She took her family to get a tree and spent the rest of the night putting up decorations and covering the tree. In the morning, Thomas, Ellie, and Olive went to pick up her mother and Natalie stayed behind with Cuddy to finish decorating the house and to make brunch. Cuddy was almost relieved to not have to make small talk and Natalie took her direction well.
"I don't know if your mom and dad will like Dr. House very much," she said.
Natalie didn't respond.
"He's off-putting," she admitted. Natalie shrugged. "He's snide and self-serving," she continued. "He never listens to me at work."
Natalie smiled.
"Yeah, okay, I like him," she admitted. By the time brunch was finished, she heard the car in the driveway. "Grandma is here," she said, trying not to sound nervous. Natalie abandoned setting the table and ran out the front door into the snow without boots or a coat. Cuddy heard excited voices and car doors closing. She stood in the kitchen helplessly. She wished House was there to take the brunt of the attention.
"Where is my daughter?" she heard her mother call from the entry way. She wiped her hands on the dishtowel and walked out.
"Hi, Mom," she said, standing tall. Her mother stared at her, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. "How was your trip?"
"Lisa!" she said. "Goodness."
"I told you she had a surprise," Thomas said, guiltily.
"I know I probably should have said something," she said. Her mother raised her hand to her mouth and walked past her into the bathroom.
"That went well," Ellie said.
"30 seconds to make mom cry is a new record," Thomas said. "Go wash your hands, girls," he said. The girls, watching over their shoulders, went into the kitchen to use the sink.
"You go eat," Cuddy ordered. "I'll deal with this." She knocked on the bathroom door. "Mom?" she called. "Can I come in?"
"It's your house," her mother called back. Cuddy opened the door to find her mother sitting on the closed toilet, dabbing at her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Cuddy said. "Let me explain."
"I don't understand why you want to cut me out of your life!" her mother wailed, fresh tears falling.
"I'm not young anymore! I went though fertility treatments to harvest eggs but my doctor suggested now or never. I went through one insemination and I didn't think it would take. But it did and I wasn't married and I didn't want you to be ashamed and it just… got away from me," she said.
"That's a sad excuse," her mother accused.
"Maybe," Cuddy said.
"Tell me everything now," her mother demanded.
"Mom, brunch…"
"NOW!"
"All right! I'm about six months along. It's… twins."
"Twins!" her mother exclaimed, showing real excitement.
"The thing is, the father isn't some anonymous donor. He's a doctor at the hospital."
"So you are seeing someone?" her mother asked.
"It's complicated," she said. "He's coming for dinner and bringing his parents so if we could just all get along… I'm starving, can we eat?" She took her mother's hand.
"Okay, okay," her mother said.
oooo
Her mother and Ellie set about starting the dinner and Cuddy went to take a slight nap. She was tired a lot of the time now and meant only to sleep for an hour or so but woke in the late afternoon to the sound of the doorbell. She knew it was House and his parents but she was tired and groggy and they could just introduce themselves. Before long, her bedroom door opened and House came in. She closed her eyes, feigning sleep. The mattress shifted and she felt a cool hand on her forehead. She opened her eyes.
"Hi," he said.
"You're here."
"You feeling okay?" he asked. "You're warm."
"Just tired," she said. "I've slept for too long."
"Thanks for helping facilitate the introductions," he accused.
"Sorry," she said, but she wasn't. "Let's stay for a moment."
"Okay," he said, stretching out beside her. She snuggled up against his long form.
"My mom was…" She shook her head. "Hurt." House's fingers rubbed the taut skin of her belly and it felt nice.
"Understandable," he said. "She'll forgive you."
"Maybe as long as there are 20 fingers and 20 toes." He chuckled and placed a kiss on her warm neck. "We should probably go."
"I hate the holidays," he said, against her skin. She felt his tongue dart out and squeezed her eyes closed. Lately, her hormones had been running wild throughout her body and the random attacks of arousal were becoming hard to ignore. His hand wandered up from her stomach to her tender breast. She bit her pillow. She rolled over to face him and pressed her mouth to his, throwing her leg over his hip so she could push against him. It was forward for her, but he didn't seem to mind.
"AUNTIE LISA!" Olive's voice broke through the door. "It's dinner time!" She and House broke apart and Cuddy called out.
"Okay!"
House's eyes were bright and she smiled at him.
"Later?" she said. He nodded and they reluctantly got out of bed. She pulled her wild hair into a plastic clip and they exited the bedroom trying to look nonchalant and innocent.
She shook hands with House's parents again. The table looked pretty set with china and candles.
"Dr. House," Mrs. Cuddy said. "You're very pleasant looking."
"Thanks," he said, running a hand through his already mussed hair.
"I expect attractive babies," Mrs. Cuddy said.
"Mom…" Thomas started.
"Do you have any other children?" Mrs. Cuddy asked House's parents.
"No, sadly," Mrs. House said. "But grandchildren are a blessing." Cuddy wondered how House had come from such kind people.
oooo
Cuddy changed the sheets on her bed and gave it to her mother. She, having nowhere to sleep, went home with House. He'd put his parents up in a hotel and so she spent the night at his place for the first time. His place was tasteful if masculine and he moved around with comfort.
"I have beer and water," he said.
"I just want to lay down," she said, setting down her overnight bag.
"Okay," he said. She took the bathroom first to wash her face and brush her teeth and put on her night clothes – a t-shirt from the AIDs walk and yoga pants. She got into bed while House showered and by the time he came out, she was long asleep. He was okay with that and lay awake a long time after he turned off the lamp. Outside, snow fell harshly, layering all the windowsills and cars on the narrow street of the college town. It didn't feel like Christmas Eve but then it hadn't for years. Still, he felt pretty good. He kept waiting for himself to get sick of Cuddy but it hadn't yet happened. When Stacy moved in, he'd been ruffled for a few weeks, adjusting to her but the adjustment with Cuddy was almost instant. She had something of his and he wanted to protect it always.
When he woke up, she wasn't in bed anymore and he could see the bathroom door ajar, the room empty. He took his pills and grabbed his cane. The living room and kitchen were both empty. He began to panic until he saw her out on the balcony with his robe on. He opened the door.
"Are you crazy?" he called. "It's twenty degrees outside." She had on his rain boots, also, which must have been at least a few sizes too big. He could see her foggy breath – her shivering hands.
"I just wanted to see it for a second," she said.
"Come in,"
"It's Christmas," she said. "Today."
"It's Christmas inside too," he begged. "Now I'm cold." She rolled her eyes and shuffled inside. Her face was red. "Go get in the shower and warm up."
"I'm fine," she said.
"You could get sick," he accused. "And those babies are half mine."
"Yeah, yeah," she said, and closed the bathroom door in his face. He called Wilson.
"Women are crazy," House said.
"Hello to you too," Wilson said.
"Are you coming to Christmas?"
"For dinner, I thought. Now?"
"Please," House said. "Come to my place."
Cuddy wasn't exactly surprised to see Wilson and House watching television when she came out.
"Merry Christmas," Wilson called.
"Yeah," Cuddy said. "We'll see." House liked when she was cynical. He decided to take a fast shower and when he came out, Cuddy had taken his spot on the couch and Wilson had his hand on her belly.
"Hey, keep your paws off," House grumbled.
"The babies are moving," Cuddy explained.
"Still doesn't make him faithful," House said, pulling on his coat.
"Thank you," Wilson said. "I'll be taking that with a grain of salt."
House didn't look forward to Christmas but for this moment in the comfort of his place with his two best friends, with his family of choice, he was pleased.