I was gonna say I have no idea why this took so long but then I remembered the amount of work I've had to do this term. I'm so sorry. Essays, presentations, filming, scripts. Uni would actually be kind of fun without all the work. It just gets in the way. I did get to do an essay on House though which I was well excited about lol. The realisation scene in Both Sides Now with all the flashbacks :)
Anyway, if anyone's still actually interested in this, hope you enjoy this chapter. This is technically the end and the epilogue will (hopefully) be up before new year but who knows. Thanks for reading and all the reviews on the last chapter.
"Bastard. Bastard. Bastard."
Marcus just nodded having allowed Cuddy to vent the whole way to the hospital. She had been cursing her ex husband since she got off the phone with Hart and Marcus had allowed her to without interrupting.
"I should have known he'd do something like this." Cuddy said as they followed Hart up the final staircase that would lead them to the rook. "I should have seen it coming."
Hart stopped and stood aside as they reached the door and Cuddy extended her hand for the door handle before Marcus placed a hand on her forearm stopping her.
"You don't have to do this. Leave the police to deal with him. He's not your responsibility any more."
Cuddy looked him in the eyes and shook her head. "How could I live with myself if I knew he jumped just because I didn't see him?" Marcus nodded in understanding and rubbed her arm.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Cuddy shook her head. "Okay," he whispered. "I'll be right here if you need me."
Cuddy gave both the men a smile before turning and opening the door, stepping out onto the roof leaving the door slightly ajar behind her.
Marcus waited a few moments before turning to Hart. "Stay here and listen out for anything odd. I need to make a phone call."
__
Wilson looked from the remainder of his lunch to House and back again before pushing it across the table towards his friend and went back to reading the file in front of him.
"Taking food from you just gets easier and easier." House said taking a seat and picking up some fries off the plate.
"It's easier to just give in than try and get you to buy your own." Wilson didn't look up from the file as he spoke and went silent again as he continued reading.
House quirked an eyebrow. "So no lecture on how I should talk to Cuddy."
Wilson looked up at the diagnostician in mild confusion. "Why would I do that? I've been saying it for the past three weeks and you haven't listened to me." He went back to reading, reaching for his coffee and taking a sip before putting it back on the table.
"Fine." House shrugged and continued to eat Wilson's lunch.
House had to listen to Wilson's speech about Cuddy everyday since he'd spent the night at her house. He'd reluctantly told him about the exchange between himself and Cuddy that night and had been unable to escape Wilson's 'advice' ever since. He knew that indifference was Wilson's next step and it never worked so instead of concerning himself with his friend's 'sudden' nonchalance, he continued to eat and occasionally threw out the odd comment about a member of staff or telling Wilson about his current patient, knowing that he wouldn't be the one cracking first.
When House was almost finished eating, Wilson dropped the file to the table and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by House's ringing cell phone.
"Hold that thought." House told him with a smirk, pulling out his phone from his pocket and flipping it open. "Yeah?"
"Greg, it's Marcus."
"I told you, I'm not into men."
"Greg, this is serious. I'm at Princeton General," House sat up straighter in his seat, his mind racing as to why Cuddy's best friend was calling him from a hospital. "Lisa got a call saying Michael had over dosed on anti depressants –"
"So she figured it would be a good idea to go running to him?" He asked frowning.
"He's on the roof. He threatened to jump if Lisa didn't see him."
"So let him jump. Wait…Cuddy has one hell of a guilt complex…she's up there with him now." It was a comment rather than a question but Marcus answered anyway.
"Yes."
House stood from his seat and motioned for Wilson to follow him as he left the cafeteria and headed to through to the lobby. "You let her go up there alone?"
"It was her choice. I offered to go out there with her –"
"That's where you went wrong. You don't offer you just go out there. Where are the police? They should be dealing with his shit." He reached the elevators and pressed the call button, tapping his cane on the linoleum floor as he waited for it to arrive, Wilson at his side.
"They're waiting for a specialist or something and I'm not you, Greg. It was her choice –"
House interrupted him again. "Shut up. Go up there and call me if anything happens."
Marcus ran a hand through his hair and let out a harsh sigh. "Is that it? You're not coming?"
Wilson stepped into the elevator and held it, waiting for House to finish on the phone.
"Yes, I'm coming but go up there until I turn up." He said slowly. "And get the police up there. Waiting around at the bottom doesn't help anyone, unless they intend to catch him." He added sarcastically before hanging up and stepping inside the elevator, pressing the button for his floor.
