How the Other Half Lived
"What you want, you run away from. What you need, you don't have a clue."
-Gregory House
By: Ophelia Forbes
Disclaimer: The ones you don't know are mine, the ones you do aren't.
Summary: There was more to Lisa Cuddy than anyone ever thought and now, when an old ghost comes back into her life, they're about to learn more about the Dean of Medicine. What secrets she hides, what tangled webs lay underneath the surface. Time is running out, she has to go now. She's out of time, she needs to go. Will they let him? Will he let her? Is he willing to lay everything on the line for her, just to make her stay?
Rating: T. Just in case.
Spoilers/Timeline: Post episode 'Let them eat cake' and will continue on along the same timeline which means Cuddy's office is a-okay now and fabulous. Some scenes from the show will be used in this story, but you've seen my Disclaimer and that should cover it.
Note: My first fic so be free to be free with your comments. If you like say so, if not then say so anyway. At least I'll know if it's worth continuing and I'm okay with not so pleasant comments, as long as they are fair and related to this story. I give you the right to criticize, but I reserve the right to react if you ever use the 'Review' button as just a way to lash out just because you don't like this ship or any other frustration you may have that is unrelated to my story.
Also, I am uber gay for Lisa Cuddy/Lisa Edelstein so this will be a Cuddy-overdose and I'll be making my own Cuddy-back-story which will be…different. At least, I hope so.
Chapter One: Ain't Too Proud to Beg
The sun was shining up and high on a typical Thursday above Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, bathing the halls in warm sunlight through the glass walls despite the cool weather of the December air, as Cody Gomez swept across through the main lobby, through the already bustling Clinic and finally through a set of glass doors. Smiling contentedly, she set a pile of papers onto her desk and sat down, smoothing her pleated blue skirt before taking her seat.
Moving her mouse, she watched the hospital logo disappear and immediately show the work she was still working on at the moment. Taking a sip from her coffee, she set her mug back down and continued her work.
Nearly on her fourth week working in Princeton-Plainsboro, Cody could easily claim she was happy. She knew well about the barrage of assistants that passed before her, most of them not lasting more than a few weeks because they simply could not cut it working under the Dean of Medicine. It was not because of the dean, of course, Cody would defend that because it was really just a hard job to do since there was simply much too much work for one person.
Even for a trained assistant with years of experience under their belt.
As of the moment, it was still a mystery to the brown-eyed Mexican-born twenty-one-year-old Cody (and the rest of the agency) how one person, the female Chief Administrator and Dean of Medicine of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, managed to hold up such a crushing job.
Sure, paper-pushing looked easier than holding real lives in your hands, but what did outsiders really know? Cody thought, imagining all the paper work the Dean sent out for her each day, giving her just a portion of it, she was sure, than what she was really working on alone. Add to that all the donors the dean was trying to deal with alongside the doctors and the staff and maintaining the hospital and keeping the board happy.
Plus Cody had met, several times already, the misanthropic bane of the Dean's existence—Gregory House—her head of Diagnostics who seemed set out to make her life ten million times harder than it already was just for the sheer fun of it.
Cody had already lost count how many distraught patients and family members came in demanding to talk to the boss of the hospital after one or ten mishaps or insults from Dr. House. As of the moment, from the time she was hired, Cody had already called the lawyers for a meeting with the Dean in a total of four times for a lawsuit.
Shaking her head, Cody continued to write a letter to inform Dr. Andrea Matthews, the head of the Maternity and Neo-natal Wing, that the Patterson couple had finally confirmed that they were donating money to expand the NICU and get new equipments and machines to improve the wing. Cody knew Dr. Matthews, the beautiful redhead who adored babies, had been asking for updates lately, excited and anxious. She would be very happy, Cody thought. Another goal reached, all thanks to the Dean, Dr. Lisa Cuddy, who at the moment was already in her office, drafting the proposals and plans for the said plans.
It was things like this that made Cody wonder how a person like Dr. Cuddy could make a successful job stay successful and stay so…alive at the same time.
By then, from the history Cody had heard around before even taking the job, that the Dean had been the second-youngest and had been the first woman to take such a prestigious position, she'd known without meeting the woman she would be someone to admire. Cody had her guesses at first, but she hadn't expected the woman to look the way she did.
