“Hugh! Wait up!” Hugh Laurie paused in the middle of taking off his motorcycle casco and looked to see where the voice was coming from. Lisa Edelstein had just gotten out of her car and was striding toward him, a brilliant smile on her face. “Where’ve te been?”
    “…home…” he said, raising an eyebrow. “For the last week o so. Scripts and lines and meetings and trying to work on my book before my publisher comes after me to break my kneecaps…”
    The two of them headed through the parking lot to the set for their first giorno back filming season 5 of House, splitting off toward their respective trailers for hair and makeup and last minuto script reviews. As Lisa headed up to her door she glanced back and saw Hugh still watching her from his own door.
    “May I help you?” She called.
    “Making sure te didn’t lock your keys in… again!” He shouted back, making a face at her. Lisa rolled her eyes and opened the door, making a big mostra of entering unassisted. “All right then!” And he entered his own. Lisa shook her head wryly and grabbed the pages for the day’s shooting. It really was good to be back…
~*~*~
    Lisa wiggled herself down into Cuddy’s sofa, catching the remote the props master tossed in her direction.
    “God, I Amore this couch…” she moaned, sinking deeper into it—unfortunately, right when the director started the scene and Hugh walked in.
    “Comfy?”
    “Cut!”
    “Sorry!” The two of them detto simultaneously, then cracked up.
    “It’s official, we’re back!” Lisa called, and sat up straighter. “Ok ok I’m sorry, let’s go…”
    “You had my cable disconnected!” Hugh thundered, storming in the door.
    “Well, that’s quite a leap. Just because I happen to have a 31-person maintenance department, each of whom you’ve personally abused at some point—”
    “Why? Did te think I’m ok with letting someone die, but I’m gonna fold if I can’t watch celebrity bowling?”
    “That…” Lisa half smiled, quirking an eyebrow at him. “Is not an unreasonable theory. Especially with only ten minuti ‘til your preferito soap. Oh, gee… is this the remote from the doctor’s lounge?”
    Hugh turned his head slightly, as if he was going to storm back out—then lunged for the remote Lisa was holding away from him and banged straight into the coffee table, falling half onto it, half onto the divano successivo to her. Lisa jumped slightly to the side, and dropped the remote, putting her hand out to catch him if he fell further.
    “House!” She grabbed his arm, trying to help him up. Just then, Robert came in the door holding his beeper, got through the first syllable of his line, and realized he was looking at Hugh’s legs sticking out from on superiore, in alto of the coffee tavolo and his upper torso propped up on his elbows, making a face at Lisa as she reached for him.
    “This is your 911?” Robert asked, wondering if they were still filming.
    “It’s a hospital, damn it!” Hugh muttered. “You’re supposed to help cripples, not set booby traps for them…”
    “Ok, ok, cut it…” Deran got up and came over to the set, helping Lisa pull Hugh off the couch. “I take it everyone had a nice relaxing vacation?”
    “A little too relaxing if he’s still drunk,” Robert said, elbowing Hugh in the ribs. “Can’t even walk a straight line, buddy?”
    “Maybe I could focus on the furniture if Lisa wasn’t wearing… that.” Hugh gestured to her chest with his cane and Lisa rolled her eyes.
    “You know as well as I do that wardrobe takes care of that. And also,” she said, getting off the divano to reposition the table, “you never complained before.”     Robert and Hugh both raised their right eyebrow and looked at each other, then turned and marched back out the door as Lisa burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, boys, I will try my best not to distract te anymore!”
    “That would be much appreciated,” Hugh said, sticking only his head back into the office. “Let’s try that again, shall we?”
    “Action!”