Here it is, the last chapter of "Theirs". Phew, it only took a couple of years! Thanks for sticking with it to those who have read this far! Many, many thanks to Wrytingtyme, Chippers87, and Lucyvanflick for being the best early-readers/betas ever.
Ch. 29
"It's Wilson's night," Cuddy called out from the bathroom.
House unbuttoned the collar of his shirt and frowned. "He'll understand."
"How often do we name a wing after one of our employees?" Cuddy said, as she leaned out of the bathroom door with a toothbrush in her hand. "He'd be there for you," she paused just long enough, "he has been there for you."
House rolled his eyes and inhaled deeply.
"Put your bow tie back on," she said. Cuddy knew she had him. She smirked, put the toothbrush in her mouth and disappeared into the bathroom as she heaved a great sigh of relief. The whole ceremony hinged on House's appearance. The notion of Wilson being honored was a ruse.
House picked up his cane and gently stood from his position on the edge of the bed. He dusted his shoulder while looking in the mirror and raised an eyebrow. He didn't look half bad for an old man, he thought.
Mia knocked on the door before she entered the bedroom. She smiled brightly.
"You look hot, Dad."
"Yeah, I do, don't I?" House turned to look at Mia and raised an eyebrow. "What are you wearing?"
Mia looked at him quizzically. "What's wrong with the way I look?" Mia rushed to the mirror and looked up and down at her baby blue gown. Rhinestones lined the double spaghetti straps that draped her shoulders and smaller, sparkly flecks dotted her entire gown. Her hair was pulled half-up, half-down and she was thrilled her hair was finally long enough for it.
"I thought I looked nice."
With a sigh, House sat on the edge of the bed as he shook his head. "You do. I meant why are you wearing it?"
Cuddy emerged from the bathroom, clad in a sleek black dress with her now shoulder-length hair styled in luxurious waves. She looked radiant.
"Wow," House whispered.
"Oh, Mom!"
Cuddy blushed as she helped to straighten House's bow tie. "You both look great, too."
"So is anyone going to explain why someone who doesn't work at the hospital is going to this fundraiser?"
"Chris will be there. I thought he might like someone else at the table who is under 40."
"Uncle Jimmy said-" Mia began.
"I don't care what Uncle Jimmy said," House said as he grabbed Cuddy's wrist so she couldn't walk away. "Chris is Wilson's son, which is why he's going."
"What are you doing?" Cuddy asked as she tried to pull free from his grasp.
"You should wear a necklace with that dress," he said.
"I was just going to get one."
House pulled a small box from the inside pocket of his tuxedo jacket. "I meant you should wear this one."
Cuddy stared at him in, shocked. "House, I don't know what to say." She opened the box and her eyes brimmed with happy tears.
She looked up at him in disbelief and shook her head. "We don't give each other gifts. I don't have anything for you."
"I wasn't expecting anything. Don't get all mushy on me, or I'll take it back."
Cuddy squeezed his hand. "Help me put it on," she said as she handed the chain to him.
"Where's your necklace?" House asked, looking at Mia.
"I forgot," Mia said, as she turned and ran towards her room. She knew exactly which one she'd wear, the one Cuddy had given her two years earlier, for her birthday.
Cuddy admired her silver necklace in the mirror, with its three strands of diamonds that hung vertically from the chain. She turned back towards House and wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you."
House smiled and leaned down for a kiss.
Mia stood at the doorway. "Should I come back later?"
"Come here," House said.
Mia touched the pendant she wore and looked at it in the mirror. "Is this okay?"
"No."
Mia's shoulders dropped. "First you don't like my dress and now my necklace?"
House frowned. "Never said I didn't like your dress."
"Mia, wait," Cuddy called out, as Mia headed towards the hall. "Come back here."
"What?"
"House and I have something to tell you."
Mia looked nervously between the pair. Her heart quickened as her mind raced with the possibilities. She wondered if his cancer had come back or if there was something wrong with her mom, now. She wasn't sure she could handle much more.
"What's wrong?" she asked, the fear in her voice evident.
Cuddy wrapped an arm around her and led her daughter towards the edge of the bed. They sat down beside House, sandwiching Mia between them.
"Nothing is wrong," Cuddy said. "We just wanted to tell you something we should have told you a long time ago."
Mia glanced towards the right and then the left, and relief washed over her. She knew exactly what they were about to say and it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"A long time ago," Cuddy began,
"In a galaxy far, far away," House quipped.
