This is an AU fic based on Cuddy actually getting Joy at the end of "Joy". This story sort of combines "The Itch" and the rest of "Joy" into one fic, exploring what each of the three would go through upon the arrival of Joy in theirs lives. For now its a one-shot but it has the potential to become a chapter fic.

Cuddy held the child carefully to her chest, holding her head gently, rocking slowly back and forth, a warm smile played on Cuddy’s lips as she looked down to her daughter Joy. She watched the newborn’s fragile frame rise and fall as each breath left the little one’s lips and Cuddy brought her head down slightly just to listen to the reassuring intakes of air that told her that Joy was really there. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, letting Joy sleep against her bosom, but the small bundle of heat soothingly laying against her made her feel more elated and loved then she had ever felt. A few tears of happiness trailed from her eyes before Cuddy resolutely got up from the rocking chair and delicately placed Joy in her crib. She lightly stroked the newborn’s head, and cocked her head affectionately at the baby’s mews at the recognition of touch. Cuddy was making her way out of the nursery and felt her heart twinge slightly at the thought of leaving Joy alone on her first night outside of the hospital, and she made her way back to the rocking chair, determined to spend the night in the nursery and make sure Joy was still there when she woke up in the morning.

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House sat in his office, it was long past working hours and everyone had gone home. His eyes were glazed over as his mind wandered and hadn’t been disturbed since the night janitor had tried to clean his office. He looked over to the whiteboard that still had his immature bet scrawled on it with the ridiculous “Jones” and “Skutner” written in black erasable pen and House sighed. He pushed himself up out of his chair, leaving his cane to the side and limped into the diagnostics room to erase the absurd reminder of the day’s events. His eyes narrowed as he came upon the drawing of the baby and paused, allowing himself to realize that from now on everything was going to change. He slowly erased the baby, letting his mind absorb the new situation he was finding himself in. As the final marks of black pen were erased from the board, House stood back to admire his handiwork and see if he missed any stray marks and came upon the startlingly realization that the board looked empty, blank and without purpose now that nothing was written on it. He felt his heart sink slightly and turned away from the whiteboard, deeming it nothing more than his mind, tired from the emotional stress of the day, putting ideas into his head. He limped clumsily, in a reckless attempt to return to the safety of his office chair and back to the brooding silence he had been in since Wilson had told him Cuddy had taken Joy home.

“Cuddy’s leaving now,” Wilson said poking his head through the door.

“Tell her mozaltof from me,” House continued to look at some sort of coupon offer on his computer.

“You don’t want to see her out?” Wilson asked coming in a bit.

“I’m sure I’ll see plenty of Annie in time,” House muttered refusing to meet Wilson’s eyes.

“Joy,” Wilson corrected House.

“I know the kid’s name,” House replied. “Never heard of ‘It’s a hard knock life’?”

Wilson laughed completely amazed, “I can’t believe this.”

House looked up at Wilson for the first time since Wilson had entered, confused at his response. “Why are you laughing?”

“I just can’t believe how selfish you are,” Wilson’s smile stopped at the sides of his mouth and fell into a more serious line, “Cuddy is finally happy, finally has something she wants, and all you can think about it yourself.”

House rubbed the sides of his temple with his knuckles, massaging away some of the tension that had built up the entire day and was only in his moments of solitude, often when his pain struck the worst, that it was allowed to explode and leave him clinging to the desk for support. He tried to push his conversation with Wilson out of his mind, but that annoying oncologist that served as his conscious danced around his thoughts.

“How is not wanting to ruin the moment being selfish?” House asked looking at Wilson whose hands had dropped down to his waist.

“Because Cuddy, God help her, wants your support,” Wilson answered.

“I don’t do support,” House said returning his eyes to the computer.

“What are you, a high schooler?” Wilson spluttered. “I don’t do support, what the hell does that mean?” Wilson mimicked House’s voice. House stared at Wilson hard but had no response so Wilson continued.

“You want to know what I think this is all about,” Wilson said pointing an accusing finger at House.

“Not particularly,” House replied slightly wary of the finger.

“You’re scared.” Wilson announced.

“Scared of what?” House asked exasperated.

“Scared that Cuddy won’t be there at your beck and call anymore, that maybe something will replace you in Cuddy’s life, because you give a damn about where you fit in Cuddy’s life.”

“The only way I care about fitting into Cuddy’s life is fitting in-between her legs,” House responded.

Wilson frowned but continued, “At least go tell her congratulations House, even if you don’t mean it.”

