I don't like him.

Stop talking to him.

You can't go out with him either.

You're mine.

I'm watching you.

-H

"It's Chase." House said flat-out.

"W-what?"

"It's Chase. Chase has been messing up with you since the beginning of this week." House said, scratching his head.

Cuddy felt her fear gradually subside and actual anger filling her up. "Whaaa--? How did you even know---?"

"You did not recognize the Australian accent?"

Cuddy let out a puff of breath, her cheeks and ears turning immensely red. House could even swear he could see her carotid artery pulsating. "No. I don't think letters can accurately demonstrate accents---"

"We had a bet." House started his explaining. "Whoever freaked you out first wins a beef tenderloin meal in the cafeteria." He winced and prepared himself for the outburst of the century.

Much to his surprise, no outburst happened. She just breathed in and out, trying to stabilize her respiration.

"Cuddy, are you okay?" House said.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, and then her eyes narrowed. Before he could see it coming, her black half a pound planner is already in his face with an accompanying "get out or I'll call security on you."

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WILSON went out of the mammography room discreetly, and once the door closed behind him he burst out laughing. If House didn't found it just as hilarious, his cane will definitely hit some balls.

House's hands are still on his face. It's red and on its way turning hematoma-purple. Wilson paused and grasped in some air. He tried to contain his laughter, but failed miserably and ended back having a much more intense laugh as if there's no tomorrow.

"I love it when she does that," Wilson said.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure. You always love it when she hurts me." House said, making a face. They are at that situation when Chase approached them.

"I heard what just happened," Chase said and chucked.

House looked at him and spoke: "Of course you did, and have you heard? She let out a memo suspending you for 2 weeks for inappropriate conduct…" while he let out a squee with accompanying hand gestures.

Chase paused and shook his head, "There's no such memo."

"You wait until after lunch."

"Bottom line is---I won. Yipee."

Wilson watches the two exchange words quietly. House was out of words after Chase's last line. He quietly reached for his pant's back pocket, started counting coins and small paper bills until it reached 500 dollars.

Wilson's eye widen: "I thought the price was just a beef-tenderloin meal…"

"I lied." House said, "Wouldn't want Cuddy to think she's worth so much to me…"

Chase extended his hands waiting for House to forcibly place the bills on it. His eyes almost disappear when his smile reached his ears. "She wouldn't suspend me, we talked already. I told her you forced me to have this bet with you… blah, blah… you know she believes me more than she'll ever believe you… You're such a liar."

Wilson is honestly surprised to see Chase grow some balls for being able to talk to House like that.

House's cane ended up hitting some balls, for real. Wilson chuckled as Chase let out a crisp "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwh…"

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CUDDY went home early that day and was mesmerized to see another bouquet of tulips and carnation in front of her door. She has been receiving the same kind of flowers this past week. Without her knowledge House followed her car home in a yellow cab. He watched her take the flowers, smell it as she search the parameters for the delivery guy. Definitely, she's clueless on who sent it and why.

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THREE KNOCKS.

Three knocks on her door brought her back to Earth from Fantasy Land. She realized that it has been for minutes now that she has been staring at the fresh-scented flowers she just transferred to a crystal vase.

Tulips and carnation. Why tulips and carnation?

She literally jumped off her feet when she heard another knock. She steadied herself and approached the door. She let out an exasperated "no" when she saw who it was.

"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR, I'M FREEZING." House snapped at her.

"Good manners…" Cuddy said as she unlocks her door.

He brushed his body past her and said: "Get me some hot chocolate."

"…and right conduct," Cuddy said while making her way to the kitchen when the phone rang.

"I'm on it." House said, quickly reaching for the phone.

Cuddy heard him pick up the phone and say "hello". She shook her head and set up a kettle for boiling water. "Feeling at home?" she said, sarcastic.

House smiled at her direction, held his one hand to the speaker part of the phone and rocked his eyebrows twice. He then, went to her door and whispered a sentence or two to the one he's talking to.

She have not heard it and declared: "No phone sex using my line, House" as she becomes suspicious.

House did not bother to glimpse back at her but based on the way his intonation is changing, he's starting to sound really pissed. By the time Cuddy finished making him a cup of hot chocolate, he hung the phone up as if he wanted to break it.

"Easy… It's not like it'll fight back at you…"

Cuddy looked around her own living room. The flowers are all around and its scent seems to be bordering her. She can't go anywhere without feeling a presence watching her. She watched House turn off her porch light and turn on all of her living room light.

"Is there anything you want to prove?"

House sipped some hot chocolate, picked up the crystal vase and threw it at her window. Her jaw dropped when she heard the sound of glass breaking. He, afterwards, closed the curtain---as in, all of her living room curtains.

"Now, you're freaking me out." Cuddy said and was shut up by House's hand grasping her at the waist, pulling her slender body close to his.

"O---kay…" She said nervously while she's feeling his body crushing hers with his strong arms, but again he shut her up by forcing his lips to hers. It was supposed to be brief… but it did not turned out to be that…

Her lips are soft and sweet. His are rough and angry. Her eyes widen as she try to look into his eyes and read what he's thinking. She tried to pull away. This man… this man is making fun of her, that's what she was thinking the whole time his lips are hungrily sucking her lower lip.

She fought. He wouldn't let her pull away. She tried to embed her elbows to his chest while his arm crawls its way to her back, to her nape, to her hair. She grasped for air, she can't breathe. He breathed for her.

Her barriers are falling down, his are going up. He pulled away. She looked at him, hurt and hostile. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Don't ask questions, just do what I do."

"And what exactly is this you're doing?"

"Kissing you."

"And you are suggesting I do the same?"

"Yes. Kiss me back, damn it."

Cuddy pulled away, feeling harassed more than ever: "What are you trying to accomplish here?"

For the second time, he shut her up with a kiss---much more forceful than the first one. For a second there, he thought she's going to bleed. He's hurting her, he knows that. But he's the good guy here; he's doing this to save her.

I'm doing this for you.

With that, he let his cane fall down to the floor as he cling to her for support. He lay her down to her carpeted floor, regardless of how hard she fought back to stop him. He undressed her, he pinned her to the floor.

I'm saving you from him tonight.

angcatalonan: The story, it basically wrote itself. So, disappointments? I hope there's none. Please review.