It's the last update for this story and it's been a long journey getting here. I'm of course sad to finish it, but I'm so happy I've had the chance to write this, and to know that so many people are reading it too. The second instalment of this series should be out soonish, and will start right from where I've left off.

I'm thanking everyone. My loyal reviewers, those who've added this to their alerts and/or favourite and those who've added me as a writer, well I'm truly overwhelmed by it all. Thanks so much for your dedication.

So look out for 'Mashed Mangoes' soon if you can!

Oh I need to point this out; I have never been pregnant and so have never gone through labour and neither have I witnessed or had anyone close to me go into labour either. As such this chapter is built on research gathered from the internet. If it is wrong I can only blame my website choosing techniques and will try to do better next time.

Love Martini xx

Labour

House touched the edge of the bed and felt the mattress for firmness before pulling back the covers and smelling the fresh scent of clean bed linen. The room was filled with modern furniture, dark blue armchairs, beech wardrobes and other comfort items. Opposite the bed was a small en-suite, closed for now, and behind him was the small cot ready to be filled. He breathed in deeply and placed the large travel bag onto the closest chair while reaching for the electronic medical equipment.

He started resetting and turning them on.

"Ah-hem" He turned to face the door that led into the corridor, and spotted Cameron sitting in a wheelchair with her arms crossed. "Is this one okay? Would it possible for me to stay in this one for more than five minutes?"

He nodded uneasily before hooking his cane onto the arm of the chair and waiting for the midwife to push her closer. Cameron begrudgingly got up, arched a little in stance before slowly getting into the bed. Wrapping the covers up to her chin she continued to watch House limp about with different things in his hands, clothes, toiletries and the teddy bear that Cameron had decided would help the baby in the new environment.

She wasn't pleased.

"This is stupid," She mumbled while watching the midwife begin to tick and sign the relevant information only to then pass it to Cameron who signed it too. "I could be at home. We could be at home and watching General Hospital." House found the remote for the television and switched it on.

"You can watch it here." House watched the screen from where he was standing intently. "Oh, damn it's a repeat. Luke's heart attack... he's going to need open-heart surgery." He sighed. "What a shame."

"Greg, seriously I'm not in the mood for this..." She passed the papers back to the midwife who left the room.

"But you just said-"

"I meant I don't need to be here yet." And then it hit her, another contraction prevented her from saying anything else –bar the agonising growl of pain. She closed her eyes and thought unmentionable things concerning House's nether regions. When the pain had subsided she breathed heavily and found House holding her hand and sitting on the bed beside her. "This isn't even a strong one and it hurts like hell. What am I gonna do?" He smiled at her.

"I'll go get some codeine and before long you'll have the refreshing relief of an epidural. You'll be fine." House squeezed her fingers tight while watching her trying to regain some composure. "Water's good too, want me to get the midwife to run you a bath?" Cameron, a little hazy still from the pain, consented to all that he had said before realising he was already gone with his cane down the corridor. The first stage was well underway and Cameron couldn't believe how quickly the time had passed for her since she felt her first proper contraction. That had been hours ago.

Motionless she watched the television, not really that concerned with General Hospital to be fair, but knowing full-well not to change it over in case House came back. She touched her belly, perfectly round and warm, and felt the giddy emotion that came with knowledge that she would become a mother. 40 weeks ago Cameron had never thought any further into her relationship, and assumed to take one day at a time. Now it was no longer just them she had to think about, Madeline was going make a big impact in both her lives, and she would be lying if she didn't feel scared about it all.

House returned with a Midwife in tow carrying a jug of water and some tablets.

"Here," he said passing over the pain relief while sitting in the chair next to her. A hot bath was being prepared in the room opposite her, something she was rather glad about. "Well this is about the most exciting moment of my life," House admitted softly while watching over her.

"Me... too" she replied while reaching for his hand. "This is it." The next contraction hit and Cameron continued to hold his hand –now a lot more tightly- while she felt her whole body move in time with the pain. When she finally let go House had to clutch and relax his grip in order to get the blood back into his fingers. She dropped her head back onto the bed and sighed heavily. "This isn't fun though"

"No... But I don't think it's intended to be fun." She tried to laugh, but it was only a half-attempt causing her to sigh in frustration. The midwife reappeared with a fluffy towel and a new gown. Cameron pulled her book, the tale of Emma, out of the drawer and waddled to the bathroom, House following suit.

