Chapter 39

It was a week after Abby came home and House and Cuddy were preparing for Emily's big birthday party. Though her birthday had passed Abby's arrival and changed the plans a bit but Cuddy was determined to celebrate her birthday in style no matter how late it was. At the present House was holding Abby and listening to Emily sing happy birthday to herself and Cuddy was on the phone yelling at the baker for not having Emily's cake ready.

"I told you I needed it ready for 2 pm" Pause. "No, no I most certainly did not" Pause. "Well if it's not here by 2 pm, I will personally see to it that you never bake another cake in New Jersey ever again!" Cuddy slammed the phone onto the receiver and growled in frustration. All she wanted was for Emily's party to be perfect. As Cuddy tried to relax House snickered and Emily walked up to her mommy and grabbed onto her leg.

"Oh Emily. What are we going to do about your cake" Cuddy asked as she picked up her daughter. Cuddy noticed House still laughing and walked into the living room giving him a glare.

"House will you knock it off" Cuddy snapped.

"Oh Cuddy relax will ya" House laughed.

"House if you don't shut up I will take that cane of yours and…"

"Cuddy be nice your daughters are in the room" House smiled innocently.

"Nice momma nice" Emily repeated.

"Good going House" Cuddy mumbled as House burst out laughing.

…

At 1:30 Wilson and Julie showed up soon followed by Cameron and Chase and then Foreman and his current girlfriend. Brenda followed soon after. Cuddy smiled as all her and House's friends gathered into their home to celebrate Emily's first birthday. Banners hung into the living room where Cuddy had hung them earlier saying: Happy Birthday Emily!" Several presents sat on the coffee table and a vanilla cake sat on the counter that a harried baker had hurried to bring over earlier. As everyone gathered in the living room Emily shouted with glee at having so many visitors and ran around saying "Hi!" to everyone she saw. Abby lay in House's arms where he was currently sitting on the couch talking with his employees and making sarcastic comments here and there.

"So House, can you believe Emily's already a one year old? She's growing so fast!" Wilson said as he and Julie walked over. Julie had been dying to see Abby and was slightly disappointed when she saw House had her.

"No kidding" House mumbled.

"Oh, aren't you just the cutest thing!" Julie gushed over Abby. Wilson couldn't help but notice the longing in his wife's eyes.

"Ok everyone, me and House just wanted to say thanks for coming and celebrating Emily's first birthday with us!" Cuddy smiled and scooped up her daughter. Emily giggled excitedly. House just looked at Emily and didn't acknowledge the looks coming his way.

"So, I guess we can open the presents eh? " Cuddy brought Emily over to where the presents were stacked and the little girls eyes lit up like light bulbs.

"Mine?" Emily smiled.

"Yup, all these are for you sweetheart" Cuddy kissed Emily on the cheek and sat her down on her lap. One by one Emily opened presents and squealed with delight as she got many new toys and books. Cuddy smiled her daughter's giddiness being contagious and soon she was just as excited. Wilson took photos and House watched with interest, Abby always in his arms but now sleeping, as his daughter opened present after present. He watched her, his baby girl realizing now how much she really was growing up. He was so caught up in the moment he failed to hear Wilson saying his name.

"House! House! Hello, House are you there?" House finally came out of his daze and stared at Wilson.

"What!?"

"I said, why don't you go with Cuddy and Emily so I can take a picture" Wilson looked at House quizzically and then nodded over to where Cuddy was holding Emily who had a little doll in her arms.

"I don't do pictures" House answered.

"House!" Cuddy's stern look got a glare from House and then he handed Abby to Wilson and got up.

"One picture" he growled. Everyone smiled and took out a camera. It seemed that if House would consent to one picture, they all would get one. House limped with Abby in his one hand and stood next to Cuddy who had Emily in her arms. Cuddy's hand bravely hit House's thigh without anyone noticing and a small smile showed up on his face for a fraction of a second. Luckily, it was at that moment that every flash went off and the picture looked really nice (some people had digitals so everyone got a good look). House's scowl probably would have returned but Emily turned around and grabbed his good leg smiling.

