Title: I Will Buy You A New Life. SEQUEL to Where Your Flowers Can Bloom, which is a sequel to I Will Buy You A Garden.
Pairings: House/Cuddy
Rating: I'm pretty sure PG-13 will work.
Chapter: Thirteen of ?
Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D. nor the characters. I don't make any money from this.
Summary: After House and Cuddy decided to give their relationship a try and raise their daughter, Sarah, together, we catch up with them seven years later. Sarah is a teenager, House has an emerging medical problem, and Cuddy's trying to keep her eye on both of them.

(Start from the beginning.)




“Hey, Mom,” Sarah greeted as she entered her mother’s office, her guitar strap hanging over her shoulder.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Cuddy replied, looking up from her desk.

“Is Dad here?” Sarah asked and placed her backpack on the floor.

“No, he still wasn’t feeling well,” Cuddy told her, a small frown on her face. “But, once I finish this paperwork, I’ll head up to Pediatrics to watch you play.”

Sarah shook her head. “You don’t have to, Mom.”

“I want to,” Cuddy said with a nod. “I’ll be up soon.”

“‘Kay.” Sarah shrugged and left her mother’s office.

Cuddy directed her attention back to the paperwork on her desk. She hoped she could finish it within the next five minutes. There was a light knock on her office door and Wilson entered.

“Busy?” Wilson raised his eyebrows as Cuddy looked up at him.

“Just finishing up,” she answered.

Wilson gave a nod toward the door. “Sarah’s going to play for Pediatrics?”

“Yep.” Cuddy gave a nod and went back to her paperwork.

Wilson paused and stepped further into the office. “How’s Greg?”

Cuddy stopped writing. She raised her eyes to lock with Wilson’s.

“Not well,” Cuddy told him. “He’s getting worse.” She blinked away her tears and diverted her eyes. “I’m really worried, James. I don’t want to lose him. I don’t want Sarah to lose him.”

“I know, but he could still get a liver,” Wilson pointed out. “And get one in time.”

Cuddy shook her head and leaned back in her chair. “I knew that Vicodin would kill him.”

“The alcohol didn’t help much either,” Wilson added and sat in one of the chairs across from her desk.

“No,” Cuddy agreed with a raise of her eyebrows. She leaned forward in her chair. “If he gets a new liver, we could kill two birds with one stone.”

Wilson frowned. “What do you mean?”

“He shouldn’t be on drugs after we give him a new liver,” Cuddy said. “It’ll just get damaged again. He should have his leg amputated.”

“Oh, yeah.” Wilson nodded. “I’m sure that’s going to go over real well.”

“But, with his daughter to think of?” Cuddy asked, knowing she had a point.

Wilson was still uncertain. “Maybe. But, it’s a far stretch.”

“Yeah.” Cuddy frowned and was lost in her own thoughts a moment. She locked eyes with Wilson, bringing herself back to the present. “Well, I gotta finish this, then head to Pediatrics.”

“Okay.” Wilson stood to his feet. “Let me know if you need anything. And dinner soon, if you can?”

“Oh, yeah.” Cuddy nodded. “Definitely.”

“See ya, Lise.” Wilson headed for the door.

“Bye.” Cuddy called after him.

---

House shifted and placed his hand to his thigh. He rubbed it, trying to expel the pain from it, but to no avail. He opened his eyes and blinked against the darkness in the bedroom. House turned his head in Cuddy’s direction, but realized she was absent from their bed.

Groaning slightly, House sat up. He reached for his cane and used it to help him stand. Hunching, he made his way around the bed and out of the bedroom. There was a soft glow coming from the dining room.

House stopped in the doorway of the dining room where Cuddy was sitting at the table. The kitchen light was on being her. Her hands were on a mug of coffee that sat on the table in front of her. She was staring down at the mug.

“Lisa?” House asked quietly, as to not frighten her.

Cuddy didn’t look to him, but merely shook her head. “I can’t let her do it. If I lost her...”

House took the seat next to her and let out a sigh. “I never wanted her to do it.” He paused. “So, it’s settled then.”

“She’ll argue.” Cuddy brought her red rimmed eyes to him. “And I still don’t want her to go through life thinking she could have saved you.”

“Who says I’ll need saving?” House cocked an eyebrow. “Maybe a liver will come around soon.”

“Yeah.” Cuddy looked away.

“Lisa,” House said gently.

Cuddy brought her gaze back over to him. House placed his hand on the table, palm facing up. Cuddy’s eyes lingered on his palm for a moment and then she put her hand within his.

---

Sarah flopped down on the couch next to her father and gave him a smile. She set her notebook in her lap and took her pen in her left hand.

“Ready for the start of the interview?” Sarah asked him.

“I can’t promise I’ll be interesting,” House replied.

“I’m sure you will be.” Sarah gave a nod and poised her pen over her notebook. “First, I want to start off with questions that can relate you to the audience.”

House stared at her for a moment. “Okay.”

“What is your favorite memory?” Sarah read from the page.

“The day you were born,” House answered immediately.

Sarah frowned at him. “Come on, Dad. That’s lame. All dads say that.”

“You want me to lie?” House raised his eyebrows.

“I want you to tell me the truth,” Sarah told him.

