Aftermath of the two Cuddys being found. Will everything really be ok?

Disclaimer: I don't own House MD

At House's (& Cuddy's) 11:50 pm:

House and Cuddy were lying down on the bed, snuggled around each other trying to get sleep.

"What if we redo what happened when we first got together?" House asked.

"You mean..."

"Let's not go to work tomorrow." House started sliding his hand up on Cuddy's body starting from her legs.

"I'd love to stay home, but I need to free Wilson from his misery."

"He can handle it." House's cell phone rang.

"Wilson?"

"No one else would call this late."

"Answer him. He has a right to know I'm okay."

"Not yet." House hung up.

"I will call him personally then." Cuddy sat up started searching for her phone.

"Your phone is broken somewhere in the river, if I remember right what you told me." Cuddy turned to House. "And I've hidden mine."

"House!"

"Just enjoy for the time you can. Tomorrow you have a lot to explain, especially to our little crybaby who seemingly is on the other side of the world looking for you."

Cuddy smiled a little. "I guess you're right." She lied back down. Her smile disappeared as she realized something. "Didn't you cry for me as you thought I'm dead?"

"I...I..."

"You really took more than one Vicodin, didn't you?"

"Just two."

"Just two?"

"My leg was in awful pain."

"No it wasn't. You just tried to escape the mental pain!"

"Don't exaggerate, I'm not back on drugs."

"You promised me not to even touch those pills again!" Cuddy sat up.

"I was so... afraid. I thought I had lost you."

"If you take Vicodin every time you're afraid, you'll never learn to cope with what comes with marriage!" Cuddy was yelling.

"This was different! You could've died!" House yelled back.

"This is no different, House! When I last time was suspected with kidney cancer, you had to take those pills to support me. Now I'm going through chemotherapy for liver cancer, which might possibly renew anytime." Cuddy was calming down a bit.

"I don't have them anymore and I'm not going to prescribe..."

"Just shut up! I'm going to sleep on the couch." Cuddy rose from the bed and walked to the door.

"Your ass is sexy, you know?" Cuddy sighed deep and went to sleep to the couch. House looked at his mobile phone. He took it and dialed in Wilson's number.

"Finally! How are you?"

"Couldn't be better. Listen, can you still be the Dean for sometime?" House said almost whispering.

"I guess so, but Foreman has started pressuring me already."

"Tell Foreman he's fired."

"What?"

"Tell him he's fired. I'm not coming to work tomorrow, so I can't do it personally."

"Why?"

"Maybe scaring him a little makes him realize his place in the bottom of the dregs."

"I'm not going to..."

"Thanks, bye."

"House!"

Next morning 6:55 am:

Cuddy felt herself betrayed. She had actually thought House would've finally learned to stand all the mental pain without having to reduce it using those god-damn pills which had ruined their relationship before. Could she let it happen again?

She rose up from the couch, yawned and started dressing to her work clothes. She smelled bread and burned sugar in the air and went to the kitchen.

"Hows made me Frens toast." Rachel said happily.

"I have never tasted any before."

"Here you go." House said and handed Cuddy one. She bit a small piece of it.

"The sugar is a little burned, but tastes good."

"Tastes too burned. I should probably let you do these fancy breakfasts from now on." House said and threw his toast to the trash can.

"Umm... honey, go into the car, I'll come after a little discussion with Hows."

"Is everything okay?" Rachel asked.

Cuddy was about to say something, but House said: "Of course. Just do as your mom says." House opened the front door for Rachel and she ran to the car.

"Do you really think you can just make me forget everything by making breakfast?"

"Nope."

"So you don't even want to... Aargh!" Cuddy yelled furious.

"By the way, you're not going to work today."

"What?"

"Wilson promised to do your work for this day. You got a chance to rest..." House took away his apron and grabbed Cuddy from the hips. "...and we have some quality time together after you've taken Rachel to day-care. I might also give you the ring today."

