~ Chapter Seven ~

(Sunday Morning)

Cuddy awoke the next morning at dawn feeling refreshed, which was surprising. After the nightmare past forty-eight hours, she didn't expect to sleep well, but she did, despite Rachel's best efforts to prevent that from happening. Rachel had been awake at odd hours, her little body unaware that she was in a different time zone, and she was cranky at her upset in routine. She was fussy, and about one a.m., she had a total meltdown, cryig inconsolably for about an hour and a half.

Cuddy supposed that she should be just as cranky about her routine, being a creature of habit, though she'd never admit that to herself. She couldn't blame the little girl for being upset, and she hoped the week would get better. For the both of them.

She was planning on going out for breakfast, the she would deal with House, once she was fed and happy.

She dressed Rachel, then they went to a small cafe near the hotel. Fortified with food, and refreshed, she was ready to work.

For the next few hours, she went over the itinerary of the conference. Neither of them were scheduled to speak, even though House had bee invited to. The man was almost a recluse when ti came to speaking engagements, though it would be a boost to the hospital and his career. As ambitious as he was, he'd found a comfortable spot at PPTH, and he didn't do much more than he absolutely had to to maintain that spot.

There was no way that he was going to go to all the talks. She accepted that fact from the start, but if she could get him to go to one or two a day, she would consider that a small victory.

Besides, she'd probably be going to most of the talks, so no information would be lost. All she had to was get him to show up to the few talks a day she wanted him to go to.

After a few hours of perusing various lectures, she picked out several of the more interesting sounding ones. Or, what she thought was interesting. She'd let him decide on the handful he was to go to. So she picked up Rachel, grabbed her diaper bag, and she head to his room.

She knocked on his door, and she waited for him to open it. He did, and he blinked at her, then he slammed it back in her face.

Her jaw dropped, and it took a few seconds to recover from her shock. She clenched her teeth to keep a curse from flying out, and she lifted her hand to knock again.

But the door opened. "Why the hell are you standing out there? he asked with a smirk. He stepped back to allow her to enter.

She stepped into a room that was a twin to her own. "I have an idea on which lectures you should attend," she told him briskly as she put Rachel on the floor. She straightened, and she tried to hand him the sheet of paper. She paused as she saw his eyes weren't focused on her, but on Rachel, who immediately stood up and began tottering around the room. "House?" Cuddy asked softly, not wanting to ruin the moment.

"Huh," he asked, not hearing her. The he realized that Cuddy had been watching him. "Just remember, my room is not a daycare." He snatched the paper from her.

"Unfortunately, until my nanny gets here tomorrow, she comes everywhere with me," she responded dryly. She didn't miss the warm look he'd given the child, despite his harsh words. He wasn't as cranky as he let on.

"Pawning your brat off on a babysitter," he commented, unkindly.

"Only because they don't provide daycare," she shot back. "Are you okay with going to those lectures?" she asked, switching gears back to business.

He hadn't even looked at the sheet. "You're not making me go to everything?" He was genuinely surprised.

"I figured you would declare war on me if I tried," she rolled her eyes. "London was bombed enough during the blitz." She pulled some stuffed animals out of her bag. "So I thought I'd go through and highlight the ones that looked the most informative, but you have the final say."

"Damn right I have the final say," he muttered. He glanced down the list. "Nothing for tomorrow?"

She looked up from Rachel. "No babysitter," she answered, turning her attention back to her daughter.

He was a little miffed at her attention being taken by Rachel. He snorted contemptuously. "What are you gonna do if she fails to show up?"

She visibly shuddered at the thought. "I'll just have to take her with me then," she declared. Rachel looked up at him, and she grinned, showing off her new teeth. "It'll be great preparation for her career as a doctor," Cuddy gushed, drawing a glare from House.

"Oh shut up!" he snorted. "The kids smart, but she's gonna run like hell from the healthcare industry. He slowly lowered himself to the floor to get a better look at the toddler invading his space. "Too many bad memories off all those school plays that mommy had to miss because of work," he gave Cuddy a pointed look, then turned his attention back to Rachel. "Be a lawyer, kid," he told her. "Drive mommy nuts and start your own firm." He brightened as Cuddy glared at him. "Or better yet, be a politician, just be smart enough not to get caught with your hand in the cookie jar. Or public coffer," he added with a grin."

Rachel looked up at him with wide brown eyes, and she jabbered to him in response. Cuddy laughed, "you tell him, kiddo!" she gushed, causing him to roll his eyes.

"Let's get to work," he grumbled.

Several hours later, she blinked, her eyes dry. As usual, he'd fought her every step of the way, but they'd finally hashed out a compromise that they both could live with. She stood up from her chair and stretched.

"Leaving so soon," he asked, sarcastically.

"I figured three hours of work was enough torture for you today." She began to pack up Rachel's things. "I mean, that's two hours more of work than you're used to doing a day." She picked up a giggling Rachel.

"Oh, snap," he exclaimed, sneering at her. "Talkin' about me, right? You spend most of your day in your office drinking lattes and talking."

"I'm meeting with donars that do things like fund your department," she tossed her hair back, giving him a pointed look.

He opened the door for her and nodded. "Riiiight," he drew out. "How do I get a job like yours?"

"You couldn't fit into my skirts."

"But I'd look better in heels," he grinned. "Wait, I didn't mean that."

"That's a scary thought," she shuddered, grinning. "I'll see you later, House."

He watched as she walked down the hall, then he went back inside his room. Picking up one of Rachel's forgotten stuffed animals, he realized how lonely and empty his room was without them.