A/N: First of all, I'd just like to apologize for the delay in update. I know, I suck! But I'm trying to adjust being back at school, and the first week is always a little hectic. I'm going to try to update once a week from now on, and it will most likely be sometimes between Friday and Monday (that's when I have the most time to write)

This chapter was somewhat of a struggle to write, but I think it turned out well! I'm currently sitting in my Environmental Science Lecture, so I hope the person behind me is reading this and wondering what the fuck I'm doing.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I wish I did.

There were very few times when Lisa Cuddy had ben rendered speechless.

She was a woman of words, and she always had something to say. Whether it was a snarky comment that she muttered under her breath, or an intelligent comeback that made people fear her as opposed to loving her.

Whatever the situation was, she could always count on her love for the English language to back her up.

But watching House play, his eyes locked on her and his fingers dancing across the keys, had left her without words.

She leaned back into the edge of the bar, her feet tucked underneath the stool as her back pressed against the wooden surface. Her elbow was propped up on the bar, and her chin was resting lightly in the palm of her hand.

There was a sparkle in House's eyes that she hadn't seen for a long time, and when she'd heard the news of Wilson's untimely death, she was convinced that she may never see it again.

But there it was, right in front of her.

She smiled sheepishly at him, which only seemed to encourage him; the music got louder as his hands moved across the keys excitedly.

He winked at her, causing her to roll her eyes. She reached out behind her, her hands searching for her abandoned drink. Her delicate fingers gripped the glass, and she brought it to her lips, taking a slow sip.

The alcohol burned down her throat, and she licked her lips seductively, taunting him with every move.

He bit down on the bottom of his lip ever so slightly, cursing her inwardly. He darted his eyes to the keys in front of him, deciding he couldn't take her devilish grin any longer.

But she never took her eyes off of him. Cuddy stared down at her half empty glass, convinced that she was experiencing a bit of liquid courage; there was of course, a more obvious reason for her continuous flirtation.

And no matter how hard she tried to convince herself, she knew it wasn't the alcohol that was making her act this way; it was him.

It was the way he seemed to light up when he sat down in front of that piano. The way he looked at her as if she was the only person in the entire room. The way he would pull her closer to him at night when he thought she was asleep.

It was the way he challenged her. The way he pretended to be annoyed by her daughter, when he was really entranced by her.

The way he made her want to instantly forgive him for all of his past mistakes with the slightest touch, or a smoldering look.

The way he was looking at her right now, in this moment.

She took a deep breath and lifted her hand to her hair, twirling her deep brown locks between her fingers.

He smirked; he knew her mind was running rampant, and he knew he was the reason for it. She pointed her eyes at him, and he shrugged his shoulders as he continued to play, a slight smile on his face.

She jumped as she felt Joey take her drink from her.

"Sorry," he said, a hint of laughter in his voice. "Didn't mean to scare you."

She rolled her eyes, knowing what he was getting at. "You didn't," she fired back.

"Could have fooled me." He slid the drink back towards her and she took it, glaring slightly at him.

"Ever heard him play before?"

Cuddy nodded her head as she took a sip of her drink. "Several times," she said, turning her stool around to face him.

She couldn't take his eyes on her anymore.

"Did he ever sing to you?" joked Joey.

Cuddy let out a slight laugh. "No," she answered firmly. "Where did Amelia go?"

"Bathroom, I think." He paused, and his brow furrowed as his voice went soft. "Should I be worried about her?"

Cuddy raised her eyebrows at him. "I think you should be worried about the fact that you think it's your responsibility to worry about her," she answered, smiling smugly at him.

Joey ran a hand through his hair, sighing at her response. Cuddy rolled her eyes and took another sip of her drink.

"You should just tell her," said Cuddy.

Joey shook his head at her, eyeing her quizzically. "You know?" he asked

"You're not exactly discrete about it," she retorted.

"It's not the right time," he said.

Cuddy sighed, turning her head towards House for a few moments. Their eyes met, and he raised his eyebrows slightly at her. Cuddy shot him a devilish grin before turning back towards Joey.

