Chapter 53: Yes, House is a Father
Gabrielle and House quietly walked into Cuddy's room and checked to make sure that she was still awake. Cuddy looked over and slightly smiled at the two. "I'm still pregnant," she announced.
House walked over and stood at her bedside. He leaned down and kissed her before taking his seat next to the bed.
Gabrielle stood back against the wall and smiled as she watched the two. There were no words exchanged between them, but, with those two, actions spoke louder than words. House reached over and grabbed her shoulder for a minute as he stared to her with what seemed like a bitter sweet look. Cuddy just sighed and grabbed his hand.
"What do they think?" House asked.
Cuddy looked up to him. The smile had faded from her face. "Most likely chronic pancreatitis."
"What does that mean?" Gabrielle asked clearing the silence that had fallen over the room.
House turned his attention to her. "Well, it heightens the risk of a miscarriage, health problems." He sighed, and almost subconsciously pulled his hand out from underneath Cuddy's and grabbed her hand. He comfortingly squeezed it. "But, if you take care of yourself, which I know you will to the point where you'll seem paranoid, you won't have too much trouble." He turned back to her. "And after the twins are born, I might have to share my magic pills with mommy."
"That right there is a lovely thought," she sarcastically remarked. She sat there for a minute and then looked up to him. "I have to apologize for earlier."
Gabrielle could see that they needed to be alone and softly smiled as she slipped out of the room.
House just shook his head. "Gab already explained." He raised his eyebrow to her. "Although, coming from the woman who tells me to stay out of other people's business, I find it surprising that you go around listening in on conversations."
Cuddy rolled her eyes. "I was going to open the door you know," she said with offense.
"I guess next time you will," he said, but not as teasingly as he had intended it to be.
Cuddy stared straight into his blue eyes while hers were laced with hurt. "And I guess next time you won't run out."
Those were the words to hit him. He could see her eyes beginning to water and the guilt settled in. "I won't," he said blankly staring. At the moment that was the only thing that he could think to say.
They both sat there not knowing what to say to each other. House leaned in and kissed her. She accepted the kiss as she felt his hand gently lay on top of her belly. She felt that that meant more than anything that he would ever say. She took her hand and laid it on top of his.
Cuddy sighed. "I think you should get back to your office. I'm sure your team will have some questions." House just looked to her with confusion, but before he could ask, she continued. "Cameron was in the ER at the time that I was there and she knows about the pregnancy, she just doesn't know that you're the father."
"I see," House said and then stood up. "I guess they've already started to put the pieces together if she had said anything to them."
"I doubt she did, but you know how quickly things spread if the nurses find things out and then tell others. You had better go tell them something before they start asking Gabi down there," Cuddy said.
"Well, she'll keep her mouth shut until I get down there," House said. He turned and walked out of the room. To his surprise, she was standing right outside the door. "Eavesdropping?" he asked.
Gabrielle looked up to him. She had been leaning against the opposite wall from the door. "Nope. Just felt like waiting for you I guess." She sighed and stood up as House closed the door to the room. "How is she?"
House started walking down the hall and Gabrielle followed him. "The same as she was when you had left the room."
"Wonderful," Gabrielle said.
House looked over and raised his eyebrow. "What? You were with her most of the time."
"Why weren't you?" Gabrielle asked.
House stopped and turned to her. He knew why, and he was sure that she also picked up on the answer.
Gabrielle stood there and waited for the answer, that obviously was not coming. "It's not that hard to tell. You were scared. The one fear that had been stuck in the backs of both of your guy's heads was becoming real to you." Gabrielle shrugged as she softly laughed. "I mean, I know you're not afraid of Cuddy herself when she's mad. The only thing you could have been afraid of was, losing Cuddy."
House just rolled his eyes. "And did you stay by her the entire time out of guilt? Or were you trying to make sure that she wouldn't stop acting like mommy to you?"
