Chapter 14: The perfect word
She didn't know how long they had been standing there, first kissing, then leaning their foreheads together.
"How…?" she started silently.
"I have no clue", he answered as silently, is thumb once again caressing over her cheekbone.
"And… now?"
House sighed.
"I have no clue. Really."
Bringing a distance of a few inches between them both hung their head.
"Uhm… maybe… I should go home?" Ali suggested, making him nod.
"You need…?" he started, this time looking into her eyes.
"I got my handbag…", she replied.
House sighed.
"This is…" He shrugged, not knowing what to say.
"Complicated?" Ali offered, picking up his cane from the floor.
"Yup", House nodded.
"Can I… call you?"
House nodded again while turning around, confusedly staggering back into the hospital while Ali watched him until he had disappeared behind the next corner before walking to the parking lot to flag down a cab.
Wilson found him in his office some hours later, behind his desk, head burried in his hands, obvioulsly deep in thought.
"Cuddy found you already. Don't believe what she said, I think…"
"I slept with her."
Frowning, the oncologist sat down in front of the desk.
"Didn't she have this meeting…"
Looking up, House rolled his eyes at his friend.
"Come on, as if I would do Cuddy. There are mummies younger than her (and NO WAY that old shrew is only 38!!!!)."
"You did…"
"I know, no reason to remind me of that."
Wilson closed his eyes, reminding himself whom he was talking to.
"So. You did sleep with somebody… and?"
"She is 27 years younger than me. And I thought it was a one nighter… and now I kissed her…"
Wilson took a deep breath.
"What for heaven's sake are you talking about?"
His friend again rolled his eyes.
"Thank god you're a doctor… you would suck at putting clues together…"
"House!"
"Ali. When you dosed me with antidepressants… she had her 18th birthday, and seduced me… more or less, I somehow willingly was taking part but…"
Dumbfolded the oncologist looked at him.
"You slept with your daughter?"
"Huh?!"
"That girl… you said…"
"I didn't say anything. You assumed", the diagnostician informed him.
"So she isn't…"
"Hell, no. You should know when I'm playing with your mind."
"That would expain all the people in front of Cuddy's door", Wilson concluded, seeing his friend run a hand over his face.
"So… you did…?"
"Yup."
"Wow." Leaning back in his seat Wilson took a long look at House, who was frowning at him.
"That's all you've got to say? Wow?"
"Well… from my point of view it definitely deserves a wow… Wow…"
By now the diagnostician was shaking his head.
"You get all worked up because you think I sired her, and when I tell you I did her you just say Wow?!"
"Actually, I also am thinking about what would have happened if I had told Cuddy that instead of the daughter story… she'd have spit fire!"
"It's none of her business", House growled, hiding his head again in his hands.
"I think she made it her business. She doesn't believe Ali's your daughter."
"At least then she's smarter than you", the diagnostician grumped.
"She believes she want's to rip you off. She wanted to call the police once more", Wilson stated.
"Great."
Complicated really was the perfect word.
"You really like her, don't you?" Wilson asked silently, intently watching his friend who slumped back in his seat, a confused expression on his face.
"Yah… and I don't know what to do now…", House answered directing his blue eyes at his friend who shrugged.
"Don't look at me. Three failed marriages, remember?"
"Yup…"
Both of them sat silently in the office for a while, with Wilson finally stretching out his legs.
"She's 18."
"Yup."
"How…?"
Rolling his eyes House sat up.
"This is not 'Sex and the city', Jimmy."
"Yah, but it's the dream of every middle aged guy."
"Then get your own 18 year old."
Getting up House grabbed his jacket and his backpack.
"Where are you going?" Wilson wanted to know. I still was way before his normal quitting time.
"Home. Cuddles made me stay late here yesterday, remember?"
"What are you going to do about Ali?"
House sighed.
"I don't know… it's… complicated", he then said, leaving his friend in his office.