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Cuddy woke with a start when she heard knocking on her front door. Slightly dazed she pushed herself up from the rocking chair and the blanket slipped off her shoulders when she glanced instinctively towards the crib to make sure Joy was still asleep, and still there. Cuddy sighed as she realized who must be at the door and groped her way out of the nursery, not wanting to turn on the light in fear of waking Joy up and walked slowly to the door, hoping to let House freeze a little outside before opening the door readily to him. She opened the door and her face changed from annoyance to utter surprise when she saw Wilson standing on her doorstep.

“Wilson?” She asked confused.

“Hi Cuddy,” He replied with a warm smile he stood outside awkwardly before Cuddy came to her senses.

“Oh come in, come in,” Cuddy ushered him into the house and closed the door behind him. Once Wilson was inside she looked at him confused waiting for an answer as to why her head of oncology was coming by her house at 11pm.

“I come to make peace,” Wilson announced which only got him a confused frown from Cuddy.

“Peace?” Cuddy repeated shaking her head still not understanding.

“I’m assuming House hasn’t apologized for his behavior yet?” Wilson asked.

“I wasn’t exactly expecting an apology, to expect one would be like expecting snow to fall in June.”

“Well there’s Christmas in July,” Wilson made a pathetic attempt at a joke but shied away under Cuddy’s intense stare.

“Wilson,” Cuddy warned softly, not in the mood for games.

Wilson sighed, “He’s scared Cuddy.”

Cuddy laughed, “Yes House is exactly the type to cower in fear of his problems.”

“Which is exactly why he acts like an ass, he’s dealing with his problems the only way he knows that works, he’s acting hostile to any force that may disrupt his happy little balance.”

“And you’re here to tell me that Joy is that lump of silver that’s set his weights all off scale,” Cuddy said nodding her head with an un-amused expression lying on her face.

Wilson nodded a little helplessly. Cuddy grew annoyed, “So what?”

Wilson blinked bewildered, he hadn’t been expecting this response, “So what?”

“House needs to grow up. He spends his whole life doing whatever the hell he wants, acting hostile to whatever he feels threatens the tiny world he lives in and frankly I’m sick of it. If House wants to act immature and hostile to other people’s happiness, it’s just going to stunt his own.” Cuddy finished. She put her hands on her hips, “Is that all?”

Wilson sensing that he should make up for his stupid mistake before had a quick reply, “How is she?”

Cuddy blinked surprised at the sudden change in topic but not wanting to talk anymore about House and delighting in a chance to show off her new child she broke into a tender smile, “She’s perfect.”

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House felt the throb in his thigh as he got off of his motorcycle and popped two pills in his mouth, almost as much out of anticipation for what he was about to do then the actual pain the medication was for. He steadied his breathing and looked at the house that lay on the other side of the street. He gave himself of few more seconds of preparing himself for perhaps altering his life forever and then made a steady streamline for the front door of Cuddy’s house. He hobbled up the steps, wincing as his leg and cane hit the stairs at un-even angels since he was not carefully placing each step as normal, but rather, haphazardly charging the steps. He was a little out of breath at the top but pushed through the pain so that he was standing right outside of her door. He brought his cane up to knock and held it there for a few seconds before bringing it down again.

He reconsidered what he was doing and shuffled awkwardly as he was stuck in a sort of perjury between his life now and what he wanted it to be. He was about to bring the cane up again when a flash of movement caught House’s eye in the window on his right. He peered in and saw Cuddy bringing in a bundle of cloth, which House could only assume was Joy, with Wilson trailing behind her, looking over Cuddy’s shoulder to look at the daughter in her arms. Wilson smiled warmly and said something to the child which made Cuddy laugh and flash Wilson a smile that caused House’s stomach to plummet. House watched on in masochist fascination as the two sat down and talked while Cuddy rocked her new baby back and forth in her arms. House knew this wasn’t a romantic meeting and could sense nothing in their body language that implied anything but a close friendship, but that didn’t stop the goose bumps to create a wave of cold prickles to wash over him.

House knew when he looked upon the scene that that scene would never be his. It hurt to watch Cuddy so focused on something he had no part of, and that scared him to a point that House didn’t like to analyze very deep in case he discovered something that could change his life forever. It gave House a weird heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach to see Wilson at such ease with Cuddy and her child, and House became jealous that Wilson was somehow a part of all of this. He swallowed hard and turned around, leaving the happy scene behind him and returning to the motorcycle that lay in the shadows overcast by Cuddy’s house. He glanced back up at the house one more time, shook his head and started the ignition on his motorcycle.

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Cuddy glanced up from Joy to smile at Wilson and a flash of movement outside her window caught her attention. She saw the flashy orange motorcycle outside her house and her stomach flipped a little. She craned her neck a little, which caused Wilson to follow her gaze and he also noticed the flash of orange fly out of the left window pane’s view. He sighed and looked at Cuddy who had an emotion on his face he couldn’t quite read.

“Maybe hostility doesn’t have to end badly?” Wilson suggested.