Tomorrows

"Happy Valentine's day," Nyx said as she sat down on the bed at House's feet – away from Cuddy.

"I'm not asleep!" House exclaimed.

"Then either you're hallucinating," Nyx pondered. "Or then you're having a supernatural visitation. Take your pick."

"Fine, so I dozed off," House sighed.

"Figured you'd pick that one," Nyx smiled smugly.

"Figured you'd be as annoying as ever before," House snorted.

"You can hardly be surprised if I choose to annoy you," Nyx stated. "I like cats."

"I've got nothing against cats," House insisted. "I even got a mouse for Sarah."

"Only after you had suggested to Wilson you'd go out together and drown her!" Nyx snapped at him. "And after you tried to make her leave through the window."

"Only for the good of Wilson!" House explained. "It's never a good thing when he takes a cat. At this point he ought to be looking for new love, not rushing to his flat twice a day to inject insulin into a cat."

"So you gave him a ten days to comply with your ideas," Nyx mused. "And if he hasn't, then what? You're going to smuggle a hooker into his bedroom to wait for him when he comes home?"

"Not a bad idea," House accepted. "Though I think he'd prefer his coffee-girl."

"Cuddy won't like you doing that," Nyx foretold. "And it could go horribly wrong."

"For me or Wilson?" House asked.

"Now that you ask, more likely for you than for him," Nyx decided. "Because Wilson may be ok, but when Cuddy finds out, she will not be happy no matter what the outcome was."

"Well, it is quite possible that Wilson will get his groove back before the deadline," House considered. "He knows me, so the threat that I'll take matters into my hands ought to be enough."

"Why do you want him to date?" Nyx asked. "You never approve of his marriages."

"He needs a social life," House said. "When he is alone he sinks into depression faster than even I could. I need human contact more than I assumed, but I'm fine alone as well, as long as I spend some time with real people. In fact, there are times when I need solitude. Wilson is not like that. He … I don't know what his darkest thoughts are, but when he is alone they crowd on him. A cat can be a temporary help, but the longer he concentrates on the cat the harder it is for him to seek human contact again. The last time was bad enough; I'm not waiting that long this time."

"Is Cuddy right?" Nyx asked. "Do you feel guilty because you're the one who is in a relationship and Wilson isn't?"

"What's there to feel guilty about?" House shrugged. "But when I screw things up with Cuddy, I'm going to need my friend, so I better look after him, too."

"Are you sure you will screw things up?" Nyx frowned.

"Yes," House stated clearly. "However, I'm not totally sure that that will make Cuddy leave me. She seems to be surprisingly forgiving."

"Well you forgave her for the debacle with her Mother," Nyx pointed out.

"What was there to forgive?" House was puzzled.

"She landed her mother on you, then tied your hands and it wasn't till you told her to get her act together that she finally stood up to her mother and told her how things were going to be," Nyx reiterated. "She put you in an impossible situation where you could have ended up being blamed for the death of her mother and the ruination of both your careers. Yes, she made it ok in the end, but she really had no right to ask you to be her mother's doctor under those terms. But you still forgave her."

"There was nothing to forgive," House insisted. "It was about her mother! How could anyone expect her to be clearheaded. It turned out ok in the end."

"Only because you really are a brilliant doctor," Nyx said.

"Not that Arlene agrees," House smiled.

"Even after you saved her life?" Nyx was surprised.

"She was grateful for about two weeks," House shrugged. "Then she convinced herself that her symptoms were so clear that anyone could have saved her and even I would have done it sooner had I not labelled her as a hypochondriac."

"There's gratitude for you!" Nyx sounded indignant.

"Nah, just people," House stated. "You know how they are."

"Yeah, I do," Nyx nodded. She was quiet for a moment. "I heard, though, that your patient decided to take the pills and be grateful to her sister."

"Quid pro quo," House explained. "One sacrifice deserves another. When she wasn't with her sister, the bad memories weren't crowding her and she was able to make a decision based on her wishes not her emotions."

"Is that what you are doing too?" Nyx asked.

"What do you mean?" House questioned.

"Now that Vicodin isn't numbing you, are you able to make decisions based on your wishes," Nyx clarified. "Are you better able to put aside old memories that make you feel unworthy of happiness and just reach for what you want? Accept what Lisa is offering you?"

"I'm still in pain," House reminded her.

"But it is better," Nyx responded. "With Lisa, even the pain is more manageable."

"Well, regular sex does produce quite a lot of endorphins," House tried to evade.

"And yet you feel the pain the least when she is just there," Nyx retorted. "Like now. She is just there, sleeping next to you, and you are at ease. This is new for you."

"And somewhat strange," House agreed. "But yeah, I suppose I am more accepting of happiness now. Not just because Vicodin isn't clouding my judgment, no. Mayfield did a lot of things to me. I got over my addiction – or as over as one does get – but I also learned things about myself, and ways to go on dealing and accepting new things and situations."

"Like happiness?" Nyx smiled.

"Yeah," House nodded. "I'm not totally convinced I deserve to be happy, but then who really does? Also Cuddy seems to find happiness with me, so as long as that is still the case, I can't really push her away. I may not deserve to be happy, but I don't have the right to make her unhappy. Not after all the chances she has given me. I owe it to her to stay the course. Of course, she may well come to her senses tomorrow, and then I'm out on my butt, but until then, I'm here."

"One day at a time," Nyx agreed.

"You make is sound like an addiction," House retorted.

"As long as you're both addicts, it's ok," Nyx stated. "You've decided to stay for as long as she wants you. That is good. Sure, you will probably make her angry many times, even hurt her occasionally, but as long as you choose to stay, and are willing to work things out with her when you do make her angry or hurt, you ought to be fine."

"And when she no longer wants me?" House asked.

"Who knows," Nyx shrugged. "Maybe that day will never come."

"That I doubt," House sighed. "But hopefully I will have tomorrow."

"And tomorrow and tomorrow…." Nyx repeated.

"Time will tell."