Cuddy shot House a look of warning, but continued. "House and I made a decision."
Mia looked up at House, her eyes growing moist.
Cuddy continued. "I was so afraid of what might happen to you if something ever happened to me, so I asked the one other person who has been in your life since we first met. The only other person who loves you as much as I do."
Mia reached for House's hand and wrapped her fingers in his. This was the moment she'd waited for and she intended to soak in every last word. House watched Cuddy as she spoke, Cuddy watched Mia, and Mia stared at House.
"House isn't just your Dad because you call him your Dad," Cuddy said. "He's-"
"He's my real Dad. He's mine. And I'm his," Mia blurt out, unable to control her anticipation. "And he's been my real Dad since before I can remember."
House raised his eyebrows, as a corner of his mouth turned up.
"How did you know?" Cuddy asked.
Mia dropped her gaze and pursed her lips before looking at her mom. "I saw the adoption paperwork a while ago." She shrugged. "I always had this feeling and then I heard things and put two and two together. I had to know, so when you were out, I went digging for it."
Mia paused, taking the time to look at both of her parents. She focused on House as she asked her next question. "Are you angry?"
He stared her down, giving her his most stern look. Mia stifled the urge to cry just as House broke into a smile.
"No," he said.
Mia grinned broadly and turned to look at Cuddy. "Are you?"
Initially, Cuddy's gut reaction was one of disappointment, but as she thought about all that had happened in the months prior, and she began to feel guilty. Never had she been more thankful that House was there to break this news to Mia. She couldn't imagine how she would have told her if they'd lost him.
"I'm only sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
"It's okay," Mia said, again focusing her gaze on House. "It's true, isn't it? It's really true."
"Here," House said, holding out another small box. As she took it from him, House stood from the bed. "We're going to be late."
Cuddy looked up at him, as he towered above them. "What do you care if we'll be late or not?"
"Cripple. I need a seat."
Cuddy looked at him suspiciously, but relented. Maybe the conversation had been too much for him to take. "It's assigned seating. You've got a seat up front with your name on it."
Mia opened the box and began to cry. She stood up quickly, and hugged House. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"You're welcome," he said, hugging her back.
"I love you, Dad," Mia said, grinning at the official meaning of the word.
"Love you, too. Now go on, get," he said, pointing towards the door with his cane.
"I'll be at the car," Mia said as she briefly showed Cuddy the locket in the small box. Mia removed the necklace she had on as she walked out of sight.
"Is a locket lame?" House said it so quietly that Cuddy could hardly hear him.
She smiled and shook her head. "It was perfect."
Cuddy grabbed her shawl, kissed House and exhaled, glad the secret she'd held for so long was now out in the open.
"It was the locket you bought for her when she was just a baby, wasn't it?"
House shrugged. "30 day return policy. I bought it over a decade ago."
Cuddy held his hand and reached up for one last kiss before stepping outside.
"You're a good Dad, House."
The main lobby of the hospital had been transformed into a banquet hall. On the far side against the wall, stood a row of rectangular tables, which held numerous items for the silent auction. On the other side of the room stood a row of buffet tables, and in the middle were a host of circular tables, all covered in white linen. A low-profile bouquet of purple flowers sat in the middle of each table, and six white plates were positioned around them with silver chargers beneath.
The elevator lobby was masked by an impressive figure, draped in a gray cover. It stood on a wooden platform, with a microphone stand, a podium, and three chairs off to one side. Large groups of purple balloons dotted the lobby around the perimeter, including one on the mock-stage.
Mia skipped ahead and found her seat. As she expected, she was placed right next to her cousin, Chris. House would sit on her right, with Cuddy to his right, with Wilson next to her, followed by Shelby.
Winded by the time he arrived at the table, House pulled out his chair and was about to sit down when he turned towards Cuddy's office.
"Where are you going?" Cuddy asked, as she approached the table.
"Page me when this shindig starts. I'll be in your office," he said.
"Do I need to ask?"
"I'm fine. Go on, do the administrator thing. Go be social. Get every last penny out of the donors. I'm going to take a nap."
"Hey," Wilson said as he closed the door to Cuddy's office behind him. "Hiding out?"
House opened his eyes and swung his legs off of the couch and onto the coffee table, making room for Wilson.
