A/N I do apologize for taking so long to post this chapter. Real life and power outages kept getting in the way. Thanks to everyone who continues to read this story and hugs to everyone who has left a review. There are no words to express how happy your kind words have made me.
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As the elevator door slid open, House waved a hand in front of him and told his best friend, "Welcome to the man cave."
Wilson stepped out of the small elevator and looked around. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. The younger man turned in a complete circle and House thought he looked like a fish out of water the way his mouth repeatedly opened and closed.
"House, you can't be serious." Wilson finally turned and looked at the older man. "This is…amazing!"
House limped over and flopped down on his ratty sofa. It and the rest of the contents of his apartment had been delivered the previous day. "She gets the study upstairs. This is my territory," he told Wilson.
Wilson sat on the edge of the recliner and looked around again. There were boxes stacked in front of the empty book shelves. Even though nothing personal had been unpacked, the guitars were already hanging on the wall next to the upright piano. The flat screen television was mounted on the wall and an opened bag of chips had been tossed on the coffee table.
"I'm glad to see you had your priorities in order." Wilson smirked. "God knows where your clothes are but the really important stuff is in place."
House smiled and twirled his cane. "I've already shot two games of pool."
"She's really letting you keep this as your own den?" Wilson couldn't believe his friend's good fortune.
"Yep." House grabbed the chips and then propped his feet on the coffee table. "They get two floors to for all their girly stuff. This one is mine."
Wilson caught the chip bag that was tossed his way. "You're one lucky SOB, House."
House munched on a chip. He was uncharacteristically serious when he finally admitted, "You have no idea, Jimmy."
They were eating chips and watching a monster truck rally on the television when House's cell phone rang. Wilson wiped his hands on his jeans and moved to the pool table. He was racking the balls when House disconnected the call.
"That was the little woman," he told Wilson. "The moving truck is on the way."
"Should we go wait upstairs?" Wilson asked as he selected a pool cue.
House limped to the wall rack and selected his own, custom cue. "We've got time. You break."
When Lisa Cuddy opened the front door, she could hear the sound of a pool game coming from the basement. She shook her head and strode to the opened door to the stairway. She knew letting House and Wilson wait here together had been a bad idea. She had known they wouldn't get anything accomplished with all of House's toys already in place.
"House, get your cute butt up here. Playtime's over," she yelled down the stairs.
Cuddy was directing the placement of the first of the living room furniture when House and Wilson stepped off the elevator. Wilson was a bit shocked when House limped straight to Cuddy and gave her a quick kiss. The open displays of affection between his two best friends still caught the younger man off guard.
"What do you want us to do, Cuddles?" House asked with a wicked grin.
"You go direct traffic upstairs. Make sure the furniture gets into the right rooms," she told him in a no nonsense voice. She was in full administrator mode. "Wilson, you can start unpacking House's boxes in the basement."
"That's not fair," House whined. "He gets to watch t.v. while he works."
"Don't pout, House," Cuddy patted his chest. "You just have to stand around and look cute. Wilson will be trying to create order out of fifty years of your junk that you just tossed into boxes."
"As opposed to forty-three years of your junk you obsessively packed complete with packing slips?" House smirked.
"Exactly," she smiled before she swatted him on the seat of his jeans. "Now, you have your orders. Get busy."
"And, you thought she was bossy at work," House commented as he limped past Wilson.
Wilson laughed when Cuddy yelled, "I heard that."
The men went off to their assigned tasks and Cuddy remained in the living room. She directed the movers as they unloaded the huge truck. She had been worried that they wouldn't have enough furniture to fill such a large house. Boy was she wrong. Between House's grand piano and her own living room furniture, the space was soon filled. Her table went into the dining room. House's butcher block table when into the breakfast nook. Boxes of her kitchen stuff joined House's boxes on the counters and the floor. Her desk and boxes of books were stashed in the study. Rachel's bed had already been moved and assembled. Now, Cuddy's bedroom furniture made its way upstairs. Stacks of boxes and more furniture were sent up the elevator.
In less than two hours, the truck was emptied. It had taken weeks of packing and two days of moving, but all of their belongings were finally under the same roof. Now, the job of unpacking and arranging could begin. Cuddy had just signed the delivery receipt when the front door opened.
Chase stuck his head in the door and asked, "Need any help?"
Cuddy handed the clipboard back to the supervisor and smiled. "Only all we can get." She thanked the movers as the members of House's team filled into the living room.
When the movers had left, Cuddy turned to the younger doctors who had come dressed to work. "Who's running the department?"
"We took a vote and it was unanimous. No one's getting sick enough to need us today," Taub told his boss's boss with a grin.
