Hi guys!

I am back with a new chapter! And - surprise surprise - it is a longer one :-)

A big thank you and a even bigger hug goes to Jane who proof read this chapter as well as all the others.

And to everyone who has reviewed: Thanks so much! I am so happy about each review! Kepp them comming! *hands you imaginary cookies* :-)

6. Chapter

They were sitting on the couch silently eating pizza. She had brought one with lots of ham for House and one with just cheese and veggies for herself.

The TV was on. A repeat of the X-files was running.

Cuddy sat on the right of the couch and House on the left.

Once again they found themselves in the situation in which they were scared shitless to touch each other. Both of them knew how dangerous a simple touch could be.

One touch would eventually lead to another and in the end they would probably end up in bed together. Whereby the sex itself wasn't the problem.

The problem was this little thing that was nestled in between their chests. Their hearts. Their feelings.

Usually when they sleep with each other they were prepared. It didn't just happen.

When Cuddy was standing in front of his door they both knew that they would have sex. They both had a few minutes to prepare. They had time to calm down and to bury their feelings as deep as possible.

But in moments like this one they weren't prepared. If they were to touch now, there would be no time to block out their feelings, there would be no time to prepare for what was coming. They wouldn't be able to do anything else but abandon themselves. Physically as well as mentally.

Exactly this had happened yesterday. And this couldn't happen again because if it did, Cuddy was sure that she wouldn't be able to sneak out of the bedroom again. She wouldn't be able to get away from his strong, warm arms. She would want to stay, she would want more than sex. A lot more.

House had finished his pizza a long time since when Cuddy swallowed her last bite.

She put the pizza box on the table. "I guess I should go now."

They would just talk another time about "them" and their "relationship". It wasn't the right time to do it. House had to deal with other things right now.

"Ok…" Cuddy wasn't sure but she was under the impression that there was a tiny amount of disappointment in his voice.

"But if you want me to I could also stay here tonight." She proposed.

He started to grin mischievously.

"Not for sex… Just for company." She clarified.

He would like that. Of course he would like that… But he wasn't going to admit it.

"Then what's the point in staying?"

"I just want to make sure that you are okay and that you don't do anything without consideration."

"I am okay…"

"Your father died. You can't be okay."

"For me he is a stranger… A stranger who has coincidently the same genes as me. It's no big deal."

"Of course it is a big deal! I know you House. You want answers. You are dying to know if he is the one you got your intelligence from. And it's bugging you like hell that you won't be able to find it out anymore."

"I read his book. He definitely is not the reason why my IQ is four-digit."

"Don't exaggerate, House."

"His book is full of useless sermons. He hadn't had a clue about life. He had believed that God is going to save everyone. This is just stupid!"

"It's okay to believe in something."

"It is stupid to believe in something that isn't real!"

"You don't know if it's real or not."

"Oh come on, Cuddy, you don't believe in this religious shit either."

"Yeah, but I don't condemn people that do."

"Can we please just stop talking and pay attention to Mulder and Scully saving the world?"

"First promise me that you will go to the funeral."

"Forget it!"

"Do I really have to sedate you again?"

"I'll be the one who is going to sedate you if you don't shut up now."

"Promise me, House!"

"Nope."

"You really wanna risk getting extra clinic hours?"

"Wasn't it you who insisted that we keep our private life separate from our professional life?"

"Promise me!"

"You'll be coming too?" He didn't dare to look at her. It wasn't usual for him to ask her for a

favor. Even though it was just indirectly.

She nodded. "If you want me to."

"I always want to spend a few days in the company of hot women… Bring lots of low cut tops with you!" He wriggled with his eyebrows.

"Can't you stop kidding for once? This is a serious matter!"

"I'm not kidding! I really want you to bring low cut tops."

"Just shut up and watch TV!"

"That's what I wanted from the start".

Cuddy took the paper towel roll that was standing on the couch table and threw it at him.

He was an ass! A loveable ass, but still an ass.

"I'll sleep on the couch." Cuddy said when she exited the bathroom.

"Seriously? We've been screwing around like two horny teenagers for months and now you wanna sleep on the couch?"

"It's safer. For both of us."

"Oh… come on, Cuddy. I am not a sex addict. I am capable of sleeping in the same bed as a women without groping her." He really was able to do that… But he wasn't so sure if he would be able to not touch her if Cuddy was the one lying next to him.

"I am still sleeping on the couch."

"I'm not going to prevent you from sleeping here. If you like lumbagos this couch is definitely a good place to stay the night on."

"I'm sure I'll survive it." She said and dropped down next to him on said couch.

He was thankful that she had stayed. Of course he would never tell her that, but he guessed that she knew it anyway.

It was good to be in her company. She distracted him from thinking about his biological father

He wasn't sad that he died… At least not more than he would be for any other person he hardly knew.

He had just one question. A question that probably never will be answered:Would he be another person if his biological father had raised him? Would he be a better person? A less miserable person? A person who was able to show his feelings? A person who Cuddy deserved to be with?

With all this questions running around in his head he fell into a dreamless sleep.

He hadn't expected that she would still be here when he woke up. But she was.

