This chapter's been a bit difficult to write. I've got an idea as to where I want the story to go… just gotta figure out how to get there. Thanks to everyone who wrote a review, you know who you are. Enjoy! (I think this might be OOC in places, but I'll try to reign it in)

"So about lunch today…" House didn't waste time, not even saying hello as he burst into Wilsons office, "Will the marvelous Mama Cuddles be joining us?" Wilson heaved a resigned sigh from his position behind the desk, where he had been organizing some paperwork on his most recent patient, "Why hello , how thoughtful of you to knock, oh no I'm not busy just make yourself at home." He deadpanned without looking up. House continued with his plan, ignoring the sarcasm from his only friend. "Because if she is… you will be dropping out….mysteriously, of course." Wilson looked up sharply, "Why will I be skipping lunch?" House smiled, so she was coming… "You don't have to skip any meals Wilson, unless you're slimming down for you newest squeeze, careful Jimmy or your wife might notice." Wilson scowled up at him, "House get to the point of this please? I'm busy." House flopped down on the couch, "The point is, you don't have to skip lunch, you just have to eat lunch somewhere that isn't with me and Cuddy." Wilsons scowl turned quickly into a look of shock, then humor. "So that's what this is all about? You want to go on a date with Cuddy?" He chuckled to himself, finally. Maybe once they start having sex we will all finally get a break from their madness. House turned slightly indignant, proving Wilsons theory, "It will NOT be a date… I just, want to go to lunch. Alone with her. To… talk or something. Isn't that the adult thing to do?" Wilson raised a brow quizzically. "Adult thing to do yes. But is it something YOU would do? Not really. But that's besides the point. Go for it House, we've all been waiting for this for who knows how long. I've got a good bit of money on it." It was Houses turn to scowl. "Be prepared to split the profits, he quipped. This technically isn't even a date." Without further comment he stood and stalked out of the room.

Glancing at his watch he headed down the stairs to Cuddy's office. Almost 1 in the afternoon, just in time to catch her as she left her office for lunch. He poured on speed, barreling out of the stairwell, nearly taking out a group of nervous interns in the process. He grinned widely at a small timid looking girl, surprising the lot. His reputation carried a huge weight with the young new doctors in training and their expressions of shock at his behavior made him wish he had a camera nearby. He turned away towards Cuddy's office and instead ended up with a very startled Cuddy in his arms. He brought them up around her automatically, feeling her lovely curves through her clothes as her scent filled his nostrils. She looked up, the surprise in her eyes turning to amusement, a flush faintly covering her cheeks. "House… I think I'm good, you can let me go now." Wow he smells good, and his arms are… He watched as she shook her head slightly, closing her eyes, then looking back up at him. He dropped his arms to his sides, but didn't step back. He locked his arctic blue eyes with hers, watching confusion and curiosity fill them. He'd always enjoyed watching whatever she was feeling play out on her face. "Yeah," he said, almost shyly, then recovered his usual smirk," Looks like Wilson bailed on lunch. Its just you and me." He tried to ignore how much he liked what it implied, he failed.

Lunch had been going well so far. He had been a little surprised that Cuddy had agreed to go without him having to drag her along, though without his leg pain he probably could have. That thought made him smile. She was seated beside him in the small bistro down the street from the hospital. He had enjoyed the walk there, not simply because he didn't have to endure the sympathetic looks from passerby he had encountered whenever he walked about with his cane, but the fact that she was there beside him, laughing as he announced his witty observations on passerby loudly. Even when she smacked his arm when he was a bit too loud and heads turned, he thought that maybe her hand lingered just a bit longer than necessary on his bicep. The sun streaming through the trees felt good, and having her there with him, obviously happy felt even better. Maybe this would be easier then he thought. He stumbled his way through small talk about the hospital, how it had been going since he'd been shot, cutting her off quickly when she mentioned that they still hadn't found the shooter. He toyed with the idea of wussing out, of just taking the smiles and laughs and keeping them in his mind for later, when he was alone, sitting at his piano with a glass of scotch for company. No. Not anymore. You want a new lease on life, well this is step one. Don't be such a coward. Before he could rethink again, he blurted out," So do you want to go out for a drink sometime?" He had to suppress a smirk when she nearly choked on her sandwich, "W-What? Like a date?" He went with a nonchalant reply, "Sure. You drink, I drink, we could drink at the same place. We both eat, we could do dinner too." He peered up at her gauging her reaction through her ever expressive eyes. Her emotions flickered so fast through them that he could barely catch them. Uncertainty flashed there, and if he wasn't mistaken, and he rarely was, pleasure as well. That put a small pocket of warmth in the pit of his belly. "Sure House… It'll be fun." She gave him a small smile, and the warmth spread a little further through him. "Okay, I'll pick you up, Friday?" She just nodded. They finished their lunch mostly in silence, sneaking glances when they thought the other wasn't looking. The walk back to PPTH was also quiet, but it wasn't awkward, just easy silence. He casually walked close by, testing the waters by letting the back of his hand brush hers softly. She didn't pull away. They entered the hospital together, the nurses in the lobby unabashedly staring as the head diagnostician and dean of medicine entered the building peaceably, looking almost… content. He walked her to the outer door of her office, feeling a bit like a teenage boy walking his date home, shrugging it off, he gives a curt nod and heads off. A sudden epiphany blooms in his brain, and he stops and turns suddenly, calling loudly so she can hear him, "Oh and Dr. Cuddy! Make sure you wear jeans!" He gives her a quick smile before raising his voice to the room in general, "You know I love how your ass looks in a good pair of Levi's!" Darting off to the stairs before she can rip him a new one, he takes the steps 3 at a time.

I decided to sorta steal the line he used on Cameron and give it to Cuddy. I'm gonna try to use real parts from the show in this, but as you can tell it will deviate pretty severely... Forgive me if it gets awfully OOC. Hope everyone likes it so far.