A/N: We're at the end of the road and it's so sad to see this fic come to a close. Thinking about the last chapter made me cry. When you put so much of yourself into it...you can't help it, it becomes a part of you.

Many thanks to Cherokee Jedi who stuck with me through my persistent editing. Thank you to GratefulInsomniac who inspired me way back when we both started our first multi-chap fics. Early on, she and Allthingsdecent read through the first several chaps for me till I got my footing. Thank you to all the people who read this story, and for all the comments.

Finally, all of us in the Huddy fandom owe a debt of gratitude to Hugh & Lisa for their amazing portrayals of Cuddy & House. They took the words on paper and gave them life! They were truly amazing and the chemistry between the actors and the characters they played sparked a fandom that will live on...forever! I'm proud to be a part of this crazy thing!

Just so you know, eventually I'll be writing a sequel in this universe and also some other shorter fics. Lots of ideas!

One month later.

Cuddy hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair. She let out a sigh of relief that the surgeon had successfully removed the hypothalamic glioma from her five-year old patient. Since it had been found early and the surgeon had gotten it all, there was no need for chemotherapy or radiation.

The little girl with the brown hair and bright blue eyes named Christina reminded Cuddy of Rachel. She was inquisitive, smart and happy-go-lucky and as an only child, she was doted on by her parents. Cuddy felt a special connection with the parents because after suffering three miscarriages and dashed hopes of ever having children, Christina was born. She'd been slightly premature but eventually caught up with children her age and had been relatively healthy up until the last few weeks when she began to show signs of illness.

At her wits end and desperate to find the cause, Cuddy had gone to House for help. He in turn had enlisted the help of Wilson and Chase, who had just relocated and hadn't even hired a team yet. The four spent hours going over scans and symptoms which resulted in additional tests that eventually led to the discovery of the very small but operable tumor.

Cuddy wiped her eyes and breathed deeply in an effort to gather herself together. She always took a special interest in her patients but with this case, she'd gained a better understanding of one of the biggest reasons House had always been so adamant about maintaining a distance with patients.

Cuddy didn't believe her connection with Christina's parents compromised the diagnosis but it had affected her personally. The thought that Christina's parents might lose their only child, their miracle child, left her emotionally exhausted and every day when she arrived home from work she'd dropped everything to spend more time with Rachel as if making up for time Christina's parents might not have with her. House had seen how much the case had affected her and instead of chastising or mocking her as he would've done in the past, he was quietly supportive and caring. He'd also surprised her by talking to Christina's parents and showing genuine concern in a way he had not done with patients families in the past.

Thinking of House made her smile. He had been there for her every step of the way, not just with Christina's case but in everything else. The two of them had adapted rather easily to sharing a home together and sharing the responsibilities involved in taking care of a child. As much as he adored Rachel, House still felt awkward at times being a parental figure but he did the best he could and Cuddy praised and complimented his efforts. She knew how difficult it was for him to adjust to the role and wanted him to know that she appreciated him. They'd never talked much about the next step, rather they just took one day at a time, happy to have the chance.

Cuddy watched how House interacted with Rachel and loved how he treated her not like a child but a little adult. She was inquisitive, always asking questions and he was happy to entertain her with the answers. Many times, instead of explaining the answers, he'd show her. Three days earlier, Rachel had asked House to help her make a pop-rocks volcano. Apparently her cousin had made one in science class and Rachel wanted to make one too. House immediately acquiesced and while Cuddy knew he enjoyed the science, she also knew he was a big kid at heart and just wanted to blow something up in the kitchen. He'd taken a half day off, picked Rachel up from school and they'd gone shopping for all the ingredients.

When Cuddy had arrived home that afternoon she'd found them both in the kitchen aproned and goggled yelling wild-eyed at the spewing mess on the kitchen island. Her first inclination had been to yell at both of them for the mess but after they turned to look at her and she saw the smiles on their faces, she didn't have the heart to spoil the fun. It occurred to her that given all they'd been through together, a mess in the kitchen was like a walk in the park and truth be told, she'd trade a thousand dirty kitchens for one moment with those smiles on their faces any day.

Cuddy sighed and smiled, feeling much more relaxed than she had in days. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, stood up, straightened her skirt and went on a mission to share the good news with House.

House's new corner office was located on the floor above Cuddy in a space formerly occupied by a unit that had expanded and moved to the new wing. It was next to a suite of offices that housed Chase, his assistant, the fellows and the conference room. The office spacious with a picture window in the center of the rear wall that overlooked the duck pond below.

Just after Christmas, House and Cuddy had hit an estate sale and purchased a solid wood colonial era credenza with side drawers and a large matching writing desk. House, an admirer of the craftsmanship and attention to detail of handmade objects had fallen in love with the set at first sight.

With the desk and credenza as the centerpieces, the rest of the office easily fell into place. They'd moved his Eames chair out of the house and placed it on one wall and a brown leather sofa and coffee table on the wall opposite. Cuddy had suggested a conference table but House found the couch a more practical option for nights when he worked late and needed to rest comfortably.

After the addition of bookshelves filled with journals, books, knick-knacks and various toys he claimed helped his process, the move-in was complete. The office with its earth-toned colors chosen by Cuddy and solid wood furniture was far more warm and personal than his old office in Princeton and though House generally abhorred change, he'd adapted to his new surroundings quite nicely.

Once House was settled in, he'd gotten down to the business of hiring of hiring his teaching assistants, preparing course lectures and outlining his research goals. He'd also begun the collaboration with Wilson on the first of the two journal articles. House was eager to work with Wilson not only because he knew they would publish a great paper but he missed his friend and hoped that the collaboration would help ease the transition of the distance.

They talked on the phone and Skyped often but it wasn't the same. Both men had confided separately to Cuddy that they'd missed the other's presence. House complained that he missed Wilson buying his lunches and Wilson whined that he missed House barging in to his office on a daily basis. Of course Cuddy knew there was more to it than that.

In addition to his collaboration with Wilson, House had taken Cuddy up on her suggestion that he help prepare Chase to lecture at the "Principles of Critical Care Medicine for Non-Intensive Care Specialists" conference in Boston which was scheduled for March. She'd heard about the three-day continuing medical education conference during a staff meeting and thought it would be a great opportunity for Chase given his extensive experience in Diagnostics and training as an Intensivist.

Chase hadn't been in Boston two days when Cuddy approached him and suggested he talk to his new boss about the opportunity to lecture at the conference. He had relocated just after the holidays, going back to Princeton on weekends to wrap up some loose ends. He'd found a comfortable apartment in a charming brownstone not far from the hospital and House and Cuddy helped him set up his new space at work. On his first official day at the hospital, he'd walked into his new office to find a brand new coffee machine and white board complete with dry-erase markers in a dozen colors waiting for him, a gift from both House and Cuddy. That week, Cuddy sat down with Chase and given him advice on hiring and working with Human Resources and by the end of the second week, he'd hired an assistant to manage the budget and paperwork and three fellows with glowing recommendations and impressive medical backgrounds.

Once he'd set up shop, the only special request he'd made to Dr. Baker was the installation of a wooden door with blinds adjoining House's office to the Diagnostics Conference room. He'd never talked to House about it but he knew his former boss was pleased when he'd walked into House's office one day as the door was being installed and House just grinned wordlessly at him. Chase knew that House appreciated being considered a part of his team.

Cuddy arrived at House's office by way of the new Diagnostics conference room, out of habit. She stood at the door watching him through the blinds He leaned back in his chair, feet up on the desk, talking as he threw the ball up into the air over and over again. She smirked quietly thinking how those who did not know him would misinterpret his body language but she knew in that pose he did his most serious thinking. She opened the door quietly and immediately recognized the female voice on the other end. House turned around and silently waved her in.

"Hey," she said quietly as she entered. House nodded.

"Is that Lisa?"

"Hi Blythe," she said.

"I was just telling my son that it's only been a week since I saw you last and I miss you both so much."

"We miss you too." It was true. Blythe's visit had been peaceful and something it seemed she and her son had evidently both needed. Blythe was the picture of happiness watching her son in his new domestic situation. She was supportive and positive and especially complimented his efforts with Rachel. Blythe had confided to Cuddy one night over tea that she had never been happier in her life than she had seeing House with his new family. When they'd taken Blythe to the airport for her trip home, House had embraced his mother so warmly, holding her close to him for a few moments extra, it had brought tears to Cuddy's eyes.

