Just a small thing... Southpaw2 wanted a scene in Love Life after the dramatic birth, when Cuddy wakes up in the hospital. I thought that was a good idea. So here it is. Thanks to southpaw2 for the idea. :)

House saw Cuddy's lids begin to flutter open. He was standing bedside in recovery, alternating between watching her and watching Robyn as the nurses measured, cleaned, and generally poked around on her. He'd have to get used to this split-attention feeling, he supposed.

"Hey," he said quietly. Cuddy was confused, weak, groggy. When he saw her eyes finally hold his gaze and focus, he knew she was coming out of it.

Cuddy tried to say "hey" back, but her throat was dry and it came out as a croak. House reached for water for her, and when he turned back she looked panic-stricken. She was combing the room with her eyes, still so confused. Her mind was moving so slowly.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Everything's okay," he told her, handing her a cup of water. "She's right here, with the nurses." He saw her eyes well up and he wanted to protect her from the million horrible thoughts that tumbled through her mind before she let them go. But he knew she had to feel them, even briefly, to appreciate the greatness of right now.

House ran a hand over her forehead, smoothing a curl out of her face, and the nurse brought Robyn to Cuddy, who took her both greedily and clumsily due to her half-sedated state. The infant nestled in, knowing her mother immediately, and began rooting for Cuddy's breast. House watched Cuddy just know what to do. She always just knew what to do. And soon Robyn was nursing and Cuddy was sitting up straighter and it was like she had always been the mother of a 40-minute old baby.

She looked up at House and beamed.

"I have a new scariest moment of my life," he teased. Cuddy's hand went to the burns on her chest left by the paddles. Her wide smile faded a little and she gave him a sympathetic, pouty grin.

"Thank you," she told him.

House made a face like that was a ridiculous thing to say. "For what?"

"I'm guessing you made a spectacle of yourself and saved my life."

"Oh, yeah, that. You're welcome. Chase and the twenty other doctors were pretty impressed too." He winked at her. Then he clenched his teeth a little, fighting any loss of composure. "You were right. I felt something." He reached out and gently grasped Robyn's bare foot, which had wormed out of her swaddle. Cuddy found his hand there and closed around it. "It's crazy. She's one of a billion, but she's amazing."

"Like you," Cuddy told him.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, until Dr. Anderson came in to check on her. Cuddy thanked him and updated him on how she was feeling. He updated her on what had happened. It was typical hospital small talk. House watched Cuddy speak, scratch her eyebrow, smile, furrow her brow… He watched it all like it was the first time he was seeing her.

When the doctor left, Cuddy turned to House. "I should call my mom, Julia…" she told him. He found her phone for her and told her that they already knew she was okay, but would want to talk to her.

Cuddy dialed and was waiting for the connection when House laid his hand on her thigh. "Thank you," he told her.

"For what?" she asked, smiling.

"For doing this with me."

A tear rolled down Cuddy's cheek. "Oh, yeah, that." She beamed at him again. "You're welcome."