"Oh you really are one cunning evil woman

Disclaimer: I own nada, zilch, goose egg! Fox and Bad Hat Harry Productions own it all.

"Oh you really are one cunning evil woman!" House announced as he limped over the nurses station. Everyone in the surrounded area turned their attention the show that was about to take place. All of the staff at PPTH had become quite familiar and fond of the House/Cuddy soap opera, they saw it as a form of fore play. Insults and innuendos would go flying back and forth; though no matter what the topic, her boobs and ass always seemed to be referenced. Cuddy cringed at the sound of the loud familiar voice, knowing full well that she was the "lucky" recipient of his comment. She kept her head down, buried in the file she was holding. House walked up behind her and poked her lightly in her back with his cane, Cuddy jumped a bit in surprise.

"Yes, you, I am talking to you. Evil, cunning, inventive…" House looked at the nurse sitting at the nurses station in front of Cuddy, "Oh yeah, I said inventive! If you know what I mean?" House gave her a suggestive wink pointing at Cuddy.

With an inward sigh, Cuddy turned to House. Alright let me get this over with! She thought to herself. Her blue eyes locked with.

"Dr. House, I knew my morning would not be complete with out hearing the sound of your voice." Her response was sarcastic, her smile was tight, and she was trying not to notice all the eyes that were pretending not to look at them.

"Yes, dreamy isn't, everybody thinks so."

Cuddy shook her head and rolled her eyes, suppressing a smile that threatened to creep across her face. She had to admit it, he could be quite amusing at times.

"What can I do for you?"

"Oh….well, that is such a loaded question…you sure you want me to answer honestly in front of all these people, but there's a fifty in it for you." House smirked, he loved making her uncomfortable and the fact that they had an audience made it even better.

Cuddy took a deep breath and kept her smile while she responded to him as though he was a 10 yrld.

"House, I'm busy. And unlike you, the staff and I actually work here, yep, we even save lives! I know that's not as exciting as watching your soaps, hazing your team, and gossiping with Wilson, but it's what we do here. So if you're not going to tell me the real reason for your little visit this morning, I'm going back to my office." And with that Cuddy strutted to her office, feeling 10 feet tall! She loved putting House in his place. Not a bad way to start the morning, really.

"So I guess this is a bad time to ask for a favor?" House yelled out as she walked away.

"Go to work House!" she yelled back with out turning around.

He watched her walk away, the little sashe she had in her walk always intrigued him. It's a very feminine trait she possessed, one of many that House and Wilson often discussed. The vision of her backside in the tight black skirt she wore and the way her body moved, almost rhythmically, made House smirk. House made his way towards her office, this conversation wasn't over.

…………

Cuddy pinched the top part of her nose and closed her eyes, trying to will away the headache that was Greg House as she watched him enter her office. He stood there silently leaning on his cane, considering her, with that damn smirk she had come to know all too well. Truth be told, she really feared it because she never knew what was going to come out of his ever open trap!

Cuddy was growing impatient, "What? What? Say something! And wipe that smirk off your face. I know you love embarrassing me House, but today is not the day to mess with me." Her voice was a little higher and more stressed than usual.

"My, my, it's only 10:30 am and you're already bitchy, I know it's not that time of the month, so it must have to do with work… or the realization that you can never have me again." He walked over and sat at a chair in front of her desk smiling the whole time.

"It's 11:30 am you idiot, of course you'd know that if you ever showed up when you're supposed to, and stop monitoring my periods… it's just creepy. And my wanting you has nothing to do with sex, the only place I want you is in the damn clinic to finish your hours." Cuddy let out a big sigh, "Now House, please, I have a lot of work to do, so please ask me what you need to so I can get to work." Her eyes pleaded with him to take mercy on her.

House studied her for a bit, he knew Cuddy worked hard and decide to relent on his usual verbal assault.

"I need to do a brain biopsy."

"A brain biopsy?"

