A/N: Thanks to everyone for the comments, I really appreciate them. Thanks to DrDiagnostic for the music discussion and also to Cherokee Jedi who took a peek at this days ago and who told me to get my ass off Twitter and get this thing edited and posted.

I've got a third of the next chapter done. I'm trying to get two chapters ahead. I will post again soon. Weekly updates at the longest, but maybe another extra chapter sometime this week!

We're moving right along here. It's Saturday morning in Boston.

House groaned and turned over on his back, his arm falling on the other side of the bed, which he found empty. He raised himself up and looked over at the clock which read six-thirty. He supported his leg as he swung it over the side of the bed. As he rubbed his unshaven face, he listened for any signs of life. There were none. He assumed Rachel was sleeping and Cuddy was busy with her morning yoga. He rubbed his thigh which hurt like hell. He knew he needed to get some therapy in soon. He grabbed his cane and pushed himself off the bed. After taking care of business in the bathroom, he ambled into the living room, first passing Rachel's room and noticing upon looking in that she wasn't there. He smelled coffee and limped into the kitchen and found a note on the counter in front of the pot.

"Ran to the store, be back in a few. There's coffee. -C"

He smirked and put the note in the pocket of his pajama pants, then poured himself some coffee and sat at the breakfast nook with the newspaper that had been placed there for him. He was absorbed in his reading for a few minutes when he heard voices near the back door. Before he could get up to open the door, Cuddy already had her key in the lock. She pushed it open and let Rachel in first, encouraging her daughter to keep her voice down in case House was still asleep. Upon entering the kitchen they noticed him sitting here.

"Howse, you're up!" Rachel placed her smaller bag on the chair at the breakfast nook and ran over to give House a hug. This took him by surprise and he welcomed her in his arms as he looked up at Cuddy, who just shrugged her shoulders.

"I missed you last night," she said.

He rubbed her hair. "I missed you too, kid."

Cuddy thought it might be a good time to talk to House. "Rach, why don't you watch cartoons while I make breakfast?"

"Okay mommy," Rachel said as she ran out of the kitchen.

Cuddy closed the back door behind her and took off her coat. "It's cold out there," she said as she hung it on the hook next to the door.

House grunted his acknowledgement and kept reading the paper. There was tension in the air and he desperately wanted to say something but he couldn't. He wanted to apologize to her for his accusations last night but something prevented him. He knew what he wanted to say and yet the thoughts refused to manifest themselves into words.

Meanwhile, Cuddy put away the groceries as she thought about the right words to apologize to him for their fight. Talking to Sharon last night really helped her put things in perspective and when she looked at the situation from House's point of view, things fell into place and she understood better why he'd been so upset. Apologies weren't easy for her but she wanted to do the right thing. She and House had been doing so well and she didn't want the rest of his very short visit to be wasted being angry at one another. But just as she was going to finally say something, sounds of piano music could be heard in the other room.

"Sounds like my cue," House said suddenly, pushing himself from the table and limping into the living room leaving Cuddy to sigh sadly at their missed opportunity.

In the next room, House took a seat next to Rachel at the piano. "Hey rugrat."

"I not a rugrat."

"Yeah you are. I thought you were going to watch cartoons."

"Nah, I changed my mind."

"Wanna play something for me?"

"Okay" she said, nodding her head. She placed her fingers on the piano and began to play. At first House was amused by her stern look of concentration, but as she took her time warming up, being deliberate about her motions, she seemed to relax though her eyes were firmly focused on what she was doing. As she played Beethoven's Fur Elise, he was in awe of her ability to play it without sheet music. The tune brought back memories of his childhood for Fur Elise was one of the first pieces his mother taught him as a child. The simplicity of it, its grace unrivaled, evoked emotions of calmness and felicity within him.

As House and Rachel sat at the piano, Cuddy quietly stepped out of the kitchen and leaned against the doorway watching them, their backs to her as they sat close together. It warmed her heart to see her two favorite people in the world sitting next to each other sharing something that was extremely important to both of them-music. She watched and listened to their interaction.

Rachel played a bit more, though hesitant at times and then sighed in frustration as she took her fingers off the keys.

"Why'd you stop?" House asked.

"I keep messing up that part."

"Are you kidding? You did great, kid."

"I have to get this right cause I wanna play it at my recital."

"You've got a recital?"

