Reviews! Where for art thou, reviews? Perhaps I doth update too fast? Oh well. I hope you like this new chapter. Should make the Huddyshippers happy….
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The weekend couldn't end soon enough for House. He was curious to see Cuddy and find out what "unexpected personal matter" would stress her to the point of not eating much.
He wandered in calmly and ran right into Cuddy in the lobby. "Yo, boss-lady."
"Morning, House." Cuddy smiled. "Did you have a good weekend?"
"Fabo-tastic. You?"
"It was fine."
"Just fine?" House's curiosity piqued.
"Yep, pretty much." Cuddy said before changing the subject. "I don't have a case for you so this morning you have a prime opportunity to fulfill your clinic hours."
"Oh. yay. me." House said drolly as he slipped his arm around her shoulder and steered her toward her office. "But first, we dine! This way, itty bitty little one!"
Cuddy frowned until she saw the white bag he swayed in front of her. "Donuts? Again?"
"Not just donuts but a little bit of puffy heaven, wait 'til you see these!" The pair disappeared into her office and sat on the small couch in her office.
"House, this is very nice of you but you don't need to keep buying me donuts," Cuddy protested. House ignored her and handed her a cinnamon-sugar coated cake donut.
"Eat up, I-Blo!" House said before biting a hunk out of his donut. Cuddy frowned.
"I-Blo?" Cuddy asked.
"Itty Bitty Little One -- IBlo," House said innocently.
Cuddy rolled her eyes and forced herself to eat the fresh, warm donut. It was delicious. "Thank you for worrying about me, but I'm fine, House. Really. And don't ever call me I-Blo again."
"Who said I'm worried about you? I just don't want to see your clothes fall off because you're too skinny. Wait! What am I saying? Gimme that back!" House snatched the donut out of her hand. Cuddy frowned and snatched the donut back. She popped it in her mouth and smirked at him. House rolled his eyes at her. They were having fun until her cell phone rang. It was Lucas's ring tone. Cuddy ignored the phone. House was surprised but hid it completely.
"You're not going to get that?"
"Uh….it can wait." Had Cuddy known House knew Lucas's ringtone she would have answered the call.
Interesting, House thought to himself.
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"How're you doing?" Wilson asked as he strolled into House's office. "Haven't seen you around much lately."
"I thought Sam might have devoured your head after she layed her eggs in your bowels." House said enthusiastically. "I see that's not the case."
Wilson rolled his eyes at House. "Lay off Sam, would you?"
House ignored him.
"You okay? How's the leg?"
"I'm fine. The leg's fine. You wouldn't know anything about Cuddy's 'unexpected personal matter' would you?" House went right for the jugular. Wilson hesitated too long before disavowing any knowledge.
"Liar. Spill it. What's going on with her?" House demanded. "You owe me that."
"I absolutely can not say another word about it or she'll kill me," Wilson pleaded.
"I'll kill you if you don't better yet, I'll find something that will make Sam want to kill you."
"Do what you gotta, House because I absolutely can not say anything."
House leaned forward at his desk and appraised Wilson's nervous expression. "I'll find out one way or another."
"House, leave it alone. It doesn't involve you."
"If it involves Cuddy, it involves me," House retorted. "Is she pregnant?"
"What? I don't know!" Wilson exclaimed with a large frown.
"So she's not pregnant," House confirmed.
"I have no idea!"
"So pregnancy isn't the 'unexpected personal matter'?" House cajoled.
"Not as far as I know," Wilson said with a shrug. "Besides if she was pregnant she would be thrilled to death, right?"
"Yeah, probably," House said gruffly.
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"Why so glum, glamourpuss?" House asked Cuddy in the clinic.
"I'm fine, what makes you say that?" Cuddy asked smoothly.
"You like someone killed your cat?"
"I don't have a cat," Cuddy retorted.
"Details, lady. Why no pep in your step?"
"My sister's coming to visit this weekend."
"Yowsza, bummer."
"Yeah, tell me about it." Cuddy finished detailing her notes and closed the file before handing it to the head nurse.
"When's she getting here?"
"Wednesday."
"Mid-week? Thought she has kids."
"Yup."
"Maybe she'll fall in love with Lucas and they'll run away together!" House suggested. Cuddy rolled her eyes and sighed deeply.
"A guy can dream, can't he?" House defended himself. "We could run away together …."
Cuddy shot him a look that could kill.
"….and grab dinner and call it a meeting?" House suggested. "It'll at least keep her away from you for a couple of hours."
"That's a thought," Cuddy laughed. "I'll get back to you on that!"
"Just remember we go by motorcycle Wednesday!" House said with a waggle of the brow before calling his next clinic patient.