He stood in the doorway, but on seeing her cringe, he turned back out and closed the door with both the midwife and Cameron on the other side. Wilson appeared in the doorway with a large bouquet of pink and white peonies.

"You are such a girl," House pointed out before sitting on the bed and reaching for his own reading material, a gossip magazine with a picture of Lindsay Lohan on the front.

"And you're not," Wilson replied before arranging the flowers that were already in a vase on the side. "Where is she?"

"In the bath" House sounded pretty bored about it actually. "She's been practically living in the bath at home for the last week. Three times last night she asked me to refill it."

"Well that would be the most comforting place to be for a heavily pregnant woman." A nurse popped her head in before placing another vase of flowers on the side. Wilson read the card. "From the Radiology department... how nice" House made fake gagging noises and Wilson placed his hands on his hips and glared. "If you were pregnant-"

"-Which is impossible-"

"I said if, you wouldn't be getting flowers because you treat all the other department heads with ridiculously little amounts of respect. Cameron on the other hand-"

"Is wonderful and therefore is surrounded by gifts, yeah, yeah I get it." House smiled at a picture of Paris Hilton before something occurred to him. "Do you know I get a month off work from like now? I bet you're soo jealous"

"Clearly the baby is just a bonus." Wilson smartly replied before placing the bear inside the cot.

"I didn't say that." House snapped while placing his magazine on the bedside table. "Where's Cuddy?"

Wilson shrugged.

"In her office I suppose, where she usually is this time of day. Why?"

"I thought she would be here by now trying her hand at coaching Allison through the labour." The room was quiet enough to hear a lot of splashing before a plug being pulled. House got up off the bed and rubbed his leg. "And that didn't last very long." Minutes later Cameron reappeared with a frown etched on her face carrying her old clothes. She was now wearing the gown and a cotton dressing robe from home and nothing on her feet. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling crappy," she replied while beginning to slowly pace. "Hey Wilson"

"Hey Allison, you're looking good." She turned around and hobbled some more.

"You're lying." She paused and placed her clothes on a spare chair. "Fancy going for a walk, Greg?" House had been planning on catching up on the gossip in Hollywood but the icy stare told him that it was better to do anything Cameron said. He reached for his cane.

"Sure," Cameron put on some slippers before grabbing his hand and walking out the room, Wilson followed the pair. The corridor was pretty long with the birthing suites and delivery rooms all attached on either side. Far ahead a mother in a wheelchair was being escorted with a baby in her arms back to her room. Cameron smiled before frowning as another contraction started. "Can't we skip ahead to that part instead?"

House felt her grip on his hand begin to tighten and he agreed.

"Unfortunately time doesn't work like that; it's linear and moves only forwards. No skipping involved, yet anyway."

"Well duh," she muttered as they walked forwards towards the elevators. Wilson silently chuckled. The continued their journey till reaching the lifts before turning back. Dr. Kennington appeared from the far right elevator and caught up with quickly.

"I just got the page," he said with a smile and a clap of his hands. "She's nothing if not punctual, how are you feeling?" He said while they headed back to the room. Madeline, if she decided to arrive today, would arrive on her due date.

"Painful, I guess. Codeine is notworking." She growled at House, while clenching his hand as yet another contraction hit her. "They were every 5-6 minutes and then Greg decided to bring us in, then they slowed down." She paused. "The last few have come and gone pretty quickly though."

"That's good. You were dilated to 3cm when you first arrived; it was a good call to bring you in. I'm sure Dr. House was thinking with your interests at heart." He said but Cameron merely shrugged and then growled at another contraction. "I think I'll check you over now, who knows, you could have dilated a lot more. Some people do."

They headed back to the room, leaving Wilson outside, and got Cameron back on the bed. House moved to the top of the bed and began to play with Cameron's hair while she griped the sheets and watched Dr. Kennington carefully. After several moments he smiled at her.

"5cm dilation -that was a quick progression- I'm guessing you're ready for your epidural now?"

