Chapter Twelve

Stay With Me

Thanks to Boys Don't Cry, Huddytheultimate, HOUSEM.D.FanForever, Abbeyannemd, and thevigilante15 for their reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Property of House belongs to Fox, David Shore, and their rightful owners. No profit made.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Stay with me."

"What?" She asked, her expression completely surprised.

"Stay with me. Your recovery isn't complete yet. But since you insist on leaving the hospital, stay with me." He said.

"I can't. I have to get back to New York." She said, impatiently tapping her feet at the waiting tone on the phone.

She hadn't driven back to New Jersey so she had no car to drive back. Wilson had to work. However, House was unemployed but unwilling to take her home. He didn't tell her why and she knew better than to ask. Not to mention, she was still a little weak on her feet and the chance of her falling asleep at the wheel was incredibly great. Her last resort was to fly, if the airlines ever picked up the phone.

"No you don't. Knowing you, you probably have about three years worth of vacation days saved up." He said.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up." She muttered.

He grabbed the phone from her and tossed it in her purse across the room from her. "Stay with me. You and Jesse."

"Why?" she asked. "Jesse cries all the time. You can't stand me. So why?"

He looked at his feet. For a moment, silence lingered between them. Then he said, in a quiet tone, one where Cuddy had to strain to hear him. "You're taking Jesse. She's still my child and I'll never get to know her, so I mine as well take the opportunity to spend some time with her before I never see her again."

His voice was etched with something she couldn't determine. Was it pain? Was it regret? She didn't know. She wanted to and had an idea. She couldn't turn him down. Not after noticing the true message he was trying to convey without even knowing it.

"Fine." She gave in, her voice just as quiet. "Fine."

The smile he gave her was enough to lift her a few stories and make everything worthwhile. She smiled back. Little did she know that this one weekend together would be a turning point in her life.

She didn't know what was going on, but House was being extra nice to her. He was carrying her duffel bag over his shoulder as he limped toward the house. Jesse was in her arms and a baby bag slung over her shoulder as she followed him.

He set her stuff in his bedroom and smoothed the covers. She tilted her head at him, wondering what he was doing.

"You and Jesse sleep in here. I'll take the couch." he said.

She shook her head. "Your leg will hurt in the morning." She said.

"My leg always hurts in the morning. You're recovering from a deadly virus." He responded briskly.

"Why?" She asked, her voice almost a yell, confusion written in every line on her face. "Why House? WHY? You're never caring, at least not to my face. You're always on the borderline of cruel. Why are you doing this now?"

He looked at her with a wry grin. "Because I want to get into your pants." He said, his usual snarky self.

She rolled her eyes and plopped down on the bed and cradled her daughter in her arms. "Well not going to happen. You get the couch."

He gave her a pout before limping out of the room. He poked his head back in. "You need anything. Get it yourself."

She laughed silently as his head disappeared again. She changed her daughter and fed her. Then House brought in a crib that they had borrowed from the hospital. She sung her child to sleep before exiting the bedroom to find House sitting on the couch watching the Discovery Channel.

She sat down beside him, not noticing the way his breath quickened ever so slightly or the way his gaze slide onto her from the corner of his eye.

"Those are huge turtles." She stated as she tucked her legs under her.

"My uncle is a turtle." He said.

She rolled her eyes. "Sure." She said, "Makes sense. You move about as slowly as one. Genetics is a powerful thing."

He laughed out loud. She found that she liked the sound. It was warm and held nothing back. Something that was so rare from him. She wanted to hear it again.

No. she told herself. I can't go down this road again. I can't fall for him.

He heaved himself to his feet and grabbed two glasses and a bottle of wine.

"You drink wine?" she asked.

"Special occasion." he said, pouring them both a cup.

"What occasion?"

"Ok fine, I just want to get you drunk so you'll be extra loud in bed." He replied, his voice not even sarcastic, just overwhelmingly innocent.

She rolled her eyes as she took a sip of the strawberry wine, feeling her shoulders instantly loosen.

The next hour or so were uneventful. Snippets of conversation and both of them relaxing in each other's company though there was a degree of tension that had nothing to do with disliking each other. In fact it was quite the opposite. . It was just like college again. Friends, closer than friends, best friends, just spending time together, forgetting the world outside of House's apartment. It was familiar and it was welcoming.

His blue eyes made her breath quicken and when their hands grazed each other, she would apologize under her breath, trying to contain the thunderous pounding of her heart. It was so easy, so simple, that Cuddy found herself walking down the dangerous road between friendship and the line that divided that and what she truly wanted.

He was eying her with shameless gaze. She felt a flush begin to fill in her face. He didn't seem to notice, or at least gave no sign of it.

Truth was he saw it. He didn't want to but he did. He knew his full on gaze was embarrassing her, but he couldn't look away. Her blue eyes were completely focused on the screen before her. He saw her but didn't see her.

He saw her apple white skin, but didn't see the sweat that was starting to coat it as she tried containing her own emotions. He saw her hands on her lap, but didn't see the way they clutched at each other, showing the white of her knuckles. He saw her chest rise and fall with each breath, but he didn't see the irregular rhythm of it as it came too quickly.

A cry broke the moment and before he had a chance to react, Cuddy was already in his bedroom, lifting out her daughter and speaking softly to her. He leaned in the doorway and watched them, a trace of a smile taking years off his face.

She felt the hair on the back of her neck rise, knew he was there. She turned and offered Jesse to him. He took the invitation and cradled Jesse with a gentleness that surprised her.