Petite and beautiful, Dr. Lisa Cuddy had welcomed her into her sunny office with a smile dressed in a stylish but very professional silk blouse, blazer, knee-length skirt and black pumps. Cody had noted, after admiring the woman's beauty that she knew how to dress well. Dress well and expensive, she added in mind, as she recognized the shoes to be Christian Louboutins (the same pair she had ogled just a few days prior). But by then, she'd believed having a high paying job like that probably didn't hurt to walk the streets of Manhattan and stroll through the shops once in a while anyway.
She wouldn't say it to anyone, but Cody had expected to meet a weird, detached, work-driven woman, possibly a little less fun when it comes to dressing and probably boring and old looking. Instead, she'd been welcomed by the lovely dean, chatty, outgoing, bright and pleasant. Within a few days of working for the woman, Cody had noted she loved to smile and laughed easily.
To say Dr. Cuddy surprised the younger woman was an understatement.
As of the moment, Dr. Lisa Cuddy was on Cody's 'people to look up to' list. She wouldn't mind being her someday. It seemed so great to be someone.
Who wouldn't look up to her, she wondered. The hospital had been recently hijacked, just a few days before Dr. Cuddy hired her, leaving her office a mess with blood, writings on the wall and broken and damaged furniture. You'd think the woman would have cracked, but no, Brenda had told Cody that within hours after the whole incident, the dean had scheduled a work crew to work on her office renovation and repairs. The job had been done under watchful eye while Dr. Cuddy tried to reign in her rogue Diagnostician at the same time while she shared his office.
This was Cody's and Cuddy's third week in the recently renovated office. It was hard enough working in Dr. House's office with his and Dr. Cuddy's head butting and bickering, but the tension and flirting in the middle only made matters weirder and harder. Cody liked to work in peace.
The man was obviously crazy, Dr. Cuddy was putting up with it, why? Cody didn't know, but, sometimes, it was sure as hell fun to watch them.
Although it was quite terrifying watching them actually scream at each other like they hated each truly where Dr. House's ears would turn red, Dr. Cuddy's eyes would turn a terrifying shade of gray from her normal grayish-blue and then have the head of Oncology, Dr. House's best friend and only friend, Dr. James Wilson walk in and intervene, sometimes looking as angry if not, then looking exhausted or annoyed.
Quite possibly, working in that office was the longest three days of Cody Gomez's life.
With tapping fingers on the keyboard, Cody continued her morning's work, ready to be at Dr. Cuddy's call…and to possibly try and block Dr. House's attempts to barge in.
Of course, she always failed, but it was worth a shot, as long as Dr. Cuddy knew someone, at the very least, tried to help her.
Five minutes later, just as Cody Gomez was about to send out the email, a shadow loomed over her desk…a tall shadow.
-o0o-
"Dr. Hou…" Cody began, looking up, ready with the poker face she had picked up from Dr. Cuddy and tried to copy…only to have it fall from her face as she noticed it was not Dr. House. "Oh. Hello. Good morning," she smiled welcomingly at the tall and handsome shadow in front of her desk. "I'm Cody Gomez, Dr. Cuddy's assistant. How may I help you?"
The man smiled, his green eyes piercingly beautiful falling on hers. "Hi, Ms. Gomez, I was wondering if Dr. Cuddy was available for visitors?"
Cody smiled, somewhat apologetically. "I'm sorry, but Dr. Cuddy has specifically said she will not be taking visitors for this morning. She's quite busy at the moment, Mr…"
"Oh," the man said, smiling charmingly, his white teeth gleaming. "Right, but could you…" he lowered his head as if sharing a secret with her, despite the fact that they were alone, the glass doors closed behind him and the doors to the main office closed as well. "Tell her Nathan Winslow is here for…a visit."
With a charming smile and a wink, Cody melted, pressing the line linking her to the dean's office.
Damn, she really needed to work on her 'Dr.-Cuddy-fierce' copy more.
"Yes?" came Cuddy's distracted voice on the speaker.
"Dr. Cuddy, there's a visitor for you," Cody said, smiling at Nathan. "He's asking for just…" she smiled wider when the said visitor showed his thumb and pointer finger, a small gap in between with a puppy-dog look. Not bad, for over thirty-five, Cody thought. "A tiny bit of your time."
"Is it House? No, can't be…He'd have burst in…" came the distracted muttering.
"It's a Mr. Winslow, Dr. Cuddy," Cody cut in. "Nathan Win—"
"What?" it sounded more like a shriek.
