I'm so sorry this has taken forever and a day to update.

She woke up curled into his side. He was gripping his bad leg with the other hand, and grinding in his teeth in what she could only assume was pain. He'd given everything for her. There was no Vicodin, no alcohol, and no drugs left. He had given it all up for her comfort. The pain on his sleeping face was obvious, so she woke him. He grunted and then smiled down at her.

"Good morning" He said quietly

"Does your leg hurt?" She replied, and he looked taken aback until he realized his hand was still trying to massage his leg.

"Yeah" Was all he said in reply.

"Do you want to take something for it?" She was testing him.

"I'll probably have an ibuprofen when I get up, but other than that, no." He replied trying to hide the hurt in his voice. She felt ridiculous for treating him like a child. They got up, and he took the meds. She helped him cook breakfast, not that she could really keep it down. They were sitting in the bathroom, her head pushed up against the cool porcelain toilet lid. He was sitting behind her, running his fingers up and down the length of her spine. She relaxed into his body.

"House?" She whispered

"Hmm?"

"I love you, too." She started, and he smiled. "I love you, and I'm going to need you to say it back because I'm not even entirely sure that you said it last night." She finished nervously.

"I love you, Lis. And I'm never going to say it enough, and you're going to get mad at me all the time because I can't say it. Part of me knows that that's what'll happen to us. But just know that I love you with my entire being. I'll try to mention that as much as possible." He replied. And they got up off the floor, and laughed about the fact that the first place she said I love you was in the bathroom.

They made it through the day for the most part. Only to end up entangled in each other for another night of sleep. She just needed a little more nighttime, considered it something for the pain.

It was early when she woke because of the pain in her stomach. She turned on her side to face him and then decided against waking him, and turned back on her side facing his large bay windows. The sun was going to rise over the New Jersey winter in mere hours. She whimpered in pain as another round of cramps collided with her body. He woke to her stirring and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Cuddy?" He whispered, and all he got in return was a ragged breath and a stifled sob. "Lisa, what is it?"

"Nothing, it's nothing." She replied as she tried to massage the pain away. He wasn't having it though. He pulled her cold body into his warm one. And she let out a few more breaths. He could see the pain on her face.

"What hurts the most?"

"My heart" She replied, and he knew it was metaphorical, and he wanted her pain to be his, and her heartbreak to be his, because she was good. And good people don't deserve crippling heartache.

"Lis"

"I'm just so broken, and I can't fix it, and I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"That I can't love you as much as you love me. That I won't ever be good enough for that." She replied, her voice hushed.

"Lisa, I need you. You're my love, my home. I need you with me because I don't deserve you, but here you are anyways." She turned and buried her face into his chest, taking in the scent of him.

"My stomach hurts" She replied. And it meant so much more than just the words. He turned her away from him and she sunk into him. Skillfully, he began to massage the tight spots in her abdomen. She sighed, and he returned to the "It's okay. I love you. I'm so sorry" mantra, as he felt her go back to a fitful sleep. He took solace only in her even breath. It was the only hope he had.