.

"I love you too honey and so does Jessica." Ruth responded with a smile, touching her granddaughter's chest as the baby's eyes connected with hers and a small smile appeared on her face.

********************************************************

**Bill Martin's Residence……**

"Are you sure there is no way your wife isn't going to figure out that both of us are now MIA at the hospital? I mean if she goes looking for you and doesn't find you in any of your usual hiding spots. She's going to go to my office next……." Wilson started to say to House as they stood beside each other inside Bill's garage.

"_My wife_ is not going to find out. That is unless you do something stupid. So just shut up and do what I tell you to do." House replied back sarcastically, watching as Bill held the door open for Ruth that connect the kitchen to the garage as she walked down the steps holding Jessica in her arms.

"Look who just woke up in the nick of time to see her Daddy before he goes running off again." Ruth said with a sweet smile. Walking over to where House was standing

Once Ruth reached him, House placed his cane on the metal shelf to his right and promptly took Jessica into his arms.

"Hey there sleepy head. Did that drunken Grandma of yours fill your bottle up with wine?" He asked, watching Jessica yawn as her tiny had brushed against his stubble when she reached up for his face.

Bill chuckled after hearing the words House had spoken to his daughter. Looking over at him with a smile before he walked over to the other side of the garage, picking up a rather large cardboard box in his arms.

"Bill be careful, that box is very heavy." Ruth scolded as she held onto Jessica's other hand while House continued to talk to his daughter as she smiled up at him.

"I promise it's not that heavy Ruth." Bill assured her before heading out to place the box in the back of the blue pickup truck he had borrowed from his neighbor across the street.

Looking out at Bill, House noticed the way the biceps in the old man's arms flexed as he lifted the box onto the bed of the truck. The short sleeve polo shirt Bill was wearing….stretching a bit at the cuffs as his body announced through his actions that the owner of it was in better shape than most men half his age.

Shifting his gaze over to Ruth, House watched her eyes tracing the same muscles in Bill's arm he had been looking at a few seconds ago.

"Bill must be a real tiger in the bedroom with all that strength. No wonder you can't keep you hands off of him." House muttered down to her with an evil smile as Wilson started to pick up one of the several other cardboard boxes that filled up over half of Bill's two stall garage.

"Stop it." Ruth whispered back at him, feeling a slight blush come to her cheeks as she looked over at her granddaughter.

House grinned at her embarrassment, loving the fact that talking to Ruth about sex with Jessica around made her very uncomfortable even though the baby was far too young to understand a single word he had just said. Which of course gave him all the more reason to keep on teasing her.

"You know Jess….your Grammy must REALLY be getting it good from your Grandpa. I guess that's why she always has a smile on her face these days whenever I see her." House whispered down to his daughter, glancing over at Ruth just to see the blush in her cheeks turning a brighter shade of red.

"You know House…. instead of standing around doing nothing….you could give Jessica to Ruth and help us with some of these boxes." Wilson remarked as he passed by them. Carrying the cardboard box he had picked up a few moments ago out to pickup truck.

"Wilson! You know House isn't going to see Jessica until tomorrow afternoon. It's only right to let him spend some time with his daughter now before the two of you leave again." Ruth protested to the surprise of everyone…..especially House.

Setting the box down in the driveway, Wilson walked back up to Ruth, placing the back of his hand onto her forehead.

"Are you sick? Or did House just slip you some really good drugs?" He asked, looking down at Ruth suspiciously.

Ruth playfully smacked Wilson's hand away. Watching as Bill made his way up to them as well.

"I just know how hard it's going to be for him not see his daughter until tomorrow afternoon." Ruth replied back coolly, trying to brush the conversation aside.

Shooting a glare House's way, Wilson spoke to him in a low tone.

"_OH YOU MONSTER_! Your crazy brain control experiment really does work! I only hope I can save Lisa before she becomes your next victim and is condemned to a life of fetching your slippers and getting your pipe for you." The oncologist exclaimed in mock horror as a huge grin formed on his friend's face.

"Face it Wilson, I _gave _this woman a grandchild. Which means I am therefore UNTOUCHABLE…..or…_GOLDEN…._ if will in her eyes. My wish…. her command. Isn't that right Nana?" House asked Ruth, keeping the evil grin on his face as Bill let out a hearty laugh beside him.

Trying her best to keep a straight face, Ruth responded to his question.

"Just don't abuse your power too much, or you may end up swimming with the fishes." She warned.

"Now does that sound like something I would do?" House asked innocently as Jessica let out a few short gasps of amusement, watching the way her daddy's face changed when he had spoke those words to her grandmother.

********************************************************

**PPTH~~~~Lisa Cuddy's Office 3:00 pm………**

After a few more hours had passed in her busy day, Cuddy decided it was time to get up from the chair she had been anchored to for the better part of her day and stretch her legs. Intending on heading over to the clinic to make sure since House was fulfilling his obligations there.

Hearing the phone on her desk begin to ring she exhaled in disappointment. Hoping that whoever was on the other line could be dealt with quickly and not keep her chained to the desk she was trying to escape from if only for a few brief moments.

Leaning forward, she picked up the receiver, not bothering to looking at the caller ID.

"Doctor Cuddy." She answered.

"Love muffin is that you?" House asked with a smirk.

"How's clinic duty going?" Cuddy questioned in return, getting right to the matter at hand.

"Just got done swabbing my fourth crotch for the day and you?" House answered back smartly.

"Are you sure you're telling me the truth? Or am I going to end up finding you up in coma guy's room playing your gameboy?" Cuddy questioned tapping her nails on her desk.

House let out an exaggerated gasp. "I can't believe you don't trust your own husband." He said in a hurt tone.

"Yeah right and I also believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny." Cuddy replied back sarcastically before hanging up the phone abruptly and walking out the door of her office, heading straight for the clinic where she stopped in front of the nurse's station.

"What exam room is Doctor House in?" She then asked the head nurse seated behind the station who was looking down at the computer screen in front of her.

"Doctor House just went into exam room number four a few minutes ago." The nurse replied matter-of-factly, looking up at her before looking back down at the screen.

Cuddy started back at nurse blanking for a moment before moving on towards the exam rooms.

_Ok, so he's actually in the clinic? Welk that still doesn't mean he's ACTUALLY seeing patients,_ She thought to herself, walking briskly up to the exam room House was supposed to be in, knocking on the door quickly before opening it up.

"Doctor Cuddy! Thanks for showing up. I knew if anyone could tell the difference between chaffing and the CLAP it would be you." House said smugly, turning to face her as the twenty-five year old male patient who was standing beside him dressed in a hospital gown swallowed the lump that had risen up in his throat when the very attractive woman with dark hair and piercing grey eyes entered into the room.

"Joe, would you please lift up your gown for Doctor Cuddy." House then instructed the patient while giving his wife a pleased smile.

"My name is Gary and do I really have to?" The guy questioned with hesitation as he eyes focused in on the curves of the female doctor's hips.

"Relax….. Doctor Cuddy is a trained professional _and_ she's also _way _out of your league. So there's no need to be shy." House responded motioning for the guy to lift up the gown.

"Fine." The patient muttered, letting out a big sigh before he pulled the garment up to his stomach while turning his head to the side to avoid the gaze of the striking woman standing before him.

Shooting a glance over to House, Cuddy spoke.

"Despite what Doctor House may have told you…we're still going to have to send a sample to the lab to confirm a diagnosis." Cuddy responded before turning and leaving the exam room. Feeling House's breath on the side of her neck as he trailed after her.

"Ummm …I think you owe me an apology for doubting me when we were on the phone a few minutes ago." House whispered into her ear as he closed the door behind them.

Turning around sharply in the hallway, Cuddy stared directly into his piercing blue eyes.

"I'm sorry that I actually doubted the fact that you could indeed be doing your job without me holding your hand." She replied back to him with a heated glare.

"Keep looking at me like that and you're going to be holding something else in your hand." House whispered down to her in a tone filled with innuendo. Moving his eyes over her body while taking away the remaining space between them as his face inched closer to hers as if he was about to kiss her.

Cuddy kept House and his lips at bay by planting both of her hands firmly on his chest.

"Get back to work!" She said in a hushed whisper before turning around again and heading out of the clinic while biting back the smile trying to form on her face as she passed the nurses station, heading over to her office once more.

After she had turned the corner, House knocked on the door of exam room number three.

"Is the coast clear?" Wilson whispered cautiously out to while opening up the door only a few inches as he peeked out from behind it.

"No you idiot! I just now decided to let Lisa in on my secret plan and ruin everything for her tonight." House shot back as Wilson slipped out from inside the exam room.

"You're just lucky we got back here at the right time." Wilson stated.

House looked over at his friend. "Luck had nothing to do with it. I know that woman like the back of my hand. She can only take paperwork for so long before she needs a break from it and since I didn't provide her with that break by barging into her office earlier. I knew she'd come searching for me before my shift in the clinic was over." He boasted.

Wilson scoffed as he and House made there way to the back door of the clinic, getting ready to leave the hospital again.

"Yeah, and my wallet having fifty bucks in it to bribe that clinic patient along with the fact that the nurse at the station is a good friend of Cindy's had nothing to do with keeping this little plan of yours from crashing down at your feet." Wilson reminded him, loosened the tie he was wearing.

"Without my evil master mind you and your bimbo would be nothing." House argued back to him with every ounce of ego he had inside of him.

Wilson scoffed as a small smile spread of his lips. "You know….. all of this changing in and out of different clothes kind of makes me feel like Superman." He remarked as he unbuttoned his dress shirt, exposing the faded blue t-shirt he was wearing underneath it.

"You do realize that you are indeed a true nerd in ever sense of the word?" House remarked, handing his suit jacket over to his friend before he pulled his partially unbuttoned dress shirt over his head.

"Yeah right, like you weren't thinking the same thing just now." Wilson commented back as he saw the boyish grin overtake House's face.

********************************************************

**Lisa Cuddy's Office ……5:00 pm….**

"Hey boss lady, are you ready to bust out of this joint and have some crazy wild sex with me?" House asked, barging into Cuddy's office as she stood by her desk and closed up her briefcase.

"Well aren't we the horny little soldier." Cuddy remarked walking up to him with a dazzling smile as she watched his eyes move down to the swing she was putting into her hips for him.

"I'm ready to show you my rifle…as long as you know how to handle it." House replied in a low voice, watching her smile broaden as Cuddy walked towards him just as the phone on her desk began to ring once more.

Letting out a deep sigh, Cuddy turned to reach for the receiver.

"Let go to voicemail." House urged her.

"I can't ….it could be an emergency." Cuddy told him while turning to pick up the phone.

"Doctor Cuddy." She answered, trying to keep the disappointment in her voice from coming through in her tone.

House waited as Cuddy carried on the conversation with the person on the other end of the line. The brow on her forehead forming tiny creases as she listened intently to what the caller was saying to her.

"I understand and in fact Doctor House is right here. Hold on a second and I'll put him on the line for you."

Covering up the mouthpiece of the receiver, Cuddy directed her gaze over to House.

"Doctor Leonard Walsh is calling from Princeton General. A patient was admitted into their ER twenty minutes ago. Thrity-two year old male experiencing chest pain, bradycardia and hallucinations. Tox screen was negative and he's running a fever. Patient also has an unexplained rash on the soles of his feet and the palms of his hands" She explained before offering him the phone.

House took the phone from her with an aggravated glare, asking the doctor on the other end of the line a series of questions with his usual grating demeanor before he agreed to take the case, hanging up the phone.

"How soon did Walsh say they'd be able to transfer the patient over from General?" Cuddy asked House taking a step closer to him.

"ETA is about fifteen minutes" House replied scratching his temple while looking down at the floor in her office.

"Hey the night's still young and once your patient gets here and is stabilized we can head to the cafeteria for a late dinner." Cuddy told him.

"This really isn't the type of six week celebration I had in mind, unless you plan on screwing me on top of the salad bar afterwards." House remarked looking back up at her.

"Ok. Since there is no way in hell I'm doing that. I guess I'll stay and catch up on some more paperwork while you and your team start to figure out what's wrong with you patient and once you think you've got a handle on it we can head home later and order pizza… and …have sex in any room you want." Cuddy said with a seductive smile, placing her hand onto the open part of the dress shirt House was wearing.

House looked back at her with an appreciative smile.

"You don't need to stay, Ill get a ride home from Foreman or Chase later." He told her, moving his hand to her hip as she looked up at him.

"Greg, I don't mind staying." Cuddy replied back softly, stressing her words to him.

"You're tired and you miss Jess. And those two things are going to put a damper on any kind of fun I might end up having with you later. So go and see the kid, then go home and think about what a good spanking you're going to be getting from me tomorrow morning while Jess is still at your Mom's." House teased her, pulling Cuddy a little closer to him.

"Are you sure you don't want me to say?" Cuddy questioned, leaning into him and moving her lips slowly over his as they stood inside her empty office with the blinds closed before dipping her tongue inside his mouth.

The way she was kissing him made House relax the grip he had on his cane, causing it to fall softly to the floor with a dull thud as his hand moved to her ass where he squeezed it firmly. Holding onto it tightly as he pressed his pelvis up against hers so she could feel the erection in his pants she had created.

"Stop!" Cuddy gasped breaking away from their kiss and looking up into his blue eyes with shock.

"Hey, you can't kiss me like that after six weeks of no sex and expect my flag pole not to stand up and take notice. Now unless you want to end up on the top of your desk with your skirt hiked up around your waist I suggest you get your ass moving." House whispered down to her.

Backing away from him, Cuddy tried to slow her breathing that had become heavy in the mist of their kiss. Her desire for him just as strong as his was for her with six weeks of denial adding fuel to the fire they both loved to burn inside of.

"I'll …..I'll call you when I get home, after I go and see Jessica." Cuddy managed to say, stumbling over her words as she stayed focused on his eyes that made her ache for his touch again while fumbling blindly for the handle of the briefcase that was resting on her desk.

House smirked, reaching for Cuddy's hand and placing it over the leather handle of the briefcase so she could she secure it in her grasp, holding on to it even after she had wrapped her fingers around it for a few more seconds. Deciding to stay locked within her eyes for a moment as he saw they way they shimmered with her desire for him under the soft glow of small lamp sitting on her desk.

"You better call you team." Cuddy finally whispered up to him, breaking the spell between them for now.

House nodded, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand before he let go of it, watching as Cuddy turned and left her office before the huge grin appeared on his face as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number to Bill Martin's cell phone.

"Well?" Bill asked anxiously.

"Lisa is on her way over to your house to see Jessica now, and your friend Walsh over at General told me to tell you to call him next week so the two of you can set a date for the steak dinner you agreed to buy him." House replied back, bending down carefully to pick up his cane before he limped out of Cuddy's office, closing the door behind him.

"That's great. I told you Walsh would be able to pull it off." Bill answered back with a smile.

"Yeah that old bastard really did lay it on thick." House commented back to him with a smirk limping towards the elevator and pushing the down arrow.

********************************************************

Leaving the hospital from the service entrance on the ground floor, House stood out on the delivery dock of the hospital, looking down at his watch and muttering to himself just as Wilson pulled up along the curb.

"It's about time you got here." House growled at his friend in annoyance as he got inside of Wilson's car.

"I had to make sure Lisa left the parking garage." Wilson said in his defense as House put on his seatbelt before he moved his foot from the brake to the gas pedal.

*******************************************************

**Cuddy-House Reisdience~~~~7:30 PM………..**

Pulling her car into the garage and shutting of the engine, Cuddy could still smell the scent of Jessica's hair in the fabric of her blouse lingering from when she had held her daughter close to her before telling her baby goodbye and handing her daughter over to the loving arms of her grandmother.

Stepping out of the car she felt the tiny ache in her heart at thought of coming home to an empty house. Thinking back to the many nights she had spent alone throughout the years. Wishing for the life she now had. Never knowing that one day Gregory House would end up knocking on her door and laying all of his cards out on the table for her to see, forcing her hand in the process as he moved carefully into the empty places inside her heart. Turning her world in a direction that would make all of her dreams come true despite the nightmares she had to face along the way.

Opening the door that led from the garage to the kitchen she heard the sound of her high heels echoing against the ceramic tile as she turned on the lights, placing her briefcase onto the kitchen table before she stopped dead in her tracks, noticing that one of the French doors leading out to the patio was open.

Taking a step back, Cuddy held her breath fro a moment as her mind brought up some of the ghosts from her past. That was until the sound of music began to play. With the voice of the singer whose lyrics spoke of nothing more than enjoying the day in front of him while the rest of the world passed by him quickly calmed her fears, greeting her with the same warmth as the evening breeze that kissed her cheeks and took her by the hand, leading her towards the open doorway.

_Nibbling on sponge cake, watching the sun bake.  
All of those tourists covered with oil.  
Strumming my six string on my front porch swing._

_Smell those shrimp  
They're beginning to boil._

"Greg?" Cuddy questioned walking out onto the patio before her jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide with surprise from the scene they were viewing as the sun began to dip down into the horizon.

"Why Doctor Cuddy, I'd thought you'd never get here." House answered back with a sly smile, taking a swig of the beer in his hand as he watched her face come alive before him.

_Wasted away again in Margaritaville.  
Searching for my lost shaker of salt.  
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame.  
But I know it's nobody's fault._

**TO BE CONTINUED……..**


	84. Chapter 84

**Time for Cuddy's surprise! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for the great reviews!**

**Chapter 84**

**Cuddy-House Residence…..**

There were few times in Lisa Cuddy's life where she had been rendered speechless.

Her sharp mind and verbal skills almost always being able to rise to any occasion that presented itself in front of her......but.....as she looked out into patio of her home that had been transformed into her own private paradise her mouth fell silent. With her thoughts continuing to run free inside her of brain instead of being released through her tongue.

Moving her eyes quickly back to House who was standing a few feet away from her, Cuddy took in a breath. Seeing the smile on his face as he watched her trying to process what she was experiencing before she turned her gaze back to the panoramic view surrounding her.

To her left was a patio set made of teak wood that could seat eight people along its oblong style table. The rounded backs and seats of the chairs, decorated with thick cushions that displayed a tropical pattern in rich colors of deep red, luxurious gold and forest green. The large umbrella opening up in the center of it, matching the deep ruby color of the cushions.

Lined down the center of the table top were four dark, ruby colored globe style candle holders. The wicks burning inside of them creating a warm blush of soft scarlet that spread out into circular patterns on the chairs surrounding them.

_I don't know the reason  
I stayed here all season  
Nothing to show but this brand new tattoo  
But it's a real beauty  
A Mexican cutie  
How it got here I haven't a clue_

Beside the patio set was a Tiki Bar with four stools in front of it. On the flat surface of the bar was a stereo with House's IPod docked in the center of it that was playing the Jimmy Buffet song while off to the right of the bar….a large outdoor fire pit glowed with the flames of a burning fire that cast shadows which danced and moved along the various lush tropical potted plants that surrounded not only the patio but the inground pool as well.

_Wasting' away again in Margaritaville  
Searching for my lost shaker of salt  
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame  
Now I think  
Hell, it could be my fault_

The plants ranged from large fanning palms of several different species along with flowering bushes and shrubs that produced blooms as unique and distinctive as their foliage. Some of the blossoms intense crimson red, others brilliant yellow, one plant in the far corner boasting a sunburst colored orange, another plant at the corner of the pool showcasing tiny delicate deep purple blooms. All off them arranged with expert placement so that each of the potted plants would enhance its neighbor's features while still showing off its own beauty.

As Cuddy's eyes moved past each of the plants that adored her now tranquil and inviting back yard the scent of the white jasmine flowers from the two pots placed on both sides of the French doors enveloped her in their aroma. Moving up to her with the breeze that gently stroked her hair as the evening sun shimmered across the water of the pool in front her. Guiding her gaze over to a very large double chaise lounge that was tucked into a very private nook of the patio, the outdoor furniture surrounded by more palms and flowering plants, with a few tiki lights mixed in among them.

The golden hue of light reached down to the chaise that had a teak wood footstools and a woven wicker base where a thick, comfortable cushion covered in a fabric that was the color of papaya rested. The size of furniture long enough for House to lay beside her comfortably during the many summer nights yet to come while still having ample room left over.

Shaking her head in disbelief at the wonderful things she was seeing, Cuddy moved her eyes back to House as he remained standing by a very massive stainless steel grill. Dressed in surfer style, long navy blue shorts and a white t-shirt that had navy blue trim around the collar and cuffs which brought out the color of his eyes.

"Your case? The time you were suppose to be in clinic today? That was all …." Cuddy started to say, walking up to him.

"A lie. A fabrication. A fib. Another deceptive tale brought to you by the mind of Gregory….." House started to say before Cuddy halted his words by reaching for his arm and pulling his body next to hers, kissing him deeply as her arms wrapped around his neck.