Cuddy sunk down in the deep burgundy Queen Anne chair across from House's desk. She'd brought it from home and though House had complained initially it was too feminine, once the office was completely furnished he found it fit in nicely not to mention it was actually comfortable.

"How's Rachel?" Blythe asked.

"She's fine. She's so happy with the puzzles you gave her, she's always working on them."

"That's wonderful. I know how much she loves animals and thought they would be perfect for her."

"Mom you're gonna spoil the kid," House joked.

"Oh Gregory, there's nothing I'd love more than to spoil that sweet child."

"I'm sure mom," House said. He was busy watching the expression on Cuddy's face. He noticed she seemed to be bothered by something and opted to cut the phone call short.

"Listen, something's come up, gotta go. I'll call soon okay?" He asked, watching Cuddy.

"Okay love you, son."

"Love you too, mom."

"Goodbye Lisa, we'll talk soon."

"We will and take care," Cuddy replied.

With that House disconnected the call. House leaned back in his chair and watched as Cuddy fidgeted. She wouldn't look up at him and he knew something had happened.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Christina Brady," she said tentatively.

House held his breath and stopped tossing the ball expecting the worst.

"They got it all," she said.

House exhaled deeply.

It was then that Cuddy started to cry. "I'm sorry," she choked out. "I actually didn't plan to do this when I got here. I'm…feeling good right now or at least I thought I was. It's just that…" she tried to find the words but couldn't. "Why do I get so involved?" She asked, tearfully.

House got up from his chair and walked around the desk and held his hand out. "Come here," he said softly. He led her by the hand over to the couch and sat down, pulling her down next to him. She leaned her head against his and cried as he ran his fingers through her hair trying to comfort her. Though he'd warned her about getting too involved, he knew she couldn't help herself and so he'd prepared himself for the moment when it finally hit her.

"You once said something that...at first I fucking hated but...it makes sense," he said.

She pulled away slightly and looked curiously at him.

"Pain happens when you care."

"Oh," she sniffed. She never forgot the moment she'd said those words to him and they had haunted her especially after she came to her senses after the breakup and realized he wasn't the only one running from pain. Unfortunately, by the time she'd realized it, it was too late.

"Your patients," he continued. "Especially the kids and especially this kid…mean a lot to you. You connected with this family because of your own past. Now of course you can stop caring about your patients and maybe it won't hurt and life might seem simpler but actually…it would suck so much more."

"You're so poetic." She said, with a throaty laugh as she wiped her eyes. She felt better already. Just being close to him, having him hold her and comfort her was what she needed most.

"No, I'm just right and so were you. It hurts sometimes to care but think about where you'd be right now if you didn't. Think of where we'd be." He raised his eyebrows in question.

She knew he was right. If she'd stopped caring she wouldn't be happier than she'd ever been in her life. She wouldn't have him.

"I know you're right. I just keep thinking about what her parents went through to have her. No person should have to go through that…and then worry that your child might die. I can't imagine what it would be like for them to lose her."

He rubbed her back gently. "You think about Rachel."

"I do. I can't imagine if she were sick…what we would do."

House liked that the word we had become second nature with her. It had with him too.

"We'd figure out what was wrong with her, take steps to treat it and take care of her."

"You make it sound simple."

With a shrug he said, "We'd do what we had to do. Worrying and wondering doesn't change the outcome. It also doesn't keep something from happening." He knew it sounded a bit clinical but he knew she'd understand. He knew that she knew he'd do whatever it took to save her daughter.

She kissed his forehead indicating she understood his meaning. She sighed deeply as she rested against him. "Being a parent is fucking scary at times. And it's such hard work."

"That's why not everyone does it," he said. "But you do it better than anyone I know."

She smiled at him, her heart made lighter by his words.

"It's hard to believe that there was a time I didn't even want to do it," she said.

He nodded as he remembered college-age Cuddy who was determined and driven and been adamant about a career over family.

She sighed. "Everything was going fine and then one day it hit me…my sister, my cousins, my friends from high school and college were married with kids…"

"And divorced," he interrupted.

"Not all of them."

"Enough of them."

She smirked. "Okay maybe some. Anyway, they seemed so happy and I was all alone and felt like something was missing. It went beyond the job or the relationship, it was deeper. It just…it was like an ache. It seemed that overnight I had gotten older and the window of motherhood was closing fast. Like my mom once said, they weren't exactly lined up at the door for me."

"Your mother's an idiot," he blurted out.

She rolled her eyes at him. "One day I just began to panic. I felt like I was being left behind."

He remembered the shift. She had been coasting along in her job, working all the time as she'd always done and loving it. She'd had dates and a few short-term flings along the way but nothing serious. House managed to run off a few of the men and she'd wound up breaking it off with the rest before he even had a chance to interfere. She was far too involved in her work but that's who she was and most of the men she dated didn't like it. She was far too aggressive and assertive for them. Then one day out of the blue it seemed she wanted a child. She'd never mentioned it, never even hinted at it and it caught House completely by surprise because he could always sense things about her often times before she sensed them herself.

"Cuddy, you've never been one to do anything the way everyone else did. You've always done things the way you wanted and to hell with what people think. And one thing's for sure, you never needed a man or a child to validate who you are. You blazed a path for yourself and never looked back."

Cuddy looked at him shyly. She had never taken praise well but when it came from House it had always meant something special.

"Seriously, you survived being raised by the dragon lady," he said enjoying the smirk that graced Cuddy's face. "You graduated top of your class in college, got yourself a prestigious fellowship, became the second youngest Dean of Medicine, single-handedly reformed a major teaching hospital, taking it to the top five in the country and you think you were...what was that...left behind?"

She grinned at his sarcasm. It was his way of complimenting her. He could be crass and brash at times but he always had her best interests at heart. He always managed to present her with a point of view she hadn't considered and often times it helped change her way of thinking.

"I know what you're saying. It's just that it wasn't enough. Nothing I had in my life seemed to matter if I didn't have someone to share it with."

"Sharing's overrated."

"Liar," she snarked. She knew he was being facetious. He had expressed during quiet moments between them how grateful he was to share his life with her after so many years of believing he was destined to be alone.

"Okay, fine. I like when you share things with me." He peeked into her blouse. "Like these."

She snorted. "House, you're like a ten-year old."

"And yet you're letting a ten-year old look at your boobs. What does that say about you?" He mused. He'd hoped his attempt to distract her and lighten the mood had worked.

"Getting back to what we were discussing…" she said, smirking. I gave up on finding anyone." She peered up at him to find him watching her intently. "And I wanted someone to carry on the best parts of me…I needed to know that my presence here meant something."

Her words didn't surprise him. It was who she was. Cuddy was a person who believed everything happened for a reason and that everything and everyone mattered. She needed to know that all of the hard work, all of the pain was not in vain.

House's philosophy had always been that what he did in life didn't matter because there was no one to leave behind and nothing on the other side. Those thoughts had pervaded him when he was alone and miserable but since Cuddy and Rachel had entered his life again, those thoughts had begun to change. He now had two people who depended on him every single day, who would be left behind. He wanted his actions to matter, especially with Rachel. The more he bonded with the little girl and the deeper his feelings for her, the more he realized that she would be the biggest part of his legacy and he wanted her to emulate his best qualities, not his worst.

Cuddy's words brought him away from his own thoughts.

"And just when I thought it would never happen for me, it did. As hard as it was at first...that moment when Rachel and I finally connected, that's when I felt it...what I'd read and heard about but never thought I would experience. I finally felt what it was like to be a mother. And then I knew I'd made the right choice…that everything I'd been through leading up to that moment had been worth it."

He watched in complete awe as her face glowed as she talked about being a mother. He remembered how difficult it had been for her to bond with Rachel. He had kidded and chastised her for years about her maternal instincts but deep down he'd always thought she would be great at it.

"Do you ever think about trying again?"

Her eyes cast downward then away to the window. She bit her bottom lip and stared out at the sky. The snow clouds had dissipated a bit and the moon shown through brightly. She didn't realize how long she was silent until House gently took her chin in his hands and turned her face to him again. His eyes pleaded with hers for an answer.

"I don't even know if I can." The regret in her voice reflected the pain of two failed implants and a miscarriage. Over the years, it had waned but never completely.

