Hey Huddy fans! This is a story that came to me whilst swimming laps, because I can literally come up with a headcanon anywhere. And then as I soaked in the spa it grew from a headcanon to a fic, and became something I loved right away, because this...this is a story of how Rachel helped House.

Shout out to Natasha, who opened my eyes to the fact that swimming lessons like this are unusual in the US. I'm an Aussie, and that's how we do things here- group lessons at a young age and pretty much everyone learns to swim. So...idk deal with it. Also a shout out to her for taking me to In-N-Out and then hunting down Lisa Cuddy's house when I was in LA… good times.

It's set 2 years post the series finale (so Rachel is ~5) on the basis that everything went AU from Recession Proof. No Bombshells, no Moving On, no Season 8 Cuddy-less hell. Enjoy this Hachel fluff!

On with the fic…

House awoke early on a Saturday to the sounds of Cuddy swearing as she wrestled on a pair of pantyhose.

She noticed his tousled head rise from the pillow and apologised whilst wriggling on a skirt, clearly dressing with extreme speed.

"House, I'm sorry, I know you got in late last night from your case, but there's an emergency at the hospital…" She was frantically buttoning a shirt now, "…power is out and one of the generators is down, I don't exactly know, but maintenance said they need me there for any repairs, and…"

House waved a hand. "Go, do your thing. I can mind the rugrat for the morning."

"About that…" Cuddy's voice faded as she walked into the ensuite. "She has swimming lessons this morning. You can take her right?"

House's head shot up again, his eyes fully awake. "What?"

Cuddy walked back into the bedroom whilst putting in earrings and sat on her side of the bed.

"House, really, it's not that hard. Give her breakfast, put her in her bathing suit, drive her to the pool. She knows the drill. Lesson is for an hour, drive her home. I should be back from the hospital by lunch anyway"

House frowned in Cuddy's direction, the look ruined by his hair sticking out in every direction. "Can't you call Marina, get her to take Rach? Pools are not really my thing…"

"No I can't call Marina. It's 7.30 on a Saturday morning. Besides, I recall you saying you'd 'make an effort'. I need that effort now." She leaned over and gently kissed him. "Please?"

House groaned. "I hate when you use your sneaky feminine wiles on me. Be gone woman, I'll get Rach where she needs to be… "

Cuddy stood and finished dressing, grabbing her phone from the nightstand and dropping it in her handbag. "Thank you, House."

"You owe me." He dropped his head back down onto the pillow. "Big time."

"I'm sure I'll find some way to repay you." He heard her heels clicking down the hall. "Have fun!"

The front door closed and House groaned again. He didn't mind watching Rachel, after all he often had the mentality of a five year old, and she was a pretty easy-going kid. But taking her out in public was a whole different ball game. He didn't mind what people thought of him, but he did mind what people thought about Rachel, or about him with Rachel. He'd also heard Cuddy mention the mothers at swimming practice before, about how gossipy and catty they were- he was going to have to watch himself, make sure Rachel and Cuddy could actually go back there.

He hadn't had much time think up a plan of attack before he heard the soft padding of little feet down the hallway and the bedroom door creak open.

"Mama?"

"Hey rugrat." House waved a hand so she could see he was still in bed. "Come here."

Rachel padded around to his side of the bed and waited patiently, knowing she couldn't jump up on House but had to wait to be lifted so she didn't hurt his leg- that had been a scary lesson for her and a painful one for House, but now she knew, and that was just the way things were.

House sat and gently rubbed his thigh before turning to lift Rachel and put her next to him on the bed.

"You're up early."

"I heard noises." Rachel lay down next to House with her head on her mother's pillow. House mimicked her, putting his hands behind his head.

"Yeah, your mom had to rush off to work, so it's just you and me this morning kiddo." He turned to face her. "So since mom isn't here, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes and Froot Loops!" Rachel squealed in House's ear, making him cringe slightly.

