DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything related to Fox or the TV show House. I'm only borrowing some characters. The characters belong to David Shore and company.

A/N: You guys still there? Well anyways if you are, don't kill me with my intro. Lol. And nope, the title isn't a premonition that there'll be no Huddy ever in this fic because there is totally going to be a lot of Huddy here. :D How soon? Guess!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Three updates tonight, one for each fic… Then for the rest of this week, I'll be updating one or two fics per day… Be sure to leave a rev 'cause the muse will be demanding them from me. Lol…

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Hope you like this chap as well!

ABSENCE

CHAPTER 10: ONLY IN MY DREAMS

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"Mommy!" she heard a little blue eyed kid call to her from behind. He was running towards her and she was confused as to why she was in the middle of a living room… a very big living room to be exact.

"Mommy! Mommy!" the little boy she estimated was around four years old called to her again, a wide, beaming familiar smile on his lips.

Not being able to help herself as the boy's smile was contagious , she beamed and held her arms forward as if upon instinct as she crouched to scoop him in her arms.

"Why were you laughing?" she asked him as he held onto her tightly before pulling back with his tiny hands on her shoulders as he looked at her with blushing cheeks probably caused by his laugh-trip.

"Daddy's after me… You gots to hide me, mommy!" he whispered a little loudly for it to be even called a whisper as he was also giggle his slightly chubby cheeks out as well.

"Nice, using your mother," she heard a very familiar voice called out from what she guessed was the kitchen.

And indeed, when the person stepped into the living room, she was breathless to see him in front of her, as handsome and even healthier as ever, saw him standing in front of her, his playful smirk directed towards the little boy bundled in her arms who was hiding his face in her neck as if it would help hide him from his… father.

"House…" Cuddy breathlessly whispered when her eyes shot open and taking a deep breath she realized it was just a dream.

A bittersweet dream. Probably one that had a fifty-fifty chance of happening and or… not happening.

But the kid… the blue eyed boy who endearingly and lovingly called him mommy multiple times was stuck in her head, painfully visible and even in Technicolor. But the joy trumped her pain with the somewhat real feeling of his arms wrapped around her still. One time she imagined a child, a child, no gender preference, with his cerulean eyes… House's cerulean eyes. This dream, gave that child a face… an angelic face and a gender… a boy. Every feature in vivid detail that showed her what their child would have looked like, or…

If she did try IVF again… what their child would look like when he reached that age. Blue eyes. Those were all she could think about. Her blue eyed baby boy.

Even if it was but a bittersweet dream, she found joy in it. Found joy in her dream child's jovial laugh and voice.

The only thing that got to her was that she didn't know his name. Even so, it also struck her that House was there. And their baby boy called him daddy…

But she left it like that, not wanting to get herself down with anything else that her dream could have meant. She closed her eyes to let sleep claim her once again, wholeheartedly welcoming the prospect of dreaming about a certain diagnostician and a blue eyed boy.

House's condominium unit, November 14, 3 am

House found it hard to sleep ever since he called Cuddy. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He wanted to talk to her. About... things. About everything.

He then started thinking of why he was even in this place… and not with her.

If he did come back. Would she really be waiting for him? Willing to let him in again? She did ask him why he couldn't just come back… and be with her.

But he's made a decision and she was better off without him really. He would undoubtedly make her miserable. She may be sad now, but time would heal her wounds. Lisa Cuddy was the strongest woman he knew.

Nevertheless, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He found it strange how he was excited, nervous, and scared all at the same time that he would most possibly be seeing her, or vice versa, when the conference came.

Until then, he'll just try and live through the path he chose to take. The path without her as he thought was best for her. Even if it hurt him… his heart. But he believed that she didn't need him in her life as she's always been better off without him.

VBCTH, Blair's office, 12 pm

"Please get me the office number of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's Dean of Medicine. They're located in New Jersey. When you get a hold of the number, please let me know." Blair told her secretary via the intercom. She's called many deans and chancellors from different hospitals from different places and she's talked to more than half of the people in the list already.

She wasn't sure though if she could really talk to PPTH's dean without mentioning House. She knew what it was like to have someone, specially someone as great a doctor as House, taken from her as if a rug was pulled from beneath.

Well, she could mention House in the future. After all, he had a right to leave her hospital. But not less than the number of months they had agreed upon in his contract which was twelve months.

She guessed that was alright. If ever House wanted to go back to Princeton, New Jersey, for whatever reason, she didn't really have any say in the matter as long as all his duties and obligations with regards to his employment here weren't left hanging and undone.