House heard the pain in her voice. He hadn't intended to cause her pain but he wanted…no…he needed to know. He hadn't exactly been supportive of her attempts to get pregnant, except of course for the injections. He had always regretted that.

"I wish I could have given that to you," he expressed that regret in a heartfelt tone. It wasn't that long ago they'd discussed the fact that he'd been jealous of her search for donors and she'd confessed in return that she'd wanted a child with him.

"Me too." She squeezed his bicep in reassurance. "But it wasn't who we were then. I love my life now, even more since you're a part of it. With you and Rachel, I have everything I want."

"Are you sure?" In the back of his mind, sometimes he feared there would be something he could not give her.

She looked down at him and nodded. "I am. You're adamant about this. Why? Wait…" She paused and cocked her head."Do you?"

"I thought deflection was my game," he joked lamely. But he wasn't joking. He really didn't want to answer this particular question because he didn't know the answer. But she looked at him expecting one and he knew he owed it to her.

"I never saw myself as the dad type and let's face it, what kind of dad would I have been? An angry, depressed asshole with a drug problem and a chip on his shoulder is not a good role model for a kid."

She placed her hands on both side of his face and gently brushed his three-day scruff. "You weren't that way because you wanted to be…your experiences did that to you. But things have changed, you've changed. That was then, this is now. You're so good with Rachel. She loves you-"

"Love doesn't make a good father," he interrupted her then looked away.

This time she grabbed his chin and turned his face to her.

"It does."

"I wasn't exactly raised by Father of the Year."

"Arlene isn't exactly mother of the year but I turned out okay," she replied.

"You turned out great."

"So did you." She leaned down and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'm proud of you."

House squeezed her thigh gently in appreciation. There were still times he was uneasy with compliments but he'd been working on it and she knew that. When she'd spot his uneasiness, she'd give him a smile or some other reassuring gesture to let him know it was okay.

They pondered quietly a bit longer, relishing the feel of just holding one another. They'd spent so many years maintaining a distance that these days, they made up for it as often as possible.

"Hey," he said, finally breaking the silence.

"Hmm?"

"I'm happy the way things are but…you know…if it ever happened...I mean…if you got knocked up, we'd figure it out. I wouldn't bail on you."

Her first thought was to tease him about his use of words but when she looked into his eyes she saw he was being completely serious. In his own House way, he was reaching out and letting her know his commitment to her. Not that it would ever happen…she'd long given up the notion of a biological child but…if it did happen, she wouldn't be alone and she knew it. She stared at him in wonder and disbelief and wished they'd had the conversation years but once again realized it might not have lasted then and they might never have had another chance. Sensing the mood had become somber, she decided to lighten it.

"You know if you did bail I'd have to tell my mother and then she'd find you and nag you to death."

They both laughed. They sat a bit longer enjoying the peace and quiet. The only sounds were from the clock on the wall. Eventually, it was Cuddy's turn to break the silence.

"What do you say we leave early today?" She asked.

He looked down at his watch. It was almost noon. "We can't."

"Why?"

"Because we both have work to do."

"Do you see any work being done here?"

"Oh…I can think of some work I'd like to do," he teased as he grabbed her ass.

"Come on," she said. "We'll pick Rachel up from school early and go home and eat junk food and play video games." She tilted her head and grinned playfully in that way that made her seem like a teenage girl.

"You drive a hard bargain. Gee...I don't know though, my boss might get mad at me."

Cuddy extricated herself from his warm embrace and held her hand out to him.

"I'm sure this place can do without us both for the rest of the day. Let's go."

House opened the oven and stuck the loaf of garlic bread in next to the lasagna. His mouth watered from the aroma and he was suddenly thankful he'd let Cuddy talk him into cooking dinner. Actually it hadn't taken much. As soon as they'd entered the parking garage, she'd pinned him against the car, moved between his legs, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, long and hard. When they parted out of breath, she ran her hands up and down his chest and smiled seductively.

"It's been a rough week," she said. "And tonight I want to celebrate."

House raised an eyebrow at her wondering what she had in mind.

"Not like that…at least not until later. But Rachel overheard me say you'd been here a month and she asked me last night if we could celebrate. Right now I like that idea. I can call Chase and Sharon and Hannah—"

"Chase is back in Princeton this weekend."

"Okay so just the girls then. Come on it'll be fun."

"If I go along with this will I be rewarded?" He asked waggling his eyebrows.

"Oh yeah...handsomely...especially if you cook."

He chuckled. "And here I thought you loved me for my body."

She looked up at him and bit her lip and smiled shyly. He loved that smile and he'd been seeing more of it lately. It was the playful Cuddy he'd known in college, the one who knew how to let her guard down and have fun. When she smiled at him like that, there was no way he could deny her anything.

"Oh God! You are an evil, evil temptress."

She planted a kiss on his lips. "And you so love me for it."

"Yes, I do."

He smacked her on the ass and she laughed out loud then they got in the car and headed to the supermarket to pick up all the things he needed to cook them a celebratory dinner.

Cuddy entered the kitchen and breathed in the aroma. "Oh my God!" She exclaimed.

House turned and winked. "That's what she said."

"Ha ha," she laughed. "Can I taste?"

"No! You certainly may not. But you can kiss the chef."

"I don't want to kiss the chef, I want a bite of lasagna," she said with a pout.

"Kiss the chef, bite of lasagna." He looked up toward the ceiling and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Or is it kiss the lasagna, bite the chef? I get confused." He winked and then leaned down and dipped the fork into the bubbly pan of lasagna, closed the oven door and handed it to her.

"Mmm!" Her eyes shut tightly and her tongue licked her lips as she savored the flavor.

"Good?"

She opened her eyes and smiled. "Are you kidding? It's unbelievable. God I wish I could cook like that."

"Ahh but you can. I can teach you," he said mischievously.

She scoffed. "Why do I get the feeling there would be more food on us than anywhere else?"

House took the empty fork from her then grabbed her and lifted her onto the counter.

"Ahh but then there's the cleanup which is oh so much fun." With his finger he cleaned the remaining sauce off the fork and smeared it on her neck. Then he licked it off eliciting a squeal.

"House!"

"What? You got your bite, now I want my kiss." He leaned in and attacked her neck again.

She pushed away from him. "Maybe I don't want to kiss you," she said defiantly.

"Ha! That'll be the day." He leaned in again and she wrapped her legs around his back.

"Oh you don't think I can keep from kissing you?" She asked playfully.

"Nope. You're hot for me." He pulled her close and ran his tongue along her clavicle. He thought she smelled divine.

"Maybe I am…and maybe I'm not." She wrapped her arms around his neck and touched her forehead to his.

They were caught up in the moment when suddenly Rachel burst into the kitchen.

"Are you guys kissin' again?" She asked.

They broke apart and looked around to see Rachel standing there with her hands on her hips.

"It's okay," Rachel said matter-of-factly. "Wilson says when people kiss its cause they love each other."

House and Cuddy looked back at each other and burst out laughing.

"Is Wilson giving children lessons on relationships now?" He asked.

Cuddy grinned and nodded. "God help us," she said.

"And you guys love each other right?" Rachel asked.

House looked at Cuddy. "I don't know, do we?"

She rolled her eyes then looked over at Rachel. "Of course we do, honey."

Rachel grinned and then changed the subject. "Good. So uh...can we play picshunary later?"

House groaned.

"What? She loves that game."

"She's six, her tripid looks like a big fat seal with big fat legs and a Hoover vacuum for a mouth."

"My tripid isn't a seal. It's a tripid," Rachel stated, rather adamantly.

"It's a seal," House countered.

"Nuh uh."

"Yeah huh."

Cuddy rolled her eyes at both of them. She was used to the childish banter between the two. In the end, one of them always had to get the last word. But before anyone could say another word, the doorbell rang.

"Ooh Hannah's here!" Rachel shouted gleefully and ran out of the room.

"Rach, make sure it's them before you open the door.'" Cuddy yelled after her.

As Rachel ran out of the room, House yelled, "It's a seal!" Cuddy smacked House lightly on the shoulder then hopped off the counter to catch Rachel before she opened the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" House asked.

"This," she motioned between them. "Can wait till later."

"I'll be holding you to that," he said with a mischievous waggle of the eyebrows.

"You'll be holding much more than that I guarantee it," she said kissing him chastely before walking out of the kitchen. She put a spring in her step just for him. When she got to the front door, Rachel was standing there looking up at the closed door.

