a/n: I'm back from the week long hiatus. Miss me??? Anyway, I came back with a chapter all ready to share. This is a Cuddy POV chapter, the first time I've ever written with this character. I hope it works.

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Chapter 5 – Hidden Agendas

Lisa Cuddy had a little secret that nobody else knew. Okay, she knew there were no secrets at Princeton Plainsboro as long as House was around, but she hadn't been called out on this one yet. She liked to volunteer every once in a while for the ER night shift. That wasn't the secret, as of matter of fact the ER staff was well aware the big boss could show up on night shift whenever it suited her so they had to stay alert. She told people she worked those shifts so she could keep her medical skills sharp and current. Of course she could do the shifts during the day if that was the case. The real reason she did night shifts was she was feeling a particular amount of stress about something in her life and couldn't sleep. The ER provided a distraction instead of tossing and turning in bed. Here she actually felt needed and useful.

Usually the night shift was pretty busy. Sure, the cases were routine drunks, heart attacks or strokes, and bad coughs but they usually came in a steady stream. On this particular evening though, the place was dead. The ER wasn't providing much of an escape after all as she spent her time hanging out at the nurses station, drumming her fingers and thinking about tomorrow. She could have been doing this in bed.

Her depressed train of thought quickly snapped as soon as she heard the automatic doors open. "My God, what happened?" She quickly ran over to assist a frantic Chase, who was carrying a barely conscious Cameron.

"Severe dehydration. Her urine is dark and she won't stop heaving." He paused before mentioning his major concern. "I think she has Hyperemesis Gravidarum."

Cuddy nodded at the sound logic of that diagnosis. She guided him to the nearest bed and he carefully placed Cameron down. Cuddy instantly went to prepare an IV drip, but Cameron started dry heaving again. "I need 25cc of Phenergan stat," she ordered one of the nurses.

Chase went to take her blood pressure and pulse. "Ah, ah, Nurse Adams will do that. You only get to be concerned husband here."

Chase nodded in acceptance and stepped out of the way. The nurse came running back with the injection and started taking the vitals. "Blood pressure is very low."

"I've got electrolytes running through her now, so that should improve in a few minutes." Cuddy injected the medicine into the IV tube and within a half minute the heaving stopped. Cameron also fell quickly into a deep sleep. "She seems to be exhausted."

Chase ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, her and me both."

After a few minutes of monitoring vitals the blood pressure steadily started to increase and the heart rate went down. "Keep watching the vitals. I'll be back to check on her soon." Cuddy instructed the nurse.

She pulled Chase to a private area where they could talk. "Has she been officially diagnosed?"

"No, that was my guess. I tried talking to her this evening about seeing her doctor. Maybe she'll believe me now."

Cuddy smiled. "Doctors aren't very good at diagnosing themselves. I'm ordering a urine sample as soon as more fluids get through her, but I'm sure it will be loaded with ketones."

"That would be my bet." Chase gave her a smile. "So, couldn't sleep again tonight?"

"What makes you ask that? I often volunteer for the night shift."

"House has people looking out for when you work the night shift so that when you go home the next morning for some sleep he could do what he wanted. He said you did this because you were feeling stress or guilt about something."

"Well he's wrong." Cuddy of course knew he was dead on right, but she had the right to deny it. "Anyway, I'll alert Cameron's OB to check her out first thing in the morning. If it's want you think it is, she needs to get on anti-nausea medication and a set of vitamins now. There is one more test I want to run, but I have to round up some special equipment. You can sit with her for now."

"Thanks Dr. Cuddy." He took a deep breath of relief and headed over to his still pale but improving wife.

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Chase watched for 30 minutes as Cameron went through the most peaceful sleep she has had in weeks. He felt rather guilty not seeing that she was that bad off. He could have broken into the bedroom easy. It was nothing like the locks he had to pick when breaking in houses to search. It's funny that he hadn't done a break-in since he started at Princeton General. He was trying to figure out why that was.

His wandering mind was interrupted by the sound of wheels rolling against the tile floor from a rather large cart. He was surprised to see Cuddy bringing in a state of the art doppler sonogram. "You're giving her an ultrasound?"

"She's almost at seven weeks, right?"

Chase nodded.

"Then you know this machine makes it possible to see the baby's heartbeat as early as five weeks. The heartbeat will be weak, but it's the best way to tell if there still is one."

Chase rubbed his tired eyes, trying to figure out why he didn't expect this. "I'm not sure why I wasn't prepared. I would have done the same thing."

"You were thinking like a father. In a way, you aren't sure if you want to know if anything is wrong with the baby. You don't have to see this."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world, even if its only going to be a blip on a screen. She's going to be mad to miss this though. Can you record it?"

"Yep, already set to do so. Ready to see this?"

Chase nodded. She put the gel on Cameron's abdomen and ran the transducer in a circle on it. She moved it around for several minutes but was unable to find a fetus or a heartbeat. She was trying to find something awfully small, and her skills were a little out of practice.

