Chapter 20

Wilson and Cuddy stared at each other, growing increasingly uncomfortable as the silence between them stretched out. Wilson was fuming, how could House be so, so…House! Damn him. He knew how important Lisa was to him, and he was still so … House!

Cuddy was raging. House! The man was a menace. How on earth had she let him get away with this sort of … dammit House! He knew how important this baby was to her, and Jimmy and he was still so….House!

"He, he is just such a …." Wilson stuttered, too angry to really even finish his thought.

"He's House," Cuddy sighed, and sank into the couch, eyes closed. She was just too tired to maintain her angry for any amount of time.

"Are you okay?" Wilson asked, his voice laced with concern. Cuddy opened her eyes and looked at Wilson. Her normally tense expression relaxed, as it always did when she met his warm, welcoming gaze.

"Jimmy, I'm too old for this," Cuddy whined, and Wilson laughed. She raised an eyebrow at him; this was not the sympathetic response she had been looking for.

"Sorry, I just don't think I've ever heard you whine before. It's cute." Wilson stepped around his desk and sat beside her on the couch, pulling her into his arms. He leaned back into the couch, and pulled her back a well, her back resting on his chest, her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Cuddy said quietly.

"It's okay," Wilson answered. He rubbed her arms lightly, and kissed the top of her head.

"No, it's not. Jimmy, I would never have had that last IVF treatment if I'd known that you and I were going to be together." Cuddy laced her fingers with Wilson's, and brought his hand to her mouth for a kiss.

"Lisa," Wilson began, but she interrupted him. Sitting up, she turned to face him.

"No. I wanted a baby, but that's not all. I want a family. I want you."

"Well," Wilson said, "you do have a reputation for getting what you want." He smiled, boyish and seductive at once. He reached for her, and kissed her softly. "So we'll work it out."

"We can have amnio done, and find out if you want," Cuddy told him. She wasn't sure that was the best idea, but he deserved to know whether the baby was his.

"No," Wilson said firmly, and Cuddy tensed. "I don't care. We may dysfunctional, but we're going to be a family, genetics be damned."

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Chase found Cameron in the lab, as usual. She was running strep tests for the clinic. Chase smirked, that was just one more thing he was not going to miss about working for House. Being an attending in the NICU meant less clinic duty. And not working for House meant no more covering his clinic duty.

"Hey Cam," Chase said, taking the stool next to her. She was the one he would miss.

"Chase," Cameron responded. She liked Chase, but since that night between them, she'd never been entirely comfortable being alone with him. Not that you were really alone in the hospital, but still. It always forced her to remember the one time they had really been alone together, and it was not a pleasant memory. Their dynamic was much better when someone else was with them, Foreman, House, even a patient. It took the intimacy out of it.

"Cameron, is it always going to be like this?" Chase asked.

"What?"

"This, us, you and me. Is it always going to be so, awkward?" Chase explained. "I want to be your friend, but if we can't hand out together without you getting all..."

"Clenched?" Cameron offered, smirking.

"Ookay. All I'm saying is, I'm not like Foreman. I want to stay friends with you even though we're not working together. But how are we going to do that if you can't relax around me?"

Cameron sighed. Things never had been quite the same between them, but that was as much her fault was it was his. She'd never let him talk to her about it, not since the morning after. Maybe it was time to finally clear the air.

"Chase, it's not just you. I was embarrassed. It's, it's personal and a long story and it's not all about you. I'd like to stay friends, too. We'll just have to work on it." Cameron shrugged. It was the best she could do.

"I'll take it," Chase said, and flashed her a huge grin. Cameron smiled in return; he really was too cute. "So, you and House?"

"Me and House," Cameron agreed.

"Think it'll work out?" Chase asked. He wasn't trying to make her angry. In fact, he'd seen her reaction when questioned her about House plenty of times. He just wanted to make sure she was okay.

"I don't know," Cameron said. "But I do know, if I don't try, I'd regret it."

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The days dragged on as House & Co. were without a case. In desperation to cure his boredom, House had completed two weeks worth of clinic hours in two days. That left him with only today to get through before the weekend. He'd been to two more physio appointments, both torturous and frustrating. Torturous because, well, they hurt; frustrating because no matter what he said, he couldn't ruffle Dianna. It was beginning to make him think he'd lost his touch.

Today would be awful, but at least not boring. He had an appointment with Quig in the morning, and fellowship applicants to interview all afternoon. Wilson had talked things out with Cuddy, and was back to his usual self. This meant an entire afternoon of interviews, partly because Wilson knew it would take days, but mostly to annoy him. Wilson knew he hated interviewing.

He limped into the conference room and got himself a cup of coffee. Chase was doing clinic duty, House grinned. Chase was doing his clinic duty. With what he'd one in the past two days, and what he was forcing on Chase, he'd be caught up on clinic duty for a month. Foreman was in neurology, consulting and Cameron was in the lab, helping out.

House took his coffee to his office, and checked the time. With only ten minutes until his appointment, he grabbed his cane from beside the desk and limped down the hall.

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"Lucy, I'm home!" House announced himself in Quig's office. Quig chuckled, amused. He was glad House was back; he had hoped the board would require him to continue therapy. He knew House would never do it on his own, but he still needed some work.

"Sucks about the leg," Quig told him.

"Yeah," House replied. He sat in the brown leather chair and stretched out, making himself comfortable.

"How are you doing with the pain?" Quig asked.

"It hurts," House said simply.

"Got that. I meant, how are you doing without the drugs?"

"Lots of sex," House quipped. "Takes my mind off the pain."

"Yes, I heard a rumor about you and Dr. Cameron," Quig replied.

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear," House said, but his eyes did not meet Quig's. Quig sat silently. House fidgeted. "Cameron wants to know if you could recommend a therapist for her."

"Sure," Quig said easily. "And she just happened to mention this to you because?"

House rolled his eyes, exasperated. Quig was almost as bad as Wilson. Well, at least Quig wouldn't squeal like a little girl.

"Fine, we're together. Do we have to talk about it?"

"Nope. I'll give you a couple of names for Dr. Cameron. They're all good. She should make an appointment with each of them and find someone she's really comfortable with," Quig said. House nodded. "So, let's get started on a plan."

"A plan? You mean like on the A-Team?" House asked. "Okay, but I get to be Hannibal."

"A plan for what you're going to do when your leg really starts to hurt and you want the drugs," Quig replied. "And, my office, I get to be Hannibal. You're the patient, you can be Murdock."