Sessions 36: Making Plans

Author's Note: Hi guys, just wanted to poke my head in and let you all know how grateful I am for your glowing review. The make me go "squeee"! I wait ever so patiently for the tone on my blackberry to tell me I have FanFiction email. Curse those Eddie Bauer free shipping email… they taunt me and make me believe that it might be one of you… Nevertheless, After that heavy chapter, we all need a does of some lightness. My chest still hurts from writing the last one… PS you want to really cry…Listen to Vienna Tang's Eric Song while you read it. I played it over and over again when I wrote it. It's quite powerful. And Mindy and Ange.. I thank you for your beautiful words… I'd have responded to you but your profiles doesn't allow me to.

Cate opened her eyes slowly to see that the sun was indeed coming out this morning and that meant yes, it was time to get out of bed and go to work. She closed her eyes and opened them again, just incase. Bummer. No such luck. She was warm and cozy curled up beside House with his arm around her and her head resting on his chest. He breathed evenly and his heart beat softly under his ribs in her ear. Her leg was draped over his under the covers and she ran her foot along the length of his shin on the inside of his calf to his knee. The hair on his leg tickled her toes and she let out a contented sigh. She loved to lie next to him and to feel his arms round her and his heat through her clothes warming her. The hard lines of his body were contoured to fit perfectly with her own and she thought that somewhere maybe they were made as a matching set. Two halves to a whole. It was a childish notion she knew, but it made her happy. Silly, giddy, girlishly, happy.

Yesterday, when Thirteen has said that House couldn't sleep when he was alone and without her, a piece of her heart fell off and sprouted wings. It fluttered around her chest like a butterfly in a glass bell jar, an effervescent dancing testament to the cherished secret that only she knew. He loved her. And only her. Of course, everyone else was beginning to figure that out. The obvious signals were glaring in everyone's face but for the time being it was her treasure to know. It was her secret of how he felt about her. It was her private knowledge of his paralyzing vulnerability in the face of pure and open intimacy. Her familiarity alone of his deepest fear to trust implicitly, his trepidation of judgment and humiliation. It was her privilege to know the sadness for the things he'd lost and his honest belief that he didn't deserve a life like everyone else. He allowed her and only her to bare witness to those things. And that made the little butterfly soar far and wide.

She loved him so much it ached deep in the core of her chest. It was overwhelming and consuming. It felt like the deep soul changing kind of love that books and movies were written about but it was rooted in the basest reality she knew. It was raw and unrefined and like nothing she'd ever felt before. This man, whom no one could get close to, whom no one could touch; he wasn't kind. He wasn't even likable. He had done horrifying, reprehensible things to himself and to those around him. He thought he was justified because he was a brilliant scientist who saved lives with his vast mind, quick and as dangerous as an electric current. He wielded his tongue like a weapon, its sharp edges could make those around him bleed with the one strategically placed word. And his eyes could freeze you where you stood with a single fraction of a glare.

But there was a side to him that no one else saw or even dared to know. There was a side to him that was hidden beneath the layers of anger and hurt, sadness and self-pity. He was likable. He was kind. He cherished and appreciated. He spoke loving words with tenderness and touched with reverence. He was sensitive and thoughtful. He saw the world as a measurable quantifiable place where emotions and things that couldn't be explained left him confused and daresay, inept. For a man who was as capable as he was that ineptitude was inexcusable. So, he ignored and avoided and pushed those kinds of things away to the detriment of himself. He had forgotten how to love, how to be kind, how to trust. It was all new to him again. Every emotion that surfaced, every feeling a new one, every experience was the first. He needed time to heal, time to learn, time to become whole again. She would give him time. He deserved that time. He deserved that kind of love. Whether he believed it or not. That was her promise to him.

Cate felt his hand touch her hair gently caressing the strands through his fingers. He was awake but lying quietly content to fondle her hair. She smiled into his shirt and placed a kiss on his chest. He no doubt was not going to work today, after losing his patient. He could lie in bed all day if he chose, and as much as she would love to do that, she however could not. She began to roll more to her side so she could kiss him before getting out of bed but he protested and held her firmly where she was.

"No, no, no, where do you think you're going, " he complained, his voice thick with sleep.

"I have to shower and go to work," she stated as he continued to hold onto her tightly in his arms.

"No. It's insanely too early for that, " he told her. "And you took a bath last night."

"Yes, but…"

"Yes, but nothing, " he said into her hair as he brought his stubble covered chin to the top of her head. "I want you to stay with me."

She peeked at the clock over his shoulder. It was 7:30. Since she had taken the bath last night, she could get away with just combing her hair and pulling it back before get dressed. God, his slacker tendencies were a bad influence on her. She relaxed into his side and hooked her leg up further along his thigh settling in to the comfort of his warmth.

"That's my girl, " he said happily, relaxing his hold on her but keeping her very close to him. He fell silent again and she almost thought that he fell back to sleep. His voice rumbled in the hollow of his chest. "What do you guys talk about when you meet together?"

"What?" she was surprised by his question and wasn't quite sure what he meant.

