Exclusive: Will Watros' 'House' call be extended?

House may soon be Cynthia Watros’ permanent home.

The once-and-future Lost star doesn’t kick off her multi-episode arc as Wilson’s first ex-wife and new girlfriend until April 19, but series creator David Shore says he’s already toying with the idea of keeping her around long-term. “We’re talking about that,” he tells me. “It depends what’s going to give us the most bang for our buck dramatically.”

With Jennifer Morrison not expected to return next season as a regular, the show will be down one female. Shore, however, insists the equation doesn’t hinge on numbers. “When good people come on and they work out, we try and make it work longer,” he insists. “It’s ultimately about the storylines.”

One telltale sign that Shore might have big plans for Watros: He made her character, Sam Carr, a doctor, partly to keep her future job prospects at Princeton Plainsboro open. But, he adds, “It wasn’t just that.”

For his part, Robert Sean Leonard can already picture his new leading lady in the cast photo. “I like how she fits into the picture with Hugh [Laurie] and Lisa [Edelstein],” he says. “Cynthia is amazing, and we’re lucky to have her.”

Watros is certainly happy to be had. “I would love to [stick around],” says the actress, a Daytime Emmy winner for her stint as Guiding Light‘s loco Nurse Annie. “To be able to call this show home would be fantastic. But you know how this business works. There are so many factors that go into whether it’s a permanent thing. I’m just enjoying what I have now and feeling very lucky.”

What do you think? Should House invite Watros to stay before someone else steals her away (I just rhymed!)? Sound off below! And then run out and pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly to get an exclusive first look of Watros’ Sam!

PHOTO CREDIT: House: Michael Yarish/Fox; Watros: Lee Roth/RothStock/PR Photos