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August 6, 2007 4:15 p.m.

Cuddy was on her back on the exam table, nervously waiting as Dr. Janice Philips picked up a bottle of ultrasound gel. Dr. Philips gave Cuddy a smile and squirted the cool gel on the area between her slightly larger hips. Cuddy took in a breath and closed her eyes as Dr. Philips ran a smooth device over the area over her pubic bone just below the belly button.

"Do you hear that sound?" Dr. Philips asked.

Cuddy listened intently to the rapid throbbing caused by the life form inside of her. She opened her eyes and looked to Dr. Philips.

"That's my baby's heartbeat?" The sound was familiar to Cuddy's ears. After all, she was a doctor and her sister had gone through two pregnancies, but Cuddy had to ask to confirm it anyway. She needed to know if that sound was indeed coming from inside of her.

Dr. Philips nodded. "Yes, it is."

Cuddy let the sound fill her ears, not wanting it to ever stop. It was rhythmic and quick and beautiful. This sound was real. This baby was alive and it's tiny heart was beating. Her baby was alive and it was most definitely real.

August 6, 2007 5:47 p.m.

"Hello?" his slightly tired voice came through the phone.

Cuddy was curled up on her couch, trying to hold back her happiness. She knew House wouldn't appreciate this phone call, but she couldn't help it. She had to talk to him, to tell him about the life source inside of her.

"I know I'm not suppose to bother you about baby stuff," she started and broke into a smile, "but I heard the heartbeat for the first time."

"So, it is human, then?" House asked as he stood in his kitchen while making a bologna and mustard sandwich.

"I don't know how I can ever thank you, Greg," she told him. If he was with her right now, she would have thrown her arms around him and kissed him.

House bit into his sandwich. "Using first names now?"

"I'm just so... happy." Cuddy bit her lower lip.

Even though she knew she was suppose to keep House out of this because it wasn't their business together anymore, she didn't regret calling him. She felt he needed to know that this baby was alive and well.

However, what Cuddy did not know was that House was actually quite glad she included him. It made him feel slightly superior knowing he was getting first hand knowledge of Cuddy and her pregnancy. It was more than anyone at the hospital, including Wilson. Not that House was jealous of Wilson's friendship with Cuddy. Sometimes he just wished he could talk so easily with her like Wilson always seemed to.

"Wilson says you're glowing." House set down his sandwich. He was having a hard time swallowing it.

"You should have heard it," Cuddy said, her mind filled so much with the heartbeat that she completely missed House's statement. "It was so strong. It was... so, so wonderful, House."

"And back to last names." House limped into his living room and sat down on the couch.

"This baby is strong." Cuddy nodded on her end of the phone.

"Okay, Cuddy." House tried to pull it off as nonchalance, but her ecstatic feelings were spreading to him so it was slightly difficult to hold that tone up.

"Oh, sorry, I get it." Cuddy leaned her arm on the couch as she put her fingers through her hair. "Sorry to call you about this. I called my sister first, but no one picked up at her house and I had to tell someone. I'm sorry. I'm probably interrupting some football game."

"Yeah, football." House rolled his eyes. "In August."

The smile still wasn't off Cuddy's face. "Sorry."

"It's... fine, Cuddy." A tight smile was on House's face as he tried to hold it back. He kept his attention on his fingers which he drummed on his jeans. "I'm happy for you and the little demon with a warrior heartbeat."

"Thank you," Cuddy replied softly. "I'll let you get back to your game."

"Football season doesn't start- never mind." House decided to let it go. "Goodbye, Cuddy."

"Bye, House," Cuddy returned and hung up.

House waited a moment before pushing the button to turn his phone off. He set the cordless next to him on the couch. He was thinking of the baby and its heartbeat. House's eyebrows drew together, but his expression dropped and he forced himself back to his feet.

Still hungry, House headed back to the kitchen for his sandwich. He grabbed it from the counter and took a large bite. He was suddenly wishing that Cuddy hadn't called him. Even though he was glad that short while ago, even though he felt important that she felt she needed to share this with him, he suddenly didn't want to know because now he couldn't fight off that little nagging want to have been there with her to hear the heartbeat of their baby.

