Finally was able to finish the translation for this chapter!- Sorry it took me so long, but I´m quite busy. Will have pre-diplom (my first big exam at the university!) in two weeks... Hope you like it, but I´m afraid to tell you that I might need as much time for transating the last chapter for the same reasons... But I promise to do my best to update as soon as I can.

Stave 4: The third of the three spirits

14.02.08; 03 o´clock in the morning.

Overtired House stood in front of his toilet and peed, as he suddenly felt something wet touching his foot.

"Damn!" cursing he pulled his foot back and tried the same time to still hit the can while peeing, as he realized that he wasn´t alone any longer.

"Damn." he repeated, as he looked at the... thing next to him. His urge to urinate died. "Damn!"

Next to him stood a in dark damp haze covered person, or something like that, and it was a bit smaller than he was. He couldn´t make out any details through the thick grey windrow, whereof one touched his foot.

"What?" House asked cranky and hurried to close his fly. "Here is not the cast for the dark knights from 'Lord of the rings'..."

The ghost didn´t react. After House had closed his fly, he took his cane, shoved the ghost aside with it and limped past him into his living-room. The ghost followed him so closely that his damp windrows always were in contact with House´s legs. House felt, how the cool dampness soaked his jeans slowly. In the living-room he turned around to face the spirit. They stood close in front of one another. To close for House´s liking. He took two steps back. This time, the ghost stayed in place.

"What do you want, Sauron°?" House asked dryly.

The fog-thing tilted that, what could be his head, and reached his right hand out for House. The same time a head appeared out of the fog, where a hand should have been. The head hadn´t a constant form, rather it changed his appearance constantly. One time House thought to recognize Wilson then it looked more like Stacy or Cuddy.

"I am the spirit of the future love." the head said soundless. "We need to go."

"Sure!" House answered sarcastically. He really wasn´t desperate to see what this ghost could show him. He was familiar with the Christmas Carol as much as every other person. A man didn´t need to be a genius to figure out how his future love would look like... Small, always lightening his burdens and easy to swallow dry... Vicodin. In a short while from now, Cuddy would realize what a creep he was and leave him completely for that snort-nosed pissant. "Just let catch my scythe..." he suggested. "...then we destroy the human rac-"

The head bit his shoulder. Before his eyes everything got blurry.

As his vision cleared, he found himself behind the scenes of a small theatre. He assumed it was a children-theatre. All around him were small kids running around and were silenced by their mothers, fathers and teachers. Also the stage-setting looked suitable for children. Big colorful flowers with heart-shaped leaves... Slowly it got quiet around him. The curtain was still closed, but now House was able to hear the voices of the adults behind it.

Damp haze wandered upon his left hand. Slightly disgusted he rubbed his hand over his jeans to dry it and turned around. The fogged spirit gestured at a woman with long brown curls, who knelt in front of two cute brown haired twins with big blue eyes, which seemed familiar to him, and she twitched at their purple flower-suits. House knew immediately who he as gazing at. He would recognize Cuddy everywhere... Her hair, her body, her way of moving... And even if he hadn´t... It was obvious that the two kids were her daughters... they looked like her. Just much younger. Cuddy´s daughters. His leg pulsed from pain. Hopefully his future-self was dead already... Died on an over-dose of Vicodin. Then he wouldn´t have to watch Cuddy starting a family with some dense bastard...

"I have seen enough." he said emotionless.

The ghost gestured at Cuddy and the girls again.

"Where is daddy?" one of girls just asked.

With subtle fingers Cuddy adjusted her collar. "Daddy is still working, Erin."

The girl nodded but her sister frowned. "Can we give him a call and tell him, it isn´t Lupus, mom?"

"Please mom!" Erin begged her as well. "It is never Lupus!"

Lupus? Why is a boring snooty-nosed little pissant interested in Lupus? House was confused.

Cuddy giggled. "No, girls. That won´t be needed... Daddy will arrive here at every minute. He would never miss your show!" she reassured her daughters and raised herself up.

Great. Fantastic! Soon so called Superdaddy, the Bill-Cospy-for-Caucasians, would arrive here. And he would be able to see him in person. Wasn´t he the lucky one? House growled.

Cuddy went towards him, but suddenly a familiar looking arm reached out of a small gap between two painted movable walls, grabbed her and pulled her in. She was now out of the sight of her girls, but House still had a good look at her. And also at the man who had grabbed her...

"What the hell are you doing here, House?" annoyed and slightly shocked, Cuddy punched his other selfs chest. The elder House stood near in front of her, his hair a bit lighter than it was yet but expect for that still looking the same.

"Ouch!" the other House glared at Cuddy. "Is this the right way to greet a poor, hard-working cripple?"

"What are you doing here, House?" Still angry, Cuddy glared at him.

If you think, it couldn´t get any worse...

Grumpy, House watched his other self being scolded from Cuddy. He foreboded what would happen next. His elder self would annoy Cuddy til her husband would arrive and kick his butt... He wished, his first suggestion had been true...

