Final Goodbye

They never really discussed where they were heading but somehow they had ended p buying a beach house in Wilmington, North Carolina. House had managed to obtain a new identity but still kept low just in case someone did recognise him but in the small town of Wilmington it was very unlikely.

"House I think its time I sleep." Wilson said weakly as he looked out to sea on the balcony. Wilson had managed to hold on a few months longer than expected but was getting weaker by the day.

A lump immediately formed in House's throat, he knew that one day he would hear those words but that still didn't make it okay to hear them. He would do anything to exchange them for anything else if it meant not loosing the only thing left in his life; his best friend. It was far too soon for Wilson to leave him, what was he supposed to do without him? His eyes stayed fixed on the orange horizon, he couldn't find the right words to comfort his friend or tell him how much he means to him. No ones seemed good enough for this situation.

"House…" Wilson chocked out, "Make sure you go and see her. Thank you for everything, you've been an arse but a perfect best friend. I'm just so tired, I think its time…I'll see you when I wake up." Wilson said reaching over and placing his cold hand on House's arm.

"Wilson…please…" House begged, "I don't know what I'll do without you. I'll go back to who I was, please don't leave me." He continued before turning to his friend but Wilson's chest was no longer rising and his eyes were closed just like he was sleeping. He was gone, Wilson was dead. House took Wilson's hand and placed it back onto his lap giving it a quick squeeze. "I'm going to miss you." He said as a single tear fell down his face. House stood up and walked to the edge of the balcony looking out at the sea. The blood in his veins started to boil, and his anger started rising.

"FUCK YOU CANCER." He screamed, "FUCK YOU." He cried out again, throwing the glass that was in his hand down to the beach.

The past 6 months he had tried not to think about this moment, the moment that he would loose his best friend. Although he knew it would come, he didn't want to accept it. Because if he did he would be accepting the fact that he had failed to save him, after all the patients that he had saved he couldn't even save his own friend. He sat down back in his chair before putting his head into his hands and letting the tears take over his body.

"Go and see her." His voice echoed in his head. Ever since she had left, she was always on his mind, always in his head, always in his dreams. Wilson had spent the past 6 months trying to get him to call her, tell her he wasn't really dead but he could never find the courage to do it. Now he had to, Wilson used some of his last breath on telling him that so he had to do it.

He made the decision right away that he was going to risk going to the funeral. Although it was dangerous he needed to say goodbye to have that closure. Also there was a high chance that she would be there. So he stood at the back hidden from view as the funeral took place. He saw all of his old friends; Chase, Foreman, Thirteen even Cameron and her new family had made an appearance. Hundreds attended to pay their respects and say goodbye to the great Dr. James Wilson. But there was no sign of her, his eyes skimmed through the crowd who were now stood watching the coffin be lowered but he couldn't see her. She hadn't come after everything that Wilson had done for her, she hadn't showed up to say goodbye it was a repeat of his funeral.

After it was over everyone headed to the wake apart from House. He stayed behind and sat next to his best friends grave sat leaning slightly on the side of the gravestone. He took the bottle of Vicodin out of his pocket and held it staring down. After Wilson was diagnosed the drugs didn't seem to matter anymore, he hadn't taken any in 6 months for Wilson's sake but he wasn't here now, he had left. No one was around to stop him now, because he was alone everyone had left him.

"You know she didn't even come." He chuckled, still half expecting Wilson to reply. "I was gunna do it, gunna tell her but she didn't even show." He said turning the bottle upside down and letting the pills fall into his hand.

"And you think that will help?" Wilson's voice said, House looked up to see him standing there just a few feet away from him.

"Oh great. Now I'm hallucinating again." He grumbled. "What are you doing here Wilson?"

"Do you even remember how much you've drunk today?" House looked up to see Amber also standing there now with a stern look on her face.

"Really?! You brought Cut Throat Bitch with you?" He asked, watching as they sat either side of him.

"What good is taking that going to do?" Wilson asked pointing down at the two pills in his House's hand.

"You've come so far without them." Amber added.

"It will take the pain of being alone away, being without anyone. You left me Wilson, what else am I supposed to do now?"

