Two Heads

[allthingsdecent]

So this is actually two ideas of mine merged into one: Cuddy and House in couples therapy (!) and yet another take on Moving On.

Here's the premise: What if Moving On was exactly the same, except for three things:
a. Cuddy didn't go out with that dweeb. (Because. . .really Cuddy?)
b. House brought the brush over by himself. (No Wilson waiting in the

Comments

[aud_woman_in]

Definitely in the DOES NOT SUCK column! First, I want to thank you for creating a premise which completely re-imagines the return of Cuddy's hairbrush :-D

I find it totally believable that Cuddy would visit a therapist, and I'll even buy that House, nursing even a flicker of a secret hope that he and Cuddy might have a future if he went to couples counseling, would too. And his behavior in your scenario is right in character - both he and Cuddy are, actually.

I like the bit where Ivy asks Lisa why she scolds him; it's a nice observation. Later on, I would have liked to see Ivy challenge Lisa on why she thinks House shouldn't have tried put space between them after the break-up. It seems like a totally rational reaction to me, and delving a little more into the fact that it apparently bothers Lisa so much could be an interesting idea to explore.

I like Ivy as an OC - she's very relatable and a good third-party narrator - but I noticed something about her characterization that doesn't quite sit right with me. Keep in mind that I have just a tiny smidgen of experience with actual therapists, so take this with a grain of salt, but...it seems that in the couples sessions, Ivy is a lot more objective and analytical than in the sessions with Lisa alone. Though Ivy thinks that she and Lisa might be buddies in a social setting, I don't think that would keep her from doing her job in the professional one.

For example, this exchange sounds more like a couple of gal-pals having drinks than therapist and patient:

“What happened to ‘it was a mistake and it’ll never happen again,’ Lisa?’”

“You know what they say about the best laid plans. . . no pun intended.”

“But how?”

“Oh God. I went to his place to tell him that we were never going have sex again. I meant it, too. And he took it really well, you know? Said he had no expectations and that he understood . . .and while we’re in the middle of having this rather intense conversation, you’ll never guess who walks into the room?”

Ivy gasped.

“Not the mail order bride!”

“Yes!”

“What did you do?”

“I got up to leave, of course, but House kicked her out instead. He was kind of rude about it, which gave me a certain fissure of pleasure, I must confess. And then he said the most remarkable thing. . .he said, ‘You know, I only married her because I couldn’t marry you.’”

“He said that?”

“I know, right? So I kind of took his hand and then I was kind of kneading his hand. . . and you know that moment when hand holding becomes something else-becomes something sexual?”

“Yes,” said Ivy, because she did.

“Well, yeah. . .So, I guess I don’t need to fill in the blanks.”

“No. So now what?”

That said, I really like the duo exercise Ivy has Cuddy and House do. It's a really clever and touching way of examining the layers of their feelings and perceptions.

One question about word choice: In this line

which gave me a certain fissure of pleasure, I must confess

I think you mean frisson instead of fissure? "Frisson" is one of those words you see a lot in writing (especially fanfic ;)) but not one you hear spoken (or I don't hear spoken) much, so you may want to play with that phrasing a bit.

Finally, I love the last line of the fic, which (maybe I'm reading too much into it) conveys not only Ivy's ambivalence, but the reader's too.

[allthingsdecent]

You are AWESOME! Thank you so much for that...will definitely change the boneheaded frisson/fissure mistake and will try to figure out a way to make Ivy a little more professional in her exchange with Cuddy. (I think I wanted Ivy to be relatable, since she is our narrator thru this piece, but I don't want her to seem like a flake.)
Regardless, you're in trouble now, girl, because you rock and I'm totally going to ask you to do this again!! xoxo

Edited to add: I also had Cuddy address how she would've LIKED House to act after the breakup. Just a small exchange, but it helps.

[aud_woman_in]

You're welcome - my pleasure to help out!

you're in trouble now, girl

I eat trouble for breakfast. Usually mixed in with my yogurt and granola.

I also had Cuddy address how she would've LIKED House to act after the breakup. Just a small exchange, but it helps.

That addition works really well in fleshing out the issue, and it makes for a good transition into House's take on things, too. Nice job!

[passionrlsusall]

I really liked it. Seems in character, and a good way to work with what happened up until the ridiculous of the last few moments of the finale and send it in a far better direction. I like how they're really quite aware of how the other one feels, because I think they actually are, and the things they got wrong about how the other was feeling seemed right too. I would like reading more chapters of this.

[allthingsdecent]

Thanks! I think I'm done with adventures in H/C therapy. . . although never say never!