"Dada" House looked at his little girl smiling slightly. Cuddy took Abby and House lifted up Emily. She grabbed his shoulders and gave him a big kiss on his stubbled chin and House's cheeks became a little red as everyone oohed and ahhed.

…

House sat in the attic with his piano playing something from memory though the title was beyond him. It was later on in the evening and he felt he needed some alone/thinking/music time. As the notes played out House just closed his eyes and listened to the tunes filling the air. He couldn't believe how much his life had taken a turn for the better, how had he come to find love, happiness, and all the things he swore he would never feel the day he woke up in the hospital with his thigh muscle removed and the irrevocable pain that was left. He thought of Cuddy, the woman who always challenged him, who always looked out for him even if most of the time he resented her for it, who was now his and no one else's. How could she love him? He knew what he was, and even with his children and home he had not changed. His leg pain was still there and it pained him twice as much when he saw father's on the street giving their little girls piggy back rides or teaching them to ride a bike because he couldn't do those things. And it was times like these that frustrated him the most.

He remembered not long ago, Emily had been playing outside drawing on the cement with chalk, and House had been just coming home from the hospital. Seeing House Cuddy had asked him to watch Emily a minute as she went inside to check on a still sleeping Abby, so House was looking at Emily's drawings and Emily excited at seeing her dad ran down the steps and tripped and fell. House had gotten to her side as fast as he could but he could no longer carry her into the house. She was much to big now. He could only watch unable to soothe her since her cries drowned out his voice and the neighbors watched on telling him to bring the child inside. Could they not tell he was crippled? His frustrations got the better of him and he was really red in the face by the time Cuddy came out and picked up Emily bringing her into the house. She spared House a sympathetic look before closing the door but he refused to look at her as waves of shame fell over him. House just sat on the step angrily trying to relax, trying not to think himself a failure, because that's what he felt like. When Emily had gotten all cleaned up Cuddy returned outside but House's car was gone and the man himself along with it. Cuddy felt sorry for him knowing how frustrated he must be.

As House finished the slow tune he popped a couple Vicodin. He and Cuddy had decided that they would take turns working, one working one week and then the other working the next. He was glad he didn't have to work tomorrow, and that Cuddy was right now sleeping so she could get up for her shift tomorrow morning. He hated it when she saw him this vulnerable, and right now was just one of those moments were he questioned everything, where he hurt not only physically but emotionally. She was fierce and independent as was he so the soft tender moments between them were rare and scarce. He hated it when she was condescending.

…

Cuddy sat in bed unable to sleep listening to sound of the piano overhead. They had soundproofed the attic as much as they could but if she tried she could hear the light melodic music overhead and usually if House wasn't in bed with her that's how she fell asleep. But tonight, it wasn't the beautiful music she had come to love, it was powerful, depressing and slightly angry harsh tones coming through and she knew House was having one of those nights where he was angry at the world, and frustrated. She had learned when he moved in that at times like these it was best not to disturb him, to give him his space and not talk about it. She wished he would talk to her about what was bothering him but she knew House hadn't changed and that he was still incredibly independent and not emotionally open. Whenever she brought up a sensitive subject he would retreat into his shell or get angry. She hated it that she couldn't get through the tough armor that shielded Gregory House from the rest of the world. It was her newest and toughest ambition. She loved him more than she could ever say, there was something about this man, he showed his love for his children in a different way than everyone else but in a way it was more precious than anything she had ever known. When she was a child, her father had never shown her any affection. She was always a disappointment to him and that angered her more than anything. It motivated her to work as hard as she did to get as far as she had. But House, though not openly affectionate showed more love to Emily and Abby than her own father had ever shown to her. And for that, she was grateful.

