Title: A Teenager, A Whisper, and a Hooker?

Pairing: Dr. Gregory House, Dr. Lisa Cuddy

Disclaimer: I am in no way, whatsoever affiliated with House, FOX, or any associates. I am simply a fan of the show.

It was a day like any other, the ducklings sat around the conference table in the department of diagnostics waiting for the one an only Dr. Gregory House. Cuddy had just left after she dropped off a new file folder. This one held the information on a 16 year old female who presented a fever well over the norm and swelled lymph nodes. Any other doctor would have diagnosed swollen glands and recommended a cool cloth, Tylenol and banana flavored amoxicillin, but Cuddy thought that House would be particularly interested in the case seeing as how the teenager's ill health and fluctuating blood count had continued through the treatment of three physicians.

In the main lobby, Cuddy was leaving the sanctity of her office towards the clinic when she noticed the sympathetic glance of her friend Brenda. Turning, Cuddy realized what the look was for and began to walk away.

"Cuddles, was that extra little wiggle for my benefit, or are you practicing for a new donor?" House quipped as he came through the entrance of PPTH.

Cuddy turned and sashayed over to the misanthropic pain in the ass and looked up. "Now why exactly do you still have a fascination with my ass, Dr. House, when you are definitely over an hour late?" she asked with a glare that would leave any other man paralyzed in fear.

"Late? No… you must be mistaken Cuddles. Just because you are is no reason to …" House started as he was cut off by Cuddy's hiss of "Shut up, you fool."

House looked up and locked eyes with Nurse Brenda giving her a quick grin as he leaned down towards Cuddy and whispered in her ear. Walking towards the elevator, he noticed Brenda's head snap to look from him to a very flustered Cuddy. He knew she was wondering what he said, but he also knew that she was one of the people he could trust to help him with rumors just like he could trust his good friend Jimmy.

Limping towards the glass doors of his office where the ducklings sat, he pushed through without saying a word and stopped in front of the coffee machine.

"House…" Chase started.

He raised his left hand, palm facing towards Chase's words and uttered one word. "Coffee."

Retrieving his caffeine, House sat with his chin resting on the hook of his cane as he looked at the three brooding fellows. "Well, what have we got?"

Forman grabbed the file and started "16 year old girl presents with abnormally high fever, swollen lymph nodes all over her body, and her blood count keeps fluctuating." Tossing the folder towards House, he leaned back in his chair.

"Now, why did dear sweet Cuddles give us this… there must be something more." House said as he limped towards his whiteboard. "So…" he said as he turned towards the three. "What do a fever, swollen lymph nodes and low-high blood count have in common? Ideas?"

"Could be some form of lymphatic cancer" Chase offered

"An immune-deficiency problem could give us the fever and even the swollen nodes" Cameron piped up.

"Auto-immune disease, how original," House retorted. "Forman, nothing to add… or do you think that it could be a neurological problem?"

"What about Kawasaki disease? I could account for all of the symptoms"

"Wrong. OK. Cameron... get a family history, Chase… you run the blood… try to find out why it keeps going up and down and Forman, biopsy the lymphatic system… figure out if it is Kawasaki's or not." House ordered as he took off towards the coma guy's room. It's 1:45 and his soap was on in 15 minutes….. just enough time he thought.

Back in the safety of her office, Lisa Cuddy let out a sigh and sat down behind her large desk. She slipped off her heels and leaned back closing her eyes for a brief moment, her mind still reeling from what House whispered in her ear as he walked away. How could he not think that something so blatantly obvious like whispering in her ear wouldn't lead to people to talk about them? Unless… that bastard. He knew what he was doing…

Cuddy broke herself out of her reverie as she heard a slight knocking at her door. "Come in." she says to the person at her door without looking up. "Cuddy," Wilson started as he entered her office "what happened this afternoon?" Cuddy rolled her eyes and tilted her head to the right "What do you think?" she paused. "House was just being his usual self, trying to make my life a living hell."

"What did he do this time?" the ever sympathetic doctor asked as he sat down on the sofa.

"Oh, well, he… he whispered in my ear in the middle of the clinic."

"That's it?"

"That's it! Are you kidding me? He is such an insufferable jerk… sometimes…I just want to… oh, nevermind… it's not important." Cuddy rambled as she came to sit in the chair nearest the sofa.

"Nevermind? What exactly did he say?"

"It…it's not important." She replies as she gives her head a shake. "I'm just going to head out if you don't mind. Did you want something else, James?"

"Oh no … nothing that I can't manage. I just need your signature on a few forms before you go… if you have a second?" he asked.

"Sure."

As Cuddy signed off on the last of the forms, she gathered her coat and purse and headed out towards her car as she locked the door to her office behind her.