First: Thank you for the reviews, alerts and favorites. :)

Second: This chapter is still un-beta (I guess I'll never find one 'cause I have no time to find one since... hmp, school's back. It'll take much of my time.)

Third: Updates might take a while since I'm back to school but not to worry, I'm going to insert fanfic/chapter making in my doomed sched. :)

Fourth: Happy Reading!

Two weeks later, House found himself seated on his bike at the hospital's parking lot as he waited for a certain car to make it in. A cricket ball was jumping on his palm as his thoughts went overdrive as he replayed the events that happened in his life for the last 14 days.

So far, everything was moving as how he and Cuddy wanted to be. Their relationship was still kept under the wraps and he must admit, the way it was hidden from the public eye was an advantage for both of them. She would still feel guilty of keeping her mouth shut to Wilson but his assurances would keep her back on track.

Being successful doctors didn't also mean they're spared from light arguments. In fact, their professional setting was often the reason why they clash with each other. Just like before, not all of his procedures were approve. His missed clinic duty was still an issue but after work, the word 'make up sex' would always be waiting for them.

A smile crept on his lips when the word 'sex' swiped in his mind. Oh, they had lots of it; and if her bedroom and bathroom walls could speak, a day wouldn't be enough for them to tell the tale. Every lovemaking was better than the previous one and the often they do it, the more they learned what the other wanted.

But exactly how often is often? His smile turned to a grin when he began to count in his mind. In spite of their age, both of them can still perform twice during weekdays and three times during Saturdays and Sundays. Those weren't even planned, they just happen.

Quickies were also beginning to be a given in their relationship. Not that he's complaining but he just couldn't get the complete satisfaction, like the one he's getting from their nightly one and a half hour union, if a timed playtime was all he could have. Cuddy had also voiced out the same concern in spite of his ability to get her off in less than ten minutes. She was never left frustrated but, like him, she wanted a more prolong sexual freedom. Unfortunately, that'll be the last thing they'll have if a sudden surge of blood went south of their bodies during daytime since a hyper-active 15 month old toddler set the rules in the house.

Rachel. The cricket ball didn't leave his hand as the little girl's name rang twice in his brain. For the last two weeks, his relation with the child didn't change. Cuddy might not have said it, but he knew she's already feeling frustrated with the lack of relation improvement between them. Not that it's a mandatory to be liked by the baby, but at least being comfortable around him would be enough.

Unlike Lucas, he knew he wasn't called to be there for the child but for some reason, as he looked at the car he's been waiting for turn towards the lot, he felt a sudden pull in his heart as he realized pleasing Rachel will never be an overnight job.

"Good morning Dr. Cuddy!" House cheerily greeted as soon as they crossed into each other at the hospitals' sidewalk a few minutes later.

"Same to you Dr. House," the dean professionally returned as the man joined her as she padded down the rest of the path that would lead them to the main entrance.

"You seemed to come in earlier than usual," she pointed out, momentarily looking at him before looking forward again.

"Really? Well, that's because my girlfriend promised me I'll be getting some of some later if I come in early today," he proudly announced.

"Very confident, are we Dr. House? Didn't you think your girlfriend might have just manipulated you in doing something she wanted you to do?"

Her words caused his feet to stop moving and when she noticed he wasn't beside her anymore, she turned around in time to see a scowl was already playing on his face.

"Everybody lies remember?" she teased with a smile as she watched him moved closer to her.

"Uh-huh," he nodded and finally stopped in front of her, "but I doubt it she was lying when she said she wanted my pogo stick to go deeper and faster this morning, so I doubt your claim."

A smirk stretched out on his lips when her face began to flush before his sight and her stammered reply inwardly made him laugh.

"Excuse me, Dr. Cuddy," Nurse Brenda interrupted to the dean's relief, "your boyfriend left this for you."

In instant, House's smile was wiped off as he watched her took hold of a piece of cardboard the size of a calling card. Of course, his greatest rival will try to woo her again.

"What does he want?" he asked in flat tone, eyes landing on somewhere not just on her grey slates that were instantly lifted the moment he spoke.

"He's coming down here," Cuddy simply reply before turning to move to the counter to sign her name in the log.

"You're going to see him?" he asked, following close behind.

"Yes," he heard her answer before watching her disappear behind her office double doors. True he's her boyfriend, he has now have the right to tell her not to meet up with her ex, but he lived around Lisa Cuddy long enough to know that she'll do what she knew she wanted and needed to do.

Sighing his disapproval, he turned his head to the side only to see Foreman behind him with a knowing smile on his lips.

A few minutes later, to House's silent delight, when the elevator door was pulled open, the ride was all his. He liked it that way but by the time he face the opened side again, he happened to see his neurologist coming forward to join him.

