This chapter is a big fat hoe. While I was studying for my exams all I felt like doing was writing but after they ended my muse was like "IDEAS? LOL GTFO ADIOS BICHANOS". Don't ask me why. I don't even know. Suffice to say, I started writing it two weeks ago and just now finished it through sheer force of will. *le sigh* I know I said the reunion was in the next chapter but since I haven't written what I wanted in this I still have one more before it.

I'm a horrible human being.

Shout out to partypantscuddy for her mad beta skills and to SissiCuddles for being an amazing person.


"This game sucks!" House threw the remote onto the couch and sulked, how in the hell was he getting his ass kicked at Mario Karts by a five year old was beyond him. He had never lost this game, but then again, he'd always played against Wilson who has the adroitness of a hyperactive child with the attention span of a gold fish.

Joshua was beaming with excitement, his dad never played this kind of games with him and when he did, his mother would always complain how those activities were rotting his brain. That's why he loved hanging out with uncle House, he was an adult but he would behave like most kids. It was so much fun!

"You only say that 'cause you're losing!" Joshua laughed while doing a victory dance as the words 'player two- wins' flashed the screen.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Enough!" Cuddy's voice made itself heard across the room, she was looking at the two of them, arguing like children and she couldn't help but to smile. She was trying to look mad but the faces they made when they saw she was witnessing their 'discussion' were just too amusing not to giggle at.

House and Joshua, currently in the middle of attacking each other with pillows, froze on the spot, looking like two kids who had just been caught by their mother with their hands down the cookie jar.

"You two are helpless…" She chuckled . "… seriously, House, I could swear you were an adult but I'm not so sure anymore."

The little kid threw his pillow right in middle of House's face and ran to his aunt, looking for protection from the sore loser sitting on the couch.

"Help, aunt Lisa, help!" He grabbed her legs and hid behind them . "I beat uncle House in Mario Karts and now he's sulking like a baby!"

House rolled his eyes . "Sure, I'm the baby! You're the one hiding behind your precious aunt. Come out here and fight like a man!" He purposely gave a little too much emphasis to his last sentence, fist pumping the air for a twinge of a dramatic effect.

All his little act earned him nothing but an eye roll from Cuddy and a laugh from Joshua who, without missing a beat did the proper justice to his 'smarty pants' nickname, given to him by his favorite uncle, well, his secret favorite uncle.

"I'm just five! I'm no man yet." He giggled. "But I did beat you at Mario Karts, so, I guess you're no man either."

Cuddy had to prevent herself form rolling on the floor laughing, you could see from the look on House's face that he was both unamused and impressed by Joshua's remark.

"C'mon, children, enough videogames. It's time we do something else." Cuddy said as she shook her head slightly at House's behavior.

"But, moooom!"

"But, aunt Lisaaaaaaa!"

"Oh boy…" Eye roll.

Getting House and Joshua to stop picking at each other had not been easy, but after a couple of minutes of self testing her patience and hot chocolate bribery, she'd finally managed to reach an agreement that pleased both parties.

They agreed that, since the snow would be gone in a couple of days, they'd go to the park near Evelyn's house and try to take advantage of the few remaining snowflakes.

"I want to build the biggest snow man in the world!" Cuddy heard Joshua scream and couldn't help but to sigh quietly , what Ronald had said to her still haunting the back of her mind, she couldn't help but to wonder what it would be like to have a dark curly haired little boy running about causing havoc around the house.

She shook her head. No, she was not going down that path anymore, she was tired of having this feeling of sorrow running through her every time she saw or thought of something remotely related to children . It was enough, she was determined to just be happy. Happy because she had more than some people dream of having. Successful career? Check. Wonderful job? Check. Caring boyfriend? (Well, even if he tries to hid it) Check. Health? Check. (And not that bad of a body if she might say so herself. )

Her life wasn't so empty after all.

"Cuddy, hurry up, my butt is freezing!"

House's voice broke her out of her reverie. All that inner exposition had made her lose track of time, and the two gentlemen outside weren't that happy about it.

Putting her emerald green beanie on, she took a deep breath, and ran out the door.

