Discalimer: The airline and Mary-Ann are figments of my imagination so I claim full rights and privileges to play with them as I see fit. House and Cuddy, I promise to return promptly, no worse for the wear, as soon as I am done using them to carry out my evil scheme: wicked grin::: mwwahhhaaa

A/N My imaginary airline certainly would not charge 2$ per bag for curbside bag check; and if it did they would certainly post signs clearly stating they only accepted cash. Therefore, customers wouldn't be left to counting out 2$ in change from the bottom of their purses upon finding that you could not pay with credit!

This one is for Scarlett Scribble who encouraged me to post this, helped smooth out some rough edges on it , and makes me smile! You're my little muse! Thanks Mon Ami!! If you haven't read her story "Falling Star"…go now! It's awesome! Well read mine then go. lol.

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MILE HIGH

I cant believe I left, the only thought tinkering in her mind as she watched through heavy lids tinged with a sated exhaustion the tiny specks of humanity shrink farther and farther away on the horizon. The plane climbed giving sporadic shakes, jeering her. Nerves already on edge, she bit at a neglected nail. When was the last time she had a manicure? When was the last time she had a chance, or a day off for that matter? She kept herself locked up in that office, neglecting other aspects of her life so often. Her eyes glazed lost in her mental bewilderment, she hadn't realized the vague expressions playing on her face, and pursed lips mused the startling conclusions she had reached. When was the last time she had left the hospital for any period of time? Her mind reeled at the thought and the nervous knot in the pit of her stomach that had threatened all day made good on its promise.

A shrill whine carried over the bustle of light chatter from the passengers of flight 1056 pierced her conscience, it took no time at all to determine the source emanating from a rapidly escalating argument near the rear of the plane. She easily placed the second voice that filtered through the white noise of the cabin and with a frustrated sigh she lifted herself, levering up just enough to peer over the top of her seat to confirm her suspicion. Whispering a silent plea that it wouldn't be what she knew it was, anxious blue eyes were cast in his direction. For once, just once she would love to be wrong, that he should actually behave himself, would it be too much to hope for. Apparently so…

" Look, you know and I know you have the liquor back there so just spring it. You'd deny a cripple the small joys he could still indulge himself in?"

"Sir I am going to have to ask you to return to your seat" A bleached blond stewardess managed to grit out through tight lips. She seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown as she tugged at her jacket and motioned for him to go. Her wide green eyes masked with a thin veil of annoyance as she was hanging by a thread of decorum.

Cuddy's eyes shot skyward as she hefted herself from the window seat she would have been quite content to remain in and began negotiating her way down the aisle towards the unruly diagnostician.

"House", she hissed under her breath. It wasn't quite loud enough as to attract the attention of the other passengers, but evident enough to gain his, along with a sharp tug she gave at the edge of his shirt.

"Whaaaa?"

"Please don't embarrass me, or yourself, I'm begging you." Cuddy offered an apologetic smile to the stewardess who sidled past them with a last fleeting glance before she broke into a near sprint. A feeling cuddy understood all too well. There was many a day when China didn't seem far enough away from House who now towered over her considering her for a moment and mulling over her plea. Begging him huh? Her desperation rung through his mind striking a familiar harmonious chord. He watched amusedly as lines of aggravation formed above her brow, her grip on his elbow now unrelenting. House couldn't help but grin at her as she offered hallow threats of endless clinic duty.

Dealing with House was a delicate diplomacy, more so at 32,000 feet above sea level, the urgency to dissipate the situation without say had, reached an unvisited level.

Arched brows formed a stubborn refusal as House moaned his complaints of sobriety at her, even as Cuddy drug him down the aisle till he deposited his 'ass' in the seat as she demanded.

"What's a guy got to do to get a drink around here?" he fussed stealing the bag of peanuts from Cuddy's lap he tore the bag with his teeth, a good clean tear it peeled off easily and he blew the remains from his lips in her direction. Any attempts to save her snack were in vein as he tipped the bag to his lips and polished it off in one mouthful.

"Damn-it House, I was going to eat that!" A genuine anger rose in her and she clenched her fist her rational argument repeating in her mind that violence was never the answer holding little water with her at the moment.

" Well, the way I see it, you should thank me!" his words were garbled; a mouthful of peanuts tended to cause that. " Wouldn't want those cute little power suites to start getting any tighter round the middle, now would we?" he patted her stomach for emphasis. " The nurses already talk about how wide your getting, but not me! I like thick women personally." House wagged a brow as he crunched the remainder of her snack along with her last hopes of easing the growl in her stomach.

