Disclaimer: I do not own House MD or any of the characters, but I sure as hell wouldn't mind owning Hugh Laurie!

A/N: Well, hello again :D So I hear you guys aren't too fond of cliffies … :P
After all the pleading (and all the awesome reviews), I decided that I might as well give you this today (even though I was saving it for Wednesday) … Now, I think it's a really sweet chapter, and I think you will consider this to be an extremely 'huddyliscious' one. Also, it's opening the way for a whole new stage in the story .. one that I think you're going to like :D

I'd just like to clear one thing up. Foetus can be spelt either this way or as Fetus, both are correct (yes, I did look it up)

Also, thank you all so much for your reviews and I look forwards to reading more of them as I sit here and ponder what on earth I'm going to name this huddy baby …


Enjoy!

As she heard the sound she'd been waiting for, Cuddy looked towards the front door and whipped, as best she could, her tears away. It was him. The oddly comforting sound of wood on wood as he used his cane to knock.

Hobbling on her foot, a hand splayed protectively over her stomach, Cuddy made her way to the door.

Standing outside her home, House wasn't sure what to do or say. He wasn't even entirely sure what it was that had gotten Cuddy into such a state of desperation that she had called him, of all people.

He could see the events unfolding, he knocked, she'd open the door and … what? What was he supposed to do? Did he let her see how scared he was? Did he act like his normal self?

And as she opened the door, House realised he didn't have to decide. His body acted for him. As she stood there, her beautiful grey eyes turned green, tears staining her perfect cheeks, a hint of red surrounding her eyes, he took a step forwards and she did the rest. Breaking into sobs, Cuddy fell into his arms. And he didn't push her away.

He held her for a while. Neither of them speaking. For a long time, he felt her tears soak his shirt, and her hands tightening and loosening their grip on his back. But now she was calming down, her head turned to her right, quite possibly listening to his heart beat. Knowing she couldn't see him, House closed his eyes. He loved her. So much. He loved the feeling of her against them, of her belly growing between them. And that's when his stomach churned. Before, whenever they'd been close, he'd felt the little kicks. Now there weren't any.

"Cuddy?" he asked applying a little bit of pressure with his hand on her shoulder so she'd look at him. When she didn't, he placed a soft kiss on her head, inhaling the fresh scent of her shampoo and called again "Cuddy?"

Now she looked at him, her breathing calm, but her face panicked.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, rubbing light circles on her shoulder blade with his thumb.

He heard her sniff and his heart broke as she stepped away from him and limped towards her room. He followed her.

"Cuddy?" he asked again taking a seat next to her on the bed.

"I can't feel it" she said simply.

"What?" asked House

"The baby" she said as she wiped away another tear "usually, when I get up and walk around, like I did when I woke up, I can feel the kicks. But now I can't"

"Cuddy" said House with a small smile that could be either a product of relief or of how beautiful she looked right then "maybe it's just asleep …" he added

But Cuddy shook her head, and his heart sank again as she started crying "no, I thought so too, but it's been two hours since I woke up! I know I should be in bed, but I walked around for a while. The baby should have woken up!" she cried looking down at her stomach, both hands pressed to it as she cried. Then, slowly she used her left hand to grab his and placed it where hers had been "see?" she asked.

House had no idea what to do. Cuddy could have a point, he knew the best thing to do was go to the hospital, get her checked out. But right then, his rational side was gone. As she sobbed, he lifted his right hand and brushed it lightly down her arm. At the touch, Cuddy looked up at him, her eyes meeting his again.

"You should go to the hospital" said House ready to stand up. But she held him back.

"No" she shook her head. She couldn't take the bad news. She knew it was inevitable, she'd have to do it, and she'd have to sit there, listening to a doctor tell her that it hadn't worked, having to accept that it just wasn't meant to be. But she couldn't do it now. It was all too raw, too painful.

"Cuddy …" he said again this time using the palm of his hand to touch her shoulder lightly "you know you have to …"

"I can't …" she sobbed in a small voice "I just …" she fell into House's arms and he gladly wrapped them around her.

"Lise …" he whispered into her hair, hoping it would have a calming effect. It seemed to. Cuddy looked up at him; her tear stained yes focusing on his blue, determined ones "please"

Cuddy wasn't sure why he was pleading, why he had that look on his face. But it was definitely there. Greg House was pleading to her, begging her to get checked out. Could Wilson really have been right?

House didn't recognize his own voice as he begged Cuddy to go to the hospital. But he couldn't bare the thought of something being wrong with the baby. As her eyes searched his, he feared that she might be reading his thoughts, that she might realise everything. So he closed them. And she closed hers. And they leaned into each other. Foreheads, noses, lips. The sadness enveloping them escaped between them as they kissed for the second time in that day. And this time, Greg knew House wouldn't screw it up. Because, as they let themselves fall back onto the bed and broke apart, Cuddy scooted closer to him, laying her head on his chest and, his hand still resting on her stomach, House felt no need for Vicodin, he didn't want to leave, he didn't want a puzzle. He wanted to pull her as close to him as he could. And he did.

After a few moments, he realised she was asleep. Fast asleep, the exhaustion and the fear finally getting to her as she took in even, deep breaths, her hand resting on his chest just next to her face.

Looking down at her growing abdomen, House shifted his hand.

"Come on, little guy …" he whispered as he shifted his hand yet again. But there was nothing.

Or was there? He shifted his hand again and waited. As his right hand pulled Cuddy closer, he felt a little bump. Small, but real. After a few more seconds and a few more kicks, he relaxed; smiling into Cuddy's sleeping face.

"You're beautiful" he whispered brushing his lips to her forehead. And he felt her snuggle closer. It was surprisingly easy to say what he felt when she couldn't hear him. It felt liberating. Because it was true. She was beautiful. Her face was tear stained, her lips held no smile and her eyes were puffy from crying, and yet she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.

Relief washing over him, House closed his eyes. Feeling the pressure her smaller body was exerting on his, and loving how every inch she touched tingled.

His hand still where he had left it, House tapped his finger and received a little kick in return. In his mind, he smiled. 'You're so my kid' he thought. After all, tricking your mother into a panic so that she'd call your father and end up sleeping in his arms was the kind of cunning trickery someone would expect of House. And as it seemed, the little guy or girl growing beneath his hand, would turn out to be just a little chip off the old block. 'Way to go, kid' he thought and tapped again. He took the little push back on his hand as a sort of high-five. In those few seconds, he'd made a powerful ally.

Kicking off his shoes, House allowed himself to drift away.

Vaguely aware of House's last words, Cuddy felt a small smile creep on her lips. She felt his breathing even out and knew he was asleep.

She'd always wanted a man who would walk in to find her in her sweats, crying, hair a mess, no make up on, and who would still say 'your beautiful' and mean it. She hadn't, however, ever expected that man to be Greg House. But she was happy that it was.

TBC

Thank you for reading!

Please leave a review!

CJS-DEPPendent