The first week of January, Cuddy felt like a stranger to herself. She had cried more in the past seven days than she had in the past seven years. She got angry over the smallest things and she was at work more than ever due to being short staffed. Still, she got a few large donations and it made her board happy.
She needed to think about putting together and nursery, names, day care, maternity leave. She was scared. House was House, though. He spent her newly donated money like it was his own, he ditched his clinic hours, he took one patient a week at most and he treated his team like personal assistants.
At night, he let her put her cold feet on his warm legs and so she forgave him.
She'd begun to have erotic dreams about seducing him long ago – except for every day she got a little bigger and every day she felt more and more unattractive. Still, he was affectionate in a kind, subtle way that just made her want to jump him. Until one day, she did. Or night, rather.
He was asleep – he slept like the dead and she'd woken up from the sound of the heat switching on. She felt antsy and bored and not tired. She rolled around, re-fluffed her pillows and tossed until he put one arm over her and said,
"S'okay," before falling deeper again. It was sweet and she leaned down to kiss his shoulder, his cheek, his bottom lip that was sticking out just so. "Mmm," he said.
"Are you awake?" she asked.
"I am," he said, opening his eyes.
"I'm ready, Greg," she said, hoping he would understand.
"Okay," he said. "Good."
The logistics were more complex than she was used to. His leg and her girth had to be dealt with but he was gentle and slow and attentive and she didn't mind being on top and he liked it too. She liked falling asleep with only blankets and skin and the snow outside. It really was the most natural thing in the world – loving the father of her babies. They'd spent a lot of time fending off nature but sometimes it was good and right.
oooo
She was due at the end of March and had graduated to a real OB-GYN who demanded bed rest for the whole month.
"You're kidding," she said. "Right?"
"You're an older mother carrying twins. I'm surprised you didn't expect this."
"But…"
"Find an interim Dean, Dr. Cuddy, and go home."
Cuddy had asked Dr. Wilson, of course, but to leave the hospital? She drove home annoyed and left Wilson three voicemails during the six mile drive.
Her mother had footed the bill for the decorator to come and build a nursery out of the guestroom. She had tried to say no but her mother was still sore about being left out of the loop and so Cuddy had allowed it. The room had gone unisex since the sonogram predicted a boy and a girl. It was nice with a parade of animals on the walls and white, clean looking furniture.
She put on pajamas and sat in her new rocking chair and waited. She would be doing a lot of that now, it seemed. She tried to imagine the babies in the room with her, but when she closed her eyes, no image came. There were two cribs, a changing table, and the room smelled like paint and fresh carpet. House, on his last beer run, had brought home a package of newborn diapers and baby wipes.
"I can't imagine doing this and being poor," he'd said, carefully putting the diapers underneath the changing table. She'd hugged him and started to cry on his shoulder. "Hey," he'd said. "What's up?"
"All those years you were a jerk," she'd wailed. "You just needed to knock me up!"
"What?" he asked, rubbing circles on her back.
"Why are you nice to me? It makes me cry," she said, wiping her eyes.
"I just bought diapers," he said.
"A month early," she said.
"Cuddy, I'll take them back," he said. "Right now." But she didn't want him to leave. Instead she kissed him and even though it had only been 8:30, they'd gone to bed.
The phone ringing pulled her out of her day dream and she got up with some effort to find the cordless in the kitchen.
"Hello?" she answered, sitting at the wooden chair so she could take her weight off her small feet.
"Lisa?" The unmistakable drawl was too familiar to misplace. "It's Stacy."
"Oh," she said. "Hi!"
"Hi," Stacy said. "I know we haven't talked in a while."
"Well," Cuddy said. "I understood your wanting… distance but I'm glad you called."
"I called your office but they said you'd gone home. You must be…close."
"About a month," Cuddy said. "About to pop really."
"Wow," Stacy said, but she sounded far away.
"Stacy? Are you okay?" Cuddy asked.
"I called to… really, ask a favor," she said. "Mark and I… it's over."
"Oh, Stacy," she said. "I'm sorry."
"Thank you," she said. "I know it's bold of me after I left, but if my old job is still available, I'd be in your debt forever." Cuddy was surprised. She and Stacy hadn't spoken in months. Cuddy was sure that she was hurt, in some way, that House and Cuddy had started a relationship but here she was, asking for her old life back.
"You want to come back to Princeton-Plainsboro?" she asked.
"I do," Stacy said.
"I thought you were determined to make it work," Cuddy said.
"Mark left me, Lisa," Stacy said.
"You always have a job with me," Cuddy said, because it was what she'd promised when Stacy had left.
"Oh God, thanks," she said. "I can be there… in two weeks."
"That's fine. You just call if you need anything," she said.
"Um, how's Greg?" Stacy asked. Cuddy wanted to say, mine! but she didn't.
"He's well," she said. "He is… excited."
"Thanks again," Stacy said. "I'll be in touch."
"Bye," Cuddy said, and looked down at the phone in her hand. Cuddy had written her friendship with Stacy off as a casualty of the changes in life. Now she was back and it was just like Stacy – she always showed up at the strangest times. She wondered what House would think about this. Stacy tended to make him crazy. A wave of worry overcame her.
Would House leave her for Stacy?