House let out a sigh. “All right. My... favorite memory was when I went to check up on your mother a few weeks after you were born. You were crying, she was a mess, and I held you. I talked to you, and you quieted down.”

Sarah finished scribbling and frowned at him once more. “That’s it?”

“Yep.” House gave a short nod.

“Why is that your favorite memory?” A frown was still on Sarah’s face. “Nothing happened.”

“That day was when I actually felt like your father,” House said. “I was there when you were born and I knew you were mine, but I didn’t feel it until that night.”

“Oh.” Sarah looked down at her notebook. She shifted slightly and then brought her eyes back up to her father. “Dad?”

“What?” House prompted.

“Do you want to know when I felt like your daughter?” she asked him.

House kept his eyes locked with hers. “When?”

“It was the day I was upset that the kids at school were calling Mom a bitch.” Sarah gave a shrug. “You talked to me as if we’ve always been like that, as if you’ve always been there. It felt like you actually cared about me.”

“I do care about you,” House replied. “I did. Even then.”

“But, you weren’t my dad then,” Sarah said.

“Yeah.” House’s tone was quieter.

A smile suddenly formed on Sarah’s face. “I have something to show you.” She stood from the couch. “I found it the other day when I was going through your stuff.”

House’s eyebrows drew together. “Why were you going through my stuff?”

Sarah shrugged and hurried from the room. House waited, wondering what she had uncovered. After a minute passed, Sarah returned with his Lupus book.

“I was checking out this book and the middle’s missing.” Sarah opened the book. “And look what I found inside amongst some other things.”

Sarah pulled out a homemade card on pink construction paper and extended it to her father. House took it from her and a small smile spread over his face, remembering its origin.

“Whatcha up to, Mick?” House asked as he made his way into the living room.

His nine-year-old daughter sat on the floor by the coffee table. There were pieces of red and pink construction paper spread out over the table along with markers, stickers, glue, and glitter. Sarah raised her head to look at her father.

“Valentine’s Day is Friday,” she told him. “I’m making them for class. And making ones for you, and Mommy, and Uncle Wilson, and Aunt Claire, and Aunt Dody, and-”

“What’s that?” House pointed to the lopsided heart drawn on pink paper with a red marker.

“Daddy.” Sarah rolled her eyes. “It’s a heart.”

“That’s not a heart,” House said. “Here. Let me show you.”

“Okay...” Sarah was uncertain, but she gave House the red marker.

House sat on the couch and quickly sketched out what an actual heart looked like on the construction paper. When he decided it looked realistic enough, he capped the marker and slid the paper closer to Sarah.

“There.” House gave a nod to the paper. “That’s a heart.”

Sarah stared at the paper. “No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is,” House replied. “That’s what’s right there.” He pointed to her chest. “Trust your ol’ man.”

“No.” Sarah shook her head. “Hearts are prettier than that. That looks like chewed gum.”

Cuddy’s head popped into the living room. “Dinner in five.”

“Mom!” Sarah called out as Cuddy disappeared.

“What, hun?” Cuddy asked as she stepped back into her daughter’s view.

“Can you draw a heart?” Sarah asked her.

“Yes.” Cuddy nodded.

“Will you draw one for me?” Sarah held up a purple marker.

“Sure.” Cuddy walked over to the construction paper and took the marker in her left hand. She quickly drew two halves of a heart. “There.”

“See?” Sarah made a face at House. “I told you.”

Cuddy straightened her back and looked to House suspiciously. House shrugged innocently in response.

“This is what Dad drew.” Sarah held the picture up. “He said it’s a heart.”

Cuddy looked down at the picture and frowned slightly. “It is.”

“What?” Sarah’s face scrunched up.

“In your body,” Cuddy told him.

“My heart looks like that?” Sarah stuck her tongue out as she looked back at the picture.

“Yes,” Cuddy answered her.

“It’s ugly,” Sarah said.

“No, it’s not,” Cuddy replied gently. She turned to House. “Greg, go check on the food.”

House rolled his eyes, but obeyed Cuddy’s command. Cuddy knelt down on the floor next to her daughter. She took the picture from her.

“Here.” Cuddy pointed to the bottom part of the heart. “See this part?”

“Yeah.” Sarah nodded.

“It kind of looks like the hearts you drew,” Cuddy said. “In a very... abstract kind of way.” She brought her eyes back to her daughter. “Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body other than your brain.”

Sarah frowned. “I still don’t like it.”

“It’s burning!” House’s voice called out from the kitchen.

“Turn it off!” Cuddy called back.

“Don’t know how!” House replied.

“House!” Cuddy’s tone switched to aggravation.

“Better get in here!” House told her.

Cuddy gave Sarah a quick kiss and then stood to her feet. She hurried out of the living room and to the kitchen. House gave Cuddy a smile as he passed her before entering the living room. He took a seat on the couch.

“What’s the matter?” he asked Sarah as he noticed her changed demeanor.

Sarah shrugged. “I don’t like drawing hearts that don’t look like actual hearts.”

“We can change that,” House said.

Sarah looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll help you draw hearts.” House pulled a piece of construction paper towards himself and picked up a marker.

“You will?” Sarah was hopeful.

“Of course,” House replied. “What are dads for?”


Chapter Fourteen.