September 20, 2007

House approached Cuddy as she made her way to her office. "You're fat."

"Thank you." She gave him a glance and pulled open the door to her office.

"And you're happy about it," House added, sketching a look of disgust across his face as he followed her in.

"My boobs are bigger." Cuddy turned toward him to show off her chest before walking around her desk and sitting down.

"I was so distracted by your growing ass that I hadn't noticed." House raised his eyebrows and limped over to her diplomas on the wall.

"Right, like you wouldn't notice if my breasts were bigger, House." Cuddy skimmed over a few notes left on her desk by her secretary.

House suddenly turned in her direction. "Have you felt it move?"

"The baby?" Cuddy asked, a post-it in hand.

"No, your stapler," House answered sarcastically.

Cuddy narrowed her eyes. "I thought we weren't talking baby stuff."

"Just wanted to make sure little Mick was still alive." House shrugged and moved to the chair across from Cuddy's desk. He casually crossed one leg over the other.

"Mick?" Cuddy repeated.

"As in Jagger." House let a smile creep over his face.

"You named my baby Mick Jagger?" She asked him.

House wanted to play the "my baby too" card, but he knew he couldn't. He was already dangerously close to stepping over the business line into the personal one. "You don't like the name?"

Cuddy figured her answer was obvious. "What if the baby's a girl?"

"Works either way." House shrugged again and flicked dirt off his sneaker.

Cuddy watched his movements and couldn't stop herself from asking, "Did you and Stacy ever talk about having kids?"

"Excuse me?" House raised his head so he could meet Cuddy's eyes.

"If you were to get married." Cuddy knew she shouldn't have asked, but she couldn't take it back. "Would you have had kids? Or even unmarried. Did you ever talk about it?"

House paused, cocking his head to the side slightly. "I didn't want them. She did."

"But you still stayed together even knowing that?" Cuddy was surprised, but she tried to hide it.

"Yep," House answered and made a quiet popping sound with his mouth. "She thought she could change my mind."

"Did she?" Cuddy bit her bottom lip and raised an eyebrow.

"Stacy is one of the few women who can."

House's eyes remained on Cuddy until she finally broke the stare by looking back to her desk. After a moment, she looked back up at House, who had gone back to picking dirt off his sneaker.

"Other than Mick Jagger, what names would you choose?" she asked him. She really wanted an opinion from him because he was usually honest and straight with her.

"Wouldn't," House answered. "I don't plan on having any hellions of my own."

"You don't think about it?" Cuddy didn't believe him.

"Hard to think about something you don't want, Cuddy," he replied.

Cuddy thought about this. "My sister named her first son James. It's funny because he has the same dark eyes as Wilson."

"Maybe there's suppose to be a 'junior' tacked on the end of that," House said.

Cuddy knew what he was implying and rolled her eyes. "She's never met Wilson." Cuddy paused. "And she named her second son Thomas. How do you pick the right name? And what if you're wrong? What if you call them a Joe when they'd make a better Theodore?"

"Hopefully for your kid's sake, those names were hypothetical," House replied.

Cuddy narrowed her eyes on him. "House."

"What are you worried about, Cuddy?" House asked, leaning back in his chair. "You're the mom. You're suppose to give the kid a stupid name and he's gonna have to live with it whether he likes it or not."

"I sense a touch of bitterness." Cuddy smirked. "Not too fond of Gregory?"

House shrugged and leaned forward. "Are you fond of Lisa?"

She thought a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

"Then, the name you pick'll be fine," he told her. "Stop doubting yourself."

"That was... nice." Cuddy's eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"Well, you're annoyingly whiney when you doubt yourself and I was taught never to use physical force on a pregnant chick," House said.

"Thank God for that." Cuddy gave him a look.

"Now, there's a good name." House leaned back in his chair again.

"Yeah." Cuddy rolled her eyes and went back to her messages, a small grin on her face.