A/N: Firstly I want to thank you all for your kind words. I really appreciate everything you have to say. Also huge thanks to everyone that reads, favorites, and alerts this story, but my biggest thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers.

I wanted to comment about the the third, and last story. Up until now I have written very fluffy and light hearted stories, but like you all know House and Cuddy's relationship is a lot more complex than that. I have wanted to write this sequence ever since the final episode, but it never turned out just right. I hope it makes justice to the characters, and hope you like it.

Thank you for reading.

IX

The Sweetest Things

"Dr. Cuddy. The lollipops are all finished."

Nurse Brenda said tiredly as she walked into Cuddy's office. Cuddy frowned.

"What? That doesn't make any sense. We ordered enough to last for the whole month. Surely it can't be finished."

Nurse Brenda put her hands on her hips.

"I'm afraid it is."

"Well. I guess I'll have to order some more."

"Dr. Cuddy, with all due respect, but I think you have allowed this to go too far. You need to tell Dr. House that he can't keep stealing the lollipops."

Cuddy's mouth hung open. Sure, she was right, she rarely chastised him for stealing those lollipops, because it seemed so minor compared to all the other things he did.

Suddenly the door burst open and House walked in.

"Well if it isn't Betty and Velma." He frowned, and wrinkled his nose.

"That was a bad one. Let me rewind and try again."

"House. Cut the crap and tell me what you want."

"A brain autopsy."

"No."

"No?" He raised his eyebrows. "You don't even know why."

"I don't care."

House frowned, and looked at her suspiciously.

"What is this really about?" He stepped closer so he was right by her desk.

"I think I should go." Nurse Brenda murmured, and left the room without either of them noticing anything.

"This is about you crossing the line, over and over again."

"Oh please. Just tell me what this is about." He said impatiently.

Cuddy's gaze drifted. Her mouth was set in a stubborn pout.

"Fine." She looked into his eyes. "You keep stealing lollipops, and I want you to stop it."

House snickered, his eyes shining with utter disbelief.

"What? You're mad because I'm stealing lollipops? That's…that's absurd. You've never complained in all these years." Suddenly it dawned on him. "Is Nurse Brenda getting into that pretty little head of yours?"

"House, I mean it. I want you to stop it."

"Fine."

Cuddy arched an eyebrow. Now it was her turn to act surprised.

"Fine?"

"Yeah."

"But…but you love those lollipops."

House leaned on his cane, and smirked.

"First you don't want me to take them and now you do. I feel so confused." He said mockingly. Cuddy rolled her eyes.

"Please stop acting like a child, and do as I say."

"Yes moooom."

Cuddy glared at him, and watched him leave.

Later that day she stood by the nurse station and was overlooking a file when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She twirled around and almost jumped when she saw House merely few inches away from her. He was so close that she could almost feel his breath on her.

"How much do I owe you?"

Cuddy looked up questioningly.

"Uh, what?"

"How many lollipops do I owe you?"

"Um, I'm not sure." Cuddy shook her head still a little dumbstruck by his request.

"I haven't exactly been counting."

She forced herself to step away from him and grabbed the file off the counter.

"Come on just give me a number." He said impatiently.

"Fine. Let's see." She patted her pen against her cheek deep in thought. "You steal at least three a week, and you've been my employee for what? 12? 13 years? So that would make about…"

"Got it." He piped up, and limped away. She stared after him.

"What was that?" It was Nurse Brenda who had been watching the entire scene play out before her.

"Nothing." She murmured. "Absolutely nothing."

Cuddy didn't see House for the rest of the week.

Now that wasn't such an unusual occurrence, but that hadn't happened in a while, not after Mayfield.

She wasn't sure why it bothered her. It shouldn't bother her. She finally decided, quite firmly, that it didn't bother her at all.

On Monday morning she arrived into her office. She was tired, and aggravated because Rachel had stomach flu the entire weekend and she hadn't slept a wink for over the entire weekend.

When she opened the door to her office she had to take a second glance. She gaped as she watched the insides of her office. Her office was, literally, a lollipop land. There were lollipops everywhere, on the ceiling, the floor, even the walls in every color of the rainbow. Some had been styled in intricate patterns and some spiraled in rows from the ceiling. She blinked, and tried to decipher whether it was real or not. She touched a cherry pink lollipop, the one that House liked so much. She jumped up when she heard a voice behind her.

"You like it?"

