An: M'kay, last chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and alerts. You guys are made of awesome. Enjoy =)

"So what are you doing for Christmas?" Wilson asked House while they were standing at the desk in the clinic.

"Going to Cuddy's." He answered, reading his chart.

Wilson stopped comprehending the words on the page, and looked up, "What?"

House looked at him and repeated, "I'm going to Cuddy's."

"Really?"

"Yes. Why is that surprising?"

"Well, it's Christmas. You hate Christmas. Is it possible that Rachel Lou Who melted the Grinch's heart?"

"First of all, the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day, it didn't melt. Second, if any Cuddy can make anything grow, it is not my heart, and it most certainly isn't the little Cuddy."

"Sure," Wilson pat House on the back as he walked past him, "you keep telling yourself that."

House turned to watch Wilson leave, then called after him, "Well you obviously have never seen her naked!" He saw all the people in the clinic look at him. "The big one, not the little one! Cause that would be creepy."

Cuddy was walking past House's office. She glanced in and saw him at his desk with his feet up. She pushed open the door and smiled, "Hey."

"Hey," he nodded, then returned his gaze to a random point of nothingness.

"So what time are you coming over tonight?"

"Uh, not sure."

She put her hands together by her stomach and bit her lip, "Case?"

He took and deep breath and exhaled, "Yeah."

"OK," she said, more than a little disappointed. "I guess I'll see you later, I have work."

He nodded. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she smiled. "You have work, don't worry about it." She moved from the middle of the room and leaned over his desk to kiss him, "Come over if you can."

Despite her smile, he could tell she was really disappointed. Oddly, he was disappointed too, and the case, sadly, was not made up. House spent the rest of the day thinking about the case, but his mind kept drifting to why he was trying to think about the case. At 7, Wilson came by his office and asked why he was still there. "I could ask you the same thing. I have a case."

"I was filling out some paperwork to get a few patients of mine into a drug trial. So Cuddy went home."

"I know, she tends to do that when there is no work left."

"I'm surprised you didn't go with her."

House stopped pacing his office, "I told you, I have a case."

"I know," Wilson rubbed the back of his neck, "but I thought you were looking forward to this."

House took his eyes off his friend and started pacing again, "Not really. It was going to be dinner, like anyother time I come over."

"No, you were excited."

"Was not."

"You bought her a guitar."

"Wilson, she's two, and she can play some chords on the guitar, of course I got her one. Maybe music will be her thing."

"House, you like this kid, it's fine, especially considering you're dating her mom."

House stopped. He stared at the wall, then limped to the adjoining office. He poked his head in, and told his team, "Psittacosis. Treat with tetracycline. I'm going home." House grabbed his jacket and backpack off of his chair and started for the door quickly. He did, however, see Wilson's smile. House paused, "Oh shut up."

Cuddy was trying to get Rachel wound down for bedtime in a few minutes. There was a rhythmic rapping on her front door. A knock that she had come to know very well over the years, and apparently, so had Rachel. She jumped off of the floor and ran into the entryway, trying to open the door in vain. She had to wait for Cuddy to open the door. Rachel beamed up at House when the door was opened. "Hey," Cuddy smiled, "I thought you had a case."

"Solved it. Now can I come in? It's snowing, and cold."

"Oh, yeah," she stepped out of the way and opened the door wider. "Sorry."

"Good thing I took my car today." He limped in, his cane in one hand, and a large bag with a large gift wrapped item in the other. Rachel's eyes lit up when she saw the shiny wrapping paper. House went into the living room and sat on the couch. "OK," he pulled the gift out and set it down in front of Rachel, "is it too late to open this?" He asked Cuddy. "It's only one."

"No," she shook her head. "We'll just have to put off most of the play time to tomorrow."

"That is smart," House nodded. He pushed it towards her, "Have at it kid." She ripped off all of the wrapping paper. He heard a small gasp. "I figured pink was a good choice."

Cuddy smiled. House was actually waiting for Rachel to say she liked his present. She climbed onto his lap, "I like it." She hug him as tightly as she could, and he put his hand on her back after a moment.

"We can play with it tomorrow."

"She could stay up a few more minutes," Cuddy said. She sat down next to House.

"OK. Then why don't we open this?" He suggested and grabbed the cardboard box. He cut the tape with a key and pulled open the box and slid the guitar out. He untwisted the wires holding it in place and placed the instrument in Rachel's lap. Rachel sat content for awhile, just strumming random notes.

"You play," she held it out to him.

"Your guitar. And I'm a little big for it."

"Please."

Why was it getting hard to say no to her? He took it from her and tried to put only one finger on a string at a time, which proved difficult. He cleared his throat, "What should I play?"

"Once Upon A December."

He stared at the little girl, "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that. I don't know it."

Cuddy smiled and sat down next to them and began,

Dancing bears, painted wings
Things I almost remember
And I song someone sings,
Once upon a December

"Like that," she instructed.

House shook his head, "No."

"Why not?"

"Because, just, no. I can sing Thomas O'Malley, or Everybody Wants To Be A Cat, anything that a boy sings, but I won't sing for a girl."

"Good thing you're playing guitar then."

He rolled his eyes. "I can't work with this woman," he informed Rachel. "You look tired." She shook her head. "You know, everytime you say you aren't tired, you end up falling asleep. We'll play with this in the morning."

She sighed, "K." She stood up and kissed House's cheek, "Night. Oh! You got a card."

"I'll get it," Cuddy volunteered.

"No," Rachel shook her head and got off the couch. She grabbed the only present left under the tree. The box was set on House's lap.

House pulled the folded piece of construction paper loose from the string and opened it. It was in Cuddy's hand writing, but the barely distinguishable pictures were definitely Rachel's.

Merry Christmas,
Love,
Rachel and Lisa.

He saw Rachel's little finger point at Cuddy's first name, "That's Mama's first name."

He chuckled, "I know. So what'd you get me Cuddy?"

"I'll show you in a little," she answered suggestively, making his eyebrow raise.

"These are very nice pictures Rachel." She smiled at him. "Good night, I'll see you in the morning."

"Night."

"Come on," Cuddy lifted her daughter up and disappeared down the hall. She came back a few moments later. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, but I kinda want to know what's in here that you didn't want Rachel to see."

"You will, but unless you ate, you're going to be hungry later, and of no use to me."

"Oh you evil, evil woman."

She smirked, "So what do you want?"

"Sandwich is fine."

"OK," she nodded and went into the kitchen. He followed after her. She was already spreading mustard onto bread by the time he got there. "So what was the diagnoses?"

"Psittacosis."

She nodded. "I'm glad you came." She smiled at him over her shoulder, "Even if she only got to enjoy it for a little while."

"I am too." She handed him his sandwich on a plate, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Later, when they were about to get in bed, Rachel called for Cuddy. She got a worried look and went to see what was the matter. Rachel asked her if she could sleep with her and House because she had a bad dream. Rachel and Cuddy went back into her bedroom where they found House with his eyes closed. Cuddy lifted her daughter onto the bed and sat down on her side. She looked at her pillow and saw a small open jewerly box. There was a neckless with a blue stone pendant. She picked it up and smiled. She knew House wasn't asleep now, just pretending because this night was a little too family-esque for him. Especially since Rachel was laying on his arm, passed out. Cuddy leaned over him, kissed the corner of his mouth and whispered, "Thank you, I love it."

She heard something from the back of his throat that sounded like "Good." Cuddy smiled and turned off the light before rolling on her side to face him, and going to sleep.