Disclaimer: Same old, same old – I do this for fun and nothing else; if you sue me I'm too poor to pay and all you get is a rust bucket car and a load of animal with attitudes that make House look like a cute lickle teddy:O)

WARNING: POSSIBLE BAD LANGUAGE, SO READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please; and I will try to update regularly.

'—' signifies thoughts.

"—" signifies speech.

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Always Yours

Chapter Twelve – Moving The Furniture

"Hey everyone, its Stalker Hank!" House called out like a kid's tv presenter.

"Oh very droll buddy." Hank drawled at House who dipped his head.

"I try……anyway, how did you get here? Someone leave your cage open, or did you escape the circus unaided?"

"Hank, what do you want?" Jess ignored House; she was becoming exasperated – she'd found out from Mike that Hank'd phoned three times the previous night when she'd stayed with irascible doctor, and she wasn't happy.

"When are you coming to the CDC?" he raised an eyebrow.

Cuddy was on the alert, she didn't want to lose what would ostensibly be two doctors; if Jess left House would suddenly lose interest in the clinic again, she could guarantee it.

"I'm not." Jess sighed and slapped House's shoulder as he went to smirk. "Look Hank I appreciate the offer – but with my leg, and changes I'm making at home" she glanced at House "I can't see me being able to take up a full time post with the CDC. Naturally I will always help you out with data and stuff; as you say, I have a nose for diseases right? But that's it. Cuddy's asked me to work in the clinic; and that's what I'm going to be doing as well as helping House when he needs me, same as always."

"But you don't like Cuddy…." Hank was confused; why work for a person you can't stand, and a man that is basically the meanest son of a bitch he had ever met.

"No, me and the cudster like not liking each other – it's a woman thing, you wouldn't get it." Jess looked at Cuddy who nodded with a brief smile.

"I'm always here for you sweetpea." Hank emphasised his pet name for her. Unfortunately the only one who got to call her that was Brenda and then only sometimes; for the most part Jess hated it, it was just that Hank ignored that fact.

"Hank, let it go okay. I like you as a friend, I always have – but as anything else forget it."

"Yeah, but I was there for you in Ethiopia – where was he?" he nodded at House "He was so busy….."

"Oh yeah, he was so busy getting sick and nearly dying on me." Jess rolled her eyes "I chose to leave here Hank; no one made me go, just like no one made me come back. I do what I want; when I want – no one's the boss of me, not even House."

"I'm not? Damn…..and there I thought I had you well trained."

"Yeah right." Hank didn't believe her, turned to go and then looked round "I'm not giving up on you Jess. I like you way more than he does; when you see that, I'll be waiting…….." He glared at House who stuck his tongue out.

Hank rolled his eyes and headed for the door "Oh way mature House." Jess sighed "yeah, way mature."

"What can I say, Monty? I'd insult him, but he's not bright enough to notice.

"What did you say?" Hank was not out of earshot and Jess sighed, there'd be no shutting them up now "You think this is a battle of wits?"

"There is no battle of wits between you and me. I never pick on an unarmed man. Most of us drink from the fountain of knowledge, but it appears you merely gargled." House wandered over to the other man "Hey, if you stand this close to him, you can hear the ocean!"

"You think you're so clever don't you?"

"What and you don't? Though granted I believe you're the kind of a man you'd use as a blueprint to build an idiot."

"I was right, you are a total bastard." Even Cuddy flinched; the man was a moron when it came to swapping insults with House.

"Really? I have to say I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you too buddy; mainly because they turned out to be right. You are a dick."

"Oh, go to hell!" Hank ground out as he left "when he doesn't want you anymore and you're hurting, I'll be there." He said to Jess as he passed.

"I'm cut to the quick by those hurtful words." House clutched a hand to his chest and then rolled his eyes "being verbally attacked by you is like being savaged by a dead sheep."

Jess sighed as she watched the warring men "What am I? Flypaper for freaks?"

Cuddy grinned at her "do you really want me to answer that?"

Jess pulled a face "probably not."

"You really don't like him, do you?" Wilson asked House as the other man went to walk over to Jess.

"On the whole he's as harmless as a small slug; leaves a slimy trail, eats all your best flowers and is only good for torturing. But he does have occasional flashes of silence which makes his presence just about bearable for 30 seconds." House shrugged.

Wilson merely smirked and walked off.

Molly, who hadn't left yet, walked over to Hank as he was leaving "I used to think that you were a gibbering idiot. Now I have a much lower opinion of you." she muttered.

