A/N: Well this is it. This is the final chapter. Thanks to all those who have been reviewing throughout this journey. It was a fun story to work on. However, it's time to move on to the next. I have an idea in my head so I'm just going to run with it and see what happens. After all, that's how this one started :D
Thanks as always to my beta/partner-in-crime Purplemint Patty for helping me out with this.
Chapter Fourteen
Friday finally arrived, and House wasn't any closer to a diagnosis than he had been on Monday. After another lengthy DDX, Park finally came up with an idea that fit the symptoms, so House made her stay overnight to monitor the patient.
As he packed his things for the day, he found himself slightly nervous about seeing Jenny. He knew he wasn't ready to end things just yet, and he hoped the shit storm Cuddy was trying to stir up wouldn't cause any trouble for him.
A light tap on the door pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Jenny standing in the doorway, coat on, and briefcase in hand.
"Ready to go?"
"Yeah. I'll follow you to your place as usual."
"Great."
They walked to the elevator together and went down to the parking garage, neither of them saying anything. Jenny had parked in the spot across from him and she was just backing out when she noticed he hadn't moved. Pulling up next to his car, she rolled down the window.
"Something wrong?"
"Yeah, it's dead as a door nail. I had to get a jump start this morning, but I think it might be time to call time of death." House said glumly.
"Hop in then. We'll have a tow truck come and take it to the garage in the morning."
Pouting, he grabbed his stuff and got into the passenger seat of her SUV.
"T.G.I.F" she sighed as she drove, eyes on the road ahead.
"Me too. I've been burning the candle at both ends it seems."
"How's your patient?"
"Still dying, but Park came up with a Hail Mary play, so we're trying it out. If I don't hear from her tonight, I'll take it to be good news."
"Fingers crossed then," she said, crossing her own fingers as she gave him an encouraging smile.
They arrived at her townhouse, and she went straight to the kitchen to start dinner.
Greg plopped down on a chair as he watched her take things out of the fridge and pantry, as well as various pots and pans. He was too tired to ask if she needed help, and she didn't seem bothered that he was just sitting there.
"What are we having?"
"Spaghetti. It's quick and easy because I'm starving."
"Want some wine?"
"Absolutely. You know where the wine rack is."
House found a good Italian wine and poured them each a glass, and then he leaned against the counter as he watched her cook.
He took a few sips and then let out a long sigh.
"So…I guess an apology is in order."
She didn't look up from what she was doing. "From . . ."
"Me."
She stopped chopping her basil and glanced over at him.
"Greg House apologizing?"
"It's not something you're going to get often so enjoy it while you can," he smirked.
"Point taken." She put the knife down and turned to face him.
"I'm listening."
He took another long sip, for courage and looked at her.
"I realize I over-reacted to that picture of us in the paper and I'm sorry for blaming you for it."
Jenny smiled. "Apology accepted." Then she went back to chopping the basil.
House blinked in surprise. "What? That's it?"
"There's more?"
"Yeah. I also wanted to apologize for kicking you out of my office."
"You needed to process everything. I get it. You don't have to apologize for being you, Greg, in spite what others made you believe, and yes, I do mean Lisa Cuddy."
"Did you mean what you said? About helping me?"
Jenny nodded. "She won't do anything. She doesn't have the guts to take me on, and I hope I made it clear that she'd be crazy to try it. Neither one of you knew the other would be there. Hell, I didn't know she would be there. If she really wanted to, she would've made her presence known. But no, she lurked like a psycho."
That last comment made House laugh and almost choke on his wine. Jenny chuckled and poured him a quick glass of water.
"It's true," she added. "If she really wanted to cause trouble for you, she would've called the police right then and it would have been more of an embarrassment to her than you. She deliberately caused you to unknowingly violate the order by showing up at the hospital. So yes, I will help you if the situation arises."
He looked down at the floor, tapping his cane. "Thanks. I just…can't go back to prison."
Jenny came around and stood in front of him, placing her hands on his chest. She glanced up at him until he looked at her.
"And you won't. I promise. I don't know what kind of hell you went through in there, but if the memories become too painful, I'll help you through it or find someone who can."
