Chapter 14

POV Connelly

House and I go back to work a few days after we came back from France. I am happy to see the team again. Well, except Chase of course. I always hope he would be fired, one day or the other. Cuddy is nicer with me and with House, I'm glad about that. I never wanted a war with her, and I must say I'm relieved that she stopped hitting on House. I know he loves me, but I don't have enough self-confidence to be sure that he wouldn't cheat on me.

We don't have a case when we're back, so we spend the day doing consultations. At lunch, House and I eat with Wilson.

"So, how were holidays?" he asks House.

"Quite good indeed. French people are quite nice, who would have believed it?"

I give him a black look:

"Hey, what does that mean?" I ask.

"You know it. French people never had a good reputation in America you know."

"And Americans are probably the most hated people all over the world", I retort.

"Then we make a good match", House says with a smile.

I smile back and slightly slap the back of his head. Wilson looks at us with a smile.

"Can I sit down here?"

We all turn to Cuddy, standing next to our table. I feel House's look on me and I simply smile and say:

"Sure."

She smiles and sits next to Wilson. The first seconds are very embarrassing: House eats his sandwich, Wilson gives Cuddy embarrassing smiles and I just can't take my eyes off her.

"How were holidays?" she ends up asking in turn.

"Good", House replies.

"Good", she says back.

Oh God, can't we just leave now, I think. I remain silent and House's arm embraces me. I immediately notice Cuddy's look and can't help getting angry:

"Stop it", I spat at her.

She gives me a surprised look and I laugh with disbelief:

"What do you take me for? A fucking fool?"

"Connelly…" House starts but I interrupt him.

"What's your fucking problem again? What don't you understand in the words "we. Are. Dating"? Stop checking my man out, okay?"

She has turned white and looks down:

"Well, erm… I should go."

"Yeah, do that", I spat again.

She leaves without a word and I give her a black look, even though she can't see me.

"Bitch", I mumble.

"Hey!" House and Wilson both exclaim.

"What?"

"You don't have to be rude Connelly", Wilson says.

"Yeah, calm down buddy", House says in turn.

I give him a disbelief look:

"Buddy? I'm not your fucking 'buddy'. I'm your girlfriend remember?"

"Jeez, why are you so mad? Stop being so irritated!"

"Have you seen how she's looking at you? At us? Do something for god' sake! Unless you don't really care indeed? Maybe you like it, right?"

He gapes and ends up saying:

"You're being paranoid…"

"Yeah, right."

Boiling with anger, I leave. During the afternoon, I remain far from House, Wilson or Cuddy. I'm too mad at the three of them. House should support me, not blame me. Wilson doesn't have a word to say, especially when he perfectly knows how much Cuddy hurt House. And Cuddy… House is her employee, not her freaking sex toy. I stay with Eric, I don't talk about what happened but I enjoy being with him and thinking about something else. I don't even go see House before leaving the hospital, as I use to. I go with Eric and have a drink instead. I drink a bit too much and Eric has to drive me back home. When I reach my flat's door, with great difficulty of course, House is here. He glances at me:

"You're drunk", he assures more than he asks.

"Very observant captain obvious".

I hear him sigh while I try to put my key in the lock.

"What?" I ask.

"Why did you get drunk? What have I done, AGAIN?"

"I just wanted to forget about you and your shitty temper for a while."

"What? MY shitty temper? Look at yourself before talking!"

"Fuck you."

I come in my apartment and try to close the door but he blocks it:

"No way."

"I'm tired. Piss off."

He comes in and I start yelling at him:

"I told you to piss off, are you deaf? GO AWAY!"

He gives me a surprised and worried look:

"Damn! Calm down. What's wrong? I keep asking and you keep avoiding the subject."

"Leave me alone. That's all I'm asking for. I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to see you, okay?"

He stares at me, looking sad and disappointed but, right now, I really don't care. I have a terrible headache and I feel I'm gonna be sick soon. I avoid his looks, we stay like that for a good while before he finally leaves without a word.

The following days, we don't make up. He tries to talk to me at first but I ignore him. As we're both really stubborn, the situation doesn't evolve. He starts ignoring me as I do and we end up not talking to each other at all, not even for professional reasons. When I meet Cuddy in the corridors of the hospital, she always gives me contemptuous looks. One day, I can't stand it anymore. I go in House's office: he's playing with his ball.

"Do you shag her?" I ask.

He looks up:

"Who?"

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't play with me. Just tell me if it's over or not."

"I… Listen, I don't get anything of what you're saying. I'm sincere."

"Do you fuck with Cuddy?" I shout.

"What? No! Of course not!"

"Then why does she always have this stupid smile when I see her?"

"She knows we're on bad terms. She thinks she can have me again."

"Can she?" I ask.

"No. I'm yours, as long as you want me. If you still do of course."

I look daggers at him:

"It's your fault if we've argued."

"It's been weeks now! And I still don't know what I've done."

"You've not defended me against her. You should have taken my side, not hers!"

"Oh, please, is it just that? You should grow up. She had not done anything and you attacked her like a fury!"

"Don't you see how she looks at you? Are you that blind?"

"All I can see is that you don't trust me. Cuddy loves me, yes. She wants me, yes. But I don't love HER and I don't want HER, got it?"

He stands up from his chair and limps to me:

"And let me add something: I fucking miss you. I really, really do."

I look at him, he looks sincere but he has spent his life lying to people so how can I be sure. But I want it, somehow. I want to believe him.

"Fine."

I give him a slight kiss:

"Miss you too. Tonight, my place?"

"Sounds good", he says.

After work, I go back home and prepare a nice dinner for me and House. I'm happy he comes. It was getting harder and harder to resist him. I bet the night is gonna be awesome. He is right on time and we have a drink before eating. We talk a lot about what happened but nothing can make me appreciate this woman again. We joke together, saying we should have her dating Wilson, thus we would get rid off her. After dinner, we cuddle on the couch but I apologize and leave to the restroom. When I come back, he is still on the couch, rubbing his leg. I look at him, silent, and I realize how much I've missed him, how much I want to rub his leg in his place to ease his pain, how much I love him and all his flaws. I feel my eyes watering and he turns to me just at this moment. His first smile fades away when he sees my tears.

"Hey, something wrong?"

I shake my head.

"Connelly, talk to me. You're crying. What's going on?"

"I'm pregnant."