"Yes!" Cameron said enthusiastically. Kennington chuckled.

"I'll go get the anaesthetist" He popped out the room back to the nurses' desk to call her, by passing Cuddy in the corridor. The oncologist and Dean sat side-by-side on one of the benches gently strumming fingers against the wood or twiddling thumbs. They had a while to wait, but still managed to get excited on seeing Kennington. "Still only 5cm dilated." He said with a smile before walking passed, leaving the pair to deflate back into a slouched position.

"How do you think House is coping with all this?" Cuddy murmured while looking at the closed door into the birthing suite.

"Well, quite well considering Cameron blames him for everything. It's surprising how he manages to bite his tongue when Cameron's concerned, anyone else would've been cut down to size with a well thought out remark by now."

"Well she is living with him, and no matter how much he tries to hide it, he dotes on her." Cuddy smiled. "He would change for her and he has, the lovesick fool." Wilson laughed.

"I never thought I'd be here with House, in a maternity ward waiting for his daughter to be born."

"Well... no he's... changed, a lot." Kennington walked passed and smiled at them again before heading to another room –obviously another patient of his was also giving birth, or had just done so, today. The pair looked on. "Has he called his parents yet?"

"Damn!" Wilson said before jumping up and running in the direction of the nearest payphone. He stopped abruptly and spun to face her again. "Do you fancy calling Helen –Cameron's mom?" Cuddy begrudgingly got up and followed him. They stood next to each other with a plastic barrier separating them and began to dial the numbers House had scribbled down on the back of a napkin.

Blythe wasn't exactly surprised it was Wilson who was calling her.

"Hello James,"

"Blythe it's wonderful to speak to you again, I guess you know why I am calling." She let out a shrill of surprise.

"Is Madeline crying as we speak?"

"Oh no, Allison is in first stage of labour, and he wanted you to know. He said you'd have your bags packed." She chuckled.

"And how is the mother-to-be? I'm sure Greg is being his delightful self."

"She's okay Blythe; she's getting her epidural so I'm hoping that'll make her feel a little better. But your son is behaving -exceeding expectations actually- Allison hasn't stopped blaming him for everything this morning."

"Well she can blame him if she wants too; I'll check the flights, though I doubt I'll get a seat till tonight or tomorrow." Wilson thought as much. He breathed in slightly and said the inevitable.

"Is... um ...John coming?" There was a sigh at the other end of the line.

"James, Greg said he didn't want him there and John doesn't want to go. Unless one of them stops being so stubborn and says sorry nothing will happen. Tell him I'll be there by tomorrow, and tell Cameron I'm thinking of her."

"Will do Blythe," he mumbled. "See you when you arrive, I'll pick you up from the airport if you like?"

"We'll see James, thank you for calling" He hung up and spotted Cuddy was just doing the same. Wilson felt his pockets for the rest of his loose change and headed over to the coffee machine, pressing for black with two sugars. Cuddy joined him by leaning against the wall with her arms folded.

"Helen is packing her bags and getting the 9:30 plane tomorrow. Thinks she'll be here about mid-day. What about Blythe?"

"She's going to try and get a seat on the next available plane too. Want a coffee?"

"Please." Wilson repressed a selection of white coffee, no sugar. "I guess John isn't coming?"

"No. House still hasn't spoken to him since their big fight ages ago. John hasn't tried to contact him either though"

"They're both as stubborn as each other." Cuddy replied while taking the hot beverage from Wilson's open hands. "I'm going to go and check on Cameron, you coming?"

"Sure," They both headed back to the birthing suite, taking their time when passing the newborns in the nursery, before knocking softly on the door of the House's room. A soft voiced 'come-in' made the pair assume correctly that Cameron must have been administered her epidural by now. Cuddy entered first, spotting House sitting on two chairs with one comfortably accommodating his legs while he sat reading through a magazine, and Cameron sitting surrounded by pillows and duvets on the bed reading her novel. Wilson followed closing the door before joining Cuddy at the foot of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" She asked the younger woman with a warm smile.

