Cuddy came into his office on a Friday. It was late afternoon and he was back lit by the sun - she could only see the outline of him, the darkness beneath his eyes. It was the first clear day of the week and House looked tired and in pain. She had little sympathy for him, however. She'd spent the morning on her knees in front of the toilet.
"Hey," he said. "Whatever it was, I didn't do it."
"I don't think we should tell anyone," she said, knowing that with House, it was always better to simply cut to the chase.
"That you're pregnant?" he asked, loudly. She glanced around but the hallway and lounge were clear.
"They'll figure it out," she said, through clenched teeth.
"Oh! You mean that I'm your baby daddy?" he asked, raising one eyebrow suggestively.
"That you're the father," she acknowledged. "It's nobody's business but ours."
"I already told Wilson," he said, eying the red and gray ball that sat on his desk.
"Fine. You, me, and your only friend, and that's it, okay?" she said. He nodded, a mild consent, and she turned to go.
"Cuddy," he said. She paused and looked over her shoulder.
"What?"
"I have two friends," he said. "I wouldn't give a cup of my sperm to just anyone." She smiled softly at him.
"I know," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She passed Cameron in the hallway and avoided her eyes. She didn't even know how she was going to break it to Stacy.
oooo
Wilson stopped by her office on Monday, and stared and her long enough to make her uncomfortable.
"How long, exactly, have you known?" she asked.
"How long has House known?" he retorted. She shrugged one shoulder and put her forehead on the desk. "I know it's a little late to ask, but are you sure about this?"
"I'm pregnant!" she said. "What kind of question is that?"
"That's why you went on that date with me, isn't it? It was an interview."
"You should take it as a compliment," she said.
"I would, except that I lost to House!" he said, almost laughing. "That's insanity."
"I've known House a long time. As stupid as it sounds, as it is, I trust House."
"Maybe I kind of get it," he said. "But if you want someone to hold your hair back while you vomit, you made the wrong choice."
"You don't have to worry," she said. "I have what I want."
"Okay," he said.
"Don't… tell anyone," she said. "That it's House, I mean."
"Come on, who'd even believe that?" Wilson asked. Cuddy glared and pointed him out of her office. He held up his hands in defeat and walked away.
oooo
Sunday morning, Cuddy was in sweatpants and an over sized t-shirt laying in her bed, watching television. She felt horrible, like she never wanted to eat anything again. She'd thrown up five times in the last hour and the cup of tea on her nightstand sat untouched and cold.
For the first time since she'd gotten the news she was pregnant, she wished there was someone there to make her feel better. Not twenty minutes later, she heard her front door open.
"Go away," she called.
"What if I was someone coming to kill you?" House asked, leaning against her bedroom door frame.
"Only you would let yourself in with my hidden key. God, what is that?" she asked, covering her mouth, motioning to his arm.
"A bucket of chicken. I thought you might be hungry."
She bolted to the bathroom and he rolled his eyes. He set down the chicken and limped in after her. She was almost too pathetic to look at but he sat on the edge of her tub. Her hair was held back by an elastic, so he just put his hand on her arched spine. She finished and grabbed a towel from the rack and wiped her mouth. Her eyes were filled with tears.
"Sorry," he said.
"It's okay," she said, sitting down on the bathmat, her sweaty forehead against her knees. He drummed his fingers against her spine. "You didn't have to come."
"Nope," he said. "I did anyway." He helped her up and they made their way slowly to the bed. She laid down and he hopped up on the bed next to her, crossing his legs. He thought she might say something, but she must have been feeling pretty awful to let him in her bed with no comment. "What are we watching?" he asked.
"E! True Hollywood Story," she said, but her eyes were closed and the television was on mute. "Let's just rest."
"Cuddy?" he asked.
"What?"
"I would have given you my sperm the natural way. Would have been cheaper, at least," he said. She managed a laugh.
"It turns out that I have pretty good insurance. Didn't have to pay a dime," she said.
"It could have been fun," he said.
"Yeah," she agreed. "Maybe next time." This time House chuckled. "Will you get me some water?"
"Sure," he said, getting up. He took the bucket of chicken with him. No use wasting a perfectly good fried meal. He remembered where everything was in the kitchen and got her a tall glass of ice water but when he got back to her room, she was sleeping. House put the water within her reach, and let himself out of the house.
oooo
The first time she had to use a safety pin to let out a skirt, she knew that this was real. The morning sickness had passed and now she was just gaining weight. No one had said anything but she could tell the weight gain wasn't going unnoticed. She had a check-up today. Her appointment was first thing in the morning and she put on her lab coat as soon as she got in to hide her make-shift outfit.
The exam room was empty when she let herself in but within a few minutes the door opened House came in.
"Lay down," he said. "We have only a few minutes."
She unbuttoned her blouse from the bottom until her slightly rounded stomach became exposed. He eyed her skirt and touched the safety pin lightly.
"That's a good sign," he assured her.
"I know," she said. She undid the pin and the skirt slithered down until enough of her abdomen was exposed. He put the gel on her and started to move the wand around her until he found the heartbeat. "Oh," she said.
"It's alive," he agreed but their was no edge of sarcasm.
"How does it look?" she asked, trying to crane her neck to see.
"Hold still, it looks fine," he said. He removed the wand and the sound faded. "Perfectly healthy." He handed her a box of tissues and she wiped the goop off.
"Thank you," she said.
"Take your vitamins," he reminded her.
"Of course," she said.
"If you need anything..."
"Got it," she said, fully dressed now. He nodded and she left the room first. A few minutes later her made his way back to his team.
Cameron was the only one in the lounge, sipping coffee and reading their current patient's file.
