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

Chapter II- Stranded

Cuddy was beginning to freeze in the coldness of her house's porche. She was eagerly waiting for Jack, but it would have been better if he had arrived at the time they had planned. He was already half an hour late.

Why did the men in her life always have to be complicated? Was it karma or just really bad luck?

Her thoughts drifted back to House and that awful family dinner 19 years ago, when he had met her family. House was being House (he might have been a little bit nicer back then, but still he was an ass, at least when you first met him) and her family was being her family. Nothing good could have come out of it, for sure.

She remembered opening the door for him. He was dressed in a blue polo shirt and beige trousers, an unusual, elegant combination of clothing for a 25-year-old maverick genius who used to spend his days going through medical journals, annoying presumptuous professors and trying to solve impossible medical puzzles. He hadn't changed much.

Everything had started out well, but as soon as her mother and Jack began to act like the federals, he freaked out and began to act like the jerk he was. She liked his jerkyness, but his brother thought he was a pathetic know-it-all. Her father, much to her surprise, thought he was a good but insecure guy. And her mother practically kicked him out of the house.

It was weird, she thought, how our senses retain so many details we try to forget. She could still remember how House smelled that night: aftershave lotion, shampoo, man soap and Old Spice. Sometimes she could still recognise a hint of that smell on him, and a nostalgic feeling would take hold of her…

"Auntie Lisa!" She heard her nephew's voice calling out to her, and her little trip to memory lane ended. The little boy climbed the stairs quickly and threw himself into her arms.

"Matthew!" She kissed the crown of his blonde-haired head, and wrapped her arms around his petit frame. There was nothing more comforting and wonderful that the warmth coming from a little child's body.

"Come on dwarf, move. I want to say hi too" She heard Emma's whiny voice and laughed out loud, and whispered something on Matthew's ear. He abandoned her lap and gave her sister room to greet and hug their aunt.

"Woh, woh, calm down, let her breathe" Jack choked.

"We're sorry" Emma and Matthew stared at their feet.

"We're really happy to see you, that's all" Emma stated solemnly.

"It's OK, you don't have to apologise. I've missed you too." She rubbed Emma's back "Now let's go inside before we freeze to death."

She stood up and opened the door. Jack and the kids went inside and she closed it, happy to finally enter the house and feel the warmth on her skin. The kids ran to the living room and made themselves comfortable on the couch.

"God, its freezing. I hope you packed winter clothes for the kids, Jack."

"I did. Everything they need is in there" He pointed at two bags and a backpack he had placed next to the entrance hall "The pink one is Emma's, the green one is Matt's."

She nodded "Is there anything else I need to know? Emergency numbers, recently diagnosed allergies…?"

"Oh, no. Everything's fine."

"OK, go save your marriage then. If all of this is in vain I swear to God I'll kill you." She was whispering. Emma and Matthew didn't need to hear that.

"Em, Matt, I'm leaving. Come say goodbye to your old man."

The kids jumped of the couch and gave him a bear hug

"You are going to have such a good time, little man" He stroked Matt's hair "And you, Emma, behave and don't mess with your brother." The little girl rolled her eyes.

"Okay, dad" She mumbled.

"Now, I want a kiss from each of you. Here, now." The children obeyed.

"C'mon Jack, you are going away for the weekend, not in an expedition to Antarctica. We'll be fine, right kids?" She smiled in a friendly way.

Emma and Matthew nodded.

"Okay, I'm just a little anxious" He spoke to Cuddy in a low voice.

"Get out! We're going to have a great time. Don't force me to kick you out of my house using my physical strength" She warned, teasing him.

"You do realise I'm not intimidated by you at all, don't you?"


"So, I was thinking we could have pizza for dinner." Cuddy approached her niece and nephew who had miraculously remained calmed while she took a bath. Matt was playing with some toy cars and Emma was spread out out in the couch, reading a Roald Dahl book. It was a really peaceful image.

The kids' faces lighted up with delight.

"I guess that means yes. Am I wrong?"

"No, no, no, that's perfect!" The kids were nearly shouting.

"But don't get used to it, tomorrow we'll eat normal, healthy food. But I was thinking, since we haven't been together for ages, we could have a little celebration. We can even watch a movie in bed." She winked and Emma and Matt grinned.


House had secretly stolen the keys to Cuddy's office, and was now going through her papers and notes, trying to find out where Cuddy's date was taking place.

He didn't find anything. He had even accessed her computer files (Party Pants) and checked her electronic schedule. There was nothing there as well. Damn, when had Cuddy started keeping secrets? She was an open book to him. Maybe they were having dinner at her house.

He sat on the couch and began to re-think the situation. For a brief moment he thought about giving up and let her have at least one date without him bothering the victim. What did he care? She was entitled to a life.