"A lot better thank you," she said smiling back. "I love drugs!" The other three people in the room chuckled softly and House put his magazine down before grabbing his leg and sitting upright letting the dean fill the vacant chair. The nurse popped in with another vase of flowers and placed them with the others before leaving. They were an array of yellow tulips, white Peruvian lilies and deep blue hyacinths. "They are very pretty, who are they from?"

Wilson stepped across to read the card.

"Congratulations from all the team in Immunology. Aren't you the popular one?" House glanced at Cuddy suspiciously, but remained tight-lipped.

"Aw, remind me to thank them later." She breathed in deeply and sighed. The fetal heart monitor beeped in the background as the room went quiet. "They say that she's progressing well... but obviously the contractions will have slowed down now. Cuddy smiled.

"Are you ready to be a mom?"

"I hope so. It seems like only last week Gre-House was making me take a blood test." They looked at one another exchanging warm smiles. "And suddenly I'm in labour."

"I seem to remember nine months in between," House said while scratching his chin. "There were certainly some time where you threw up everything you ate, and then when you went crazy and shouted at everyone." He turned and smirked at her. "Weren't they good times?"

She hit his arm.

"Stop acting so childish" The other two doctors chuckled at their verbal exchange.

"I've spoken to your mother, and Cuddy spoke to yours Cameron, and they are planning to arrive sometime tomorrow. I thought I should book them both a hotel room for a couple of days... and I'll pick them up from the airport, of course." House snorted at Wilson's eagerness to help out.

"Thank you Wilson," Cameron replied quick enough to prevent House from saying something spiteful. "I hope I look a little more presentable by then." She brushed the hair, which had stuck to her face from the sweating time earlier, behind her ears and sighed. Her body became tense even though the lower half was numb from the anaesthetic.

"You look fine," House said with a roll of the eyes, and Cameron knew that was possibly the biggest compliment she was going to get from him while Wilson and Cuddy were also standing in the room so she smiled. "...well you've looked better."

"Thanks... you've really put my mind at ease."

The room was quiet while the group of doctors contemplated different things, each wondering how the birth was going to pan out, and whether House would behave himself or Cameron would kick him out during the 'big push'. Like before when the Doppler sounds would speed up or slow down a little, they would each look at Cameron's stomach then back at the monitor to watch the progress. Movement, although progressing, happened slowly and Cuddy, Wilson and House noticed that the mum-to-be was becoming restless.

"Want some ice-chips?" Cuddy asked sensitively while standing up and stretching her legs. Cameron shrugged before nodding; it was after-all something to do. Wilson checked his watch and sighed.

"I'll be back later, hopefully when your screaming blasphemy's at House while you're pushing. You should get some rest now, while you can." He smiled at her warmly before leaving the pair alone. Cameron sighed into the pillow, and let her head turn on its side so she could watch House. He was flicking, still, through a magazine with his legs back resting on the spare chair.

"Madeleine should be out by now," she whined while playing with the cotton sheet edge that was covering her. House looked up and shook his head.

"I think she knows the best time to meet us." He gently squeezed her hand with one of his and smiled. "You have to just be patient. There is nowhere else you have to be, is there?" She shook her head and smiled.

"No I guess not."

"Well then. Just bathe in the attention your receiving right now, because that'll all be transferred to Mads once she arrives." Cuddy reappeared with the jug of ice-chips and another cup.

"Here, I'm going to sort out my diary and reorganise it so I'm free for later. I hope that little Madeline doesn't make an early entrance." The two women smiled at one another while House busied himself with pouring a cup of ice out for Cameron and passing it to her. Once Cuddy had left, Cameron sat up a little and began to play with the shards of frozen water before crunching them in her mouth. It was another hour and a half before Cameron could feel the pressure felt with a fetus descending further. House got up to find Kennington, and while he was gone Cameron wondered how much more attention she was receiving from the maternity nurses just because House was on the ward too. The two men arrived soon after and while House made himself comfortable again, the OB-GYN re-examined her.

"Well aren't you just the supermom? 10 cm dilation already with an epidural is impressive." He said while grinning at her. "I shall ready the birthing team. How are you feeling?"

"Relieved" Cameron said before answering the question more thoroughly. "I feel some pressure of movement, but no pain."

