A/N: I apologize for the two-week delay in publishing this chapter, I have been so busy. A longer fic takes more time to write because I've got to think about how I want to continue it. I have ideas of where I want to go but I don't have the fic laid out from start to finish as so many others do. Because I needed some time to think about this one, I took a slight break to write my short post-Ignorance is Bliss fic titled, "I just want you to be happy" which I started on Thanksgiving Day and concluded last night.

I find writing short fics re-energizes me and helps me in continuing the longer one. I'm still trying to decide if I will write this particular story one long fic or end it at an appropriate moment and then write a continuation of it in a new fic. I'm still thinking about that and getting feedback about it.

Oh by the way—I just realized I began this fic on December 3, 2011! Can you believe it's been one year already?

I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's now Wednesday and we are nearing the day when Cuddy returns to work and House returns to Princeton. I know, what will happen to our favorite couple when they part again?

After dropping Rachel off at school that morning, House and Cuddy stopped for breakfast at The Friendly Toast before embarking on their mission for the day, which was to find Cuddy a new car. House had been nagging her about it and considering she was going back to work in a few days, she finally resigned herself to the task. They took a seat in a booth towards the back. Neither had made mention of what took place in Cuddy's bedroom earlier that morning.

"You okay?" He noticed she seemed a little quiet in the car.

"Yeah."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing," she said casually.

"You used the word oh which means you hesitated, you're lying."

"I'm not."

"So you're brooding about absolutely nothing."

"I'm not brooding."

"I'm the king of brooding, trust me, I know. Spill it."

"You're an ass."

"Tell me something I don't already know. Try again," he said sarcastically.

"Fine. I was thinking about what happens when I go back to work next week."

"Are you expecting something to happen?"

"No, it's just that I've gotten used to things being different."

"You mean my being here?"

"Yeah."

"Oh come on you love your job."

"I like my job. But when I go back to work, everything changes."

"What you're really wondering here is what happens with us."

"I guess. I like having you here."

"I like being here.

"But you have a life in Princeton."

"I have a job in Princeton."

"And you have Wilson."

"If I fold him just the right way, he fits nicely into a suitcase," he said with a smirk.

Cuddy raised an eyebrow. "I think he might disagree with that."

He grinned, enjoying their banter.

"Have you given much thought about the offer?" She asked.

"I've been a little preoccupied."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I've thought about it."

"So?"

"It's a good deal but they never gave me a salary figure."

"They're getting a world renowned diagnostician to lecture; I think it'll be more than satisfactory."

"We," he waved his finger between the two of them, "never discussed living arrangements."

She looked down and started stirring her coffee. "No, I guess we haven't."

"It's bound to come up sooner or later."

"Would you like to stay with us?"

"You sure about that? I mean…what are we?"

"I thought you hated labels."

"After what almost happened this morning, I need to know."

She sighed. "We do have a lot to talk about don't we?"

"I hate talking but for you I make an exception."

"I appreciate that. Just so you understand I don't expect miracles overnight."

"I don't believe in miracles."

She smiled and rolled her eyes at him.

"Are you going to be okay with me going back to Princeton?" His voice filled with concern, not just for her but himself too. He wasn't looking forward to the trip home.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She'd been trying not to think of it. "Yeah."

"You don't sound okay."

"I think I finally figured out while I do alone just fine, it's not much fun."

House reached across the table and took her hand and looked into her eyes, hoping to convey his understanding. He knew better than anyone about how difficult it was being alone. Then, to lighten the mood a bit, he changed the subject and said, "Come on Cuddles; let's go find you a car."

Hours later, House and Cuddy had left the dealership just outside Boston, dropped House's car off at her house and were in Cuddy's new Volvo on their way to pick up Rachel early from school. House was still reeling over Cuddy's expertise in the area of automobile negotiations. He knew she was awesome in the boardroom and the bedroom and apparently in the showroom, she was just as magnificent and in control. She'd gone in knowing exactly what she wanted, with a pre-approved draft from her credit union and made them an offer they couldn't refuse. She'd done her homework too. It was the end of the month and they were behind in meeting their sales quota. She'd researched their competitor and in no uncertain terms told the manager, was being a class-A dick, that she had no problem going to said competitor if they couldn't meet her demands. House sat back smiling the entire time, marveling in an area of her negotiating experience he had never witnessed until that moment. When they left the dealership she had a brand new car thirty-five hundred dollars under invoice and they'd even thrown in four floor mats, cruise control, window tinting and a navigation system, all at no cost.