She turned around swiftly. House leaned against the doorframe with a lollipop between his lips inside his mouth. He twirled it with his hand and popped it out. She could see a trace of the cherry red coloring on his wet lips. She felt the odd urge to barge up to him and kiss him.

"Yes." She whispered, her voice slightly husky.

He raised his eyebrows inquiringly. She blinked, and realized that she had said it out loud.

"I'm glad. It took me hours to get this set up."

"I honestly don't know what to say."

"How about a thank you?"

She looked at him, and smiled. She walked over to him, and caved in on her impulses, and gave him a small kiss.

"Thank you."

He looked at her in shock. His expression was placid, but his eyes revealed everything.

"You really didn't need to do this."

"What can I say? I don't want to stay in dept." He said casually.

"Really? If that's the case then you can do the extra clinic duty you owe me."

He made a face.

"I'm not that flexible."

She chuckled, and watched him pop the lollipop in his mouth.

"Enjoy." He said, and limped away.

Cuddy unwrapped the lollipop she was holding and put it in her mouth. She enjoyed the sour sweetness of the candy, and plopped into her chair. She stared at the lollipops and shook her head.

Only House would do that. It made him even more desirable. It made her want him even more.

Her cell rang and she glanced at the number. Lucas. She groaned and picked it up.

"Hi."

"Hi babe. I'm sorry I couldn't come last night. I was super busy tracking that dude. I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

"I'll make it up to you. Let's have a night for ourselves. We could order some pizza, maybe rent a movie or something?"

Cuddy grimaced.

"Yeah. That sounds great."

"Okay. See you at five."

"Bye."

Cuddy looked at the candy covered ceiling, and couldn't help but feel the emptiness within her heart. She took the lollipop out of her mouth and twirled it in her fingers. She knew that he would never make her feel so special.

She frowned and threw the lollipop in the trash.

Some things were never meant to happen, even the sweetest things.

X

Scent of a Woman

House sat alone in his office. His feet were propped over his desk and he leaned deep into his office chair. His ears were covered with headphones where soft tones of light Jazz music played in his ears. His eyes were closed peacefully as he enjoyed the rhythm of the music.

He and the music were one, and he was in the comfortable in-between of wake and sleep. He hadn't felt so comfortable in days.

He was completely rid of his team members; he had sent them somewhere to get tests on a patient so he wouldn't see them in at least couple of hours. There was no whining best friend; he was scheduled in a surgery. And there was no meddling boss, who had a meeting till three o'clock.

He sighed in content.

His senses were wide open, tingling with sensations around him. The window was open allowing the warm breeze to carry in the scent of freshly cut grass.

Suddenly his nostrils were filled with a very discreet, and familiar scent. That scent could only belong to one person.

He inhaled sharply, and in his mind he could detect the unique texture of the scent.

The first thing he could detect was a soft trace of vanilla; so sensible, and sweet, like the owner of the scent could be in her most vulnerable state. Then he could smell a hint of lavender, so comforting and loveable yet mysterious under the sweet surface. Mixed with the savory sweet vanilla and lavender came the alarmingly disconnected smell of lime, the bitter and sour part that didn't belong, it never broke through the dominating scents of the other two, but always made itself noticeable from time to time. Then out of the other hues came the sweet rosy smell, so sensual, so unbelievably tender. He inhaled again, and the scent was closer so he could detect the creamy musk, it was the passionate, and wild side that was well hidden amongst the sweeter scents until it burst out.

It was nothing like he had ever smelled before.

He wasn't sure whether he was dreaming or not. It felt real enough.

The smell became stronger, and overwhelming. He opened his eyes slowly and before his eyes was a creamy white skin of her neck. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent.

Then he was drawn out of his dream world. The music disappeared and the smell went away. He opened his eyes, and saw Cuddy standing in front of him, with her hand on her hip, the other one dangling his headphones in front of him.

"What's this? Aren't you supposed to be with a patient?"

He rubbed his eyes, and tried to get out of his sluggish state of mind.

"The team is on it."

"You're unbelievable. I don't pay you for…."

House tuned out, and watched her hands move as she spoke to him. Her eyes were blazing like fire, like the passionate musk, although he could trace the vulnerability within them, which she managed to hide from everyone except him.

Her pink lips opened and closed, forming the angry words that were directed to him. He couldn't help but feel captivated by that woman.

"You smell nice today."

