Next chapter should be up this weekend! Kind of split these two in half-cause I was taking so darn long on the ending…

House heard the lock give with a soft 'click' sound as he broke his way into Wilson's current office...her office. It was extremely late, almost dawn. House had been wandering the streets alone after leaving last call from a bar he often frequented by his home, but he couldn't bring himself to return home just yet. He and Wilson had been drinking together that night; it had been a long couple days at work for both of them. Wilson was struggling with his new responsibilities...administrative tasks and paperwork, and of course dealing with House.

House was exhausted from his current case, a case that ultimately Thirteen had solved without him. He was off his game; that much was perfectly clear to him. He couldn't process facts like he was so accustom too, couldn't read between the lines in order to solve the mysteries. It scared him. He noticed his initial ineptitude when he went back to work, after he hastily returned home from Mexico. Chalking it up to being distracted, the sobriety, and her absence carving a deeper hole out of his heart each day was what House originally blamed for his shortcomings...but it was more than that.

Something was wrong. He knew it, something more than just mere distractions. He had been experiencing headaches, painful ones; even the pathetic motrin he had been resorting to take for his leg couldn't touch it. The headaches were always worse in the mornings, almost blinding him when he first opened his eyes. House was a doctor, and he knew there was more to this puzzle than he wanted to admit. Not even sharing his growing concerns with Wilson, terrified that speaking the words out loud would give his fear life he wasn't ready for yet; to acknowledge what he had already guessed…

House took a moment and looked around Cuddy's old office. It was dark, but turning on a light would only alert someone he was in here. He wanted to be alone, to process, to be with her in his memories…to write her another letter.

Although this was Wilson's office now, he hadn't really made the effort to erase Cuddy's presence away from the space. Her pictures were still up, knick- knacks and books of hers were still in their rightful place for the most part. House limped over to the bookshelf and pulled a framed photo down to inspect it closer amongst the shadows. He had seen this picture many times before…another unknowing moment captured for eternity. Cuddy was smiling, House could tell she was just about to laugh, he knew her every look. She was looking up, staring lovingly into the eyes of her date…looking at House, their hands were perfectly intertwined.

It was a going away party for one of the nurses she had dragged House too against his better judgment; having to promise a spectacular sexual favor later that evening in exchange for him putting on a nice shirt and being her date without further protest. Of course he would have gone without the promise of the sexual pleasure, (not that he would ever admit that to her) but it was a nice added bonus to what would surely be a boring party. She looked radiant when House had arrived to pick her up, he remembered actually telling her so that night, something he never regularly gave to her…another mistake he needed to fix. When they arrived at the party, House concluded to be right in his theory of it being utterly mind-numbing, a conclusion that Cuddy immediately arrived to as well.

So they kept to themselves, putting in an appearance was all Cuddy needed to do anyway. Wishing the nurse (whose name House never learned) well and proving that she could be more than just a boss to her employees, something House never quite understood why she even attempted to prove. They mingled begrudgingly for awhile, but never leaving each other's side. They shadowed each other without even thinking, always needing to be near. It had only been five months since the beginning of their relationship when the photo House was holding in his hand was taken. Their expressions seemed a million miles away from the disasters that would inevitably engulf their doomed relationship.

He was never aware that a photo of them had even been snapped, too wrapped up in her to care what the hell anyone else was doing around them. He could remember grabbing her by the hand and stealing her away to a corner of one of the rooms, knowing that she was the only person he wanted to be near, no one else mattered. House closed his eyes, standing alone in her office he could recall every detail of their conversation that night, every word spoken between them...

"House, where are we going?" Cuddy spoke as she was silently led away by her hand from a reluctant conversation she was trapped in with one of the department chairs at the hospital.

"Does it matter? You didn't really want to be talking to what's his face anyway." House replied once he finished bringing her to the quietest corner of the party he could find.

"Oh and you can read my mind now?" She replied with a smile.

House knew he had her right where she wanted to be, no matter how much she demurely protested. He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it while telling her to 'shut-up.' "Besides, you don't want me to have to kick what's his faces ass for staring blatantly at your breasts all night do you? I was just saving you from the embarrassment of having a fight break out in your name." House said with a smirk pulling her closer to him, arms encircling her waist so he could breathe her in. "We aren't in high school you know."

