Hi everyone,

So I finished this chapter much earlier than I expected. It was originally going to be much longer but then I thought to break it up into smaller chapter chunks (to keep you guys eagerly I'm sure, waiting for more!)

I like how a few of you thought that Cuddy had maybe gone to Brad's. Good thinking...except why would his contact info be in her phone? :)

Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 71:

As Katherine Cuddy sat on the couch in the darkness at her and her boyfriend Matt Gomez's newly acquired apartment (from House), her mind was racing. Her phone clutched in one hand, she had just gotten off the phone with her sister, Lisa, and she wondered about their conversation that had just taken place.

Kate was indeed curious what had happened. All that her sister had asked was if she could stay the night because, as Lisa put it, "I just walked out on him."

Kate knew her sister would never do something as extreme as this, not unless she had good reason to, so what had just happened? Aside from being curious, she was also concerned. And rightly so.

Suddenly, there was a light knock on the door. Kate picked herself up from the couch and walked over to the door, sucking in a quiet breath, not knowing what to expect when she opened her door to reveal her sister.

"Hi," Cuddy said softly, once the door was open.

Kate stepped aside to let her in. Immediately, Kate opened her arms and embraced her sister fully.

After pulling apart a few seconds later, Kate studied her carefully before speaking softly.

"What happened, Lisa?" she whispered, searching her sister's eyes and saw immediate pain. She could see Cuddy's eyes were slightly red and puffy. "Let's go sit down and you could talk to me, okay?"

They walked over to the couch in the den and sat down. Before Cuddy had a chance to open her mouth, she saw Matt, Kate's boyfriend, come out of the bedroom.

"You coming back to bed, Kate?" he called out, moving down the hallway. He stopped when he saw the Dean of Medicine sitting on the couch.

"Lisa!" he exclaimed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi Matt," Cuddy said quietly.

"In a few minutes," Kate told him in reference to his earlier question. "Lisa's staying the night."

"Everything okay?" Matt asked, concerned as his gaze shifted between his girlfriend and her sister, who was obviously distraught. He sat down on the other end of the couch that Lisa was occupying.

"What happened?" Kate asked again.

Cuddy then told her and Matt everything that had happened earlier, starting from when Brad approached her at the restaurant all the way to the conversation that happened right before she walked out of her own house.

She told them everything she knew and also what House had told her, although she still didn't know what had really happened when he had gone back inside while she waited for the car.

"You absolutely have every right to be angry at him for punching this guy," Matt said, after Cuddy had finished speaking.

Cuddy chuckled and smiled faintly as she wiped her eyes with her hand, for when she was talking, she started crying a little. "Well, I'm glad someone agrees with me on that."

"So you didn't go to the show?" Kate asked.

"No. I drove straight home. I could just tell how much pain he was in…"

"I mean," she continued, switching gears, as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, "I get the whole 'overprotective thing' – I get it. I really do, but he just – he took this way too far tonight. We've fought before, obviously, but this - this was something else – I – I just couldn't take it anymore! And the physical violence?! To actually hit Brad?!"

Kate stayed silent, knowing her sister had to vent about this. She exchanged a silent look with Matt, who was listening intently.

"Is he right?" Cuddy continued, finally staring at her sister, her eyes glassy and her voice just before breaking point. "Am I over-reacting here?"

"No," Kate whispered, reaching out and grabbing her sister's hand in a comforting manner.

"No, Lisa," she repeated, "You are not over-reacting. Don't even think that. Greg went too far in my opinion. He didn't have to hit this guy. And it shouldn't even matter to him if you and this guy had a history together, if you even did or not. What's he going to do, punch out every guy who you talk to?! It's none of his business -"

"Yeah, well he doesn't see it that way," Cuddy mumbled, forcing a chuckle.

"Did House tell you what was said when he went back inside – I'm presuming to talk to this guy?" Matt asked.

Cuddy shook her head. "No…well, not really. He just said some words were thrown around and then – they - they got physical..."

She shook her head, and gripped her head in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees, shutting her eyes, both frustrated and annoyed at herself.

"Christ, what did I do?!" she exclaimed, softly.

