Since some people felt like this wasn't finished (and I was kind of was weary on the last chapter), I wrote an epilogue. And I hope to God it gives some people some closure... even if I do leave some things/ideas unsaid.

One Year Later.

Cuddy awoke from a dream that frightened her. She had been suffocating under thick, black smoke, crushed by broken wood and glass. She took in a few deep breaths as she realized it was morning. Every once in a while she had those dreams that reminded her of the day the hospital collapsed in on her.

Throwing back the covers, she moved toward the edge of the bed. Cuddy reached for the cane resting against the night stand and stood to her feet. She used the cane on her left side, the side that had not fully gained function and feeling back after the physical therapy.

Her life was different now, but she couldn't be sure if it was for the better or worse. Her routine became different. Exercising, driving, walking through the hospital was all different. It made her appreciate House more for the work he had to do after his infarction.

Cuddy headed for her kitchen in order to put her coffee pot on. Her left leg was stiffer than usual, which made her already slow pace even slower. She hated that she couldn't walk as fast as she used to, but she figured it was better than not walking at all.

"Thank you, again, for doing this," Jane said as she walked alongside of Cuddy.

"I don't mind," Cuddy assured her, trying to keep up with Jane's pace. "Really."

Jane stopped at the door to the physical therapy department and opened it for Cuddy. She passed through first and then Jane led her through the waiting room and into the main area. Kevin hurriedly approached as he made eye contact with Cuddy. He gave her a smile.

"Looking good, Dr. Cuddy," he told her.

"Thanks." She returned the smile. "How's everything going?"

"Great." Kevin nodded. "What about you? Still doing well?"

"Yes," Cuddy answered. "Things are a lot better."

"Excellent," Kevin replied. He gave a nod over to a patient. "I gotta get back, but definitely stop by more often."

"Yeah, sure." Cuddy smiled again. "Thanks."

"This way, Lisa."

Jane headed for her office and Lisa followed after her. Jane opened the door and stepped into the office. A girl with blonde hair was sitting in a wheelchair. She looked up at Jane and then her eyes immediately went to Cuddy.

"Sasha, this Doctor Lisa Cuddy," Jane introduced Cuddy to the child.

"Hi," Cuddy said to the girl.

"Hi," Sasha meekly responded.

"I'll just let you two talk for a bit," Jane told them both before leaving the room.

Cuddy walked over to the chair across from Sasha's wheelchair. She sat down and rested her cane against the edge of her chair.

"How old are you, Sasha?" Cuddy asked her, a little unsure about how to break the ice.

"Ten," Sasha answered quietly.

Cuddy shifted in her chair. "Do you go to school?"

The little girl picked at the armrest with fingernails coated in chipped sparkly green nail polish. She kept her eyes down as she answered the question.

"No. I can't use my wheelchair at school, so my aunt teaches me."

"You know, I used to be in a wheelchair like yours," Cuddy got right down to the heart of the matter, to the subject Jane wanted her to broach.

Sasha's brown eyes observed Cuddy for a moment, unsure if she could believe her. Finally, her eyes settled on the scar on Cuddy's forehead. It was faint, but still noticeable and it gave the girl reason to trust what Cuddy was telling her.

"What happened to you?" Sasha asked.

"A small plane crashed into a building I was in," Cuddy told her, not wanting to scare her with the details that it was this hospital the plane crashed into.

"Really?" Sasha's mouth fell open and her eyes widened. "And you can walk now?"

Cuddy nodded. "Yep. And from what Jane tells me, you will be able to one day, too."

Sasha suddenly lowered her gaze to the small hands now folded in her lap. Cuddy watched the girl, wondering what was going through her mind.

"It hurts too much," Sasha said. "And I can't even stand."

"It does hurt," Cuddy agreed. "I started out in the same place as you. I couldn't stand either and I could hardly even move my legs. But, because of physical therapy, I improved. It took time and work, but it was worth it. I can walk now."

"But, what if I can't?" Sasha raised her gaze to Cuddy.

"Well, that might happen, too," Cuddy assured her. "But, Jane and your other doctors are very hopeful about you being able to walk again."

