I Come bearing gifts of Huddy fluff, enjoy!

Chapter 8

A Night at Cuddy's Place

That night when Cuddy went home, she relieved the babysitter and just wanted to settle in for a night alone with Rachel and a single glass of wine. Lucas was working on a case so she wouldn't have to worry about him dropping in on her tonight. Cuddy got her dinner, played with Rachel, and then gave her a bath before cuddling with her for a while and putting her to bed. She had been fussy tonight but went down fairly easily to Cuddy's relief. It had been a long day and now she was ready for that wine.

Cuddy had just sat down when there was a knock at the door. Cuddy sighed, "Just a minute!"

She opened the door to reveal House standing in her door way. He looked so dejected that Cuddy almost wanted to breakdown at the sight of him. "House?"

"Cuddy"

She just stared at him for a moment

"May I come in? or do you have company?"

"I… I… no I don't, sure, come on in I guess" she answered before she even really realized what she had said.

House walked in and noticed the single glass of wine "rough day?"

"You have no idea"

Actually he did, after the day he had had. Right know he felt like he just needed some comfort but he wasn't sure where to get it. It used to be found at the bottom of a bottle or in the shape of a pill, but now…

He had learned in the last few months that as much as he hated it, and didn't like to admit it, talking really did help with some things. House thought he would at least give it a try, it was worth a shot.

"You look like you've had a rough one too, want to talk about it?"

"Ehh… yeah but why don't you go first? Maybe I can help… well maybe not but I can at least listen I guess"

Cuddy looked at him, puzzled "House?"

"Nothing, I'm just… Cuddy you're a friend, and… and I care for you, I just…"

"Your just trying aren't you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, I suppose you could say it that way, too much?"

"Ehh, it's a little strange but… alright then, have a seat, can I offer you some wine?"

Well this was much further than House thought he would get, he had figured she would have just told him to go home.

"No thanks, wouldn't want to slip, but I would take some coffee" she hadn't been thinking about that, yes he really was trying.

"Coffee? At this hour?"

"I still have to drive back to Wilson's; he get's worried if I stay out past curfew"

Cuddy chuckled at that, yes he was still House.

"Ok then I'll make you some, how much do you think you'll drink?"

"Ohh, I doubt no more than a cup"

"Ok half a pot it is then"

House chuckled

"It's only a two cup coffee pot"

"So I take it that Lucas hasn't stayed over enough to warrant buying a larger pot?"

"I… no, he hasn't" Cuddy Blushed.

Well this was a nice bit of information, he thought.

"Soo… Rachel in bed then?"

"Yes"

"Would it be ok if I went in to see her?"

That stumped Cuddy, she really didn't know what to think; she was expecting some remark about not having "the kid" around. He was full of surprises tonight, first he wanted to talk and now he just wanted to take a peek at her sleeping daughter? "I guess so, but if you wake her up I'll kill you House"

"I'll be quiet"

So as Houses coffee was brewing he quietly made his way down the hall towards Rachel's room, He held his cane up and used the wall to help steady himself as to not make a ruckus on the hardwood floors in the hall. When he reached Rachel's room he went inside and just stood over the sleeping child. What was he doing anyway, he didn't even know the answer. He scanned the small child, her eyes were red and a little puffy, and there was the slight beginning's of tinny beads of sweat on her brow. House reached down to feel her tiny head, she was feverish, no doubt about that. "Cuddy!" Cuddy who had been standing in the hall waiting to hear if anything went amiss was there in just a second, "House! What is it? Are you crazy to yell like that when she is sleeping?"

"How long ago did you put her down?"

"About an hour, why?"

"Did you notice anything wrong before you put her down?"

Cuddy rushed over to her child, "oh House, look at her!"

