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: Hey, sorry for the wait on this one, but after the last chapter, I didn't want to just give you some short, not very interesting chapter, so I decided to wait a little longer until I could write something I was happy with. And here it is :D

As always, thank you all sooo much for your lovely reviews, particularly for the amazing feedback on the last chapter, I'm really happy you all liked it and that you're happy with the House baby being a boy :D

I'd like to particularly thank iHouse for the amazing PM she sent me! Ou, por outras palavras, muito obrigada pela tua PM, fico sempre feliz por saber que andam ai Portugueses a ler fanfics, e fico ainda mais feliz por saber que gostam do que escrevo. Espero que continues a gostar :)

Once again, thanks to you ALL for being the most amazing reviewers ever, and now, onto the chapter.

Anyways, Enjoy!

Two days later, House lay on his couch, as he'd been doing since Wilson had brought him home. He wasn't entirely sure when he'd last eaten, but since he felt no need for food, he figured it couldn't have been that long. Turning to his right slightly, he reached, with his left hand, for the Vicodin on the floor beside him. Even with the copious amounts he'd been taking, his leg was still killing him and sleep was still evading him.

Why did Wilson have to do that? Why did he have to show him the baby?

It was killing him. For the first time in his life, he felt the undying need to be with someone, to care for and protect someone, and that was killing his plan.

How the hell was he supposed to walk away now? How as he supposed to just lie there and keep living his miserable life when, less than 15 minutes away, the woman he loved was raising his baby?

In her room, Cuddy held her son in her arms and smiled down at him. He had her nose, her hair and a lot of her features, but his eyes were most certainly House's and that was why, every time she looked at the little boy, she felt a twinge of sadness.

She'd been dreaming of having a child for years and she'd always known that she'd most likely go through it alone. Yet, in her mind, he'd always been there, and now, realising that she really was going to go through it alone, she felt, not only tired, but also scared.

Could she really handle a child by herself? Could she handle the hospital, House and their son? Was she going to have to give up on one?

It was that last question that was the most powerful. She would never give up on her son, she couldn't. So that meant that, if anything were to fall behind, it would be one of the other two. But the truth was that, if House were the one she gave up on, she would be miserable, and if she were to give up on the hospital, she'd also be miserable and, at the same time, she'd be giving up on House. Maybe it was because she was tired, but any way she looked at it, the situation seemed to be a no-win.

As the little boy in her arms moved a little, she smiled. She still didn't have a name for him and, even though she had a long list to pick from, she just couldn't. Any name she gave him seemed to be only half fitting, and she knew why, it was because she was choosing it alone, because she was making a decision by herself which she wanted to make with him.

"You ready to go home?" Dr. Bates asked as he and Wilson entered the room

"Huh?" replied Cuddy looking up from the baby, slightly confused

Smiling, Wilson moved around the bed so he could look at the little boy's face

"Well, this little guy is two days old, there have been no complications with either you or him, so there is really no reason why you should have to stay here any longer" smiled Dr. Bates gently touching the baby boy's head

"I went over there last night and finished off the nursery" said Wilson "everything is ready"

"Oh, thank you" said Cuddy smiling up at Wilson. Then she turned to Dr. Bates "So, I can actually go home? Today?"

The Doctor nodded "Yes, as soon as you're ready to go, I'll sign your discharge papers, and you'll be good to go"

"Ok then, thanks …" she looked down at the baby and gently placed him back in his crib.

"Oh, and I brought you a bag with some of your clothes" said Wilson holding up the bag "I wasn't sure what to bring so, uh, I just got you a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, is that ok?"

"Yes, thanks, James" she replied as she got out of bed and took the bag from him before moving into the bathroom.

After a few seconds, Wilson turned his attentions to the little baby in the crib beside him.

"You, know, just because your daddy is and idiot, doesn't mean he doesn't want you" he said caressing the little baby's cheek with the back of his finger "he's just scared"

Being only two days old, all the boy could do was move his little arm sleepily into the air and then back down onto the sheets.