"Hmmm…" House put on an overly thoughtful face. "Pancakes are your mom's favourite, it would be a bit mean to eat them without her, wouldn't it?" Which would also hide the fact that he only cooked them when Cuddy was around, as he couldn't quickly make it from the stove to Rachel and back again should anything happen. He hoped Rachel would pick up on the message.

"Hmmm…" Rachel mimicked his expression with a cheeky smile. "Froot Loops!"

"Good choice." House sat back up, rotating his right foot to warm up the leg for the day as he twisted to lift Rachel back onto the floor. "You head on into the kitchen and see if you can rustle up your bowl and spoon...I'll be right behind you."

Rachel took off down the hall at a fast trot, completely used to the fact it took House longer than most people to get moving in the mornings. Like learning not to jump on the bed, it was something Rachel had learned quickly- and early.

By the time House made it into the kitchen Rachel was patiently standing by the bench, having already retrieved her bowl and spoon. Cuddy was getting her used to preparing her own breakfast, but she often struggled to get the fridge door open, and so was just standing and waiting.

"Right…" House opened the pantry. "Cereal...cereal...you wanted Special K, right?"

"Yuck!" Rachel contorted her face as if it was the worst thing ever suggested. "That's mama's cereal! It's gross!"

"Sure is...here we go, Froot Loops." He turned back to Rachel with the correct box. "Can I trust you to pour this whilst I get the milk?"

Rachel nodded, her face now sincere. She always tried to be a big girl for House, having learnt from an infant that some things were just done differently with him.

Cereal poured, Rachel carefully walked her bowl to the table and climbed into 'her' chair- she sat at the head of the table, always between House and Cuddy. When House moved in Cuddy had some weird idea that House should sit at the head of the table, but Rachel wouldn't move. So that way it stayed.

House limped over to her and topped her bowl up with milk before heading back to the fridge and flipping the coffee machine on.

"We don't have much time Rach, so eat up."

Rachel nodded, her mouth stuffed full of cereal. By the time House had poured a coffee and gratefully downed half of it she was chasing the last of her Loops around the bowl.

Walking back to the table he collected her bowl and spoon, depositing them in the sink and glancing at the clock.

"Come on Rach, let's get a move on."

She ran off down the hallway to brush her teeth and wash up. Normally House would attempt her hair, but he figured no point since she was heading for the pool. He rinsed the dishes, wondering when it was that he became so domesticated, and when he actually started to like it, when he heard Rachel calling for him from her room.

He entered to find she'd managed to tangle herself in her pajama top. "Help me House!" came her muffled cry.

Pulling off her pajama top, he headed to her dresser. He knew where her bathing suit was from that time he did the laundry when Cuddy was out of commission with the flu…but he didn't realise she had four.

"Uhhh…" he turned to Rach, standing in her pyjama bottoms. "Which ones kiddo?"

"Pink!"

"Ok, pink it is"

She pretty much dressed herself until she got confused and tangled with the shoulder straps on her swimsuit. House untangled them, questioning why little girls' bathers needed such ridiculous decoration, then pulled out some shorts and a tee for her to wear over the top.

"Right, what else?" He looked around, knowing Cuddy always took a sports bag to the pool each week. "Goggles, towel…"

"A drink!"

"Of course, Dora drink bottle, check."

Everything loaded into Rachel's pink sports bag, he grabbed his cane from beside her bed and followed Rachel as she skipped off towards the garage.

Unlocking his car, he put the bag on the floor before strapping Rachel into her car seat. She sighed, once again lamenting that the car seat in his car was "boring", not pretty like the one in her mom's car. It was a conversation they had every time House had Rachel in his car, and he hadn't yet caved and gotten one with butterflies like she wanted. He claimed it was because he still had some of his image to maintain.

Arriving at the pool without incident, House made Rachel slow her pace and stick with him through the entry. Turning down a corridor that was humid and smelled heavily of chlorine, House was suddenly stuck with a conundrum. He obviously couldn't take Rachel into the men's change room, and he couldn't just wander into the ladies' to help her get her outer clothes off… plus she was too young to go in alone.