Cuddy knew she should protest, but honestly, the combined contents of her house and House's apartment was a little daunting when all piled together. She waved a hand at the chaos. "Pick a room. There's more than enough to go around. Wilson's already working in the basement. House is upstairs…if he hasn't snuck back down to his new lair. Just don't unpack anything in Rachel's room. House promised her she could do it herself."
Foreman and Chase headed upstairs. Taub chose to work in Cuddy's study. Masters volunteered to start in the kitchen with Cuddy. Wilson wandered up from time to time with now empty boxes. House sent stacks of flattened boxes down the elevator and called Cuddy's cell phone so she and Masters could remove them. The doctors worked steadily and it wasn't long before Cuddy started to see progress.
By four o'clock most of the boxes had been unpacked. Taub came from the study to carry a stack of boxes from the kitchen to the garage. These boxes contained duplicate kitchen items that would be given to Goodwill. Cuddy figured they didn't need two of some items like coffee makers or toasters. She kept the best of each item and was surprised to find that most of what she kept belonged to House. Her china went into the china cabinet and House's everyday dishes went into the kitchen cabinets. Masters obsessively sorted through the utensils and gadgets and put them away in the drawers.
Cuddy took a quick break and headed upstairs. She peeked into the guest room and found that Foreman and Chase had arranged her bedroom furniture just as she had pictured it would look best. A quick look confirmed that Rachel's room was untouched. When Cuddy stepped into the master bedroom, she was shocked. House's furniture looked perfect in the huge room. The guys had made the bed with her linens. The love seat from Rachel's old room had been placed in front of the fireplace. House's end tables flanked each end of the small sofa. Books and knick-knacks from both of their homes had been placed in the bookshelves that stood on each side of the fireplace.
Cuddy stuck her head in House's closet. Chase and Foreman were unpacking House's clothing. Cuddy moved to the door of her own closet. House was unpacking and arranging her shoes on the custom shelves. Cuddy walked in and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his back.
"I'm glad your team showed up to help. We would never had gotten all this done by ourselves," Cuddy told him before she placed a kiss between his shoulder blades.
"I'm giving them each a day off next week," he told her as he put a pair of red pumps on the shelf. House awkwardly turned and wrapped his arms around her. He gave her a long, toe-curling kiss. When he finally came up for air, he asked, "Do you like what we did in the bedroom?"
Cuddy smiled up at him and moved her arms around his neck. "It's wonderful. You were right. Your furniture looks better in here."
They were locked in another heated kiss when an accented voice intruded on their privacy. "We're slaving away and they're making out like teenagers," Chase complained to Foreman.
"Newlyweds. You would think they could wait until we leave," Foreman drolly observed.
House leaned his forehead on Cuddy's and smiled down at her. He took his cane from where it was hanging on the pocket of his blue jeans and used the tip to shut the door in their smirking faces. They newlyweds heard the laughter from the other side of the door. Cuddy kissed him again.
"I suppose we should go downstairs and see what else needs to be done," she told him.
House drew her closer and then gently squeezed her butt. "Do we have to? I can think of more interesting things we could do."
Cuddy tried to look stern. The twinkle in her sapphire eyes gave her away. "Yes, House, we have to. Marina should be dropping Rachel off in a few minutes. I thought I would order pizza for everyone."
"That's not a good idea. They're like stray cats. If you feed them, we'll never get rid of them." When Cuddy laughed, House opened the door and followed her out and into the bedroom. He stopped and looked around. "You really like it?"
Cuddy took his hand and smiled up at him. "It's perfect. You guys did a great job. It already feels like home."
They stepped off the elevator just as one very excited toddler ran through the front door. Marina had kept the little girl at her own house during the move. Rachel ran straight to House and threw her arms around his left leg.
"Daddy! Daddy! Is my room here?" she yelled as she hopped up and down.
House ignored the smiles of his team and Wilson who was now sprawled on the living room sofa. He put a hand on Rachel's head in an attempt to stop her bouncing.
"Yes, your room's here," he told the toddler who was now hanging off of his hand. "You want to go unpack your stuff?"
Rachel threw her head back and smiled up at him. "Yes!"
"Chase and Foreman will help you." House figured that would be sufficient payback for their cheeky comments.
"No!" Rachel wailed and tugged on his free hand. "You help, Daddy."
House rolled his eyes and ignored the snickers from around the room. He knew a melt-down was certain if he refused. After all, he was the genius who had promised to let her unpack her stuff herself.
"Fine. Let's go." House pushed the button to open the elevator door.
"Hey!" Cuddy held out her arms and looked at her tiny daughter. "Don't I at least get a hug?"
