In the last chapter House suffered a collapsed lung due to broken ribs. Stephanie has a warrant out for her arrest but remains at large. While in the hospital bed House brought up that he wanted to be Rachel's father to Cuddy and told her about his abuse he suffered as a child. Cuddy assured him he would be a great dad to Rachel but he still has some doubts.

"Well blood pressure looks good, heart rate is steady and oxygen percentage is perfect." Wilson said reviewing House's chart. "Your most recent urine test shows that you do not have a ruptured kidney and as long as you rest and don't do any heavy lifting for the next six weeks you'll make a full recovery."

"Thank god!" Cuddy said relieved to hear that House was okay, he was lucky. And since his shock was caught early he didn't have to spend the night in the hospital, much to Cuddy's relief. "Let's get you home" she said stroking House's hair.

"I'd like that."

"What do you want for dinner? Anything you want." Normally it was Cuddy's rule that since House fed Rachel cereal, waffles, or pancakes for breakfast, dinner had to be healthy. But she made an exception in this case.

"Burgers sound good." He said as Cuddy handed him his pants and he pulled them on.

"Burgers it is, we can pick some up on the way home. Wilson, do you want to join us for dinner?" Cuddy asked, this was her way of saying she wanted some help with House. He was fragile right now and she just wanted to have another person around just in case.

"I'd love to, give me your orders, I'll pick up the food and meet you at your place."

House and Cuddy told him what they wanted, and they headed to the car. Cuddy took note of how House's limp was more pronounced. House's leg was hurting due to the trauma caused to it, but that pain was fighting against the pain in his chest. It hurt to breath, every breath he took sent a sharp pain to his right side. This was completely normal for a patient recovering from a collapsed lung and broken ribs, but it didn't make it any better.

As Cuddy and House got into her car they sat in silence for a few moments. "What're we going to tell Rachel?" House asked. Cuddy was thinking about this as well, she definitely didn't want Rachel knowing that House was assaulted by a deranged lunatic with a crush on him, but she needed to know House has been injured. She had no idea how she would answer Rachel's inevitable follow up question of 'how did he break three ribs and get a collapsed lung?'

"We tell her the truth I guess."

"So, just to make sure I understand this right; you want to tell a three-year-old girl, who thinks I can protect her from anything by the way, that I got beaten up to the point of hospitalization by a sociopath who is obsessed with me?"

"Well, I wouldn't phrase it quite like that…"

As Marina and Rachel saw Cuddy pull into the driveway Rachel excitedly hurried to the door to greet her mom. Cuddy stepped out of the car while House remained inside, he was comfortable and didn't feel like moving just yet. "Thank you, Marina." She said as Marina went to her car to go home for the night. Rachel jumped into her mother's arms happy to see her! "I missed you mommy!"

"I missed you too, baby" she said kissing her head, but then Rachel saw House over the shoulder of Cuddy and squealed with excitement, "House is home too!" She yelled as she struggled to get out of her mom's arms to jump into House's. It was a big treat when House was home for dinner, normally he worked late, but Cuddy held onto her tight. "Rachel, House is home. But he is in pain."

"His leg hurts?"

"No sweetie. House had an accident at work today, he broke some ribs and injured his lung." Rachel's eyes began to water, she wasn't sure how serious those injuries were, but she knew they weren't good.

"Is he going to die?" She asked

"No, god no honey nothing like that. He is just very fragile right now while he recovers. He can't carry you for a little while and when you wake him up in the morning you can't get on his stomach okay?"

Rachel nodded as she continued to look at House who was sitting comfortably in the car with his eyes closed.

"Can I still hug him?" She asked, "and cuddle with him?"

"Yes, you can still cuddle and hug him, but you need to be very gentle when you do. You can't squeeze him too tight around his chest or stomach and you have to be careful where you put your weight on him."

"okay Mommy, can I see him now?"

"Yes, of course." She put Rachel down and Rachel made her way to the passenger side of the car. It broke Cuddy's heart to see her like this, normally she was full of energy, slamming into House's legs like a football player greeting him when he came home. But she walked slowly, scared to hurt him. She was quiet. Cuddy hasn't seen Rachel act like that around House in a long time.

She opened House's car door and gave him room to step out of the car, Rachel was waiting for him. She hugged his shins tight. She knew that part of him was safe to smother.
"Hey Rach. Don't worry I'm ok." He smiled he stuck out his hand for her told hold as Rachel sniffled trying hard to not cry. House didn't know what to say, Rachel was smart, she knew he was okay and yet she was still upset and he didn't know how to fix that. Cuddy picked her up and they walked inside.

"Guess what I got for dinner?" House said to Rachel hoping to cheer her up. "Burgers and milkshakes." Rachel smiled but still rested on Cuddy's shoulder, she was quiet, obviously still upset.

"You can't hold me. I don't want you to stop carrying me." She said, she began to cry over the fact that she lost the ability to be close to him. "I need you to carry me! IT'S NOT FAIR! I NEED YOU!" Rachel cried; House looked at his feet saddened that his inability to hold her made her so upset. He felt like he was failing to provide Rachel with what she needed. Cuddy saw the hurt in his eyes, she wanted to let him understand that toddlers don't know how to articulate their thoughts well, they throw tantrums over nothing. But she knew it wasn't the time to bring it up, especially with Wilson coming over.