"Excellent." He left the grinning faces of House and Cameron while they readied themselves. House sat upright, his feet now firmly planted on the ground and reached over to hold her hand.

"Well. This is it" He said softly and Cameron nodded.

"Yeah... you ready to cut the cord?"

"Of course" House answered with a smirk. "But I'll stay up here until they hand me the clamps."

"Thank you. I knew you had some decency."

"Well..." she growled at him, which made him stop talking and just nod in acceptance. He would be good.

When the team arrived, dressed all in surgical scrubs and gloved hands they tended to room quickly. Soon the other half of the room had turned into a delivery room, with all the equipment needed to weigh, clean and examine the baby all in an arm's length away from the bed. They all stood with a calm relaxed stance and smiles on their faces –surprised perhaps that it truly was Gregory House's child they would be delivering today.

"Okay, Allison we're just going to have a quick exam to check everything's moving nicely, and then we'll start the rhythm of pushing. You don't have to push on every contraction of course, you tell us how you feel and we'll go from there, okay?" Allison nodded before looking at House. He watching her intently with a crooked smile that truly showed then how many emotions were coursing through his body. Although he looked excited and happy she could tell he was scared, it was rapid eye-movement between herself and Kennington that told her. He wasn't in control of the situation and House hated that. She squeezed his hand tightly.

"Ready?"

He nodded.

"I'm ready for this part to be over," he smirked. "Labour's bor-ring" Cameron chuckled softly.

"And you're not the one even going through it." He went to reply, but fortunately Kennington caught their attention.

"Obviously you can't feel your contractions, so we'll tell you when to push. We'll count you down too, so that you have some rest in between." Two nurses came to hold her knees in place and began to rearrange the bed sheets that had been tucked around her. Cameron elevated the bed so she could sit up a little more and breathed in deeply. She would be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit nervous. "Okay..." They watched the monitors and smiled.

And Cameron pushed, pushed when they said and breathed in deeply when they said stop. The brief rest-bites were welcoming even if there was no pain, the energy required to make such a movement was stressing enough. The nurses, midwives and Dr. Kennington praised her with every movement she made while House remained tight-lipped. However his grip on her hand showed how much he was engrossed in the labour process of giving birth to his child. He couldn't see, but knew that the head should be crowning soon enough, and as long as Cameron pushed slowly the scaring would be minimal.

Cameron growled out meaningless words once more as another contraction began.

It was then that House felt as if he was no longer in the room, but looking in from above. He could see, feel and hear the world around him, but it felt as if everything was delayed somewhat. In front of him all the nurses began to speed around, like a well-rehearsed dance, while Dr. Kennington remained motionless. Cameron said something to him, although House didn't register until she pinched the skin on top of his hand and squeaked impatiently. He spotted her distress and realised she was tiring. He squeezed her hand tight and smiled.

"You're not stopping now," House said softly. "You've got to push, three, four more times and then you can collapse on the pillow." She looked a little shocked, but then she smirked and decided that with the knowledge that only a couple more contractions would bring Madeline into the world it would be okay to continue pushing. Kennington mentioned something about her shoulders but neither House nor Cameron really heard. She continued pushing.

Then it went silent.

For the briefest of seconds the whole room was still, then as Kennington looked upwards and grinned joyously, he lifted Madeleine upwards into the air while the nurses prepared to clamp the umbilical cord. Then, as House and Cameron looked at her, she cried out once before being quickly wrapped by blankets to keep warm and to clean her up a little. House glanced at Cameron before letting go of her hand and grabbing the offered scissors to cut the umbilical cord. As he did so Kennington quickly passed the baby onto Cameron who was a little shocked by the sudden change of pace. It took a second or two before she instinctively clutched her tightly. Madeline cried out once more while exchanging eye-contact with her mother before lazily sucking at the skin of her neck. Realising it was an attempt at her trying to nurse Cameron sat up a little and changed her position. It wasn't long before her little girl was feeding quietly.

