Chapter 16

House called to see Nicky on his way home from work, he'd been looking forward to seeing her all day. He'd badgered Wilson with a barrage of questions as soon as he came back from Nicky's apartment and was surprised when all he would say was, "Take care of her, because if you don't I'm coming after you."

"Hey," he said softly, "did I wake you?" It was so obvious he did, she looked tired and beat.

Nicky nodded and smiled wearily, but he could see she was happy to see him.

"I should go," House said reluctantly.

"No, don't do that," Nicky grabbed him and pulled him in to her apartment, "I've missed you."

He kissed her softly and couldn't help smiling. He was aware that he did that more and more these days, she'd really gotten to him.

"I've got something for you," she smiled, breaking away. She handed him a set of keys, "my spare apartment keys," she added quietly.

"Are you asking me to move in with you?" House asked quietly. He realised that he was not adverse to the idea either.

"All I'm asking you is to have my apartment keys," Nicky said simply.

He was thrown a little and it showed on his face. Nicky smiled and touched his face lightly. "Greg, don't look too deeply into this, I'm simply giving you my spare set of keys. You can stay over, hang out or whatever, they are just a set of keys, no strings attached, see?" she was smiling at him and he couldn't help but smile back. She'd left it open for him to decide, she wasn't pressurising him into anything, she just wanted him to have a set of keys, nothing more.

The next morning, after House left early to go home to freshen up before work, Nicky felt a little less tired and took a shower. Her head hurt and she thought a refreshing shower would make her feel a little better.

As she rubbed the shampoo through her hair, strands were knotting around her fingers and staying there. Tears rolled down her face as she realised that her hair was starting to fall out.

She quickly threw on a robe and sat on the sofa in stunned silence, too afraid to run a brush through her hair yet feeling compelled to do so, wanting to know just how much was left. She stopped after the brush started getting matted and wept like a baby.

Time had no meaning to her when she didn't have a schedule to keep, she learned from the last time that if she wanted to sleep, she slept, if she wanted to eat, even if it was three in the morning, she ate, if she wanted to go for a walk, she'd just go. She wandered over to the window and opened it wide, watching the rain falling heavily, letting it splash against her face. She loved to sit at this sofa, it was the whole reason she'd bought this flat, it had long windows that let in lots of light. She'd found the perfect sofa to place in front of this one and she'd sit and stare outside for ages. She let her thoughts drift back to the first time her hair fell out, the horror on Michael's face, although he'd tried so hard to hide it. She couldn't help but compare how differently Michael and Greg had reacted when they saw the scar and she wondered how Greg would be when he saw her next.

It was around lunch time when her phone rang shrilly into her thoughts, she realised that she'd been sitting at her window for over two hours.

"Hey," House said, "it's raining."

"I know, I've been watching it for ages," Nicky replied.

"You sound down, are you okay?" House asked softly.

"I'm fine," Nicky replied, but her voice was thick with tears and it betrayed her. "I'm just tired."

"No, it's not just that," House said, "I'm coming over."

"No, there's no need to, Greg," Nicky panicked. She heard his beeper go off and said something inaudible under his breath.

"I've got to go, damn patients," he muttered. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, go and save some lives or something," Nicky said, perking up slightly.

"Alright," House sighed, giving in, "I'll see you later."

He must have left early because Nicky heard a key being hurriedly shoved into the lock and the thud of his stick move rhythmically across the floor as he walked in. She was lying on the bed, she'd wrapped a bandanna around her head and felt utterly miserable.

"Hey," House said softly as he leaned against the door frame to her bedroom.

"Hey back," Nicky said, although she didn't move, she was curled up, her arms tucked into her body and her legs pulled in tight. She was, in effect, shutting the world out.

A tear escaped and trickled down her face and he noticed that her pillow was already wet.

House walked over, sat down on the bed, and ran his fingers lightly over her face, "What is it?" he coaxed gently.

Before she answered she uncurled herself and pulled him towards her and held him as tight as she could.

"Hey," he said gently, "it's alright, it's alright." He rocked her gently as he took her in his arms. He'd never felt so wanted in all his life and it overwhelmed him, he loved the way she made him feel, he wanted to protect her and love her with all his heart and that was the way he was heading.

He let her come around in her own time, eventually she pulled away and looked at him squarely.

"It's falling out," she said simply. He noticed that she looked defeated, he knew she was under no illusion that this would probably happen, but he realised that it was his love she needed now, not pity. She'd get enough of that walking around from now on, her condition blatantly obvious to those around her.

He gently slid the bandanna off with infinite gentleness, he knew that it hurt when hair started falling out. He let his eyes roam over her head before kissing the top of it gently, moving down to her forehead and eventually tilting her head up so that he could kiss her lips.

"You're still beautiful," he whispered as his hand stroked her hair soothingly. He pulled her in close and rocked her again.