Hello, well here it is the last chapter :( I did warm you it was short.

Now I know it may seem like the loose ends were tied up a little too nicely and neatly for House but hey even he deserves a happy ending once in a while.

And I would just like to say a great big thank you, thank you, thank you very much for everyone who reviewed and read the story!!!!!! Thanks to TeresaB, sinister scribe, KB22, Huddytheultimate,ang catalonan, HouseAddiction, addicted2coffee (I did borrow that line from GG), Kahlua 13, ILoveHouse777, gabiroba, Kris the fanficaholic, Raya Dreamer, samanthaon, secrets09. Thank you all so very much!!

Chapter 7- One Big Happy Family??

"Mom?" Stephanie called out. Cuddy got up from the sofa and raced to her daughter who had just came in the front door.

"Hi." She greeted cautiously.

"Hi Mom." Stephanie said. Cuddy smiled and hugged her with all her might. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Steph. You have nothing to be sorry about. Go to the sofa, I just want a word with Wilson." Cuddy said indicating Wilson who was still at the curb. Stephanie nodded and went into the front room.

Cuddy walked down the pathway to the parked car and leaned into the driver's window. "Hi James. Thank you for looking after Steph."

"No problem. At least she's calmed down. She just needed time."

"Well whatever you said to help her, thank you."

"You're welcome." She kissed him on the cheek and let him drive off.

Back in their home, Cuddy hugged her daughter again. "Stephanie, I am truly sorry you had to find out like this. And I'm sorry for what you saw this morning, that must have been quite a shock after everything."

"It was, yeah. But it's fine. I know you like House, and after what happened, I'm not surprised you…found each other again." Stephanie said slowly, choosing her words carefully.

Cuddy smiled as her daughter smirked at her. Just like House would.

"Other than that, how you doing with the whole 'father' thing?"

"It's gonna take time. But Mom, I'm not an idiot, I think I always knew, I mean the eyes, the fact that I'm clever-"

"And not modest about it. Sounds familiar."

"And how I took to the Piano like a fish to water and I can play any instrument thrown at me, juggle any item tossed to me. I guess I am like House. I just didn't want to admit it, even though it was obviously right in front of me."

"Well I'm here if you want to talk or ask any questions about it." Cuddy said. "I'll answer anything. I owe you that much."

Stephanie smiled and sat down next to her mother. "Is House really on my birth certificate?"

"Yes. Who told you?"

"Jimmy. Can I see it?"

"Sure, it's in the safe." Cuddy said pulling her daughter towards her bedroom. Cuddy had a safe in her wardrobe with their most important documents. She opened it up and gave her daughter her birth certificate. Stephanie looked over it closely.

Name: Stephanie Jane Cuddy

DOB: 16th September 1990

Birthplace: New York, New York, USA

Mother: Lisa Victoria Cuddy

Mother's Occupation: Medical Doctor

Father: Gregory John House

Father's Occupation: Medical Doctor

There it was in black and white.

"Did House- Greg get a say in my name? I always wondered where Jane came from?" Stephanie asked.

"Yep, it's his mother's middle name. It was the only thing he asked of me. I couldn't say no."

Stephanie frowned as a thought occurred to her. "Mother. I have another family. Do his parents know about me?"

"I honestly don't know. I don't think he would have told him. His father wouldn't have approved of the situation." Cuddy admitted.

"I wonder why." Stephanie couldn't help saying dryly. "Well we'll have to let them know, that's 16 years of birthday and Christmas presents I need to catch up on."

"See there is a bright side to everything." Cuddy said.

The documents were put away and they sat on Cuddy's bed. "Do you regret having me?"

"No." Cuddy said without hesitating. "Stephanie, I love you. And not for a single second have I ever regretted my life with you. You have to believe that Stephanie. It wasn't how I planned it but who cares? I now have the best daughter in the world and I wouldn't change a thing."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows.

"OK, maybe I would have told you the truth sooner. I just didn't think you'd understand how we decided I'd raise you by myself and considering my 'friendship' with House is already weird enough. It just seemed like the best idea."

"At least I would have known though." Stephanie said softly. Cuddy nodded and kissed her cheek.

"I am so sorry Stephanie."

"I know you are, but I'm over it now. I've absorbed it and now if it's alright I want to get to know House better. Before he was just the grump who made your life difficult, but now he's my Dad. I deserve to know who he is."

"Of course you do. We can go see him now if you want."

"Really?"

"Yep." Cuddy said already jumping off the bed.

"Wait a minute. Can I just ask what happened last night?"

"I was upset of course about what happened and how you didn't want to come home. I ended up getting drunk, House was as well and came here. We just ended up in need of company…again." Cuddy said with a smile.

"You love him don't you." Stephanie said suddenly. It wasn't a question but a fact.

"What?"

"Mom, I've known you for 16 years. I've seen you when you're with House, you become a different person, as if nothing exists except you and House. I was too young before to know what it meant, but it's clear to me now. You love him."

Cuddy smiled at her astute daughter.

"And I know he loves you too."

"That's what he said to me this morning."

"What?" Stephanie cried jumping off the bed. "What did you say?"

"That I ha-had to talk to you-"

"You didn't tell him back?"

"Wait a minute, yesterday you were mad at him for being your father and now you're mad at me for not saying I love him."

"Well I'm a teenager, my mood changes like that." She said clicking her fingers. Cuddy laughed.

"Come on, let's go see him. If I deserve to know the truth, so does he." Stephanie said. With that she pulled her mother out the bedroom and headed towards the front door.

HHHHHHHHHH

A few months later and it was the summer. House still had his apartment and Cuddy and Stephanie still had their home. But House was a more frequent guest. Cuddy and House's relationship was going strong as everyone knew it would. Stephanie had embraced the situation with more grace after more thought to it and she was getting to know House better, understanding why he and her mother had been good friends at University. He could be friendly and funny in the safety of his own home.

During the summer House and Cuddy would be spending a lot of time alone. Because for the month of July, once school had finished, Stephanie was going to Eldridge, Ohio, to meet her other grandparents. Blythe and John House. They had been told about Stephanie and though shocked at first, welcomed their only grandchild with open arms, insisting immediately she go out there and visit them.

One big happy family? Not quite they still had arguments and disagreements, sometimes Stephanie was sometimes jealous about having to share her mother all of a sudden and House occasionally felt frustrated at being the only guy, but they got through it. It wasn't a normal family but it worked for them, after all they didn't do things by the norm.

So was Stephanie Cuddy a dirty little secret?

No, more like a welcomed surprise.