Author's note: That's t everyone who keep reading the story. This is just imagination.

Disclaimer: I do not own House, nor do I make any profit.

Chapter 8 – Fathers and Sons

Later that night House and Cuddy where sleeping once the arms of the other, trying to take comfort from the heat of their bodies wrap together.

Cuddy opens her eyes, turns a little bit and finds out that House is awake.

C: "Hey."

H: "Hey. Did I wake you up?"

C: "No. Why aren't you sleeping?"

H: "I was thinking."

C: "About what?"

H: "Faith."

C: "What do you mean?"

H: "I grew up with a man not being my real father."

C: "So…………"

H: "And the same is happening to my son."

C: "There's anything you have got to blame yourself about. You never knew until yesterday."

H: "But is a strange coincidence, you have got to admit it."

C: "Ok……… You are afraid your son could experience the same things happened you during your childhood?"

H: "Right. And leaving everyday with that anger in the air. And not knowing the true until his death………… Oh my God. I don't want him to hate him."

C: Sssssh. That's ok. He will never hate you." She kisses his cheek softly.

H: "How would you know?"

C: "I'm sure about it. Anyway why don't you call your mother than?"

H: "Why?"

C: "For two reasons. The first one: she already experienced this situations."

H: "She never wanted to talk abut it, but I can try. And the second one?"

C: "Well………… Maybe when you was little boy you had some particular disease you don't remember about and maybe is that one affecting Richard. Is just a supposition."

House smiles brightly after all that terribly hours. Where does he found out that incredibly intelligent woman so caring and sensitive to his problems.

H: "Cuddy, you are a genius. Have you ever known it?"

C: "You told me the first day you met me."

H: "You still remember it?"

C: "Every moment, from beginning to end."

They kiss each other.

C: "Lets get dressed now. We have got to go and meet Richard this morning."

H: "Coming."

God, this will be a busy day.

- Meeting Richard -

House and Cuddy enters in Richards' room.

House is shocked, is like seeing a picture of himself about forty years ago, when everything was different, and maybe, not so difficult.

Even at that age House was not so keen in rubbing his hair, so is Richard.

Even from that far he immediately notice they share the same bad habit to eat finger nails.

Also Cuddy can't believe on that image of a pocket size House she has in front of her eyes. Now she is understanding what Mark was talking about. But even in the clone therapy there's something failing, in fact he also said Richard is an angel. Since he's House son, how could this be true?

Thirteen is there changing his drip solution.

Stacey is sitting on a chair opposite her sons' bed.

H: "Hello Richard, I'm Doctor House."

R: "Hello Sir. You are that old friend of my mum?"

H: "Yes. It's me. I'm the Doctor who is trying to cure your disease."

R: "Thank you. Good morning Madame."

Cuddy cheeks become red of emotion.

C: "Hello Richard, you are such a gentleman." She looks for a moment House straight in the eyes and fuss the instinct of laugh. House by his side just rolled his eyes.

R: "I'm just a kid." Richard shakes his shoulders.

House sites on the left side of the bed. He puts a hand of his son head and caresses it gently. Maybe this will be the much more intimate gesture he will share with his son.

H: "How are feeling?"

R: "Tired and bored. What's wrong with me, Sir."

H: "Please call me House. Actually I haven't discovered it yet but I promise you will exit from here healthy and happy very soon."

R: "Than you Si…………… House."

H: "You are welcome. What you do to spare time while you are here?"

R: "I look at my collections of leafs and plants. I have my collection book always with me."

H: "May I see it?"

R: "Sure." He stretches out an arm to reach the black big book on the bedside table. "Here you are." He gives the book to House with a bright look in his eyes like this is the most precious thing on earth.

H: "Thanks." He flicks through the book with transparent bags inside fool of leafs and plants from all other the country. "You like botanic?"

R: "Yes, I like how they look like and smells."

House sneers.

H: "You really went to all these places?"

R: "Yeap! Father and I make always wonderful trips to the mountains or to the forests. Dad is very good at it. He is very brave. He teach me how to be a good boy scout. I even know how to light up a fire."

H: "Excellent. When you will be fine we can make a trip and show me."

R: "You can go with your leg?"

H: "Would you like to help me?"

R: "Sure. It will be an honour."

House stops. Maybe he just goes a little bit further than he was supposed to do.

He likes the kid. Bright and smart, the kind of son everybody would like to have.

R: "Father and I just came back from one of our trip when I fait ill. Now we will do it anymore."

H: "Why are you saying that?"

