INTRODUCTION

House dropped into the chair in front of Cuddy's desk. She'd been hiding in her office all day, and now he knew why. After a long, menacing glare, during which she did whatever she could to ignore him, he spoke.

"I'm not going." The finality of his words was to be the end of the conversation.

"You can't not go, House, they're your parents." Cuddy finally put down the papers she had been pretending to read and looked up at him. He was looking particularly good today.

"That's WHY I'm not going." House leaned back in his chair and looked into her breasts. He happened to know she was wearing a red lace bra today, and he was trying to see if he could see it through the thin silk of her blouse.

"They invited you…" she was about to say more, but he cut her off.

"No. My MOTHER invited US." House began fumbling with the pens in her pen holder. "My father would be thrilled if you showed up without me." He looked at her, a twinkle in his eye. "I think he has a bit of a crush on you."

"And you said you had nothing in common with your father." She smiled at him. It sent his heart racing.

"I won't enjoy it." House was smiling back at her, despite his negative words.

"No one is asking you to enjoy it, House. It's a family dinner, what's to enjoy?" She was glaring at him, that glare that told him she wouldn't back down on this one. One thing he'd learned from years of working with Lisa Cuddy, she would give in a lot, but when she decided to put her foot down, no amount of his charm could get her to lift it.

"Fine, I'll go. But you owe me." House was intrigued by her words. His first instinct was to say something clever, tease her a bit, but then a better idea filled his head.

"I don't owe you anything," Cuddy protested, but it was too late. House was on his way out the door, his idea taking shape with each step. This might turn out to be a very interesting Thanksgiving after all.

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