A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I am so sorry about the wait for this so I'm posting the rest of the story today. Life is hectic.

Chapter 25

Cuddy had agreed to go out on a double date with Stacey, just to prove that there had been nothing between her and Greg House. She was fine just busy, but she could make time to date someone. For a second she wondered what House would say, it was so soon after the end of their relationship, but he ended it after all. The date was good, she needed to get back out there again, and with Stacey it would be fun. A childish part of Cuddy wanted House to find out she was going out on a date, to see if he would be hurt by it.

Wilson had already come to her to try to find out what was wrong with his best friend. All Cuddy gave him was that he needed to talk to House if he wanted that answer.

God what did she expect from House, she thought now sitting in her office, a CD he had bought her playing on her iPod. He was the Rain King after all, an open wound of a person he bleed all over everyone around him. No matter what he did he made a mess of it. That was their relationship. He bleed all over it finally ending it, messing it all up. He had given her plenty of warning, and she did not listen to them, ignored all the signs.

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"How about we go out for a beer tonight? We haven't had guy time in awhile House." Wilson said almost pleading with his friend to do something, it was a week after House collapsed in Cuddy's office.

"Sure." House said going out would help him get over the bug. "How about the bar down the street from the hospital? I hear the waitress's are hot."

"Fine with me. I heard they make the hooter girls outfits look like nun outfits."

House raised his eyebrows, "That I have to see. Nothing like barely clothed college girls. Maybe we should make a girls gone wild, Princeton. Not only do they have big breast, but they have big brains."

"Like the idea." Wilson said happy that his friend was willing to go do something.

When it came time to leave they drove to the bar, Wilson offered to drive not wanting House to have to walk the distance.

They were into their third beer, co-eds talking to both of the older men on occasion. House had been kind to them, only rude to the ones that really were idiotic. He currently had a brunet sitting next to him discussing her future plans. Wilson could tell his friend wasn't listening nor did he really care, he was too busy looking down the girls shirt and drinking the beer she bought him.

House line of sight moved from the girls shirt to the door when he heard the familiar laugh.

Cuddy and Stacey walked in with two guys. Both of them were around 40, and looked like lawyers. House could tell by the cheese they had stuck in their teeth, rats. Cuddy did not seem to notice him yet. The man helped Cuddy sit down, getting her drink order, leaning in close to her to hear what she said, saying something back in her ear, his lips touching her ear ever so slightly.

That fucking bastard, House thought to himself, remembering his own lips touching her ears, she loved it when his teeth gently sunk into her earlobe.

Stacey noticed him and Wilson first waving to the two.

Wilson waved back smiling at the women. "Looks like Stacey and Cuddy decided for a girls night out as well."

House just glared for a second before turning back to his beer.

Cuddy had noticed him and instantly wanted to leave, but she fought against it. House was there with someone anyone, the girl couldn't be older than twenty-one if that. She hoped House carder her before he took her home. The way the woman was on House, her hands resting on his shoulders as she stood up. The way she smiled at him, ran one hand down his arm. She was all over the man. Cuddy rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her date.

"I'm going to take off." House said standing up unsteady on his feet, maybe he drank too much, or it could have been the mixture of the vicodin and alcohol.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Can you give me a ride home."

"Sure." Wilson said paying their tab.

House left quickly before the co-ed returned from the potty room, as she had called it. He just wanted to go home and go to sleep.

Wilson drove House to his apartment both of them were quiet, which scared Wilson. He had tried baiting House into his usual sarcastic comments, but got nothing for it.

"Night House." Wilson said once his friend was getting out of the car.

"You sure you don't want to come and tuck me in mom." House said giving his custom sarcasm, enough to put Wilson at ease, he hoped.

"No. I'm sure you have a hooker you can call for that."

"You know me too well Jimmy. She's already on her way over. Thought we might play doctor tonight. Or pin the dick on the prostitute? Which one do you think is better?"

"Goodbye House."

"Bye Wilson." House went into his apartment locking the door. He had one new message.

"Hello honey, it's your mother. I was just calling to see how things are going. Your father and I are doing well. Our therapist said we have been making some real progress. Call me please."

House grabbed the cordless phone and limped into his bedroom. Laying on the bed he closed his eyes while he dialed the number. His voice was rougher than he wanted it to be, but seeing Cuddy with someone else had hurt. The bug still had not gone away, soon he hoped.

"Hello." His father answered the phone.

"Hey Dad."

"Greg. How are you?"

"Fine. Is mom there?" House still preferred to talk to his mom. He did not hate his dad anymore, but it didn't mean he liked him either.

"Sure. Blythe honey Greg's on the phone."

He heard his mom in the background and finally, "Hi honey. How are you?"

"I'm good mom."

"How has work been?"

"Fine."

"And Wilson?"

"Good."

"Lisa?"

House said nothing to that at first, "I'm sure she's doing fine. Haven't talked to her much."

"Oh." Blythe said, she had known her son was seeing Lisa, she had figured it out right before John and herself left. She had discussed it with Wilson once he figured it out, and they both were happy for the couple. She had been the one to tell Wilson to wait for Greg to come to him with the news, until than just let them be. "I was just talking with your Aunt Sarah she is moving here you know."

"No I didn't. When is she moving?"

"This week. She bought the house next door."

"I bet you are happy about that."

"I am." She said feeling her sons pain even through the phone.

"Your poor father promised to help her move."

"She should hire some people to move for her."

"That's what I told her." Blythe paused she was worried about her son, he sounded so sad despite him trying to hide it she could hear it in her voice, "Do you know when you are going to come an visit us? Your dad made sure to set up the spare room for you. Made sure the bed would be comfortable enough for your leg."

