A/N: Last chapter I believe. And no, I don't think there'll be a sequel. Seems as if it would be, I don't know, redundant and unnecessary. But if someone PM's me a good idea, I'll try and run with it.
HOUSEHOUSEHOUSEAmelia practically threw the beer at House. "Here. Pig. Can't even get your own beer, have to make the woman do it."
"You got it, babe." He grinned and popped the top off his beer and flicked it across the room. This was the life. Sitting here, drinking a beer with his girls.
Yes, girls. Amelia's 25th birthday came three weeks ago, and that also meant Maddie was 11 months old. Maddie was Amelia's little girl, the product of her four-year marriage to a man named Harper Rouge. House thought Harper's last name signaled that he was a pansy, but every time he brought it up Amelia would slug him in the arm, so he'd gradually stopped mentioning it.
Besides, Amelia had kept her maiden name.
House remembered her wedding day with complete clarity, despite the fact that he'd gotten smashed at the reception.
He had been in the brides room with her. He handed her a pair of white gloves and looked at her sadly. "You look beautiful, Mia."
"Thanks. You look sad." She said, studying his face with those dissecting blue eyes.
"I'm not sad. Why would I be sad? Hell, I'm finally getting rid of you!" He said, smiling a fake smile.
"Shut up! I hate you." she wound up and socked him in the shoulder, which sent him reeling a little backwards. He bumped into a chair. "Dad!" she rushed to his side. "You ok?"
He nodded and stood up straight. "See? You don't hate me. You love me." He grinned a silly grin.
"Ok…ok…I love ya…but you're still a jerk."
"I will give you that one." He paused then and put on a serious look. "Look…if this guy turns out to be a complete jerk…I mean, worse than me…well, I'll kill him and bring ya back home."
"What's that? Oh, uh oh, Dad, your fatherhood's showing." She grinned.
"I'm being serious, Mia…he ever lays a finger on you, he's dead."
"Dad, I believe Harper's one of the few good guys left. I'm safe with him. But thanks. It's good to know you have my back." She grinned. "I ever tell you how much you mean to me?"
"Naw." He said quietly.
"The world. You mean the world to me, Dad. Always have and always will. You mean more to me than Harper does. I swear it." At that she pulled him into a bear hug.
"Oh, yeah? Prove it."
"Well…I'm keeping my maiden name." She smiled. "My motto is once a House, always a House."
He came back from that memory, because after that his memories tended to go in the throbbing headache, one too many shots of tequila, and seeing his daughter being taken away in a limo, never to be totally his again.
He took a drink of his beer then set it on the coffee table and stood up. He walked over to the bouncer where Maddie was seated and picked her up. She giggled and ran her hands down his scruffy cheeks and he glared at her playfully.
"Dad, don't antagonize the baby." Mia said from her chair where she was reading with her leg slung over it gently.
"I'm not. She loves me, don't you, Mads?" he tickled her belly gently.
"Gwandpa!" Maddie suddenly yelled.
Amelia dropped her book. "Did she just say something?"
"I dunno. Mads, what'd you say?" he asked curiously.
"Gwandpa!" she screamed triumphantly. Then again, over and over. "Gwandpa! Gwandpa!"
"I've gotta call Harper!" Amelia rushed and picked up her cell and dialed him.
Yep. House thought. This is the life. Beer, my girls, and love. Lots of love.
When was the last time he'd felt like this? So…at home?
Oh, yeah. Every day since Amelia had come back after that fateful few weeks she'd been gone.
He'd never stopped reminding her that he loved her. He had always said it to her twice a day. When she got up and when she went to bed. And then he remembered he hadn't said it yet that day.
"Hey." He said as she hung up the phone, flushing with pride, he hugged her. "I tell ya I love ya yet today?"
"No, Dad…and I love you too…" She hugged him back.
And things were perfect.
Well, he thought, looking as his daughter nearly dropped his granddaughter trying to juggle her and the diaper bag, things aren't perfect.
But they're the way they're supposed to be.
END.
HOUSEHOUSEHOUSEA/N: Hope ya'll liked it. This was a hard one to end. Hope it turned out ok.