Just a little one-shot I wrote for the July O/C Babe Challenge...I'm *still* trying to wrap my head around the idea of House and Cuddy being together. It's not working. This is how I see it playing out. As usual, I don't own House or What's-Her-Name.

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House pulled up in front of the diner late that night, his thoughts swirling in his head. He had decided not to hit the bar after leaving Cuddy's, deciding it would be better to keep a clear head rather than make any rash decisions fueled by alcohol.

He dismounted the bike and removed his helmet, letting out a long sigh as he pushed through the door. A little bell ringing over the door attracted the attention of the older waitress sitting at the register. She put down the gossip rag she was reading and greeted him with a warm smile.

"What'll it be, honey?"

"Coffee."

"Leaded or unleaded?"

House allowed a small smile. "Bring on the lead."

She grabbed a pot from the burner behind her and poured him a cup. It smelled as if it had been cooking since that morning, and when he stirred in sugar and took a sip, it tasted like it, too.

The waitress laughed heartily at him. "That was one hell of a face, sweetheart. Guess it's time to make a fresh pot."

She busied herself with the coffeemaker, pouring out the old coffee and starting the new. Soon the new pot was ready, and she took House's mug and refilled it, setting it in front of him.

"So what brings you in here tonight?"

House took a sip of the fresh coffee before answering. "Just needed some time alone."

The waitress nodded in understanding. "So what's her name?"

House chuckled a little at that. "Cuddy. Lisa Cuddy." He played with the coffee mug in his hand, letting out a short sigh. "We've been seeing each other for a while."

"You guys have a tiff?"

"I guess you could call it that." House snorted. "I'm sure the neighbors would have called it a total blowout."

The waitress winced. "I'm sorry to hear that, honey."

House shrugged. "It's not the first one we've had. Might be the last one, though." A bit of sadness washed over him. "Pretty sure we're done after tonight."

"Do you want it to be over?"

"That's just it. I don't really know." House let out a long sigh. "I know I don't want to be alone, but…I'm not sure it's worth all this."

"I know exactly what you mean." She nodded in understanding, wiping down the counter as she talked. "My ex-husband and I got to that point. We'd have these terrible screaming matches where we'd say the most hurtful things to each other. Finally we decided it wasn't good for us or the kids, and we ended it."

"Was it worth it?" House asked her.

"Smartest thing I ever did." She told him. "Every year on the anniversary of my divorce, I have a little get-together. Call it my Independence Day party."

"Are you alone now?"

"I'm never alone as long as I've got my friends." She tilted her head at House. "Don't you have friends?"

"A couple." House laughed bitterly.

"Well then, you should be okay if you decide to end things with this Lisa woman." She told him confidently. "If they're your real friends, they'll support you. That's what mine did for me. I would have fallen apart without them."

House shook his head. "They…well, he only supports me as long as I'm with her. He thinks we're meant to be together."

"Well, that's no good, honey." The waitress clucked her tongue. "First of all, you need a new friend. Second of all…" She sighed and shook her head. "More coffee?"

"Sure."

She poured him another cup and moved down the counter to take care of a customer who had just wandered in. The waitress made the same friendly conversation with the new customer as she had with House, her hearty laugh ringing throughout the otherwise quiet diner.

The waitress soon returned to check in on him. "How are you doing?"

"I don't know." He quietly admitted.

"You hungry?" She asked him. "The guy at the grill makes a pretty mean burger."

"That sounds good." He nodded. "Maybe throw some onion rings in on the side. Extra crunchy."

"You got it." She turned to holler through the opening. "Hey, Bob, throw on a burger and some onion rings. Make sure you burn those onion rings."

"I'm on it, Molly."

House nodded to Molly in gratitude as she flashed him a quick smile. He sighed heavily as he continued to sip at his coffee.

The argument with Cuddy still worked at him. How did something that had started so well fallen apart so quickly? He couldn't help but wonder how much of the relationship stemmed from his fear of ending up alone.

