So this is the end of it! I'd like to thank all of you very much for your support throughout the whole thing. When I started writing this story I thought I was going to write it just for myself, just to put on paper all the things that were running through my head. Then I decided to post it here, but really I'd never expected all the interest I received, so thank you all very much. It's really been a great experience.

As far as I'm concerned, I admit I have another very short story in my mind at the moment, but I don't know when/if I'm ever going to write it. I could start tomorrow, or next week, or in nine years, who knows!

In the meantime, enjoy the epilogue of this one. There's one point I left "open", so each one of you can decide what they would like to happen.

Once again, thank you all very much :)

*bows and leaves the stage*

Epilogue : I'm Yours

The first person they gave the big news to was obviously Wilson. They invited him and Jane, his girlfriend, for dinner, the evening after they came back from Paris.

"We're… we're getting married" Cuddy said.

Wilson's jaw literally dropped. He couldn't believe his ears, and as usual he thought this was a joke, but as soon as he realized it wasn't, he got up from his chair and hugged House. He was so happy for him.

Then, the second person who got to know about the wedding was Julia. They invited her for dinner too, although House didn't really like the idea. Predictably, she got more emotional than the two of them. Later on, however, she called House to another room with an excuse, to talk to him.

"If you hurt my sister and my niece again, I'll personally cut off your balls with a paper knife" she whispered.

He nodded. "It won't happen" he said. He always thought that his Cuddy had turned out to be the most similar to Arlene, but he never really got to know Julia very well. Now, he was starting to change his mind.

They shook hands, and went back to the dining room.

In the weeks that followed, House sold his old apartment and moved in with Cuddy for good. However, since they both knew that he needed some time for himself sometimes, they rearranged the basement to turn it into his personal room, where he put his piano, his guitars, and other old stuff. It was a place for him to chill, basically, or at least that was the intention. Reality turned out to be a bit different.

The first who violated his privacy was obviously Rachel, who wanted to play videogames with him. He really didn't mind the idea. Then, one day, she asked him to teach her how to play the piano, and that filled him with more pride and joy than he thought it was possible. They started piano lessons, during the weekends mainly. He had to admit she wasn't bad for a beginner, but he could see she preferred singing. So, sometimes they played together, and sometimes he would accompany her songs, like a live karaoke. In both cases, he enjoyed their time together. After all, during the week, he was never home.

Cuddy would also visit him while he was downstairs, but for different purposes: sex, mainly. Although it was still a room of the house, when they were there they felt like they were out of the world. Also, it wasn't as close to Rachel's room as their bedroom, so they could allow a little more noise. Sex in the basement became their little kink, sort of.

They also decided to take one evening just for themselves every week, and joined a tango course, every Wednesday night. House had rolled his eyes at first, when she proposed it, but he actually enjoyed it very much, although he was reluctant to admit it.

In general, everything was going great.

One night, as they were getting ready to go to bed, Cuddy decided it was the right moment to bring up a topic they never really discussed, but that was going to be relevant soon.

"Have you ever thought of converting to Judaism?" she asked.

Even though she couldn't define herself as observant of the religion, she had chosen to raise her daughter as a Jew, so they had traditions that they respected from time to time, and she would have liked House to be part of it. Plus, she had to admit, she would have also liked the wedding to be a religious ceremony.

He looked at her, surprised by her question.

"I'm still an atheist, you know" he replied.

She nodded. She was slightly disappointed, but she could understand it. Being atheist for him was as important as being Jewish was for her. It was part of who they were.

He could see the hint of sadness in her eyes, and he didn't like it.

The morning after, while he was in his office doing nothing, he googled some information on what the conversion to Judaism involved. He wasn't going to do that, ever, not a chance, he thought to himself. He was just curious.

Out of curiosity, he also wrote down a couple of addresses and numbers to call, in case, one day, he decided he wanted to know more. In case, one day, he decided he wanted her to have this part of him too.

They got married in spring. They opted for a civil ceremony, with few intimate friends and colleagues. Wilson was House's best man, but he also walked Cuddy down the "aisle". Julia was Cuddy's maid of honor, but she also walked House down the "aisle". He had to admit, he ended up liking her. Her husband was probably the dullest man on earth, and her kids were the most annoying teens and preteens ever, but she was okay. She was another Cuddy woman to add on the list of people he could stand.

At the wedding reception, they showed off with a tango. Then, they danced to the notes of Unchained Melody.

"You're mine, now" he whispered in her ear as they danced "forever"

She smiled and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.

For the honeymoon they went to Bali, this time alone. None of them had ever had so much sex in just one week. On the way back, although it wasn't really "along the way", they stayed two days in Mont Saint Michel, just because he felt like he owed this to her. They had even more sex.

The sex continued even after the honeymoon, although with more restraints.

House, anyway, loved his life, like he never had before. It was so perfect.

He felt like everything was perfect, and he couldn't ask anything more.

Until, one day, he met Michael Dodds. He was a patient of the clinic who complained about chest tightness. House was trying to auscultate his heart and lungs, but the guy kept talking, mainly about his son, who according to him was the brightest kid on heart, the best in school, at sports, at everything. After a few minutes, House just couldn't take it any longer.