"Uh huh. Next week. Can you come?" She looked at him with wide, pleading eyes.

"I don't know, I'll be back home." Honestly he had no idea if he could make it, he didn't have another lecture scheduled for two weeks. He didn't want to disappoint her by making a promise he couldn't keep.

Rachel pouted and House couldn't stand it when she did that. Finally he rolled his eyes and said, "I'll try but I can't promise."

She looked up at him beaming. "Okay!"

Cuddy watched them and tried not to laugh. She shook her head at how easily Rachel had House wrapped around her finger, though he would deny it. She thought about all the times early in their former relationship that she had worried House would not be a positive influence on Rachel and how very wrong she'd been about that.

"Now, if you want to have a good recital you have to keep practicing," he said.

"Will you play it for me?"

"Sure." As he began to play the same song for her, albeit more softly, he watched as she smiled and watched his fingers glide effortlessly across the keys. He thought it was a good time to discuss what happened the previous night. He was still unaware they were being watched.

"Did you sleep okay?" He asked, looking down at her.

"Yeah."

"No nightmares or anything?"

She shook her head no.

"Listen, you saw something last night that upset you, right? Me and your mom arguing?"

She shook her head yes.

"Wanna talk about it?"

She shrugged her shoulders."Mommy and I talked. I told her I don't like when you and her fight."

"I don't either kiddo but sometimes adults don't always agree and...they don't know how to handle their anger," he said as his fingers continued to glide over the keys.

"Mommy tells me when I get angry about something, I should try to think happy thoughts and the anger will go away."

Cuddy smiled when she heard this. Before Rachel had started school she sat down and talked to her about how to deal with kids in her class who might not always be nice to her.

"She did?"

"Uh-huh. Maybe you could do that."

House chuckled. "It's not that easy."

"But you could try, right?" She looked at him with those big expressive eyes. The way she looked at him and up to him made House want to do everything he could not to disappoint her.

"Yeah, I guess I could." He finished playing and took his hands off the keys and placed them in his lap. "Rachel, I'm really sorry I yelled at your mom. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry I made you cry."

"It's okay. Mommy told me you didn't mean it. She didn't either."

"Were you scared?"

"A little. I don't want you to leave."

"What would make you think I would?"

"Missy Thornton told me that her parents fight all the time, that's why her daddy moved out and didn't come back."

House hung his head. He hated that at such a young age, kids were having to deal with that kind of shit.

"Listen, your mom and I have known each other a really long time, you know that right?"

She nodded her head.

"We argue as a way of...communicating."

She looked at House confused.

"Your mom and I have always argued and we probably always will argue but sometimes we do it because...it's the only way we know how to talk to each other. But it doesn't mean we don't care about one another...or you."

Cuddy watched and her eyes filled with tears.

"Mommy says that people who love each other have fights."

"Well, she's right."

Rachel continued. "She said that sometimes they keep things in so they don't hurt each other and then all the sudden something happens and they 'splode."

He smirked. "They 'splode eh?"

"Uh huh."

"Can I trust you with a secret?"

"Yeah!" She looked at him excitedly. He knew she loved secrets.

"Your mom is one smart woman," he whispered. Cuddy wiped her eyes and went back into the kitchen.

House stretched his fingers out in front of him. "Now, mini-me, what else would you like to hear?"

The three enjoyed a rather quiet breakfast with little talk between House and Cuddy as they spent most of the time listening to Rachel go on about school, the museum, her friends, the recital and other things. Around ten o'clock Sharon stopped by to take Rachel with them to the park as they'd arranged the night before, mostly so House and Cuddy could have some time alone. House was on the phone with his team and Rachel was in her room getting her jacket.

"Thanks for doing this, Sharon."

"No problem, there's a magic show going on at the park and the girls will love it. You guys need some time alone right now."

"I'm glad we talked last night, it really helped me see some things clearly."

"I'm glad, hon." She squeezed Cuddy's arm. "Lisa, I'm going to stop at the store with the girls later to pick up dessert for tonight. Anything special?"

"About tonight..." Cuddy started, a bit apprehensive.

From the tone of her voice, Sharon caught on quickly and interrupted her. She put her hands up. "Say no more. You guys need some qualify family time. You and I can catch up next week. Listen, how much time do you need this morning?" She raised her eyebrow knowingly.

"We're just going to talk."