When he entered the living room he could see that she was in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

"Hi." She said when she caught sight of him.

"Hi." His voice was still a bit sleepy which she found kind of cute.

"I've made us toast."

"I hope it's not a veggie toast. A man can't live by just eating carrots and tomatoes."

Cuddy smiled and put two mugs of coffee on the table. "Don't worry House… You've got lots of ham in your toast."

House sat down and took a big sip of his coffee.

Weird. With her here everything seemed easier and brighter. Even the coffee tasted better.

Cuddy put the two plates with the toast on the table and sat down vis-à-vis from House.

"You wanna take today off?" She then asked.

He shook his head. "My boss wouldn't approve if I stayed at home instead of doing my clinic hours."

"I'm sure she'll understand."

"I don't need a few days off to cope with his death… I have already coped with it. I haven't seen this guy for over 30 years. It makes no difference for me if he is dead or alive!"

"I just thought that you might want to drive to your mum… She probably has some answers to your questions."

"I'll see her at the funeral… That's soon enough for me." House said and took a bite of his toast.

"Okay… then I at least want you to come in on time."

"I can't promise you that."

"I've made you breakfast. You owe me."

"We can go to my bedroom right now and I promise you, When we leave it again you'll be the one who owes me." There was again this teasing grin on his face.

"Oh shut up, House!" Cuddy said and at the same time tried to force back a smile.

House wasn't on time. Of course not.

But Cuddy didn't care… She was just relieved that he was dealing quite well with the situation he was confronted with.

She knew that he cared… She knew that he actually had wanted to get to know his biological father to find out if he was like him. If he was the one who is responsible for his intelligence and his gut feeling.

That's why he had read his book. To get to know more about him and therefore to get to know more about himself.

But the book obviously proved that his father was just a random guy who was crazy about God. It proved that the only thing House and his biological father had in common was the birthmark.

Cuddy sighed. She was sad. House had two fathers and neither of them was able to give him the love he had abused him and the other one had been too busy praying instead of caring for his son.

And this fact hurt her…

House was such a unique person. But none of his fathers had ever acknowledged that.

Neither one had been really interested in their son. And this is something Cuddy will never ever forgive them for. Never!

"Your father died." Wilson said when he entered coma guy's room and found House sitting in a chair eating french fries.

House sighed. Was it naïve that he had hoped Wilson wouldn't come and bug him? "Did you have your girlie talk with Cuddy again?"

"No. But I did have a talk with your Mum. She wants me to make sure that you'll be present at the funeral of your old family friend Pastor Kramer."

"I am sorry to disappoint you but you don't have to abduct me again. I am going voluntarily!"

Wilson was surprised. "You actually want to go?"

"Nope. But Cuddy wants me to and since she and her low cut tops are coming along I have no intentions of staying here."

"Cuddy is going to go with you?" Now Wilson was almost even more surprised.

"Don't be jealous, Wilson. Cuddy wouldn't do wimps like you anyway. She is more a fan of real men… She especially likes my cane."

Of course House had to deflect. Wilson actually came to talk with him about his dad. And since House was not – nor ever will be – in the mood to do that he decided that his "imaginary" affair (that wasn't as imaginary as Wilson thought) would be a good theme to distract him.

Wilson sighed. He had come to the conclusion that it was better not to respond to House's comment. Instead he asked: "Why is Cuddy going with you?"

"Because she has the hots for me."

"And that's why she is going to a funeral with you?"

"Don't you get it Jimmy-boy? She thinks that I'll be emotionally down and frustrated… And than she will try to make me feel better by giving me what I wanted for a long time."

"You are a pervert."

"You are the pervert here. I have never said that what I want is sex… It also could have been a year off clinic duty."

Wilson was annoyed. It was so damn exhausting to have a serious talk with House. Before House even opens up a tiny little bit to him, he has to make all kinds of inappropriate comments. And right now he was neither in the mood for that nor had he time for House's games. Upstairs were tons of patients who were waiting for him to come and tell them what is wrong with them. This time House had to wait.

"Do whatever you want… Just show up at the funeral." Wilson said, before he turned around and left the room.

House grinned contentedly. Usually it wasn't that easy to get rid of Wilson. Either his methods had gotten better or Wilson got annoyed a lot easier.

House doesn't care which one it was. He was just glad to have his peace again.

Cuddy sighed when her phone started ringing for the about 50th time today. Without looking on the display she picked it up. "Dr. Cuddy?"

"Hi Lisa. Are you busy?" It was Wilson.

"I have a few minutes… What can I do for you?"

"House told me that you are going to the funeral with him…"

"I will. I doubt that he will go if no one makes him, but I think it is important to say goodbye… Even though he hardly knew him."

Wilson nodded in agreement unaware of the fact that Cuddy couldn't see that. "So I don't have to blackmail him into going?"

"No… I'll make sure that he will be there."

"Good… his mom has called and asked me to persuade him to go... She'll be happy to see him there."

"Yeah… I just hope he'll behave… But I have this weird feeling that he will do something stupid."

"Just don't ever take your eyes off of him."

"I won't." Cuddy promised and smiled. Like she ever had been able to take her eyes off of him. xD

TBC...