No Children, Part 2/16, PG13
Aug. 19th, 2008 11:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
damelolaTitle: No Children (part 2 of 16)
Author: Lola Lauriestein
Rating: PG13 to be on the safe side, R in later chapters
Pairing: Cuddy/OMC, House/Cuddy, House, Cuddy, Wilson friendship.
Spoilers: Everything up to Wilson's Heart, takes place not long after.
Disclaimer: not-not-mine, House et al belong to David Shore, Fox etc. The song "No Children" is by The Mountain Goats, they are awesome and you should check them out.
Summary: Cuddy has a new boyfriend, House has a problem and Wilson is grieving. As matters go from bad to worse, will they be able to help each other as they once did? Friendships under strain and tough decisions ahoy.
With thanks to my awesome beta,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lucyvanflick!
“I hope we come up with a failsafe plot to piss off the dumb few that forgave us”
“House? I thought you sent your patient home?”
Cuddy kept her voice light, but to House’s trained ear, the minor chord of exasperation rang out. She was keeping things civil while she had company, but something in her expression said she wasn’t entirely irritated to find him there. In fact, her eyes showed something that looked a lot like relief.
“Doesn’t matter. I forgot you’re working evenings this week, doesn’t it get cold out there on your corner?”
Unsure whether to slap him or jump for joy at the change from the monosyllabic wretch who had been shuffling around her hospital like Casper the Sulky Ghost, Cuddy opted for the briefest of introductions and motioned for House to hand her the file. If it wasn’t for the patient he discharged today, he had most likely been stealing from other services again, meaning a fight to break up in the morning. Between the red wine and the prospect of refereeing another bout of House-wrestling, she felt the afternoon’s headache sneaking up on her once more.
“Nah, it’s not important. I’ll leave you and Matt here to your evening. Just don’t let her try the positions she got me into,” he said gesturing with his cane and a grimace.
“It’s Zach. And this lady can try just about anything she wants with me, but thanks for the warning.” Zach was more than game for House’s shenanigans, and Cuddy noted the grudging respect that flickered across the diagnostician’s face.
Reverting to the sullen demeanor that he had worn like a cloak since his return to work, House yanked the helmet down over his head and began to wheel his bike out of her crushed flowers. He hesitated for a moment, apparently deciding whether to bother with a parting shot, and Cuddy realized his reluctance to mount the bike in front of them, displaying the full extent of his disability. She turned quickly towards her own front door and grabbed Zach’s hand to ensure that he followed. Sure enough, before she turned the key in the lock, the engine revved into life, with a few bonus growls for her neighbors’ benefit. With House dispatched for the night, Cuddy turned her attention to less stressful pursuits.
Lying in bed a while later, Cuddy could hear Zach churning over various thoughts about the strange man who had been waiting at her house like Moses in a reed basket. At the risk of sounding immodest, she had hoped her recent performance would clear thoughts of anything but her from his mind, but it was not to be.
“So this House fella, known him long?”
There it was, the oh-so-pleasant opening shot.
“Since college, on and off. His ex is a good friend of mine.”
Way to go Cuddy, justifying your friendship by pointing out that House slept with other women. What an excellent tactic, she taunted herself.
“But you two aren’t… I mean, I don’t want to tread on any toes here.”
“No, Zach, I’m not in the habit of stringing guys along. Um, shouldn’t you have checked that before we, uh…?”
He cut off her cheeky question with a kiss, and Cuddy relaxed into it, ignoring the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Had she allowed herself to think more about it, she might just have recognized it as her favorite guilt and anxiety cocktail, but instead she pushed herself to focus on having a good time for once.
The next morning she dropped Zach on campus, declining his offer of a morning coffee as she visualized the work that was probably already piled on her desk. A couple of hours of signing her name until it was an unrecognizable scribble, then she would seek out House for an explanation about last night.
As she stepped into reception and headed for her office, the chirping of her cell rudely disrupted the early morning quiet. She smiled as the display showed ‘Zach’ and answered with a cheery “Miss me already?”
“Uh, Lisa, did you send me anything this morning?”
“No, I’m not even at my desk yet. What do you mean?”
“It’s just that I got to my office and there are flowers with a card.”
“Must be a secret admirer, Zach. Are you trying to make me jealous?”
Already her mind was turning to thoughts of next month’s rosters to be approved. Whether to reschedule November’s fundraiser, when her next hair appointment was.
“Well the card is kind of weird. It says, ‘Will you be my baby daddy? Clock is ticking. Love, Lisa.’”
Cuddy almost choked on her own anger, counting her blessings that she hadn’t had hot coffee in her mouth at the time. Murmuring hasty denials and apologies, she ended the call and collapsed into her desk chair, the furious flush in her cheeks only just beginning to recede. She had known it was too good to be true, obviously House had been toying with her, allowing her to get complacent. Now the interference and mortification attempts would begin in earnest. Placing a call to the booth in the parking lot, she knew her just-below-snarling tone would ensure that the terrified attendant would alert her to House’s arrival before House even realized he was at the hospital. She was going to have her fight after all.
