Talia took a deep breath and then knocked on the large brown door, fiddling with the piece of paper in her left hand. She rung the doorbell again. The door opened slowly, there stood House. "I don't want any cookies," he muttered, about to close the door again.
"I'm...I'm not here for cookies," Talia blinked, shufling from foot to foot. House raised an eyebrow.
"So...I don't want home insurance," House smiled falsely, before shutting the door. Talia sighed and knocked it again - her mum warned her that her dad would be this way. House opened it again.
"Oh, it's you," House muttered.
"Can I talk to you? I'm Talia House," Talia began shakily. House blinked at her.
"Thank you, pleased to meet your aquaintance, bye now," House waved.
"I'm your daughter," Talia snapped. House's face went into one of first disgust then disbelief and then neutral.
"Hmph. Come on in," he yawned, stepping to the side. Talia wasn't too sure if he was being serious now. "Or you could actually stay out there." Talia swallowed and entered the apartment, dragging her suitcase behind her. House shut the door behind her and limped to opposite where she stood, rumaging in a drawer nearby. He took out a tube and unscrewed the cap. "Say 'ah'," he instructed.
"Wh-" House automatically stuck a swab in her mouth and popped it back into the tube.
"DNA test - nothing personal, just wanted to check that Lisa didn't just send you here to get back at me for whatever I may or may not have done," House murmured, placing the tube to the side.
"Wait, you honestly don't seem that bothered," Talia said quickly. "Your daughter who you've never met before just turned up on your doorstep and you're not...shocked?"
"Shocked? Lisa Miranda Dellosius was a sneaky little-"
"Yeah, we get it," Talia interupted.
"-and I'm not surprised that she kept you as her little secret," House finished, hobbling away toward the kitchen and getting out another pills packet.
"Oh, that's...uh..."
"So what happened?" House asked briskly. "I have to admit it is a bit out of the blue, but I'm clearly due for another medication dose, so the shock will hit me later."
"What happened with what?" Talia asked, her legs beginning to hurt a little.
"Sit down," House told her casually, chucking back a few pills and popping the cap back on. Talia swallowed and settled herself down on the sofa, pressing her knees together and tapping her legs awkwardly. "So. Why are you here?"
"I had an argument with my mom...she called me a useless 'abortion'. It's because I told her that I didn't want to be a model, I wanted to be a doctor. She told me if I loved medicine so much I should go and find it...I.E; you," Talia said simply, staring into her dad's steely blue eyes. House nodded slowly.
"Sounds like Miranda indeed. Was she drunk?"
"She may or may not have been, I don't actually care. I have never seen her sober so I'm guessing she was. She's been like that for 18 years," Talia grumbled. "And you were where?"
"Don't take that tone of voice with me," House rolled his eyes, hobbling toward the fridge. Talia raised an eyebrow as House took out a bottle of water. "Did you want one?"
"I-"
"Kitchen's that way," House nodded toward the fridge. Talia bit down on her teeth and forced a smile. House looked at this girl strangely. She was pretty, very pretty. She had a delicate face with dark grey eyes with blue specks in them, and her hair was long, blonde and curly and had golden tips. She was wearing a black top and skinny black jeans, with pumps. She had a small Barbie suitcase and she just looked fed up.
"So you're here to...live?" House guessed.
"Yeah, if that's okay-"
"Well not really. In fact that's highly inconvenient for everything I'm practicing right now," House said hotly.
"Thought as much," Talia said bitterly.
"And until the DNA results come back I technically have no legal guardianship over you, so..." House saw Talia's eyes well up in tears and mentally broke. Something about her made him feel so sorry for her so he had to do something. "Fine, let me have Miranda's number and we'll sort something out." Talia reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, getting her mother's number up. House sighed and dialled the number. He waited, and the phone carried on ringing, then he put down the phone when it went to answer machine.
"You're not gonna leave a message?" Talia asked in confusion.
"No," House said, passing back the phone. "Until she calls back...you might as well stay...I guess. But I've gotta go to the hospital so-"
"Oh...can I come?" Talia suddenly popped up, standing up. House raised an eyebrow.
"Sure..." he said slowly. "You're weird." Talia smiled slightly.
"Well thanks. Don't forget those swabs...da-"
"NO," House said quickly. "Not Dad. House will do."
"Oh," Talia nodded. "Of course." House picked up the swab, opened the door and left.

- hope you guys enjoyed this chapter...I update every Friday so I'm hoping you liked this one.

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