House sighed, he had been thinking about visiting, just to get away, maybe that would be helpful. "I bet dad could you help with moving Aunt Sarah."

"He probably could, her son is going to help. You know he moved here last year, he and his wife have two kids. One of them is getting ready to head off to college."

Ignoring his mother's rant about his cousins life House said, "Let me see if I can get the time off. I just finished up a case, and I have enough vacation time."

"That would be great. And you don't have to come to help him."

"I know." House said, "I want to." I want to be anywhere but here, maybe there would be better.

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House barged into Cuddy's office the next morning. He saw how she cringed when the door slammed closed, "Someone have a hangover?"

"Someone was up late last night." Cuddy said baiting him.

"I need time off."

"When?"

"From today probably for a couple of weeks. I'm not sure how long."

"House you can't just take vacation like that."

"I need it." House said keeping his voice calm despite the fact Cuddy was already yelling.

"What for?"

"That is none of your business." House said, "Can I have it or not?"

"Or not."

"Come on Cuddy. You've been trying to get me to take a vacation for years. I have no cases, and I am actually caught up on my clinic hours, and since your dictatorship turned into hell I've even gone past my assigned clinic hours. I just need a few weeks."

Cuddy looked at him, she wanted to deny him just to piss him off, but she had no grounds. "Where are you going?"

"I already…"

Cuddy interrupted him, "I want your team to be able to contact you incase they get a case they cannot figure out."

"I am helping my Aunt Sarah move. I'll be at my parents house."

"Leave your number with Foreman, and you have two weeks."

House left pissed off that Cuddy was going to make him be on call despite the fact he had legitimate vacation time. Walking into the conference room, his team already had a case and were just waiting for him.

"Sorry kiddies can't play. I'm going out of town. Here is the number I can be reached at if the puzzle gets too hard for you. Please try not to call it. I am going on vacation."

"Is everything ok?" Cameron asked.

"Just peachy. Well be better when I'm lying on the beach next to a naked coed half my age."

Chase and Foreman both laughed.

"But I must go, train to catch." House left the room, he emailed Wilson that morning telling him he was going on vacation and that he could contact him via his cell phone, but both men knew House would probably not answer. Wilson was given directions to feed Steve and keep his hands off the booze. House knew if he faced Wilson there would be endless questions about what House was trying to run from. He did not need to be psychoanalyzed today, he had done enough already for himself. With that House left the hospital returning to his house to grab his bag, and loading it into his car he took off. Making a CD earlier that morning for the soundtrack of his trip.

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"What was going on between you and House?" Wilson asked when he found time to break from his patients to visit Cuddy.

"What do you mean?" Cuddy asked confused, glad that Wilson closed the door when he barged into the room.

"He took off." Wilson said, "To visit his parents."

"I know I gave him the time off." Cuddy said, "But I don't understand how that leads to me and House doing anything."

"Cuddy don't. I know House, this past month he was happy, and he was too busy to spend time with his friend. And you were busy during that time as well. You were seeing each other."

"It is none of your business Dr. Wilson."

"It is my business he is my best friend damn it." Wilson said more upset that Cuddy was not seeing his point, the worry he felt for his friend, both of them.

"You will have to ask House what happened. He was the one who decided to end it." Cuddy said once she finally saw the worry in the oncologist eyes.

Wilson was confused he had expected Cuddy to be the one who dumped House, especially after how House had been acting. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. It was nothing serious." Cuddy lied it had been something.

"Did he give any reason for breaking up?" Wilson asked now sitting down in one of the chairs.

"He gave me plenty of excuses, he did not love me." Cuddy said.

Wilson shook his head, "He does love you." Wilson felt like he was betraying his friend somehow, "The way he was I've only seen him like that once before. When he was with Stacey and we both know he loved her."

"I don't know what you want from me Wilson. He's a big boy he ended the relationship. I gave him a chance, and he could not handle it."

Wilson sighed, there was nothing he could do, but he at least had to plead his absent friends case for him, "House is damaged." Wilson said.

"And I did it to him."

"No this has nothing to do with his thigh. Emotionally he is damaged."

"Yeah I know because of his father."

"Partially." Wilson really felt like he was betraying House now, providing insight to his friend that most people never seemed to see. "His father taught me that there was nothing good in life, that it ultimately would all just end up bad. Stacey confirmed that for him. House had told me time and time again everything and everyone goes away. Why do you think he pushes people so hard? He does not want them to get close because than it won't hurt when they leave."

"I understand that Wilson, but there is nothing I can do."

"There is something, just be there Cuddy. He will fight you, push you, and do whatever he can so that you won't love him anymore.."

"Who said I love him?"

"It's obvious Cuddy. You are there most of the time for him, you have yet to fire him, and you were just as effected as he was when he broke it off." Before Cuddy could protest Wilson's last observation he continued. "The past weeks you have been hounding him for everything. Much like Stacey when she returned the first time. You were there around every corner ready to scream at him, despite the fact he was not yelling back."

Cuddy stopped her protest, it was the truth she had wanted to make his life hell for hurting her, even if that had not been her overt motive, it still was an unconscious one she recognized.

"You just have to be there for him. Show him that not everyone leaves. He will give in Cuddy. He stopped trying to push me away after I showed him I'd be there. He couldn't break the friendship we had, no matter how hard he tried."

"I don't have that type of time Wilson."

"I don't think it will take as long with you. He really does love you." Wilson said getting up from the chair, "At least think about it Lisa."

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