"Wilson, whatever you're coming to tell me with that smirk on your face, now is not the time." Cuddy groaned, before emptying the contents of her stomach into the garbage beside her desk.

Four months into her second pregnancy and the morning sickness had yet to subside.

"I heard you were feeling like crap, so I'm here to take you home." Wilson replied, the smirk fading into a worried frown.

"As much as I'd love for that to happen, I have a meeting at three."

"Actually your assistant asked me to tell you it was cancelled when I came in here."

She let out a sigh of relief at not having to put up with her certain members of her staff for several hours.

"Fine." She replied standing, and walking over to her coat rack and pulling it on.

"Cuddy, wake up." She felt Wilson nudge her shoulder and she opened her eyes, disoriented.

"This is not my house."

"No, it's not…"

"Why are we at city hall?"

"Why do you think?"

"Oh my god, he didn't?"

"He did."

It had been a spur of the moment decision just two days earlier. He wanted to make up for his errors the last few months, especially skipping out on his family for a week before he and Cuddy were supposed to get married. Things between the two had gotten better, but he wanted to do something special.

So he called Wilson to help him plan a secret wedding ceremony with the justice of peace at the city hall in downtown Princeton. It was an easy thing to plan. He'd called and made an appointment and then had called his mother, Cuddy's mother and sister, as well as her best friend Melissa. They had all agreed to come and he was glad that at least the people most important to Cuddy would be there for her.

"Dadadadadaadadada." Tom babbled from Blythe's arms and House limped over to his mother and ruffled his son's hair.

"You're gonna wanna see your mother's face when she sees who's here kid."

Just as he spoke the door to the room opened and in entered Wilson with Cuddy in tow.

The look on her face was one of pure disbelief and he loved to be the reason to shock her in a positive way for once.

"I assume that's the bride?" The justice of peace asked softly.

House jumped slightly, not having felt the presence of the man beside him.

"Yes, that's the future Mrs. House." He replied.

"You're a lucky man."

"I know."

Cuddy reached his side and simply stood in front, her expression stolid. For a moment he felt his heart drop, afraid that she was upset.

"I cannot believe you did this." She enthused, one of her winning smiles forming across her face.

House released the breath he had not known he was holding.

"You're not mad?"

"Mad? That you planned this and made sure the people most important to us were here? Why on earth would I be mad?"

As if to confirm that she was indeed not mad at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Mamamamamamaaaaaa!" was the interruption that pulled them apart and he watched as Cuddy turned her attention to their son.

"Hello my sweet boy." She said softly, kissing the top of his head.

"Now, if everyone's here, we can get this started!" The justice of peace commented.

"M' lady, may I have your hand?" House asked, extending a hand to Cuddy.

"My honor." She replied, smiling.

Several hours later she leaned her head against House's shoulder as they enjoyed a celebratory dinner with those closest to them. They had gone home for a few hours afterwards to have some time to themselves; Blythe and Arlene had taken Tom out for the meantime.

It was a surprise to her how well their mothers got along, but she figured they had to have at least a few things in common.

She jumped slightly as she felt the smallest of flutters in her stomach.

"You okay?" She heard House murmur as he pressed his lips against her temple.

She removed his hand from her lap and moved it up to her abdomen, hoping he could feel the movement within her womb.

"Well then." He replied with the smallest of smiles just as she felt a stronger movement within her.

"Today is a good day." She said softly, sighing contently.

"Yeah, it is."

House was often the biggest pain in her life, but he knew how to make up for his errors. Since she had called off their original wedding plans because of his breach in her trust, he had found ways to make up to her for it. Whether it was little things like offering to give her a back massage after a long day or going out and getting the things she needed when she was hit with one of her odd and sudden cravings; he was trying to make up for it. He was trying to keep her happy.

"I'd like to make a toast."

Cuddy straightened up at the sound of Melissa's voice, knowing her closest friend was probably going to mention her disdain for House while making whatever toast she was about to make.

"Lisa, I'm happy for you. You've got the child you've always wanted, the job of your dreams….and a man who although he obviously knows how to push your buttons beyond the point of no return, loves you and your son. Not all men are like that. Congratulations you two, and may your marriage last many, many years."

"Huh, she's actually capable of being nice." House whispered into her ear.

"Shut up House." She replied, whacking him in the chest with her hand. "Thank you Melissa, it means the world to me."

"Of course." Melissa replied, winking.

Cuddy couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at her friend's gesture. She knew Melissa had held back on what she actually wanted to say about House and she appreciated it. The two may not get along but for her sake they were civil with one another, and she was pleased with whatever she got.

They were lying in bed naked, Cuddy draped across his chest, their legs intertwined as he ran his fingers through her hair.

They had gotten home a few hours earlier and Cuddy had given Tom a bath before putting him to bed. Then they'd simply gone at it.

It was never hard for one to turn the other on. All it took was the sensation of Cuddy straddling him and her lips against his own to get him going. Her hormones where raging due to her pregnancy, and he loved every moment of it.

"I wonder if we're having a boy or a girl…" He heard Cuddy murmur as she pressed her lips against his chest.

"It's a girl. We already have a boy, I guarantee you it's a girl this time."

