A/N- So sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. Normal excuses to be honest… work responsibilities, life, writer's block, and computer issues all conspired against me. Still here though, and still writing. We've still got a lonnnnnnng way to go in this story and a lot planned. There may be a couple one-shots from me coming too, separate from this story. I think part of my writer's block is that there's another story or two in my head that are itching to be written. Some may even serve as trial runs for parts of this story. So if you see other stories pop up from me, don't take it as me abandoning this one. This has become my baby as much as PPTH was Cuddy's.

Sorry if this chapter is shorter than you're used to. I just wanted to get something out to break the writer's block and get back in the flow here.

As usual, I am in awe of all of your support. The reviews, favorites, and follows make writing this more fulfilling than I could have ever anticipated so thank you. Truly, they make my day and inspire me when I'm struggling to write.

Disclaimers- Nothing new to mention here. House, Cuddy, Wilson, their past, and all of the supporting characters who may visit us along the way… none belong to me.

One word frees us of
all the weight and pain of life:
That word is love.

-Sophocles

The ringing of her phone seemed more shrill than usual as it pulled Cuddy from her slumber. She didn't want to leave the comfortable cocoon of House's arms. As crazy as it sounded, even to her, she felt safe lying next to him. For the first time in years, it felt like everything in her world was back in place, and she knew it would all be shattered once she answered that call. Shifting on the bed, she nuzzled her face into House's chest and tried to block out the ring.

His voice still gravelly from sleep, House mumbled, "You plan on answering that anytime soon?"

Cuddy buried her face into him as she slowly shook it side to side before answering with a sigh, "No, I really don't want to."

Lifting his head from the pillow to see her face, House raised an eyebrow in question. It wasn't like Cuddy to ignore her phone… well, at least not the Cuddy he'd known. She was always too concerned there was a crisis at the hospital to manage or that Rachel would need something. She was always braced to handle whatever was thrown her way without a second thought. That she would ignore her phone now, especially after days away from her hospital puzzled him.

With a deep sigh, Cuddy drew her lips into a thin line and looked up to meet his puzzled gaze and asked, "What if it's about Wilson?"

House dropped his head back to the pillow and stared up at the ceiling before he ran a hand over his face. "He's dead, Cuddy. You know that. I know that. We saw him. Answering the phone or not answering it isn't going to change anything. He's going to be dead no matter what."

Silence came over the room again as the ringing stopped and her phone switched over to voicemail. Feeling the hitch in her breath in response to his words, House pulled her tighter against him and rubbed his hand down her arm. Comforting someone didn't come naturally to him, but he felt like he needed to ease the blow of that statement. He knew he'd been blunt, but denial wouldn't serve her any purpose. She knew Wilson was gone. The phone call shouldn't change anything. He scooted back to sit up against the headboard and lifted his chin so he could look he in the eye as he finally found the words he thought might offer her some comfort. "Hey, we did the right thing. He wanted this. He needed it, Cuddy. The last couple weeks weren't great… you saw him on a good day, but he didn't have many of them anymore. It was time." He studied her, trying to read the emotion in her eyes. Cuddy worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she contemplated what he said so he continued, "He was having trouble breathing. The cancer had either spread to his lungs or was starting to crush his trachea. He was weak most days." Sleep still clouded his thoughts as he rubbed his face with both hands. "I hope that call was about him. It means they found him. That he's not alone in that cheap room anymore. It means everything is going like we planned. Now the biggest part of the plan is keeping you safe in all of this. So you need to act normal. And the most abnormal thing for you would be not responding to that call quickly."

Two separate dings had come from down the hall while he spoke, alerting Cuddy to both a voicemail and a text message. She knew House was right. She knew she had to pull herself away to respond to those notifications soon. Anyone who would call her about Wilson would know she always had her phone with her. They would know how quickly she typically responded to messages. Hiding from the news wouldn't change anything and might arouse suspicion. With a deep breath and a squeeze of House's arm, she finally sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

As she stood, House pushed himself off the headboard and started to rise to follow.

"No, wait here. I'll be back."