R: "Because dad is mad at me because of my disease." He sniffs.

S: "Darling………… I told you that this is just in your imagination." She grabs her sons' hands.

R: "And why is not coming to see me anymore?" There's a light trace of tears in his eyes.

Stacey doesn't know what other excuse give to her son. Is House turn to tell some lies.

H: "Your father told me he is so sorry not being here but he had an important call from work and there was no way his boss accepted him to be out of his duty. But as soon he will free he will run here to give you a big hug."

R: "Are you sure?"

H: "Does I seem a liar to you?" Oh God, why I put myself into this field?

R: "Certainly not Sir." A very polite guy indeed. Truly he doesn't know anything about his real father.

House gives the book back to Richard.

H: "Thanks."

R: "You are welcome. Doctor House?"

H: "Yes son?"

House, Cuddy and Stacey freeze for a moment. Damn!

Richard instead don't bother, finding this just a courtesy from House.

R: "Will I be alright?"

H: "I promise you. Take it easy."

R: "Is just that………… Nothing?"

H: "What? You can't have secrets with your doctor." He would like to say 'You can't have secrets with your father' instead.

R: "I……… I………… I really would like to come home and play with my friends. I miss company."

Cuddy comes closer to the bed.

C: "And what about if I found you a friend?"

R: "How could you? I'm ill."

C: "I don't think your problem is something you can pass on other people. Is that true House?"

H: "Yes………" Where is she going?

C: "I think I can get you some company to chat and play here. You can't go out of the room and of the bed of course. But I think you both have enough imagination to let the time passes by."

R: "Grand. Who is he?"

C: "Actually is a she. It's my daughter Rachel, I think I can get her here this afternoon if you like."

R: "Sure. Thanks."

C: "So we have a deal?" She shakes Richards' small and skinny hand.

H: "We have to go now. It has been very nice talking with you."

R: "Goodbye Doctor House. Goodbye Doctor Cuddy."

H & C: "Bye Richard."

Out of Richards' room.

H: "Cuddy, are you talking seriously about Rachel?"

C: "Sure. What's wrong with that?"

H: "Nothing. Is so sweet from you but, what about if he get worst in front of Rachel eyes?"

C: "There's not much difference when she spy around the hospital behind your shoulders."

H: "But I'm always there to protect her in those cases."

C: "I think that if at her age was able not to faint staring in front of a surgery she can stand everything."

H: "My super little girl."

C: "Our…………" She comes closer to him.

H: "Right, our." He kisses her.

H: "Let's go to your office now. I need to make that phone call to my mother and I need a quite place."

C: "Let's go."

- Mom knows best-

House sits behind Cuddies' desk. He dials his mother number. The phone rings. Than the sweet voice of her mother comes out.

H: "Hi Mom, is Greg."

B: "Darling. How are you doing? Have you planned the day of the wedding?"

H: "No, not yet. And I'm quite well."

B: "What wrong darling? Do you have a quarrel with Lisa?"

H: "No, no, no mom. Lisa and I are going well. Our quarrels always has been a way to show our fellings t each other. By the way, you are right, actually there is a problem.

B: "Greg, you are scaring me. What going on there?"

H: "Well…………… I just discovered I have a son mom."

B: "Oh my God. It couldn't be Lisa's, she couldn't have done this to you. We are talking about Stacey right?"

H: "Yes, how do you know that?"

B: "You loved just two women in your life son. One completely different from the other."

H: "You have reason."

B: "How do you discovered it?"

H: "Stacey came here yesterday because the boy is ill."

B: "Anything serious?"

H: "I don't know it yet. I'm trying to find out."

B: "Well you certainly are the best diagnostician in the country. You'll manage."

H: "I really hope so."

There's a pause in the conversation. Blythe can sense there's something else in the air. So she goes further.

B: "Greg?"

H: "Yes mom?"

B: "Does the guy know who you are?"

H: "Nope."

B: "Are you going to tell him?"

H: "I don't know what to do mum, seriously mum. That's why I need you to help me."

B: "What do you mean?"

H: "I mean……………… you…………… dad………………… that other man……………… how dad and I deal with each other. I mean, you already experience that. How did you understand dad was the right choice for your son……………… Why the other never showed up."

B: "Greg this is not the same situation."

H: "Yes it is. And now seems Mark hates the kid. I don't want my son to grew up with someone hating him all the time and made him feel like a failure."

B: "Greg please stop it. I know is hard to believe, but in his way he loved you. What you think you would have done if you knew from the beginning?"

H: "I don't know."

B: "Why you and Stacey broke up last time?"