Sasha had returned to looking down at her hands. Cuddy was at a loss now, not knowing what else she could say to the girl to give her the encouragement she needed to work on getting better.

"Both my parents died in the car accident," Sasha spoke quietly.

"I'm very sorry, Sasha" Cuddy responded sincerely and placed a hand on the girl's knee. She hesitated a moment. "Would you like me to be there when you work with Jane today? I would really like to be there for you if you'd let me."

She gave a shrug and lifted her eyes to Cuddy. "Yeah."

"Okay." Cuddy patted Sasha's leg. "We'll go through it together, kiddo."

Cuddy pressed the button for the elevator and watched it light up. She took a step back and waited. She drew in a breath, calming herself in the environment that still smelled of new paint.

After a moment, the elevator doors slid open and House stood there in the empty elevator. He locked eyes with her and they both thought about the last time they were on this floor together.

House stepped out of the elevator. "Going down?"

"Yeah," she answered after a moment. "What are you doing up here?"

"Drug test." He held up a form. "Thanks, by the way."

"No problem," she muttered, offering him a half smile. She couldn't get the image of him pulling her into the waiting room to avoid destruction out of her head.

"I thought you were going down," he commented as the elevator doors slid shut. He looked back over at her. "Why are you here?"

She snapped to attention. "Oh. I was giving everything the once over before State comes in tomorrow to check it out and make sure everything's up to par."

"Right." House gave a slight nod. "So, this new lady? She as much of a bitch as Lorrainey was?"

"No," Cuddy answered him. "And don't talk about Lorraine like that."

"Why?" House's eyebrows drew together. "She's dead."

Cuddy rolled her eyes as she stepped past him in order to press the button for the elevator again.

"Nice respect for the dead," she said, but didn't really direct the words at him as she tried not to be confrontational.

"Well, she was, Cuddy," he replied.

"Yeah." She smirked slightly, giving into him. "She was."

"It's funny." House's eyes were on the ground as he gave his cane a tap to the floor. "Ending up back where we started."

Cuddy stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"You're walking," he pointed out, lifting his eyes to hers. "I'm not a druggie. A year's passed making some things different, but we're pretty much more or less back to before." He let out a breath. "Even after all that shit in between."

The elevator doors slid open. House looked to them expectantly, waiting for her to board. She brought her eyes over to him.

"Do you want me to wait for you?" she asked.

"I'm afraid if we invade too much of the same space up here, we'll have a repeat performance," he told her.

"Maybe we should disprove that superstition by staying together," she suggested.

"Well, that logic's playing with fire," he replied.

Cuddy raised her eyebrows at him. "I never knew you were superstition, Dr. House."

"I'm not," he said. "I just don't want you waiting."

"I'll see you later, House."

She stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor. Cuddy waited for the doors to close as House began talking, his back partially to her.

"'Tis torture, and not mercy: heaven is here, where Juliet lives; and every cat and dog and little mouse, every unworthy thing—"

The doors began to close as Cuddy listened intently to the words House was quoting.

"—live here in heaven and may look on her; but Romeo may not."

Cuddy jammed her finger into the door open button before the doors had a chance to close. The doors slid back open, revealing House, who was facing her now.

"We are not Romeo and Juliet," Cuddy insisted, locking eyes with him.

House frowned slightly, feigning confusion. "Did I say we were?"

"House..." Cuddy paused a moment before deciding to drop it. "Go pee in a cup."

She removed her finger from the door open button and the doors began to shut again. They were almost closed when House's cane stopped them, forcing them back open. Cuddy rolled her eyes. When House came into her view, she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Now, what?" she asked.

House stepped into the elevator and placed his lips against her soft ones. As quickly as he had made contact, he pulled back and stepped back out of the elevator. His thoughts were on her, on the fact that he could be without her right now.

"You're okay to have around, Cuddy," House told her as if giving her permission to exist. He gave a shrug and then added, "Sometimes."

The elevator doors finally closed.

Cuddy's eyebrows drew together, thinking about what had just transpired. House was different, but only in a very slight way, a way no one else really seemed to notice. As she thought about it, and thought about the collapsing hospital, she figured that maybe everything, both good and bad, happened for a reason.

End.