A/N: So avid readers…have you guessed who is at the door?
I'd like to plug our H/C fanfics. You can find them by going to Fanfiction dot net followed by /tv/House_M_D/10/0/1/1/0/2729/2730/0/0/1/0
"Shit!" he said out loud to himself. Cuddy's bedroom door was open and he didn't want her to wake up just now, she needed her sleep. As he limped towards the front door, he called out in an annoyed voice, "Wilson if you wake Cuddy up so help me-" as he opened the door, he stared in shock at the woman standing across the threshold from him.
"What in hell are you doing here?" She demanded.
"Hello, Arlene."
"I should have known that when my daughter called her sister to tell her she was hurt that you were somehow involved."
"What? No hug? No how the hell are ya Greg?"
Arlene Cuddy pushed her way past House and into the living room. "Where's my daughter?"
"She's sleeping and don't you dare wake her up." House was in defensive mode, hoping to protect Cuddy from what was sure to be a nightmare confrontation with her mother.
"Gramma!" Rachel yelled, climbing off the couch and running over to Arlene.
"Hello my little bubeleh," she said looking down at the little girl who clung to her legs smiling. Arlene looked up at House and asked in a low voice, "Should I call the cops on you?"
"Why would you do that?"
"I'm sure I could find a reason."
"But you won't."
"Really?"
"I haven't done anything wrong. You know they don't put people in jail for nothing," he said, a smartass look on his face.
"You should know," she snarked back at him. "So Gregory, why are you here?"
"I'm taking care of your daughter."
"Really? Didn't you give up that right when you crashed your car into her house?"
"Gosh, you really know how to make a guy feel all happy inside cause right now I'm just overflowing with joy. Is this how the late Mr. Cuddy felt?"
"You're an ass."
"And you're a bitch." House kept his voice low so neither Rachel nor Cuddy could hear him.
"If I were your mother-"
"You couldn't handle me."
Arlene sighed. "Why are you even here? In Boston?"
"I'm here with Wilson for a conference and your daughter invited me to her home. But you knew that already."
"Well I'm here now, get in your car and go home."
"Kinda difficult to drive considering I didn't drive here."
"Then get a flight."
He stuck his hands in his pockets and pulled them inside out. "All out of money."
"Then I'll buy you a ticket."
"As generous as that sounds, I think I'll pass. Look...have you ever considered that maybe your daughter wants me here?"
"Why would she?"
"Because I do, mom."
House and Arlene both turned to see Cuddy, in her robe, standing in the hallway watching them argue.
"Lisa!" Arlene walked over to her daughter and gave her a gentle hug.
"Hi, mom."
"Oh dear, are you alright?" Arlene asked looking her over.
"I'm in pain but I'll live. What are you doing here?"
"Julia told me about the accident; I didn't want you to be alone."
"I told Julia I was fine, that I wouldn't be alone." She looked at her mother suspiciously. "And you knew House might come to see me during the conference."
"Really? I don't recall that conversation," she said facetiously. "Besides, as your ex-boyfriend says so eloquently, everybody lies."
"Seriously? You quote me? I'm honored." House said sarcastically, leaning against the front door, twirling his cane.
"House," Cuddy said clearly annoyed at both of them. "I'm fine mom, really. House has been a big help."
Arlene moved towards her daughter. "Come on, you need to get back to bed. You're right; we can talk about it later." She motioned for Cuddy to return to her room. Before Arlene followed her daughter, she turned around and said to House, "You and I are not finished yet."
"Gee, can't wait," he mumbled. He sat down on the couch and Rachel came over and sat with him. House rested his elbows on his knees with his head in his hands.
"Hows, whatcha doin'?"
"Thinking."
"Okay," Rachel said, and then mimicked his pose.
House looked over at Rachel. "What are you doing kid?"
"Thinkin'." She just sat there swinging her feet and looking at him. He noticed she had the same pouty look as her mother.
House shook his head and laughed. "You're one smart kid, you know that right?"
"Yep."
House began to rub his thigh vigorously, it had been hurting since he woke up, not too bad but enough. He noticed the throbbing got worse when Arlene showed up. Gee, what a fucking coincidence, he thought.
"You hurt?"
"Yeah."