Wilson looked at him expectantly as he watched his friend put his phone away and stare at the numbers above the door. "Well?"
"Cuddy's at Princeton Gen."
"Is she okay? What happened?" Wilson asked, worry evident in his voice.
"She needs her head looking at. That douche tried to kill himself then ran up to the roof threatening to jump if Cuddy didn't speak to him. She's up there now hopefully trying to talk him into jumping if she's got any sense left."
The elevator arrived at their floor and they made a beeline for House's office. Wilson stood by the door as House changed his blazer for his leather jacket and grabbed his bike helmet and keys.
"You need to pick up Alex while I go drag her off the roof." House told his friend making his way past him and back to the elevators.
"Wait." Wilson placed his hand on his shoulder to stop him. "You're not going to leave him up there to jump are you?"
House looked at him and said nothing before turning to the elevators and pressing the down button.
"House, you can't." Wilson said as House stepped into the elevator.
House turned around and pushed the button for the lobby. "What he does is his business." He finally answered before the doors slid shut.
__
Cuddy saw Michael as soon as she stepped out on to the roof. He was stood on the edge with his back as he looked down at the people gathering below. He turned when he heard footsteps from behind him and smiled when he saw Cuddy standing there glaring at him.
"I knew you'd come." He grinned at her.
Cuddy sighed. "I came because I didn't want to be responsible for you jumping from a hospital roof. It doesn't mean anything other than a clean conscience." She told him sternly.
His face dropped at her words. "Why would you tell me that?" He asked, confusion written across his face.
"Because, even though you are standing on the edge of a hospital roof, I don't want you to get the wrong idea." She was holding it together on the outside and was hoping to talk him down without sending out any mixed messages but on the inside she was a mess, her emotions completely conflicted.
They stood staring at each other for a few moments, sadness evident on his face while Cuddy kept her face void of any emotion at all. It was like she had completely removed herself, emotionally, from the situation. Eventually she looked away from him and brushed a strand of hair away from her face that was blown out of place by the wind that was stronger at this height.
"Why am I here, Michael?" She asked him while looking past him at the tops of some of the neighbouring buildings. She turned her head to face him once more, looking in his eyes whilst giving nothing away. "What did you want to talk about?"
Michael hung his head and turned back round to face the rest of the world. "I got the finalised papers through this morning…"
"So did I." Cuddy crossed her arms across her chest and stared at his back. She really didn't want him to jump because of her yet she couldn't bring herself to say what she knew he wanted her to, just to get him to come down. She lowered her arms and took a step closer to him.
"You knew when you signed the papers that this was going to happen. It's over."
"I never wanted this to happen…" He whispered and took another step forward.
"Michael! Don't!" She ran forward and stopped when he turned to face her.
"Why? You said it yourself. It's over." His eyes were beginning to water and Cuddy could only watch as some of the tears broke the surface and ran down his cheeks. "I have nothing – "
"You've still got your job and you're getting help…"
Michael shook his head and lifted his face skyward. "I don't have a job…"
Cuddy furrowed her brow. He wasn't surely going to blame her leaving on the fact that he'd lost his job. "But…what about the partnership?"
"I didn't get it. They fired me instead. Everything in my life is turning to shit!" He shouted and turned back round, toes curling over the edge of the building.
"Michael! Please don't do this. You're seeing a doctor already. You're making decisions to prove you want to change…Michael, please…"
He looked over his shoulder at her. "But making those changes doesn't mean I'll get you back, does it?"
Cuddy couldn't answer. She didn't know what to tell him. She didn't want to tell him that she would take him back just to get him to come off the roof but she didn't want him to jump either. She could feel the seconds dragging out as she tried to come to a decision watching as Michael turned back round.
"Yes!" She shouted, not thinking about what she was saying. "If you come down, we can talk. Discuss things. Get you into anger management and then…see…"
Michael froze, just as he was about to take a step forward before stepping back and turning to face her instead. "You're just saying that."
Cuddy tried to keep the guilty expression off her face as she spoke. "No…I mean it."
They stared at each other, for what seemed like hours but were only minutes, as he tried to gauge her expressions. She knew what he wanted her to say and she just needed to make him believe it enough so that he would step down off the ledge and Hart could give him a sedative.
Finally, he took a step down, a smile on his face, and Cuddy could feel herself relaxing. She was going to wait until he was close enough to the door before calling out.
