Scavenger Hunt (Cuddy)

[Dr. Gregory House]

House put the finishing touches while thinking back over to the veritable treasure hunt he had left behind for Cuddy. It started at her desk with a note written in black calligraphy ink on thick, creamy white parchment paper folded in half with a red rose laid on top of it.

When Cuddy noticed it and she would as soon as she finished the board meeting and went to her office to gather her things before going home, she would open it to read:

Here's a present for sleeping beauty, who's finally getting some much needed rest.

Her curiosity would be piqued, her first thought would be him, but she would hesitate. It would seem so unlike him. But then again, she would think that House did enjoy playing games. When she inevitably talked herself into taking the time to figure out the destination of the note, she would follow it through to the end. House knew her so well.

Once she arrived at the correct destination, she would find another note. This one would be found written on a napkin and five dollars tucked into it. The simple note would read:

Don't skip lunch anymore...

House had bribed the cafeteria lady with two free tickets to a screening of the new Star Trek movie that would come out in May. He had been sitting on his knowledge of her very well hidden vice for Spock, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. When Cuddy made her way to the cafeteria, cafeteria lady had promised to slip Cuddy the note.

It was in a sealed envelope, with tamper proof tape and super glue. Cuddy would have to rip it open. Inside would be a maternity card, some ridiculously cheesy sentiment about her being a mother. In the card, he had scrawled in his own messy hand:

If you're going to remind me about the Clinic, I'm going to do the same.

The date of her next appointment with her OB:GYN was scrawled underneath, and she would realize she would have to go to the second floor to the OB:GYN's ward. Once she was there, she would find another note, taped to the door of her OB:GYN. That note would send her to the Psych Ward. House wished he could see the look on her face when she figured out she would have to go to the psych ward.

Then from the psych ward, she would be guided to his office. The last clue would be found on his desk. It wouldn't be immediately obvious that it was a clue, and House hoped she would have the temerity and persistence to stick around and figure it out. Once she had, she would come straight to the roof...

He had laid out the notes before leaving that first note on her desk, giving him enough time to set up the roof. He had spent a ridiculous amount of time filching the strings of white LEDs from peoples' yards all over town and stringing them up around the rooftop. He set up a table with a red tablecloth, covered dishes keeping the small meal on them warm and several space heaters to warm the roof more comfortably. He sat, now, waiting for Cuddy to arrive, playing on the baby grand piano, warming up to the tune of "Shameless" by Billy Joel.

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

It had been a long day for Cuddy. She'd been in the clinic all morning, and then she'd had that board meeting. As she made her way back to her office, nursing a headache, she chanced a glance at her watch and groaned. She'd missed lunch, and it was almost five. She thought she'd leave on time today, so she was heading back to her office to grab her coat and purse to head home to have dinner.

When she reached her office, she nodded to Norman, her secretary. He looked like he was about to say something, but she gave him a look and said, "I have a headache. I'm going home. Whatever you have to tell me can wait until tomorrow." He shut his mouth and went back to his paperwork while she opened the door. The first thing she saw as she approached her desk was the rose. Her eyes narrowed slightly in confusion as she picked it up, along with the folded parchment lying under it. She rolled her eyes as she read the note, looking back at the rose.

"House..." she muttered affectionately, smelling the flower. Looking back at the note, she reread it. "Sleeping Beauty?" she mused. That didn't sound like something he would normally call her. Then she realized. Leaving the office again, she passed Norman, who looked very confused at her sudden departure. As she walked down the hall, she read the note over again. Sleeping Beauty. Rose. Briar Rose. Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping. "House..." she muttered, slightly annoyed, as she took the elevator to the basement. Only one way to see if she was right. House was playing games with her. What kind of game it was, she had no clue.

Exiting the elevator car, she made her way to the sleep lab. Looking around, she noticed something in the observation room. A napkin was lying next to the computer. Raising an eyebrow, she picked it up and a five dollar bill fell out. She opened the napkin to read the note. Cuddy bent down to pick up the money before leaving the sleep lab. This could only mean one thing. She was on a scavenger hunt. Which meant she was going to the cafeteria.

Re-entering the elevator, she pushed the button to return to the first floor. As she waited for the doors to open again, she glanced over the napkin note again. Why would House send her on a scavenger hunt? He knew she'd been in the board meeting most of the day. He knew board meetings gave her headaches. The doors slid open again and Cuddy made her way quickly to the cafeteria. She couldn't stay and eat, certain that there was another note hiding out somewhere that she needed to find. So, she grabbed a bottle of water and made her way to the register. Handing over the five dollars she'd found in the note, Cuddy was surprised to recieve the next clue with her change.