House let a groan of approval, the desire in Lisa's body, lips and tongue as she continued to kiss him, always a nice reward for him to claim.

In the mist of their kiss, Cuddy felt House wrap his right arm around her waist with the cold sensation of the beer bottle he held in his hand sending a chill up her spine and causing her to push both her tongue and her body into him even further as the radio behind them was singing its approval of their actions.

_Baby, I don't want you, but I need you  
Don't wanna kiss you, but I need you  
Oh, oh, oh, you do me wrong now  
My love is strong now  
You really got a hold on me  
You really got a hold on me_

Pulling away from her so they could both take in a breath, House looked down into Cuddy's eyes. Noticing how the flames of the fire beside them reflected in the pools of cool grey that made up her irises. Watching the way she was searching his own eyes before she spoke.

"I can't believe you did all of this just for me." She whispered, placing her left hand onto the side of his face.

"I had to make sure I was going to get laid tonight." House answered back with a smug grin as the sun sunk further down into the horizon behind them.

"Well I think you've more than sealed the deal on that issue." Cuddy informed him with a laugh while feeling the fingers of his left hand curl around her hip.

"So now that I have dazzled you with my brilliance yet again. Do you agree to surrender your free will to me tonight?" House asked tilting his head slightly.

Cuddy looked at him suspiciously. "Ummm ….I don't think so." She answered back at him as if he was crazy.

House rolled his eyes, "Woman! Quit being so damn stubborn!" He cursed.

"Never." Cuddy replied with a smirk.

House gritted his teeth while he tried not to smile.

"Just go up to our bedroom ok?" He requested, rubbing the bottom of the beer bottle against her cute ass.

Cuddy mulled over his request for a few seconds, tapping her fingernail on his chest.

"Ok, I'll go…but ……if I find Wilson up in our room tied to the bed with a ball in his mouth. I'm calling the cops, then I'm filing for a divorce." She replied evilly, easing out of their embrace and turning quickly as her high heels clicked in upbeat tempo against the concrete.

"Oh you are _so _gonna get spanked for that comment later." House shouted over to her as she headed inside before he smiled and took another swig of the beer in his hand.

********************************************************

Still smiling from the comment House had made to her out on the patio, Cuddy felt the corners of her mouth rising up even more when she walked into the bedroom and found what was waiting on the king size bed for her.

Reaching down, she picked up the top of a very skimpy red string bikini, wondering if House had ordered the swimming suit online at the hospital when he should have been working.

Looking down at the bottom of the bikini that still rested on the bed, Cuddy shook her head again. Knowing because of the Brazilian cut of the fabric, the curves of her ass would be on full display for his viewing pleasure.

But of course true to his nature, House did want a little teaser before she showed off all of her goods to him, which was why a silk sarong, in the same shade of red as the bikini with strands of gold thread running through it had been placed beside the swimming suit as well.

Without hesitation, Cuddy began to unbutton her blouse eager to join her husband back outside on the patio and see what he planned next for them.

********************************************************

After Cuddy had gone inside, House waited a few minutes to make sure she had headed upstairs like he had asked her to before he made his way into the kitchen, pulling out several plastic containers from the fridge that Ruth had prepared for him in advance for a fool proof meal that would guarantee a big payoff for him later.

Heading back out to the patio, House limped over to the grill with the containers stacked on top of each other. Setting them off to the side of the grill and lifting up the lid as the heat of the flames rose up from it.

Skillfully House then placed a marinated T-bone steak on the grill for himself as well as a marinated chicken breast next to it for Cuddy.

Taking off the lid of the next container, he then poured out a medley of sliced new red potatoes, green and yellow zucchini and red peppers that had been seasoned to perfection by Ruth earlier. Leaving the last container untouched for now just as Ruth had instructed him to until the steak and chicken where almost done before he would be taking out the two shiskabobs of jumbo shrimp and placing them on the grill as well.

Shutting the lid to the grill and placing the lids back on the containers, House stacked them up again before limped over behind the bar. Stashing them there for now as he turned up the volume of the stereo and reaching for his beer that was resting beside the grill.

The song playing on the radio took him back to his days in high school where he was a god on the lacrosse field and when pretty girls couldn't seem to get enough of him.

Getting into the groove of the bass guitar that was playing, House started to sing, using his beer bottle as his microphone.

"_Some people call me the space cowboy, yeah_." He sang with his eyes closed and a smirk on his face.

"_Some call me the gangster of love." _He added, moving his head as he sat his beer bottle down next to the grill again.

"_SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE!" _House then crooned, playing the notes on his air guitar as the guitarist on the track mimicked the call of wolf whistle

"_Cause I speak of the pompitous of love."_

Walking into the kitchen, Cuddy held back her laughter when she heard House singing his heart out, peeking out at him through the French doors as he leaned back while standing in front of the grill, picking up his beer bottle and putting it up to his mouth once more before belting out some more lyrics from the classic rock song she loved as well.

"_People talk about me, baby. Say Im doing you wrong, doing you wrong. Well, don't cha worry baby. Don't worry. Cause I'm right here, right here, right here, right here at home."_

Leaning against the door Cuddy smiled, totally infatuated with Gregory House at that moment as a man who had so many sides to him that it sometimes made her dizzy held her undivided attention.

Reaching for the door handle she watched as his eyes moved over to her when she opened it. A huge smile appearing on his face as he checked out the outfit she was wearing for him.

Taking a quick sip of his beer, House kept the bottle up to his mouth, singing to Cuddy along with Steve Miller as she walked up to him in her bare feet with his eyes roaming the curves of her body and studying the sarong she had tied on the side of her enticing hips. Her bikini top just barely covering her full and luscious breasts. The expression on her face as she smiled at him, beautiful, flawless and sexy as hell.

"_You're the cutest thing that I ever did see. I really love your peaches, wanna shake your tree." _He sang, with a tone of lust held witin his voice while watching every move she was making, knowing that the extra swing in her hips was just for him.

Smiling up at him, Cuddy reached for his beer, but before she could take hold of it ......House pulled it away from her grasp.

"Hey! I thought you'd want to get me to get drunk so you could really take advantage of me." Cuddy teased with a pout.

"There's a drink at the bar for you and …..I could take advantage of you right now if I wanted too." He told her with his eyes traveling up and down her amazing body again that had quickly returned to the stunning figure he could not get enough of after the birth of their daughter.

Pausing for a moment behind him, Cuddy reached out and grabbed onto House's ass. Standing on the toes of her feet as she pressed the front of her body against his back.

"You better be careful or you'll end up being the one getting advantage of." She whispered into his neck, giving his bottom another hearty squeeze before she walked over to the drink waiting for her at the bar.

House turned around with a wide grin on his face, watching Cuddy take the short round glass resting on the bar into her slender hand before she sniffed the pink colored liquid that with several ice cubes floating inside of it.

"What is this?" She asked walking back up to him.

"Just try it." House answered turning back around and opening up the lid to the grill.

"Impressive." Cuddy remarked, raising and eyebrow while looking down at the food he was preparing.

House let out a big sigh. "I know there really is _nothing_ I can't do." He answered back smugly.

"Of course having a mother-in-law wrapped around your finger does help out quite a bit doesn't it?" Cuddy countered while leaning into him.

"Stop talking so much and drink up." House muttered, looking over at her.

Cuddy smiled and brought the glass up to her lips, taking a precautionary small sip of the drink in her hand.

"Wow, this is really good!" She exclaimed with surprise as the taste of coconut, pineapple juice and a hint of cranberry moved over her tongue.

"It's my own creation." House boasted.

"You _are _trying to get me drunk!" Cuddy accused while studying his face.

"There's only a shot of coconut rum in that drink. I want you relaxed, not comatose." House informed her.

Cuddy smirked and took a much longer sip of her drink as her eyes moved down House's long and lean frame as he reached for the spatula to his right.

He had lost some weight in the past few months. Not much, but she had noticed. Especially in his mid section and upper body as his months of increased exercises along with the daily laps he been taking in their pool for several weeks now began to subtly transform his abs as well as the muscles in his arms making his shoulders seem even all the more broader as well..

Taking another sip of her drink as House polished off his beer and poked around at the food on the grill, Cuddy licked her lips. Wondering just how long she was going to be able to resist the urge to pull the white t-shirt House was wearing over his head so she could run her hands across the taunt muscles of his chest.

"Hey!" House said, snapping her out of her daze.

"Huh?" She answered back.

"Were you just undressing me with your eyes?" He asked her with a smirk.

"Don't worry….I only got as far as your shirt." Cuddy replied back with a shrug, taking another lingering sip of her cocktail.

House reached for her glass.

"Remember I said relaxed…. _not _comatose." He reminded her, seeing the firey look she gave him in return that made 'little house' stir with anticipation.

********************************************************

An hour later, House and Cuddy had finished their meal, with Cuddy emptying the glass that held her second mixed drink while House was just starting on his third beer.

The conversation between them had flowed with ease, laced with innuendo and laughter along with quick witted comebacks on both their parts……taking them miles away from the world around them.

And now as twilight gave way to night, House stood up from his chair, dropping his napkin on his plate before he pulled Cuddy into his arms when she stood up from her seat as well, holding onto the empty plate that had contained her meal with her left hand.

He pressed his lips against hers. His tongue sliding into her mouth and engaging her in a kiss that was warm, deep and filled with longing.

Leaning into his body, Cuddy tossed the plate she was holding back onto the table were it clattered against the teak wood top. The hollow sound of it never reaching her ears as it was drown out by the intensity of the kiss she was sharing with her husband.

Using the fingers of his right hand, House tugged at the knot of the sarong tied around Cuddy's waist. Removing it from her body and tossing it off to the side while backing her up towards the pool.

Cuddy glanced back at that the water before moving her hands to House's shirt. Pulling it over his head as he lifted his arms to help her with the task, tossing the shirt next to her discarded clothing and kissing his chest as her hands moved up and down on his toned arms. Taking a few more steps backwards as his hands gripped onto her hips.

"My watch." Cuddy whispered up to him as her fingers fumbled with the band of it before she released it from her wrist.

Tossing it on top of the sarong that rested on the concrete beside them , Cuddy looked up at House once more, seeing his eyes were burning with the scorching heat of desire.

House kissed her again, guiding her carefully backwards to the steps of the pool while feeling the palms of her hands pressing onto his chest before Cuddy pushed herself away from him as she made down to the last step where the warm water rested just below her knees.

Smiling, she then turned and faced the pool, giving him a great view of her gorgeous ass which was barely covered in the red material of the bikini bottom as she leaned forward, diving under the surface of the water and swimming to the other side.

Reaching the opposite side of the pool, Cuddy turned around underneath the water. Heading back to the shallow end, only getting a few strokes in before House caught up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her up to the surface.

Letting out a deep, excited breath, Cuddy listened to the sounds of the water running off of their bodies wrapping her legs around House's waist while he held her tightly against him as the buoyancy the water provided for them was allowing him to hold her with ease.

Moving one hand down to her ass, House whispered into the skin on her neck.

"You know you're very slippery when you're wet." He muttered, walking them both over to the side of the pool, near the deep end as he felt Lisa's heart beating against his chest as Bruce Springsteen begin to sing to them from the Tiki Bar.

_The screen door slams  
Mary's dress waves  
Like a vision she dances across the porch  
As the radio plays  
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely  
Hey that's me and I want you only  
Don't turn me home again  
I just can't face myself alone again  
_

Moving her fingers into his hair, Cuddy titled her head back as House's lips moved across her skin. Feeling her shoulders make contact with the wall of the pool, the water around them gliding across her breasts as he held her in place.

_You can hide 'neath your covers  
And study your pain  
Make crosses from your lovers  
Throw roses in the rain  
Waste your summer praying in vain  
For a savior to rise from these streets  
_

When House let his teeth graze over the delicate skin of her neck, Cuddy let out a soft moan. The alcohol she had consumed earlier, giving her a warm sensuous feeling that was being heightened by the friction of his stubble as his lips started to make their way back up to her mouth.

_Well now I'm no hero  
That's understood  
All the redemption I can offer, girl  
Is beneath this dirty hood  
With a chance to make it good somehow  
Hey what else can we do now  
_

Hearing her shallow breathing, House captured her lips once more with his own, pressing his erection between her thighs as Cuddy pushed her pelvis up to meet him.

_Except roll down the window  
And let the wind blow back your hair  
Well the night's busting open  
These two lanes will take us anywhere  
We got one last chance to make it real  
To trade in these wings on some wheels  
Climb in back  
Heaven's waiting on down the tracks  
_

House pulled away from their kiss, his mouth lowering to the groove where her collar bones met, his arms lifting her thighs so he could bring her breasts closer to his mouth.

"Greg!" Cuddy gasped as he pulled her body up further away from the surface of the water while her hands gripped onto his shoulders in surprise.

House looked up at her with his lips still placed between her cleavage, Smiling as he used his nose to push the fabric that was covering her let breast out of his way.

Keeping her eyes locked on him, Cuddy watched House's eyes grow wider as she reached behind her. Untying the strings of the bikini top on her neck and back before casually tossing the skimpy top over her left shoulder were it landed at the edge of the pool.

"Such a naughty girl." House said in a low whisper of approval, lowering his mouth to her right breast in an instant as his tongue then circled her nipple.

"Oh god that feels sooo good." Cuddy moaned as House started to gently stroke the pointed bud with the tip of his tongue, the fever of their desire burning hotter now as the need to consummate what they had to repress for six weeks almost intolerable at this point.

Releasing her breast from his mouth, House brushed his stubble across Cuddy's nipple as she released the grip she had around his waist with her legs, now standing before him in the water that rose just above her breasts.

Kissing him passionately once more Cuddy then reached for House's hand, guiding him out of the pool and watching a smile rise up on his face when she turned to her right instead of heading for the door that would lead them inside their home. Both of them now making their way over to the large chaise lounge tucked in-between potted plants and the warm glow of the tiki lights.

Keeping hold of his hand, Cuddy sat down on the large cushion, smiling up at House as he smiled down at her with a look in his eyes that made send an aching tingle between her thighs.

"Get up." House told her, tugging at her hand.

"Why?" Cuddy asked suspiciously.

"Because I'm going to make it worth your while." He answered back, watching Cuddy bite her bottom lip as she stood up with her wet hair clinging to the side of her neck.

House took her spot on the chaise and spread open his legs. Positioning her in front of him and moving his right hand up to the triangular patch of fabric that covered that part of her he wanted to taste again. Looking up at Cuddy as he stroked the area gently as a shallow breath of anticipation escaped her lips.

After giving her a smile, House moved his right hand over to her left hip, pulling the string on her biking bottom and watching it slide down to ther thigh before he did the same with the string on her right hip.

The material fell free from her body, down to the concrete patio beneath them as House then moved his mouth to the faint strip of hair between her thighs.

Cuddy tremble as she felt the warm summer breeze begin to dry the water on her skin, placing her other hand on House's shoulder as his tongue began to move over her clit with expert timing, applying pressure to it before backing off and gliding up and down on the heat that seemed to be pouring out of her body now.

She gasped, moving her left hand into the hair on the back of his head with House responded by grabbing onto her ass with his right hand while flattening out his tongue and pushing it harder against her nub that was now throbbing.

"Oh god." Cuddy moaned softly, tilting her pelvis up towards his face.

Hearing the words she had spoken, House moved his hand down from the curve of her ass, gently slipping his middle finger inside her from behind.

"Mmmmm." Cuddy hummed with a throaty voice as the amazing things House was doing to her with his mouth, tongue and fingers caused her fingers were drving her to the brink of estacy.

House continued the rhythm of his tongue and finger, intent on making Cuddy moan out his name as she experienced her orgasm.

"Stop." Cuddy suddenly gasped.

House looked up at her. "What's wrong?" He questioned stroking her hip with the fingers of his let hand.

"I want you inside of me." Cuddy said with eyes that were smoldering as they locked onto his, straddling him by placing her knees on the cushion.

House wrapped his arms around her waist, "Then that's what you're going to get," He whispered into her hair as he rolled her onto her back before she helped him pull off the swimming trunks he was wearing.

Moving her hands to his strong arms that were now placed beside her on the cushion, Cuddy felt House nudge her legs further apart as he looked down at her before he lowered his mouth and kissed her again, just barely entering inside of her and letting her adjust to the sensation once more before sliding forward with another two inches finding they way into her warmth. Moving his shaft in and out of her gently at first as rushing things and hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do.

"God you feel so good Lisa." House said with a shuddered breath, using everything he had inside of him not to put more power behind the thrust of his pelvis.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, Cuddy moved her pelvis up to meet him, allowing his length to sink slowly inside of her as she began to gently buck her hips in time with him.

God he felt so good and making love to him face to face again was enough to start her on the road to her orgasm very early in the game.

"Greg…oh god." She whispered into his neck before kissing it, letting him know by the increased tempo of her hips she wanted him to increase both his rhythm and his strength of his thrusts as well as the ache inside of her started screaming out with its demands.

Angling his hips House began pumping himself deeper inside of her, watching as Cuddy eyes slit and her lips parted.

"Just like that…" She moaned, pushing her hips up to meet his again with her eyes opening and looking directly into his as her hands slid down from his neck to his narrow hips. Her body feeling the resurrection of the passion inside of her that had returned with a fury thanks to the spot the tip of his penis was reaching right now.

House moved his right hand to her hip, wrapping his arm around her leg and lifting it up higher as he picked up the pace even more, feeling his own orgasm starting to rush to the surface.

"Oh god…right there!" Cuddy gasped placing the palms of her hand on his ass and gripping it tightly as her body shook underneath him while their hips continued to rock, feeling her orgasm wash over her...........leaving her legs weak and her heart pounding.

House let out a load groan as her muscles contract around shaft, shaking above her as he exhaled loudly. His climax traveling through every part of him as came inside of her with her name falling from his lips.

Within the next few seconds he lowered himself on top of her as Cuddy gently stroking his back with her lips kissing the side of his face.

Moving his lips over to hers, House kissed her softly. A smile.... mirroring the one on her face as he stared into her eyes as they both tried to catch their breats while the sounds of crickets chirping in the yard behind them mixed in with the song playing on the stereo.

_Well ah you dawned on me and you bet I felt it  
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted  
I fell right through the cracks  
And now I'm trying to get back_

The lonesome call of dove off in the distance that had been startled no doubt by the two of them making love outside however.........quickly made Cuddy's smile fall from her face.

"Oh my god the neighbors!" She whispered nervously up at House while he continued to stare down at her, keeping the smile upon his face.

"Relax. Most of the idiots around here are probably parked on their fat asses in front of the TV right now. And the ones who aren't are probably doing the same thing we were just doing." House told her confidently.

Cuddy touched his face while catching a glimpse of the stars that twinkled in the sky above him.

"I don't think that anyone can hold a candle to what we were just doing." She whispered before pulling him down into her kiss once more.

_So, I won't hesitate no more, no more,_

_It cannot wait… I'm sure_

_There's no need to complicate our time is short_

_This is our fate_

_I'm yours…._

**************************************************

The next morning, House was sleeping comfortably in the bed he shared with Cuddy. With his mind currently in the middle of a very erotic dream as the smile on his face was showing how much he was enjoying it.

In his dream Lisa was straddling him. Her hips moving in an intoxicating rhythm as she rose up and down on his shaft. Her breasts bouncing as she looked down at him with the smile that was only for him, filled with desire and telling him how much she enjoyed making love to him. The smile of a woman who was beautiful, smart and sexy as hell, wanting him and only him as much as he wanted her.

Letting out a groggy early morning moan of pleasure, House blinked his eyes open, leaving his dream behind as he looked over at Cuddy who was lying naked on her side with her left hand concealed under the sheets as she continued to stroke his rock hard erection.

"Good morning." She whispered over to him with a lustful smile as House push his hips up towards the ceiling once more.

House slid his arm underneath her, pulling Cuddy carefully on top of him in an instant.

"Oh!" She exclaimed with a surprised yet pleased voice as she gazed down at him.

"Good morning." House whispered, placing his hands on her sides so he could lift her breasts up to his mouth.

Cuddy gasped as he latched onto her left nipple. Her left hand grasping the headboard behind them as the palm of her right hand remained planted on House's chest. His eager response to her early morning seduction more powerful than she expected, making the ache between her thighs send a silky bath of moisture down to her core.

Flattening his tongue over the bud of her nipple, House felt Cuddy begin to rub her clit against his erection.

She was horny as hell this morning with last night's lovemaking only the first bright spark of the fire between them. Her sexual appetite a dead on match for his own as the irresistible woman on top of him was everything he thought he would never have with someone else.

Feeling the sexual arousal within him that was begging to be set free, House guided his right hand down to her ass, giving it a nice little smack while knowing that was one thing that really turned Lisa on even if she would never admit it him.

Hearing her moan in approval, he then caressed the spot he had just spanked with his fingertips. Moving his lips over to her right breast and rubbing his stubble against it before he sucked it into his mouth, flicking her nipple with the tip of his tongue.

