Chapter 15

Cuddy sat at home, making supper, thoroughly enjoying her little vacation that had started just this morning. She had introduced Sam (her successor) to all the doctors and nurses, and had showed him all around the hospital. She was a bit nervous about leaving the hospital in someone else's charge for so long, but, she knew it was in good hands. The look on House's face was priceless too when they met. House just didn't like the thought of getting a new boss. Cuddy laughed as she thought of how he would suffer.

House sat in his apartment thinking about Emily. Self-consciously he had already named her that even if he hadn't told Cuddy yet. She wasn't the baby anymore, she was Emily. House decided that he should pay Cuddy a little visit. He wanted to see how she was doing, and give her his choice name.

Cuddy was cleaning the kitchen and sipping lemonade when a knock on the door frightened her. She put her glass on the counter and went to open the door, where House stood looking cheerful. Well, as cheerful as he could get anyway. Cuddy ushered him in and smiled as she closed the door behind him.

"House, what's up?" she asked as she led the way into the living room.

"Nothing, just wanted to see how you were" he answered and then sat down on the couch.

"I'm great, things are going good" Cuddy sat down beside him.

"I was thinking, for names, I found one" House stated looking at her.

"Really? What?" Cuddy had been so curious about what he would want for a name. She liked Celine or Isabelle, but they didn't seem like the perfect one.

"Emily" House answered.

Cuddy thought about it. "Emily…"

"I like it. Emily Cuddy, or Emily House, or Emily Cuddy-House I guess they all sound good" she replied. She wasn't sure what the last name should be.

"It's up to you Cuddy, we can name her after you, or me, or both you decide." House hoped she would pick his name or at least hyphenate it.

"Emily Cuddy, Emily House, House sounds better" Cuddy answered. Cuddy had wanted to name the baby after her, but Emily sounded so nice, and sweet, and perfect, and it sounded better with House attached to it.

"Sounds great" House's grin told Cuddy he was very pleased with this. Cuddy wanted to jump up and down. Her baby finally had a name, Emily.

…

House began visiting Cuddy frequently after the night they had named the baby. He would go home after work, change clothes and then go to Cuddy's. It became sort of a routine and both of them liked it that way. House got to watch pointless TV and eat Cuddy's food and Cuddy felt better knowing there was someone else in the house. She was slightly more nervous about being alone now that she was pregnant. She wouldn't admit it though of course.

It was in Cuddy's fifth month of pregnancy that the subject of a nursery was brought up.

"So House, any new patients?" Cuddy asked sitting on the couch with a bag of frozen yogurt. She looked questioningly at House.

"Nope, part of my new plan to make the Dean miserable." House answered his eyes glued to the screen.

"You're an idiot. He can fire you, don't be thick" Cuddy answered swallowing another spoonful.

"I have tenure, and if you didn't fire me, there's a fat chance he will" House answered grabbing the remote and switching the channel.

"Why the hell would it be harder for him to fire you?" Cuddy asked smirking.

"Because we're guys, we bond" House snarked.

"You've been complaining about him ever since I went on maternity leave you idiot and the few times I've spoken to him he's done the same about you" Cuddy shot back.

"Few times? Your obsessed! You wait by the phone in the evening waiting for when you think your "friend" will be in the office so you can interrogate him" House answered snarkily.

"I do not!" Cuddy said indignantly. She couldn't help the blush that had settled itself on her cheeks. She hadn't thought House had noticed her evening phone calls.

"You do too. Do you have any popcorn? The blush on your face is very entertaining" House answered a wide smile on his face.

"Well, I'm thinking of asking him to build the nursery. It takes a real man to do that" Cuddy retaliated.

"I could easily build a better nursery for MY kid than that buffoon" House answered heatedly. Cuddy smirked, this is what she had been hoping for.

"Prove it" Cuddy answered.

"Fine, you get the stuff, and I'll put the room together" House answered. He said it in a tone that suggested the conversation was over. Cuddy smiled and went to finish her yogurt, but House grabbed it so quickly she barely felt it. She smacked him hard as he lifted the spoon to his lips.

…

That afternoon Cuddy went on a mega shopping trip. She was just so excited about it all. She bought a crib, a dresser, some teddy bears, and paint. The paint she had decided on a very pale yellow. She wasn't much of a pink person and she found the yellow soothing. With the new oak crib and the oak dresser along with the teddy bears she had bought she thought it would be very nice.

During this time House called up Wilson.

"Hello?"

"Can I talk to Jimmy" House asked. He was dying to say something obnoxious but he knew Wilson would give him trouble about helping him with the nursery with him if he did.

"One second" Julie handed the phone to Wilson giving him a "he was polite?" surprised look.

"Hi House" Wilson answered.

"Wilson, I need you to help me put together a nursery." House said.

"A nursery? YOU want to build a nursery? Ha!" Wilson began to laugh until House's next comment stopped him abruptly.

"Ya and you'd better shut up and help me or I'll tell your wife about Nurse Jennifer, she won't be pleased to hear you're still sleeping around even after a supposed "successful" couple's therapy."

"You're an ass you know that" Wilson answered in hushed tones.

"Hey, you thought you'd be funny and laugh at me, I was going to ask nicely but you were mean" House said in a mock hurt voice.

"When House?" Wilson asked annoyed.

"Next weekend. Cuddy's buying some stuff today, and after the shower on Friday she'll have all the stuff" House answered.

"Ok, that's fine, see you tomorrow" Wilson hung up quickly, and went into the kitchen to make sure Julie hadn't listened or heard something she shouldn't have. Her smile and kiss on the cheek reassured him, as he continued with his cooking.