"When do I get to drive?" He whined from the passenger seat.

"House, you haven't let me drive anywhere since the accident, I need to get back into it again you know."

"You're just hogging the new car all for yourself."

Cuddy chuckled at him. "Well it is my car."

"I'm hurt." As if that would work with her.

"Oh shut up." she teased.

"You know I find what you did in there a huge turn-on." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"You don't say?"

"Of course the low cut sweater surely helped." He leered at her and then suddenly a light bulb went off. "You did it on purpose didn't you?" He eyed her suspiciously.

Cuddy didn't reply, she just smirked as she stared at the road ahead.

"Oh my God, you did! You used your feminine wiles to get your way."

"I did not!" She exclaimed. "Besides, if I had, you shouldn't be shocked, after all it used to work on you."

"It did not."

"Did too. You were putty in my hands and you know it."

"So you would have slept with them to get what you wanted?"

"If that's what it took," she said, winking at him.

He shook his head. "I am so in the wrong business."

By the time they finished errands and ended up at Rachel's school it was raining hard. Cuddy pulled into the circular drive and up to the curb where the children were huddled with their teachers. Rachel stood with her teacher and the rest of the class towards the back of the group.

"Stop the car, I'll go get her," he said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, with the rain and all these cars it might be safer."

"Thanks." She smiled at him. It still amazed her how he was willing to do little things for her he'd never have done in the past. Or maybe he had, she thought, and I just didn't notice. She frowned at the thought that House had done so much more than she had given him credit for. She vowed to make sure she showed her appreciation this time around.

House got out of the car and was pummeled by the downpour. He limped over to where Rachel stood huddled with her teacher and classmates. She spotted him immediately.

"Hows!" She exclaimed happily.

"Hey monkey, you ready to go?" He asked, shaking the water from his hair.

"You're gonna get wet."

"So are you, come on," he reached for her hand.

Rachel's teacher looked up at him before allowing Rachel to go with him. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met."

"He's Hows!" Rachel said, looking up at her teacher.

"I'm Dr. Gregory House." In an unusual move he extended his hand to the teacher, which she took as she introduced herself to him.

"Where's Dr. Cuddy?" She asked politely.

House pointed to the car, and at that moment, Cuddy had rolled down the passenger side window and waved to the teacher, who immediately recognized her and let Rachel go.

"I hope you understand Dr. House, we can't be too careful these days."

"No problem. Come on kid, let's go," he said. Holding his cane in one hand and Rachel's hand with the other, they proceeded to make their way over to the car. House opened the door for Rachel and buckled her in and he closed the door and got in himself.

"God, you both are soaked to the bone."

"Well, duh that's what happens when it rains." He looked back at Rachel who giggled at him. Cuddy just shook her head at them both.

"Mommy, I played piano again today."

"You did?"

"Uh huh. My teacher said I was so good I could play a recycle."

Cuddy looked at House and mouthed to him, "recycle?" She looked confused.

House thought about it a minute and chuckled. "You mean recital, kid?" He asked turning his head to look at her. He saw her head go up and down as she smiled.

He looked back at Cuddy who had a look of pride on her face. "My baby girl at a recital? But she's so young."

"Never too young to be a prodigy."

Cuddy suddenly looked serious. "I wish she got it from me but I'm definitely not musically talented."

"Didn't we talk about this already? She gets a lot of other things from you that are just as good, if not better. Stop beating yourself up over it."

"I know but-"

"No buts. It is what it is. Just appreciate it," he said, staring out the passenger side window. "Believe me when she's older it won't matter to her she didn't inherit some things from you, she'll just remember you were always there and always supportive."

Cuddy could have sworn she detected a note of sadness in his voice. She put her hand on his leg and smiled at him.

"Thanks."

"Oh don't thank me, I've got a reputation to uphold."

"I'm sure you'll find something completely insulting and asinine to say very soon."

"Don't you know it." He replied smugly.

