A/N: First of all, thank you so much to those who read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story. I'm so glad you liked my little snippets. Seriously, you're all amazing!

Sorry I couldn't update yesterday, but some days are simply busier than others. Finishing up last minute Christmas shopping, and things like that.

Again, thank you all so much for your kind words, and I hope you enjoy.

IV

The Secret Santa

It started one week before Christmas. Cuddy had been busy running errands, and planning the family get together for Christmas Eve. This year she would be the hostess, and though she loved to host; she simply didn't have enough time. She had her hands full with work, Rachel, and Christmas planning. To top everything she still had to buy presents, go grocery shopping, decorate and find a new dress for Rachel.

To make matters even worse House was no help. First of all he saw no point in having a Christmas dinner when he much preferably wanted to spend the evening with her and Rachel. The problem was that he simply didn't care about Christmas. For the three years they had been together he had much rather sulked in the corner than enjoyed the celebration with the rest. She didn't mind that he didn't want to celebrate, she herself wasn't used to celebrate Christmas and in her adult years she hadn't been much for celebrating the holidays at all. But she disliked the constant sulking on the day that was supposed to be about spending time with family, not to sit alone in the corner with a frown.

That day she had the whole day planned out, which meant that she had to cut down lunch break to go to Target and get some more decorations, and reschedule a meeting so she would be able to go shopping with her mother. Something she was forced to do, and did not look forward to at all.

She had just sat down in her chair when she saw something propped by her computer. Something that didn't belong there.

It was a small pill bottle, but instead of pills there was a folded note. Curiously she opened the container and unfolded the note. A very familiar script was sprawled on the paper.

Dr. Cuddy's ass looks mighty fine today

There was no signature on the bottom, but she didn't need it to know whom it was from. She smiled in spite of herself. Putting her pen against her lips she thought of something witty to write back, then scribbled it hastily on a piece of paper. She rolled it up and hastily went to House's office and placed the pill bottle on his desk.

For the rest of the week they left small notes for each other. Neither of them mentioned it at home, or acknowledged it at all in their conversations.

On the fifth day Cuddy decided to spice up their little game. She sneaked in a little photo (a very special photo) with the note, and rushed outside. She had just rounded the corner when she saw House walk down the hallway, and into his office.

She hid behind a column and watched him pick up the picture. His eyes widened, his mouth popped open.

Slowly a wide grin crossed his features and he glanced up. Fortunately he didn't see her, and slowly he lowered his head down to examine the picture further.

Satisfied by his reaction Cuddy turned around and walked right into a young nurse.

"Dr. Cuddy! I'm so sorry." the nurse exclaimed. Cuddy mumbled her excuses and hurried down the hallway quickly so House wouldn't spot her.

The next morning there was a small package on her desk. Eagerly she tore the wrapping off and opened the flat square box to reveal a fiery red lace thong. Cuddy blushed and dropped it into the box. A small note followed.

Memories are sweet…

-From your secret Santa

Cuddy had to figure something out quickly. A small smile crept on her lips as she grabbed the box and took the thong out of the box and shoved it into her desk drawer. She scribbled a hasty letter.

An hour later House arrived into his office and saw a very familiar box propped on his desk. Ignoring his team. Much to his bafflement the box was completely empty, except for a small note with Cuddy's neat writing. He smirked as he read the note.

Yes they are….

-From your secret Santa

"What's this?" Taub asked curiously.

"Nothing." House said, and continued to talk about the case they were working on.

Christmas Eve arrived and House had been called in to work. Thankfully her sister, and her husband helped her with the preparations. At seven dinner arrived, and the house was filled with guests. She was taking potatoes out of the oven when Wilson entered the kitchen.

"Smells great."

"Thanks." She muttered tiredly. She put the potatoes on the counter and looked at Wilson.

"Eh…"He sighed and rubbed his neck awkwardly. "You know that he really couldn't make it."

Cuddy sighed and nodded her head.

"I know. I just wanted…I don't know what I wanted. It's not as if he enjoys these, and I'm not going to force him to do anything he doesn't want to do."

Wilson nodded his head, and put his hand in the pocket of his jacket.

"He told me to give this to you."

Cuddy took a folded piece of paper from his hand and unfolded it.

Your office, midnight, don't be late.

