Chapter Nine

Author's note: Just a tiny one. Credits for the smutty Huddy scene goes to Gundam Delta 6. While I am no slouch at writing sex scenes, Delta 6 was the best choice to write it because she is a rabid Huddy fangirl and I was kinda afraid I'd lose a hand if I tried to butt in. *vbg*

The sun started to set when Wilson stumbled suddenly and bumped into Cuddy. Cuddy tripped over Toto and the little dog let out a startled yelp. The briefcase flew out her hand and landed with a thump on the grassy knoll. The comedy of errors quickly straightened itself out when Cuddy saw another tall, thin and familiar man gaping at the briefcase at his feet. Chastened, Cuddy quickly grabbed the case, holding it close to her chest. "I- I'm Lisa Cuddy," she stammered. "This is Wilson, and Toto."

Those impossible blue eyes bore into her and she shivered to the very marrow of her bones. Then the piercing look grew shuttered and the man leaned both hands on his cane with a casual air. "I suppose I had better start," he said. Then he began to sing.

"As a man without a heart, I can't quite play the part

Of Mr. Right-Don't start

With that 'I'm assumin' that you're wishing you were human,'

'Cause that's just off the chart.

I'm not 'tender' - I'm not 'gentle' and I don't do 'sentimental'

Though I'm a master of musical art.

I'm a man like any other... though because my past's a bother,

I do not need a heart.

"Seriously, though - not kidding. It's all because of her."

"House?" Cuddy whispered, looking at the man before her. He looked like House, but the change was there. Subtle, but there. "No…You're too open to be House…"

House looked up with a suddenly boyish look in his eyes, "it's me, Cuddy...How could you think otherwise?" He added a little pout, before he began singing again.

"Just because I hide emotions like jealousy and devotion,

And don't really feel the part,

You think I'm not the same, or there's a problem with my brain,

Because I don't have a heart."

Cuddy stood watching him for a long moment after the song had trailed to an end. Shaking her head free of her reverie, she thought back to his comment. "Good question." It was her dream after all. "You know, if you want, you can come with us to the Emerald City. Maybe the Wizard of Oz could give you a heart."

"If I say 'no, I'll just stay here', what would happen?"

"Nothing, House, because you're coming anyway. This is my dream, and what I say goes."

Wilson beamed and waved with jocularity at House and the other man merely accepted the gesture with a nod. Cuddy linked her arm through his, smiling at him. House took a moment to smile back, the fondness apparent in his eyes.

"You know, if you wanted to go to the Emerald City," House said casually, "it's that way," he pointed toward a direction that was to the left of where Wilson was guiding Cuddy.

Wilson, for lack of a better term, wilted. Fascinated, Cuddy watched House reassure Wilson that he had done a good job guiding Cuddy, of course, up until now, because he had led them to him. Wilson bounced back to good cheer so quickly, Cuddy looked around for the yo-yo string.

"It's getting pretty dark," Cuddy said, "we should find a place to rest for the night."

"Nights don't last very long in the OZ," House said, "but you're right, we should find a place to rest. It's still quite a long way to the Emerald City."

Wilson was quite in agreement with this idea and started looking for suitable shelter. He wandered off, almost out of sight, and Toto darted off to make sure he didn't get lost.

House saw an opportunity and seized it. They were at a fork in the road, and Cuddy was standing at the V, looking both ways, quite obviously weighing the pros and cons of each route. Setting his trademark smirk in place, he walked up behind her, thankful for the near lack of noise the rubber tip of his cane produced against the black tar of the Turnpike. Eternally thankful that she hadn't yet noticed his presence, he pressed himself up against her back, quickly raising his hand to block her gasp.

He did not want Wilson noticing this.

House's need was evident against the small of Cuddy's back, and she wanted to moan, but with his hand over her mouth, it wouldn't make much difference. Instead, she pressed herself back against him, almost jumping when he spoke softly behind her, his head bent low so that his breath ghosted across the sensitive skin of her ear.

"We have to talk...I don't want Wilson to hear." Nodding as best as she was able, Cuddy sighed softly as House finally took his hand away from her mouth, taking her by the hand instead and leading her off the Turnpike into the trees nearby. Once he was sure they were out of sight should Wilson happen to look around, he pinned Cuddy to a tree, her back pressed against the scratchy wood of the trunk.