She took another sip of her drink, smiling sadly at him. "It hardly ever is."

"Amelia?" called Cuddy, opening the door to the seemingly empty bathroom.

She laughed as she saw a mass of blonde hair pacing back and forth in front of the mirror.

"What are you doing?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

Amelia ignored her question. "Why is he so nice to me?" she asked, throwing her hands up in the air. "It's irritating."

"Yes, people being nice to me always gets under my skin," answered Cuddy flatly. Amelia shot her a glare and Cuddy walked over towards her. She leaned against the sink and continued to watch Amelia pace back and forth.

"Are we talking about Joey here?"

Amelia nodded. "I've been sitting there for hours bitching about my life and how I screwed it up, and he's just standing there, more than willing to tend to my every need."

"Sounds awful," answered Cuddy.

"Calm your sass, Lisa."

Cuddy scoffed, amused by her saying. "Calm your sass? Who talks like that?"

"Apparently I do!" exclaimed Amelia. She stopped pacing and turned to face Cuddy, running a hand through her hair. "I'm freaking out Lisa," she said softly.

"Because Joey is being nice to you? Amelia, Joey is a nice person. It's not cause for concern."

"I know," she said, frustrated with Lisa's lack of comprehension. "That's not why I'm freaking out."

Cuddy nodded skeptically. "Okay," she said slowly. "Amelia, you're going to have to fill in some blanks for me."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "I just broke up with a guy I dated for six years, and I'm not sad about it. At all." Her voice softened and she folded her arms across her chest. "Lisa, I've been sitting at that bar all night thinking about Joey. Charlie hasn't entered my mind once."

Cuddy nodded.

"So you feel guilty over the fact that you don't actually feel guilty." she said, trying to follow Amelia's train of thought.

"Exactly," she answered.

"You shouldn't feel guilty. You can't control who you fall in love with."

"Are you speaking from experience or is that just a guess? Because I'm pretty sure if I tired hard enough, I could force myself to fall in love with someone. You'd be amazed at the amount of sheer will power I possess."

Cuddy laughed, standing up straight. She gently placed her hand on Amelia's shoulder. "I don't care how much will power you have. It can't be done. Trust me."

"So you are speaking from experience," said Amelia, a smug grin on her face.

Cuddy removed her hand from Amelia, opting to run it through her hand instead. "I'm going to head back out," she said, deflecting the question.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "You go ahead, I'll be out in a minute."

Cuddy raised her eyebrows, prompting Amelia to defend herself.

"Swear. I just need a minute."

Cuddy nodded before heading towards the door, and Amelia turned back towards the mirror. She was murmuring words that Cuddy couldn't quite make out.

Cuddy shook her head in amusement. She opened the door and began to walk back towards the bar, jumping when she heard the sound of footsteps next to her.

"I was beginning to think you'd fallen in," said House.

"Are you following me now?" she asked, not allowing her voice to falter due to his presence.

"Nope," he answered. "Just thought I would keep up our little staring contest."

They walked in tandem with each other, heading back towards the bar. Cuddy shook her head, attempting to feign innocence.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

"So we're going to play it that way? Okay. I'll just have to adjust my strategy then."

She paused, turning to face him. He stopped walking, and she stood in front of him, her face inches from his. She opened her mouth slightly to answer before deciding against it.

He raised her eyebrows expectedly at her, and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.

"House," she said seriously. His face softened, and a small smile breached her lips. "You were good. I'd almost forgotten how talented you were."

He sighed, knowing she had lost her courage. He shrugged his shoulders before answering. "Show's not over yet."

He walked away from her, leaving her speechless for the second time that night.

She didn't even want to think about what he could possibly mean by that.

"You okay?" Joey asked as Amelia sat back down in the stool in front of him. Cuddy raised her eyebrows at him, and he shot her a warning glare.

Amelia eyes darted back and forth between the two, a confused look on her face. "Fine, thanks." She turned her attention to House, whose back was turned to them. "House, Lisa wasn't lying when she said you were good. You've been holding out on us."