"Mmm hmm." She said matter-of-factly, then looked at her watch. I'll bring her back around one. That'll give you plenty of time to...talk."

Cuddy rolled her eyes just as Rachel bounded into the room. "I'm ready!" She yelled.

"Good, let's go. Hannah's waiting in the car."

Cuddy hugged Rachel before she bounded out the door ahead of Sharon who was still laughing at Cuddy. The house was quiet save for the muted conversation House was having with his team in the bedroom. Cuddy went back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up. She was nearly done when she heard the telltale thump of his cane behind her.

"Everything okay?" She asked without turning around.

"Yeah, Stevens is just being a pain in the ass but they're fine." He didn't really want to talk about the team at the moment. "Is the kid gone?"

"Yeah." She answered turning around, dishtowel in her hands. "Listen...I heard what you said to Rachel earlier. I wanted to thank you."

He tapped his fingers on the table nervously. "I felt bad the kid overheard what happened last night."

"Me too."

She put the dishtowel down and leaned on the kitchen island. "We should talk."

"Yeah," he replied quietly.

"Let's go in there," she nodded toward the living room. "I'll get us some coffee first." She got two clean mugs and filled them with coffee and topped with french vanilla creamer, then followed him into the living room. She set the mugs on the coffee table and they each took a seat at opposite ends of the couch facing one another.

"Cuddy-"

"House, wait." She interrupted with her hand up. "Let me go first."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry."

He gave her a slightly confused look.

"I took some time to see things from your point of view and I realized how that must have looked to you yesterday. Phil Resnick and I are only colleagues. He's a very nice guy and funny too but I had no intention of flirting with him and I'm sorry that it appeared that way."

He eyed her suspiciously. "You talked to Sharon didn't you?"

"How did you know?"

He shrugged. "I know you. Besides, I talked to Wilson."

Naturally, she thought. They both laughed.

"I'm sorry too," he said.

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong."

"For giving you the impression I didn't trust you."

"Do you...trust me?"

"Of course I do." He tried to reassure her.

"I'd never cheat on you."

"I know that."

"Then what made you feel that way yesterday?"

House leaned back and stared at the ceiling a moment. "It's hard to explain. I'm still working through that feeling that everything's gonna come crashing down on me. I...there are times I wonder how you can love a guy who is in so much pain...who's as screwed up as me inside and out. And then there's this...fucking leg that stops me from being able to do normal things. I can't...do certain things with you...with Rachel."

Cuddy watched him sulk a little after that revelation.

"There's more to you than your leg."

"I know that, it's just...hey I can't help it sometimes."

"We all have pain, House. We're all screwed up and we all have shit we have to learn to live with. And your leg? I never loved you any less because of it. I never saw it as a weakness. The only thing about your leg that bothers me is the pain it causes you because when you hurt, I hurt. The thing is, I want to feel your pain, I want to help you through it. I don't ever want you to feel like you're going through it alone. House, I want you to know that I'm working on my issues too. It's not easy. I'm trying so hard not to think about what could happen and just enjoy what is happening but still I try to anticipate every possible outcome and how I'll deal with it ahead of time. I still feel the need to be prepared for the worst."

"Except we can't predict everything. As we've both learned," he said.

"Yeah."

"What scares you Cuddy? About us?" He asked unexpectedly.

She looked down and picked at her nail polish. "There are times I can't help but think about what happened in the days after we broke up. I never felt so alone and empty before and I couldn't deal with that again. I feel like if we fight one too many times, one of us is going to push the other away and then..." She drifted off not wanting to finish with the obvious.

House stepped in. "I need you to know that I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you. Those things I did when you broke up with me-"

She interrupted him because she knew what he was alluding to. "It wasn't the hookers that bothered me, I mean not them specifically, I was more upset that you had spiraled out of control after being sober so long and that you hadn't even given me a chance to regret my decision. I knew it was just sex, a way for you mask the pain. While I sat at home every single night crying miserably, trying to figure out how to deal with it, you were off trying not to feel anything."

He nodded his head slowly in agreement. "It hurt, you know that. I did that because...well...they were a distraction." He tapped his cane on the floor nervously.

"Yeah. Until..." She took a deep breath. She knew she had to bring it up. It was one of those things that further placed a wedge between them after the breakup, ensuring no chance of a reconciliation.

"That...woman you married."