Tucking the bottle of water and the two previous notes into her purse with the change, she glanced over the envelope, wondering how she was going to open it. Stopping just outside the cafeteria, she dug around in her purse for a nail file. She'd have to tear open the envelope, and her letter opener was back in her office. Once the envelope was opened, she pulled out the card. She shook her head, chuckling a little at the sentiment before her eyes landed on the next clue. "The clinic?" she wondered, then she saw it. The date. The date of her next appointment with her OB/GYN. It was unlikely she'd have to go to the clinic. Why else would House have written the date of her next appointment? Returning to the elevator, she wondered what she'd find on the second floor.

She didn't have to look very hard when she reached the ward. Taped to the door of her OB's office was another folded piece of paper with her name on it. Reading over it, her eyes widened slightly and she groaned. He wasn't seriously sending her to the psych ward, was he? Oh well...she'd started this treasure hunt, and she would see what lay at the end. Once she'd reached the psych ward on the third floor, she was stopped by an orderly.

"Doctor Cuddy," he said. "Someone asked me to give you this..." Taking the note from him, she read it as he walked away. His office. The next clue was in his office. The elevator ride to the fourth floor was probably the quickest she'd taken all evening. There was nothing different about House's office, and she didn't know what to look for this time. So she wandered around checking everything. She was about to give up, wait for him to pop up out of nowhere when she saw it. A New Jersey postcard stuck to the front of his computer. It was a view of the skyline. This had to be the clue! She sat down in his desk chair and peeled the postcard away carefully. Flipping it over to the note side, she was astonished.

High time for another dinner date, isn't it? I thought maybe candlelight and open air this time around.

Open air? Dinner? Why write out a dinner invitation on the back of a New Jersey postcard? Even such a nice one. Skyline images on postcards were... Then it hit her. Skyline. Open air. Dinner. On the roof. She smiled, getting up out of the chair. The roof. Shaking her head, she left the office and made her way to the stairs. The door out onto the roof was propped slightly open and there was music playing. Cuddy pushed the door all the way open and stepped out. She took in the setting and her lips parted in a gasp as her eyes widened.

"You...you set all this up?" she asked softly.

[Dr. Gregory House]

At Cuddy's voice, House stopped playing and turned in his seat. "Yes," he replied, "I did." He rose from the seat and walked amid the rose petals strewn about the rooftop and drew her into a kiss. He delighted in the taste of Cuddy and the feel of her lips meshing with his own.

Drawing away, he kept his fingertips brushing lightly under her arm, gently guiding her to the dinner table. He pulled out her chair for her, and move to pull off the covered lids of both their plates. Resting on the white plates were white bowls filled with an amber coloured soup. "A light meal of pumpkin soup," he spoke, "I know your body is still adjusting."

He set aside the lids on a nearby ledge, and took his seat. He pulled out his napkin with a flourish, and picked up his spoon. He gazed into Lisa's eyes as he spooned his soup and sipped it. "Do you like it?" he asked.

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

She continued to stare around at the elaborate, romantic display as he came closer to her. "I had no idea you could be this romantic," she commented, her voice soft. When he kissed her, she felt all the stress from the board meeting she'd just gotten out of slip away. This was such a perfect ending to the day. The perfect way to unwind after the headache-inducing meetings. She sighed contentedly as he pulled away.

She let herself be led to the table and gave House a soft smile before taking the offered seat. She couldn't even find it in herself to wonder too long about how he'd gotten the piano onto the roof. She was just too astounded with the entirety of the setting and she had to focus as he uncovered their dinner. "It smells wonderful," she remarked, casting him an affectionate look as he set the dish covers aside.

She'd picked up her napkin as he'd taken his own seat. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled the smell of the soup again before bringing a spoonful to her lips. "I love it. Did you make it?" She blinked a couple times, savoring the soup before taking up another spoonful.

[Dr. Gregory House]

House finished his soup and nodded, "I just threw a few things together," he downplayed, shrugging nonchalantly. "I'm glad you like it." He brushed his hand over hers, stroking the back of her hand with his fingertips, playing the music of his song. His lips twitched.

"I have a confession to make," he said, "I have... an ulterior motive for all... this." he gestured around the rooftop. House stood, and made his way to the baby grand. Sitting, he started off with a glissando, before beginning to serenade her. "I wrote you a song, Lisa. Come, sit with me. Listen to my song."

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

As she finished her own soup, she smiled at House's uncharacteristic modesty. "It was good," she complimented as she drew her napkin across her lips. She couldn't suppress the shudder that ran through her when he brushed his hand over hers. When he started speaking again, she listened attentively, her eyebrows furrowing slightly in confusion.

