Thank you for your reviews! I do appreciate them even though I don't reply to them individually; I sort of feel that the best response is always to get the next chapter out ASAP.
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House made his way into Cuddy's office where Cuddy was sitting at her desk and doing paper work, though it looked more like she was chewing the papers than actually working on them.
"So you got your precious butt here after all," Cuddy snarled. "Is it really too much to ask for you to come to work on time just once?"
"Yes," House replied simply leaning on his cane and assessing Cuddy.
"I know you are a brilliant doctor and you nearly always save your patients, but you are still working here!" Cuddy ranted. "You have no right to assume that you can dictate your own hours or work only when it pleases... "
"Cuddy, shut up," House told her.
"What?" Cuddy gulped. She had just been hitting her stride and House's calm order took her totally by surprise.
"The last time you saw your doctor what tests did she take?" House asked.
"Just the usual," Cuddy frowned. "She wanted some more, but I didn't have time for useless tests."
"I thought so," House nodded. "Come along then." House limped to Cuddy and took her arm starting to drag her towards the door.
"What are you doing," Cuddy glared. "Let go of me!" She tried to struggle against the surprisingly solid grip on her arm.
"Cuddy my dear," House smiled in less than reassuring way. "You have a choice. Either you will follow me quietly to your doctor's office or I will kiss you silly."
"You wouldn't..." Cuddy thought better of her words just before they all got out of her mouth.
"Was that a dare I heard?" House stopped and turned to smile at Cuddy. He still had a long way to go before he got to reassuring.
"No," Cuddy insisted quickly. "Nothing of the sort. I was merely going to say that I don't need you to escort me to my doctor. I'm fine and I have work to do."
"Nothing you have on your desk is as important as this," House decided as he dragged Cuddy past Miss Hill's desk. "Miss Hill, Dr. Cuddy is going to visit Dr. Jordan and it will be up to Dr. Jordan to decide whether she can return to work today."
"Very well, Dr. House," Anna accepted – much to Cuddy's indignation. "I will hold the fort."
"Thank you, Miss Hill," House smirked as he dragged Cuddy out into the lobby and towards the lifts. They gathered some anxious looks but nobody interfered, or even asked what was going on. Cuddy stopped fighting accepting that either she agreed to see her doctor of House would in all likelihood really kiss her silly – and in front of an audience, too.
Dr. Jordan was with a patient, but though they had to wait for fifteen minutes House did not let Cuddy run. He had decided that Cuddy was going to see Dr. Jordan, and see her she would. Fortunately there were no other patients waiting, so once the current client came out of Helen's office Cuddy and House were able to go in.
"Dr. Cuddy is here for full physical and any and all tests you think she needs," House announced as she marched Cuddy in.
"Happy to hear that," Helen acknowledged. "But I'm not sure why you are here, Dr. House."
"Being too big for his breeches," Cuddy muttered.
"Are you sure you want to bait me now, Cuddy?" House asked. "Considering the mood I'm in?"
"I just don't appreciate your strong-arm tactics," Cuddy sighed. "I'm perfectly capable of coming to see my doctor when I feel the need. I don't feel the need right now."
"That is because you are being irrational right now," House replied.
"Interesting though this conversation is," Helen was beginning to feel like she was in a tennis match. "Could you either have it somewhere else or postpone it until after I have examined Lisa?"
"Sorry Helen, but I really don't have the time for this," Cuddy was still fuming a little. "Nor is there any need for an additional visit, the schedule we set up is good."
"But we did agree that you could come by any time you want if you feel the need," Helen reminded her.
"But I don't feel the need," Cuddy huffed. "It's House."
"So why do you feel she needs me now, Dr. House?" Helen sighed with exaggerated patience. The tennis match had just turned into a Kindergarten outing.
"She is having tantrums all over the place, more frequently than she used to," House replied. "Her blood pressure is probably sky high again and she is scared."
"Am not!" Cuddy glared at him.
"Are too," House countered making a face at her.
