Still not mine.

Hello hello! Just wanted to say happy whatever you celebrate. Hope you all enjoy the new chapter!!! Cuddy's a bit...out of character I guess but meh. My story! haha

Before Wilson left, he wanted to stop by and tell Cuddy where he was going, just in case something happened. Knocking twice on her door, he entered. She was looking down at her desk, seemingly very busy.

"Hey, uh...I'm going to go pick up some stuff from his place for House...do you need anything while I'm out?"

For the first time since he had been in her office, Cuddy looked at him. Tear tracks traced rivers down her cheeks. Her mascara was running just as hard as her nose and, although she tried her best, she couldn't stop crying. Wilson rushed to her side. Grabbing some tissues, he knelt down beside her and tried not to think about how he was cleaning the run down face of not only his boss, but a dear friend as well. Dropping the surnames to show he was in friend mode, Wilson addressed her.

"Lisa, calm down, what's the matter?"

"Did you see him, James? He hardly fought us at all...he just...he gave up. He...he didn't even seem angry. It's like he doesn't even care anymore. How many more times is he going to end up almost dead in a hospital bed at the hands of someone else? How many more times can his body and mind handle that before it breaks? How many more times can we just sit back and watch it happen?"

Trying to staunch to flow of tears and remove the mascara tracks from her cheeks he tried to reassure her.

"No Lisa...you aren't just letting anything happen...there's nothing you could have down to stop it. You weren't there! You didn't realize how deep this whole thing went...he hasn't given you details about when he was growing up...all this was going on long before you were anywhere near meeting House...you can't blame yourself."

"Who do I blame then? His best friend who only tried to help? The surgeon and team who saved him? I'm the only one who did nothing for him. I just stood in the way." The sobs racked her shoulders harder and she leaned into Wilson. Hesitating only a moment, he wrapped his arms around her. Wilson tried not to think about how wonderful it felt to hold her in his arms. Not the time James...

"You're not the one who provoked his father into hitting him last night! Greg confided in me and I ran straight to John and punched him in the jaw...if I had handled it better he wouldn't even be here! But I know enough to blame John before I blame myself. And I would blame Greg himself before I blamed you, Lisa!"

Pulling back, Cuddy locked her teary gaze on him. Wilson's mouth ran a bit dry.

"James...do you honestly believe that?"

"Do you think I would say it if I didn't?"

She looked at him a moment, and gave a little half smile. Then she started. Grabbing the tissue from him, she began rubbing at her eyes.

"Ugh...I must look like Alice Cooper!"

Wilson stopped her. Taking the tissue, he gently dabbed underneath her still tear filled eyes as he gazed into them.

"No Lisa...you look...you look..."

Becoming exasperated, she said, "Spit it out!"

"Beautiful."

Cuddy's jaw dropped open and she leaned back in her chair. Wilson stood and handed her the tissue.

"You look beautiful."

Without another word, or even a backwards glance, Wilson turned and walked out the door, and headed on to the house to get what House wanted. He tried not to think about what had just happened. He didn't try hard enough.

Groggily, House opened his eyes. Looking around the room, he remembered where he was...yet again. He saw a bag, an electric piano, and a guitar case on the floor, with a very worried looking Wilson, slumped in the chair.

"Do they need to get you a bed too? You look like hell." Startled out of his thoughts, Wilson looked at House.

"Yeah well, find out details about what happened to you, watch you get your ass handed to you by an man in what has to be his very late sixties, once again have to sit through ANOTHER surgery on your leg, listen to you code, and then telling my sobbing boss that shes beautiful can DO that to a man damn it! So yeah! Go right ahead and get me a bed here! And please make sure it's on the psych ward, because they get all the good pills!"

"...you said she was beautiful?! Man, I didn't even know you liked her...but I should have guessed after you took her to that play...how hard was she sobbing? Snot globs out the nose sobbing or silent tear drops sobbing?"

Taking and deep breath and sighing, Wilson turned to his friend.

"A bit in between those two." he threw out sarcastically.

"So you love her?" House queried.

"What?! I didn't say that!"

"No but I'm guessing her mascara was running and her nose was stopped up. Her hair probably went flat, she hasn't showered or brushed her teeth and she's wearing the same clothes she's had on for at LEAST two days...and you thought that mess of a woman was beautiful. Ever heard the expression, 'a face only a mother could love'?"

"Ever heard the expression 'you're an ass'?"

"Often. But don't try to change the subject. You're in love and you haven't denied it."

"I...you...she..." Wilson just slumped back in the seat. "I hate you."

"I know you do. Now what did you bring me?"

Wilson stood and put the bag on the end of the bed. Slowly, he took the objects out one by one. Toothbrush, Guitar Monthly magazine, a stack of shirts, a pair of sleep pants, some music, ipod charger, guitar picks, gameboy, and a set of headphones. House just stared at him. Wilson shifted from one foot to the other. House stared harder. Finally, rolling his eyes and sighing disapprovingly, Wilson pulled out an opened bottle of scotch from the bottom of the bag.

"Hey that was a brand new bottle!"

"Yeah well I've had a rough week."

"Oh because mines just been a walk in the park...except I CAN'T walk in the park, because I can't WALK."

"Stop being a drama queen."

"Go flirt with Cuddy."

Wilson smirked and took a tentative sip from the bottle, before setting it out of House's reach.

"Good thing I'm off the clock." He grinned and walked out the door, leaving a very agitated House in his midst.

"JAMES WILSON YOU COWARD!"

Cameron walked in.

"Um...something wrong?"

"That bastard stole my scotch! It's in that drawer...hand it to me."

"House I'm not giving you alcohol. I left my book in here...have you seen it?"

"Gimme my scotch and I'll give you your book."

"Or, you could be an adult for once and give me my book and realize that you are in a hospital and can't drink alcohol." She crossed her arms.

"Never." House put a childish pout on his face, and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"If you don't tell me, I'll be forced to come and sit in here every day for at least and hour and talk to you if you don't give me my book back. And I still won't give you your contraband bottle of cheap scotch."

"That scotch is NOT cheap!"

"Where's my book House?" Cameron raised an eyebrow.

"Idunno."

"Fine." Cameron smirked and sat in the chair Wilson had been in only moments before. "Then let's talk. Do you want to pick the topic or shall I?"

House stared straight ahead and said nothing.

"Look...you can either pick a topic we can both enjoy, or I'll pick one I enjoy and you will despise. It your choice really. How miserable do you want to make your stay here?"

Silence.

"Alrighty then...so about a week ago I bought the really cute shoes. I'm not sure if I like them on me or not but they were on sale so I just HAD to buy them. They are-"

"Oh my GOD please STOP! That is just MEAN! Fine!!! We'll do this your way...who is your favorite beatle?"

She smirked.

"George Harrison."

House cocked and eyebrow.

"What? He was never as famous...I guess I just felt bad for him. It was always about Lennon and McCartney. And then Ringo had the awesome name...I just thought George got left out too much.

"You would root for the underdog." She smiled and looked at him. House felt like her gaze went straight through his body and saw all the secrets he kept locked on the inside. It gave him the chills.

"Always."