CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Lizzie jumped up and down with excitement when her parents came through the door. She nearly knocked her mother over with a great big hug. Mrs. Pryce said her goodbyes and shuffled back to her house.
"Come in, sit down, I want to tell you everything that happened today." Lizzie took her mothers briefcase and her father's bag and tossed them against the wall. Then she tugged at her father's coat. Her mother was already removing hers. "Hurry up! I've got a lot to talk about."
House groaned. He'd had a long day of work, and just wanted to kick back and see what TiVo had for him. "I need a drink," he headed for the small antique bar he had brought with him when he moved in.
"I'll get it Daddy." Lizzie rushed past him, nearly knocking him over, and pulled out a highball glass. "Would you like one too Mommy?" She looked over her shoulder.
"Yes, but not the way Daddy taught you." Cuddy didn't think she could survive that much alcohol tonight.
"Right, one Daddy drink and one baby drink coming up." Lizzie hurried herself with bartending, then carried the two glasses carefully over to the couch. "Now, sit back and prepare yourself for a tale of excitement and courage. I present to you, Lizzie's first day of school." She spoke with a dramatic flair that House nearly laughed at. Cuddy's head on his shoulder stopped him.
"I arrived at school to be greeted by the most heavenly sight ever, the sun glistened in his golden hair, there was a sparkle in his blue green eyes."
"Oh God!" House groaned.
"Shhh. Listen to the story," Cuddy warned.
Lizzie glared at them both and they fell silent. House put his arm around Cuddy's shoulder and pulled her tight. "As I was saying, Jeremy was waiting."
"Oh, Jeremy," House teased. "From the description I thought maybe Jesus came down from the sky to greet you."
"Daddy!" Lizzie over glared. She still hadn't gotten the subtlety down yet. Her fists shot to her hips and she leaned forward, making her mouth small and menacing, and squinting her eyes just a little too much. House bit his tongue and Cuddy looked away, her shoulders shaking in House's arm.
"Oh, sorry dear, do go on."
"Jeremy took me to class, he even carried my books for me," Lizzie beamed proudly. No boy had ever offered to carry her books. It sounded like a stupid thing to do, but now that she'd had it done for her she quite liked it.
"I'll kill him." House grumbled so low she couldn't hear him. His wife heard him, and placed her hand gently on his leg. "Breath," she whispered in his ear.
"You can do that later," Lizzie huffed, misinterpreting their intimacy. "I'm telling you about my first day of school. Most parents would encourage this kind of dialog with their children. Most parents would WANT to know what their beloved offspring did all day."
"Most parents end up with juvenile delinquent crack heads." House grumbled.
"Not most Daddy, only some." Lizzie corrected much to her mothers amusement. "And as I was saying..."
"Yes, Prince Charming escorted you to your class, because with a genius IQ you were incapable of finding it all by your little self." House was really beginning to hate this Jeremy kid.
"He was being nice Daddy." Lizzie shot her tongue out at him and Cuddy laughed out loud. Lizzie grinned proudly. "Which is good, because you will never believe who his sister is!" Lizzie's voice took on a tone of wonder and amazement. She looked from one parent to the other. She was building up suspense.
"He has a sister?" House popped her bubble with his total lack of excitement.
"Yes Daddy, some people do you know." Lizzie's hands shot to her hips again. "Some parents want their children to not be lonely, so they do their parental duty and give them a little brother or sister. SOME parents like children."
"Well, you should go live with them then," House teased.
"You're the worst Daddy ever!" She said it with a smile, and they all knew she didn't mean it. It was her House like way of showing her father affection.
"Yeah, well, maybe if I didn't have such a bratty daughter I'd like kids more." House snotted back.
Cuddy joined in, a bit more mellow, but biting just the same. "Maybe if I didn't already have two kids I would have another one." She kissed her husband gently on the cheek. "Now let her finish her story."
"Yes Mommy." House complied.
Lizzie took a moment to regroup. "Oh, right. So Jeremy's sister is Keeley Winchester." Her eyes grew as she waited for their reaction.
"Uh, yeah, I guess the last name would be a dead giveaway."
"Daddy!" Lizzie sighed impatiently. "Keeley is the meanest girl in school, well in our class at least, and she's Jeremy's twin!"
"I knew I didn't like that boy."
"Jeremy's not mean, Daddy, Keeley is. Try to keep up."
Cuddy chuckled.
"I'm keeping up just fine. Prince Charming is the twin brother of the evil two headed dragon girl."
"Three headed, actually. She's part of the Evil Cerberus."
"What ever happened to your classic taunts, like Spotty and Fart Face?"
"She's got two BFFs, and they're all such snots. Jeremy hates them. He said I should avoid them like the plague."
"Don't worry Princess, he will slay the dr...the Cerberus and rescue you from the tower."
"Stop making fun of me!" Lizzie stomped her foot hard on the ground.
"I think I should go start dinner." Cuddy pulled herself away from House and headed for the kitchen.
Lizzie watched her mother leave, then turned back to her father. Before she could say anything he told her to go see her mother. "Don't you want to hear the rest of the story?"
"Not really." House leaned back and closed his eyes.
"Your loss." Lizzie stuck her tongue out at him one last time as she stomped into the kitchen.