"Are you kidding me, Gregory House?" Cuddy pulled away and walked to the front door. "I'm going to work."

"What the hell can I do to prove that I'm there for you?" Cuddy closed the front door. House ran after her and yelled from the front door: "With what are you going to go exactly? You forgot these." He had the car keys in his hand. "It's my car."

"Then you drive!"

"I'm not coming today."

"You're or you will be fired!"

"I'm not even working for you currently."

"I'm serious."

"Ooh, I'm scared." Cuddy kept looking at him angrily. "Fine." He came out of the house and went into the car with Cuddy.

They took Rachel to day-care and went to PPTH, not talking to each other at all.

At PPTH:

"Foreman, I need to talk to you." Wilson said from the door.

"So, talk." Foreman asked.

"Actually, it's private."

"It can't be so private. We're still figuring out what's wrong with the patient with sepsis symptoms." Foreman said.

"Are you really really really sure you want everyone to hear it?" Wilson asked doubtly.

"Why not?"

"Fine then." Wilson hesitated. "You're fired."

Foreman laughed. "Oh am I? Another one of House's pranks, isn't it?" Wilson stayed quiet. "You're serious?"

"I am. But..."

"With what authority? Let me guess, your own."

"No, House's!"

Foreman walked to Wilson. "You convinced a broken man who has just lost his fiance fire someone you hate? You used him!"

"I will not accept accusations like that!"

"But it's true, isn't it?"

"It was House's idea!"

"I don't think so." Foreman said and walked away. The others looked at Wilson.

"It wasn't my idea!" He kept claiming.

"Damn House. And why did you have to help him?" 13 said and ran after Foreman.

"What?" No one answered. Wilson left and met House on the hallway. "You weren't supposed to come to work today."

"But I did. You probably fired Foreman?"

"Right after you lose Cuddy, you start playing some kind of games again!"

"What games?" Cuddy said.

Wilson was shocked. "How long have you known?" He asked House.

"Not long. About 14 hours."

"You should've told me immediately!"

"I just wanted to spend some quality time with my future wife, but..."

"You ruined everything, like always." Cuddy continued. "You've been freed from the Dean job. Come into my office if you want to hear everything." She left towards her office.

"Well done, again." Wilson said to House and started following Cuddy.

"Everything's always my fault." House said.

"Isn't that Cuddy?" Taub said as she and Wilson walked past their room.

"It is. Let's go..." Chase started and rose up with Taub.

"You're going nowhere yet."

"Where was she found?" Chase asked.

"You can go ask her, after you answer an important question I need to ask."

"You don't seem to be too relieved." Taub said.

"That's why I need to ask you, do women always make everything so complicated?"

"Pretty much. Why do you..." Chase said.

"Chase is wrong. It depends on the woman." Taub said.

"I know from my own experience."

"So do I." Taub started to argue with Chase.

"Compromise: Cuddy makes everything cuddycated." House said. "Where's 13 and what about our case?" He sat down on his chair.

"13 is comforting Foreman and..." Taub started.

"How could you fire him?" Chase interrupted.

"He needs to learn where he belongs."

"So you're just playing with him." Taub said.

"Is it playing if I help him realize who he is?" House said.

"Whatever. Anyway, the sepsis symptoms keep coming and going." Chase said.

"Any substances in his blood flow?"

"Battery acid." Chase said.

"Sulfuric acid poisoning. Case solved."

"Not yet. We don't know where it's coming from." Chase said.

"There's no corrosion in his digestive system, so he isn't eating it."

"Take an MRI and an X-ray. We need to find out where he's hiding the battery."

"First we'll go see Cuddy." Taub said.

"You do that." Taub and Chase left.

Wilson came in. "Cuddy's broken."

"Oh really? I thought she would be perfectly fine after her little vacation with Lucas."

"How could you fall for Vicodin again? It seems she'll never forgive you."

