Stacy's Return
"House! I said no!" Cuddy threw up her hands in exasperation and then slammed her hands on the desk. "Now we can keep arguing but it's not going to make a difference. My decision is final."
"You should know better than to let your time of the month interfere with a decision," House shook his head in mock sadness.
Cuddy stood up straight and opened and closed her mouth like a fish. "What the….how did...what…."
House chuckled. "I know everything. So is that a yes or a no?"
Cuddy stared straight ahead, still slightly confused, and then cleared her head. "No!" She walked from around the desk and stood right in front of House. "You cannot trick me into letting you perform a brain biopsy on someone who doesn't need one. So…no-you-can't-my-decision-is-final." Cuddy poked him in the chest with her finger after each word.
House grinned. "Could you try that again…somewhere else?"
Cuddy sighed and rolled her eyes. "You are relentless."
"That's my job!" House grinned proudly and adjusted the cane in his head. "So….can I now?"
Cuddy turned away and walked back over to her desk. "You are wasting my time."
"Well…that would kinda be the point." House limped up to her desk, lifted his cane, and set it down on top of a stack of files she went to pick up.
Cuddy took a deep breath and looked up at her employee. "House."
"Partypants."
Cuddy seemed unperturbed. "Leave, right now, or you will get double clinic duty…for the rest of your career!" Her voice rose slightly at the end in an attempt to appear stern. It didn't work.
"Right." House snorted, but lifted his cane off of her files. "You would do me before assigning me eternal clinic duty."
"Watch me." Cuddy looked up at House challengingly, and House knew that she wasn't going to give up. He would have to forfeit this battle.
"Fine Mommy." House pouted and turned to the door to walk away. "By the way, your boobs are extra perky today. Thought you'd like to know."
Cuddy raised her eyebrows and set her face in a line. "Bye House."
"Until next time," he said in a deep grovelly voice and stalked out of the office.
Cuddy sighed, placed both of her hands on the pile of files on the desk, and watched him walk away. She put her head in her hands and attempted to quiet her beating heart. Ever since he had returned from Mayfield there was something slightly different about him. He was the same House but he seemed….less harsh. He gave up and let her win more battles. He wasn't as nasty. And he had mentioned…them. He had asked her "What about us?"
"Why do you do this to me?" Cuddy said out loud, she stood up, and began pacing the room. She had wanted to tell him, so much, that she wanted a relationship. She had wanted to scream it at him. But Cuddy knew, deep down, that that would never work so she had merely replied "We're good. Just like this." But they weren't good they both knew that. And then? And then he had walked up to her, right up to within a couple inches of her and she thought for a fleeting moment that he was going to kiss her. Her heart had begun racing and she had seemed unable to look away from his eyes, holding her in his grasp squeezing the breath out of her…and he walked away. She was left, staring at his retreating figure leaving the office, unsure what to feel except that she was still hopelessly in love with him.
All of this running through Cuddy's mind she continued pacing the room, twirling a rubber band in her fingers for what seemed like hours mulling over the man that drove her absolutely crazy.
"Dr. Cuddy." A nurse popped her head into Cuddy's office, startling her. "You have a telephone call from a Stacy. She said she's been trying to call you all day."
Cuddy frowned. "Is it a patient?"
The woman shook her head. "She just said that she's been trying to reach you all day but your line has been busy. She sounded upset."
Cuddy walked over to her desk, curious, and picked up the phone. "This is Lisa Cuddy."
"Lisa? Oh my gosh what is going on why didn't anyone call me?" The woman on the other line was visibly upset.
Cuddy bit her lip. The woman's voice sounded so familiar. "I'm sorry…I'm not sure who this is."
"Lisa! It's Stacy! Stacy Warner! Why didn't anyone tell me that House was institutionalized? Is he alright?"
"Stacy?!" Lisa couldn't believe it. "What…how did you find out?"
Stacy sniffed on the other line…she had been crying. "I have a friend that works there, Alyssa Beasley, and she told me that House had been committed and…is he alright? He's out isn't he?"
Cuddy nodded, still shocked to hear her old friend's voice. "Yes. Yes he's back now."
"I'm coming to see him. That's okay with you right?"
"Well…I mean…he doesn't know…" Cuddy stammered. What would House do if Stacy showed up after all this time?
