2010-2011

Christmas passed quietly. The board of directors brought in Doctor Wood to fill in for Cuddy while she was on maternity leave. Doctor Wood was a no nonsense administrator who immediately put House in his place. The fact that she was tall and gorgeous kept House interested enough to keep testing her. They developed a sexually charged bickering that amused Reilly.

"You should ask her out," Reilly told him one cold morning in January as they sat in his office.

"She's married," House told her.

"And she flirts with you like that?"

House smiled and waggled his eyebrows. "What can I say? Women find me irresistible."

Reilly laughed and shook her head.

"What?" House told her. "She's hot and she's tough. Which makes her even hotter. It's just a little harmless flirting. As she told me the other day, she's happily married but she still likes to have a bit of fun. Her husband knows how she is and is fine with it. Trust me, she never goes too far."

"Have you been by to see Lisa and Rachel?" Reilly asked him.

House's brow furrowed. "Who are they?"

Reilly tossed a paper clip at him. "Very funny."

House flicked the paper clip back at her. "Why would I go see them?"

"Because you like her? Because it's the polite thing to do?"

"Did you see what Wilson bought the kid?" House asked her in an effort to distract her..

"That is the biggest stuffed duck I've ever seen. Were you with him when he bought it?"

House grinned.

"Shame on you, Greg House," Reilly scolded lightly. "What's Rachel supposed to do with that thing?"

"Cuddy can put it in the nursery," House laughed.

"What can I put in the nursery?" Cuddy asked as she entered the office. She carried Rachel in a portable car seat and had a diaper bag slung over her shoulder. She walked over to House's desk and put the car seat on it. She undid the straps and lifted Rachel out. The baby was bundled up against the cold. Cuddy put her in House's arms.

"Wilson's duck," House told her as he looked down at Rachel. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. She made a tiny purring sound.

"She likes you," Reilly told him.

"Yes, she does," Cuddy agreed with a smile.

House shifted Rachel in his arms so that her head was lifted up and she could see Reilly.

"What brings you out today?" Reilly asked as she reached across the desk and wiggled her fingers at Rachel.

"I needed to fill out some paperwork," Cuddy told her. "I thought I'd bring Rachel in so everyone could meet her."

"How are you doing?" Reilly asked her as she sat back.

"Okay," Cuddy answered. "It's harder than I realized it would be but completely worth it. She's an amazing baby."

"Well," House told her holding Rachel out to her. "Your amazing baby just dropped a load in her diaper."

Cuddy took her daughter from him. She put her in the car seat. "I'll change her on the way out." She lifted the car seat and the diaper bag. When she reached the door, she turned back and looked at House. "You should come by," she told him with a smile. "You can help me find a place for the massive duck you convinced Wilson to buy."

House looked at her for a long time and then nodded. Cuddy turned and left. Once she was gone, Reilly picked up House's oversized tennis ball and tossed it to him. He caught it and tossed it back to her.

"Ask her out," Reilly told him as she caught the ball and threw it back to him.

"Why do you want to foist me off on women?" he asked with a scowl as he began to toss the ball over his head and catch it.

"I want you to be happy again," she told him. She tilted her head and looked at him. "Are you still grieving Niamh? If you are, I'll leave you alone."

He sighed and began to rub the ball up and down his right thigh. "I miss her. And I do like Cuddy. Parts of her anyway."

"Why do you do that?"

"Rubbing the ball against my leg helps with the pain," he told her evasively.

"You know exactly what I mean," she told him.

He shook his head. "I don't like being picked apart. It's easier to deflect."

Reilly looked at him with pain and sadness in her eyes. "You never did that with me before I left. We were always honest with each other. Always."

"You left."

"I thought you forgave me for that." She looked down at her hands. The wintry sunlight pouring through the windows glinted off the red and gold curls piled on top of her head. A few tear drops landed on her pale pink sweater.

"I did," he began. "I'm trying to. Losing you was horrible. It changed me. The pain changed me. Losing Niamh changed me."

She looked up at him and wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "Leaving you changed me. Seeing you get shot changed me. Losing Niamh changed me. But, can't we help each other? I need you."

House put the ball on his desk and got up. He moved around the desk and sat in the chair next to Reilly. Taking her hand, he looked at her.

"I've always needed you," he told her. "You just have to lay off the matchmaking especially since you won't date."

She laughed and sniffled. "Okay," she told him. "You belong to me, Greg House."

He squeezed her hand. "You belong to me, Reilly McGrath."

She smiled and he reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Now, go find our minions and get us a new patient."

She released his hand and got up. "I know where they hide," she told him. "I'll send them to scour the ER and the clinic."

"Get us an interesting one," he instructed.

She nodded and left. House got up and limped over to his lounger. He sank down in it with a sigh. Cameron walked in and carefully sat down on the footstool.

"You better stop eavesdropping," he told her. "You might hear us talking about you." He looked at her belly. Something moved beneath the beige sweater she wore. "I hope that was your baby moving otherwise you've got a creepy crawly under that massive sweater."

"He just kicked," she told him. She took his hand and placed it over her belly. He felt pressure beneath his palm.

"Active little guy," House commented as he pulled his hand away. "When are you due again?"

"March ninth."

"And your maternity leave starts…."

"Once I have him," she told him. "Then I'll be out for six weeks."

House looked her over. "Why not take time off before? Don't you have to build you little nest?"

"Nate is taking care of all that," she smiled. "I supervise. Besides, I'm healthy so there's no need to take additional time off. All I do is hang out here in the office. You won't let me see the patients."

"Because they all have weird diseases that could cause Soccer Guy, Junior, to come out all wrong."

"And that's why I can eavesdrop," she reminded him. "That whole you belong to me thing you and Reilly say, what is that?"

"She just likes to remind me that she knows all my deep, dark secrets and I do the same to her."

"Well, you're right," she told him with a smile.

"Of course I am," he responded. "About what?"

She stood up and stretched. "Everybody lies." With a smile, she turned and walked back into the conference room.