"Lisa, don't even think about starting to beat yourself up over this," Kate told her, reassuringly. "You didn't do anything. He was the one who punched the guy!"

She stopped and made sure her sister had her fullest attention before continuing. "You are both strong enough to move past this," she said quietly.

"And if we don't?" Cuddy looked up at her sister.

"You will," Kate stressed softly.

"What if we don't?" The thought of breaking up the man who she had loved for over a quarter of her life ripped at her heart like a knife.

"Lisa, listen to me," Kate pleaded with her older sister to see reason. "You and Greg are both strong enough to move past this," she repeated firmly. "He'll realize what he's done…God knows, you two have loved each other for so long...I don't think this is enough to drive you apart."

"I'm sorry I got you guys into this," Cuddy mumbled.

"Don't be," Kate told her. "You never have any reason to be sorry with me."

"I'm just – We've never fought like this..." She struggled to verbalize all of the thoughts recurring through her mind. "I mean I walked out on him for Christ's sake! I just left! Why the hell did I do that?!"

"You were angry. It was understandable to do what you did," Matt told her. "I'm glad Kate picked up her phone."

"Thank you," Cuddy told her sister.

"You're welcome. Hey, a call at two in the morning from you isn't very typical, so I figured something must have happened, like maybe I was about to become an aunt or something."

"Yeah, well, you still have about two months for that to happen so don't rush it now, okay? I want to at least try and get my life in order before this kid comes along, which so far, clearly is failing."

Kate chuckled.

"…But thank you for everything," Cuddy told them both, sincerely.

"Don't mention it," Matt replied. "I'm just glad that we were able to hash this out, as much as we could anyway…and it'll be okay, remember that."

"Thanks, Matt."

"So who exactly is this Brad character?" Kate asked, curiously.

Cuddy hesitated. Did she really want to go down this road? Then again, this was her sister.

"Could I talk to Kate alone for a few minutes please, Matt?"

"Sure. I'm going back to bed. Give a holler if you need anything."

Once Matt had gone down the hallway into the bedroom and closed the door, Cuddy turned to face her sister, who was silently and patiently waiting for an explanation.

Hesitating, she took a much needed breath before speaking.

"I met Brad in medical school. We dated for maybe a year – year and a half. We did our residency together."

"Then," she continued, "I found out he cheated on me. I actually caught him in the act…Bastard." She shook her head as she recalled the memory of seeing Brad in the middle of fucking that girl when she had walked into the bedroom all those years ago. She had seen them talking during their rounds in residency but didn't think anything of it. She still remembered what he had said when she brought up her suspicions of this 'Jessica' girl.

"She's just a friend, Lisa. I swear. There's nothing going on, okay? I love you. The last thing I would do to you is cheat on you."

Cuddy couldn't believe she was so naive to even fall for that crap of a lie. And then, she ended rounds early, walked back to their house off campus, and into the bedroom, and sure enough, there Brad was with this Jessica, in bed together. He told her he was too sick to make it to rounds that afternoon. What a lie that was, and she found out the hard way.

"…He kept apologizing over and over again, but I didn't believe a word of it," she continued, as she pulled herself back to the present moment. "I knew he was going to do it again and again…and so, I ended it...that was a long time ago…"

"Does Greg know?"

"That we dated? No, but I'm sure after what happened tonight, he has his suspicions…He doesn't have to know everything about my life in college after him while I was in med school. Knowing him, he'll just get more over protective and want to hurt Brad more than he already has done."

"Where'd this 'over protectiveness' thing come from all of a sudden? This is certainly not the Greg House that I've come to become acquainted with again…" Kate asked, surprised. "Unless I'm missing something," she added hastily.

"No idea," Cuddy replied, shrugging, as she stifled a yawn with her hand. She did have a theory, though and that was House was worried about her with the upcoming trial, but she wasn't going to get into that right now.

"So, let me get this straight," Kate said, recapping. "You and Greg see this Brad guy tonight, who you used to date, and he's being all touchy-feely with you at the table, or shall I add, too touchy-feely for Greg's liking...so, Greg gets jealous and then later punches Brad after telling him to back off, and then Brad grabbed his cane…then you and Greg get into an argument later about what happened earlier…He says he's sorry but you don't accept it and then he says you're overreacting. You snap, and then leave the house, and then call me…that sum it all up?"