She put her left hand on his right thigh, very gently rubbing it like he did. "I help?"
"Yeah kid, you help."
She smiled up at him. He couldn't help but be enamored by her innocence.
Meanwhile in her bedroom, Cuddy lay back on her bed while her mother sat beside her.
"Lisa, tell me what happened."
"I don't really remember. I just went out to get a few things from the store and next thing I know I woke up in the emergency room."
"I was so worried about you when Julia told me what happened."
"Mom, you didn't need to come. You should have called first."
"And miss out on your dirty little secret?" She asked.
"I'm not hiding anything but you...you knew there was a chance he'd be here so you planned this."
"I planned that you'd be in an accident?"
"No, but I know you and you would've figured out a way to come regardless."
Arlene smirked. Her daughter knew her well. "Why didn't you tell Julia he'd be here?"
"Oh come on, Julia's not dumb, we've talked about House. I may not have come out and told her he'd be here, but I think I was pretty obvious when I told her about the letters...about...how I feel about him. Besides, it's my life, not hers and not yours either."
Arlene sighed and fiddled with her watch.
"I know you tried to be supportive when we talked about him recently but...underneath it all I know you hate him for what he did and I understand that. He's changed but I know you-you're not even willing to give him a chance. You never liked him when we were together and now that you're here and it's just going to make things worse." Cuddy put her hand to her head. It hurt and the last thing she'd expected was to be arguing with her mother.
"I really appreciate that you came here to check up on me and I love you for it, but I knew how you would react." Cuddy rubbed her temples.
Arlene placed her hand gently on her daughter's arm. "Lisa, I never said I didn't like him when you were together."
"It was obvious."
"At first I didn't like him but he grew on me. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy."
"I know that but you haven't always trusted my judgment."
"Actually I've always trusted your judgment...except when it came to men. You've always made crappy choices in men."
"Gee mom—"
"However," she continued unfazed. "The schmuck obviously wormed his way back into your life and I don't want to see you hurt again."
"You do realize that we hurt one another, right? I hurt him as much as he hurt me."
"Do you love him?"
Cuddy bit her bottom lip and looked away.
"I knew it." Arlene slapped her hand on the bed with a satisfied smirk on her face.
"What?" Cuddy asked suspiciously. She hadn't even answered the question.
"You love him!"
Cuddy hesitated then finally confessed because she knew her mother would be able to read her.
"I've always loved him." She put her hand to her head and groaned. "What the hell is the matter with me? How do you dump a guy who you've loved for half your life?"
Arlene sighed and pursed her lips together thoughtfully. "Lisa, I don't give you advice very often..." she paused when her daughter just gave her the "are you fucking kidding me?" look.
"Okay let me rephrase. I know I don't give you advice you want to hear very often but God help me, I'm going to do that now. When you were with House, you were the happiest I'd seen you in a very long time. You brought out the best and worst in each other. Your father and I were a lot like that. I could love him and hate him in the same breath. It's why I knew how you felt. It's why..."
"Why what?"
"That first time I met him before I left town, I told him if he ever hurt you I'd kill him."
"You did?" Cuddy let out a chuckle though her mother's actions shouldn't have surprised her.
"I did."
"Wow."
"I knew from the look on his face that moment how much he loved you. It was the look of a man who would do anything for the woman he loved."
Cuddy stared up at the ceiling. She knew her mother was right. House would've done anything for her.
"Lisa, I need to know something. Are you sure that there's no danger of him going off the deep end again?"
Cuddy picked at a loose thread on her comforter.
"Mom, the night it happened, the officer called it an act of domestic violence. I hated that because domestic violence is about abuse. And House...he never abused me. He never would have laid a hand on me or Rachel. They told me I was just making excuses for him but they didn't know House like I knew him. They didn't know his past, how he got to that point, what he'd been through."
Cuddy paused to look at her mother, her eyes pleading for understanding. When Arlene nodded, she continued.
"The House who did that was not House I'd known all those years. There was so much pain, so much hurt." Cuddy's voice was a bit shaky and she had to pause a moment to regain her composure.
"But can you be sure he would never do it again?"