It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to lean down and kiss her, so that's exactly what he did. It had been one hell of a long week, which seemed forever since the last time he kissed her like that. It was gentle at first, slightly tentative. But quickly turned into something a lot more feverish and urgent. House let his cane clatter to the floor as his arms wrapped around Jenny, pulling her against his body as he kissed her lips and then nibbled her neck.
"Mmm, so nice," she moaned as she rolled her head back and gave him easy access to her throat.
The timer dinged to signify that the garlic bread was in danger of burning and she regrettably pulled back from him.
"Let's eat then we can… get to the bottom of things," she said with a saucy grin.
House grinned back and took his glass of wine with him to the table. House realized he was hungrier than he thought and ended up having seconds in spite of himself. It was his intention to eat quickly and have Jenny for dessert. However, when she mentioned Tiramisu, he surrendered.
Once dessert was eaten, they sat in the living room with some coffee in front of the fire, one of the ways Jenny liked to relax. House wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him. She rested her head against his chest and he sighed, finally content.
"So when do we get to have make-up sex?"
Jenny laughed. "You gotta break-up to make-up."
"Not necessarily. We almost did, and would have if I hadn't come to my senses."
"We could have "almost" make-up sex," she grinned.
"Yeah, we could do that."
"But first, I'm going to take a bath." She got up and stood, offering him her hand. "Care to join me?"
He stood and started to walk with her but his cell phone began to ring in his back pocket.
"Damn. I'll be right there."
Five minutes later he entered the ensuite bathroom just in time to see her stripping down.
"Mmm very nice."
She smiled at him over her shoulder as she slowly bent over to turn off the tap.
"Was that Park on the phone?"
"Yep. Patient's responding to treatment."
"That's good."
Jenny's pulse quickened as he took her hand and kissed a trail up her arm, his gaze never leaving hers.
Her other hand reached up to caress his cheek and brought his lips down on hers. He forced her mouth open under his and their tongues mingled, tasting, wanting more of each other. She tugged his T-shirt over his head and slid her hands up his chest, raking her nails over his nipples.
"Such a handsome man. I love touching you..."
"I like the way you touch me."
He unzipped his jeans and kicked them off while she stepped into the tub and made room for him to get in behind her.
"Greg?"
"Mhm?" he murmured as he kissed her shoulder and neck.
"I want to ask you something."
He paused. "And what might that be?"
"Well, I was wondering if you'd consider staying here. With me."
"I thought I was."
Jenny shook her head. "No, I meant on a permanent basis."
The corners of his mouth turned up into a sexy smile. "You mean shack up?"
She laughed. "Well I wouldn't put it like that but... yes."
Seeing that she had his full attention, she continued.
"I missed you this week. I miss having you here. I miss waking up next to you. I hate coming back here alone at the end of the day."
"I don't always come home at night," he pointed out. "Sometimes I end up staying at the hospital..."
"I know," she cut him off. "That's the nature of your practice, I understand that. I just... I guess I was hoping you'd want the same thing at the end of the day. I like waking up and having you here next to me first thing in the morning."
He nodded. "I like that too, but I need some time to process all of this."
She smiled and turned her head to softly kiss him, nibbling on his bottom lip as he caressed one of her breasts and toyed with the nipple.
"Water's getting cold. We should get out. Go to bed..."
Jenny giggled and squirmed against him as his hand traveled lower. "Mmm I guess we should..."
They dried each other off and then quickly climbed into bed.
His lips crashed against hers once again as their bodies joined. Jenny melted against him and her eyes fluttered closed as he began to move, slowly at first.
Her nails glided up and down his back as their passion increased. His movements quickened and her body responded.
He knew she was close. So close.
"Greg...take me..."
He needed no further encouragement and brought her to the edge, tumbling into the abyss with her. It was one of the most intense moments he'd ever felt with her, and it overwhelmed him. He closed his eyes tightly and buried his face in her neck.
Jenny kept her arms wrapped around him as they lay there, catching their breath, still holding each other tightly.
"I love you," she whispered as she gently stroked his hair.
"I know," he murmured against her neck before giving it a small nip, making her giggle. Then he rolled off of her and pulled her to him so her back was against his chest. He continued to kiss and nibble the back of her neck until they both dozed off.
XXX
"Your car is toast, Dr. House," the mechanic told him when House went to the shop.
"What's wrong with it?"
