AN: This story follows House MD's season finale completely, does not include Booth and Bones leaving at the end of "The Beginning in the End" - I'd recommend not reading this if you haven't seen the finale's to either shows.

This is also the first story that I have done that has included Bones characters, so be nice to them!

Summary: When arriving for work one morning, House and his team find a dead body that has been arranged to lounge casually in a chair on the deck that connects his and Wilson's offices. When the bones are sent to the Princeton Police Department, the bones are identified as a male from out of the state. Booth and Bones are called onto the case, but as the investigation continues, it is unsure who the body was intended for; Wilson, House or Cuddy. Also, nothing helps improve the tension between the group when Cuddy and Wilson decide to play matchmakers for Bones and Booth.

The Man in the Diagnostics Room

Prologue

Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital; Monday, June 21, 2010 – 08:20.

"No case?" House followed his team of two off the elevator; Foreman carrying a file folder under his arm, and Taub with his jacket. Chase had since returned to his place in surgery, having been offered the position of head surgeon. The three headed into the DDX room, leaving Taub to flick on the lights, Foreman to drop the file folders, and for House to head into his office.

"You guys want to let the sun in?" Taub asked, reaching for the blinds, and he pulled them open, jumping back in shock.

"What is that?" Foreman, who was about to make a cup of coffee, turned to stare out the window in shock, his eyes wide.

"I think … that would be a person." House had turned, only to look out his office door to the deck and spot the same thing that had caught both Foreman and Taub's attention.

"They look dead," Taub hurried into House's office, before unlocking the door and moving to step outside.

"Wait," Foreman grabbed Taub's jacket, dragging him into the office and re-locking the door, "Go out there and you might ruin the scene."

"You," House looked at Foreman, "go get security; Taub, call the police, and I'll go find Cuddy."

"Cuddy?" Taub looked at House, not sure if his search for Cuddy was relevant to the dead body on the deck.

"She's the boss of this place, I think she would like to know." House began, only to turn as the woman they were off to find stepped into the office.

"You guys have a case," Cuddy passed the file to Foreman, who took it slowly and returned his gaze to the decomposing body on the deck. She glanced around at the three men in the room, before following Foreman's gaze.

"Cuddy..." House began, the wind knocked out of him as Cuddy threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the stares that Foreman and Taub were giving him.

"That … who...?" Cuddy looked up at House, her frighten gaze meeting his, "It could have been for you..." She stretched up on her toes, pressing her lips firmly against his, "God, I could have lost you..."

"What...?" Taub looked between the Dean of Medicine and the Head of Diagnostics, "You two are together?"

"Ignore that," House laced his fingers with Cuddy, ignoring the faint blush on his girlfriend's cheeks, "You two saw nothing; go do as I told you two." Foreman turned to Taub, palm up, before the older man rolled his eyes and pulled the neurologist from the office, leaving the couple alone again.

"Lise," House broke the silence, and turned her chin towards his face, away from the mangled body on the deck. He ran his thumb along her jaw, pulling her into a gentle embrace, "I love you." His lips brushed her ear and Cuddy looked at him, her eyes filling with tears.

"I love you too," Cuddy breathed, tears of joy slipping down her cheeks and she had to wipe them away. Her eyes shone, and she rested her head on House's chest, relaxing in his arms, her heart exploding with happiness; never once before had he dared say that he loved her directly to her face. It was always when they were apart, through an email, text message or phone call.

"Ahem," Taub had returned, and he stood in the doorway, "I called the police, they've got a team on the way over." He waited until House had released Cuddy from his arms before stepping into the room.

-the man in the diagnostics room-

A small diner in Washington D.C.; Monday, June 21, 2010 – 13:05.

"Brennan," Angela Montenegro nudged her best friend in the shin, "Stop staring, it's rude." She flicked her gaze towards where Seeley Booth, Zack Addy and Jack Hodgins, her husband, were seated. A smile formed on her lips as Temperance Brennan looked at her, blushing.

"I wasn't Angela, I'm observing them." Brennan, or as she was usually known by, Bones, rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"Oh, I am pretty sure you're gaze never left the stature of one Seeley Booth," Angela smirked at her friend's embarrassment, "He's free, you're free, you two are crazy about each other." She nudged Bones again, "Just let him have a chance."

"No Angela," Bones looked her friend in the eye, "I can't. If anything we to happen between Booth and I and we end up breaking up, then it jeopardizes us at the Jeffersonian or his work with us."

"C'mon Bren, just give him a chance," Angela was grinning from ear to ear, "It will be worth it."

"Hey, Bones, Angela!" Booth jumped up, "Got ourselves a case, let's bounce." He, Zack and Hodgins were already heading for the door, leaving Angela and Bones to hurry after them.

"Just get him alone," Angela hissed in Bones' ear as the two of them trailed after the men, still holding their coffee in paper mugs, She continued to ignore the annoyed, but amused, expressions Bones was making, and rambled on, a grin on her lips. "Just tell Booth that you like him, want to try out a relationship … something."

"Angela." Bones rolled her eyes, thankful that Angela had to stop and breathe, "I am not going to pursue a relationship with Booth, that is completely out of the question. I'm not in love with him, or anything else you guys try to push on me."

"Suit yourself Bren," Angela hopped into the backseat of Booth's SUV, leaving the front seat open for Bones, "Don't come running to me when you're heartbroken."

"Okay, I'm dropping you squints back at the Jeffersonian," Booth had flicked on his siren and was headed for the back entrance of the lab, "You guys have to get ready to be able to examine a body without the bones there for you. Bones and I are going on a road trip to see the remains in person."

"Can't you tell us about the case before you start giving us orders Booth?" Bones cut him off slightly, causing him to glance at her out of the corner of his eye. "We've not your slaves, we do have a job outside of following you around."

"Technically, you do the following Brennan," Zack remarked from where he was squashed in the backseat against the window. "We just do the research."

"Okay, well, it's a body that was found in New Jersey, Princeton to be more exact," Booth began, "The local police there called us onto the scene after discovering that the remains are of a former patient that was treated there, yet the patient is from New York."

"So obviously the FBI gets involved, I get it," Bones sighed, "When do we leave, it's got to be an afternoon drive to Princeton, at least."

"About four hours," Booth replied, "But we need to get the body to a lab today, it's bad press to leave it overnight."

"Why?" Bones looked over at him, "Where was it put?"

"On a deck outside a hospital." Booth replied, "And not just any hospital, the teaching hospital for students at Princeton University."

"Princeton-Plainsboro?" Angela looked up, surprised, "Who would leave a dead body there?"

"Who would leave a dead body outside any hospital?" Hodgins glanced at his wife.

"Exactly." Booth replied, "We'll be gone about a week, by that time, we're hoping to have wrapped and be home by next Monday."

AN: I'm going to begin a certain posting schedule for my fanfics now, but I might not keep it. I should now update each fanfic once or twice per week (annoying end of year exams).

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