Thanks for all the love, everybody. I'm so happy you're enjoying this. Here's the second to last chapter!


Battle on the Tower.

"Margery." Cuddy gave a large smile to her secretary as she stepped out of her office. "Can you take my messages?"

"Dr. Cuddy, you seem to be disappearing a lot lately." Margery returned a smile that was more mischievous than genuine.

"Oh, no." Cuddy wanted to extinguish any rumors that she was meeting a man over these last few weeks. After all, House wasn't exactly a man. "Just... important business. Very busy."

Cuddy hurried away and began on the familiar path that took her to the fourth floor.


Wilson headed toward Cuddy's office, but stopped when he saw her office was empty. He turned toward her secretary. "Hey, Margery, where's Dr. Cuddy?"

"She just left," Margery told him.

Wilson frowned. "Where did she go? We were suppose to be meeting now."

"She went that way." Margery pointed toward the Clinic and then to the right. "Maybe you can catch up with her."

Wilson gave Margery a parting smile and headed in the direction she indicated. He made his way through the Clinic quickly and then caught a glimpse of Cuddy's backside as she turned around a corner on the left.

Picking up his pace, Wilson hurried after her. He began down the hallway, unsure as to where she was going. Wilson came upon the door to the staircase at the end of the hall and entered into the stairwell. He peered up at the flights of stairs as he heard the clicking of her heels.

Letting out a sigh, Wilson began up the stairs after her, noting the placement of her hand on the railing. He frowned when he heard her heels stop. If he calculated the floors correctly, she was stopping at the fourth floor.

Wilson continued up the rest of the stairs and stopped at the door to the fourth floor as well. He looked over the sign telling him not to enter and then he yanked open the door. Blinking against the darkness, Wilson stepped into the fourth floor. He tried to keep the door propped open, but to no avail. He figured he could manage to find her in the dark.

Listening for the sound of her heels, Wilson waited a moment. When he identified the sound, he began down the hallway, wondering what Cuddy was doing on this floor. Wilson stopped in his tracks when he heard the sound of her laughter. This was too strange and it didn't make much sense to him at all.

Wilson picked up his pace, wanting to know what was going on. His eyes had begun to adjust to the darkness and he noticed the floor was caked with dust while the rooms to his left and right were destroyed.

He turned a corner and began down another hallway. Wilson stopped when he saw her outline in a shattered and messy hospital room. A small patch of light spilled in from a slit in a piece of fabric hanging over the place where a window should be.

"Lisa?" Wilson entered into the room, careful of the broken glass and metal on the floor. "What are you doing?"

Cuddy spun quickly, her eyes falling on Wilson. "What are you doing?"

Wilson crossed to her. "You shouldn't be up here. You could get hurt."

Cuddy placed her hands out, trying to pacify him. "It's fine."

"Come on." Wilson took hold of her arm and gave her a tug.

Cuddy shook her head as she tried to pry her arm free. "No, James."

"Let her go," a deep voice growled near them.

Wilson directed his eyes to the darkness, making out a large figure. "Who is that?"

"It's... it's a long, strange story," Cuddy answered him.

"I said let her go," House repeated.

Cuddy turned toward him. "House, it's all right."

"House?" Wilson repeated, his eyes on Cuddy. He looked back over at the source of the voice. "Who are you?"

House stepped into the patch of light. Wilson gasped as his eyes scanned over the features of this beast. Wilson took one step back and then gave a very harsh tug on Cuddy's arm as he attempted to pull her out of the room. Cuddy let out a cry of surprise mixed with pain. House growled and suddenly charged at Wilson.

Wilson let go of Cuddy and jumped out of the way of House. Cuddy stepped back as the rush of air passed by her. House let out a growl and circled around to get a better shot at Wilson.

"Lisa, get out of here," Wilson told her and stepped backwards, away from House.

"You don't understand," Cuddy quickly told him. She looked to House. "This is a misunderstanding."

House charged at Wilson for the second time as Wilson quickly climbed over the hospital bed beside him in order to put the bed between them. House dug his paws into the mattress on the bed and yanked it toward him as he leapt over it and landed in front of Wilson.

Wilson froze in his spot while House stood erect in front of him, towering over him. House grabbed his shirt quickly, just wanting to scare him, to get him to leave them alone.

"Stop," Cuddy pleaded, crossing over to the two.

"Lisa, stay back," Wilson instructed, but his eyes remained on the beast in front of him.

House stared down at Wilson, breathing heavily. He thought of Cuddy behind him and he loosened his grip on Wilson's shirt before letting go. Wilson stared up at House a moment and then shoved all his weight against him.

Caught off guard, House took a step back, his heel hitting an overturned piece of equipment and tripping him. House fell backward and landed hard as a searing, hot pressure tore through his side. Wilson looked down at the fallen House before leaping over and away from him.

Wilson hurried to Cuddy and took hold of her again as he began toward the way out.

"Let's go," Wilson instructed.

"No!" Cuddy was able to yank her arm from his grasp this time. "He's hurt. I won't leave him like this."