The other man looked hard at her "God, you're so like him it's creepy."

She grinned maliciously "I'll take that as a compliment; a hundred of you couldn't make one of him."

Hank rolled his eyes and left.

Molly then turned her attention to Sarah and Chase "So what you two doing tonight?"

The couple shared a look and Chase, remembering what Mike had said to the little girl once before, stammered "we're ummm…..I'm going to help Sarah move some furniture."

"Oh right, you're going to be having sex then – is that before or after dinner?"

There was a stunned silence from everyone until House wandered over "Midget, I swear to God you'll be the death of me yet." It actually hurt to hold in the laughter, but something told him she wouldn't appreciate being sniggered at.

"Oh come on! It's so transparent – Uncle Mike calls it 'moving the furniture' and apparently so does Chase" she nodded at the blushing doctor "Foreman calls it 'taking a tumble'; Brenda calls it a 'late night salsa' and I dread to think what you've come up with, though I'm always hopeful you'll just call it sex.

They must think I'm a moron not to work it out – I'm the offspring of doctors, that's been raised by doctors! Wake up and smell the coffee people!" she chided sarcastically before running after the boys and Chloe.

Wilson looked at the others "I've said it before and I'll say it again, that girl has been here before. I swear she's the poster child for reincarnation!"

Mike merely shook his head and left smiling. Brenda gave Jess a wink, something House didn't miss.

"What was that about?"

They stood in the elevator going up to get the paperwork on Abigail Mulholland "What?"

"That look you gave Brenda?"

"What look?"

"Oh don't play the dumb female with me Monty – you and that vicious harpy are up to something."

Jess smirked and ignored him walking down to the main office and collecting Abigail Mulholland's file; it wasn't until they got out of the lift at car park level that she blew into his ear before murmuring "Greg, we're up to nothing."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath "You keep doing that and on your own head be it." He muttered.

"Just my head?" she looked at him innocently.

He grinned and wagged his finger at her as they got in the car. Neither noticed Brenda and Wilson high five each other as they watched from behind a pillar and then go to their own cars.

0-0-0-0-0-0

They weren't the only ones leaving; Chase caught Sarah up as she walked to the lift "Sarah! Wait! Listen…." He frantically punched the door button to close it before a running Foreman could get in, smiling as they shut in his colleague's face "I don't want you to think I'm…well…that I think….because you know you're not. I really like you; a lot, actually. So I was thinking, tonight maybe we should……you know, just chat and do coupley stuff like watch an old movie or something, and cuddle."

"'Coupley stuff'? You think we're a couple?" Sarah sounded surprised.

"Well, if you want to be…..see, I've liked you for a while – but if you'd rather not be….." he trailed off for a moment "I'd like us to be. I don't want to end up like House and Jess; 20 years down the line realise you love someone and that you've wasted all those years."

Sarah nodded, grinning widely "Yeah an old movie, takeway and a cuddle sounds great. We can leave moving the furniture until another night."

They both fell about laughing at that…

0-0-0-0-0

Later at House's apartment Jess and House were eating the pizza they'd got and were pouring over the Mulholland file and the paperwork that Jess had had sent over by an old police buddy who'd done a little off the record detective work for her.

House came to the same conclusion as she had – it would appear that Abigail's mother was the one who had infected her; not once, but twice, and had probably consigned her daughter to an early death due to the severe complications of the infestation this second time.

It would appear she had bought 2 crabs from a known fluke infected port a year before. The fishermen had not been able to eradicate the infection to date, yet she had bought another 2 a short period from where they could estimate that Abi's second infestation had taken place.

Jess was horrified and so angry that she became unable to speak for a good few minutes. For anyone to do it was unacceptable; but for a mother to do it to her child, a child she knew had suffered so much already - it was not only incomprehensible, it was unforgivable.

House managed to calm her down enough to get her to talk a little and gathered enough that she was going to rip the mother's head off with a rusty spoon and puke down her neck.

"That's so you Monty – graphic, quick and to the point. Don't argue or row, just remove head and puke down neck; if she misses the point she must be stupid….or dead by then." He smirked.

She returned it, realising how ridiculous she sounded and took a few deep breaths "Sorry….sorry…I'm…..mad….just…."

"Yes, I think I get it. You're mad; mad enough that only physical dismemberment will calm you. I'm in for a fun night then; I can see I shall be beating you off with a stick. Either that or defending myself with my cane, and praying I don't fall over in the process."