Cuddy opened her mouth to start talking, but anything she could have said was instantly cut off as a hot kiss was pressed to her lips, House's tongue exploring her mouth as she leaned against the tree, unwilling and unable to stop him. Her eyes slid closed and she'd just begun to kiss him back when he pulled away. Electric blue eyes bored into hers as the silence around them thickened. Neither one seemed willing to speak. Until Cuddy found her voice again.

"Why?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion as she gazed up at House. He shrugged.

As if it explained everything, he answered simply, "Because you wanted me to." Cuddy just looked even more confused at that, so House rolled his eyes and elaborated. "This is your fantasy land, Lisa. Whatever you want to happen...it's pretty much gonna happen. You wanted me to kiss you like that. It's what you've always wanted. You just can't get me to do it in the real world...unless this is the real world. In which case, you got me." He smirked.

"This...none of this is real...That isn't the real Wilson out there staring at butterflies and clouds. This isn't the real you...doing whatever it is you're doing..." Cuddy tried to explain, though she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince, herself or House.

"Lisa... Lisa...you say none of this is real. But it feels real." House leaned closer to Cuddy. "My breath against your cheek..." he whispered, moving to slide his lips across hers, barely touching. "My lips against yours..." He pulled back, gazing down into her eyes, pressing his body closer to hers. "This...This aching need...feels so real. I feel so real...yet you claim that I am not." She didn't seem immediately inclined to answer him, so he did the only thing he could think of. He leaned down and captured her lips again, gently parting her lips with his tongue.

This did feel real, and Cuddy wanted it. She couldn't deny it, but she would never confirm it aloud. House's lips left hers and his body heat faded. Refusing to open her eyes, afraid that the dream had ended, she was slightly surprised to hear the sound of rustling cloth. Her eyelids twitched, and a soft voice stilled them.

"No. Don't look, just hear my voice...feel my touch..feel how real all of this seems..." She was pulled away from the tree briefly, and her eyes flew open as she was lifted and pressed back against the tree trunk. House kissed her again, slowly, gently, lovingly. "Close your eyes," he whispered against her lips. "Let yourself feel how real I am...How real you want me to be." It was only in the split second before she let her eyes slip shut again that she realized his cane had been discarded at some point.

Cuddy shivered as House's hands drew her legs around his waist, helping to support her as he pressed himself closer, ever closer. She whimpered when she realized what he was about to do, and she debated opening her eyes to see the look on his face as he entered her. Raw desire won out, and she opened her eyes only to be met head on with crystal clear baby blues that slid shut as he leaned in again. Raising her arms to wrap them around House's neck, she moaned against his lips as she felt herself being filled.

What she wouldn't give to have this back in Jersey... But she knew it could never happen, so she set herself to enjoy what she had here. Cuddy pressed herself closer to House, tightening her legs around his waist, pushing him deeper, faster, breaking their kiss on a groan when he started to move. She let him, meeting each thrust as best as she could, pulling his head down again for another kiss. Nothing in the world had ever felt so right to Cuddy, and as she leaned back against the tree for support as House drove himself into her, she wasn't sure she ever wanted to leave Oz.

House was trailing kisses down her neck, and she leaned her head back against the tree trunk, moaning out her appreciation of the sensations he was causing her to feel.

"Mmmm, Lisa. Lisa..." House panted against the hollow where her shoulder met her neck. "Lisa..." He was so close, so very close... "God, Lisa..." he groaned, pressing feather-light kisses back up her throat to claim her lips once more. Moaning in utter satisfaction when she met his kiss in full force, he swallowed her moans and gasps as she came, and he followed her over the edge, keeping her pinned to the tree until both of them came back to their senses.

He had just set her back on her feet when the bushes rustled near them. Cuddy shifted closer to House, her eyes widening slightly as she held her breath.

Wilson stepped into the tiny clearing, and Cuddy let out her breath in a heavy sigh.

"What are you guys doing all the way over here? I was worried about you...I thought some monster had caught you!"

"We were..." Cuddy started, blushing profusely.

"Talking," House finished with a straight face. Cuddy would have turned to stare at him, but she figured that would seem suspicious. Wilson had half a brain...he wasn't stupid.

"Oh. Okay. Let's go...I think I found a good spot to stay." That being said, Wilson turned to walk back the way he had come, House following. Cuddy blinked as she followed after House, wondering where his cane had come from. Shaking her head, she decided not to ponder on that for too long. She'd just been taken against a tree; anything was possible in the merry old land of Oz.