A/N I'm happy I was able to keep my promise to post another chapter this weekend. This one is fluff with a few serious House introspections. I hope everyone likes it.
Disclaimer Not mine, still broke, yadda yadda.
Lisa Cuddy flipped the page in the magazine and frowned. So far she hadn't been enthused by anything she had seen. Everything looked too plain and boring. She was definitely searching for the wow factor. She took a sip of her tea and flipped the page again.
"I like this one," Julia announced as she turned the magazine so their mother could see the picture.
"It looks like something a cheap hooker would wear," Arlene criticized.
"Let me see it," Cuddy demanded of her sister. She smiled at the plunging neck-line and the slit up the front. "House would approve."
Julia rolled her eyes and selected another of the bridal magazines strewn across her older sister's dining table. "It figures. He strikes me as the type to go for cheap and tawdry," she sniped.
"I'm sure the hookers he's paid for weren't cheap. After all, a doctor can afford the best," Cuddy got in her own subtle dig.
"Well, I'm just glad he has such easy access to Viagra. I'm sure at his age, he needs it." Julia refused to concede defeat gracefully.
"Actually, that isn't the problem." Cuddy's smug grin was positively wicked. "Sometimes, I wish there was a pill that had the opposite effect. The man is insatiable."
"I wish Viagra had been invented before your father died." Arlene didn't look up from the magazine she was studying. "He needed it."
"Mother!" Both of the sisters were horrified.
"What?" Arlene looked at her daughters with a smile. "A healthy sex life is very important in a marriage."
Cuddy rubbed her forehead as if she was trying to erase the image of her parents from her mind. "I don't particularly want to hear about you and Dad. You had two children. I prefer to think the two of you had sex twice."
"I can't believe I raised two daughters who are such prudes," Arlene pronounced with a frown.
"I'm not a prude," Julia complained. "But, I agree with Lisa. Your parents having sex isn't something kids want to think about."
"So, Lisa," Arlene turned back to her eldest daughter, "how is he in bed?"
"Mom!" Cuddy couldn't believe she was having this discussion.
"Is it wrong for a mother to want her baby to be happy?" Arlene gave Cuddy a piercing look.
"If he was any good, she would be bragging," Julia got in another dig at her older sister.
Cuddy knew it was juvenile, but she couldn't resist the challenge. "On a scale of one to ten?" She tapped her chin and pretended to think for a few seconds. "He's a twenty-seven."
When House limped into the dining room a few seconds later, all three of the Cuddy women looked at him and burst into peals of laughter. He scowled at them as they snorted and hooted. Arlene grabbed a napkin to wipe her eyes.
"Kind of early to be hitting the sauce, isn't it?" House asked when the hysterical women had mostly composed themselves.
"Greg, Lisa was just applying a quantitative measure to certain of your…skills," Arlene told him with an evil smile.
"Actually, she didn't mention quantity, just quality," Julia commented and mother and younger sister were giggling again.
House leaned on his cane and turned his focus to his girlfriend. Her hands covered her face. Despite the obstruction, he could see the blush that stained her cheeks a deep crimson. He had a pretty good idea what they had been discussing.
"Cuddy, do I have permission to retaliate?" House asked her.
"No!" Cuddy moved her hands and cast him a pleading look. "Please, don't get started. I'm embarrassed enough."
"You're right. We should take pity on the less fortunate among us," House told her with a smirk. "It would be tacky to brag about what a stud your fiancé' is."
Her laughter and their outraged squawks followed him as he walked into the kitchen. He was slightly shocked when Cuddy patted his butt as he passed. When he returned to the dining room with a Coke, the women had returned to their magazines. He noticed that Cuddy's lips twitched. Arlene sized him up with an unholy gleam in her eyes.
"So, Greg, your mother told me she's reserved the ball room at the Embassy Suites for the rehearsal dinner," Arlene informed him with a smirk.
The Coke can hit the table with a loud thud. "You talked to my mother?" he growled.
"Why, yes. We've had several, lovely conversations about the wedding. She's such a pleasant person. Not at all what I had expected." Arlene paused for effect. "Although, she did seem a bit peeved that you hadn't called her first with the happy news."
"You talked to my mother?" House repeated. He was in a state of shock. There was a buzzing noise in his ears and his hands had started to sweat.
"I know you're getting up in years; but I didn't realize you're losing your hearing. When you wouldn't return my calls, I got her number from James." Arlene flipped the page and smiled that fake, condescending smile she had perfected. "Apparently, you don't return her calls either."