Cuddy was too tired to defend her 'middle' and more concerned about getting another snack from the stewardess. Just in time, one was passing by; she gave Cuddy another grateful nod as she cleared empty cups and trash from the passengers. It was hard to get her attention with houses entire body blocking her view as he continued to bitch about the arrangements.

"If my boss wasn't so uptight, maybe we could have sprung for 1st class and I could be sipping something cold and admiring the view."

"You can admire the view just fine from where you are sitting."

House's eyes diverted to the v of her shirt. "No argument there, but at least I could have something alcoholic to admire it with."

A mousy stewardess appeared in the aisle before House depositing a drink on his tray table, looking as though she was easy to startle and ready to bolt at the slightest sign of hostility from the snarky doctor. Her timidity made house fight the urge to yell boo and watch her run.

Noticing with a mild amusement the previous blonde attendant standing at the front of the cabin overseeing her colleague, Cuddy had to laugh. Must have drawn straws. She watched House delve a crumpled 5-dollar bill from his jean pocket as he offered more than his two cents worth on the fact that the drink was so expensive. Grumbling still he reached for the drink -all too late, Cuddy snatched it from the table and downed it in once quick tilt, licking her lips as he squealed in protest. She shook the empty cup in front of his face, ice cubes jingling as only mere droplets of the 5$liquor clung to them.

"Heeeeey!"

"You took my snack, I take your drink, tit for tat! I'm starved, and you're sober. What's that someone once told me, oh yes, you can't always get what you want!"

House had to fight a smile at her choice of words, "Tit for tat eh?"

The playful smirk she returned brought a familiar warmth that settled low in his stomach and he shifted himself in the rather uncomfortable chair.

"Well you now owe me five dollars for that tat, unless you want to repay me with…."

The fasten seatbelt sign gave an ominous ding drowning House's words as the plane shook causing Cuddy to sway into him. He steadied her placing a hand on each arm above her elbows, poking his head up trying to get a better view of the commotion. The captain came on the speaker announcing mild turbulence. Well duh!

Eyes wide from the unexpected jolt that shot her forward nearly into houses lap, Cuddy straightened, pulling away from his grip. The phantom warmth of his finger tips on her skin still lingering, sending shock waves of shivers that carried a long forgotten sensation she was quick to dismiss as she pulled herself almost rigid in her seat.

"You ok?" House earnestly inquired as she ran a hand through her hair and nodded.

"You look like you could use one of these" Producing three suspiciously familiar miniature liquor bottles from his jacket pocket, his eyes gleamed with mischief waiting for Cuddy's reaction. She didn't disappoint; her mouth fell open, lips curled into a daunting frown. "You are unbelievable!"

"What it's not an open bar? Is my face red!" A splayed hand pressed to his cheek in faux embarrassment and the sight left Cuddy fighting a smile, but someone had to be the mature adult here, and it obviously couldn't be left to him.

Resting her elbow on the arm of her seat Cuddy perched herself, knuckles pressed against sneering lips, pulled into a tight display of disgusted dissaproval.

"You get the cutest wrinkles when you make that face. Now are you in or what?"

"Just because the cart door was 'open' and at eye level, does not make it an 'open bar' doctor House!" Cuddy's tone unwavering, not a trace of intention on her face she reached for the bottle, not one, but all three, house tugging one back for himself and beaming with approval.

"Well, well, I see you've come over to my way of thinking!"

She flagged down an attendant waving a hand above the heads of the docile passengers. "Excuse me, but I think my colleague here was just wanting to let you know that these fell from the cart earlier." She met houses belligerent expression. "Don't you!" She nudged him a little more firmly than she'd intended with her elbow and took a small pleasure in the wince that contorted his face as her elbow made contact with a rib.

He leaned away from her whispering something to the attendant that she couldn't make out. The giggle the girl emitted was, however, received loud and clear- he was flirting with her!

"So it's just our little secret right," his eyes lifted to her nametag scanning the letters there, "MaryAnn?" Another abrupt giggle bubbled from her glossed lips returning houses flirtations with an amount of enthusiasm that unnerved Cuddy for reasons that escaped her. A last sly smile and she was gone.

Cuddy leaned her head against the window; the image of house drinking a cheer to her the last vision imprinted in her mind as she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Two mini bottles down and house felt that languid haze spreading pleasantly through him. He had the workings of a nice buzz in progress, only slight obstacle that stood between him that sweet limbo, was a small matter of money. Oh the dilemma. Surely the slumbering Cuddy wouldn't mind him taking a tiny donation from her purse. He would of course repay it, if she ever realized it was missing. After all the dean of medicine could spare 5$ for his cause. She certainly didn't seem to be lacking in the money, patent pumps, snappy power suite; it cost a lot to look that cheap. Oh damn Cuddy not to be awake to hear that one! It was good; he'd have to remember it later.