"You should see my dance moves," he quipped. Cuddy smiled at him, and he slid another drink towards her.

Cuddy leaned closer to the counter, and House's eyes moved to her chest. His eyes widened as she moved closer, and she smirked before speaking. "Are you trying to get me drunk?" she asked

He rested his hands on the edge of the bar, and he leaned closer, as if he were going to whisper something to her. He moved his eyes back to hers. "Yes," he exclaimed rather loudly.

Cuddy smirked once again before sitting straight up. She pushed the glass back towards him. "I think I've had enough," she said, letting out a choked back laugh.

House shrugged, "Suit your self," he said. He pushed the glass towards Amelia, who looked at it warily.

Amelia's eyes went from the glass to Joey, who had made his way over to the other end of the bar. She stared at it for about ten seconds before finally taking a sip.

She downed about half of the glass, her eyes never leaving the back of Joey's head. She set the glass back on the counter in front of her before hopping down off of the stool.

"I'll be right back," she murmured.

She was gone before Cuddy could respond.

House smirked, clearly pleased with him self. "A little liquid courage never hurt anyone," he muttered.

Cuddy smiled, realizing that was his plan all along. "You knew I wouldn't drink that, didn't you?"

"I had my suspicions," he said. Cuddy's simle widened and he rolled his eyes. "Now maybe he'll stop bitching about it. I did it for me more than anyone else."

"Right," said Cuddy skeptically. House opened his mouth to protest, but Cuddy continued, not allowing him to speak. "House, I know you actually want Joey to be happy. Amelia too, to some extent."

"This is not about-"

"It's okay," said Cuddy, a hint of laughter in her voice. "I won't tell anyone."

House simply glared at her, and Cuddy smirked, sitting up straighter in the stool.

"As fun as it is listening to you inform me of my motives, I've got another song to play," he said, cocking his head to the left.

Cuddy nodded, and he tapped the surface of the bar with his hands before he left.

He walked across the room, and the lights dimmed once again; Cuddy searched the room for any sign of Amelia, but she was nowhere to be found.

She turned her attention back to House, who had sat down in front of the piano. His hands were lightly pressing on the keys, and you could barely hear the nonsensical sounds of the keys.

Cuddy furrowed her brow as she took in his appearance; he seemed nervous, uncomfortable almost. He looked nothing like he had before.

She watched him scratch the top of his head and take a deep breath before allowing his hands to dance across the piano; she smiled, as all the tension seemed to lift from his body.

His head was bowed at first, concentrating solely on the keys in front of him.

But then he started to sing.

He lifted his head up, his eyes meeting hers.

Wise men say, only fools rush in.

But I can't help, falling in love with you.

Shall I stay? Would it be a sin?

If I can't help, falling in love with you

His words pierced through her soul, and she took a deep breath. His eyes were still on her, and she looked him up and down; he was so vulnerable, so honest.

She hadn't seen this look on his face in years.

Like a river flows, surely to the sea

Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be

He paused, and a shiver ran down her spine. The room was silent and seemingly unaware of what was going on between the two of them.

Cuddy took a deep breath, waiting for him to continue. She smiled softly at him, her eyes full of love and understanding. A small smile escaped his lips, and he lightly pressed back down on the keys.

Take my hand and take, my whole life too

For I can't help, falling in love with you.

Like a river flows, surely to the sea

Oh my darling so it goes, some things are meant to be

So won't you please just

Take my hand and take, my whole life too

For I can't help, falling in love with you.

His voice was powerful, and the words even more so. He paused once more, staring her down with more passion than she had ever seen from him.

He lowered his voice, and then words were barely audible.

But she knew.

She always knew.

For I can't help, falling in love with you.

He peeled his eyes away from her as he got up from the bench. Cuddy's mouth was slightly ajar as she tried to process what had just occurred. She saw him slip out of the front door, and she paused for just a few moments.

She frantically searched the bar, turning her head in every possible direction; she didn't know what she was looking for, or why she hadn't gotten up yet. She drummed her fingers on the surface.

She planted her feet firmly on the ground and grabbed her purse from the opposite stool. She slung it over her shoulder as she made hurried footsteps towards the door.

