Disclaimer: House isn't mine but Libby, Dr. Fletcher, Dr. Brenner, and Dr. Harrison are. That's about it.

Author's Note: Wow, that was some intense chapter! I would like to thank all my lovely reviewers who gave me nice reports. Oh, and ya know how last chapter I saw that I hoped to have the plot going by the end of this chapter? Well, more like 1 quarter of the way into Chapter 7. As long as I keep getting reviews and such, I'll update. Hint hint cough cough review.

The month that had passed since Cameron's death was crazy. House had returned to work after two weeks, and kept Libby in his office. It worked out surprisingly well; someone was in there almost all the time, when they weren't House had a baby monitor poised right next to his beeper, and everyone was under strict rules to wash their hands as often as possible in order to avoid getting Libby sick.

The team was currently working on the case of Maria Serten. Bruised easily, very weak, she should have gone to see a regular doctor before a trip down the stairs led to her nearly bleeding to death. Now, the team called out diagnosis that fit the symptoms as Libby looked on in her little baby seat. It always surprised Chase that a baby could be so…content to observe.

"Differential diagnosis, people!"

Wilson called out. "Leukemia. Explains all the symptoms."

"Differential diagnosis. Cancer's boring."

"You don't want to run a test because it's boring? This is a new low."

"You just think it's leukemia because you're an oncologist."

"You just think it's something else because you have nothing to do."

Foreman and Chase watched their banter with interest. No matter how long they worked for House, they would never achieve this level of…friendship? Respect? Cameron had this with House, but Cameron was gone. Foreman glanced at the baby. It's my fault she's gone, I shouldn't have left her, I should have been able to tell something was going to happen, an aneurism is under my specialty, if I had been in there I could have saved her. Even as Foreman thought this, he knew it was stupid and that he couldn't have done anything. But still, the last time he had seen her alive, he had panicked and left. He would never be able to forgive himself. He looked back at Libby. I'll never walk out on her if she needs me. Never.

"Foreman?"

Foreman glanced up. House wanted a diagnosis from him now.

"Uhhh, Hemophilia B."

"One problem Einstein. Maria's a woman."

"Hemophilia B can rarely occur in women or ummm…Maria can secretly be a Mario, maybe?"

Chase and Wilson snorted. "Foreman, I think we would have noticed that in ER check-up."

"What? She could be a transvestite."

"The medical file mentions nothing of the kind."

"She has no insurance. It could have been done by an uncertified surgeon."

Chase looked up. "If she has no insurance, then how are we treating her?"

"Her father's paying for it. Ok, Foreman, test for Hemophilia B and Chase, examine Ms. Serten's business end and see if you notice anything peculiar."

"What about the leukemia."

"Fine. Test for that too because Wilson wants to be boring."

The remaining ducklings left but Wilson and House stayed behind. Wilson was still staying with House, seeing as his divorce papers had just come in the mail and Julie had gotten the house and Wilson thought it best to continue staying with his friend. No way could he handle losing his wife, handling a new baby and his job at the same time. Or so he thought.

Wilson looked at House with a mixture of curiosity and respect as he hobbled over to his daughter and picked her up, gently ran his hand over her soft baby hair, a look of peace came across his face and his featured softened. Wilson would have never thought House could find such fulfillment in something so small but he did. Libby was her father's joy.

"You're good at that." House looked up at Wilson.

"At what?"

"Taking care of Libby. You're doing more than a square job. It's a good thing."

House looked down at his daughter. "She's…she's my girl."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

An hour or so passed like that. Chase had noticed some oddities with Ms. Serten and was helping Foreman run the labs. He stared at Cameron's empty chair. It was still in the exact same position as it was in since she last sat in it. No one wanted to move it, to disturb it. It was like their own private tombstone.

Foreman, terrified of the silence that filled this room now, broke the quiet. "Whatdoya think?"

Chase glanced up. "Huh?"

"Mary Serten."

"Oh. I don't know. Her name's Maria. Do you…miss her?"

"No, why would I miss Maria Serten?"

"No, not her. Cameron."

"Oh." Foreman, suddenly uncomfortable, looked down at the tests he was running. Leukemia: negative, Hemophilia B: positive. "I was right. I'll start the treatment." And with that he rushed off, leaving Chase alone in an unbearable silence, a constant reminder of what once was.

Chase called out "you never answered my question" but Foreman was already gone. Of course he did you stupid, he feels guilty. Why shouldn't he? Why should you? It's not your job to.