"Am ... What makes you think that I'm scared?" Cuddy demanded angrily.
"Because I am," House told her calmly and seriously.
"Oh," that confession took the wind out of Cuddy's sails and she didn't know how to reply or what to do.
"So," House raised his eyebrows. "Are you letting Jordan do her job or do I need to stay and make you?"
"I... I'm ..." Cuddy sighed in defeat. "Fine. You can go and do your clinic duty. I'll stay here with Helen and ... Whatever. But we will talk later!"
"Of course," House nodded as he limped out of the office. "You know how to find me."
"That I do," Cuddy muttered. "After all I do spend half my days hunting you down."
"Aww, that was mean," House threw Cuddy a pouting look before he closed the door.
"Lisa, are you quite sure Dr. House is a doctor?" Helen wondered. "Or even an adult?"
"He is not an adult," Cuddy sighed. "He is an eight year old in a man's body. But he gets away with it since he really is a doctor. A brilliant doctor."
"I suppose he has to be if he can get away with everything I have heard of him," Helen mused while Cuddy was getting ready for the examination.
"And you haven't even heard the half of it," Cuddy revealed. "But he is brilliant enough to get away with pretty much anything."
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It was over an hour later that House saw Cuddy come down and walk to her office. Surprisingly enough House had decided to do his clinic duty, though part of the reason might have been that from the clinic he could see when Cuddy got back. He dumped his last file on the desk and limped into Cuddy's office.
"You come with me, Miss Hill," House ordered as he walked through the ante-room. He entered without knocking, half expecting to feel Miss Hill's heavy hand on his coat tails pulling him back. It didn't happen. He turned to give her a questioning look.
"This is not business," Miss Hill pointed out. "I don't monitor your conduct in private."
Before House could ask for clarification they were in and Cuddy turned to look at them.
"What do you want," Cuddy frowned. "And since when have you two been this buddy buddy?"
"We aren't," Anna replied. "But when it comes to your well being I would allay myself with the devil himself."
"He is worse," Cuddy sighed but came over to sit on the couch while they took the armchairs.
"So, did you allow Dr. Jordan to check you out thoroughly?" House asked.
"Yes," Cuddy glared at him. "She didn't give me a choice. Helen said that if I didn't co-operate she would call you."
"Seems that she, too, is willing to work with the Devil when need be," Anna smiled.
"Smart woman," House approved. "So what were the results?"
"I don't eat well enough apparently. Not that I'm malnourished as such, just needing more vitamins and some minerals plus I need to eat more regularly. Spread the meals more evenly over the day," Cuddy explained. She didn't really want to tell all this to House – or Anna – but she was fairly certain House would find a way to find out what he wanted, whether she wanted or not. "I'm stressed, so I got a new prescription for a mild sedative, and I was told to take a nap during the day since, apparently, I don't sleep enough either."
"Did she give you a dietary plan?" House asked. Cuddy nodded and House extended his hand towards her: "Gimme!"
"It's on my desk," Cuddy said.
"Miss Hill?" House turned to Anna. "If you would take charge of it and see to it that Cuddy follows it to the letter?"
"Certainly," Anna accepted the duty. "What about the naps?"
"I think I'll need to see to them," House mused. "She is not going to agree to them quietly."
"Especially not when you two plan my life like I wasn't even here," Cuddy huffed.
"Lisa," Anna leaned closer and took Cuddy's hand. "If you don't take care of yourself, then somebody else needs to step in. We are not here as your employees, we are here as your friends. You are not alone in this. Accept the help we offer. Well, I'm offering, I'm not so sure Dr. House is giving you any options. He's an obstinate bastard."
"You could still ask me," Cuddy grumbled.
"Whenever we do you just say you're fine," House pointed out. "Or then you just snap our heads off. Why do you think you have gained the nickname of the Queen of Hearts?"
"I'm called that?" Cuddy wasn't sure what to think of it. Sure the idea of being able to order House's head brought to her on a platter was rather appealing most of the time – especially now that the triplets were making her more and more uncomfortable. But still, the Queen of Hearts had been pretty unreasonable and that did not appeal.