House stopped tapping his cane and looked up at her. He knew this would come up eventually. It had to if they were ever going to really deal with the past and put it behind them. He never forgot the look of devastation he'd placed on her beautiful face that night.

"I'd hoped you would stop me," he said quietly.

"I almost did stop you but...I was hoping you'd do it yourself. I was hoping you were just pulling another one of your stupid stunts, that you were just bluffing."

"I was...but then...it was too late."

"Yeah, I know. Is it crazy that I had it in my head that you couldn't marry just anyone."

"I couldn't."

"You did."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. But that one hurt." She turned to him and put her hand over her heart. "I know she was just some dumb hooker...masseuse...what ever the hell she was...but it hurt so much for so many reasons."

"I didn't love her."

"I know that."

"Did you think I might fall in love with her?"

"No...I don't know. She was pretty."

"She wasn't you. She wasn't even close."

"Did you ever have sex with her?" She asked, looking up at him.

"No."

"Why?"

"I couldn't."

Cuddy looked at him confused. "But you had sex with hookers before."

House felt awkward. It still bothered him to even think about what he had done. What if I say the wrong thing? He asked himself. He pursed his lips in thought. Just tell her the truth.

"Because I was married to her."

When Cuddy looked at him puzzled, he went on to explain. "Having sex with your wife is supposed to be...special. She wasn't that to me. You were."

Her heart flipped. She believed him and she understood. "I wish I'd stopped you," she said sadly.

"I wish I'd never done it in the first place."

Cuddy nodded. "House, it's your turn. What is it about us that scares you?"

He looked at her thoughtfully. In the past, he would've done everything he could to evade the question. Now, he didn't want games, he just wanted honesty.

"It isn't anything specific. I don't even think it's you, it's more...the idea of happiness. It's just that I struggle with that idea that there's no such thing as real happiness, not long-term anyway. At times I feel like it's fleeting and useless to be happy about anything for any length of time because it's going to get ripped away. It just...it hurts too much to lose something that means so much to you."

Cuddy leaned forward and laid her hand on his left leg, which was now partially on the couch. "I know this goes farther back than Stacy and you've been working with Nolan but I want to help you however I can. Let me be there for you."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, thinking about his reply. "If something's wrong, just tell me. Don't beat around the bush, brood over it, withhold sex from me, or give me the silent treatment. I can't read your mind. I just need for you to tell me what's on your mind so I don't have to guess."

"Okay," she said, nodding up and down. "Can you do something for me in return?"

He looked at her curiously.

"Don't run away from me when something's wrong. I know you have a tendency to want to hide out to sort things out and I'm okay with that, but be honest with me and tell me you need to do that. Just tell me you need space and I'll be okay with it. I just want...I need you to talk to me."

He thought about her request for a moment before he replied. She understood and respected his need to get away and think on his own and so he owed it to her to give her consideration and respect in return.

"Okay."

She smiled in relief and took his hand. "I'm proud of you."

House was still not comfortable with praise but he was adjusting. He decided to change the subject. "Listen, while we're being honest and all...there's something you should know. I wanted to tell you earlier but we haven't really had a chance to talk. I went to see that guy, Jerry, the one who was in your house that day."

"I know."

"H-how?"

"Julia."

"Ahh, okay. You're not upset are you."

"Upset? Of course not. How did you feel about what you did?"

"Nervous. I had no idea how he'd take it."

"Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah. He accepted my apology but I'm sure he'll be happy if he never has to see me again."

Cuddy moved closer to him on the couch, their fingers stillentwined. "You'd be surprised, House. An apology, an honest apology that is sincere and heartfelt goes a long way."

"I'm not big on words."

"I know that too." She moved closer. "You're a man of...action." She took her left hand and cupped his jaw and brushed her lips against his. "But what you did...by going to him, makes me very happy. I am so proud of you House. Every day you deal with incredible pain and you fight to stay clean. You're working so hard to be the man you want to be but I need you to know that I love who you are at your core. I should've told you years ago but I was scared. I was scared that all the turmoil and pain in your life would become mine and I couldn't handle it, especially after Rachel came along. The thing is...I find myself wanting to face all that pain and turmoil with you. I feel like it can actually make us stronger, not weaker. I love that you want to change, but you need to know that I do love you for who you are. I love you more than I could ever say."

