Celeste
First of all, I'd love to thank all of you who reviewed and added the story to their faves :) It warms my heart how much you appreciate the story, from the plot to the style of my writing. So, I'm taking some time to thank some of you directly :)
anon: thank you so much, I really appreciated your reviews. You make me want to write and write and write :)
newdayz: sorry to inform you that the "happy huddy family" prospect won't come soon into the picture. Problems and problems and problems ahead. But you know me, I can't stay away from fluff and romantic when it comes to fanfiction :)
Sheis1963 (aka English Muffin, Funbags McBooty): boobies. Your face mine.
LapizSilkwood: Cuddy cries a lot or at least she tries to stop herself from crying a lot, but she is still a bamf. You shall see soon :)
JLCH: oh, honey, you shall see what actually happened in that two years long gap :)
Oh and there wont' be Rachel in this fic. Thanks again to partypantscuddy for beta-ing and Sheis1963 and LiaCuddles for helping me out :)
Chapter 3
You shall have books, sandals, beach buckets... bright memories. Black like mine will be your hair.
But in a second I know, you'll fly away towards the distant island of a city,as I did once, my love...
"Celeste?" he called for her.
"What's up dad?" she asked running into the room.
"Sit down with me." he said, motioning to the couch. Celeste smiled sweetly and snuggled at his side, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I love you so much, you know that?"
"I love you too dad."she whispered, kissing his cheek.
"The experimental trial starts in two days and I need you to know something..." He trailed off. When Celeste looked up at him confused, he continued. "You know it might work and it might not."
"Dad..."
"Honey, I am being realistic." He shut her up and then took a deep breath. "I want you to know that the trial is not the only reason we are here. When I'll die, you won't be alone. Your mother will be here to support you."
"What?" Celeste sat up straight.
"Your biological mother lives here."
"You can't seriously believe that I want to meet the woman who ditched me when I wasn't even born!"
"Celeste! I won't let you speak ill of her."
"Come on!" she protested.
"Celeste, wasn't I clear enough? I don't want you to talk about her in that way."
"Dad, this is insane. You're not dead yet and maybe the trial will work. You can't really want me to meet that woman."
"That woman did a pretty brave thing. She gave birth to you. She gave you a chance. What if she hadn't?"
Celeste looked helplessly at him and sighed. "I don't know. It's just... she gave me up sixteen years ago, why would she be willing to meet me after all these years? What tells you that she is willing to put up with her biggest mistake? Huh?"
"You're not her biggest mistake." he told her calmly.
"I'm still a mistake."
"No, you're not. She was too young to know that you would have been the spark of her life." he said with a small smile.
"Why do you always have to go poetic on me?" she asked, smiling back at him.
"Because I know you're a sucker for poetry." he said holding out his hand for her to take. Celeste sat back on the couch next to her father.
"Does she know I'm here?" she asked.
"She does." he said, stroking her hair.
"What's her name?"
"Lisa. Lisa Cuddy."
"Hey..." she said entering his office.
"Hey, can you give me back my furniture now? The floor isn't that comfortable, you know?" he replied.
"I'll have maintenance bring everything back when they're done with my office. It'll take a couple more hours or less." she said kneeling next to him. "How's the patient?"
"She spiked up a fever and now she's sweating blood. I have no idea what's wrong with her. Every time we seem so close to a solution a new symptom comes along and messes everything up."
Cuddy simply nodded in understanding.
"Another annoying donor to look after?" he asked after a while.
"No, surely a donor would have metaphorically been a walk in the park." she said. "It was Mr Thompson."
"That Mr Thompson?" he asked confused.
"Yes. House I don't know what to do nor think any more."
"What's wrong?"
"His wife died a couple months ago from Leukemia and now he was diagnosed with Huntingtons. He's starting the trial here in two days and Celeste is here with him."
"Let me guess, he wants you in her life once he's gone." he tried.
"Yes, he actually wants me to meet her while he's still doing the trial."
"And how is this a problem?" he asked.
"I don't know House. A part of me says that giving her up was wrong and this is a chance for me to get things back to how they were supposed to be. Another part of me keeps saying that this is wrong and that there are so many things in my life that I still have to deal with and having Celeste in my life will make everything even more complicated."
"Cuddy, I know this is very not me, but Celeste is your daughter. You two deserve the chance to try a life together."
"I know but, I have my job that keeps me on a strict lifestyle and I have so many other things to deal on a daily basis."
"What other things?"
"I don't know right now..." she mumbled.
"I guess I am one of those things, ain't I?" he asked with a smirk, earning a smile from her.
"I have to admit that you are one of the reasons my life is so messed up. And I have a feeling that whatever we have now won't interfere with your master plan for making my life a living hell."
"That sounds a lot like something I would do." he confirmed earning another smile. "So what shall we do now?"
"Grab something to eat and drive over to my place?" she prompted, standing up and looking down at him. House nodded and took the hand she was offering him and stood up. Cuddy helped him up and he intentionally fell against her, sending her against the nearest wall.
"Oh, Doctor Cuddy, I'm so sorry." he said in a mocking way.
"It's no big deal, Doctor House." she replied with a smirk, her hands on his chest."But if an Oncologist was to see us, we would never hear the end of it."
"Oh goodness, I haven't thought about Wilson. He'll pester me about this."
"Well, he'll find out about us sooner or later." Cuddy said. "And if we stay like this for a little more I'm sure your team will enjoy the show." she said, tilting her head towards his back. House turned around just in time to see his team walking down the hallways towards the office.
"I'm going down to check on my office. I'll see you at my place once you've finished here, okay?"
"Okay." he said taking one more step back from her. Cuddy smiled one more time before exiting his office. She walked down the hallway towards one of the doors that allowed her to the stairs. Once the door closed behind her, she let herself sink down against the wall, suddenly feeling a huge weight on her shoulders. Cuddy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this, she repeated to herself. She could do this.
It was half past nine when House finally solved the case and made his way to Cuddy's place. He knocked gently on the door and waited for her to open the door. Five minutes later and Cuddy was nowhere to be seen. House checked under the flowerpot and found a key.
The lights were on in the kitchen. He made his way towards the room, but stopped when he heard a noise in the living room. Cuddy was laying on the couch. Her laptop was on standby on the coffee table, a glass of wine next to it. House walked closed to her. He spotted a blanket on the armchair and draped it over Cuddy. She moaned in her sleep and snuggled under the warmth.
House glanced one more time at her before moving to the kitchen. He opened the fridge looking for something to eat.
"All super healthy crap..." he muttered while examining a loaf of bread. After making himself a sandwich, he sat at the table and checked his phone.
"Hey there..." came her voice from behind him.
"Hi."
"Sorry, I fell asleep." she said sitting next to him, still holding onto the blanket. "Did you find out what was wrong with her?"
"Yeah, we put her under antibiotics and she'll be discharged in a couple days." he informed her.
"So..."
"So..."
"This is kind of awkward."
"That's because we have been avoiding this conversation for almost 20 years."
"Yeah..." Cuddy confirmed.
"Look... I like you and you like me. Let's see what this brings."
"So... whatever we have will come around while time goes by."
"Yes."
"But this is something serious not a sort of double life thing." she said gesticulating.
"It is." he said.
"What?" she asked clearly dumbfounded.
"It's serious." he said, chewing on the last bite of his sandwich.
"Okay."
"Okay." he repeated. "You're not going to make me sign a contract, are you?"
Cuddy slapped him on the arm and laughed.
because the sun can forget about the moon.
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