"She forgave me after I drove through her house. Now I've taken two painkillers, and it's dooming our relationship?"

"This isn't just about the pills. She's right."

"Right about what?"

"Whenever you are under the influence of Vicodin, you're not fully present. That means you can't fully support her."

"I don't have any left. Am I just going to magically make them appear out of the air?"

"She has lost her trust on you. She said she'll break up with you this evening."

"Then she forgives me again and we'll get back together. Our little circle of love."

"Not this time. She actually asked me to be your supervisor."

"The time of dictatorship will come to an end, then."

Wilson got angry. "Don't you care about Cuddy, you idiot? She needs you and you need her. If you really want to ruin both your and her life then just sit there without doing anything!" He yelled.

"Why would I care? If she doesn't accept me as who I am..."

"Are you really that stupid? She doesn't care what kind of a House you are, as long as you are... well, House. When you're on Vicodin, you're not the House she sees."

House's face turned sad. "What can I do, Wilson?"

"You need to prove her you're ready to commit into your relationship without Vicodin."

House's face turned to his case solved expression. "I got an idea, but I need your help." He said and left the room. Wilson followed him.

"What kind of an idea?"

"I'm going to book us a ticket to New Orleans."

"This is not a good time for a vacation."

"You'll see. Follow me with your own car."

4 hours later at House's:

"I'm proud of you." Wilson said. "You really made a good decision. If she dumps you now, then it's surely over."

"If it's over, then my life here is over."

"Whatever happens, I'll be there to support you both."

House checked himself from a mirror. "Do I look good in this suit?" Wilson was about to answer but House continued: "You'd better not answer that. It might sound gay."

"What's wrong with gay people?"

"Nothing, but you don't want to make yourself look like you'd be attracted to me." The door was knocked. "Who did you call?"

"Thirteen."

"Didn't come up with anyone else?"

"You gave me 3 hours time. Who could've I found?"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter anymore. You go get Cuddy with your car."

"Fine." Wilson opened the door. "Hi. I need to get going." He went past 13.

"So..." Thirteen started. "You've made a brave decision."

"If you don't come up with anything to talk, that's fine. Just do what I tell you to, I gave you 3 days off from work for this."

"I will."

"Let's get going." House said.

In Wilson's car, 70 miles south of Princeton:

"Tell me now, where are we going?" Cuddy said.

"Somewhere where you can forget everything bad that has happened to you lately, as I promised."

"What about my chemotherapy in two days?"

"You'll make it back for that."

"What about Rachel?"

"She's at your mom's."

"What about... House?"

"Umm... I don't know."

"I didn't have the time to dump him and I don't want to do it over a mobile phone. Especially now that my own is lost."

"Don't worry about that. Just relax and enjoy our little vacation."

"How can I thank you enough? I'll pay you back."

"You don't need to."

"Of course I will."

"Let's talk about that later. We're there soon."

At the Atlantic City International, in the flight to New Orleans:

"Are you sure about this? I mean... isn't this too fast?" 13 said.

"Now or never."

"I'm not questioning you, but..."

"Everybody always questions me."

"Are you sure you booked Wilson's and Cuddy's seats so that she doesn't see you?"

"Of course I did."

"Of course?"

"This is my last chance. I will not ruin it."

"Oh well."

Welcome to the AirTran flight from Atlantic City to New Orleans.

"Let's hope they made it." 13 said.

Please put your seatbelts on. Use of mobile phones, USB-network adapters and other radio frequency devices is prohibited.

House had never been this nervous.

In the air, in addition to water you can have orange juice and bread roll with mettwurst. We will arrive in New Orleans Airport around 10:04 pm. Have a nice flight.

At New Orleans Airport, leaving the airplane:

"Let's be quick." House said and started running through the boarding corridor. "We need to get there before Cuddy."

"If we run like this, we will end up in jail for the next 24 hours."

They arrived at the waiting room. "Okay, let's find the AirTran office."

