Disclaimer: DOH

A/N: So, here it is...the end. I hope you like it and I thank everyone who's been around since the beginning...which was nearly forever ago. And, I've been asked to repost the fake!psyche chapter 14, and most of you probably won't know what that means, but some of you might ;) Goodbye, folks

-(Cameron)

A finger is all she allows, light and cool in the early morning. She runs it from her last rib to the bottom of her bellybutton, and then she looks at the reflection in the mirror. It's slight, the swelling of her usually tight and taut abdomen, but it's really there.

The air kicks on, causing her to shiver as goosebumps rise from her skin and she lets her finger drop. For a second longer, she stares at what will become a visible manifestation of her mistakes.

"It's alright," her voice whispers in the empty apartment, though at the moment she wishes someone would say those words to her in this time of need. But, he's not here. He might not ever be now that he's lost in limbo.

"Cud-Cud, we're going to have to make this a quick quickie. The oven and the bun are right beside me."

Cameron rolls her eyes as she switches the channel and he brings his cell to the other ear.

"Yeah, Randvich wants to induce if she doesn't pop the kid out today…..Ah, so she's already talked to you….Well, Cameron's only six days overdue."

"Only six?" she mouths at him.

"Yeah, I'm already pretty proud of the kid. Chip off the old block," he directs at her with a smirk.

Cameron pouts lightly. "Why did I have to get pregnant with your spawn?"

"What, Cuddy? No, no, you let me off this week to stay with – . Foreman and they can…."

He looks over at Cameron and she hands him a purple marker without looking at him.

"Syncope…"

Motioning the marker in the air, he looks around them for paper and she shakes her head as she grabs her belly and tries to push herself up. Telling Cuddy to wait, he throws an arm in front of Cameron, halting her from standing.

"House – ."

He disregards the raised eyebrows and grabs the hem of her t-shirt and pushes it back to reveal the bare skin of her pregnant abdomen.

"Okay, go. Fever, dysphasia, rash, light sensitivity, polyuria, diabetes, swollen tongue. Yeah, yeah, I got it all written down."

Hanging up, he caps the marker and taps it against his lip.

"Did you really have to do that?"

"Yep."

Cameron exhales and reads the writing on her stomach.

"Hello?! Cuddy, what the hell do you want?"

Cameron stills, her mouth hovering over his thigh.

"Yeah, I'm busy here. I could tell you, but you'd have to undress to get the mood right…..Oh, Cameron hasn't shown up?"

He looks down and sees the top of her head drop lower and the lips of her mouth make contact dangerously close to his testicle.

"I'm sure she's just blowing off work…..You know Cameron, she'll still get the job done."

Hearing the click of the phone, she looks up to see his smirk and glares at him.

"You couldn't have told her you gave me the day off?"

House shrugs. "I could have told her you were between my legs. I'll call her back."

He feels the wetness before she finds her voice.

"Is that – ?"

"That was my water."

Cameron looks at him, sure as hell that they both look like they're scared to death.

"Some of the nurses are taking bets."

"Horns and a tail?"

"666."

"Close," House mutters as he loses control of his yo-yo.

Wincing, Cameron shifts in the bed.

"How's it going?"

House looks from the whiteboard to the man in green scrubs leaning against the doorway.

"Four hours."

"You're not with her."

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"There's nothing I can do."

"Really?"

He looks away as Chase straightens and walks out.

"You're back?"

He hooks his cane over the railing of her bed and grabs the towel beside the basin.

"Foreman solved the case after all."

Her eyes close as the cool cloth wipes away the sweat forming across her hair line. Gently, she feels him lift her head to wipe behind her neck and make his way over her left clavicle to her jugular notch before continuing up to her right clavicle.

"Thank you, House."

"I only did it 'cause you smell."

"I do not want you in here!"

"I'm going then!"

"Good! And take your damn cane with you!"

"I will, considering I need it to walk!"

"How could I forget!?"

"Okay, Allison, you're at ten centimeters. Let's get ready to push."

"Holy mother, are you serious?"

"It only took eleven hours."

Cameron shuts her eyes tightly as the wave of pain, duller now but still there, washes over her.

"I think I can keep it in."

Randvich laughs. "You want somebody to get Dr. House?"

"Yes. Wait, no."

"You sure?"

She's not, but as she takes in a deep breath and listens to the fetal monitor beside her, she realizes this is hers.

"Yeah."

"You didn't go in?"

"She didn't ask for me."

Wilson looks surprised as he folds his arms. "And you didn't go in?"

"What's taking so damn long?!"

"It's been two minutes since they came out and told us she was getting ready to push."

Pacing harshly with his cane, House scowls at Wilson.

The crying makes her cry. The warmth of the child in her arms warms her body. This is it? This is what she's been waiting for and worrying over. Her fingers trace a tiny arm leading down to five miniature fingers and she smiles, tasting the saltiness of her sweat and tears.

He'd been right. She's holding Brennan in her arms, and she knows she can do this now.

The two men watch the doors and each straighten as they open and a nurse walks through with a smile on her young face. Wilson sighs and pats House on the shoulder while House remains frozen.

"It's a boy, Dr. House."

"House!"

He impatiently taps the glass as the nurse finally looks at him.

"Boy House!"

Wilson and Cuddy come up on his right while Foreman, Taub, Kutner, and Thirteen come to his left.

The nurse looks down at a chart and then makes her way down the second row of newborns. With a look back towards the newly formed crowd, she finally stops and picks up the baby.

Kutner frowns. "Wait, that can't be –."

"Is that…." Taub leans forward into the glass.

Wilson and Cuddy take a step forward as the nurse turns around fully with the tiny, light brown skinned baby.

House immediately looks behind him at Foreman.

"Three seconds head start."

"You got jokes, Cameron?"

Cameron looks up and smiles tiredly at his approaching form.

"I figured you might enjoy it."

He limps quietly, his cane tucked under his arm until he reaches the foot of her bed and rests it there. Hesitantly, he looks at the newborn in her arms, asleep and still pink.

"At least he's got a good head of hair."

She smiles again as she looks up. "He's beautiful, right?"

He can't help it. He honestly can't and he hates that the more he's with her the more he can't. He smiles back at her as he sits in the chair beside the bed and pushes a few unruly strands of her blonde hair behind her ear causing her to close her eyes.

"Looks like everyone lost the bet."

"No devil signs on him?"

"Nope," Cameron opens her eyes, "and it better stay like that."

"What? I wouldn't do anything."

"Yeah, you would."

House brings a soft finger down to the cheek of his son. Which is strange. Very strange. His son. Brennan House. Gingerly, he traces the small face since it's the only part of his body visible under the white blanket. There's not a sensation that everything is fine now, that this is his reason for existing. But there's also not a sensation that this is wrong, because in fact, as he memorizes the evenness of the skin under his finger, it feels almost right.

Hard to believe he's been running away from this thing since the beginning.

A deep breath is sucked in and House pulls his hand back quickly as the boy wails into the near silence of the room.

"Ah! Shut him up, Cameron."

"Two House men in my life," she nearly laughs as House covers his ears and frowns. "This should be fun."

.end.