I just can't help adding to this story, I've ended up neglecting my other one a little, oops!
Anyway, YAY, we got some Jimmy goodness and friendship for you all. He can be a hero at times too!
I always forget to include a disclaimer even though it is a given, and that is that I don't own House and I just play around with the lives of the characters. I say this because I've also borrowed the lyrics of the song in this chapter. The song is Dirty Little Secret- All American Rejects.
Huddytheultimate- aha, you remembered you're right this chapter does pick up where the first one left of, just read and you'll understand.
TeresaB- Thank you so much and OK, I won't even ask to review now! I promise. And yes, House and Cuddy have a onnection that goes so deep! Hopefully the show writers will realise that too!!!!!
KB22- You're right here is your answer. Wow, two updates in one day, I just couldn't help myself!! he, he!
Kahlua13- well we finally have some calmness in the fic. Enjoy!
ang catalon- ah well, doesn't matter if you acn't write a lovemaking chap, you've written some killer/cheesy pick-up lines.
Promotion- Everyone read ang catalon's fic 'War of the Words' you'll laugh till you cry!
God, I'm gonna have to stop writing such long notes at the beginning of the chaps. Oh well, here finally is the next chapter.
Chapter 6- Jimmy To the Rescue
"Rise and shine, Steph!" Wilson called pleasantly in to the spare room. He heard the teenager moan and throw her pillow at the door, and Wilson could suddenly see the resemblance between Stephanie and House waking up.
Stephanie though didn't take as much time as House in the bathroom or coming to breakfast. Since moving into his new apartment Wilson had gotten quite lonely, he now understood why House would always be inviting him over to his place. So Wilson was glad for the company, even if the circumstances were not the nicest.
"How did you sleep?" Wilson asked as he watched Stephanie dig into the pile of pancakes he had made.
"Fine." She said in between bites.
"You know you're the first person to sleep over. First in the guest bedroom."
"I'm so privileged." Stephanie said deadpanned. She looked at Wilson and noticed a flicker of regret in his soulful brown eyes, perhaps wondering if he should have taken her to her mother. "Jimmy, I'm sorry. It was very nice of you to let me stay the night and it was a comfy bed. Hope you don't mind if you let me stay again."
"No that's fine. It's good company." He said. The previous night, Wilson hadn't mentioned Cuddy or House to the girl, but instead they watched movies, chatted about other things and played a couple of board games. Times like these Wilson wondered why in his three marriages he didn't have any children.
"When do you wanna go back home?" Wilson asked, bring a dark cloud over the Kitchen, but knew she had to get back to her mother soon.
"I guess sooner rather than later."
"Yeah, well if you wash up then we can make our way to your hous- home." Jimmy said wary of the irony of that simple word.
Stephanie nodded and finished up her breakfast and disappeared into the bathroom to wash her face quickly.
Before long they were on their way back to the Cuddy home, Wilson pulled to the curb and decided to wait till Stephanie saw her mother, wondering if there were gonna be any fireworks for him to put out. She grabbed her backpack from the backseat and thanked Wilson.
"Here we go." Stephanie whispered to herself. She entered her home and called out to her mother.
"Mom. I'm home." No reply.
"Mom, you here?" Nothing. Stephanie sighed and went down the corridor to her mother's bedroom. She noticed it was lightly ajar and peered inside. She wasn't expecting the sight that awaited her.
Her mother tangled in the bed sheets, looking at her with an espression of shock. Lying next to a snoring, sleeping Gregory House. Stephanie just couldn't handle it and ran out the building and jumped back into Wilson's awaiting car.
"Go! Drive!" She shouted.
"What? Why?" He asked bewildered.
"Just go!"
Wilson obeyed wondering what had happened to Cuddy the night before. But he would have bet his life it had something to do with House.
HHHHHHHHHH
"Who woke me up so early?" House grumbled from the bed.
"Stephanie." Cuddy whispered. But House still heard her. "She saw us in the bed and just ran."
"Oh." House said, since nothing else could be said. "What now?"