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. "So why don't you show me?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively before leaning forward and touching his lips gently to hers. Cuddy opened her mouth and accepted his tongue which caressed hers gently. The kiss became more heated and they kept at it until they couldn't breathe. House laid back on the couch panting a little and Cuddy settled herself on top of him. She could feel his hardness beneath her. His arms reached underneath her light cotton blouse and traveled up and down her back. The warmth of his hands sent chills up her spine as he caressed her.

As she laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat, he asked, "How long do we have?"

She chuckled and looked up at him. "A few hours. Sharon wanted us to have time to...talk."

"Is that what they call it nowadays?" He mused.

"Apparently." She raised herself off of him and stood up, holding her hand out to him. "Come on, I haven't had a shower yet this morning."

"You're not dirty."

"Are you sure?" She asked seductively.

Taking her cue, he nearly leaped off the couch. "I'm right behind you."

The streams of water drenched them in warmth. Cuddy leaned up on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around House's neck and drew his face down to hers and they kissed passionately. She moaned her approval as their tongues dueled for dominance. Neither cared about winning, at that moment it was just about satisfying their mutual need and longing for one another. They kissed with reckless abandon, holding each other tight, hands caressing, bodies close together, neither wanting to let go. They parted underneath the warm water and smiled at one another.

"Come on, let me wash you," she said.

Cuddy picked up the body wash and poured a generous amount on the washcloth. She ran the cloth over his shoulders and chest and up and down his arms. She washed underneath his arms and around his turned him around and told him to put his arms up against the wall. She ran the cloth over his neck and back and bent down and washed his ass cheeks, making sure to squeeze each one lightly before moving down the backs of his legs. His cock stood at attention at her intensely erotic movements. She hung the washcloth and used her bare hands to massage his back and shoulders, digging in deeply with her fingers. She moved down to his thighs, massaging first the left, then the right, taking care to be gentle with his scarred area but giving it a good massage. She smiled when she heard him groan with pleasure.

"That feels so good."

"I'm glad. You deserve it." She snuggled up against his back and wrapped her arms around his waist, her hands running over his chest. "How's your leg?" She asked.

"It's okay. Hurts." House turned around and pushed her gently up against the shower wall and kissed her again. He was so aroused, so full of passion and need, he nearly lifted her off her feet as he kissed her. He let her go and she let out a gasp. He picked up the body wash and cloth and went to work on her. He ran the cloth gently over her soft supple breasts, lingering over her hard, wet nipples. He pulled her close to him again and as she was pressed to his chest, he washed her back and massaged her ass cheeks with his hands, running his fingers down her crack, caressing the outer edge of her anal opening which made her shiver. His hardness pressed against her and between feeling how hard he was and the intense feeling of his hands working her over, she felt she would orgasm right there.

"You clean yet?" He asked. His leg needed a rest.

"Oh hell yeah," she said smiling up at him.

She turned around and turned off the faucets. They stepped out of the shower and grabbed their towels and began drying each other off, slowly and deliberately. They didn't speak, didn't kiss or touch except to dry one another. Afterwards, House took Cuddy's towel from her and threw them both in the hamper. He took her hand and led her into the bedroom.

The room was bathed in the warm glow of the morning sun. House sat on the bed and pulled Cuddy between his legs and snuggled his face against her bare stomach. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close, running her hands through his hair and massaging the muscles at the base of his neck. They stayed like that for several minutes, listening to each other's breathing, neither wanting to let the other go. House was the first to pull away. He looked up at her with an intense stare and the corners of his lips drew upward. Cuddy sensed by the way he looked at her that he was deep in thought.

"What?" She asked, blushing.

As he held her hips, his thumbs glided over her belly. "You're so beautiful."

"House," she said, her eyes misty. She looked away from him.

"Hey," he said, tilting her chin back towards him. "Don't cry."

He kissed her belly again and reached around and palmed the soft skin of her ass, holding her to him tightly. He put his face up against her and breathed in her scent. He could feel her nails massage his scalp and he always loved it when she did that. House kissed her belly once again before he pushed her away gently. He scooted himself albeit awkwardly up the middle of the bed, placing a few pillows between his back and the headboard with enough cushion to keep him upright. Then he motioned for her to join him.