"Greg that feels so good." Cuddy gasped, pressing her pelvis harder down on him.

The tremor in her voice sent another signal straight to his throbbing member, its need to be inside of her almost painful at this point.

Hearing the groan of longing escape his lips, Cuddy leaned back from him and lifting up before guiding his shaft inside of her.

Raising his eyes to the ceiling, House took in a ragged breath as Cuddy began to wind her hips.

Moving his hands up her back, he pulled her body close to him again. His lips kissing her neck with a heated pace, his teeth nipping at the delicate skin there.

"Jesus Lisa." House muttered in a low hot whisper as she rocked her hips in a motion meant to drive him wild.

Letting out a gasp, Cuddy titled her head down and kissed his lips, keeping up the pace of her hips that caused his shaft to plunge deeper and deeper inside of her.

"Do you like what I'm doing to you Greg?" She asked him in a whisper filled with lust with a smile on her face that was soaked in desire.

"Yes." House answered, groaning loudly as she rose up from him, placing her hands upon his chest.

Changing the motion of her hips, Cuddy moaned out his name, the mind blowing friction on her clit increasing as she rode his cock at this new angle.

House let out a loud gasp, locking eyes with her as he gripped her hips, thrusting himself up inside of her.

"Oh God!" Cuddy cried out, her body trembling as she felt the jolt of her orgasm releasing in pulsating waves.

House watched as Cuddy shut her eyes, throwing her head back as the motion in her hips continued, sending him into ecstasy.

He groaned out loudly, saying her name as the primal side of him took over. His hands moving down to her ass and gripping it possessively as he pumped into her again and again until he shuddered underneath her with everything inside of him bursting free for a few seconds in time, taking his breath away with it.

Breathing hard Cuddy slowed the motion in her hips as House closed his eyes, his mouth opening as he pulled the air around them into his lungs.

"You are fucking amazing." He managed to say, pulling her on top of him so her head could rest on his shoulder.

"You're not so bad yourself." Cuddy responded with smile, lifting her head to look down at him.

Moving a hand up into her hair, House kissed her forehead.

"You really need to wake me up like that every morning." He informed her, still gasping for air.

Cuddy laughed, caressing his chest with her hand.

"I'll see what I can do." She answered back, looking down at him and brushing her lips against him.

House deepened the kiss, moving both of his hands back down to her nice round ass again and giving it another squeeze, smiling against her lips when she gasped once more.

"You need to stop that or we'll never get out of this bed." Cuddy warned to him in a whisper once their lips had parted.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." House replied, looking up at her with a smirk.

"After that last performance as well as this morning's ……I think it's going to be a little while before either of us is ready for more. So what do you say about going out to breakfast before we pick up Jess?" Cuddy asked him softly, catching a glimpse at the peaceful express on his face before it was replaced with a wiry grin.

"Fine, but I get to choose where we go." House answered.

"Fine." Cuddy replied rolling her eyes with a smile on her face as she eased herself off of him.

"And I also get to choose how we get there." House added watching Cuddy roll back on her side to face him.

"What do you mean how we get there?" She asked with suspicion.

"It's time for you to make good on your promise to me." House replied as the realization of this statement moved across her face in the form of another smile.

********************************************************

A short while later, Cuddy stood out in the driveway of her home with her hand grasping the helmet resting on her hip as she watched House pull the black Triumph motorcycle out of the garage.

He was dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a dark red t-shirt. Looking as good as the bike sounded as the roar of the engine sent a excited shiver to the part of her that always did have a thing for bad boys. Making a smile appear on her face as he pulled up along side her.

Flipping up the visor on his helmet, House looked over at her, checking out her figure as Cuddy stood before him in low rise jeans that were tight in all the right places and wearing a black t-shirt with a v-line neck the showed off the very top curves of her breasts.

"You do know the girls are going to be bouncing around all over the place on this thing. Are you sure you've got them strapped in securely?" He asked her as the bottom part of the helmet concealed his smile.

"Would it be such a bad thing for you if they did pop out accidentally?" Cuddy answered back without missing a beat, getting ready to place the helmet onto her head.

"I guess you do have a point there sweet cheeks." House responded keeping his feet planted firmly on the ground, grabbing her ass with his right hand as she stepped towards him while slipping the helmet onto her head.

"Didn't you get enough of my ass this morning?" She asked him as she tightened the chin strap.

House arched his eyebrow.

"Your ass is waaaaay too big for me to ever get enough of it." He replied, giving her behind a nice smack.

"You better stop doing that." Cuddy warned, now speaking through the intercom system of the helmet as she reached for his shoulder, getting onto the back of the bike.

"Tell me you really don't like it and I will." House replied after hearing her voice through his own helmet as Cuddy's hands rested on his shoulders before sliding down to his waist.

After a few seconds of silence, House spoke again.

"Testing….…testing?" He said, picking up his feet and guiding the bike down the driveway.

"I can hear you." Cuddy responded curtly as he turned onto the street.

"Then you not answering my last question about the ass smacking thing had nothing to do with a malfunction of the intercom system?" House teased.

"No comment." Cuddy answered flatly, watching as House drove them down to the stop sign at the end of the street.

"That's what I thought naughty girl." House said with a wicked smile.

********************************************************

After turning down another back road on the scenic route that would take them to the 24 Hour diner on the outskirts of the city, House let off the gas a little as he negotiated his next turn, feeling Lisa lean with him into the curve.

"What was the name of the first guy who took you on a motorcycle ride?" House asked, noticing she was very at ease sitting behind him on the bike as her hands now rested softly the lower parts of his hips.

"Michael Shepard." Cuddy replied.

"So was this a high school guy or college guy?" House probed.

"High school guy and before you ask…….Michael was a senior and I was a sophomore." Cuddy answered back, watching the sun following them to their destination.

"Always had a thing for the older men huh?" House commented with a smug grin.

"No, the older men always have had a thing for me." Cuddy replied back smartly.

"Actually they have a thing for your ass." House remarked slowing the bike down again as he took the next turn.

"Ok….now that I know about your first, what was the name of the last guy who took you out on a motorcycle?" He then asked picking up speed again.

"Harold Walker, and before you ask…he ….was a stockbroker." Cuddy confessed, hearing House's laughter filling the inside of her helmet as she cringed.

"Please tell me Harold was not one of those three piece suit losers that rides a Harley on weekends just to try and prove that he does indeed still have a penis?" House questioned with amusement.

"He was and he did." Cuddy answered.

"Did you sleep with him?" House asked curiously.

"God no! Harold's idea of foreplay was to quote the latest Dow Jones." She answered back with a smirk.

"How about the high school senior? Did you sleep with him?" House asked.

"No!" Cuddy replied with shock.

"Why was he boring too?" House questioned.

"Greg I was only fifteen at the time." She reminded him.

"Well did you at least let him cop a feel?" House teased.

"He tried too……but I smacked his hand away. Believe it or not I was a very good girl in high school." Cuddy said with a laugh.

"Well…I'm just glad_ I_ got laid before we went on our little ride." House told her while grinning out at the road in front of them.

"Just remember mister…..someday _your daughter_ is going to be fifteen….." Cuddy starting to inform him, looking over House's shoulder as the diner they were heading to started to come into view.

"We'll talk about Jess being fifteen, when she's fifteen." House interrupted before she could continue, not wanting to even imagine at this point what the hell it would be like to have a teenage mirror image of his wife running around as horny teenage boys chased after her.

Cuddy smiled and left the topic untouched for now as House turned into the diner parking lot.

********************************************************

Meanwhile in a Cape Cod style house across town, Ruth stood above the mattress in the master bedroom with Bill at her side, looking down at Jessica who was lying on her back, dressed in a tiny peach colored sundress.

"You are such a pretty little girl!" Ruth said to the baby with a sweet voice, putting a tiny pair of white socks on the Jessica's feet as she looked down at her granddaughter.

"Oooh…….….OOOOhhhhh!" Jessica responded, kicking her feet and moving her arms.

Ruth laughed looking over at Bill.

"Have you ever seen a happier baby?" She questioned with delight as Bill leaned down to talk to Jessica as well.

"Nope I don't think I've seen a happier baby then this little sweetheart right here." Bill responded in a funny voice, tickling Jessica on her sides.

Jessica's face lit up with a big gummy smile, her eyes focusing in on the white mustache stretched across Bill's lips.

Ruth watched the way the baby's brow lifted and her mouth opened up again as she cooed softly to Bill.

"Oooh…ooh…aaah."

"I love the way Jessica looks at you." Ruth whispered placing her hand on Bill's back.

"She probably thinks I'm a walrus." Bill whispered back with a smile, picking up Jessica and kissing her on the cheek as he joked about his moustache.

Ruth laughed again, wrapped her arm around Bill's waist.

"You do not look like a walrus." She argued with a smile.

********************************************************

An hour later outside of Bill's home, Cuddy and House stood side by side by the front door after having gone back to their own home where House had parked the motorcycle inside the garage before they both headed upstairs to change into shorts and tanks tops as the day had begun to heat up. Returning to the garage once more where they had gotten inside Lisa's maroon Acura, ready to pick up their daughter.

"You need to stop!" Cuddy scolded, smacking House's hand away after he grabbed her ass for the third time as they continued to wait outside for either Ruth or Bill to answer the door.

"Stop wearing shorts like that and I will." House responded looking down at Lisa's gorgeous behind that was covered in the thin, light blue cotton material she was wearing.

"Yeah like a change in clothes is ever going to stop you from grabbing my ass." Cuddy scoffed just as the door opened.

"Lisa!" Ruth said with a smile, pulling her daughter into a hug.

"Hi mom." Cuddy responded hugging her mother back before Ruth stepped aside so that they could enter into the house.

"Look Jessica! Your Mommy and Daddy are here." Bill said smiling over at them with the baby in his arms as Lisa approached him.

"Hey sweetie! I've missed you sooooooo much!" Cuddy said with a happy smile, taking her daughter into her arms and kissing Jessica on the cheek as the baby began to squirm with excitement.

"So did Jessica really did do ok last night with you guys?" Cuddy asked her mother and Bill as they stood beside each other.

"Jessica did just fine. She was a little angel and I can't wait until we get to watch her again." Ruth assured her daughter before looking up a House as he looked down at the baby, making a face at her.

Kicking her feet, Jess let out a loud coo, her little arms reaching up for Daddy's face.

"Oh ..I think someone really missed you." Cuddy said with soft smile, turning towards House.

House gave his daughter a wiry grin, "Hey kid how was the sleepover? Did Grammy try and stick her tongue down Grandpa's throat the whole time, or did she actually behave herself?" He asked while taking Jessica into his arms.

"Actually we waited until after Jessica was asleep before we made out." Bill said with a grin as Ruth blushed.

"Is that right?" House questioned, looking over at Ruth as he held his daughter.

"Greg……..don't start." Ruth warned, looking over at Jess.

House gave her an evil smirk.

"Come on Ruth…. tell me all about how Bill gets your kitty to purr." House said in a low whisper making sure Jessica was facing her grandmother.

"Greg!" Cuddy yelled in shock, looking up at him.

"What? She started it." House responded, smiling over at Ruth.

"No she didn't!" Cuddy replied, mortified at what he had just said.

"My kitty?" Ruth questioned, furrowing her brow for a second and looking up at Bill who whose cheeks were flushed before she gasped, placing her hand over her mouth when she realized the 'kitty' House was talking about.

House watched as Ruth's eyes seared into him with her hand dropping to her side.

"Well are you going to tell me or not?" House said boldly while moving the baby out in front of him.

*******************************************************

**Cuddy~House Residence…….**

"I still can't believe you said what you did to my mother!" Cuddy commented down to House who was standing in the shallow end of the pool in a pair of dark red swimming trunks as she walked out onto the patio barefoot with Jessica in her arms.

"I could have said something worse to her. Besides your mom deserves it after all the crap she put me through when she used to hate me." House commented back to her looking up at Cuddy who had changed into a dark blue bikini that was not as revealing as the one he had bough her, but still was enticing enough to wet his appetite before he smiled at Jess who Lisa had changed into a tiny, one piece pink bathing suit.

"Well if you want my Mom to start hating you again, keep it up." Cuddy warned, slowly walking down the steps of the pool.

"Your mom will never hate me because Jessica is my ace in the hole with her. Aren't ya kid?" House questioned, taking the baby from her.

"Be careful." Cuddy whispered, watching House back up into the pool until the water was waist deep on him.

"Relax." House answered back rolling his eyes, "Ready Jess?" He then said, smiling down at his daughter as he bobbed her little legs up and down in the water.

The baby kicked her feet with a wide eyed expression upon her face.

"How do you like this BIG bathtub Jess?" House asked his daughter with amusement.

The baby squinted as the bright sunlight reflected in the water of the pool as the feel of warm water on her feet and the sound of her Daddy's voice caused her to let out a high pitched squeal of happiness.

House laughed watching his daughter become overjoyed with her first dip in the pool before carefully placing one of his hands over her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun as he turned her around, supporting Jessica's bottom with his other hand and resting her small body against his chest.

He then bent his knees and sunk further down into the water as Cuddy waded towards them with a tiny pair of pink sunglass held in her hand.

Seeing her mother approaching, Jessica's feet went into high gear again as the soles of them splashed against the water while House held onto her.

"Hey there little mermaid! You need to get these on!" Cuddy said, laughing as she carefully placed the glasses on her daughter's tiny face.

"Tell mommy to bend over a little bit more Jess." House whispered down to his daughter as his eyes moved over Cuddy's breasts.

Cuddy gave him an irritated look that had a hint of a smile attached to it as she squatting down in the water in front of him, reaching for Jessica.

"Come on! Swim Jess! Kick those little legs!" Cuddy then cheered with a huge grin moving the baby through the water towards her in a waddling motion.

House watched how animated Lisa's face became as she spoke to their daughter, her eyes holding a sparkle within them that rivaled the sun with her voice high pitched and filled with utter happiness.

"Oh…. you made it Jessica! Wow…you are a really GOOD swimmer!!" Cuddy said, praising her daughter and bringing Jessica up out of the water so she could kiss her face before turning the baby around so she was facing House again.

"Ready Daddy?" Cuddy asked him with a smirk.

House gave her an amused look before extending his arms out towards Jessica.

"Come girl…show me what you got!" He then said, wrapping his hands completely around his daughter's tiny waist and putting his lips together as he vibrated them, thereby mimicking the sound of a motorboat.

The baby squealed with joy again, slapping her hand down into the water before she froze with an awed expression overtaking her face as she saw the droplets of water fly up into the air, shimmering in the sunlight around her before they fell back into the pool.

Holding her in place, House watched his daughter looking down into the water below them. Flexing her tiny fingers under the surface of it before she smacked at it again, letting out a yell as she bounced up in down in the water with her small body being held secured in his hands.

"Pretty cool huh?" House whispered to her, bringing Jessica up to his chest as she looked up at him with the adorable tiny sunglasses framing her face.

"Very cool." Cuddy whispered watching them both with a smile displayed on her face.

Glancing over at Cuddy as the rays of sun reflected in the shine of her dark hair, House felt the smile on his face begin to grow.

"Ready Mommy?" He asked with a smirk before turning the baby back around to face her.


	85. Chapter 85

**Two more chapters after this one folks! And thanks again for all your amazing reviews ;)**

**Chapter 85**

Two months later and on a bright and sunny Saturday morning in the month of August, Cuddy was standing in the master bedroom of her home putting on the set of pearl earrings she had just taken out of her jewelry box while dressed in the lilac brides maid gown she had tried on many months ago in preparation for her mother's wedding.

On the other side of the room, House was leaning down beside their bed with his hands placed on the mattress, currently dressed in a white buttoned down shirt and black tuxedo pants.

"Ready kid?" He asked Jessica, who was lying on her back looking up at him with a smile on her face.

"Go!" House then said enthusiastically with a huge grin, moving his hands off of the mattress.

With her Daddy coaxing her, Jessica turned her body to the right, succeeding in flipping over onto her belly.

"Good job!" House said with an amused laugh as Cuddy approached the opposite side of bed where her daughter was now facing.

"What a Big Girl you are! You did it Jess!" Cuddy cheered, bending down to kiss the baby on the forehead.

"Ah ha….AH HA!" Jessica exclaimed with a cute high pitched laugh, kicking her feet while reaching up and grabbing two tiny fistfuls of her mother's dark locks that had fallen down from her shoulders.

"Hey there missy! Are you trying to mess up mommy's hair?" Cuddy scolded sweetly. Expertly unraveling her daughter's little fingers from her curls while Jessica's big blue eyes studied her face.

Looking over at them, House's eyes traveled across the material of the lilac colored gown Cuddy was wearing as she stood back up.

The design of the dress had an innocent quality to it while sinfully enhanced by the tanned skin of Lisa's toned body along with her loose flowing curls….creating an almost irresistible package that he was determined to unwrap.

"Greg?" Cuddy asked with her hands on her hips.

"Huh?" House questioned, snapped out of his thoughts of sliding his hands underneath the pretty dress she was wearing.

"I just told you to finish getting ready, now come on." Cuddy repeated before she picked up Jessica who was wearing a white summer dress with tiny lilac colored flowers printed onto the fabric.

Standing u, House limped over to Cuddy as she held Jessica in her arms.

"This looks really good on you." He informed her slyly as he placed his hand onto her hip with his fingertips caressing the material of the dress.

"Don't' get any ideas, we have to get moving." Cuddy warned as Jessica stared up at her.

"It's not the ideas you have to worry about. It's the execution of them you should be concerned with." House responded, sliding his hand down further and onto her thigh as he stepped closer to her.

Taking in the scent of the cologne he was wearing Cuddy smiled with her eyes locking onto his.

"We can't." She whispered, taking a step back from him as she tried to push aside the thought in her mind that had noticed how sexy he looked right now with his shirt half unbuttoned and his hair in a alluring messing state from the rough towel dry he had just given it, leaving her in a very dangerous position.

Coming to her Mommy's rescue, Jessica reached up and smacked House playfully on his jaw with her small hand.

"Ouch!" House exclaimed with a smirk, playing along with his daughter who was givng him a huge smile.

"Mmmmmmm……hmmmm…..MMMM…HMMMMM!" The baby hummed.

"Oh so you wanna play rough huh?" House asked, grabbing Jessica's hand and placing it up to his mouth while acting like he was going to bite it.

The baby laughed, kicking her feet while thoroughly enjoying the moment with her Daddy.

Seizing the opportunity in front of her, Cuddy moved past House, heading for the door.

"I'm going to get Jessica's hat, now hurry up and finish getting ready!" She told him.

Before she was too far away, House reached out and grabbed her ass, giving it a hardy squeeze and smiling when he heard a gasp escape her lips.

"You can't run forever!" He then informed her as Cuddy crossed the threshold and turning to her left, heading towards the baby's room.

********************************************************

Walking up to the dresser in Jessica's room where a tiny white sun hat with small purple colored flowers printed upon that matched her daughter's dress rested, Cuddy hummed softly to her baby, still smiling over the comment House had just made to her.

"You are going to look _so_ cute with on." She told her daughter, looking down at Jessica as she placed the hat onto her head.

The baby's brow furrowed, not sure of what had just been put on her head with her little mind trying to decipher if she liked the feel of this strange thing or not.

Laughing at the puzzled expression on her daughter's face, Cuddy kissed the baby's cheek.

"Honey, you have to keep this on so the sun doesn't get in your eyes today." She said gently as Jessica looked up at her.

"And you also have to keep distracting your Daddy for me today so he doesn't try and talk me into doing some very naughty things during your Grammy's wedding." Cuddy added continuing to smile down at her daughter.

The baby listened intently to what her Mother was telling her until the shine of the pearl necklace Cuddy was wearing caught her eye.

Reaching out her tiny hand, Jessica touched one of the pearls with her eyes growing wide with amazement at what she was seeing.

"You know your Daddy gave this necklace to me just before we found out about you." Cuddy whispered, kissing the top of the Jessica's head.

"Ooooooooooohh." The baby answered with a coo, moving her other hand up to the necklace as she continued to study it.

********************************************************

Thirty-five minutes later, House, Cuddy and Jessica had arrived at a small winery on the outskirts of Princeton where Bill and Ruth were to be married.

The rolling landscape of the vineyard was filled with endless rows of plants. The vines that stretched out on wires that connected them to each other, heavy with the dark purple grapes of the season.

On the secluded property and off in the distance, were several stone buildings nestled around a serene and picturesque pond that had an elaborate flower garden bordering it's edges which were capped off by four weeping willow trees near the left side of its bank.

Out in the center of the garden, a small white stage had been constructed, with four tall white columns placed on the corners of it. Atop the columns was sheer flowing white drapery bowed in the centers as they looped from one column to the next which were adored with Wisteria vines that cascaded down from the pillars with clusters of light purple flowers clinging to them.

