Chapter 1: Family
Rachel stood in the bathroom as she got ready to leave and head over to Gabrielle's house. She had to make sure that her shoulder length soft brown hair was perfect. She wanted badly to start using make up, but she didn't need it. Naturally rosy cheeks along with full, long eye lashes. Of course though, there were her green eyes. She needed eye shadow to bring them out. Cuddy however, spent about twenty minutes, convincing her to just wear a green shirt.
It wasn't so much that she wanted to look perfect at Jason's party, she just needed to make sure that Gerald noticed her. He lived across the street from them, so she felt the need to be perfect every time that she left the house. Even just going to get the mail was a long process for her.
"Mom!" she called out.
Cuddy was standing in her bedroom trying to get ready and rolled her eyes. She was just with her ten minutes ago helping her to get ready. These hour long sessions in front of the mirror were going to have to end soon. "What is it?" she responded.
"Can you come here?" Rachel asked.
Cuddy put down her make up and headed over to the bathroom down the hall. "What is it?" she questioned. She saw Rachel questionably looking over her self in the mirror.
"I think I need a training bra," she informed her.
"You're not gonna stuff it are you?" Cuddy asked.
Rachel looked up to her with interest. "What?" she asked, her sparked interest visible.
Cuddy could see what she did and help up her hand. "Never mind," she replied. "Now, I talked to you about getting one last week, and you absolutely refused. Why now?" she implored.
Rachel shrugged. "I think I would look neater with one," she answered.
Cuddy sighed. "Alright, how about this? I'll take you shopping tomorrow for one. Okay?" she offered. In all honesty, she figured that Rachel would change her mind again within a few hours.
"Okay," Rachel responded with a smile and then went back to playing with her hair in the mirror.
Cuddy just smiled as she watched her. She was definitely growing up on her. "Try and hurry up. Your dad is downstairs waiting with Tommy and I don't think you've given Jessie or Ellie a chance to get ready yet," she stated.
"All right," Rachel said and then stood back and checked herself. "Done," she announced and then left the room and headed downstairs.
Over in Jessica and Elisabeth's room, Elisabeth sat at the desk as she read a book while Jessica looked through the closet. "I don't know what to wear," she stated.
Elisabeth turned and looked over to her. She herself did not really care how she dressed. She just wore jeans with a Pink Floyd t-shirt that Gabrielle had given her with her hair halfway pulled back and tied with a blue ribbon. She knew though that Jessica was slightly competing with Rachel.
Jessica was, not the misfit of the family, but Elisabeth could see that she was trying to find her place. Gabrielle was the oldest, and on her own, and she was very close with both parents, and Valedictorian of her graduating class. Rachel was the beauty queen, there was no doubting that. She did pretty good in school, never got lower than a B+, but she was definitely mommy's little girl. Elisabeth was daddy's little girl, straight A student and constantly got attention for anything she did. Then Tommy was the son, him and House got along very well.
The family was slightly divided. It wasn't that certain people didn't get along, it was just that Tommy and Elisabeth were more like House and Rachel spent more time with Cuddy. Jessica would go back and forth.
"Don't look at me like that," Jessica responded. She could tell that Elisabeth thought she was being ridiculous. "I just want to look nice, that's all."
Elisabeth raised her eyebrow to her and then grabbed a piece of paper out of a notebook and started writing. Jessica stood there and watched her, waiting for her to finish.
Jessica knew sign language. The notes though, were saved for when Elisabeth felt that she had too much to say to have to sit there and sign it all out. This would be quicker.
Elisabeth put the pen down and go up to hand the note to Jessica. "Thanks," Jessica replied and then read over the note.
This little game is stupid. I suggest that you find something else. Be yourself. You're pretty, but you're not completely obsessed with yourself to the point where you find it necessary to stare at yourself for hours at a time. I know. I've seen you get bored of looking at yourself in a mirror after a minute. Besides, she's doing this all for Gerald, across the street, not to look better than you.
Jessica looked up from the note. "Fine, what do you suggest?" she implored.
Elisabeth held her finger up, motioning for her to wait a minute and then went and got another piece of paper and started writing. This one was a bit quicker. She smiled as she got up and handed the note over to Jessica.