…

The next day Wilson sat in his office reading a patient file he had just received not long ago deep in though about the treatment when Cuddy walked in. It was her lunch break and she had decided to have lunch with Wilson since her job was way too demanding for her to just drop by any other part of the day. They didn't see each other much and she felt she could use a friend to talk to now. Someone not involved in her home life.

As she walked in she saw him look up and smile. She was relieved that he seemed in good spirits for rumor had it he was pretty miserable lately and she sat herself across from him slightly annoyed at being on the opposite side of the desk that she was so used to occupying.

"Hey, want to come with me and get a bite to eat?" She tried to keep her tone casual and pleasant and she saw him study her before responding.

"Yeah sure, problem?" Wilson looked at her inquisitively and put the file away awaiting her reply.

"Nope, just got a break for lunch and thought we could catch up since we haven't talked much lately" Cuddy got up and smiled hoping he wouldn't begin analyzing her until she had a plate of food in front of her. She was glad when he just nodded and followed her out heading towards the cafeteria.

"So, how are the girls?" Wilson pointed to the pasta and the woman behind the counted put it on a plate and handed it to him.

"They're great. Emily is beginning to be quite a chatterbox. Abby is beginning to sleep more at night which is making mornings more bearable around the house too" Cuddy laughed and pointed to the salad and then brought her tray and followed Wilson to a table in the corner.

"That's great. Anything on your mind? You seem to be deep in thought whenever I see you around here lately" Wilson asked.

"I could say the same about you. Rumor has it something has been troubling you and you're not very subtle about it" Cuddy looked at Wilson and watched as his eyes narrowed, almost expecting him to shout at her. But he didn't.

"Ah, so you're here to question me sheriff?" Wilson's tone was slightly cooler than it had been before.

"Of course not, your business is your business and I'm not one to pry. But I am here if you need to talk." Cuddy had tried to imply she wanted to know without being nosy. It was a tough thing to do.

"Yeah, I have some stuff going on, I wanted to talk to House about it first, but he's been surprisingly busy with his cases and I haven't had the chance." Wilson looked down at his pasta and Cuddy smiled.

"Wilson, you do know you're welcome at the house anytime you like right? I mean, your House's best friend and I'm sure he'd love to have you over once and while. And I would too of course.

"Thanks, I know I've just been kind of busy lately but I do plan on paying House a visit soon." Wilson wanted to sigh with relief. He had felt weird about dropping by not wanting to upset Cuddy or anything which he knew was silly but he couldn't help it, she was still his boss after all.

"Well, whenever you have the chance" Cuddy smiled again and took the last bite of her salad enjoying the food she had been desperately craving for the last hour and a half. Man working again gave her an appetite.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Wilson said tentatively. He had a feeling that because he hadn't opened up to her she would change her mind about talking to him about whatever it was she wanted to talk about but he was wrong.

"Well, there's nothing really. It was just that House is kind of well, I want to say miserable lately but he's always been miserable. I'm sure he didn't tell you about the driveway incident about a week and a half ago?" Cuddy looked over at Wilson who had put his fork down.

"No, what happened?" Cuddy told him the story and Wilson face showed the sympathy she had felt on that day.

"He was angry? Yeah I can understand that. House is going to see that there will be things like that happening a lot as the girls get older. When you have mobility problems, things like that happen. Maybe I can talk to him about it, I'm actually free tonight maybe I could drop by if you guys don't have plans?"

"No problem. Thank you, I wish I could talk to him about it but he doesn't want to talk to me, I haven't broken down that wall completely yet but I will you mark my words" Wilson saw the determination in her eyes, and he knew that she probably had what it would take to do that.

"He'll come around. I'll come over about nine then." Cuddy smiled and got up.

"Nine it is. See you then." Wilson watched her walk away in a slightly better mood than he had been earlier. Though a heart to heart with House was not always a pleasurable experience, it had been too long since the two had had one and Wilson was glad just for the chance to be with his friend. No matter how corny it sounded.