His eyes wandered over her well thought wardrobe in lustful admiration leaving not an inch unexamined. His first mindful observations the top two buttons of her blouse which in the midst of her attempts to find a more comfortable position had spread asunder, leaving a most welcome surprise. A vast amount of creamy flesh drew his full devotion, watching fixedly the swell of her breast rise and fall steadily with the rhythmic breathing of REM sleep.

The lower corner of her skirt had hiked itself up steadily over curvaceous thigh and house had eagerly been tracking its progression northward, her legs crossed he admired well-toned calves encased in sheer stockings. He imagined the skin beneath as flawlessly smooth as the enticing amount of flesh exposed at her neckline. A heel dangled dangerously close to falling from one stocking clad foot. She shifted again and he caught a glimpse of skin, the border between stocking and flesh divided by something spectacular, enough potential for his mind for weeks – garters. He felt his body reacting to his discovery a little to eagerly and he pulled a blanket over his lap in attempt to hide his reaction to her.

Enough of that - he tore his attention from the sleeping beauty and reached for her purse, near her feet, it was still unobtainable. He lifted the divider between them and managed to retrieve it. Cuddy stirred for a moment and he feared he was busted but she squirmed, sighed softly, and settled again; he proceeded.

Unclasping the latch on her purse he began to rummage, distracted again by a small moan falling from her lips, his attention was divided. A strand of hair had fallen loose framing flushed cheeks, pale pink billows rising along high cheek bones coloring her smooth alabaster skin; lips parted slightly as she dreamed. Funny he'd never noticed the way the sun caught the highlights in her hair, red copper flecks, glimmering against the raven strands, the sun peeking in just enough from the lowered window shutter as she leaned against it to illuminate them.

He shook himself away from the thoughts, now about that 5$ you owe me anyway! He began digging through the purse again and froze as Cuddy fell over him settling herself directly on his lap hands habitually seeking warmth beneath the blanket he had laid there. Hands brushed agonizingly close to his growing arousal, resting along the inside of his thighs, he feared the blanket would soon be of no use as he bit his lip, temporarily paralyzed by his predicament.

She emitted a contented sigh as she snuggled down into him burrowing further into his lap. God, she was killing him. His mind raced, as the pounding of his pulse in his ear drowned out even the noise from the engines of the aircraft. The way he saw it he had a couple of options. He could wake her, saving himself an embarrassing explanation of needing another blanket to mask the obvious bulge in his jeans, and her embarrassment upon waking up in a compromising position, of course the later was the least of his concerns. Or, he could take advantage of the situation and steal the rare privilege of the gorgeous woman sprawled in his lap who currently was two wriggles shy of fulfilling his mile high membership request.

He reached down still carefully weighing the options and slid a rebellious curl away from her face giving him a clearer view of her fluttering lashes. What was she dreaming of? He reached for the last remaining bottle and made haste with its elimination, fighting the urge to thrust upward, the instinctive need to press himself against her warm hands almost unbearable. The heat of her proximity seared through his jeans, which had suddenly become very restrictive and he squirmed again as unnoticeably as possible.

Arching her back she shifted her weight, the hem of her skirt rising up a little higher on her thigh. House couldn't take it anymore. That was it, he would have to wake her, a sense of guilt he'd never known before persuaded him in the chosen course of action. Of course his motivations were obviously selfish, as always. If he was joining the mile high club, he wanted her awake for the initiation. He stole a last glance at the milky thigh taunting him before he smoothed the skirt back into its rightful position. A muffled yawn announced her awakening; it looked like he didn't have to make a decision after all. House started a mental countdown and waited for her haze to lift, this was going to be interesting…..3……2……

Cuddy shot up out of House's lap and he was sure for a moment she was heading straight for the floor, despite his prediction she somehow managed to end up in her chair.

Disoriented, she took in her surroundings, the sudden realization hit her that she'd been sleeping in House's lap and he hadn't bothered to wake her. She found the thought didn't strike her as she had expected, her stomach flipped and she wondered where her earlier anger had wandered off to? What should she do? She felt embarrassed, had she talked in her sleep? Oh god was she snoring? His face held a blank stare not giving her any clue at all as to how she should react. Her body was still warm from being pressed against his and she missed the contact despite herself. Aversion, the only option, she concluded.

"How long was I asleep?" She searched to floor for her purse, avoiding his eyes, but she couldn't seem to find the thing.

"Oh, I'd say long enough. Looking for this?" he offered the purse to her.

"Yeah, .."