Cuddy nodded. "Pretty much, yeah," she replied, quietly, as she stifled another yawn with her fist.

Kate was silent for a few seconds as she observed how much of a distress that this whole ordeal was for her expectant sister.

"Lisa," she began hesitantly, "You need to take it easy with this, okay? You can't get stressed out over this…If Greg truly loves you, he'll come back to his senses. He's changed since college. I know he'll realize he's made a mistake and tell you and apologize..."

"I hope he does," Cuddy whispered, sadly, as she caressed the underside of her belly with her hand. The thought of him leaving devastated her, especially over something as trivial as the events that had taken place that night.

Kate stood up. "He will. C'mere, Lise, she said, resorting back to the nickname she used when they were younger, and embraced her sister warmly.

"It's going to be okay. He'll come around. Maybe this night apart is a good thing for you two," Kate whispered.

Cuddy tried to give a reassuring smile through her tears as she leaned her head on Kate's shoulder. "Yeah, she replied, softly. "Maybe…"

The rest of the night was an awfully disturbed one for Cuddy as she lay on the couch in House's old apartment.

Everything around her reminded her of him, even without almost any of his possessions there, except for a few pieces of furniture. Just being in the apartment was simply enough.

Hugging a blanket to her chest, she engulfed the couch's faded leather scent, hinted with a tinge of a human odor that was extremely familiar. As she breathed in House's lingering scent mixed with leather, Cuddy felt fresh, hot tears flood her eyes and roll silently down her cheeks.

Maybe Kate was right. Maybe this night apart was what they both needed. But what if it was for more than one night?

Cuddy thought about how she had treated him. Why am I getting upset about this? she thought to herself. I'm supposed to angry at him for fuck's sake! I am angry at him.

Frustrated, but she didn't know at what, she rolled over, wiping her eyes, as she tried to cast her thoughts aside and get some sleep.

Saturday morning, a few hours after arriving at her sister's, Cuddy sat in the kitchen in their apartment. She and Matt were making small talk while Kate was in the bedroom getting dressed.

With only roughly four hours of sleep that night, which were rather disturbed, she was feeling sluggish and cranky. All the stress that she was under due to the upcoming trial, dealing with House and dealing with all the responsibilities at work while still being cognizant of her health during her pregnancy did not help either.

Overall, she was extremely frustrated. At herself, at House, at his actions, - at everything.

"I hope the couch wasn't too uncomfortable for you," Matt told her, as he sipped his coffee and buttered a piece of toast for himself.

Cuddy, who was sitting at the bar island on a stool with a mug of hot green tea in front of her, shook her head, as Matt's voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

"It wasn't. Thank you…Are you working today?"

"Later this afternoon. I assume you aren't?"

"Ha. If I'm lucky, no. I try to only do the workaholic Dean thing only five days a week if I'm lucky."

Matt chuckled. "Fair enough. I still can't imagine doing what you do. I mean, I'm exhausted but that's only working in the E.R."

"Lots and lots of patience, let me tell you. It's not all it's cracked up to be sometimes, but I do really enjoy it. Most of the time, anyway. Keeping track of my staff can be an absolute nightmare sometimes…"

Just then, Cuddy was interrupted by a knock at the door.

She looked around at the entrance to the kitchen, suddenly on edge. Matt noticed her tense reaction but didn't say anything.

"I've got it!" Kate called out from the hallway.

A minute later, Cuddy heard her sister's voice again call out.

"Lisa, it's for you!"

"If its Greg, tell him I don't want to see him or speak to him right now!" Cuddy called out from the kitchen, starting to get angry that he would have the nerve to come look for her after what he pulled last night.

Two beats of silence. Then, "It's not Greg…will you just come out here?"

Cuddy slowly let herself off of the bar stool and wandered into the entryway of the apartment. She halted in her tracks when she saw who was standing in the entrance with her sister.

"Can we talk?" Wilson asked, as he silently took in how exhausted his boss, and also someone who he considered a good friend, looked, hoping that she would agree to talk to him.

TBC...

I figured this was a good chapter ending point.