"When they are not calling you the Mother of all Monsters," Anna revealed as she stood up and went to get the dietary plan from the desk. "But I blame Dr. House for that, since the monsters really are his."
"How many times do I have to tell people that I had no way of knowing we were going to end up with triplets!" House growled.
"My guess would be: the rest of your life," Anna told him as she headed out of the office. "I'll get started on this and leave you two alone. I'll make sure you will not be disturbed until you have finished your conversation and Dr. House has convinced you to take those naps."
"You were right," Cuddy muttered as the door closed after Anna. "She is a dragon."
"She just likes you," House smiled. "So are you going to take those naps?"
"I suppose," Cuddy relented. "If only because I don't really want to find out what you would do if I didn't."
"Good," House nodded. "I'm glad I don't have to come up with something drastic – though it might have been fun."
"Not for me, I'm sure," Cuddy doubted. She bit her lip a little uncertainly but then decided to ask what was on her mind: "Did you mean it when you said you are scared?"
"Of course," House shrugged. "How could I not be scared?"
"But you are so wonderful with Aiko," Cuddy wondered. "You know you can do this. Why would you worry?"
"I'm not so sure about that wonderful," House gave a short laugh. "Aiko is a baby. They have never bothered me till they get teeth. But she will get teeth, in a matter of days possibly. Where will I be then? What do I know about children? I'm not even sure I ever was one. The idea of taking care of Aiko, of trying to raise her into a decent human being, trying to not screw up too badly has me petrified. And now there are going to be three more! Yeah, I know I will have help. Mother will be there, Dr. Higa, Kasumii – who actually has the training for the job -, you, Jimmy, my team even Grey. Yes, I'll get help, but I'm the one who has the responsibility. If I screw up, Aiko is the one who will pay the price. As will the triplets for any mistakes that I make with them. You bet your ass I'm scared!"
"Oh," Cuddy was at loss for words again. "I never thought that you could feel like that. That you are actually feeling everything I feel."
"It's easier for me," House suggested.
"How so?" Cuddy was puzzled.
"I'm not the one who is actually pregnant," House itemised. "Plus you worry about other things as well. You fear that the idiot who will be in charge during your absence will hurt your hospital. You worry about the hospital, your doctors, your nurses – all the people working here, and you worry about your own job. And, of course since you are you, you are also feeling guilty, because you feel you are letting the hospital down because you decided – selfishly – to have a baby. And you feel guilty for the parasites, since you worrying about the hospital might put them in danger due to your blood pressure and all that. Which is the real reason why you didn't want Jordan to do a thorough examination before I forced you: you feared she was going to find something."
"Don't be silly," Cuddy demanded. "I'm a doctor. I know that ignoring a problem does not make it go away. If I feared for my babies, the rational thing would be for me to go to my doctor and see if something really was wrong and how to fix it."
"But you are not being rational," House reminded her. "Pregnant women often are not. You know, with the hormones and all that. You are not called the weaker vessel for nothing, you know."
"Weaker vessel!" Cuddy practically screamed at House. "I'd like to see how a man would handle a pregnancy!"
"Ah, now there's my Cuddy," House approved.
"Oh, you," Cuddy made a face at him. "You know, sometimes I really wish I was the Queen of Hearts and could just tell somebody to behead you."
"I know," House acknowledged. "But you can't because you will need me with the kids. I don't know how we will do it, but somehow we will manage. We have to. We cannot cancel them so this is the show and we are the players."
"With our exits and entrances?" Cuddy smiled ruefully.
"We'll try to keep the exits to a minimum," House responded. "Except for now, I really need to go and see if my team has finally figured out what is wrong with our patient."
"I know," Cuddy sighed. "Thank you. For caring."
"I'm not going to say anytime," House warned her. "I'm afraid of creating a precedent."
"Oh, just shut up and go!" Cuddy told him with an exasperated laugh.