Author: MegTDJ
Category: Episode tag, drama
Rating: K+
Pairing: Wilson/Cuddy UST
Spoilers: Babies and Bathwater
Summary: A tag scene for Babies and Bathwater. (Wilson/Cuddy, Wilson's pov)
Disclaimer: House and its characters are not mine. The story itself is, however, so please don't archive without my permission.
Author's notes: Yay! My first Wilson/Cuddy fic! These two are my second fave ship on this show. They're just so cute together:)
Before you ask - yes, I know that Wilson is married, and no, I'm not saying he should cheat on his wife with Cuddy. Okee dokee? Okee dokee. :)
A Matter of Trust
Packing was so much easier than unpacking.
With packing, you're basically just dumping everything in boxes in a haphazard way, whereas with unpacking, you've got to find the perfect place for everything, set it up just so, and make the place look neat and tidy.
Well, you did if you were James Wilson. He couldn't stand for anything to be out of place.
He was just glad he hadn't had the chance in the time between being sacked and being reinstated to take all this stuff out of the boxes at home. He'd done enough packing and unpacking throughout his life, moving from home to home, hospital to hospital, and marriage to marriage. He wanted this to be the last time.
After all, this hospital was home to him now. He'd been there for so long, and had been so deeply involved with everything that went on there, that he couldn't imagine picking up and starting over again somewhere else. He got to spend every day with his best friend, for starters. Nothing ever seems dull when House is around.
He couldn't possibly find another position as good as this one had been for him. It had broken his heart to have to give in to Vogler's ultimatum and resign. Thank God Cuddy had stood up to the bastard and set everything right again.
James sighed at the thought of Cuddy, as he often did these days. She was another reason this job was so great - not only was she the most beautiful boss he'd ever had, but she was also the best team player. He'd always admired her guts, determination, and compassion, and he felt privileged to call her a friend. He didn't know why her vote against House had surprised him so much, but he really had expected more from her. At first she'd fought Vogler tooth and nail to keep House at Princeton-Plainsboro, but then she just... gave up? Gave up and left James to fight the giant on his own - a battle he couldn't possibly have won.
It wasn't that he was angry about it. She hadn't voted to fire him, after all... just House. And when it came right down to it, she had been willing to sacrifice her own job just so she wouldn't be compromising her principles for money. He was just disappointed and saddened that someone like Vogler could come in and so easily turn everyone against each other like that.
Something told him there was a lot of healing left to be done before any of them could go back to the way they were before Vogler had arrived. House's whole team had been torn apart, and James and Cuddy had been dragged into the fray with them. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would take to unite them all again.
He let out another sigh as he lined up some more of his books on the top shelf of his bookcase. There was no sense in worrying about that now. He had his job back, House hadn't been fired, Vogler was gone... all was right with the world.
Tap tap tap.
He turned around to see Cuddy standing in the doorway. "Hey," he said.
"Hey. Settling back in?"
James nodded. "Yeah. Home sweet home." He turned to place another book on the shelf, and when he faced the door again, she had already entered the room and was leaning against his desk. "I thought you went home a while ago," he said.
Cuddy smiled and shook her head. "That champagne went straight to my head, so I figured I should wait an hour before I tried to drive."
James chuckled. "Probably a good idea," he said. He was still feeling the effects of it himself.
Cuddy rapped her fingers nervously on the desk for a moment, and then took a deep breath. "Look, I'm... I'm sorry you ended up in the middle of all of this. I should have known Vogler would try something like that..."
"It's okay," James cut her off. "No harm, no foul."
"Maybe so, but... I'm sorry it went as far as it did."
James forced a small smile. "Well... apology accepted," he said, turning back to his unpacking. There was silence for almost a full minute as Cuddy just stood there, watching him work. Finally, James stopped and looked at her again. "Is there something else?" he asked.
"Actually..." She hesitated, fingering the edge of one of the boxes on his desk as she searched for the words to say. "I just wondered... if, uh..."
James narrowed his eyes as he waited for her to say what was on her mind. Suddenly, though, he realized for himself what she was thinking. He rested his hands on his hips and tried to keep his scowl down to just a slight grimace. "You're having second thoughts about your decision?"
Cuddy's expression turned to one of flustered surprise. "What? No. Not at all."
James wasn't completely convinced. "So, the comment about you mourning the loss of Vogler's money was just... a joke?"
Cuddy sighed and rubbed her forehead. "No, it wasn't," she said. "I guess maybe you're right. Now that it's all sinking in, I'm starting to wonder whether I've really made the right decision for this hospital."
Somehow, hearing her say those words didn't make him feel any better. "So, you've come to me for backup, is that it?" He couldn't keep the edge of anger out of his tone no matter how hard he tried. "You want me to tell you that you made the right decision; that everything's going to turn out just fine?" Cuddy opened her mouth to respond, but James huffed a laugh and kept on talking. "If you really need justification for it, I doubt anything I say can convince you. I'm biased, remember? My own job was on the line, not to mention my best friend's."