Slowing his gait to give him extra thinking time, he let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding when he spotted a sign for a 'family change room'. As they approached the door it unlocked, a woman following her four young boys out and giving House a sympathetic smile- that happened a lot when he was with Rachel, people automatically assuming he was a single parent. The lack of wedding band probably helped that assumption.

He helped Rachel out of her clothes, got her hair tied up and goggles on.

Slinging her bag over his shoulder, they walked out into the pool area and House again slowed- while the floor was a rendered cement to lessen the chance of falls, he knew that one errant puddle could cause his cane to slip from under him and down he'd go. Not the best first impression to make, and something he knew would scare Rachel- she'd seen him fall before and every time it ended with her more upset than him. She hated to see him hurt and he didn't really intend on it happening with an audience.

Rachel let go of his hand and skipped ahead over to her instructor to check in for her lesson, while House headed for the bleachers, packed with mums sitting in tight-knit groups. He did a quick scan of the crowd, not a single dad in sight. Great.

"House!" Rachel's small voice carried his name with enough authority that he clearly heard her over the din of the aquatic centre. Wonder where she learnt how to do that? he smirked to himself.

Turning, he saw Rachel frantically gesture for him to come over to where her and the instructor were standing on the edge of the pool.

Slowly making his way there, he appreciated that the instructor stepped away from the slippery tiled edge of the pool towards him. She couldn't have been more than 18, standing in her blue 'Instructor' rash vest with matching clipboard.

"Hello!" She cheerily said as they finally met.

"Hi."

"Rachel here tells me you'll be her supervising adult for the lesson, Mr…?"

"Doctor, actually." The correction was automatic, "Gregory House."

"Oh, ok…" the teen briefly looked down at her clipboard, then back at House nervously. "Pool policy states that children can only be signed in and supervised during lessons by a legal parent or guardian unless advance notice is given. Are you… are you Rachel's father?"

"No, I'm Cuddy- Lisa- her mother's partner." He still felt weird using Cuddy's first name and referring to himself as her 'partner', even after 3 years together. "Lisa was called in to an emergency at work this morning, that's why I'm bringing Rachel."

"Ohhhhhhh…" Another glance at the clipboard. "Doctor Cuddy is such a lovely woman, I understand she has a busy job. Rachel is so keen to get swimming today, so I'm sure we can overlook it this once." She thrust the clipboard at House. "Just sign next to Rachel's name and we're good to go- our little secret!"

House signed Rachel in and made his way back to the bleachers, noting all the mothers not-so-subtly watching him.

Reaching the bottom row of seats he squeezed in between two gossiping groups of women, glad there was enough space that he didn't have to ask anyone to move or try to climb the stairs- more attention he wasn't keen to attract.

The woman next to him glanced over her shoulder before turning back to her group. "That must be Lisa Cuddy's partner…" he heard her not-so-quiet whisper. "I thought she was with some world famous doctor?"

"Must have kicked him to the curb." Another one laughed. "I've never seen a doctor dressed like that."

House rolled his eyes and focused back on Rachel, who was flailing her arms in some attempt of butterfly stroke. Reaching the edge of the pool she waved enthusiastically at House, who raised a hand back.

It was barely fifteen minutes before his back ached from the hard plastic chair, and he was convinced he'd never remove the smell of chlorine from his clothes- but at least the mothers had found a new target, a girl in Rachel's group who clearly needed new bathers and instead had a bunch of middle-aged women judging her.

This is torture. He shot off the text to Cuddy before turning his eyes back to Rachel, now attempting a racing dive.

His phone buzzed. I know. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you xx

You had better. What I ever did to deserve such punishment…

You'll get your just reward. Talk to you later xx

Even Cuddy couldn't distract him. He glanced back at his phone- 40 more minutes. He focused on watching Rachel, waving when she turned to him, trying to ignore the snarky conversation of the women around him.

Finally the hour was up, the kids climbing out of the pool and heading to the bleachers. Before he knew it the mothers were all walking with their kids over to the shallower kid's pool and joining them for a swim.

