Sorry it has taken me so long to update…life ya know. I find it curious that the close House and Cuddy come to a relationship on the show the more inclined I am to break them up in my fics…heh. Anyways, thanks for the reviews…keep um coming.

Clutch

A few days turned into a week which turned into two. No matter how many times he went to their home begging her to let him in and talk to him, Cuddy wouldn't hear it. She would listen for a moment as he shouted through the door, but then she'd break down before he finished the first apology or explanation or overdramatize threat of doing himself bodily harm if she didn't talk to him right now. She didn't want him to see her cry over this. This little thing of having her life destroyed, her marriage revealed as a farce. And it took everything inside of her not to throw the door open and fall into him. To kiss him and touch him ways that would make him remember that no one could do it like she could. But if that were true he never would have succumbed to Cameron, would he have? It didn't matter. The pain of what he had done to her, to her pride, to their relationship wasn't fading. The first time she saw Cameron after House's confession she wanted to throw herself at the woman and ring her neck. Wanted to tell her never to come near her family ever again, and wanted to show her that her stupid games had no effect on House's love for her and her love for him. But she did none of those things, because in reality, she felt defeated; like something had been stolen from her and damaged beyond repair. Cuddy was starting to see that there really was only one thing she could do.

House, on the other hand, started cursing everything around him. Cameron most of all, and the impulse to tell Cuddy the truth. Everything except himself and his failure to have more faith in Cuddy than he did. Cursing that would be like admitting that Wilson was right about him. If things didn't fall apart, if his relationship wasn't conditional, if Cuddy saw him for what he was and stuck by him anyways, he wouldn't trust that. He would do something very unlike him to prove a point. To prove to himself and to Cuddy that not even her love was unconditional. That when she said she would never leave no matter what, well she didn't really mean that. Cuddy had not spoken to him at work aside from passing remarks about Jenna. If she didn't start dealing with him soon House was considering ordering a brain biopsy on his nine year old patient just so she would come up and yell at him.

One day sixteen of his expulsion from his family House asked Cameron to come see him in his office. As soon as she walked through the door he started yelling.

"You can't stay here anymore. You need to leave the hospital."

"Cuddy still hasn't forgiven you, huh?" No remorse. No regret.

"She is having a hard time moving past this because she has a constant reminder of my huge mistake heading up her ER. You need to resign."

"Or maybe she hasn't forgiven you because she knows." Cameron looked at him and smirked. She moved a little closer to him. "You don't really want to be forgiven."

House looked away from her in disgust, but when he looked up Cuddy was standing in his doorway looking extremely uncomfortable seeing the two of them together.

"Cuddy…"

"I need to talk you," she said in a low restrained voice. Cameron started to leave but Cuddy stopped her. "This won't take long, and you'll know by tomorrow anyways." She paused and looked over at House. "I've decided to go ahead and take that job on the board. I just thought you should know."

House and Cameron both stared at her for a moment then House took a step forward and shook his head. "You can't—"

"It's already done House."

Cameron piped in. "Chair of the Board? I think that's great."

House turned to her in a rage. "You don't get an opinion!" He shouted at her, "Get the hell out." Cameron and Cuddy both stared at House in surprise and then Cameron shook her head and skittered from the room. "You can't leave Lisa."

"I'm not here to argue with you about it." She folded her hands across her stomach. "I can't be here anymore."

"Cameron's leaving. That's what we were talking about before. I told her to resign."

"It doesn't matter. I have been trying to get past this and I can't—"

"We haven't given it enough time." He took a desperate step toward her but she thrust a hand out to keep him back.

"No. I have to go. I'm sorry. I just wanted to tell you now because Jenna won't want to change schools, so I'm going to go on living here but I'll have to be away a part of every month so I was hoping you'd be getting a place soon so that she can stay with you." She dropped her hands a little and dared a look in his eyes. He was heartbroken.

"We need to talk about this."

"I've made my choice House."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that."

He was struck momentarily by the echo in her words of the night of their second first kiss. The night that started this slippery slope of jubilation and devastation. He nodded slowly. "I guess I can't stop you then."

She blinked. Just like that. Had she wanted him to put up more of a fight? No, she really was leaving…battling it out would help either of them. She turned to leave his office, but he caught her hand. She turned around and he opened his mouth to say something. Anything. To tell her he loved her or he wouldn't give up on them…but nothing felt right. He squeezed her hand and let her go.