House watched as Madeline took her first feed, the cutters still in his hand, before reacting to the situation. He moved back across to the top of the bed and kissed Cameron on the forehead before examining his daughter more closely. She was bright pink with a head of dark brown –if not black- hair and the brightest blue eyes ever imagined. She looked at him but probably could not really focus so she engaged her eyesight back onto the skin before her, slowly closing them as she continued to suckle. Her fingers meanwhile pinched the air and, as Cameron yelped in response, began grabbing at skin too. House decided to make himself useful for once and let her clutch his fingers instead.

He let out a gasp as she tightened her grip on his forefinger, and he felt his stomach flip with emotions. There, in her mother's arms, was his daughter.

"Beautiful isn't she?" Cameron whispered while stroking her hair which was stuck against her head. Madeline did not look concerned while her parents continued to inspect her; House's quick counting of her toes and fingers merely resulted in the newborn clutching a little tighter on his finger. The midwife offered a small pink cap for her to wear, Cameron moving to allow her to put it on her head.

"She's a 10 on the Apgar scale," The nurse murmured before returning back to the other side of the room. House smiled.

"Of course she is," The blankets moved in spasms as Madeline kicked occasionally and slowly lost interest in her mother's colostrum and instead chose to grab at the other fingers House held out for her. He couldn't help but continue to smile as she did so.

Kennington reminded Cameron that she had to deliver the placenta still, and since she was in an awkward position she turned to House to hold the baby. Of course he accepted. Leaning over her he encircled his daughter carefully, scooping up the blanket as well as supporting her head enough so that her little hat remained on, and stood up slowly. He kissed Cameron quickly again while returning to full-height before watching Madeleine squirm a little in his hold before settling. She was watching him and her tiny mouth gaped open, possibly in confusion. House smirked at her.

"Hey," he whispered. "I'm the guy who's going to scare your boyfriends away and say your skirts are too short." Madeline remained transfixed on her father's eyes, while Cameron laughed quietly in the background. He looked back over to Cameron. "Can I show her to Wilson?"

While Cameron was happy with that idea, the midwife cleared her throat and sighed.

"Dr. House, we have to do a couple of things first, or you... you can do them or at least help." He sighed and nodded realising they had overlooked so many things and in his haste of showing off would've kept on forgetting. Firstly they weighed her and she tipped the scales at a healthy 7 pounds 2 ounces, before having her hands and feet printed. She was then tagged with an identity bracelet before having another Apgar test taken, still a 10. The eye-drops quickly disorientated her and she winced quietly to which House immediately picked her up off of the warming plate and shushed her gently. He turned back to face the bed and smiled.

Cameron had delivered the placenta and was comfortably half-laying with all the sheets changed. She looked tired but still as ecstatic as she'd been when Madeline had first landed on her chest. She sighed softly.

"You can go and show her to Wilson now" But instead of heading to the door, House wandered back across to her bedside and placed Madeline on her stomach while shaking his head.

"He can see her later; it's all about the bonding stuff between mother and daughter that's important at the moment." Cameron knew that this was House at his finest and gave a warm smile in return. He sat beside her on the bed by her hip and watched while she gently stroked Madeline's cheek. It was possibly the softest thing she'd ever touched. He wasn't quite sure how to describe how he felt at the moment, in the quiet little room surrounded by flowers and sitting on a bed where both his girlfriend and daughter now lay brought emotions that could only be described as euphoria. Tears fell down Cameron's face as she watched her daughter kick and punch the air once more, and House couldn't help but chuckle at her feisty attitude. He brushed her tears away with his thumb and smiled.

"Out of all the times I've seen newborn babies, I don't think I've ever realised what miracles they truly are." Cameron said still watching bundle on her move.

"Yeah," House replied, still a little spell-bound by it all. "I hope those are happy tears that are falling down you face."

"Over-the-moon tears more like." She answered. "I can't believe she's ours."

"Well she certainly has your nose," House said checking her over once more. She had a little vernix still on her legs which needed to be washed off in the sponge bath, but all in all she looked perfect.

"And your chin," Cameron replied caressing the tiny little arms that had snuck out of the blankets. House instinctively scratched his own and smirked. Maybe she did, a bit. Madeline started to suck on her fingers that came near her face so her mother decided that she would try feeding her again. "Why don't you call Wilson and Cuddy in instead?" Madeline again wasn't interested but would rather grab at the skin and fingers in the vicinity.