That evening, Cuddy was preparing dinner and House was in the living room with Rachel, listening to her talk about her piano lessons. She could hear the two of them, mostly it was Rachel giggling at something House had said. She loved the way he was bonding again with Rachel and wondered how her daughter would react when she told her that he was leaving again. She was slicing tomatoes when two arms came up behind her and hugged her. She felt his breath in her neck and smiled.

"Watch it, I've got a knife."

"Oooh I love dangerous Cuddy."

She laughed at him and kept slicing, his arms still around her. "You're so good with her."

"Who? The rugrat? Oh, it's nothing. She's a good kid."

"Yeah she is. I never gave you enough credit with her before. You let her do things I'd never let her do and I was so worried it would have a negative effect when all you were doing was having fun. In the end, it brought you two closer together."

"Hey you said it yourself; I'm just a big kid."

"That you are."

He moved from behind her and grabbed a slice of tomato of the bowl. he stood at the island watching her prepare the salad.

"So, what are you doing Friday night?" He asked out of the blue.

She looked at him in surprise. "I have no idea. Why?"

"Wanna go out with me?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Uh no...I'm asking you if you wanna go out with me on Friday night."

"What do you have up your sleeve?"

"Nothing. Now, do you have plans Friday night?"

"I was going to wash my hair," she said sarcastically.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yep."

"That's it. You're not gonna press me on it?"

"Nope."

Cuddy was annoyed by House's knowing smirk. "You do know I'm not really washing my hair."

"I know."

"Then why do you do this?"

"What?" He asked innocently.

"Play these games. You know damn well I don't have plans, I never have plans. Now, let me ask you. Do you have plans Friday night?"

"Yep."

"Doing what?"

"Well, I don't know if I want to tell you."

"House."

"Fine. I'm taking you out."

"Well, duh." She rolled her eyes. "I mean, where are we going?"

"Poker game."

"What?" She gave him a look of disbelief.

"Damn Cuddy, I'm kidding. It's a surprise. You okay with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, one, I'm not good at the whole dating thing and two, I didn't want to move things too fast."

"After this morning I would have thought a date was actually slowing things down." She looked down, as if she was embarassed. Her cheeks flushed.

"I just want you to be comfortable with everything."

"You know that if I wasn't, you'd know it."

She went back to what she was doing and House walked around behind her again. This time he put his hand over hers as she sliced the tomatoes, his hand guiding hers. His touch sent vibes of electricity through her fingers and him standing so close to her sent a shiver up her spine, which he felt. No words were necessary as they worked together, hand over hand, gently slicing vegetables for the salad. Once finished, she set the knife down gently and turned to him, her eyes locking with his. They could both feel the energy that drew them together. House placed his hands on her hips and gently pulled her to him. Cuddy kissed him on the corner of his mouth and held it there a moment as she caressed his stubbled face with her hands. It was meant to convey to him how much she trusted him and to House that meant the world, especially with everything they'd been through. He wanted so badly for her to trust him again. With eyes closed, they leaned their foreheads together. Neither spoke, but then again with them, words were not necessary.

When they parted, she smiled at him and asked, "How about I give Sharon a call later and see if she'd like Rachel to spend the night with Hannah on Friday?"

House looked down at her and cocked an eyebrow. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

Cuddy smiled up at him. "Maybe. We don't have much time together before you go."

"I'm not that kind of guy you know, I can't just be treated like a piece of meat." He feigned disgust.

"Well, okay, if that's what you wish," she said slapping him on the arms and then walking over to the oven. She bent over to take the casserole out, giving him a nice view of her ass. His eyes widened. He could have sworn she wiggled it just for him.

"You're a tease," he said, still staring at her ass.

"Shut up and take the salad into the dining room."

House picked up the salad in his cane free hand, gave a manly grunt and limped out of the kitchen, shouting over his shoulder, "Woman, you are insufferable!" Behind him, he heard Cuddy's unmistakeable laugh. He smiled to himself, loving the fact that after everything they'd been through, he could still make her laugh. At that moment, he once again silently thanked an entity he did not believe in for the chance he'd been given to make things right and be with her again.

Thanks for reading! I expect to publish another chapter next weekend. Also, I may start another short fic soon, for fun and perhaps for inspiration.