Cuddy crawled like a tigress on hands and knees toward him. Her ass swayed in the air and her hair fell around her shoulders and he got goosebumps just watching her. She kissed the top of each of his feet as she moved toward him. She kissed his ankles and the inside of his knees as her lips worked their way up to his inner thighs. She gently drew her tongue up first the inside of his left thigh and then his right. She remained at his right thigh and kissed the palm of her left hand and placed it gently on his right thigh over his scar and held it there as she looked into his eyes. House swallowed the lump in his throat and felt his heart leap out of his chest when their eyes connected. He accepted this was her way of telling him that she accepted him completely.

She spread his legs wider and settled herself between them, running her hands up and down his thighs to his groin area. She took his already hard cock in her left hand and massaged it starting at the base and moving up the shaft to the tip, alternating hands and squeezing it gently. House bucked his hips to her ministrations and groaned loudly when Cuddy dropped one hand down to massage his balls and gently ran her finger up and down his perineum. House felt like he was losing his mind the way she touched him and he loved watching her enjoy herself with him.

"God...woman...what you do to me," he managed to get out as she tortured him and smiled devilishly. She bent down and ran her tongue around the tip of his shaft and then kissed it, sucking on the tip, running her tongue along the underside of it.

Suddenly, unable to take it much longer, he reached out and gently tugged at her arms and she moved further up on him, placing kisses on his stomach, sucking his nipples with her plump, wet lips. Finally, she straddled his lap, mindful of his right thigh and found a comfortable position. The room was slightly cold as the heat was off so she pulled the covers up behind her and over his legs and around them like a cocoon. They were both upright and facing each other. He reached up and ran his fingers through her long dark hair.

"I love your hair," he said. "I remember how kinky it was when I first met you." He threaded his fingers through it. "It was wild and out of control."

"God I remember that," she laughed.

"It fit your personality."

"I was not wild and out of control!" She playfully smacked him in the chest.

"Not in public but behind closed doors you were a vicious little vixen."

"Were?"

"Are."

"You better believe it," she said as she lifted her body and placed her opening over his shaft, then lowered herself down onto him slowly, closing her eyes and relishing the feeling it created within them. She wrapped her legs behind his back against the pillows and the bare skin of their chests touched one another.

"God, Cuddy," was all he could say as he ran his hands up and down her back while she nipped at his neck and sucked his earlobe. He brought his hands around and cupped her breasts then licked and suckled her hard nipples. Cuddy threw her head back exposing her neck to him and he momentarily left her delicious breasts to suck on the bare skin she offered him. He kissed her pulse point and left a trail of kisses from her chin, down her neck to the valley between her breasts as he began to suck on them again. He wrapped his arms around her, his hands kneading her ass, pulling her tightly to him, wanting to sink himself deeper into her wet abyss.

As Cuddy rocked on top of him, he drew up his knees slightly and bent his legs so she could lean back on them. The position created an amazing angle of penetration he thanked God for the workouts he did as he used the muscles in his legs to help push himself deeper inside her. He knew it would hurt like hell later but it was worth it.

"House...I'm close...so close..." she whimpered.

House heard that and he was ready to explode inside her. Not wanting to wait any longer and knowing how close she was, he took his thumb and gently circled her clit. This ignited Cuddy and she began impaling herself on him harder, grinding herself against him trying to get him even deeper. Her legs wrapped snugly around him, her arms around his neck, kissing him, he took the fingers of his other hand and reached around between her ass cheeks and pressed one finger gently into her anus. It was as if a dam broke. She couldn't control herself anymore and moaned out his name loudly over and over again as she was sent completely out of control. Feeling her clench tightly around him and hearing her moaning his name over and over again sent him over the edge after her, pumping himself inside of her relentlessly until neither of them had anything left. The high seemed to last forever when House leaned back into the pillows and took her with him. They kissed longingly, tenderly, savoring one another as he remained inside of her. Their limbs were like jelly but they were relaxed and couldn't stop smiling at each other. Suddenly, they both laughed.

"Oh God, that...was...amazing," Cuddy said as she tried to catch her breath.

"Yeah," was all House could manage. It had been an intensely emotional experience for him. He'd never had that kind of sex with anyone else and he never would. He never wanted to either. At that moment he felt so completely in love with the woman who laid panting in his arms, he didn't know how to express himself.

"What time is it?" He asked, running his hands up and down her smooth bare back.

She looked over at the clock on the nightstand then looked back at him and grinned.

"We've got at least two more hours."