House frowned at Cuddy who was looking up at him with a horrified expression. "I didn't know," she told him.
House limped from the room without a word. He refused to let Arlene and Julia see just how truly pissed he was. He had no one to blame but himself. He knew he should have called his mother. He closed the door to Cuddy's bedroom and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He took a deep breath and dialed the number. Greg House told himself it was ridiculous for a fifty year-old doctor to suddenly feel like he was eight again.
When he reopened the bedroom door, House was surprised to find Cuddy leaning against the hallway wall. She struggled to smile at him. He could tell she was nervous about what his reaction would be.
"Are you okay?" Cuddy asked him.
House leaned against the door frame. "Not really. I apologized, but she's still mad at me."
"House, I'm sorry. I had no idea my mother would call her." Cuddy was beyond remorseful.
"It's my fault. I should have told her." No matter how much he wanted to, House refused to place the blame on Arlene.
"Why didn't you?" Cuddy softly questioned.
"I was afraid it wouldn't happen," he told her with a rueful look. "I didn't want to disappoint her. She gave up hope on marrying me off and having grandchildren years ago."
"She'll forgive you…eventually." Cuddy moved closer and took his left hand. "I assume my mother hasn't scared you off."
"Are you kidding?" House smiled. "My mom would be the one coming after me with a shotgun if I didn't marry you now."
"We're meeting your mother in the city next weekend. We're going to Kleinfeld's to look for a wedding dress." Cuddy smiled up at him. "Any requests?"
"Yeah. Don't listen to any of the jealous harpies." House pulled her closer. "Pick out the one you want."
Cuddy rose up on her toes to kiss him. House wrapped his arms around her waist and fit her snuggly against his rangy frame. They spent several delicious moments completely absorbed in the taste and feel of each other.
House broke off the kiss and smiled down at her. "I think I'm going to get out of here."
Cuddy tried to not frown. "Will you be back later?"
"Yeah." House smirked. "Call me when the coven meeting is over."
"House," she playfully smacked him on the arm.
He chuckled as he limped down the hall. He opened Rachel's bedroom door and stuck his head in to ask, "Hey! You want to go with me?"
Cuddy laughed at the sound of her daughter's enthusiastic yell. She moved to the door and watched as House made sure Rachel had her shoes on the right feet and her hair was brushed into some semblance of order. In less than two minutes, the toddler was bundled into her coat and ready to go.
"You don't mind if she comes with me, do you?" House belatedly thought to seek permission.
"Rachel is your daughter, too." Cuddy placed her hand on his whiskered cheek. "You don't have to ask."
House blinked away the moisture that blurred his vision. "Thank you," he whispered before he bent and kissed her. Rachel tugged on his left hand to get his attention.
"Hows, I'm hungry," she informed him with an accompanying 'I'm too cute for my own good' smile.
"Jeez, Cuddy. Don't you ever feed this kid?" House grumbled while a smile played at the corners of his mouth.
"We had veggie burgers for lunch. She shouldn't be starving," Cuddy told him as she stuffed Rachel's mittens in her coat pockets. She raised her head in time to catch the identical looks of disgust the duo shared. "Fine. Just make sure she eats one thing that's healthy. And, greasy French fries don't count as a vegetable."
House ushered the toddler out the door in front of him. "I assume their brooms don't have headlights, so we should be back around dark. Call if they fly off early."
Cuddy giggled and followed them to the front door. She bent and kissed Rachel. "You be a good girl for House."
"I will, Mommy," Rachel grabbed House's hand again and demanded, "We go now."
House rolled his eyes. "Bossy and demanding like her mother." He leaned down to kiss Cuddy again before he followed Rachel to his car and buckled her into her safety seat.
Cuddy stood on the front porch and watched until they had driven out of sight. As she shut the front door, she realized that she hadn't asked where they were going. Maybe the control freak part of her personality was finally relaxing where House was concerned.
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House held Rachel's hand as they entered the sliding doors of the mall. He glanced around at the crowds of busy, distracted people and felt a twinge of fear. He suddenly realized this was the first time he and Rachel had gone out in public alone. He had taken her to his apartment and he had even taken her with him to pick up take-out for dinner. But, they had never ventured into such chaos by themselves.
When he had maneuvered them to an unoccupied bench, House sat and faced Rachel. "Okay, kid. Here are the rules. I can't chase you down so you have to stick close to me. You can't turn loose of my hand. Understand?"
"Yes, Hows," Rachel nodded.
