Previously in "Weak By You" – The nightmares that used to reoccur in her mind slowly faded, and by the time Avery learned to walk, and she was back at work, they became happy dreams, unclouded by past experiences. It was when things started to seem normal, that Cuddy was so suddenly taken aback by the abnormal challenge that entered her life.

...

From the end of Chapter 10 -

"You might want to get her to a physical therapist."

Her smile turned to a frown.

"What?" Cuddy demanded. "Why?" She was annoyed. He wasn't making sense.

"Because."

"Because?" Cuddy echoed. "House! Make sense!" She pleaded.

"Just do it, Cuddy." House exhaled. "Because."

Cuddy thought about his request for a long moment before taking a deep breath.

"No." she finally protested, "I don't need you telling me what to do, House. Whatever it is that you think is wrong with Avery, forget it. Go use that energy on your patient."

She turned around slowly, putting her back to him.

"I can handle her on my own." She pressed the call button outside the elevators, hesitantly. "Just like I've done for the last two years. Without your help."

Cuddy bit her lip. The second she said the words she wished she hadn't. It wasn't the truth. The past two years House had been... really, helpful.

Admittedly - to herself - he was a reason her life was on the right track now.

He was the reason she hadn't gone completely insane the last two years.

Although she now swore to never have been happier since having Avery, at first things didn't seem happy at all.

She still remembered the very first nights, back at her house.

Following her stay at the hospital she'd been unable to sleep, terrorized by nightmares.

And things only became worse before they finally became much better.

She owed a lot of her happiness now to how House had helped her when she had struggled then.

So, she knew that saying she had done everything without help was a big, fat lie.

She spun around to face him, just in time to see the flash of pain that slapped like the tail of a whip across his face.

He tried to cover up the sting her words had delivered. Adjusting his face so that it was suddenly hard, expressionless.

Her eyes found his, regretting what she said instantly.

She searched for the words to justify her lie, but came up empty.

She left the silence to continue, waiting for her uneven heart beat to slow.

Ding!

The elevator announced its arrival.

Cuddy stood between House and the open elevator doors.

Behind her was an escape route, in front of her she owed House an apology, and he owed her an explanation.

"Okay," She finally spoke. Her voice was low. She inhaled. "Why do I need to take her to a physical therapist? Just tell me why." Her plea was followed by an exasperated sigh.

All of a sudden, it made sense. Suddenly she knew why. She knew what House had seen, and she had a sick feeling she knew what House was about to diagnose, what he was about to tell her.

House looked into her eyes, taking in her expression carefully.

For a brief moment the hard expression on his face faded, but it soon returned.

House starred down at the bottom of his cane.

"Cuddy, - "

The elevator doors clattered to a close.

House's head shot up, but Cuddy was still there.

"I know." She stopped him from continuing. "You don't have to tell me. I already know."

"You kn- ?"

Cuddy exhaled. It made sense now.

"She learned to walk at a slower rate, has increased tone in her muscles, which means quick reflexes, the occasional tremor in her legs... and she walks on her toes... it seemed so minor that I barely noticed at all, but together ... now..."

The silence throbbed like a permanent echo.

"Spastic Cerebral Palsy." House muttered.

He watched Cuddy's troubled face as she looked over at the little girl that clung to her hip. "...She's not even three yet, it's still hard to - " She gave up.

"Take her to a physical therapist."

Her heartbeat sputtered as he repeated his advice, again.

She inhaled, her breath shaking. "... Yeah."

"Because she was born early - "

"House," Her voice cut him off.

He took it has a warning to drop the subject, but he had misinterpreted.

When he brought his eyes away from the ground, they met hers.

"Thanks." She mumbled, "For ... the last two years, but for - "

She laughed, but her smile was forced, behind it House saw her eyes, clouded and dulled. " - You know. ... All that other stuff too."

With a deep sigh she turned around and walked away from him.

The stairway suddenly seemed more inviting than the enclosed elevator shaft.

...

House starred after her, watching the little girl attached to Cuddy's hip, sucking happily on the red lollipop, so oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place.

Yet she was so much a part of it all. It was her life, her future.

With a shudder the promise he had sworn to keep, almost three years ago, came back to him, word-for-word.

"You're life might be one hell of struggle,"

He remembered angrily forcing the words to echo inside the serene incubator.

"But your life - " He remembered the pain that had shot through his leg, as if on cue.

"You're life won't be miserable."

His promise to Avery, that he was now obligated to keep, clung to his conscious mind and refused to be thrown aside.

Miserable. It was a word he felt all too familiar with.

...

Thanks so much, as always, for reading this! Reviews are really helpful. I hope you enjoyed it. :)