"Mom, I know you think my judgment in regards to men sucks but when it comes to House, he was the only smart move I'd ever made regarding men. I should've made the smart move years ago but I...we...it just wasn't the right time. He was high and sick and...we were both in so much pain. When he saw Jerry there..." She shuddered at the thought of House looking through the window thinking she'd moved on.
"He thought I was moving on with my life and leaving him behind. He actually believed I was capable of moving on...without any feeling for him or any regard to what we'd once had. He really believed that I thought so little of him, of us, that I could dismiss him just like that..." Cuddy didn't finish her sentence; tears were forming in her eyes.
Arlene put her hand on her daughter's knee and rubbed it gently. "Didn't you?" She asked.
"What?"
"Didn't you dismiss him? Lisa, I understand that you broke up with him because he wasn't capable of being what you thought you needed, but he made a mistake...one mistake...and you broke his heart. One of the reasons you've never been good at relationships is because you don't like mistakes. You like it when things go your way, all the time. That's fine at work but...with people, with real relationships, it's different."
"Wait? Now you're defending him?" Her mother's behavior was puzzling.
"I'm on your side, of course." She looked away from her daughter and towards the window. "Listen, there's a lot you don't know about my relationship with your father. Sometimes...you remind me a lot of me when I was younger. Your father tried hard to please me and there were times I expected so much of him and...when he didn't measure up...I..."Arlene paused a moment, deep in thought. "I was pretty hard on him. Looking back, he tried, and there were times I never appreciated him enough. So believe me, I understand why you did what you did but I also think you were a gigantic idiot."
"Oh geez not again." Cuddy rolled her eyes and let her head fall back on her pillow. "I know mom, you've told me that a hundred times."
"Okay, so now it's a hundred and one. You'll learn this with Rachel in a few years dear, it's hard as hell to sit back and watch your child make mistakes, get her heart broken and suffer through misery. No matter how much I wanted to do everything in my power to stop it, I couldn't. I wanted to hug you and throttle you at the same time. In the end, all I could do is offer you comfort and hope that eventually you came to your senses before it was too late."
Cuddy looked up at her mother with sad eyes. "So...is it too late for me?"
"Before, I might have said maybe, but now, I think you'll be okay but you have to learn to set aside the ridiculously high standards of perfection you have, not just for yourself but for others. Whatever this thing is between you and the schmuck, as insane as it is, it's obviously something so deep that not even all the crap you two have been through can shake it."
Cuddy smiled faintly. "It's true mom. We always seem to be circling each other. I'm tired of fighting it."
"Lisa, I hate what he did that day and I hate the pain he caused you." Arlene watched her daughter's face frown with worry. "But I have to let you live your life. That doesn't mean though that he won't get a piece of my mind."
Cuddy knew she couldn't stop her mother from discussing it with House. "Okay. Just...whatever you do, don't say anything to make him leave."
"You have my word. Now, I'm going inside to visit with my granddaughter and make you some breakfast. You need some meat on your bones, you're looking a bit oysegedart lately." Cuddy rolled her eyes, her mother had always thought she was too thin.
As her mother got up to leave Cuddy asked, "Can you send Rachel in? I'd kinda like to spend some time with her alone."
"Of course, dear," Arlene said as she walked out of the room. Before she closed the door she heard her daughter say, "And please take it easy on House, okay?"
"Just get some rest," Arlene said as she closed the bedroom door behind her.
Meanwhile House and Rachel had moved from the living room to the breakfast nook in the kitchen, where House was teaching Rachel how to play gin rummy and she was losing.
"Hows, no fair," she whined.
"Hand over the pennies kid, you lost."
"I'm telling mom," she said sticking her tongue out at House.
"Fine, you do that," he replied sticking her tongue out at her.
"Oh that's nice House, you've finally found your intellectual equal. Good for you."
"Gramma, do you wanna play Rummy?" Rachel asked.
"No dear, I'm going to fix breakfast. Your mommy wants to spend some time with you, why don't you go into her room and I'll let you know when breakfast is ready."
"Okay." Rachel ran out of the room, then all the sudden returned running over to House and hugging his bad leg gently for a moment, then ran out of the room. Her actions left House stunned once again at how attached the little girl was to him.
Arlene watched the events unfold out of the corner of her eye. She didn't say a word as she went about the kitchen gathering the ingredients for breakfast.
