Chapter seven – An autumn evening

Minutes passed by before they moved, Cuddy still cries and he holds her all the time.

„It was so awful" she whispers, he looks her in the eyes and all he could see is pain.

She suffers from everything she has gone through, from pain, fear and exhaustion and House understands that best.

„Let's take you home" he says and she takes her jacket and walks out of her office, wipping a few tears away, knowing that there will be more tonight.

„But, I have so much things to do!" she says, taking his arm while walking.

„Not tonight" he says and leads her out of the hospital.

„But I should..."

„I should be in clinic right now..." he says, taking the risk of being send away.

She looks at him, but doesn't said anything. He saved her in her office, he was there without being asked for and she couldn't say how thankful she is about that. She won't remind him of his clinic duty tonight, because the imagination of being alone would kill her and she needs him so bad.

House decides that it's best not to ask any questions before she changes her mind.

They walk through the cold darkness of an autumn evening and he's glad that it's not raining.

While they're walking without any words, she once thought that it would be awkward but it isn't.

The sound of their steps on the fallen leaves is really pleasant to her wounded heart and the autumn wind that blows through the trees sounded like music to her ears. She feels it on her face and it dries her tears and although it's cold, it feels so wonderful.

After a while, she stopped holding his arm and they're walking beside each other.

House always loved the autumn, but he never paid a lot of attentionto it. Many people dislike it, because they say it causes depressions. He never thought that this is right. People who suffer from a so-called „winter depression" caused it by themselves. The truth is that they're not going out anymore, because they hate the cold and instead of dressing warmer, they prefer to stay at home. He's also not out a lot, but that's because he's working and he never complains about having depressions.

He feels Lisa's hand touching his hand every once in a while and after they walked further, he moves his fingers to touch hers and she does the same as if it's an order to take it and so he does.

Finally, he takes her cold hand and she smiles short although she's still sad and squeezes his hand soft.

Suddenly it feels like she's on her first date where she wants no one to see that she's holding hands with a nice guy. Just that their background isn't that nice as it seems, but she is thankful to be able to forget about her pain just for a few seconds.

Now, House knew why he likes the cold and the autumn. It's always a time for changes. This season has something special, he thinks, wondering at the same time that he thinks things like this, but he had to say that he's right. So much things happened in the past time, so much things he'd never dreamed of.

And he likes Halloween. He liked to scare the patients in the hospital while he was working and if this bored him after a few hours, he loved to sit in his office and eat all the candy he could find and then Cuddy had come and ordered him to clinic when she'd realized that he hadn't been where he should.

They reach her home in silence and stand in front of each other.

„Thank you" she says and it's the first time she speaks since they left work. He thinks that she wants to say some more so he waits a few seconds, but she said nothing.

He tries to make up his mind of what he should say. A couple of weeks ago, House would've said something without thinking about it, but he doesn't want to say something wrong now.

„I think I should go now..." he says and wants to go, but she takes his hand.

„Don't go" she says soft. „Please don't go. I don't want to be alone tonight. I need you too!" she whispers and he steps closer, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

„I won't go".

Inside it's warm and comforting and he made some tea while Cuddy changes her clothes. She came back and he handles her a cup of tea.

„Thanks"

„You're hungry?" he asks.

„No, are you?"

„No" he answers and he follows her into her bedroom. She sits down on the bed and leans herself against the pillows lying there. She looks exhausted and tired.

„You need anything?" he asks her.

„Yes" she whispers and holds out her hand once more. „Come here"

He sits down on the bed, one arm around Lisa. Her head rests on his shoulder and she hears him breathing.

He could feel that she's about to cry again.

„You wanna talk about it?"

„No" she answers in a teary voice. „Not tonight... maybe someday."
„I'll be there" he answers and he really would be there.

„Thank you" Lisa says, not knowing how much times she said it tonight. She feels so comforted and saved in his arms.

„Thank you for everything" she whispers before she falls asleep...