Hello everyone! :D

I'm back with another story!!! You've read the review, now it's time for the real thing.

To avoid the annoying Authors notes later, I'll point out now that I have not, do not and never will own House MD :'(

Nor do I own any of the songs featured in this story. I do own the ideas of the pranks, but I'm pretty sure there are many people who have thought and have accomplished these before I wrote this…

So anyway, on with the story! I hope you enjoy it! :D

Cass-dawg


STILL STANDING

Sitting at her desk with the handset of her phone to her ear, Cuddy listened to the apologetic female voice at the other end as she gazed around her office. Rolling her eyes in exasperation at the woman's insistent apologies, she decided she'd better intervene before the woman spontaneously started bleeding out of every orifice from guilt.

"Thank you, its fine. Okay, I'll see you there at 9.00 tomorrow. NO really… it's fine! I can manage it! See you tomorrow".

Cuddy slammed the handset down before the woman could say anything else. She sat watching the phone for several moments, relishing the silence that took over the office.

Great… last minute conference. My favourite kind… she thought sarcastically. Reaching for her planner, Cuddy opened to tomorrow's page. Scanning over the neat entries, she was pleased to see that she had no major appointments, just a meeting that could be rescheduled.

Cuddy stood up and went to her door, glancing out at the reception desk and clinic, searching for signs of House terrorizing innocents.

Once convinced that the coast was clear, she opened the door and notified her secretary of the new arrangements for tomorrow. She then made her way to the elevators, intending to see Wilson. If anyone, it was Wilson she could rely on keeping her baby from falling to the mercy of House's insanity.


Wilson was finishing off the last sentence of a patient report when he heard the knock on his door. He felt relieved slightly, knowing that if it was House, he would've been inside already. He still had one more patient report to do.

"Come in" Wilson called out, watching the door and putting his pen down.

Cuddy entered Wilson's office. Glancing around, her eyes were drawn immediately to his book shelf where he kept little relics from his patients. She smiled at the sweetness of it.

"Hello Cuddy" Wilson greeted her, checking for signs of trauma from House out of habit. Seeing none he relaxed slightly.

"Hi Wilson, I'm sorry to bother you" she said, glancing at the paperwork on his desk. "I can come back later, if you like?"

"No, its fine" Wilson insisted. "I was just about to take a break anyway."

"I have a favour to ask"

"Okay…" Wilson said hesitantly, knowing better than to commit to anything straight away – one of the life lessons learned from dealing with House.

"I have a conference tomorrow. Last minute planning" She added with a grimace. "So I'm going to be gone tomorrow morning, but I should be back by "

"Let me guess, you want me to keep an eye on House, so he doesn't burn the Hospital down?" Wilson asked, bemused.

Cuddy nodded "Would that be ok?"

"I'm flattered that you would consider me the best person to babysit House…"

"Oh come on… it's not really that hard to control House…" she said, her confidence failing with each syllable. The sentence pretty much gave up on itself in the end and threw itself off a metaphorical cliff.

"Wow… that was convincing…." Wilson said sarcastically.

"Please Wilson? Just let me come back to find the hospital still standing!" Cuddy said pleadingly.

Holding up his hands in surrender Wilson agreed "Okay, okay! It shouldn't be that hard… I'll just lock him in a storage cupboard somewhere until 1.00. Oh no wait, that won't work, he can pick locks… you wouldn't happen to have any chloroform left, would you?"

Cuddy laughed, she knew Wilson would help. "Thanks Wilson!"

"No problem" Wilson said with an exaggerated, self-suffering sigh. Looking at his watch, he found it was almost lunchtime.

"I'll let you get back to work now" Cuddy said, heading for the door.

"Hey, umm… Since I'm almost done here do you want to go get lunch?" Wilson asked, looking at his watch again.

"Thanks, but I've got to go have lunch with a donor, after I go tell House where I'll be so he doesn't have an excuse for spreading false rumours about me coming back late because of jello shots and male strippers or something…" Cuddy said, trying to hide her amusement as she headed for the door again.

Wilson laughed, not failing to notice the look that crossed Cuddy's face. When will they admit they like each other? Wilson thought, slightly frustrated.

"Good luck with that" Wilson said watching her open the door. Cuddy stopped and turned slowly back to Wilson with a conniving grin.

"When it comes to House, you need brains not luck."

Wilson grinned and shook his head in amusement. If anyone could handle House, it was Cuddy.