Cody looked up at Nathan, shocked. The woman only ever shrieked like that when House was involved. Was this House's brother? God, no!
A few moments later, Cuddy's voice broke in, crisp and stiff. "Send him in."
Cody looked at Nathan who smiled. He must have seen the worried look on her face. "It's all right, dear, she's just…happy I'm visiting."
Cody nodded, wordlessly as the beautiful man sauntered away with a flying kiss, entering the office with ease and grace, as if he belonged there.
Who the hell was that?
Cody sighed, where was House when you expected him?
-o0o-
Dr. Lisa Cuddy had not realized she hand snapped at pencil in her hand upon hearing the name come through her speaker until she looked at the broken pieces as she looked around to see if her office was a mess or not.
Of course it wasn't, but the anal-retentive side of her itched to make sure.
Smoothing the non-existing wrinkle on her silk blouse, hands moved then to her hair then her…what the hell was he doing here?
Suddenly, she felt her fingers shaking. "Shit," she hissed just as the doors of her office opened.
"Fancy seeing you here, beautiful."
Cuddy looked up. She hadn't heard that voice in years...
Nor seen those beautiful green eyes, warm smile and that handsome face, but Cuddy truly loved his smile more. He had been the first to ever make her 'weak in the knees'.
"Nathan, you're still using that line?"
"It's been a long time, I thought perhaps you'd forgotten," he shoved his hands in his pockets in the same way he used to, all those years ago, hiding his anxiousness. "I have missed you."
Cuddy smiled, uneasily. "Yeah, a long time…Nathan? What-what are you doing here?"
Nathan shrugged. "It's time."
A puzzled look came upon her face. "What? What are you talking about? Nathan, what are you doing here? In New Jersey…in my office."
"It's time," Nathan said again. "It's time, Lisa."
Feeling a chill creep up her spine, Cuddy swallowed hard. He had called her Lisa.
"It's time, Lisa, and you know it," Nathan repeated, the smile disappearing from his face into a serious look that even with that, still made her think him beautiful.
Cuddy shook her head then glanced at her watch. "Right. Time, yeah, thank you for reminding me. I do have that meeting with…Dr. Wilson. Thank you, please tell my assistant thank you as well." She stood up. "Thank you, Mr. Winslow. If you need anything, please, leave any message you have to Cody."
Walking around her desk, Cuddy made her way to the door, walking past Nathan who immediately grabbed her arm, gently but firmly. "Elise."
Cuddy froze.
-o0o-
Cody watched the beautiful man walk inside the office until he disappeared. She had been tempted to peek through the glass panels that separated her from Cuddy's office. It would have been interesting to see who this new character was. Was he a donor, Cody observed the good doctor had let the visitor in almost as soon as hearing his name; she was always accommodating those generous donors.
But then it would be more interesting to see if the man candy knew Cuddy in a much more personal way.
Total Oh my god moment, for sure.
But then, just after four weeks, Cody was already loyal to Cuddy. The woman did not need another gossip around her. She needed friends, Cody thought sadly. The woman simply worked too much and the only friend she saw around the woman was the head nurse in the Clinic, Brenda Priven and sometimes Dr. Wilson, who probably maybe didn't count since he was more House's friend than Cuddy's.
Cuddy and House were almost like watching the Clash of the Titans with Wilson playing Switzerland…if there had been Switzerland in there.
Sighing, Cody continued to work, sending the letter to Dr. Matthews and a copy to Dr. Cuddy and to the members of the board. She watched the confirmation that the messages had been sent until another shadow loomed over her desk.
"How may I…" she stopped again, the smile dropping from her face. "Dr. House."
"Well," the diagnostician said, grinning almost in an evil way. "Don't you look happy to see me?"
Cody sighed. "Dr. House, Dr. Cuddy is currently with a visitor at the moment."
"Oh, come on," House said, rolling his eyes. "Are we really still doing this?" He stared at her as she stared at him. "Fine."
He stood back, pulling his cane along before pretending to stomp over back to her desk. "I demand to see Dr. Cuddy and her fine, fine Administritive ass right now!"
Cody sighed. Drama queen. "Dr. House, as said, Dr. Cuddy is with…"
"I don't care!" House continued with the charade, waving his cane around as if angry. "It has been sixteen hours, three minutes and fourteen—no—fifteen—sixteen seconds since my eyes last beheld the sight of her want-to-bury-myself-in-there cleavage!"