She stood when he did and watched him go to the piano. "And what is your...ulterior motive?" she asked, smiling slightly and walking over to stand next to the piano as he started to play. Cuddy sat when she was requested to, right next to him, but not too close that she obstructed his ability to play. She loved it when he played for her.

[Dr. Gregory House]

The music that poured out his fingers conveyed longing, and desire. Every note, he had plucked with purposeful meaning. His long fingers played the music masterfully, and as the music began to draw to a close, he turned in his seat to face Lisa. As the last of the notes began to die away, he leaned close to Lisa.

"Forgive me," he said, "but because of my leg, I can't do this the traditional way, but when have I ever done anything traditionally?" His lips quirked with his amusement, and his vivid blue eyes sparkled. He captured Lisa's hands in his own, and said, very seriously,

"Lisa, would you do me the honour of marrying me?"

Pulling out a jeweler's box from his pocket, he opened it to show her the dazzling pink diamond ring. He waited with baited breath watching her lovely face.

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

She closed her eyes as the music filled the air around them. It was such a beautiful piece, and she had absolutely no doubt that every emotion the notes conveyed came directly and honestly from House. Her eyes slid open slowly as the music died down.

As House began to speak, Cuddy held her breath. She had the strangest feeling that she knew where this was going. She had to fight hard to hold back the tears of joy that threatened to spill from her eyes as he took her hands in his. The most ecstatic smile broke out over Lisa's face when he finished. And when she actually saw the ring, she forgot how to breathe. Once she remembered how, and started doing it again, she took a deep breath and tore her eyes from the pink diamond to focus on House's face.

"Oh, Greg," she sighed, moving closer, right up close to him. She stared deep into his eyes and raised a hand to his face. "You have to ask?" she whispered. "I've told you, Greg. I love you." She felt a bit of wetness on her cheek and realized that she'd actually started to cry from the happiness of the moment. She didn't care. "Of course I'll marry you."

She leaned in closer and kissed him deeply, uncaring that her tears were flowing freely now. This was the happiest she could ever remember being, and she couldn't think of a better way to end the day. Well, she could, but they'd get to that later.

[Dr. Gregory House]

House grinned, a true honest smile lighting up his face and he kissed her back. He felt the stirrings of true happiness that Lisa had agreed to marry him. He was so happy, and he let himself feel it completely. Life was too short, and painful not to be happy. He was so warm and happy with Lisa in his arms and just so very overjoyed. He pulled back from the kiss, grinning madly. He pulled the ring from the box and slid it on her finger. It fit perfectly, because he had measured her finger while she had slept. He wasn't anal, just very focused on the fine details.

He looked into Lisa's eyes and his heart was fit to explode from the excitement. She said "yes." She said "yes!" He wanted to yell it from the roof. In fact, that sounded like a good idea. House gripped his cane, made his way to the parapet and bellowed, "she said yes!" Not caring that anyone who heard wouldn't understand. All that mattered was that she said yes and he was going to spend the rest of his life with her.

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

Lisa wiped furiously at her eyes with her right hand after the kiss had broken. Feeling the ring on her finger just made it more real. Just the knowledge that it was real, that she wasn't dreaming, almost made her start to cry again. But she didn't, staring down at the ring instead. She just couldn't believe it. A month ago, he'd said there should be no regrets. Did this mean...could she dare to believe that this meant that...

They were going to be together. For the rest of their lives. Raising their child, together.

She watched him get up, screaming from the rooftop. She would be honestly surprised if half of New Jersey hadn't heard him. Lisa had to laugh, standing up and moving to stand next to House. She stood on his left side so she could hold his hand, twining their fingers together.

"You've just made me the happiest woman in New Jersey, you know that?" she asked, turning her head slightly to look up at him.

[Dr. Gregory House]

"You may be the happiest woman in New Jersey, but I'm the happiest man in the world," House replied, hah, beat that. "I'm going to love you for the rest of my life, and I'm going to call you sugar, and dumplings, and love muffin and pumpkin. Though that last one might be influenced by the taste of the soup on your lips. The soup that I made." House smiled, leaning closer to Lisa to kiss her again. As he held her in his embrace, kissing her, House could feel the utter love for her welling up within him. Fireworks exploded in air, rainbows shined out across the sky, the earth moved.

Oh, wait, that was melting snow underfoot. As House slipped and fell over the parapet, he miraculously grabbed a hold on the ledge. "Oh!" he cried out, startled. His cane fell, several long seconds before it hit the ground. Already, his grip was failing. "I love you, Lisa!" he shouted as he fell. He had a long second to muse before he hit the ground.

He so didn't see that coming.

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]