Chapter 21: Holding On (part 1)

Three weeks had passed. Gabrielle and Andy were still getting along, most of the time going on as if nothing were bothering Gabrielle. Now, she was sitting with Cori at the kitchen table while Jason was upstairs taking his nap.

Cori rested her head on her hands as she looked up to Gabrielle. "So, you really do care about when that little boy was conceived?" she questioned.

Gabrielle sat back in her chair and nodded. "Stupid isn't it?" she responded.

Cori sat up and shook her head. "You want to know whether or not she got pregnant while he was cheating on you. That's not a weird thing to be upset about," she explained. She then sat back and sighed, offering her a slight smile. "You two can never have anything simple can you?"

Gabrielle looked to her with confusion. "What do you mean?" she defensively implored.

Cori laughed. "You two fight, then you love each other, then you're just friends. It's almost like you two can't decide what you mean to each other. Then, when you do decide that you love each other, you're both scared to do anything to ruin it and then if it does get ruined, you turn into a complete bitch towards him for a period of time until you suddenly remember that you do like him."

"So, according to your calculations, I should start being a bitch within the next couple of months?" Gabrielle inquired.

"You telling me I'm wrong?" Cori questioned.

Gabrielle crossed her arms and stared at Cori, letting her know that she thought she was a little crazy. "Oh come on!" Cori laughed. "Don't tell me that you forgot about the pregnancy test incident."

Gabrielle relaxed a little and nodded. "Yes, yes I do. But I was seventeen. I think I'm a little more mature now," she assured her. "Besides, I caused a lot of trouble over that. I don't think I could ever do anything like that again."

(Gabrielle was seventeen. She ran into the house along with Cori, Ally, and Cori's older cousin, Katie. "Dad!" Gabrielle anxiously called out.

House stepped into the living room and curiously eyed the three girls. "What?" he carefully asked.

Gabrielle waled up to him and smiled. "Well, you know that Andy and I had sex right?" she started.

House nodded, keeping his eyes on her. "Yes. I'm pretty sure that after walking in on you two, that I got the idea," he stated.

"Well, he just broke up with me. Right after the first time. You know? And it's been a few weeks, and I thought that I could have Cori's pregnant cousin here, Katie, take a test so that it could turn out positive, and that I could leave the test in front of his door with a note that says thanks for everything. What do you think?" she implored, smiling.

House smirked. "You'll kill him," he replied.

Gabrielle laughed. "That's the plan. You know if Lisa keeps any around here?" she asked.

"Probably. Just looked under the sink," he responded.

"All right," Gabrielle said and then turned to head up the stairs.

"Actually, have someone else look under the sink for you," House ordered.

Gabrielle stopped and uncomfortably looked to Cori and Ally, signaling for them to go ahead of her.

The next day, Andy came to the house and stood there on the porch, nervously gathering his words. Figuring that it was now or never, he forced himself to knock on the door.

Cuddy opened the door. "Andy?" she asked, surprised to see him there. She known that he and Gabrielle had broken up, and didn't think that Gabrielle would even talk to him for a while.

"Is Gabrielle here?" he timidly implored.

Cuddy shook her head. "She and her dad went out. They should be back in a little bit though," she answered.

Andy nodded as he absently stared down towards the floor.

Cuddy examined his expression. "Is there a message you would like me to give her?" she offered. "Or would you like to wait?"

Andy sighed and pulled the positive test out of his pocket and held it out to Cuddy. "Just tell her I found this and that she needs to talk to me with more than just a note," he said.

Cuddy took the test and studied it, her eyes widened. "Are you sure that this is Gabi's?"

"Yeah, she left a note with it outside my door," he replied and then turned and left.

Once Gabrielle and House returned home, Gabrielle headed straight up to her room. Cuddy wanted to talk to her alone before she mentioned anything to House. "Gabi? We need to talk! Now!" Cuddy announced, knocking on the door.

Gabrielle went and opened the door to her bedroom. "What is it?" she questioned, leaning against the door frame.

Cuddy eyed her for a moment, wondering how she could be so calm right now. "Is there anything at all that you would like to tell me?" she implored, offering her the chance to confess.

Gabrielle stood straight up and thought for a moment, trying to think of something that she could be in trouble for. "No," she answered.

"I see," Cuddy angrily sighed. "That's odd considering that Andy came over today while you were gone with some pretty big news," she announced.

Gabrielle's eyes widened. "Oh shit," she gasped.)

"That was a very bad night," Gabrielle mentioned. She then looked over to Cori. "Would you believe that my dad went along with her and then laughed his ass off while she had me take two more tests to prove that that test was not mine?"