House sat at the breakfast nook and returned to his coffee and cards. He began a game of solitaire. Without looking away he asked, "So I take it you and your daughter had a nice talk?"
"Yes."
"So you figured out that she's quite safe here with me?"
Arlene didn't reply; she just went about her work. House sensed Arlene had something on her mind. He decided to prod her along a bit. "Why don't you just come right out and say what's on your mind?"
Arlene just ignored him.
"I get it that you're still pissed and all but-"
"Really? Do you really get that?" She asked as she set down the knife she'd been using to chop the ingredients for omelets. She stared at him. "My daughter is a beautiful, smart, and wonderful woman but even with all that, she sucks at relationships."
"Okay." House was confused at her remark.
"And you…you're…well you know what you are and you suck at them too."
"Gee thanks. Now what's your point?"
Arlene put down the knife and walked over to the nook and sat down across from House.
"Thanks for putting the knife down first," he said facetiously.
"I hate what you did to her. I hate that you could've killed everyone in the room that day."
House swallowed hard. He'd never forget that either.
"Your inability to deal with people, to just have a normal relationship caused you and my daughter a lot of pain."
"I know. Listen Arlene—"
"No, hear me out. I need to say it wasn't just your inability to have a normal relationship. It was Lisa's as well."
House looked at her, puzzled.
"I didn't like you at first. I thought you were an asshole with a God complex. I'm sure you still are but...it didn't take me long to realize how good you were for her. You were her match in every way. I saw a fire in her eyes and a spring in her step that I hadn't seen before. You did something for her...that nobody else has ever done."
House stared at her intently and listened.
"When I saw you two together I picked up the vibes immediately. My God...just the eye contact between you two and the way you looked at one another…you could carry on an entire conversation without every saying a word. I saw the slight smiles and subtle touches when you two didn't think I was looking. And Jesus H, there's the sexual tension."
Arlene smirked at House when he cringed at those last words.
"What you had...that's rare and then...you two had to go and screw it all up because you couldn't communicate. It broke my heart that you two split up because I knew that if she could make a go of it with anyone, it would be you. I just wished I'd been able to somehow help you two figure it all out before everything hit the fan."
He looked down and said solemnly. "Wilson said the same thing." He looked up at her. "He said if I couldn't make it work with her, I couldn't make it work with anyone."
"He was right wasn't he?"
"Yeah."
"I know you understand my point of view here." She saw him nod in agreement.
"Thank you...for not dismissing it. As a parent, it's hard to watch your child make mistakes. You want to step in and make all their decisions for them and prevent them from having to go through the pain you know they will experience, but in the end, you can't do it. You have to just sit back and watch them hurt and hope that they figure things out for themselves before it's too late. I saw how much she hurt when she broke up with you. I held out hope you two could reconcile. I knew somehow it would happen, maybe not immediately but someday. And then..."
House just stared at her intently, hanging on to her every word. "And then I gave her a reason not to want to reconcile."
"That you did. I have to tell you, I understand why Lisa broke up with you and I also understand why you acted out as you did, doing all that stupid shit to piss her off. I also understand why you drove your car into her home."
That took House by complete surprise.
"There's no excuse-," he began but Arlene put her hand up to interrupt.
"I know that. Nobody is defending your actions. I'm saying I understand. I'm saying I can see what drove you to it. You were pushed to your limit. Where you went wrong is that you acted on it, that you didn't try and talk to her...or someone...that you didn't get help to deal with your pain."
House looked at her apprehensively.
"Lisa helped me better understand what you were going through. I need to ask you this, how can you be sure you won't let it happen again?"
House picked up the deck of cards and shuffled them. He knew there was nothing he could say that would ease Arlene's mind so he decided to just tell her the truth and hope it worked.
"I'm not the same person I was then. I mean in some ways I am but...I've gotten help. I've learned how to cope with the pain. I know you won't believe this but not having her in my life was worse than any prison sentence or pain I went through. I don't want to lose her again."
He looked up at Arlene who assessed him carefully. And then he knew that she knew that he was completely sincere.
"I believe you."
House sighed appreciatively.
"I love Lisa," she continued. "And I want only the best for her. I told her point blank I never trusted her judgment with men...until it came to you." She watched as House's jaw dropped.
