A/N: My goal is still to publish a chapter a week but if I can, I'll do two. It depends on my muse and if I can get the editing done in a reasonable amount of time. I like to have a few future chapters written and ready for editing when I publish the next one.

Thank you to the lovely friends I have who love Huddy as much as I do! I enjoy our discussions. Also thanks to Cherokee Jedi for our discussion the other night about where I wanted this chapter to go. That conversation resulted in a bit of editing which worked out nicely. This was going to be a much longer chapter but the ending I have here seemed most appropriate.

Picks up where last chapter left off...Friday.

When Wilson left, Cuddy closed the door behind him and locked it. She eyed her laptop and then looked down the hall towards House's bedroom. She could spend her time working on email or take a nap with the two people who meant the most to her in the world. The decision was a no-brainer. She set her laptop on the coffee table and walked quietly down the hallway. She reached House's bedroom and opened the door and heart skipped a beat as she took in the sight before her. House was on top of the covers on his side and his arm covered Rachel, protectively. She crawled into bed opposite him, snuggling up to Rachel and wrapping her arm around her. Then she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"Mommy?"

"Mommy?"

"Shh kid, people sleeping," House grumbled from his side of the bed.

"I'm hungry!" Rachel whined a bit too loudly.

House grunted. "Inside voice, please."

"I'm hungry," she whispered.

"I'm tired," he replied.

"I'll get you something to eat," Cuddy said, waking slowly from her nap.

"Mommy, can I watch TV?"

"I suppose."

"Cartoons?" She asked sweetly.

"Actually," House said. "I've got something better."

Cuddy raised an eyebrow curiously.

He turned his face away from the pillow and looked at Rachel. "How about Ice Age?"

"Yay!" Rachel said excitedly.

Cuddy stared at him. "I thought you lost it."

"I thought I did too but it turns out I never took it back to the video store. Bastards made me pay for it," he said into his pillow.

"House, language!" Cuddy gave him a stern look.

House groaned and rolled over, then he sat up and rubbed his leg.

Cuddy sensed House needed some privacy. "Come on Rach," she said. "I'll put the movie in for you." She got out of bed and took Rachel to the bathroom and then into the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets and fridge, annoyed that she couldn't find anything decent for them to eat. A few minutes later after she'd popped a bag of popcorn and put the DVD in for Rachel, Cuddy entered the bedroom again.

"How bad is it?" She asked, standing in the doorway watching House massage his thigh.

"About an eight. I damn near had this under control till that asshole kicked me."

"Do you want your pills?" She asked as she stood in front of him.

House didn't reply, he just kept rubbing his leg. He didn't want her to see him as needy.

"Please, talk to me. You've been acting different. Tell me what's going on."

House finally looked up at her with slightly red, tired eyes. Cuddy sensed his hesitation.

"I'm proud of you for working so hard to manage your pain but I realize now...that there are times that it hurts so bad that you have to take something. I think now is one of those times, don't you?"

House was conflicted and still mulling over what happened at the hospital. But more than anything, he was tired of the pain so he finally relented.

"Top shelf of the medicine cabinet above the sink," he said, in a whisper.

Cuddy went into the bathroom and found the pills in the cabinet just where he said they would be. She returned with the bottle and a glass of water. "Here," she said offering it to him. He took the bottle and shook out one pill then swallowed, chasing it with the entire glass of water.

"What? No dry swallowing?" She joked.

He handed her the bottle and the empty glass. "No. I take it seriously now," he said dryly.

Cuddy nodded her head in understanding. She supposed he had to change all of his old habits when it came to taking pain pills. She set the glass on the nightstand and sat on the bed next to him.

"Do you want to talk?"

"About?"

"Anything. What happened at the hospital. What you -"

"No," he interrupted abruptly. Then he got up from the bed slowly, grabbed his cane and limped out. Cuddy noticed he was slightly unsteady. She lay back on the bed and put her hands over her face and cried. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to try to get him to talk and yet she wanted to give him his space. It frustrated her that just when things were getting better, they managed to get worse. Finally, she dried her eyes and went into the living room where House and Rachel sat at opposite ends of the couch watching the movie.

Cuddy took a seat on the lounge chair. She clasped her hands together and rubbed her fingers nervously. "Nolan called before you got home."

"He did?" House asked without even looking away from the television.

"Yes, he'd been trying to get a hold of you on your cell phone but couldn't. He figured he'd leave a message here."

"You talked to him?" He looked at her curiously.

"Yes."

"What did he want?"

"He wondered if you were planning to meet him Tuesday for your regular appointment."

House nodded. "Did you tell him what happened?"

"Yeah." Cuddy bit her lip and House knew she had something on her mind.

"And?"

"Well...he invited me to join your session," she said in a low voice. "That is, if you're okay with it."

