Ch 17: Love, Loss, and Lifelong Dreams

In the days preceding Valentine's Day, House found himself getting excited about the whole affair. He wasn't sure if it was because of the possibility of being close to one of the most influential bands in music history, or if he just liked the idea of spoiling Cuddy a bit, but he almost smiled thinking about the pretty bracelet he had gotten Cuddy. Wilson had gone with him to pick it out and had also suggested a dozen roses, which House was quick to buy as well.

The diagnostician sat back in his chair tossing his ball against the wall as he daydreamed about the look on his fiancé's face when he presented her with the amazing things he had chosen for her. He was very pleased with himself upon reflecting for a bit, and even got up to check on the status of the patient. "He went home this morning," Thirteen informed House upon his request for patient information. "You've been hiding in your office all morning thinking about Cuddy's ass and missed his sending off."

"Well there's a lot of it to cover, thinking about it takes a while," he retorted, referencing Cuddy's hind quarters and interested in changing the subject in hopes of being clever enough to get away with being a bit sentimental. "Do we have a new one?"

"Taub's already checking the E.R.," she told him with a grin.

"Good. I might keep you kids around for a while longer."

"Good to hear that I've got some job security." She rolled her eyes.

"Where's Foreman?" House asked.

"I think he's taking lunch early," Thirteen replied and House noticed her face drop a bit. "He's got a meeting with some drug rep this afternoon."

"Ah. Why aren't you with him?"

"I'm not hungry."

"And what about this rep? You going with him to that?" House asked searching her face.

She was spared answering however when Taub burst into the room and began rattling off patient status information excitedly. "42 year old lawyer came in to the E.R. last night with a broken leg; she's now bleeding from her eyes."

"I'll get a patient history," Thirteen offered quickly.

"We've got one…had one from last night when she was admitted," Taub told her, a bit confused.

"Everybody lies. And they probably didn't go into much detail on a broken leg," she responded, grabbing the file and hurrying out.

"Go with her," House instructed the bewildered looking ex-plastic surgeon. Taub turned around and followed the female doctor out of the room; not wanting to know about the glint in House's eyes. The older man returned to his office to go over the last 10 minutes' events in his head.

House knew that something was bothering Thirteen and that she wouldn't give up any information without a fight, but he wanted to lull her into a false sense of security about the matter so he could get extra shock value out of the truth when it emerged. He considered the possibility that Foreman was cheating on Thirteen, which seemed to be the obvious choice, and wondered why Foreman would want to leave someone as exciting and attractive as the female doctor on House's staff for some pharmacy representative who wouldn't be nearly as interesting, else she wouldn't have become a drug rep.

House thoroughly enjoyed his Valentine's celebration with Cuddy, Rachel having been dropped off with a baby sitter for the evening, but he couldn't get the mystery surrounding the relationship between Foreman and Thirteen out of his head. After having known him for 20 odd years, Cuddy could tell something was on his mind and asked him about it, but he brushed it off and put all his efforts into getting her out of her pretty, very expensive black dress.

She 'ooohed' and 'ahhhed' about the bracelet, much to his amusement and way beaming when he presented her with the roses later on and he pushed his other thoughts back deep into his subconscious so he could focus on the excitement of receiving backstage passes to see Mick Jagger. His fellows would have to wait until morning, he decided, wrapping Cuddy in his arms and presenting her with a deep, passionate kiss.