Cuddy didn't talk to House for three days, except to say, "If you still had your own place, you'd be sleeping there now."
She didn't banish him to the couch, though. She considered it, but she was unused to sleeping alone in her bed and in her sleep, she rolled over into him and she liked to sleep with her cheek pushed against his shoulder. In the morning, though, she would wake and remember to be angry and watch him get ready for work quietly. He apologized once, but it was really one too many times for his taste and she thought he secretly liked the quiet. Finally, he came home from work with a bouquet of yellow daisies and handed them to her with his head hung.
"All right," she said.
"Okay?" he said.
"Yeah," she said. "Okay."
She stood to put the flowers in water. She was filling a clear, glass vase with water in the sink when she felt a small gush between her legs. She shut off the water and set the vase down slowly and carefully. She could hear House's phone ring and by his tone, it sounded like he was talking to Chase. Their patient was a little girl but being out of the hospital, she was fuzzy on the details. Wilson tried not to bother her with the little details and she actually appreciated it. But now it was time to go back to the hospital.
She reached down and felt her inner thighs, the moisture there. She'd had a sort of dull, aching back pain all day and now it occurred to her that those may have been the beginning of labor. House came in and looked at her regretfully.
"I have to go back to the hospital," he said.
"Me too." She looked up, her eyes wide.
"You know you're supposed to be in bed," he began to argue.
"Greg, my water just broke," she said.
"Oh." He looked up, thinking. "Do you think you could ride the bike? I don't want to get embryonic fluid all over your Mercedes."
"Did you seriously just say that?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"That's probably a no, then," he said, walking away. "Go change, I'll call Wilson and we'll get your room all set up." He was being rather calm about the whole thing, she thought, so she decided to be calm to. She changed her underwear and her pants and put on her coat. The sun was just setting and it was still cold and he got the overnight bag and walked her out to the car. He opened the door for her and he didn't tend to drive real cars very often anymore because it hurt but her pain was going to surpass his soon, so he set his jaw and pushed on the accelerator hard.
She had a private room, of course, and the check-in was all very smooth.
"First labors take a long time and we'd rather not do a cesarean if we can help it," her doctor said. "You won't be ready to push for a few hours at least, so get comfortable, Dr. Cuddy."
House sat on the chair by her bed and watched her watch him.
"I thought you had to check on your patient," she said.
"You know I only have one patient at a time and that kid just went to the back of the line," he said.
"Greg? Will you call my mom?" she asked.
"Yeah, babe," he said. "I'll go right now."
Alone in her room for a moment, she tried not to feel overwhelmed. They hadn't even decided on the names yet. In no time at all there would be two more people in the world and she didn't even know quite what to call them.
Wilson was waiting for House in his office.
"How is she?" he asked.
"All right, I think," House said. "I need to call her mother."
"House," Wilson said. "Your babies are coming. Say it out loud, it's tripping me out."
"My babies are coming," House said. "Oh God, that is weird."
"I'll go sit with her until you come back," Wilson said.
"We really are BFF," House said, picking up the receiver for the telephone. Wilson wasn't sure what that meant, so he said nothing.
Cuddy slept for the first few hours, mostly. Her progress was slow but they couldn't stop the contractions or the dilation since her water had broken already. She worried it was too early, but everyone assured her it was going to be okay. Her mother had caught the first flight and House kept assuring her that her mother would be there soon, but time was losing it's meaning for Cuddy. She'd received the epidural because she wasn't a masochist and it made everything a little fuzzy. She saw Chase and Wilson and Cameron peeked in every once in a while and always, always House.
It took ten hours for the pain to really come. And it came.
"I want my MOM," Cuddy screamed, squeezing House's hand so hard she felt something pop.
"Soon," House gasped. "Chase went to pick her up, any minute now."
"When?" she pleaded.
"Soon," House promised again. "Soon." Any other time, he would have mocked her for sounding like a five-year-old but her pain was so sincere. She was only half-way dilated and the contractions were still several minutes apart, but they were severe and she looked pale and sweaty. Finally, Mrs. Cuddy arrived and Cuddy burst into tears with relief.
"Oh Baby," Mrs. Cuddy said. "I'm here now."
Cuddy wanted everyone else out – even House. House was surprised and a little hurt to be asked to leave the delivery room but he left and sat outside the door on the floor, his long spine against the wall and he made a game out of trying to trip everyone who walked by with his cane. An hour of sitting there and he nearly tripped Stacy.
"Hey," she said. "That's a law suit waiting to happen."
"Hi," House said, sourly.