"I'll take that as a no…", and with that House picked her up in one arm and with his cane in the other walked out to the living room. Rachel didn't really wake up, she fussed a little but didn't wake up. Cuddy went for the baby thermometer to take her temperature. When she had taken her temperature it was immediately decided that Rachel would be getting another bath tonight, this one meant to cool her down. House helped Cuddy as needed and in no time Rachel was a wake enough to realize that the water was far too cold for her and decided to use all of the capacity in her little lungs to tell her mother about it. House tried to soothe her as best as he could before he finally couldn't take it anymore and grabbed a towel to wrap her in and just held her against his chest making soothing sounds until Cuddy could get the medicine measured out. By the time Cuddy was ready Rachel was calmed down just enough to swallow her medicine and go back to her mother for some much needed cuddling so she could fall back to sleep. Once Cuddy had put Rachel down, for the second time that night she was really tired now.

House and Cuddy both flopped down on the couch with almost a full cushion between them.

"Thanks House, I…"

"Don't mention it, Cuddy, I am a Doctor after all, and at least with this screaming baby I didn't have to put up with a crazy mother"

"I, think that was a complement, yes?"

"Yes, it was…"

Cuddy gave a tired smile, and reached for her glass of wine. Then House noticed the Danny Kaye Film sitting on the coffee table, "Danny Kaye? Wow, that brings back memories, I used to love watching his film's with my mom" Cuddy smiled broadly at his comment.

The two of them just sat there for several minutes in a very comfortable silence. Suddenly Cuddy turned to House, "I never did get you your coffee! I'm so sorry, with everything…"

He cut her off, "No really Cuddy it's ok"

"Well I don't suppose you want it now, do you? It will keep you up all night."

House let out a mouth full of air and drew his hand down his face, "Actually I think I almost need it now, just to get myself home, I'm surprised Wilson hasn't called me five times by now."

"Look House, if your that tired, I'll just get some blankets and a pillow, call Wilson for you and you can just crash on the couch for the night, how's that sound?"

"Cuddy, I… I don't want to intrude, I'm…"

"House really, you're as beat as I am, I'm sure. Really it's not a problem, I'll just call Wilson and let him know" and with that she got up and walked over to the chest she kept her extra blankets and pillows in and got one of each for House then turned to him, "is this enough or do you need more?"

House thought for a moment then said, "Well maybe a pillow for my leg if I'm going to be on the couch"

"Ohh, are you going to be ok?"

"Look Cuddy, I slept on Wilson's couch for how long? I'm sure I'll be fine" he paused then very shyly asked, "You don't mind if I sleep in my boxers do you? I'll leave my T-shirt on"

Cuddy almost blushed; he was actually asking if it was ok, wow! "I humm… sure you can house, I kind 'a figured you would, it can't be comfortable sleeping in your jeans"

They just looked at each other for a little while before House's phone started to ring, "Wilson" they both said at once.

"Here let me answer it, I was going to call anyway" House hands her the phone and leans back on the couch to listen to the one sided conversation. "He's still here Wilson. No, Rachel is sick House helped me out and promptly fell asleep on my couch. Yeah I just through a blanket on him, I'm sure he'll be fine. No, it's just been a really long day, I think I'm going to go pass out myself. You too Wilson, good night!"

"Well now that's taken care of, I'm just going to turn off the coffee pot and the light in the kitchen and head to bed, do you need anything?"

"I think I've got more than enough Cuddy, thanks" he said giving her a small grin.

Cuddy left the room to complete her task, when she came back in to the living room she found House standing in his boxers making up a bed for himself on the couch, his jeans lying nicely folded on the coffee table. Cuddy stopped, "Oh House I'm sorry!"

House just looked up at Cuddy and down at his boxers and his leg "ehh, not like you haven't seen it all before, besides that Cuddy, I am honestly way too tired to even think of all the things I could say right now, maybe in the morning" he said with a grin as he crawled in under his covers

Cuddy relaxed "See you in the morning House, good night, and thank you."

"Welcome, Cuddy, night" House said with a yawn.

This isn't exactly how he had planned on the night going, but in his defense he hadn't even planed on trying to spend the night in any capacity, unless she invited him of course. No when House had decided to go over to Cuddy's place it was on ridicules spur-of-the –moment whim. He figured he would just go start talking and maybe... he really didn't know what. But they hadn't even got to that, heck he hadn't even got his coffee that would just have to wait for the morning. Right now House really was half dead and had fallen asleep after only a few seconds reflection of today's events.