Chapter Fourteen

Mirror Image

Thanks to EOshipperSVU-MSR-HUDDY, DrusillaBraun, HOUSEM.D.FanForever, Marish89, gabiroba, scheggia, Boys Don't Cry, HouseAddiction, Abbeyannmd, csi7, thevigilante15, mj0621, Huddytheultimate, and PaulaAbdulChica2007 for their reviews. I greatly appreciate it.

Disclaimer: All things House belong to David Shore, FOX, and their respective owners. No copyright reserved. I don't own anything. No profit made. I just like messing with their lives.

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It took all of House's strength to pull Cuddy to her feet. She was like a rag doll, all limp as if her strength had left with her daughter.

"Come on Lisa." He coaxed gently in a voice that she didn't even now that he was capable of. "Get up. Go wash your face and we'll figure this out."

She allowed him to set her on her feet and walk her into the bathroom. He splashed her face with cool water, allowing her to lean onto his chest despite the pain that was no doubt making his leg ache. He didn't care. In her state, House was terrified. Cuddy was so strong. She never let anything get to her. Only now, she was like a child. Terrified of losing the one thing that she loved the most. Terrified, hurting, and in desperate need of comfort. He wanted to take care of her, but also knew that when she regain her composure there was no way she would let him.

"I'm okay." She finally said, steadying herself on the bathroom counter and peering at her red swollen eyes in the mirror.

"I'll get you some wine or something." House started.

She caught his arm. "I need the phone." She said.

In those split seconds he saw a change come over her. Broken she was, but she was not dead. She was still breathing and he saw the grief in her eyes replaced with anger that burned. She was a fighter. Always had been, always will be.

"That's my girl." He said softly, taking her hand.

She gave her a half smile. He smiled back slightly. "This time I'm gonna stick by you."

"You don't have to." She started.

"I want to. Don't think I'm gonna crawl in your pants and then leave you by yourself, Lisa. I'm an ass, but I'm not that much of an ass." He said.

She gave his hand a squeeze. "You could've fooled me." She said.

"I fooled everyone." He retorted.

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Stacy was at House's apartment within minutes with Wilson by her side.

"Did we miss something?" Cuddy asked when she saw them come in.

Wilson shrugged, but Stacy returned the question. "I think it's us who missed something." She said, eyeing House's hand clasped over Cuddy's.

"Losing our child kinda puts our battles aside don't you think?" House asked sarcastically.

"Wait what?" Wilson demanded.

House rolled his eyes. Cuddy had filled Stacy in on the phone, but no one had filled Wilson in since Stacy had been on the phone with Cuddy until she walked through House's door.

"Can we please ignore Mr. Clueless for a moment and figure out what we're gonna do?" House asked.

Stacy sat down and took Cuddy's other hand, meeting her eyes. "Do you want me to represent you?" she asked.

Cuddy nodded. "You're the best I know."

Stacy shook her head. "Yeah, but I'm a constitutional lawyer, Lisa."

"Does this mean you can't help?" House asked harshly.

Stacy threw House a momentarily glare. She knew House was as upset as Cuddy was, but while she expressed her grief through tears and unrelenting strength, House expressed his through harsh comments and hide his feelings through sarcastic remarks. It was the only thing she had learned about him during their relationship.

"I can to a certain extent, but it depends on how much money you guys are willing to spend and how scared you guys are." She said.

"Money is no object." Cuddy interjected. "And I want the best possible chance to get my daughter back."

"Then I suggest you get more than one lawyer." Stacy said. "I'll represent you at no cost, as a friend, but you're going to need someone else who's done these types of cases before."

Cuddy nodded.

"Got someone in mind?" House asked.

Stacy nodded. "I think you guys already know her. I recommend Madeline Poe. I met her in law school. She's good and she's done a ton of cases like this before."

"I still have her number." Cuddy said.

House smiled at her. "That's Cuddy. Always prepared. Glad to know you haven't changed."

Cuddy returned a smile. "You haven't either." She said before disappearing into the bedroom for her purse.

Wilson was watching this exchange.

"Oh my God!" he breathed. "You're sleeping with Cuddy."

"If I throw a stick at you, will you leave?" House asked.

Stacy rolled her eyes. "Guys stop. Lisa's going through hell. Can we please leave the hallway gossip until after prom?"

"She's not the only one." House muttered.

"You care…" Wilson said, his mouth wide open. "You actually care about her and about Jesse."

"Does your train of thought have a caboose?" House asked.

At this Cuddy came back into the room with a business card in hand. They made the call together and after an appointment was made. Cuddy and House both felt a little more secure. The emptiness they felt, however, could not be mended until Jesse was back with them.

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Cameron did not want to answer the door. It was the last thing she wanted to do. She knew who was on the other side. The knocking became more insistent and with a sigh she opened it.

Chase stood before her with a disappointed expression on his face.

"I can't believe you really quit." He said.

"It's not really worth staying if House isn't there." She retorted, not moving to let him in.

He didn't even try to move past her. Just stood there and stared at her dumbly.

"You still like him."

"Why does it matter to you?" She demanded.

"I thought you were smarter than that." He said. "I thought maybe you were secure enough in yourself not to let him dictate your actions and the rest of your career."

"You're a hypocrite. You try to kiss up to him so that you'll be his favorite. You refuse to acknowledge how messed up he is and what he needs!" Cameron yelled, losing her temper.

Chase wasn't faring much better. He got called a kiss up all the time, but to have her call him that when she was much too insecure to even hold a job irritated him.

"And what he doesn't need is you." Chase retorted.

"How do you know?" she demanded. "Maybe I can save him."

"The only thing you can save is if that person already knew what was wrong with them." Chase said.

"Are you calling me a bad doctor?" she asked. "You killed someone."

