Well, we're still rollin' on this crazy train, and it's about to get a little crazier. Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing this story. I'm having a good time writing it and reading all the reviews. While I'm an angst/conflict junkie, I do like a happy ending. Just bear with me.

Intervention

When House woke up it was still dark outside. He sat up and popped two Vicodin to ease the pain in his leg and the other aches in his body from sleeping on Cuddy's couch. After a few minutes he stood and instead of heading towards the door, he limped back to her bedroom. House eased the door open and watched her for a moment before turning and heading home.

He showered and fixed himself a bowl of cereal. While sitting on his couch eating, he was thinking about the day ahead of him. Technically he was supposed to be in the clinic today as per Cuddy's orders, and while wanting to please her, it was the last place he wanted to be.

It was sunny that morning, so House pulled on his leather jacket and rode his motorcycle to the hospital. The air temperature was cool but not too cold for the short ride across town. He limped into the hospital and looked over the few messages he was handed by the receptionist. As usual he tossed them immediately and limped towards the elevator without a look into Cuddy's office. He knew she was there, but after last night, he really didn't want to give her the time of day even though he wanted to prove that he could change.

House cursed himself as he rode the elevator to his office. He told his fellows to try to find a case as he was going to be confined to the clinic for the day. He stowed away his jacket and back pack and returned to the elevator.

While he waited Wilson was walking out of his office and stopped next to House. "Hey."

"Hey." House responded and waited for the lift.

Wilson nodded and while he wanted to say something more he just grinned. "Good talk."

"Yup." House watched his friend walk away as the elevator dinged. With a heavy sigh House walked into the elevator that delivered him back to the first floor. He limped to the clinic and grabbed a folder for a waiting patient.

Cuddy noticed that House was in the clinic actually attempting to see patients and she smiled. The previous night was flooding her mind. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and when he left she began her day. When she showered, she thought of him, while she ate, she thought of him, and now he was doing his job without her hounding him. Cuddy let her head fall into her hands and sighed. "Why does he have to do this?" She spoke out loud to herself.

After lunch, Cuddy noticed House still working in the clinic and she almost wanted to tell him to stop. What he was doing was throwing her world out of orbit and she wasn't sure she could take it. Minutes later her door opened and Wilson barged in. She looked up and knew that this meeting had to do with one person in particular.

"What did you do to House?" Wilson approached her desk and put his hands on his hips.

Cuddy sighed. "I didn't do anything to him."

"You did something; he's working in the clinic without you whipping him along." Wilson narrowed his eyes at her momentarily before they shot open. "You slept with House!"

She looked away quickly before glancing back at Wilson. "No."

He pointed at her. "You just admitted you did." Wilson sat down in front of her desk. "I can't believe…" He paused before putting pieces together. "When you said House knew about you trying to get pregnant…" Wilson watched her sigh and avoided eye contact with him. He threw his hands in the air and stood up.

She watched as he began pacing the room. "Wilson, sit down."

Wilson moved back to the chair quickly. "You can't toy with his feelings like this; you of all people should know that."

"I know, but what about my feelings?" She asked him. "What if House isn't the only one at risk for getting hurt here?"

"Exactly! What were you thinking? Are you guys still trying?"

Cuddy closed her eyes and sadly shook her head. "No, I've given up on that."

"But not House."

"Honestly I don't know what to do about him. I told him that I had given up on him." She tossed her pen on the desk and leaned back in her chair. "I don't know how we can do this; we're both so screwed up…"

"True, but you're each screwed up differently." Wilson started. "You need to be in control and micromanage everything, House needs control of himself. You two constantly butt heads, disagree…" Wilson paused as he thought about what he was saying. "God, you're perfect for each other."

Cuddy put her head in her hands. "You're not helping Wilson."

"I'm sorry, but these past few years you two have been flirting, like foreplay."

"Wilson…"

"It all makes sense now."

"Wilson!" She got his attention. "I know House and I are screwed up. I can't be with him."

"Why? I'm pretty sure you love him."

Cuddy sighed. "I've always cared for him." She saw him narrow his eyes at her. "Yes, I love him, but he can't talk about things like a normal couple does. He thinks he can but in reality he'll just bottle things up until he explodes and both of us will end up getting hurt."

"I understand, but how about trying to just throw caution to the wind and just go for it?" He eyed her as she hinted at thinking about it. "I bet if you stopped putting your own walls up and let him in, things would work out better than you think." With that, Wilson stood and calmly walked out of her office.

She leaned back in her chair and thought about what Wilson said while cursing the oncologist for bringing the idea of a relationship with House to light, since now that's all she would be thinking about.

Once everything was taken care of at the hospital, Cuddy went home and tried to forget about House, but of course she was unsuccessful. She continued to digest Wilson's words realizing that in some twisted way, the oncologist was right. Relinquishing control, even if it was just a part of it, would be difficult for her, but in the few nights she slept with House next to her were the best nights in years that she had. She felt comfortable with him, she felt safe. His presence gave her new life and she craved his touch and his closeness. Maybe she could let him in and try. By keeping him at arm's length could do more harm than good, and it was evident today that House was indeed trying.