"Where have you been?" she asked. "I paged you."
"I left my pager in the office," he said.
"I know, I heard it," she said, pointing through the glass wall to his office. "It isn't like you."
"I know change is scary, Dr. Cameron, but I think if you just push through…"
"Never mind," she said, closing the file. "The lab results are in. It isn't Lupis."
"It never is," he said, crossing it off the white board. "Where are Curly and Moe?"
"Cafeteria," she said. "Were you with Cuddy?"
"Huh?" he asked.
"I couldn't find her either," she said.
"That's just spooky," House said and left before she could ask any more questions.
oooo
Later that day, in an unmarked manila envelope on her desk (inside her locked office), was the print out of the sonogram – the real first picture of her child. She thought it was kind of sweet, despite the breaking and entering. In fact, he'd been continually, for lack of a better word, nice to her since she'd announced that her fertility treatments had worked – that she was pregnant. She assured him, at the time, that all she wanted were his chromosomes and nothing else and that was the deal he agreed to, but now he seemed to care. Could it be he actually wanted to… be a part of her life? She didn't buy it. The child's life, maybe, but why would he ever want her
House came to her house three times a week with food, or a movie, or just for company. He never made a big deal and nothing inappropriate ever occurred. She did prefer when he was around, except for at work because that would never change.
There was no hiding her condition at the date of her next sonogram.
They stayed late until the clinic was well closed.
"You're gaining quickly," House commented.
"You're telling me," she muttered. Her feet were sore and maternity clothes were never flattering. He found the heartbeat much more quickly because the beat was stronger. She lifted her head a little and strained to hear more clearly. Something sounded off.
"What?" he asked.
"Recalibrate the machine, I think there's an echo," she said. He closed his eyes and listened again.
"That's no echo," he said. "It's a second heartbeat."
Cuddy was glad she was lying down. It was a common occurrence of fertility treatments – better two babies than none, but she suddenly felt terribly overwhelmed.
"Oh God, I'm never going to be able to do this alone," she said, putting her hands over her face.
"Hey," he said. "You're not alone."
She parted her fingers and peeked out.
"I'm going to get really fat."
"But your breasts will be huge," he said. "Totally worth it."
"Is this really what I want?" she asked him, her eyes large.
"Hmm," he said. "I can't speak for you but I know I don't not want it." From House, it was a good thing.
They walked to the parking garage together where Wilson was waiting by House's motorcycle.
"Your secret is out," he said.
"You said you wouldn't tell," House accused.
"I didn't. No offense, Lisa, but look at you," he said.
"I'm fat," she said.
"You're glowing," he shot back. Cuddy rolled her eyes. "I heard the nurses talking about it. Maybe if we all worked at a textile factory you could hide it but we all have some degree of medical training and you're the very picture of pregnancy."
"But they don't know it's me," House said.
"No," he conceded. "But they suspect."
"We're hardly together," Cuddy said. "We're careful."
"That's it," Wilson said. "When was the last time you two had it out in the middle of the clinic? When was the last time he crashed your meetings? When was the last time she stopped you mid-MRI?"
"He's right," House said. He put his hand onto the small of her back.
"That!" Wilson pointed. "Are you… what are you two now?" He shook his head. "I'm not even sure I want to know. Cuddy, you need to circulate a memo. You need to tell the truth."
House hated when Wilson was right.
oooo
Cameron, predictably, took it the hardest. Foreman acted like it was just another House related shenanigan and Chase was tickled by it, saying, "You knocked up Cuddy?"
When House said, "Twins!" Cameron excused herself. She didn't come back and so House sent Cuddy because he wasn't supposed to go into the women's locker room anymore or there would be yelling.
Cameron was there, sitting on the bench in front of her locker with amazing posture and no expression.
"Allison?" Cuddy called.
"Oh, are we friends now, Lisa?" she asked, snidely.
"You've been gone a while," she said. "Are you all right?" Cameron looked up at Cuddy and gave a harsh laugh.
"You are pregnant! I can't believe I missed it. Guess I didn't want to see," she said.
"I hope this won't affect our working relationship," Cuddy said, carefully.
"I'm not going to quit because House doesn't love me," she said. She'd already played that card, after all.
"This wasn't about love," Cuddy said. "House gave me his sperm."
"Don't be naïve," Cameron said. "He couldn't marry Stacy and he couldn't even go on a real date with me but he gave you twins? That's huge." She got up and walked to the door. "Thanks for the talk," she said sarcastically.
Cuddy sat on the bench alone now, her hand on her stomach.
No one had told Stacy.
oooo
"I'll call her," Cuddy said, later, when they were both in Cuddy's kitchen.
"No, please let me," House said.
"You just want to get off on her pain," Cuddy accused.
"Wouldn't you rather her hate me than you?" he said.
"You're right," Cuddy handed him the phone. He dialed and she went back to chopping lettuce for the salad. She wore yoga pants and a tank top and her belly protruded languidly.
"Stacy, it's Greg," he said. Cuddy stilled her knife, wanting to listen. "I'm fine, nothing is wrong. I have some news." Cuddy moved to stand in front of him where he sat at the wooden table. He put his hand on her belly. "Cuddy's pregnant and she's having twins and they're mine." There was a heavy silence. "Thank you. She's fine. Give our best to Mark." He hung up.
"Well?" she asked.
"She said congratulations," he said. "She's glad we've decided to be happy."
"Good," Cuddy said, moving back to the cutting board. "Go watch TV, dinner is almost ready." He took a beer from the fridge and limped away.
For the first time that night, House stayed and slept with Cuddy – her back pressed against his chest and his arm around her protectively. They had not had sex but they were almost something like a family.