Return

AN: I wasn't expecting to write a House/Huddy fanfic, but I was talking with Lauren (incendioctober) and she gave me an idea for one. So here we go, another attempt of mine to venture back into the world of fanfics.

Also, this does take into account all of the events at the end of season 7, as well as season 8, up until the end of "Risky Business" which is when this story takes place.

And voila, another return of Cuddy fic because the fandom can.

Summary: "What the hell happened in here?" The voice came as a shock to them, but even more so to the man who sat quietly watching Adams try and hide her shame. House/Cuddy. AU-ish. post 8x04.

Part I

– return –

Jessica Adams blinked, her long dark eyelashes fluttering as the last of the orthopedic equipment landed at her feet, the baseball bat pivoted at a perfect thirty degree angle against the palm of her hand. She looked up at Gregory House, who stood in the corner of the official outer diagnostics office, and waited for a nod of approval from him. "Thank you." Passing the bat back to him, Adams looked around the darkened room, moving to collect her bag from besides the door.

"What the hell happened in here?" First to look up, Jessica Adams took in the woman in the doorway, her eyes wide. She had perfectly straight dark brunette hair, except for a gentle curl at the tips, and her grey eyes seemed to stare her down. The woman stepped into the room, the pristine white heels, which Adams aimed a guess at two inch, clicked faintly as she shifted her weight.

"I ... er ... can I help you?" Adams fumbled for her words, her head swiveling around to look to House for advice. She stopped, turning back to the woman when she realized House had vanished, and swallowing, Adams stuck out a hand nervously. "I'm Doctor Jessica Adams, one of Doctor House's team members."

"I don't need to know who you are." Sniffing a bit disdainfully, she flicked her gaze over to where House had disappeared into his inner office. "Can you just let him know that I need to pick up a file for one of his former patients who is currently in Mercy Hospital?"

"And you are...?" Adams raised an eyebrow at the woman, "I need to know who my boss is going to be speaking to if he needs an old case file." She paused, stopping as House opened the door to his inner office, waving her insane. "One minute." As Adams disappeared inside to the inner office, she opened her mouth to speak, confused by the way House was suddenly acting.

"You don't need to run everyone who comes in here through your own personal questioning. If they come in here to speak to me, then let them talk to me before you drive them away." House began, "I don't need you controlling this whole department, that's turning into Foreman's job. Sadly." Mumbling, he shoved Adams back towards the door, "Go tell whoever's out there to come in, and go home."

Backing out of the inner office, Adams turned back to look at the woman in front of her. "I'm sorry about that, Doctor House and I assumed that we were alone."

"So you and him are ...?" Arching an eyebrow, the woman gave Adams a once over. "You don't seem like his type."

"Oh ... no ... he and I aren't ... he got back this office ... I just signed divorce paper with my ex husband ... I'm sorry. I should get going." Adams' face was a bright red as she eyed the woman, "It was nice meeting you Mrs..."

"Ms." The woman stuck out her hand, shaking Adams' quickly, "Ms. Lisa Cuddy. I'm not married, and don't plan on it." Cuddy cracked an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry about your ex husband."

"Don't be," Adams tried to shuffle her way around Cuddy, "He deserved it, he was the one who screwed the relationship up."

"That's what we all say," Cuddy mumbled quietly to herself, "Good night Doctor Adams, thank you." She waited until Adams had left earshot of the office, and she turned, taking a deep breath before pushing open the door into the inner office. "House?"

"Hm?" House stood at the window, pointedly avoiding Cuddy's presence in his office, and he twirled his cane between his fingers. He ran his fingers along the oaken surface, the click of Cuddy's heels against the floor sending involuntary shudders through him.

"I need my mother's file." Her voice was sharp, and slightly high pitched, as if the seconds until the both of them would snap was evident. "She's in Mercy Hospital, making up imaginary symptoms again, but somehow, her doctors aren't falling for it. I told them that I could have her records from her surgery here sent over, but they said not to bother." Pausing, she inched her way closer to where House stood, "I need help House. I need you."

"You don't." House began, turning to pull away from Cuddy's gentle touch on his arm, "You need my brain to help convince a bunch of incompetent doctors at a fancy hospital that your mother has more medical mysteries stowed away inside her head just so you and your sister can spend your time falling over her in worry." He stepped back from her, his eyes narrowed, "If you wanted the file, you could have called."

"Why does it matter House?" Cuddy began, "I'm here now. Can I please just get her file from you and leave?"

"Is that what you want now Cuddy?" House snapped, turning to face her again, his eyes narrowed. "You can't just waltz in here then waltz back out like nothing's changed."

"Nothing has changed House." Cuddy insisted, biting her lip, "And nothing will change." She reached for his arm, curling her fingers around his wrist slowly. The touch sent shivers along her spine and she had to look away from House's gaze to make sure that he didn't recognize the longing and loneliness in her eyes. "You're always going to be stubborn, selfish and a bit of a jerk. But you know that I'm always going to be the one who screwed us up." Swallowing, she stepped back, having crossed the line into memories that were better left unsaid, "I'm sorry ... I should go."

"You're wrong." House looked up at her, his expression hollow. "We both screwed this up. We both wanted the same thing too much." He turned and dug into his desk, mumbling, "We both wanted the other to be happy, and somehow, we didn't figure that we could make that happen when we were together." Pausing, he held out Arlene Cuddy's file to her, "I miss you Cuddy."

"I miss you too House," Cuddy set the file on his desk, perching herself on the edge of his desk, and she reached for his hand again, squeezing it hesitantly. "I really do." She paused, "I shouldn't ... have put you through this. It wasn't fair, you're finally attempting to change your life now that I'm out of it, and then I came back in like nothing was wrong."

"I can't change Cuddy." House began, eyeing her, "You of all people know that." He went on, pulling his hand from her grasp, "No matter how hard I try, I can't change who I already am. And even if I could, I wouldn't be happy. I don't change Cuddy, not for myself, and not for anyone else." Stepping back, he nodded at the file on his desk, "You should leave, before anyone else knows that you came back."

"I guess you're right," Cuddy replied sadly, trying to avoid looking into House's eyes again, and she tucked the file under her arm. "I ... good luck House." Standing, she turned her gaze onto him quickly, "Maybe someday we'll be able to look at each other and pretend that we can be happy with this result. But I know that I'm not." Mumbling, she stepped back towards the door of the office, "I wish things could have ended differently."

House nodded, following Cuddy to the office door with her backpack in hand, and he stopped to hold open the door for her. "Good night Cuddy." He caught himself as he moved to kiss her gently, and straightened up, hoping that she hadn't spotted the gesture. "And I wish you were right about this."

"Me too." Smiling weakly, Cuddy stretched onto her toes to kiss House on the cheek, and she pulled back, a smile alight in her eyes. "I guess I'll see you soon House." Her smile widened as House managed to nod at her, "Thank you." Heading away from the diagnostics office, Cuddy repressed a shiver as she felt House's eyes on her, and hands shaking, she pressed the elevator buttons. And when the elevator arrived, she stepped onto it, keeping her head held high. But the second the doors slid shut, she let her walls fall down as she walked away from the most incredible man that she would ever know and the only man who would ever truly hold her heart.

– return –

And back in the diagnostics room, the faint sound of a scotch bottle could be heard as the love of Lisa Cuddy's life attempted, once more, to drown the sorrows of her goodbye in the only way he knew how.

AN: Bye. (Aka, I'm running from anyone who wanted this to end differently.) But I really hope you enjoyed it, and I might consider a sequel/second chapter/continuation if I get good feedback.

Reena x