"She sees something in you most people don't and I'm going to trust that. I know my daughter and she never willingly gave her heart completely to anyone but you. I also know you love her and I'm going to try and trust that too. When I came here today it was to take care of my daughter. I knew you'd probably be here and I'd planned to give you a piece of my mind and I guess I did though it didn't turn out the way I'd planned. I'm okay with that. Seeing you two and Rachel here...together...I don't want to continue to punish you.. My guess is that you've already done enough of that yourself."
"Yeah," he said as he shuffled the cards again. He certainly had.
Suddenly, Arlene put her hand over the deck, stopping him in mid-shuffle. She knew he was in deep thought and the turn of the conversation may have been a bit much for him. She decided to give him a chance to breathe.
Taking the cards from him, she said, "Why don't you go check on her? I'm sure by now she's dying to know if we've killed each other yet." She gave him a devilish smirk.
House looked up at Arlene and he could see a look in her eye that resembled one of complete understanding. She was giving him space. He was still shocked by her demeanor. It wasn't at all what he expected. In the end, he decided not to question it. He grabbed his cane and got up from the table. Before he headed out the door, he turned around and faced her.
"Arlene, I'm sorry. For everything," he said softly. His eyes conveyed his sincerity and Arlene picked up on it immediately.
"I know," she said reciprocating the honesty. She waved him away. "Go...I'll let you guys know when breakfast is ready."
House silently nodded his thanks and limped out of the room. Arlene watched him leave, shaking her head and letting out a long sigh. That conversation had not gone at all the way she'd planned but then again she was glad it didn't. Arlene Cuddy liked to think herself a good judge of people and even though she wanted to despise House for what he had done, she could not knock the feeling that he had indeed changed and that maybe they deserved that chance they both obviously so desperately wanted. She just hoped that she'd imparted a bit of wisdom upon them. With that, Arlene Cuddy walked back over to the kitchen island and continued preparing breakfast.
House limped into Cuddy's bedroom; he was still stunned over the conversation with Arlene. He never thought it would be that easy, in fact it shouldn't have been. He dissected the conversation in his mind and ultimately he realized that the elder Cuddy had been sincere in her words. When he reached Cuddy's room he found her propped up on a few pillows sleeping. Rachel was beside her, sleeping too. House sat on the bed and watched them. They looked so peaceful and he couldn't get over how much he'd missed seeing the two of them like this. Rachel opened her eyes slowly and smiled.
"Hows I fell asleep," she said, then giggled.
"Hey, why don't you go help grandma and make sure she doesn't burn breakfast?"
"Okay." Rachel scrambled off the bed.
House took Cuddy's hand in his and gently rubbed circles on the top of it with his thumb. He really didn't want to wake her again but he knew she needed to eat something. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"Hi again," he said to her as she woke up.
"Hey. Where's mom?"
"Still here. I just sent Rachel to teach her how to cook."
Cuddy let out a snicker. "Yeah that'll be the day. It's nice that you're still alive."
"Your mother surprises the hell out of me."
Cuddy looked at him, her brows furrowed. "What did she do?"
"It's what she didn't do. She didn't even try to kill me. She actually thinks we're good for each other."
"She told you that?"
"Yeah, she did. I think I'm growing to like the old bat already."
"You're insane."
"I know. Hey you want me to get rid of her?"
Cuddy smiled. "No, it's okay, I was worried about what would happen between you two but if you say it's okay then it's fine."
"The old woman surprised me." He noticed the pain reflected in her eyes and he brushed a loose curl out of her face. "You okay?"
"I hurt all over."
"I know, but it'll get better I promise."
She firmly grasped his hand and said, "I'm glad you're here."
"Me too," he said as he gently kissed the hand he held.
"I need to take a bath."
"I can help with that you know," he said, raising his eyebrows up and down at her.
"I'm sure you can."
"You relax while I run the water. You need anything else?"
"Just the ibuprofen."
"Nothing stronger?"
"Nah. Speaking of," she pointed to his leg, "How is it?"
"It's okay."
"You're lying to me. You forget that I know how it gets in the morning."
"It hurts."
"Listen, why don't you take a cab over to the hospital today and use the pool? I asked Burt if he would make sure you had access to the PT facilities."
"You did?"
