Wilson is in a bad position thanks to his promise to Cuddy. Cuddy's miserable. House is curious and making Wilson miserable. But we haven't seen the last of Annette the friendly yet scary redhead. Aren't they all (pssst: I can say that because I am a redhead!) Hope you like.

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Cuddy tried to smile. "You're sweet. I'm not really getting anything done here…my mind is …elsewhere, you know?" She shrugged at her own words. "Lets go get Rachel and then I'll take her home. C'mon."

Wilson wanted to hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay but he honestly didn't know if he believed it. He followed Cuddy out of her office and noticed the almost empty vase.

"What happened to the roses?"

"House."

"Oh."

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"There's my girl," Cuddy said with a big smile as she entered House's office. "I'll bet you're getting hungry!"

"I could eat," House quipped. Cuddy rolled her eyes at him and House rolled his eyes back at her.

"She's been a perfect little doll," Thirteen said as she picked up Rachel and handed her to Cuddy. Cuddy smiled at the young woman and felt the realization that Thirteen might never have the opportunity to have her own children given her Huntington's disease.

"Thanks, Remy." Cuddy said lightly. Cuddy glanced at House and mouthed "thank you," to him to which he nodded.

"Hey Wilson, joining the party?" House gestured to his wingman.

"Something like that," Wilson said as he tried to signal a meaningful look at his friend and quickly glanced at Cuddy before looking back at House. House caught it.

"You okay, boss?" House asked Cuddy.

"I'm fine."

"Yes, you certainly are," House agreed. Cuddy smiled weakly and hoisted Rachel up a little higher. Taub and Chase exchanged knowing looks as Foreman grinned at the bantering between his higher-ups.

"We've got to be going so I'll let you get back to your 'crazy-busy' schedule," Cuddy began.

"Not so fast, lady. There's the matter of a little renumeration owed for services granted." House said as he stood up and walked over to her.

"Oh," Cuddy said, "I left my wallet downstairs…"

"Not that kind of repayment. I was thinking of something a little more….creative," House sounded devious enough that Cuddy began to dread his next few words.

"House…?" There was a definite tone of warning in Cuddy's voice.

"Cut her some slack, House. Cuddy's had a bad day," Wilson interjected.

House stared at Wilson, he noticed Cuddy's puffy eyes and the small amount of mottled redness above her lip, signs she had cried not long ago.

"I was thinking my dear boss might want to sing my praises? Not sing literally but you know say something very nice….or, she could just give me a little kiss of appreciation on my stubbly cheek. It's not sexual harassment if the employee asks for it, right?"

All eyes were on Cuddy. Wilson shrugged helplessly. Cuddy's mouth dropped open as if she were in shock but she recovered quickly enough to hide her surprise and started speaking.

"Dr. Gregory House is a nice, big …"

"Big! Big! Big! Big!" Rachel suddenly piped up with a series of little claps causing House to chuckle and surprising his staff with his reaction. Everyone was smiling including Cuddy.

"As I was saying," Cuddy continued. "he's sweet, nice and nowhere near as tough as he thinks he is. House is a very nice man I obviously trust with my most important treasure, my daughter. That about cover it?" Cuddy's eyes sparkled.

House pointed to his cheek. Cuddy shook her head 'no way.' House ignored her and walked right up to Cuddy and bent down a little for her to kiss his cheek.

"Don't dare turn your head," Cuddy whispered as she leaned forward but Rachel beat her to him and kissed House's face with wet little lips.

"Mwahhh!" Rachel said loudly. House blushed a little and Cuddy grinned deeply. Wilson chuckled the loudest.

"That works for me," House confessed.

"Thanks again, House." Cuddy said and walked out of the office as House rubbed his wet cheek and stared after he.

"Show's over, everybody go do my clinic hours! I'm exhausted," House announced. "You, wait." House pointed his cane at Wilson. They waited until his staff left the conference room and House turned to Wilson.

"Why was Cuddy crying today?"

"I can't tell you, House."

"Oh like that's going to work on me."

"I promised Cuddy I wouldn't say anything."

"Anything to anyone or just to me?" House prodded.

"To you."

"This have anything to do with me?"

"Nope. Don't ask me again." Wilson tried to move toward the door.

"Hold it! Does this have to do with Lucas?" House demanded. Wilson remained silent.

"What did he do?"

"House, leave it alone. At least for now. Let her get through today and…."

"Ever see the movie 'Ghost'?"

"That was certainly random," Wilson frowned at his friend.

"You know the part where Patrick Swayze, the dead guy, is trying to get Whoopi Goldberg to do something and she won't?"

"Yeahhhh, where's this going?" Wilson sighed.

"So he drives her nuts with a song over and over and over again."

"Don't …"

"Eim 'Enry the eighth I am," House began singing in a cockney english accent.

"Oh shit, that song's going to be stuck in my head all damn day, stop it House! Wilson tried to run from his office but House was hot on his heels still singing.

"Enery the eighth, I am I am. I got married to the widow next door, she's been married seven times before! AND, every one was an 'Enry. Never was a Willie or a Sam, oh no! I'm the eighth old man I'm 'Enry, 'Enry the eighth I am I am, 'Enry, the 8th I am! Second verse, same as the first!"

Wilson shut his office door quickly cutting House off but not stopping his singing.

