AND IN SEVEN DAYS WHAT!? That was such an evil cliffhanger, wasn't it? I almost feel guilty. But you're all just going to have to wait a little longer.. :) (trust me, it will be worth it)

LOL Critical Blues that was a...well...confusing review. :) But I'm going to go out on a limb and say you liked my fornicating chapter? LMAO

"that was a GREAT description of a GREAT kiss!" the only thing that would have made it better was if I was doing it instead of writing about it. :( But then I wouldn't be sharing it with lovely people like you, Carla Fox so I guess I'll keep writing about it.

nandafm88, hopefully your boyfriend has shown up by now, and you got to act out some of what you read. ;) PS: Glad you love Wilson, cause the poor boy could use all the lovin' he can get.

Sophie Deutiers, thank you so very much for this comment "It's a plausible representation of a Huddy relationship." As a writer, it means a lot to know that I am staying true to the characters and their relationship.

Now back to the show.

On the Second Day of Hanukkah, My True Love Gave to Me...

Cuddy walked into her office and threw her papers down on the desk. She noticed the package immediately. She recognized the wrapping. It was from House. Because of that, she was in no hurry to open it. She was still in a daze over her first Hanukkah gift.

After settling into her chair, checking her voice mail and email and realizing that not opening it was more aggravating than actually opening it, she picked up the small, flat, round package with trepidation. "What the hell?" She said causally as she tore into the wrapping.

In seconds she was holding a roll of tape about the size and width of masking tape. The label said "Autoclave Tape" among other things. Cuddy hurried out of her office.

"A roll of tape?" She'd hardly let House say hello as she barged into his office.

"You opened your present?" He smiled hopefully.

"A roll of tape?" She waved the roll of tape at him.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"First you get me antiseptic and now tape?" She looked at the roll of tape one last time. Maybe she'd missed something.

House frowned. She wasn't getting it. "First I gave you Mexsana, then I gave you Autoclave tape." He tried to nudge her in the right direction.

"That's what I said."

"No. You said antiseptic and tape, but it's Mexsana and Autoclave tape." All the effort he'd put into this, and she wasn't getting it. Maybe it was too soon.

"It's the same thing House," she explained as though talking to a child.

"No, Cuddy, it's not. There is actually a very distinct difference," he replied, equally patronizing.

"Did you steal this too?" She dropped the tape on his desk.

"Not steal, borrow. I borrowed the Autoclave tape along with the Mexsana."

"You didn't borrow them, House, you stole them. Borrowing implies the intention of returning them. That's the difference between borrowing and stealing."

"You can put them back when Hanukkah is over."

"..." Cuddy opened her mouth to speak, then closed it when she realized she had no idea what he was up to. "You're giving me presents you expect me to put back?" This was making little sense to her.

"Yes." House really didn't want to have to spell this all out for her. He really hoped she knew him well enough to figure it out on her own.

"Great," she said with a strange look on her face. Leave it to her to pick the one guy on earth who got his gifts out of the supply closet at work, and expected her to put them back. "So basically, you're giving me nothing."

"Hanukkah is not over yet."

Cuddy frowned. House worried about the crease between her brows. She wasn't getting any younger, and if she kept doing that, she would get wrinkles, but he thought this wasn't the best time to bring that up. "Is this one of your stupid puzzles?"

"No. It's one of my clever riddles. Solve it, and you win a prize." He beamed a little too proudly.

"If you're the prize I think I'll pass." She smiled back at him. His move.

"Maybe Lo would like to solve the puzzle then." He had gotten up and was walking toward her.

Cuddy cracked up. "Lo wouldn't touch you or your little puzzle with a ten foot pole."

House mocked hurt. "You mean she wouldn't touch my ten foot pole with a..." he suddenly realized that wasn't much better so he stopped.

"Exactly." Cuddy turned triumphantly and walked out. He loved watching her walk away. Her ass swayed gently beneath her lab coat. He could work out the contours as though he were wearing x-ray glasses. Ooh, that reminded him...

