Cuddy paid the cabby and hurried into her home. She was right, she had arrived home early as predicted. Within a few minutes her babysitter had updated her about Rachel and was out the door. Seven minutes later a motorcycle pulled up and three minutes later a BMW slammed it into park in Cuddy's driveway. Two men stood hollering at her door with no chance of getting in. Cuddy flashed her house lights twice and left the two in the dark.
House glared at Wilson. Wilson glared back.
"I should kick your ass!" House snapped.
"As if!" Wilson chuckled. Whap!
A cane made contact with Wilson's forehead. "Owwwwww! Youuuuuu fuck!" Wilson hissed grabbing his head. "Are you nuts?" Wilson shouted.
"Are you?" House shouted. "You kissed your boss! In Public!"
"Get used to it!" Wilson snapped. Blood was trickling down his face. "I'm going to need stitches you asshole!"
"Like I care," House mocked. "Get your faggoty ass out of here before I get serious and …"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up, right now! Both of you! Cuddy shouted from her front door. Lights blazed on. "Leave! Right now!
Two men stood there staring back at her dumbfounded blinded by the porch light. "Ssssh!" House urged, "Cuddy! You trying to wake the neighbors?"
"Like I care!" Cuddy mocked him. Wilson laughed. House smacked Wilson with his cane but Wilson caught it and yanked it free throwing it into the street.
"You prick!" House shouted!
"Fuck you!" Wilson shouted back.
"Shut up! God Dammit!" Cuddy yelled. "You'll wake Rachel!"
House immediately quieted down. Wilson shrugged apologetically. "You better let us in before your neighbors call the cops," House stated.
Cuddy's blazing eyes stared daggers at both of them. "NO!! You had better leave! Both of you before I call the cops!" Cuddy slammed the door and the sound of howling infant began nearly immediately. House smirked, Wilson laughed and the two mens' eyes met.
"We fucked up." Wilson said.
"Big time." House added. "But you're still a prick."
"Takes one to know one." Wilson countered. "She doesn't want you anymore."
"Go on deluding yourself. You're just jealous." House shot back before snapping his cell phone open and dialing Cuddy.
"She won't answer." Wilson chided.
"She will for me." House bragged. Wilson waited. House let it ring. Cuddy wouldn't pick up.
"You pissed her off!" House yelled snapping his cell phone shut. Cuddy watched from behind the sheers, peeking between the blinds and biting her bottom lip. The men were circling each other, each appeared ready to pummel the other. Wilson swung at House and House leaned back. Wilson cursed as he landed forward on his injured knee. House laughed nastily.
What did she do? How did this happen? They were all going to get fired and it was all her fault. Wait, no, it wasn't her fault. It was their fault! These two idiots messed everything up for all of them. This was beyond a lover's triangle. She wanted House. House wanted Cuddy. Wilson wanted Cuddy, Cuddy didn't know what to think about Wilson, Wilson hated House and House hated Wilson. This was seriously messed up.
Cuddy held Rachel closely to her and rocked the little girl back to sleep. Rachel drifted off and Cuddy waited breathlessly for the two men to back off and leave. She wanted to lay Rachel back in her crib but feared leaving the window in case one of the two men tried to kill the other.
Finally, Rachel's weight forced Cuddy to take the baby back to her nursery. She quickly settled the infant in her bed and placed her comforter around the sleeping child before racing back to the window. Nothing had changed. The two men were still circling each other, stomping through her front yard and yelling. House was limping – his cane, god knows where. Wilson holding his head and dripping blood down his shirt, limping faintly and swinging his left hand about erratically. Was he trying to punch House?
Cuddy stood at the window trying to figure out what to do. Suddenly House lunged forward and tackled Wilson! The two rolled around on the ground, fists flying, arms grappling, cursing, yelping.
Cuddy saw lights flicking on at more than a couple of houses across the street. She ran to the door, leaving the lights off outside and raced to the two men punching each other. "Stop it right now! Cuddy hissed at both of them. They ignored her. She raced to the house, turned on the hose and sprayed both of them until they stopped fighting.
"Jesus! Cuddy! That's fucking cold!" House shouted. Wilson was sputtering but at least he stopped hitting House. Cuddy pulled the hose back to the spigot and turned off the water. "Follow me and be QUIET!" She hissed.