He was down and taking slow, shaky steps towards her when the she heard a loud bang from behind her. She snapped her head round to see what was happening and was shocked to see House standing in the doorway before taking a step, catching the door on the rebound from him flinging it open against the wall and closed it behind him.
"Am I too late to join the party?"
Cuddy glared at his facetiousness and looked back to see how Michael was responding to House's arrival. He seemed agitated as he started walking back towards the edge.
"House," she hissed, turning round to face him. "Get out of here. I'm dealing with it."
"You seem to be dealing well." He nodded his head at Michael and she looked back once more to see he was on the ledge, looking down at the people milling about the hospital, looking back up at him.
"Michael."
"You lied to me."
"What?" Cuddy asked stepping closer to him.
"You lied to me. You wanted to get me down so that House could use a sedative or kick my ass again." He looked back at her. "You knew he was out there."
"I didn't – "
"Woah, what happened to the guy that gave me quite a beating too? He up here?" He looked around as though searching for someone else and when he found no one, looked back at the man standing in a hospital gown about to jump off the roof. "Pretty sure a few months ago, you were conniving and threatening to beat her again. Now look at you. You're pathetic."
"House!"
"He's right, Lisa. I am."
Cuddy threw a glare at House and he just looked at her pointedly at Michael's words as if to say 'see?' She shook her head and focused back on her ex husband once more.
"Come back down, Michael. I said we can sort things out – "
"You said what?!" House asked, narrowing his gaze on the back of her head. He walked towards her until he was standing right beside her. "Tell me you're joking."
She shot him a warning look and he stared back in mild confusion until it clicked. "I get it," he said in a stage whisper, knowing that Michael would be able to hear him, "you're just saying it to get him to come down. Clever." He winked at the glare he was getting from her and it took everything in her power not to turn and slap him.
"I meant it, Michael. Just please, come down." Michael ignored her and was once more edging closer to the side.
"I'm pregnant." She blurted out and both men on the roof froze. House stared at her profile, incredulous to the fact that she was telling him and Michael had turned to look over his shoulder, confused. "It's yours." She whispered hoping that now he would come down and be responsible.
"You're…pregnant…?" Cuddy could only nod, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she waited for his reaction.
"She's lying," House piped up. "It's mine – oomph." Cuddy had flung her arm out to hit him in the stomach and he doubled over, winded.
Michael looked at her with the expression of a child when they've been told Santa doesn't exist.
"It's yours, Michael." She told him placing a hand on her stomach. "This baby is yours. Don't jump. Don't deny him or her the chance to know their father."
Michael looked back down over the edge of the building while Cuddy and House waited for his reaction to the news that had just been shared. After a few minutes, he turned back round to face them and focused on Cuddy.
"You made me realise the type of person I am. I manipulate, lie, get angry…lash out…" He said sadly. "And since you left me, I'm depressed and unstable…You were right to be scared when I picked Alex up from school that day. I'm not the type of person that should be around children – or anyone for that matter." He took a step back, heels hanging off the edge of the hospital. "This is best for everyone involved including that baby." He said gesturing towards Cuddy's stomach. "I'm sorry."
Cuddy panicked. She knew what was coming and lurched forward but it was too late as she watched Michael take a final step back and disappear from view. She stood staring at the space he had occupied, shock evident on her face and tears in her eyes when House stepped up beside her. His face was completely void of any kind of emotion as he shifted his gaze from where Michael once stood to Cuddy.
Eventually, she looked up at him. "He…jumped…" She whispered as the tears escaped and trailed down her cheeks.
House simply nodded as she stared up at him with sad grey eyes before pressing her face into his chest and letting a few soft sobs escape her as House hesitantly wrapped an arm around her. He looked once more at the space Michael had occupied feeling nothing but relief as Cuddy took comfort from being in his arms.
__
Cuddy was sat a few rows from the front of the church with Marcus and Wilson on either side of her with identical sombre looks on their faces. Her left hand was resting on Marcus' knee, her fingers linked with his and occasionally throughout the service, he would give her hand a squeeze which she would return and give him a small smile, reassuring him she was indeed ok.
She hadn't cried for Michael since the day he had walked off the edge of the building and although she felt saddened by his death, her eyes were still dry as she sat through his funeral.
House hadn't reacted when she told him that she would be going to the funeral and Cuddy had secretly hoped that he would go with her after all the support he'd given her. She had been disappointed when he had simply offered to look after Alex instead of going with her but when Wilson had visited her office later that day offering to accompany her, she smiled at the fact House was still looking out for her.