"Well you could have fooled me...and I hate to break it to you but Dr. Katz holds a black belt in karate...not sure you would win that battle House." Cuddy replied playing with the buttons on his shirt, looking coyly up, getting even closer to him as well.

"Well I certainly would have to try my best. My honor is on the line here. Those beautiful breasts you carry around are part mine now. You signed over joint custody of them a few months back. Didn't you get the copy of the agreement?" House teased.

"I guess I missed it. Must still be in my inbox, along with that dirty sex pamphlet and the ugly baby photo you snuck in there this morning."

"Awe that pamphlet was meant for Wilson, must have put it in your box by mistake." House said with a smile.

"And the ugly baby photo?" Cuddy inquired, returning his knowing smile.

"Just for you my dear. A little laughter at other people's misfortune is the perfect way to start any morning. All babies come out looking like alien monkeys anyway. This one was just extra special. Of course our baby would come out handsomely attractive, that is if they inherited my fine features." House smiled.

"Our baby?" Cuddy asked.

House smile faded, realizing his error. He bowed his head and quietly spoke, "I didn't mean it like that…although I've told you before I would make an excellent father." House said this last part teasingly, looking back into her eyes.

Cuddy grabbed one of House's hands wrapped around her waist and brought it to her heart, lacing her fingers in his. "I know, I've seen you with Rachel…the way she is with you…she loves you."

"Well what can I say, she has good taste. Plus I pay her in cheetos to pretend she likes me. Your kid drives a hard bargain."

Cuddy smiled up at him, nodding in agreement. "She already told me about the cheetos." Then without another word Cuddy pulled House into a passionate kiss, drawing him even closer to her by the hold she had on his shirt.

After a few minutes of their fiery public display of affection House broke away from her lips. "Well if you keep that up, then these fine people here are going to get a show...or we need to find a vacant closet somewhere." House said wiggling his eyebrows to emphasize his point.

"Well come on then..." Cuddy giggled while pulling him by the hand, going in search of a more private space…

House remembered fondly what came next that night, he always adored how much of a little vixen Cuddy was...not that he didn't already know that, but it was nice to be the one finally benefitting from it.

House opened his eyes back up, recovering from being swallowed up by his past. He was exhausted and sober once again, the alcohol having worn off while wandering the streets after he left Wilson. He crossed over to the desk and sat behind it, running his fingers over the wood, recalling another fond memory he shared with Cuddy. House opened the desk drawer and pulled out a few sheets of paper and a pen. He had come here for a reason. He wanted to be surrounded by her as much as possible, a good place to purge his heart once again on the blank canvas before him...

'Slam!'

House jolted awake, the sound of Wilson slamming his office door startling him back to consciousness.

"I should be more surprised right." Wilson spoke as he shrugged out of his lab coat. "No wonder I couldn't reach you all morning, why didn't you answer your cellphone?"

House rubbed the sleep away from his eyes, trying to get his bearings. The daily morning headache he had been experiencing lately was with him once again. He noted that he had passed out with his head resting on the desk, lying on top of the (now crumpled up) letter he wrote to Cuddy a few hours prior. Without a word House quickly shuffled the stray papers together and got up from the desk; taking them with him, not wanting Wilson to be privy to his new attempts at reconciliation. His headache was raging its ugly war with his eyes, making it hard for House to even walk.

"It's after ten in the morning already, I was in a meeting until now, but I got a new case for you…that's why I was calling...House, are you okay?" Wilson finally asked noticing how very quiet and green looking House appeared.

"I'm fine." It was all House managed to squeak out as he opened the office door.

"I gave the case file to Foreman!" Wilson loudly spoke as the door to his office was closing shut behind House's quick escape. He knew something was up with him, something always was with House. Crossing over to his desk he noticed a piece of paper on the floor, he bent down and when he picked it up he knew right away it was House's handwriting. A letter…or part of a letter, obviously those papers he took with him in a hurry. Wilson saw Cuddy's name scrawled on the page, realizing in that moment that House had been up to something without his knowledge. Wilson quickly folded up the letter, knowing better than to read it, but also realizing they needed have a conversation.

