A/N Ok, here's chapter 3. I hope you'll like it.
As always I want to thanks to everyone who reviewed. And I'm sorry that I'm making so many mistakes, but English is not my first language :)
Please R&R!
House kissed her on the forehead and walked out, closing the door behind him.
"Okay… now, let's talk." House said to Cuddy. He obviously wasn't very happy that she saw that at all. "I think you understand why I haven't been at work today? You can punish me, but I suggest not giving me more clinic hours, because, you know, I won't do it anyway." Even if the conversation was really serious, he was joking as always. She didn't always like House's sarcastic comments, but this time it made her feel more comfortable. House was still House, who she knew. She knew how to talk with him. With that new, nicer House, who he was to his daughter, she wouldn't know.
"I won't punish you. But you could tell…"
"Yeah, sure, the thing I want the most is the whole hospital coming here just to take a look at her…"
"It won't be like that."
"Yeah, you sure? It won't? 'Oh my God, I've seen House's daughter!' " He was mocking nurses, who were always extremely excited by every gossip. And, well, let's face it, they would have a reason to gossip to no end, if they'd find it out.
He was angry. Even not because Cuddy found it out, but because he knew what'll be next. She'll want to know Ana's story. And he didn't want to tell it. But Cuddy won't give up. She'll be asking as long as she need to discover the truth. So he decided to make short work of it. House sat on the couch, leant his chin on his cane, waiting for questions.
Cuddy didn't know where to start. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk, but it seemed he decided to, at least, divulge part of the truth. It would be the best to focus on the most important things, to gain an insight into the situation.
"Does… Stacy know about her?" Oh God! The stupidest question she could ever ask!
"Woman! You've got the ability to ask me about something I've never told anyone and all you can ask is if Stacy knows? Do you really suck at math?! Ana's five years old, and I split up with Stacy more than seven years ago. So how possibly she could know?"
"Sorry." Okay, time to ask some smart question. Lisa thought for a moment, and decided to start from the beginning. "So… who is her mother? Is she dead?" She saw House's face stiffened. He didn't respond. They'd been sitting quietly for few minutes, and exactly when Cuddy thought he wouldn't answer at all and decided to ask another question, he started talking.
He promised himself that after Stacy, he'll never be with anyone again. It caused so much pain when she left. But then she met Martha. A smart, high earned scientologist with great reputation. He had no idea, why she liked him. He was a jerk to her. As always, to everybody. They went once to the bar, got drunk and ended both in his bed, making sex. But he didn't love her, and she didn't love him. It was just a lust. After that night they made a deal. It was just sex. For him it was easier, he didn't have to take hookers, and she didn't have to look for one-night stand partners. It was good and they both were okay with that. Until that day. They've been "together" for almost three weeks. She came to his home at 8 PM, as always. But she was nervous, she didn't let him touch her. She sat down and then said that.
"House. I'm pregnant." He knew it was not a joke, but thought then maybe if he won't believe it, it won't be the truth.
"Hey, it's not funny!"
"I'm not joking." He looked into her yes and saw only worry.
"But it cannot be truth! You were on the pills!"
"I missed one."
"You idiot! Look, what've you done!" It shocked him. He wasn't ready to be a father. He always thought he won't be a father at all after Stacy left, and even before they weren't thinking about starting a family.
"I'm not happy too, but come on, it's a pregnancy! Not the end of the world! I regret I even came here to tell you. I could just leave you without explanation! But I thought you have a right to know. I thought you would react other way!" she was crying. It was hard for her. She was now focused on the career and the baby wasn't something she planned.
"Then you were wrong!" he shouted and limped out of the room. He heard as she slammed the door when she was leaving.
He spent almost half a night drinking bourbon and playing piano. He didn't know what to think. It wasn't that he didn't want to be a father. He just never thought about parenthood. It was… When you're a father you have to care. To take responsibility.
He thought he's not a person, who's good at caring. How could he be a good father? He didn't have any good example. To have a father like his own… that's something he didn't wish even the worst enemy. What if he'd be like John House? He didn't want to.
But if he wanted to be different kind of father, he had to take this chance and try. Maybe it's worth to try? He didn't want to doom his own baby to grow up without a father. He would always be able to leave, if he would be making his kid suffer…
One week later he made a call to Martha.
And after Ana was born, he was spending almost every weekend with her. He find out not only he was not a bad father, but even, as Martha was repeating all the time, he was a good one. And being a father was making him happy… or maybe less miserable would be a better phrase, but for such a person like House it was still huge.
His behavior at work didn't change, so no one was suspecting anything. He was still a jerk, a bastard, because it was his personality and having a baby haven't changed it. He could be nice to someone he love or like, but he'll always be a jerk. He was who he was.
He decided not to tell anyone, even Wilson. It would only complicate everything. It was not their business, anyway. He could tell Wilson, but knowing him, after few days whole hospital would know.
But nothing last forever. Ana was two years old. She was at home with babysitter. Martha was driving home from work. But she'd never reached there. There was an accident, head-on collision. When a rescue team came there, she'd been already dead.
From that moment Ana was living with him. It was hard at the beginning. He had to give up with drinking so much bourbon, taking hookers home, and what was the hardest, learn to live with constant responsibility. With the knowledge that every minute of every day someone depends on you. He had to find a babysitter, who could stay with Ana late into the night, when he would be working on some difficult case. But eventually it became easier, natural.
But he still didn't tell anyone. He didn't want to make it harder. He thought he would tell when the right moment came, whenever it would be.
But found it out. It didn't make sense to hide it anymore. So he told her the story, passing over personal parts, and some other ones, which he decided were not important.
Cuddy wanted to ask more question, but House implied her to leave. He asked her not to tell anyone. "For now" he said. She agreed. He told her not to care about it, and to behave like nothing happened. It was impossible for her and he probably knew it, but it wasn't a good time to talk about it. They agreed he'll come back to work on Wednesday or Thursday, depends on how Ana'll be. Lisa knew that then she'll have to talk with him. But this time about present, not about the past. But that later. At that time, the only thing she wanted, was to go home and to think it all over.
When Cuddy left, House had time to think. First, when Cuddy found it out, he was angry. But later he started to think maybe it's not that bad. At least, now he had someone with who he could talk about it if he'll need, or get help. He had an ability to do so… but he's not going to do it, anyway! And now he had an good excuse to shrink from the clinic: all the 'kid's waiting' thing. 'Cuddy loves children. She won't be able to resist this one excuse.' As he thought that, on his face appeared roguish smile.
A/N Hope you enjoyed it!
I never thought it'll give me so much fun writing this fic :)