"Yes."

"On your patient?"

"That's usually who doctors do biopsies on. Though I could do one you, it might give me an answer as to why a hospital administrator would come to work dressed like that." House popped two Vicodin.

"I know what biopsies are for…and my clothes are perfectly acceptable for the work place." Cuddy said tiredly. She always seemed to be defending her worth as a doctor and wardrobe to House.

"Ha!" House pointed to her red v- neck top.

"A top that low I can tell what color bra is…a top thin I can tell if there's a cool draft in the room. As a matter of fact, there's an amazing coincidence between the roundness of a thermostat and the roundness of your.." House's gaze became fixated on her breasts as he was about to say nipples when Cuddy cut him off.

"House!" she grabbed a file folder and placed it in front of her chest, obstructing his view.

Knock! Knock!

They both turned to the door a bit startled.

Nurse Martinez came in with a note for Cuddy. Cuddy nodded a thank you. The nurse turned to leave but not before giving House a disapproving look, House hissed at the nurse, making her scurry out of the room.

"So about my biopsy…"

House looked at Cuddy, she hadn't heard him, she sat quietly staring at the note.

"Cuddy!"

"Huh, what?" She brought her gaze back to him.

"My biopsy…" House watched as she placed the note in desk drawer, he also couldn't help but notice hoe the color had drained from her face.

"Uh..no, no, absolutely not."

"What? Why?"

"Because you are still on probation for breaking the last one. Have one of your team do it, but you stay away from that damn machine. Now go do your job."

Cuddy got up and made her way to her file cabinet.

House followed her, noting that her there was something on her mind. Cuddy placed the file in the cabinet and turned around, gasping as she collided with House.

The initial surprise threw her balance off and House instinctively grabbed her waist to prevent her from falling. Cuddy grabbed his forearms in an effort to steady herself.

"God House, you scared me! What are you doing creeping up on me…"

"Creeping up on you? Cuddy, you knew I was in the room."

'Yeah but, I …I didn't hear you get up, and… and I didn't know you were right behind me."

House could tell something was up.

"What's got you spooked?" House asked inquisitively.

"Nothing…nothing House. I just didn't hear you, that's all." Cuddy averted his gaze, not allowing herself to look at him directly. She was a terrible liar and House knew it. She was trying to act as if nothing was wrong, but House knew better.

"No, you're not the type of person who loses focus easily, especially when I'm in the room. You're usually watching every move I make."

Cuddy swallowed, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with the way House was looking at her. She suddenly realized that she was still holding onto his arms and his hands were still around her waist.

"So what's going on?" House pressed.

"I.." Cuddy started but was interrupted.

Knock! Knock!

Oh thank God! Cuddy thought to herself, it was her assistant.

She held he hand up, signaling to give her a minute.

Cuddy let go of House's arms, "House, um, you can let go of me, I'm fine now."

She was feeling a bit warm and flushed, she hoped House wouldn't notice.

House withdrew his grip, her skin tingled where his hands had been. He didn't move from in front of her and he steadily held her eyes with his.

He was so close that she could smell the coffee he had earlier that morning and she couldn't help but notice how close his lips were to hers.

They stood silently for what seemed liked hours, but were in fact seconds.

House took a second to breathe in her perfume before breaking the silence.

"Ok, if you say so." House turned and started to walk out of the room. He couldn't help but feel a little off, "What the hell just happened here?" he thought as he exited. He adjusted the collar on his shirt, he was feeling a bit warm.

As soon as he was gone Cuddy let out a breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding.

She wrapped her arms around her waist, holding herself together as she steadied her breathing… her stomach felt funny…maybe it was the caffeine. Yeah, that's gotta be it, need to switch to tea. She also wondered if she was the only one that felt a bit warm.

Cuddy made her way to her desk. She pulled out the note that she was handed earlier. She looked it over and closed her eyes.

"After all these years, who would've thought our paths would ever cross again..."