Chapter 10: Doctor Cuddy.

Cuddy walked through the halls of the hospital, even though it was her day off, with little Rachel close at her side. Cuddy's life revolved around the hospital, she felt lost without it and she felt guilty for feeling this way, especially when she should have been spending the quality time with her daughter. Thankfully on this day Rachel was more interested in the hospital than ever before, and kept asking for House every hour, on the hour. Cuddy knew that she wouldn't find him in the clinic where he should have been, so she took the elevator upstairs and walked with Rachel down the hall to his office.

Rachel saw House before he saw her. She pushed on the heavy glass door, leaving little hand prints half way up the glass and rushed into the office.

"Greg!" Rachel shouted as she opened the heavy door.

"Jelly Bean!" House smiled and scooped her into a hug, "what are you doing here?" he asked the little girl.

"We brought you lunch," Cuddy smiled, "and she's been asking about you all day.

"It's your day off, I would have mooched some lunch off Wilson and you know I would have come home early to be with you guys." House said.

"I have a few things I need to check on and I was sure you wouldn't be in the clinic, so I was hoping that you would be interested in lunch with Rachel." Cuddy said.

"I made PB and J sammiches!" Rachel stated proudly.

"Yum!" House said and smiled at the little girl.

"You don't mind watching her do you?" Cuddy asked.

"No," House said, "why would I mind?"

Cuddy smiled and handed Rachel the paper bag with the sandwiches in it and headed for the door.

"Hey Jelly Bean I have a surprise for you!" House said before Cuddy could leave the office.

"Oh what is it?" Rachel asked dropping the bag onto the desk.

"I found this at the medical supply store this morning." He said as he pulled a little white bundle out of his pack.

Rachel gasped as she unfolded the little bundle, "Doctor Cuddy!" She screeched as she held the mini lab coat.

"I thought you'd like it!" House smiled.

"House, you really shouldn't have!" Cuddy said.

"Don't worry Cuddles; I billed it to the hospital!" House winked as Rachel pulled the little lab coat on. "You'll be the youngest Dean of Medicine ever," he smiled at the little girl, "and to get you started I also picked this up for you." He said handing her the little white box.

"Wow!" Rachel shrieked and hugged his legs, "Greg you are the best! Look momma, it's a pink stelloscope all for me!"

"A real one, House?" Cuddy asked.

"Only the best for my Jelly Bean!" House smiled, "I'm going to teach her everything I know!"

Cuddy couldn't help but smile, knowing full well that all these gifts would come out of his hospital budget.

"Ok Doctor Cuddy, tell your momma to have a seat so you can listen to her heart," House said.

Rachel pointed to the chair in the corner and Cuddy sat down as she was told, her work would have to wait for now and for some reason she really didn't seem to mind. Seeing House so captivated and doting on her daughter made him even more appealing and she felt herself falling to his will and that of the little, lab coated, girl.

Rachel climbed up into her mother's lap as House knelt down beside them.

"Alright Jelly Bean," House said taking the stethoscope from the box, "this part goes in your ears." He said and gently fixed the stethoscope in place, "and this part goes here," he added as he took the little girl's hand and manipulated it around the diaphragm and placed her hand over Cuddy's heart. "What do you hear?" he asked.

"Thump, Thump!" Rachel said filled with excitement, "is that really your heart momma?" she asked.

"Yes," Cuddy laughed.

"Wow! Now yours Greg!" Rachel said as she turned toward House and placed the diaphragm on his chest. "They sound the same!" she smiled.

House smiled at Cuddy, he took great pride in this child and what he had been teaching her, but most of all he was excited because she was excited.

"Yours will sound the same too," he said to the little girl.

"Wow!" Rachel smiled and listened to her own heart. "We are all the same!"

"In that respect yes, we are the same." House laughed.

Cuddy smiled to herself as she left House and Rachel in the office eating their sandwiches and playing Doctor. For the first time she saw something completely different in House and she felt genuine pain as she tried to pull herself away from the happy little scene and the few moments of fun they were having.