He went to place another item on a shelf, but stopped to add, "You know, I never wanted Vogler here in the first place. I knew deep down that House was right about him all along, but I was blinded by the hundred million dollars just like you were. The only difference was, I never allowed him to come between me and my principles as a doctor and as a human being - not even for a second."
There. He'd said it. He regretted it as soon as the words came out of his mouth, but at least it was out there now.
The look on Cuddy's face all but broke his heart. She had tears in her eyes, and it seemed that his words had cut her to the core. "I did what I had to do for the good of this hospital," she said in a low voice. "Losing one doctor seemed like a small price to pay, but losing two..." She stopped and shook her head. "You have no idea what that bastard put me through. I've hardly slept a wink since he came here, because I've been so worried about what House was going to do next. Every damn time, I was the one who would have to deal with Vogler afterwards, and after a while, I was just too exhausted to stand up to him anymore."
With every word she said, James started hating himself more and more for what he'd just accused her of. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know you were between a rock and a hard place, and for what it's worth... I do understand why you voted to fire House. And I also think you made the right decision in getting rid of Vogler. I just don't know..."
Cuddy studied him with curiosity as his voice broke off mid-sentence. "What?" she asked.
"I just don't know... how things can ever go back to the way they were before. The days when we all at least trusted each other, if not openly liked each other."
"We still do... don't we?"
James looked at her for a long moment, his mind and heart starting to wander into places he really didn't want them to go. Not while he was still married, anyway. He gave himself a mental shake to send them back where they belonged. "If you're talking about you and me," he said, "then... yes. I think we do. House, on the other hand..."
"You expect me to believe that this is all about House? Come on. You know as well as I do that for him this was all just par for the course. He knows he's walking a fine line, and he's not afraid of the consequences."
As soon as she said this, James realized it was true. House wouldn't feel any differently towards him or Cuddy, and probably not even towards Chase for ratting him out. She was right - it wasn't because of the effect these events would have on House that he was upset. It went deeper than that. He was hurting, and it was for personal reasons, nothing more nor less.
Suddenly, he knew the reason why. He'd always felt as though he and Cuddy were on the same side, especially over the last few months. They were often all each other had as backup in their battles with House and myriad other forces, even in the first few weeks of Vogler's reign. Yet right when it had been more important than ever for them to show a united front, she had knowingly hung him out to dry. He wasn't upset about what she'd done to House... he was upset about what she'd done to him. He'd trusted her, and she'd let him down.
"Jimmy?"
Her voice broke through the chaos of his thoughts, and he looked up to see that she was watching him in concern. He shrugged and shook his head. "I guess I just... thought you and I were a team. We're usually on the same side, and... it kind of shocked me that we weren't this time."
In order to prevent having to make eye contact with her any more, he turned his attention back to his shelves, putting the last of the items back where they belonged. He didn't hear her move at all, so when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, he jumped a little in surprise and swung around to face her.
"We are a team," she said softly. "In more ways than one. To tell you the truth, I hated myself for raising my hand against House, and I was silently cheering you on when you opposed. When Vogler raised the motion to dismiss you... you have no idea how much I wanted to throttle the guy right then and there."
James couldn't help but smile at the image of Cuddy pouncing on Vogler with her hands clamped like a vise around his neck. He would pay anything to see it happen.
"You had the nerve to do what I couldn't, and I was proud of you for that. And... I'm glad you came back."
James felt tears spring to his eyes at that. It looked like she really meant it. He wasn't quite sure what to do. The reckless part of him wanted nothing more than to kiss her - something it had wanted to do for a very long time now - but the rest of him knew he shouldn't. He was married, after all. As pathetic as his marriage was at the moment, an office romance wasn't the answer. Besides, this was Cuddy. She would never want him, not in a million years. He'd end up with a slap in the face and more packing to do if he made a move on her.
She was expecting him to say or do something, though. Before he could give his actions a second thought, he said, "Thanks," and drew her into a friendly embrace.
The embrace was returned warmly, and for a moment James wished they could stay like that forever, with his arms around her as she gently stroked his back. Pretty soon, though, he had to pull away. Friendly hugs should never wear out their welcome.
"So... we're good?" Cuddy asked as she smiled at him.
James took a deep breath and nodded. "We're good."
She touched his arm lightly, and then took a look around the room. "It looks like you never left," she said.
"Yeah, I guess I'm done," James said, putting his hands on his hips as he scanned his handiwork.
"Good." Cuddy started slowly for the door as she said, "Walk out with me?"
James smiled and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "I'd be glad to."
For the first time in weeks, James realized as he turned out the light and locked up his office, he was starting to feel that things could return to normal after all.