"I want to go." he demanded from the spirit and tried to digress from the scene, but not a single muscle moved. The fogged ghost took his arm and his coldness crept through House´s body. As much as House tried, he wasn´t able to move the slightest. He had no other choice than to listen further...

"Oh... I came here by accident..." the other House just mocked.

"You should better greet the girls instead of pulling me into gabs." Cuddy hissed.

Greet the girls? Cuddy allowed him to talk to her children?

The other House placed his hands on Cuddy´s hips and pulled her a bit closer. "But then I wouldn´t be able to do this..." he bent forward and kissed Cuddy right on the lips.

Oh. My. God.

"Cuddy is betraying the geek-dad with me!" House didn´t trust his eyes. "Ouch!" Suddenly pain shot through his left arm, as if the ghost had hit him... But he stood still motionless by his side. Then the spirit raised his right arm and again a head appeared out of the fog.

"Think!" the misty face of Wilson demanded this time.

Around them the time stood still. Everyone froze in motion. A woman paused in brushing the hair of her daughter, a boy hovered in the air, a leg still stretched from his jump, and Cuddy and the other House remained in the middle of their kiss.

"Think!" the ghost-head repeated forcefully.

House frowned. A bit perplex he starred at Cuddy and his other self. Once again he underwent the events of this night in his mind. Wilson´s strange performance, Cuddy, bleeding in his kitchen. Stacy, walking through the wall and the fight, they had afterwards. The strange expression in her eyes before he woke up. Cuddy, peacefully asleep in his bed. Cuddy, walking with her head up high out of the exam-room after she ordered him to visit her. Cuddy...

"She had a date with me." he uttered quietly. At the same day, Cuddy had came into the exam-room and he had joked bout Bugs Bunny, he had visited the jazz-club with her... Short before eight he had opened her door with the key she always hided beneath her mat, to sneak into her bedroom as quitly as his bum leg allowed him...

"She had a date with me, this evening." he repeated, this time a bit louder. "There is no other guy. She talked about me while she was speaking to her mother."

Other images popped up in his mind: Cuddy, fighting with him. Cuddy laughing bout something he said. Cuddy, touching his hand or his chest, or his face. Cuddy with flushed face and wide open eyes, while he was within her. Cuddy, smiling in his arms afterwards.

"Cuddy loves me?" his voice sounded distrusting.

The time resumed again. Cuddy let go of his elder self and leaned backwards in his arms to look him in the eyes.

"You could´ve kissed me after greeting the girls as well." Cuddy smiled.

"Maybe I will still do so..." he smirked. "But I wanted to kiss you just for once without the spawns of the hell observing us..."

"Spawns of the hell, ugh?" she grinned. "And that took you by surprise? At least you´re their father."

"You´re right..." House tried to look serious. "What could I expect... after all I mated with the devil."

"Hey!" Cuddy punched him again.

He only chuckled and kissed her once more...

"Enough!" forcefully Cuddy pushed him away. "Anna and Erin will start their performance any time! Go, tell them, you´re here, wish them luck and then meet me outside..."

"Why should I do, what you tell me? I already must obey you at work!"

Cuddy tiptoed and nibbled on his lower-lip with her teeth briefly. "Cause I own your soul!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" he saluted.

Not able to believe what he saw, House watched Cuddy go away while is elder self made his way to the twins. His twins. His daughters...

"They´re named Anna, after my grandmother and Erin, after Erin Brockovich, because you always liked her way of using her breasts." someone next to him said.

He turned around. Next to him stood Cuddy, bare feet and wearing one of his red shirts. The fogged spirit was nowhere to be seen.

Frowning he looked at her. "What´s this all about?" he asked suspiciously.

Startled Cuddy gazed at him. "What is what all about?"

´"This whole rainbow and butterflies bullshit here!" he gestured with his free hand at the surroundings wildly. "Shouldn´t you show me, how miserable and lonely I will die if I don´t change my life immediately, or something like that?"

"For what should that be good?" Cuddy´s face got soft. "None of it would´ve shock you or even surprise you..." now she smiled. "Besides this wasn´t about your feelings. It was about to make you realize what I feel for you, Greg. I love you." her smile widened and she touched his cheek gently.

"THAT shocked you, right?"

House was wordless. He gazed at the floor. Gently she touched his chin, so he looked at her again.

"You´re a smart, sensitive, stubborn, wonderful man and you always succeed in making me feel beautiful, sexy and strong." she told him calmly. "Is it so hard for you to believe, that I love you, Greg?" her voice got quieter and quieter. "House... House?"

Everything got fuzzy. He blinked.

He laid in his bed again, the sun was shining through the closed curtains slightly and painted the whole room in a warm orange.

"House?" Cuddy stood next to his bed and shook his arm. She looked pissed. "Stay up! I can´t find the damn coffee and you don´t have anything for breakfast... What do you guess, how long milk is nonperishable? Two years?"

Note

° Sauron is the bad guy out of 'lord of the rings'

Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review, cause it will give me strength I need to survive my damn exam (kinda life-saving... will bring you good carma LOL). Uhm, and I´m still without beta...