The two men stared each other down and trudged after her. "Don't say a word! Just listen to me!" Cuddy hissed. "Rachel is asleep and I swear I'll kill the first one who wakes her!"
Both men stood there dripping wet, embarrassed and quiet. House pulled his coat off and handed it to Cuddy. She stared at him. He pulled it back before dropping it on the floor.
"Could you get me a towel?" Wilson whispered to Cuddy. "My head…."
"Oh God! Wilson!" Cuddy couldn't believe how much blood had dried down his face. "Go to the bathroom, wash your face and please don't wake the baby."
"Are you okay…you know…with him?" Wilson nodded to House as he asked Cuddy for affirmation.
"I'm fine. Just go." Cuddy responded. House smirked at Wilson before following Cuddy into the living room.
Wilson closed the hall bathroom door and began to assess the damage to his face. He wouldn't need stitches but he'd have a hell of a bruise. The dried blood down his cheek had seeped into his collar and stuck it to his neck. It looked worse than it was. No sense trying to play it up for sympathy points. Cuddy was a doctor, after all.
House waited for the perfect moment. Staring daggers at Cuddy, House situated himself on her clean neat sofa, ensuring a few grass stains would be left behind. "Why the hell did you kiss him?" House accused Cuddy.
"None of your damn business, House!" Cuddy snapped.
"Ssssh! You'll wake Rachel!" House taunted.
The pair stared at each other. "Look, you don't want me. You've made that clear more than once," Cuddy hissed. "I'm moving on. Apparently, there are other men who find me interesting."
"Interesting? IINNNNN-teresting?" House chuckled. "Wilson's interested in you alright only because I am, or I was!" House jeered. "Don't get to excited. Wilson's always liked needy women."
Cuddy fumed. House was goading her and she knew it.
"Yes, that's why the two of you are duking it out in an art gallery and in my front yard!"
Cuddy moved past House who grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Don't you touch me!" Cuddy snarled. Wilson had just entered into the room and took in the scene and before he could help himself, had thrown another punch at House's chin, landing it squarely and forcefully.
"Oh. My. God!" Cuddy shrieked.
"Touch her again and I'll break your goddamn face!" Wilson shouted. Cuddy leapt forward and pushed herself between the two men. House reared back and was about to slam Wilson in the face with his fist when Cuddy jumped in front of Wilson thereby receiving a solid punch to her chin.
"Ohhhhhh!" Cuddy whimpered.
"You hit Cuddy!" Wilson accused. House froze. He couldn't have. He struck Cuddy and hurt her.
"Oh God!" House reacted immediately lurching forward and grabbing Cuddy around her waist pulling her to him in a bear hug. "Are you hurt? I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry, Lisa. Lisa?" House whispered.
Cuddy's eyes rolled back into her skull and she passed out in his arms. The two men panicked. Rachel howled!
Wilson froze. "Lay her on the sofa! Elevate her feet, I'll get ice!"
House pulled Cuddy closer to him. "Lisa, lisa, lisa…." House whispered. "I'm so sorry I'm so sorry," House kissed her face over and over. Cuddy groaned. House held her to him on the sofa. He touched her forehead. She was cold and slightly clammy. Her head lolled to the side.
"Cuddy, wake up. Please, wake up." House pleaded. Cuddy didn't respond. House could have killed himself. He couldn't believe he had hurt her. Of all the people he wanted to protect, he ended up hurting her. She'd hate him. Wilson would win her over. House could never make this up to her."
Cuddy groaned and her eyelids fluttered. "uhhhh"
"Cuddy? Lisa? Can you hear me?" House pleaded. "Lisa?"
"Wow did you screw up bad!" Wilson mocked him. "You hit her! You couldn't have made things worse if you tried!"
House ignored Wilson and stared at Lisa's unconscious face. House leaned in and kissed her face softly over and over. "Lisa?" House whispered. "Wake up! I didn't mean to hurt you." Lisa began to struggle in his arms, pushing him away.
House scrutinized her face, she was beginning to revive. "Lisa? Can you hear me?"
Lisa's eyes opened and she found herself staring into the worried faces of House and Wilson. House was entirely too close and she could barely focus on him. "House, ….what happened?"
"House punched you! In the face!" Wilson announced. "He hit you!"
"By accident, you fuck!" House snapped. "I was about to hit Wilson and you got in the way and I'm so sorry……."
"You hit me?" Cuddy closed her eyes and reached up to touch her jaw. Her chin hurt. It pulsated. "Ice?"
