Hello guys and gals, this chapter is longer than usual. Enjoy Huddy first date!:) lol
Fan-edit by SammiMD. What can I say? I love Sammi!
Chapter 4
The sound of knocking on the wooden door brought House's attention to the fact that someone was at his door. He glanced at the clock: 8.05. House walked into the living room and opened the door slowly.
Cuddy stood there smiling shyly, holding Rachel's hand. Cuddy was even more beautiful than ever before. She was wearing a red V-cut top, jeans that seemed to hug her legs perfectly, black stilettos and a black satin belt wrapped around her hips.
And she'd brought Rachel like he'd asked. The little girl looked at the man in front of her, not scared in the slightest. She smiled up at him and stepped around him to walk into the apartment. House watched her - she was wearing a pair of purple trousers and a white T-shirt with writing on it.
"Mommy's girl, are we?"
Rachel nodded making both of them to laugh.
"Come in. So...welcome to my private little hell"
Cuddy kissed him on the cheek before closing the door. House smiled and made his way back to the kitchen.
"Everything will be ready in 5 minutes. Do you think Rachel will eat lasagna?"
"Oh, you don't have to worry about Rachel. She's already eaten."
"Not a problem. Have a seat on the couch; turn on the TV or...whatever. Make yourself at home."
Cuddy simply nodded and sat on the couch watching Rachel exploring the house silently.
"You like this place, Rache?" she asked.
The little girl nodded and smiled at her mother. She stared at the piano for few seconds before deciding to sit on the bench. She pressed a finger on one of the keys and smiled proudly when a nice sound came from it. Cuddy looked at her daughter and smiled at her. Rachel kept pushing the keys and giggled happily. House came out from the kitchen and sat next to her.
"Wanna play?" he asked her.
Rachel nodded, while staring up at the man next to her. House took her on his lap and let out a soft groan of pain.
"House, what about your leg? You don't need to ..."
"She's four. It's not like she weighs as much as a whale or an elephant. I can take it."
Cuddy shook her head and walked over next to the piano. House placed Rachel's hands over his and started to play. Rachel sat there watching their hands dancing on the keys. She giggled and looked at her mother. Cuddy saw the happiness in her daughter's eyes. When House's eyes made contact with hers, his eyes seemed to be smiling too. House stopped playing as he looked up at her.
"I think we should eat. I'm starving. I didn't catch Wilson today, so I didn't have lunch."
"So, you didn't have lunch because you wanted Wilson to pay for it?"
"Yes."
"He's not the National Bank of Jersey, you know."
"He's a very giving person. He loves to buy me lunch."
Cuddy smirked slightly and sat Rachel on the couch. The girl stared at the dark TV screen, waiting for her mother to turn it on. As Cuddy switched it on, the little girl smiled and started watching a cartoon. House took the Cuddy's hand and led her into the kitchen.
"So, how does lasagna sound?"
"House…I'm vegetarian"
"I know. That's why I made vegetarian lasagna"
"Thanks."
"Shouldn't you give me a kiss now? I made you vegetarian lasagna, woman!"
Cuddy wrapped her arms around his waist and stood there watching him. House let her head rest on his chest slowly, while she pulled him closer. He put a hand on her back, starting to trace gentle circles on her covered skin with his fingers. After a while she pulled herself away and placed her lips on his. House kissed her softly but, as soon as Cuddy bit his lower lip, their kiss became more passionate. They broke apart and smiled at each other.
"We've been missing 'this' for more than 20 years. How is that possible?" House asked.
"We were idiots."
"Yes, we were."
Cuddy kissed him again. House served their lasagna and handed her a glass of white wine. They carried their meals into the living room and sat down. She looked at his glass and saw water in it.
"You still don't drink?"
"Yes..."
"I'm proud of you."
She stood up and took her glass and wine bottle back to the kitchen. When she came back she was carrying another glass of water. She sat again and smiled at him sincerely.
"Just because I'm not drinking doesn't mean you can't drink."
"I'm not a fan of alcohol."
"Sure you're not!"
"House, I'm no longer the girl I was back in college."
"Party Pants will never die!"
"House, stop it! My daughter is in the same room."
Rachel heard her mother talking about her and looked at them curiously. "What's Party Pants?" she asked.
House laughed at Rachel's question and waited for Cuddy to find the right words. She shook her head in disbelief and sat there speechless, while her daughter kept staring at her.
"It's a sort of game your mom used to play when we were younger." House explained.
"Can I play too?"
"Maybe when you're older, okay?"
"Ok."
The little girl turned her attention back to the cartoon, while Cuddy thanked House.
"Will you excuse me for a moment; I need to use the bathroom"
"Okay. You already know where it is"
"Yes"
"If you get lost, scream my name and I'll come get you"
"Of course, my savior"
Cuddy smiled at him and walked to her daughter.
"Do you need to go to the toilet, honey?"
The girl shook her head and tuned her attention to the TV again. When Cuddy left the room, Rachel turned off the TV and sat at the table with House. She kept looking at him, without saying anything.
"Do you know who I am?" he asked.
"No."
"I'm one of your Mommy's employees."
She simply nodded and kept staring at him.
"You know that staring is not a nice thing to do?"
"Mommy already told me."
"So, why are you still looking at me?"
Rachel shrugged and kept staring at him.
They stayed in complete silence for nearly a minute, until Rachel spoke again.
"You kissed Mommy."
"Um, yes."
House stared at her surprised, blushing slightly. 'This kid is intelligent.' he thought.
"You my Daddy?"
"Um, no."
House was now getting very nervous. The little girl kept staring at him.
"Who you?"
"I'm House"
"You're a house?"
