Chapter 12

The next morning House stood in Cuddy's kitchen making coffee when Tommy entered.

"Enough in there for two," Tommy gestured at the coffee maker.

"Should be," House mumbled. Tommy nodded and looked around the kitchen fiddling with his fingers and opening and closing his mouth as if he was trying to speak. House noticed his strange behavior.

"Something on your mind Tommy?"

"Yeah. I don't like you"

House was not at all surprised at his bluntness. He was ,after all, a Cuddy."You don't say," House snarked. Tommy stepped closer to House so that they were almost nose to nose.

"Yeah I do say," Tommy was bringing out his inner tough guy now. "I think that you're going to break my sister's heart, and I don't like that I think that"

House raised his eyebrows in mock hurt, "I don't like that either. It makes me think that you don't trust me," Tommy shoved House lightly.

"I'm serious Greg"

House looked very annoyed with Tommy, "First of all if you ever touch me again I'll break your wrist. Second of all, Lisa is a big girl and if she thinks that I'm going to hurt her she'll break up with me. Until then why don't you just lay off," House shoved Tommy with the end of his cane. Tommy grabbed the cane and tried to pull it out of House's hands. House realised what he was doing and pulled back causing the cane to fall out of Tommy's hands and onto the floor. Tommy bent down to get it when House's voice, cold as ever, stopped him.

"Touch it and I swear to God I'll smash your head in with it"

Tommy looked at House as if daring him to hit him. When he didn't Tommy bent down to get the cane but half way down he punched House in his leg.

"SON OF A BITCH!!!" House slid down against the fridge clutching his leg. Tommy looked at House ,wide eyed, realising that he hit him in his bad leg. Cuddy and Kevin ran in to see a pale faced Tommy and an even paler faced House who was groaning in pain.

"What the hell did you do," Cuddy asked Tommy angrily.

"I hit his leg,"

"You did what?!" Cuddy asked, horrified.

"I didn't know it was the bad one I swear!" Cuddy ignored her brother and stepped past him to House who was no longer groaning but panting very heavily.

"You okay?" Cuddy asked House.

He nodded and replied shakeily "Yeah. I guess. Got any Vicodin?"

"I'll go get some," she stepped past her brother's into the living room, taking time to give Tommy the death glare.

"I didn't know," Tommy whispered viciously.

"You knew one of his legs hurt why was you even take the chance," Cuddy hissed. She gabbed House's pills off of the coffee table and headed back to the kitchen. House was on his feet leaning heavily on the counter.

"Pill me," he said to Cuddy. She threw the orange bottle to him and he quickly dry swallowed two pills.

"Well I can sense an important family talk so I'm gonna take off," House slowly limped towards the door stopping to kiss Cuddy, much to Tommy's annoyance. Once House was out the door Cuddy wheeled furiously on her brother.

"Go upstairs Kevin"

"Lise I-"

"GO KEV!" Kevin basically ran up the stairs and Cuddy blew up at Tommy.

"Why the hell can't you just get along with him!"

"I'm only looking out for you-"

"That's bull Tommy and we both know it. You are looking out for you!"

"Lisa-"

"Don't interrupt me! Every time I have a boyfriend you scare him off and I would like to know why"

Tommy sighed heavily. There was no use arguing with Lisa when she was like this, "I don't want to lose you like I lost Jimmy"

Cuddy looked confused, "Jimmy lives two streets away from you. Plus he's your brother. Explain to me how that qualifies as losing him"

"He used to always be with us. Whenever anyone needed anything Jimmy was the one to go to. But then he met Lauren and-"

"Wait a second," Cuddy chuckled. "Tommy, Jimmy never abandoned you and neither will I. If you need to talk to either of us just pick up a phone"

"But Jim-"

"Is in love...and so am I," she added that last part quitetly.

Tommy's head flew up, "You're in love? With Greg?"

Cuddy raised an eyebrow, "Is that hard to believe?"

"Yes. He's just so..." Tommy paused as if searching for a word that wasn't mean. "...idiosyncratic," he finished. Cuddy laughed.

"I suppose that's one way to put it. I usually just call him a jerk or an ass or something along those lines. But before you get any ideas only I'm allowed to call him that. You have to play nice"

"Do I have to," Tommy whined sounding disturbingly like House.

"Yes. I told him he has to behave so it's only fair that I give you the same warning. You to Kevin, I know you're listening!"

Kevin ran down the stairs, "How'd ya know"

"Firstly you were the sneakiest bastard in all of Michigan and secondly I'm know you for thirty-four years"

"Drat," Kevin snapped his fingers dramatically.

Cuddy grinned, "Well I suppose I should get to work. Make sure House hasn't gotten sued yet," she retrieved her keys from the table and headed to the door.

"Bye Tommy, bye Corky"

"Bye Lise," Tommy said.

"Don't call me that!" Kevin yelled. Before he had a chance to snap back Cuddy was out the door.


A/N: In the next chapter there will be more House, the origins of the nickname Corky, and some Huddy in office action!