"If we accidently get separated, you stop where you are and don't move a muscle. Promise?" House briefly considered abandoning the trip.
"I pwomise," Rachel gave him a solemn look.
"Okay," House rose and took her right hand in his left. "Let's go find the food court."
House soon found that by staying close to the wall they were out the crush of the pedestrian traffic. Rachel maintained a death grip on his hand as she looked at the brightly decorated display windows. He limped into the food court and spotted a real Mexican restaurant. It didn't take a genius to realize that would be the better option. He wouldn't have to turn loose of Rachel to carry a tray one-handed.
They were soon seated at a table with Rachel belted into a high chair. The waitress even provided the little girl with a coloring sheet and crayons. Rachel colored while House perused the menu and found the children's selections.
"What do you want? Tacos, cheese burger or chicken strips," House looked over the top of his reading glasses at her.
Rachel pursed her lips in concentration, "Tacos."
"Excellent choice. Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes…that's three healthy things. Your mom can't complain about that." House returned his glasses to his blazer pocket. He mentally patted himself on the back. This wasn't going too bad. The waitress took their order and then House sat back to indulge in people watching. His complacent, self-congratulatory mood lasted all of two minutes.
"Hows, I need to potty," Rachel told him with a frown.
House looked around the restaurant frantically. He wasn't about to allow her to go by herself. He couldn't take her into the women's room and he certainly wasn't about to take a little girl into the men's room. This was a dilemma he hadn't given any thought.
Finally, House snagged a passing waitress. "Could you help us? She needs to go to the restroom."
The young woman gave him a sympathetic smile. "We have a unisex restroom for just such emergencies."
The waitress gave him directions and House had Rachel in and out in record time. They arrived back at the table as their food was being delivered. Rachel was settled in her high chair with two soft tacos before House took an easy breath. He made a mental note to remember this restaurant for future outings.
Lunch went better than House had expected. Rachel ate everything on her plate and they even discovered that she shared his love of cheese dip. Their conversation was mostly one sided on his part, but he couldn't remember smiling so much in recent years. Hanging out with Rachel was actually relaxing. He also realized he couldn't remember a single such outing with his own father. As he munched on a chip, House vowed that Rachel's childhood would be filled with memories of the two of them spending time together.
They left the restaurant and continued on through the mall. House guided Rachel into a small shop he had visited several days earlier. The sales woman smiled when she saw her most profitable customer of the week.
"Dr. House, I have your order ready." She slipped behind the counter and retrieved a small, velvet box from a drawer.
House hooked his cane over his arm and opened the box. He smiled one of his rare, genuine smiles. It was as perfect as he had remembered. He just hoped Cuddy loved it as much as he did.
"I'm sure your fiancé' will love it. Since you've already paid, you're all set." The sales woman smiled at Rachel who was gazing at the shiny merchandise in the showcase. "Your granddaughter is adorable."
"She's my daughter." House froze in shock at what had just flown out of his mouth without thought. He looked at the older woman. "Well, she will be when I marry her mother."
"Then, you're a very lucky man, Dr. House." The woman smiled at Rachel again.
"You have no idea." As House glanced down at Rachel, he had no idea how clearly the love he felt for the toddler was reflected on his face. He slid the box into his pocket and took Rachel's hand.
"Thank you for your help," he told the sales woman before he guided Rachel back out onto the concourse. "Are you ready to head home?"
"No. I want to see toys," Rachel informed him.
House rolled his eyes. "I don't think this mall has a toy store."
"Yes, it does." Rachel pointed to the far side of the mall. "It's there."
House gave in without a fight. They wandered the isles of the massive toy store. They perused the items and played with several. He let her pick a puzzle and a new coloring book. As they made their way back to the car, Rachel insisted she could carry the bag herself.
"Thank you, Hows," she told him with a smile.
"You're welcome." House led her through the sliding doors to the parking deck. "Did you have fun?"
"Yes," she gave a little hop over a puddle. "Was I good?"
"You, young lady, were excellent." House helped her into the car. "You can hang out with me any time."
House had buckled himself in and started the car when Rachel asked, "Hows?"
"Hmmm?" In the rear view mirror, he watched a slow moving group of people walk behind his car.
"Are you my daddy?" Rachel kicked her tiny feet and returned his stare in the mirror.
The toddler had obviously overheard conversations and made the connection. His first urge was to deflect. His second urge was to call Cuddy and ask for advice. He settled for putting the car in park and turning off the engine. He unbuckled his seat belt and turned to face the toddler. She was too young to understand the technicalities of a marriage license or the concept of step parents. He decided to keep it simple.