He nodded in reply and watched as she straightened her shoulders and pulled her robe tighter around her as she left the room. He wondered if she would come back to take the call or if she felt like she should be alone for it. Grabbing his ball from where it rested next to him on the mattress, he rolled it over his thigh. Spasms were building, and he needed to find some way to relieve them to deal with the hours ahead. Cuddy would likely delve into her grief after the call, and they still needed to call Stacy. Imaging how that conversation would go, he let out a low groan. He was going to be stuck dealing with the emotions of the two women he'd ever loved. Dying really would have been easier.

As he steeled himself for the emotional outbursts that surely lay ahead, House heard the sounds of one starting down the hall. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but he recognized the loud stomps as she paced and her clipped, angry tone. This was… unexpected. He was preparing himself for grief and tears, but he only heard sounds of fury from her. Panic gripped him as he realized the last time he heard her this angry was during the Tritter debacle. No, he told himself, it's not possible. He gripped his bad thigh to swing his legs over the side of the bed and mentally catalogued everything from the last 48 hours. He had to figure out where they went wrong and how any suspicion could have been directed at her. Pushing himself off the bed, he limped to the door determined to fix this. He'd ruined Cuddy's life once before. He couldn't let it happen now. Not for this.

It was only once he stood in the hallway that he could hear her words from her bedroom and felt himself relax.

"Yes, Jules, I know. I thought I'd be there today too. I'm sorry. Something came up that I had to take care of." He listened to her deep breaths as she paused, obviously listening to her sister on the other end. "No Julia! Nothing is more important than my daughter! I do not put my career over her and I don't appreci—" He knew he should go back to the guest room and give Cuddy her privacy for this conversation, but he felt drawn to listen more. He rationalized it was self-preservation. He was stuck here with her. He needed to know how angry she was and what he would be left to deal with after this call. Still, that didn't explain why he took another step toward her door. "I know you have three kids of your own to deal with. I'm sorry your niece is such an inconvenience to you. I thought you might enjoy spending some time with her." House could only imagine how Julia was laying into her as he reached her doorway and leaned against it. She was pacing the floor in front of her bed, her anger apparent in every step. When she turned back in his direction, she met his gaze and rolled her eyes, throwing her hand in the air. "Yes, I know you think if I'd have found a man, I wouldn't have to rely on family in these emergencies. Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. I'll make sure Rachel is out of your hair as soon as I can." Cuddy didn't give her sister a chance to reply, quickly pressing the button to end the call before throwing the phone on her bed.

With an angry growl, she roughly raked her hands in her hands and turned to him. "Sorry about that. My sister—"

"Is the Wicked Witch of Jersey?"

Tension melted off of her, and her shoulders dropped as she gave a small laugh. "Yeah, something like that. And she's not happy about keeping Rachel so I have to find a way to get her today." Her eyes flicked to the alarm clock on the nightstand before she sighed. "We didn't sleep as long as I thought. I guess there's still time to drive up there and back today."

House raised a skeptical eyebrow at her, "Think that's best? You still look exhausted. It's a lot of driving."

Worrying her lip between her teeth, Cuddy dropped onto the bed and smoothed the sheets with her hand. "I know. I am. But if I don't get her, Julia's just going to be an even bigger bitch about it." She dug the heels of her hands into her eyes and heaved with a sigh, "I could take the train over and back. I'd just need to check the schedules for today."

She reached back to grab her phone from behind her and search for train schedules when House limped over and sat beside her, taking the phone from her hand. He could see from the shallow breaths and sharp, quick rise and fall of her chest that she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Breathe, Cuddy. What did she say?"

With a wry chuckle, Cuddy dropped her head onto his shoulder and murmured, "Nothing new really. I put my career over my daughter. I should have found a man to play dad for her. It's my fault I'm in this position. I suck as a mother… the usual."

The last line caught him off-guard as it triggered a flashback to everything during the Tritter debacle. He remembered glaring at her in the shower and telling her she would suck at being a mother. It was just another thing to regret in the long list of ways he'd hurt Cuddy. Why she was here with him now, trying to help him out of the mess he created, he still couldn't understand. She shouldn't want him around, not after all he'd done to her. Not after all the ways he'd hurt her. He shook his head to clear the thoughts and wrapped his arm around her. Now, someone else was using those same words to hurt her, and he couldn't help feeling defensive of her.