Once Wilson came over with the food Rachel perked up, she enjoyed the treat of having milkshakes and French fries and being able to spend time with Uncle James, as she called him. However, dinner for House was awkward to say the least. Rachel was joking around with Wilson and her, and trying to joke with House, but he remained quiet. Rachel assumed it was due to his injuries but Cuddy knew better. He was upset, he always acted like this when he was upset. House was pushing items around on his plate with his fry staring blankly at his dinner, "you okay?" Wilson asked noting House has barely touched his food.

House didn't respond, he was lost in his own world.

"House?" Wilson said a little louder,

"hm?" House said looking up at him.

"You okay? You haven't touched your food." Wilson said again.

"Yeah, not hungry I guess."

"Is it your lung?" Rachel asked concerned

"No, I'm just tired."

As they finished their meal Cuddy and Wilson were clearing the plates, and putting away left overs, leaving House and Rachel at the table. Rachel wanted to cuddle with him, she figured if her weight was on his left leg it was okay. She hopped off the table and made her way to House, putting her hands on his left thigh. He could feel her trying to push herself up, with Rachel's help, and a big breath, House was able to lift her onto his leg. She sat straddling his thigh as House put one hand on her back, pulling her close to him. His left side didn't hurt and Rachel was able to put more weight on his chest there. She leaned into him making sure to stay on that side, "I'm happy you can still hold me." Rachel said into his chest, House was happy too. Cuddy turned around and was internally freaking out that this adorable moment could turn into a disaster in seconds, but she didn't say anything. She knew if she tried to pull them apart Rachel would throw a fit, possibly accidently hurting House in the process, and House would tell her she is overreacting. House wanted to stay like this forever, he was proud of Rachel. She saw the problem of House not being able to pick her up, and formed a solution. It was at this moment that House realized he would be a good dad, because he felt proud. A feeling his father never felt or showed him growing up, "I'm proud of you Rachel." He said making her eyes look up at him, "you're a very smart girl, you knew I couldn't carry you and you found a safe alternative." Rachel smiled up at him and House squeezed her tighter against himself and repeated it again, "I'm so proud of you."

Cuddy and House got in bed after Rachel was put down and Wilson left. House was elevated using pillows and trying to take as deep of breaths as he could to allow his lungs to heal. Cuddy cuddled with his arm, knowing she couldn't use his chest as a pillow for a while and they fell asleep. Cuddy was so happy he was okay.

In the morning, as usual, Rachel came in to wake House up but it was different this time, this time House woke up to something cold and metal pressing gently on his right side. It didn't hurt but it was uncomfortable. When House opened his eyes, he saw Rachel using her stethoscope to listen to his lungs, making sure she was using the right bell. "You're still breathing daddy." She said happily and put the stethoscope back around her neck. "Thank god, I'm glad you checked that for me. Breakfast?" Rachel nodded vigorously excited for her favorite meal of the day. "I want cereal!"

"You got it, go and get the milk out, it's too heavy for me I need a strong young lady to help me." Rachel skipped excitedly out of the bedroom, it always meant so much to her when House gave her a compliment; she viewed him as the greatest at everything. As soon as Rachel left the room he turned to face Cuddy. She looked up at him feeling lucky that she gets to wake up every morning to this man. "Can you girls help me get my shit from my apartment today?" House asked

"Say please. Your leg is what's crippled not your manors."

"Nice." House said sarcastically back smiling. Cuddy was the one person who could mock his disability and make it funny.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAD!" Rachel called, impatiently waiting at the kitchen table. "Ugh, I haven't even signed the papers yet…" House laughed

"You don't need papers signed to be called dad. You've been my Daddy for years." Cuddy said sexually placing a hand on his crotch, House let out a small moan of pleasure.

"Cuddy! Jesus! How the hell am I supposed to hide this?" House asked as he walked to the bedroom door.

"Same way you hide it at work." She winked

"I wear jeans to work genius." House said annoyed as he made his way to the kitchen

"That was slow, even for you." Rachel said as House sat down at the table and began pouring his cereal.

"That's why I was team captain for my running team in high school."

"You have to be fast to be a runner."

"Not on this team, our mascot was a turtle. We were slow as shell."

Cuddy walked in right as House made his punchline to pour herself some coffee before getting ready for the day, "wow, dad jokes already? I wasn't expecting you to take your role so quickly."

House gave her a look raising one eyebrow. "Are you two going to work today?" Rachel interrupted.

"I'm not." House said taking a large spoonful of cereal and putting it in his mouth.

"Nope, it's Saturday and House has the day off to have his ribs heal, we are going to help him move some things out of his apartment for part of the day.

"where is he moving to?" Rachel was confused, she didn't know House hasn't moved in yet since it wasn't uncommon for him not to come home with his shifts at the hospital. "Nowhere Rach, I'm just bringing some more stuff over here."

"Like what?"

"Like books, and the rest of my clothes and stuff." Rachel was excited she has never seen House's apartment before, but she was even more excited by the fact that he was moving in.