Some time after 10, the recalcitrant doctor ambled into her office, not bothering to knock as he pulled away from the security guard who escorted him to her lair. Cuddy had expected House to be triumphant, smug, or even annoyed at being hauled before the dragon lady. Yet the only emotions his face gave away were indifference and exhaustion. Disregarding the flurry of concern, she launched into the well-worn diatribe about respecting her privacy and how her personal life was none of his concern. The words barely seemed to register, never mind provoke a response, and as House sat there meekly ignoring his chastisement, Cuddy couldn’t help but stop mid-rant to ask what was wrong.
“Something has to be wrong for me to mess with you? It’s just a hobby.”
“Messing with me I expect, I can deal with that. This zombie impersonation is a step too far. What the hell is wrong with you House?”
He shifted uneasily under the full force of her questioning stare. Instinctively reaching to rub his injured thigh, he lowered himself gingerly on to the arm of the sofa, unwilling to risk the embarrassment of not being able to get up from the overstuffed cushions.
“You’ve been ignoring me. I can’t remember the last time you called me in here for a little spanking session. Why don’t you chase me about clinic duty any more? It’s always one of your least attractive nurses hounding me into hell every afternoon. Or is lover boy taking up all your time? “
Cuddy took a deep breath before responding, not wanting this to descend into another childish slinging match.
“So this is all about getting my attention? Sorry, not buying it. 51 weeks of the year you actively avoid catching my eye. Why the big fuss all of a sudden? If this is your twisted jealousy, you’d better stop it right now. Zach is…”
“Zach is my boyfriend. Zach is ever so dreamy. Zach invented the multiple orgasm. Blah blah blah. Zach is a mommy’s boy who’ll never stand up to you because he’s too busy respecting you. Zach is boring and ordinary and everything you say you want in a man. Which is precisely why he’s wrong for you.”
Cuddy was seething by the time his little monolog was done. Unable to continue without giving him yet more ammunition, she offered a simple command.
“Get. Out.”
For once, he complied without argument, clearly as relieved to be gone as she was to see him leave. As the door clicked shut, she crossed the room to lock it behind him. On the return trip to her desk, she noticed the folded sheet of paper that had landed on her couch. Bending over the coffee table to retrieve it, she momentarily paused to pray that House hadn’t lingered to enjoy the view. As she straightened, she unfolded the slightly ragged sheet and scanned its contents. A hand flew to her mouth as she absorbed the information in front of her. Plagued by indecision, she hesitated over whether to follow House and demand more information or whether to seek advice first. Opting for the safer route, she returned to her desk and dialed a familiar number.
“Dr Wilson, please. It’s Dr Cuddy.”
Chapter 3
Author: Lola Lauriestein
Rating: PG13 to be on the safe side, R in later chapters
Pairing: Cuddy/OMC, House/Cuddy, House, Cuddy, Wilson friendship.
Spoilers: Everything up to Wilson's Heart, takes place not long after.
Disclaimer: not-not-mine, House et al belong to David Shore, Fox etc. The song "No Children" is by The Mountain Goats, they are awesome and you should check them out.
Summary: Cuddy has a new boyfriend, House has a problem and Wilson is grieving. As matters go from bad to worse, will they be able to help each other as they once did? Friendships under strain and tough decisions ahoy.
With thanks to my awesome beta,
lucyvanflick!“I hope we come up with a failsafe plot to piss off the dumb few that forgave us”
“House? I thought you sent your patient home?”
Cuddy kept her voice light, but to House’s trained ear, the minor chord of exasperation rang out. She was keeping things civil while she had company, but something in her expression said she wasn’t entirely irritated to find him there. In fact, her eyes showed something that looked a lot like relief.
“Doesn’t matter. I forgot you’re working evenings this week, doesn’t it get cold out there on your corner?”
Unsure whether to slap him or jump for joy at the change from the monosyllabic wretch who had been shuffling around her hospital like Casper the Sulky Ghost, Cuddy opted for the briefest of introductions and motioned for House to hand her the file. If it wasn’t for the patient he discharged today, he had most likely been stealing from other services again, meaning a fight to break up in the morning. Between the red wine and the prospect of refereeing another bout of House-wrestling, she felt the afternoon’s headache sneaking up on her once more.
“Nah, it’s not important. I’ll leave you and Matt here to your evening. Just don’t let her try the positions she got me into,” he said gesturing with his cane and a grimace.
“It’s Zach. And this lady can try just about anything she wants with me, but thanks for the warning.” Zach was more than game for House’s shenanigans, and Cuddy noted the grudging respect that flickered across the diagnostician’s face.
Reverting to the sullen demeanor that he had worn like a cloak since his return to work, House yanked the helmet down over his head and began to wheel his bike out of her crushed flowers. He hesitated for a moment, apparently deciding whether to bother with a parting shot, and Cuddy realized his reluctance to mount the bike in front of them, displaying the full extent of his disability. She turned quickly towards her own front door and grabbed Zach’s hand to ensure that he followed. Sure enough, before she turned the key in the lock, the engine revved into life, with a few bonus growls for her neighbors’ benefit. With House dispatched for the night, Cuddy turned her attention to less stressful pursuits.
