Another Chance

Hello :) I'm sorry I haven't been able to update in a while but real life was being a total bitch. Here's a new chapter though! Thanks for all the feedback and a thanks also to my beta partypantscuddy.

Chapter 5

Almost a week had gone by and Rachel was having the time of her life while living under House's roof. He had made sure to entertain her in every possible way from monster trucks to wrestling, from sappy tv-shows to an L world marathon and small piano concertos. Rachel was a very intelligent young woman, he had to admit. She had proven to be an extremely talented pianist even though she hated to admit her extraordinary ability. She had followed him to work almost every day or simply met him for lunch either in the cafeteria or in the park near the hospital. Wilson was almost with them every day; if it wasn't for lunch, he would bring the dinner or a movie.

They both hadn't received a call nor seen Cuddy. She seemed to have gone back to Columbus for the time being, though House was almost sure she was hiding somewhere, away from Arlene and them, waiting for the right moment to break over the "silent treatment" she was giving them. He was sure Wilson had heard from her. The look of guilt on the Oncologist's face every time the conversation moved to Cuddy was a dead give-away.

That night House and Wilson were playing poker at the table, sipping bear and talking about the newest nurse, who seemed to have laid eyes and hands on the Oncologist. Rachel was at the computer doing whatever a teenager does, while humming softly to a song she had on shuffle.

"Hey Wilson!" she called for the man.

"What happened to Uncle James?" he asked, closing his hands around the cards and turning to face her.

"He has lost his balls." remarked House, causing both his guests to roll their eyes at him.

"I guess we're both too old to call someone or be called like that." She said with a chuckle.
"Anyway, what's up?" he asked, focusing on the cards in his hands.
"I was wondering. Have you heard from my mother?" she asked, looking at him. Wilson became suddenly paled.
"I know you have, but I just want to know if she's okay or what." She continued, now typing something nonchalantly.
"I have heard from your mother, though she tells me she's okay, I know for sure she isn't." he stopped. "She misses you."
"I doubt that." She scoffed, almost snarling, closing the laptop ungracefully.
"She does."
"You weren't there the last time I met her. You weren't there when she told me not to go back to my grandmother's place. She was beyond furious." She said. "She'll never forgive me."
House's phone and Wilson's pager went off at the same moment.
"I have to go to the hospital. There's an emergency." Wilson said reaching for his coat.
"House? What's wrong?" Rachel asked.
"We need to get there as soon as possible. Rachel, you too." He said moving towards his abandoned shoes next to the door.

"What's happened?" the girl asked worried.

"Your mom has just brought in Arlene. She had a stroke." He said in a whisper, looking up at Rachel.
"Come on, Rach. Put your shoes on, I'll grab your jacket." said Wilson. She nodded but didn't move.
"Come on, move!" House hissed while reaching for his cane.

"I…" she mumbled.

"Rachel…" he said, walking close to her and shaking her in the most gentle way he could muster. "Shake that catatonic state off of you. Get your shoes and let's go!" Rachel nodded, looking into his eyes. She took the jacket Wilson was handing her and grabbed the first pair of shoes she came across. House and Wison were already waiting for her in the car.

Come on, gram. You're too bad ass to let a stroke get you down, she thought tying her shoes.

Cuddy was pacing outside her mother's room. She walked with her head down, trying to do her best not to acknowledge the surprised stares coming from the hospital staff. Chase was walking towards her followed by two female doctors.

"Dr Chase!" Cuddy greeted, offering Robert a hug.

"Dr Cuddy. This is Dr Adams and Park. We're not cardiologists but we can help."

"Thank you Robert." She said with a smile, while shaking hands with the two other doctors.
"So… what's happened?" Park asked.

"We were outside and she fell to the ground. Dr Rickman was here five minutes ago and confirmed she had a stroke." She said, looking into the room, to see a sleeping Arlene.

"Mom!" Rachel called as soon as the elevator's door opened as she run towards her mother.

"Rach!" she said enveloping her in a tight hug.

"How's grandma?" she asked peaking into the room.

"She's sedated now." Cuddy replied, hugging the girl once again and kissing her on the head.

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Yeah…" replied House. "Arlene would never let a stroke get the best of her."

Rachel, Wilson and Chase chuckled. Cuddy turned to look at him.