"It's over there." 13 said. House ran there, with 13 following long behind.

Cuddy and Wilson had also arrived. "Why New Orleans?" Cuddy asked suspicious. Before Wilson could answer, they were stopped by two security guards.

"Are you Dr. Lisa Cuddy?" The security guard asked.

"I am."

"Come with us." The other security guard said.

"What has she done?" Wilson asked.

"You come too."

At the AirTran office:

"How did you get the license?" 13 asked.

"Through the net. Out-of-state people don't need to wait." House said.

"When did you get a divorce with Dominika?"

"I got an immediate divorce after she was returned to Ukraine to face prosecutions of murder."

"Really? You got lucky, otherwise you wouldn't be able to marry Cuddy now. Are you nervous?"

"Nope."

"Basic House..."

"I'm terrified."

"Everything will be fine."

"I hear that way too often." The security guards came in with Cuddy and Wilson.

"House? What is this?" Cuddy said confused.

"How does it seem like? Who do we have here?"

"You, me, Wilson, 13, and a judge..." Cuddy thought for a moment. "Two witnesses, an officiant, you and me..."

"This is our wedding."

"W-why?"

"Because I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't want you to leave me."

"Honey..."

"If you abandon me now, my life in Princeton is over. It's up to this moment. If you say no and dump me, which would be breaking the promise you automatically made during our engagement, I'll start a new life here." Cuddy stayed quiet. "Not that I'll be happy. If you answer yes, we will return together to Princeton and live a happy life as a family, obviously."

"I-"

"Before you answer, I'd like to show you your engagement ring." He took the pack from his pocket and opened it. He put the ring on Cuddy's finger. "Formally engaged for three seconds. My personal record."

"Just stop talking." Cuddy said. She was almost crying. "I-I-I..."

"Just say straight." House said as he walked back to his position.

She considered for some time. "Let's get over with it." She walked next to House.

"Are we ready to start?" The judge asked.

"Yeah." Cuddy said.

"If I understood correct, Dr. House has his own vow."

"Just something I came up with during the flight. I might not even remember it right."

Cuddy smiled. "It doesn't matter."

"I can still remember when we first met at the book store. My first thought was 'ooh, what a sexy girl' actually. But I didn't know by then that we would actually be standing here today. Or actually, I never thought I'd be married at a crappy office like this. Whatever, after we remet at PPTH, I was changed, a lot." House had to think of his next words. "I put you through hell for the next six years of your life, but I never could've imagined that the seventh year would be a rollercoaster like this. We get together, then you dump me, I drive through your house, you forgive me, we get back together..." The judge was watching House confused. "...then you get cancer, your sister dies and you almost lose your daughter in the process."

Wilson started to cry.

"Come on!" 13 said.

"It's just so sweet..."

"Then you get kidnapped by your ex, he lets you free and commits suicide. The question is..." House sighed. "How many times have I really been there for you? The only times I have have been under the influence of drugs." House paused and he started smiling. "Now it's going to change. I love you, Lisa Cuddy, and I will take you as my wife."

Cuddy was crying out of happiness. "I love you too. I don't have a vow."

"Just come up with something."

Cuddy made up something quickly in her mind. "In your vow, you made yourself look worse than you actually are. As I said before, you're the most incredible man I've ever met. You might've let me down many times, but it doesn't change the fact that I love you. I have left you too easily before, but I promise it won't happen again. So... I, Lisa Cuddy, take you, Gregory House, as my husband."

"By the power vested in me by the state of Louisiana, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

House and Cuddy kissed. "So, what now?" Cuddy asked

"We're going to spend one day in a five star hotel. Then we'll go back home and prepare for your probably last chemotherapy."

"What about us?" 13 asked.

"I don't know, I didn't book places for you in the hotel." House said.

"So you just left us abandoned?"

"Yup."

"We'll come up with something." Wilson said. "Let them enjoy their moment."

"Let's just sign the license and leave." House said.

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