"Who is it?" She sing-songed.

"Guess who?" Came the voices from the other side. Rachel clearly recognized them and opened the door.

"Hi!" She exclaimed to Sharon and Hannah.

"Hi sweetheart how are you?" Sharon leaned down and gave Rachel a hug.

"So good to see you guys!" Cuddy exclaimed as she hugged Sharon and ruffled the hair on Hannah's head. She hadn't seen them for two weeks as Sharon had taken Hannah to see her grandparents in another state.

"Happy Monthiversary," Hannah said gleefully. When she smiled both of her front teeth were missing and Cuddy thought she looked adorable.

"Well, thank you sweetie."

Rachel tugged on Cuddy's shirt. "Can we go play?"

Cuddy nodded. "Go on. I'll call you when dinner's ready."

Cuddy ushered Sharon in and was about to shut the door when something or rather someone stopped her.

"Whoa there!" The voice on the other side exclaimed.

Cuddy looked up to find Wilson standing there. He held up a bottle of wine.

"Surprise?"

"Oh my god!" She enveloped him in a tight hug and he returned it, kissing her on the cheek. They hadn't seen one another since the weekend House moved in. They'd talked on the phone and emailed often but it wasn't the same. They'd missed each other dearly.

She stepped back, her hands on his upper arms, looking him up and down. He looked good, better than the last time she'd seen him.

"House didn't tell me you were coming," she said as she shut the door behind him.

"That's because he didn't know."

"Well, how did you—?" She stopped mid-sentence and watched as Wilson helped Sharon off with her coat, then removed his and hung both on the rack by the door. She squinted at them and cocked her head and then it hit her.

"You're together!" She blurted out.

"Nooo…it's not like that," Wilson countered, his hands waving wildly.

Ignoring him, she looked at Sharon. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" House bellowed over her shoulder.

"These two," she said pointing at Wilson and Sharon. "Are together."

"Seriously?"

"We are not together," Sharon said, amused.

Cuddy ignored her. She looked over at House and motioned between Wilson and Sharon.

"Look at how Wilson's leaning in to her and they're grinning ridiculously like they have something to hide."

House smiled at her proudly as he wiped his hands on the towel in his hands. "It's good to know my years of meticulously honed observational skills have rubbed off on you."

He peered at them closely then nudged Cuddy. "Check out the eyes on that one," he said nodding toward Wilson. "They're glazed over like a deer in the headlights. He's got that Debbie from Accounting is sitting on my lap look all over again."

Cuddy crossed her arms and nodded affirmatively.

Sharon raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Wilson rolled his eyes. "Never mind, I'll tell you later."

"So exactly when did this happen?" House asked.

Sharon put her hands up in defense. "Now listen you two, we're just friends, at least for now." She looked over at Wilson and smiled. "After we first met, we started talking. It was nothing serious, we just found out we had a lot in common."

"Oh so you've been married three times too?" House's retort earned him an elbow from Cuddy.

Sharon continued. "Not that…we have other things in common. Once we started talking, things just kind of fell into place."

"Kind of?" Cuddy asked.

"It means they had sex." House interjected.

"We did not," Wilson insisted.

"I just can't believe you guys hid it from me. I mean I get why you hid it from him," she pointed over her shoulder at House who rolled his eyes at her. "But why me?"

"Because we're just friends and didn't want to do anything to jinx it. I mean, if it didn't work out, it would've been awkward for us all. James is easy to talk to and with the distance...there was no promise of anything. We figured we had a good start at friendship since we had you guys as our reason for getting to know one another. We started emailing just to keep in touch and most of the time we talked about you two."

"And then well...talking about you guys got boring," Wilson cut in.

"Gee, thanks," House said, feigning hurt.

"So we just started talking about other things. My failed marriages-"

"Gee, I bet that took an entire night," House chimed in.

"House!"

"Fine, fine," he backed away with his hands up in surrender.

Sharon explained. "We talked about our careers and our relationships with our patients and then family and losing the people we loved. It's been very therapeutic."

Cuddy just stood there, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll be damned," she said.

"Are you two done with the Spanish inquisition now?" Wilson asked, tapping his foot.

"Actually yeah," House replied. "And as warm and fuzzy as young love is...I have to get back to dinner." He grabbed Cuddy's arm. "Come on, you can't cook but you've been known to make a halfway decent salad." She rolled her eyes at him.

And..." he added. "We can gossip about those two."

As she was hauled away, Cuddy yelled back over her shoulder. "Make yourselves at home you two." She smiled widely at them before they turned and walked back to the kitchen.

"You're such an ass," she said with a throaty laugh as they turned and walked away.

"And your cooking bites. Next."

She smirked at him. "You're just pissed because I knew before you did."

"Nooo..."

"Yes."

"Nooo..."

"Idiot," she said.

"Yeah but you love me." He said and grinned when he heard a voice behind them.

"So... who is Debbie from Accounting?"

After dinner they divided into teams and played Pictionary. House insisted boys against girls, and when Cuddy pointed out the obvious, Rachel said she wanted to be on House's team. Of course afterward, House pointed out it was because he and Wilson were cooler than the others.

They'd been playing for about an hour and the score was five even with one more round because it was getting late and time for the girls to get to bed even though they whined that they weren't tired.

Rachel took her turn to draw and did as meticulously as she had done throughout the game, her tongue jutting out from between her lips in tedious concentration. When she was done, she beamed proudly at her latest creation.

House and Wilson looked at each other. Wilson shrugged. "No clue," he said.

"Guys better think fast, you only have sixty seconds," Sharon reminded.

It took far longer than sixty seconds. Rachel tried giving them hints, it didn't work. They still couldn't figure it out and so Cuddy and Sharon hummed the Jeopardy theme, much to House's chagrin.

"Hey cut that out, we're trying to think," he bellowed.

"You're never going to figure it out," Cuddy mocked.

"Oh and you can?"

"Of course, you forget I've known my daughter a lot longer." She winked at him flirtatiously.

Sharon looked at her watch. "Time's up guys. Way up." She high-fived Hannah.

"Okay, I'm dying to know. What the heck is that?" House asked.

Rachel put her hands on her hips and glowered at House in epic Cuddy fashion.

"It's a dinosaur," she said matter-of-fact.

"Is not," House replied.

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too." Rachel stuck her tongue out at him.

"Is not." House returned the gesture.

Wilson rolled his eyes and took a sip of wine. "Umm...can I say something here?" He asked.

Both Rachel and House turned to him. "No!" They said in unison then turned to each other again, both looking defiant.

"It's a di-no-saur," she stated again.

"No...It's a turd with feet."

Both Rachel and Hannah burst out in a fit of giggles.

"Mommy," Rachel said. "Howse said turd."

"Yes, he did." She looked up at him but clearly wasn't upset. "At the dinner table yet."

"What? There's no dinner going on here."

"Rach, I think it's a fine dinosaur," Wilson said.

"Yeah," House scoffed. "Coming from someone who thinks that is a UFO," he said pointing to a discarded drawing of what was supposed to be a spaceship but which House insisted looked more like an sno-cone.

"It's a spaceship."

"With a pointy thing on top?"

"It had one in Close Encounters."

"Seriously? I can't tell what that is!"

"Well…duh…what do you think a UFO is? An unidentified flying object."

"Well that thing is definitely unidentifiable." House shook his head then looked over across the table at Hannah and her meticulous drawing of what looked to be a rabbit, albeit with horns, but still it was quite obvious at least to him that it was a rabbit.

"Hey kid," He asked. Hannah looked up at him with that toothless grin.

"How'd you like to be on my team next time?"

Sharon, Cuddy and Hannah wound up winning the game by one point. House insisted they cheated but Cuddy argued there's no way to cheat at Pictionary. Afterwards, the girls went into Rachel's room to play while House and Wilson sat on the back porch bundled in their heavy coats while the women had coffee in the kitchen.

Wilson reached into his pocket and took out a Cuban cigar and handed it to House.

"Whoa. The good stuff. What are we celebrating?"

"Nothing in particular, just felt like having one."

"Cuddy's gonna be pissed if I go back in there smelling like this."

"You're so whipped."

"I am not. I just like sleeping next to her."

"Don't lie to me, it's way more than sleeping." Wilson raised an eyebrow then lit his cigar and handed the lighter to House. He took a leisurely puff and leaned back blowing a perfectly round smoke ring.

