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: Hello! So, this chapter is, well, nothing like I had originally planned and, as you read the end, you might even say it is slightly cruel … or maybe that's just me. But, while I know exactly how this fic is going to end, I wasn't sure how to fill the space between now (Cuddy's 6th month of pregnancy) and the time she delivers … This path that just, randomly, popped into my head seems to provide a way of filling it while staying interesting and a little suspenseful (all the things, I think, a fic needs to be good).
So yea, I hope you don't get too angry at me for doing that (of course you don't know what that is yet … but you will. Soon.). And believe me when I say, it will lead to places you will like.
So, thanks again for all your lovely reviews, I'm really happy that, after all this time, people still like this and are still reviewing and favourite-ing it :D And I hope to keep things up to the standard you like ; )
Anyways, Enjoy!
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"Ha!" laughed Wilson when he saw House re-enter the baby room in his gym shorts, an unknown t-shirt and his soggy sneakers. The cane he was leaning on only added to the oddness of the sight.
"Feeling better?" asked Cuddy, her maternal side really kicking in.
House merely nodded. The t-shirt was feeling way too tight and, somehow, he kept feeling like his scar was visible.
"Well, you smell nice" mocked Wilson as he passed by his friend to open one of the boxes that contained shelves.
Grinning sarcastically, House couldn't help but look at Cuddy as the smell penetrated his nose again and his mind thought of nothing but her.
And Cuddy saw it, she saw him briefly inhale the scent of her shampoo as he looked at her, something unknown but strangely familiar playing in his eyes.
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For the next three hours, the three doctors remained in the baby's room. House doing as little as he could to help Wilson, Wilson breaking his back to try and get things as ready as possible so that Cuddy wouldn't have to worry, and Cuddy loving every little glance and every sign of discomfort coming from House.
"I'm glad you found a t-shirt" she said as he, for the third time in the last minutes, pulled the fabric away from his skin.
"A lot to chose from" he replied not really looking at her, a tone of, dare she think it, jealousy adorning his tone.
"Oh, come on, there aren't that many. I only keep t-shirts from the ones I don't hate. So, not that many"
Now House did look at her, at first shocked, but then mockingly "yea, only a few. The one with the arrows saying 'the man' the 'legend' was my second pick" he forced a smirk.
As he turned back to Wilson who was struggling to put the final touches on the changing table, Cuddy saw him pull the shirt's collar away from his neck and shake his head a bit. Smiling to herself, she couldn't help but think that it really was bothering him.
"House, you know, if you helped me out, we could have this done by today" said Wilson looking around the room and then to the boxes. All that was left was a couple of shelves to go over the baby's cot and, of course the keyboard which he figured would be best saved for a different time when House wasn't acting as childish.
"You're doing just fine, Wilson" House faked and encouraging smile as he held the shelf in place for Wilson to drill the necessary holes and insert the appropriate screws.
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"Thank you so much for your help" said Cuddy as Wilson prepared to leave two hours later.
"Anytime, Cuddy" he smiled as he hugged her, adding "anything for my niece or nephew" as he looked, over her shoulder at House who merely forced a grin back.
"Well, I'd better go" he smiled at her "Call me if you need anything" then he turned to House "House, as always, a pleasure"
Once the door had closed behind him and the sound of a car starting filled the room, the two doctors left behind seemed to become aware of the other's presence.
"Well, eh, I'd better go to … I need to get out of these, uh" he looked down at the shirt then changed his mind "shorts"
Smiling, Cuddy nodded. She knew he had to go. It was cold and he was in a t-shirt and shorts. But, again, she didn't want him to. She'd gotten so used to his constant presence, to his unspoken caring and to whatever that thing between them was that the thought of being alone again was hard to bare. But he did have to go.
Looking at him now, she knew he needed to trim his scruff, he needed to take a shower that would remove her scent from him before he attempted to devour himself for it and he definitely needed a change of clothes; as much as she had liked Bill, his shirt looked incredibly awkward on House.
"Yea, and, uh, thanks, you know, for … helping"
Scoffing at the idea that he had helped anything, House nodded and headed towards the door, pausing for a moment as Cuddy opened it for him.
"Well, I'll see you" he said nodding, still not moving from his spot even though the door was open and nothing was stopping him.
"Yea" she smiled placing a hand on her stomach as the baby inside began to kick frantically.
Without another word, House took a step forwards. But not towards the door; he took it towards her. Then he leant down and gently kissed her lips.
It wasn't a claiming or demanding kiss, it was just a gentle peck, almost like something they did everyday. Like it was part of their routine. And, unwilling to question it, she kissed him back, for that brief moment, deciding she'd have plenty of time to analyse all this once she was alone again.
"Bye" he nodded and this time, taking a step towards the door, left.
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Sitting safely on his motorcycle as he sped through the streets to his home, House fought the urge to close his eyes and shout 'stupid', limiting himself to insulting his soft side inside the cavernous spaces of his mind.
Now he'd done it. So much for backing out easily. There'd be no easy way about it. He knew it wouldn't be easy for him, but that he had been willing to deal with. But now, if he continued down this path, it wouldn't be easy for her. He'd hurt her. And that he didn't want to do. As the days had gone by and he'd seen what he could have, he'd realised that he couldn't come up with any renationalisation that would justify hurting her.
And the thought of her smile as he'd leaned back from her. The thought of her taste, her smell radiating from his hair, all of it clouded his senses as he turned a corner.
And that was the last thing he remembered before he crash landed into the sidewalk, his helmet cracking slightly on impact, the sound of tires screeching echoing through the streets.
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Now alone, Cuddy remembered that House had left his clothes up in her room and, figuring climbing the steps once wouldn't be a problem, headed up there.
She hadn't seen her room in weeks, and she missed it. Her things, her sheets, her clothes. All of it was still up stairs.
Sighing, she went into the bathroom and picked up House's clothes from the floor, rolling them into a ball under her arm and preparing to head back down.
Just as she went to turn of the lights, she caught sight of a piece of fabric hanging out of a badly-closed drawer. Sighing at his inability to tidy things, Cuddy placed his clothes on the floor by the door and headed to the dresser.
Shaking her head and smiling slightly, she began to remove her tops, one by one, folding them properly and re-placing them along the drawer. It was only when she reached the last top and lifted it out of the drawer that she realised that House's acting strange might not just have been a result of Bill's shirt.
She hadn't worn it in years, but she'd kept it just the same, folded and well-kept in her drawer. For some reason the knowledge that it was in there had always brought her some comfort as the memories it eradiated filled her senses. Now, as she stared at the 'Johns Hopkins' logo, she smiled. Because she knew that, just as it evoked memories in her that she'd kept hidden for years, it must have done the same to him and that gave her hope.
A smile still covering her face, she sighed and closed the drawer again, before picking up House's clothes, walking out the door and, cautiously, back down the stairs.
There was something strangely happy about putting his clothes into the washer after the kiss he'd given her as he left. She didn't want to be cliché, but the hormones fluttering through her system kept bringing up the idea of her and him, married, in a routine, the little baby inside her having both its mother and father.
And again, she couldn't wait for his return which, she hoped, would come soon.
Little did she know House was in no condition to return, or go home, or, really go anywhere of his own accord.
TBC
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Still dying to see episode 21 here :D
Oh and yes, I am cruel to leave you there, but hey, I've got to do something to keep you coming back for more, right?
Oh, and that new fic I mentioned in the last chapeter will probably be up soon because I just couldn't wait :P (I do have like 10 000 words on it already ...) so yea, keep an eye out for it :D
Thank you for reading!
Please leave a review!
CJS-DEPPendent