20

Maddy awoke the next morning to the sound of the television, she slowly sat up, squinted at the TV, then at the couch opposite her, which held Wilson, in his casual clothes, watching a documentary.

"Hey." She greeted him. "What time is it?"

"A little after 10, did I wake you?" He asked, concerned.

"No, no." She answered, "Where's dad?"

"Hospital, new case. How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok. New case on a Saturday?" Maddy asked, standing up and walking through to the kitchen, returning with a glass of orange juice.

"Yeah, Cuddy paged him."

"Oh, he'll be in such a good mood with that." She laughed, sitting back down. "What are you watching?"

"It's about penguins."

"Penguins?"

Wilson nodded, and laughed. "I'm not really watching it." He admitted.

"So, how long are you staying with us? Not that I'm wanting you out." She assured him, smiling.

"Not too long, hopefully." Wilson sighed, "I didn't quite know what to do when Julie..." Maddy nodded in understanding. "House said I was ok to crash on the couch for a while."

"He only wants you for your macadamia pancakes, you know that don't you?" She joked. "So, Julie's been having an affair?"

"Yeah, apparently she had no choice because I was never there, always too busy with my patients, or on-call. All my fault really."

"Saracasm, you spend too much time with dad." She told him, "The solution to the problem is obviously to date someone with just as hectic a schedule as yours. I'm free." She laughed.

"Is that an offer?" He was laughing too.

"See, knew I could make you smile. And I wouldn't ask you on a date the day after your marriage broke up."

"Oh well, I guess there's always tomorrow." He faked disappointment. "What are your plans for today?"

"Not a lot. Maybe retail therapy. You want to join me?"

"I really should go and collect more stuff from the apartment, but I don't think I can face it. Retail therapy you say?"

"You've never indulged?" She asked him, he smiled and shook his head. "Ok, well the plan is, buy lots, the more useless the better, pizza buffet, then going to see that new Scary Movie at the cinema."

"That sounds like a very good plan." Wilson agreed.

"Ok, well, I'll just shower and get dressed and we can head out, dad can call my cell if he wants to find us." She walked out, and proceeded to get ready for the trip, while Wilson busied himself, tidying the kitchen. They decided to walk into town, taking advantage of the dry weather, heading straight for the mall. "What do you think?" Maddy asked Wilson, holding up a pair of ripped jeans.

"Very rock chick."

"Ooh," she darted over to another rack of clothes, pulling out a vintage 'Rolling Stones' t-shirt. "I like this."

"Oh my, you really are just a minature female version of your dad, aren't you?"

She laughed, "Better bedside manner though. Ok, now we need to get you something."

Wilson raised his eyebrows, "You're giving me a fashion make over? I like my style."

"I didn't criticize your style, but the point of retail therapy, is the retail. Shouldn't you buy yourself something nice before Julie bleeds you dry." Maddy pointed out, Wilson just sighed, then purposefully strode over to a rack of shoes, picking up a pair of sneakers. "Nice." Maddy told him, nodding.

"Always wanted a pair of these."

"Good choice."

"And..." He headed over to another rack, this time DVDs, "And, Julie never liked me watching this, would always complain, so I'd TiVo it and try and watch it when she was out." He picked up a box set of 'The Outer Limits'.

"Well, we can watch the whole box set this weekend if you'd like." Maddy suggested, "I have a DVD player in my bedroom, Dad isn't a Sci-Fi geek like us."

"That sounds like a good weekend, box set marathon, comfortable sneakers, life doesn't get much better." Wilson mused, smiling, genuinely for the first time that day. They paid for their goods, Wilson insisting on buying Maddy's outfit as a thank you for cheering him up, then headed for pizza, and then the cinema.

"I haven't laughed that much in a while." Maddy's sides still hurt from laughing at the movie. "That was good."

"Thank you for today." Wilson told her as they walked back towards the apartment. "I'd have just been moping about, feeling sorry for myself otherwise."

"Instead you've spent a small fortune." Maddy pointed out, indicating the many bags they had acquired. "I'm glad you had a good time."

"You too." He smiled, "You know, I think we're both going to be ok." They walked up the stairs to the apartment, noting a light on. "House is back, case solved you think?"

"I don't know, my guess is that Chase, Foreman and Cameron are still at the hospital doing all the testing."

"Sounds about right for House."

Maddy opened the door to see House, sitting on the couch, watching TV. "Hey Dad."

"Hey, have you seen Wi-" He started, then stopped, seeing Wilson behind Maddy, they'd obviously spent the day together. "Ah, moving on quick these days, aren't you?"

"We were shopping, then we caught a movie." He told House, "Nothing more than that. How's your patient?"

"Sick." House answered, "Ducklings are on it."

"I see."

"Anyway, we were going to watch some DVDs," Maddy told House, "You wanna join us?" He held up the box set for House to see.

House grimaced, "No thanks, think I'll stick with my 'L word'."

"Ok then. Come on." She said to Wilson, who followed her towards her room, House watching suspiciously. "Remember, stethoscope on the door if you don't want disturbed." He called after them, while Maddy and Wilson just rolled their eyes at his comment. House sat watching his show, then glanced back at Maddy's room, curious. At some point, when he had been engrossed in his show, a stethoscope had appeared on her door handle.