"Is it really though? Are you really alone?"

"YES!" House snapped, "Because you left me, people always leave. She left and now you have." He said with tears in his eyes.

"You're wrong." Amber replied.

"Says the dead bitch." House snarled at her.

"You are wrong House, because she did come." Wilson said, House followed Wilson's arm to see a figure coming towards them. As the figure came closer House could see who it was.

"Don't mess it up this time." Wilson chuckled patting his shoulder.

"You both deserve happiness." Amber added before they both turned away and walked towards the sunset hand in hand.

"House…" Cuddy said as she approached him.

"Hi…." He said standing up and dropping the pills. "You didn't come…"

"I couldn't face it, I couldn't face saying goodbye to him." She said placing the flowers on his grave before wiping her eyes. "Its just too hard."

"You hate me don't you?" House asked.

"House…don't….do this…" she stumbled on her words.

"No." He protested, "I have to, I know I am supposed to be dead but I couldn't just leave him. I needed to be there for him, I needed to change my life around."

"Oh I can see that, she said pointing down at the bottle on the floor."

"I haven't taken any in 6 months, he left I can't handle the pain without him." He explained, both of them fell silent just looking down at the fresh grave.

"I knew you weren't dead." Cuddy said breaking the silence.

"How?" House questioned.

"You think I believed that the great Greg House died in a simple fire?" She laughed, "Faking your death was very like you, I knew that you weren't dead which is why I didn't go to the fake funeral."

"Do you hate me?" He questioned again.

"House…you ruined my life. You drove a car into my house; I had been living in for 10 years. I had a job that I loved, I had memories, friends, I had a boyfriend that I loved. I loved you more than anything but you blew it." She said in a blank tone, "I had to give everything up, just like that. Pack up everything and move away."

"I didn't force you to leave." He protested, "I didn't want you to leave."

"I was scared of you, you relapsed and clearly hated me. You could have come and killed me in my sleep, I had to get away."

"Oh come on!" He said with a raised voice, causing her to step back, "I would never hurt you in that way and you know that. "You know when I was in that building all I could think about was you. How if I changed we could have children, be happy together." He explained.

"House, don't. It didn't work." She said with tears in her eyes.

"I am sorry for what I did. I have a lot of regrets in my life, but my biggest is letting you go." He admitted.

"The only reason why you regret what you did was because you had to spend time locked behind bars House. You don't regret loosing me, you regret the jail time. You only think about yourself, you never think about others around you and how you hurt them with your actions." She ranted.

"I didn't drive that car into your dinning room because of me, I did because I still loved you. I wanted to make an impression."

"Well you certainly made a complete mess I don't know about impression House." Cuddy laughed.

"You were happy, you had him. I couldn't see you like that, with him when all I could think about was you. I was still all about you, I wanted you back but you moved on. I just snapped, I don't know what I was thinking when I did it, but I didn't mean to hurt you in anyway I can promise you that."

"You're drunk House, go home and sleep it off."

"I don't have a home, I'm on the run remember? If I die now, my body will just rot and no one will care. Things could have been different, we could have been happy together but you chose him you are happy with him." He said, getting quite angry.

"You're wrong you know that. I was never happy without YOU! Do you know the amount of times I nearly just came running back to you? The amount of times I thought about being in your arms again?! No you don't because you don't think about other people you only think about YOURSELF."

"Then why didn't you?" He asked her.

"Because you married a Hooker! Even if I had tried, you wouldn't have let me back in."

"Now you're the one who is wrong." He said grabbing her arm and twisting her round to face him.

"What ar-" She was cut off by House's lips on hers, they kissed for a few seconds before he pulled back.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you."

"You really think you can just kiss me and everything will be fine?" Cuddy asked stepping back.

"Yes. We can be happy, I've changed. Wilson changed me; he helped me become a better person for you. And you know what the last thing he said to me was? Go and see her. He wants this almost as much as I do." House practically pleaded.

"Well here's to chance 901." Cuddy smiled before they both hugged. House looked over her shoulder and could see Amber and Wilson both smiling at him. He nodded before they both walked into the light just behind them.

"I am not going to mess this one up." House said squeezing her.