"We get dressed and try to find my-our-my Stephanie." She sighed in resignation.
"What about last night?" House protested. "You just wanna forget it happened?"
"House, please. My daughter is not talking to me, my biggest secret has just been revealed to her, I'm so confused about everything, I don't know what to do. And on top of it all I've got a splitting headache." She said rubbing her temples, still clutching the sheets to her body.
House stood up and limped slowly over to Cuddy, grabbing her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "I love you."
Cuddy gapped at him for a second before replying. "And the hits just keep on coming."
"I had to tell you the truth and-"
"And now seems like the best time to do that?" Cuddy asked incredulously. She looked away, unable to meet his eye. Her eyes flickered down and she noticed he was still stark naked. She blushed and looked away to the side.
"Nothing you haven't seen before. Last night in fact. And 16 years ago."
"Not to mention in University." Cuddy couldn't help joking. She recalled the first time she had gotten drunk with House. At University she had ended up at his dorm room, not for sex but just to have some fun. House had introduced her to alcohol and shots.
And that was how they ended up playing strip poker.
Of course, Cuddy stayed responsible and maintained her sane mind. House, ever the light weight, drank himself into a gullible state. And when he lost his first hand of poker, instead of taking of one item of clothing he took of everything. Not ashamed at all.
Back in her bedroom, House smirked at the memory as well. Still unashamed of his youthful indiscretion.
"House, I'm begging you. Don't do this to me now. Just let me talk to Stephanie then we can talk about us."
"So there is an us?" He dared say.
"Don't dare push it. We are walking a very thin line right now House. Remember that."
"Alright, well it's my day off as well. So whenever you're ready and you've finished lecturing the sprog, come over to my place."
Cuddy nodded and headed towards her bathroom to shower. House meanwhile, got dressed and picked up his phone. He wandered towards the Kitchen and managed to track down some painkillers for his own throbbing headache.
After Cuddy got dressed she went to the Kitchen and downed the painkillers House gave her.
"I spoke to Wilson, he's with Stephanie at some coffee shop. You're right she did freak out, but he said he'll talk to her and bring her home in a couple of hours. So just stay here." House advised. Cuddy nodded and watched House leave her home. She wanted him to stay but they both needed some space from each other. Just a little though.
HHHHHHHHHH
At 'The Coffee Closet' appropriately named for being small, Wilson and Stephanie were squeezed into a tiny table in the corner of the shop.
"So what happened back there?" Wilson asked. He had already spoken to House when Stephanie was at the counter but he wanted to hear her story too.
"I saw Mom in bed with House. Greg. Dad. I don't even know what to call him now. Everything's so different now."
"Steph, I know this is hard right now. But remember you're mother does love you and trust me, so does House."
"He said that as well."
"And he does."
"How do you know? They didn't even tell me about him."
Wilson paused for a few seconds. "Do you remember when you were in the accident?" Stephanie nodded. How could she forget. Four years previously, her school had been taking a field trip when the bus tipped over, she had pulled through but had bleeding on the brain and desperately needed surgery. She ended up fine but it was still a scary time for Cuddy.
And House.
"You know you're mother was in a meeting at the time when you were brought in. She couldn't be contacted, but was eventually. House was there though. He saw you being brought in and watched over your surgery, and held your hand when you were taken to your room. He stayed there till your mother came and even after."
Stephanie looked at him earnestly.
"Now tell me Steph, when has House ever done that for another patient?"
Stephanie knew the answer in a split second.
Never.
"He does care for you, but he's always been in the background. They thought it was for the best for you not to know."
"Not in the long run."
"No evidently not, but hey not everyone's perfect and people do make mistakes."
"You mean me?"
"No, I mean keeping the truth from you. But you can't fault them for wanting the best for their child."
"Yeah. I know." Stephanie admitted. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, just enjoying their coffees, numerous thoughts running through their heads.
"Have you ever seen your birth certificate?" Wilson asked suddenly. Stephanie thought it was an odd question but made her think.
"No actually, I've never had a reason to."
"House is named on it."
