BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY
This is the sequel to Some Enchanted Evening. It's based on the song "Big Girls Don't Cry" (the Fergie song from a couple of years ago, not the old one by the Four Seasons). Delia thinks she wants House back, but first she's got to figure out who she really is.
Chapter 1.
Delia and Jack drove home from the bar in silence. When they arrived, the children were asleep. Regina could see from their faces that the evening hadn't gone well, but she wasn't quite prepared for what they had to tell her.
"This isn't working," Dee said. "I'm sorry, Regina. But the marriage is over." She looked at Jack, pleading with her eyes for him to tell his mother what they'd both agreed.
"Dee's right," he said. How could he tell his mother about his affair or about Delia's? "You've seen for yourself how Delia has changed. She's not the woman I married."
What was he saying? Dee wondered. Was he going to blame it all on her? Should she say something?
"What I've seen is that during her time away she's learned to come out from under your shadow," Regina told her son. "If you can't deal with that, then maybe it's best if you separate."
Dee was shocked to hear her mother-in-law's words. It gave her the courage to at least try to explain. "It's more than that. We...we don't love each other any more, not like we did. I think I'm in love with someone else, and I need to find out if I am."
"Oh!" Regina said. "But what about the children?"
"We both love them, of course," she replied.
"You should be with them," Jack said, surprising both women. "They need their mother."
"They need their father, too," Dee said.
"You and the children should stay in the house. I'll...I'll move out tomorrow," Jack told her.
"Come home with me," his mother offered.
"No, I think I need to be alone for a while." He knew he needed to figure out what he wanted. Did he want to convince Dee to take him back? Was there a future with Marcy? He honestly didn't know. Right now he didn't even want to think about it. "I'll sleep in the study." With that, he headed up the stairs to get ready for bed.
"I'm so sorry," Dee said again. "I didn't want things to go this way."
"Whatever happened, I'm sure things will work out for the best," Regina told her. "Do you want me to be here when you tell the children?"
"Thanks. I think I'll have to do that myself."
"Well, goodnight then." Regina gathered her purse and coat. As she left she said "Let me know if there is anything I can do to help."
"Thank you. I...I hope you'll continue to be a big part of the children's lives." The words seemed totally inadequate but they were all she could think of.
"I'd like that."
It was harder to explain the situation to the children then they thought. They couldn't tell them about the affairs. All they could do was to tell them over and over that, although Mommy and Daddy didn't love each other any more, they each still loved Addie and Colin.
After Jack was gone, Addie had a hard time accepting that her Daddy wasn't living with them anymore. Over the next few days, she asked at least ten times, "When is Daddy coming home?" Her mother had finally returned, but now her father was gone.
Colin was angry. Angry at his father for leaving. Angry at his mother for sending him away or at least for letting him go.
Dee tried to maintain their old routine throughout the next week. On Saturday Jack came to take the children to lunch and to the zoo.
"Why can't Mommy come too?" Addie asked. Dee had to hold in her tears at her daughter's distress.
While they were gone, she came to some decisions. She still wanted to go back to work, at least part time. In fact, she'd like to have her job back with Cuddy, if she could have it, even though it would mean seeing House almost daily. She wasn't certain how she felt about that, and she was even more worried about how he'd react. But she liked Cuddy and she missed everyone at the hospital, especially Wilson, Cameron, Foreman and Chase.
On Monday she called Cuddy to ask about a part time job. The hospital Administrator was very happy to hear from her. She'd only worked one day, but in that time she'd organized many of the hospital donor files. Cuddy had been impressed with her professional efficiency.
"That would be great, JD," Cuddy gushed. "I mean Delia."
"That's OK," Dee said. "My family calls me 'Dee', so JD's fine." She chuckled. "Just Dee, JD."
Cuddy's excitement faded suddenly as it occurred to her how House might feel about this. Well, they'd face that disaster when it happened. "When can you start?" she asked.
"Would tomorrow be too soon?" Dee was already looking forward to it.
"That would be great. We can talk about hours once you're here. See you tomorrow."
Dee arrived at 9:30 for her first day back at PPTH. She knocked on Cuddy's door, and Cuddy welcomed her with a smile.