"Thank you House for taking Rachel here. You can go now." She replied harshly causing Rachel to take a step away from her.

"Mom, this is not the time nor the place to act like this."

"Rachel, I've already told you…" Cuddy started but was interrupted by House.

"Don't worry Rachel. I'm going now. You can find me in my office." He said taking one more glimpse of Arlene, before limping down the hallway.

"Lisa…"

"James, not now." She hissed under her breath. She looked at her daughter and walked inside the room. Rachel looked at Wilson and nodded towards the direction House took. The Oncologist nodded in acknowledge and followed his friend.

"She looks far less intimidating when she's asleep." Rachel commented as she walked closer to the bed.

Cuddy smiled and gently smothered the wrinkles on the sheets that covered Arlene's legs and chest.

"Are you okay, mom?" the girl asked looking up at her mother.
"I think I'm far from being fine. My mother has just scared me to death and my daughter lives with my ex-boyfriend. This does exactly make me feel like I'm on cloud nine." Cuddy said glaring at her Rachel.

"That's… good to know." She replied with sarcasm. "I'm sure you don't want to hear about this but yet you will. I like living with him… he's… fresh air! It has only been a week and he taught me so many things! Do you know that Inamrinone can cause arrhythmia and thrombocytopena?" Rachel asked smiling brightly.

Cuddy stared at her daughter for a good minute before replying. "Of course I know. I'm a doctor, you know?"

"You haven't been a real doctor for ages!" Rachel said sitting on the chair further away from her grandmother.

"I see he's been a bad influence on you." Cuddy mumbled.

"Would you stop with that?" said a third voice. Both mother and daughter looked at Arlene, whose eyes were now open and staring at the two of them. "I'm sick and tired of listening to you mumbling about how House ruined your life when all you want to do is jump his bones."

"Gram!" yelled Rachel while jumping on the bed next to the older woman and hugging her.

"Mom…" Cuddy said, checking her mother's stats. "How long have you been up?"

"Since I faked a heart-attack?" she said with a smirk.

Both Rachel and Cuddy looked at the woman in disbelief.

"Did you really…? How did… I can't believe this is happening for real!" Cuddy said as she let herself fall onto the chair she had previously been occupying.

"High five, grandma!" said Rachel in between laughs. "Oscar worthy!" she continued trying to avoid her mother's glares towards her.

"Thanks Rachel."

Rachel was still laughing when she informed them, she was going to inform House and Wilson about the news. Once she left the room, Arlene was left alone with a furious Cuddy.

"How could you do this? Are you going senile? You scared the crap out of me and Rachel!" she shouted, earning a long death-glare from her mother.

"And how could you keep up this stupid silence-treatment with your daughter for so long? And stop accusing House of whatever he has done to your life. He's good for Rachel as he was good for you when you two were together."

"Mom, would you please stop!"

"No, I won't. You're being ridiculous Lisa!" she yelled shutting her daughter up for good. "You based your 'new' life on the fact that House had ruined you for any other man. But House did not damage you for life! He ruined part of your life because you ruined part of his. His demonstration of his pain and delusion was exaggerated but that's who he is." Arlene said, sensing that her daughter was slowly coming to her senses. "You're not a damaged human being because of this experience. You're the same person you were years ago. You have worked hard at bringing yourself back to reality and you still have work to do. But you can do this."

"I wanted to protect myself and Rachel. I…"

"Of course you do. What you have to do now is protect yourself from yourself. You're a miserable person because that's what you're doing to yourself." Arlene concluded, her eyes filled with concern for her younger daughter. Lisa looked at her through tears and finally saw that her mother was still human and cared for her, under that thick layer of sarcasm and harsh comments.

"I still love him so much, mom." Cuddy whispered, shaking her head.

Rachel stood at the door, a sad smile graced her lips.

"Then tell him." She said, walking closed to her mother.

"It's not that easy…"

"But it is." Rachel said, wrapping her arms around her mother's thin frame. "He still loves you. And I think… he wants you back in his life."

"The question is, what do you want, Lisa?" said Arlene, looking at her daughter, who looked up at her and met her now warm blue eyes.

Cuddy nodded and placed a kiss on her daughter's hair as Rachel sat in her lap like she used to do as a kid. She gave her one more kiss and stared off in the distance.