Chapter Eleven

"Wait…" Cuddy said as she and Greyson entered the deserted foyer.

"What?"

"Shh!" She hissed at him, cocking her head to one side at the music that echoed down the hall. Someone was playing the piano and singing. It couldn't be House, could it? While she knew he played piano, she'd never heard him sing before. It certainly sounded like him and she headed down the hall to investigate. Sure enough, House was seated at a grand piano, singing for GG one last time.

Cuddy entered the room, found Cameron and looked at her with sympathy and sadness.

"I was so sorry to hear about your grandmother," she said sincerely. "I know how hard it is to lose someone you love."

Cameron stared at her in shock. Then she blinked. "Uh, thank you," she said. "I heard the board let you go. I'm sorry to hear that."

Cuddy looked confused. "Yeah, I'm not really sure what happened. I put in some applications in Manhattan. Hopefully I'll get hired at one of the hospitals there. I've always wanted to live there. You know, get a loft apartment and get back to practicing medicine."

"Who are you and what did you do with Cuddy?" House asked from behind them.

She frowned in confusion at him. "What are you talking about?"

"You're like a pod person."

She laughed uncomfortably. "I don't know what's gotten into him." she said to Cameron. She glanced down at Cameron's left hand. "That's a beautiful ring. Are you and House engaged?"

Cameron nodded warily. "Yes, we are."

Cuddy smiled. "Congratulations. I think you're the only person who can deal with him."

Greyson cleared his throat. "Let me get you something to drink, Lisa."

"White wine, please," she told him. Once he was gone, she pursed her lips. "He insisted we come. I wasn't too sure but I wanted to see you and express my condolences."

"Do you remember breaking into my apartment and screaming at us?" House asked looking at her closely.

"Why would I do that?" she asked.

"Do you remember coming here with Greyson and causing a scene?" he continued.

"I think you've been taking too much Vicodin," she told him with a frown. "I've never been here before."

"Oh, Jesus," he breathed. He leaned down and whispered to Cameron. She nodded and walked away.

Greyson returned with a glass of white wine and handed it to her. She took a sip and looked around.

"So," House began conversationally. "How did you and old Greyhound here meet?"

Greyson narrowed his eyes but remained silent.

Cuddy drank some more of her wine. "He stopped by my office and told me about Cameron's grandmother. Why are you suddenly so curious about what I'm doing, House?"

Wilson joined them. Cuddy smiled at him. "I heard you're moving to North Carolina."

He nodded and looked at House. House tilted his head and looked at Wilson with wide eyes.

"Um, yeah. I felt the need for a change," he told her.

She nodded and finished her wine. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on her face and she swayed on her feet. She began to breathe heavily and her expression changed to one of anger. Greyson stood next to her with a smug look on his face.

"Where's your whore?" she snarled at House.

"And she's back," House whispered.

"Do you honestly think she loves you? I love you! I've loved you since that night in college!"

"Drugged," Wilson whispered. "The wine."

House looked at Greyson. "What did you put in her drink, Greyshit?"

Wilson looked hard at the younger man who simply looked back at him with a half-smile. "A psychotropic?"

"I simply brought her some wine," Greyson responded smoothly malice glinting in his eyes.

"CAMERON!" Cuddy suddenly screamed. "WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BACKSTABBING BITCH?"

Everyone in the room stopped talking and turned to look at her.

"We gotta get her out of here," Wilson said.

Cuddy threw her wine glass at House. "Is she waiting for you to fuck her?"

Wilson grabbed her but she fought him.

"Jeeves!" House shouted. "Need help in here!"

A moment later, Bennings was at his side with four police officers. Two grabbed Cuddy and started to drag her away. Bennings looked at House and Wilson for instructions on what to do next.

"Take her to my room," Wilson instructed. "She's been drugged."

Bennings nodded and followed the police who struggled with Cuddy.

Once Cuddy was gone, House held Cameron close to him while Greyson stood there, hands in his pockets. Mundell, Walter and Evelyn hurried over to them.

"You might wanna search his pockets," House said to one of the officers.