"Ew," Cody reacted without thinking. Drama queen and pig. "Dr. House—"
"Yes! Thank you!" House bellowed before turning to the doors, shooting a smug smile at her with his eyebrows bouncing.
Cody stood up. "Dr. House!"
She was ready to chase after the man when he stopped. "Dr Hou…"
House stopped, staring into the office and Cody followed, standing next to him with and looking into the office as well.
Cody stared through the glass panels, eyes wide.
Dr. Cuddy stood with the beautiful man, his hand on her arm as if he was stopping her from leaving and they were both locked in an intense staring contest, his flashing emerald green eyes clashing against her stormy-blue ones. They were standing a little too close for comfort, but obviously it didn't bother either one as they continued to stare, as if in a silent conversation, daring the other to break the spell.
"Who the hell is that?" House demanded, his icy blue eyes flashing, his left hand gripping his cane just a little bit tighter.
Who, indeed?
-o0o-
"Elise," Nathan said again, his eyes pleading now as he still held her arm. "Please."
"My name is Lisa," Cuddy said, her eyes flashing. "Lisa Cuddy."
Nathan nodded. "Yes, I know. We know, but you will always be Elise to us, to me."
Cuddy shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't." She tried to pull away, but he held fast, gently but firmly. "Please, I have work to do."
"Please."
"I can't," Cuddy said, sadly. "I'm sorry, Nathan, I can't."
He shook his head then let her arm go. "You can't? Or you won't, Elise?"
Her eyes fell to the floor, to her carpet before she braved looking at him again. "Both."
Nathan looked down, "Elise, it has been…years. More years than I dare count…please, it's time to go back…we've given you all the time to be…this. And you've run out of time. It's time to go back home. Where you belong..."
Cuddy shook her head. "New Jersey is home, Nathan. For me."
She pulled her arm away, spinning back on her heel, heading back to her desk.
"He's dying."
Cuddy stopped, but didn't turn to face him.
"He's dying, Elise," Nathan said, softly. "Elliot is dying."
Cuddy turned to look at him and he nodded softly.
"I'm sorry."
"What happened?" she asked, softly, her hand over her trembling lips.
Nathan shrugged. "They…found a tumor. We've gone to different doctors, they found it too late and…he's dying."
"Oh god," Cuddy said softly, turning away from him again.
"Elise," Nathan said as he began to follow.
"No!" Cuddy said without turning to him. "Stay back, Nathan!"
He stopped, shoved his hands in his pockets again, fighting the urge to comfort her and follow as she had asked. "As you wish."
"How long does he have?" she asked, her voice muffled.
"They gave him six months, a year if we're lucky," he said then took a deep breath. "He wants to see you…soon. He's missed you so much."
She nodded. "Why didn't you bring him here?"
"There are other doctors, he didn't want to burden you with this."
"And you let him?" she asked, her voice cold.
Nathan swallowed hard. "We were just…following his wishes."
She turned to face him. "Why didn't you bring him here the moment he started to have symptoms?"
"He asked not to bother you. You know how he can be. He's protective."
Cuddy's eyes flashed in anger. "There was something wrong with him, his health and you let him decide?" she gritted out. "There's a difference between being overprotective and being foolish, Nathan! He's sick, he's dying and probably scared, he's in no state to make decisions--"
Nathan steeled himself. "Just come home, Elise, that's all we ask."
"He's dying and you're letting him!" she suddenly screamed. "I have the best goddamned oncologist in the state! All of you are less than TWO HOURS AWAY! You couldn't send the damned test results here? Couldn't bother to tell me sooner?"
"I was only doing what he wanted!" Nathan defended. "And you left. At least someone still cares enough about what he wants!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cuddy snarled, her hands on her hips in a defiant pose.
"You've been running for years, do you think Elliot wanted that?"
With four quick steps, she was right in front of him, faces inches from each other, despite the height advantage he had over her. "You know why I had to go, Nathan! You know I had to! Don't you dare throw that in my face!"
"I'm just saying," Nathan said, placing his hands gently on her shoulders, in a brave attempt to calm her. "That maybe…it's time to stop running."
Shrugging his hands off, she took a step back. "I can't…just go."
"What about Elliot?"
She stopped, looking at him before letting her eyes fall to the floor again. "I don't know."