"Yes actually," she replied. "What did Andy say?"

Gabrielle laughed. "Not a damn thing to me for at least three months," she informed her.

Cori laughed, but then settled down. Her smile faded and she showed more concern. "And how are you going to react if you're little theory about Missy's son is right?"

Gabrielle instantly stopped laughing and shrugged, looking to Cori with regret. "Most likely the same way he did when he found out I was just getting back at him," she admitted.

Cori sat there for a moment and watched Gabrielle, she could tell that she was truly starting to get worried. She struck a nerve that she maybe shouldn't have hit. "You two are getting along well now, right?"

Gabrielle nodded. "Yeah," she breathed out. "We still wake up, I make him breakfast, he leaves and then I get ready and leave. I come home, take care of Jason and then make dinner. Andy and I both get Jason ready for bed and then I tuck him in at night. We sit up together, watch some tv, now mostly we do it just about every night. Then we go to sleep, wake up and repeat the cycle." She looked looked down to her empty glass sitting on the table. "No one would even notice the difference."

"I think so far, you're the only one who does," Cori stated, causing Gabrielle to abruptly look up to her, blank expression.

ooo

Donnie and Elisabeth sat out in the back yard. The leaves were changing color, and that was the time of year that Elisabeth had always enjoyed the most, so they both decided that they would rather be outside than inside. They sat next to each other on the steps right outside the back door. Elisabeth was trying to teach him some sign language.

"What about, I think we should leave now?" he implored. That was something he figured that he should know how to understand if he took her anywhere.

Elisabeth laughed and then showed him. She took her notepad and wrote him a small note. She asked him if he was going to be taking her a lot of places that she would want to get out of quickly.

Donnie took the note and laughed. "I don't know, maybe," he answered. "I don't know what you like yet."

Elisabeth looked down towards the cement and softly smiled. The sleeves of her dark red sweater went past her wrists and covered part of her hands as she started to fiddle with her fingers. Looking up to him, she brushed her long, dark brown her behind her ear and smiled. She then took her note pad and wrote him another note. She would rather do this than go out to a bunch of places.

Donnie accepted the note and read it over. "Okay," he responded, looking up to her. His hazel eyes catching her gray eyes. Something seemed different in her, for the past month, there had been something she had been hiding. Ever since the dinner that they went out to together. She was still hanging out with him, so he figured that it wasn't him, but there was still something bothering her, and he was starting to get curious. "Is something wrong?"

Elisabeth was taken aback by the question. She just watched him for a brief moment and shook her head.

Donnie nodded. "Okay, you just seem like you're constantly thinking about something I guess," he explained and then looked over and picked up a random stick and started running the tip against the concrete.

Elisabeth watched him and sighed. It wasn't fair to not tell him. He was over here, concerned about her. Then within the next couple of months she would be dropping out of school and just disappearing without giving anyone any explanation. He cared enough to ask, and she didn't want him fearing out when she stopped showing up at school.

The only problem? She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want the sympathy and pity in place of the genuine kindness and friendship. Later, she would tell him. Later.

ooo

House read the note that Tommy had handed to him and then looked over the paper to Tommy, who was standing before him as House sat in the chair out in the living room. "You told the teacher that she was an idiot because she said that you should leaner to listen to others and be more respectful?" House questioned.

Tommy stood there, cockily smirking. "Yes."

House folded the paper back up and set it down on the table. "Okay," he casually replied.

Tommy looked down at the paper and then quickly looked up to him. "You really don't care?" he questioned.

House sighed. "You spoke your opinion and you're right. Why would I be mad about that?" he implored.

Tommy shrugged and then headed up to his room.

House stood up and headed out to the kitchen where he saw Cuddy standing at the window, watching Elisabeth and Donnie out in the back yard. "Spying is a crime," he mentioned as he went and stood beside her.

Cuddy smiled, keeping her eyes on the two. "Cute isn't it?"

House just stared out at the two. "A boy mindlessly spitting out bullshit to convince a girl to trust him so that he could do what ever he wants with her. Adorable," he remarked.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and then turned to face him. "Yes, that is exactly what they are doing right now. Planning when they can get some action," she responded.

House grabbed her shoulders. "That's what I was doing when I was twelve," he informed her.

Cuddy looked up to him and smiled. "Somehow, I don't doubt that," she stated and then reached up and kissed him.

House smiled to her as she pulled back from him. His eyes glued on her's. "See? My plan worked."

Cuddy laughed as she turned and walked away, with House just watching her as she left the room.

This chapter is dedicated to my best friend's grandfather. She just got the news today, so I''m going with her out of town to the funeral. I'll be gone for a little while, so I have no idea the next time that I'll update.