At midnight House stood in her dark office. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, and hoped that she wasn't too mad at him. Cuddy was weird with stuff like that.

The truth was that he would have been there, but his patient was crashing, and after hours of figuring out what was wrong with him they finally found the answer. But it was too late. The patient was dead, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He had lost patients before, losing patients was a part of his job, but it always sucked to lose a patient when you know that if they would have figured it out sooner they might have been able to save him.

"I got your note."

The soft voice behind him interrupted him from his thoughts. His smile was almost invisible but it was there.

He turned around and saw Cuddy standing in the doorway, her eyes sympathetic.

"I heard about your patient. If I would have known…."

House strode towards her as she spoke and crashed his lips against hers to prevent her from speaking further. He merely wanted her in his arms, knowing that she was his; that she was there.

He ran his hands through her soft locks, trailing kissed down her neck, until he rested his head on her shoulder and inhaled her scent.

She didn't ask whether he was ok, she just held him there.

"Thank you." She whispered into his ear.

"For what?" He asked curiously, looking into her eyes.

"For being you. For being my boyfriend."

"I don't know about that. I didn't even give you a shitty Christmas present."

"You don't have to. You being here is enough."

"Don't be silly. I have one thing in mind."

His hand found the zipper of her dress, and slowly he zipped it down. He looked at her for confirmation that she was ok with it. She looked at him through hooded eyes, the small nod of her head encouraging him to pull it down.

She found the buttons on his shirt, and unbuttoned them with practiced fingers.

They looked into each others eyes, their lips connecting together in a slow dance. He trailed kisses down her neck, and whispered into her ear.

"Merry Christmas Cuddy."

V

GingerbreadHouse

Cuddy arrived home after a very eventful day of shopping with her mom and sister, completely exhausted. She had left Rachel in House's care, and couldn't wait to go home and spend some time with two of her favorite people.

She opened the front door with difficulty, her hands full with shopping bags. She dropped the bags on the floor and took off her scarf and gloves.

"I'm home." She called into the living room.

Much to her surprise they weren't in the living room, but the loud Christmas music led her to the kitchen. She opened the door only to see her kitchen in a complete mess. Everything had been swept off the kitchen table onto the floor, dishes and dirty containers were stacked in the sink, and on the floor were trails of flour.

The smell was inviting though, a mix of cloves, and ginger invaded her senses. She didn't know whether to look impressed or irritated, because she knew who would be the one to clean the mess up. But she couldn't be mad when she spotted House and Rachel by the table, each of them with their piping bag, decorating what looked like gingerbread. Rachel was dressed in an overly sized apron, her cheeks and forehead covered with flour and frosting in green and red. House's state wasn't much better; his apron seemed to be several sizes too small, he had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, his eyes focused on the work at hand. He looked incredibly handsome, his hair the usual mess but covered with flour.

Neither of them noticed her presence, both deeply engrossed in their work.

The song changed and Jingle Bell Rock came on.

"Damn, I hate that song." House muttered, and Rachel giggled. She looked up and gasped when she saw her mom.

House looked up slightly panicked.

"We were going to clean this up. Actually we weren't." He clarified.

"Oh I know."

"I thought maybe that I should act like most boyfriends and pretend that I'm going to do it so I won't look like a complete asshole, then I realized that I am, so why bother?"

She chuckled, and walked over to House and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I see you had fun."

"The kid practically begged me."

"Did not." Rachel exclaimed.

"God, you're so immature."

Cuddy rolled her eyes, and patted Rachel on the arm.

"Don't let him get to you."

"Mommy, look, this is you." Rachel picked up one of the decorated cakes to show her.

Cuddy looked at the cookie, and stifled a laugh. The entire cake was covered with frosting in every color possible, with sprinkles on top; it looked more like a catastrophe than a cookie. She stroked her hair back, and kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"It's really pretty Rachel."

"I told you." She stuck her tongue out at House.

"Rachel." Cuddy chastised. "Don't stick your tongue out like that."

"He said that it looked like a…. a…" She frowned deep in thought. "I don't remember, but it wasn't nice."

"Well, I think it's pretty. Don't listen to that grumpy old Grinch over there." She reassured.

"So what did you make?" She asked House.

"Oh you know, the basic Grinch-y stuff."

"Stop that, you know what I mean."