"May I?" Chase asked noticing her difficulty. "Finding needles in haystacks is my specialty."

Cuddy knew he was right there, so she let him take control of the transducer. Within a minute, he had success.

"Whoa," he said stunned as he saw the faint but very normal heartbeat. The realization hit him quickly that this wasn't any normal heartbeat. This was his child.

Cuddy smiled. "I see you are in dad mode again. Pretty cool, huh?"

"I've seen tons of fetus heartbeats before. None have affected me like this."

"They aren't supposed to. More than what you expected from a blip on a screen, don't you think?" She gave Chase some time to stare at the beats that were completely mesmerizing him.

"The good news is while mother is in distress, baby is doing just fine."

Chase didn't hear her words, for he was too lost in watching the tiny little pulses of his unborn child.

"Chase?"

He snapped out of his trance and handed the transducer back to Cuddy. "Uh thanks," he said, still shaken by his experience.

"I've left a message with Dr. Ades. She's going to confirm the diagnosis of Hyperemesis Gravidarum first thing in the morning. If all goes well she can go home by tomorrow afternoon."

Chase gave her a glance of relief laced with bewilderment over all that had happened this evening. He could take constant shifts of adrenalin with his job, but it was far more disconcerting with personal matters.

"Chase, she's going to be out for a few hours. I can find you a more comfortable place to sleep than those hard ER chairs."

"Thanks, but I want to be here when she wakes up. I know how to sleep in those chairs by now."

"Okay, I'll check in on you both later."

Cuddy stood from a distance and watched as Chase sat devoutly by Cameron's side still very astounded. Unfortunately for her, this shift didn't get her out of her funk. It only strengthened what had been troubling her. She wanted a baby now more than ever.

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She stopped for coffee and a pastry on the way home. She felt like treating herself. Cuddy wasn't even sure why she told everyone she was going home for a few hours to sleep. It was more to shower and get a fresh change of clothes, because no sleeping would be involved. She was still too wired and coffee would only enhance her state.

She often wondered why she got such a big beautiful house when it was only her living in it. Everyone told her what a great investment it would be and that was certainly the case, but somehow she always hoped it was her way of setting herself up for more. She always told herself "there will always be time". How did she forget as a skilled doctor the hardship it is of a woman trying to get pregnant for the first time the closer she got to forty? Her periods weren't regular anymore, a phenomenon that often happened to women at middle age. That only increased the difficulty. She was trying to hit an arbitrary and moving target.

She lounged in her comfortable, spacious, and lonely living room asking her self the harsh questions that she beat herself up over time and time again. Another sip of the warm Starbucks just got her thinking more. Why didn't she give up this heartbreaking venture? Odds were very good now it wasn't going to work and with each negative pregnancy test she was only ripping herself further apart. She should look at the fear in Cameron and Chase's eyes at the prospect of juggling baby and career. She would have to accept that something would have to take priority over her career. A baby might make her complete, but was it worth giving up everything she worked hard for her entire life?

Friends told her to just start dating and go for a social life instead. She can kick the man out at the end of the evening, but a baby she was stuck with forever. That was exactly what she wanted though, something to be stuck with forever. As she downed that last bit of coffee, she found that beating herself up like this again wasn't going to do her any good. Work was work, but it was a distraction from having to deal with her life. She headed for the shower, and then it was back to being the solid, tough as nails hospital administrator she was destined to be.

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"What are doing here?" House said as he again infiltrated Cuddy's office without the customary knock of courtesy.

"Uh, boss, work here."

"You were in the ER last night. Considering you treated my doctor, it was hard to keep that a secret. You should be home getting your beauty sleep."

"I had work to do. Nothing a cup of coffee can't fix."

House sat down, smirk on his face as he was ready to diagnose what was troubling his well-endowed supervisor. "The fertility treatment didn't take."

"I have no idea if it did or not. It's best if I wait a little longer to confirm. It hasn't even been two weeks."

"Sure, a home pregnancy test wouldn't come back accurately, but a blood test would. You just don't want to know because every part of you knows it didn't."

"I'm sorry, was that the sound of you being in my clinic? I distinctly recall that was your duty this morning."

"Sorry, but I since I'm down a doctor I couldn't meet my obligations."

"So you decide to be in my office instead of meeting those obligations?"

"You're always so cranky without your sleep."

Her look of disdain as she removed her eyes from her paperwork gave House all indication that he was pushing the right buttons. Now he could go for the jugular. "The only way you are going to get what you want is to have a man in your bed on a regular basis."

"And I suppose you are that man? You can't even go on one date, let alone do more than your typical one night stand. You need to practice what you preach."

House wasn't in the least fazed by her insult. "I'm not the one with the crazed look whenever a pregnant woman or someone with a baby brushes by."

"Oh, I get it. You're pushy insistence to be my natural donor is really just a ploy to get me into bed. You just don't know how to take no for an answer."