"Yeah. He knows the folks in the clinic well…he had hip replacement a few years back and they helped him get back on his feet. He said he'd talk to them for me."
"I'll have to thank him," House said as he went into her bathroom and began running the water for her bath.
"House?"
"Yeah?" he replied from inside the bathroom.
"Did you call Foreman?"
"Shit."
"I take it you forgot. You're not due back till tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah but I need to call him, Nolan too."
"Okay call them while I'm in the bath, then we'll have breakfast."
"I know it's a little soon after your accident but we need to take care of some things, the police report, insurance and all that. You need a new car too ya know."
"I know, I'm just not ready," she said making her way out of bed to head towards the bathroom.
"Hey, don't worry about it, I'll help you okay?" He stepped over to the bed to help her out.
"You sure you don't mind?"
"Nope. Now come on, I'll help you get undressed," he said with a smirk.
"I think I can do that on my own," she said walking very slowly into the bathroom with him behind her. She looked into the mirror.
"Oh geez…" she said softly as she inspected the small bruises on her forehead and chin.
House stepped behind her as she looked into the mirror. He saw the pain in her eyes with her every move. Gently he pulled her hair back behind her ears and ran his fingers along the sides of her face and down her neck. She closed her eyes and leaned to the right, into his touch. He gently caressed her shoulders and her upper arms and she smiled. He moved the hair away from the right side of her neck and gently kissed her there. She opened her eyes and watched him in the mirror as he continued leaving light kisses from her jaw line to her right shoulder, where he gently pushed down the strap of her tank top and let his lips linger there softly. His touches weren't sexual, rather they were comforting and reassuring. He looked into the mirror and they locked eyes, blue on blue, and she smiled at him, silently thanking him for being there for her. She turned in his arms slowly and wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her gently and held her close. Cuddy sighed into his chest and murmured to him softly.
"I've missed you so much," she said.
House buried his nose in her hair and lost himself in the warmth of her body. He leaned down and whispered to her, "I've missed you too."
They held each other for awhile until House looked over to check the level of the bathwater and noticed it was near the top.
"Cuddy?"
"Hmm," she murmured into his chest.
"Tub's full."
"Mmm hmm."
"Come on lazy, let's get you in it. You need some help?"
"I think I'll be okay. Just hurts to move."
"Gonna be that way awhile."
"I know, it just sucks."
"I'll give you some privacy so you can get in," he said, turning towards the door.
"You've seen me naked before."
"True, but...," he smirked and looked down, tapping his cane on the hardwood floor.
She smiled at him, understanding. "Ever the gentlemen aren't you?"
He smirked at her. "Don't let that get around, you'll ruin my rep."
"Go on," she pushed him towards the door. "Bring me the baby monitor, please."
While House was gone to retrieve the monitor, Cuddy undressed slowly, thankful she didn't have a bra on as it would have been painful to unhook it. She laid her clothes on the sink and stepped into the large tub. The water was hot at first and she stood there letting her legs adjust to the temperature. Slowly she sat down and then leaned back against the wall. She was immersed up to her neck in very warm water scented with sandalwood bath beads and Epsom salt for her sore muscles. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the water permeating her skin, easing the soreness of her muscles and joints. She heard a knock at the door.
"Come in."
"How does it feel?" House asked as he laid the baby monitor on the floor next to the tub. He didn't miss an opportunity to look her over, noticing the suds covered her in all the right places.
"It feels great, thanks so much." Cuddy blushed when she noticed the way he looked at her.
"You need anything?"
"No, I'm okay for now, thanks. Why don't you go ahead and make your calls? I'll let you know if I need help, I promise."
"Okay," he said. Before he left, he turned around to look at her. They locked eyes for a moment. Cuddy just nodded at him letting him know she would be fine by herself for a little while. He nodded and smiled, then turned around and limped out of the bathroom. Cuddy sunk back into the tub and closed her eyes and relaxed.
House had calls to make and he needed some time alone to think so he went outside to the back patio, avoiding the kitchen where Arlene and Rachel were busy with breakfast. He took a seat in the lounge chair so he could stretch his leg out and he placed the baby monitor on the table next to him as he'd done last time. It was a cool morning; he took a breath of fresh air trying to comprehend all the things that had happened over the last few days.