"You kicked it under me in your sleep I was just returning it when you made me your personal pillow."

"Oh right, like I intentionally meant to sleep on you. You could have woke me." She fidgeted with the contents of her purse searching for a mirror. "How hard is that?"

Houses tensed, oh pretty hard he thought to himself…possibly the hardest it had ever been in his entire life.

Cuddy smacked him on the arm, "Move! I have to fix myself, certainly can't trust your opinion, I need a mirror." She impatiently prodded at him to let her into the aisle. He obliged with meager grumbling and watched her perfectly rounded ass as she disappeared into the bathroom. She must have been fairly rattled; she'd neglected to lock the door behind her, very careless for the cautious Cuddy. The green vacant sign was clearly visible even from where he was seated; absolutely anyone could simply walk right in there. A smile fought its way to his lips as the idea swirled through his mind.

"No time like the present."

God, what was wrong with her? Cuddy leaned further over the sink for a better view of her smeared mascara in the bathroom mirror, wiping it from under her eyes with a piece of tissue. She scolded herself. Of all the men in all the world, why would her conscience choose him to be the image conjured in her dreams, and the icing on the cake, to wake up in his lap, she was disturbed. She could only pray that she hadn't talked in her sleep, he was insufferable enough as it was, but given that kind of inside information, he would use it against her for months, possibly years. It was awful enough to have such vivid dreams of him; in the most unimaginable ways…she shivered as the vision of his lips on her neck exploded into her mind once again. Shaking her head, she stepped back from the mirror examining herself again.

"What is wrong with you?" Wonderful, now she was talking to her reflection.

The door was suddenly shoved in, pinning her against the wall without even a chance to react as House fell into the tiny space with her locking the door behind his unfathomable presence. The strangled yelp she had managed didn't do the anger that rose in her justice and she attempted words once more.

"What the hell?"

He grabbed her hand and pressed it against the growing bulge in jeans, the thrill of her discovery enough to set her a blaze, the shock carried like a live wire straight to the mounting tension between her thighs. She wasn't breathing; she sucked in a shallow breath, the blatant desire in his eyes quenching any argument left in her. Her stomach flipped and all she could think about was feeling him inside her. Erotic images of him bending her over the bathroom counter flashed into her mind as another wave of heat surged through her veins causing her knees to buckle slightly and she let herself fall into him.

"All you have to say is no, I'll stop, walk away and we can pretend this never happened. But you can't just wriggle in a man's lap and expect him to be unaffected." Every word was dangerous, a thin line being etched away, that line they weren't supposed to cross, but the thrill of it was intoxicating, gasping for breath as he thrust into her hand, blue eyes darkening with arousal. He'd imagined what they would look like, the colors they would hold; like jewels catching the light at different angles and he found now that he hadn't done them justice.

"If I say yes" she pressed herself into him, fingers already reaching for the zipper of his jeans.

"Then I can cross fantasy number 145 off my list…" he lifted the edges of her skirt as he spun them so that she was seated on the sink counter, bringing her lips to his he silenced the breathless laugh that spilled from them. Lips met with a torrid pitch, neither relenting, hard, demanding tongues exploring, tasting, he ran his thumb across her swollen lips before trailing kisses down her neck, working the buttons of her blouse. He peeled it from her revealing a vision of white lace that he deftly removed from her, his hands cupping her supple breast, kneading gently dragging his thumb across turgid nipples. She arched into his touch, the sensation beyond any she could have dreamed.

Where they really doing this? Was she really kissing House, in the bathroom of an airplane, oh god, she was and it was amazing. Her mind tried to scream rational arguments at her, but she was past the point of thought, more hedonistic, baser drives had taken over, all she could do now was feel, feel the way her body reacted to his touch, feel his hands nudging her legs apart his fingers splaying over the inside of her thigh. Her skirt was pulled around her waist exposing her to him; she could feel herself drifting in the desire that overwhelmed her as he ripped the thin material of her panties pulling the fabric easily from her in one brief tug.

She came to her senses long enough to force him nearer, unbuttoning his shirt with amazing speed that left him wondering if she had imagined doing this with him before, he certainly had.