Lying in bed a while later, Cuddy could hear Zach churning over various thoughts about the strange man who had been waiting at her house like Moses in a reed basket. At the risk of sounding immodest, she had hoped her recent performance would clear thoughts of anything but her from his mind, but it was not to be.
“So this House fella, known him long?”
There it was, the oh-so-pleasant opening shot.
“Since college, on and off. His ex is a good friend of mine.”
Way to go Cuddy, justifying your friendship by pointing out that House slept with other women. What an excellent tactic, she taunted herself.
“But you two aren’t… I mean, I don’t want to tread on any toes here.”
“No, Zach, I’m not in the habit of stringing guys along. Um, shouldn’t you have checked that before we, uh…?”
He cut off her cheeky question with a kiss, and Cuddy relaxed into it, ignoring the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Had she allowed herself to think more about it, she might just have recognized it as her favorite guilt and anxiety cocktail, but instead she pushed herself to focus on having a good time for once.
The next morning she dropped Zach on campus, declining his offer of a morning coffee as she visualized the work that was probably already piled on her desk. A couple of hours of signing her name until it was an unrecognizable scribble, then she would seek out House for an explanation about last night.
As she stepped into reception and headed for her office, the chirping of her cell rudely disrupted the early morning quiet. She smiled as the display showed ‘Zach’ and answered with a cheery “Miss me already?”
“Uh, Lisa, did you send me anything this morning?”
“No, I’m not even at my desk yet. What do you mean?”
“It’s just that I got to my office and there are flowers with a card.”
“Must be a secret admirer, Zach. Are you trying to make me jealous?”
Already her mind was turning to thoughts of next month’s rosters to be approved. Whether to reschedule November’s fundraiser, when her next hair appointment was.
“Well the card is kind of weird. It says, ‘Will you be my baby daddy? Clock is ticking. Love, Lisa.’”
Cuddy almost choked on her own anger, counting her blessings that she hadn’t had hot coffee in her mouth at the time. Murmuring hasty denials and apologies, she ended the call and collapsed into her desk chair, the furious flush in her cheeks only just beginning to recede. She had known it was too good to be true, obviously House had been toying with her, allowing her to get complacent. Now the interference and mortification attempts would begin in earnest. Placing a call to the booth in the parking lot, she knew her just-below-snarling tone would ensure that the terrified attendant would alert her to House’s arrival before House even realized he was at the hospital. She was going to have her fight after all.
Some time after 10, the recalcitrant doctor ambled into her office, not bothering to knock as he pulled away from the security guard who escorted him to her lair. Cuddy had expected House to be triumphant, smug, or even annoyed at being hauled before the dragon lady. Yet the only emotions his face gave away were indifference and exhaustion. Disregarding the flurry of concern, she launched into the well-worn diatribe about respecting her privacy and how her personal life was none of his concern. The words barely seemed to register, never mind provoke a response, and as House sat there meekly ignoring his chastisement, Cuddy couldn’t help but stop mid-rant to ask what was wrong.
“Something has to be wrong for me to mess with you? It’s just a hobby.”
“Messing with me I expect, I can deal with that. This zombie impersonation is a step too far. What the hell is wrong with you House?”
He shifted uneasily under the full force of her questioning stare. Instinctively reaching to rub his injured thigh, he lowered himself gingerly on to the arm of the sofa, unwilling to risk the embarrassment of not being able to get up from the overstuffed cushions.
“You’ve been ignoring me. I can’t remember the last time you called me in here for a little spanking session. Why don’t you chase me about clinic duty any more? It’s always one of your least attractive nurses hounding me into hell every afternoon. Or is lover boy taking up all your time? “
Cuddy took a deep breath before responding, not wanting this to descend into another childish slinging match.
“So this is all about getting my attention? Sorry, not buying it. 51 weeks of the year you actively avoid catching my eye. Why the big fuss all of a sudden? If this is your twisted jealousy, you’d better stop it right now. Zach is…”
“Zach is my boyfriend. Zach is ever so dreamy. Zach invented the multiple orgasm. Blah blah blah. Zach is a mommy’s boy who’ll never stand up to you because he’s too busy respecting you. Zach is boring and ordinary and everything you say you want in a man. Which is precisely why he’s wrong for you.”
Cuddy was seething by the time his little monolog was done. Unable to continue without giving him yet more ammunition, she offered a simple command.
“Get. Out.”
For once, he complied without argument, clearly as relieved to be gone as she was to see him leave. As the door clicked shut, she crossed the room to lock it behind him. On the return trip to her desk, she noticed the folded sheet of paper that had landed on her couch. Bending over the coffee table to retrieve it, she momentarily paused to pray that House hadn’t lingered to enjoy the view. As she straightened, she unfolded the slightly ragged sheet and scanned its contents. A hand flew to her mouth as she absorbed the information in front of her. Plagued by indecision, she hesitated over whether to follow House and demand more information or whether to seek advice first. Opting for the safer route, she returned to her desk and dialed a familiar number.
“Dr Wilson, please. It’s Dr Cuddy.”
Chapter 3