But Chase left those thoughts in a dark corner of his mind and continued his crossword, happy to occupy his brain with something he could put down whenever he wanted to.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A very annoyed Cuddy stumbled into the Oncology Lounge. She knew she would find House here; he hadn't set foot in the Maternity Ward, let alone the Maternity Lounge, since he had taken Libby home. Her eyes darted around and eventually settled on House idly playing yo-yo next to Libby, still in her baby carrier.

"House!"

"Uh-oh. Have I gots some 'splainin to do?"

"You were supposed to be in the clinic two hours ago!"

"Yes, but you see, people are especially stupid today. It is insulting to my intelligence to see them."

Cuddy chose her words very carefully and said them very slowly and pronounced. "House, if you don't get down to the clinic right now I swear I'll…"

"What about Libby? I don't want to pick up something and give it to her."

"You'll wash your hands; I'll bring Libby into my office for the time being."

"Fine. Have it your way, Ricky." He hobbled off.

Cuddy barely resisted the urge to lunge at House and cane him. It wasn't until she was halfway up to her office with Libby that she realized this would be the first time she ever babysat.

Cuddy plopped the baby seat down on her desk.

"Ok, Libs. Libby. Libby-doo-dah. Here's the deal. If you're nice to me, and if you don't cry or scream, then I promise I won't either: Ok?"

Cuddy was disgusted with herself. Making a deal with a two week old baby? What was wrong with her? But still, she found herself reaching out her hand to shake with Libby. To her surprise, Libby grabbed her finger, her fingers not even reaching around the whole thing, and waited for Cuddy to shake.

Cuddy laughed. "Ok, then. I've got some work to do, so you just sit tight ok sweetie?"

Cuddy took the subsequent giggle from Libby as confirmation and proceeded to finish some paperwork.

Things continued like that for at least an hour and a half before Libby started to get fussy. Cuddy panicked as the baby began to cry. Oh man, what do I do now? Everyone's gonna hear her cry, what a set of lungs she has, a potential benefactor is gonna be here in fifteen minutes, I can't have a crying baby…

Not knowing what else to do, Cuddy picked up Libby and started to rock her back and forth in her arms. This calmed her down a little but she was still upset. Ok, maybe she's not just fussy, maybe she needs something. Diaper: Clean (thank goodness.) Suddenly Cuddy slapped herself on the forehead. Bottle! Maybe she's hungry. Now I have to get a bottle…and fast…

So Cuddy made her way down to the Maternity Ward and snuck some formula. Then she washed out the bottle once, twice, three times until she got back to her office. By some miracle, it occurred to her to get a towel to put over her shoulder in case she spit up.

By the time Cuddy got back to her office, she was almost excited to feed Libby. She made herself comfortable in the same office chair she had used for the past six years, crooked Libby into the curve of her elbow, and started to feed her. It worked like a charm. As Libby drank, she gazed up at Cuddy, a silent thank-you.

Cuddy realized that this was the happiest she had ever been since she found out she was the new Dean of Medicine. She suddenly felt incredibly sorry for Cameron, that she was robbed of this ecstasy, this immense joy that came from providing your baby with what it needs to live.

And with that feeling came sorrow for another person, for Libby. Cuddy would never know how it felt to have your time of birth recorded half an hour before your mother's time of death.

It wasn't until after House came up to take Libby home, and Cuddy had proudly said what an excellent child he had, that Cuddy realized that she had already started thinking about Libby as "her baby."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Five Months Later…

House thought it was an incredible thing that Libby was six months old already. Cuddy had thrown together a small non-birthday, non-party for Libby in the Diagnostics Lounge. The only people in attendance were Cuddy, House, Foreman, Chase, and Wilson. Wilson had picked up a small Carvel ice-cream cake that only Foreman, Chase and Wilson had eaten. No one had any music, so Cuddy had just turned on the radio.

While Wilson, Foreman, and Chase were talking, Cuddy approached House about something she knew they had to discuss, even though she hated that fact.

"House?"

House turned around from feeding Libby some cake.

"Oh, do you want to feed her? Here." House handed a surprised Cuddy the small plastic spoon he had been using. Cuddy stared at it for a few seconds, not sure if House was joking or not.

House shifted uncomfortably. "Cuddy?"

"Oh, yeah!" Cuddy decided that House was serious and took a small spoon of chocolate ice-cream and gave it to Libby.

The face Libby made upon tasting anything chocolate for the first time was classical. It rivaled that of Chase's the first time he had to dissect human stool samples. Cuddy burst out laughing. "She hates it! How could she hate chocolate?"

House seemed equally amazed. Cuddy was still laughing but when she remembered what she had come to discuss in the first place, her expression straightened abruptly.