After riding past the area where the wedding would be held, House parked park the car in front of a large barn that had a stone foundation running about five feet up from the ground before the structure continued with long wooden planks that had been painted white.

Looking out of the windshield of the car as he undid his seatbelt, House spotted Wilson and Cindy as they snuck out of a side door to the building, holding hands as Cindy rested her head on Wilson's shoulder for a few brief seconds.

"I think Wilson just got lucky out in the barn with Cindy." House commented over to Cuddy as he continued to watch his best friend, who had a huge smile plastered across his face.

"Stop it." Cuddy scolded, unbuckling her seatbelt before she gazed out of the windshield as well.

"Oh." She then said in hushed tone with her mouth opening a bit as she saw Wilson stop a few feet from their car…..oblivious to their presence as he pulled Cindy into a very passionate kiss before he looked up from her face and spotted the Acura, smiling sheepishly over at them.

"See …I told you, if that isn't the reaction of a man who just got some naughty nookie I don't know what is." House informed his wife smugly while opening up his car door.

Holding onto both of Cindy's hands, Wilson focused his attention back to her.

"I love you." He whispered watching the sunlight play upon the golden strands of her hair.

"I love you too." Cindy whispered back, kissing him softly on the lips.

"Hey Cindy, just thought you should know….…you've got some straw in your hair and pitch fork marks on your ass!" House yelled over to them with smirk as he leaned against the side of the car.

"Ignore him." Cuddy yelled in response from the other side of the car, shooting House a glare when he looked back at her with an evil smile.

Still holding onto Cindy's right hand, Wilson, who was also dressed in a black tuxedo, gave House an annoyed look as they walked up to them.

"I see you brought your sparkling personality with you today." He replied back sarcastically.

"It's like his American Express card he never leaves home without it." Cuddy remarked, adjusting the hat on Jessica's head as she lifted the baby out of her car seat.

"Oh my! Jessica looks so adorable!" Cindy exclaimed as Cuddy made her way over to them from the other side of the car.

"Thank you." Cuddy responded with smile, glancing down at her daughter.

"Jessica, you look _so_ pretty today! Just like a little princess!" Cindy continued sweetly with a huge smile on her face as the baby smiled back at her.

Folding his arms over his chest, Wilson watched Cindy continue to talk to the baby as Cuddy handed Jessica to her, the smile on his own face stretching the corners of his mouth.

Looking over at his friend, House leaned closer to Wilson.

"So did Cindy ride the pony in the barn or did the pony ride her?" House asked, studying Cindy's profile as the light peach dress with spaghetti straps that she was wearing hugged the curves of her body.

"We did not have sex in the barn." Wilson muttered back before looking down at his watch.

"Come on we've to keep on schedule." He then said, looking back up at House and motioning in the direction of a small building to the right where Bill was waiting for them.

"Are you sure _you're _not supposed to be the one wearing the dress wedding planner?" House snarked as Wilson grabbed his arm, leading him down the cobblestone path to the structure.

Turning to face Cuddy again as House limped down the path with Wilson following beside him, Cindy felt Jessica reach up and touch a lock of her hair.

"It looks a lot different then your mommy's huh?" Cindy whispered, smiling down at the baby while Jessica studied the strands of hair at her fingertips before she gave it a tug.

"Oh!" Cindy gasped, surprised at power of Jessica's grip.

"Hold on." Cuddy said with a laugh, moving her hands over to Jessica's fist that had wrapped tightly around Cindy's blonde hair and freeing it from her daughter's grasp within a matter of seconds.

"Thanks." Cindy said with a laugh, using her free hand to sweep her shoulder length hair out of the baby's reach.

"Hey you two! Quit talking about how great I am in the sack and get you're asses moving before Bill realizes what a big mistake he's making!" House yelled up from the bottom of the hillside at them just before he entered into the building with Wilson.

Cuddy shook her head, letting an exasperated sigh while knowing that the wedding guests seated down by the pond had probably just heard what he had said.

"Lisa, I have to ask you........how do you handle being around House all day at work and at home without going crazy?" Cindy questioned, rocking Jessica in her arms as both women turned towards the building on their left where Ruth was waiting for them.

"He's great in the sack. So it's easy to let a lot of other stuff slide." Cuddy replied with a smile while shrugging her shoulders.

********************************************************

A short while later in the middle of the flower garde, Bill took in a deep breath. Standing with his hands clasped in front of him before the elegantly decorated altar as the music of a string quartet seated off to his left began to play.

Standing beside him with his cane held in his right hand, House leaned closer to Bill, whispering to him.

"You know it's still not too late to make a run for it." He said with an evil smile.

Bill smiled over at House letting a small chuckle escape his lips.

"There is no place else in this world I'd rather be today than right here. Wouldn't you agree?" Bill said softly, nodding down the aisle as Lisa appeared at the end of it, holding Jessica in her arms.

House followed Bill's gaze, unable to hide his smile as Jessica babbled out loudly into the summer air with Cuddy trying her best not to laugh, looking radiate in her lilac colored gown as she made her way towards them as the wedding guests seated on both sides of her were unable to take their eyes away from heartwarming image of mother and daughter.

"You know it's still hard to believe that _you_ actually got married before I did." Bill whispered, giving House a sideways glance.

"Save the talking for the ceremony Gramps." House answered back dryly before he focused his gaze to Cuddy once more as she stopped at the first row of chairs in front of the altar, kissing Jessica on the cheek and handing the baby off to Cindy before making her way up to the opposite side of the altar.

The musicians then changed the tempo of the song they had been playing, slowly it down a bit as Ruth began to walk down the aisle, taking Bill's breath away the moment he saw her.

"Wow." Bill said with a hushed voice as his eyes moved across Ruth's face that was smiling up at him.

"Just remember Tiger…no naughty senior acts until _after_ the ceremony. So try and keep it in your pants." House muttered under his breath with an amused smirk as Ruth drew closer to them.

********************************************************

The moment that Ruth's gaze met Bill's steel blue eyes, she took in a deep breath, her heart so filled with love for the man who had come into her life with a gentle smile and soft spoken words guiding her through the darkness that surrounded her, bringing her out into the light she had feared for so very long.

While escorting Ruth down the aisle to where Bill was waiting for her, Wilson felt her fingers suddenly squeeze onto his bicep, her chestnut brown eyes shimmering with tears as her hand trembled with the emotions that racing through her mind.

Placing his free hand over top of hers, Wilson whispered over to Ruth.

"I know House being Bill's best man is a very painful thing to witness, but really it's not _that bad_ Ruth." He joked, coaxing a small smile and soft laugh out of her that helped to keep Ruth's tears at bay for the moment.

"Speak for yourself." Ruth joked in return, smiling up at Wilson as they continued to walk down the aisle, with only a few more steps separating her from the man who she would love for the rest of her life.

Looking at Ruth as the smile on her face continued to grow, Bill watched her in silent appreciation. The woman who had entered into his life and captured his heart from the first moment they had met, looking absolutely stunning in the rose colored dress that she was wearing, making all of the flowers in the garden surrounding her pale in comparison to her beauty, taking his breath away once more as his heart was left humbled by her presence.

Reaching the small stage with Ruth on his arm, Wilson offered her hand to Bill, who graciously took it in his own.

"Congratulations guys." Wilson said simply, nodding at both Ruth and Bill before he turned around, taking the empty seat next to Cindy in the front row.

Holding onto Ruth's hand, Bill leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek, the scent of her perfume filling his nose with her slender hand squeezing his own as they turned in unison to face the preacher.

As the preacher began to speak, House focused his eyes over to Cuddy, watching the happiness displayed on her face as her gaze stayed fixated on Bill and her mother.

Her head was titled to one side ever so slightly, her grey eyes glistening with tears that were yet to be shed as her full bottom lip drawn was into her mouth a bit as she smiled.

Catching House staring at her, Cuddy's smile became fuller as she admired how devastating handsome he looked in his tuxedo with his blue eyes shining brighter than the sun at that very moment as he looked back at her.

Suddenly aware of the fact that the corners of his own mouth had been stretched into a smile as well that told of things he did not like to be put on public display. Especially around a group of wedding guests who no doubt would annoy the crap out of him today, House quickly glanced down towards Cuddy's chest. Watching her eyes widen and her mouth release its smile as she silently scolded him before darting those same beautiful grey eyes back over to Bill and her mother just as Bill took hold of Ruth's hands, getting ready to recite his vows to her.

Looking down at Ruth's small hands that were resting in his own, Bill brushed his thumbs across the tops of them, moving his eyes up towards her lovely face as he began to speak.

"Ruth, I find my courage when I look into your eyes. And in your smile, I know I am home." Bill began to say as he felt his throat tighten as his love for the woman standing beside him beagn to overwhelm him.

Ruth felt Bill's strong hands began to tremble as they held onto her own hands, causing one of the tears held captive within her eyes to escape, rolling silently down her cheek.

"You are my springtime. My hope and my joy. You are everything that's good, pure and true….and I promise I will spend my lifetime making sure you never have to question my love for you. " Bill finished, speaking in a gentle voice, never once letting his eyes stray away from her face.

After pausing for a moment so that Ruth could wipe away another stray tear from her eye, the preacher then spoke.

"Ruth you may go ahead and recite your vows to Bill." The pastor coaxed as he looked down at her.

Nodding Ruth took in a deep breath, squeezing Bill's hand as she began to speak.

"Bill." Ruth said softly, gazing up into his handsome face and hoping she would be able to get her words out without breaking down and crying.

"Mmmmmm….Hmmmmmm!" Jessica interrupted, humming loudly as her wide blue eyes stared at her Daddy.

"Shhh....honey." Cindy whispered gently as the wedding guests laughed at the precious little baby's display of excitement.

"Mmmmmm…Hmmmmm!!!" Jessica hummed again, keeping her eyes fixated on House as her fingers continued to flex with urgency towards him.

Smiling over at her granddaughter briefly, Ruth then turned to face House as Bill chuckled beside her.

"You should go and get her Greg, it's obvious Jessica wants you to hold her." Ruth whispered over to him.

House nodded, handing Bill his cane and quickly limping down off the stage and over to Cindy, where Jessica practically hopped up into his arms.

"Quit trying to steal the spotlight kid." He whispered to his daughter with amusement, placing her up towards his shoulder as he limped back up to the platform.

Turing her head, Jessica placed both of her hands on her Daddy's face, resting her forehead on his chin as she smiled. Her actions delighting the crowd surrounding her who laughed again while a few "awwws" escaped the lips of many of the women seated in the middle of the garden.

"You are such a diva." House said with smirk, limping over to Bill.

"Hey sweetheart." Bill whispered to the baby, tickling her chin as he handed House back his cane.

The baby squirmed, resting her head against her daddy's shoulder as he shifted her over to his left side, smiling over at Bill before her eyes drifted over to Ruth and Cuddy as House positioned himself beside Bill once more.

"Ooooooohhhhhhhhhh…." Jessica cooed, smiling over at Mommy and Grammy as they in turned smiled back at her.

"Shhh…… your Grandpa wants to get married before he kicks the bucket kid." House said in a voice that was loud enough for all the wedding guests to hear, which of course led to more laughter erupting inside the garden.

Winking at Jessica, the preacher then turned to face Bill and Ruth again.

"Are you ready to continue with your vows Ruth?" He asked.

Ruth nodded, looking up Bill once more while feeling her heart beating fast inside her chest as she prepared herself to say all of the things she had rehearsed in her mind for the past several weeks.

"Bill, because of you, I laugh, smile, and dare to dream again. You have helped me let go of the past and embrace the future. Whenever I am in danger of losing myself your gentle voice and tender smile lead me back to the love we share. When I look at you….I see hope as endless as the sky above us today and when you look at me _I hope_ you see that my love for you is as endless as the tides in the ocean." Ruth said, watching the way Bill was looking at her right now and placing the memory of his face at that exact moment deep within her heart.

Standing behind her mother, Cuddy took in a deep breath, wiping away the tear that had fallen down her cheek with her index finger as the preacher then instructed Bill and her Mother to exchange their rings.

Within a few more minutes, Ruth and Bill had placed their gold bands on each other fingers, smiling as they heard the next words that were spoken by the preacher.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I now present to you on this glorious summer day, Bill and Ruth Martin. Bill you may now kiss your bride."

Wasting no time, Bill moved one hand to Ruth's waist and the other up into her dark hair…… kissing her softly on the lips.

Standing on her tiptoes, Ruth then deepened the kiss for a few brief seconds causing everyone within the crowd seated before them to gasp in surprise.

At seeing her grandparents doing what she often witnessed her Mommy and Daddy doing, Jessica reached out her little arm, slapping Bill on the shoulder with the palm of her hand as she laughed at them in a high pitched voice.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah ha ha ha ha!" The baby exclaimed, kicking her feet with joy before her eyes darted over to the crowd of people in front of her who were laughing loudly at her comical display while clapping in approval for the married couple in front of them as well.

Jessica's little mind was amazed by the sound coming from the people surrounding her, her big blue eyes growing wide as she looked up at her Daddy in wonder.

"Show off." House muttered down to his daughter with a smile, watching Jessica move her eyes back to the crowd, kicking her feet and shaking her arms as she cooed back at them happily.

********************************************************

After the ceremony had ended, Bill and Ruth along with their wedding guests moved from the garden to the shade of a large white tent that had been set up next to the barn Cindy and Wilson had emerged from earlier.

The furnishings inside the canopy had the feel of an elegant ballroom, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and fine pink rose colored linen adoring the round dining tables.

At the center of each of the tables were long slender topiaries with pale pink roses and white lilies arranged within circular balls of ivory, the base of the topiaries illuminated with soft white candles that surrounded them.

Beneath the tables, a large concrete patio of gray cement had been concealed by a dark mauve colored carpet as well as a wooden dance floor, where the band seated behind it was currently playing a soft melody as the attendants of the reception finished eating their meals amid laughter and conversations.

Seated at the bride's and groom's table were of course Bill and Ruth along with House, Cuddy, Wilson, and Cindy, with Jessica currently being held by her grandmother.

"You were such a good little girl today!" Ruth said with a wide grin, leaning down and kissing Jessica repeatedly on her nose, eyes and mouth as the baby laughed in response.

"Good?" House questioned arching an eyebrow while leaning back in his chair and placing his left arm around the back of Cuddy's chair.

"That munchkin disrupted the wedding ceremony several times _and _she assaulted Bill. If that would have been me …_your _daughter would have reamed me out big time in the high pitched hyena voice you both have." House stated before taking a sip of his scotch and smiling over at Jessica as she watched him.

"You're just jealous that _your _daughter upstaged you while remaining absolutely adorable while she did it. You know you could learn a few things from Jessica, like how to be charming while still fulfilling your need to be the center of attention." Cuddy teased, leaning towards him with a huge smile on her face.

House smiled back at Cuddy with an evil grin, glancing down at her breasts before he spoke.

"You of all people should know I don't need any lessons on charm considering how many times I've charmed the panties right off of your body." He replied keeping his eyes locked onto hers.

Cuddy's mouth fell open in shock as everyone at the table smiled at her reaction, with Wilson stifling a chuckle by bringing up his fist to his mouth.

"I …_you_…..." Cuddy stuttered, narrowing her eyes at House before getting up from her chair and addressing all of them.

"I'm going to get a glass of wine at the bar. Do any of you want anything?" She asked quickly, looking around the table at each of them.

"I'll take another scotch." House said with an innocent smile, raising his glass in front of him.

"Well then I guess you'll need to _charm _someone else into getting if for you and I hope for your sake, Wilson wore his pretty panties today." Cuddy replied back to him smartly before turning and leaving the table.

"Wait Lisa, I'll go with you." Cindy said, giving House a dirty look as she left her seat as well.

Shaking his head, Wilson laughed while looking over at House who was watching Cuddy making her way over to the bar with Cindy by her side.

"One day Lisa is going to end up inflicting serious physical harm on you because of your wise ass remarks." He warned his friend before taking a sip of his beer.

House rolled his eyes taking another sip of his scotch.

"No she won't because deep down inside she likes. Adds a little spice to the love life......like for instance having sex out in barn in the middle of wedding does." House said with a glimmer in his eyes.

Noticing the expression on House's face, Ruth turned to face Wilson.

"You and Cindy had sex out in the barn?" She questioned with a smirk on her face.

"Wilson ….you dog!" Bill chimed in with a smile, looking over at the Oncologist as well with amusement.

"Cindy and I _did not _have sex out in the barn." Wilson stated, looking back at both of them before shooting a glare in House's direction.

"Oh I'm sorry Wilson……….let me correct my statement to you. I guess what I should have said is that you and Cindy _made love_ out in the barn. There is that better?" House asked, folding his arms in front of him with a smug grin.

"No that's not better because we didn't DO ANYTHING." Wilson argued back, pointing his finger at House as he leaned his elbows against the table.

Looking at intense gaze on Wilson's face, Jessica started to laugh, producing a small hiccup along with her squeals of delight, causing everyone at the table to turn their attention to her.

"See not even my kid believes your sorry ass story." House commented with a grin as Ruth started to dote on her grandchild.

"Oh my goodness! Do you have the hiccups honey? Here let Grammy make it all better." She said sweetly, bringing Jessica up to her right shoulder, gently patting her back.

The baby's eyes stay glued on Wilson, laughing at him with a hiccup before she gummed down on her tiny fist.

Unable to hold the scowl on his face, Wilson grinned, touching the top of the baby's head.

"Jessica, I only hope you stay as cute as you are now and avoid inheriting the jerk chromosome of you daddy." Wilson said softly over to the baby as she lifted her head and gave him a big smile before resting her cheek back down on Ruth's shoulder.

Studying Wilson as he talked to Jessica, House started to wonder if maybe his friend was telling the truth about not have sex with Cindy out in the barn with his mind now determined to find out exactly what really did happened between his best friend and the woman who was clearly head of heels in love with.

Casually, House reached behind his chair where his tuxedo jacket rested on the back of it, pulling out two cigars from the breast pocket.

"Hey barnstormer….wanna go out and have a smoke with me?" He then asked his friend.

Wilson looked over at House suspiciously. "Only if you agree not to talk about that stupid barn and what you think happened in there between me and Cindy." He replied.

House nodded. "Consider it done." He answered with a lie.

********************************************************

A short while later, after leaving the reception, Wilson and House sat a top a weathered picnic table at the edge of the pond on the winery, with their sleeves of their dress shirts rolled up, smoking their cigars.

The distance between them and the white canopy was about twenty five odd feet give or take a yard with the sound of music inside the reception drifting out to them on the summer breeze.

"So did Cindy learn a new trick that you do not consider to be sex, but which does involve her mouth and your penis?" House asked taking the cigar out of his mouth.

"No… and even if she did, I certainly wouldn't tell you ….and….you promised we wouldn't be talking about this." Wilson answered shooting him a disgusted look.

Ignoring his last statement House continued.

"You didn't ask Cindy to marry you …did you?" House probed, puffing on the cigar he had placed back into his mouth as he stared over at Wilson.

"No…I didn't." Wilson answered, holding the gaze between them while his cigar lay smoldering between his finger and thumb.

"Then what the hell went on out in the barn?" House asked in an irritated voice, pointing in the direction of the large structure in front of them, "And before you try and lie again.....I saw the way you were looking at Cindy before you kissed her and if it wasn't sex or a marriage proposal…...then….." House started to say before pausing when noticing that Wilson was trying his damdest not to smile.

"Oh no." House muttered, lowering his hand with the cigar held within it away from his mouth and resting it on the side of his lap.

"Oh yes." Wilson replied letting the huge smile take over his face.

"You knocked her up?" House questioned with wide eyes, still in shock.

"I sure did." Wilson replied back proudly, placing his cigar back up to his lips and puffing on it a few times while the wide grin remained on his face.

For a few seconds House said nothing, his eyes searching Wilson's face that was beaming with pride.

"So how far along is she?" House asked, breaking the silence between them.

"About five weeks." Wilson answered with a smile.

"Did she do the home test or a blood test at the hospital?" House questioned.

"We did the home test first then Cindy went to see Doctor Taylor to confirm. He called her this morning on our way over here to let us know the results." Wilson explained.

"So when are you going to ask Cindy to marry you?" House asked, knowing his friend all to well.

Wilson rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

"I started to ask her while we were out in the barn, but before I could finish…….Cindy stopped me by telling me all she wanted to do for now was enjoy the news of our baby for a little while and that we had plenty of time to talk about getting married later." Wilson confessed.

House smirked, while inside of his head the wheels began to spin.

"Hmmm……this is very interesting. You as always are trying to play the Knight in shining armor…yet Princess Cindy shot you down before you even got off your Steed. So tell me Wilson…how does it feel to know Cindy thinks marrying you would be the kiss of death for your relationship?" He asked, watching his friend get up from the picnic table.