Cuddy starred after him as the clinic nurses murmured between themselves over House's comments. "Great!" Cuddy whispered to herself as she called her next patient from the waiting room.
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"Lisa, I'm looking forward to seeing you and Lucas tomorrow night!" Cuddy's sister's voice buzzed over Cuddy's cellphone on the drive home. "You two are so cute together. Remember at Thanksgiving? Lucas was just adorable with Rachel and you. He's a really sweet guy and obviously so in love with you!"
Cuddy was dying to ask her about the call she overheard.
"Mark doesn't mind you visiting during the week? What about your girls?" Cuddy asked.
"Oh it'll do him good to see what I do everyday for the girls. He'll live."
"I know Rachel will be excited to see her auntie," Cuddy said pleasantly. "I've got to tell you it's been a hell of a week and I'll have to work late to finish a proposal with one of our insurers before Friday."
"Oh? That's okay. As long as you're free by the weekend."
"Is something going on this weekend I don't know about?" Cuddy prodded.
"Uh…well, yeah. Um, I wasn't suppose to tell you but I think Lucas may want to take you somewhere special this weekend."
"Like over-night?" Cuddy was not thrilled. She had a terrible feeling Lucas might use the getaway to propose to her. She just wasn't ready to hear that. She wasn't sure she knew what she wanted in her relationship with Lucas. Why couldn't it just go on as it is. Monogamous, sweet, fun …
"Is that okay?"
"Karen, I think he wants to propose to me," Cuddy said slowly.
"Omigod, how'd you find out?" Cuddy's sister was shocked.
"I picked up the phone to make a call and overheard him talking to you about diamond rings and stones and something about the shape of the stone I might like…" Cuddy was rambling. "I don't think I'm ready for… for…that"
"Oh Lisa, Lucas is so excited about this. We're suppose to going shopping together Thursday afternoon when you're at work."
"Karen, you should have told me!"
"Don't hang this on me. You overheard the call and haven't told him you're not ready!" Karen shot back. Cuddy knew her older sister was right.
"Could you …just find a good reason to cancel this visit? I really don't want him to go ring shopping. I need more time to think about this and if he and I have a future together."
"You're not breaking up with him are you?" Karen was worried.
"No, nothing like that but I'm not ready to get married." Cuddy replied in low voice.
"Lisa, you're 42 years old. If you're not ready to get married now, when will you be?" Karen sounded exasperated with her kid sister. "What you mean is you're not ready to marry Lucas. Am I right?"
Cuddy stayed silent.
"Please tell me you're over House!" Karen sounded mad.
"What are you talking about?" Cuddy sounded stunned.
"I know you, Lisa Cuddy! You use to talk about him so much until he went nuts and Lucas showed up.."
"Karen!"
"It's true, he went nuts," Karen spit back.
"No, he went to Mayfield to detox off vicodin. His leg pain caused his addiction and that caused his hallucinations…." Cuddy fired back.
"Whatever. Just don't throw away a chance to have a happy life with Lucas for that jerk. He's not worthy of you…"
"Karen, stop it. It's not his fault. I did it to him. I'm to blame for his leg…"
"No, Lisa! You are not at fault. Stop blaming yourself…."
"Karen, I'm pulling into my driveway. Can we just not do this right now?" Cuddy said with a small hitch in her throat. Karen heard it plainly and she suddenly felt enormous sadness for her sister's situation.
"I'll find a reason and let Lucas know I can't make it this week," Karen relented. "I'll call you tomorrow and let you know how it goes with Lucas, okay?"
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Cuddy was so relieved. "I owe you."
"No you don't, I love you, girl."
"I love you, too." Cuddy smiled and hung up. She parked the car and sighed. An enormous weight was lifted from her shoulders. She actually felt thrilled as she gathered her things to enter the house. Lucas met her at the door with a kiss and a chubby little girl in his arms.
"Hey Gorgeous," Lucas said as he stole a kiss. Cuddy pecked him back.
"Mama!" Rachel's arms reached for her mother. Cuddy grinned and took the child from Lucas.
"Hey Honey, what smells so good?" Cuddy asked Lucas.
"Your favorite, me!" Lucas teased. "Oh, uh eggplant parmesan, your other favorite." Cuddy grinned at him and Rachel smooched her mother on the cheek. Lucas closed the door.
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Sometimes things just work out. Cuddy knows she's not ready to get married at least not to Lucas. Hope Huddy fans are happy with this outcome. Now, how to get House and Cuddy together? Hmmmmmmm. Suggestions? Please review and shoot me your ideas. Thanks for reading!
