So this one goes out to Oc7ober, who gave me the idea to do a post-"Recession Proof" (7X14) fic. The one where House says "I choose you," but then TPTB destroyed us the following week? So this is my reboot.

Thanks Oc7ober for the idea and for bullying me into writing it. Everybody's requests for my fics are so kind, and I wish I could write all the time. Unfortunately, a dissertation and two kids have slowed me down.

I don't own "House" or any of its creative content. Hugh Laurie, however, is chained in my basement. Hence the lack of time to write… And the second kid. ;)

Chapter 1

The pounding between his temples and nasty coating in his mouth reminded House immediately of his lonely evening, his disappointing Cuddy, and his inebriated midnight speech. Pretty awful. On the other hand, her long legs between his knees and the smell of her all over his skin reminded him of the sex they'd had between said speech and his full-on pass out. Pretty amazing.

At least he thought he'd been amazing… Hmmm…He felt his head pound again. Highly unlikely.

This would be tricky.

He turned to see her eyes fluttering open reluctantly. "Mornin'," he said with a croak. "I'd kiss you passionately, but I don't think you'd ever recover… In a bad way."

Cuddy opened one eye and smirked before disentangling and rolling off of him and off the bed, padding to the bathroom. House listened to the sound of running water and toothbrushing. He wracked his brain.

Worse doctor. People will die. I choose you. Will always… Vagina.

Oh boy. The words were floating through his brain like a movie he had watched while drunk. What he couldn't recollect, even murkily, was Cuddy's reaction. He couldn't picture her face – not an arched brow or a half smile – and he wasn't sure she'd said a thing. But they were here naked together. It couldn't have gone too badly.

Cuddy padded out of the bathroom, past the bed, and out the door.

Could it?

[H] [H] [H]

House came up behind her in the kitchen, sliding his hands around her hips, draped with satin. She shrugged him off.

"What? I can't help it if all I can think about is your ass," he murmured in her ear.

"Jesus, House!" Cuddy scolded, gesturing toward the kitchen table where Rachel sat coloring and eating breakfast.

"Oh, come on, Cuddy. She didn't hear me. And she even doesn't know what that means," he defended himself.

"Tell that to her preschool teacher who told me she's repeating it," Cuddy chided. She sighed, then continued her morning bustling.

House walked over to the kitchen table and dropped into a chair. He glanced at Rachel, who sat eating raisins and drawing happy faces. "Hey," he mumbled before resting his forehead in his hand.

"Hey," Rachel replied, studying him with a smirk.

Cuddy approached, set Rachel's cereal down, and cleared her throat. "I have to go shower," she told them both. She stalked out.

Rachel continued coloring, moving the crayons to a spot between her and House in an offering to share.

"You done with the Cheerios?" House asked her. She nodded. House reached over for her bowl and started eating them. "I don't even know what she's mad about," he said with his mouth full.

Rachel thought as she ate raisins and colored, then offered, "Maybe it's something you shoulda known better."

House looked at her. She smiled a toothy smile at him with a raisin stuck in her teeth.

"Probably," he agreed.