Chocolate cheesecake was cut and served. Wine was replaced with coffee. Cuddy didn't own a chess set, but Goren kept a travel size set with him "in case of emergencies". The pawns were no bigger than thumbtacks. They disappeared between the detective's large fingers, making it look like he was trying to pinch the air.

As the board was being set up, Cuddy and Wilson were smiling at the nephew pictures on Eames's cellphone. While everyone was distracted, Eames took the opportunity to shamelessly wolf down her second piece of cheesecake.

"He's so adorable!" Cuddy gushed as she handed back the phone. "How old is he now?"

"Two-and-a-half," the blonde detective smiled. "He's already a little bulldozer, wearing Mommy and Daddy and Aunt Alex out."

"A regular handful," Wilson said, turning back to his dessert.

"That's the understatement of the century," Eames snorted with a gulp of her coffee. "He's like the Energizer Bunny–just keeps going and going..."

"Okaayyy...," House finished arranging his black chess pieces and rolled up his sleeves. "Lisa, are you ready to watch me kick the crap out New York's Finest?"

"You bet." She smiled at him and pulled up her chair.

Without a word Eames got up and settled next her partner. "Bobby, if you don't win we'll never hear the end of it."

"I'd like to remain neutral if that's okay," Wilson said as he made himself comfortable at the head of the table, putting himself between the other doctors and the cops.

"No way, Jimmy, pick a side." House narrowed his ice-blue eyes at the oncologist. Wilson remained unfazed.

"Fine, I pick my side. Are you going to play or what?"

"By all means." The diagnostician turned his gaze to the cop. "Let the carnage begin. You first, Bobby."

"Thank you, Doctor," Goren said, pushing a pawn forward, careful that his big hands wouldn't knock over the other pieces.

"What does the winner get?" Wilson asked.

"Bragging rights," House answered, moving a pawn of his own.

The oncologist gave his friend a stony look. "You'll take my money for checkers, but not his for chess? That's hardly fair."

"Life is never fair, Jimmy. Welcome to reality."

"Checkers?" Goren smirked and his partner joined him.

"Some chess pieces were missing. Really," House answered, then nodded at the board. "It's your move."

The pawns moved up, and soon other pieces were making their way towards the kings and queens. Goren drew first blood, snatching a pawn with a knight. House wanted to strike back, but couldn't without putting a knight or a bishop in the line of fire. It was too early. He had to settle for moving another pawn out of harms way.

Conversation died down as the pieces began to pile up on both sides of the board. Soon the game was interrupted only by requests for more coffee and directions to the bathroom. Goren took off his tie and Wilson loosened his. Cuddy leaned into her lover's shoulder, feeling him tense up a bit as the detective knocked off a bishop with his castle.

House studied the board as the soft ticks from everyone's respective watches floated across the table. Stealing a glance at Goren, Cuddy saw him waiting with careful practiced patience, letting his opponent take as long as necessary. The detective's expression was neutral, giving away a shred of nothing. Though the game was coming to a close, she knew that Goren and House would sit there all night if they had to, unable to give up until one of them won. She also knew that if she were a criminal the last thing the world she would want was those two cops after her law-breaking hide. She might as well take a cab to jail and save them the trouble.

Tick tock. Tick tock. A remaining black bishop was put in enemy territory. The bishop was safe but the king wasn't. "Check," House said simply.

Goren's sharp eyes looked up and down the sixty-four squares. He reached over and moved his castle. "Check to you, Doctor."

"You wish," the doctor said, and knocked off Goren's castle with his remaining black castle. The detective had no choice but to move his bishop away from the king. House swooped in. "That, Detective, is check mate."

Eames gasped, Goren shook his head, Wilson laughed, and Cuddy threw her arms around House's neck.

"Good job, Doctor." Goren reached his hand across the table and the doctor shook it.

"Thanks, Bobby. You know I am so going to brag about this to everyone."

"Everyone?" Eames asked.

"You better believe it," the diagnostician grinned. "I'm sure I could find your captain's phone number."