"Singing, writing, softball, filming, directing, track, lawyer," she read out loud and then looked up, confused. "Lawyer?" she asked.
Elisabeth shrugged. She then explained to her that she was stubborn and kind of liked to argue.
Jessica nodded and then looked over the list again. "I can't sing that well. You seem to be the one writing the most here. Softball is only fun sometimes. I don't have my own camera to play with. I guess that leaves me with track," she informed her as she looked up. "Looks like I have a pretty good chance with that," she stated.
Elisabeth nodded and then stated that it was physically impossible for her to run and that Rachel would be afraid of ruining her hair. That just left her and Tommy.
"How about we get back to this tonight?" Jessica offered.
Elisabeth nodded.
Downstairs, House sat in the chair and watched as Tommy ran circles around the table with his toy airplane. His eyes were following the boy every time he passed him. It amazed him that the kid hadn't gotten dizzy yet, he was starting to get dizzy just from watching him. "You ever consider a sedative?" House questioned.
Tommy froze and curiously looked to him. "No," he cautiously answered. "Have you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
House nodded with a slight smirk. He then sighed as he looked over towards the stairs. "A second birthday with just the family and they act like we're about to be presented to the king," he remarked. He was getting tired of always having to wait on everyone.
Just as he was about to call up to everyone, Elisabeth came down the stairs and joined them in the living room.
"Are they almost done up there?" Tommy questioned.
Elisabeth shook her head. She was starting to get annoyed too. She then eagerly offered to go up and try to rush everyone.
"No, I don't want a car full of bitchy girls complaining that they didn't have time to get their hair just right," House replied. They had a forty five minute drive ahead of them, the last thing he needed was everyone fighting.
"Was your mom almost done getting ready?" he asked. He knew that Cuddy cared about her looks, but he knew that she was always able to get ready quickly. It was weird that she was taking so long.
Elisabeth explained to him that she had to keep leaving to go help Rachel.
House just sat back. He hated the idea that Rachel was so obsessed with her looks. He knew what that meant. She was going to be the one with all the boys. He was going to have to constantly be watching her like a hawk. "You still got the money?" he implored.
Elisabeth smiled to him and nodded. She then motioned to him, asking if he still had his.
"Nope, lost all of my savings to a hooker yesterday. I was fine with it, but your mother seemed to be a little miffed," he responded.
"What's a hooker?" Tommy questioned.
Elisabeth started laughing.
"Go get a dictionary and look up the word prostitute. They mean the same thing," he instructed.
"Okay," Tommy responded. He put the plane down and rushed up the stairs to his room.
Cuddy was on her way down as Tommy ran upstairs. "He forget something?" she questioned.
"Yeah, let's go with that," House replied.
Cuddy just accepted the answer as she went and sat down next to Elisabeth. "How are you feeling today?" she questioned. It was something that she asked her every day, just to make sure.
Elisabeth smiled and gave her a thumbs up. She wasn't feeling all that bad, a little tired, but nothing major. Even if she was feeling sick though, she did not think that she would actually tell her. It was easy to scare Cuddy, and she didn't want to be the one to do it. Now, if she were suffocating or hacking up blood, yes, she would tell her. But minor things that could possibly give her a panic attack for no reason? No.
Rachel came walking down the stairs. She seemed to be confused as she entered the living room. "Dad? I think you should go talk to Tommy. He's up there upset because you spent all of your money on sex," she informed him.
Elisabeth started cracking up on the couch as Cuddy glared over to House.
"All right," House sighed as he stood up. "I guess I'll go set him straight while the other princess gets ready," he said.
Cuddy just rolled her eyes. She could imagine what he had told him. Even though she was a little concerned with what her children were hearing, she trusted House. There was an honesty to him that she was sure they would appreciate some day. She didn't appreciate it at moments like this, but at certain times she did.
Okay, so earlier I said that this story was just going to be a one shot, but I had a few people request it to be longer. My sister also offered to sit down and help me write this. She actually deserves a lot of credit for this chapter. I hope that you enjoy it and please let me know what you think.
I would also like to say congratulations to one of my best friends Kelly. She just found out that she is the Valedictorian of the class of 2012.