11/3/2007
Disclaimer: I don't own the song "Every Now And Then". It's written by Garth Brooks and Buddy Mundlock. It's on Garth's CD "The Chase". I don't own House or Cuddy, David Shore does.
A/N: my apologies if House or Cuddy seem OOC. This one-shot is un-beta'd. Please R&R!!!
A/N 2: to those people who R&R my one-shots, thanks so much for your continued support!!
Rating: T
House sat down on the empty park bench and looked up at the sky. The air was warm and the sky was clear and bright. He had come to the park to think about a lot of things, his life, and his relationships. House wore a pair of jeans, his ever present Nike Shox, and an old faded Rolling Stones t-shirt and of course his cane.
House wasn't the kind of guy to ever contemplate life; he just took it as it came to him. However, tonight was different, because tonight he wasn't thinking about just himself, for once. He was reminiscing about his ex-girlfriend Stacey and his current girlfriend Cuddy.
I walked down to the
park last night The other day I saw a car like you
used to drive
Warm breeze stirring up a soft moonlight
And
my mind started drifting to way back when
Yes I do think about
you every now and then
I got a funny feeling down deep inside
And for
the briefest moment I felt a smile begin
Yes I do think about you
every now and then
House remembered everything about Stacey, her perfume, her laugh, her eyes, her smile, the power of her kiss when they made love. He smiled faintly at these memories. But then he remembered the day she drove away, when she had had enough of his anger, curses, and hatred. House couldn't blame her really, he knew he was a pain in the ass; he just didn't care about her or anyone else. The day she left was the day he died inside. Although he would never admit that to anyone.
Not too long ago, House was coming out of PPTH late one night and he thought that for a second he saw her car pull out of the parking lot and smile graced his lips. Still after all these years later, he still thought about her. He wondered how she was doing with Mark. House wondered if maybe, he could convince Stacey to leave Mark and come back to him.
I love my
life and I'd never trade
Between what you and me had and the life
I've made
She's here and she's real, but you were too
And
every once in a while I think about you
House didn't love his life. In fact, he sometimes hated his life, for the infarction, the constant pain, the Vicodin. Even with all of this, there was one good thing in his life, one good person who he had with him. That was his boss and lover and best friend Cuddy. With Cuddy, he was happy.
Cuddy picked up House, literally and emotionally after he had crashed after Stacey had left him.
A few days after Stacey had left him, House had gone on a drinking binge, staying in his apartment all the while. Eventually, Cuddy had become concerned after she had called and left messages wondering why he wasn't at work. She went over to his apartment and that's where she found him.
House was passed out drunk, lying on the floor of his kitchen. He looked horrible, his beard was longer than usual, his clothes looked like he hadn't changed them in many days, his hair was greasy from not showering and he reeked of booze. Cuddy had roused House out his drunken stupor and somehow gotten him undressed and into the shower where she washed his hair and cleaned him with soap many times over. By the time this was done, the bathroom was filled with steam, but House was looking a bit more like himself. Then Cuddy got him out of the shower and dressed him in sweat pants and t-shirt and put him in bed. Then she got up and went out and cleaned up the numerous beer bottles, beer cans, and Jack Daniel's bottles that were strewn all around the apartment.
The first days were the hardest for House, if not more so for Cuddy. While House had to deal with the pain of a gigantic hangover, Cuddy had to deal with House's anger, and depression. In the coming days and weeks House tried to push Cuddy away with his anger, but Cuddy stood firm and stood by him and helped him to get out of his depression. Cuddy helped House through his darkest days. And she was still with him, even all these years later.
It seemed like a
lifetime ago that he had been like that. With Cuddy in his life, he
was happier, more content. Yes he was still pissed at Stacey for
leaving him, but yet he still loved her. But he loved Cuddy even
more. Cuddy had been there for him when Stacey wasn't and for that
House was grateful even though he never said it. I heard a
song on the radio just yesterday
The same one you always asked me
to play
And when the song was over
I wished they'd played it
again
Yes I do think about you every now and then
House smiled a small
smile as he sat on the bench listening to the wind and thinking back
to that song he heard on his radio when he woke early that
morning. He remembered that song that he had played on his piano for
Stacey. The one she loved so much. The one song that was their song.
He remembered how it made her laugh and smile so much. After he heard
it, he'd wished they'd played it again, so as to remember her. He
knew that Stacey would always be in his heart, but she wouldn't be
the one to hold his heart. His heart and soul belong to Cuddy. I
love my life and I'd never trade
Between what you and me had and
the life I've made
She's here and she's real, but you were too
And every once in a while I think about you
Cuddy was his best
friend, his confidant, his lover. She loved him even when he couldn't
or wouldn't love himself. Cuddy pushed him to do things he wouldn't
ever do, whether it was dealing with a difficult case or whatever.
Cuddy stood by him and even though they had their ups and downs,
their fights and times of fun, he wouldn't trade it for the world.
Cuddy gave House a reason for getting up in the morning, other than
his job and the pain in his leg. Cuddy loved him through it all, the
infarction and Stacey's leaving, all of it. House knew that he
loved her and she loved him. I've been layin' here all
night listenin' to the rain Every
now and then
Talkin' to my heart and tryin' to
explain
Why sometimes I catch myself
Wondering what might
have been
Yes I do think about you every now and then
Every now and then
House looked at his watch and saw that it was nearing midnight and it had started to rain. So he got up from the bench, took his cane and limped back to his bike. Getting on and starting it, he sped back to his apartment. He put the bike away and covered it so as not to get it wet. He limped inside and shut the door just as the rain and wind picked up and the sky let loose a torrent of rain and lightning and thunder.
House laid on his bed, listening to the rain fall outside and window. He wondered why after all these years he still thought about Stacey, about how she was doing and what might have been if they had stayed together. Would they have had babies? Would they have gotten married?
He hoped that Stacey knew that he thought about her, every now and then. He hoped that Stacey knew how much he wished her the best and wished that she was happy, just as he was happy.