"Right here," Wilson said and leaned in to gently apply it.
How did this happen? Cuddy wondered. Two men who yesterday didn't say anything to let her know they cared about her were suddenly fighting over her.
"Why?" Cuddy asked plaintively.
"Why what?" House and Wilson said in unison.
"Why are you doing this?" Cuddy moaned. "Fighting, hitting, hurting …."
House was speechless. Wilson stammered unsure of what to say.
Cuddy tried to sit up. "Look at us. Wilson, you're bleeding. House, you're scratched up and I'm going to have a horrible bruise on my face."
House never felt such deep guilt. His eyes moistened as he realized he was responsible for hurting her. "Lisa, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Anything you want, just say it and I'll do it."
Cuddy stared at House. Who was this pleading man? Certainly not the coolish, distant prick who'd jerked her heart back and forth. He was asking for forgiveness unabashedly. Even Wilson was stunned silent.
"Do you love me?" Cuddy asked quietly.
House closed his eyes momentarily and reopened them slowly. "Yes." He answered honestly.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why do I have to ask?" Cuddy asked sadly. "Well?"
House swallowed and paused. "Do you love me?"
Cuddy blinked. He wasn't supposed to ask questions. He hit her. She had the upper-hand, damn it.
Cuddy stared back into House's cool blue eyes. "Yes."
House fell on her and hugged her tightly. "Thank god! Do you forgive me?"
"Hell, no!" Cuddy snarked! "You hit me!"
"Not on purpose!" House snarked back. "I'll make it up to you!"
"Oh Geeeze!" Wilson sputtered.
"Are you still here?" House sounded mad.
Wilson ignored him. "Lisa? Lisa? It's James. Do you remember our evening? Do you remember what I said to you?"
Cuddy glanced at James. "What?"
"Lisa, we went out tonight. I kissed you and you kissed me back." James urged. "Do you remember it?"
"No we didn't, James!" Cuddy laughed. "Are you messing with me? I think I'd remember if we kissed!"
James' face fell. Cuddy had no memory of their intimate conversation or their public kisses. She didn't remember any thing.
James frowned. "She probably doesn't have a concussion but if she can't remember tonight…. How many fingers do you see, Lisa?" Cuddy looked at James strangely. "None!"
"Oh," James realized he hadn't shown her any fingers. "Try again." Cuddy stared harder at James. "Three?"
"Yep, she's fine." James murmured. "You two okay?"
House glared at Wilson. "We'll be fine when you leave!"
"FINE, I'm leaving!" Wilson retorted. "Lisa, I'll check on you tomorrow, okay?"
"Thanks, James," Cuddy responded before closing her eyes. Wilson shut the door quietly behind himself. House stared at her face closely. "You okay?"
"Huh, yeah." Cuddy replied. "I'm kind of tired. Is that Rachel?"
House held his breath, Rachel was stirring but not yelling. "Lets see if she goes back to sleep," House whispered. Cuddy smiled with her eyes closed. "Is there a bruise yet?" Cuddy asked.
House checked her face and began to kiss her chin softly, "nope, not here, yet. Not there either," Cuddy smiled.
"Where'd James go?" Cuddy asked. House paused to examine her face. "He left." House said.
"Oh, I meant to tell him I had a nice time out tonight." Cuddy murmured to herself.
House pulled back. "I thought you didn't remember anything about tonight?"
"I remember James took me out to dinner and was very nice to me," Cuddy whispered as she began to doze off. "I remmemm…"
"What? What?" House asked prodding her along.
"He is a very…..good….. kisserrrrrrr." Cuddy fell asleep.
"You little vixen!" House smiled. "You remembered! You little liar!" He kissed her nose.
Cuddy smiled in her sleep. Wilson would save face. Cuddy would be able to look Wilson in the eye and not have to deal with the evening's events. No one would be fired. And House and Wilson would no longer have reason to continue fighting over her. It "never" happened if she couldn't "remember."
Only House knew differently and Cuddy knew he knew. Poor Wilson. House got the girl. Cuddy got House. Wilson? He got the opportunity to kiss Cuddy with no recriminations. House was a lucky bastard.
Wilson watched the couple through Cuddy's front window. He smiled a little sadly to himself. "Lisa, I'll wait as long as it takes," Wilson whispered.
Reviewers, should I end it here or continue? Tell me…..