Disclaimer: I do not own House MD or any of the characters, but I sure as hell wouldn't mind owning Hugh Laurie!
A/N: Hai! So … chapter number 25 :D … I want to reassure you all that, although the wait is getting longer (sorry about that), I already have the whole story decided upon in my mind, and fully intend to post every last chapter … plus a possible epilogue …
Also, I know this is a slightly shorter chapter than usual … but as soon as I post it, I'm going off to write the next one, so it shouldn't take me too long. Also, I'm going to be having mock exams in 2 weeks and in about 3 months, I'll be starting my actual IB exams, now, those of you who know the IB will need no explanation, but just in case, the amount of homework and studying I have to do are seriously cutting into my writing time. : ( But I fully intend to fight the power and keep posting at least 2 chappies a week … so stress not my friends :P
Also, thank you all sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for your support and kind reviews, I really, really appreciate them! :D (*Hugs all around*)
Anyways, Enjoy!
Staring at the screen which, for the past three minutes, hadn't changed, Cuddy sighed and looked at House. There he was, a frown on his face, his blue eyes fixed on the tiny screen. He had a puzzle, it was right there in front of him and, while he knew that it was perfectly possible for the puzzle not to have a solution, he wasn't about to give up.
"House?" started Cuddy but he just held his hand up and, with the other moved the selection on the screen, removing cards that had already been placed on the aces back into the game. "What are you doing?" she tried again and, again, got no answer.
For the next few minutes, she just sat there, starting in awe as House essentially reset the game and won it. It was amazing, and yet, a little sad. Cuddy couldn't help but note that, while together they'd done well with the game, it was alone that he won it. It was just the way of things. House could, if he wanted, be a team player, but he did things better by himself, and a relationship, that which she craved above all else, was not something you could have on your own.
"See?" he asked looking up at her triumphantly, like a child who'd just proved an adult wrong "… It wasn't 'over'"
"Apparently not" she smiled at him as he switched from the game screen to the music screen and pressed shuffle.
When she saw the small smile on his face, Cuddy picked up the spare ear piece and joined him in listening.
As she heard the talking stop and the lyrics start, Cuddy looked at him with a shocked/mocking/amused face. Blood House Gang's "Discovery Channel" was, when she thought about it, something she expected House to listen to, but still, it hadn't been what she was expecting at that particular moment.
"What?" he asked with an innocent look as the singer started another round of 'you and me baby, ain't nothing but mammals, so lets do it like they do on the discovery channel'. When she simply continued to stare, House shrugged and pressed the 'next' button. Apparently songs that spoke of sex and, only, sex were not something that appealed to pregnant women; fine.
Cuddy barely had time to register what the next song was before House changed it. And she smiled. "Far Away" by Nickelback, was something Cuddy hadn't expected House to have on his iPod. And on top of the surprise of the find, there was the speed at which he had changed the song. He hadn't wanted her to hear it. And as the lyrics filled her mind, she smiled a little and looked down. It was starting to seem really possible that Wilson had been right.
This time, this place,
Misused, mistakes,
Too long, too late,
Who was I to make you wait?
Just one chance, just one breath,
Just in case there's just one left.
…
I love you,
I have loved you all along,
I miss you,
Been far away for far too long.
…
I'd give it all, I'd give for us,
Give anything but I won't give up.
…
'Coz I need it,
I need to hear you say,
I love you,
I have loved you all along,
And I forgive you,
For being away fro far too long.
…
So keep breathing,
Coz I'm not leaving you anymore.
Finally, House settled for a song. "Dirty Little Secret" by The All American Rejects. It was a good song, it was House-like, so there was no reason for anyone to read anything into it. And yet House was. His love for her was his 'dirty little secret', the baby she was carrying was his 'little secret', and everything he wanted to tell her and show here were being kept 'secret' by all the stubbornness that he was made of.
As House thought this, he looked over at Cuddy to find her deep in thought, a slight smile playing on her face. Scared that she was thinking the same as him about that song, he quickly changed it. And kept changing the songs, either because he was bored of them, because they were too deep, because Cuddy didn't like them or, simply, because changing the song gave him an excuse to look at her under the pretext of evaluating whether or not she was enjoying it.
When Cuddy let out a little laugh at the past three songs, House looked at her questioningly "what?"
"Well, it's just, you have a very, uh, varied taste in music, I hadn't expected" she smiled a little
"What did you expect?" he asked intrigued.
"Well, the Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, Eric Clapton … but not, uh, this" she replied.
"Those are all here … but I don't limit myself to oldies" he explained taking the ear piece out of his ear and slowly standing.
"Where are you going?" she asked making to stand up herself, but being told not to by House's hand.
"Well, if you can make comments about my song selections, then I guess I can too"
And with that, House limped over to Cuddy's CD player and got ready to press play.
"House, come on" she said, really not wanting him to hear the songs she had burnt into that particular CD.
"What? Scared this stuff will embarrass you?" he asked turning around with one of his gorgeous, mischievous grins.
"Well, no, but …"
Just then, the door bell rang and Cuddy felt the phrase 'saved by the bell' had never been more accurate.
For a few seconds, they stayed there, staring at each other. Each hoping the other would answer the door so they could remove the CD from the player and keep it safe from the other.
"You're not really going to make me answer the door, are you?" she asked him looking down at her stomach, an almost puppy-dog look on her face.
"Oh, yea, play the pregnant card" he said waving his cane around as if to say 'Hi, cripple here'. To that, Cuddy merely replied with holding up her bandaged foot.
Thinking for a bit, House added "If I answer the door, people are going to ask questions. Wilson already thinks we're …"
Cuddy's look remained the same and House didn't even bother to finish the sentence, better to make a move now.
"Fine" he said resigned leaning heavily on his cane, placing his free hand to his chin as if to think as the bell rang again, "but this goes with me" he added reaching into the CD player and taking out the CD.
Watching as House limped out of her living room, the CD reflecting light from its position in his hand, Cuddy sighed, this was going to be interesting …
TBC
I thought that was a good point to leave the chapter at … don't you? *smiles innocently*
Thank you for reading!
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CJS-DEPPendent