"Ho! When the hell did you learn to do that?" House asked.

"Is there something the great Gregory House doesn't know about me?"

"Never." He lit up and took a puff himself, exhaling an even bigger smoke ring.

Wilson watched and laughed. "Of course you'd have to do it bigger, wouldn't you?"

"Have you met me?"

Wilson sat back in the chair toying with the cigar between his lips. "House, you look good."

House pursed his lips and looked over at his friend. "Oh now Jimmy if you'd only been this charming months ago we might've had a go round but now I'm taken," he said.

"You're such an ass. You know what I mean. Domesticity has done wonders for you."

"I am not domesticated."

Wilson chuffed. "You cook, you do dishes, help with the laundry…and take care of Rachel."

House eyed him suspiciously. "Who blabbed?" He wasn't upset at all about it, but the word domesticated always annoyed him. To him it meant boring, routine and predictable. He was anything but.

"Best girlfriends talk." Wilson took another puff and chuckled to himself.

House scowled and pointed his cigar at Wilson. "You and Sharon must love this. You get us alone and pick us for info then sit huddled in a corner somewhere French braiding each other's hair and sharing secrets."

Wilson grinned. "I think it's good for you. And don't deny you like it."

House took a look puff on his cigar and let it out slowly, savoring the flavor. "I fucking love it."

Wilson was not expecting that. He looked at House. "Seriously?"

"What's not to love? For years I woke up alone, hung-over and looking for my next high to take the edge off. Now…look around. I'm living the dream buddy."

"One thing's for sure. Nobody would've expected it."

"Nope."

House turned to Wilson. "Hey you do realize that soon-to-be wife number four has the same last name as wife number one who was almost wife number four?"

Wilson rolled his eyes. "She's not soon-to-be wife number four and how is this even relevant?"

"Just sayin' it's a sign."

"Oh this should be good. A sign of what?" He turned to House.

"I have no idea but it's a sign," House said, never batting an eye.

"Only in your world is that a sign." He shook his cigar at House. "Nobody else would ever have given this a second thought, but you did."

House pondered him as he chewed on his cigar. After a few moments he looked over at Wilson who seemed to be pondering something. He grinned.

"You're thinking about it aren't you?"

"No!" Wilson countered.

"Yes, you are." House grinned to himself.

They sat in silence a bit longer.

"So…what about you?" House asked, finally.

"What about me?" Wilson asked curiously.

"You're all alone now."

"Alone and lonely are two different things."

"Are they?"

"Actually," he said between puffs. "I think I'm better than I've ever been."

Finally, House replied.

"Okay."

Wilson raised an eyebrow curiously. "What? That's it? "

"What do you want me to say?"

"I was expecting to be nagged and browbeaten."

"Nope."

House looked over at Wilson occasionally gauging his noticed House watching him but said nothing. But after a while, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay I know you want to say something!" He exclaimed.

House replied patiently. "Actually, no."

"I know you," Wilson said. He got up and began pacing. "This is what you do. You…drive people crazy. You lecture and harangue everybody, especially me. You want to tell me how there's nothing left in Princeton and how I should get my ass to Boston because everyone I care about is here and my life would be so much better."

"Not what I was going to say at all."

"You're up to something." Wilson cocked his head and squinted in concentration.

"What makes you think that?" House asked, trying not to laugh.

"Because I know you," Wilson replied knowingly.

Their cigars long finished, they sat on the porch in silence, relaxed, eyes closed. The noise in the kitchen had died down and all that was left was the sound of the icy breeze filtering through the a few dead leaves left on the trees. House glanced over at Wilson occasionally and looked away when he found his friend glancing back.

Minutes later, the light bulb in Wilson's head went off and he turned to House, a grin spreading across his face. He leaned toward him and poked his finger at House.

"You son of a bitch."

House just smiled and said, "You dumb bastard, took you long enough."

While House was silently tormenting Wilson outside, Cuddy and Sharon were in the kitchen. Cuddy was moving about putting things away while she and Sharon traded holiday stories. As they talked, Sharon eyed her carefully, taking in her movements and the tone of her voice.

Feeling that she was being watched, Cuddy looked up from what she was doing and found Sharon leaning against the counter across from her, arms crossed, with a knowing smirk on her face.

"What?" She asked laughing.

"I can't get over the change in you," Sharon said, shaking her head. "This is the happiest I've ever seen you. You're practically walking on air."

Cuddy flushed. "I'm happy."

"It's obvious."

Cuddy finished putting the silverware away and closed the drawer. "Don't get me wrong, I mean...we have our moments but this is going better than I could've ever imagined."

"I'm glad. Do you still have doubts?"

"Sometimes old habits creep in but we've changed. We talk now, we don't assume. And if we don't want to talk we just say so. We communicate now."

"What about the arguments?"

Cuddy ran her fingers through her hair. "God, we argue...that hasn't changed...except it has. We're not malicious. We don't say things to intentionally hurt each other."

"James told me any time he was in the same room with you felt like he was going to ignite any second, especially if you were fighting."

Cuddy shrugged. "It's who we are. I can't explain it."

"And there's no need to. You know Lisa...I envy what you have," she said. "I know it was hell getting here but the bond…it's really something special."

"You wouldn't envy it years ago if you'd seen us at our worst."

"All that made you who you are, it brought you to this so in a way it was all necessary. You both should be very proud. I know I am. The odds were against you and this probably wouldn't have worked for most people."

"True," Cuddy nodded agreeably. She turned to grab the leftovers and place them in the refrigerator then she shut the door and leaned against it. "I love my life right now. I used to envy people who had it all because I never thought I would. But now I have it. I have the life other people want. I have a family now, a whole family. I mean I had one before when it was just Rach and me but now that House is a part of it, it feels complete. I feel whole in a way I never have before. We're different from everyone else, we always will be. What we have…it works and it's right and that's all I give a damn about."

Sharon shook her head, wiping away an approaching tear. She really was happy for her friend.

"Lisa, I can't even tell you how happy I am for you. If anyone deserved this, you did. You both did." She walked over to Cuddy and held out her arms. The two women embraced and then Cuddy laughed.

They pulled away and Sharon looked puzzled.

"What?" She asked.

"You owe me. Tell me about you and Wilson."

Sharon backed away and grinned. She knew that was coming.

"Okay, you win! What do you want to know?"

Later, after Wilson had gone home with Sharon and Hannah, Cuddy bathed Rachel and put her to bed while House cleaned up the kitchen. They showered and changed into pajamas then made some popcorn and settled down to watch an old movie.

They took their usual positions on the new couch which Cuddy had purchased recently as a gift to both of them. Since they'd begun to enjoy more family time in the living room with Rachel, she bought a more comfortable sofa that reclined on both ends and often when Rachel went to bed, House and Cuddy stretched out with House reclined on one end with Cuddy sprawled the length of it, her head in his lap. Cuddy held the bowl of popcorn in her lap that they shared between them.

"You know he was married at least eight times," he said, jutting his chin at Mickey Rooney on the screen.

"Yeah, crazy isn't it? Who would want to get married that many times?"

"Ask Wilson, apparently he's working on number four right now," he mumbled through a mouthful of popcorn.

"No, he's not. They're just friends."

"Yeah it starts out that way but he always marries them in the end."

"No, really they are. And marriage is not on the and I talked. She's taking this one slow. She's okay with them being just friends. Besides, she knows about his past." She saw House eye her curiously.

"He told her," she said.

"He did?"

"Yeah, they really are friends and they talk. It isn't just because she's a psychiatrist either, there's something else there. They connect and it's done both of them a world of good. They deserve it."

"Yeah." House was somewhat relieved that Wilson did have someone besides him to talk to, someone, a woman, he could connect with. He'd always worried Wilson wouldn't find anyone he could love as much as Amber. House didn't know if Sharon was the one but he knew Sharon and she was a good catch. He also knew his friend and aside from all his flaws, Wilson was a good man and he'd make the right woman extremely happy.

"I'll just say this," Cuddy said, interrupting his thoughts. "Wilson thrives on neediness and if things are going to get serious for them, he's got to change that. He always feels he has to be taking care of someone. He bitches about it but he does it anyway."

"Tell me about it. He hides it well, I'll give him that."

"Do you remember when he took in the neighbor's cat?" She asked.

