house_bigbang | [spotlight story] Adagio (Reply)

Title: Adagio
Author:

kimbari
Pairing: House/Cuddy, Cuddy/OC
Rating: NC-17
Length: 30 000 words
Spoilers: Through 5.06, "Joy".
Summary: Lisa Cuddy thought her dream of having a baby was finished. She thought her dream of a strong, loving partner would never come true. She was wrong on both counts, as well as in her assessment that Gregory House would have nothing to do with either of them.
Excerpt:

House watched this performance impassively. "Hot flash," he said conversationally. Cuddy threw him a murderous glare and patted her face with the damp bar napkin. "Alcohol just makes them worse..."

"So you're the expert on this, too?" she returned. The light suddenly dawned on him.

"Bender plus hot flash equals bad news for Cuddy from the gynecologist."

"House, just drop it, would you," Cuddy pleaded wearily. "Please?"

House settled back, watching her while she looked at the table. "Is there anything I can do?"

She looked up at him. "Not unless you happen to have a brand spanking new pair of ovaries on you," she said. The pain in her eyes tugged at him.

"Are you in full-on menopause?" he asked.

Cuddy shook her head. "Not quite," she said shortly. "Still bleeding."

"Then it's still possible..."

"No, House, it is not possible. I couldn't have a baby before my body decided it was too old to reproduce," Cuddy said. "What makes you think it'll happen now, with this diagnosis?"

"Ever hear of change-of-life babies? More middle-aged women have abortions than teenagers."

"Yeah, well, God hates me. The closest I'm ever going get to being a mother is in my dreams..." Her voice caught and she put her face in her hands, not caring what anyone, even House, thought. "I actually dream about it sometimes," she said, her voice muffled by her hands. "About being pregnant and giving birth..." Cuddy spread her hands on the table, stared at them as if they held a clue to her future. "I dreamed about Joy once..." She shook her head sadly. "I was so happy in that dream... and then I woke up..."

kimbari's Adagio is one-of-a-kind story with witty dialogue and rich prose. It explores Cuddy's relationship not only with House, but also with an original male character - a dancer for the New York City Ballet. Brought together by a chance encounter and a broken cell phone, Julian - the young, handsome dancer - falls head-over-heels for Cuddy. Convinced she'll have to settle for a lonely, childless life, Cuddy is difficult to win over at first - but Julian is up to the challenge, and just might be able to give Cuddy everything she desires… if House doesn't mess it up first. A writing style beloved by fanfic writers, Adagio is an incredibly unique, heartwarming story about love and loss, fate, and second chances.

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kimbari here.

First Artist:

hjsnapepm

Cover art/illustration for Adagio by Kimbari. House and Cuddy unwind on the couch.