Rachel gave her mother a quick hug and then grabbed House's hand again. She towed him into the elevator with the imperious demand, "Come on, Daddy!"
When the elevator door shut, Cuddy turned back to the assembled group of doctors. They all wore identically looks of amused shock. Not one of the younger doctors had ever expected to see their grumpy boss being led around by a toddler.
"She has him wrapped around her little finger," Wilson observed from the sofa.
Cuddy narrowed her eyes and looked at each one of them. "And, if any of you tease him about it, I will personally make your lives a living hell," she warned. "His relationship with Rachel is off limits."
"Cuddy…" Wilson started before she cut him off with a glare.
"I mean it," she growled with a frown. "I know how all of you take cheap shots at one another. And, I know House is the king of snark. But, I'm instituting a hand-off policy on House and Rachel. He's working too hard to be a good father for you guys to treat it like a joke. None of you have any idea how much crap he's had to overcome to make it this far. Anything else is fair game, but about Rachel, you leave him alone."
From where he was sitting cross-legged on the floor, Chase admitted, "I'm a little jealous of Rachel. I wish my father had paid half as much attention to me as House does to her. He abandoned me and my mother. I hardly ever saw him after that."
"I know what you mean." Foreman was sitting one of the sofa arms. "My dad was too busy ministering to his flock to remember he even had kids. As long as I was in church every time the doors were opened, he pretty much ignored me."
"My dad was an okay guy." Taub offered from his spot in one of the overstuffed chairs. "He was always there. But, that was it. He was just there. He worked, came home, ate dinner, watched television and then went to bed. We never spent any time together doing father/son stuff."
"My dad thinks I'm a freak," Masters said quietly from her place on the floor next to Chase. The young woman toyed with the fringe on a throw pillow she held in her lap. "I heard him tell my uncle that once. He never talks to me unless he can't avoid it. So, now, I just avoid him. It's a lot easier on both of us that way."
Cuddy looked at Wilson and knew her own look of surprise mirrored his. They both knew bits and pieces of Chase and Foreman's backgrounds. Neither of the older doctors had suspected that Taub and Masters shared similar childhoods filled with neglect. Cuddy eased around to sit in the other chair.
Foreman looked at his boss's wife. "House will be a great dad. We might not know everything, but we know enough to understand he's not going to make the same mistakes his father did."
"And, he's already practiced on us," Chase quipped with a grin. "They don't call us House's Ducklings for no reason. Papa Duck's been teaching us to survive on our own for years."
Cuddy snorted and tried to blink back the tears that threatened to fall. This conversation explained so much. Now, she had a better idea of why the three younger doctors had all returned to their cranky, misanthropic boss and why the young med student had decided to stay. Through his often twisted, sometimes seemingly cruel methods, House had provided each of them a safety net they had never known from their own fathers. He didn't expect them to not make mistakes or be someone they weren't. He just pushed them to do their best and to learn from their mistakes.
Cuddy's attention turned to Masters as the young woman quietly admitted, "A few weeks ago, House hugged me. He was just being sarcastic and teasing me. I was shocked at first but I have to admit it was nice. Then, I watched House with Rachel at the wedding. I lost count of how many times he picked her up or let her sit on his lap. When I thought about it later, I realized I couldn't remember my dad ever hugging me. That's what I envy most."
"He can be a rude, arrogant bastard. He's meddled in my life to the point I was ready to kill him." Taub focused his gaze on the grand piano. "But, House has paid more attention to me as a person since I've worked for him than my dad has in my whole life."
Wilson could tell Cuddy was fast approaching overload. He decided to lighten the mood. "This sounds like a wake. The man's just helping his daughter unpack her stuff. He didn't die."
They all laughed at the comment. Chase was the first one to comment. "And, if he heard us talking about him like this, we would never live it down. He really would make our lives a living Hell."
"Actually, I'm more afraid of Dr. Cuddy than I am of House," Taub joked with a smile in Cuddy's direction.
Cuddy laughed as she rose from her chair. "Wilson, why don't you show everyone the Bat Cave? I'm going to call in an order for pizza."
"Cuddy, you don't have to feed us," Foreman offered a feeble protest.
"It's the least I can do after all the work you've done today." Cuddy pulled her cell phone from her pocket. "And, trust me. You all really want to see the basement."
Upstairs, House had followed Rachel into her room. Chase had made the bed, but everything else was still in boxes. Rachel propped her hands on her hips and surveyed the stacks of boxes. House limped over and ripped open the top of the closest box. He ignored the packing slip that he waded into a ball. He snorted and thought sarcastically, 'Who bothers with a packing slip for a kid who can't even read?'
