Sorry this chapter took longer than normal- I'm practicing for an audition… AHHHH SO NERVOUS!

Just to clarify: Eric, Cuddy's rapist, is NOT Foreman! They are two different people. Sorry for the confusion, I didn't realize that when I wrote the first chapter.

Normalscaresme: IT IS NOT FUNNY! HE IS CREEPY! One day, he was waiting for me at the door when I got to school- but I got there half an hour early, and I don't go in through the front door, where everybody else does, I go through the back. Somehow, he knew this and was there. 0.0

Sean: Okay, I'm going to enjoy this: FOUR unintentional typos in your reviews, FOUR! WUHA! AND ELLIOT! ... GOT THROWN INTO A WINDOW!

Chapter 7

House and Wilson made it back to the ER to find an entirely different scene from one they had left behind- instead of pacing frantically around the ER, they were all relaxed. Thirteen and Foreman were both leaning back against the wall, discussing something in low voices, Cameron was curled up in a chair, fast asleep, and Cuddy was standing by a phone, about to dial a number. "Um, what happened?" Wilson asked hesitantly.

Cuddy blinked and looked over at them, then set the phone down and headed straight over to House, almost like it was a reflex. "The doctor came out with news on Chase. He's still in recovery, but I'm pulling a few strings so Cameron can see him- he's going to be fine, House."

He sighed in relief, smiling slightly, then called, "Cameron! Wake up."

The younger doctor blinked out of her light sleep, looking around in confusion. "Wha... what's going on? What'd I miss?"

House tossed the letter at her, then said, "You've got mail. Actually, Chase does, but since he's not here, I'm giving it to you." Cameron frowned, staring at him, puzzled, before sticking the letter in her pocket as she started to get to her feet.

Wilson shared a glance with House before he said, "Um, Cameron, I think you might want to take a look at that letter."

Cameron, still exhausted from the days events and with only one thing on her mind, just shook her head blearily and said, still in a daze, "It can wait. I'm going to see Chase. Cuddy, thanks for letting me do this."

Foreman started to follow after her, but Thirteen grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. "Hey, leave her alone right now!" she hissed at him. "Can't you see she wants to be alone with Chase? We can come by tomorrow!" Foreman just sighed as Thirteen practically dragged him away from the ER, leaving Cuddy, House, and Wilson behind.

There was an awkward silence, then Wilson said quietly, "Well, I think I'm going to head home. Bye House, Cuddy." They both nodded in response and waited for him to walk out, which left the couple alone for the first time this entire horrible night. Well, more properly speaking, two days- Cuddy had been raped shortly before midnight on Thursday, but the hostage situation and Chase's surgery had taken so long, it was now Saturday night.

They both looked at each other for a second, then House took her hand and said softly, "Come on. There's nothing more we can do here tonight. Let me drive you home."

Cuddy hesitated, then nodded, relieved, and let House lead her outside.

The ride to Cuddy's house was deathly quiet, with Cuddy staring blankly out the window and House not wanting to say anything, since he really had no idea what to say and didn't want to break the silence. When they pulled up in front of her house, Cuddy undid her seatbelt but made no move to get out of the car. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, then stopped and looked away.

House hesitated, uncertain, then leaned closer to her and said gently, "I can stay with you tonight, if you want..."

Cuddy looked up at him and nodded eagerly, then stopped, uncertain, and asked, "Are you sure? I mean, you don't have to... if you have somewhere else to be that's totally fine, I really don't need a babysitter, I'll be okay-"

House stopped her with a finger on her lips and said softly, "Cuddy, how long have you known me? I don't exactly plan long, wild nights at clubs. My social life usually consists of going home to my apartment, my piano, and a bottle of vodka. Trust me, its not a problem."

Cuddy gave him a small, grateful smile, then got out of his car and headed inside, House trailing behind, far enough back to give her her space yet close enough to help her, should she need it. For a while, she truly was fine. Even though her hands were shaking and it took her almost a minute to unlock her door, Cuddy was honestly all right. After she stepped inside, though, and actually looked back at the scene of the crime- the blood on the floor, the smashed furniture, the clothes splayed out across the room... and suddenly, Cuddy was finding it impossible to take another step forward. Impossible to breathe, for that matter. Impossible to look anywhere but the spot on the floor where Eric had raped her.

House watched Cuddy uncertainly as she stood in her doorway, frozen. "Cuddy," he prompted gently after a moment, but it looked like she didn't even hear him. "Cuddy." Still, nothing. Finally, he put a hand on her shoulder and said softly, "Come on. You can spend the night at my place." When Cuddy still didn't react, he took her hand and pulled her gently away from the door.