When Wilson made it up to House's office House was in the middle of swallowing some motrin, Wilson assumed it was for his leg. He walked over taking the partial letter out of his pocket and placed it on House's desk.

"Something you want to tell me House?" Wilson asked, sitting himself down in the chair across from House.

House looked at the folded paper in front of him, knowing he had been caught. "Yes actually, those pants make your ass look fat." House replied popping one more motrin to counteract the headache, and Wilson's meddling. "I've been meaning to mention that for awhile now."

"What are you doing?" Wilson asked seriously, ignoring the sarcastic avoidance.

"How many languages can I say none of your business in?" House started rifling through his mail that had been mounting on his desk for days, wanting any distraction from the pest sitting across from him.

"I assume you found my address book."

"Yes. Both of them. You made it extremely difficult for me to uncover Watson." House wanted badly to get up and leave this conversation, but until the meds he took kicked in he didn't think he would make it down the hall.

"She left the country House. She doesn't want to see you, doesn't want to hear from you...why can't you for once respect her wishes?"

"I am. She doesn't have to read what I've sent. I'm not forcing her to do anything she doesn't want for herself."

"How do you know she has read anything that you've written? I assume this is not the first letter. Or do you have a spy hidden in France I'm unaware of."

"She's read them…I know her."House said this quietly, shocking Wilson into silence with his subdued sincerity.

House returned to sorting through his mail, feeling uncomfortable with discussing the letters any further, embarrassed with his burst of emotion. It was her handwriting he noticed first, a purple envelope addressed to him…from Cuddy. House smiled without thinking, he did know her… "Now I have proof." House turned the envelope around to face Wilson, hoping that the third degree would now end so he could open his mail in peace. Wilson shook his head in disbelief, putting his arms up in quiet surrender, thinking he should have known better than to think these two would ever be done with each other. He got up from his chair to give House some solitude.

"A little word of advice…I would check to see if it's ticking before you open that." Wilson spoke as he shut the door behind him.

Finally alone House froze. He sat in his chair and stared at the envelope, terrified of what might be inside. This would be the first time he had heard from her in almost three months…he hadn't a clue what she could say, how she felt. This could be her final goodbye to him. Telling him to stop writing, that nothing would work this time, she had finally moved on forever.

House reached for his letter opener knowing what an idiot he was being. He wanted so desperately to hear from her, no matter what she had to say, he had to know…

Slitting the envelope open he saw it contained what looked like a picture, not a letter…and not his letters returned to back to him either, which was a huge relief to House. He pulled out the picture…a picture of Rachel. She was lying on the floor in a bedroom House had obviously never seen before. She was on her stomach, her two hands were propping up her head and her little feet were pointing up to the ceiling, House could tell that she had two different colored shoes on. Rachel was profile and smiling from ear to ear, staring adoringly into the eyes of the unicorn that House had gifted for her Birthday. Upon further inspection he also noticed the note he had fastened to one of the unicorn's hooves tacked to the wall behind her, making it clear that his gift was actually very special to her.

House was taken aback…Rachel looked so happy, and he had helped to create that. It was another rare feeling for House, a moment of realization…he missed her too. Seeing that picture actually finally made House realize that he missed both of them. He wanted them back.

House flipped the picture over to look at the backside. Instinctually he knew he should see if there was more to this message Cuddy had sent…

Rachel's new favorite obsession, his name is 'Housie'…she loves him very much.

Thank you

House rubbed his fingers over Cuddy's message, wishing there was more, wanting so badly to talk to her again. House tucked the picture back inside the envelope, immediately going in search of a fresh envelope to mail the new letter to Cuddy he had finished earlier that morning. His method of communication with her was actually working! House knew he needed to keep going, maybe he hadn't lost her…

He sealed the envelope, addressing the front with her address he now had memorized. House reached for his cane and got up from his chair, taking Cuddy's new letter and Rachel's picture with him. It only took him a few steps away from his desk to hit him. The shaking struck incredibly fast. House knew he was having a seizure before he hit the floor…before everything went dark.