House put the box on the floor. "Okay, Kid. Dig in," he told the toddler.
Rachel pulled out several books and handed them to House. "On the bottom shelf, Daddy," she instructed him.
House grinned and limped over to deposit the books per his daughter's instructions. Rachel handed him more books and they settled into a rhythm. House opened boxes. Rachel inspected the contents and then told him where everything should go. House rolled his eyes and patiently arranged her clothes according to function and then color. She was as OCD about some things as her mother.
Most of the items prompted a story from Rachel from when she was "little." Most of her childish, disjointed ramblings were difficult for House to decipher. But, he enjoyed listening to her natter on about this doll or that book. He had to admit that her speech had improved dramatically over the past few months.
They had emptied the final box when Rachel frowned and looked around the room. "Daddy, where's Mr. Rabbit?"
House reached over the top rail of the castle and pulled down the worn, stuffed animal. "I put him up here so he wouldn't get lost."
Rachel hugged the toy to her chest. "Thank you," she told House with an adorable smile.
"You're welcome." House looked around the room. "Your mom said she would hang your pictures later. I think we're finished for now."
Rachel lovingly placed the stuffed bunny on her pillow. "What we do now?"
"Your mom is ordering pizza for dinner." House smiled when she slipped her hand into his. "Why don't you play on your new swing until it gets here?"
House led her to the elevator and indulgently listened to the little girl enthuse about her new room and her new swing. When the door opened to the basement, he was surprised to find his entire team plus Wilson in his den. Masters was watching Chase and Foreman who were shooting pool. Taub and Wilson were playing a video game.
"Feel free to make yourselves at home," House snarked as he led Rachel to the French doors. He opened them with the warning, "Be careful."
House watched his little girl run across the yard and flop on her stomach on one of the swings. He wasn't aware of the faint smile he wore as he leaned against the door frame and looked out at the backyard. When he finally turned back to the room, he noticed that everyone was watching him in fascination.
"What?" he demanded of no one in particular.
"Nothing, House," Wilson responded as he shot a warning look at the younger people. Wilson had realized that Cuddy was right. House's relationship with Rachel was still too new and was too important for them make light of it.
House frowned as he watched the others return to their earlier activities. He knew he was missing something. He figured he would get to the bottom of it later. Wilson would resist at first, but House was confident he would finally manipulate the truth out of his best friend.
Cuddy balanced a stack of pizza boxes as she stepped off the elevator. House was beating Taub at a video game. Wilson, Chase and Foreman were playing a game of poker. Cuddy silently carried the food through the open French doors to the patio table. She smiled when she heard the sound of chairs moving on the hardwood floor and the sudden silence from the television. Masters and Rachel hopped off the swing set as soon as Cuddy yelled to let them know that dinner had arrived. She asked Chase and Wilson to run upstairs to retrieve sodas for everyone.
In minutes, the group was seated around the patio table and on other lawn furniture. Rachel, of course, opted to sit on House's lap. Everyone had paper plates of pizza and cans of soda. They ate in silence that was broken only when someone asked for a napkin or another slice of pizza.
Wilson finished his fourth slice of Super Supreme and finally felt his ravenous hunger lessen in intensity. He hadn't realized just how hungry he had been. He looked at the decimated remains of the pizzas and laughed.
"We look like a feeding frenzy of sharks," the oncologist answered the questioning looks he received.
"We skipped lunch," Foreman defended himself and his younger coworkers.
Cuddy grabbed another slice of Veggie Lovers Delight and admitted, "So did I."
House narrowed his eyes and stared at his wife. "You said you would quit doing that," he sternly reminded her.
"I didn't want to stop on the way here. I figured I would eat once I got here, but we got busy unpacking and I forgot," Cuddy defended herself.
"How do you forget to eat?" House stared at her in complete puzzlement.
"I know it's a foreign concept to you, House," Cuddy paused to smile that infuriatingly sweet smile at her husband, "but, some of us don't live for our next meal."
House gave her the wicked grin that never failed to turn her insides to Jell-O. His electric blue eyes sparkled in the evening light. His voice was low and gravely when he responded, "That's not the only thing I live for, Honeybuns."
His meaning wasn't lost on the guys. Chase choked on his soda and Wilson and Foreman laughed out loud. Taub leaned over to whisper something to the incredibly naive Masters who couldn't stifle a gasp. Cuddy felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She quickly realized that pay-back time for the cutesy nicknames had arrived with a vengeance. Fortunately, Rachel had already finished her dinner and was back at the swing.
"House…" Cuddy tried her best to warn him.
"I told you not to start a war you couldn't win, Sweet Cheeks," House reminded her with a smirk.