"Damn, you caught me." House replied sarcastically, although it was the truth.

"Fine," she said throwing down her pen. "There seems to only be one way to get you to shut up. I don't just sleep with any man I want to. I require intimacy and companionship, two things that aren't even in your vocabulary. I dare you to take me on a real date after work. Somehow I think you aren't man enough to do it the right way. If you want sex, you're going to have to work for it."

"What do you think I have been doing? How much harder do I have to work?"

"I'll bet Wilson $500 you can't do it." She challenged with arms folded.

"The bet isn't possible there since you both would bet against me."

"A man doesn't get into my bed without treating me like a real woman and not some plaything."

"Fine, if those are the ground rules, what time would you like me to pick you up?"

Cuddy wasn't sure to be shocked or flattered that he wanted to do this. She remained in the middle, going for skeptical. He was going to try some tricks, that's for sure. "Fine, I'm dying to see how you pull this off. 7 o'clock. I insist on a nice place. No sleazy bars or betting tracks. Your only chance of success is if you sweep me off my feet."

"Deal. Now I'm going to place my bet with Wilson that you and I will have breakfast together your kitchen in the morning."

"That doesn't sound like we're having sex!" She shouted as he was leaving.

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Is that crying I hear? Cuddy was coming in to tell her patient the discharge paperwork was all signed and she could go. As she opened the door, she found she heard correctly. Cameron was deeply sobbing while Chase held her hand, except he was smiling.

Her perplexed look was all she needed to give Chase. He pointed to a laptop, which was set off to the side. On it showed a very simple playback of a blip on a screen.

Cuddy smiled and it took everything she had to not cry herself. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Perfectly strong," Cameron said trying to calm herself down. "I thought for sure I was going to lose it."

"It seems so far the baby is well isolated from your physical distress. Did the pharmacy deliver your prescriptions?"

"Got them right here." Chase pointed to the bag on the table. "So I can take her home now?"

"You're all set. I don't care what that tyrant boss of yours says or does, you aren't allowed to even think about work until Monday morning. Let me know if he does anything. I'll take care of it."

"He already tried, but Robert shot him down."

"He also must let you go to your weekly appointments with Dr. Ades. I don't care if you and your husband are doctors, she needs to monitor the Hyperemesis."

Cameron nodded willingly. For the first time she was not doing anything that would jeopardize this baby.

"Get lots of rest for the next few days. I'll see you on Monday."

Chase followed Cuddy out for one final word. "You should follow your own advice. Did you sleep at all this morning?"

"I'm fine. You also have my permission to let Drs. Foreman and Wilson check on her while you're working. It seems you have a difficult case you will need to be there for, at least the administrator told me so when I called to vouch for you."

"I had to put my foot down about today. I still may have to go in. Thanks for at least approving, even though they would have done it behind your back."

Cuddy laughed. "Go take your wife home."

"Wear red."

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Your date with House tonight. Red throws him off guard and makes him act like less of an ass."

"Go home." She said with a smile and walked away. Her smile soon faded though as she remembered from her game of chicken with House that she did indeed have a date tonight.

She shut herself in her office, locked the door and drew her blinds. There was no way she was going to survive this evening on no sleep. She sprawled out on the couch and fell fast asleep. As she suspected, she dreamt about babies. So was so in the emotional doghouse for this date.

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The loud knocking on her office door threw Cuddy out of her light rest. It's not like she was sleeping soundly anyway. Given that she was the head honcho, it could be important. She hazily worked her way over to the door and opened it.

It proved not to be important at all as a delivery person stood there holding a most spectacular vase of a dozen big and impeccable red roses. "Lisa Cuddy?"

"Yes, that's me," she answered still half asleep.

The person handed her the roses and a clipboard. "Sign here."

She signed the sheet on the clipboard and closed the door with roses in hand. She placed the flowers gently onto the edge of her desk but failed in her foggy state to appreciate how they lit up the room. There was only one guess as to who they were from, so the question was why? She got her answer as soon as she read the card.

Wake up. You have one hour until our date. Prepare to be dazzled.

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a/n: Okay, I admit that I usually find pandering beneath me (not that kind of pandering!), but I hit a bit of a milestone today and felt compelled to share. I finally finished my five month long project on fiction press. It is a novel I have been bouncing around since 2003 but I rewrote it in the same type of writing style I use when writing fics. I'm thrilled with the results and hoping I can get at least more than one person to read it (my stats show only 1 hit per chapter). It is 26 chapters, but I think it turned out great. I'm biased though and would love for someone to tell me I'm right or wrong. The link to the story is at the top of my profile page if anyone is interested. It is called Drifting Through The North Star. There is also a link on my livejournal page.

As always, thanks for reading the fic! Please tell me if you don't mind me venturing into the Huddy (with Wilson, it will be strange) since I know most of my readers are Chase/Cameron shippers. It will still be primarily them, but I needed to do some variety.