Disclaimer: I do not own House Md, any of its characters or storylines ... really I don't! I wish I did, and someday I hope to own Hugh Laurie … but right now? Nope …
A/N: I am SOOOOOOOOO sorry for this unacceptably late update. I did try to update, I really did, but between going home for the holidays, visiting family and friends that I hadn't seen in 3 months, coming back to uni and beginning to tackle all the studying I must do for the 3 tests and one exam I have coming up in the next two weeks, I just had no time! I'm so sorry! :(
I hope you guys are still there, because, I assure you, I still am. Updating is hard right now, but once my exam is done with, I'll have a month of free time, so that should improve things considerably.
Also, as always, thank you so much to Hilly for the messages on fanpop urging me to continue, :) It's great to know you really like this xD (Can't wait for more of your fics!)
Oh, and I recently found out that the prequel to this story, 'Foetus', was nominated for a 'rock the house award' ... I figure whoever nominated it read the story ... and maybe said person is also reading this one, if so, thank you! It means a lot xD
I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please keep telling me what you think, it is incredibly encouraging!
Enjoy!
Driving home from the hospital the next day, House couldn't help but smile at his son as he tried to get away from his seat and peered at Wilson's baby girl as she lay, fast asleep, in her carrier between the little boy and her father.
After having spending the night in his office, Wilson had picked his daughter up from the nursery and, immediately, called House and Cuddy to pick him up; as they'd agreed.
Sure, he worked at the hospital and was, usually, perfectly comfortable there, but after everything that had happened within the past 24 hours, he wanted nothing more than to get away from there, to not have to enter the maternity ward again, and to finally rest somewhere quiet with his baby girl.
"Ben, sit back" Cuddy called from her seat as she watched her son pushing himself out of his seat, the straps which were holding him in, straining against his small frame.
"Oh, please" sighed Wilson as he watched House's grin in the rear-view mirror "your son is not trying to hit on my daughter. He is one! He's just intrigued by her..."
Shaking his head, House's grin widened "so naïve, Wilson"
Sighing, and touching his daughter's tiny chest as it rose with her breaths, Wilson looked up at Ben whose big blue eyes were focused on him in a tiny frown.
"He'd better not be! Otherwise he's going to get uncle Wilson's boot imprinted all over his tiny butt!" Wilson smiled lightly at the still-confused little boy
Laughing from her seat, Cuddy turned around so she could reach Ben and, pulling on the straps of his seat, ensured that he stayed where he was supposed to "there you go" she smiled as Ben frowned at her, obviously not happy with his lack of freedom.
Arriving home, Wilson carried his daughter into Ben's room, placing her lightly in the little boy's crib.
"you sure?" he asked Cuddy as she walked in behind him and nodded "she can stay in her carrier ..."
"No, it's fine, really" she smiled
"If the rugrat is sleeping in Ben's crib ... where, may I ask, is Ben sleeping?" House asked entering the room, Ben toddling along at his heels, his eyes immediately falling on his crib, now occupied by that strange creature that so intrigued him.
"With us" Cuddy smiled over her shoulder at him, a more than mocking look on her face as House groaned in protest
"First you invite your parents over, then Wilson, now Ben ... I have a feeling you don't really want to marry me anymore" he said with a pout
Shaking her head and smiling at Wilson, Cuddy reached into the crib and ensured that the little girl was well covered.
"Does it have a name?" House asked nodding to the sleeping girl "I'm good with 'it', but you sentimentalists tend to like to name them ..." he smiled as Wilson and Cuddy exchanged an exasperated glance
"We had a list, but we never really settled on anything" explained Wilson smiling down at the little girl.
"Well, choose one" House shrugged as Cuddy frowned at him
Turning to Wilson, she softened her face "you want to show us the list?" she asked with a smile
Nodding, Wilson took a deep breath and decided it was time to start making the necessary decisions himself, after all, it wasn't like he could expect Clara to come back.
"Clara liked Catherine, Erica and Gabriella" Wilson explained once he, House and Cuddy were sitting in the living room, Ben at their feet, currently playing with the laces on his father's sneakers.
"And you?" Cuddy asked motioning to House to get Ben away from his shoes before he decided the laces looked edible
Looking down at the little boy as House removed the laces from his hands and placed a small car in them instead, Wilson sighed "I wasn't ever sure, I like Susan, Eleanor, and Leah ... but I, well, Clara didn't want me to ... uh ..."
"To what?" Cuddy asked as Wilson looked down at his shoes
Taking a breath, he nodded "she didn't want me to name her, uh ... I wanted her to have, uh, Amber ... as a second name" as he finished, he dropped his eyes down again
After a few seconds, it was House who spoke "she's not here to stop you now, is she?" he asked
"No, but ..."