"I never thought I'll see this day," Foreman plainly stated after a few minutes of silence as the elevator took them to their floor.

After a sigh, with a brief nod, he added, "You. Cuddy. It's good. Pretty damn good actually."

"I don't know what you're talking about," House deflected, his blues looking at the numbers that were being flashed above them as they ascended.

"Don't you find it hard that she still dating Lucas?" the neurologist asked, his eyes looking at the digits as well. When his boss didn't return any form of reply, he decided to drop his macho persona down and uttered words that, little did he know, grew the diagnostician's heart hundred times bigger.

"This is crazy. If you two want each other, tell her to drop Lucas, so Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital can finally have its own version of Beauty and the Beast." Well, so much for the inflated heart of happiness when his employee's last words landed his ears.

"Thank god," House muttered when the elevator stopped and dinged. As soon as the door was pulled open, he began to walk out but was halted to walk on further when Foreman called him out.

"House," the guy said before joining him stand on the lobby. "If this thing with Cuddy is something serious, don't screw it up," he advised.

"Great... I didn't know I hired a couples counsellor in the form of a neurologist," the six feet man idiotly returned. It wasn't his best snark he knew but that was all he could say when it seems to him his and Cudy's secret had been popped out of the blue in front of Foreman's eyes.

With a glint in his own orbs, his employee just smiled and began to walk ahead of him. Should he really feel worried? That, he doesn't know but watching the knowing smirk that crept on Foreman's lips really made House felt bothered.

Later that day, Cuddy walked in the diagnostic department only to find the head and his employees busy with nothing. House was playing with his PSP, Taub and Chase were engrossed on their improvised tick-tack-toe while Foreman was making himself some coffee.

"Got a case for you," the dean announced, eyeing the diagnostician who had both his legs up on the table.

"I'm busy," the man replied, momentarily looking at the black guy who was already staring back at them.

"Yes, with nothing," Cuddy pointed out as she placed the file on his desk.

House sighed before pausing his game. He was about to grab the file when he caught the sight of Chase and Taub looking at his girlfriend's bum. Sure he felt some pride knowing all they could do was look but looking at them savouring something he knows was his slightly boiled his blood.

"Chase and Taub," he firmly called out with eyes staring down at the opened file on his hands. When he knew he finally got their attention, he added, "I want you to run a full blood panel. He must have been infected with Dengue Fever. Patient came in with fever, rash and vomiting."

"Dengue fever? There had been what? One to zero cases in New Jersey," Taub countered.

"Foreman," he added, "Get the kid's history. Where's been, what he'd done and so on. If the dengue test came back positive, monitor his platelet level. If it turns out negative, get back here and we'll take it from there."

"Well you've got it all handled. Keep me posted as far as this case is concerned," Cuddy interjected, gaining House's attention. He nodded as a reply before watching her walk out of the room, his eyes landing on her behind. God, he loved the view but his smile was swiped off as quickly as it appeared when he caught Taub and Chase looking at it too.

"Hey! Don't you have some testing to do?" he annoyingly asked causing 'Tiny' and Aussie to get up and hurriedly exit the room as well.

When he darted his eyes to the right, Foreman was already shaking his head, humming the chorus of Beauty and the Beast as he went back on making his coffee.

At the hospital's ground floor, Cuddy was pushing the clinic's door open when she caught a glimpse of two men talking at her secretary's area.

"Oh, here comes the bride," Wilson said the moment his hazel brown saw her coming close to them.

"Hi," the dean was forced to greet the oncologist back while the other man turned to face her.

"Lucas and I here are just catching up... you know some bachelor talks before he gets luckily knotted up," she heard her friend say as she and Lucas exchanged blank glances.

"Ah James, would you mind excusing us for a minute?" Cuddy asked as soon as her eyes landed on him.

"Oh, no problem at all, soon to be Mrs. Douglas," Wilson teased, oblivious to the awkwardness he was creating. As soon as his words landed the dean's hearing her face was completely washed with surprise.

"Sorry about the slip. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," he teasingly apologized. "Well, I have to go, I know you still have some honeymoon planning to do," and with that, he patted Lucas's shoulder, gave his friend a smile before walking out of the clinic.

Cuddy couldn't help but to swallowed hard when her grey meets her ex's own pair. They weren't looking fierce like the last time she looked into them but instead they were calm but the look of pain was still there. She stayed Lucas long enough to know that in spite of the slight smile that owned his lips, he still held nothing but a shattered heart.

"'Come in," she softly invited after she opened one side of her office double doors. With a nod, the man complied and stepped in before the sound of a closing door sounded behind them.

Well, you made it! :)

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