"I see Mia's wearing the locket. So, you told her," Wilson said as he handed a glass of water to House.
"She already knew."
"What?"
"She's definitely my kid. She went snooping for it because she had an idea."
Wilson chuckled. "She's no dope."
House nodded. "Naming the wing after you, huh?"
Wilson looked forward, trying to go along with the ruse, willing himself not to reveal the truth. "Yeah, apparently."
"So, I guess that's why they prepped the wall near my office for a large plaque, then."
Wilson ran a hand through his hair. "You're no dope, either."
"So, was this a result of my near death experience, or did Cuddy think I'd retire early?"
Wilson looked at him and slightly shrugged. "She wanted to honor you, whether you were here or not."
"I bet the board had a field day approving that expense."
House lowered his bad leg from the coffee table and picked up his cane, readying himself to stand. He remained slightly unsteady, but he was certainly stronger than he had been.
Wilson stood up, walked around the table and held a hand out to House, who frowned, but accepted his assistance anyway.
"Actually, they helped fund the plaque."
"It's amazing what people will do for you when you're dying of cancer. Beats the hell out of pity for a cripple."
Wilson held the door open for them both. "Yeah, well don't go getting any more ideas. I plan on retiring in two years and I have no intention of coming out of retirement to treat you."
House stopped walking to look at Wilson. "It'll be back."
Wilson sighed deeply. "Maybe."
House gave him an incredulous look.
"Okay, probably, but hopefully not for many years. We'll keep a close eye on it."
House entered the main lobby and inched his way to his seat, with Wilson close behind him.
He grinned at Wilson as they sat down. "Hope is for sissies."
Cuddy stood on the platform, having just completed a raffle for a weeklong stay at a spa retreat in Bermuda. She was radiant and definitely in her element. The silent auction was going well, the raffle had garnered twice as much as she'd hoped, and the formal, sit-down dinner was excellent.
"And now for the highlight of our evening," she began as things quieted down.
"It is my distinct honor and privilege to present the highest recognition this hospital can possibly give. We are here tonight to honor a man who has devoted his life to our hospital in his ceaseless efforts to cure the sick. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty, including occasionally placing his own life at risk for the benefit of his patients." Cuddy paused, smiling at House and then at Wilson, completely unaware that her efforts of concealment had been discovered.
"Please let me introduce Doctor James Wilson."
Wilson straightened his tie as he approached the microphone, glanced around the room, and settled on the man he was there to help honor.
"This will come as no surprise to many here that the person we are about to bestow this honor to is abrasive, curt, argumentative, brash, stubborn, rude, and…"
Wilson glanced around as he spoke, waiting for the gasps or open-gaped mouths that were sure to happen with the description of House, however there were none. Instead, he noted a few nodding in agreement, a few whispers here and there, and the look of horror on Cuddy's face. And he couldn't help but grin when he saw the look on House's face as he clearly enjoyed the look on Cuddy's. His only goal had been to honor his best friend and he knew that his choice of words would do exactly that.
"…simultaneously the most brilliant physician I've ever known. He takes liberties where other doctors fall short," Wilson noted the look of relief on Cuddy's face, "He cures the seemingly incurable. And House is relentless in efforts to heal his patients. He treated and cured patients while in the midst of his own life-threatening illness. Believe it or not, he actually has a heart."
House frowned as he now stared directly at Wilson. Wilson's eyebrows stretched high, his smile widened, and his spirit was more jovial and light-hearted than House had seen in a long time. He nodded briefly at Wilson in gratitude, grateful that, at least for the moment, he was not causing Wilson any concern. House was very much aware that he had been a burden to both his friend and to Cuddy during the previous year and a momentary break from his own guilt was welcomed.
Wilson continued. "A little known fact that many of you may not be aware of," Wilson began, as he focused on Mia. "Doctor House is the father of Mia Cuddy and she would like to say a few words."
It was then that an audible gasp could be heard throughout the lobby. Mia made her way to the podium, as Wilson stood aside.
Cuddy watched House for any kind of reaction. She shook her head and smiled. "You knew."
House shrugged. "You can't keep a secret from me."
Nervously, Mia approached the microphone. "My Dad has saved thousands of lives, including mine. Many of his former patients are here tonight and I just wanted to say thank you for being here to honor my Dad." Mia looked at House and he at her. "And to my Dad, I just want to say that I know I'm the lucky one. I'm the one you chose and I'm proud to be your daughter."