"I've made a huge mistake," she said into the quiet of her house.
oooo
When House came home, she was sitting on the couch with a quilt wrapped around her, watching Steel Magnolias, crying.
"Wonderful," he muttered, tossing his coat toward the coat rack but missed. He left it on the floor. "Why do women watch this drivel?"
Cuddy didn't respond. He sat next to her and put his arm across the back of the couch. She sniffed loudly and looked at him.
"What?" he asked.
"I have to tell you something," she said.
"Are the babies okay? Is this about the bed rest?" he asked, sitting up.
"No, I'm okay," she said. "Stacy called me today."
"Oh," he said.
"She's coming back to work at the hospital," Cuddy said.
"Is this what you're crying about?" he asked. "Wilson already told me. He processed her paperwork and told me."
"I didn't want you to…" she shrugged. "It's Stacy."
"Cuddy," he said, leaning toward her, "You're beached with my babies. What kind of man do you take me for?"
"Beached?" she asked, frowning.
"It stopped working with Stacy a long time ago," he assured her. "But this? This works."
"We'll see," she said. "She has those pointy eyebrows and those pointy…eyebrows."
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she snapped, leaning back against him.
"I was thinking," he said, tapping the rubber foot of his cane against her coffee table, a habit she loathed. "What if I rented out my apartment?"
She paused the movie.
"What now?" she asked.
"I sleep here every night and with you confined to the house, you'll need the company more than ever," he said. "Plus I want to buy something cool with the extra money it will provide."
"You really want to give up your apartment?" she asked. "What's next, an engagement ring?"
"Don't hold your breath, Dr. Incubator," he said. Strangely, she wasn't surprised.
oooo
Cuddy wasn't very good about laying in bed when House was gone. She stayed in the house for the most part but on Stacy's first day back, she just couldn't stay away. Wilson was doing a fine job, of course, but when she appeared in her office in a pair of maternity jeans, Keds, and one of House's blue oxford shirts, Wilson looked strangely relieved.
"Your job sucks," he said.
"It's not that bad," she said. "I miss it."
"You're looking…" He stood up and shrugged.
"Enormous," she said. "It's okay."
"I can only wonder why you're here."
"Just wanted to pop in and get my mail," she said, flippantly.
"Yeah right," he said. "House is in his office and the elephant in the room hasn't come in yet."
"Thanks," she said. "I'll stop by before I go."
"Cuddy—" he stopped her. "I mean it when I say, I don't think you have a thing to worry about."
"Sure," she said.
"I'm serious. House is different. He's still House, but, with Stacy it was always compromises and substitutions and resignation, but with you and the pregnancy it's like he's…"
"Human?" she supplied.
"Yeah," he said.
"Don't jinx it by talking about it," she warned. "Stacy is going to be skinny."
"You're not fat, you're pregnant," Wilson called but she was already on her way out. People waved as she made her way to House's office. It took her a while to get there and she was out of breath by the time she did. Her feet were swollen from the added weight and it was hell on her back. She could see Cameron, Chase, and Foreman sitting at the table and House was writing "hallucinations" on his white board. He glanced up and saw her standing outside. His expression slid into a stern one. Cameron turned around to see what he was looking at and turned back around quickly when she spotted Cuddy. House pointed to his office and she went in there to wait, sinking gratefully into his chair. A few minutes later, his team dispersed and he came in to his office.
"You aren't supposed to drive," he said.
"I'm perfectly capable of driving," she said.
"Why are you even here?" he asked.
"I missed you," she said.
"LIAR!" he yelled, making her jump. "I'm the petty one in this relationship, so you can't be snooping around all jealously because it upsets our dynamic."
"I just… this is my hospital," she said. "I can't just keep sitting at home."
"You're going to need all the strength you can get to push those little demons out of you," he said. "You should save it." He reached out a hand to help her up. "I'll have Chase drive you home."
She took his hand and he pulled her up. He tugged on one of her curls and let go, watching it spring into place.
"I can drive myself," she grumbled but she knew it was a lost cause. "Greg?"
"Yes?" he said.
"I think it's almost time."
"For the babies?" he asked.
"I can feel them beginning to drop, to sit lower on my hips," she admitted. "It's going to be any day now."
"You've still got two weeks," he said.
"What if I go into labor while you're not there?" she asked.
"We have this all worked out. You're six miles away and an ambulance will come get you," he said. "There isn't anything to worry about." He put his hands on her stomach and felt a kick for his efforts. The phone rang and he reached around her and picked it up without breaking her eye contact. "House… okay."
"Who was that?" she asked, as he hung up.
"Wilson. Stacy is on her way to the office," he said. She felt a wave of panic and then a little dizzy. He moved his hands to her shoulders to hold her steady and leaned his mouth to her ear. "Lisa, it's just you and me in this room. You and me against the world." With that, he bit at her earlobe, just a little nip and she smiled, relieved. When they looked up, Stacy was in the hallway, watching with a terribly neutral expression; their display like a movie. When they noticed her, she came in with a formal knock.
"Good lord, look at you," she said to Cuddy who didn't step back from House.
"Welcome back," Stacy said. "I'd hug you, but it's like reaching across a dining room table."
"You should see the sex," House said. Cuddy and Stacy both froze and House smirked. He liked breaking the ice.