Title: Her Inner Child

Summary: House is hearing voices. well, only one voice. one very small, very young voice. House finds himself able to read Rachel's mind (Cuddy's daughter) but only on one condition--that Cuddy be in a childlike and carefree mood. Most of the child's thoughts revolve around bottles and playtime, but what House is most curious about is her thoughts on her mother. House's curiosity plays games with Cuddy, which takes their relationship to rocky new levels as House toys with her emotions to hear what Rachael has to say. PICKS UP where the show left off, so everything up to the current season six episode applies. even contains lines from next episode! and drugged Wilson! :D (HUDDY)

Disclaimer: i do not own House, M.D. It is the property of its creator David Shore, and FOX . few lines from the show's episode Known Unkowns.

"If you want her, ask her out," Wilson reasoned as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"She's not some floosie I met at a bar," House pointed out, "she's the floosie I work for."

Wilson rolled his eyes. House could be so childish sometimes. What was so hard about asking a woman out?

At this moment, Cuddy exited a small diner from across the street, wearing not only a designer jacket to match her daughter's whom she carried in her arms, but the most beautiful smile House had ever seen on her. It made her glow.

House could've swore she'd stepped out of a movie scene and at any time the fan blowing her hair from her face would cut off, the lights brightening her eyes would dim down, and the video slowing her walk to slow motion would turn off. Oddly enough none of this happened because the fan was only the wind; the light was the sun, and the the slow walk, well, that was his world slowing down to admire her presence. Damn, she could make toxic epidermal necrolysis look hot, House thought to himself.

"Ask her," he heard Wilson's persistant voice somewhere in the background but ignored it to wonder why she looked so happy.

"Hey, why do you think--" House turned to find his so called friend missing from his side and looked left and right to find him. To his right House caught the sight of Wilson's back as he ran with his goofy running posture toward his car which was parked about a block away. House mentally cursed and turned to look at Cuddy who was still walking, but at a much slower pace. He approached her.

"Babies-R-Us wouldn't let you return it?" House asked referring to the child on her arms, his voice causing her to turn around.

Her smile visibly dropped, but not much as she acknowledged him. "Please tell me you weren't spying on me," Cuddy almost whined, earing herself a proud smirk from House.

"Why, I would never," House exclaimed. "That would totally be a waste of the cameras I installed in your bedroom," he joked.

Cuddy inaudibly scoffed as she readjusted Rachael into her arms. This child was getting heavier each day. House noticed this action, and again for the second and third times as her muscles fought valiently to support the child.

"Let me hold it," House offered, putting his arms out.

The comment made Cuddy stop walking to stare slackjawed at House. She quickly composed herself and handed Rachael over, too touched to contain her smile as House accepted her with outstreched arms and looked into its eyes, inspecting the miniture person like a broken faucet needing to be diagnosed.

"She's easier to hold if you pretend she's not riddled with disease," Cuddy commented.

House drew the child closer to his body to mimick the postion Cuddy had earlier adapted.

"Could use with some practice," Cuddy critiqued, "but you'll get better."

Cuddy resumed her walking but stopped when she realized House wasn't following her. This is when she realized the implication of what she had said. "If you ever wanted to hold her again, that is," Cuddy tried to mop up her words, and House finally fell into step beside her.

"Why are you so vibrant today?" House asked casually.

"I'm with my daughter," she answered quickly, not even pretending that was a compliment, she knew better. He was prying for information.

"You're with your daughter every day, but you're never like this."

"You hardly ever see me with her."

"Cameras, remember." House smirked.

For some reason, Cuddy couldn't help but laugh. Her mood seemed to have an effect on Rachael who giggled in House's arms, causing Cuddy to smile more.

"You weren't just with her," House accused.

Cuddy ignored him as she began to engage her daughter in mindless baby babble conversation.

"Babys make you happy, they don't make you glow." Cuddy began to tickle rachael under her arms and she squirmed in House's grasp, still giggling. "Hey," House tried to get Cuddy's attention, "I'm trying to --"

"There's nothing to analyze House," Cuddy was now walking closer to House, her interactions with Rachael drawing her nearer to both of them. "Can't I just be happy?"

"Can dogs stop licking themselves?" House asked rhetorically. Cuddy seemed to ignore House again in favor of making funny faces at her daughter, it was getting on his nerves.

"Mommy funny" House stopped walking abruptly and looked all around him, convinced he had heard the child in his arms talk, and looking for an alternative reason. "Did you hear that?" House asked.

Cuddy stopped as well. "Hear what?" Cuddy asked.

"Lucas funny too" House narrowed his eyes. He decided to give it a shot and turned toward Cuddy. "You're seeing someone," he accused. Cuddy automatically went into defense mode, but House stopped her. "You're seeing Lucas."

Cuddy's silence was enough of an answer for him.

A/N: its short, i know, but its just for starters, and i have other things i need to do. more to come if you want.