Epilogue: Two normal Saturdays

Six weeks before, Saturday night

Her hands were dug deep in the large pockets of her coat as Cuddy walked slowly next to House down the strip back to their hotel. It wasn't so far away so House had suggested to walk and because he was the one with the crippled leg, she had agreed.

Everything sparkled so beautifully in Vegas, she thought. Especially when it was night in Vegas... Normally the night made everything gray and fuzzy... But not in Vegas. In Vegas it was as if the night would first bring the city to it's full brightness. Lovingly the darkness covered the mess and the dirt and just left the sparkling shine and the glamor... Cuddy snorted self-ironically. All it needed was two bottles of champagne to make her philosophic... Her gaze fell on a couple, which came directly out of one of the many weird wedding-chapels along the strip. They wore plastic-ears, long dark-green robes and a happy smile on their faces. Cuddy sighed silently.

"I think I will never marry..." she said thoughtlessly. "I´m too complicated... too strong... too weird..." In her voice there laid the kind of vulnerability which only came with two bottles champagne. She shoved her hands even deeper in her pockets.

"I would marry you." House grumbled concentrating his gaze at the strip in front of him.

"Sure..." Cuddy snorted again, this time sarcastically. "You're even more complicated and crazy than I am..." She laughed bitterly. They both had too much to drink today....

"We would be the perfect match..."

Silently House fell a few steps back and eventually stopped walking all together. Missing the steady sound of his cane clicking on the floor, Cuddy turned around to see why he stopped. She frowned as she spotted him next to a chapel which promoted to have the one and only Elvis hired as a priest. And a clearness, which surprised her in her state of drunkenness, floated along her champagne-drowned mind. "Are you serious?" Hesitantly she took a step towards him.

Still silent House looked her in the eyes. Just as she thought he would finally speak up, a loud male penetrating voice crashed that silent moment between the two of them: "Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you." an old fat Elvis sung uncomfortably near to Cuddy´s ear and reached out for her hand to place a kiss on it before he let go of it again to pat House chummily on the shoulder.

House and Cuddy stared at the Elvis as if he would be an alcohol-induced hallucination. Cuddy wanted to rub her eyes in shock while House just blinked twice in hope to banish that surreal simulacrum.

But the fat Elvis not even thought bout vanishing. "A sweet lady you got there..." he stated instead, winking and patted House´s back again. "So take the chance and marry her before it´s to late and the King himself will not only bless your marriage – No! He even gives you a abatement because you would be the happy thousandth couple I would marry today..." Another back-patting. If he wouldn't´t be so shocked, House would´ve hit him for that with his cane.

Being totally overextended by that exuberantly fat Elvis, House stared at Cuddy. Speechlessly, they tried to blank out the Elvis for a moment...

Helpless and confused Cuddy shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Maybe it's fate..."

House arched a brow. "Fate appears as Elvis?"

"Sure." the Elvis cut in smirking. "At least I'm the King, the voice of god. And I tell you: Get married today!" He took Cuddy´s and House´s left hand and put them together.

House smiled hesitantly. "You can´t avoid fate anyway..."

Cuddy fondled his hand.

One year later, Saturday morning

"You do know," House said to his wife which just checked her hair do for the thousandth time on this beautiful Saturday morning. "That normally couples run off to marry in Vegas to avoid celebrating the wedding with a bunch of people you barely know let alone like?"

Cranky he loosened up his tie.

"Twenty persons are not a bunch of people, House..." Cuddy glanced at him over the mirror. "And stop tucking at your tie."

House rolled his eyes, but took his fingers from his tie. "That are ten times more guests than people that came to our first wedding!"

"Not true." She shoved an unruly curl back behind her left ear before she stood up and turned around to her husband.

"True it is, Cuddy... Just you and me which made two. And two multiplicand with ten are?"

"You forgot the Elvis's, House." Cuddy cut in smirking.

"Elvis-ses?" Questioning House arched a brow.

"Yeah..." Cuddy grinned some more and reached for his lose tie. "The fat old Elvis, who married us, the small Indian one, who guarded me to the altar and the fat young Elvis who sang 'Love me tender' after wards... So we were five persons at our first wedding, House. Not only the two of us." she looked at him in triumph. "Ergo your math doesn´t work out..." After tugging at his tie for a few minutes it sat perfectly again. Satisfied Cuddy licked her bottom lip. "Despite the fact that it would be a shame to call the wedding off after we already paid for it."