Smiling at the gesture, Wilson took it as him saying he understood.

Wilson had just texted him. They were taking the baby home. And there he was, stubbornly sitting on his couch, his Vicodin bottle being twirled between his fingers, his eyes fixed on the black screen of the TV in front of him.

He couldn't stop thinking, he couldn't stop the images in his brain, and, worst of all, he couldn't erase the image of his son from his mind. And it was killing him.

He knew all he had to do to get rid of the pain would be to get his ass off the couch, grab his cane, call a cab and go over there. He knew that, really, it wouldn't be too hard. Yet he was House, he was deeply afraid of pain, of being the one to take a step, so he held back and, taking a swig of scotch, did his best to turn his mind off.

"Welcome home, kid" said Wilson as he placed the baby's carrier on the floor by his crib and returned to the hall way to help Cuddy with the bag she'd been carrying.

"Thanks again for your help, James" Cuddy smiled at him dropping her bag by the door and turning to face him.

"Your welcome, and, if you need anything, you know what to do, right?" he asked with a smile

Nodding, Cuddy stepped forwards and hugged him, smiling, Wilson didn't hesitate to hug her back.

"You going to be ok?" Wilson asked her when they broke apart

Nodding, Cuddy smiled "yea, I'll be fine"

Looking a little unsure about leaving her alone, Wilson looked around "you want to get dinner or something?" he asked

"Really, Wilson, I'll be fine" she said in a small laugh

Smiling again, he spoke "humour me, let me order in some take out, we'll have dinner and then I'll leave, ok?"

Nodding, Cuddy agreed "I'm going to check on the baby, the menus are by the phone" she told him as she moved into the nursery.

"I'll get him" Wilson said with a smile as he got up from the table and headed to the nursery.

For the past two hours, he and Cuddy had been sitting at the kitchen table eating and chatting, now, it seemed, baby Cuddy also wanted some attention.

"Hey" said Wilson picking up the small, crying baby and smiling at him "are you hungry?" he asked him

Being only two days old, the little boy merely moved his arms around in no particular direction and looked up at Wilson with his piercing blue eyes

"I'll take that as a yes" Wilson laughed as he began to move towards the kitchen.

"Here you go, mommy" said Wilson handing the crying baby to Cuddy

"Oh, thanks" she replied smiling down at her son "What's wrong, baby? You hungry?" she asked

"I asked him the same thing, he refuses to answer" Wilson joked

"Stubborn isn't he?" Cuddy joked back as she began to feed him

Smiling, Wilson nodded. Of course he was stubborn, he did have Lisa Cuddy and Greg House for parents, after all. And it was then that he decided that he wasn't about to give up. He had told House that he was going to stop caring, but he couldn't. Because as beautiful as the picture before him, that of Lisa holding the baby was, it was missing something, and he'd be damned if he let that part keep missing.

"Well, I have to go, but, as I said, if you need anything, please call me, ok?"

"Sure, and thanks for everything, James, I do appreciate it" replied Cuddy looking up from the baby to Wilson

"What do you want?" House asked Wilson as he opened the door to his apartment.

"Hello to you too" Wilson replied as he walked into the apartment. The first thing that hit him was the darkness of the place, then it was the smell of scotch and, finally, the Vicodin pills spilt on the small coffee table next to the couch which seemed to now have a permanent dent in it.

"Again, what do you want?" asked House who, obviously was in no mood for visitors

"I just came from Cuddy's …"

"Will you stop?!" House yelled turning in a spin to face Wilson "I don't want to know! I don't care!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Wilson spoke "is that why you're sitting here alone, in the dark, popping Vicodin and downing scotch?"

"Wilson, for once will you drop it?!" House yelled again

Taking a step forwards, Wilson smelt the alcohol on House's breath and realised that there was a very good chance that what he was about to say would fail to enter the diagnostician's brain.

"Stop looking at me like that" House said "I'm not drunk. I was, I hope to be again in the future, but I'm not now, so say whatever it is you're dying to say and get the hell out!"