But her noble impulse lasted 14 seconds or less. Ruining her dates was a tradition he was not ready to abandon. He might be a lunatic, but he was sure Cuddy was always expecting he would show up in the middle of a date, whether she liked the guy or not.

Of course, she got angry and made a fuss every time it actually happened, but he knew that, deep inside, she was thankful, for he had saved her from many uncomfortable situations with potential idiots who only thought about quickies.

When had he acquired that role in her life?

Never. It was just an unspoken contract.


"Aunt Lisa, I'm really tired" Emma yawned. "Can we sleep now? I've watched Nemo at least a thousand times, it's Matt's favourite"

The three of them were laying under the covers of Cuddy's bed, wearing flannel pyjamas and drinking hot chocolate with teeny tiny marshmallows.

Cuddy had been reticent about it at first, but what the hell, she could spoil Emma and Matthew once in a while, couldn't she? Single aunts were made for that.

Matt had fallen asleep halfway the movie and his head was resting in the crook of Cuddy's shoulder.

"Of course, sweetie. But you have to brush your teeth first, OK?" She ran her hand through her niece's soft straight hair.

"OK" Emma climbed out of the bed and headed towards the bathroom

Cuddy carefully rolled Matthew out of her shoulder and arranged the pillows around him.

She blinked and listened to the sound of the water coming from the bathroom. She hadn't realised how tired she was until her head reached a pillow. Her eyes were closing involuntary and she wasn't able to suppress a massive yawn. The mattress moved as Emma laid down next to her.

"Goodnight" she heard the soft voice of the girl.

"Goodnight Em" she managed to reply "I'll turn off the lights in a minute."

Maybe her tiredness was the reason she didn't hear the doorbell rang.

House tried the doorbell, but he got no answer. A quick gaze at her bedroom window revealed the lights were on, much to his distress.

Was she there with her date? She had given in that easily?

He searched for the extra key, and was enormously pleased when he found it. This was an open invitation to her house. She knew he knew were the key was kept, so if she wanted him out of her life, why didn't she change it?

Carefully, he opened the door and began to make his way to her room, carefully his footsteps were not audible. He was going to have such a good time.


Cuddy was about to fall asleep when he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps in the hall. She froze for a moment, fearing the worse. She remained still, desperate for her brain to come out with a possible solution in case the owner of the footsteps she was clearly perceiving decided to break into her bedroom, where two little children were sleeping and she was alone, entirely alone, with no one to stood up for her.

She was sure she was sweating. Her heart was beating faster than ever while the door began to move.

She was ready to shout, to scream, to fight, when he recognised the "stranger wandering round her house."

"House, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" She was furious. Her eyes were sparkling with anger, her skin was flushed.

It was House's turn to freeze. He had figured Cuddy would be having wild sex with some boring lawyer, not watching Finding Nemo in a flannel pyjama with two kids he had never seen in her life. She was looking at him so fiercely that he thought she would probably strangle him in less than a minute.

"You know what, don't even try to explain yourself! " She yelled, but the two kids were sleeping so deeply they did not even stir "I know you are a manipulative bastard with boundary issues, but you have just reached a new level on insanity! How can you BREAK INTO MY HOUSE in the middle of the night? I thought you were a thief!"

"I was bored" Now that the situation had been clarified, he was ready to go back to his former non-caring self. "And what's with the Michael Jackson personality?" He pointed at the bed.

"You really are an ass; they're my niece and nephew! Get out of my house!" She stared at him in disbelief.

"Oh, come on, I was just trying to have fun…"

"Yes, by almost giving me a heart attack!" She grabbed his arm tightly and started to drag him towards the hall. He was wearing that horrible leather jacket he usually wore when he drove his stupid bike. "Did you drive all the way here with all this snow?" She felt like an idiot as soon as the question left her lips. She was not supposed to care about his well being.

"Yeah, why?"

"You could have been killed! Imagine you slip in the snow…" Stop it Cuddy! An inner voice was ordering her You shouldn't give a damn about him!

"I'm not 8. I know how to ride a bike in the snow. I'm a cripple, not a moron." They reached the door, and Cuddy opened it quickly, pleased that she was able to get rid of him before Emma and Matthew were able to see him.

"What's with those kids?" House asked, curiously. She had never mentioned having any nephews or nieces.

"Jack's kids. He's out for the weekend. Get out, I'm cold and I want to go back to bed"

"I hope they haven't inherited the stupidity gene your brother so clearly possesses." Now he was remembering that family dinner party as well. "I can't go out. Look at the snow."

Cuddy caught a glimpse of the cold exterior. Great. Blizzard. And the most annoying person in the whole wide world was stranded with her, at her house.

"Hey Cuddy, where do you keep the booze?"