H: "I wasn't ready to change for her."

B: "And now?"

H: "Is different?"

B: "What is different?"

H: "I'm different."

H: "You know…………… Lisa, Rachel……………… the engagement, the wedding……………… me admitting my feelings. I commit for all."

B: "You commit for her. That's a good point where to start from. Have you ever thought that maybe, you didn't commit and you would have never commit for Stacey because in the deep of your soul you knew, even at that time, that you loved someone else?"

H: "You are telling me that even I didn't realized that the only one I truly loved was always Lisa?"

B: "Yes. And this what else is telling you?"

H: "That this is gonna be my family……… But what about Richard?"

B: "And what about Rachel? She's calling you dad right?"

H: "Y-y-yes, right. But what's the point? She chose me."

B: "And why you think she has chosen you?"

H: "Who knows……… She's just a kid. Maybe because…................." He makes a pause, something is becoming much more clear in his mind.

B: "What? Say it Greg."

H: "She grows up with me around. I'm the person much closer to a father she ever knew."

B: "And you fell yourself like a father for her?"

H: "Yes. And want to be."

B: "I think this will solve you doubts."

H: "I love you mum."

B: "I love you too son."

She smiles.

B: "I remember there was a time you and your father loved each other."

H: "When? My memories are not quite good as yours."

B: "You were 5 or 6 years old I think and you used to make some trips to the mountains. You were so excited about spending time with him."

H: "He could be out of town for months in other occasion."

B: "Just listen now. What exited you most were leafs and plants. Your father taught you how to recognised them, which one was good and which one was wrong. But you still were a disobedient guy. Once you smelt a strange plant and fainted. Your father was so mad…………" She laugh.

H: "What did you just said?"

B: "Your father was so mad?"

H: "No, no, no. What I had done?

G: "You smelt a strange plant and fainted?"

A voice pops up in Houses' mind 'They smell good.'

H: "Mum, you are always my angel. Now I solved the cased the case. I need to hang up now but I will call you soon with some good news."

B: "The wedding?"

H: "Maybe. Bye mum."

B: "Bye Greg." She hangs up.

House looks at the beautiful dreamy face of Cuddy.

H: "Did you heard everything?"

C: "Yeap." She comes closer to him and places her arms on his shoulders.

H: "Will you ever forgive me to made you wait so much?"

C: "What you just said to your mother meant enough for me." And with that she kisses him.

H: "I need to go to Richard now."

- The Diagnosis -

House enters Richard's room.

H: "Morning Richard, can I see your collection book for a moment?

R: "Sure."

House looks at the leafs and plants hoping he was not wrong.

S: "What is going on Greg?"

H: "I will tell you in a minute if you have a little patience. Oh, oh, oh. There it is."

S: "What's that?"

H: "The botanic name is 'cardiopolis flatua armopolis'. When you smell it can cause vomit and convulsions. He passed time smelling the plants that's why he felt always bad."

S: "You are telling me that my became a sort of………………"

H:"Drug addicted? Yes, but he can make rehabilitation."

S:"I can't believe it……… That's all? Just some stupid plants?"

H: "They are not stupid. This is called self defence. Richard I'm sorry but I have to ask you to through in the garbage this collection book. Now he is full of this strange plant. You understand it right?"

R: "Yes Doctor House."

H: "I will give you a botanic book so you will never do such a mistake."

R: "Thank you House."

H: "You are welcome." He looks at Stacey. "He will good in a while. Why don't you go to your hotel now, you really need some sleep."

S: "I will go in a while."

Rachel enters the room and jump in Houses' arm.

Ra: "Dad!!!!!" She screams.

He lifts her up and keeps her in a tight hug.

H: "Hello my little princess!" He kisses her cheeks "Rachel this his Richard. Richard she is Rachel"

R & R: "Hello!!!!"

H: "Rachel I would like you to teach Richard some of your hospital games until he stays here. You think you can do it for me? You see, he is getting bored here."

Ra: "How could he be bored with all the things you can do here?"

H: "So you can teach him?"

Ra: "Ok………"

H: "I give you just one rule. You can only play here until I will not tell you he's free to walk around the hospital. You think you can do it for me?"

Ra: "Fine. Just for you."

H: "Thanks."

S: "Hi Rachel."

Ra: "Who are you?"

H: "An old friend of mine. We need to now. Foreman will come in a while with the treatment. We will come later to pick you up Cheap and Dale."

Ra: "Fine Dad."

House and Cuddy go out of the room with the felling that everything is gonna be alright.