Nathan's eyes widened then grabbed her arm again before she could react. "Elise, think about what you're saying!"
"Her name is Lisa and I think you better get your hands off of her," someone snarled from behind them. "If not, I swear, you won't like it—it involves a cane and very unpleasant bump, preferably on your pretty boy face."
Turning with Cuddy's arm still in his hold, Nathan turned to see a rugged looking man with a cane standing by the open doors. "And who are you?"
"House!" Cuddy said, her eyes warning him not to interfere. Nathan was still holding her arm, but it didn't hurt in any way. She knew, even in a rage, though she's never seen him that way, Nathan would never hurt her.
"Didn't you hear what I said?" House said, ignoring Cuddy as he raised his cane.
Nathan glared. "This is none of your concern. Get out."
"I've called for security so either get your hands off her and not have a cane add to the stick already up your ass or have things turn out exactly that way. Take your pick." He shrugged. "Either way, I'll have fun and you won't."
Nathan immediately let go of Cuddy's arm and looked at her. "I'm sorry, Elise…I—I don't know what came over me."
"Her name is Lisa, idiot," House said dryly.
Nathan looked at Cuddy who was looking at House. "Elise, tell this man to get the hell out."
Cuddy shook her head. "House…"
"Cuddy," House said, shaking his head slightly, his eyes warning her.
"Elise," Nathan said evenly.
"Lisa," House pressed.
Cuddy looked at one man to another, one impeccably dressed in an Armani suit, combed-wavy blonde hair with touches of dark streaks of brown, the other, taller, his messy-just-got-out-of-bed looking hair, grayish-silver with remnants of his dark brown hair from his youth, a cane held in hand and dressed in a Rolling Stones band T-shirt, a dark blue sport-coat that brought out his eyes and jeans and a pair of black Chuck Taylor sneakers.
One man from her distant past, a life she had tried to forget and leave behind, the other from her life now, a shadow never leaving her, good times or bad, always there to keep her up to her toes, always there to remind her she wasn't as dead as she sometimes believed she was.
"House, what do you need now?" Cuddy asked, ignoring Nathan who had a sour look on his handsome face.
"We have a meeting, remember?" House said, pretending to look surprised she forgot. "Dr. Wilson is waiting in his office with Dr. Taub and Dr. Hadley about the…drug trials."
An outward lie, but a damned good one, Cuddy thought. House was always good with thinking on his feet, so to speak.
Cuddy nodded, slowly. "Right, well, we can't keep them waiting." She turned to Nathan. "I'm sorry," she said, smiling tightly. "About the…tragic news, but I can't help you. If you want, we have an excellent oncology wing here."
"Elise—"
"Dr. Cuddy," she corrected curtly, walking past him. "And, again, I am sorry. Thank you for dropping by, but I have to go."
"What? Wait—"
"Good day, Norbert," House said with a smug look as Cuddy grabbed her white coat and headed out the door. "Good seeing you, whoever you are."
With a wave, House happily followed Cuddy out, trailing after her with his cane, leaving the door wide open, leaving the stranger in Lisa Cuddy's office alone.
House didn't look back, nor did Cuddy, so neither of them didn't see the look of longing and sadness darken the handsome man's face, looking lost in the strange new place he had come to.
And in the midst of it all, the lone Cody Gomez saw him, Nathan Winslow, watching as if the love of his life had just walked out on him.
Unknown to her, Cody had been so close to the truth she could have tasted it.
-o0o0o0o0o0o-
Here you are. Tell me what you think, I would LOVE to know if this deserves to be kept going. I just love, love, love Huddy. I adore Cuddy and Lisa E…
Anyway, tell me what you think! If I keep this going, you'll be learning a lot more about 'Elise' and why she's 'Lisa' now, and as well as who 'Elliot' is and why 'Nathan' was coming and what he meant by 'it's time'. Lots of delicious twists, but of course, filled with huddy-lovin'.
I've woven a tangled web in my head with this first fic and yes, you'll be seeing a lot of new characters, by me, and see this fic jump to some new-not-so-far places as well. Wilson will be here of course, my little Huddy-Cupid, and in the midst of this all, House will be in the middle…of course he would, he wouldn't be Greg House if he wasn't.
Huddy all the way…with a few bumps in between.
Review, please!
Ain't too proud to beg by The Rolling Stones