Title: A Love Affair in Years

Disclaimer: I do not own House, nor do I make any profit.

Chapter: The Gala Benefit

Is the evening of the Gale Befit Cuddy organized to earn some donations for the PPTH.

The heart of the evening will be a fashion show and the auction sale of all the dresses.

The smart Dean of Medicine was even capable to involve for the event great names of fashion such as Armani, Valentino and D&G

House and Wilson are sitting in a round table playing poker.

W: "You are lying……" Wilson said.

H: "What do you think is poker for? A lies game. " He breath out the smoke of his extremely big cigar and tossed it on Wilson's face. "Take two, you poor Jimmy"

W: "Don't think I will let you win."

H: "Oooooh yes you will" House sneer.

W: "Why are you here, by the way?"

H: "What do you mean?"

W: "Well……. A Gala Evening, wearing a tuxedo and a tie is not exactly in your mood right?"

H: "Yeap!!!!"

W: "Soooooo………????......."

H: "I have my good reasons……………."

W: "Like for example………… Cuddy????"

H: "In a certain way."

W: "What way? You know I'm curious. You can't keep your secrets away from me."

House smiles.

H: "I exchanged my presence here with hers on the cat walk."

W: "What???"

H: "Hey" Calm down pall don't get to much excited. You need something to drink. Waiter! Two Martinis, please!"

W: "You actually said: 'Pleaaaseeee'?!?!?!?!?!"

H: "Yes, I do. The idea of seeing our boss in some almost naked dress is actually putting me in a very good mood."

He sips his Martini with a grin.

W: "You really are a jerk."

H: "Yeap! But this time I'm making a favour to al the men in this room.

The Auction –

The Speaker announce that the Auction – Fashion Show Begins.

Enthusiastic donors make their offer simply enchanted by the beautiful skinny super models.

Suddenly, between them, compare Cameron and Thirteen in two gorgeous Valentinos.

The two ladies are hands in hands, actually 13 Huntington symptoms are getting worse and she might need help walking in a certain direction.

The two exchange a friendly and lovely look to their soul mate.

Foreman makes his offer and wins the match. He knows how this means to her. He his, after all, very proud of her since he perfectly knows how things are getting difficult for her.

There's an exchange of music and lights.

Is not exactly clear if the auction is actually over or not.

House is getting nervous.

H: "I wonder what ever happened to Cuddy."

Than the speaker announce.

S: "And now, Ladies and Gentlemen the bright pearl of the evening. The peace of our hearts. A sunshine embraced by the hands of the great Armani………"

H: "What the hell is he talking about? I'm the only one allowed to cal my Cuddles a sunshine."

He looks quite angry and bored.

Then a sweet music starts, and a little girl dresses as a brides maid compares.

She has curly dark heir and bright blue eyes. Yeah, is Rachel, Cuddy's daughter.

She arrives at the end of cat walk smiling, she looks around looking for the person who, after her mom, she likes the most. Pointing with her stare to him, she opens her arms and screams: "House!!!!"

Everybody stares at the table where House and Wilson are sitting.

Wilson is quite embarrassed.

House lifts up an eyebrow and said:

H: "This girl insists in ruining my reputation."

W: "She likes you."

H: "I don't understand why."

W: "And you like her."

H: "Consider yourself lucky we are surrounding by people otherwise I will get rid of you."

W: "If you don't reach that girl her mother will get rid of you, or better yell at you ……"

H: "Right………" At the end, House almost always gave in to Rachel.

House stands up and reach the cat walk where the little brat was waiting for him with an expectantly look in her eyes.

H: "What do you think you are doing? Are you not supposed to be in bed?"

R: "Hi House!" She puts a hand on her mouth and sends him back a kiss.

H: He thinks in his mind "……….. I will strangle her one day. I promise. Even if she's so cute"

Rachel stares at him with expecting eyes. House seats on the last stares of the cat walk and adjusts his bad le. The little girl jumps on House arms sitting on his good leg and he tights her with his arms afraid she could felt down, Rachel laugh, she was never afraid of House, she learnt it from her mother.

She puts his hands inside Houses' jacket.

H: "If you don't stop this people will start think I'm a sort of pervert."

He puts a hand in his inside pocket and lift up a bright red lollipop and give it to her.

R: "Thanks."

H: "All this show for a lollipop? You are a little fox, or a smitten kitten, as you prefer. Like your mother! Where is she by the way?"

Rachel points a finger to the beginning of the cat walk.

Everybody is simply overwhelmed. Someone said an almost silent "Oooooooooohhhh".

House directs is sight to the cat walk. He stares there with big eyes and open mouth.

There she is! Lisa Cuddy!

Not the Dean of Medicine for tonight, but Lisa Cuddy the woman.

She wears a gorgeous silk and embroidery wedding dress which emphasizes her beautiful body.

Hair took in a chignon with some curls going off of it.

A long veil covers her head.

She walks long the cat walk, a bright smile on her face.

An expression of real, genuine happiness.

Inside herself she fells amused of the look of House with an expression of mute fish on his face.

But she's even more touched by the tenderness he uses with her daughter.

She knows he will never admit it but in his ways he loves the child, even Rachel can feel it, and since is House we're talking about, for Cuddy is quite enough.

When she arrives at the end of the cat walk House put Rachel on one of the stairs to be free to get up.

They look at each other.

He's astonished.

With one hand he lifts up the veil. (The other one is grabbing his cane)

Cuddy helps in the process.

They never miss eyes contact.

And everybody is looking at them.

House starts murmuring:

H: "……May……… I ………… kiss ………the ……… bride????"

His words go out so low that only Cuddy can hear them.

And left her speechless. Was trying to reply to House when someone grabs her in his arms.

"Doctor Cuddy!!!! Wonderful! Simply wonderful." Is Mr. Taylor an unpleasant donor from Texas.

He continues to say silly things Cuddy is not bothering about.

While he continue to push Cuddy on the left side of the cat walk where she was supposed to stop to let the auction of the dress start, she was still looking at House wanting to reply at him.

The Cuddies'' Auction starts.

Taylor begins with 1'000,00 dollars.

Others increase the offer but Taylor, cheating on them, relaunch more.

House is mad at him.

Cuddy blames herself to let this happen.

At a certain point House opens his mouth and says:

H: "100',000 dollars."

Wilson grabs his friend arm.

W: "House! What are you doing?"

H: "Leave me alone" A furious look in his eyes.

T: "Ah, ah, ah, ah. You wanna scare me with the word hundred? 200'000,00 dollars!"

Now is an open war between House and Taylor.

No one else speak.

Wilson has his head in hands.

Taylor is becoming red in face. No one ever offended him so much.

T: "Who is she by the way? Your secret lover?"

House slams a punch to Taylors' face and the fat man immediately felt dow.

Cuddy runs away holding Rachel in arms, tears in her eyes.

The auctioneer declares:

A: "The match is win by Doctor Gregory House for an offer of one million dollars."

Wilson puck his friend shoulder.

W: "Well done my friend. You know down the best donor we had and made Cuddy cry."

H: "He deserves it, no one could ever offend her in front of me."

W: "And this will cost you one million dollars."

H: "I don't care about money."

W: "I know, in fact you care about her."

H: "I have got to find her."