"Seriously?" Stephanie asked, her blue eyes wide.
"Yep. Cuddy was waiting for the day when you would need it or find it."
"Well that day hasn't come yet but…"
"Stephanie, you've already missed out on your Dad for 16 years, don't let it last any longer."
Stephanie nodded, knowing he was making sense. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow 'House' style. "Can you take me home now?"
Wilson smiled warmly. "Of course."
Wilson just excused him to the bathroom before they left as he did so, a very appropriate song came on the radio in the cafe. No one else paid attention to it much, except Stephanie who listened intently to the ironic lyrics.
Let me know that I've done wrong
When I've known this all along
I go around a time or two
Just to waste my time with you
That was true, Stephanie had done wrong. Even though she was confused and angry, she didn't have to call her mother a whore, that was unforgivable and uncalled for. Even Stephanie had been shocked by it and hoped Cuddy would forgive her.
Tell me all that you've thrown away
Find out games you don't wanna play
You are the only one that needs to know
Hah, that was the most ironic line. Stephanie did need to know but she hadn't. Well, truthfully she must have known deep down, everyone had their suspicions about her father but no one had dared ever ask. It had been an unwritten rule not to question Cuddy about it, after all it was private. Until Cameron came along.
I'll keep you my dirty little secret (dirty little secret)
Don't tell anyone
Or you'll be just another regret (just another regret)
Hope that you can keep it
My dirty little secret
That was probably why Cuddy hadn't told her, because then this would happen. Her daughter feeling angry and leaving her, immediately Stephanie was flooded with guilt and just wanted to see her mother.
Who has to know?
HHHHHHHHHH
Cuddy sat on her sofa, not drinking this time, just staring into space hoping for Stephanie to walk through the door with a smile on her face. It was too quiet, so she turned on the radio, and she gave a wry smile at the song that flooded the room.
When we live such fragile lives
It's the best way we survive
I go around a time or two
Just to waste my time with you
House and Cuddy had such a delicate friendship, that their situation had to be kept a secret. Plus everyone at the hospital thought Cuddy was too easy on him and this would just fuel their hatred of her leniency towards him. She didn't want everyone to think he had control over her though truthfully he did to some degree. He could just about guilt her into anything if he pushed hard enough.
Tell me all that you've thrown away
Find out games you don't wanna play
You are the only one that needs to know
They had honestly thought it would be better if no one knew, only the two of them. After all it was their lives but they had neglected one person who should have been told. Stephanie.
I'll keep you my dirty little secret (dirty little secret)
Don't tell anyone
Or you'll be just another regret (just another regret)
Hope that you can keep it
My dirty little secret
Stephanie wasn't a dirty little secret, she was a beautiful young lady, but no doubt her confidence had been shaken after being told her father was someone she saw everyday but her parents had just not told her. Cuddy had to make sure that Stephanie knew, she had no regrets about her.
Who has to know?
HHHHHHHHHH
The way she feels inside (inside)
Those thoughts I can't deny (deny)
These sleeping dogs won't lie (won't lie)
And now I tried to but it's eating me apart
Trace this nightmare
House was seated at his Piano, playing a song he had heard on the radio and he deemed fitting for his situation. He had loved Cuddy since he met her, and even more since that night in London. That morning he had finally told her his feelings for her and as always chosen the most in opportune time. Why couldn't he just leave well enough alone and give her time to deal with the other millions things on her mind.
I'll keep you my dirty little secret (dirty little secret)
Don't tell anyone
Or you'll be just another regret (just another regret)
He did care for Stephanie, that was why he was so glad he got a job at PPTH. He could keep an eye on her and watch her grow up, from a distance though. Cuddy had done a terrific job raising her. But often House did wonder what Stephanie would have been like if she had known the truth about him and he had a say in how she grew up.
I'll keep you my dirty little secret (dirty little secret)
Don't tell anyone
Or you'll be just another regret (just another regret)
Hope that you can keep it
My dirty little secret
My dirty little secret
My dirty little secret
Who has to know?
Who has to know?