A/N: Hope you enjoy the next chapter...sorry about the wait! (By the way, I know I kind of make a not-very-well-prompted deal out of the biopsy, but I'm sorry, okay?)


"You're off the case?" queried Chase skeptically. "Why?"

"Some grouchy mother doesn't want my emotions interfering with my diagnosis," replied House quietly, tapping his cane on the ground rhythmically. The whole team, including Wilson, were sitting at the table in House's office and Foreman was at the whiteboard. "But I do have one question," asked House, looking up at Foreman. "Who gave you permission to touch my markers?" Foreman gave a small sarcastic smile.

"Wilson," he replied simply.

"Really..."said House, swinging his head towards Wilson. "Next time he does that tell him to go pound sand."

"Oh, don't worry...it's nothing you haven't told me before," Wilson assured him. "Just thought we could use some EXPO to enlighten everybody."

"Go pound sand," said House with narrowed eyes. Wilson smiled and took a sip of his coffee.

"Alright," said House with a touch of finality. "Glad we cleared that up."

Cameron stifled a grin.

"So how did the endoscopy go?" asked House, looking over at Chase.

"Err, I did that," said Cameron, raising her hand slightly.

"Oh, thank God, because it really matters who did it. Again, how did the endoscopy go?" he asked again, slightly irritated.

"It was clear; no peptic ulcers," replied Cameron, scanning the results quickly.

"And I'm sure the CT scan went to my sneaky friend Jimmy over here," quipped House sarcastically.

"I couldn't get much," replied Wilson regretfully. "We may need to do a biopsy. That's the only way to see if cancer cells are present."

"I'm thinking Cuddy won't go for that," said House. "How long till you think she'll start yelling...?"


"You want to do a biopsy?" asked Cuddy. "You don't even know if it's cancer..."

"That's what the biopsy's for," replied House smoothly.

"I was talking to Wilson, House!" snapped Cuddy. "I don't even know why you're here, I thought I took you off the case!"

Wilson cleared his throat. House and Cuddy looked up at him.

"It's just a simple procedure," said Wilson. "I really don't see what the big problem is."

Cuddy opened her mouth to reply, but House cut her off.

"The problem is," he said. "Is that Cuddy doesn't want us operating on her daughter."

"That's not--!"

"And she's angry because she knows that I helped with the diagnosis and she took me off the case."

"You--!"

"And she's PMS," finished House.

Wilson's eyes widened a bit and Cuddy glared at him through slitted gray eyes.

"So," said House, pursing his lips and turning on his heel to face Cuddy. "How 'bout that biopsy?"

Wilson and Cuddy exchanged glances.


"We're going to have to do a biopsy."

Wilson, Cameron and Chase stood in front of Gwen's bed, while House observed from behind them.

"What's a biopsy?" asked Gwen fearfully. "Is it going to hurt?"

"You'll be sedated," Chase assured her. "A biopsy is just a removal of a small sample of tissue."

"Why do you need it?" her father asked defensively. Chase coughed.

"We'll then examine it under a microscope to check for cancer cells."

Lucas's eyes widened in fear.

"Gwen has cancer?" he asked.

"We're not sure yet. That's what the biopsy will tell us," said Wilson.

"Where is the cancer?" he asked fretfully.

"If she has cancer," replied Wilson, choosing his words carefully. "It'll be in her stomach."

Gwen brushed her black hair behind her ear, but her blue eyes showed no sign of obvious fear. But her father was furious.

"What happens if she has cancer? Why does she have it? What are you going to do if she has cancer?!" he asked, almost hysterically.

"Dad, it's okay," Gwen replied calmly, grabbing his hand.

House glared enviously at the physical contact between them.

That could have been me, he thought. Lucas sighed and smoothed the hair on top of her head, before massaging his temples.

"We need you to sign these forms," said Chase, handing Lucas a clipboard.

"Well, what happens if you mess up on her stomach? Something could happen to her!" cried Lucas.

"That won't happen," Wilson assured him quickly. "We have highly specialized, well-trained surgeons working on your daughter. Nothing will go wrong."

"No...I want you to do everything you can in your power to see what the problem is. Then you can do the biopsy," said Lucas shakily.

"There's really no risk to your daughter at all," said Cameron reassuringly. "It's a simple procedure."

"Doesn't sound so simple to me," said Lucas. "Please, just do something else."

"Mr. Gravier, if your daughter has stomach cancer, we'll need to start treatment right away," said Cameron firmly. "This is the only way to confirm."

"I'm okay with it," Gwendolyn cut in quickly. All four people looked at her. "It's my decision, isn't it?" she asked. "I want you to do the biopsy."

"Unfortunately, as a minor, you're not exactly in charge of making decisions--"

"About my own body?" snapped Gwen. "Are you kidding me?" Her blue eyes glittered with defiance.

"Err..."

"Dad, please. This is my decision."

"Actually--" cut in Wilson.

"I'm sorry," said Gwen with a derisive laugh. "Did it look like I was talking to you? You do your job, I'll do mine!"

Wilson, Cameron and Chase stayed very quiet.

"They know what they're talking about, Dad," said Gwen. "Just let them do it."

Lucas sighed.

"Fine."


A/N: Unbelievably short. Just deal with it.

Please let me know VIA REVIEW if you'd like a tragic ending or a happy ending. Because tragic endings are suprisingly easier to write then happy ones.

majority rules, btw