Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I dont own House or Tom and Jerry. If i did i would buy a private jet.

It was 3 am when he was awoken by something warm nestling next to him. It took a minute to register the small body on the bed.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" House mumbled, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

At the age of 6, Daniel James House rarely came to his dads room anymore, claiming he was 'all big and grown up'. House just laughed when he said this to him one day and thought he's becoming more stubborn as the days go by.

He put his arm out to reach for the lamp on his bed side table and switched it on. Danny's ocean blue eyes swam with unshed tears.

"I'm sc-scared" Danny stuttered, clutching his raggedy old teddy bear that his Uncle James bought when he was born.

"Is it because of school?"

"Wh-What if they don't like me? What if they pick on me?" Daniel rambled on.

House shifted in the bed into a sitting position against the headrest. He tried to think of the right thing to say. He wasn't very good with others emotions, never mind his own. He was still learning how to raise his child even after 6 years. Daniel was growing up fast and he didn't know what the right thing was to say.

He gathered his son into his arms. " You're clever Dan, you're not going to be like the other kids, no. They probably will understand you better because you're being put up two grades. But you're clever, you'll know what to do if anything bad happens".

House diverted his gaze up to the ceiling. 'Wow, that's really going to help soothe a scared and upsted child' House thought, berating his every word. He could really do with some ibroprefen right now to calm his angry leg. However, he refused to take any pills infront of his son.

Daniel just smiled and snuggled into his Fathers arms.

"I have you're brains, with that I can do ANYTHING!" Daniel said still smiling to himself.

House just let out a soft chuckle at the memory of him trying to comfort Dan the last time those pesky children tried to beat Daniels young and wild spirit down. He kissed the top of his forehead as he mumbled "I was like you when I was small. Kids in my year didn't understand me, picked on me because I was different. But, do you know what? I rose above there bait and continued to study hard. And now i have an amazing job and most of all, I have you. You're the best thing that ever happened to me Dan, you made you're daddy a happy man. You gave me something to live for."

House never let his emotions out, only in front of Dan. He would never let Cuddy know that he thought that his job was amazing, he would never hear the end of it. But Dan was Houses life. He was what made him clean up his act and start a new. The first time he set his eyes on the baby, his heart melted and the perfectly constructed walls came flying down for this little human being laying infront of him in his cot. That little creature was his and he swore he would do anything to protect him from that day forward.

"Daddy?"

"Mmm" House mumbled

"Why can't I go to the 'ospital" Daniel let out with a confused look on his face. House had never taken his son to PPTH. He wanted to protect his son from his other self. The moody, arrogant arshole that everyone thought he was. Well, he couldn't let appearances drop could he? His work and private life was separate though and he wanted to keep it that way. The only person that knew about Danny was Wilson. To everyone else, he was the lonely addict that got drunk by himself every night watching porn and repeats of General Hospital. He wanted that opinion of himself to stay that way.

"It's not a very nice place, people are very sick and sometimes people pass away" He said, cogs running faster than ever in his brain. He couldn't think of a proper reason to give Danny. 'Sorry I can't take you to work Dan as Daddy's a complete ass and spends his days insulting staff and sticking thermometers up patients anus's'. He shuddered at the thought of one Detective Tritter. The truth was that he didn't want people taking his own faults and floors out on his son. He wasn't responsible for the man House was.

"But dadddd, I really like guts and goor, i wont be scared. And i can see uncle James!" House instantly regreted letting him watch Tom and Jerry. "I could help! It's never Lupus! See?" He definitely couldn't deny his son was clever. Ever since turning 3, he'd developed an interest in his medical journals, asking Wilson embarrassing questions like 'what's sex'al penetration'. Out of all the words and medical journals in his apartment, he had to choose that. House tried not to laugh whilst Wilson blushed trying to think of an appropriate answer. He was definitly Houses son.

"We'll see" was all he said. He wasn't ready to come clean to Cuddy yet. He doesn't think he'll able to ever tell her. But one day she would eventually find out. She'll stick her nosy beak in at some point.

"You need to go back to bed Danny, it's a big day tomorrow" House said as he looked at his sleepy son.

"Can I sleep with you" Danny winged as he let out a large yawn. House couldn't say no to the cute bundle in his lap as he slid down the bed and pulled the duvet over the both of them.

"Just this once, then you need to sleep in you're own bed tomorrow"

"Night dad"

"Night Night Danny, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs ..."

"BIGHT" Danny finished the statement and fell into a comfortable sleep snuggled up in his father's arms.