"I'll just do this all day long!" House bellowed thru the door. "Eim 'Enry the eighth I am, Enery the eighth, I am I am. I got married to the widow next door, she's been married seven times before! AND, every one was an 'Enry. Never was a Willie or a Sam, oh no! I'm the eighth old man I'm 'Enry, 'Enry the eighth I am I am, 'Enry, the 8th I am!"

The door yanked open and Wilson raced past House, "It won't work!"

"You gotta sleep sometime! And I know where you live!" House shot back. Wilson raced for the stairs and ran off. "Damn!"

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Cuddy had gone home and was clearing some lunch dishes after laying Rachel down for her nap. Cuddy suddenly felt so tired she left the dishes in her sink and wandered back down the hall to her bedroom and sat on her bed. She looked over at the empty bed and imagined Lucas's smiling face beaming from the other side like he had for so many happy nights.

Why can't I just fall in love with a normal guy! What is wrong with me! Cuddy lay down and closed her eyes. She didn't want to feel miserable but she couldn't escape it. Her eyes felt hot as they filled with tears. At least no one could see her cry.

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Annette saw Lucas across the parking lot and she knew they were in for a big scene, again. She grabbed her purse from her desk and headed for the back door of the office, "Cigarette break, back in 5!"

Lucas knew Annette was there, her car was still parked in the parking lot. "Where's Annette?" At no answer, Lucas headed straight to the back door in hot pursuit.

"Annette?! You back there?" Lucas bellowed as he began to jog.

"She just left for a cigarette break," some lady yelped.

"She doesn't smoke!" Lucas yelled back.

Annette was crossing the street behind the strip mall as Lucas busted through the backdoor.

"Annette, Wait! Lucas shouted and began running for his wife who ducked into a bookstore.

"God I hate it when she pulls this shit!" Lucas mumbled to himself as he began to run harder.

Annette knew he'd be pissed. Cuddy had to have called him after their conversation this morning. Annette headed to back of the large bookstore and cringed down at a small table in the coffee shop area of the Barnes and Nobles store. Lucas arrived breathing hard. "I see you, Annette!"

"So?"

"Why the hell did you lie to Lisa?" Lucas sounded more disappointed than hurt.

"You gave me no choice, Lucas!" Annette snapped. People in the small area looked over at them. Lucas came over and sat next to Annette.

"You can't keep doing this to me. We aren't going to get back together ever. Not after all that's happened."

Annette looked at her hands ignoring the small red scars across her wrists. "I know."

"Lisa is the best thing that's ever happened to me and I love her. I really do. And she won't see me because of you. She doesn't believe me because of you."

"I know," Annette repeated.

"Why ?" Lucas's voice broke. "Why can't you just let me go and let me be happy. You don't love me. You're just obsessed. It's not the same thing, you know."

"I know." Annette said for the third time.

"Say something else besides 'I know', Annette. I can't take much more of this." Lucas looked like a rag doll in the chair beside her.

"I'm sorry. I can't seem to do anything right when it comes to you." Annette looked at Lucas and bit her lip. "I think Dr. House loves your girlfriend, too. What is it about her? What makes her so special?"

"I'm not going to discuss Lisa or that jerk with you. I just need you to leave me alone and let me go. In four weeks our divorce is final and I swear to god, Annette, if you try to hurt Lisa or me again, I'll…"

"You'll what, Lucas?" Annette was tired of this but she thrived on the drama. Any attention from Lucas, good or bad was good in her book.

"I'll hate you." Lucas retorted. Annette mocked him with a fake gasp.

"You already hate me."

"I don't hate you. I just don't love you."

"But you did, once." Annette reminded him.

"And now I don't. Why did you tell Lisa I was cheating on you with other women?"

"It sounded good and I thought it'd piss her off."

"It did."

"We could try again, Lucas?" Annette said hopefully.

"No, you've hurt me and I can't even think about being with you. Just leave me and leave Lisa alone."

"You know I can't do that."

"Do I have to get a restraining order against you?"

"You do and I'll make sure Lisa Cuddy can't show her face in this town without everyone knowing she's a homewrecker. I'll get her fired, I'll…"

Lucas's head fell forward and he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, trying to hide the tears in his eyes. "So if you can't have me, no one can. Is that it?"

"Give me another chance, Lukkie? Please?

Lucas looked away. "There's only one way I'd do that."

Annette brightened up and leaned forward. "How?"

"You leave Dr. Cuddy alone and I'll ..we can renew our vows."

"You mean it?" Annette was incredulous.

"Yeah, I mean it. In Thailand where we had our honeymoon," Lucas said with a sudden energetic voice.

"You're serious?"

"Like a heart attack."

"When?" Annette wasn't an idiot.

"When? Uhm, I got a couple of cases to wrap up but we could go in a couple weeks. You work at a travel agency so book the airfare and we'll go. Two or three weeks from now."

Lucas couldn't believe he was saying these things but his heart was breaking. No way could he allow Lisa to be hurt anymore.

"Kiss me," Annette leaned forward and Lucas did as she asked. Lucas's heart felt heavy and his brain hurt. He'd sacrifice himself to this beautiful fruitcake to keep Cuddy safe from harm.

What choice did he have?

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No I haven't switched sides but Lucas can't be a bad guy. It's too easy for House to win Cuddy by default. I want Cuddy to choose House over Lucas as two good guys who stand before her waiting for her to follow her heart. Reviews make all the diff in plot twists! Get at it!