Disclaimer: I do not own House MD, but I do own the characters you can't recognise from the show.

This is my first attempt at a decent fanfic in English, please review and tell me what you think. It turned out better than I expected.

Chapter I: Family

"No, no, no Jack, listen to me" A visibly upset Lisa Cuddy was talking to her elder brother on the phone, wandering around her office, the sound of her hills clicking against the floor "You can't just call and ask me to babysit your kids for this weekend! I have work to do, you know?

"Lise, listen to me" She could tell he was getting anxious. His facade of false tranquility was not convincing at all "We asked everyone we know. No one's available. The kids love you, and they haven't seen you in ages, and so I thought, Why not?"

The mention of her niece and nephew softened her a bit, but was not the free pass to agreement.

"Jack, I really can't. I have a meeting on Monday, I have to do numbers, research. Why this weekend?"

"It's just… we've been going through some… rough times. We both have tones of work to do, me with the company and Juliet with her new case. We barely have time for each other, and this is the only free weekend we're going to get on months, and I thought we could use a weekend away… Please Lise, I'm begging you. I'm literally on my knees.

My whole marriage may depend on this getaway…" Jack finished his little speech, partly because he had nothing else to say, and partly because the succession of rushed word had left him longing for a bit of oxygen in his lungs.

Cuddy frowned. She really couldn't afford losing time but, what the hell; she had to help her big brother. She would feel like crap if she didn't, and she really loved the kids (Emma, aged 8 and Matthew, aged 6) as well.

"OK, dumbass, I'll help you" She rolled her eyes "But you owe me."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best. Anything you need, you just ask." Knowing him, he was probably jumping up and down in a frenetic dance of victory or something of the sort. He was such a child. "I'll stop by at 6, is that alright with you?"

"Totally. Just make sure you pack all their clothes and toys, etc. It's not like my house is full of child-entertaining stuff, you know."

"Okay then, see you tonight. I love you little sis."

"Blah, blah, blah " She mocked "You really are a lousy big brother."

"My goodness Cuddy, are you OK?" Wilson voice was filled with concern when he approached Cuddy at her office, the latter signing paperwork at the speed of light and trying to answer three phone calls simultaneously.

"I'm perfectly well, just trying to get rid of all this paperwork…" She really looked like an android.

She suddenly stopped and sighed.

"My brother called today" She began to explain the reason of her almost scaring behaviour "And he asked me to babysit his kids this weekend … his timing could not have been worse. I have like three meetings on Monday, and lots of research to do."

"Why didn't you say no?"

"He's having some… issues with his wife. And they were going to "reconnect" this weekend, and I feel good helping them. I mean, he's my brother, and I want to help him." She smiled "Plus, my niece and nephew are really lovely children."

"I bet they are" He smiled "I was just going to notify you about a certain diagnostician who broke an MRI machine, but I guess I can re-sketch it for… Tuesday maybe?"

"Oh Wilson, you got to be kidding me! Jack and House really have the worse timing ever. It's too bad they hate each other, they could have become best friends." She giggled.

"They hate each other?" Wilson's curiosity had been aroused "I didn't even know they had met…"

"Picture me and House in our twenties. What would you do if your little sister shows up with such a bastard and introduces him as her boyfriend? My parents weren't very happy either" Cuddy laughed at the memory.

"Well, I don't have a little sister, but I would probably want to knock his teeth out…" Wilson hadn't imagined House and Cuddy's dating years as the sort of relationship in which you get to meet the family. He couldn't see House agreeing to attend a family dinner.

"Exactly. So leave or all this paperwork is gonna eat me up. Then I'll go find House."

Wilson walked out of her office, and Cuddy went back to the apparently never ending duty.

At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Cuddy finally got to conclude all her duties at the hospital. She had even scolded House on the broken MRI machine, with considerably positive results. At least he hadn't made obscene comments about her body or entirely mocked her: that hideous "I-don't-give-a-crap-about-authority-figures" attitude was not fully perceptible.

She thought she could leave early and sort out all the possible issues that may ensue during the evening, such as incurable boredom and lack of children appropriate food.

Without having second thoughts, she picked up her stuff made her way out of the office. She walked quickly through the lobby towards the door, and pushed it open.

The cold air made her blush. It was a nice feeling, the tickling of the wind on her cheeks, the steam floating around her as she let out a sigh.

Spending the weekend with Emma and Matthew was surely an agreeable perspective. Her brother was right, she hadn't seen them for ages, and she truly missed them. They were funny, smart and sweet, and they really cared about her. When they had been sick or in need of help, she had been there for them.

But she couldn't help the slight feeling of envy she got every time she visited her brother. He was a successful businessman, his wife was a prestigious lawyer, and still they had managed to raise two wonderful kids, and have the time to take care of them.

And there she was, alone, working her ass off at the hospital, unable to emotionally commit to a man, longing for a kid. It wasn't like she didn't find her job fulfilling and rewarding, but sometimes she wished she could come home from a late meeting to a husband and a child. It was stupid, retrograde and worst of all, lame. But she couldn't help her feelings.

So lost in her feelings she was, that she didn't notice the familiar sound of a cane hitting the frozen ground until its owner spoke up.

"You're leaving early" He stated, as if chasing her across the hospital was the most normal thing to do.

"Really? I hadn't noticed" The sarcasm in her voice was evident.

"You have a date with some uptight lawyer who happens to own a little house at The Hamptons, don't you?"

"I can't believe you are asking me, I figured you would blackmail my assistant into telling you all my appointments of the year." His presence was beginning to annoy her. She was standing in front of her car, and she wanted to leave.

"Come on, you really think I'm that predictable?" He smirked. God, she could have punched him.

"Yes. Now move." He was blocking her way. Why did he have to exasperate her every single day of her life? She couldn't even drive home peacefully; he had to mess with her. Bastard.

She tried to push past him, and he let out at moan in protest

"Hey, hey, don't hurt the cripple!" He exclaimed. She couldn't help but laugh at his stunned expression as she opened the car door. It wasn't as good as a blow in the stomach, but it still counted.

"Bye House" She slammed the door shut, and left him wondering about the delicious thought of sabotaging one (another) of her dates.

Maybe he could blackmail her assistant.