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: Ok, so I am now on a month long vacation having finished my only exam last week :D Of course, this means you guys get an update, and you'll be happy to know that there is another chapter already written ...
I hope you are still enjoying this story, I just read over "Foetus" and started writing again, so I hope to post frequently over these weeks :D
(BTW, sorry if anything in this AN doesn't make sense, but I'm watching "Top Secret" from season 3 as a type, so I might be a little distracted at times ... god, I love the "I've been thinking about you" scene :P)
Enjoy!
"Only?" Cuddy asked the planner over the phone with a slightly disappointed look "Well, I guess, yea ... that should be ok ... I'll have to talk to ... yea, ok I'll get back to you"
Putting the phone down, she quickly scribbled down some notes on a near-by piece of paper and stood to rejoin House and Wilson.
"So ..." House said waiting for Wilson to start giving him ideas, after all, when there wasn't a white board around, Wilson would have to do.
"Well, you could ..." but just then the door to the study opened and the two fell silent.
Frowning, Cuddy walked towards them, the piece of paper in her hand "what were you two conspiring about?"
"Nothing" said Wilson in a less than conspicuous manner
Glancing at Wilson with a mildly bored look, House replied "we figured since we already did the whole 'Wilson and House living together and playing college pranks one each other' thing ... we should start working on you, now" he grinned as Cuddy rolled her eyes and took a seat next to him
"you are both aware that, should anything barely resembling what you just suggested happen, I'm tossing you both out on the street, right?" she asked sweetly as Wilson chuckled and House grinned
"No you wouldn't ..." he said smugly
"Try me" she replied in a beat, looking him straight in the eyes.
Smirking, House looked over at Wilson "after that look, I think Wilson should leave the room"
Glaring at him, Cuddy motioned for Wilson to stay and turned back to her fiancé "no he shouldn't, and we have things to talk about" she said holding up the piece of paper she'd been holding
"But mooooom!" House wined as Wilson smiled, loving the exchange between the two and finding it amazingly hard to believe that, barely over a year ago, they couldn't even be in the same room without the tension meter shooting off the charts.
Ignoring House's last childish moment and moving on, Cuddy showed him the paper "they say they don't have any openings in September, say it's too short notice"
"Short notice?!" House asked "It's three and a half months away!"
Smiling, Cuddy nodded "yes, but a lot of people start preparing these things up to a whole year in advance ..."
Groaning, House looked over at Wilson whose face was one of total amusement "can't we just elope?" he asked, his eyes, for some reason still on Wilson, silently trying to burn a whole in him for being amused
"Well, we can, but I don't think Cuddy would be too happy" he replied getting a laugh out of Cuddy which made the little girl beside him start to stir "Oops" he said as she started whimpering
"There's some powdered milk for her in the kitchen" said Cuddy, having bought some the night before
"Thanks" he smiled as he stood and picked up the carrier before walking to the kitchen.
Now along, House turned to Cuddy "So, what do you want to do?" he asked
"Well, their first opening after September is the "28th of October"
"That's almost November!" House protested
Smiling, Cuddy kissed him lightly on the lips "I promise my dad won't have enough time to turn me against you in the next 4 months"
"Why's that?" he asked
"'Coz he won't be around" she replied with another look that made House wish Wilson wasn't around
"And again with the look, woman" he groaned pulling her towards him, his eyes falling on the kitchen door momentarily to ensure Wilson was still battling the baby formula, before claiming her mouth.
"Mh huh" Cuddy shook her head as House began to deepen the kiss, and pulled back "Wilson's right there" she nodded towards the door
"Hey, Wilson!" House called "you mind if I do Cuddy in the living room while you're in there?" he asked getting a slightly painful slap in the chest from Cuddy
After a few seconds, Wilson poked his head out of the doorway to the kitchen - through which the little girl's cries could now be heard – and said "nope. Go right ahead"
"See, he's good with it" House grinned kissing Cuddy again as she, for a few moments gave up the fight, only to start it back up again when both his hands snaked around her waist.
"Ok, now, seriously" she looked at him, "what do you want to do about the dates?"
Sighing, House looked over at Ben and nodded "28th is fine by me"
"Ok" Cuddy wrote the date down "Now we need to choose a place, the food, the music, the clothes, the c ..."
"Ok!" House held his hand up "I changed my mind! I don't want to get married"
Holding up her left hand and pointing to the engagement ring sitting on her ring finger, Cuddy smiled "too late"
Accepting the small peck she gave him, House sighed "Can we just ... take it real slow?" he asked
Nodding, Cuddy smiled
"And if you could do all the colour things yourself ..." but he didn't finish as Cuddy had turned to him, glaring slightly
"Fine!" he groaned like a child who couldn't get what he wanted
Smiling again, Cuddy sat back, her back against him, his arm slightly over her shoulder and looked over at Ben.
She knew getting House to participate in the preparations was going to be hard, and she knew she had to take it slow. Even though she was sure they were, finally, in it for the long haul, she was still scared of pushing House too far. She needed him to feel comfortable, so she'd go slow. But she also knew that it wasn't just her wedding, and she'd be damned if he wasn't going to put some input in as well.
That night, after having dinner, Cuddy moved up stairs to put Ben to bed, leaving House and Wilson in the living room.
