The soft patter of rain against his helmet made him feel alive as he shifted up to the next gear. A bike ride always helped him relax and give him time to think. He got into an argument with Cuddy over her not approving his brain biopsy and he called her a 'moron' for saying no. It was oddly more difficult to argue with her at work since they started dating but slowly they were getting used to it. He felt perplexed by the fact that in a perfect world, he would fight with Cuddy at the hospital and then come home like nothing happened. His mind never fully adjusted to the fact that he could tell his girlfriend, to her face, that she 'wasn't a real doctor' at work and she would still have a hot meal waiting for him at home; but, when he told Cuddy that she was being 'insane' for getting mad at him for leaving the toilet seat up every morning he could see her eyes water briefly and she gave him the cold shoulder for the rest of the night.

Women. He thought as he turned the corner flowing the winding road. The rain picked up slightly due to his increased speed, causing the drumming of the drops to grow louder against his helmet. The sound was soothing, causing his anxieties to drift away with every drop that rolled off of him. The feeling did not last long, as he hit a slick patch in the road causing his bike and body to go in separate directions. He landed on the hard cement, suddenly the world went silent and black as he could feel the rain drops pick up and his heart rate slow down.

Officer Barbara Jacobs was making her way back home from the beach, disappointed her relaxing day off had to be cut short due to weather. As she rounded the corner she saw the all too familiar sight of a body. Being on the force, she has trained her peripheral vision well to spot people in danger. Her car skidded to a stop as she ran out confronting the lifeless man.

"Sir? Sir can you hear me?" She shouted as she placed a hand onto his shoulder and shook it aggressively. All she could hear was the pounding of rain as a reply. She removed his helmet, looking for any signs of life, relieved she saw his chest rise and fall and his heart rate was slow, but strong. Once it was confirmed that he was alive, she rushed back to her car and grabbed her phone to call an ambulance.

House's eyes fluttered open, "ugh." He moaned lightly as he came to.

"Sir. It's okay. You're going to be okay." Barbara soothed as House slipped back into peaceful unconsciousness.

She heard a faint ringtone coming from his front pocket of his leather jacket. She prepared herself to answer it. Giving news to victim's loved ones was always the worst part of the job, she just prayed it wasn't a child on the phone calling for their Dad. The screen simply showed "Cuddy" as the phone continued to vibrate and play out the song.

"Hello?" She said into the phone. There was a silence. Cuddy was not expecting a woman to be answering House's phone.

"Who is this?"

"This is officer Barbara Jacobs and-"

Cuddy just rolled her eyes. House was always one to pull pranks on her, even after they started dating. A fake cop answering her phone call is one of dozens he has pulled in the past month alone, she wasn't buying it.

"Ma'am I don't know how to tell you this but um… The gentleman you tried calling has been in a motorcycle accident. He alive and okay as far as I can tell but he is struggling to stay conscious and possibly has a severe head injury. I don't know how long he has been on the road but he is…"

As the officer continued to talk to her, it just went in one ear and out the other as a deafening silence filled Cuddy's head. She realized very quickly this was not a prank, this was too far, even for him. Her cheeks suddenly felt wet, she didn't have time to process that she was crying.

"Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital." She said softly into the phone.

"Excuse me ma'am?"

"Take him to Princeton Plainsboro Teaching hospital, his name is Dr. Gregory House." Cuddy restated again, trying her best to not fall apart as she hung up the phone.

"Rachel, sweetie!" Cuddy shouted, her voice echoing through the house getting her daughter's attention, "get some shoes on and a jacket, we are going to the hospital."

Cuddy scrambled grabbing her purse, wallet, phone, keys, and packing a small backpack to keep Rachel entertained. Rachel soon emerged wearing her light up sneakers, on the wrong feet, and a Princeton Plainsboro sweatshirt that House bought her last minute as he was leaving the hospital. Cuddy reminded him over and over to buy her a gift for Valentine's Day, and he, of course, got distracted and forgot. Cuddy was annoyed, but Rachel loved it and has been wearing it practically every day. Cuddy sighed, as she knelt down and fixed her shoes.

"Why are we going to work Mama?" Rachel asked innocently. Every fiber of her being was trying desperately to not cry in front of her two-year-old daughter, giving away how serious the accident could be.

"I need to visit House honey."

"Why can't he come here?"

"He has been in an accident." She said, her voice cracking slightly.

"Howse sick?" She asked concerned. House has been living with Cuddy for a few months and Rachel has grown close to him over the time, especially after he helped her with the preschool application.

"Yes honey. House is sick." She confirmed as she picked her daughter up into her arms and headed to the car.

[H]

When the ambulance arrived, House was seated on the side of the road with his right hand on the back of his head, a small amount of blood was pooling in his palm. His mouth was open and he had a hazy look in his eyes. He seemed to be lost in his own world, as the EMT's got House onto the stretcher and into the ambulance.

"BP is 116/73, heart rate 54, respiration is 14, and temp is 37.4. Pupils equal, round and reactive." The EMT spouted off as the ambulance rushed to Princeton Plainsboro.

"What is your name buddy?"

"Uh. House."

"Got a first name House?"

"Uh. Greg."

"Good. Glad to meet you Greg."

House hated the EMT's attempt to be nice and comforting. He honestly just wanted him to shut up since he knew more than all of them combined.