"Cindy didn't shoot me down. She just said we'd talk about it later." Wilson responded in his defense, snubbing out his cigar on the edge of the picnic table

"I don't know about you Jimmy…..but where I come from _we'll_ _talk about it later_ is code for saying hell no." House informed him.

"No, where you come from your wife actually said the words 'NO' to you when you proposed to her in Vegas before you somehow convinced her that getting married to a Jerk was in her best interest." Wilson remarked starting to head back to the reception.

"Lisa told you that?" House asked.

"Yes…..and if I recall correctly…Lisa also told me that little gem right after you announced to the nurses in the clinic last week that exam room seven was off limits because that is where you and the Dean of Medicine have you afternoon spank sessions." Wilson replied with a grin.

"Telling my best friend confidential information is a low blow…..even for my wife" House muttered while angry with himself for underestimating Cuddy's abilities when it came to evening the score with him.

"Oh come on House …remember…….it's just like you said earlier. Embarrassing the person who you are in a relationship with adds a little spice to your love life….right?" Wilson teased, starting to walks towards the canopy once more.

House gave Wilson a glare as his friend started to chuckle.

"You know what…you're right Wilson and since I am in such a good mood and totally turned on right now. I think once I head back inside to the reception I'll grab the microphone from the band and congratulate Cindy on getting knocked up with a little Wilson before lifting my wife up onto the bar and make her moan out an apology to me for being a blabbermouth." House countered, crushing the stub of his cigar under his foot after he had dropped it to the ground.

"House no! I promised Cindy I wouldn't say anything about the baby to anyone yet!"" Wilson replied, placing his hand on House's chest.

House looked down at Wilson's hand.

'What's it worth to you for me to keep my mouth shut?" House questioned, looking back up into his friend's face.

"You are _not _going to use the knowledge of my baby as blackmail material against me House." Wilson said, pointing his finger at House.

"Are you really sure you want to call my bluff?" House asked in return with a wiry grin.

********************************************************

"Just remember we have a deal House so you better not screw me over." Wilson reminded his friend as they ducked back inside the large tent where the reception was now kicking into high gear as the wedding guests crowding onto the dance floor, waiting to take a spin around the floor with Ruth and Bill.

"I can't believe you don't trust me to hold up my end of the bargain." House remarked in a hurt tone to Wilson, spotting Cuddy as she finished dancing with Bill while Cindy stood next to the long table filled with wedding gifts, holding Jessica who was mesmerized by the people and music surrounding her.

Wilson scoffed at House's reply, catching Cindy's gaze as she smiled over at him and waving to her before he faced House once more.

"All I know is you better keep your mouth shut. Now if you excuse me ….I'm going to go spend some time with my girlfriend and I suggest you spend your time trying to defrost your wife if you want to see any action that doesn't involve the internet and your right hand." Wilson commented, leaving his friend behind as Cuddy walking towards them both.

Watching Wilson making his way over to Cindy who was standing across the room, Cuddy gave House an annoyed glare as she breezed past him.

"Hold on there snookums." House said sweetly, reaching out for her arm and turning Cuddy around to face him.

"What do you want?" Cuddy asked him in an annoyed tone.

"You know what I want." House replied in low direct whisper, moving his arm around her waist and pulling her closer before resting his palm onto the arch of her lower back.

Cuddy let out a curt laugh. "Dream on." She replied back smartly.

Studying Cuddy's face as he smiled down at her, House took note of the fact that although she was still a little ticked at him for the comment he made earlier, she had continued to allow to his hand to caress the small of her back….which meant she really wasn't that mad at him, but rather in the mood for a little sparing match before she would decide whether or not she would grant him permission to remove the panties currently hugging the curves of her hips.

Leaning down, House whispered in to her ear, "I just found out a very BIG secret ……and….if you come out to the barn with me. I might just let you in on it." He told her, brushing his bottom lip against her earlobe before he straightened back up.

Locking eyes with him, Cuddy gave House an unimpressed look.

"I'm going outside to get some air." She said casually, taking a few steps towards the open flap of the canopy with a smile on her face when she heard the dull thump of House's cane behind her.

********************************************************

"Hey…… the barn is back THAT way!" House yelled out to Cuddy as she quickened her pace down a winding cobblestone pathway.

Turning to face him, she titled her head in a mischievous manner.

"Why on earth would I want to go inside a barn when I told you I wanted to get some air?" Cuddy asked innocently as House caught up to her.

"Because if you go inside the barn with me…. I'll let you in on my BIG secret." House reminded her, laying the tease out in front of her again.

Cuddy bit her bottom lip, glancing down at House's crotch as she spoke.

"I've seen your 'BIG secret' before and …..for a man who claims to be the Casanova of charm, you're failing quite miserably at seducing your wife." She responded, looking up into his face once more before quickly starting down the trail again that led to a small stone building tucked in the middle of a small patch of mature oak trees.

Refusing to let her get away so easily, House kept up the pace Cuddy was setting with the rhythmic thud of the rubber stopper on his cane rising up in the air as it connected with the smoothed stones below his feet, letting her know that he was more than capable to hold his own with her thanks to his continued therapy.

With a smug grin on his face, House looked over at Cuddy as he matched her stride for stride.

"Don't wear yourself out now sweetheart. I want you good and feisty when I pull that dress of yours up to your waist." He said with confidence.

Cuddy threw her head back, letting out a sarcastic laugh as they turned a corner on the path.

"At the rate you're going, you'll be out of breath in thirty seconds." She countered, with an evil smile, before the heel of her left shoe got caught in one of the cracks along the pathway.

She gasped in shock, waving her arms out to her sides while trying to maintain her balance as she started to fall backwards just as the sound of House's cane clattering against the stone walkway echoed inside her head with the feel of his two very strong arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her up before she could stumble.

"Are you ok?" House asked with sincerity, holding Cuddy tightly in his arms as he guiding her the remaining steps backwards to the wooden door of the small building a few feet behind them with her back now resting against it.

"I'm fine." Cuddy assured him as her arms stayed wrapped around his neck.

"I really think I need to check out that ankle of yours." House replied with a small smile on his face, removing his left hand from around her waist so he could turn the knob of the door behind them.

The door swung open slowly with a soft groan.

Keeping her eyes glued to his, Cuddy took in a breath, biting back her own smile as House moved them inside the room before closing the door behind them.

Immediately her nose was filled with and intense scent of roses.

Turning her head, her gaze was drawn towards the two large counters made out of weathered knotty pine on each side of the small room which were filled with dozens of rose bushes in large black plastic containers.

The blooms surrounding her contained a lush palate of colors, ranging from bright yellow to deep red, from soft pink to crisp white. One plant having her favorite salmon colored roses on its stems while another plant proudly displayed a brilliant deep cerulean blue colored rose she had never seen before.

"Wow." Cuddy whispered, smiling in appreciation of the beauty that surrounded her.

Seeing the smile spread across her face, House moved his hand up into her dark hair, turning her face him before drawing her into a deep kiss, knowing that if Casanova was alive today he would have cursed the dumb luck this lucky bastard had stumbled upon by moving his wife inside of this particular shelter.

Swept up in the moment, Cuddy surrendered to the kiss at first before she pushed back from it, determined not to make things easy for House right now after his oh so smug remark to her at the reception.

"Just what do you think you're doing? I thought you said we were coming in here so you could check my ankle?" She questioned with an arched eyebrow, removing herself from his embrace.

House looked down at her with an amused grin as the stubbornness held within her eyes was just as appealing as her beautiful face, sharp mind and irresistible body.

"You're right Mrs. House…. how silly of me to actually think you'd want to kiss your husband after he saved you from falling on your ass." House replied back to her, scanning the room and noticing that tucked in the corner of it was a third bench that was empty.

"Come on…let's go over there where the light is better so I can see if you have any swelling around your ankle." He said reaching for her hand and getting ready to limp across the room towards the bench where a small window was located beside it.

"I can manage to walk on my own thank you." Cuddy replied coolly, pulling her hand free of his grasp and giving him a sideways glance as she walked beside him towards the bench.

"Anything you say Mrs. House." He replied, as the small open window beside them let in the summer breeze as well as the muffled sound of music from the reception.

"Now what?" Cuddy questioned with her arms folded against her chest while standing in front of the bench.

"Hop up." House instructed, pointing over to the countertop behind her.

Cuddy turned her head, studying the surface.

Although the wooden top was worn from years of use…the counter was in fact clean of any dirt or debris…….however....... she was not about to just perch herself up on that bench sweetly offering herself to House so he could "exam her"……especially not after his smart ass remark to her earlier.

"I'm not getting up there……it's dirty." Cuddy commented dryly, while turning back around to face him.

"It's not dirty." House argued, furrowing his brow and stepping closer to her as he moved his arm behind her ….wiping the area of the countertop with the palm of his hand.

"See?" He proclaimed, showing his hand to her which remained clean.

"This dress cost five hundred dollars. I'm not taking any chances." Cuddy answered refusing to budge.

House exhaled in frustration. "Are you having fun acting like a five year old?" He questioned.

"Takes one to know one." Cuddy replied with a wicked smile.

House smiled back her showing Cuddy that her attempt to make him mad at her was not working, placing both of his hands onto the bench behind her and resting them on opposite sides of her body.

"You know acting like you don't want me is pointless. We've both been playing this game for far too long and I've already won the prize several, several time……so just kiss me and we can get this show on the road honeybuns." He said smugly, lowering his lips to hers.

Placing both of her hands on his chest, Cuddy pushed House back from her again.

"Make me _want_ to kiss you and maybe I will." She challenged, not backing down for a second.

House exhaled in frustration with his blue eyes piercing into her slate grey ones.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull here but…..I will not now or ever beg you for sex. No matter how pissed off you get at my comments to you." House answered back with his pride on full display for her to see.

"I'm not asking you to beg me." Cuddy clarified in a direct manner. "_You_ were the one who said you could charm your way into my panties anytime you wanted to. Now I want you to show me EXACTLY how much confidence you have in your abilities." She stated, looking directly into his eyes and pointing her index finger into his chest.

"Oh you are in _so_ much trouble." House whispered to her, feeling the spark between them ignite as he removed his hands from the bench and placing them onto her hips.

"Is that so? Well I think - " Cuddy started to say before she gasped in surprise as House lifted her up into the air without much effort at all before he placed her firmly onto the wooden countertop so she was now seated in front of him.

"Now before I start. Are you going to be a good patient and answer my questions without interrupting me?" House said in a low tone, feeling Cuddy's hands gripping onto his biceps as her face remained only a breath away from his.

"Yes Doctor." Cuddy agreed with a smile filled with anticipation, listening to the music of an old familiar song come filtering through the window that brought out claps of appreciation from the wedding guests inside the canopy atop the small hill they had just descended.

"_That old black magic has me in its spell  
That old black magic that you weave so well  
Those icy fingers up__ and down my spine  
The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine….."_

Stepping back from her, House studied the look of delight and excitement in Lisa's beautiful face while his ears listened to the music of the old song riding the breeze into the room. His nose still filled with the scent of roses as his mind was racing with what was about to occur between them here on a sultry summer day.

Sliding his hands down over the fabric of her dress, House crouched down in front of Cuddy before cupping her ankle in is right hand.

"_T__he same old tingle that I feel inside  
When that elevator starts its ride  
Down and down I go, round and round I go  
Like a leaf that's caught in the tide….."_

"Does this hurt?" House asked, gently squeezing the delicate flesh around the joint.

"No." Cuddy replied looking down at him with smoldering grey eyes.

"How about this?" House asked, moving her ankle up towards his mouth and brushing his stubble against it before his lips kissed her tender skin.

"No I don't feel any pain at all Doctor House." Cuddy responded with an innocent tone with her smile growing wider as House gave her a smile of his own.

"_I should stay away but what can I do__?  
I hear your name, and Im aflame..  
Aflame with_ s_uch a burning desire  
That only your kiss can put out the fire"_

"Maybe the sprain is up a little higher." House muttered against her skin with his left hand pulling the hem of her dress to her thigh as his mouth traveled from her calf up to her kneecap.

Cuddy watched House while trying to keep her breathing steady. The game she was playing with him... far from being over as her next move was guaranteed to put a bit of fire in his gaze.

"_You are the lover that Ive waited for….  
__"The mate that fate had me created for  
And every time your lips meet mine.."_

"You know Doctor House…….I really don't think I'm injured at all. I think I've just been feeling rather tense today, thanks to my husband who has been acting like a jerk." Cuddy commented producing a devious smile on her face as House stopped his lips from kissing her inner thigh, looking up at her with his mouth slightly open.

He held their gaze for a few seconds, her words telling him he needed to step up his game in a big way.

And so without saying a word….. House straightened back up, pushing the bottom hem of Cuddy's dress up to her waist on both sides as his fingers found the delicate lace of her panties within a matter of seconds.

"Mrs. House…I didn't get done examining you just yet… and I INSIST on checking you out thoroughly before you leave." He whispered into her hair, rubbing his stubble against her neck and tugging at the material held within his fingertips as Cuddy lifted up from the bench allowing him slide her panties down over her toned legs.

"And I told you Doctor House… I'm fine." Cuddy answered back, taking in a breath and keeping her eyes locked on him as he freed the skimpy underwear from around the high heeled shoes she was wearing.

"Believe me Mrs. House… you'd be surprised at the things I can discover during an examination." House answered, dropping the panties in his hands onto the bench beside her.

"Is that so?" Cuddy questioned, looking down towards the space between them as House nudged her legs further apart, with his right hand possessively holding onto her upper left thigh.

"Yes….now just relax and I promise you'll thank me for this later." House replied giving her a very sexy smile before lowering his mouth to her neck and moving his hand to the part of her that was warm and wet with anticipation, running his middle finger up and down on her heat and teasing her entrance before making small circles over her clit.

Taking in a deep breath, Cuddy wrapped her arms around House's neck. Turned on beyond belief at the feel of his mouth sucking on the flesh just behind her earlobe as his finger repeatedly teased her with the promise of entering inside of her before it moved up and rubbed against her nub once more.

"Greg." She moaned feeling her knees begin to tremble.

"Do you want to kiss me now?" House asked as he planted kisses on her jaw while pushing his finger inside of her.

"Yes." Cuddy gasped into the side of his face as his finger moved in and out of her with his thumb now makding the small circles on her throbbing clit as she pressed her pelvis into his hand.

At hearing her words, House turned his face and captured her lips with his own, feeling her hands moving down between their bodi as she worked feverishly to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants, pushing the slacks down to the floor along with his boxers before she eagerly wrapped her slender fingers around his erection.

House groand in approval into her mouth, removing his hand from between her thighs and resting his palms on her hips as Cuddy guiding him inside of her.

Breathing hard, House moved his right hand to her lower back, pulling her body closer to him while feeling Cuddy raising her legs up higher with her knees bent as he slid deep into her warmth with one smooth stroke.

Their foreheads connected when Cuddy wrapped her arms around House's neck once more. Their gazes stayed locked in each others as their lips touched and separated with hips moving to the same tempo of desire. Tiny beads of sweat forming on their brows amidst the summer air surrounding them while outside the buzzing sounds of cicadas drowned out the music in the background momentarily as the urgent pitch of the insects matched the fevered race to ecstasy House and Cuddy were experiencing.

"Oh God….you feel so good inside of me." Cuddy moaned, resting her cheek against his jaw as she closed her eyes for moment.

At the rate they were going at it with each other it would not take her long to reach her climax as she was already feeling the electricity of the incredible high she was experiencing start to surge throughout her entire body.

Deep inside of her now, House gasped in surprise and pleasure at the sudden release as his orgasm, with his mouth sending a ragged breath through Cuddy's hair as he came inside of her. The experience causing his body to shudder as he continued to pump into her with a steady, determined pace. Kissing her neck until he heard Cuddy cry out in ecstasy while wrapping her legs around him tightly.

Outside of the small window beside them, the steady hum of the cicadas began to die down, being replaced by the sound of another song being played inside the reception.

"_Night and day, you are the one  
Only you __be__neath the moon or under the sun  
Whether near to me or far _

_It's no matter, darling, where you are  
I think of you __day and night…"_

"_Night and day……"_

The tune was yet another song that was old and weathered.........much like the walls of the building they had just finished making love inside of. The room now blessed with the memory of two people who made up the ingredients of torch songs filled with desire and brought to life with their connection to one another.

Lifting his head from Cuddy's shoulder, House connected their foreheads once more, kissing her softly on the lips softly as her arms remained around his neck. Her legs still wrapped around his waist. Their bodies swaying to the music as they remained in their lovers embrace.

Caressing the back of House's neck as looked down at her, Cuddy smiled up at him as his blue eyes that were fixed direclty on her tol her exactly why she continued to put up with such a difficult man.

_Night and day, under the hide of me  
There's an oh, such a hungry yearnin' burnin' inside of me  
And its torment won't be through  
Till you let me spend my life makin' love to you  
Day and night, night and day_

********************************************************

Meanwhile inside the wedding reception, Cindy was sitting beside Bill and Ruth with her legs crossed and her stomach a little unsettled at the moment as her right hand, which was concealed under the table gently caressed the tiny baby growing inside of her**.**

"Cindy are you feeling ok? That's the second ginger ale you've asked James to get for you in the last half hour." Ruth said with concern, moving her hand on top of Cindy's left hand that was resting on the tabletop.

"I'm fine Ruth, I think I may have eaten all little bit too much that's all." Cindy responded with a smile as she looked across the room at Wilson who was holding Jessica in his arms as he waited at the bar.

"Well if you and James need to leave earlier because you're not feeling well, Bill and I will certainly understand." Ruth offered with a comforting smile a she glanced over at her new husband.

********************************************************

From across the room Wilson was looking down at Jessica as she smiled up at him, totally enjoying the baby's company as he thought about his own baby that would enter into this world in about eight more months.

"Jessica, I'm going to let you in on a little secret if you promise not to tell anyone else…..even your Mommy." Wilson whispered down to the little girl who was watching him intently.

"So what do you say…..can I trust you?" He then asked with a low tone.

Jessica responded to the serious face Wilson was giving at her with another smile, reaching out and grabbing for the collar of his open shirt.

"I'll take that as yes." Wilson said with chuckle, kissing Jessica on her nose while keeping his voice low as he began to spill his secret to her.

"Ok here's the scoop……..very soon I am going to be a Daddy!" Wilson boasted.

Looking up at him, Jessica stuck out her tongue.

"Alright….I know technically I still have eight months before I become a Daddy..but…….in the span of a lifetime. That's like what.... a second or two at most?" Wilson informed her.

The baby furrowed her brow as if she was making the calculation of time from the words Wilson as spoken in her head.

"Here you go sir." The bartender announced, interrupting Wilson's conversation with the baby as he pushed the glass of ginger ale towards him.

"Thanks." Wilson responded, shifting Jessica to his right arm as he pulled out some money from inside his pants pocket to tip the bartender before reaching for the glass in front of him.

"Cute kid, is she yours?" The bartender asked picking up the five dollar bill Wilson had laid out for him and smiling over at Jessica as she cooed at him with her big blue eyes sparkling.

"No, she's actually my friends baby. You've probably seen the two of them around here. He's the one with the cane and she's……. " Wilson started to say.

"The knockout in the lilac dress who came over here to get some wine. Pretty face, amazing grey eyes and the kind of body that 'cane man' is one lucky bastard to have access to." The bartender said with a small smile.

"How did you know she was with him?" Wilson questioned with a smirk.

"When I was pouring your friend a glass of wine she pointed out 'cane man' to me and said I should take a picture of the biggest ass known to mankind before she shoved his cane up his ass and turned him into the world's largest pogo stick." The bartender answered with a laugh,"By the way…does she always get that mad at him?"

Wilson chuckled. "Yeah …..in fact for as long as I've known both of them, they've been fighting with each other." He responded.

"Well they must like each other from time to time considering they created her." The bartender replied back while looking over at Jessica.

"Actually they like each other all pretty much all of the time. The fighting is just their own twisted version of foreplay." Wilson answered, watching the bartender mixing up another drink.

"Well all I know is that both of your friends are going to have their hands full with that little girl because from the looks of her …she is going to be a real heartbreaker when she grows up." The bartender replied with a smirk. Handing the drink he had finished making over to the man standing next to Wilson's left and continuing to smile at Jessica as she laughed at him.

"Believe me her Daddy will be sure that any boy who tries to come within fifty feet of his daughter will get to experience the joy of a cane enema." Wilson stated, nodding his thanks to the bartender as he left while noticing House and Cuddy entering back into the large tent as the smiles on both of their faces as the stood side by side told him that they had just gotten done sharing a little "secret" of their own.

Walking in their direction, Wilson caught up to the couple just before they reached the table where Cindy, Ruth and Bill were seated at.

"And where have you two been?" Wilson asked in a sly voice, while Jessica leaned forward, reaching for her mother.