"There are a few employment forms for you to fill out with your real name and other key information," Cuddy said. "But I am sooo glad to see you back. You have no idea."
Buoyed by her welcome, Dee quickly settled at the desk in the outer office and completed the paperwork. She spent the rest of her time working on the donor files that she'd started to organize before.
There was no sign of House, and for that she was grateful. Much as she longed to see him, she still didn't know what she'd say. Before she knew it, it was 2:30. Where had the time gone? She hadn't even stopped for lunch.
"Dr. Cuddy, I'm leaving now to pick up my daughter," she said, poking her head into the Administrator's office. "I'll see you in the morning."
"See you tomorrow," Cuddy said with a smile.
Dee picked up Addie at preschool on her way home. The little girl was bubbling with excitement over the new things she'd done, and Dee was happy to see her getting back to her old cheerful self. When they got home, she joined her daughter in an after-school snack. Ten minutes later, Colin walked in. And right past them.
"Colin, we're having apples and caramel," Dee called to her son, but he ignored her. She sighed. She'd been getting the cold shoulder from him a lot lately.
"Isn't Colin hungry?" Addie asked innocently. "I was starving!"
"Maybe he has a lot of homework to do," Dee suggested. How could she explain the boy's sullen behavior?
"Oh," Addie said and went back to her apples, dipping each slice half-way into the semi-liquid caramel before bringing it to a mouth already smeared with the sweet stuff.
When they'd finished, Dee helped the little girl wash her sticky fingers and face, then sent her off to play while she began to prepare supper.
She'd continued to experiment with cooking. Today she was making meatballs and spaghetti, maybe subconsciously to cheer Colin up. He'd liked the way she made it the day before Jack left.
At 5:30 she called the children in for dinner. Addie came immediately, but still no Colin.
"It smells scrumptious!" Addie exclaimed. "That means yummy. My teacher said."
Colin joined them at the table, but played with his food, twirling the spaghetti over and over with his fork. Dee didn't say a word while Addie kept up her animated chatter. Finally the boy took a bite of a meatball and after that concentrated on his food, still not talking, but at least he was eating.
Dee relaxed a little and responded to what Addie was saying. She knew she couldn't force her son to talk to her. It would take time and patience on her part, but she hoped he'd come around soon. Every once in a while his eyes showed a flicker of interest in their conversation. It was a start and encouraged her.
The next day, Dee returned to the hospital, arriving again at 9:30. She got right to work. During the night she'd thought of a way to index the donors and donations that might prove very useful, and was eager to try it out before she explained it to Dr. Cuddy.
About eleven thirty, as she was standing at a file cabinet behind her desk, she heard rather than saw House barge his way through to Cuddy's office. Even without seeing him, it sent waves of sensation through her that she couldn't interpret. She looked through the glass walls and door and could see him haranguing Cuddy, probably about a patient. She decided to make herself scarce, at least while he was there. It was probably safe for her to go to the cafeteria. She grabbed her purse and went to get some lunch.
Somewhere in the middle of his demand that Cuddy put his patient on the heart transplant list, House casually asked, "You finally replace JD?"
"What?" Cuddy looked toward the now empty anteroom. "Oh. Yes, I have a new assistant."
"Good," he said, then resumed his original argument. But something about the glance he had of the back of the new assistant troubled him. He'd have to think about it later.
Dee had gotten an egg salad sandwich and iced tea. She sat at a small table in a far corner of the cafeteria, deep in thought, absentmindedly taking bites and chewing her food.
"JD?"
She lifted her head and smiled. "Allison, good to see you."
"What are you doing here?" a surprised Cameron asked.
"Working for Cuddy."
"Oh! Does House know?"
"Not yet. And I'd like to keep it like that for now," Dee told her. "Allison, my husband and I separated. I've got a lot to think about, myself, my kids... and where House fits in."
"He misses you," Cameron said. "Oh, he doesn't let on, but those who know him can tell."
Dee shook her head. "I've got some straightening out to do before I can talk to him. He helped me realize that I've got to grow up, take control of my life and responsibility for myself, Addie and Colin. I'm working on that. I can't think about him until I do."
When she returned to the office, he was gone. She made it through the rest of her day at the hospital without seeing him again.