"Julia's an idiot. You're a great mom. You know that, right?" He felt her nod against his chest, but the hitch in her breath betrayed her. Cuddy was the best at putting on a mask and appearing confident to the world, but he knew the insecurities she held deep. He knew she felt like she continually had to prove herself. She'd spent too long, too much, trying to become a mother, and it didn't take much to make her doubt herself. He pulled her closer and nuzzled her chin against the top of her head. "What happened? I know you and the Wicked Witch weren't always close, but I thought things were getting better. You made her Rachel's guardian. You were…" he cringed as he struggled to find a way to reference their worst moment, "you were having dinner parties."

Cuddy's head dropped, her chin tucking into her chest, not wanting to have this conversation with him. Her relationship with her sister had always been strained, and they were just starting to build one when House quite literally crashed their dinner party. After that, the tenuous relationship was even more strained than it had been. Julia's criticism of her life, her choices, her career, her relationships… everything… escalated after that day. As Cuddy drew weary of hearing how she had personally risked all of their lives by ever having House as part of her life, she distanced herself from her Julia more. After she broke things off with Paul, the dance dad, Julia's insistence that all of Cuddy's problems came from her refusal to find a good relationship, and Cuddy pulled away even more. She didn't want to tell House that though. She didn't want to admit that it was more than his car, more than her house, more than her relationship with him that was wrecked that day. With a sigh, she whispered, "House, don't…"

"What?"

"Just… don't. You don't want to know."

There was only one reason Cuddy would be loathed to share details of her fallout with Julia. House knew it and grimaced at the thought. The list of things he'd cost her was adding up—her home, her job, the closeness she'd shared with Wilson, and now, her relationship with her sister too. Once again, he wondered what she was doing. Why she would even entertain the idea of having him here. Why she would even think to help him out of the mess he'd created. Dropping his arm, House stiffened. The truth was, he was poison to Cuddy and had ruined everything for her. He couldn't stay, not to ruin her new life. But after being with her, after having her again, he wasn't sure he could leave.

She needs you just as much as you need her.

The line from Wilson's letter resounded in his head. No, Wilson was wrong. Cuddy didn't need him. She was better off without him. But at the same time, Wilson was right. House needed her.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't feel Cuddy move until she was standing in front of him, cupping his face in both hands. The pad of her thumb lightly skimmed the growth on his jaw. He lifted his gaze to meet hers, silently trying to tell her everything he felt. I'm sorry. I need you. I love you.

As if she heard his silent declarations, Cuddy slowly nodded and rubbed her hand back from his cheek to his hair before leaning in and planting a delicate kiss to his forehead. "Enough about Julia. I just need to figure out how to get Rachel home, and we still need to call Stacy." The slight movement of his arm as House rubbed his thigh caught her attention. "And while I do that, you should go soak your leg."

A quirked eyebrow and sly grin spread over House's face. "You sure you don't want to join me for a special secret bath."

Her wry laugh filled the room as she remembered the last special "secret bath" they shared. "I… think I'll pass on that one. You and your anus can enjoy the burn if you'd like, but my lady parts are happy without it."

With a dramatic flair, House gasped and clutched his chest, "Did I teach you nothing, Lisa Cuddy? The burning means it's working."

For the first time in years, he watched her eyes light with a twinkle as a smile crept over her face. It wasn't the smile she reserved for donors nor the smile to hide the sadness she felt. House felt his heart skip as the throaty chuckle fell from her lips. "You definitely taught me something… how fast a cripple can climb out of a tub."

"You wound me, Cuddy. That was a magical moment." His playful tone betrayed his sad declaration. Cuddy looked at him fondly, reminded of how playful he could be when they were together. It was like she was sharing that playful morning with him again, when they forgot everything outside his apartment and focused on one another. She missed that, and she wanted more of those mornings with him. The thought of everything they had to do to have that overwhelmed her.

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Yeah, it was a pretty magical moment. And we'll have more. For now, you go soak. I need to make some calls."