"So, what exactly happened to your lip?" Wilson asked, realising he had failed to mention the now decreasing bruise and cut on House's lower lip.
Touching it lightly, House shrugged "Cuddy's dad"
"Cuddy's ... what?!" he semi-whispered "He, he punched you?"
Nodding, House looked over at the steps to his bedroom, not wanting Cuddy to come down, not wanting to remind her of the fear she'd felt when she thought he'd actually cheated on her.
"He saw Abby" he looked disgusted at the name "jump me ... got it the other way round, made Cuddy believe I'd cheated on her ..."
"You hadn't told her yet?!" Wilson asked shocked
Shaking his head, House continued "so yea, I told him she had kissed me, and that I hadn't kissed back, that what he thought he saw must have been some kind of reflex as I shoved her off ... he still didn't believe me, so I volunteered to demonstrate it on him ..."
"And he punched you?" Wilson asked shaking his head "shocking!"
Shrugging, House touched the bruise lightly again and leaned forwards, his elbows on his knees
"Anyway, since she's not here ..." House began as Wilson realised what he was on about and leaned forwards too
"Well, you could take her out to dinner, some nice restaurant, buy her the dress, some flowers, dancing ..."
Shaking his head and frowning, House asked "who are you talking to?"
"Right" Wilson nodded "next, uh, well ... I'm guessing coming back here for the night is out ..." he began knowing House wouldn't want to go back there with him, Wilson, there with two small children "ok, so ... rent a hotel room, some place nice, quiet ... get her something nice"
"Like?" he asked completely lost
"Jewellery?" suggested Wilson, after all, diamonds are a girl's best friends.
Nodding, House agreed "that's it?"
"Well, you could go more romantic ... but I'm afraid you'd go deaf just from hearing the ideas I have ..."
Raising his hands, House grinned and decided to get off clinic duty the next day and check some hotels out.
"I'm going to bed" Cuddy called as she began to descend the steps, completely oblivious to the conversation that had been going on bellow "you coming?" she asked House once she finally reappeared on the bottom landing.
"uh," House looked over at Wilson, "sure. Night Wilson"
"Night House, Cuddy" He looked over his shoulder and nodded to her
"Oh, and you get the rest of the week off" she smiled "stay here, get to know your daughter..."
"Name her" House cut in getting a glare from Cuddy
"and when you're ready, your job will be right where you left it" she finished with a smile
"thanks" he said standing up to go to his room "see you tomorrow, then"
"Night" Cuddy called as she and House began climbing the stairs to their room.
Waking up the next morning, Cuddy could help but smile as she looked over to find Ben, who had fallen asleep between herself and House, snuggled against his father's chest as House's arm held him in place.
Deciding not to wake them just yet, she descended the stairs and got herself some breakfast before going back upstairs and beginning the tricky task of waking her soon-to-be husband up.
"House" she whispered in his ear "Hoouuse"
"Uhph ..." he groaned turning his face away from her
"Greeeg" she tried, softly shaking him "you're going to be late"
"No care" he mumbled into Ben's hair as he turned further away from her
Waking from the noise, Ben opened his eyes and began to move a little. Smiling, Cuddy watched as House slowly opened one eye, then the other, at first confused as to what the little boy was doing there, then looking happy to see him.
"you up now?" Cuddy asked getting both the guys' eyes on her. Taking a breath as she registered the two pairs of identical, ice-blue eyes staring back at her, she continued "I'm going to shower, you're next. Get Ben dressed and we have to be out of here in an hour"
"But I'm sleepy!" he groaned, stretching his arms out above his head, accidentally hitting his hand against the head board "shi..."
"House!" Cuddy cut him off before he finished swearing and looked at Ben, with a giggle looking at his father and repeating his mother's word.
"Ow" he changed as he slowly sat up, Ben moving to sit next to him.
"Now go, we have to be in the hospital by 9" Cuddy said again as she moved into the bathroom.
"If your mom wasn't as hot as she is, I'd ..."
"I can still hear you!" Cuddy called from the other side of the closed bathroom as House made a face and Ben giggled. "Well, let's get you dressed, shall we?" he then asked Ben who had started chewing on the end on his father's t-shirt
"House!" Cuddy called as, at 8:53 she stood by the door, Ben in his play pen, Wilson in the bathroom having just woken up and House, as usual, in the kitchen, half-way through his coffee, a half-eaten toast forgotten on the counter on which he was leaning.
"God, woman" he moaned as he limped back towards her "didn't you ever hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?" he asked
"sure, but since you'll be stuffing your face with whatever cafeteria junk food you can get your hands on as soon as we get there, I don't see the problem" she smiled sweetly as she opened the door and headed towards the car
"You know, you are the dean ... if you don't like the menus, change them ..." he called as he limped after her to the passenger seat.
"What for? You'd still get your hands on junk food" she shrugged as he nodded; the woman made a fair point.
TBC
Hope you enjoyed that, and I am planning to name the baby girl either in the next chapter or the one after. Also, I can't wait for Cuddy's episode on the 8th :D and, *spoiler* I felt so angry at the end of last episode ... If I could, I'd kill her :P
Please Review!
CJS-DEPPendent