House looked away but didn't reply. It seemed like he was thinking about it. Cuddy was frustrated by his behavior and so she decided she needed to get away from him for a while to think. She picked her cell phone and threw it in her purse, then grabbed her keys. House watched her but didn't say a word.

"Where you going mommy?"

"There's no food here so I need to go shopping."

"Just order take-out," he said.

"We can't live on crap all weekend," she replied sarcastically. "Will you watch Rachel for me?"

"Do you really have to ask?" He asked with an annoyed expression.

"Sorry. I just know -"

He interrupted before she could finish. "Just go. She'll be fine."

While Cuddy was gone, House and Rachel sat on the couch snacking on popcorn from the same bowl and watching the movie. They both had their feet on the coffee table, legs crossed exactly the same, right over left.

"Hows?" Rachel asked, her mouth full of popcorn.

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna come see mommy and me again?"

House looked down at her. "I don't know."

"Are you sad?"

"No." In reality he was sad and very confused.

"You sound sad."

"Just watch your movie, kid."

Rachel turned back to the television but kept talking. "I like when you come to our house."

"Yeah?" House seemed surprised at her admission.

"Mmm hmm." She nodded and looked up at him again. "I miss watching pirates with you."

He let out a sad sigh. "I miss it too."

"Will you come to our house for good?"

Instead of replying to her, he just grabbed a fistful of popcorn and shoved it in his mouth.

"Hows?" She asked again.

"What?"

"Don't you like us?"

"Sure I do."

"Then why can't you come live with us?" Rachel asked innocently.

"It's not that simple."

"But why?"

"It just isn't."

Rachel scooted over and snuggled against his side. She looked up at him with those big eyes and her face stuffed with popcorn and House couldn't help but grin at her. He was still amazed that she liked him as much as she did. He liked...no he loved that little girl because she made him smile and feel better about himself. She liked him for who he was and she loved him unconditionally. He never thought he could love a child and yet he did.

"Hey kid, I have to make a phone call. You stay here okay?"

"Okay."

House pushed himself off the couch and into the kitchen. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. On the other end, a voice answered.

"Daryl Nolan."

"Hey, it's House."

"Greg, good to hear from you."

"Yeah, listen...I need to talk to you about something."

Cuddy sat on a bench at one of her favorite places, the jogging park at the hospital. She'd taken a detour from House's apartment, needing some time to herself to think before going shopping and heading home. Looking around the grounds, which were beautifully manicured and dotted with joggers or people enjoying a picnic, she remembered the many times she spent there. Sometimes she'd go there to have lunch by herself, other times she chased House down as he was trying to escape her wrath. Every now and then, when they were dating, they'd have lunch out there together, away from the prying eyes of the hospital staff.

She looked at her watch and then pulled out her cell phone and dialed a familiar number. A voice on the other end picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's me."

"Hey. Are you still in Princeton?" Sharon asked.

"Yeah."

"You sound down, what's wrong, hon?"

Cuddy broke down, unable to respond coherently.

"Oh Jesus, what in hell happened?"

Cuddy didn't respond right away and Sharon knew to let her friend have some time to get it out. Sharon whispered reassuring words to her friend as she let out her tears. Finally, Cuddy wiped her eyes and leaned back on the bench. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly and told Sharon what happened.

"The police came to talk to House about the incident in the clinic. One of the officers recognized me...he'd been at my house the night House drove his car into it."

"Oh no."

"Oh yeah. He was surprised to see me there with House. Then he asked to see me privately and proceeded to lecture me about what happens to women who return to their abusers."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him House never abused me...that he wasn't in his right mind when he drove his car into my house. I told him I've known him for over twenty years, that I know him better than anyone. I think he thought I was making excuses. Finally he let it go and left. When I went back into House's room, he was acting strange and that's when I knew he'd heard everything."

"Shit."

"He told me it was a mistake to come here to see him and that he thought we should go back to Boston. Then he asked what we were going to tell Rachel when she was older...about what happened. And then he insisted the things he'd said to me for years were abuse. Sharon, he and I both have said some pretty nasty things to one another over the years but I never considered anything he ever said as abuse. House was a man protecting himself from pain by doing whatever he could to push others away, it was his defense mechanism. Honestly...there were times I did the same."

"So, did you get through to him?"

"No. Finally, I just...I needed to get away and give us both some time. I took Rachel and went back to House's apartment. When Wilson brought him home later, he looked really tired and didn't say a word. Instead he just went straight to bed. I took a nap with him and Rachel and when he woke up I thought everything would be okay but he still won't talk to me about what's on his mind. Here I thought I was the one who would have the hardest time dealing with things but I'm actually handling it better. Sharon, I thought when I forgave him it would make things better for him and for us."

"That was an important part of it, especially for you to be able to move on but it seems he hasn't forgiven himself. From what you've told me he's got a lot of baggage he carries around, much of which has nothing to do with you. He's going to need to deal with it in order to move on."

"So is it normal that one moment we're fine and making progress and talking about things and the next he's done a reverse?"