"Don't remind me. That thing used to keep me up meowing all night long."

"It was nice what he did but it was out of his need to be needed. You two drove me crazy back then. Wilson obsessed over the cat because he thought you didn't need him anymore and you obsessed over Wilson because he didn't have anyone and you did."

House remembered that clearly. He'd felt guilty nearly the entire time because he was in a relationship and Wilson was alone.

Cuddy noticed House's lack of response and looked up at him.

She nudged him. "Hey."

"What?"

"Are you still worried about him being alone?"

"I was but I don't think there's anything to worry about."

"I'll have to admit he looks good. You were out on the back porch tonight for a while. Surely you talked."

"A bit."

"Did he divulge anything?"

He nodded. "We talked about a little of everything, work, his brother, my mom, us. I'll say this…don't be surprised if he moves here eventually."

She looked up at him quizzically. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh…just a feeling I have."

"Hmm." Was all she replied.

They ate popcorn and watched the rest of the movie in silence.

"Do you think they're sleeping together?" House asked out of the blue.

"How would I know? I didn't ask, she didn't tell me. I'm guessing no but I have no idea." She laughed. "And more importantly why do you care?"

"I just want him to be…what's that word you people use? Happy." He said through a mouthful of popcorn.

"You just want to harass him."

"I'm hurt you'd think that."

"I know you care about him but stop…he'll be fine. Look, I miss him too. He's like the brother I never had."

"Now that's just creepy considering you almost slept with him."

She looked up at him. "I did not."

"You did. You wanted to have his baby."

She cringed a moment. "I wanted a donation. I never wanted to have sex with him."

"Oh they all want to have sex with him…then they marry him."

"Stop!" She said laughing. "I never wanted to have sex with Wilson."

"Because you only had thighs for me."

"One of these days your head is going to explode."

"I could say something…"

"Don't! For the record, Wilson has always been friend-zoned. In fact, he was one of the only friends I had. Besides you, but-"

"Now that's just sad," he mused.

She threw popcorn at him and before he could reply the phone rang and interrupted their banter.

She looked up at the clock. "I wonder who's calling at this hour."

"Let the machine get it," he said.

"It might be important."

"All the important people are here in this house."

The answering machine picked up. "Lis, it's Jules, I need to talk to you."

Cuddy motioned quickly for House to hand her the phone, which he did begrudgingly.

"Hello?"

"Hey sis. Did I wake you?"

"No. We're just sitting here watching TV. Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just...thought I'd say hi," she said hesitantly. "How's Rachel?"

"Good." Cuddy thought it a bit unusual her sister would call her that late to say hello but she went along with it.

"She's got a piano recital in a few weeks, she's excited about that. House has been helping her and she's really improved."

"Speaking of House, how are things with you guys?"

"He's good. We're good. He's all moved into his new office and things are going great all the way around."

"That's great to hear, Lis," she said.

Cuddy knew her sister was being sincere. Thanksgiving had been a turning point and though House and Julia had very strong and differing opinions on many things, they had successfully put the past behind them as evidenced by the interactions between them as well as between House and Julia's children. It had been a great relief to Cuddy who had worried she would wind up in the middle of arguments between her sister and the man she loved over .

"Jules, something's going on with you. Small talk isn't your thing. What's up?" Cuddy asked.

Julia sighed. "I have a favor to ask."

"Okay."

"It's Jake."

"Jake?" Cuddy sat up straight. "Is he sick?" House perked up when he saw the worried look that crossed Cuddy's face.

"No...he's been acting out lately. At first, I figured it was the usual teenager phase plus the fact that he misses his dad, but it's gotten worse."

"What's he doing?"

"He's fighting with me, slamming doors, not telling me where he's going, staying out past curfew, and hanging out with the wrong crowd."

"That's not like him." Cuddy knew her nephew, he earned good grades and was friendly, smart and well-liked. Most of all he'd never been any trouble to his parents.

"No it's not. It's even affecting his grades…Jake is applying to a few colleges and if this keeps up I'm afraid he won't get the one he wants."

"So what did he say when you tried to talk to him?"

"He says I don't understand, then he just slams the door in my face." Julia sighed with frustration. "Nobody can seem to get through to him." She began sobbing and Cuddy's heart broke. "I don't know what to do."

"I'm sorry Jules," she said, tears in her own eyes. "What can I do to help? Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No." She paused. "I don't think that will work. I want...I need…House to talk to him."

"House?" At the sound of his name, House looked at her curiously.

"I know it sounds crazy...but…from everything you've ever told me…everything he's been through…I think maybe he could get through to him. I've tried everything I can think of. Jake misses his dad and needs a strong male role model he can look up to. I can't be what he needs...not in that way."

Other than when her husband died, Cuddy had never heard her sister so distraight. Julia had always been close to her three children and not only had she lost the love of her life but she was at risk for losing her oldest son too. Her son needed a positive male influence in his life, someone he could trust, and someone who would give him the brutal truth to help him get on the right path. She was still shocked her sister had hoped House would be that man but she knew that if anyone could get through to Jake, it was in fact, House.

Julia composed herself. "I'm sorry Lis; usually I'm pretty good about not getting out of control."

"You don't have to hide it, especially not from your family. We love you and we're here for you." She looked over to House who still had a puzzled look on his face. "You've been through a really rough time and it hasn't been that long. You need to get this out. So please don't apologize. Okay?"

"Okay," she sniffed. "You know he's a smart kid, but he's just that...a kid. He's keeping a lot in because he doesn't know how to express himself. He's scared and confused right now and I'm worried that he'll do something stupid that will impact the rest of his life. I'm hoping House can get through to him."

"Hon, I can't speak for House but he's sitting here next to me. You want to talk to him?"

"Yeah."

"Hold on."

Cuddy put her hand over the phone.

"Oh God, what?" He asked.

"She needs your help."

"Wait…your sister needs my help?" He asked, the shock registering on his face.

"Yep."

"What is it?" He asked suspiciously.

"I'll let her tell you. Please at least hear her out first before you decide."

He pursed his lips. "Okay but whatever it is, I'm doing it for you."

She handed him the phone and mouthed the words "Thank you."

House leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and put the phone to his ear. Cuddy leaned back on the couch and listened intently to House's side of the conversation. After a few moments, he got up and limped into the kitchen, turning on the light. She could hear him getting something to drink. She lay back on the couch and closed her eyes. He was gone quite awhile before he returned to the living room and placed the cordless phone in its cradle and leaned down and tapped Cuddy on the shoulder and motioned for her to move so he could sit down. Once he was settled she rested her head in his lap again.

"So…how'd it go?" She asked.

He played with her hair. "Okay."

"Are you going to do it?"

"I told her I would."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, I don't even know if he'll listen."

"He will," she assured him.

"The kid barely likes me."

"Trust me, he likes you. Jake has always been very intuitive. He feels things very deeply and has a sense about people. He's a good judge of character. When you talked to the kids and told them about what happened, you were honest and you didn't treat them like children even though they are. You didn't make excuses, you accepted responsibility. What you did...it went a long way with the kids, especially Jake. Trust me...he holds a grudge just like Julia but with you he didn't seem to do that, not after you talked to him."

"He's a good kid," House admitted.

"Yes, he is. And you two do get along. When they were here a few weeks ago, you guys listened to music and you let him play your guitar. And I know for a fact you don't let anyone touch that except people you really like." Cuddy smiled thinking about how ecstatic Jake had been when House let him play his beloved Les Gibson. That House had been honest with Jake from the first moment they met at Thanksgiving had opened doors for them and music seemed to help the two forge a common bond.

"He didn't like what you did but then when he got to know you, he saw what I see...that you weren't that guy. You connected with him."

House shrugged. "We both like Muddy Waters."

"Well that's not all of it but it's a start."

"I don't know if I can get through to him."

"I have faith in you."

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes while he ran his fingers through her hair. She could tell he was in thinking mode.

"You know that it's possible to survive anything."

He stopped his motions and looked down at her.

"You think?"

"Absolutely." She smiled. "You're good with young people in your own...way. The picture you showed me...Eve's baby. She was a scared college girl who had been raped and she had no one else to turn to and there you were. You never meant to be in that position but you were thrown into it and...you made a difference. She's married now with a child of her own. She fought her demons and won."

"She connected with me because we were both broken."

"Probably but what matters is you got through to her."

