“What the hell are you doing here?” House asked upon opening the door of Cuddy’s office by next morning. She looked up from the file she’s signing to look at him and just shook her head before continuing her job. She doesn’t want to see his eyebrows meeting each other’s end and she definitely knew he’ll be the boss this time. “Thought we already talked about that you’ll be staying at home?” he asked again when she wasn’t saying anything in return.
“Uh-huh but I called you before I come to work this morning right? You agreed on it so I assume you’re here for something else,” she said after giving out a sigh and was not even glancing up to see him as he took the empty chair in front of her desk.
“Stubbornness. That’s genetic you know,” he said trying to cool down her mind, before he say the actual reason why he’s down in her office, but his joke doesn’t seemed to be working since Cuddy made a slight slam on her desk with the pen and her palm as she looked up to meet his blue eyes staring at her.
“House, I’m busy. If you want me to go home early tonight so I could rest, leave me alone.” Now’s not the right time to tell it to her, he guessed, as he thought how to escape the mood he set Cuddy on. He watched her went back to signing papers and felt his fingers running down his temple again, a gesture he usually do when nervous or just plain hiding something. He wanted and he knew he have to tell her or they’ll end up fighting again so he breathed in and said, “Stacy called in, asking for another afternoon with Casey,” then he breathed out and he watched Cuddy stopped signing in midway . He prepared to hear her say no but then, “okay.”
The word was soft the moment it left her mouth. He thought she was kidding but her eyes told him the other way. She was sincere, she was honest and most of all she was being nice to share him and his time with little girl who wasn’t even sure if she’s really his kid or not. “Seriously?” he asked still wearing that stunned face.
Cuddy smiled and that gave him some reason to stand up and stay beside her to give her a quick kiss on her forehead. “What the hell was that for?” she asked when she pulled back. “Thank you.”
“Just promise me you’ll be home for dinner,” she said after both her palms landed on his shoulder. He smiled in return and said, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He reached down to touched her first trimester baby bump and that’s when Cuddy remembered they were in her office and the chances of someone walking in and see them like that was slim to none. She cleared her throat and House got it at once so he stood up and grabbed his cane which he hung on the edge of her desk earlier before starting to move out from the room. “Cuddy,” he said as he turned back to see her, “the thing we talked about at home…”
“I know,” she cut him off, “don’t worry, I’ll be going home early. 6:30 at most.” He cocked one eyebrow.
“Fine, five,” she said trying to bargain with his thoughts but still, the eyebrow wasn’t moving down.
“3:30,” House said in a soberly tone. She knew he won’t let her bargain again and judging by his voice, he’s now playing the fatherhood card. He’s was already in the secretary’s area when he turned to told her, “and don’t leave until I come to take you home.” She shook her head but nodded in agreement.

Wilson made a quick raise with his eyebrow the moment the sandwich in front of him was snatched by a familiar hand. “Need you to look at a file,” House said after taking the empty chair next to the oncologists’ in the cafeteria a few minutes after he left Cuddy’s office.
“But since you don’t have a blue or red file with you, I assume there’s a subtext you’re holding back,” he said catching a glimpse of his friend as it took a bite on the Rueben sandwich. The diagnostician studied his face for awhile before saying, “Cuddy’s preggers with my kiddo.”
“Really?” Wilson used his best fake surprise look but unfortunately House pointed the sandwich to him and said, “busted. You knew it, didn’t you?”
Wilson gave out a sigh and said, “Damn, should have enrolled myself to a drama workshop months ago.”
“What the,” House cried out but his friend knew that he’s also acting pissed, “so she told you first? Who the hell the father is?”
“Both of us we’re just suspecting then and it turns out we’re right about it.”
“You should have told me. I could have made my assumptions with you.”
“I did thought of doing so but she doesn’t want me to because ---“
“Because she thought I care less about our kid since I have Casey now…” House cut him off and Wilson nodded in return. Both of them didn’t speak out to disagree or agree because definitely the answer would be the latter. “You guys talked about it already?” Wilson broke the silence between them.
“We,” House rubbed his thumb against his forehead and hesitated at first but spoke out after giving out a sigh, “did had a fight last night about my afternoon with the little girl.”
“House…” Wilson was about to give some advice but he was cut off…again.
“I know. I know I should have told her and not telling her risked the baby.” Wilson could hear how sorry his friend was. “What happened?” he asked.
“She had cramps. We kind of freak out about it ----”
“Of course,” Wilson was the one of cut him off this time, “Cuddy wanted to have her own child for years, we know how much she’ll be careful as long as her pregnancy is concern but you. You jive with her fear?”
“Sorry, the fatherhood hormone panel had reacted, okay? I know it may be just a simple cramp, a hunger strike of Cuddy’s tape worms but ---“ he was about to blurt it out when his pager beeped. He looked down and read it quick before standing up and Wilson eyed his movements.
“But this is my kid and I want to make sure he’s fine all the time, so with his mother,” he gave out a quick upward nod before Wilson nodded in return before watching him limped out of the cafeteria again.

Later that afternoon, as what had been agreed on, House drove Cuddy back home by three in the afternoon and an hour later, he went his way to have some time with Casey. The little girl was starting to enjoy her father’s company and House felt the same way. He knows it’s unusual for him to be around with a kid her age but what he just learned now was how enchanting the feeling of fatherhood is. The more he catch Casey’s laugh, the more he’s excited to hear his child with Cuddy do the same. Will he be happier if his second child does his/her first laugh? Will he/she enjoy roller coaster, cotton candies and merry-go-round too? Is there a difference in father-love between your first child and the second especially they’re both born with different moms? Once in a while, as Casey enjoy rides, he will find himself lost in his thoughts about how his future will look like, every scenes seemed to be so precious that he couldn’t get away with.
Stacy opened up the door and was glad that House safely and protectively brought their daughter home after a long day at the park with him. After kissing her father good-bye, Casey hurriedly ran to her room to play with the new doll he bought for her as the two made their way to the living room.
“Coffee or tea?” she asked after noticing how awkward the ambiance for House is after he took his seat.
“I’m full,” he said but deep down he’s really thirsty. He just said that so he can leave early unlike what seemingly preferred by the lawyer in front of him.
“So, how are things going on?”
“Same as usual. Work, home, work. Nothing new.”
“But rumors has it that you’re meeting up with someone.”
“Yah, I seemed to be happy, am I?” She smiled and nodded before saying, “yes you do.” He nodded back before standing up and Stacy did the same.
“Got to go home,” he declared. “Thank you for bringing Casey home again.”
“No problem,” he said but just when he’s about to turn around, Stacy pulled his arm that made him look at her. “I don’t you to leave,” she finally admitted. Now House hates this part ‘cause he knows where this is heading.
“We already had a talk about this. I’m not going to change my ---“ he was cut off with her lips meeting his. She kissed him but he didn’t kiss back. She had her eyes closed, his was looking out the window. Her arms were around his neck but his were settled on both sides of his body. Frustrated and disappointed, she broke the kiss and stepped back.
“I came here for my daughter but never will I come for you.” His words were full of sting that nearly killed Stacy’s emotional heart. She thought that kiss will bring him back but it only made him walked out, not only through the door, but he totally walked out from her life.