She looked over the counter and frowned.

"Is that…?"

"Yep." He confirmed. "This, my dear, is the entire digestive system."

"Oh how appetizing." Cuddy muttered drily.

"I was actually teaching her some real studying, other than that crap they teach her at school."

"You were teaching a five year old about medicine?"

"The sooner the better."

"Fine." Cuddy said tiredly, and yawned.

"You, continue with your studies. I'm going to bed."

She kissed House, then Rachel, and trotted out of the kitchen.

She climbed into bed and smiled when she heard giggles from the kitchen.

That was when she realized that they were a family, and with that happy thought she fell asleep.

VI

Under the Mistletoe

They were at it again. It wasn't that their fighting was uncommon, but the problem was that no one ever knew when to expect it. Sometimes a word ran around the hospital that House had one of those cases, and everyone would prepare themselves for a moment like that one.

But that day there was something different about it, something that made unusually many people sneak a peak at them.

They were standing dangerously close to each other, like they were known to do, their body languages strangely contradicting the way they talked to each other. It was strange how they didn't realize how close they were up against each other, how much chemistry was actually burning between them. It was always like intruding a very private moment, but it was terribly hard to ignore them, especially at a moment like this.

At first sight nothing would have seemed odd about that rather typical scenario. They usually settled their differences in about five to ten minutes or so, but this time everyone's attention wasn't on them but on the ornament hanging over their heads, the patch of green tied with a red ribbon.

Everyone held their breaths in the hope that they would spot it, but neither of them seemed to notice it at all.

"I'll bet 10 bucks that they won't even notice it." An African American nurse said to the med student beside her, both watching them from a safe distance.

"Damn, I would bet hundred that they would, and another hundred bucks that they'll kiss."

"Hundred? Are you insane? Their professional people."

"You wanna place a bet on that?" He said ostentatiously.

The nurse watched him wide eyed as he walked up to the doctors. Neither of them seemed to even notice him.

"You won't perform that biopsy and that's final." Dr. Cuddy said sternly.

They stared at each other in exasperation; her hands were placed on her hips, his hands raised upwards angrily.

"You do know that you're under a mistletoe. People are starting to watch." The med student said brazenly.

They froze and looked at him at the same time, House with a look of annoyance, and Cuddy inquiringly.

"What?"

"You know, a mistletoe, a thing most people put up for decoration, the one where you're supposed to kiss." He offered helpfully.

"You idiot. We know what a mistletoe is." House snapped, but looked up in spite of himself.

"Well I'll be damned." He muttered. Right above their heads was a patch of green tied with a red ribbon.

The med student turned on his heel and approached the nurse victoriously.

"Up with the money."

"They haven't even kissed."

"But they will."

"Why do you say that?"

"You'll see."

People seemed to notice that they were caught and started to walk away.

They watched as Dr. House started to argue back, but Dr. Cuddy didn't seem as infuriated as she was before.

"Do you see that? She has realized that it's now or never. They're under a mistletoe, so no one can say anything if they kiss."

"I don't see anything."

"Just look. You know that she wants it, and so does he, but the question is, who will be the first one to crack?"

Right at that moment they witnessed something very few thought they would ever see.

Dr. Cuddy grasped Dr. House's face with both hands and kissed him directly on the lips. The kiss didn't last long, for five seconds tops, but those seconds seemed to last for a much longer time. She let go of his face and stepped back, both staring open mouthed at each other.

"I'm so…"

She couldn't finish her apology because he had crashed his lips on hers. This time the kiss wasn't chaste, but long and intense. Their tongues battled each other in a seductive dance. They were entwined in each other's embrace and refused to end the kiss. Eventually they had to end it for air, and when they did their eyes locked. They breathed heavily and eventually they let go of each other.

As they were more aware of their surroundings they realized where they were and what they had been doing. They seemed to look relieved when they saw that no one was around. Unbeknownst to them the med student and the nurse stood in the corner, the student with his iPhone in hand.

"This will be great for the Christmas party." He put the phone in his pocket.

"How…how did you know?"

"I think it's pretty obvious."

With that he walked away, and whistled innocently, though he knew very well what price he had just received.

The next week a certain video recording went like fire around the hospital, and the two doctors in question didn't hear the end of it for the next few months.