"Good Idea." He took his cane and peeked out the door, finding the seats opposite empty and most of the corridor deserted too. Closing the door behind him he headed back to the nurses' station and found Cuddy and Wilson talking at the desk by the elevators. House cleared his throat and shouted. "Come see what I've made!" Everyone around stopped to watch the diagnostician as he continued on route to where his friends stood who were smiling back.

"She's okay?" Cuddy asked while dropping her pen on to the side and joining House mid-way. Wilson followed.

"Of course" House said with a grin. "Perfect Apgar, reflexes excellent, weighs in at 7 pounds 2 ounces and is on set to be the most beautiful baby to ever be born here."

"Proud much?" Wilson asked while the three of them headed back to the room. They reached the door and he slid it open.

"Only stating facts, Jimmy" Once inside, House limped to the chair and allowed Cuddy and Wilson the chance to have a look properly. The dean immediately went slack-jawed and began making 'Aww' sounds which only got louder the closer she got to the bed.

"She's gorgeous," Cuddy said mesmerised by the baby in Cameron's arms. "She looks so much like the both of you." Wilson stood on the opposite side and stuck his finger out so she would grab it tight.

"Hello Madeline," Wilson cooed as she looked at him before turning to Cameron. "Hello mom, how are you?"

"Very happy thanks Uncle Wilson, tired but immensely happy"

"Uncle Wilson?" Wilson asked chuckling.

"Well you are practically family." Cameron reasoned. "And of course you're Aunty Cuddy, or Lisa." The room watched as the young mother offered her newborn to the Dean of Medicine who took her without hesitation. She was warm, light and tiny just like she should be and Cuddy immediately felt her stomach knot at the sight. She started saying things which were not actually words, more like strung out syllables, and House felt he had to comment on the scene.

"Who knew that the she-devil could be tamed just by holding a baby?" Cuddy snorted but continued to rock Madeline.

"I could say something similar since you are the devil himself, but I won't." She looked into the bright, twinkling blue eyes that were watching her. "Let's hope you don't inherit some of your daddy's less desirable quirks."

"I think all my quirks are pretty desirable actually." He said while sitting beside Cameron on the bed. She dropped her head onto his shoulder and smiled up at him. "What do you think?"

"Hmm... I think you're pretty desirable."

"Doesn't count," Cuddy quick interjected. "She's obviously still high on drugs and over tired. She doesn't know what she's saying."

"Oh fine," House pulled his leg onto the bed and sighed. "When my girlfriend says something nice about me, she has to be high on drugs." Cameron wrapped her spare right arm around his stomach while he placed his around her back. Her body was sore but with the extra body heat radiating from House she felt comfortable. Cuddy passed Madeline onto Wilson, who once had her in his arms grinned. Cuddy rested her chin on his shoulder to continue to watch the little girl.

"This feels weird, I can't say I ever predicted that you would have a little girl House, but here we are. I'm lost for words."

"Even when you're speechless Jimmy you still manage to ramble on." The four eyes that had been watching Madeline snapped across to House's before shaking their heads and returning back to his daughter. She had closed her eyes in that time and was now busily sucking on her thumb.

"Aww," Cuddy muttered softly. "She's asl-" She stopped speaking when she'd noticed that Cameron also had her eyes closed. House looked downwards before brushing away a stray hair from her face. Her breathing was slow and light. "Well... we better leave you three to rest; you've had quite a stressful day. Have you called you mom yet?"

"Uh no, I haven't." Wilson passed Madeline across to House, who let her rest on the pillows that lay across his lap and sighed. "I'll call her later."

"Well you should."

"I will..." he muttered.

Aunty Cuddy and Uncle Wilson left soon after, closing the door behind them quietly and warning the maternity nurses to only disturb them if it was absolutely necessary. House rested his head against the headboard and felt Cameron snuggle closer to his side while his daughter slept on peacefully. Everything was well and good.

And Gregory House was a happy father of one.

Again, thanks for the wonderful amount of support I've had while writing this, and congrats on reading the whole story! If you've got a spare moment would you mind clicking on the button to review?

Thanking you kindly in advance, Martini xx