"Common...come-" He sighed as he died again. Damn Bowser. He started the level over.

Just as he reached the end, fighting Bowser in the fourth castle, Cuddy walked in. "House," He didn't even glance at her. "House!" She said a little louder.

"Shut up, I'm almost-" He watched as Bowser shot a fire ball at Mario, and he died. "-done." House finally looked at her. "You made me die."

She sighed as she walked up to his desk. "I need to ask you a favor."

"Why?" He squinted his eyes in mockery.

"Because I just do." Cuddy's voice filled him with suspicion.

"Okay, shoot."

"Come to my house at about eight tonight." She regretted putting it like that.

"You know," he started to play his Game Boy again. "I only make house calls to those who pay me first."

She took a deep breath. "Just come over." Then she turned on her heel and left him.

He paused his game and thought. Cuddy had never invited him to her place before. Something was up, and he was gonna find out.

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Later that night he stood in front of her place, knocking on the door. When she didn't answer for a few minutes, he looked at his watch. Eight fifteen. He knocked harder. Then Cuddy opened the door. He looked her over: she seemed stressed and a tiny bit breathless.

"Are you okay?" he asked as she stepped aside so he could come in.

"I'm fine." She was looking around nervously.

He was eying her suspiciously. "So, what's this favor?"

"You know how I'm going to the Conference in Ohio for a week?" He nodded, his blue eyes never leaving hers. "Well, I need you to-" And she cut herself off when she saw me enter the room. I was heading into the kitchen when I noticed the other person in the room. He looked slightly familiar.

"Reese," She called, and I slowly walked over to her. "This is Dr. House. He's going to be watching you while I'm gone." I gave her a look that said, 'Does he have to?'

Reluctantly, House put out his hand for me to shake. I stared into his eyes, for a few minutes before I shook it. "Hello." he said to me. I nodded in response.

After I let go, mom said to me. "Did you finish your homework?" I nodded. "Did you finish packing?" I shook my head. "Go on and finish packing." I nodded, and went back into my room, completely forgetting my purpose of coming out in the first place.

"Packing?" He asked Cuddy when he heard my door close.

"She's going to have to stay with you while I'm gone." She explained.

"Why?"

"Because I don't trust you in my house alone."

House looked at her with more suspicion. "How old is she?"

"Almost fifteen."

He caught her eyes and held them. "When did she come about?"

"About six months before you moved in with Stacey."

He put it all together rather quickly. "Did you-"

"No."

"But, I used a condom, I know I did." He protested.

"It broke."

He was trying to wrap his mind around the idea of him being a...a....a...he couldn't even say it. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, taking a deep breath.

"After I found out, you had met her and were already in love. I wasn't going to bother you."

Damn Cuddy, he thought, always thinking he'd be better off without her. "Why is it that I never remember you being pregnant?"

She shrugged. "The months I was showing, I wore looser clothing to keep it hidden. I even went out of state to have her so that no one knew."

He thought for a second about what to say next. "Does she know?"

She shook her head. "No. I never told her."

House nodded. "Would you like me to tell her?"

She shook her head again. "No."

"If you didn't want me to tell her, then why ask me to look after her?"

"Because the person who normally does when I'm away won't take her." She seemed so sad.

"Who is it?"

She said, "Wilson."

Now House was a little bit more than a little angry. "Why?"

"Because she looks like you. And for some reason, he has a problem with her looking like you." She tried to let it out with softer words to calm him down before he got angry. She failed.

"That's not fair to her! He shouldn't be taking out what going on between us on her. She didn't do anything!" He started to raise his voice.

"But he did and it's over. Okay? Done with." Now he was trying to look away, but she held him there.

"When are you leaving?" he asked.

"Tomorrow morning after I drop her off at school. You're going to have to pick her up at three. She goes to Princeton Regional."

"What do I do after I pick her up? I have clinic hours tomorrow."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Take her with you. She knows the hospital. Give her a set time and she'll meet you somewhere."