He grinned into her neck as her nails scored into his shoulder blades sending another jolt straight to his cock. Her hands traveled over him, pulling at his boxers, tugging them lower freeing his erection from the confining restraint and wrapping her silken fingers round the length of him stroking him teasingly slow; her eyes never leaving his, drinking in the unbound hunger that lay there. Her lips crushed to his again, passionate and playful, she nipped at his lower lip gently before stroking over it with her tongue, as she wrapped her legs round his hips pulling his body to hers, the temptation unbearable as the length of him pressed against her thigh

Her mouth trailed over his cheek, placing soft, caressing kisses against his neck. He was teasing her with his fingers, circling the single point in which she wished to be touched. Finally his fingers found her core, his hand forcing her head into his shoulder desperately trying to stem the loud cry spilling from her lips. He thrust his fingers into her, hot wet heat coating them as they slid in; easily finding the spot that sent her mind reeling. Her teeth clamped down, biting into his shoulder, the waves of pleasure crashing over her as he worked her higher, her muffled groans only driving him further into the lust ridden state they were entwined in.

Her eyes had been shut, afraid if she opened them, it would all be another dream, but he had stopped, and the loss of contact made her pull back in frustration to search his eyes. His gaze never left her, watching her the whole time as he brought his fingers to his lips, tasting her from them, she grabbed his hand and mimicked his actions ;sucking gently her tongue twirling about the digits, teeth scraped over them as she released him from her grasp.

God he'd never been so turned on in his entire life as he was just then. She threaded her fingers through his hair tugging his face to hers, she breathed a near breathless plea against his ear, "Please…now"

She guided him into her biting her lip as he ground his hips finding a rhythm as she bucked wildly against him, she nearly screamed and he clamped a free hand over her mouth. She licked his hand, the damn woman was a sex kitten, all this time, he could have been doing this with her and he never knew. Her breasts bobbed temptingly near brushing against him as he filled her and had his free hand not been clamped he would have been drawn to them, instead he lowered his head and licked at the v between them.

His pace, greedy, and wanton, they moved together lost in the sensation of unraveling in each other's arms. Cuddy's heels were digging into his back as her teeth had found his shoulder; he never would have guessed her for a biter. House returned the favor to keep from giving their affair away as he felt the most amazing high crash into him, her muscles contracting; she tightened around him in ecstasy, and they fell still for a moment their ragged breathing the only sound. Ruffled hair, rumpled clothes, yet to be attended to, went ignored, as reality came back to claim them slowly.

House lifted her chin angling her lips to his and placed a tender kiss there, a kiss seeming out of place considering the ravenous current that had pulled them along to this moment.

He lifted her torn panties from the counter and held them up; a mirthful chuckle spread a smile to his lips. "Guess we need to do some shopping when we land"

Cuddy patted his chest for him to let her down from the counter and began fixing herself. "Those were le Perla, you owe me more than 'some'" she let his mirth lighten her spirits and she found herself feeling near giddy as she watched him dress in the tiny room having some difficulty. A moment of panic set in.

"Um, House." Her eyes widened slightly in apprehension before he met them in amusement. "How are we going to get back to our seats, without..."

"Without everyone knowing we just did the wild thing in el bano? He finished her sentence for her, not without humor. "Don't tell me it's your first time? Surely not, a sex goddess like you. "He found the blush that colored her cheeks endearing as she struggled with the last two top buttons of her blouse.

"Nope, never..." she shrugged and waited for his suggestion, he had to have a plan because she wasn't about to let him leave at the same time, that would be far too obvious.

"You think they don't already know, you scream like a banshee in the throes of passion you know." He teased as if reading her mind, and she smacked him across the chest.

"Just go back to the seat and I will follow in a few minutes, diabolical no, but it's all I got."

She checked her reflection one last time and gave him one last lingering kiss before making a break for it. She was pleasantly surprised to find her absence seemed to have gone unnoticed. A hefty woman in her late 40s tottered down the aisle to the bathroom with her 5 year old in tow throwing a tantrum. "I don't have to go" he whined as she dragged him forward, his heels digging in to the carpeted floor as they went. Oh no, House!

What could she do? Just as the lady made it to the bathroom door House stepped out almost knocking her over he muttered a careless apology. The lady looked from him then back in Cuddy's direction and gave her a disgusted look, while behind her House wagged his brows at Cuddy. Cuddy let herself slump in her chair as he joined her taking his seat again beside her. The mother doting over her child dragged him back down the aisle to his seat giving House another glare, causing him to exchange glances with Cuddy as they both broke into a fit of laugher.

"So do you have to renew this membership once a year or is it good for life, because I don't think I can handle that again, I think I have a permanent mark on my ass from the counter top." Cuddy smirked shifting in her seat uncomfortably.

"Hey you think that's bad, I had the door knob nearly up my ass the entire time," she cast an incredulous look in his direction, lips tugged upward into a smile. He was rather handsome when he wasn't such an ass. "Nah that was 145, I can cross it off my list"

"So what's 144? …are we ascending or descending?" he ran a hand over her thigh and she involuntarily shivered at the contact.

He leaned to whisper in her ear. "We can go any way you want."

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