"Yes, it's perfectly normal to take steps back. Things happen that make us doubt ourselves and when you're in a fragile state and hurt it doesn't take much to change course. The good thing is he can and will take steps forward again. House has you and Rachel, James, and other people who care about him. He is loved more than he knows. Show him that he is loved and needed and wanted. Show him he is deserving of love and kindness and forgiveness. By the way, is he still seeing his therapist?"

"Yeah, he is and I can tell it's helping him." Cuddy remembered the phone call with Nolan. "Speaking of his therapist, Nolan called before House got home and I talked to him. He wants me to sit in on their session next week."

"Really?"

"Yes. I told him but he didn't say anything about it. I hope he'll agree. I think it could be good for us."

"It could be. I think with all you guys have been through over the years, maybe having you both in the same room talking with a professional would be good. Just remember, if he isn't ready for it, don't push him. It's huge to bring someone else into your therapy session. He needs to do it when he's ready."

"I know. I hope he will because I know it can help him...both of us. We both have a lot to work on but I feel like we can do it so much better together. Even with all the shit we've been through we do make each other better, we are stronger together. I want so much for him to be able to let go of the shit eating away at him so he can finally be happy. I know he wants it, he admits he wants it. If only he could get rid of that weight he carries with him every single goddamn day."

"He will Lisa. Just be there for each other. Continue what you're doing. Talk about everything, be encouraging and supportive of one another. Don't push each other away and don't give up."

Cuddy smiled on her end. What would I do without her? She thought.

"Sharon, you're a great friend."

"So are you. You feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I am."

Cuddy returned to House's apartment nearly three hours later. After her hour-long trip to the hospital park where she'd been able to regroup thanks to her conversation with her best friend, she headed to get some shopping done. By the time she returned home, she was in a much better mood. She took a deep breath and entered the apartment where she found House and Rachel playing cards on the coffee table. They were betting popcorn instead of money or poker chips. She shook her head and set the groceries on the kitchen island and went back out to her car. She returned with a box she placed next to the couch, then closed the door.

"What's that?" He asked pointing to the box.

"Air mattress."

"I thought we were going to let Wilson get that."

"I think we make enough money that we can afford an air mattress."

"What's this we? She's your kid."

"From the looks of things," she pointed to the table where Rachel was dealing cards to House. "It seems that she's picking up your bad habits."

"Hey, she needs to know how to put on a good poker face. I've learned it comes in handy." House smirked at her and she was relieved that he seemed to be in a lighter mood.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and walked back into the kitchen. At least he was talking to her. That was a start.

"Hey are you gonna blow that thing up?"

"No."

"But you've got such mad blowing skills."

"House!"

"What? You should be proud!"

"It comes with a mini-compressor. It's in the box." She pointed at the box leaning against the couch and as she turned to go into the kitchen she looked down at the coffee table, covered in popcorn and cards. She shook her head, which did not go unnoticed by House.

"Remember when we used to play?" He asked with a sly grin.

Cuddy blushed as she was reminded of the times they played cards in the confine of her bedroom when Rachel was asleep. Banter would ensue and things soon got physical and the two of then ended up naked and panting among the sheets, cards long abandoned and strewn all over the bed and the floor.

"Do me a favor and blow that thing up then come help me with dinner," she said over her shoulder as she walked into the small kitchen.

House looked at Rachel who was attempting to shuffle the cards. "Tell me you're not going to be bossy like her when you grow up."

Rachel just picked up a handful of popcorn from her bowl and shoved it into her mouth as she looked up at him and smiled.

Not long after she put the groceries away, Cuddy sat at a barstool in front of the kitchen island watching House slice vegetables julienne style.

"I thought you were going to help me prepare dinner," she said.

"I am."

"No...you're doing it all."

"You are doing something. You're watching and learning."

Cuddy opened her mouth to reply but House stuck a piece of carrot in her mouth to silence her.

"You were gone awhile," he said, changing the subject.

Cuddy finished chewing on her carrot. "I made a few stops."

House knew she needed some time away from him. He continued chopping again and out of the corner of his eye he saw Cuddy bite her bottom lip which she always did when she was anxious about something.

"How long were you planning to stay?" He asked, out of the blue.

She hadn't expected that question. "Well...I figured we'd probably leave Tuesday morning. Why?"

"I thought you might want to go to therapy with me on Tuesday and then...Philadelphia."

Cuddy felt an overwhelming sense of relief and wanted to jump for joy but tried not to make a big deal out of it.

"Okay," she said.

"Good," he replied.

It was as simple as that. She thought he'd fight her on it but he actually wanted her there. Her thoughts drifted to all the things Nolan might want to talk about during the session.

As if House could read her mind, he stopped chopping and glanced over at her and said, "Stop thinking so much. It'll be fine."

Thanks for reading! I really do like where this story is headed. My muse has taken over... :P