Hello!

I was convinced that I'd updated since last time, but turns out it's been almost two weeks. Sorry for the delay!

This episode is set in 2.22 'Forever', after House finds the red clover in Cuddy's trash and he thinks she has cancer.

Still not a secret relationship AU. :P (it spices things up)

Thank you for reading. See you guys soon!

59. Call me if you need anything.

Cuddy was awakened by the low, humming sounds of her BlackBerry vibrating – she'd never been a particularly light sleeper, but somehow work always roused her from the deepest of sleep.

"Hello?" she slurred, switching the bedside lamp on. She flinched as the light burned her eyes.

"I know why you saw Wilson."

House.

Who else would be calling her in the middle of the night?

"I found the red clover in your trash."

"You went through my trash?" she asked after a short pause, somehow more shocked by this disrespect of her privacy than by him calling at two in the morning – and yet, she'd gotten used to both – too shocked to immediately realise she'd been found out. The IVF, the secret that she'd been trying to keep from him, was now out.

She didn't dare think of the consequences.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

She shook her head, frowning. She must have been still asleep because he was making no sense. Maybe it was one of those weird dreams that you think nothing of, until you wake up with an ephemeral, vivid memory of it and think to yourself, what the fuck was that?

"What are you –"

"Cancer sucks."

She was stunned.

Cancer?

He thought she had cancer?

More importantly – she had heard that he meant it when he'd said he was sorry?

Must be one hell of a dream.

They were both silent for a while.

She turned the light off, sensing that this intimate conversation should be taking place in the dark.

She was too surprised to correct him, too touched by his vulnerability and sudden empathy to tell him not to be sorry for her.

"Just… You know you can…" He added after a few seconds, fumbling with his words. "Call me if you need anything."

He heard her intake of breath and he heard her part her lips, and he was convinced she was about to tell him something.

"Thank you," she settled for instead, promising herself she'd be braver the next time she saw him.

"Good night, Cuddy."

"Good night, House."

They hung up and she made herself comfortable again.

Their bizarre conversation was slowly dawning on her – House rummaging through her trash after he found out she was going on a date with Wilson, she could chalk it up to him having no respect of her privacy. She'd shown an unusual behaviour – going on a date with his best friend – and he had tried to understand this anomaly in his usual way, instead of asking her directly.

Which she was grateful for, in a way. If he had asked she would have had to answer him.

But House calling her in the middle of the night to propose his help, that had nothing to do with analysing her actions. It had been genuine and spontaneous – although it might have involved some liquid courage.

She'd automatically crossed him off her list of potential donors, of people she could trust with the IVF, because House had no concept of privacy. If he were to find out, he would use it to humiliate her.

But his phone call made her change her mind. He was her friend. He was capable of caring. In those years working with him, she'd forgotten that he could be a decent human being.

Either that or they have me on really good hormones, she mused as she nestled further into her covers.

She might be able to trust him with her secret after all.