A/N Ok, here's chapter 2 :)
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It makes me happy.
"Daddy, who is that lady? And why is she shouting at you? She woke me up."
Young, five-year-old girl came from behind the corner. Cuddy was looking at her as if she was the first kid Cuddy's ever seen. The girl was slim, had long, straight blond hair and piercing blue eyes identical to other ones, which Cuddy knows so well and sees every day. She was beautiful, really. She looked like tiny angel. She was dressed in blue nightgown. In one hand she was holding her teddy bear, and with the other one she was now pulling House's trousers.
"Don't stay like that. Close the door, it's making draft. Go sit on the couch, I'll talk to you in a moment." House ordered to Cuddy. She was still in shock, she did what he asked her to. And House kneeled in front of the girl. His attitude changed. He was now talking soft, and he was smiling.
"It's okay, Ana, she's my boss. She just want to know why I'm not at work."
"So you gonna have troubles because of me?" Her face showed anxiety.
"No, I don't think so. She's my friend too, so I expect that she'll understand. If not, you can always start to cry, no one can resist you then." House winked at her.
"That's good." On the girl's face appeared small smile. Cuddy was watching them. Now, when she cooled down from the shock she noticed that the girl was pale, was visibly shivering and sweating. She looked sick. It's probably a flu. It's almost epidemic. The clinic was bursting with patients who had flu symptoms.
"Come on, Ana, you should be in bed, resting. It's time to take a pill, anyway, so good that you're awake." House lifted the girl up, took into his arms and started limping slowly towards the second room. The room, she assumed that it can be kid's room, but not in House's home. Ironic. How close she was and yet how wrong she was.
"Could I lie here, on the couch, daddy? I wanna meet your friend. And I'm not sleepy… Could you play me song?"
"Whoa, whoa! Not everything in the same time! First I introduce you to each other, okay?" He putted her on the floor in front of Lisa, then he said: "Ana, this is my boss and my friend Lisa Cuddy, and Cuddy, this is my daughter Annabelle House." When he was talking, he was looking into Cuddy's eyes. He added "I'll be right back, I just have to take her meds." And walked out from the living room.
Cuddy understood what he wanted to tell her. 'Don't ask any questions.' But how?! She was completely confused. House has a kid! She just spent the last 10 minutes watching how gentle and nice he could be. No, no he COULD be. He IS. But only to his daughter. Cuddy wanted to know so many things. The most important was how the hell he was hiding it from everyone through all this years?! And then came: how is she? Is she more like him or more like her mother? Her mother. Exactly. Who was her mother? Lisa felt something weird…was that? No, of course she was not jealous. It must be just curiosity. Is House with her now? Or not? Does he love her? Or maybe the baby was unintentional , but he decided to be a part of its life anyway?
She realized that they are staring at each other. So she smiled to the girl.
"You're pretty. You've got beautiful hair." Lisa was under the impression that Ana told it reproachfully.
"Thank you. You're pretty too. And your hair are beautiful too. But your eyes are the best. So icy-blue. Just like your dad's."
"I know. I have his eyes and my mommy's hair. My mommy was the most beautiful in the world. She was prettier than you! I don't like you!" Now the girl was looking really sad.' It means, probably, that her mother is dead' Cuddy thought. Ana confirmed that thought when she said:
"My mom is in heaven now. She's there and looking at me, you know?" She was crying now. Cuddy was about to comfort her somehow, when House walked into the room. He put his back against the wall and was just watching. It shocked Cuddy. His daughter was crying and he's not going to do anything. What kind of father does such a thing?
House must have seen her expression, because a grin appeared on his face. "Relax, she's faking it. She doesn't even remember her mother. Ana, enough." The girl quickly wiped tears and asked with roguish smile:
"This one was good, wasn't it? She believed me!"
"Yeah, nice job. But you shouldn't be impolite. You have to apologize." Ana turned and sat on the couch next to Lisa. Then she wrapped her arms around her and said
"I'm sorry. I like you. I've just wanted to con you." She kissed Lisa on the cheek. "But you really are pretty." Lisa smiled to Ana. It was nice, but a little surprising. Ana barely know her, and yet she's hugging and kissing her.
House, as if he was reading her mind said while sitting on the couch, with simulated disgust and hidden smile. "Don't flatter yourself. She likes everyone. I have no idea from who she inherited it. It's such an awful characteristic."
"Obviously not from you." Lisa grinned. She was glad that she didn't lose an ability to speak and could give a witty riposte. She didn't want to show how much she was affected by everything she's seen for last thirty minutes.
"Okay, but now you really should lie in bed. Come on." House stood up.
"Daaaaddy, I'm not sleepy!"
"Who said you have to sleep? You just have to lie there if you don't want to be sick anymore."
"Pleeeeese. So let me lie here!"
"No. I have to talk with Cuddy… I mean Lisa. Come on, now." He stumbled. It was weird to talk about Cuddy by her first name. He held out his hand to Ana.
"No!" The girl was not about to give up. Cuddy thought that maybe she looks like an angel, but she is more like a devil. But come on, she's House's daughter! How could she possibly be so different to him?
"Hey, listen to me, or I'll just tie you up and carry to your room, you little evil!"
"You wouldn't do that, dad!"
"Wanna bet?"
"You couldn't even do that! You're a cripple!"
"Okay, let's see." House was slowly coming up to her. First she was self-confident, but when she saw his serious face, she became doubtful. She stood up from the couch and ran away from him, laughing.
"Okay, I give up."
"Ha, see? I didn't even need to touch you!" House said smiling, and once again he held out his hand to Ana. She slowly, with a dissatisfied grimace, grabbed it. They walked towards Ana's room. Ana lied in bed and House wrapped the sheets around her. He gave her some meds and the teddy bear, which she lost while running away from him few minutes before. On a bedside table he put remote control, so if she won't fall asleep and be bored, she'll be able to watch TV. House kissed her on the forehead and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Cuddy had time to think about it. House had something Cuddy has never assumed he could have. She just always thought he's not a person who wants a family, house, kids, that stuff at all. She was that person. And yet, he had a daughter and she's trying so badly to get pregnant and getting nothing. How cruel fate could be.