House's brilliant thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Go away," House called to no avail.

Chase opened the door. "I needed to talk to you."

"I said go away."

"You always say that." Chase had learned long ago to ignore House.

Chase picked up the roll of tape on his desk and began fondling it.

"That's not yours." House snatched the tape out of Chase's hands.

"It's just a roll of tape."

"It is NOT just a roll of tape," House said irrationally. "It is the piece to a very important puzzle." He put the tape in his bag. He'd have to give it back to her later.

"What kind of puzzle?" Chase was intrigued.

"One that's not meant for you." House answered. "Is there any reason you're still here?" He glared.

"Uh, yes."

"No." House snapped.

"I haven't even asked yet!"

"No," House repeated.

"Cameron invited me to her parents house for Christmas..."

"Are you hard of hearing?" House leaned across the desk and shouted "NO" into Chase's ear.

Chase recoiled. There was now a slight ringing in his ear, disorienting him. "It's our first Christmas as a couple and I don't have anyone else to..."

"Do I look like I care?" House had never really been a fan of Christmas, or any holiday that expected him to spend time with his family.

"I want to get her something special..."

"And you want MY advice?" Chase's naivety still managed to surprise House consistently.

"You know what she likes."

"I AM what she likes."

Chase looked hurt, but carried on. "She's over you now House.

"No but you have plenty of staff now. You don't need me..." This meant a lot to Chase and he wasn't going to back down.

"Fine, go." He'd already given Cameron the time off a few weeks ago.

"Thank you," Chase sprung to his feet. He fought the compelling urge to hug the gruff old man, and instead ran out of the office to tell his girlfriend.

Cuddy headed straight to her office. The red light on her phone was blinking. The message was from Lydia. She 'accidentally' erased it. The next message was from a patient who wanted to complain about Dr. Cameron's treatment last week. Cuddy was intrigued and listened to the message in it's entirety. She knew it would only be a matter of time before Cameron's moral judgments rubbed someone the wrong way. House was going to have a ball with this one.

She was about to call House when the phone rang. It was Lo. "Hey, I got another strange gift from House."

"I got a...gift of my own. You first."

"Tape. No, wait, Autoclave tape. He says it's part of a puzzle."

"First antiseptic and now tape?"

First Mexsana and now Autoclave tape. He chastised me for that mistake before." She laughed. Then remembered what Lo had said. "What did you get?"

"House's friend Jimmy gave me an orgasm. It was quite a nice one too."

"Please tell me you're kidding." Cuddy knew Wilson's track record with women. He'd been married three times since she'd known him, and divorced two and a half times.

"I'm kidding."

"You're not really kidding, are you?" Cuddy knew her friend too well.

"No."

"He's not even divorced yet."

"Technicality." Lo wasn't going to let Cuddy ruin her afterglow basking.

"Oh Lo, don't be that woman..."

"What woman?"

"The kind that sleeps with a married man on a technicality."

"Relax. It was just sex."

"Wilson doesn't do just sex. He's looking for the fourth Mrs. Wilson."

"Well he's not going to find it here," Lo said in protest. "You know I'm never getting married."

"Well, you might want to tell him that."

"I have...sort of."

"Sort of? Lo..."

"Just trust me Li. It'll be fine."

"Well, I don't like it." Cuddy had always been the adult in their friendship.

"You don't have to." Lo wasn't hurt by Cuddy's overprotective ways. She thought it was cute, if a bit annoying. "Just be careful."

"I always am."

"That's certainly debatable."

"And that's enough about me. Have you discussed marriage with your sadistic other?"

"He's not sadistic! And no."

"So I should kiss my dreams of a double wedding good-bye?" Lo teased.

"Oh shut up!"

"I was hoping we could write each other's vows," Lo kept going.

"I'm hanging up now," Cuddy threatened.

"No you're not, you're telling me you're hanging up, but I don't hear any..."

CLICK. Cuddy had hung up on her best friend.

She laughed and shook her head. Lo and Wilson. That would end in tears.