"And what makes you so sure?"

"You crave sweet things majority of the time, there's a myth that says if a woman is having a girl, she craves sweet things."

"Since when do you believe in myths?"

"I don't." He replied matter-of-factually. "I just needed some lame excuse to back up my intuition. Besides, I'm always right."

"I have an ultra sound on Friday, I'm far enough along for us to find out the sex. Want to make a bet?" She asked and he watched as she propped herself up to look him in the eyes.

"Do elaborate Cuddles."

"If it's a boy, you're going to be the one to get up at night when Tom has a fit and starts crying, for at least a month."

"Okay, and if it's a girl, you owe me three hundred bucks."

"You're going to make me give you money instead of doing something if I lose?"

"You're pregnant, I may be an ass but I'm not going to make my pregnant wife do more than she already needs to."

"Then it sounds like a deal."

"Good…Although your idea of a punishment should I lose is kind of pointless because I don't sleep most nights anyway, and Tom calms down quicker for me than he does for you."

"That's why I said it. That way I don't have to lose sleep, or hear him screaming for long because he calms the second you sit down with him in the rocking chair."

"Touché, Cuddy, touché."

"Since you're so convinced that it's a girl, have you thought of any names?" He watched as Cuddy's eyes light up with curiosity at the prospect of him having chosen names for their unborn child.

"Oh yeah….definitely…There's California….and Arizona…and Andromeda…and of course my favorite of the bunch, Florida…Florida House. Doesn't that sound charming?"

House couldn't resist but laugh at the look of complete disgust on Cuddy's face at the names he had suggested.

"Please tell me you're not serious?"

"I'm as serious as a heart attack." He responded, changing his demeanor to throw her off.

"House! We're not naming our daughter – if it is a girl – after any of the states!"

"I'm kidding."

"So you don't have any names in mind?"

"I have one."

"Go on."

"Charlotte."

"Charlotte Cuddy House…I like the sound of that." She replied smiling brightly.

"You have any names picked out for the pipsqueak?"

"I like Annie…"

"Like the orphan? No way, I veto that one."

"I also like Hannah."

"Hannah House?" He made a sound imitating a buzzer before continuing. "Try again."

"Violet Cuddy House doesn't sound so bad."

"No, it doesn't." He replied.

"Imagine though…if it is a girl…I mean we obviously have winning genetics…Tom is going to be a heartbreaker, but a girl? With our looks combined? You're going to have to beat the boys off of her with your cane." She said softly with a giggle.

"She'll look exactly like you, and she won't be allowed to date until she's thirty."

He could picture her, a miniature version of Cuddy, the only difference would be the influence of his own genetics, but still, if they had a daughter she would be the near mirror image of her mother, and the thought of it made him smile ever so slightly.

He was a damaged human being, he made mistakes, and he was sure as hell far from perfect, but with Cuddy in his life he was helping create something beautiful. As opposed as he had been to both of her pregnancies, the idea of a family was finally beginning to sit with him.

She flinched at the feeling of the cold gel against her skin. After having had several ultrasounds when she had been doing IVF, and during her pregnancy with Tom, she had thought she would have gotten used to the feeling of the substance against her skin. She clearly had not.

"Is that gel really that cold? Your teeth are so clenched I'm scared you might get lockjaw." House commented from beside her, causing her to roll her eyes.

"I'll smear some on you sometime." She replied without missing a beat.

"I can smear some on him now if you want." Ramirez offered, pointing the bottle in House's direction.

"I'll pass. The only woman I want smearing anything on me is the wifey over there on your exam table."

"I did hear through the grapevine that you two tied the knot last weekend, congratulations."

"Thank you." Cuddy responded as Ramirez turned on the machine before beginning to run the wand along her growing abdomen.

She watched as Ramirez fiddled with the ultrasound machine for a few seconds before the sound of her child's heartbeat filled the room.

"The heartbeat sounds good and strong, the fetus seems to be growing at the perfect pace…Do you want to know the sex?"

"Yes." Both she and House simultaneously answered, causing her to smile as she looked over at House. She wouldn't have believed the look of pride on his face had she not seen it.

"It's a …..girl!"

"I told you so." House replied teasingly.

"Yeah, yeah." She responded as Ramirez handed her a new napkins to clean off her abdomen.

"I'll set you up for another appointment at the same time next month, does that sound good with you?"

"That's perfect. Thank you Dr. Ramirez."

"It's my pleasure Dr. Cuddy."

Ramirez gave a small wave before exiting the exam room, and Cuddy wiped off the remainder of the gel before tucking her blouse back into her skirt and hopping off of the exam table.

"You owe me three hundred bucks." House teased.

"Whatever! You'll get your money…but can you believe it? A girl…"

She walked over to the counter he was leaning against and stood directly in front of him before giving him a peck on the lips. Pulling away she took his hand and place it on her stomach and held it there above her own.

"We're having a girl House…In a few months it'll be us, Tom, and our little girl."

She could feel her eyes begin to well with tears. She had never thought she would see the day where she was married with a son, and a second child on the way. It seemed that her life was finally beginning to feel complete.

brace yourselves. ;)