"Hey there sweetie!" Cuddy said with a grin, talking her daughter into her arms and ignoring Wilson's question as she passed by him. Heading towards the table where Bill, Ruth and Cindy were engaged in conversation.

Watching Cuddy as she took the empty seat next to Bill, Wilson then focused his attention back on House.

"So did Lisa ride the pony or did the pony ride her?" He asked, studying House face.

"This STALLION doesn't kiss in tell." House responded, leaning on his cane, "And now Jimmy……it's time for you to sing." He added with a grin, taking the glass of giner ale from him.

"No way! How do I know you didn't tell Lisa about the baby when you were in the throws of passion?" Wilson argued.

"Look at her," House replied pointing his cane in the direction where Cuddy was seated before he continued.

"If I had told her that Cindy was pregnant, my wife would have sat by _your girlfriend _and not by Bill so she could try and get Cindy to spill the beans to her about the baby." House remarked.

Wilson exhaled. "Ok you're right, but do I really have to do it now?" He asked.

"Reception's almost over and your window for public humiliation is closing fast." House answered.

"You do know most people try to _prevent _their best friend's from making asses out of themselves right?" Wilson asked as both men headed towards the table.

"Only the stupid ones." House replied with a wiry grin.

********************************************************

"What's going on?" Cuddy whispered over to House as they sat side by side at the table with Jessica resting on her lap as she watched Wilson walking up to the band when they had finished their last song.

"I have no idea." House said innocently, placing his arm around the back of her chair.

Cuddy looked over at him suspiciously.

"Yeah right, I saw the two of you talking earlier and Wilson didn't look very happy." She stressed in a whisper, moving her gaze over to Cindy who was seated on the opposite side of the table from her.

"What's James doing?" Cindy asked Cuddy as the two women looked at one another.

"I don't know because the jackasss won't tell me." Cuddy answered back before rolling her eyes over at House.

"Just sit back and enjoy the show sweet cheeks." House informed his wife sweetly as Ruth, who was seated to his right raised an eyebrow at him.

"That goes for you too blushing geriatric bride…and tell your hubby I really don't need to see anymore groping of your body on his part unless he wants me to puke in your lap and ruin your pretty dress." House snarked, glancing down at Bill's hand that he had placed on Ruth's kneecap under the table.

"Stop acting like a jerk!" Cuddy muttered under breath, elbowing House and giving him a dirty look as Jessica smiled up at him.

"Oh gee I guess your right, wouldn't want to piss you off again.... otherwise I may have to wait a whole _hour _to have sex with you snuggle bunny." House whispered back into her with a smirk.

Cuddy narrowed her eyes at him, opening her mouth to respond to his comment.......... but her words were prevented from coming out as Wilson blew into the microphone he was now standing in front of.

As everyone in the reception turned in his direction, Wilson let out a big sigh. Looking over House for a moment who was grinning widely back at him before he wrapped his fingers around the microphone.

"Hi." Wilson said awkwardly into the mic.

"Hi." The crowd answered back with amusement. Wondering just what was going on with the obviously nervous man in front of them.

Taking in a deep breath, Wilson looked away from House and continued.

"My name is James and I would like to congratulate both Bill and Ruth on there wedding today by performing a song that is one of my favorites and which I am sure many of you have heard of as well." Wilson then said trying to keep from clenching his teeth as he recited the words House had told him to say while the band behind him started to play.

Hearing the unmistakable nineteen seventies beat that combined drums, horns, and electric guitar, Cuddy snapped her head in House's direction.

"You better stop him right now!" She hissed with Jessica cradled in her arms.

"Sorry but it's out of my hands Pookie." House whispered back to her, crossing his legs at the ankles in front of her to prevent Cuddy from getting up and spoiling his fun while smiling up at his best friend as Wilson opened up his mouth.

Feeing his heart rising up to his throat, Wilson closed his eyes and started to speak.

"Who's the black private dick…..that's a sex machine to all the chicks?" Wilson asked tentatively, hating his best friend more than anything right now.

"Shaft!" The band responded back to him as the room fell silent.

"You're damn right." Wilson answered, opening up his eyes and now sweating profusely as he held onto the mic for dear life with both of his hands before pausing for moment and adding.

"And who is the man…..that would risk his neck for his brother man?"

"Shaft!" The band replied again, joined in their answer by the crowd of people standing around the bar, who raised their glasses to Wilson while most of the older people inside the canopy continued to look at him as if he was crazy.

"Can ya dig it?" Wilson responded, feeling a little more at ease thanks to some participation from the crowd, loosening his grip on the mic as he continued.

"Who's the cat that won't cop out, when there's danger all about?" Wilson questioned moving his head to the beat.

"SHAFT!" The crowd around him shouted back with enthusiasm, with House joining in the chant as well. Raising his glass and nodding his head to the beat as Ruth and Bill along with Cindy started to laugh.

"Right on." Wilson said in a low voice, pointing his finger in his friend's direction before singing the next verse.

"_You see this cat Shaft is a bad mother.."_ Wilson said.

"Shut your mouth" The crowd warned.

"But I'm talkin' about Shaft." Wilson exclaimed shrugging his shoulders.

"Then we can dig it!" Everyone responded with a roar of laughter except for a few people with silver hair that still had no clue what in the hell was going on.

"Oh my god…..Wilson's actually enjoying this? Did you drug him or something?" Cuddy asked House in shock, unable to keep from smiling as she tapped her left foot against the floor while Jessica bounced on her lap, kicking her tiny legs to the beat of the music and laughing at Wilson as he let go of the mic and moved his shoulders, doing the classic white man overbite as he danced.

"I didn't drug Wilson……I just promised him that I wouldn't tell you about his secret if he performed this song at your Mom's wedding." House commented over to her.

"You're horrible." Cuddy remarked, glancing over at him before she looked back at Wilson.

"By the way …..why didn't you ask me about my secret after we were done having fun out in the love shack? Too blown over by your sex machine of a husband to form a complete sentence?" House questioned suspiciously.

Leaning closer to him, Cuddy whispered into his ear. "I already know Cindy's pregnant." She responded, watching the look of shock take over his face.

"Since when?" House demanded, keeping his voice down.

"Since I helped Cindy get an appointment to see Doctor Taylor." Cuddy answered, giving him a triumphant smile while reaching across his body towards her drink so she could take a sip of it whle gently bouncing the baby on her lap.

Laughing so hard she thought she was going to pee her pants, Cindy stood up from her seat, totally in love with James Wilson at that very moment. Thinking he looked and sounded absolutely adorable as he continued to perform the famous nineteen seventies the song.

"You go baby!" She shouted up to him with an excited voice.

Smiling back at her with a huge grin on his face, Wilson turned in Cindy's direction and sang the next verse of the song to her.

"_He's a complicated man, but no one understands him but his woman!"_ Wilson crooned, watching Cindy's face beaming as she clapped for him.

Overtaken by his love for her and their baby growing inside of her, Wilson walked away from the mic as the band continued to play, pulling Cindy into his arms as he kissed her tenderly while the crowd around them applauded him for his brave performance.

"I love you so much." Wilson whispered into Cindy's ear as he hugged her tightly.

"I love you too....... and……if you still want to….I'd love to become Mrs. Cindy Wilson as soon as possible." She whispered back to him.

Pulling away from her, Wilson some how managed to keep his composure, even though he was dying to shout out to the world that he had finally found what he had been searching for the better part of his life.

"I promise you and the baby will have everything you could ever want or need." He whispered touching her face gently with his fingertips.

"James….all the both of us will ever need is you." Cindy responded back, searching his deep brown eyes before she kissed him softly on the lips as the band continued to play and the people at the reception started to flood the dance floor again.

Watching Wilson and Cindy, Ruth leaned over to Bill.

"So when do you think they're going to tell us Cindy's pregnant?" Ruth asked.

"I think they'll hold out for at least another two weeks." Bill answered with a smile, placing his arm around Ruth before he kissed her cheek.

Looking over at his best friend who finally found the love he so desperately searched for, House smiled for a moment before turning his attention back to Cuddy.

"You do understand that keeping Cindy's pregnancy a secret from me and telling Wilson that you originally said no to my proposal in Vegas means you have been a very naughty girl ….and I will need to discipline you for your indiscretions." He said to her in low whisper as Jessica's attention was focused once again on the dance floor.

"Role reversal huh? Actually that does sound very interesting. Buy me the naughty school girl outfit and if you're really good at playing teacher as well as handling your ruler…….I'm more than willing to give it a try." Cuddy answered back with a sexy smile, watching House try to reach for the drink behind him and grabbing only at air around it while his eyes stayed glued to her face.

"Really?" He asked with the earnest voice of a fourteen year old boy, finally taking hold of his drink.

"Really." Cuddy confirmed while placing her hand upon his thigh.


	86. Chapter 86

**Ok guys we are taking a jump in time.**

**It is now one year later.**

**Jessica is 15 months old (1year 3months) and she is a very smart and bright girl. Who is months ahead in her development.**

**Of course with having parents like Cuddy and House what else would you expect? LOL!**

**Wilson and Cindy have gotten married and their baby has been born and "HE" is now 3 months old. **

**As always let me know your thoughts****J**

**Chapter 86**

**ONE YEAR LATER………**

**House-Cuddy Residence….**

On and bright and sunny Saturday morning in August, Cuddy stood inside the kitchen of her home, dressed in red cotton shorts, a white tank top and red flip flops.

Pouring herself a cup of coffee she gazed out of the kitchen window and into the backyard.

"It's going to be a gorgeous day." She commented over to House, who was sitting at the kitchen table with Jessica seated beside him in her highchair.

"Which is all the more reason for you to wear that new bikini I bought for you last week, instead of letting sit in your drawer." House commented back to her.

"That bikini barely covers anything on my body! And there's no way in……_hell_." Cuddy said in a hushed tone as she cursed softly before continuing. "I am wearing it today. Especially not with everyone coming over here today. Sorry but you're just going to have to wait until next weekend when my Mom and Bill are watching Jessica." She finished. Walking up to the table and placing her coffee cup down on upon it.

House rolled his eyes at Cuddy as she stood before him with her left hand placed on her hip.

"Prude." He muttered.

"Sex fiend." Cuddy responded in a soft voice back to him, glancing over at Jessica who was happily picking up a cheerio from the plastic bowl in front of her with her fingertips and studying the round little 'O' intently before she placed it into her mouth.

"Takes one to know one." House replied to his wife while turning towards Jessica and reaching inside the bowl in front of her, stealing a handful of the Cheerio's his daughter was eating before popping them into his mouth.

"DADDY!!! MMMMHMMM!!" Jessica exclaimed, producing a wide grin and nodding her head in approval with her dark ringlest of hair bouncing as she then picked up the bowl. Turning it over and laughing as the dry cereal spilled out onto her tray with a few of the little O's falling to the floor as well.

"UH….. Ooooooh!" The little girl then said with wide blue eyes, raising her hands up into the air as she looked over at her Mommy who was standing beside her.

Cuddy smiled down at her daughter as this new game of spilling and dropping things provided great amusement for Jessica lately.

"Jessica, what happened?" Cuddy asked in an animated tone, raising her hands up as well.

"Fall!" Jessica replied with grin, loving her mother's willingness to play with her.

Crouching down to pick up the cheerios that had fallen onto the floor, Cuddy turned sideways, holding onto the tabletop with one hand as she tossed the cereal into the trash behind her.

Watching Cuddy as she leaned back towards the trashcan, House smiled in appreciation of her toned yet curvy body as she stretched.

"You know you're looking very flexible today." He commented in a low whisper to as she turned back around to face him.

"Sorry I don't think so stud. I have a million things to do before everyone gets here and you are going to help me with them whether you like it or not. Besides Jessica is already up and there's _no way _she's going to let you put her back in her crib without flipping out on you like she did last week when you tired to get her to take a nap so you could play Doctor with Mommy." Cuddy warned, standing up next to Jessica's high chair again.

"Mommy!" Jessica exclaimed with a grin looking up at Cuddy while her little hand touched the bottom of the tank top her mother was wearing, lifting it up past her belly button.

House scowled, looking over at Cuddy who was laughing before addressing his daughter.

"You think this is funny? Teasing me with Mommy's body parts?" He asked Jessica seriously as Cuddy pulled her shirt back down.

Jessica studied her Daddy's face for a moment before she stuck out her little tongue, vibrating it, as well as her lips as she gave her Daddy a "raspberry" before laughing and resting her head against her Mommy's stomach.

"Well I guess she told you." Cuddy said with an amused grin, gently caressing Jessica's raven curls with her fingertips.

House narrowed his eyes. "Not funny." He said flatly.

"Oh yes it ….and do you know what the best part is? _You _….were the one who taught her how to do that in the first place just to try and annoy me and now your little plan has backfired." Cuddy answered with a wicked smile while moving over to her seat and reaching for her coffee cup.

Taking his gaze from her, House looked back at his daughter who had just shoved a handful of cheerios into her mouth much like he had done a few moments ago.

"You in big trouble kid. Don't you know how grouchy daddy gets when he is deprived of NOOKIE?" House asked with a smirk while pointing a finger at her.

Reaching for the sippy cup to her right, Jessica took a few long gulps, drinking the milk inside of it as her eyes remained glued on her Daddy.

"AH!" The little girl then exclaimed, setting the cup back down on her tray amid the scattered cheerios before speaking a certain word she had just heard her daddy say

"NOOOO-KEY…NOOOO-KEY….NOOO-KEY!!!!" Jessica repeated again and again, banging her plastic bowl on the tray and crushing a few cheerios as she laughed.

Cuddy's eyes immediately widened with shock as she darted them over to where House was seated.

"I am going to kill you." She muttered under her breath, watching House start to chant as well as he pounded his fists on the table.

"NOO-KIE! NOO-KIE! I want .....NOO-KIE!" House yelled, trying to catch his breath between the laughter his was sharing with his daughter who was squealing with delight at the top of her lungs as she continued to chant with him.

"A ANTA NOOKIE!" Jess yelled mimicking her Dad.

"Stop encouraging her!" Cuddy said in a voice that was higher then her whispered warning to House earlier while slapping her hand down on the table as well.

Glancing over to her mother, Jessica stopped laughing, giving her Mommy a serious look before she spoke once more.

"Mama….Ah…no...NOOOOOOOOOKIE? AH HA HA HA!!" The baby exclaimed with a huge grin, placing her head down on the tray in front of her for a moment and laughing so hard her little shoulders were shaking.

Lifting her head back up, Jessica now had five cheerios stuck on different parts of her face, with one of them resting squarely in the middle of her cute button nose.

"Oh my!" Cuddy gasped, almost choking on her coffee as she placed her hand over her mouth. Laughing so hard she thought the entire neighborhood could hear her.

"Stop encouraging her Lisa." House teased, watching his wife wrinkle her nose at him as she leaned over towards their daughter.

"Oh Jess honey let me get those off of you." Cuddy said with a smile, gently removing the cereal from her daughter's face as Jessica gave her a huge grin.

"Mommy." Jessica said softly, gazing into Cuddy's eyes and placing her small hands on her mother's face.

"Muh…Muh!!" Jessica then requested, pursing her small lips after asking her mother for a kiss.

"MMMMMMUWHA!." Cuddy responded, kissing her daughter with her full lips wile making her lips smack.

"Ah ha….." Jessica then said with amusement, clapping her hands together and looking happily over at her mother before shifting her gaze over to House.

The baby shrugged one shoulder, batting her tiny eyelashes as him as she reached out her hand to him.

"Muh Daddy." Jessica then requested sweetly.

House's eyes widened, "Did you teach her that?" He asked looking directly over at Cuddy.

"Did I teach her what?" Cuddy questioned with confusion.

"That look." House stated flatly.

"Daddy!! MUH!" Jessica interrupted with a firm tone before producing a smile that oozed of cuteness when he looked back at her.

House quickly leaned over and kissed his daughter on the lips, focusing his gaze back on Cuddy.

"Jess was flirting with me. A trait that you have in spades." House said in an unhappy tone.

"Jessica is your daughter and she loves you. She's just showing you affection. Maybe you've heard of it?" Cuddy answered shaking her head in disbelief.

"No, she's flirting … that's different…and when she gets older and some jerk of a boy comes along who Jess_ thinks_ she 'loves'…. she's gonna give him that look and you'll have no one but yourself to blame......mother of the teenage bride." House replied back dryly.

A laugh escaped Cuddy's lips with Jessica laughing as well, mimicking her mother.

"You are making way too big a deal out of this, she's not even two yet." Cuddy said with amusement.

"Yeah, well just wait until kindergarten when you get a call from the school about Jessica playing doctor with the little boys in her class." House answered.

"Daddy……. A…MUH!" Jessica said once more, not happy with the first kiss her father had given to her as she pursed her lips together once more.

Cuddy looked away from House, trying her damndest not to laugh by placing her hand over her mouth.

House gave her a glare before he leaned over towards Jessica. Placing his lips onto her left cheek and blowing a gust of air out through them which resluted in his lips vibrating with a loud bellowing sound.

"AAAAHAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Jessica exlcaimed, laughing and kicked her feet while holding onto her daddy's neck.

Reaching underneath the tray of the highchair, House unclipped it, setting in on the table before he took Jessica out of her seat.

"Come on kid, let's get you out of here before Mommy teaches you any more of_ her _bad habits." He remarked, lifting Jessica up into his arms before limping down the hallway with her as he heard the sound of Cuddy laughing inside the kitchen.

******************************************************

Later that day out in the backyard, the sound of music playing on the radio that sat atop the tiki bar by the pool drifted out into the summer air surrounding it.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Ruth asked Bill, standing beside him and dressed in khaki shorts and a white polo shirt as he turned the burgers he was cooking on the grill over with the spatula held in his right hand.

"I'm fine honey just go and relax." Bill assured her, placing his free hand around her waist and kissing Ruth on the cheek before he nodded for her to take a seat at the table behind him.

As Ruth turned in the direction of the table, House splashed her with some water from the pool he was wading in. Getting Ruth's legs as well as the white tennis shoes she was wearing soaked.

"Ooops! Sorry..thought you were one of those damn horseflies that keeps buzzing around here." House said with a grin before backstroking to the deeper end of the pool.

"Well when a jackass is around…. they usually do draw in the flies." Ruth replied back to him without missing a beat, giving House an evil grin before she started to walk towards the table once more.

Just then the French doors opened as Cuddy, who was holding Jessica in her arms stepped out onto the patio.

"Down!" Jessica said, squirming in her mother's arms while dressed in a one piece purple swimming suit.

Cuddy placed Jessica down onto the patio, grabbing hold of her daughter's hand immediately before Jessica could tear off in the direction of her Grandma.

"_MMMMMM.....NO_!" Jessica protested trying to pull her hand out of Cuddy's grasp.

"You have to go slow Jess so you don't fall and hurt yourself." Cuddy warned the small toddler in a soft but stern voice.

Jessica looked up at her mother, huffing in protest through her nose before relenting and going at the pace her Cuddy wanted her to.

"Nana! A hi!" The little girl then said with hug smile while yanking her hand free from Cuddy's hand at the last minute and taking the last few hurried steps into Ruth's open arms as her grandmother squatted down and waited for her on the patio.

"There's my pretty girl! And you look so cute in your new swimming suit!" Ruth said with grin, standing back up with the baby in her arms while looking over at Lisa who was a little ticked off at the fact that her daughter had strayed away from her after she told her not to.

"Oh Lisa, you were the same way when you were a baby. Always wanted to do everything yourself." Ruth reminded her daughter in a gentle tone.

"I just don't want her to get hurt." Cuddy replied softly.

"I know honey." Ruth said with and understanding smile before hugging her granddaughter who was currently playing with the gold necklace around her throat.

Looking up at her Grandmother, Jessica spoke.

"A wimming?" The little girl asked her Gramy with excitement, pointing over to the pool and smiling at her Daddy as he did laps in the water.

"You want me to go swimming with you Jess?" Ruth asked sweetly.

"Ah huh." Jessica answered, nodding her head before she looked back over at her mother.

"Mommy a wimming?" The baby asked sweetly with an even sweeter smile.

"After we eat." Cuddy explained, pointing over to the grill.

Jessica peered over Ruth's shoulder watching as Bill placed another burger on the grill.

"HOT!" The small child said with wide eyes, blowing out a gust of air as her brow furrowed.

"Papa HOT!" The baby then warned, looking up at Bill and reaching out for him with her left hand.

"It's ok honey." Bill said in a gentle voice, reaching for Jessica's small hand and kissing it as Ruth turned to face him.

Jessica's eyes darted back down to the grill for a moment.

"Hot." She whispered again before looking back up at Bill once more.

"Papa a wimming?" Jessica then asked with a smile.

"You bet cutie." Bill answered with a laugh while the sound of the door bell ringing inside the house echoed out onto the patio.

