CHAPTER FIFTY TWO

It wasn't easy to get rid of Cameron, but eventually Cuddy convinced her to go home and get some rest. Cuddy just had House do it. The rest of them left the room, giving them some privacy. House pulled out all the stops, trailing a finger down her hand, stroking her cheek, telling her he was worried about her. Before he could go on, Cameron had thrown her arms around his neck. He let her get it out of her system then told her to go home and get some sleep. She left.

Wilson waited for him in the lobby. "Where'd everybody go?"

"To Cuddy's. We thought it might look a little odd if Cameron came out and saw us all standing around waiting for her to leave. We couldn't get rid of Chase, but since Bob made no specific mention of him, Cuddy thought it would be okay." Wilson cringed. He thought House might have an issue with that.

"Whatever." House just wanted to get out of this damned hospital. He hadn't been a patient here since the infarction, and it was bringing back all kinds of bad memories.

The whole gang gathered at Cuddy's house. Chase had secured his place in the gang by bringing the pizza. He arrived just after House and Wilson.

Bob paced the room. Wilson, Cuddy and House filled the sofa while Harry and Murphy each took a chair.

"The water demon is very dangerous. He is very influential and can convince people to see what they want in him. It's an amazing talent."

"Point Bob," Harry warned.

"His only weakness is an inflated sense of his own importance. He thinks he's God and that everyone will bend to his will no matter what he does. If we can find a way to use that, we can find a way to destroy him."

"What about that other one?" House demanded. Getting another piece of pizza.

"The other...oh, yes, Eitak. She is his partner, the air demon. I have not yet discovered her great weakness, but I fear it might be the same. Demons have a tendency of thinking they are a lot greater than they are. Probably because they are the ruling class down in Hellanto. Here on Earth, however, they are rather important. That is why they have been using others to carry out their evil plan. I think she will be easier to destroy than he is. She seems a bit...flaky."

House snickered. Everyone shot him an evil glare. "Come on? Flaky demon? That's funny."

"May I get back to what I was saying?" Bob was getting impatient.

"Of course Bob." Harry didn't particularly like being in House's company either. He had no idea how Cuddy put up with the insufferable man.

"Thank you." Bob bowed his head to his master, then went on with his presentation. He flicked his hand in the air and a fully developed picture hung there. It was Vogler. "So far E&E have sent us an ogre. Low on the power chain. Ogre's are basically mindless killing machines. This one was disguised as a business man..."

"When miserable miser Edward Vogler gets enraged, he turns into the Incredible Ogre! Rawr!"

"House?"

"Yes Mommy." House looked at Cuddy and smiled, his head hung in shame.

"Next we got a succubus." Bob waved his hand again and a second image, this one of Stacy, hung in the air. "Now, succubi are far more powerful than ogres. Unlike an ogre, succubus will use charm and manipulation to get their prey." House was turning red under Bob's knowing gaze. "They are highly intelligent, highly seductive creatures."

"How does someone become a succubus?" House was looking for anything to point to Stacy being cursed.

"They're born. Succubi are not human, they only look that way to make it easier to hunt their prey. I'm afraid your little girlfriend was always going to suck out your soul. I'm not sure why it took her so long, or why she left before killing you the first time, but I've never been a succubus, so I don't know what goes through their twisted minds."

"You've never run into one?" Chase had managed to grasp the concept of the century's old ghost better than anyone expected.

"I have." Bob confirmed.

"How did you escape?"

"Who said I did?" Bob smiled enigmatically. He'd had centuries of practice. "I was lucky enough to have my generations Chosen One save me."

"You're generations what?" Chase metaphorically scratched his head. He literally took another bite of his pizza.

Cuddy sunk down in her seat a little. House, Harry, Murphy and Bob were all staring at her, smiling with different levels of humor.

"In each generation a young woman is chosen to lead the way. She is given a great gift, of strength, bravery and in Cuddy's case, hotness." Cuddy turned red. Bob smiled at her. "She must, during her tenure, fight the forces of evil and restore balance to the world."

"And this is just happening now?" Chase didn't really think of Cuddy as a young woman.

"No, and that's what's odd. Lisa already faced her challenge. She should be retired now, and a new girl take her place. But that hasn't happened." Bob was trying to figure out why, but was having no luck at all.

"A baby Buffy." House laughed. No one responded to him so he stopped.

"Is there some sort of book?" Murphy was also curious about this whole Chosen One thing. Cuddy didn't look particularly special to her. "A list of names somewhere?"

"No." Bob was getting testy.

"Then how do you know a new person hasn't been chosen?"

"No one knows how she is chosen. It could be random selection, it could be every ten millionth girl born, who knows." Bob shrugged.

"Then how do you know?"

"That Lisa is a Chosen One? Well, other than the fact that she has kicked some major demon ass in her day, I tested her."

"Then there could be a new one that you just haven't tested yet." Murphy didn't like Cuddy being special. Not that she wanted the job, she just didn't like the way Harry looked at the Chosen One. It annoyed her. Not that she was interested in him, she was just concerned, as a friend. She didn't want him to get his heart broken.

"So, until a new one comes along, I'm sorry my dear," Bob turned to Cuddy, "but you are, as they say, it."

"What do we do next?" Cuddy had accepted her fate.

"We wait, for the next monster the demons want to throw at us."

"That's it?" Murphy stood up. "We wait?" She paced back and forth a little. "What kind of action is that? We need to do something? Find these bastards and eliminate them before they eliminate us."

"Whoa there Murph." Harry grabbed the back of her coat and pulled her back down into her chair. "Bob's right. Until we know what we're dealing with and how to deal with what we're dealing with, our best course of action is to wait."

"And hide? Is that what you're asking us to do Harry? Hide? Like frightened children?"

"With all do respect Miss Murphy," Bob cut in, "hiding is a better option than running around and getting ourselves picked off one by one."

"That's easy for you to say!" Murphy shot at him. "You're dead."

"You don't have to rub it in." Bob acted wounded.

"Forgive me." Murphy said sarcastically. "I didn't realize I could hurt a ghost's feelings."

"Well, you can, and you did."

"Bob." Cuddy got up and walked over to the ghost. "Are you sure there is nothing else we can do? I'm not entirely comfortable with sitting around waiting to be attacked. Besides, these demons of yours are not our only challenge. There have been several werewolf attacks, and a group of vampires roaming around Princeton. I've got to be out there, fighting."

"In the open?" Bob didn't like the idea of that at all.

"Yes Bob."

"It will be dark," House added, he thought helpfully, as he went and joined them.

"Easier for them to attack you, in the cover of night." Bob whined.

"Bob. Snap out of it." Harry got up and joined Cuddy and House in the Bob huddle. Murphy followed him. Chase shrugged at Wilson as they sat and finished their pizza.

"That's easy for you to say." Bob pouted.

"You've got the least at risk here Bob."

"Hmph." Bob turned his back on his friend. "You don't know what I'm risking, what you're all risking. Erohs and Eitak are not going to go down lightly. They are not to be trifled with. They will destroy you all. And then I will be left with nothing." Bob might have sniffled there, no one would ever be sure.

"Bob. They're not gods. There has got to be a way to stop them. We can appeal to a higher court if we must. I will go to my godmother..."

"Not Lea." Bob snapped quickly. "I will find another way." Bob sighed. Erohs and Eitak were nothing compared with Harry's fairy godmother. Fairies never did anything out of the goodness of their hearts, and she would want payment.