"When you sit with Cuddy and Cameron and Thirteen, what do you guys talk about?"

"Oh, " she said. "Nothing really, girls stuff."

"What is girl stuff?"

"Clothes, shoes, books and stuff like that, why, " she asked wondering where this curiosity was coming from. Then it dawned on her his expression when he saw them together and how he looked wierded out by it.

"Oh, just wondering, " he said innocently.

"Does it freak you out that I talk to them?" she figured why not just cut to the chase.

"No." It was a lie.

"Yeah?"

"I didn't think you were friends with any of them, " he said honestly.

"I been working closely with Cameron in the ER, Cuddy and I have talked for a bit and I like Thirteen, she's irreverent and reminds me of you, " she explained.

"Really?" he said moving his head to look into her face. "There's a lesbian version of me out there."

She chuckled. "She is not a lesbian… will you let it go?"

"Lesbians, bi-sexual females, women of all kinds, make me happy… I will never let it go, there's just too much fun to be had, " he argued. "But why does she remind you of me?"

"She doesn't take shit from anybody, she hides who she really is from the general public with humor and sarcasm, and she has good reason to. There's a lot of pain inside her and she has a tendency to act out in ways that are not good for her…"

"Alright, I get the picture…" he said sarcastically.

"Are you sure it doesn't bother you a little bit, " she said and held up her fingers in an inch.

She could ffel him roll his head side to side on the pillow contemplating. He sighed and said, "It kind makes me feel all oogy".

She twisted to rest her chin atop her hands on his chest. "Why?"

"I work with all of them, " he said. "I have history with two of them."

"We don't really talk about you," she told him. She wasn't really lying; she was more bending the truth a bit.

"I don't want them in my business, " he said plainly. She could understand that, that thought of sharing too much had crossed her mind as well. But, they were friends and friends shared.

"Question, " she said.

"Yeah, " he responded.

"Do you talk about me to Wilson?"

"Yeah, but that's different, " he declared.

"How? How is that different?" she asked.

"You don't work with him, he's not your boss, " he countered.

"No, he may not be my boss, but I do have to see him at work and socially, because he's your best friend. Besides, Cuddy is my boss too but she's a friend, " she insisted. "Is it just Cuddy that bothers you?"

"No, I loath them all equally, " he said.

She laughed, "You don't loath any of them."

"Oh but I do, " he said with a laugh.

He ran his hand along the length of her hair, letting hit fall through his fingers. He frowned and shook his head. "I guess I selfishly don't want to share you with anyone."

Cate smiled and move up to kiss him. "Well, you're going to have to get over it."

His laugh rumbled in his chest and he grabbed her and threw her back onto the mattress. He moved on top of her lacing his hands with hers behind her head. She gasped in surprise and let out a laugh as she struggled against him. He rested his weight onto her and she squealed as she found herself compressing into the mattress. "Am I going to have to get over it?" he demanded.

"You can't bully me, " she fought, chuckling, " I won't submit."

He rested almost all of his weight on her crushing her under him. She laughed the remainder of her breath out of her abdomen. "Am I going to have to get over it?" he taunted.

"I won't give in, " she reiterated in a strangled voice. He leaned forward to kiss her but she dodged his lips. He opened his mouth wide in shock at her boldness in the face of her captor and he went in for another stolen kiss. Giggling, she dodged him again to the other side. This time he got wise and brought his lips to her neck where his stubble scratched at her skin and his lips tickled her throat. She let out a gasp as he worked his way down the soft cording of her neck to her collar bone. He dipped his tongue in at the hollow of her throat before tracing another fiery path back up the other side of her neck to her ear. His hot breath burned in her ear as he whispered, "Do you submit?"

She shook her head , "No."

"Tsk, tsk, you're impudence must be punished." His tongue traced a path around her ear, up and over the curve to her earlobe where he pulled it between his teeth and sucked it into the scorching recesses of his mouth. She writhed against him futilely. She wasn't trying to get away from him anymore; she was trying to get closer. His mouth was driving her insane.

"Oh, God," she moaned.

"Yes, Cate, what can I do for you, " He bellowed in a deified voice.

She laughed. "Please tell this devil of a man to release me, I will promise to only tell about his remarkable sexual prowess and how large his penis is to all our friends."

He laughed loudly in her ear and it caused a momentary loosening of his grip as he collapsed against her in amused delight. She broke free of his grasp and scooted to the other side of the bed breathing heavily.

"You don't play fair, " he said rolling over onto his back.

"Neither do you, " she accused. He reached out for her but she bolted off the bed. "Ah, ah… no more touching. I have to get ready for work."

"Aww, but mom, " he whined.

Cate laughed and went about gathering her clothing from the closet to get dressed. She picked out a grey pencil skirt and a black silk blouse that she would put a cardigan over. She grabbed her new Christian Loubotain peeptoe slingbacks and a pair of underwear and a bra from the drawer.

"Umm, you might want to find a shirt with a high collar, " he suggested from his seated position on the edge of the bed.

She stopped before going into the bathroom. "Why?"

He had a sheepish grin on his face as he gestured with his hands to his own neck. "You have some… marks on your neck."

