Return
AN: Part four. I have an idea of where this story might go now, but it's subject to change with each chapter. Also, I'm trying to stay as IC as possible with their season 1-5 selves, so if anything seems to season 6-8 ish or completely out of character, then feel free to drop me a line. Also, I'm going to have side stories in this, just because
Sorry for the slow update, I missed about a week of school because my sinusitis came back and they had to put me on stronger medicine. I've also been busy, I've got about ten weeks left until I graduate, so I have to make sure this last quarter really counts.
Summary: "But you know that I'm always going to be the one who screwed us up." He never expected her to admit defeat, but here she was. Lisa Cuddy was giving in.
House/Cuddy. AU-ish. post 8x04.
Part IV
Julia Cuddy was once again pacing the hallway of her sister's ranch styled house, "You quit." Her voice rose a few pitches as she continued, "Lisa, what the hell were you thinking when you quit? That reception job at Princeton General is the only income you have now. Sure you have leftover from when you were at Princeton-Plainsboro, but that doesn't last forever. You have to put Rachel through school for goodness sakes."
"I know I do," Lisa Cuddy looked up at her sister, looking rather bored, "It was something that House said to me." She knew the mention of her ex boyfriend would catch Julia's attention, and she sat up a bit straighter, "House accused me of being miserable again yesterday, when we went to meet up at Milan's for coffee. He said so once before, about a year before I adopted Rachel." Shrugging quietly, she avoided her sister's gaze, "I gave them my two week's notice today Jules, and besides, I have enough money in the bank for Rachel and I to live comfortably for six months."
"And you'll have a job in six months Lisa?" Julia raised an eyebrow at her sister, "Unless you decide that you want to move, then you either go back to Princeton General or Princeton-Plainsboro, and last time I checked, you explained that you had good reasons for leaving the latter." She stopped pacing to perch herself on the edge of the coffee table in the living room, staring at her sister, "And it's just wrong to quit one job to just take another at the same location."
"I don't know what I'm going to do yet, I just know that when House says something, he's usually right about it." Cuddy tore her gaze away from her sister's, mumbling, "He thought that I would be a horrible mother, and look what I've put Rachel through in the past four years...she doesn't deserve that."
"You're going to let House get to you about your relationship with your daughter?" Stunned, Julia stared at her sister as she nodded, "Lisa, you're everything that society expects of a single mother. Hell, you're probably even more. You managed an impossible work schedule at Princeton-Plainsboro, raised Rachel better than most women working as much as you did will, and still made time for a personal life."
"Not that the last one worked out too well," Cuddy couldn't help but laugh, "But I know you're right Jules. But I can't continually bounce from job to job just because I don't have any sort of clue what I can expect to spend for the year on Rachel and I." She glanced up at her sister, "I can't find anywhere without going back to Princeton General or Princeton-Plainsboro without knowing that either of those places have remotely bad memories with me."
"Lisa," Julia leaned forwards, her auburn hair falling into her face as she stared at her younger sister in half disbelief, "Look your credentials. Sure, you had a rough year and a half after you and House broke up, but any hospital would be wildly insane to not hire you in a heartbeat. You and I both know that you made a mistake leaving Princeton-Plainsboro, but unless you can magic your job back there, then there's a good place to start."
"You want me to go back to Princeton-Plainsboro, where House is, and work?" Lisa Cuddy rolled her eyes, "Julia Cuddy, what the hell are you smoking?"
"I'm dead serious Lisa." Julia began slowly, "You ran that hospital, no matter what, I'm sure they have a lot of respect for you. I bet that they know what you dealt with this past year, at least through the grapevine about you and House, and sure, they might start to assume that you were running away from it. But you should prove to them that you're stronger than that, hell, I know you're stronger than that Lisa." She moved closer to look her sister in the eyes, "If you know your best shot at a job is back at Princeton-Plainsboro, then go back."
"It's not that easy Jules. I have a reputation to uphold. And what if, in ten years or so, Rachel stops by the hospital there and overhears about House's and my past? Or about how I ran away from the hospital the first time because I was too weak to back in there after what he did?" Slumping against the couch in defeat, Cuddy rubbed her temple, "You know, maybe I'm wrong about staying in Princeton, getting out of here and starting all over again in a new hospital would be the thing. I bet, like you said, with my credentials, I could go anywhere."