"No buts" smiled Cuddy "it's your choice now"
Nodding, Wilson met their eyes again "I'll think about it. Tomorrow, if I've chosen, I'll register her"
Nodding, Cuddy looked at House and smiled. Maybe Wilson was going to pull through after all. Maybe.
Later that day, as Wilson lay sleeping in the guest room, his baby girl held safely against his body by his arm, House and Cuddy sat on the couch.
Ben had fallen asleep on the arm chair about half an hour earlier and, enjoying the peace and quiet, House had pulled Cuddy against his side and turned on the TV.
And that's how they now sat, both silently watching an episode of some mindless soap on TV, the only other sound in the room coming from Ben's even breathing.
"You sure you want to move the wedding up to September?" she suddenly asked looking up at him.
House nodded
"Ok" Cuddy smiled, "I have to call the planners, then, and start organizing things ... you do know that means you'll be seeing my family again sooner, right?" she asked with a smile as he grimaced slightly
After a pause, House laughed lightly "so long as I get to spend a whole week with you away from everyone in some hot," he wiggled his eyebrows making her giggle "remote, paradisiacal place, I'm ok with it" he grinned
Leaning up, Cuddy kissed him, lightly first, then with more passion as he wrapped an arm around her waist. After a few moments Cuddy broke the kiss and spoke again "I just realised ..."
"How amazing I am?" House asked with another grin as he leaned down to her again and she playfully hit him on the chest
"No ... that in 4 days, it'll be ..."
"Oh" House cut in, realizing that he had completely forgotten something that Cuddy would kill him for "one year" he nodded
"Yea ..." she smiled as she played with his hand, drawing small lines across his palm
As he looked at the profile of her face, House found himself truly thankful that Wilson would be staying under the same roof as them. He was going to need help if he was going to give her the anniversary she deserved. Because, the truth was, he had absolutely no idea where to start.
Hearing Wilson get up, Cuddy sat a little straighter, detaching herself from House, knowing her fiancé was not a fan of PDA's, even if the only 'public' around was his best friend and a sleeping one year old.
"I'm going to go try and call the planners, ok?" she asked kissing him lightly on the cheek.
Nodding, House watched her stand up and head into the study just as Wilson entered the living room, his hair slightly mussed up, his baby daughter in his arms.
"Hey, do you mind getting her carrier? I was scared of leaving her alone on the bed" he whispered to House as he looked up
Sighing, House slowly got up, grabbing his cane, and limped towards the nursery, forcing his limp as he walked past Wilson, a grin on his face as his friend rolled his eyes.
"You do realise she doesn't have enough mobility to actually roll off the queen size bed you were on, right?" House asked as he returned, the baby carrier in one hand, his cane in another
"I ..." Wilson shook his head. Yes, he was being very protective, but then again, he was a new father, he was scared. Every time he looked at the little girl in his arms, he felt that she would break, should he breath to loud. It was kind of daunting.
House shook his head "the fear goes away within a few weeks" he said placing the carrier on the couch in front of Wilson and returning to his seat where he could keep an eye on Ben who, unlike the little girl, did have enough mobility to fall flat on the floor should he move around too much.
Smiling as he placed his daughter safely in the carrier, Wilson spoke "I never thought you'd be the one giving me advice on ... well, anything"
Rolling his eyes, House moved on "well, let's reverse the rolls then. It's Cuddy's and my anniversary next week ..."
"Yea ..." said Wilson obviously as he, too took a seat "Oh ... and you forgot ..." he added shaking his head
House nodded "this isn't my kind of thing ... with Stacy one of us always had to work ... so it was never a big deal ... after that ... well, this is the only 'after that' ..." he spoke looking at the floor "I want ..."
"You want to do something special" Wilson smiled, looking over his shoulder to ensure that Cuddy was still in the study, on the phone with the wedding planners she'd been recommended. "You want me to clear out for the night? I can keep Ben and ..."
House shook his head "Nah ... staying at home is ... well ... what we do all the time ..."
Nodding, Wilson smiled "So you were thinking ..."
"I don't know ..." House shook his head and groaned, he really wasn't any good at any of this. It was easy to live with Cuddy, to do nice, small things every now and again, but big romantic gestures were not his forte. "Do people still do the whole flowers and candy thing?" he pathetically asked as Wilson fought back the urge to laugh.
"Not quite ... at least not once you pass 12th grade" he chuckled, then, starting to smile slightly, added "I guess we have some planning to do, then ..."
TBC
I really hope you enjoyed that, and I really am sorry for the late update! Please do leave a review and, as you may have noticed, I have yet to name baby girl Wilson (just as with Ben, naming characters takes forever with me ...). I do have some ideas, but I'm open to suggestions :)
Please Review!
CJS-DEPPendent