AN: I was so excited when Cuddy finally got her baby in tonight's episode, and I just had to write something to commemorate it. This is solely from Cuddy's POV.

Disclaimer: I don't own House unfortunately, but Fox and David Shore do.

My Joy

As I looked upon the tiny baby I still couldn't believe the fact that this little girl was mine. After the years of intrusive in-vitro and the constant pain of realizing I still didn't have a child of my own. And of course there was the heartbreak a few weeks ago when the child I planned to adopt was instead claimed by her birth mother. Since that time I've tried to move on feeling as if it was my lot in life to remain alone. And now, here I was finally holding my daughter.

I wished that I could sign the adoption papers right now, though I knew that nobody would step into claim her. But I knew I would have to wait until all the arrangements could be made. Assuming she recovered soon, I would be able to take her home as a foster mother temporarily before I took on the role of her mother. The transition would be smooth I hoped since after all I had everything already stocked in my home that a newborn baby would need.

I was in total awe. This baby very nearly died from the same condition that was quickly killing her mother. It was so fortunate that the homeless woman had tended to the baby. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be on the verge of my dream of becoming a mother. How fragile this baby was and it was simply incredible that the child was alive despite the fact it was born premature and sickly and was abandoned by her mother.

I couldn't help the tears that couldn't stop falling as I looked at my new daughter, and my thoughts turned to House. In a very large way I had so much to thank him for. Firstly for the fact that House kept my secret when I tried to have a baby through IVF. Secondly when the little girl I named Joy was taken away from me, House of all people had been the one to comfort me. The kiss we shared was enough of a distraction that it stopped me from being consumed by my depression.

As I looked at my daughter's warm brown eyes, I knew that everything was going to work out. No longer would I have to dwell on returning to a lonely home, but my daughter would always be there waiting for me. I looked forward to her life ahead, her first steps, her first words, the first day she would attend preschool, and the first time she would ride a bike. Every moment of my daughter's life was precious and I knew that she was the absolute best Christmas present I would ever receive.