A/N: Okay so here's the deal...This story went on hiatus some time ago, because between work and how sucky I had been feeling about the show, I couldn't manage to finish it. Then lo and behold the finale came and with it brought my mojo back =) I've finished the story and will be posting it all in the next couple of days. Two chapters today, probably another tonight and one or two a day for the next few days until it is done. Just a refresher: This story was started before season six and continues the backstory and history I set up in "Remember December." So none of the events or people from season six exist in this world; No Dr. Noland, no Lydia, no House moving in with Wilson, or Cuddy humping Lucas,...none of that (if you can imagine such a crazy world). I hope you enjoy, and please drop me a line on your way out.

The Daylight

Chapter 11

"I'm sorry," the judge broke in. "What's going on here?"

House looked back at the judge and reached into his pocket once again taking out another ring, a more masculine design of Cuddy's ring and laid it next to hers on the judge's desk. "I want her to marry me," he said. "Today."


Cuddy's eye's grew wide and her heartbeat quickened as she looked from House to the 20 year old ring laying on the desk. The judge smirked and gathered the adoption papers into a folder.

"Excuse me," she said as she stood up. "I'll leave you two a minute while I finalize the adoption papers. Congratulations Dr. Cuddy; you're her mom now."

The judge stepped out of the room and Cuddy looked up at House. "Thank you. For what you said about me and Rachel; that was…" She couldn't even finish the thought. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so touched and overwhelmed by something he'd said or done for her.

"Yeah well, you've lied to a judge for me before. I thought I'd repay the favor." They both smiled and House let his hand fall from her shoulders to grip her hand still resting in her lap. "I'm happy for you," he said. "I hope you believe that."

"I do," she answered. "I know you had a hard time with her at first but I know you're happy I get to keep her."

"We get to keep her," he said pointedly.

Cuddy looked away from him and down toward the floor between them. "House—"

"Say yes Cuddy," he said, his voice pleading more than he'd intended.

But Cuddy didn't say yes. She'd told him that they should take some time to think about it, to make sure it was right. Wilson later pointed out that if House had been a grown up about it let her take what time she needed, she probably would've said yes sooner or later.

But House wouldn't be House if he didn't push everything to its limit. He accused her of trying to push him away. She begged him to let them enjoy what they had, and House told her that he didn't really have anything. He picked up the rings and walked out. He pushed past Wilson who had gone to Cuddy's to pick up Rachel as he'd asked, and taking one long look at the baby girl, he cursed under his breath and left the courthouse. He never came home that night.


Two Days Later

"He's still not talking to you?" Wilson sat a cup of coffee down in front of Cuddy and waited for her to either invite him to sit or tell him to go away. She had done both several times over the past 48 hours and at this point it was a toss-up. She nodded and he took a seat in the vacant cafeteria chair next to her.

"Not much," She said. "He was at my house with Rachel yesterday when I got home and when I asked him to stay he mumbled something and left." She took a sip of her coffee and Wilson frowned. "I wonder if I made a mistake." She finally said.

"You just wanted to give it some time right?" Wilson interrupted her thoughts. "He'll get over it Cuddy. His pride is hurt but he loves you and—"

"I don't think that's it," she said cutting him off. "If it was right it would feel right, right now. I think…" She trailed off, not really talking to Wilson anymore, just thinking out loud. "I think sometimes two people try and try and want to be together so bad but it just doesn't work and neither of us will be happy until we admit that."

Wilson shook his head. "What are you talking about, Try and try? You two flirted around a relationship for years, got together and a few months later you're not speaking. As far as effort goes I wouldn't exactly—"

Cuddy stared at him, obviously holding something back; something that she and House had both kept from him. "I'm talking about House and me and if this does turn out to be a break up it will be the third one in twenty years. "

Wilson blinked. "You—I figured you two had something in college but House always denied it. And then…"

"And then again right before you came to work here." She took another sip of her coffee. "Did you ever wonder why we were so hesitant to get involved with each other? We weren't acting like two people who were scared we were acting like two people who knew better."

Wilson stared at her in blank silence for a second too long before cuddy decided that this was the end of the conversation. She stood up, grabbed her coffee and walked away, leaving Wilson dumbfounded.

As expected Wilson's next stop after Cuddy walked out on him was to head straight for House's office. He paused outside the door when he saw House staring blankly at the whiteboard not listening to his team gathered around the conference table. While Wilson was debating whether or not this discussion was more important than a dying patient, House looked over and saw him standing there. He nodded to his inner office and after throwing a smartass remark to the team he met Wilson on the other side of the door.

"What?" He sniped and took a seat behind the desk.

"How long are you going to keep punishing her?" Wilson didn't bother beating around the bush.

"I asked her to marry me she said no. I'm not punishing her, I'm just giving her what she wants."

"You know this isn't what she wants."