His leg hurt more than usual and he knew he needed to get back to physical therapy soon. He didn't want to let on to Cuddy how much it hurt because he knew she would blame herself. Right now he wanted the focus to be on her getting better so she could resume her life. Resume her life. House thought about that. Once she was back to normal she wouldn't need him anymore, there would be no reason to stay. When he first arrived in Boston he was nervous but the past few days spent with Cuddy and Rachel felt like home to him, he didn't want to leave.
He sighed and took his cell phone out of his pants pocket; he had calls to make that couldn't wait. He dialed Foreman first.
"Eric Foreman."
"It's House."
"House, what the hell? We haven't heard from you in a few days."
"You do remember I'm on vacation right?"
"Yeah, but I thought for sure you'd check in with the team."
"Chase is in charge, he'll be fine."
"So what's up, you trying to reach the team?"
"Nope. Need some time off."
"You? Time off?" Foreman laughed. House never took time off. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, I just need some time."
"How much?"
"A week, maybe more, don't know yet."
"You okay?"
"Yeah, so do I get it or not?"
"Listen...House...I've known you a long time, it's not like you to just take off. Anything you wanna talk about?"
"What are you, my shrink? Oh wait, I have one of those."
Foreman sighed, battling wits with House that early in the morning wasn't on his agenda. "Okay fine, do what you gotta do. Just keep in touch."
"You've got my cell, call me if you need me."
"House..." Foreman paused a moment. "You sure you're alright?"
"Yep. Nothing I can't handle."
"Okay, guess I'll see you in a week or so. Keep your cell phone on just in case."
"Yeah, bye." House flipped his phone shut. He hated asking Foreman for anything. It still bothered him that his former lackey was now his boss, at least temporarily. Foreman let him get away with a lot but still…it just felt strange for him to have to ask Foreman permission for anything.
House looked at his watch and noted Cuddy had been in the bath about fifteen minutes. He wouldn't disturb her for another fifteen minutes or so, he wanted her to have some time to relax. At the moment, he had a tougher phone call to make, to his psychiatrist. He hadn't seen Nolan in a week and so much had happened, he wasn't sure where to begin. He dialed the all-too familiar number but instead of the man, he got Nolan's voice mail. He nearly hung up until he realized he needed to let Nolan know everything was alright so far.
"It's House, listen I won't be seeing you Tuesday, I'm still in Boston...staying a little longer...Cuddy was in an accident, she's okay but I'm helping her out. I know...can you believe it? She actually wants me here. Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid...or at least I'll try not to. I'm on my cell phone...if you want to call me. Later."
House ended the call and pondered Nolan's reaction to the news that he was staying in Boston with Cuddy. Nolan had been completely supportive of him getting his life together but he wouldn't expect that House and Cuddy would find a way to move forward, not after everything that happened. A thought entered House's mind, that maybe he had changed and that maybe Cuddy had changed too. This thought didn't integrate well with his philosophy. For years he insisted people don't change and yet after everything that had happened, here he was...in Boston...with Cuddy, not only getting along with her and trying to help her but he was also forming a bond with Rachel.
House leaned his head back against the lounge chair and just listened to the quiet that surrounded him. He didn't like change; in fact it scared him to death, though he'd never admit it to anyone. He sighed to himself and wondered what he had gotten himself into. His mind flashed back to the moment he found out Cuddy had been in an accident. He remembered that feeling of dread, like someone had ripped his heart out. It was the same feeling he had when she broke up with him, it was complete and utter emptiness and it was the very reason he'd avoided relationships for so long, it hurt too much to love. In the few days he'd spent with Cuddy and Rachel, he found himself getting attached to them all over again and it made him wonder if he'd made the right choice.
At that moment, he heard the soft voice of the woman he'd been thinking about, coming through the baby monitor.
"House? You there?"
He smiled at the sound of her voice. He had no idea if he could overcome all of the pain and misery he'd lived with for so many years but he had to keep trying. There was a beautiful, intelligent and vibrant woman calling his name from the bathtub and he found himself becoming more attached to her and her precocious little girl once again. He picked up the baby monitor.
"I'm here," he replied to her. I'm here. He grabbed his cane and leaned forward pushing himself out of the lounge chair and went back into the house.