Celeste

Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews and for adding this story to your faves and alerts. I'm so happy you all liked the beginning. I still haven't planned the future of this story so I have no idea where this is heading. There are some quotes from "Let them eat cake", you know which quotes I'm talking about so you know they're not mine. Again, thanks to partypantscuddy for beta-ing and liacuddles for sharing her thoughts with me about this chapter. Go check their fanfictions!

JLCH: if you're reading this, thank you for telling me that I was (almost xD) right with the time thingy :)

Chapter 2

I will wait for you, without leaving as the swallows already do in the air; in my land which grows old but,in the wake of another age, dancing... it dreams as the tender east light illuminates hopes and brooms at dawn.

Fourteen years. For fourteen years he had been completely in the dark about his daughter. House sat alone in his office, his thinky-thinky ball going from his right hand to the left and vice versa.

"You seem to be thinking deeply about something..." came the voice of his best friend. "Problems with one of your hookers?"

"Shut up." he replied firmly.

"Woah, aren't we happy today?"

"Shut up, Wilson. I really don't want to talk to you right now."

"What's wrong House?" he asked stepping closer to his friend.

"Nothing. Just... I want to be alone."

"Okay. Chinese at my place tonight?" he prompted but House shook his head no. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then..." he said exiting his office.

House sighed and closed his eyes.

He had never thought he could father a child or actually be a father. He had never seen this girl but yet when he found out about her existence, he started feeling a connection, not only to her but to her mother. Cuddy. Was he still in love with her? He sighed, shaking the thought out of his mind.

All of this was driving him crazy.

All he could do was pretend that nothing had ever happened. That that one night-stand with Cuddy was just a fantasy and that the teenage girl parading such a beautiful name wasn't his daughter but a nightmare. A nightmare that he wanted to analyze, to study... to meet.

Fourteen years. She had managed to keep everything hidden from House for fourteen years. She thought she had done the right thing even though he had a right to know about their daughter. But how could she refer to that girl as their daughter when she had only held her once and House had only known about her existence for a couple hours?

Cuddy took a deep breath, managing to stop the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She opened the bottom drawer of her desk and searched through it. When she finally found what she was looking for, she held the item right in front of her and smiled sadly. A beautiful 4 year-old with deep blue eyes and a thousand watt smile was staring back at her from the paper.

An hour later.

"Hey" Cuddy smiled shyly, entering his office. "May I?" she asked pointing to the ottoman under House's feet. He moved his legs and let her sit on it. "How's your patient?" she asked.

"Brain tumor. It was too small to be seen." he informed her. "Passed the case to Wilson."

"That is awful. He's only a kid." Cuddy said.

"Yeah..." he acknowledged with a nod.

"So..." she stalled.

"So... why are you here?" House asked.

"I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have kept you in the dark about what happened years ago. I should have explained everything to you."

"It's okay." he mumbled standing up and walking towards his desk.

"No, it's not." Cuddy said following him.

"Cuddy, really, It is okay." he repeated, filling his backpack with his stuff. "You knew how I would have reacted to such a news. It wouldn't have been easy."

"You find this easy?" she asked confused.

"I didn't say that." he stopped his actions. "I have just found out we have a daughter together, do you think this is easy for me?"

"No, I don't. I just... don't want things to change between us." she said walking closer to him. House looked down at her.

"They won't. I'll always be an insufferable ass and you'll be the boss who has to deal with my crazy procedures and all that jazz." he replied smugly.

"Okay." she said, offering him a small envelope. "Take it. I have had it for ten years, you can have it."

House took the envelope from her hand and opened it. He stared at the photo for a good minute.

"What if I want to see her?" he asked.

"That's up to you. As far as I know her family still lives in Detroit." she informed House.

"Have you seen her?" he asked.

"Once. Mrs Thompson insisted I saw her at least one time."she said with a small smile.

"How did you get the photo?"

"I was in Detroit for a conference and Mr Thompson recognized my name and tracked me down. We talked over a drink and he gave me that photo." she said motioning to the picture in his hands. "You can keep it. I have had another copy made." she said smiling at him.

She left his office, leaving him alone with his thoughts and feeling. House stared at the picture for a while more before hiding it in his wallet. He sat on his chair, closed his eyes and sighed.

How could he ignore that girl when she reminded him so much of Cuddy and himself?

Princeton, Two years later.

"You're not stopping me for medical reasons. You're stopping me because you have the hots for me!" he told her smugly. She gaped at him and stood up from his office floor.

"You are still here because you have the hots for me!" she spatted back.

"Evidence by the fact that I'm the one who moved into your office-" he said, earning an eye-roll from Cuddy.

"It's the biggest office and I'm not the one who destroyed-"

"Why are you dressed like that?" he said, ogling her breasts. "Why do you try so hard to get my attention?" he stopped. "Are you screwing with me?" he asked. She eyed him, taking one more step close to him.

"Are you screwing with me?" she asked back.

"Depends on your answer..."

"Everybody knows this is going somewhere." she said firmly. She inched even closer to him and he didn't move, but leaned into her. "I think we're supposed to kiss now." she whispered, her lips almost touching his. She looked into his eyes and licked her lips before closing the final gap between them. House didn't react at first but then pressed his lips to hers with more intensity.