"No she wanted to be a mother and she got her wish, but she knows I'd make a lousy father. That's why she said no. What do you want me to do?" House was clearly irritated. He glanced out at his team who had looked up when he raised his voice.

Wilson sat down across from House and then in a slight whisper said, "I know that the two of you were involved before."

"What?"

"Cuddy told me."

House shook his head. "Of course she did. And?"

"And, besides being a little hurt that you kept it from me, I think that it explains a lot."

"The fact that she shamelessly throws herself at me every few years and I'm powerless to resist her explains a lot?"

Wilson ignored him. "Cuddy, thinks that you two aren't meant to be together. I think that if that were true you would've been able to let go of her and move on but you never really have."

"Well, maybe now I really will." Wilson stared at him without saying anything and House looked away. "I'm done chasing her. If she wants me then she needs to commit to me, if she doesn't then I guess that's it."

A light tap on the door made both men snap their heads up to find Cuddy waiting for them to finish. "Can I talk to you?" She said to House. Wilson jumped out of the chair and headed for the door, giving her a nervous look as he passed.

"What do you want?" House asked her coldly. Cuddy didn't come into the office but kept her hand on the doorframe, as if she were getting ready to run.

"How long are you going to keep acting like this?" She said.

"Until you change your mind," he said stubbornly. "Or until you break up with me."

"If I break up with you then you'll stop being mad at me?" She smiled slightly. "Fine, then it's over." House crossed his arms over his chest not amused. Finally she closed the door and walked over to stand in front of him, blocking his fellows view. "Come on House, you don't want to get married, you didn't even want to date me for the longest time. You're just doing this because you're scared now that I've adopted Rachel you think I'm going to leave you."

House rolled his eyes, standing up to take a step toward her. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"I agree," Cuddy said. She reached for his hand and he let her take it. "But it's true isn't it?"

He wouldn't look at her. "I do want to get married," he said. "The reason doesn't matter. I love you, you love me, we have a kid, and it won't get any better than this. There's no reason to wait, because you're not going to wake up suddenly one day and realize that it feels right."

"The reason does matter," she said, the sting of her parents suddenly growing tired of each other and walking away from a 20 year marriage still palpable in her voice. Her father was alone when he passed away, and her mother had never been able to recover from the loss. It had been so long ago but even now it colored the way she looked at any kind of real commitment. "I know what you and I have. The fact that I'm secure enough in our relationship that I don't feel the need to tie you down, should not be taken as me trying to push you away."

House didn't respond. She might be secure in what they had, but only because it meant that they could walk away easily if things got hard. Normally he would be quick to point out her contradictions, but not today. Today he just wanted her away from him.

She shook her head at his silence and dropped her hands in defeat. "Fine," she said. "I really just came up here to tell you that Rachel and I are driving up to Boston this weekend. We're leaving in the morning so if you want to come—"

"I don't," his answer was terse and agitated as if he were waiting for her to plead with him. Cuddy shook her head, deciding that she wasn't going to play this game.

"Fine," she said and walked away from him without another word.


He was being stubborn. He spent the night in his own apartment again that night, and though he considered calling her or going over there and apologizing half a dozen times, his pride won out. He decided that she was right, they had something good. Who the hell was he to give her an ultimatum? Probably what she wanted was just to know that this wasn't just a whim or a reaction to her adopting Rachel. But she had walked out on him with barely a hesitation, like it didn't matter to her in the least if he was hurting. What was this fight about really? He loved her so much he wanted her to be his wife and she said no…what did he have to apologize for?

These were the things keeping him awake at night. He decided sometime around four in the morning that the best course of action would be to let her take the weekend to miss him and when she came back, he'd give her a real ring and tell her she'd put it on her finger when she's ready.

At six-thirty he got a text from Cuddy: LAST CHANCE?

He stared at it for a few seconds and then closed his phone and rolled over. An hour later he got up and dragged himself into the hospital.

"What are you doing here?" Wilson stepped off the elevator a few hours later around noon and found House scribbling something on a chart outside of the clinic.

House glanced up momentarily and then back down again. "Cuddy won't let me take a case until she gets back and she gave my team the weekend off." He tossed the pen down on the counter and stared at the stack of patient files waiting in front of him.

"So you're working in the clinic out of spite?" Wilson asked an incredulous look on his face. "That'll teach her." House looked annoyed but didn't respond. "She left this morning?" House nodded and pulled another file from the stack. "You should've gone with her," Wilson said.

"Yeah," House said. He handed Wilson the file and turned to walk out of the clinic, but the receptionist at the nurses' station called out that there was a phone call for him. "I'm out for the day," he mumbled back.

"Dr. House, it's someone from St. Francis Hospital in Boston," House froze and slowly turned back to the desk to see the nurse holding a phone out toward him. "She said it's about Dr. Cuddy."