He tapped silent musical notes on her arm.

"You've had many experiences in your life House, you learned something from them, you passed on your wisdom in your own...unique way."

"You're being kind."

"I'm being honest."

"It feels weird...your sister asking me for a favor."

"I know."

"Do you think she's really let all that crap go?"

"You're the man who says actions speak louder than words. She just asked you to talk to her son…be sort of a mentor to him. What do you think?"

"Point taken."

"Julia is the queen of grudges, at least she used to be. Even though things went well at Thanksgiving, I couldn't help but wonder if it would last. She sees that I'm happy and that you've changed. Losing Michael has mellowed her. She just doesn't seem as judgmental anymore."

"So much for the idea people don't change."

She shrugged. "Some people don't. Either they don't want to or they can't because they don't know how. But I believe people can change if they want to and if they can just figure out how do it. You're living proof it can be done."

"I'm just glad I don't have to fight with your mother and sister. I'd hate to put you in that position."

"I'm glad I don't have to worry about that." She placed her hand on his cheek. "But you know I'd always choose you right?"

"I do." He looked down at her fondly and she caught his glance. His confidence that she would always choose him reflected in his eyes.

"And speaking of mom, for all her annoying tendencies, she knew better than to force me to make that choice. Besides, she wanted me to choose you."

"I knew I liked the old bag for a reason."

Cuddy let out a chuckle. "So when are you going to call Jake?"

"They've got a long weekend coming up. Guess we need to make room."

She groaned. "It's always so tight when everyone's here. Maybe we can go there?"

"Is that what you want?"

"It's two hours, can you make it?"

"Yeah, we can make pit stops."

"I just know how much you hate long drives."

"I'll be fine."

"I know. You're always fine." She smiled at him and he leaned down toward her and their lips met in bliss. She knew he would travel there for her sake but she also knew how long trips in the car bothered his leg.

When their lips parted he said, "On second thought, I don't want to have sex in your sister's house, we'll just let them come here."

Cuddy laughed and they reconnected again. As the kiss heated up, the phone rang.

"Nooo," he said, his lips moving toward her neck.

Cuddy sighed. "Grab it will you?"

"Busy," he said as he nibbled her ear.

"Please?"

He groaned but answered the phone.

"This better be good," he growled.

"Oh good, it's the shmegegge, just the person I wanted to talk to."

"Hello Arlene," he groaned.

Cuddy put her hand to her head.

"To what do I owe this displeasure?"

"Don't be an ass. I called to thank you."

"For what?"

"Julia called me a little while ago and told me you had agreed to talk to Jake. I just want you to know I appreciate it."

"Okay."

Her voice softened. "Gregory, Jake is my firstborn…he's very special to me. He's a good kid and he needs a strong male influence."

"What is it with you Cuddy women that make you think I'm the one?"

"Because you are. My daughter loves you for a reason. Rachel loves you for a reason. Stop denying it and accept who you are."

"You missed your calling as a psychiatrist."

"With all your shit you couldn't afford me."

He laughed. Arlene always gave as good as she got. "So…are we done?"

"Yes, we are. You may go back to groping my daughter now."

"What?" He choked out.

"Nice try. I know you two. It's late, my granddaughter's in bed, and what else would you be doing?"

"We do more than grope you know." Cuddy looked at him horrified.

"I'm sure. Now tell my daughter I love her, I'll call you soon. And thank you again," she said.

"You're welcome. Goodnight," he said, before hanging up. He leaned back and put his hand over his eyes. "I'll never be able to grope you again without thinking of your mother. I think she planned it that way."

"What?"

"Your mother wanted to thank me for agreeing to talk to Jake."

"And the groping?"

"She's apparently hitting the sauce again."

She shook her head and offered him the bowl of popcorn. He took a handful and greedily shoved it into his mouth.

"You're disgusting."

"And you love it."

"Shockingly, I do. I can't believe my mother thanked you. My father is rolling in his grave right about now. First Julia and now this."

"Hallelujah!" He shouted. "It's a miracle!"

She giggled. "Shut up."

"Well at least we know nobody else is going to call considering we've talked to my mom, your mom and your sister all in the same day. No wonder I've got a fucking headache."

"Shut up. Your mom is a sweetheart. I would love it if she visited us again."

House put his hand over his eyes and sighed.

"No. Just...no."

"What?"

"New rule. Family in atom-sized doses. Mothers and sisters only visit only upon invite and they stay miles away. If they want to see us they make an appointment light years in advance."

"Oh stop." She was going to say something else when she felt him twinge beneath her. His hand immediately went to his thigh.

"House, are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I should've put my feet up."

"Here let me massage it." She got up and sat on his right side facing him. She took her hands and kneaded his thigh muscle, eliciting a groan of pleasure from him.

"Yesterday's therapy was brutal." He said, eyes closed, enjoying her touch.

"It's still helping though right?"

"Hell, yeah. I miss Vince but...this pain management program is great."

"I'm so happy we've got one here. It's so much better than the typical physical therapy."

"It is. I'm lucky. Don't worry, it's helping Cuddy believe me, you'd know if it wasn't."

"I'm glad." She gave him a tired smile.

He nudged her. "Come on, let's go to bed."

She planted a kiss on his lips. "You don't want to sleep; you just want to grope me."

"Every chance I get just to be reminded of your mother."

She pulled away from him. "If you ever use the words grope and your mother in the same sentence I'm kicking you out. Now come on," she said as she stood and held out her hand to him. House pushed himself out of the sofa and followed her down the hall to their bedroom..

When Cuddy went into the bathroom to brush her teeth, House decided to go check on Rachel. Since he'd moved in it'd become habit for him to check on her every night before he went to bed. He didn't know why and Cuddy never asked. She would tell him Rachel was fine but as time went on, she realized it was something he needed to do.

House stepped into Rachel's room quietly and quickly noticed that she whimpered in her sleep. He stepped closer and stood over her. Worried that she was having a nightmare, his need to protect her suddenly overpowered him. He sat down on the bed next to her.

"Rachel." He shook her gently. "Rach."

She cried out, then turned over and rubbed her eyes. Her cheeks were wet, he assumed from tears.

"Hey kid, you okay?" It broke his heart to see her scared.

"Bad dream," she sniffled. She sat up and wrapped her little arms around him.

"Hey, it's okay," he said as he patted her on the back. It hit him in that moment how much he wanted to keep her safe.

"Want to tell me about it?"

"Don't 'member," she said through muffled tears.

"It's okay. It's just a dream, it's not real. It can't hurt you."

"I was scared," she said.

"I know but…look around, it's just me and your mom down the hall and we're not going to let anything hurt you. You know that right?"

She rubbed her eyes and nodded.

"Good. You think you can get to sleep?"

She shook her head no.

"You have to go back to sleep if you want to get up early and have pancakes with me in the morning."

"Pancakes?" She asked, her tears suddenly subsiding and eyes wide.

"Yep and you get to help."

She smiled at him. "I like to help."

"You're a great helper. Now let's get you back to sleep."

"Can you read me a story?" She asked with that pitiful Cuddy pout she inherited from her mother.

House sighed. "Just one," he said then he reached for the lamp next to her bed and turned it on enough that he could read. He pulled one of the thin books off the shelf over her nightstand.

"Five Funny Bunnies," he read from the cover.

"My favorite!" She said, clapping her hands together.

He put his finger to his lips. "Shh, or mom will come in and bust up our party."

Rachel put her finger over her lips. "Shh," she mimicked. "Will you do the voices too?" She whispered.

"Aww do I have to?" He faked a groan. Of course he would.

"Yeah!"

"Okay."

House opened the book and began reading the first of the three short stories contained within it.

House's back was to the door and so he couldn't see Cuddy standing in the doorway watching them. She watched and listened as House read to Rachel in several different voices and though her view of Rachel was obstructed, she could hear the little girl giggling.

She turned her back and leaned on the doorjamb in the hallway listening to their interactions and her heart fluttered at the deeper connection made between the two. It was what she had hoped and prayed for for so long. She didn't know how long she'd been standing there but she was brought out of her thoughts when House's voice changed back to normal and she realized he was done reading.

"Okay kid, gotta go to bed now."

"Will you read me the second story tomorrow?"

"Yep. If you go to sleep."

"Will you tuck me in?"

House leaned over and tucked her covers around her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, kid."