Cuddy looked up to the teary eyed man stood at the front beside the coffin as he finished his reminiscent speech about his youngest cousin before saying a tearful goodbye and going back to his seat.
The priest took his place at the front of the front of the ceremony once again, closing the service as the coffin entered the cremation chamber and disappeared from view. It was silent for a few moments apart from the sobs coming from the people at the front before someone stood and thanked everyone for coming.
Wilson turned to Cuddy and Marcus. "Do you want to go to the wake?" He whispered.
Cuddy shook her head and stood up, the two men following her lead, Marcus still holding her hand. "No, I'm going to offer my condolences to his mom then we can go home."
Wilson and Marcus both nodded and walked with her to Michael's mother who was stood at the front crowded by people offering their sympathies.
"Lisa." Irene Johnson fought her way through the crowd towards her ex-daughter in law and threw her arms around her.
"Irene." Cuddy replied not allowing herself to get squeezed too hard with her stomach trapped between them.
"Thank you, Lisa. It means a lot to me that you're here even after everything that's happened between the two of you."
Lisa shifted slightly. "What did he tell you?" She asked hesitantly.
Irene sniffed and dabbed at her nose with her handkerchief before offering Cuddy a watery smile. "He came to me after you filed the papers. He didn't tell me why, just said it was his fault and that he was going to try and get you back…" She said sadly.
Cuddy nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him – "
Irene shook her head and grasped Cuddy's shoulders. "It's not your fault. It's not my fault. It was down to him. Nothing could have stopped him…"
"I know." Cuddy whispered. Irene raised her brows at her response and Cuddy looked round at her two friends who were talking quietly between themselves. She turned back. "I…told him something that I thought would get him to come down…I'm pregnant."
"Oh, my…Really?" When Cuddy nodded Irene was silent for a while, before a choked sound escaped her throat. "I don't...And he still…?"
"Yes," Cuddy said quietly.
Irene took a step back and looked down at Cuddy's stomach. At just over three months, Cuddy was beginning to show but not so much that she couldn't hide it beneath her clothes.
"Three months," she said, answering Irene's unanswered question.
The two women were quiet for a while as Irene continued to switch her gaze between Cuddy's stomach and her face, still trying to process the good news she had received on the day of her son's funeral.
"Irene? Is everything ok?" Both women turned to see one of Irene's nephews eyeing Cuddy warily before turning to his aunt with a look of concern on his face.
Cuddy turned to look at Marcus and Wilson as Irene tried to dismiss her nephew. She could hear their heated whispered conversation and from some of the words he was throwing out, she could tell that some of Michael's family members blamed her for the suicide of their relative and judging by the gentle hand on her shoulder, Wilson and Marcus could also hear. She turned to see both men standing close behind her with Wilson's hand resting on her shoulder and both offering supportive smiles.
"Are you ready to leave?" Marcus asked her before throwing a glare at the man that was now looking at them.
"Lisa, please excuse Simon. He's just upset," Irene said throwing a look at the man before he wandered back to the rest his family. Cuddy felt Wilson and Marcus back up slightly, giving their alpha male personas a rest as the 'threat' to the one of the important women in their lives backed off.
Cuddy looked back at Irene as she started talking again. "I hope we can come to some kind of arrangement for me to see my grandchild…"
Cuddy nodded as though it was the most obvious thing to say. "I would never dream of keeping you away from this child." She told the older woman. They smiled at eachother for a moment before Irene spoke up once more.
"Will you be coming to the wake?" She asked, hope in her voice that they may be able to chat a bit more about baby things. This would, after all, be her only grandchild.
Cuddy shook her head softly. "I don't think so. I'd quite like to get back to Alex..."
Irene nodded her head in understanding. "Of course. Call me any time Lisa." She said, pulling the woman into another hug. "Anytime." Cuddy nodded against the woman's shoulder before she was relesed.
"I'll speak to you soon, Irene. And, I'm sorry for your loss." Cuddy said, placing a comforting hand on the woman's arm before turning to Marcus and Wilson and gesturing towards the door.
__
"Ready...GO!" House limped as fast as he could up the path to Cuddy's house, holding his arm out to prevent Alex getting ahead of him. He reached the door and continued holding Alex back with his arm as he slowly reached for the door before finally making contact and letting his son go.
"You cheated!" Alex shouted, a pout on his face.