"Who else knows about her?"

"Just you, me and Wilson. Everyone else thinks she's a wanderer. Thinking she came in when her parents did."

He had to keep the questions going, otherwise he was going to over think the whole 'you-have-a-kid-thing'. "Is she going to need help with her homework?"

Cuddy smiled. "I don't think so. She's pretty smart."

"How smart?"

Her smile got wider. "She skipped two grades."

Then he gave a small smile. "So she did get something from my side besides good looks." Cuddy gave a quick chuckle.

Just then, I opened my door and brought out a gym bag that was filled with clothes in it. I looked at my mom, and she knew I was asking, 'What now?'

"Why don't you get ready for bed? You gotta a big day tomorrow." I nodded and left, her ruffling my short hair on my way out.

House watched me leave, and as soon as I closed my door, he asked, "Does she ever talk?"

Cuddy shook her head. "Not usually, no. Actually, almost never. But she was never the talkative type."

After a few awkward seconds, he asked, "Um...can I say goodnight to her?"

Cuddy gave a small smile. "Yeah, of course." She led him to my room, and lightly knocked on the door, "Reese? Can we come in?" Obviously I didn't answer, so Mom opened the door slowly to find me sitting on my bed with a book. House saw the book, and he thought he recognized it.

"Hey, uh, Reese," I looked up at him. "Can I see that book for a minute? I promise I won't lose your page."

I nodded, and handed it to him. He put his thumb about half way in the book, where my page was, and looked at the cover: The Return of Sherlock Holmes. He opened the cover to see the note he wrote to Cuddy on that last day of college:

Lisa,

No matter what happens,

Don't forget me.

I won't forget you.

Greg

He closed the cover and handed it back to me, "You have a one-of a-kind edition there. Autographed and everything." I nodded and looked from my mom to him.

"Honey, Dr. House just wanted to say, 'goodnight'. And that he's glad to have you while I'm gone." I looked up at the wall behind me and hit the wall with my finger where a set of tickets were pinned. Mom sighed. "I'm sorry honey, but I can't take you. You know I wanted to go when I bought the tickets, but this conference just sprung up on me. I'm sorry."

I sighed, put my bookmark in my book, and laid it on the nightstand next to my bed. Then, I turned off the lamp one the table, pushed the button on my clock that set the alarm, and turned on my side, away from them.

Mom sighed a little. "Goodnight, sweetie."

"Goodnight, Reese. I'll see you tomorrow." They both left my room, and headed back to the living room.

"I'm sorry about that, it's just we planned, and this meeting-"

"I'll take her." House interrupted.

She shook her head. "You don't like musicals."

He shrugged, "We have to bond somehow."

She seemed surprised. "Okay, I'll get you the tickets, and you can surprise her."

House used his cane to pick up the surprisingly light gym bag, and get a hold of it with his other arm. "I should probably go. It's getting late, and you've got a big day tomorrow." He mimicked her.

"After she's asleep, I'll bring the tickets over."

"I'm looking forward to it."He was full of sarcasm. He turned around, and started for the door.

"House," Cuddy stopped him. "Please be nice to her."

He raised his eyebrows. "I kind have to be." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Once again, he started hobbling to the door.

"House," She called again.

He rolled his eyes as he turned back to her. "What?"

"When I enrolled her, I put you as the second emergency number. And I told them two days ago that I was going out of town, and to call you first."

"Okay, I get called first when she looses an arm. Anything else I should know?" He was getting angry because his leg was starting to hurt again.

"No. Nothing else comes to mind." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Okay, then I will see you later." He finally left, and went back to his car. He threw the bag into the passenger's seat, and sat in the driver's seat, just thinking. He grabbed the vicoden from his coat pocket and popped a few. After he swallowed them, House closed his eyes and relaxed. I have a kid, he thought. I'm...a dad. And for the first time in a long time, he actually smiled a real smile.