"YOU KNOW WHAT?" Cuddy could hear House but she couldn't see him. Frantically, she looked all around before being told by a nurse to look up. House was standing upstairs, leaning over the railing. He had a serious look on his face and this confused Cuddy. She didn't think she'd ever seen him this way.

"What?" She would humour him, at least for a little while.

"I do like you!" This time he spoke instead of shouting, he already had her attention and he knew she could hear just fine.

Cuddy's forehead creased. "What?"

"The other night...you accused me of liking you. I dismissed it?!" This was more of a question than a statement. Cuddy sighed.

"I remember!" She put down the file she was holding and folded her arms neatly across her chest, curious to see where this was going.

"Well I lied!" House said in response. "I do like you." By now everyone was watching the two of them, some pretending they weren't, some blatantly watching. "In fact," House continued, aware of his audience but not really caring, "I love you!"

There was a pause where no-one spoke. Cuddy was trying to work out if he was serious or not. His face was still serious. It actually portrayed a kind of soft sincerity that Cuddy had never thought House was capable of.

Wilson chose this moment to walk in. He was about to say something to Cuddy but instead followed her gaze up to House. The silence remained, making Wilson curious.

"What did I miss?" He asked, looking from House to Cuddy and back again, his forehead creased into a slight frown.

"He just...He said..." Cuddy couldn't quite find the words she needed.

"I just told her I loved her." The silence returned, Wilson's mouth falling open. This time it was House to break the silence.

"You are all I can think about." He said softly. "When I wake up your the first thing I think about. Your the last thing I think about before I go to sleep. I think about you all day. I dream about you all night. Your like a disease that has gotten into my system and there is no cure. I can't even diagnose it properly." There was another pause before he continued, "I just wanted you to know."

"House!" Cuddy said with a slight nod and House turned around to find Cameron standing behind him. She looked almost frightened but there was something else there too. Pride? House stared at her for a second, the buzz of people talking behind him returning and growing louder as they went back to work.

"What?" He said, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"We need you." Cameron replied a bit more confident than she looked.

House nodded and started to follow her without a word. He turned to take one last look at Cuddy, who had returned to work, talking to Wilson as though nothing had happened. House could tell that Cameron wanted to say something. By the way she walked, he could also tell that she was slightly afraid to say anything, and so they headed off in silence.

"HOUSE!" Cuddy called suddenly just before they were out of sight. The silence had returned and, as he turned around, House could see that, once again, everyone had stopped working, anxious to find out what Cuddy was going to say. House moved to the railing again, looking intently at his boss on he floor below.

"I love you too!" Cuddy said softly.

It was a simple statement but a smile broke out across House's face and, as he turned to leave, he had a small spring in his walking-stick-assisted step!

The End!?