Before he could think any further, Rachel was in front of him, dripping on his shoes.

"Did you see me House?" Her eyes were wide as he wrapped a towel around her. "Did you? I swam butterfly all the way to the end!"

House grabbed a corner of the towel and dried off Rachel's dripping ponytail. "Yeah kid, I saw you."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the instructor approaching. "Doctor House, I just thought I'd let you know that after lessons we encourage parents to jump in the pool with their kids, really helps them cement what they've learned by showing off!" Her eyes glanced at his cane. "The smaller pool is quite warm, nearly as warm as a therapy pool - great for muscle aches and sprains!"

House scowled. He knew Cuddy always went for a swim with Rachel- they'd both return from the pool with damp hair. He could swim, and swim well. But since the infarction he wasn't really keen on anything that involved showing his leg- especially in front of the gossip brigade.

"Thanks…" he bit back the sharp retort he had in mind. "I don't swim. Can't, actually. Just never learned."

The instructor's face showed a mixture of shock and sympathy.

"Oh. Well then, we'll just see you next week, Rachel!"

Rachel grinned back as House got to his feet and they made their way out to the car.

The car ride home was silent. House hated lying to Rachel, even if she was just a bystander to the act, and Rachel just stared out the window- she was usually sleepy after her lesson, he knew that from the naps they often took together on the Saturdays he was home.

Cuddy was in the kitchen slicing vegetables for a soup when they walked in, Rachel instantly racing to her mother's side.

"Mama! Mama! We went to the pool and I swam a whole lap butterfly and I did a dive and…" she gestured for her mother to lean down to her, as if to whisper some major secret. "House can't swim!"

Cuddy frowned. He could swim, she'd seen him swim. In winter, in Michigan, when it was lacrosse off season and too cold for Cuddy's usual runs, they'd often see each other at the indoor pool. She knew he'd been put off after the infarction, but Stacy had mentioned that hydrotherapy had been what he'd stuck with the longest. She didn't like him lying in front of - or to - Rachel, but she was sure knew his reasoning behind it.

That night Cuddy came out of the ensuite towelling her hair, while House was already in bed reading a new journal.

"She wanted you to get in the pool didn't she?"

He met her eyes over his reading glasses and sighed. He knew she'd bring it up eventually, the second the words were out of Rachel's innocent mouth.

"The instructor did, along with the panel of judge moms. Rach just…. she accepted it. I don't know what you did to have a kid that just…she never judges me, she never asks me for more than I can give…"

Cuddy sat on her side of the bed and curled against him as he removed his glasses and put down the journal. "She loves you House, that's why..."

"But I can't… I couldn't do it. She just stood there, whilst all the other kids swam with their parents… she missed out. Because of me."

"It was one Saturday House, I'll swim with her next week. You said yourself she wasn't upset."

"That's not the point Cuddy. The point is she's going to keep missing out…because of me…because of my leg."

"And she's going to keep loving you…for you…leg and all." Cuddy paused, unsure if she should actually say what was on her mind.

House beat her to it. "Say it Cuddy. Whatever's on your mind, say it."

"Well…you can swim. Very well. And I'm sure you still can. You just… I know you don't want people seeing your leg. But really, in the water, who would know? And then you could play - really play - with Rach. You could pick her up and throw her about and no one would know any different. I think… I think you should do it House."

He didn't reply, but she could feel the tension in his arms. "We could all go together…I mean… you don't have to…I just thought…."

"It's fine Cuddy. It's just…"

"You don't want people seeing your scar?" She felt him nod against the top of her head. "Well…we'll just find some longer shorts to cover those long legs of yours then. Will you think about it?"

He pulled his arms right around her and she felt him sigh.

"The things I do for you Cuddy women."

It wasn't until the Tuesday that they both found themselves free for some retail therapy. House's latest patient was stable, and Cuddy had managed to clear her schedule at the last minute, as well as promising House she'd buy a new bikini for making him "suffer through" shopping for swim shorts.