"Well at least I don't change my mind according to the put downs I receive. Cameron, you can't save him. You can't even come close." Chase said. "It's the cold hard truth, but it's the truth."

"Were you here to make me feel better or just to scold me like I'm a stubborn child?" she asked.

"The problem Cameron is that House doesn't see past the child. You cling to him. You can't think for yourself and do you think he likes that?"

"Do you think I like you at my doorstep?" she screamed at him.

"Fine. I'll leave, but I suggest you stop chasing after him. The faster you run toward him, the faster he'll run away."

"He can't run." Cameron stated bluntly.

"Right because your feminine charms are that much greater than Cuddy's." Chase muttered sarcastically.

"I'm just as good as she is." Cameron said.

"To some people you are." Chase said, not telling her that that 'some people' was him. "To others, you don't come close. And I'm sorry Cameron, but House falls in the latter category."

With that Cameron slammed the door in his face. He leaned his forehead against the wood, muttering the F word, hating himself for ruining a civilized chat between two friends had gone so bad.

She felt the tears come and she leaned her head against the door and sank to the floor, tears coming fast. She was still in love with House, but it was becoming more and more obvious that he had no feelings for her in return. It hurt and she had refused to believe it, but now when it was obvious that even Chase saw it, she could no longer deny it.

The truth will set you free, but it just seemed to destroy her further.

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Cuddy cleaned when she was nervous. House learned that quirk about her about two hours before Madeline Poe and Stacy were supposed to show up for a meeting about the case.

"You already got that spot." House said from his place on the couch.

Cuddy paused in her attack at the smudges on his window. "You're running out of Windex."

"I'm a bachelor. I don't clean." House muttered.

"I've noticed."

A knock and Cuddy was at the door before House could blink.

"Whoa." Stacy said, stepping into the apartment.

House was silent as Cuddy hastily put away her rubber gloves and cleaning supplies. Stacy had a small smirk on her face. "I'm guessing Cuddy did it."

"How'd you guess?" House asked sarcastically.

"You should've seen her in college." Stacy said.

"I heard that." Cuddy said, coming in and giving Madeline a hug.

"It's good to see you." Madeline said and then smiled at House. "And nice to see you without the handcuffs."

House snorted in laughter. The mood intensified as Madeline began to lay out papers on the coffee table.

"His main base of evidence is your job. Because of your position, his claim is that you neglect your child."

"She does no such thing." House said. "Have you seen her with Jesse?"

Stacy put a finger to her lips. "We know Cuddy's a great mother." She said. "But the jury needs more than someone's word. They're gonna need solid, nonargumentative evidence and it's our job to provide that."

"Of course, we're going to put Lisa on the stand." Madeline said. "The jury should see the consequence of coming out with a guilty verdict. Condemning a hard working doctor life without her daughter."

"I think we should put House on the stand too." Stacy said.

Heads whirled to stare at her. Stacy shrugged.

"It just makes sense. He doesn't have any guardianship of the child, but he is the father. He also knows Lisa very well."

Madeline saw where she was going. "I'm guessing you want the jury to see Lisa."

"I don't understand." Cuddy said.

House was on the same boat as Cuddy. He didn't understand. "I'm a jerk. I'll hurt her more than help her."

"No." Madeline stated. "We want the jury to see all of Lisa. Not just the doctor portion. We want her to see her friends, her family, the people that know her well. Paint her as a well rounded, real person."

Now they understood. House and Cuddy exchanged a quick glance. They were going to expose her life like they did with House. They had suddenly switched places. Cuddy in the defense chair and House in the witness box. House knew that he had no idea what kind of hell she was going through. He had been down this road and she had saved him, now the tables were turned.

The difference, however, was that he had chosen the path that brought him into that courtroom. He knew he may end up there, but he hadn't cared. She, however, did not chose a path like so. She had been the definition of a great mother and now it was some sick bastard taking revenge that was causing her so much pain.

He felt guilt. He always criticized her for feeling it, but now he knew why she did. This whole disaster was technically his fault. If he hadn't made the mistakes he had, she would have never shed the tears she had been shedding. He had so much to make up for and for the first time in his life he felt like he owed someone. Looking at her now, he knew he would never be able to repay the full debt of what he owed her.

They were going to have to rip her life apart. Fully expose her to the world and dare them to make judgment. He had been there, sitting there, watching each question invade his privacy and he, himself, became fully open to scrutiny. She would now face the same thing. And just like she had been there for him, he was going to hold her hand the entire time.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" House asked. "They're going to rip your clothes off and expose you to the world."

Cuddy winced at the simile. Her memories of the night before were all too vivid. Pleasantly vivid of course.

"I've been ripped open my entire life." Cuddy said with a small smile. "Besides, I'm used to you being your boss and all."

"Glad to be of service." He said grimly.

She turned to her lawyers. "Let's do it and as soon as possible."

Madeline nodded. "You have the right to a speedy trial. Let's take advantage of it. We'll go to trial in two weeks."

Stacy agreed. "Gives us time to write arguments, questions, prep you and your witnesses, and then draw up all necessary papers."

Cuddy's expression did not change. She looked angry, sure of herself, almost vengeful. Fear was out of her and her tears had run dry. She was ready to fight. Neither of the lawyers missed the way Cuddy clenched onto House's hand, however, nor the way her knuckles were white, the only sign of her growing apprehension.

He wasn't faring much better as he popped another Vicodin. Little did they know, he had just exposed their biggest weakness. Only it had become so ordinary, they never saw it as such.

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Author's Note:

I know I haven't updated in forever and I am very sorry for that. Life has just been so busy. Well better late than never. Here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. The next one will cover the trial. I was hoping to capture the similarities between this trial and House's. I don't know if I got that point across. Still I hope you guys like it.