"House?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you know, it's been six months now, and you only have Chase and Foreman on your team, and you've been doing a good job but…"

"You want me to replace Cameron." House looked down at the floor uncomfortably.

"House, no one can ever replace Cameron. But your team needs someone new, you can't continue with just two people, Foreman and Chase are overworked and this isn't the kind of job where you hope to get lucky with your diagnosis. People's lives are on the line and…

"And by people's lives I guess you mean your butt."

"House! It's not like that and you know it's not like that."

They both stood awkwardly, waiting for the other to say something. Finally, House broke the silence.

"Fine. I'll find someone else."

"Good. I've already sifted through a ton of applications and set up appointments with the most promising ones to come tomorrow for an interview. So…be good. I have to go now. Bye."

And Cuddy left the room very fast, because she did not want to deal with House when he digested the information that she had practically already hired someone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Applicant One…Dr. Mark Fletcher

Wilson was sitting in on the interviews in accordance of strict orders from House to "not leave me with a bunch of idiot duckling hopefuls." What House didn't know was that Wilson was also under strict orders from Cuddy to "not leave that idiot House with a bunch of idiot hopefuls." House had once again left Libby with Cuddy, a habit of theirs that they both secretly enjoyed. Cuddy would never tell anyone but she dreaded when Libby would be 7 ½ months old, which was when House planned on putting her in the PPTH day-care center/

A confidant looking doctor strode in to the office. He was tall, with brown hair and brown eyes, about 37 years old, very ordinary looking.

"Dr. House, let me introduce myself. My name is Dr. Mark Fletcher. I specialize in genetics." Fletcher gestured towards Wilson. "I assume this is your boyfriend, Dr…?"

"NEXT!"

House looked at Wilson for a minute after Fletcher left before erupting in laughter, but Wilson's face was bright red.

"And I thought I would be the one without any patience for the ducklings."

Applicant Two…Dr. Anita Brenner

A beautiful woman with blonde hair walked coyly into the office. Wilson like her immediately, but House, being House, had his reservations. Brenner flipped her hair and she gave a suggestive wave to Wilson. Wilson started.

"So, ummm, Dr. Brenner, hi. What's your sexuality?"

House and Brenner looked at Wilson.

"Specialty! I mean specialty. Yeah."

Brenner giggled. "Whatever you want it to be, Dr."

"NEXT!"

Brenner cat-walked out and House looked at Wilson. "What? What? Oh, come on, House. I tripped over the words. They sound alike.

"Yeah, ok. Sure, Wilson. Just keep telling that to yourself."

Applicant Three…Dr. Carl Harrison

This doctor was tall with smart, graying hair, sharp gray eyes, and looked about 40. His easy confidence made Wilson automatically like him, and he could tell House saw something in him too. For the first time Wilson could remember, House began the questioning.

"So, Dr…"

"Harrison."

"Dr. Harrison. Ok, what's your specialty?"

"Nuclear Medicine. It's a very interesting field."

"I see. Where did you work before hand?"

"Seabourne Hospital in Massachusetts."

"Do you watch "The Three Stooges?"

"Sometimes, but I don't see how…"

"Ok. You're hired. Tomorrow morning. 7:30. Here. Bye."

Harrison stood up and left. Wilson rolled his eyes at House.

"What? I wanted to see if he could think on his feet, Tweedle-Dumb."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Nuclear Medicine will make a good addition."

"Whatever you say."

House stood up and stretched. "Ok, I have to go pick up Libby, then home. See you there? Or do you have a date with Wife Number Four?"

"Who's that?"

"Wilson and Brenner sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love…then comes marriage…then comes the lawyer with the pre-numps package!"

House laughed to himself as Wilson walked angrily off. When he went into Cuddy' office, she was in meeting with some doctor so he just made eye-contact with her to show that he had Libby and she hadn't been kidnapped.

House balanced Libby on his hip as he got all of her stuff together (diaper bag and her teddy-bear which was the only toy she played with.) "How's my girl?" Libby giggled and made her best attempt yet to hug him. House smiled to himself. My girl.

TBC

Author's Note: Wow! Two huge chapters in two days! Ohhhhh yeah! Ok, I did my job now please review! Oh, and if anyone saw any HoYay between Wilson and House in this chapter, it was totally unintentional. They are not going to get together in this story. However…I am in the very early stages of setting up for another couple. Oh, by the way, the plot will definitely be in full swing by the middle of Chapter Seven! It was set up here, but I made no hints as to what it is. Once again, review please!