"Ah," House said holding up a finger, "but I won. Lesson in life son, do whatever you have to, to win." He smirked then crouched down to the plant pot beside the front door. He lifted it and grabbed the key from underneath before standing once more and placing it in the lock, allowing Alex to run in and head to his bedroom once he had opened the door.
For a moment, House hesitated, looking at the plant pot as he contemplated putting the key back and instead stepped inside the house and closed the door behind him.
"Dad!"
House looked down the hallway to see Alex holding up two water pistols.
"I found them." He said with a mischevious smile that House answered with one of his own before placing the key in his pocket and limping towards Alex.
__
Even if House's car wasn't parked out in front of her home, Cuddy would still be able to tell that House was inside. The plant pot that had obviously been moved and, after investigating, the key to her home missing, the shouting and laughter she heard when she opened the front door and the water she saw on the floor and walls the closer she got to the back door causing a bubble of anger within her, anger that diminished when she saw House and Alex playing out in the back garden. She leaned agaisnt the door and watched them with a smile on her face. She couldn't help smiling whenever she saw House and Alex together, especially when she thought about how House had originally decided not to get involved. And now, here he was, having a water fight in her back yard with their son.
She was looking at Alex when she felt water hit her chest. "House!" She shouted, turning to glare at the man who was still squirting water at her as Alex looked on laughing.
"That should really be a white shirt you're wearing." House said with a smirk before finally relenting turning the pistol away from her. "But it's sticking to you nicely so I'll take it." He leered at her as she pulled her jacket closed over the shirt that was indeed sticking to her figure.
House continued to smirk as he pat Alex on the back with his water pistol. "Fun's over now your mom's back. Go get changed." He handed the toy over to Alex to empty and put back and followed him as he walked back inside the house.
Cuddy laced a hand on the back of Alex's head as he passed and quickly grabbed her jacket as she caught House leering at her once more.
"You're an ass."
"I know. Reassuring isn't it?" He said as he squeezed by her and headed to the front door.
"What, you're not going to say good bye to him?" She asked following him down the hallway as House grabbed his keys from the table in the living room.
House turned to look at her. "I'm just going to get a change of clothes from the car. My shirt's doing what yours should have done; gone see through." He said pulling at the material sticking to his chest and opening the front door. "I'll be back in a minute."
"And what makes you think I'm going to let you back in?" Cuddy asked, arms folded.
"Don't need you to." House held up a single key amongst the various keys on his chain. "I've got this."
Cuddy stared at her house key that he was holding up in front of her before a smile finally made an appearance. "You took the key."
House nodded and lowered his arm as he opened the door. "As you said, this way, I can let myself in anytime I want."
Cuddy's face fell as his words sunk in and House smiled at her reaction and headed to his car whistling. Cuddy shook her head and turned to her bedroom to change as quickly as possible before House appeared while she was half naked.
__
It was getting late. Alex was in bed, Cuddy was tidying up in the kitchen and House was sat in the living room watching TV, arm spread across the back of the sofa and his feet on the coffee table. Cuddy walked in and flopped down beside him, head back as she let out a sigh.
"Long day?"
Cuddy turned to look at House who glanced at her before looking back at the TV.
She nodded. "Yeah." The funeral and the talk she'd had with Irene had been difficult.
"How're you feeling?"
Cuddy furrowed her brow and then relaxed as she realised House was trying to be a normal civil human being.
"I'm…ok. I didn't want him to die and wish things had happened differently – "
"You didn't kill him, Cuddy." House interrupted looking at her. "He killed himself."
"I know but if I had handled things differently…"
House shook his head. "No, if he hadn't hit you in the first place. You did what you should have done when it first happened."
"Exactly. If I had walked out after the first time maybe things wouldn't have happened this way."
"Cuddy, your guilt isn't endearing, it's just annoying." He said turning back to the TV.
They were silent for a moment before Cuddy spoke. "I told Michael's mom about the baby." She watched as he froze for a moment and then nodded his head.
"…How'd she take it?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the TV.
"She was happy. Really happy. Irene's looking forward to meeting her only grandchild."
"She was happy at her son's funeral?" House asked turning to her. He simply shrugged when she raised an eyebrow at him and she rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle knowing that keeping up the pretence was too much for him. She reached forward and placed a hand on his cheek bringing his head closer and placed a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth before curling her feet up on the sofa and laying her head on his shoulder to watch TV.
"You know that was the only way you were going to get him out of your life for good right?" House commented, looking down at the top of her head. Cuddy didn't answer, instead placing her hand on his chest as she admitted to herself that House was right.