Ch 12: Aftershocks of the Shakes

"You actually proposed to her?" Wilson asked his best friend, astonished that House would take such a huge step so quickly.

"I mean to stir her up…rattle her a bit."

"Well I'm pretty sure it worked," Wilson replied with a grin. "You're actually engaged to Cuddy. "This is one for the record books."

"Stop gloating about it and tell me what I should do now…how can I fix it?" House asked.

"Fix it? You mean…you don't want to marry her?" Wilson was a bit confused.

"It's not that…I just didn't expect her to say yes…" House trailed off.

"You gave her a ring expecting her to say no?" Wilson asked. "You were testing her feelings for you, then. And she said yes, proving that she is in love with you."

"Either that or she wants to make me miserable."

"House, why would she use marriage as a way to make you miserable?"

"That's what they all do," House replied. "You should know better than anybody…oh wait, I forgot; you love marriage."

"She loves you, House."

"You'd damned better well hope so. Otherwise I'll be forced to commit murder or change jobs…murder is more likely since no one else would let me have my way."

"Stop being overly dramatic," Wilson chided. "You're getting married. This is a good thing. You've committed to someone. Congratulations."

"Thank you," House replied dryly.

"Look at the bright side," Wilson told him, "You'll get to plan another bachelor party." House rolled his eyes.

"Because that's all I ever want to do."

Wilson grinned. "You're going to like marriage…and Cuddy suits you."

"Right…wait…a bachelor party is exactly what I need. If she finds out I went crazy with fifteen strippers and tons of booze, she'll call the wedding off and we can go back to the way things were."

"If you care about her, you won't do that, House," Wilson advised. "The way things were before the two of you got together is how you'll end up: miserable and without anyone besides me who cares."

House sighed. "What can I do to keep her as my girlfriend, then?" House asked.

"Marry her," Wilson stated with a shrug.

"Thanks," House groaned. "You're a lot of help."

"I do what I can," Wilson sighed.

"You want lunch?" House asked him.

"Sure. I'm done with all the paperwork I have this week…no patients until 2. I can take a break."

"Good. I'm starving."

House sat in his office, bouncing his ball against the wall and thinking about what Wilson had said. It was true that Cuddy was happier than he had ever seen her, and he really did love her. He just wasn't sure he was ready to get married, just yet. His team was off testing a fifty year old man for every infection known to man and he just couldn't get into it for being lost in thought. He sighed and turned the television on, hoping to catch the end of General Hospital.

Life it seemed, would never be easy for House, because he was either bored or stepping across lines to see how far he could go. He took another sip of coffee and opened a bottle of vicodin. The pain was starting to get to him again. He looked at the perfect white pills, longing to take one to ease himself, but knew that he would be falling off the wagon into a pile of horse manure if he were to give in. He closed the cap and tucked the prescription bottle into his desk for safe keeping, then hobbled off down the hall toward the elevators. The least he could get out of getting married was sex, he reasoned, pressing the button for the ground floor.