Cuddy hoped to extract herself from the situation with as little embarrassment as possible. She conceded defeat with a huff. "Fine, you win. No more nicknames. Happy now, House?"
Chase grinned at the couple and asked, "Do we get to hear the story behind this?"
"Nope," House replied with a grin for his wife. "I think I've made my point."
"I think it's cute when couples have nicknames for each other," Masters shyly volunteered her opinion.
House rolled his eyes. "You would."
Wilson took a drink of soda before he voiced a long held complaint. "I hated Pookie. Bonnie called me that. I felt like her grandmother's poodle."
This time it was House who coughed as he snorted soda up his nose. His eyes were still watering when Chase agreed with the oncologist.
"Allison called me Snookums once," the Australian groused. "I didn't speak to her for two days."
"That's just silly." Cuddy slid her now empty plate on the table. "She was just trying to be sweet."
"It's hard to be macho and lay your grove down when your significant calls you Snookums," Chase defended himself. "All I could think of was one of those froo-froo dogs with bows in its hair."
The guys all laughed in commiseration with their fellow male. Foreman shared his own tale of wounded male dignity. "Thirteen called me Stud. I felt like a gigolo."
House looked at Cuddy and raised an eyebrow. "What?" she exclaimed. "I didn't call you Stud. I said you are a stud. There's a difference, House. I was bragging to my obnoxious sister."
None of the other guys missed House's cocky grin or his nod of acceptance to his wife. Masters sighed in exasperation. "I will never understand men," she told the group.
"It's not difficult," Cuddy told the younger woman. "Food and sex and not necessarily in that order. That's all you have to remember."
Cuddy laughed at the outraged squawks from the men. When they had calmed down she casually announced. "I have desert pizza upstairs. Does anyone want some?"
All the men responded with enthusiasm. Cuddy handed House a trash sack she had brought down with the pizza. She smiled as the guys began to pitch the empty boxes, cans and paper plates in the bag.
Cuddy sat back and smirked at Masters. "I rest my case." The women were still laughing at the guys as Cuddy and Masters headed upstairs to retrieve the desert and more sodas.
"You're a brave man, Greg House," Wilson told his friend when Cuddy was out of earshot. "She's going to keep you on your toes."
"Life will never be boring," Chase told his boss with a smile.
"Well, she can't cook worth a damn." House leaned back in his chair and folded his hands across his stomach. "I guess one out of two isn't bad."
The men were all still laughing when Cuddy and Masters returned. Cuddy looked at House as she placed the boxes on the table.
"Should I dare ask?" she challenged him.
"Probably not," he looked up and responded with a grin.
Everyone dug into the desert like they hadn't just devoured enough pizza to feed a football team. House was the one who allowed Rachel carry hers to her play house. Masters watched the little girl with a wistful look in her eyes.
"She really is adorable," Masters told Cuddy. "How old is she?"
"She'll be three in a few weeks." Cuddy put her diet soda on the table and then shot a horrified look at House. "Oh my God, House. What are we going to get her? We have two pianos and now she has a swing set."
Chase offered the suggestion, "What about a bicycle? Your drive and this yard are perfect for one."
"She's a little young for that, don't you think?" Wilson ventured his opinion.
"Not really," Taub answered. "My sister's kids had bikes at her age. They make tiny ones with training wheels."
House looked to Cuddy and shrugged. "Sounds like a plan to me."
Cuddy looked worried for a second and then finally smiled. "It would help her burn off some of that energy you complain about."
Everyone continued to sit and talk until the outside lights came on automatically and the temperature started to drop. Cuddy called her now exhausted daughter back to the patio and refused offers to help clean up their dinner mess.
"You guys have done enough. We can't begin to thank you all for showing up to help us," Cuddy told them.
Slowly, everyone began to leave until Wilson was the only one of the helpers who remained. Cuddy took Rachel upstairs for a bath. House accompanied Wilson to the front door and stopped when Wilson just stood there looking around the living room.
Finally, Wilson faced his best friend and gave him a long, searching look. "I'm still a little surprised, House. Once upon a time, you would have rather died than live this life."
"I'm still a little surprised myself," House responded as his dipped his head and looked at the floor. When he finally raised his head, his blue eyes glowed with an intensity Wilson had never seen. In a rare display of complete honesty, House hoarsely admitted, "But, you're wrong. Once upon a time, I didn't think could have this life. That doesn't mean I didn't want it."
Wilson was still smiling when he started his car and backed out of the drive. House shut and locked the front door and then moved through the first floor shutting off lights. He leaned against the wall and looked around the main floor. It was still a mess, but he had to agree with Cuddy. It already felt like home.