"It's never to late for smart decisions!" With one hand he grabbed the knot of his tie.

"House, we marry in ten minutes. Beside that we already paid for everything..." She pushed his hand away. "And our insurance doesn´t cover for a groom with cold feet."

Unnerved House rolled his eyes. "First: I'm not having cold feed I only don´t want to be married by a hypocritical priest-"

"Magistrate, House. We´re getting married by a magistrate."

"Fine, for all I care by a hypocritical magistrate, who has no knowledge bout a marriage-"

"Unlike priests, magistrates are allowed to marry, House..."

"Could you please stop to interrupt me?" Frustrated he loosened up his tie again.

"As soon as your argumentation makes sense."

"Very generous..." He swerved her hands skilled, as she tried to adjust his tie once more.

"So, where did I stop? Ah, there: First I don´t want to be married by a hypocritical magistrate..."

"That argument is still illogical..."

This time House ignored her. "And second: I´m not that interested in money..."

"Pfft, not that interested..." Cuddy put her hands in her hips and gifted him with a glare.

"Didn't seem that way as it came to your contract extension with the hospital..."

"Could you be a bit more specific?"

"You let Stacy conducting pay negotiations!"

"But not because of the money, Cuddles..." He looked at her as if he really would pity her for her mental derangement. "But to avoid a conflict of interests..." he explained very slowly. "Because you're my wife but also my boss, you know? That my content is higher now is just a byproduct of my emotional insecurity."

Arrogantly arching her brow, Cuddy snorted. "Funny that this 'conflict of interests' didn´t bother you, as you screwed me in my office...", she replied sarcastically.

"I have to admit, that this situation confused me actually a bit..." House smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "I never could be sure, if I was having sex with my wife or working overtime with my boss..."

"Poor darling..." She gifted him with a perfect faked pity-filled look and patted his arm soothingly.

"Yeah, sure. Make fun of the poor cripple..." House pouted but couldn´t suppress another grin. "I think you owe me to repeat that situation very soon to help me to get over my trauma..."

"Is that your opinion as a doctor?" Smiling she fondled his arm with hand, which slowly wandered to his tie.

"Yes it is." He took her hand off of his tie and pressed a kiss on it.

Giggling Cuddy tiptoes and kissed him quickly on the mouth. "I want to adjust your tie, House."

Sighing he let go of her hand. "Tell me again why I´m doing this here." he demanded with a whining voice.

"Because you love me?" Concentrated Cuddy tucked on his tie.

"And?"

"Isn´t real love enough?" Amused Cuddy looked into his eyes.

House rolled his eyes. "That´s why I stay married with you. But why do I need to marry you again?"

"Because our parents will stop bugging us because they missed our first wedding?"

"I don´t care... We barely met them..."

"Hm... maybe because of all the presents?" Cuddy suggested.

House eyes brightened up. "Tell me more."

"About the presents?" Smirking Cuddy wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again...

"Hey hey hey!" Wilson´s voice cut through their tenderness. "Take your hands off the bride, House... You can make out with her AFTER the wedding for the rest of your life."

Smirking Wilson leaned against the door frame in the now wide opened door.

"You're such a pain in the ass..." House growled frustrated and glared at his best friend and groomsman.

"I learned from the master..." Untouched Wilson crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"So, are you ready?"

"Yeah." Cuddy placed a tiny kiss on House´s chin. "Tell the magistrate, we´re coming..."

"Alright..." Wilson was just about to close the door behind him as House called after him: "Oh, Wilson?"

He turned around again. "Yes?"

"What are you giving us?" House raised a brow in question while Cuddy gave House poked his side with her elbow, but he ignored her.

"You already got the espresso machine..." Grinning Wilson gazed at House for a last time.

"Damn, Cuddy." Wilson heard House growl before the door closed between them. "Woe betide my team if they give me a med-kit again!"

WHOAH! Finally complete! Hopefully you guyes enjoyed this little epilogue.

Thanks to Melissa for her wonderfully beta-service once again. And Thank you all for your great encouragement during this little story! I really appreciated that and I would love to hear your thoughts on this last chapter, so please be kind and leave a review.