He'd always thought of himself as a pretty independent guy. When it came to love, obviously that wasn't the case.

"Order up!" Bob called out, and Molly quickly picked up the plate and set it in front of House with a bottle of ketchup.

"Need anything else, honey?" She asked.

"Nope. Looks good." A question formed in his mind. "Was it hard? You know, when you and hubby first split up."

"Well, of course." Molly laughed. "Hell, we were together for fifteen years. The feelings don't die just because the relationship hits the skids. I cried almost every night for months after my kids went to sleep." She gave House a knowing look. "But it was worth it. I knew I could get through damn near anything after that, and I could do it on my own."

"And now?"

"Still flying solo, sweetheart." Her round face split into a wide smile. "And loving every minute of it."

"It couldn't have been all bad, though, right?" House asked her.

"Oh, not at all." Molly answered. "It was really good in the beginning. We just became different people. He wasn't the same man I had married."

House considered that. Cuddy wasn't the same girl he'd met at Michigan, and he sure as hell wasn't the same guy he'd been back then. Maybe that was really what was tearing them apart.

Just as he finished his burger and onion rings, his phone started singing 'Baby Got Back'. He sighed heavily and pulled it out, not sure if he wanted to answer it.

Molly gave him a sideways glance as she took away his plate. "You'd better face the music, honey. Piss or get off the pot, as they say."

House nodded, taking a deep breath before answering his phone. "Hey."

"Hi." Cuddy sounded like she'd been crying. "Where are you?"

"Sitting at a diner." House answered. "Thinking."

"So you're okay."

"Yeah, I'm okay."

There was a long silence before Cuddy spoke again. "Look…about what I said…"

"Forget it." House told her with a sigh. Something in his chest squeezed at the thought of saying what was on his mind. "I…I really think we should end this."

"What?" Cuddy's voice pitched higher. "Why?"

"It's not working." House ran his hand over his head. "All we seem to do anymore is fight. There isn't even any make-up sex afterward to make the fighting worth it." He took a deep, shaky breath. "It's not good for either of us."

He heard a choked sob at the other end, and he could feel the lump growing in his own throat. "Are you sure?"

House looked up to see Molly wiping down the counter. She smiled slightly and nodded. He nodded firmly in response. "I'm sure."

Cuddy sighed on the other end of the line. "I love you."

"I know." House answered roughly before closing his phone and tossing it on the counter. He rubbed at his tired eyes in an attempt to keep his rising emotion at bay.

The sound of pouring coffee made him lift his head, and there was Molly, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Thanks." He told her softly.

"No problem." She answered. "How'd she take it?"

"Okay, I guess." House replied. "I guess I'll find out for sure when I see her at work."

"Oh, you work with her?"

House couldn't stop the stupid smile that crossed his face. "Better than that. She's my boss."

"Oh my." Molly laughed in response.

"Yep." He shook his head. "This is why all those career advice sites tell you not to sleep with your boss."

"Well, live and learn, honey."

"I guess." House sighed heavily and drained the remains of his coffee. He shook his head when Molly tried to pour him another cup. "I should head home soon. Still got to make it to work tomorrow."

"Good luck." Molly told him as she presented him with his bill. "Hope everything works out."

House smiled a little as he placed the cash on the counter. "I think it will."

Molly cashed him out and handed him his change. House left it behind and hopped down from the stool, grabbing his cane and limping toward the door.

"Hey!" House turned at the sound of Molly's voice. She flashed him a warm smile. "Happy Independence Day."

House felt himself involuntarily stand a little straighter, feeling as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders. He smiled and nodded at Molly before limping out the door.

The sun was just starting to creep over the horizon as House climbed onto his bike and fastened his helmet. Now that he had several cups of coffee coursing through his veins, he wasn't ready to go home and sleep just yet. Matter of fact, a sunrise ride sounded like the perfect way to celebrate his personal Independence Day. Let freedom ring, he thought to himself as he rode. Let freedom ring.

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