Rachel was running around the swimming pool her water wings bouncing with each step. House felt like ever since they finished construction on the pool Rachel begged for he's lived outside.

House was resting comfortably on a lawn chair, a pair of sunglasses on a a case file open and spread across the chair and his lap. He had a small erase board he kept scribbling symptoms onto then erasing. Every few seconds it seemed he got interrupted by a loud yell.

"HOWSE!" Rachel screamed. Once she saw House's eyes she would then say, "watch." As she did some stupid jump into the pool where House would pretend to be impressed.

"Very cool." He said already looking back at the file. A few drops landed onto his work and he looked up to see Rachel dripping water all over him.

"What? I said cool." House said as he shooed her away.

"Will you swim with me?" She asked

"Rachel I can't." House said looking down.

Rachel placed a wet hand on the paper he was reading, "patients are dumb."

House smirked, "that may be true but that doesn't mean I can abandon them."

"One hour." Rachel pleaded.

House sighed as he got up. Rachel squealed with excitement.

House went inside to sheet changed and when he emerged Rachel looked at him questionably. He was wearing shorts, something she never expected to see House in, she thought he'd wear jeans to swim.

"Let's take these off." House said as he carefully removed her water wings.

"What if I drown?" Rachel asked nervously.

"You're not going to drown I'm 5 feet away from you."

House then shoved Rachel into the pool causing her to scream and laugh as she treaded to the surface.

House then jumped in and shook his head to removed the water from his eyes, "see your swimming is looking great. You gotta work on that confidence kiddo."

Rachel then climbed onto House's shoulders and yelled "I'm so tall! It's like I'm on a dinosaur."

"A dinosaur!" House yelled back pretending to be offended.

"Yes! Now ride Grex!" Rachel yelled.

House then flipped her off his back. The two swam together and played classic pool games until it was time to get dinner.

House helped Rachel out of her swimsuit and gave her a bath before dinner. Once the two were showered they sat down at the table where Cuddy placed a plate down in front of each of them.

"Dinosaur chicken nuggets?" House asked

"Seemed to fit the night." Cuddy said as she sat down.

"I swam without my water wings." Rachel said proudly.

"I saw." Cuddy said, "you can only do that if an adult is in the pool with you."

"I know." Rachel said

"Also House don't leave your pool towels and wet pool suits all over the bathroom it smelled like chlorine in there."

"I didn't smell anything." House shrugged as he continued to eat his nuggets.

"How could you not smell it?"

House shrugged again.

Cuddy was putting up dinner while House and Rachel were in the living room. Rachel dumped all the clothes out of the laundry basket that House was folding.

"Hey!" House said annoyed

"I need this." Rachel demanded as she pretended she was an astronaut. "I'm going to space."

"Well if you're going to space, you need a helmet." House said getting up and grabbing his motorcycle helmet from the bench by the front door.

Rachel exited the basket to see what he was doing.

House delicately placed the helmet on her head and he picked up the laundry basket and placed it on his lap as he sat down.

"Get in cadet." He said

Rachel crawled onto the couch and perched herself in the basket on House's lap

House began rocking his legs back and forth as Rachel made noises pretending to pilot her craft.

"Close your eyes." House said as he pulled out his phone.

Rachel looked at him skeptically.

"It'll be worth it." He assured.

"Thirty seconds and counting." The video said through his phone speakers

He could see Rachel's fingers tighten on the basket.

"Astronauts report it feels good. T minus twenty-five seconds." The video continued. "T minus twenty seconds and counting."

Rachel knew she was in a laundry basket on House's lap but she could feel the room getting darker as if she was really in a rocket ship.

"T-minus fifteen seconds guidanceis internal."

Rachel could imagine the room dimming more.

"1211 10 9ignition sequence start."

House began to bounce his legs up and down as Rachel felt the rumble of the engine and can imagine a bright yellow light as the rockets fired up.

"6 5 4..." House began moving his legs quicker as he prepared Rachel for lift off.

" All engine running."

House began shaking as fast as he could as Rachel squealed with excitement, "lift off we have liftoff. Thirty two minutes past the hour. Liftoff on Apollo 11."

House continued to shake vigorouslyas Rachel was taking off into space. After a moment the rumbling stopped as Rachelleft the atmosphere. Rachel could swear she was floating as she sat in her spaceship.

She then opened her eyes and saw her living room and was almost surprised she wasn't seeing space.

"Time for bed recruit." House said as he placed the basket on the floor.

"Can you tuck me in?" Rachel asked as she got up keeping her helmet on.

"Only if you take off your space gear." House said.

Rachel removed her helmet handing it to House.

"Instead of a story can you sing me a song tonight?"

House was taken aback. He wasn't much of a singer, at least he didn't think he was.

"Sure. I'll meet you in your room."

Cuddy couldn't help overhear. She peered into the living room watching House grab his guitar as he limped to Rachel's room.

She moved closer to the door but was careful to not let House see, exposing this side of himself is rare and having an audience of more than one might make him reconsider doing his performance.

House sat ona small chair as Rachel was snuggled in bed waiting for her song. House was slowly tuning the guitar and playing a few cords. He was racking his brain for something to play and couldn't think of anything. After strumming afew times he managed to put a few cords together that sounded good and began playing them over and over until he could come up with the words.

After about twenty seconds of blank thoughts he started to sing how he felt.

"If I ever were to lose you

I'd surely lose myself.

Everything I have found here

I've not found by myself.

Try sometimes you'll succeed

To make this man of me.

All of my stolen missing parts

I've no need for anymore.

I believe

And I believe cause I can see

Our future days

Days of you and me."

House then began strumming softer and softer as he played out the toon.

Cuddy was in the hallway tearing up into a dishrag.

"Good night Rachel." House said softly as he turned off the light and gave her kiss on the forehead.

House closed her bedroom door softly and Cuddy returned to the kitchen pretending to miss the entire performance. House put his guitar back on the wall.

"I saw you." House said as he leaned against the doorframe to the kitchen.

Cuddy played dumb, "saw me what?" She looked up to see House smirking.

"It was a beautiful song." She said after a moment.

House shrugged. "It was just words and cords." He said casually.

Cuddy snorted, "yeah so easy. Any moron can do that." She said sarcastically.

House nodded, "exactly."

"But not everyone can make their kid feel like a dinosaur rider, an astronaut and get a live performance in one night."

House looked down shamefully. "You saw the astronaut thing?"

"It was sweet."

"It was lame."

"I like lame." Cuddy said as she gave House a hug, "your secret is safe with me." She said into his chest after a moment.