Cuddy whipped the door open, turning her head from left to right as she tried to locate House.

"Looking for someone?" she heard him ask. He was leaning against the wall directly next to the entrance, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she turned to face him.

"House," she murmured softly.

Her tone was soft and warm, and it sent shivers down his spine. He hadn't heard her speak like that to him in almost two years; he never thought one syllable could hold so much meaning.

He didn't respond. Instead, he held out his hand. She smiled sheepishly at him before extending her arm, lacing her fingers through his. He pulled her closer to him, and her eyes met his.

"You asked me if I was in," she said, resting her other hand on his shoulder. He moved one hand to her waist, smiling down on her. "I'm in, House. I'm in."

"I was hoping you'd say that," he whispered, his face inches from hers. "Otherwise that little performance would have been embarrassing."

Cuddy let out a slight laugh as she moved her hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck. "Shut up, House."

He smiled before tightening his grip on her, pulling her even closer than before.

He leaned his face towards hers and she pulled his neck down, meeting him halfway. He gently pressed his lips towards hers, and they lingered there for a few moments.

The shock of the feeling of his lips on hers was electrifying; she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be kissed by him.

She pulled away from him for a moment, letting it sink in. She smiled up at him, and his hand bunched the material of her dress.

"You're sure?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her gaze. "Because once we—"

Cuddy smiled, interrupting him. "Yeah," she said, lightly grazing her fingers over his entangled hand. "I'm sure."

He smirked and lifted herself up, pressing her lips to his once more. He moved gently ran his hand up and down her back, and she parted her lips slightly, deepening their kiss.

He slipped his tongue into her, and she moaned into him. Their tongues moved in tandem as their lips crashed together. Her fingers tore at the nape of his neck, her hand running through his hair as their kiss furthered.

Her breath began to even out, and she reluctantly pulled away. Their foreheads remained pressed together, and she looked down, noticing that their hands were still intertwined.

House darted his eyes in the opposite direction of the bar, and Cuddy smiled, knowing what he was suggesting.

She pulled away from him, but didn't dare let go of his hand.

Her shoes were off the minutes they entered the door.

His hands immediately went to her waist, pulling her close to him. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and then used the opportunity to move his hand to the nape of her neck. She settled her hand on his waist as he pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss was slow and gentle, but not devoid of passion. As the kiss deepened, they began to stumble towards the bedroom. Cuddy wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands moved to her waist, supporting her as he guided her to the door.

He fumbled with the doorknob, and she pulled her lips away from his, desperate for air. She shot him a wicked grin, and he smiled as he gently walked them through the door.

Her hands returned to his chest, and he buried his face in the side of her neck, placing light kisses and nipping at her skin. She let out a moan as she clutched the material of his wrinkled button down shirt.

She unclenched her hands and her fingers fell on the buttons; she hastily undone them one by one, slipping his shirt off of his shoulders as his lips continued to move up and down the side of her neck.

He made his way up towards her ear. "Cuddy," he whispered, his tone serious.

She turned her head towards him, releasing an audible murmur. He pulled away from her and looked her straight in the eyes. A worried look crossed her face, and he laced his hand through hers, a small smile escaping his lips.

"I love you," he said.

Cuddy sighed in relief and smiled up at him. "I love you too," she said.

House smiled down at her and his hands gravitated to her side and up her back as he slowly unzipped her dress. She rested her hands on his shoulders as she stepped out of the dress, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He leaned towards her, their lips crashing together again. He guided her to the foot of the bed and slipped his hand to her upper back, unclasping her bra.

The back of her knees hit the edge of the bed, and House looped his arm around her back, supporting her against the edge. They broke their kiss, and he slid her bra off.

He paused for just a moment, taking her in. Her face reddened and he smirked, burying his face in her neck.

She fiddled with the button to his jeans, pushing them down slowly after unzipping them. She let her hand linger for just a moment, a devilish grin on her face as she felt him grow harder with every lasting touch.

"Two can play at that game," he muttered, moving his lips from the crook of her neck to her exposed breast.

