Chapter 46

This night, they made love as if it was their last time. They were passionate, tender, eager and desperate. Exhausted, Cuddy ended up falling asleep. House looked at her. She was beautiful but her face showed fear. He couldn't sleep. This woman was all his life. He had to find something to rescue her from Jay. House finally got up. He didn't want to wake Cuddy up, she was worn out and needed to sleep. He went to the living-room and sat on the couch. He didn't turn on the lights. The moon lighted his face. He stared into space, he was far away from here, his head was running at full speed. Mechanically he was rubbing his leg. That's how Cuddy found him. A few minutes ago, she woke up with a start, nightmarish pictures were dancing before her eyes and she couldn't stand it anymore. She looked for House but he wasn't there. Worried, she got out of the bed, wondering where he was. She needed him by her sides. And she feared he could do something stupid.

"Does your leg hurt?" she asked softly.

House started. "Oh, you're awake."

"Yes, nightmare. What about you?"

House stared at her. "I… I couldn't sleep."

Cuddy nodded and nibbled her lower lip. She was worried but House found her very sexy and attractive. Especially in the moonlight. "You're beautiful"

She looked at him surprised. "Thank you." And she sat down on the couch next to him. "Can I try something?" House looked at her intrigued. "To ease your pain." She added. House still stared at her. Then he nodded wondering what she wanted to do. Love again? He wouldn't have nothing making love once again. But that wasn't what she meant. She kneeled in front of him and began to massage his leg. Her gestures were precise and soft. After a while, the pain decreased. House was blown away. After a while he said:

"I didn't know that you were expert at massaging. Why didn't you tell me?!"

She looked at him and smiled. "There are still lots of things you don't know about me."

"Apparently… Thank you, Cuddy. I feel better."

"You're welcome" she replied and cuddled up next to him.

They remained so a long time, none of them speaking or moving. Finally, House said: "I have a plan."

Cuddy looked at him full of hope. "What? Tell me"

"We have four solutions that we can combine. Listen:

First one: we have to find something about Jay. This guy didn't come to the position he has today without hurting some people or being involved in a shady bit of business. He has certainly skeletons in the closet and we have to find them."

"But how?"

"I know one or two people who can help us."

Cuddy looked at him. "You'll never stop surprising me."

"I hope so." He replied with a wink. Then he went on.

"Second one: we do nothing and we wait for Jay's reaction."

"But no! It's too dangerous! We don't know what he could do. Just imagine he kidnap the children!" Cuddy exclaimed.

"Third one: we tell Tritter"

Cuddy looked at House wondering if he was slightly becoming insane or if it was another one of his crazy tricks. "But he hates us! Don't you remember how you humiliated him?!"

"If I remember well you dealt a fatal blow to him during the lawsuit." House replied staring at her intensely. Cuddy was like hypnotized, it was as if an invisible power attracted her to House, she was fascinated and at the same time a little upset because House always knew to press right where it hurts.

"Why would he help us?"

"Because he's no one here in Chicago, he's just a Detective among others and his chief doesn't like him. If we convince him that catching Jay could give him a promotion, an opportunity to move away from here, I'm sure he'll accept to help us. Without saying that if Jay ever does something, we'll have the right to involve the police."

"Maybe…"

"And he will help us to find a skeleton in Jay's closet."

"And what's your fourth solution?"

"It's not the best one, but if we combine it with the three other solutions, it becomes acceptable."

"So… what is it?"

"Fourth one: we pretend to break-up and this publicly and quite violently."

Cuddy looked at House. She wasn't convinced. "Are you kidding?"

"Of course not physically… just a violent scene in the hall of the hospital…so Jay hears about it and lowers his guard"

"What? Are you insane? Have you already forgotten what the board management told us?"

"No, but they will understand."

"Oh really? And how? Do you intend to tell them that one of the sponsors of the hospital is a crazy psychopath? And you think that they will believe you!"

"You're right. They'll believe me because I'm a brilliant Doctor and because Barrow will confirm it."

"Barrow?! And why would he do that?"

"Hum, let's say that he doesn't hold Jay dear to his heart. And that… there are some things that he'd like his wife doesn't hear of"

Cuddy stared at House. She had mitigated feelings. She admired his plan and at the same time she found it completely mad. But they didn't really have another choice, did they?

"Any other idea?" she said.

"Well, there is another plan but…"

"What?"

"We could run away and move to San Francisco this weekend. But it means to quit our job, your family…"

"And may I know why San Francisco?"

House spread his hands and turned them upward. "Seriously?! I suggest that we run away like two gangsters at large and all you say is why San Francisco?" He stared at Cuddy. "I don't know, it's the first town I think of and I always wanted to live there."

"Would you be ready to do it?"

"Cuddy! Are you kidding?! You have a good job here, and I've just been hired! How could you think of running away?"

"House, I… I just want to escape from Jay, I just want to forget all this." She whispered.

House looked at her. She was pale and she had drawn features. Fear shined in her eyes. "Do you really think Jay will give up on you just because you'll leave the town?"

"I… I don't know."

"Cuddy, this guy is used to getting what he wants. He won't give up on you, he's obsessed by you. The only way to get rid of him is to send him into jail or… to kill him."

She looked at him horrified. She knew he was capable of it. To protect her, to save her. "No, House, no"

"Cuddy, I never saw you like this. That's not the Cuddy I used to know, the Cuddy ready to face anybody, ready to fight."

She looked down, ashamed. "You're right, I have to show him that he won't win so easily."

