CHAPTER FIFTY

Stacy had slipped quietly into the night. She knew she had to leave town, but she was so close. Had Cuddy not interrupted them, she would have House's soul right now. She'd been so close, she could taste him still.

She circled the hospital. There was a lot of activity for this late at night. She was there when they brought House in. She felt his weak energy as they passed by her. For a moment she'd thought Cuddy could sense her, but that was just paranoia. "Chosen One my ass." Stacy scoffed.

About twenty minutes later she watched Cuddy run back out into the night. This was her chance. She strolled into the hospital. She really didn't think Cuddy had put out an APB on her. Not when her precious House was dying. Cuddy couldn't think straight when it came to House. She never could.

"Stacy!" Cameron was hurrying down the hallway when she almost crashed into the older woman.

"Allison. What's going on? Is Mark okay?" Stacy tried to seem innocent. It was a role she'd been playing for years.

"What? Oh. Yes. Mark's fine, it's House..."

"What's wrong with House?" Show concern, but not too much, you don't know how bad it is yet.

"He's in a coma." Cameron's hair was tangled and tied in a ball at the back of her head. She was in a big tee shirt and pajama bottoms. Her glasses where crooked on her nose. She was a wreck.

"Where is he? I have to see him." Now start to act panicked. You're worried that it's worse than it is. You can do this.

"Come with me." Cameron rushed toward House's room. She pushed the doors open. Stacy hesitated for a moment. What if they knew? Then she'd have to take them out. She felt for the gun in her coat pocket.

Her eyes fell on House. For a moment she felt deep guilt, but the moment passed. His soul was intoxicating. She needed it. She just had to get him alone. "Can I have a moment?" She was tearing up.

Harry eyed her suspiciously but was pushed out by Cameron and Wilson, both of whom felt their romantic sensibilities taking over.

"Who is that woman?" Harry asked when they finally let go of him.

"That's Stacy. She's House's..." Wilson couldn't finish his sentence. Harry was already pushing his way back through the door.

Stacy was leaning over House's body. Her lips only inches from his. Harry could see the dark vapor of his soul being sucked away. "Get away from him." Harry charged full speed at the woman, knocking her to the floor.

"Harry!" Cameron and Wilson came running in. They tried to stop him from his attack.

"She's the one." Harry was struggling to keep Stacy pinned underneath him. "She's the one who's been killing him."

"Who is this man? He's crazy! Get him off me." Stacy struggled underneath Harry's surprisingly strong body.

"What?" Wilson couldn't believe his ears.

"She wouldn't...she loves him." Cameron refused to accept such a thing.

"She's a demon." Harry released one of her arms just long enough to grab his wand, then he had to hold her down again as she clawed at his face. "Someone help me, please!"

"I'm calling the cops." Wilson rushed to the phone.

"Leave her alone!" Cameron didn't know what to do. There was no way she could fight Harry. He was twice as strong as she. She started hitting him in the back. "Let go of her."

"Cameron, the bedpan." Stacy saw an ally. She knew she could count on Allison Cameron in a pinch. Girl power and all that, bonding over their feelings for House. They were soul sisters now. Stacy smiled inside.

Cameron looked at the floor and saw the metal bedpan laying there. She grabbed it and held it up over her head. Before she could lower it on Harry's he shot a blast of magic at her that sent her toppling to the floor.

This gave Stacy the leeway she needed. With one leg and both her arms, she shifted his weight to one side and managed to turn the tables. She was not on top of him, looking down at him. "You shouldn't have messed with me." She lowered her lips to his.

Harry struggled, turning his head away as far as he could. Sealing his lips as tight as he could. He tried to force her off him. Cameron was standing beside Wilson who was busy explaining that a lunatic was attacking a woman at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and could they bring the men with the nets ASAP.

Stacy reached deep down in her demonic soul and used all the power she had. She let out all the air in her body, then got as close to his mouth as she could. In seconds he was still beneath her.

"What did you do?" Cameron looked relieved and frightened all at once.

"Wow!" Wilson was impressed.

"We've got to tie him up before he wakes up." Stacy was fighting the urge to smile triumphantly. Her luck seemed to be improving, getting stuck with the two biggest bleeding hearts in the hospital. There was no way they would doubt her.

Wilson searched for something to tie Harry up with, while Cameron pulled the top sheet off of House. He wouldn't mind.

Cuddy walked into the room. "What are you doing?" She looked around and took a quick assessment of the situation. "You bitch! You know I never really liked you." Cuddy pulled a knife out of her pants.

"You were always jealous of me Lisa. I got everything you wanted." Stacy pulled out her gun.

"Shit!" Cuddy sighed heavily. In one movement she pushed Wilson and Cameron out the door like dominos, then lunged under the bed. Stacy fired one shot that went into the wall behind Cuddy. "This is turning into a very bad day." Cuddy scuttled under the bed and swiped at Stacy's ankle with the knife.

Stacy let out a cry of pain, then fell to all fours, the gun pointed under the bed. Cuddy scuttled back out and nearly missed the next bullet.

Nurse Wendy and Chase, who'd been chatting her up, came running. "What's happening?"

"I have no idea." Wilson shook his head slowly.

"We should do something?" Cameron looked around for support but got none. They all stood there, staring at the door, hoping for the best.

Inside the room, House lay still as the two women continued to fight. "You've only got four more bullets Stacy."

"Thanks for the update Lisa." Stacy aimed the gun at Cuddy who was standing still in front of her. As soon as she pulled the trigger Cuddy dodged to the left.

"That leaves three." Cuddy needed to get those bullets out of the gun if she had any chance of beating Stacy.

"Duh!" Stacy nearly pulled the trigger, but decided to wait for Cuddy's guard to be down.

Damn! Cuddy thought. She carefully slipped her hand to the table next to her and picked up whatever she could reach. It felt like a pen. She tossed it toward the door. Stacy swung the gun in the direction of the door and fired.

Wilson, Cameron, Chase and Wendy all jumped.

"This next one is going right through your heart." Stacy tightened her grip on the weapon. She was a patient woman. She would wait for Cuddy to slip up. She did not remember Cuddy being so patient. This really shouldn't take long.

Cuddy stood perfectly still. Her mind was racing. She knew Stacy would fire the first moment she let her guard down. She couldn't wait any longer. She began to weigh her options. She could charge at Stacy, try to take her down. She could, stand here and wait for Stacy to fall asleep, she could just wait for House to die. These were not great options.

Without warning she chaged. She lowered her body as she ran at the succubus. Stacy discharged the weapon, hitting Cuddy in the shoulder. Cuddy ignored the shooting pain and plunged her knife deep into Stacy's heart.

Wild screaming forced Chase and Wilson to run into the room. They were men. They had to be brave some time. "Oh my God!" Wilson looked at the two women piled on top of each other.

"Dr. Cuddy?" Chase ran to Cuddy and checked her wound. There was a lot of blood, but it didn't seem fatal. He turned her over.

"Is House...is he..." she was too weak to get it out.

"He's..." Wilson's eyes grew wide. "I think he's waking up."

Chase had checked Stacy's vitals." She's dead."

"No!" Cameron screamed in the doorway. Wendy pulled her into her arms and let the girl cry.

House groaned.

"He is. He's waking up!" Wilson's face lit up. His best friend was alive.

Cuddy smiled weakly. "Tell him he owes me big time." She then proceeded to pass out.