He stepped out of his jeans and gently pushed her further towards the bed, the two of them collapsing onto the surface.

She moaned as she felt his tongue dance across her chest, and he ran his hand up and down the side of her thigh.

He nipped at the skin right above her nipple, taunting her with every move. She arched her back and dug her fingers into the back of his neck, and he smirked before taking her breast in his mouth.

She ran her hand through his hair, and he removed his lips from her chest. He caught her lips in his, and they both released simultaneous moans.

His hand grazed up and down her thigh, pausing at the string of her black, lacy, thong. He pulled at the string, teasing her as his thumb caressed the skin that lay directly underneath the thin material.

Cuddy retaliated, a small smirk on her face as she moved her hand to the waistband of his boxers, removing them swiftly.

She took him in her hands, distracting him as she stroked the tip of his length in a teasing manner. His muscles contracted and he buried his neck into her shoulder.

The itch of his stubble contrasted with her smooth, silky skin, and she hooked her ankles around his legs, desperate for every inch of their bodies to be touching.

He returned his attention back to the lace that was pinned underneath his fingers, all of a sudden reminded of what he had been doing before she had taken control.

His thumb lightly caressed the skin above her underwear, drawing dangerously close to her more sensitive area. He smirked as he heard her breath hitch.

"House," she murmured, pleading with him. He slid her underwear off and cupped her ass, drawing them closer together.

She bit down onto his shoulder as he moved his hand back up to her breast, caressing it as his hand roamed all over her body.

Cuddy threw her head back and arched her back, her hips bucking towards his. A shiver shot through her spine as she felt him pressed against her, and they both moaned in anticipation.

Blue met grey as their eyes connected, both full of passion and lust. She wrapped her leg around his, pulling him closer as their limbs collided together.

Their lips met once more, matching the passion that was evident in their eyes.

He thrust into her and they both let out a gasp, their muscles contracting as the familiar feeling of encompassing one another resurrected within them.

She arched her back and he plunged even further into her.

His motions were slow at first, and she nipped at the base of his neck as he moved within her.

Her nails clawed into his back, causing his pace to quicken. He groaned into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. She tightened her leg around him, using all of her strength to flip on top of him.

Her hair cascaded down in front of her, and he gripped her waist, delving into her even further. She threw her head back, and his hands moved to her flattened stomach, running them up and down as she rocked on top of him.

She quickened their pace, and his hands cupped her breasts, causing her to let out a satisfied moan.

Watching her come undone on top of him caused him to reach his high, and his shoulders began to shake as she drew him out longer, suddenly slowing their pace down.

He pulled her back down towards her, his hands roaming her back, her face inches from his. He pressed his lips to hers and thrust into her once more, sending them over the edge.

Their lips separated, and he pressed his mouth to the edge of her jaw, their cries filling the air.

His arms buckled as his muscles relaxed, and she collapsed on top of him. She rested her chin on his chest, closing her eyes as their breathing returned to a normal pace. He ran his hand up and down her back as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

She sighed, a small laugh escaping her lips. She rolled off of him and settled into his side, and he draped an arm across her middle.

Cuddy nestled into the crook of his shoulder as she began to lazily draw circles on his chest.

She turned her head towards his, their eyes meeting once more. "Why did we ever stop doing this?"

"I have no fucking idea," he answered.

House smiled down at her as he pulled her closer to him. She let out a small laugh before slipping underneath him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

He pressed his lips to hers once more.

She pulled away, running her hands through his hair.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to make up for lost time then, won't we?" she asked, her voice charged with sexual tension.

"Seems like the logical thing to do," he murmured.

She smirked and ran her hands down his chest, one hand moving to his shoulder as she clutched his bicep. He cradled her beneath him before leaning his head closer to hers, catching her lips in his.

Ta-da! I told you that they would have sex soon. Upon further inspection, I've realized that the sex was a bit shorter than I thought, but no need to fret; there will definitely be more. Leave a review to let me know what you think!

And remember-we're still not done dealing with the issue of who House really is.

-Alison