And so they found themselves at a swimwear store in Trenton, after Cuddy had done her research and they'd managed only one argument in the car.

As House tried on what felt like the hundredth pair of shorts, Cuddy slipped through the curtain with more hangers in her hand.

Turning to the mirror he scowled. "Can still see it."

Cuddy sighed. "Barely. You'd have to be staring right at your leg and know you were looking at a scar."

"You can still see it though!"

"House." She lay a hand on his shoulder. "It's ok. We can...we can go. It's ok."

House sighed, bowing his head. "I can't. I need to do this...for Rachel."

"She'd understand."

House shook his head, still looking at the ground. "I can wear these shorts. I can do this."

"I have more pairs." Cuddy lifted the hangers and shook them. "It's a just struggle because you're so tall that even the 'long' pairs don't come to your knees."

He slipped on another pair. "Too big."

"And you're too skinny. I'll still never understand how you're eating more with me but not filling out."

"Calorie deficit. All that rabbit food." He looked in the mirror. "Hey, these aren't bad."

Cuddy looked up from the pair she was putting back on the hanger. "They're red."

"Who cares? They're shorts, they fit my waist, and they go to my knees. No scar in sight."

"Thank god." Cuddy pushed up on her toes to kiss him, and before she knew it he had wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"Now it's my turn." He hissed in her ear before letting her go. "Go on, go find a hot new bikini."

She rolled her eyes and he patted her butt as she slipped back out of the fitting room.

The next Saturday rolled around, with Rachel beyond excited to learn that both House and Cuddy were taking her to swimming- and with a treat afterwards! Rachel loved treats.

After signing Rachel in to her lesson, Cuddy joined House at the bleachers, sitting in their own little world as they ignored the other parents and snarked at each other to pass the hour.

Rachel rushed up to them from the pool and reached past Cuddy for her towel, excitedly asking if they were going home now, "for the treat?"

Cuddy smiled at her daughter, so excited she was practically vibrating. "No honey, the treat is here- we're going to all go swimming!"

Rachel looked at her mother, confusion clear on her face.

"All of us?" Rachel looked to House.

"Yes sweetie, even House."

Rachel's face was nearly swallowed by her smile, as she lunged forward to hug House, her bathers making a wet patch on his tee.

They slowly headed over to the family pool, Cuddy getting Rachel organised and into the water, distracting her while watching House out of the corner of her eye. House stripped off his damp tee and left his cane with the bag to limp the few steps to the edge of the pool. Gently he lowered himself to the edge and slipped in, instantly amazed at how easy and nearly painless it was to just...stand. He stood straighter, feeling his spine relax instead of being hunched to his right, and he put his right leg down, remembering what it used to feel like to stand without his cane, without leaning all his weight on his left leg. He looked over at Cuddy and Rachel, the former looking like she might cry for him, the latter smiling her toothy grin at her.

Rachel jumped out of her mother's arms and splashed her way over to House, before asking him something she hadn't since she was a toddler. "Up, House!"

Without hesitation House grabbed Rachel and lifted her, the water helping ease her weight on him, and he just stood with her, amazed that he hadn't tried this sooner. Cuddy watched on, holding back tears, especially when Rachel cried out, "spin me House!" and he did. Slowly, but with no hesitation to set his weight, no taking the time to set aside his cane, no "not today, Rach". Just Rachel and House, playing together like they should always be able to.

They swam together for over an hour, just horsing around all together, even Cuddy getting into it. Rachel was ecstatic to be able to play with both her parents, nothing could wipe the smile off her face.

In the car on the way home Rachel fell asleep nearly instantly, she was so exhausted from her lesson and then a full hour of playing with her favourite playmate. Cuddy caught House watching Rachel in the rear view mirror, then took one hand off the wheel to reach across and take his hand, resting them together on his thigh.

"Thank you." He broke the silence with a voice that was soft, but full of emotion. "Thank you so much."

"So, I'll take we'll be back?" Cuddy looked at him and smiled.

"Every week Cuddy, every week. "