"WE're gonna show him that this time he has a worthy opponent. Cuddy, I'm here with you, I am and will always be by your side, you're not alone."

Tears came in her eyes. "Thank you, House"

"Cuddy…" he took her in his arms and held her tight. "Let's go sleeping."

ooooo

Saturday. After a short night, House and Cuddy decided to let the children by Julia. They explained her shortly the situation and only mentioned what needed to be and she agreed to take care of Rachel and Ethan for a few days. She had some days off and had planned to go to the parents of her husband in New Orleans.

"Julia, are you sure it doesn't annoy you to take Rachel and Ethan with you? It will give you lots of work and I would understand if you refuse to" Cuddy asked her sister. They were sitting in the living-room.

"No, Lisa, the children get on well with them, they love their cousins and like playing with them. Just look at them! Don't worry, they will help me and Rachel and Ethan are not small babies. They can do lots of things" she replied and showed the children running through the house.

"It's really nice of you, Julia. Thank you"

"You're welcome. It's normal that I take care of my sister and her kids." She smiled at Cuddy and gave a look at House. He was sitting next to Cuddy and seemed to be worried about her. "But…"

"But what? Tell me"

"Lisa, if I understood what you told me, none of this would have happened if …" she stared at House, "he wasn't back in your life. Am I wrong?"

Cuddy looked at her sister, she was disappointed and hurt, her own sister just stabbed her in the back. "Julia! How can you say that?! You're you're…"

"Lisa, I didn't mean to hurt you, I just make an observation. A few days ago you were dating Robert, a nice guy, and then House came back in your life, you dumped Robert without an explanation, slept with House and this guy, this Jay felt humiliated and intends to take revenge on you. Why? Why did you flirt with him at this Charity Gala? Did you let him hope something? Did he think that if you dumped Robert it was because of him?"

Cuddy looked horrified at her sister. She was angry at her but maybe was Julia right. If Cuddy hadn't accepted to dance with Jay and to sit at his table, nothing would have happened. But she couldn't refuse, she was the Dean and had to deal with potential sponsors.. "Julia, it's not true, it's not… how can you just think I can arouse this guy just for fun?!"

Julia sighed. "Lisa, that's not what I meant. But sometimes you… you behave … you're weird."

Cuddy didn't understand what her sister said. Julia went on with her explanation: "Your career is really important to you, you're a fighter, you know what you want and sometimes… you might use your sex appeal to get what you think good for the hospital… "

"How can you, how dare you saying that I"

"Lisa, you're a beautiful woman with a great job and guys like Jay appreciate that kind of girl. And everybody knows it. It's a good point to be sexy in the world of business."

"Julia, I don't understand what you mean and I think we should never have come here to ask you to take care of the children. Com' House, we'll find another solution." Cuddy replied angry and stood up, with tears in the eyes.

"No, Lisa, it's just that… I try to understand how you always get involved in such crazy situations. I'll take care of Rachel and Ethan, and I'd like you to accept my apologies. I'm sorry, Lisa, I shouldn't have said that." Julia held Cuddy's hands. "Please, accept my apologies." And she hugged Cuddy. "I'm worried about you, I don't want that something bad happens to you, I want you to be happy" she whispered still hugging Cuddy.

"I know you don't like me, Julia, and I know you'll never do, but Cuddy is smart and knows what she has to do. I… Even if I'm madly in love with her, if she wants me to go out of her life, I'll do it. As you say, she deserves to be happy."

"House…" Cuddy said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Julia, I don't care about what you think. House didn't come back in my life, I asked him to. When Wilson died, I knew he would be lost, and I promised Wilson to watch over him after his death. Even after all we went through, even after all the horrible things we did to each other, we still need each other and I can't imagine my life without him."

"But"

"No, listen to me, Julia. I know what you want to say. But it was just an illusion. I wasn't happy here without him. There was not a day went by when I didn't think about him, when I didn't hope to see him in the hall of the hospital or opening the door of my office to ask me something crazy. I missed him so much. So… when Wilson told me House was still alive and still in love with me, that House still needed me in his life, my heart jumped for joy and I found a new motivation to get up every morning. Of course, I was angry at him but also at me. I wasn't fair with him, I… I was afraid and I dumped him. But… just remember how I felt after that."

"Yes, I remember, Lisa."

"And House is here now, he's by my side and he's Ethan's father, he's the most incredible man I've ever known, I love him and nothing can ever change it."

"Cuddy, I… I love you and I swear I won't let you down, never." House hugged Cuddy. He was moved.

And for the first time, Julia found him … sweet. She had never been so aware of his love for her sister. This man – no matter what he did – truly loved her sister. This was a certainty. And her sister was madly in love with him. Of course, they had a weird way to show their love and to live it, but it was a true love. "Lisa, promise me to be very careful. This guy, Jay, seems to be very dangerous. You should tell the police."

"Don't worry, we intend to do it. And…" she looked at House, took his hand and turned to her sister. "And I'm not alone, House is with me. I know both of you don't get on well, but please, believe me, House is a nice guy, he will protect me and the children. You don't know him, he…"

"He loves you, I know. Love shines in his eyes each time he looks at you, he cares about you, I can see it in his eyes. I really hope you'll get soon out of this scary situation."

"Thank you" House replied. He was moved because for the first time since he knew Cuddy and her family, he felt accepted the way he was.

House and Cuddy said good bye to Rachel and Ethan, wished them to have fun with their cousins and left. They felt sad to leave the children but they also felt relieved to know them safe far away from Chicago. At least, Jay wouldn't be able to lash out at them.