The audience burst into applause as Mia swiped a tear from her cheek.
"Family, friends, former patients, and staff here at Princeton Plainsboro have put together a little video. We hope you enjoy it," Mia said.
She returned to her table, wrapped her arms around House's neck and squeezed tight as a projection screen descended from the ceiling. Mia placed a quick peck on his cheek and sat beside him.
The video began and the room quieted down as they watched photos of House, members of his team, various patients, and scenes from the hospital, through the years, on the large screen overhead. The photos were interspersed with short clips of his team thanking him for his wisdom, patients thanking him for saving their lives, and towards the end, a comical bit with a pair of lawyers thanking House for keeping them in business. It concluded with Cuddy, Wilson, Mia, Shelby, and Chris standing at the entrance to House's office. No one spoke, they simply waved.
At the end of the video, Wilson returned to the microphone and waited for the clapping to die down. He fumbled for a bit with the button on his jacket, needlessly adjusted the height of the microphone, and finally looked up at the crowd. He avoided looking directly at House.
"We didn't know if this would be a sort of memorial or if House would be here to annoy all of us," Wilson said with a half-hearted smile.
"So, it is with great honor and my utmost privilege to present this plaque, permanently naming the Department of Diagnostics at Princeton Plainsboro as the Gregory House Diagnostic Wing to the best doctor I've ever known, and the best friend I've ever had, Doctor Greg House."
As Wilson concluded his speech, Mia and Chris, pulled the drape to reveal the plaque beneath. The applauding began, and with a nudge from Cuddy, a reluctant House stood from his seat to make his way to the podium. As he approached, the members of his team and Wilson appeared on either side of him, hands held high, each with one of his own canes, held in the air to form an archway for House to pass under. One look at them and House began to chuckle.
Slowly, he made his way through the tunnel and with an assist from Chase, he stepped onto the platform. Chase released House's arm and waited to be sure he was steady before returning to his seat.
"I wasn't going to show up tonight," House began. "Wilson would have been disappointed, but he would have understood."
Wilson cocked an eyebrow and gave a half-nod.
"But, I knew this wasn't for him and I still didn't want to come."
House focused on the back of the chair at the first table instead of looking around the room at the faces there to support him. He would have seen a few puzzled looks, a few knowing looks, and a few who look disappointed, had he glanced into the crowd.
House caught Mia's eye; she looked confused and hurt by his words.
"There are a lot of people in this room who have been better to me than I deserve."
He looked around the room and finally focused on his team at the table adjacent to his own. "People who should have gone out on their own to find jobs better than this one." His team nodded. Chase put two fingers to his forehead and saluted House.
"People who," House looked at Wilson, "were insane enough to be my friend."
Wilson smiled.
House looked at Cuddy. "People who were stupid enough to love me."
Cuddy smiled.
House again looked at Mia. "People who I am proud of."
He shifted his weight, still not yet steady on his feet for extended periods of time.
"And people who had the brilliance to seek my medical advice," he said with a twinkle in his eye as he scanned the room.
"Thanks.," House said, quietly.
The room again broke out into applause as House leaned into the microphone. "Now someone help an old cripple off this thing."
Wilson shook his head, all the while smiling, stood from his seat and took hold of House's arm from underneath, steadying him by the elbow.
"That," Wilson said, eyebrows raised, "was nice."
"Didn't want to burn any bridges," House said, stepping off of the platform. "Might need these people for the next time I do something stupid."
"Well, that's a strong possibility," Wilson said.
As they approached the table, Wilson motioned for Chris and Mia to follow him. "Come on, they're cutting the cake," he said.
House walked over to Cuddy and gave her an unabashed kiss for all to see.
"Was my speech okay, Mommy?" he asked.
"Couldn't have been better," Cuddy said.
"Do I get a prize for being a good boy?"
Cuddy lowered her voice, glancing around to be sure no one else could hear her. "Remember when I said I didn't get you a gift?"
House nodded as a wry smile formed.
"I lied."
"So, whatja get me?"
She leaned in to whisper into his ear. "Monster truck porn."
"Whoa," he exhaled.
Cuddy held his hand and led him towards the cake. "Mia's spending the night at Sarah's."
"You are incredible," he leaned in, "and insatiable."
Cuddy handed him a piece of cake and smiled, knowingly. "I know."
Fin.