Gabrielle shook her head and smiled, covering the fact that those words actually hit her. "Don't turn this around on me. You were afraid to walk in that door because you were afraid that she was never going to talk to you again and you wouldn't know why. You didn't want to walk in there and be told that she didn't want you there."
House leaned on his cane and raised his eyebrows. "What's that? You're avoiding my question?"
Gabrielle's shoulders quickly dropped. "Fine! Okay?" Tears started to build up in her eyes. "You're right, I do like being around people who care about me." Her hands moved to her hips as she looked towards the ceiling and took a deep breath to calm herself. "But you know what?" she asked as she looked back to him. "I also know how it feels to be hurt and think that no one cares. I know that there are millions of people out there who don't give a damn, and that's okay, but when your own family turns on you when you're hurt, it feels horrible." Gabrielle just sighed. "And right now, we are her family. She thought you were against her, and I just couldn't let her think that she was going to be alone." Gabrielle shrugged with defeat and then motioned to him. "And you're right. I did feel guilty about what I had put her through. But again, I still would have been there if she had done nothing to help out with the trial." Gabrielle's face softened as she looked up to her father. "Don't be so afraid to trust that someone won't hurt you, especially those who need you."
House stood up straight and watched her as she walked down the hall towards the elevator. He just looked down towards the floor for a minute before following her down to his office.
**************
The team joined by Chase and Cameron sat around in the quiet room. Chase had been the one to ask them if they had known anything about what had happened. All they seemed to know was that Cuddy was pregnant and that House had been hanging around her a lot.
"You think its his?" Thirteen asked from her seat in the back.
Walked over and handed her her cup of coffee as he took his seat. "House?" It was hard for him to even believe that Gabrielle was his daughter.
"I don't know, he does seem to have the hots for her," Taub mentioned.
"And you did say that Cuddy was helping out with Gabrielle's trial. You have to be a little close to someone to do something like that for their kid," Cameron added. She was able to see it with the present situation.
Chase looked over to his wife. "Cuddy? Just because she's helping out with a kid doesn't mean anything. You've all seen how she is with kids."
Thirteen just looked over at him and pulled out a few twenty dollar bills. "Bet a hundred its his."
Chase looked down and thought for a moment. Nodding in agreement, he pulled out his money and laid it on the table. "Alright, you're on."
Kutner walked over to the whiteboard and wrote down the letter of everyone's first names. Next to the Ch, he wrote a 'no' and then went down and wrote 'yes' next to the Th. He then went down and wrote a 'yes' next to the K. "Count me in," he said tossing his money onto the pile.
Cameron smiled as she pulled out her share. "Who says he can't be romantic?" she asked laying her money down. Chase looked over at her with surprise.
"I do," Foreman said adding his money.
Taub stepped up to the table. "I guess I'll be the final yes." He put the money down and sighed.
Kutner looked over the board. "Four to two, obviously we don't all see it as impossible."
House and Gabrielle walked into the room and everyone became silent. "What? Planning an orgy or something?"
"Wouldn't that be your department?" Gabrielle asked.
"That's why I'm offended." House walked over and looked at the whiteboard. "Well, look at that. Cameron, Thirteen, Taub, and Kutner won."
"You know what we're betting on?" Kutner asked.
House turned and walked over to grab a cup of coffee. "Whether or not I'm the father of Cuddy's baby right?" There was a silence that he took as a yes. "And the letters with the yes next to them, mean that they think I'm the father right?" Another silence. "Boy you're all talkative tonight."
"Well, I guess that I should also tell you about her involvement in the trial. She's now my mom to," Gabrielle said.
"I'm telling that you took ownership of her," House said.
"You jealous?" Gabrielle innocently asked. "Tell me, is it mine or her attention you're after."
"How did you….?" Chase trailed off.
"We live together," House answered without any hesitation. "And in a little while, you'll be calling her doctor House to."
Everyone in the room just turned and looked to him with shock. This only caused Gabrielle to laugh. "I think you gave them more then they were ready for."
House just shrugged. "Come on, we need to go talk to Wilson." With that, both House and Gabrielle walked out of the room.