His fellows were unsuccessful at finding a case and House managed to get through an entire day of clinic duty without one outburst or complaint to her. House limped to Wilson's office and barged in. "You wanna go get a drink?" Wilson nodded and finished up what he was working on.

House and Wilson met up at their usual establishment and bellied up to the bar. They ordered their drinks and began drinking in silence. Wilson knew House needed to talk about what he was feeling, and he wasn't sure if the man could tell him what was on his mind while sober. Wilson sipped on his vodka martini as House downed the shot of whiskey and chased it with a swig of beer.

Several martinis and shots later House finally said something. "I'm sleeping with Cuddy."

Wilson tried to act surprised as he already knew. "Wow. Really?"

"Yeah, she wanted to get pregnant, but even I screwed that deal up."

"How did you…"

"I yelled at her. Told her she'd be a crappy mother and that it was a good thing she didn't get pregnant." Wilson nodded recalling Cuddy's side of that story about House poking with the sharp stick. "I fell for her." House did another shot. "Hard."

"What are you going to do?" Wilson calmly asked hoping not to push too hard.

House shook his head. "I already did it. I told her exactly how I feel, that I love her and want to be with her."

His statement shocked Wilson. "That's good, you opened up to her, and what did she do?"

"She shut the door in my face." House reached for the newly offered shot and tipped it back. "I can't…" He stopped before saying too much.

"Well, I do know just by watching her is that she loves you. She just doesn't know what to do with that love."

House narrowed his eyes at his friend. "You've been married and divorced three times quick enough to set a new Guinness World record."

"Yes, but unlike you I was willing to take the chance. Sometimes you've got to put your heart out there…"

House's hand slammed down on the bar stopping Wilson and causing several people to look at them. "I did, and she stomped on it under her designer heels." He took a swig of his beer. "Another shot here!" House yelled at the bartender.

Wilson sipped on his drink thinking that he was already beginning to clean up the mess Cuddy had made with House. He knew they belonged together and maybe with some coaxing, he could help them get together. With a smile, Wilson downed the remainder of his drink. "I'm going to the bathroom."

Without stopping, House continued to drink several more shots before noticing that Wilson never returned. He looked around and stood from the bar. "Hey." House stopped and looked behind him. "Keys."

House groaned in disappointment and tossed his keys to the bartender. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Wilson's number. When it rang through to the voicemail, House hung up and tried several more times. "Dammit Wilson!" He yelled and stepped out into the cold night air. Light snow flakes had dusted the ground and continued to fall. His next and only other option was Cuddy, but he was too proud to call her to pick his drunken ass up.

He looked down the street in the direction of his place and back the other way towards Cuddy's. With his pride on overdrive, and his veins flowing with whiskey and beer, he felt over confident. While her place was closer, House decided to go against the odds and began walking down the sidewalk towards his apartment. The cold air didn't faze him as his blood was warmed by all the alcohol he'd consumed. Twice during his walk, House popped a Vicodin to keep his pain at bay.

Exhaustion had caught up to him by the time he made it half way. He sat down on the curb and called Wilson again. Deciding on a middle ground, House phoned a cab and gave him his location. He was informed it would be around half an hour, House moved to sit next to the building. His eyes grew heavy as the alcohol finally got to his head. Minutes later he was asleep.

It was nearly an hour before the taxi arrived. The driver noticed his fare sleeping and honked his horn and yelled out the window. When he got no response, he climbed from his cab and approached House. "Hey, wake up man." He hit House on the shoulder and watched as he got no response. "Oh, damn." The cabbie rushed back to his car and got on the radio. "Twelve to base, I need an ambulance at 205 Prospect Avenue, I think my fare is dead!" The man spoke into his radio but kept an eye on House.

Minutes later sirens filled the air along with red and blue flashing lights. Paramedics rushed towards House. "Sir, can you hear me?" The first man asked and felt House's neck. "I got a pulse, but it's faint." They moved quickly placing House on the stretcher and took him to the closest hospital which happened to be Princeton Plainsboro.

The paramedics rolled into the ER bay and unloaded House. They were giving the attending what information they had on the patient. The attending pulled the oxygen mask off of House and gasped. "Oh my God, it's Doctor House." The staff stepped up their game and began with getting his clothes off.

"Temperature is ninety four degrees."

The attending sighed. "Get some heating blankets in here, and start warmed IV fluids." Once the orders were given the doctor stepped to the nurses' station. "Get me Doctor Cuddy on the phone."

Cuddy was sleeping lightly holding a pillow in her arms pretending it was House's warm body. Her phone ringing woke her instantly and she groaned after seeing the time. She guessed it was House drunk calling her and instead of answering it, she let her answering machine take a message. Cuddy heard the beep in the distance and listened.

"Doctor Cuddy, this is Doctor Williams the ER attending for the night. I just wanted to let you know that ten minutes ago Doctor House was brought in by paramedics. We're stabilizing him now."

Cuddy was thrashing at her covers trying to get out of bed and to the phone before the call ended. She grabbed the phone. "This is Doctor Cuddy."

Yay cliffhanger! You know you love it.

TDCSI