"How is it going in there?" she asked, looking past him, but the blinds had been drawn.
"I don't know," he said. "Banished for her mom."
"Ah, well," Stacy said. "Maybe it's a girl thing."
"Girls," House spat. "Who needs 'em."
"Get off the floor, Greg," Stacy said. "Let's sit down." Across the hall was a padded bench and only because he was in pain did he move. She sat next to him and they put their heads against the wall.
"So, what happened with Mark?"
She laughed a little, sullenly. "You know, I always blamed you for our breakups but maybe I'm the screw up."
"Nah, it's me," he said. "But in this situation, Mark is the fool."
"Thanks," she said.
"Why did you come back here? You could've gotten a job anywhere."
"I was happy here," she said. "It's a good job, I like this town, and my friends are here."
"Okay," he said. "Not because of me?"
"No, you selfish pig," she said, smacking his arm. "Well, I do miss you at times. But I know things are different now."
"This time I'm the happy one," he said.
"Are you?" she asked, studying his face. He nodded and she believed him. She wanted to ask him if he was in love with Cuddy but she couldn't get the words out. She was afraid any answer could potentially hurt. The door to Cuddy's room slid open and Mrs. Cuddy stepped out.
"Gregory, she would like to speak with you," Mrs. Cuddy said. House, relieved, went straight into the room and closed the door. Stacy stood and extended her hand.
"I'm Stacy Warner," she said. "You must be Mrs. Cuddy."
"I am. You must be the ex-girlfriend," Stacy was startled by her candidness and withdrew her hand. She swallowed and recovered.
"Dr. House and I had a relationship once," she conceded. "That's over now."
"Oh yes," Mrs. Cuddy said. "So I hear." Stacy, acutely uncomfortable, smiled falsely.
"I really must be getting back to work. Congratulations on your grandchildren."
"Bye dear!" Mrs. Cuddy said, not sorry to see her go. Mrs. Cuddy did not condone extramarital affairs nor did she appreciate her daughter's boyfriend having an beautiful ex nearby.
In the room, Cuddy was tired and lingering on the edge of sleep. The pain kept her from any real rest and she'd begun to feel guilty about sending him away. It was early now, almost seven am and she'd been in labor all night.
"Hi," Cuddy said.
"How you doing?" House asked.
"Tired," she said.
"You're at eight centimeters, babe, it won't be long now," he promised her. "Close your eyes for a while."
"Will you stay?" she asked.
"I'll stick around for a while, I suppose," he teased.
But she couldn't sleep. Mrs. Cuddy went to get a hot meal and House fed Cuddy ice chips and touched her hair.
"What about names?" she asked, sleepily. "We never decided. Our babies will just be Does." She was cute when she was delirious but House kept the observation to himself.
"We have a short list," he reminded her.
"My last name," she said.
"Whatever you want," he agreed.
"You like Peter but I don't," she said. He could see fresh beads of sweat forming on her forehead and he realized another contraction was coming.
"No Peter, it's loathsome," he said. "Breathe."
"I like Jack," she said, through clenched teeth.
"Okay," he said. "Now we're like, halfway done." But she was gone, working through the pain, and when she was through it, exhaustion kept her silent. "I like Marianne."
"Pretty," she mumbled. "My babies."
oooo
Then it was time and by that afternoon he was a father. Just like that – two more people were in the world. Cuddy, after holding them, nursing them, and getting stitched up, slept hard. House was free to go watch his babies through the window in the hospital nursery. He left a drugged Cuddy and found Cameron, Chase, and Foreman standing at the window, looking in at all the newborns, at the twins.
"You know the girl in the next room is only 19 and she only has one baby," he said. "Hot."
"Hey," Foreman said. "You look awful."
"Compared to…" House asked.
"Tiny House spawn… I don't know man," Foreman said, turning back to the babies.
"Don't listen to him," Chase said.
"You make beautiful babies," Cameron said, wistfully.
"Any names?" Foreman asked.
"Marianne and Jack. Now go away." Chase shook his head at House's continual lack of protocol but the three left and House moved to the doorway to get a closer look at his children. Their placards only read "House-Cuddy." It was strange to see both their names there and when he walked up, the babies were so small. The nurse bustled in but recognized House and so she let him stay.
"Hi children," House said, pulling up a chair between them. "I'm Dr. House."
Marianne was asleep but Jack opened his eyes and they were, of course, blue. House picked him up. They were only about five pounds each and he was wrinkled and fit well into his arms.
"Wow," said House. The nurse, across the room, chuckled.