"Yes, I am. Is that okay with you?" House realized he was holding his breath as he waited for her response.
"Yeah," she pronounced with a smile. "Can we get ice cream?"
"That's it?" House was caught off guard by the rapid change of topic. He had expected more of a discussion on the subject.
Rachel frowned. "Yes, just ice cream."
House laughed. "You really are adorable. Why don't we wait for the ice cream until we get home?"
Rachel sighed, "Okay."
House fastened his seat belt and started the car. He couldn't wait to see Cuddy's reaction to this latest development. He glanced at Rachel again. He couldn't believe he was now responsible for this little person. He was surprised the thought didn't scare him like it once would have. He smiled when he realized he was actually excited about this new chapter in his life.
As he drove them back across town, House sang along with the Beatles CD playing on the car stereo. Rachel clapped and cheered after each song. She even joined in with her own mangled version of Hey Jude. He was relieved when he pulled up in the driveway and noticed that Julia's car was gone. He unbuckled himself and then Rachel. He smiled when she waited and took his hand to walk to the front door.
Cuddy was sitting on the sofa when House and Rachel returned. She had been looking over more magazines and enjoying the rare peace and quiet. Rachel ran straight to her mother and climbed into her lap.
"I was good, Mommy. I ate tacos and got toys and saw the sparkly store." Rachel hugged her mother.
Cuddy returned the hug and watched as House tossed his cane in a chair and then limped over to join them on the sofa. He looked none the worse for wear and Rachel was still in one piece. Obviously, they had survived the outing.
"Where did you go?" she asked.
"The mall." House toed off his sneakers and propped his feet on the coffee table. "We ate and did some shopping. For the record, Rachel minded perfectly. She had lettuce and tomatoes on her tacos. She drank milk. And, I only spent eight dollars at the toy store."
"You did good, House." Cuddy leaned over to kiss him. Then she addressed her daughter. "Did you have fun, baby?"
"Yeah," Rachel slid to the floor and dug her coloring book from the bag. Cuddy watched her for a few seconds before she turned to House.
"What was the sparkly store?" She hoped she managed a nonchalant tone.
"Jewlery store. I needed a new watch battery." House replied. Rachel gave him one of her too shrewd looks and then gave him a small smile.
House took Cuddy's hand in his and looked at where their fingers were intertwined. "You should know something. She's figured out that I'm her d-a-d-d-y now."
Cuddy turned to face him. "And?"
"Nothing dramatic. She asked. I said yes. End of discussion." House gave Cuddy a sideways glance. "Honestly, it was a little anticlimactic. She's not a drama queen like some people in the family." He snickered when Cuddy punched him lightly on the arm.
"She's young enough to take such things in stride." Cuddy gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "When she's older, she won't even remember a time when you weren't around."
"Cuddy, I really am ready for this." House watched Rachel as she sat on the floor coloring. "I've been thinking. After we're married, would you consider letting me adopt her?"
"Really?" Cuddy couldn't contain her excitement. This was exactly what she had hoped for since they had been dating. "You would be willing to do that?"
"Sure. We would all have the same last name." House shrugged. "And, there wouldn't be any doubt that's she's mine, too."
"House, I think that's a wonderful idea." Cuddy placed a soft kiss on his cheek and then sat back. She gave him a saucy grin. "So, you expect me to change my last name to House?"
"Absolutely." House returned her smile with a wicked one of his own. "My woman will have my last name."
"You're such a chauvinist." Cuddy giggled and then compromised. "Fine. But, you're wearing a wedding band."
"Marking your territory?" House raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Of course. I want everyone to know you're taken." Cuddy kissed him and then stood. She held her hand out to Rachel. "Come on sweetie. Let's get you ready for bed."
"Do you have a pair of garden sheers?" House slid to the edge of the sofa and retrieved his sneakers.
"In the garage, I think." Cuddy looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Why do you want garden sheers?"
"I'm getting rid of that moose," House declared as he tied his laces and stood. "I don't want any midnight interruptions tonight."
Cuddy laughed as she ushered Rachel to the bathroom. House grabbed his cane and headed to the garage. He was a man on a mission. Those shrubs were going down, literally. Then he planned to take his time having his wicked way with the mother of his little girl.
A/N You already know what's in the velvet box. It will show up again in chapter 10. I hope to have it posted before next weekend; but, I can't make any promises. The job I get paid for has to come first.