Greyson's eyes widened. "What? How dare you…"

One of the cops stepped forward and took him by the arm. "Sir, up against the wall. Spread 'em."

"You can't do this...I have rights…."

"We can place you under arrest if we have to."

"For what?"

"For drugging someone's drink for starters," House said as he handed the glass Cuddy was drinking from to the other cop. "She threw this at me."

The police officer sniffed the glass and frowned. "Smells like there's vinegar in it. Probably heroin," he told his partner. He held the glass carefully and pulled out a latex glove. He wrapped it around the glass.

"Greyson Rockland, you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…"

"What the fuck!? This is ridiculous! Dad! Are you just going to stand there?"

"You have the right to remain silent, son," Walter said, "I suggest you keep your mouth shut for once in your life and don't say boo to a goose, do you understand?"

Greyson rolled his eyes but Walter grabbed his son's chin and forced him to look at him. "Do you want my help or not?"

"Yes...yes sir."

"Then shut the hell up and don't talk to anyone without our lawyer present."

"Yes, sir."

After they led Greyson away, the reception carried on for another couple of hours with Wilson and House checking up on Cuddy, who was sound asleep in Wilson's room.

"Let's move her to the another guest bedroom where we can keep an eye on her if anything happens," House said to Wilson.

Mundell's eyes widened. "You're keeping her here? After everything she's done?"

"Just until morning," House assured him. "We have to make sure she's going to be okay. We're responsible for her right now. If Greyson drugged her with heroin, she needs to be monitored. She may end up going through withdrawal. I can tell you from experience that it's terrible."

"I'll take her back with me when I go to Princeton tomorrow to pack up my stuff. She may have to be hospitalized."

Hilary looked at him, sadly. "You're leaving tomorrow? When were you going to tell me?"

"I wasn't going to leave for a few days yet, but in light of recent events, it makes sense for me to go now. I won't be gone long. I need to tie up some more loose ends anyway and get House's place sorted out as well."

Hilary nodded and walked off, leaving Wilson to sigh and look defeated. "I'll get Bennings to help me move Cuddy into the other room and then I'll deal with Hilary." He turned to Mundell. "I'm sorry for all this."

"So am I. Thank you, James."

Once they Cuddy moved into the room House once occupied and House determined she was out of danger, he told Wilson he'd keep an eye on her and to go find Hilary.

It wasn't hard to find her. She was downstairs in the billiard room shooting a single game of pool as she proceeded to get very drunk on champagne.

"There you are," he said as he closed the door behind him.

"Shouldn't you be packing or...something?" she snapped as she sank a ball in the corner pocket.

"Hilary…"

"James, go to bed. I'm fine."

"No, I don't think you are," he said as he poured himself a glass of champagne and sipped from it.

"You might be a doctor, but you're clueless when it comes to women. No wonder you've been married three times."

"Touche," he said as he raised his glass. "But you don't think I see my share of grief every day at work? I lose patients on a regular basis. I know you're sad about GG. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I hate grieving," she said and sank another ball.

"Who doesn't?"

"Why do you have to leave tomorrow?"

"I have to make sure Cuddy is taken care of."

"Why can't Greg take her home?"

"It's probably best that he doesn't. Cuddy's been infatuated with him for years. We don't want her making any more trouble for him."

He took a pool cue off the wall and put chalk on the end of it. "New game?"

"Sure, you can break."

She went over and topped up her glass, watching him like he was her prey and he smiled back at her as he leaned over the pool table to take the first shot. His eyes never left hers as he made the shot and sent the balls scattering in every direction. He sank two striped balls and took a sip of champagne before sinking two more.

"I think I'm being hustled," she giggled as she moved closer to him. "Funny, you weren't this good when we played the other night. You've been holding out on me, Doctor Wilson," she said as her finger slid down his chest.

"What're you going to do about it?"

"Up the stakes of course. If we're going to play, let's make it worth our while."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Loser has to kiss the winner. And not just a peck, a full on, deep passionate kiss. Up for it?"

"How many games?"

"Best of three."

"You're on.