Once outside, Cuddy swallowed and looked back up at him worriedly. "I, uh... thanks. For, um-"

"It's okay," he interrupted as he led her back to the car. "You can't always be Superman. Sometimes you have to be Lois Lane."

Cuddy stared at him for a second before a tiny smile pulled at her lips. "That was bad, House. Really bad."

He shrugged and smiled back. "Well, you want something bad, you know who to come to." Cuddy just shook her head and got into his car- but she was smiling. A small smile, but a smile nonetheless.

HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE

As Cameron was waiting for the nurses to get Chase moved from recovery to a regular room, she decided to take a look at the letter House had given her. Now was as good a time as any, and she doubted that she would remember about it later.

All it took was a cursory glance for Cameron to be convinced that the letter was from the same person who had sent the email and the original letter- and that Chase was wrong about it being spam or a prank. She read it carefully, growing more and more concerned by the second. The first letters had only come 24 hours previously, and there was already another one here?

Having already slept off the wooziness caused by the blood loss earlier, Cameron was certain she was not making a 'big deal' out of this, as Chase had insisted before. And while she wouldn't leave his side now... that didn't say anything for somebody else checking it out.

She glanced around suspiciously, then pulled out her cell phone and started to dial a familiar number before she stopped, uncertain. House should be with Cuddy right now, though he'd be looking for any excuse to escape and hide at work, so he didn't have to attempt at the hard and painful task of being with Cuddy tonight... and she'd be dammed if she gave him a reason to leave her alone right now. So instead she called Foreman.

It had gone to voicemail before a very unhappy and tired voice grunted, "What?" at her through the phone, and she smiled reflexively, almost checking the caller ID to make sure she hadn't called House after all.

"Foreman, it's Cameron. I need you to get back down to the hospital..."

He groaned heavily, static rushing through the phone. "Cameron, no. Call someone else. I have been awake for forty eight hours straight and was getting some very-much-needed sleep when you called. I am going to hang up now."

"Wait!" Cameron interrupted quickly, trying not to get too ignored at Foreman- he was right, they had all been up for two days. In fact, since she had spent some of that time unconscious, she was the most well-rested of all the team. "Look, Foreman, it's about Chase."

Instantly, the irritation disappeared from Foreman's voice as he asked worriedly, "What happened? Is he okay? I thought the doctors said-"

"No, no, nothing like that!" Cameron exclaimed, trying to assuage his fears. "That's not what... look, you know that letter House gave to me in the ER yesterday?"

There was a pause, then Foreman answered slowly, clearly confused, "Yeah... what about it?"

"Well, it was, um... it was... I think Chase has a stalker. The letter, that's what it was. It was a weird poem all about Chase and how much someone loved him- and no, I did not write it!"

Foreman hesitated, then said quickly, "Cameron, Chase got two of those yesterday, before that whole mess with Jason, he showed them to me! ... I'm on my way."

"Okay, I'll see you soon." Cameron hung up with a long sigh, putting her cell away, and a nurse- who had apparently been waiting for her to get off the phone- approached her. "You can see him now," she said with a small smile. Room 203. Just follow me and-"

"I know where it is, I work here!" she snapped angrily, momentarily frightening the young nurse- come to think of it, she was so young and Cameron didn't recognize her... it must have been her first day as a nurse. "I'm sorry," she apologized, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Its been... well, its been a long day," she offered as a lame excuse, then headed off to see Chase.

HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE

Cuddy didn't know why she was so afraid tonight. She didn't know why she had asked House to leave the light on when he had gotten into bed next to her. For god's sakes, she was a grown woman, she wasn't scared of the dark! And yet she couldn't stand the idea of the lights being off, because then she wouldn't be able to see. Then she wouldn't be able to know if Eric was there or not.

She also didn't know why she had to keep turning over to make sure it was House in bed next to her, not Eric. She and House had slept in the same bed together for months. But tonight...

Cuddy knew that, if she wanted to get any sleep tonight, then House would have to be on the couch. But she couldn't ask him of that- the fact that he was even here was a surprise, she couldn't ask him even more, because then he would leave... besides, it was his place, she couldn't kick him out of his own bed.

More then that, though, were the reasons that Cuddy didn't even want to admit to herself- that asking for his help tonight would be a sign of weakness... that it would mean she was pathetic, a worthless nothing... and she couldn't bear for House- hell, anyone- to know the truth.

House, though, perceptive as ever, knew something was wrong. She was shocked to feel him get off the bed, and when she rolled over in confusion and looked up at him, he said, "I think I'm going to sleep out on the couch tonight. That all right with you?"

She blinked, trying to hide her relief, then nodded. "I, uh... yeah, its fine."

House nodded and headed towards the door. "Call me if you need ANYTHING, Cuddy... anything at all. All right?"

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