"Greg-" the EMT started to say before House cut him off.

"House." House corrected, growing increasingly more annoyed.

"Sorry. House. Do you know where you are bud?"

"Ambulance."

"Good, good."

"What happened to you out there?"

"Motorcycle crash." House said as he began searching through his pockets, "where's my Vicodin?"

"Vicodin?"

"Yes!" House snapped back, "you know? Orange bottle filled with white pills, my name on it. Where is it?" He asked sarcastically.

"Sir, you didn't have any drugs on you when you were found."

House rested his head back, annoyed, trying to figure out why the hell he was out on a bike ride without his drugs.

[H]

The ambulance sirens silenced as they pulled into the emergency room drop off, wheeling House towards the entrance where Wilson was standing with his arms folded ready to lecture. House just rolled his eyes awaiting the inevitable.

"House, what were you doing?" Wilson asked as he followed the gurney to the emergency room.

"Riding my motorcycle. Do you not read patient histories?"

Wilson shook his head with annoyance as he helped House onto the bed, where he sat with his legs dangling off the end.

"How's the patient?" House asked

"Uh. Cured. That's why you went home."

"I know." House said defensively, "but if I'm forced to be in the hospital I normally have a patient." He didn't remember curing a patient before he left, but being in a crash some memory loss was to be expected.

"I need you to write me a script. Seemed to have lost mine in the crash."

"A script for what?"

"Apixaban, I'm thinking about dying my hair red."

Wilson still looked confused, his eyebrows squinting as he tried to understand what his friend wanted.

"Vicodin! What else, moron." House snapped.

Wilson just laughed, but House remained stoic.

"What the hell is so funny?" House snarled.

Suddenly Wilson's face grew concerned as he realized the gravity of the situation. "House. Do you know what year it is?"

"2008, relax. No need to do a Nero work up. EMT's already handled that I'm fine! Woah, copying my hairstyle?" House joked as he saw Chase walk into the room with the suture kit. "Where is Cameron, isn't the ER her baby?"

Chase and Wilson exchanged looks of concern.

"Chase, suture him up. I'm going to schedule a CT scan." Wilson said as he went to the nurse's station.

"NO NEED!" House yelled, to no reply. "What's with him?" House asked, but before his question could be answered Cuddy and Rachel walked into the room to find House being sewn up, but alert. Cuddy breathed a sigh of relief, she expected the worst.

"HOWSE!" Rachel yelled as she let go of her Mother's hand as she attempted to climb onto his lap.

"Woah, woah. What is this?" He asked confused, "why does this child know me? And more importantly, why do you have a child with you." His face growing more disgusted with this toddler by the second

Rachel thought he was joking, she didn't understand a lot of his humor but normally when she didn't understand him it was safe to assume he was messing with her.

"Rachel honey, be careful. House is getting stitches. Let's sit on his lap later."

"Okay." Rachel said saddened as she went towards her Mom.

Cuddy was confused, probably because she did not want to consider the possibility that House does not know who Rachel is or that they are dating. Suddenly a hand pulled her away from the thoughts as Wilson escorted her out of hearing range from House.

"Oh god, Wilson, is it bad?"

"We didn't think so at first. His brain is healthy he just seems to have amnesia."

"How many years has he lost?" She asked growing more concerned.

"He believes it is 2008."

"And judging by the fact that he didn't know who Rachel was he probably thinks I just lost Joy."

They sat in the chairs by the nurse's station in silence as Rachel was coloring, not at all aware of the situation.

"I'm so sorry Cuddy. I scheduled a CT scan. We can see how serious the amnesia is."

"How the hell is he going to be home? He got rid of his apartment, I don't want to just throw him into a house living with me and Rachel."

"Cuddy. Even in 2008, he wanted to live with you." Wilson said giving a reassuring smile.

Cuddy smiled back, "has he really loved me for that long?" Her heart felt giddy as the words came out of her mouth.

Wilson just nodded as Chase emerged. "Uh, he's all stitched up and the CT scan is ready."

"Can you watch Rachel while I talk to House?"

"Of course." Chase responded as he took a seat by the little girl.

Cuddy and Wilson pulled back the curtain as they stood by House who was still seated in the same position.

"Did Julia give you one of her kids for the weekend to help with the loss?" House asked. He didn't mean it in a cold way he was just confused how Cuddy got a two-year-old overnight.

"No. House I don't know how to tell you this, so I am just going to say it. Rachel is our daughter. I adopted her a few months after we kissed. You and I are dating and you live with me, Rachel has really bonded with you and she doesn't understand what amnesia is."

House sat silently, he looked like a deer in headlights. "Our daughter?" He repeated concerned

"well… Yes. Not legally speaking but yes."

"How long have we been dating?"

"About a year."

More silence filled the room as House lost himself in his thoughts. "And I'm sober, aren't I?"

Cuddy nodded.

He hated his life at this moment. He loved Cuddy but he didn't know a kid would be involved or that he couldn't use drugs. He was angry to what he woke up to. "CT ready?" He asked

"Yes." Wilson said, "I am ready to take you back whenever."

"It's whenever, lets go." House said as he practically jumped off the table, he wanted to get the hell out of that room as fast as possible. For the first time in a long time, Cuddy was the last person he wanted to see.