Yah, this update is a little bit late than usual but not to worry, it's right here now! :) I've been having debating thoughts for the past few days whether to end the flashbacks or just stay where I am right now and for this, I want to hear what you guys think and wanted. Are you feeling bored by the long flashback now? Tell me okay?
Okay here's the new chapter now, hope you'll like it! Happy reading!
Previously on 'Can't You Stay Longer'
"House…" she shakily began as soon as she heard the empty glass hit the counter top again.
There were no sign of recognition from him aside from a heavy sigh he left out after closing the fridge door beside him. She saw him extend both his arms sideward and held on the edge as strong as he could, almost turning his knuckles white.
"I… I just wanted… to say thank you for…" she stammered when she realized she'll get nothing for a response.
He heard her but he didn't want to listen. His anger was still there and he knew she knew it. Hoping it'll lessen his temper, House decided to shut his eyes for a second or so before finally turning to face Cuddy as he let go of the edges he was grasping.
As soon as his fierce blue ones land on her, Cuddy gulped as she felt her nerves tensed up. His eyes were strictly on her but none of his body parts are moving forward or farther. Frightened, she straightened herself a bit because she knew the House before her tonight won't put up with any prank and won't take any damn for an answer.
They stared at each other for a few minutes before House saw Cuddy glazed her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. The tension between them was growing as seconds turned to minutes and every tick of the clock was something they couldn't get back.
Frustrated with his lack of words, she sighed in surrender and quite pleadingly said, "If you want to yell at me, do it. Just don't stare at me like…"
This time he listened but he didn't let her finish though. Knowing himself too well, he knew there's a yelling megaphone inside him that wanted to scare the hell out of her but given their situation, given the idea of having a child in the house, he felt the need to hold himself back.
But it was Cuddy who pushed the button when she snatched his arm the moment he passed by her side. He turned and was faced with her own fierce stares as her hands gripped tighter than what she's supposed to.
"I'm twice your size. Let go," House flatly said, trying to hold his temper down as he looked straight into her eyes.
Getting nothing in response, not even her hand yanking him off, he looked away as he wet his own lips and felt the surge of blood coming up to his head. It was not long enough though when he felt the grip loosening up and the action alone made him looked back at the woman beside him.
The moment she looked away, House began limping back to the living room where, to his surprise, Cuddy followed.
***************
"Why are you doing this?" she asked as she watched him pick up his jacket from the couch.
"You seriously don't know?!" he yelled as he spun around, finally letting his temper blow but making sure things are still under his control though he let his jacket flung heavily to one side.
"Oh my bad, why should I assume you know when I saw you stuck in your damn office when you're supposed to be picking up your kid?!" he sarcastically added as he closed the distance between them.
"You don't even know why I'm there so shut up," she spat, matching his tone and firmness as she speaks.
As the inevitable fight begins in the living room, Rachel's door was slowly pulled open. A few seconds later, the four year old went out, tiptoeing her way to the end of the hallway. Her mom told her not to listen to any adult argument but this fight was a first for her naked eye. Peeking her little head beside the wall's end, she began to listen.
"This shouldn't be happening if you were responsible enough for your daughter!" House returned.
"I am! But just so you would know, I was there to work not to flirt or waste my damn time!" Cuddy immediately said, lifting her face closer to the point that she could even feel his breathe. "If picking Rachel up was a burden for you, why didn't you just let her rot there until I come and get her?" she asked in between gritted teeth.
He looked at her as the sound of their strong breathings owned the room until it was replaced by House's sarcastic chuckle. Cuddy watched him moved away from her, running his palm across his sweaty forehead as he did so.
"If thanking is all you stayed here for," she began that caused him to look back at her, "then thank you; but to expect me to accept every blow of your self-righteousness…"
"I am not playing that card, Cuddy," he cut her off.
"Well you have no right on anything! We already called it quits remember?! You are no longer my fucking boyfriend, House!" she yelled back.
The tension was growing stronger and both were still oblivious to the crying being behind the wall behind them. Rachel's tears began falling as soon as House and Cuddy went face to face with each other. Indeed the four year old wasn't ready and she knew it herself as the flood gates of her eyes she urged to stop, didn't.
"What if DYFS call it quits between you and Rachel, you would just let her easily go then?" the diagnostician asked.
'DYFS?' Rachel silently thought as she silently sniffed. She have heard that word but never was from her mother. She heard it when her teacher was talking about… no, that can't be… she can't be.
Cuddy, on the other hand, wasn't cut off from her senses by his comment alone but she was also drifted to another dimension when Simon's face and words began flooding her already hysterical thought. The memory of what they talked about earlier brought her nothing but fear and House opening it up tonight would surely be the poking stick that would make her fold.
"You would let her go," the great doctor said as he slowly limped back towards his former lover as Cuddy was taken aback by his gesture, "just like what you did to me…"
"I let you go because that is what I'm supposed to do. I do not want to hear you say anything in connection with Rachel's name because you're not her damn father," the dean firmly said.
"And neither are you!" House quickly added causing the four year old, out of their sight, flinched in surprise and it was not long after that a new streamline of tears began falling down.
Back at the living room, the next thing House felt was a hand slap on his left cheek that he was sure will leave a mark by next day. Cuddy's arm went swiftly across his face that he didn't even got the chance to stop it and prevented the burning feeling to live on his face.
"Were you really planning to slap every person that will state the obvious in the future?" he asked as he looked back up.
"I didn't let you become part of that secret to use it against me like what you are doing right now," Cuddy answered tearfully.
"I am not. I'm just putting your feet back on the ground…"
"House," she raised her tone, "I am Rachel's mother!"
"As a foster parent, yes… By blood…"
House was about to say what Cuddy expected him to say, a firm and sharply delivered 'NO', but both of their attention was diverted when they heard running steps away from the living room which was eventually ended by a loud thud which they assumed was the heavy slam of the door.
'Ohgod, please let it not be Rachel,' Cuddy thought before looking back at House who looked at her with the same worried and shaken look.
She gulped before walking hurriedly down her hallway only to be faced with four closed doors, and to her surprise, even her bedroom's. She first checked the common bath, it was open but there no was no Rachel, then the guest and soon after the four year old's bedroom. Both doors were open but like the first, there was no four year old booming in her eyes.
Cuddy could feel her heart was racing and she knew she was crying flood-like tears to which she cared less. All she wanted was to have her daughter in her arms, to comfort and to explain everything what the girl might have heard. Sobbing, she reached for the knob of the final door, her bedroom's. She readied herself for anything but what she wasn't expecting was unfortunately the one she faced.
"House!" he heard her shrieked his name in despair and before she calls out for the second time, he began limping as fast as his limpy leg could do and headed to where Cuddy was.
***************
"What?" he asked as he stood a few steps away from her.
A hundred tears might already have fallen but he was sure a thousand more will after Cuddy says, "Rachel locked herself in!"
So how was it? And BTW, do I need to end the flashbacks now? :) Any words from you is highly appreciated!
Thanks for reading!