Cate gasped and quickly went to the mirror on the inside of the closet door. "Oh. My. God. GREG!"

"What?" he said innocently.

"I look like a freaking teenager, " she shrieked unintentionally, fingering the red beard burns on her tender skin. "I can't go to work looking like this."

"And my evil plot comes to fruition, " he said heaving himself out of bed with a groan.

"I'm serious, " she said looking at him desperately.

He hobbled over to her in his faded jammie pants and white t-shirt looking all rumpled and incredibly sexy. She closed her eyes irritatedly, because that's what got her into this mess in the first place. "Let me see, " he said placing his expert hands on her neck turning her to examine his handiwork. "They'll calm down in a little bit. Just don't touch them or put anything on them to further irritate them." He was all Dr. House, business as usual.

She frowned at him and he laughed at her. He looked almost pleased with himself.

"Don't you have a turtleneck sweater here?"

"No, I wore that last week, " she said bringing her clothes into the bathroom.

"Yeah, the black one, I washed it the other day, " he told her going to the laundry closet in the hallway.

Cate immediately came out of the other bathroom door into the hallway, "You washed my black cashmere turtle neck?"

He paused and looked at her with a 'don't challenge me' face. "I read the label. Washed it by itself on gentle. And laid it flat to dry."

She eyed him dubiously. "Can I see it?"

He held it up for her to inspect. She glanced at him, remarkably impressed at his laundry skills. She lowered her eyes and pouted a little, chagrinned. "Ok. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He closed the bi-fold doors and limped back into the bathroom after her. "I may look like a slob, but you don't grow up around my father and not know how to properly wash, starch and iron, knife edge pleats in a pair of trousers." He lifted the toilet seat and peed. "I can do it; I just don't give a shit."

Cate rolled her eyes as she brushed her teeth. Well, that was a personal boundary that they didn't necessarily ever have to cross. She spit into the sink and turned to him and pointed her toothbrush at him as he flushed the toilet, leaving the seat up. "I draw the line at poop."

"One bathroom, two people, " he said shoving her out of the way so he could wash his hands. He opened the medicine chest and took out his prescription bottle shaking only one pill into his hand. He swallowed it and cupped some water in his hand to wash it down.

"Just one?" she inquired curiously rinsing off her toothbrush as he stood up.

He shrugged and then made a perplexed face himself. "Yeah, it feels not so bad this morning." He wiped his mouth with the towel by the sink and then smacked her ass with it before putting it back.

"Hey, " she cried as she picked up the brush to tie her hair back into a slick ponytail.

He waggled his eyebrows at her and left the bathroom to go make coffee. Cate finished dressing and put on her make-up. She could hear him having a conversation with Sexy Kitty as her fed her and checked her dressing. He was so funny with that cat and she decided that she'd make no effort to bring her back to her apartment since he seemed to have adopted her for himself. When she came out of the room, dressed in her turtleneck, skirt and fabulous shoes, she came through the living room in to the kitchen. He was leaning against the counter having a cup of coffee watching the cat eat on the floor by the window.

"Mmm, now shake you finger at me and say 'Gregory, that book was due over two weeks ago, you've been a very, very naughty boy', " he said coming up to her and slipping his hand around her waist.

She laughed as her kissed her neck again, this time underneath the top edge of her turtleneck in the soft spot by her ear. "Do I really look like a librarian?"

"All you need is the pointy glasses, " he said pulling back from her to hand her a cup of coffee.

"Hmm, I'll make a note of that, " she said taking a sip.

He leaned back against the counter and eyed her for a moment. "I want to go look at new mattresses this weekend."

She paused and regarded him for a second. "Okay. You want to buy a new mattress?"

"Yeah, my back has been bothering me a lot lately and I think it's time for a new bed, " he explained.

"How old is this one, " she asked taking out a yogurt from the fridge.

"Since I moved in, " he shrugged.

"Which is?"

"Fifteen or so, " he said rubbing his chin.

Cate nodded and dipped her spoon into her breakfast. "It's old enough and we do kind of sink into the center."

He nodded and drank his coffee.

She pulled the spoon from her mouth licking it backwards before saying, "I want you to think about something today while your home, doing nothing with the cat."

He looked at her and furrowed his brow."I'm not staying home today. Why would you think that?"

"Well, you lost your patient last night, I didn't think you'd be going in."

He shook his head. "I'm doing an autopsy at 10:00."

"Oh, " she said.

"I need to know what we missed."

She smiled. She should have known he would let it rest until he had his answer. "Ok. I still want you to consider something today though in your free time."

"What?"

"Thanksgiving is coming soon, and I want you to meet my dad, " she began. He eyed her warily from the counter and she bit her lip tentatively. "They don't necessarily have to coincide, but…"

He nodded and let out a sigh. He was not too keen on the idea, she knew he wouldn't be, but it meant a lot to her and she could she that he knew that too. He came up to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "He's going to hate me."

She placed her hands on his t-shirted shoulders, "And you're going to hate him."

"Sounds like a blast, " he said cheerfully.