When they broke the kiss, Cuddy closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his chest, enjoying the closeness of their bodies. House's hand lingered on the small of her back, drawing small circles.

"What are we going to do now?" she asked, her voice muffled from her position against his chest.

"I don't know." he said truthfully. "I think we should talk things through and see where to start."

"When did you get so smart?" she asked smiling up at him. Their eyes met once again and her heart skipped a beat.

"I've always been so smart. It was time you figured that out." he replied smugly. She smiled up at him and pecked his lips. House deepened the kiss but they were both brought back to reality when his phone went off.

"House..." he greeted his team. Cuddy in the meanwhile sat back down on the floor and gathered all the files sprawled all over the carpet "Get her off the antibiotics and get your asses here ASAP!" he closed the call and rubbed his eyes, trying to wipe the tiredness away.

"Patient's gotten worse." he informed Cuddy, who nodded in acknowledgment.

"Don't worry, we'll talk once you're done with the case, okay?"

"Doctor Cuddy..." a nurse called for her.

"Yes Linda?"

"There's a man down in acceptance asking for you." the young nurse informed her.

"I'll be right down." she told her. Once the nurse exited the office, Cuddy looked back at House. "I better get down now." she said. "You go cure your patient." she said with a small smile. "I'll talk to you later." she concluded before walking out of the office.

House walked outside onto the small balcony he shared with Wilson and stared at the park that faced the hospital. Wow, what has just happened? He asked himself. They kissed and agreed to talk things through. Would he be able to be in a real relationship with her? To be the supporting and caring boyfriend she deserved? He sighed and re-entered his office before moving to the DDX room where his team was now taking a seat. He re-read the symptoms and cleared his mind before putting his brain to work on a different topic.

"Brenda, where's the man who wanted to see me?" Cuddy asked her head-nurse.

"He's sitting just outside the door. Said he hated hospitals and asked to meet you outside." she explained while pointing to the bench under the tree, right in front of the glass doors.

"Thank you" she thanked Brenda, before walking towards the doors where the man was waiting for her.

"Uhm, hello?" she asked, trying to get the man's attention.

"Lisa..." he greeted her with a warm smile. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Mr Thompson! Why... what are you doing here?" she asked, accepting the man's hug.

"A lot of things have happened..." he answered sadly.

"Are Celeste and your wife alright?" she asked.

"Like I've already told you, a lot of things have happened."

"Uh... should we talk somewhere more private?" she asked.

"Nah, maybe we could indulge in a walk in the park. It soothes my troubled mind and aching heart."

Cuddy nodded her approval and pointed to the park's direction. The man followed her and soon Cuddy was reached by a wave of sadness and understanding. Something bad had happened and by the man's face, Cuddy understood that something even worst was about to happen. Soon. Very soon.

"You see, my wife died a couple of months ago." Mr Thompson informed her.

"Oh, I'm... I'm sorry for your loss."

"She'd been ill for almost two years. Leukemia. All the doctors we had seen tried their best but all the therapies prolonged her life but didn't cure her."

"How's Celeste doing?" she asked concerned.

"She's such a strong young woman." he said. "She's coping quite well considering how devastated she had been when they told her they couldn't help her mother in any way." he explained. "And I fear, my dear, that she'll need more support soon." Cuddy looked at him and noticed how he trembled.

"Mr Thompson..." she stopped walking.

"Huntington's development can be quite fast. My doctor said my wife's death was the starting point of all my symptoms." he said, smiling sadly at the woman.

"There's no cure but we're starting a new program here. I have two of the best doctors in my hospital working on it. I can get you into the list and..." Cuddy started but he cut her off.

"I'm already on that list." he informed her. Cuddy nodded slowly and resumed walking. "My dear, you're a great person and I'm sure you'll do great in the future with Celeste."

"What?" she asked, stopping dead in her track. The man looked back at her.

"I'm dying and Celeste is still so young. You're the only person she has."

"I can't..." she whispered as tears threatened to fall.

"Yes, you can. And I won't accept no as an answer." he said sweetly, embracing Cuddy one more time. "She'll love you. Just give her time... and she'll understand."

Cuddy stared at him dumbfounded and incredulous.

"This is my number." he said, giving her a piece of paper. "We're staying in the hotel across the street. I'm starting the trial in two days. So, I'll see you then." he said still smiling sweetly.

"Mr Thompson..." she called him.

"Yes?"

"Does she know about me?" she asked.

He smiled. "She knows she has a biological mother somewhere and I can assure you, she'll soon recognize you."

"How?" she asked not understanding the man.

"You will see."

Cuddy stood there, watching the man walking towards the direction of the hotel. She took a deep breath and turned towards the hospital, still visible from where she was standing. She took a step ahead but then stopped and turned towards Mr Thompson. A girl was with him, wearing a pearly white smile, brown curly hair and the most wonderful blue eyes she had ever seen.

Cuddy smiled softly and let the tears fall freely down her cheeks. Things were going to be hard but she was sure than in the end everything would be okay.

And the sky is so celestial blue...

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