"Mom, will you watch her while I get the door?" Cuddy asked her mother as she turned in the direction of the French doors.

"Sure honey." Ruth answered with a nod as Lisa took a few steps away from her.

"Ah..Noooooo. Mommy!" Jessica protested once more as she watched her mother leaving, wanting to go where she was going.

Cuddy turned back around and took Jessica from her mother.

"You have to let me hold you. No walking right now ok?" Cuddy told her daughter, not wanting to keep her guests waiting.

"Ah huh." Jessica responded happily, wrapping her arms around Cuddy's neck and hugging her.

********************************************************

Within a few minutes Cuddy came back out onto the patio with Jessica in her arms……who was currently whispering some baby talk into her Mommy's ear with a soft laugh.

"Ok are you ready to tell them?" Cuddy asked her daughter whow was studying the words coming out of her lips.

Jessica nodded, looking over at Bill and Ruth first before she focused in on House who was still in the pool.

"Daddy!" She exclaimed.

"What?!" House asked in a grumpy voice, watching his daughter smile as he joked around with her.

"A BABY!" Jessica said with excitement, pointing back to the door as Cindy and Wilson walked through it…..with Cindy holding her and Wilson's son Ethan in her arms.

"Hi guys, sorry we're late." Wilson apologized with a smile, while Jessica stared over at the baby in Cindy's arm.

"Dat's yours?" Jessica confirmed to Cindy with a nod as Cindy smiled over at her.

"Yes, he's mine. Do remember his name? Can you say Ethan?" Cindy asked.

"Eden." Jessica said with a smile reaching out to touch the sleeping baby's face.

"Be gentle." Cuddy whispered softly to her daughter.

"Awwww." Jessica whispered to the baby as her tiny fingertips rested softly on the baby's cheek.

"A weeping." Jessica then said looking up at her Mommy.

"Yes but he'll get up soon." Cindy answered, glancing over at Lisa with a smile.

"Why don't you guys go and sit down." Cuddy offered, nodding over to the table on the patio.

"Are you sure you don't need us to help with something?" Cindy asked.

"No, I only need to bring out a few more things." Cuddy assured Cindy before looked at her daughter, "Jessica do you want stay with them or go inside with me?"

"Side…" Jessica started to say until the sound of water splashing behind her made her turn around in Cuddy's arms.

"A Daddy!" The little girl then quickly requested, changing her mind as she watched her father getting out of the pool.

"Ok let's go over to Daddy." Cuddy responded walking over to House with Jessica in her arms while Ruth took the baby from Cindy as Bill spoke to Wilson, pointing to the large cooler beside the grill.

"If you want, you could put Ethan's bottles in there too." Bill told Wilson after he opened up the cooler, getting a beer for himself and a bottle of water for Cindy.

Nodding, Wilson took the diaper back off of his shoulder, squatting down as he unzipped it and started to pull out the bottles of formula out from inside of it.

"So are we still on for that golf game tomorrow morning?" Wilson asked Bill, placing one of the bottles in the mound of ice inside the cooler.

"Yep, I'll pick you up at seven." Bill responded, opening up the hood of the grill once more to check on the burgers.

Limping up the steps of the pool, House reached for Jessica, taking her from Cuddy while resting a wet palm firmly on his wife's ass when she turned to walk away from him.

"You're such a …" Cuddy started to say before she stopped, not wanting to call House a jerk in front of Jessica.

"Jurk." Jessica finished much to the amusement of House.

Cuddy exhaled through her nose, knowing that not making a fuss was the best option at this point in the presence of her daughter, giving House as glare instead as she turned to leave again.

"Hey, looks like you sat down in something wet." House yelled over to her with a smirk as Cuddy reached for the handle to the French door, studying her ass with his wet palm print on her left cheek as she closed the door behind her.

"Wet!" Jessica suddenly announced. Slapping her hand on House's chest as the water on his body shimmered in the summer sun.

"Ouch!" House exclaimed as Jessica laughed.

"Hit him again Jess." Wilson encouraged with a smirk, laughing as well.

Looking down at his daughter, House smiled at Jessica as she touched the tiny droplets of water on his chest, furrowing her brow and looking at her fingertips when they disappeared underneath her touch.

"Wanna go say Hi to Wilson?" He asked his daughter.

"Ah huh." Jessica replied with a nod, looking up at him.

Walking over to his friend, House shook his head back and forth rapidly with a shower of tiny droplet of water hitting Wilson in the face as Jessica laughed.

"Wheelson!" Jessica said with glee.

"Wet." She then added touching his chin.

"Hi sweetie." Wilson replied, wiping the water from his face.

"What? No 'Hi' for me?" House asked.

"I didn't want to call you something that Jess may repeat later." Wilson replied, taking Jessica from House when the baby reached out for him.

"Oh come on Jimmy lighten up it's a party." House replied, slapping Wilson on the back of his t-shirt with a wet hand.

********************************************************

Later that afternoon….Cuddy and Cindy were sitting on opposite sides of the double chaise lounge tucked in the corner of the patio with Ethan resting in the center of it. The small baby lying on his back as Jessica sat beside him and next to her mother.

"Hi Eden." Jessica said to the baby boy with dark brown hair and pale blue eyes that looked up at her.

The baby kicked his legs and arms, cooing up to Jessica with a smile.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" Ethan exclaimed with wide eyes reaching towards her face.

Jessica laughed with a happy smile display on her face as she carefully placing both hands on opposite sides of the baby while Cuddy and Cindy watched her.

Lowering her face closer to Ethan's, Jessica spoke once more.

"A Cootie!" She then said sweetly, kissing the baby's nose as he blinked and smiled back at her.

Cindy looked over at Cuddy, laughing at Jessica's remark.

"I assume Jess is calling him cute and not a cootie." She joked.

Cuddy laughed, nodding her head as she caressed Jessica's back with her fingertips while gazing down at the very touching scene before her.

"Mommy…..a you." Jessica then said pointing at her mother.

"What honey?" Cudy asked not sure of what her daughter wanted her to do.

"Eden….. a Muh!" Jessica explained, looking back down at the baby.

"You want me to kiss him?" Cuddy asked with a smile, glancing over at Cindy.

"Uh huh." Jessica confirmed with a nod.

Leaning down closer to the baby, Cuddy moved Jessica up onto her lap, kissing Ethan softly on his nose and smiling at him as he studied her face in turn studied her face with his beautiful pale blue eyes.

"Hey there little handsome man." Cuddy said tenderly to the baby as he smiled up at her.

"That's the same thing Cindy says to Wilson when she unzips his pants and she sees his…" House started to say limping up to them while still dressed in his navy blue swimming trunks, having put on a white t-shirt and a pair of sunglass after getting out of the pool.

"Don't you dare complete that sentence!" Cuddy warned directing her gaze down to their daughter.

"Relax honeybuns." House said with a smirk, checking out how good Cuddy looked in her dark purple bikini she was wearing, even if it wasn't the one_ he_ had wanted her to wear today.

Although House's eyes were concealed behind the shades of the sunglasses he was wearing, Cuddy could tell from the way his head was titled to one side ever so slightly that at least a dozen dirty thoughts were running through his mind currently.

"Daddy…a wimming?" Jessica asked, looking up at him with a hopeful smile.

"Tell Mommy she needs to come too." House answered back as his eyes traveled down from Lisa's gorgeous breasts to her flat stomach.

"Mommy!! A wimming!" Jessica said with glee, turning around and pulling at Cuddy's hand.

"Ok honey…just be careful and watch the baby." Cuddy said as her daughter turned over onto her hands and knees, getting ready to scoot off the chaise.

Jessica smiled up at her mother, "K." She answered before quickly crawling back up to where Ethan was laying on his back.

"Bye a Cootie!" Jessica then said with huge grin, kissing Ethan's nose once more before looking up at Cindy as she laughed.

"Eden a wimming?" She then asked.

"Would you like Ethan to go swimming with you?" Cindy questioned with a smile.

"Ah huh!" Jessica said enthusiastically turning back around and spotting, Wilson, Bill and Ruth as all three of them sat at the patio table a few feet from the steps of the pool.

"Hey..a wimming!" Jessica yelled at all of them before carefully backing down off the chaise.

"Daddy mon…." She then added, reaching for House's hand.

"Jessica ……remember you need to be careful around the pool." Cuddy reminded her while getting up off of the chaise.

But true to the little girl's independent nature even at this early stage of her life, she was already tugging on House's hand.

"Daddy mon!" Jess repeated with urgency.

House smirked. "Wait for Mommy." He said, ensuring that Cuddy would have to go in the pool with them.

Jess looked up at her daddy for a second, keeping hold of his hand before turning to look up at her Mommy as she stepped beside them.

"Mon Mommy!" The child said with a smile, reaching for Cuddy's hand as well.

Taking her daughter's small hand in her own, Cuddy glanced over at House.

"Just remember….no funny business in the pool." She whispered over to him.

House gave her an amused grin.

"Do you mean funny business as in ha ha? Or funny as in your fungbags?" He asked in a low tone so only she could hear him as made their way over to the steps of the pool with Jessica walking between them.

******************************************************

A short while later as the sun continued to shine down into the pool, Jessica was now swimming in the center of it. Having been placed in small pink floatation vest by Cuddy with her tiny arms and legs moving along with all the confidence and enthusiasm that the little girl could muster.

"Daddy!" Jessica shouted out to her father as she made her way to him after swimming away from her mother.

"Come on and kick those legs kid before big mean Wilson comes over here and tries to bore you to death with more of his baby stories!" House encouraged his daughter with a grin, stretching his hands out to her as she approached him.

Smiling, Jessica paddled with added determination, squealing with delight when she felt her Daddy's hands wrap around her tiny waist before he pulled her up from the water and into the air above them.

"Good job Jessica!" Cuddy exclaimed with praise as House turned their daughter around in his arms.

"Daddy! I go dare!" Jessica said, squirming in House's arms and trying to face him as she pointed over to the edge of the pool.

"You wanna jump again?" House asked raising an eyebrow at her as he turned Jessica to face him.

"Gain!" Jessica confirmed.

"Ok." House said with a smirk, loving how much of a little daredevil his daughter was becoming while moving Jessica into his left arm as he swam towards the edge of the pool with her.

"Greg be careful." Cuddy said in a low whisper, swimming beside them as she headed to the edge of the pool as well.

"Jess will be fine, she's got her vest on and she's been taking lessons since she was three months old." House responded back to Cuddy with a annoyed tone.

"Make sure you count to her." Cuddy reminded him.

"I will…… now knock it off and just sit back, relax and look pretty for Big Daddy." House answered, smiling over at Cuddy as she shot him a glare.

Reaching the edge of the pool, House lifted Jessica up and placed her onto the concrete patio.

Taking a glance around the pool, Cuddy saw that everyone had now turned their attention to Jessica, including little Ethan who was currently being held on the middle step by Wilson with his tiny feet submerged in the water as Cindy sat sideways at the bottom step with the water coming up to her thighs.

On the opposite edge of the pool from where Jessica was now standing, Ruth and Bill were sitting side by side with their legs submerged in the water up to their knees as Bill held a camcorder in his right hand, taping the events that had unfolded in the backyard thus far.

"OK…. ready?" House asked his daughter as he backed a few feet away from the edge of the pool.

"A HUH!!" Jess answered stomping her feet as she clasped her hands together with the ringlets of her damp, dark hair catching the rays of the summer sun above them.

"Just like before, on the count of three." House said slowly, having already repeated those same words to Jessica three times today.

Jessica answered with an understanding nod as her big blue eyes focused in on her Daddy, watching the way his lips moved as he spoke.

Taking in a breath House began to count, joined in his countdown by the voices of Ruth, Bill, Cindy, Wilson and Lisa.

"One………….Two…………….THREE!!" House instructed, opening up his arms and catching Jessica as she jumped off the edge of the pool and into the water before swinging her body up towards the summer sky.

Laughing, Jess kicked her feet in the air as her Daddy lifted her higher above his head.

"A big gurl!" Jessica exclaimed triumphantly down to him, repeating what had been said to her throughout the day each time she jumped into the pool, with both of her small hands reaching for her Daddy's face and kissing him when he pulled her down towards him once more.

"Such a Big Girl!" Cuddy echoed with a huge smile while swimming over to them.

"Alright Jess!" Wilson yelled from the steps of the pool as he lifted Ethan onto his lap, watching the sweet little girl's face light up even more.

"Ah Huh!" Jessica answered back to Wilson, looking over at Cindy as she clapped and rooted for her as well.

"Wow Jessica!" Cindy yelled in appreciation, amazed at how fearless the little girl was.

From the other side of the pool, Ruth watched Jessica's gaze move to her for approval as well.

"That's Nana's Big Girl!" Ruth said, blowing a kiss out to her granddaughter who reacted by blowing a kiss back to her.

"A Pa Pa!" Jessica then said with a grin waving at Bill as he continued to tape her.

"Hey sweetpea!" Bill responded waving at her.

"Bill, did you get all of that?" Ruth then asked with an excited tone, whispering into his ear he looked through the viewfinder of the camcorder.

"I sure did." Bill said with a smile, pressing the stop button just as Cuddy's cell phone began to ring on the patio table.

"Do you want me to get it Lisa?" Ruth offered, gazing over at her daughter whose smile faded just a bit.

"Please." Cuddy answered with a nod.

Getting to her feet, Ruth walked quickly over to the table. Picking up the phone and answering it as behind her, Cuddy started to swim towards the steps.

"Hello?" Ruth said, pausing as the caller quickly identified himself.

"Hold on one second I'm her mother. She's coming to the phone right now." Ruth explained to the person on the line just as the man started to give out the medical information of a patient.

Getting out of the water, Cuddy reached for the towel Bill was offering her, wrapping it around her body.

"Thanks." She said to him with a small smile before continuing over to the table where Ruth handed her the phone.

"Doctor Cuddy." She answered, sitting down in one of the seats at the edge of the table.

"When?" She then asked as her brow furrowed and her teeth bit into her bottom lip.

Continuing to play with Jessica in the pool, House inched them closer to the steps as well, glancing up at Cuddy from time to time as she continued to speak with the person on the phone. The look now displayed on her face telling him the news she was receiving was anything but good.

"Call me if her condition changes." Cuddy said afer a few more seconds, hanging up the phone as her eyes connected with House who was now nearing the shallow end of the pool with Jessica paddling in front of him.

"I need you to go the hospital." She announced with a hint of sadness to her tone.

"New case? Of did Cameron get caught with another physician inside the janitors closet?" House questioned, picking up Jessica before he limped up the steps.

"No!" Jessica protested, turning towards the water while squirming inside his arms.

"Here…. I'll take her back in." Ruth offered as she had now changed into her bathing suit,walking up to him and reaching for her granddaughter as Wilson handed Ethan over to Cindy.

"A no! Daddy a wimming!" Jessica said to her Grandmother with a frown of disappointment.

"Come on honey let's go back in and swim with Ethan ok?" Ruth offered sweetly as House moved past her.

Jessica hesitated for a moment, titling her head to the side as she watched her Daddy walk up to her Mommy with Wilson following close behind him.

Getting ready to launch another protest, Jessica was halted by the sound of Ethan laughing behind her as Cindy bounced him up and down in the water.

"Eden!" Jessica then informed her Grandmother with a huge smile as she pointed down to the baby.

"Ok sweetie." Ruth replied with a smile, heading towards the steps of the pool as Bill, Wilson and House were now all surrounding her daughter.

"Is it really that serious or are you just trying to get out of playing Marco Polo with Wilson?" House asked Cuddy as he sat to her right.

Looking over at him, Cuddy took in a breath.

"Three year old girl, presented to the ER with seizures, fever, and Tachypnea." She explained.

"Any history of seizures before this one?" House questioned.

"No." Cuddy responded.

"Could be an early onset of epilepsy." Bill offered.

"Wouldn't explain the fever." House answered.

"Could be a tumor pressing on the brainstem." Wilson said, reaching for one of the towels stacked in the center of the table.

"Still wouldn't explain the _fever_." House said evenly, reaching for a towel himself and wiping his face as he exhaled deeply into the terry cloth fabric.

"Do you want me to go with you to the hospital?" Cuddy asked House softly, glancing over at Jessica who was laughing at Ethan as Cindy pretended the baby was chasing her inside the pool while Ruth pulled Jessica away from him.

House followed her gaze.

"Stay here with Jess, if I need to do something you won't like..... I'll call you." He answered before getting up out of his chair


	87. Chapter 87

**Well here it is guys ……the last chapter of October/October.**

**But before any of you read it, let me just say when I started this fic way back on Sept 13 of 2007 on the Fox site I never imagined it would last as long as it did .......as well as getting a 'second life' on here .**

**Also I feel honored for each and every reader that has posted a positive review of my story on here as well as on the Fox site as it makes all the time and energy I've spent on this story worth it**** .....and it has been my pleasure to "read" all you ;-)**

**Finally let me just say.....Viva la Imagination and Fanfiction!! **

**WB ;)**

**Chapter 87**

Sitting inside his office, behind the desk in front of him where papers were scattered, House brought the red and gray tennis ball he had been bouncing rhythmically against the floor up to his mouth, smelling the hint of chlorine on his fingertips that lingered, bringing with it the memories of a few hours ago when he lifted Jessica up high above him and into the summer sky.

Exhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and gave into the memory of how the sunlight bounced off his daughter's dark curls. The way her blue eyes were wide with excitement and her laugh....... high pitched and full of life.......Jessica's heart so wide open whenever he looked at her it was at times painful for him to witness.

Painful because he was faced with the knowledge of an iron clad guarantee that one day Jessica would head out into the world with a wide open heart and come back to him with it shattered, the look in her eyes forever changed because of an innocence lost.

The thought poked at him with its undeniable truth. The sharp nail of certainty in regards to his daughter's future which would include pain, sharp and piercing. Jabbing him in just the right spot in order to cause the most damage.

Leaning forward House tried to cast the thought aside, knowing personal life having no place here as his logical brain told him THIS was not the time to think of his daughter while the three year old girl lying in a hospital bed a few floors below him was standing on the edge between life and death.

Clutching the ball in his hands as if he could squeeze the pieces of his latest puzzle from inside of it, House was startled from his thoughts by the beeping of the pager on his desk.

For a moment he watched the dull glow of amber light on the small display before letting the ball fall out of his hands. Reaching for the black plastic device and brining it closer to his face before reading the text in bold black font scrawled across it.

**PT CRASHING NEED YOU IN ICU NEED YOU STAT!**

*****************************************************

Reaching the outside of the patient's room, House stopped in his tracks just as Chase walked up to him, turning his head briefly to look in at the little girl with honey blonde hair through the glass wall of the room as her breathing now being orchestrated by the ventilator she was hooked up to.

"Why did you page me, she's on the ventilator just like she was an hour ago?" House asked Chase flatly, pointing in at the girl with his cane.

"I didn't page you, Cameron did…the parents were worried and…" Chase started to say.

"The parents are upset, so therefore Cameron thinks me talking to them would make them feel better? Is this her first day or something?" House commented sarcastically under his breath, taking the file that was tucked under Chase's arm.

"The infusion didn't work. She's getting worse and her stats are dropping. Before the last convulsion the patient the girl had twitching in her upper and lower extremities and complained of a headache." Chase rattled off as House opened up the file.

"Are you sure you didn't miss anything when you searched parents home?" House asked, taking his glance away from Chase after seeing the patient's father coming out of the hospital room heading straight for them.

"Is this Doctor House?" The man asked Chase with his brow creased in the center from the tension he was experiencing.

"Yes." Chase answered.

"I'm glad you finally decided to come down here and check on my daughter!" The patient's father said with grimace, balling his hand into a fist and punching House square in the jaw as the blow sent the diagnostician falling to the linoleum floor beneath them.

"Hey, back off!" Chase yelled, grabbing the man and pushing him against the wall as Foreman ran out of the patient's room to help him.

"Just calm down sir." Foreman said, holding onto the man with Chase.

"You told them to do this to Amanda and now she's even worse!" The man screamed over at House while inside the hospital room his wife looked out at the men with a blank expression upon her face, numbed by the ordeal as Cameron stood beside her, watching the scene in front of them with wide eyes.

"House, are you ok?" Chase asked, leaving go of the man now that Foreman had him under control, offering his hand to his boss.

"Other than the blood in my mouth, yeah I'm just peachy." House answered back, reaching for his cane and getting up on his own without any assistance from Chase.

"This is all your fault!" The man yelled again through clenched teeth as Foreman struggled to keep him backed up against the wall.

"You're right it is." House replied, wiping away the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You son of a bitch don't you dare patronize me!" The man growled, succeeding this time pushing Foreman out of his way.

House moved his cane up to the space between them, but the man slapped away. However just as patient's father took another swing at him, House stepped over to the left and out of the way.