A few minutes later her secretary gave her a piece of paper which had PPTH's number and the dean and chief administrator's name scribbled legibly in it. Looking at the list she had and having noticed there were very few numbers left that she had to call, she shrugged, took a deep breath and dialed Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's number.

"Princeton Plainsboro, Dr. Cuddy's office, how may I help you?" Cuddy's secretary greeted politely on the other line.

"May I speak with Dr. Cuddy? This is Dr. Lexi Blair from Vancouver British Columbia Teaching Hospital," Blair professionally replied.

"Please hold," the secretary told her. She got inside Cuddy's office after knocking and being waved. She told her who called. Cuddy nodded and took hold of the phone, setting aside a file she was reading.

"This Dr. Cuddy, how may I help you?" Cuddy greeted on the other line. Glancing at her clock, she noticed it was going on to three.

"Dr. Cuddy, hi. This is Dr. Lexi Blair from Vancouver British Columbia Teaching Hospital. I wanted to know if you'd be interested in having Princeton Plainsboro included in an International Diagnostics and Oncology Seminar our hospital will be hosting." Blair said professionally, although an alluring tone in her voice.

Cuddy thought about it. A diagnostic and oncology seminar. She then thought about what Wilson said. And how she negated it. Is this seminar something she should find hope in? She supposed so.

And not only did her hospital gain something from it, she as well would gain something if he did show up.

"Dr. Cuddy?" Blair pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry. Yes, Dr. Blair, we would love to be part of the seminar," Cuddy said with a small sincere smile.

Blair smiled even though Cuddy couldn't see her, "That's good to hear, Dr. Cuddy. I'll have my secretary email you the details regarding everything."

"Thank you," Cuddy said.

As an afterthought she suddenly found herself asking, "May I ask who the speakers will be?"

Blair thought about it. Was she possibly thinking whether her ex-employee will be part of it?

"Well, we have most of the proficient diagnosticians from different countries, I have yet to coordinate with the people speaking as per what their topic would be tackling. As per the Oncologists, I have yet to look for renowned ones to speak," Blair opened, wondering if Dr. Cuddy could give recommendations regarding that part.

"If you don't mind I could recommend one of my Oncologists here. I could have him contact you soon if you want," Cuddy offered, knowing that Wilson liked speaking about his profession.

Blair agreed and they talked a little bit more about Wilson before Cuddy decided to go on a limb and ask about a certain diagnostician.

"Will Dr. Gregory House be speaking?" she asked.

Blair sat up straight in her chair, not expecting her to ask her so forwardly. But maybe she was just curious. Changing her strategy as she knew House wouldn't appreciate anyone from there knowing where he was she replied, "I don't know. I would have loved it if he did. By any chance do you know where he is so I can try to persuade him to speak at the seminar?" she asked innocently enough to make Cuddy believe she hadn't the slightest idea where House was and how to contact him.

Cuddy sighed, "He used to work for me. Anyway, we… something happened. He had to leave and I haven't had contact with him for three months, give or take." She told Blair.

The melancholy in her voice didn't escape Blair as she got even more curious about what happened between House and her.

Gathering her courage Cuddy took a deep breath and spoke, "Dr. Blair, if you do get a hold of him, please let me know. There are… many things I have to say to him still."

"I'll try and remember that Dr. Cuddy. Anyway, it was great talking to you, and I look forward to see you on the Seminar. I'll have Carmen, my secretary email you about everything else," Blair told her, managing a cheery tone but not a fake one though.

"Thank you too Dr. Blair. I'll have Dr. Wilson in touch regarding his speech. Thank you for the invite, goodbye." Cuddy sincerely greeted and bid her farewell.

Blair hung up and sighed. There was a lot to know but she knew she wasn't a part of their "problem" and had no right to get or try to get involved and be a middleman. Their issues are their issues alone.

But seeing House usually miserable and having heard the misery in Dr. Cuddy's tone, she was betting they both needed each other but had too much in between them.

Anyway, it wasn't her business. But she was allowed to be curious, right?

She sighed. Reaching for a stack of papers, she started reading them off after having jotted down a few notes for her to have Carmen do with regards to the invitations. She knew Cuddy would eventually see the invitation in the mail but then again, she could always just put House's name as a yet-to-be-known guest speaker.

She was still debating the thought though.

A/N: Please let me know what you think!

And yes, finally, we're somewhat getting somewhere! :D

Please leave a rev :D