February 28th –
Wilson, nearly dragging himself up the steps of the Princeton Municipal Court, hastily gathered his thoughts together before he entered the hearing. He had just returned from his honeymoon that morning, and was feeling aggravated at the fact that this was the first thing he was pulled in to do. He would've gladly embraced coming back to work right now, feeling regretful for having responded to his phone that afternoon.
When he reached the waiting area he saw Cuddy, to his surprise, waiting around with the kids by a set of doors leading into the corridors that held a series of court rooms. She stood up wearing a somber face, almost gray in its own structure's shadows. He read her look and his mood quickly changed. The annoyance that seemed to spill out his eyes quickly replaced with fear. He knew something had happened. The fear was in finding out what that was.
Without an exchange of words, they all walked together through the set of doors for House's hearing.
"And how do you plea to these charges, Dr. House?" asked the judge. There was a brief moment of hesitation.
"Not guilty."
12 days Earlier – February 16
Monday morning
House woke up that morning to raucous in the kitchen—cabinets and drawers, opening and closing—accompanied by the pitter-patter of feet on the wooden floor. When he opened his eyes, Rachel was doing circles in the living room, Aj was cradled by pillows on the couch, and Cuddy was messing around in the kitchen. He got up slowly, being cautious of the morning ache in his leg. Walking toward the kitchen, he caught Rachel in her run, swept her up and carried her into the kitchen. He sat her down on the table, and caught a flash of her arm again, causing a tightening in his stomach.
"Who's Thannie," he asked aloud as he went toward the fridge. Cuddy turned her head from the stove and looked over at him.
"Who?"
"Or someone who sounds like Thannie," he said opening the fridge. He reached in and grabbed two juice boxes out of it, closed the door after, and slid the other across the table top to Rachel. After inserting her straw she slid off the edge and began to run around again.
"Someone we know?" Cuddy asked looking down at the pan. She was cooking chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.
"Oh no," he started sarcastically, "I saw someone look in the window this morning with a nametag that said Thannie, I thought you would've known."
"Someone we both know, I meant. Trying to feed right now if you didn't notice. Do you even eat by the way? I had to run out this morning for foods even you should have in your fridge and cupboards."
"I have a very intricate system of how I obtain my food. It consists of delivered cooking from the three oriental take out places within the one-mile radius from me, as well as Wilson's dinners. However, those are on occasion, " he said stabbing his straw into the hole.
"You should cook for yourself sometimes. It's better for you," she said as she flipped a pancake.
"It's more convenient to have someone else do it for you. I thought that was why people got married," he said grabbing one of the pancakes on the serving plate. She only smiled as he walked back into the living room. As he did, he saw Rachel by the piano, looking eager to play it. When she caught him looking at her, he only nodded as a sign of permission for her to play. She started to play the melody of heart and soul.
He sat down on the couch next to Aj, resisting the urge to play with her. He, however, winced at all the notes she slipped on. Frustrated, he got up and walked over to watch her play, analyzing what she was doing wrong.
"No-no-no-no-no-no-no, you're starting on the wrong key," he said lifting her hand. He moved it down to the right scale, and the notes started flowing better. Disregarding his resistance to not play, he stuffed the rest of his pancake in his mouth, set his juice box down, and sat on the bench beginning to play the accompanying chords.
After about two or three measures in, Cuddy peaked from behind the archway after turning off the stove. She folded her arms and leaned against the wall as the music filled up the room. Suddenly, she caught eye of Aj beginning to stir on the couch, and rushed over to aid him. Yet when she reached him, he was only waving his arms and legs, smiling.
She picked him up and embraced her contented child as she watched House and Rachel play. His improvising techniques removed the repetitiveness of her lead, but seemed to still illuminate the notes that she played.
When he realized that she had been watching, he turned his head and looked back over at her and the boy.
"We're art geniuses, are we not?" he asked with a cocked brow. He caught her laugh before he turned back around to continue playing. Then, when Rachel suddenly stopped, he improvised a quick ending to finish the song.
Cuddy took Aj's hands in hers and clapped them together as she praised the musicians with a yay! Picking up his juice again, House sucked the straw fiercely before getting up and going into the kitchen.
"Is she taking lessons?" he asked from the counter. He started brewing a fresh pot of coffee.
"Should she be?" Cuddy played.
"It'd be a waste if she wasn't. She can recognize a pattern and apply it. The only thing she's missing is the notes."
"I think she's capable of self-teaching…get assistance from someone she knows…" she said slyly. He poked his head from behind the arch wall.
"I'd have to check my schedule," he teased before quickly pulling back his head. Rachel walked back over to Cuddy and sat on the couch, trying to play with Aj. Cuddy glanced at her arms again and saw the edges of the bruises on the side of her forearm.
"Why did you ask? About the name?" Cuddy spoke aloud from her thoughts.
"The kid. She mentioned it yesterday. She's got an abnormal bruise, and that name came up. Did you notice?" he called back. There was a silence; this followed a snap of the coffee maker, followed by a steady rumble of brewing coffee, then light footsteps as he walked into the living room to address her lack of response.
"I saw both, actually," she uttered with suspicion. He just stood in the archway of the kitchen as they both looked at each other.
"So I'll ask again: who is 'Thannie'?" His tone changed quickly. Her face became flustered as she tried to recall names.
"I don't—"
"It's obviously someone she associates with. So it's either she's developing a speech impediment or you're losing your memory," he spoke aggravated. His eyes had slightly widened, with his body tense and tight.
"Oh my God," she said finally. "Danny. She's talking about Danny, her nanny." She looked down at Rachel who was now enthusiastically nodding to their realization.
"A guy," he spoke incredulously. Her look validated his observation, causing him to continue. "A male nanny? You're joking right?" he asked angry. He began to walk around in search of something as she continued to talk at him.
"Ha-ha, yeah I get it; he's a guy and a nanny, that's hilarious. I already got the heat from Wilson about that. I don't need to be berated by you too," she uttered with annoyance. "What the hell are you looking for?"
"Keys," he said looking through their jackets. "Which I left in the car."
"You forgot—"
"That my bike keys are on my car keys, yeah," he said walking around the room. She cradled Aj and leaned back on the couch, watching House walk around the living room as if trying to remember something. When he did, he darted towards the mantel and out of a wooden box he grabbed what seemed to be a spare key. He clutched it tight, and started for the door. "What's his name?"
"Danny. Danny Tates—Daniel Tates," she said quickly. "He gave those to her?" House held onto the door as he responded.
"I know he gave those to her. And, I'm not berating you for him being a male nanny. I'm berating you for him being an abusive male nanny." Cuddy's expression changed. "Get her to Mendel, and tell him to whip out his rape kit."
With a slam of the door, the apartment's insignificant sounds elevated their presence; the hum of the refrigerator, the ticking of the wall clock, and the steady flow of the coffee brewing fiercely hot into the pot.