"Howse, I'm glad you're here."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, we have lots of fun and mommy smiles a lot now."

Cuddy smiled hearing that.

"She does?"

"Uh huh," Rachel replied adorably.

"Me too kid, me too."

Rachel beamed.

"I love you, Howse," She said as she threw her arms around him and hugged him.

Without a second thought, House wrapped his arms around her and breathed deeply as he ran his fingers through her hair. She smelled of baby shampoo and innocence and it never ceased to amaze him that the little girl could evoke such deep feelings in him that he once thought did not exist. She only saw the best him him, never seeing his weaknesses or flaws. Rachel never judged him, she accepted him for who he was.

There was truth in what Nolan had told him about unconditional love and there was no better proof than the little girl with her arms wrapped around him. Truth was, he loved her too, and he'd known it for a long time. She'd wormed her way under his skin since the moment Cuddy first let him hold her and six years later when she looked at him with those big blue eyes, he couldn't resist the temptation to give her anything she wanted. And at that moment he vowed he do everything he could to keep her safe and protect her for the rest of his life.

Cuddy held her breath and watched the scene play out before her and then she heard it.

"I love you too, kid."

Her breath hitched in her throat and caused her to emanate a small noise. She'd hoped House didn't hear her as she didn't want to interrupt their special moment.

"You do?" Rachel beamed.

"Yeah, I do."

Tears streaked down Cuddy's cheeks. She stepped into the hallway and made her way to the bedroom. She walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

"He loves her," she said to her reflection as she cried. She knew he did but to hear him say it was more than she could hope for. Love wasn't a word often used by Gregory House and when he said it, he meant it with every fiber of his being. It was everything she ever wanted and to hear him finally tell her in a way that was not forced, with love and pride, it made her extremely happy.

Cuddy splashed water on her face and walked back into the bedroom. She stopped at the window and looked out at the full moon that illuminated the entire backyard under a soft white blanket. At that moment, she didn't think she could be happier. She removed her robe and climbed into bed to wait for him.

A few minutes later, House entered the dark bedroom, hung his cane on the knob of his dresser and limped into the bathroom quietly, thinking Cuddy was already asleep. After using the bathroom he washed up and brushed his teeth. When he was done he took a moment to take in his appearance in the mirror.

Cuddy had told him months earlier that he looked better than she'd seen him in years and he could see it. Physical therapy and exercise had helped his posture and the pain in his neck and shoulders from use of the cane and the bad posture was near non-existent. His biceps were bigger from the upper body strength training and his chest was slightly broader. His legs were strong too. Other muscles strengthened in his weak leg helped compensate for the missing thigh muscle. Overall, he wasn't muscular but he was toned. His new therapy team was adamant, as Vince had been, that working the entire body, not just one area, was the key. He would always have pain, but the way in which he managed it was far healthier and better than anything he'd done before.

He moved closer to the mirror to inspect his face, noting fewer lines and the absence of the bags that had once been under his eyes caused by insomnia and stress. He knew his therapy with Nolan had helped with that and been as important as his physical conditioning. House thought he might be overall healthier now than he had been before the infarction. He liked the younger, healthier and happier man that stared back at him in the mirror and he was determined to keep him.

House turned off the light in the bathroom and joined Cuddy underneath the warm covers. She gravitated to him immediately and he spooned her from behind.

"Hey," He asked, his warm breath in her ear.

"Hi," she replied.

"Thought you'd be asleep." He said, kissing her exposed shoulder.

"Waiting for you," she murmured.

He listened to the sounds of her breath going in and out and he felt her relax in his arms.

"You heard me talking to Rachel." It was more a statement than a question. He hadn't seen her but he'd felt her presence.

"I did." She smirked to herself. He never missed a thing.

"Do you remember at the airport the last time I left, when she had that meltdown?"

Cuddy nodded.

"She whispered something to me."

"I remember." Cuddy turned over to face him. She had been curious about the secret House and Rachel shared but she knew eventually if they wanted her to know they would tell her.

When Cuddy rolled over, House ran his fingers over her face and neck. His hands found the cameo and fingered it gently. It warmed his heart that she wore it every day, taking it off only when she went to bed.

She sensed what he was thinking. "I forgot to take it off."

"That you did." He kissed her.

"I never told you what she said," he said when they parted.

"I figured you would when you were ready."

"She told me...that she wanted me to be her dad," he said quietly.

Cuddy was speechless. She watched as House swallowed hard and tears gathered in his eyes.

"I'm ready now."

She always knew when House was being sincere; it was in his eyes and in the tone of his voice and this time was no different. He had just told her he wanted to be a father to her daughter. He'd opened up his life and his heart to her and Rachel as he had never done with anyone else. She knew how much it took for him to do this. She drew him close and held him as the weight of his words settled in and the tears flowed between them.

When they finally parted, House reached up and wiped Cuddy's remaining tears with the pad of his thumb. When she smiled at him it told him everything he needed to know. She was ready and with him all the way. He thought about how it seemed so natural to take that next step and be the father Rachel needed. He needed it too. He needed her. He needed them.

He kissed her nose before he spoke again.

"Nolan once asked me why I pushed away the people who ever cared about me."

She placed her hands on the side of his face and brushed her fingertips through his hair. She watched him intently, awaiting his next words.

"I told him I didn't really want them out of my life, but that I had this stupid need to test my theory that all relationships were conditional. Most of my life, I believed they were. I did not believe it was possible to love someone in all circumstances, no matter what they did. I was sure of this."

She continued to run her fingers through his hair reassuringly.

"I couldn't have been more wrong," he whispered.

"I've always loved you," she said. "There may have been times I didn't like you very much but I never stopped loving you."

"Being with you...makes me...happy," he said. "I don't ever want to be without you...ever again. It hurts too much."

"I know. I feel the same way."

"So...Rachel...we'll tell her tomorrow?" He asked, hopefully.

She smiled. "Yeah, we will."

Without another word, they sought each other out and their lips met in the darkness. Tongues collided, breathing quickened and hands wandered. In that moment, they were just content to be close.

When they parted, breathless, he said, "I can't believe we're still fully clothed."

"See…it's not always about sex," she teased.

"It's not?"

She squeezed his bicep playfully. Their eyes adjusted to the dark with the only light coming from the moon outside. It rained a path of light upon their bed.

She placed her hands on his face and ran her thumbs over the corners of his lips. "Do you know how much I love you?"

He didn't respond with words, but nodded.

"What I feel for you is completely…overwhelming and so…" she left it there knowing he would understand. She could never adequately describe the depths of her love for him. It was far beyond words.

"I know." And he did. There were times he thought about what his life would be like without her again and it literally took his breath away. He couldn't describe it, he just knew he couldn't ever live without her again.

"I love how we get one another."

"Yeah," he said, smirking.

They lay there for some time caressing, touching and talking in hushed whispers. There was plenty of time for sex, at the moment it was just about reveling in the joy of being together, of taking that next big step in their lives.

They'd been quiet for sometime, sleep threatening to take over when he broke the silence.

"Sometimes I feel like this is someone else's life. That I'm just borrowing it until they decide to take it back," he said.

She snuggled closer to him. "This is your life, House. What you have now…it's always been yours…you just needed to fight your fears and claim it. And now that you have it, no one can ever take it from you, ever."

"Good because I've actually become quite attached to it…and your ass." He palmed her ass playfully.

"Ass," she whispered and leaned forward and kissed him again then she rolled over so he could spoon her from behind. She loved that position because she felt so safe and protected when he wrapped himself around her. She pressed her back up against his chest and he pulled the covers over them and wrapped his right arm around her and pulled her tightly to him.

"You saved me, you know," he said.

"We saved each other."

"I love you," House whispered into her hair. His hands drifted over her lazily, caressing every inch of skin. How long he'd yearned for this. Now that he had it he would never let it go. He knew he'd fight with her but he also knew he'd fight for her and never again would either of them have to experience he hell of being alone.

"Love you too, House." She placed her hands over his, securing their connection. He was soft and warm and he made her feel safe and secure. With him she felt more loved than she ever had in her entire life. She knew they would hit rough times but it didn't matter knowing they'd weather it together.

Eventually their breathing slowed and they drifted off nestled tightly together, holding on to one another in sleep as they did when they were awake. And as they slept, they dreamed…about the one thing they'd wanted for so long…more than anything…and that they now had.

Their future.

The End.