Hi, everyone. New oneshot here!
Disclaimer: I don't own House. I do, however, own Christina. The title and lyrics are from Sweet Child O' Mine, by Guns N' Roses, which I also do not own.
James Wilson had seen a lot of people die in his career. Elderly men and women, young people barely out of college, some not even old enough to attend kindergarten. He had lost his girlfriend in a bus accident.
But that didn't change how he felt as he stood in a hospital room, the lights dimmed. Outside the silver and pale blue stars twinkled against the midnight sky. He wasn't alone. Nearby in a hospital issue cradle slept an infant, barely a day old.
Nobody deserved to die. Especially not Gregory House and Allison Cameron. And certainly not when they had a daughter so young. She hadn't even gotten the chance to be placed in her mother's arms for the first time, and her father held her for all of one minute before storming out of the room in a furious rampage.
Christina Allison House was printed on the white plastic bracelet fastened to her little pink wrist. The first name had been her mother's idea, and after much arguing, House had won the fight for her middle name. Cameron's labor was a long and painful one. An emergency cesarean rescued the baby, but Cameron didn't make it. House held his daughter for a very short time before he handed her to Wilson and left, his feet storming over the ground and his cane tapping angrily.
Three hours later, he had received the call saying that a motorcycle was found shattered by the side of the road, House's mangled body lying nearby. He had died on impact, and reeked of alcohol. In less than four hours, the baby lost both her mother and her father.
They had assigned him as the baby's godfather while Cameron was pregnant, but he hadn't expected it to happen. Not so soon. The doctors had feared for Christina's health, but her lungs and heartbeat were steady, and she weighed a healthy seven pounds and eight ounces.
Christina whimpered and wrinkled her nose before letting out a sharp cry. He sighed as he scooped her up, rocking her back and forth. He had always been good with kids, but this was his best friend's daughter. And he didn't know how to feel. Tears gathered in his eyes, and he blinked them away, but one rebellious tear escaped and ran down his cheek, leaving a small rivulet behind.
When House had called him when Cameron began to have difficulties, he rushed to sit with his best friend in the emergency room. One of the doctors tending to the delivery approached them grimly, announcing that both Cameron and the baby were at risk. House had given permission for the emergency cesarean, and after what felt like an eternity, they received the news that Cameron hadn't survived. Wilson doubted that his best friend would have even looked at the baby if he hadn't grabbed his arm and prevented him from leaving at that moment.
House had gazed down at his baby, his jaw clenched firmly and his eyes cold. For a brief moment a spark of adoration appeared, but it was gone as quickly as it arrived, and wordlessly he had passed the little girl to Wilson and left. Wilson felt selfish for his thoughts, but a small piece of him felt anger towards House for running away. But Gregory House had never been one to deal with his emotions, let alone talk about them.
Christina whimpered again, and gently he touched her plump cheek. She furrowed her little brow, reminding him greatly of House when he was lost in thought. The newborn was a blend of her parents features, with Cameron's nose and her father's mouth. It was too early to be sure, but Wilson was fairly certain she had her daddy's eyes.
She's got a smile it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I'd stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry
Oh, oh, oh
Sweet child o' mine
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Sweet love of mine
Christina learned to smile when she was two months old, and when she smiled in a certain mysterious way, it was eerily reminiscent of the infamous House smirk. Other times she flashed a cheeky grin, looking like a miniature Cameron. She rarely cried, but she was far from quiet. When she learned to coo at three months, she discovered a whole new world and constantly made happy little noises.
She grinned up at him as he changed her diaper one night. He had come home late after diagnosing a one year old infant with cancer, and immediately went to check on her after dismissing the nanny for the day. Christina caught his finger in a strong hold that always surprised him, coming from such a small creature.
And although she hadn't gotten the chance to learn any of her father's tricks directly from him, some of his traits had been passed down. That became evident one night when she suddenly let out a high pitched wail, and he hurried into the nursery. The moment he bent over the crib, she stared blankly for the briefest moment before smiling and letting out a tiny baby laugh.
Soon she mastered the trick, and made a game out of it. She would screech and wail until he checked on her, and he would discover that her eyes glistened with laughter, and she would start cooing and smiling contently. It didn't take Wilson very long to figure out what she was doing. She was merely doing what her father had always done best.
Screwing with him.
She's got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
Where as a child I'd hide
And pray for the thunder
And the rain
To quietly pass me by
Oh, oh, oh
Sweet child o' mine
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Sweet love of mine
She never asked about her parents until she was five years old. Christina came home from school one rainy day, her blue eyes glowering with anger and confusion.
"Why don't I look like you?" she demanded very bluntly before he even had the chance to greet her.
"What?"
"The kids at school made fun of me for not having a mommy, and David Hall said I don't look like you so you aren't my real daddy. So why don't I have a mom?"
With a heavy sigh, he sat down on the couch and motioned for her to join him. Christina dropped her backpack on the floor and climbed into his lap. "Well, your mom had a hard time when she was… uh… having you."
"What does that mean?"
"She just had a hard time, and she just passed on . And your daddy got upset and he hurt himself."
"Did they go to heaven?"
He couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. "It's hard to say."
"Why?"
"House wasn't exactly what I'd call a perfect angel. He liked to be mean to people."
"Was he mean to you?"
"When he wanted to be. But he was my best friend." He wasn't sure if Christina understood what he was saying, but his answer seemed to satisfy her, and she climbed off of his lap and gathered her things.
"One more question. Do I still get to call you Daddy?"
"Of course."
She nodded approvingly. "Thank you, Daddy. I love you."
"Love you, too, sweetie."
She didn't know that it was the five year anniversary.
Hmm. I'm not one hundred percent satisfied with the way this turned out, but I'm pretty content with it. Review away!