Author's Note (Part One): Finally! This chapter is done! I got sidetracked by the arrival of my new Pyro A/V Link and have been loading all kinds of "House" clips on my computer for crazy fan-vid purposes (I can't help it... I have an addiction!). This chapter is kind of ehh. That's how I feel about it anyway. I needed something between the last chapter and the next one, so I had to write it. Mostly just filler and exposition. Hopefully interesting filler and exposition though. Thanks for all the continued support. It is beyond awesome and makes me uber-happy. Hope you like it! Oh yeah, I don't own this stuff, other people do.

Chapter 8

"We have so got to come drinking here more often," House said watching the passing figure of a hip twenty-something. "Hot girls and free drinks, what could be better? Listen, the next time some guy offers to buy you a drink ask for a beer. I'm getting tired of all these fruity chick drinks."

House took a swig of the cosmopolitan he had borrowed from Cuddy. Every man who had hit on her that evening had either been well over sixty or had a tan-line on their ring finger. Lisa never felt like so much of a loser. There were plenty of men her own age at the bar, but, like House, they were too preoccupied ogling girls half their age. She finished her second cocktail of the night, a martini compliments of an elderly gentleman named Barnaby, and decided that she had had enough.

"Where are you going?" House asked suspiciously watching Cuddy slide out of her seat and pick up her purse.

"I want a beer."

"Let's order you one, then," he said, motioning to the bartender.

"House, I'm leaving. Do you think you can make it home?"

"But you just said you want a beer--"

"Not from here."

He narrowed his eyes, "Where do you want to have this beer?"

"Can you make it home okay?"

"Are you going back to the pub to flirt with that bartender?"

"Do I need to call you a cab?"

"Oh my God, you are! But he's not even good looking! Or successful!"

"House, I'm leaving now. Hopefully you'll make it home." She turned and began to walk to the door. He grabbed his cane, jumped off his chair and hobbled quickly to close the gap between them. When he made his way out of the bar, he saw her heading down the street to her car.

"Hey! Hey Cuddy!" he yelled after her. She sighed and turned around, pausing so he could catch up. "Trying to ditch me?" he asked loudly, limping towards her.

"Looks like I wasn't successful," she smiled.

"But I thought we were having a good time," he pouted. He was lying, he knew she was miserable.

"You were having a good time, I was ready to leave after being hit on by that sixty-year-old man."

"Which one?," he grinned.

She shook her head. "A bar full of men and the only ones who find me attractive are elderly or married."

"That's not true." She raised her eyebrows. "You forgot that guy with the eyepatch. I think he was in his mid-fifties."

"I'm going home," she said as she unlocked her car doors.

"I thought you wanted a beer."

"I did, but you're here now, so there's no point in me going any more."

"Give me a ride?"

"Get in the car."

"That's not what I meant," he said, wagging his eyebrows.

Cuddy laughed as she got in her Lexus and closed the door. House hopped in the passenger side, placing his cane over his lap and shut the door. Cuddy waited for House to buckle his seatbelt and after he reluctantly did, they sped off down the street.

"That's the last of it," James said, picking up an empty flask and tossing it in a large, black trash bag.

"I still have to check the bathroom," Jules called to him while she searched under the bed.

"What kind of person keeps liquor in the bathroom?"

"An alcoholic," she replied, getting up from with floor with an empty bottle in her hand. He sighed loudly.

"After the bathroom, you're done, right?" he asked, exasperated. "Because you've checked and re-checked every room in this apartment. There's nowhere left I could hide anything. You even know where I keep my adult videos... And sisters really shouldn't know those kind of things." He understood her concern, but was growing tired of her almost complete lack of faith in him. After he finished a room, she had to do her own sweep just to be sure.

"I know it's annoying, but I just want to be sure. I... remember how it is. Not that you're like him, but Joe--"

"You're right, I'm not like him." Wilson angered at the comparison.

"Still... I just want to be completely sure."

"Then you'll stop and go to bed?"

Jules smiled, "Then I'll stop, you can go to bed. I'm probably going to watch re-runs of "Psych" on USA. There's a marathon tonight." She tossed the bottle in the trash bag and headed down the hall to bathroom.

"It's not going to be like this forever, right? You'll trust me again?" he asked knotting the top of the garbage bag.

Sticking her head out of the bathroom, she looked at him with a sad smile on her face. "I still trust you. I just hope I'm not being naïve." Jules disappeared back into the bathroom while Wilson collapsed on the couch, staring at the garbage. He wondered how he let himself collect enough liquor and empty bottles to fill a 39-gallon trash bag.

"Why don't I just drop you off at home and then you can take your car to the hospital?'

"Because I shouldn't be driving and you live right down the street from the hospital. It's not like it's out of your way." House's beeper had gone off three times since they had left the bar. Usually he would just ignore the damn thing, but he was with Cuddy and she insisted he call Foreman.

"How will you get home afterwards? Walk?"

"I'll get Kutner to take me. Or, better yet, Thirteen--"

"Fine. I'll drop you off because if I don't you won't go in."

"You know me so well."

"How is it that I went from being Dean of Medicine at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital to your personal chauffeur, butler and drinking buddy?," Cuddy asked herself out loud.

"It's because I'm so cute. You can't resist me," House grinned.

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah. That's it."

Lisa arrived home to an empty dark home. She flicked on the lights, locked the door behind her and put her purse on the side table by the entrance. The couch in the living room was still indented where House had slept the previous night, pillow balled up, blanket thrown over the nearby chair. She folded the throw, smoothed out the cushions and then picked up the pillow. She fluffed it and before she returned it to the linen closet, put it to her face and inhaled. She smiled, not really knowing why or the reason she felt compelled to breathe in his scent.

She shook her head, freeing herself from the fog and noticed she had two new messages on her answering machine. The first was from Foreman looking for House. The second was Juliana.

"Hey Lisa, it's Jules. I wanted to give you an update about Wil, but you're a hard woman to track down. I've talked to James and he's promised to quit drinking. I'm sure he will; I have complete faith in him, but you might want to still keep an eye on him... just in case. I thought I might try talking to House tomorrow, ask him to do the same. Since it's for Wil... maybe he'll do it even though I'm the one asking. Maybe we can finally get together sometime tomorrow? That is if you can tear yourself away from House. You two haven't slept together again, right? All the nurses seem to think so, but Wil says it's impossible. Shows what he knows. I should probably stop talking now that I've left a twenty minute monologue on your answering machine. 'Night."

She erased the message, relieved that Wilson had promised to stop drinking and worried that Jules still thought he needed watching. Deciding it was time for some sleep, she took a last involuntary sniff of the pillow before shoving it back in the linen closet and heading to bed.

Author's Note (Part Two): Well, there it is. I promise the next one will be better and longer. House will be annoyed by Jules and maybe Cuddy and Wilson will even get in the same room. Of course, I'm going to throw in some Huddy because.. well, one never has to have a reason.