"I was wrong in diagnosing your daughter, but beating me into a bloody pulp won't change the fact that your kid is dying!" House said with authority, keeping his gaze fixed on the man.

The patient's father, exhaled loudly through his nose, taking a step closer to House with his fists still clenched in anger.

"My daughter Amanda is the most IMPORTANT thing in the world to me and .. if she dies….I WILL find you and finish what I started here understand?" The man said with a voice that was steeped in as much anguish as it was rage.

House nodded at the patient's father, acknowledging the message and watching as the man then turned and walked back into the room where is daughter was lying unconscious.

*******************************************************

Later that day as dusk gave way to twilight; Cuddy sat in the bathtub with Jessica, holding the baby on her lap as she gently washed her daughter's stomach with a washcloth.

"I do!" Jessica demanded reaching for the cloth.

"Ok." Cuddy said with a small laugh, relinquishing control of the cloth to her daughter.

Just then, the cell phone Cuddy had placed behind her on the ceramic tile deck of the garden tub began to ring.

"Tone" Jessica said nonchalantly, dipping the cloth down into the soapy water with a smile on her face.

Wiping the bubbles off of her left hand with one of the towels she had placed beside the tub, Cuddy picked up the phone.

"Hi." She answered, after glancing down at the caller ID while keeping her right hand wrapped around Jessica's tiny waist.

"Hi." House answered back, sitting behind the desk in his office once more.

"How's the patient?" Cuddy asked, noticing the weariness in his voice.

"Not good."" House answered, hearing the sound of water splashing in the background accompanied by his daughter's laughter.

"Hold on for a second ok? I'm in the tub with Jess." Cuddy said, placing the phone down on the tile and hitting the speaker button.

"Jess, honey you have to be careful so you don't get any soap in your eyes." Cuddy then said in a soft tone, removing the washcloth Jessica had placed over her head that had a mound of bubbles dripping down the sides of it.

"No!" Jessica protested holding onto one of the corners of the small towel.

"_Jessica_." Cuddy stressed, changing her tone just a touch to let her daughter know she meant business.

"Noooooo!" Jessica responded, her big blue eyes rimmed with the stubbornness that was a combination of both of her parents while her little hand maintained its grip on the washcloth, trying to pull it back towards her as her mother held onto it tightly.

Hearing the argument between his wife and daughter, House let out a soft chuckle of amusement. The release of tension inside of him upon hearing the two voices on the other end of the line, startling him with the power they possessed.

"Dad-dy!" Jessica said with excitement after hearing his laughter, dropping the cloth in an instant and pointing to the phone as she smiled over at it.

"Hi kid." House answered back.

Seizing the opportunity, Cuddy reached for the bright pink plastic cup sitting to her left that she used to wash Jessica's hair, handing it to her daughter as she shifted the baby up higher onto her lap.

"Here Jessica …play with this while I talk to Daddy." She said softly, moving the washcloth in the water below them away from her daughter's view.

Jessica looked up at her mother with a grin on her face, happily scooping some water into the cup before turning it upside down and letting it splash back down into the tub.

"Can you hear me ok?" Cuddy asked House over the noise their daughter was making.

"Yes…too bad I can't see you though." House answered with a smirk.

Cuddy let out a soft laugh.

"So any ideas on what could be wrong with the patient?" She questioned, steering the conversation back into the direction it needed to go.

"Plenty of ideas …but none of them have been right so far." House answered, rubbing the back of his neck while hearing Jessica talking to herself with a mixture of words and gibberish in the background.

"Well.... what's your latest idea?" Cuddy asked gazing down at Jessica and making a surprised faced as her daughter poured out another cupful of water, looking up at her with a huge grin.

"I don't have one." House confessed.

The pause on the other end of the phone where Cuddy's voice should have been was currently be filled with the sound of water splashing and Jessica giggling.

Staring over at the phone, Cuddy held her breath for a moment.

"You always have an idea. It may be crazy. It may be insanely risky, but you always have one." She finally said with conviction.

"Not this time." House answered, leaning forward and closing his eyes as he rubbed his forehead.

"Is it because of Jessica?" Cuddy asked.

House snapped his eyes open. "What?" He questioned.

Cuddy paused once more.

"Greg, you're treating a three year old girl. It's only natural that when you're treating a child you think about your own child." She explained delicately, aware that House may not like the implications of the words she was speaking to him.

"You know that's not how I think. I can put that stuff aside….I always have." House started to say in denial.

"No, you can't. At least not anymore than any other parent can. Just because your child isn't in the same room with you doesn't mean you forget about them…..in fact Jessica could be a hundred miles away from you and you'd still be thinking of her." Cuddy argued back.

This time it was House who paused.

"She's not an only child." He said suddenly, leaning back in his chair as his pulse quickened.

"What?" Cuddy questioned, thrown off base by his statement.

"The girl…the three year old patient…..she's not an only child. She has an older brother, but her father told me today that "she" was the most important thing in the world to him. If we had two kids, who would be more important to you, Jess ….or the second kid?" House asked.

"I could never choose." Cuddy answered back truthfully.

"But some people do, and this kid's father DID." House said while getting up from his chair.

"Listen I gotta go." He added before hanging up the phone.

********************************************************

Then funny thing about hospitals is…..no matter if you arrive on a Monday morning or a Saturday evening, there always open for business.

Life's twenty -four hour one stop shop for the sick and dying. Ready to serve you with a smile or rather in House's case, a pair of crystal blue eyes that can scan a crowd with the precision of a marksman until he finds what he's looking for. The missing piece to the puzzle he was trying to solve hidden amongst the people inside the cafeteria that evening.

Focusing in on the blonde headed boy who was seated by himself next to a window in the cafeteria, House noticed the way the kid's green eyes shot up from the gameboy he was playing, darting over to the clock on the wall to his right with his attention shifting once more as those green eyes scanned the crowds surrounding him..... all while his right leg twitched.

Approaching the boy, House watched the way the cool green eyes of the kid fixated on his movements immediately.

"Mind if I sit down?" House asked, pulling out a chair from the table where the boy was seated and noticing the faint trace of a bruise the size of nickel just underneath the kid's right earlobe.

The kid glanced up at the man with a weathered face and three days worth of stubble, pausing for a moment before he spoke.

"You're the doctor who's trying it figure out what's wrong with my sister." The kid stated plainly, focusing his gaze back down on the gameboy without responded one way or another to House's question.

"How'd you know that?" House asked curiously taking a seat s he looked over at the boy across from him.

"The corner of your mouth has a cut. My Dad's fist put it there." The kid answered never looking up from the game as his leg continued to twitch.

"Your Dad ever hit you?" House asked nodding towards the kid.

That grabbed the kid's attention, with the boy's green eyes meeting his own within the fraction of a second.

"Like I would tell you." The kid scoffed, looking away and into the crowd surrounding them once more while his feet shifted underneath the tabletop.

"Having a little trouble focusing?" House asked, taking the gameboy from the kid.

"Hey! Give that back!" The kid demanded reaching for the toy.

"Relax..… oh wait, I guess that's really hard for you to do…..especially when you give your _Ritalin _to your three year old sister instead of taking it yourself." House said knowingly, looking directly into the eyes of the boy.

The kid's face grew pale and his mouth dropped.

"I…I didn't…" The boy stammered, getting up from the table and getting ready to bolt.

Standing up as well, House blocked the kid as he grabbed hold of the boy's arm.

"I don't care why you did it. I just need to know how much you gave her and for how long." House said in a low tone so that only the kid could hear him.

"One…one tablet a day for the past week." The kid confessed in a stumbled whisper as his eyes began to sting with tears.

"Why?" House asked, unable to take his eyes away from the scrawny boy whose voice had just cracked.

"You said you didn't care why." The kid challenged with his gaze shifting from left to right like a caged animal.

"I lied." House answered, continuing to hold onto the kid, thereby forcing the boy to remain locked inside their conversation.

The expression of fear on the kid's face quickly faded into one that was the embodiment of a lost soul.

"Because when Amanda was on Ritalin for the first few days…. she was the invisible one and I wasn't!" The kid shouted out, causing everyone inside the cafeteria to turn in their direction.

House followed the kid's gaze.

"He's pissed at me for taking his gameboy, turn around and mind your own business." He said to the people in the cafeteria with an annoyed tone before turning back around to face the boy.

"You did this for attention?" House asked, searching the kid's face.

"I don't want to be invisible anymore. I'd rather have my Dad beat the crap out of me than act like I don't even exist." The kid explained with a hollow tone.

For a few seconds House said nothing. His mind needed to process all that he had just heard.

"Come on." House finally said, pulling the kid towards the exit of the cafeteria.

"No! My dad will kill me!" The kid pleaded trying to break free of the grip House had on him.

"Struggle one more time and I'll kill you." House warned, yanking the kid out into the hallway.

********************************************************

Driving home from the hospital a few hours after the three year old girl with honey blond hair had been stabilized and moved out of the ICU, House watched the moon following him on his journey, peeking out at him behind the clouds, trees and houses as he drew closer to his destination.

Walking into the kitchen after parking the car in the garage, House stopped in front of the fridge and looked inside of it out of habit rather than hunger as the gnawing feeling inside of him currently ...was not physical, but rather mental instead.

Closing the refrigerator door he turned and limped as quietly as he could out into the living room before heading up to the second story of the house, reaching the hallway outside of Jessica's room within a matter of minutes and silently watching her from the doorway.

Standing up in her crib, Jessica's attention was currently being consumed by the moonlight outside her window, giggling as the branches of the trees next to her room waved to her with the help of the warm summer breeze.

"Hi...." Jessica suddenly whispered with excitement, reaching out her hand to the shadows of light and dark while giggling some more a she pulled her hand back towards her, watching the moonlight slide off of her fingertips.

"All…….gone!" The little girl then remarked with a huge smile, looking down at her hand before staring back out at the moon.

Again she spoke with the words "mine" and "see" mixed in with her gibberish, turning around in her crib to reach for the stuffed lamb that was behind her, but stopping before she picked up the toy when she saw House leaning against the doorframe.

"A Daddy!" Jessica whispered with a huge grin, immediately holding her arms out to him as her fingers flexed.

"What are you doing up so late stinker?" House asked with a smile, limping over to the crib.

"You see dat?" Jessica asked, pointing out to the moon as House lifted her up in his arms, leaving his cane resting on the top rung of her crib.

House looked out at the moon.

"You like that huh?" He asked her softly, moving his face next to her neck and tickling Jessica with the stubble of his chin.

"Aaaaahahahaha.. Daddy!" Jessica squealed with delight.

"Shh…Mommy's sleeping." House whispered to his daughter taking in the scent of her hair.

"Mommy." Jessica repeated with a smile, placing her hands on House's face before her tiny forehead furrowed as her smile turned into a frown.

"Noooo." The little girl whispered as her eyes focused in on the corner of her Daddy's mouth were a small cut resided. The finger of her right hand moving over to the area and touching it gently.

"It's ok." House said in hushed tone, looking down at his daughter as her reaction to his injury hit him deep and fast in the part of him he reserved just for her.

"Owww.." Jessica responded with worry, looking up into his face with her bottom lip sticking out.

"It doesn't hurt Jess…shhh..it's ok." House said, feeling a lump rise up in his throat as he saw the tears glistening in his daughter's eyes that were ready to fall at the thought of him being in pain.

Looking back down at the cut, Jessica focused in on the small gash once more before she titled her head up and pressed her lips against it.

"Muh." She whispered under the moonlight, kissing her father on the corner of his mouth before she placed her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder as she hugged him.

House cleared his throat as softly as he could, feeling Jessica patting the back of his neck with her small hands in response to _his_ pain, showing him that the little girl in his arms not only knew the meaning of pain, but also already had the determination ingrained within her to fight against it with the tenderness of kiss and the warmth of her embrace.

"Aww.. Dada…." Jessica then said sweetly, moving her head off House's shoulder to look at him as he rocked her in his arms.

Looking down at his daughter, House saw the smile return to her face once more.

"Come on let's go see Mommy." He said, rubbing his daughter's back with the palm of his hand.

"Mama! Mom-my!" Jess whispered back happily as her Daddy carried her out of the bedroom.

Limping inside the master bedroom, House shifted Jessica into his right arm, looking down at Cuddy as she lie on her side facing them, her breathing slow and deep as she slept.

"Shh…." House instructed Jessica, looking over at his daughter as she looked down at her mother.

"Shh…." Jessica whispered back, placing her index finger up to her mouth.

Nodding back at her, House slowly eased both of them onto the bed, resting Jessica on his left thigh as he turned to face Cuddy.

Crawling out of his arms, Jessica sat down in front of her mother.

"A weeping." Jessica whispered, gently touching the strand of hair that had fallen across her mother's face.

Cuddy took in a deep breath, her eyes blinking as she focused in on her daughter seated in front of on the bed.

"Hi." Jessica whispered with a smile, leaning down and touching noses with her mother.

"Hi baby." Cuddy answered back, kissing Jessica as she wrapped an arm around her and pull her close as she looked over at House.

"How long have you been home?" She asked him, rubbing Jessica back before lifting up the covers so she could sit up in the bed next to him while moving Jessica onto her lap in process.

"I just got here." House answered.

"What happened to your face?" Cuddy asked next with shock as she gently touched the corner of his mouth with her fingertips.

"The patient's father didn't respond well to my bubbly personality." House answered back, feeling Lisa's thumb gently caressing his jaw.

"Do I need to be worried about a call from the father's lawyer?" Cuddy questioned knowingly while moving her hand down to his arm.

"No, I saved the kid's life so we're all good, beside the Dad was the one who started it anyway." House replied.

Cuddy titled her head. "Really?" She questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Doctor Cuddy, when have I ever lied to you?" House asked with a smirk, placing his hand on his chest as if he was ready to take an oath.

"Do you really want to stay up all night as I list them to you?" Cuddy asked with a smirk of her own, feeling Jessica lean forward on her lap, letting out a big yawn as she placed the side of her face down onto the comforter.

"Believe me Doctor Cuddy… I more than capable of staying UP all night, but then again you already know that don't you sex kitten?" House teased with a grin.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him, moving Jessica into a more comfortable position between them as their daughter let out a tired sigh before drifting peacefully back into her dreams.

"So what was wrong with the patient?" She asked, gently stroking Jessica's back.

"Her older brother had been giving her his Ritalin for the past week." House answered.

Cuddy looked back at him stunned.

"Why?" She questioned softly with an edge of disbelief in her tone.

"The kid said he didn't want to be invisible anymore." House replied before he moved both of his legs up onto the bed as he got ready to tell her the rest of the story.

********************************************************

Twenty minutes later, House was lying in the bed by himself as Cuddy had gone to put Jessica back into her crib.

Looking up at the ceiling with his hands behind his back, he thought about the way his daughter had comforted him when she saw the tiny cut in the corner of his mouth. How tender her touch had been and how much emotion was held within her eyes that were filled with innocence.

Still steeped within the thoughts running through his brain, House didn't hear Cuddy enter back into the room until she climbed into the bed beside him once more, catching him off guard as she touched his face and pulled him into a gentle but passionate kiss.

Her lips moved across his with intent. Soft but confident. Slow and methodical as they were well versed in their role to garner his attention with the promise of something more to come as her teeth grazed against his bottom lip.

Leaning into her, House eased them both down onto the mattress, deepening the kiss between them as his hand moved up into her hair.

"What was that all about?" House asked after breaking the kiss between them, gazing down to Cuddy as she looked up at him.

"You looked like you were in serious need of a good lay and that always starts with a very good kiss." Cuddy answered with a playful and tempting smile.

Studying her face, House noticed the way the moonlight coming into their bedroom window reflected in the slate grey of her eyes. Highlighting in striking clarity for him the fact the woman he was in bed with right now ......who had seen more than her share of pain throughout the years, still managed to keep that same look in her eyes that their daughter had shown him earlier as he held her in his arms.

Moving his lips to hers once more, House kissed Cuddy a little slower, letting their lips brush against each other as his hand moved through the softness of her dark hair.

As the next kiss between them ended, Cuddy looked up at House, touching his face while her eyes locked onto his.

"What?" House questioned feeling the power held within her gaze.

"They way your eyes look right now…. it's nice." Cuddy answered back softly as the moonlight brought out even more of the crystal blue inside them until not even a trace of the pain House felt on a daily basis could be found residing in them.

"In case you haven't noticed I have an erection. Which means we are way past the whispering sweet nothing's stage." House responded back with an evil grin.

"And here I thought it was your big cane pressing against my thigh all this time." Cuddy said in a sweet but oh-so-seductive tone.

"Keep talking like that and you're not going to be getting _any_ sleep tonight." House countered, moving his hands to her hips as he gathered the material of Cuddy's nightgown into his fingers.

"I thought we were past the sweet nothing's stage?" Cuddy teased, kissing his neck as her hands worked on pulling off his t-shirt.

Smiling at each other, Cuddy and House then eased down onto the mattress some more while creating the familiar spark that ignited the passion between them in the warmth of a summer night as more clothes were cast aside.

The glow of their desire burning brighter with each whisper and kiss between them as they performed the parts of their lovers play with the final act ending as Cuddy moved her head into the familiar spot just below the crease in House's shoulder. Their bodies, remaining close as they fell asleep within the embers of the love they had for one another which had carried them through the darkness of pain and time …leading them into the light of happiness that we all wish for.

********************************************************

A few hours later as the dawn crept into the master bedroom, Cuddy was awoken from her dreams by sounds of her daughter talking in the room next to their own.

Feeling House's hand begin to caress her hip thereby alerting her that he was awake as well, Cuddy looked up at him, resting her chin on the span of his chest as Jessica's voice continued to travel down the hallway and into their bedroom.

"Ma …a Mommy…..Dada …Dad-dy….." The baby mumbled, wiping the sleep away from her eyes as she let out a big yawn.

"Sounds like someone wants to come and join us." Cuddy said with a smile, getting ready to move away from the warmth of House's body.

"I'll get her." House responded, rubbing his thigh with his right hand as he prepared to leave their bed.

"Are you sure?" Cuddy asked watching him slowly swing his legs over the side of the mattress.

"Yes, now be quiet or I'm going to have to teach you a very naughty lesson again." House said with smirk, getting up off the bed while knowing that behind his back Cuddy was rolling her eyes at him with a smile on her face.

********************************************************

Standing up in her crib, Jessica reached out to the sunlight shining into her bedroom, watching it with fascination as it made its way onto the palm of her hand.

"Hi." Jessica said with a happy tone, capturing the beam of light in her hand before she closed it into a tiny fist, smiling over at dawn breaking outside of her window.

"Hey kid." House said from the doorway, leaning against the frame.

"Dad-dy!" Jessica exclaimed, turning her gaze to him with a smile on her face that displayed the innocence of her heart within its borders.

Seeing her smile, House's smile grew wider as any pain he felt when he looked at her prerviously with the knowledge of how cruel the world could sometimes be was washed away by the memories of the night before. His heart sending confirmation to his mind that his little girl would shine with determination even through her darkest days.

Limping over to the crib, House picked up his daughter, kissing Jessica on the forehead as she wrapped on of her arms around his neck while keeping her right hand balled up into a fist.

"See dat?" Jessica whispered up to him, leaning back from him and opening up her hand to show him the sunlight she had captured within it. Smiling when the ray of sun from outside her window illuminated the palm of her hand once more.

"I see it." House whispered down to his daughter as their eyes met.

Jessica nodded, closing her tiny hand into a fist once more.

"A Mommy?" The little girl then requested, wanting to show her mother the light she had captured.

"Ok." House responded, limping out of the room while glancing down at Jessica as she placed her left hand overtop of her right in an attempt to keep the light inside of it.

Crossing the threshold into the master bedroom, House breathed a silent sigh of relief as he saw the morning sun shining down onto the bed that Cuddy was now sitting up in.

"A Mommy!" Jessica said with excitement as House placed her onto the mattress.

"What do you have Jessica?" Cuddy said with a curious grin, glancing up at House as their daughter knelt before her…..apparently holding something very important between her small hands.

"She wants to show you the sun." House whispered over to Cuddy as he sat down in the bed next to them.

Cuddy nodded in recognition, looking back down at her daughter.

"K?" Jessica asked, looking up at her mother to see if she was ready for the surprise.

"Ok." Cuddy said softly, smiling down at her daughter.

Slowly Jessica opened up her hands in front of her just as a few clouds passed by the morning sun. The effect making it seem as if the bright light that appeared inside her palms in the split second she had opened them back up was even more brilliant than before.

"See dat!" Jessica said with a thrilled high pitched voice as her eyes grew wide with wonder, opening and closing her hands as the light remained.

"I see it baby." Cuddy responded, biting her bottom lip as her eyes stayed focused on the precious face of her child that was illuminated by the morning sun.

**The End....or.....is it really? Coming soon (hopefully some time next week).....the sequel to Oct/Oct ;)**


End file.