She cried and without a word of compliant he went and changed her diaper. Cuddy was staring after him with her eyes popping out of her sockets.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Changing her diaper." he replied. "Jeez Cudds, I question how the hell you got this far with your poor deduction skills."

She pursued her lips together. "No cussing in front of the baby." She said briskly.

He grinned at her. A knock was on the door and Cuddy moved to open it, revealing Wilson and Stacy.

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure that House hasn't killed you yet." He teased.

She laughed as she moved to let them in. They froze when they saw House changing Jesse's diaper.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Wilson asked.

"No cussing." Stacy corrected.

"Sorry." His gaze was focused on the unbelievable sight before him.

"Ah!" House yelled. "STUPIDITY SINKING INTO BRAIN! LOSING BRILLIANCE, MUST GET RID OF WILSON!"

Jesse giggled. House smiled fondly at her.

"Yes. You see Dr. Wilson has nothing on Daddy. Daddy's smarter and better looking right?" He teased his child, lifting her up and rubbing his nose in her stomach.

She clapped her hands and squealed with laughter. Cuddy laughed in spite of herself and took Jesse out of his arms.

"What did you do to him?" Wilson asked again.

"Jeez Jimmy. She turned me into a Stepford Wife, can't you tell?" House asked sarcastically.

Stacy rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Cuddy. "Are you staying here for the weekend?" she asked.

"Yeah, are you heading back to New York?" Cuddy asked.

Stacy shook her head. "I would drive you back if I were. I've got a conference here. I'll be here for at least a week."

Cuddy nodded. Jesse let out a loud scream.

"She needs to be fed." Cuddy said.

"Oooooo, Cuddy's gonna break out the boobies." House said.

She whacked him gentle on the chest. Wilson watched the exchange between them and got a strange expression on his face. It seemed like they'd been married for years, instead of just friends that had crossed the line a long time ago.

There was a crash from the kitchen and Cuddy shot up. Jesse didn't stir at the noise, but Cuddy started for the door, worrying that House had hurt himself, or that something had hurt House.

She saw House wince as he rubbed his leg. She knew the cold weather settling in did a number to his leg. She was instantly by his side, supporting part of burden herself.

"I'm okay." He said.

"Liar." She replied without missing a beat.

She helped him onto the couch.

"I need to see your leg." she said.

"You want to get in my pants?" he asked, bewildered.

"I need to see your leg." She repeated. "We're doctors. Let's act like doctors."

He winced again as another shot of pain went through his system, but obediently pulled down his pants. She examined his scar with sad eyes. Her fingers lightly grazed his wound and his breath quickened. She didn't seem to notice as she moved away and made his way to his bedroom.

How she knew where his wooden box filled with painkillers was, he had no idea, but she knew. She came back with empty hands.

"Morphine?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No." she said gently.

"I need something to kill the pain." he said.

"We've already proven that it's a mental issue." She reminded as she poured made her way into the kitchen and started to heat up some water.

"Why did you go back in my room?" he asked, confused.

"To hide your morphine in a place that you can't find." She said without turning.

"WHY?" He demanded. "And what are you doing now?"

She shushed him with a finger to her lips. "You'll wake the baby." She said softly.

"You don't need it House." She said as she went to her duffel bag and pulled out a packet of tea leaves. "And if you're gonna be near Jesse, I don't want you to have it."

"You think tea is gonna make me better?" House asked sarcastically, his voice dripping with venom.

"No, the tea's for me." She said, brewing it without a backward glance.

"You're evil." he muttered.

She poured herself a cup and walked to him. She put a hand on his shoulder. "House, you need to understand something right here and right now."

He was listening. She knew he was, even though his expression told her he was in pain and probably a little bored.

"You want to be Jesse's father. You want to be in her life and you're snippy with me because I'm not giving you that chance. You want to know why?" she asked.

"Do I?" he asked.

"I don't care. I'm telling you anyway." She retorted. "Your drugs are not good for her. She imprints off the people around her. She imprints off me. She will imprint off you if you're around her. I refuse to let her fall the same way you did and then ignore everyone that's trying to save you."

She wrapped a hand around his. Her eyes were serious. "Prove to me that you can change House and maybe I'll change too." she said.

"Fine." he said, heaving himself to his feet. "When do you want me to start?"

"Now." She replied. "And it's a lifetime commitment, House. You back out on me, I will make sure you pay for it."

He didn't reply, just looked back at her just as seriously.

"I don't know if I can." He said.

"I'm staying here for one weekend, House. If you can change even a little, show me in this time period. If you can't, I'll be gone by Monday morning." She said.

Her tone told him that there was no room for discussion. And he didn't bother to argue. Didn't ask for more time. Didn't ask for any mercy. He knew her thoughts. He understood and deep inside he agreed with her. Her maternal instincts told her to protect her daughter at all costs, even from the child's own father. He understood and he admired her for it.

He wanted to change, wanted to control his drug use and he knew she didn't want him to quit completely. She wanted him to control it, lessen on it and quit being dependent solely on that high. She wanted to end his pain, but it wasn't just the physical one. It was the emotional burden he carried as well. She wanted to end it and now she was forcing him into a corner.

Despite all of the bantering and the denial of their feelings for each other, he knew her real message. He loved her and a small part of him believed that she loved him, though neither of them would say it outloud.

She was telling him that he had a choice…her or Vicodin. The sad truth was, she already knew that she was not going to be his first choice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note:

I never expected this story to be this long. Does it seem endless? Lol I built up a lot of potentially dramatic situations and now this story is trying to resolve all of them. This part is going to be my favorite though. Maybe House will change. Maybe he won't. Who knows, not even me. Hehe. Enjoy! And review please if you liked it.