"No, I'm Dr House."
"Mommy is a doctor too"
"Yes she is. I have ice cream. Do you want some?"
Rachel nodded and, for the first time in minutes, she looked away from House's face. Cuddy entered the room again and saw her daughter at the table, while House was opening the freezer to find some ice cream.
"Do you mind if I give your daughter some ice cream?"
"Nope."
House handed Rachel her ice cream and she started eating it quietly.
"Strawberry" she observed.
"Yes"
"Me like it"
House smiled softly and took Cuddy's empty plate. She touched his wrist and took the plates away from him.
"You cooked, I wash the dishes."
"No, you won't"
"Yes I will"
"No..."
"House! I'm washing the dishes tonight"
"Leave them in the sink. Wilson will clean everything up tomorrow"
"House..."
"Hey, I was joking. Wilson won't be over; I'll wash up later"
"No! Now go play the piano and I'll clean the dishes, okay?"
"As you wish, my lady"
He looked at Rachel who just finished her strawberry ice cream.
"Wanna play piano, monster?"
"I'm not a monster"
"No you're not, monkey"
House sat on the bench and in few seconds the girl sat next to him. He massaged his leg a little, capturing Rachel's attention.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
"Just a little bit, sometimes."
"Will my leg hurt too when I grow up?"
"No, it won't."
"What if I get a very bad boo-boo?"
"I'm the best doctor in the world and your mother is pretty good too. We'll make sure nothing happens to you."
House started playing and Rachel kept looking at his hands, which were moving rapidly on the keys. Every time House stopped playing, she clapped her hands and smiled at him. After a while Cuddy entered the living room and sat on the couch and watched the two of them playing.
"Play something for Mommy! Mommy, come here too!"
"Okay kiddo"
Cuddy smiled at her daughter who was bouncing lightly on the bench.
"Be quiet, sweetheart. Let House play"
"Okay"
House started playing again. It was the sweetest melody Cuddy had ever heard. She stood there motionless, trying to capture every single note that House coaxed from the instrument. After a minute House stopped playing and looked at her shyly. Rachel was the one who spoke first.
"Wow!"
"You like it?"
"Yay! And you Mommy?"
Cuddy kept looking at House. A single tear slid down her cheek while she smiled at her daughter.
"Yes honey, it's the most beautiful song I've ever heard"
"Play it again! Play it again!"
"I thought you wanted to watch a film"
"A film? Yay!"
"What about 'Lilo and Stitch' ?"
"Yeah!"
Rachel jumped down off the bench and ran to the couch. Cuddy gave House a hand and helped him stand up.
"Thanks"
"For what?"
"For the song, it was fantastic"
House kissed her on the cheek, took the DVD from the rack and put it in the player.
"Ready to see Stitch?"
"Yay!"
He sat on the sofa next to Cuddy who was holding Rachel with one of her arms. House put an arm around Cuddy and pulled her a little closer to him, laying a kiss on the crown of her head. Cuddy smiled and squeezed his hand softly.
Half an hour later Rachel was sleeping peacefully on the couch. The TV was still on but nobody was watching it. House and Cuddy sat in the kitchen drinking coffee.
"It's been a wonderful night."
"Yep. Your kid is intelligent."
"Yes, she is."
"She asked me if I was her Dad."
"What?"
"She saw us kissing."
Cuddy smiled.
"So, this was...our first date?" Cuddy asked.
"Yes. I think it went well"
"Yep."
"You were worried I'd screw everything up?"
"No...well, maybe I'm..."
"You don't have to be worried. I'll do my best not to screw it up this time"
He held her hand and squeezed it. She looked at him and started to laugh.
"So, Party Pants and the Cranky Doctor are back together" she said.
"Seems to be so"
"You know, I'm happy we are giving this a chance"
"I'm happy you're giving me a second chance"
House stood up and kissed her forehead. She hugged him and kissed his cheek. His hand went up to her neck. She pulled his face closer and kissed his lips softly. The kiss became more passionate and Cuddy heard herself moaning in his mouth.
"Mommy?" Rachel called from the next room.
Cuddy instantly broke the kiss and looked at House.
"Sorry."
"You don't have to be. It's your daughter."
"Thanks."
She gave him a peck on the lips and squeezed his ass.
"Hey!"
"I'll be right back"
House smiled to himself when Cuddy left the room. He waited few second before following her into the living room.
"House, we're going to have leave. Rache is tired and needs to get to bed"
"Okay"
"Thanks"
"Need help?"
"You're offering to help?"
"Yep"
"Thanks, but I'll be okay"
Cuddy smiled at him while holding Rachel on her lap. She stood up and set the girl on her feet. Rachel walked straight to House.
"Thankies Dr House"
"You're welcome, monkey"
"I'm no monkey!"
"Yes you are"
"No, I'm not!"
"Really? What are you?"
"I'm a girl, silly!"
"You're a girl? Really?"
"Yes! And my Mommy is a girl too, but she's big now"
"I see"
Cuddy walked over to them and took Rachel's hand in hers. They walked to the door and House followed them. She kissed his cheek and opened the door.
"Thanks again House"
"You're welcome. Good night Kiddo"
"G'night"
"Bye Cuddy"
"Bye House"
House kept watching as the two girls walked out of his apartment. Cuddy picked her daughter up. Rachel waved her little hand to the doctor and rested her head on Cuddy's shoulder. Cuddy opened the car door, put Rachel in the back seat and closed the door. Cuddy waved goodbye to him before getting into the driver's seat.
House smiled to himself as he waved goodbye. That was the very first time he had been happy since leaving Mayfield. He was happy with Cuddy.