She rolled her eyes and stood up, going into the kitchen to get some coffee.

She came out and he was sat in his chair, like the one he had in his office (a new acquisition and one he loved, as the damn thing was so comfortable), looking over the paperwork again. She could see that, in his own House type way, he was as mad as she was.

She sat on the arm and handed him his mug; he took it and hers and moved them to the side, before pulling her onto his lap. "So….do I have to fear Hank? Do I have to stalk him, drug him and put him in a box and send him to China; or preferably the moon?"

"Why would you do all that?" Deep blue eyes regarded bright blue ones.

"Because he wants you badly….." he mentally added 'as much as I do.'

"Oh right, I see." She never elaborated.

"So should I ensure he starts learning Mandarin or even liking cheese?"

"Cheese?" that was out there even for House.

"Yeah, well we all know the moon's made of cheese." He shrugged.

"You know you're losing your mind right?"

"Yeah, but I won't miss it; I've given too many pieces to you and Cuddy."

"House you've given too many pieces to everyone – I'm surprised there's enough left up there to let you remember how to tie your laces."

"You know that's what appeals to me most about you." he smirked "your smart mouth – you don't need a knife to cut your food, that sharp tongue of yours can do it for you."

She put her arms around his neck and pulled his head down until their lips were barely touching "You'd be surprised what else it can do Greg." She whispered.

He groaned and closed the distance "You were warned Jess…." Was all he said as he devoured her mouth with his.

She kissed him back, her arms pulling him ever closer; his own wrapped tightly around her waist and crushed her to him. This was what he'd wanted for so long; have her close, have her belong to him…..

He broke the kiss "I'd love to be able to sweep you into my arms and carry you to the bed where I'd ravish you; but frankly I'd never make it and we'd fall, breaking our legs on the way. Only to be found by Wilson or the ducklings days from now – two shrivelled corpses clinging together in death."

"You are such a comedian House, I have no idea why I don't bust a gut laughing at the jokes you come out with." She rolled her eyes and stood up, holding her hand out to him "Come on old man….." she joked, then her voice softened "I don't care how we get there Greg; so long as we move the furniture, talk a long tumble, engage in a late night salsa or even have sex – if I'm with you, I'm cool."

He laughed then, a genuine laugh and pulled himself to his feet – still holding her hand he tugged her to him and kissed her deeply "You're as bad as me, you know that?"

She smirked and nodded "yeah, and that's no bad thing."

They got to the bedroom and it wasn't long before they managed to find a way to carry out every variation that the others had mentioned. Finally, sated, sweaty and tangled together – their crippled legs giving them both hell – House looked at her "You know I'm never letting you go now right? I couldn't, not now Jess." He sighed "But don't expect me to be different. I'm not the hearts, flowers, chocolates type of guy. I don't do romance."

"I know and I wouldn't want you to be." She raised herself on her elbow and popped two vicodine in his mouth; followed by two in her own, she nodded as he raised an eyebrow "yeah it hurts that much right now. But it was worth it, before you ask. I can only say WOW! Out of 10, I'd give you a 20."

He chuckled "well, you should have seen my moves before this." He patted his leg "Though I have to give you the same mark; who'd have known you really could bend like a pretzel?"

Jess smiled as she continued "you're a miserable, snarky son of a bitch and you're mine. I couldn't let you go now either; so shut up and sleep." She lay down next to him, her head on his chest and tugged his arms around her, using her fingers to shut his eyes.

He smirked "No pillow talk, no afterglow murmurings of our undying love?"

"Oh shut up you git, and go to sleep." She grinned.

"Coz I do, you know."

"I know and one day you'll say the dreaded word out loud. Until then this will do me, nuff said." She sighed contentedly and then giggled "oh and did I say 'Wow'?"

"You did. I had no idea I was still that good……been a while I was worried I'd be a bit rusty. I have to say the only time sex is bad is when you're not getting any. When was the last time for you?"

There was a silence "Before Molly was born."

"You mean that….." he was surprised.

"Yeah, I mean that…." She mimicked him "what can I say, I'm an old fashioned girl. I can't have sex without caring for the guy."

"So you care?"

"Yeah….now shut up and sleep, before I use your cane to club you unconscious."

He smirked as he took the hint and closed his eyes. He should tell her, tell her he loved her with all his heart; that if he believed in a soul and if he actually had one, then all that too. But he knew she understood, knew she knew whether he said so or not. House sighed and pulled her as close as he could, one day….one day he'd say it.