"You're not drunk? Good, then hear this" said Wilson "I just left Cuddy's, she's exhausted and this hasn't even really started yet. She's about to be faced with midnight feedings and a crying, hungry, new born, and she's alone. You're who she wants there, and you could be there, there's nothing stopping you, except that it's damn easier for you to sit here on your ass and not care than to put …" but he was cut off by House's hands on his shoulders pushing him back into the door

"What the hell?" asked Wilson as he balanced himself against the door.

"You think I don't care?!" House asked as he took a limp closer to Wilson "I care enough to leave them alone!"

"In what, twisted, universe do you live where that is considered caring?!" Wilson asked no standing up straight

"The one where I know that having no father is better than having me! I'm a screw up and a drug addict, Wilson! That kid deserves better … just having Cuddy is better than having me! Why am I the only one who can see that?!"

"Because you're the only one stupid enough to believe it!" Wilson shouted at him "do you really think your son is better off not having you in his life?"

House nodded

"Well then, you're an idiot" Wilson sighed "you found out your father wasn't your father when you were twelve. This kid has both yours and Cuddy's intelligence, what do you think is going to happen when he turns 10 and suddenly notices how alike the two of you look, huh? Do you think he'll thank you for your decision then? What happens when kids in school pick on him for not having a father, huh? Will he thank you then?"

"I don't want him to thank me … I just want …"

"What?!" Wilson shook his head "What the hell do you want for this kid?"

Kicking the couch beside him, House hung his head before looking up "I want him to not be me! I want him not to hate his father, I want him to grow up into a decent human being, I want him to be able to feel something and not run from it … he can't be any of that with me around!"

"Why, because you think you're like that? Because you hated your father, he has to hate you? Your father was abusive, House! I know you enough to know you would never hurt that kid! You think you're not a decent human being? You spend your days saving lives! What more do you want? And as for running from your feelings, the fact that we're having this conversation tells me that you're confronting them, not running"

Shaking his head, House looked at Wilson "you don't know he wouldn't see it like I do …"

"And you don't know he would!"

Moving towards the door and opening it, House turned to Wilson "I'm not going to give him a chance to hate me!"

As he stepped out of the apartment, Wilson turned to House "then you're not going to give him a chance to love you, either"

Slamming the door as soon as Wilson was out of the apartment, House walked to the couch and collapsed onto it with his forehead in his hands.

The problem was that Wilson was right.

That night, Cuddy was awakened by the sound of her screaming son. Rubbing her eyes and checking the digital clock on her nightstand, she noted that it was only a quarter past three. She'd been up a mere three hours earlier to feed him, and there he was again, screaming for her attention.

Sighing and finding her slippers by her bed, Cuddy began the descent down the stairs to her son's room.

"Shh, I'm here, shh" she soothed the baby as she picked him up and walked to the white rocking chair in the corner of the room.

A few minutes later, as she walked around the house waiting for him to fall back asleep, Cuddy stopped by the guest bedroom. The bed was still messed up from the time she and, she couldn't help but remember, he had spent there. Looking down at her son in her arms, Cuddy smiled a weak smile. At least she had him.

As the baby began to close his eyes, Cuddy began to walk slowly back to his room.

Standing at the crib that House had 'helped' build, Cuddy placed her son on the sheets and slowly covered him.

She wouldn't deny that it was painful not to have House there, that she'd give almost anything to have the guts to tell him the truth and have him be with her and their son. But she feared his reaction more than she needed him there. She knew that, should the moment arise when she was desperate enough to tell him everything and beg him for help, she would do so without hesitation but, for then, she was happy just to have her son. Finally.

TBC

So, I hope you enjoyed that. I particularly like the House-Wilson confrontation which, incidentally, I hadn't planned to write :P

Also, I know it must be getting on your nerves that the baby is constantly being referred to as "he", "him", "the baby" and "the little boy" but I promise you, by the end of the next chapter, you will find out his name … :P

Thank you for reading!

Please leave a review!

CJS-DEPPendent