Joshua was the one leading the trio down the street, he was hopping happily, trying to avoid the icy sidewalks while House and Cuddy walked slowly behind him.

They weren't speaking, enjoying the winter sounds surrounding them as they walked down the street to the ice skating ring. Of course that going out for ice skating had been Joshua's idea, House certainly did not enjoy the child's desire to make him drag himself three blocks down under the cold weather and possibly freeze to death but, all things considered, not being around the house once Cuddy's sister got there was something rather appealing and the possibility of watching Joshua fall on his ass repeatedly was also quite persuading.

Cuddy was enjoying the feeling of the cold air caressing her face, she could breathe again, that lump on her throat slowly fading away. She clung to House a little more, appreciating the warmth emanating from his body.

Joshua stopped walking for a bit, waiting for his aunt and uncle to catch up to him so they could walk together.

"Hurry up!" He called them out.

House looked at Cuddy mischievously and grinned, she knew he was up to something and, no surprises there, he started walking gradually slowly, looking at Joshua the whole time, who, in return, glared at House defiantly. It was cute watching House interact with the little boy, he certainly didn't get along with adults but when it came to children, House understood them and often behaved like them.

"Oh, C'mon!" Joshua said exasperated which only contributed to House's amusement even more.

"What? I'm crippled." House replied.

"You're doing it on purpose." Joshua huffed.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am -"

"ENOUGH!" Cuddy chimed . "Seriously, you two are driving me nuts! House, you walk faster and Joshua honey, you need to take it easy, sweetie, we can't keep up. Now, both of you, behave!"

"Yes, Cuddles…"

"Yes, aunt Lisa…"

House and Joshua threw their tongues at each other but, as usual, House made a funny face at him, they laughed, and proceeded to walk like nothing had happened.

Cuddy rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless, looking at the two children in front of her, not failing to see how Joshua's petit hand wrapped around House's as they walked to the skating ring.

"Be careful, Joshua!" Cuddy had to admit, seeing Joshua run to the ice ring made her a tad bit nervous, he was her responsibility after all.

"Don't worry ma'am, your boy is safe with me", said Angela, the teenage girl who, apparently, was one of the people in charge of accompanying the kids who had no one to skate with him - "I'll watch over him."

"Thank you, Angela", said Cuddy. "I really appreciate it."

Angela proceeded to go take care of the children currently on the ice whilst Cuddy went off to find House, who was waiting for her by the stands with a warm cup of coffee.

"Owe, aren't you sweet" Cuddy sat on the bench next to House, took the coffee cup from his hands and kissed him softly on the lips as a thank you.

"I don't appreciate the mocking, you know?" House said, mustering his oh so realistic hurt look on his face - "I have feelings!" - he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing the top of her head.

They stood there, looking over at Joshua, who was currently trying to win the ice skating race between all the attending kids.

After a very interesting story involving Wilson and leg warmers, they were wrapped around the comfortable silence they were already used to for a few moments.

Cuddy took a deep breath, she was suddenly reminded of her conversation with Ron, she had to tell House. Tell him, get this over with, and never live with this bump on her throat anymore.

"House…" His attention was drawn to her . "…I need to talk to you about something."

He raised his eyebrow, he knew that whenever she used that tone of voice something was clearly off.

"Okay… tell me."

Another deep breath. "Well, I… Remember I went to Dr. McFarland a few weeks ago?"

Now he was clearly worried. "Cuddy…"

"No, let me talk."

He nodded his head and kept quiet, examining her with his bright blue eyes, looking for an answer in hers.

"I went to Dr. McFarland and he did some tests… I got the results last week and-"

"Ahhhh!"

They were interrupted abruptly by a loud scream coming from the ice ring.


You guys are going to hit me, aren't you?

last chapter's answer: fado

WINNERS:
-Irene3691 : 3 points for ya!
-partypantscuddy : 2 points for ya!
-IHeartHouseCuddy : 1 point for ya!
You guys are such smart munchkins
:')

Clue: When two bodies interact by exerting force on each other, these action and reaction forces are equal in magnitude, but opposite in direction.

Ps: I'll be replying to all of your reviews from now on