"That's alright. I'll surprise him. Thank you so much Lisa I would feel much better I feel partially responsible for all this."
"Tell me about it" Cuddy muttered.
"Huh?"
"Nothing, nothing I just…when are you coming?"
"I'm on my way." Stacy hung up and Cuddy nearly flew from the room.
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Cuddy approached House's office. He was sitting at his desk balancing one of his balls on his cane, completely concentrated. She took a deep breath and opened the door, walking in. "Have you changed your mind and decided to let me do the brain biopsy?" House asked without looking up.
"No…" Cuddy trailed off and continued to stand there, unsure of how to tell House.
He looked up and noticed Cuddy's nervous posture and knew something was up.
"Either you're here to tell me of your undying devotion or there is something wrong."
"House…I need to tell you something." Cuddy walked up to House's desk and looked down at him, worriedly, gently.
House looked up at her, a little nervous himself.
"I just got off the phone with Stacy. She's coming to see you."
House didn't move and continued to stare at Cuddy, blinking.
"House?" Cuddy sat down and placed a hand on top of his.
He seemed to snap out of his trance and withdrew his hand. "Okay."
Cuddy made a face. "That's it?! Okay? Your ex-girlfriend is coming to see you and all you have to say is okay?"
House shrugged. "It was a long time ago." He looked away and stared into space. He stopped juggling his balls around and seemed to look sadly at the wall. It was then Cuddy knew how House still felt about her.
Cuddy pursed her lips together and stood up quickly. "I think I'll…go back down to my office," she said quietly. She stood up to leave and turned back to House. "Are you alright?" She asked gently. He didn't answer and Cuddy turned away and walked out the door.
She slowly walked over to the elevator and pushed the down button. Why was Stacy so interested in House's life all of a sudden anyway? She clenched her fists together. She was married. Cuddy stepped into the elevator and hit the down button. She crossed her arms over her chest and wiped a piece of hair from her face. She was suddenly angry and didn't know why. She walked out of the elevator and over towards her office and stopped when she saw Stacy walking in.
"Lisa!" Stacy called and ran over. Cuddy's anger melted away when she say how tired and worried the woman looked. Cuddy gave her a big hug. "How are you?"
"I'm doing alright." Stacy looked at Cuddy and then down at her slightly disheveled appearance. "You don't look a day over 35 and look at me all scraggly."
"No you look fine" Cuddy said sincerely, noting that Stacy was still as pretty as she was the day she had left the hospital.
Stacy sighed. "I can't believe this has happened to House. I feel so guilty."
Cuddy shook her head. "Don't. It was his vicodin addiction. It led him to hallucinate and he just snapped. But he's back now and….better. Kinder. A bit more like he was before the infarction."
Stacy smiled. "Thank you Lisa. I just want him to know that I'm sorry and I didn't mean for any of it to happen. Ever since Mark's death…"
"What?!?!" Cuddy put a hand to her heart. "Oh my gosh, Stacy! When did this happen? I'm so sorry."
"About two years ago. I wasn't home; he fell down the steps and broke his neck there was nothing that could be done." Stacy looked down and then back up at Cuddy with tears in her eyes. "I ruined both relationships that I've ever had with men I loved. I feel like I have to fix the only one that's left."
Cuddy could feel her own eyes beginning to fill at Stacy's heartbreaking words. "I'm so sorry Stacy. I wish there was something I could do."
"Thank you." Stacy gave her another hug. "Is House upstairs?"
"Yes, I'll take you." Cuddy guided Stacy to the elevator. When they got off Stacy stopped and turned around. "I can't do it Lisa. I can't."
"Yes you can." Cuddy held Stacy.
Stacy had begun to cry again. "No I can't! He will hate me. I still love him…so much. Help me."
Cuddy's heart dropped to her stomach and she suddenly felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She still loved him? Did that mean he still loved her? Cuddy remembered House's face when she had told him the news of Stacy's return and knew that he loved her too…which meant House couldn't possibly love Cuddy. Cuddy brushed a tear from her face and walked Stacy down the hall to House's office.
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Let me know what you all think! I can definitely continue if you guys like it so far. There is going to be a lot of Hacy and Huddy coming up!