"Look, my kid does that too, but you don't hear me bragging about it, so just shut up so I can listen to your chest" he snapped.

The guy did shut up.

And House realized he had defined Rachel his kid.

He'd never done that. She was always the kid, or Cuddy's kid, or just Rachel. In his mind, she was never his, until now.

He pondered on that all day long.

That night, he was in bed with Cuddy, they were both reading a book, and he decided to bring up the topic.

"I was wondering…" he started "if something happens to you, who's going to take care of Rach?"

"Julia's her legal guardian at the moment" she replied.

She soon realized his question was not purely out of curiosity.

"…but we can change that, you know" she added with a smile.

He smirked.

"Would you be fine with that? … with leaving her with me?" he asked.

She couldn't believe he was asking. Of course she was fine. She was more than fine. It was probably the best thing for Rachel too.

"I'll call my lawyer tomorrow" she just said, kissing him tenderly, before returning her attention to her book.

So, he was going to be Rachel's legal guardian.

He'd thought he was supposed to be happy at this news, but in fact he wasn't, not really. Yes, it was a good thing, but it didn't make him happy. It was just fine.

He thought about it some more.

In case something happened to Cuddy, Rachel was going to be under his guardianship. He would have to provide for her. He would be responsible for her, both emotionally and financially, until her 18th birthday.

After that, legal guardianship expired. Like milk, and eggs. After her 18th birthday, the bond that connected them would be worthless in the eyes of the law.

Moreover, it was something strictly connected to Cuddy. She could decide in any moment to revoke it, or change it. In case they divorced, one day, he would lose Rachel too. Forever.

He realized there was a reason why the idea of legal guardianship didn't make him happy. Legal guardianship was not what he wanted.

"I don't want to be her legal guardian" he stated.

Cuddy turned to look at him with a puzzled look on her face. "You just said two minutes ago that…"

"I want to adopt her"

He said it out loud, for the first time. What he felt, what he wanted, it had a name. Adoption. He wanted to adopt Rachel Cuddy. He wanted her to become Rachel House-Cuddy, or Cuddy-House, or just House. He wanted her to be his kid, officially. She already was, after all.

Cuddy was in shock. She removed her reading glasses and put down the book, to focus all her attentions on him.

"You know what that means, right?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes"

"Adoption is… the ultimate commitment" she said "once it's done, you can never undo it. Ever"

"I know"

"You can't even change it…" she continued, her voice starting to shake "for everything else in life, you can always change your mind, in any moment… even marriage can be dissolved…"

He nodded again. "I know"

"… but adoption… adoption is forever"

He could see her eyes glistening with tears.

He put a hand on hers. "I know" he repeated softly.

One single tear rolled down her cheek. "And this is… this is what you want?"

He took a deep breath. "Yes, it is"

He saw her starting to cry, silently at first, then more loudly.

She kissed his lips before burying her head on his shoulder. Her whole body was convulsing with sobs and sighs, and he felt the dampness that her tears created on his t-shirt. He enveloped her in his arms, almost automatically.

He hadn't expected such a reaction. Of course she was going to be happy, maybe she would weep a bit, but this? He wasn't expecting this.

"She's… she's going to be so happy…" she murmured against him, as she tried to steady her breath.

He could barely hear her, but he immediately understood everything.

She wasn't just happy. The tears and the sobs coming from her weren't just for herself. She was happy for Rachel.

He sighed, as he kissed the top of her head. The love Cuddy felt for her daughter was so powerful, so intense. And he thought it was going to remain a bit of a mystery to him, forever.

He was wrong.

They told Rachel the news a few days later, although adoption was legally a long process. She didn't say anything particular, she just asked if something was going to change. The answer, of course, was no.

Then, some time later, they were all invited for lunch at Wilson's place on a Sunday. House and Rachel were sitting on the couch in the living room, waiting for Cuddy to be ready.

"Go call your mom, kid, ask how much longer it's going to take" he said.

She made a pouty face.

"You go call mom" she said.

"You go"

"You go"

They flipped a coin. House won.

Rachel reluctantly got up from the couch, and went towards the stairs.

"Just so you know dad, next time I'm flipping the coin" she said, before disappearing upstairs.

That was when he first felt it. He was there, frozen, on his couch, and he felt inside him this powerful, unexplainable wave of love.

She'd called him dad. He was her dad. And it wasn't just a word said by a baby who was just repeating what she heard, no, this was said with all the meaning in the world. Rachel had called him dad because that was how she felt. The more he repeated the word inside his head, the better he felt. So this was it. This was the unconditional love people talked about, the one that made Cuddy cry of happiness. The one that in that precise moment, made him feel like there was someone out there, walking outside his own body, who wasn't just a part of him, but the best part of him.

His own eyes filled with tears. He wasn't just a random guy anymore. He was Rachel's father now.

As she saw her coming back downstairs with her mom, he stared at them. They were talking, and laughing about something, and suddenly he had an epiphany. He realized he had been missing something all along.

Yes, they were his. His wife and his daughter, his family. But that was not the point, that was barely half of it. Still looking at them, he whispered to himself, without even realizing it, the words that were running through his head, the words that more than everything could express his current feelings.

"I'm yours"

Then, he took a deep breath, made sure his eyes were dry, and walked towards them.

THE END