Cuddy faltered, her eyes blinked slowly as if she was processing his words. Her hand froze in mid air as she looked at him dumbfounded. He could almost see the wheel turn in her head as she tried to find a suitable comment. He could see her lips begin to form the word 'what', but her mind was quicker and her lips turned into a smile. It wasn't one of those smiles that could light up the whole world, she rarely gave those as if she had only few and saved them up for special occasions. It was more of her disbelieving yet witty smiles.

"Thank you."

She didn't believe him. She didn't believe that he could compliment her. That he could feel anything attractive about her except her ass and boobs.

"I…uh…should go. I have a meeting." She stumbled on her words, and he thought it was oddly endearing. She so rarely lost her tongue, but he always loved it when she did.

He watched her turn around and leave. Her scent lingered in the room. Eventually it would fade and disappear entirely. He didn't mind she would be back. She always came back.

XI

Outro

House is dead.

Cuddy stared at the wall in front of her, the phone still by her ear, long forgotten. Her lips were parted, her mouth set in a small O. Her grey blue eyes filled with unshed tears as her mind took in the news of his passing.

House is dead.

She closed her eyes. A small tear ran from the corner of her eye and down her cheek. Her heart thumped in her chest like a wild horse trying to break free. She felt like it could shatter at any moment. Maybe it was already shattered.

"Cuddy. Are you there?"

She opened her eyes slowly, and inhaled shakily.

"Yes." She whispered.

"I'm so terribly sorry." Wilson's voice was at a breaking point. "The funeral will be on Monday morning, if you see fit to come."

"Okay." Her voice was hollow, dead.

"I understand if you can't come, or if you don't want to. But I think you should know that he loved you. He always loved you."

She breathed out a shattered breath. Instinctively she placed her hand on her mouth and tried to control the tremor that shook her entire body. She swallowed.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll see if I can come, but it's really hard getting a babysitter so…" She allowed her words to linger to let him know that she didn't intend to come.

"I'll hear from you soon. Bye."

"Goodbye."

She lowered the phone, and stared at the empty space in front of her.

House is dead.

She placed her elbows on the desk, and buried her head in her hands. The tears ran freely down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook; as she silently cried for the man she loved.

She had been in such a denial, telling herself that she didn't love him anymore. That she was over him. But the horrible truth was that she would never get over him. She would always love him, in her own twisted way.

Now he was dead, and he would never know.

"Oh House." She choked out.

For twenty odd years she had loved him. No matter their differences, and their constant fighting, or even his drug addiction.

She couldn't control her crying anymore, and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Ahhh." She exclaimed loudly and raised her head up. She squeezed her eyes shut, her face clenched up so her face was creased from the pain.

"Dr. Cuddy?"

Her eyes shot open and she looked at her assistant.

"Is everything all right?"

She sniffled and grabbed a tissue. She looked at the alarmed face of the young girl and tried to compose herself.

"No. I'm afraid not. I, uh, received bad news. Cancel the rest of my meetings for the day."

"All right Dr. Cuddy." She hurried out of the room, and left her alone once more.

Cuddy blew her nose. Her eyes drifted to the bottom drawer. Slowly she reached down and opened it up. She picked up a silver frame, and placed it on the table.

A small sob escaped her lips as she observed the picture. He looked so peaceful there, so…happy, and she had shattered it.

She slammed her hand on the frame and knocked it down so the photo faced down. She couldn't look at it. It just reminded her that she would never be able to see him again, to feel his touch on her, to feel his lips on hers, or make love to him.

She stood up from her chair and walked into the bathroom. She dropped her hands on the brim of the sink and looked at her image in the mirror. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes swollen from crying. Her face was ashy grey, and her eyes dull like all life had been sucked out of them.

Slowly she lowered herself on the floor, and lay on the cold tiles. She looked up at the white ceiling, and drew her knees up to her chest so she was lying in a foster position.

She felt broken, numb, dead.

Was he looking at her right now? Did he know how much she loved him?

She closed her eyes, and painfully she clutched her waist as if she was holding herself together. She put her palms to her face and wept. Her cries echoed off the empty walls of the tiny bathroom. She cried for her, and for him.

How she wished that she would just see him one last time. Just one moment to tell him how much she loved him. One moment to look into his unbelievably blue eyes and see the love in them. Just one moment to feel his lips against her own.

But she couldn't take away the pain. She couldn't go back in time and erase the past. She had to face the horrible truth, the truth that she knew was breaking her apart.

House is dead.

A/N: Outro is the opposite of intro; basically it means the end.