"But what about House?" Julia asked quietly, eyeing her sister, knowing that her sister wouldn't change her life without thinking of the only man she knew was important to her. "I know, no matter how hard you try, you're going to want to stick around as long as he's here. And if I know you as well as I think I do now, you're not going to even touch job applications that involve the two of you living more than twenty miles away from each other."
Blushing, Lisa Cuddy nodded and turned her gaze away from her sister to nod quietly, and she let a smile grace her features. "Jules. You know as well as I do that he's always going to be the most incredible man I've ever known, and probably have loved too, but I need to make it work for both him and I. I'm not going to dive back into that relationship, knowing that he's going to be more present in Rachel's life now that he was before, without knowing that there's going to be some trouble. And I need to know, this time, that he and I can get through it together without loosing each other."
"Then tell him that." Julia raised her eyebrows at her sister, "I know that House is right, you have been miserable ever since the two of you broke up. We don't have to have spent all of out time together for me to know that you definitely changed after it." She waited until she had Cuddy's full attention before continuing, "I know how determined you have always been, and running away to Princeton General isn't the right answer, and you knew it when you did it."
"I guess you're right." Nodding slowly, Lisa Cuddy smiled and glanced up at the clock above the mantle, then to her sister. "Don't you ... have to get back to your place? It's almost three, and well, you have your family." She stopped as Julia shook her head, and she widened her eyes. "Jules? What happened?"
"Anthony's leaving me." Her eyes sad, Julia let out a long sigh, suddenly envious of her younger sister's lack of relationships in her life. "He ... said he needed a change ... I don't understand how he could think of it, especially with his and my kids, but he did it. And well, I have no way to fight it." She bit her lower lip, looking up at her sister, "My first priority is going to be my kids now, and you and Rachel of course, but I guess it's for the best."
"You can't be serious Jules," Cuddy began, looking up at her older sister in surprise, "Your husband just up and decided to leave you?" She raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "Did he talk with you at all before? I mean, I don't sit around and watch you five all the time, but you honestly didn't notice a thing?"
"No offense Lisa, but I've been pretty busy helping you figure out your own personal drama with House for the past few days. And well, you know I also have my kids to take care of." Julia let out a long sigh, "I guess, maybe I was just being stupid to think it lasts forever. I don't have a relationship like you and House have, and I guess that would be something that I want." She paused, "I know you always thought that he was a complete ass, but I know you two both love each other more than any other couple that I've ever met."
"Jules, shut up before I hit you." Cuddy made a face at her older sister, narrowing her eyes, "I don't need you to remind me of what my feelings are for House when we're talking about you and your husband." She paused, "Are you and Anthony considering anything with your kids? You know, like splitting their time between each of your places?"
"I don't know yet," Julia pressed her fingers into her temple, "I'm still reeling from him telling me, to be completely honest. He sprung it on me so suddenly, and to be frank, I don't know what either he or I could have done wrong this time. I, for one, have made sure to be a good mother to my kids, no matter what happens." She let out a long sigh at the thought, "But I have no idea how to tell them anymore."
"Maybe you and Anthony just stopped loving each other." Cuddy inched closer to her sister and rested her hand on her arm, "I thought, hell, I was convinced, that I was in love with Lucas when I met started dating him. But I realized, actually very quickly, that he was nothing more than a distraction from my feelings for House. It took me ages to end things with him, you know that, no matter what mom tried to tell me otherwise. I thought that I knew he was a good role model for Rachel, but if anyone, I'd rather have her around House." Letting out a long sigh to echo her sister's, Cuddy squeezed her sister's arm gently, "It happens to all couples Jules, that's what makes love so difficult. But if it means something to you, then you keep fighting for it."
"I know Lisa," Julia turned to conversation back to her sister, "But you and House have more than a little fixing to do to your relationship before it's right again. We all know that, no matter how hard you try and convince any of us otherwise, you two will find a way to make things right and be together."
"I've already started," Lisa Cuddy smiled, "I told you that's why he and I met at the cafe, it was a way to test the waters, to see if there was still a chance that he'd want to be around me. And he didn't run away, he actually seemed content with the fact that I needed time before he and I could consider being comfortable around one another anyways." She paused, "My next goal is to finish up these last two weeks at Princeton General, then find a place where I can be happy back at Princeton-Plainsboro."
AN: Meh - kind of filler. But the next chapter or so should be good! More Wilson, Julia and maybe all four of them in one room.
Reena x