"What isn't wrong with would be an easier question to answer. We can't start it. It's just dead. Replacing the battery and spark plugs would only buy you some time, but not much. The car isn't worth what it would cost to fix it."
House was glaring at the man, and he took a step back.
"Doc, listen. I've been your mechanic for years. I've performed miracles of epic proportions to keep your car running. But every car has its breaking point, and yours has hit it. I'm sorry. Even if I just charged you for labor, the price tag is too high. Now, I'll be more than happy to buy it from you. The body is pretty cherry and there are a few parts that can be sold."
"How much?"
"I checked Kelly Blue Book, and they don't even have this car listed. I also called a few people I thought might be interested. The offers were pitiful. I'll give you five hundred for it, and that's probably the best you're going to get."
House glanced over at the car, the Dodge Dynasty that he'd had for years. It was like losing an old friend.
"Fine," he said with a heavy sigh and turned away to follow the mechanic to the main office.
XXX
House went back to Jenny's. His leg had been especially bad all day and all he wanted was to relax on the couch with her and a glass of Scotch.
Jenny came out of the kitchen with said glass and handed it to him. "So what's the verdict?" she asked.
"Repairs were going to be a hell of a lot more than the car was worth. He cut me a cheque for parts."
"Oh," she frowned, and gently touched his hand. "I'm sorry. I know how much you loved that car."
He merely sighed and collapsed on the couch. "I guess I need to start looking for another one. I can't rely on just the bike."
"James mentioned a Vette in storage?"
"I sold it years ago. Too impractical."
"Okay so you want something practical and not flashy."
"Yeah."
"Well, it just so happens that I have a hybrid Mercedes in the parking garage that I never use."
"Why not?"
"No reason, really. I'm not even sure why I bought it. It handles well in bad weather, but I really prefer the SUV. I was going to sell it but if you want it, it's yours. We can transfer the title Monday morning."
He blinked. "Just like that?"
"Sure. I'm not using it so you might as well take it for when you're not using the bike."
She got up and went to the kitchen and came back with a set of keys.
"Dinner's not for another half hour. Why don't you take it for a drive, see how you like it."
House nodded and took the keys from her. When he got downstairs to the underground garage, he saw it parked along the far wall of the garage, all shiny, black and pristine. When he unlocked the doors and got in, he took a deep breath. It still had that new car smell and when he started the engine, it was so quiet that he wondered if it was even on. There was even Sirius satellite radio and GPS, definitely the icing on the cake.
Half an hour later, House returned and handed Jenny the keys with a nod and a smile.
"It's nice. Are you sure about this?"
"Definitely. You just saved me the headache of trying to sell it."
"Why not just sell it back to the dealership?"
"I wouldn't get as much for it. You know how much a car depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot. And yes, I know I could sell it privately but I don't have time for all that. You'd be doing me a huge favor. And I'm sure you'll look hot driving it," she added with a sexy grin, which caused him to smile back at her.
He stepped closer and pulled her into his arms for a long kiss. "Thank you."
She pulled back enough to smile up at him. "You're welcome."
After another delicious dinner, Jenny & House enjoyed a glass of wine in front of the fire. Other than "The Man Cave", it was House's favorite place. He chuckled inwardly at that thought. Jenny's bed was really his favorite place. When he thought more about her, he realized that he couldn't remember being so happy in a long time. He was just sorry it had taken him so long to get there.
Yes, he had been a selfish bastard for most of his life, but that had been a self-defense mechanism against emotional pain, and he had hurt many people along the way. He truly regretted that. He also regretted that his leg was telling him it was time to get up and stretch a bit, but thanks to Jenny, while he still was in pain, it was no longer mind numbing. Next on the agenda was some physical therapy, which he knew would help his pain levels even more.
XXX
A couple of days later, Jenny came home to see House's bike parked in the street.
"Why didn't he put it in the garage?" she wondered as she tried to figure out how he got home before her. The Mercedes was in its usual spot. When she got inside, she saw a couple of suitcases at the front door and went to the bedroom to find him there.
"Honey, I'm home," he said with a grin.
"I see that. What are you doing in my closet?"
"It's my closet too."
She smiled and walked over to him. "Is that right?"
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
"I thought about what you said the other night and decided to take you up on your offer. So, how many drawers are you going to give me?"
The End