After ripping his bathroom mirror off the wall and discarding it in the bathtub. He was now sat propped against the tub, looking down at the Vicodin bottle in his hand, Dr Gregory House. Is this what it had come to? After a year of trying to do the right thing, of trying to be a better person. Here he was, Vicodin in hand, alone. He suppressed an urge to cry, shook it out of his head.

He poured two of the pills into his hand, and looked them over. He was panting now, the adrenaline, at the thought of taking the pills, the consequences. But now the pain was too much, it was worth it, wasn't it? The pain in his leg, in his head. . . In his heart. He was brought out of his thoughts by a flash of pink. He sighed., before looking up at the cause of the majority of his pain.

'Are you gonna leap across the room and grab them out of my hand?' He remembered last year when he thought she'd done the same thing, in this very place. How different things where now.

'No. It's your choice if you want to go back on drugs.' Well that confirms it, this year is definitely different.

'Okay. Just so you know, I'm finding it hard to see the downside.' In the back of his mind, he thought, there isn't one surely? What on earth is she doing here?

'You need to re-bandage your shoulder.' She knew it was a pathetic opener, but it was all she had.

'Is that why you're here? Foreman sent you?' God, now Wilson is so wrapped up in his new life, Foreman has become the idiot that worries about me, I must be pathetic.

'No.' God how was she going to tell him what she'd come here for?

'Are you here to yell at me again?' Because I can definitely do without that, in fact if that's the reason, hold on while I take these two bad boys.

'No.'

'Well, I'm running out of ideas.' What on earth is she doing here?

'. . . Lucas. . .' She hated having to say his name to him. Especially after all the horrible things she'd said to him today already. But she had to.

'Oh great.' Oh god, I cant believe she has come here to talk about him, is she really that cruel she wants to rub it in, kick a man while he's down. 'You're feeling uncomfortable again. Probably means you just got back from some quickie wedding in Vegas, or you're already pregnant . . .'

'I ended it.' There I said it, no going back now. Not that I want to.

'What?' Astounded. The little voice in his head had nothing, nada. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. So he just sat there open mouthed and wide eyed. And willed her to say something else, anything else to confirm that she had actually just said, those words, the sweetest three words he'd ever heard.

'I'm stuck House, I keep wanting to move forward, I keep wanting to move on, and I can't. I'm in my new house with my new fiancé, and all I can think about is you. I just need to know if you and I can work.' She just wanted to get it all out. She look at him, the shocked look on his face subsided, she got worried when it was replaced with one of self-doubt, and anguish.

Oh god what is she doing, she ruining her life, on the hope that I can change. 'You think I can fix myself?'

'I don't know.' Right now she wasn't entirely sure she cared. She wanted him in spite of all his faults.

'Cause I'm the most screwed up person in the world.' He couldn't help but give her an out. Change her mind, he was too much like hard work.

'I know. I love you.' Ok, scrap it; those were the sweetest three words he'd ever heard. 'I wish I didn't, but I cant help it.'

Well she neutralized nicely, qualifying the 'I love you.' Right now he didn't care, god after all he'd ever done to her, over the span of the last 20 years, she loved him. Maybe this karma crap worked after all. He'd been relatively good for the past year, now he'd got his reward. She was willing to take a chance on him. He thought she was crazy. He hoped she was, she would need to be if this was ever going to work.

He realized that he hadn't done anything by way of a reply. He couldn't speak, his mouth was too dry. He was just sat with the same dumbfounded expression as he was wearing a few minutes ago. It seemed like he was sat this way for an age. He realized he better do something. He tried to get up, but a jolt of pain rushed through his right thigh. He held his hand out to her, and she grabbed it without question and pulled him up.

He looked at her, she just stared back at him, wondering what his next move was, would he say something, or something else? Her question was answered soon enough, as he started lowering her head, never taking his eyes away from hers. The intensity of his stare was mesmerizing. She closed her eyes, as his lips were almost touching hers.

He just wanted to kiss her, to make sure she was real, that this was real. He gently brushed her lips with his own, testing the water. She responded. Oh god, this is actually real isn't it? Please let this be real. He couldn't help but ask, he needed confirmation.

'How do I know I'm not hallucinating?' He felt ashamed for asking, all the memories from last year came flooding back in that one sentence, what he thought had happened, the balcony, her tears, Mayfield. . .

'Did you take the Vicodin?' She knew he hadn't, but it seemed the best way to show him that this was real.

Of course he thought, I haven't taken the drugs, this must be real. He looked at his hand, he realized he was still gripping onto them, like some sort of security blanket. He just looked down at them, and then looked at her.

'Nope.'

'Then I think we're okay.' She smiled, they were okay weren't they. She was under no illusions that this, whatever it was would be easy. But it was definitely okay. He smiled back at her. The most beautiful, genuine smile she had ever seen on him. She couldn't help but break out into massive grin. He wasn't running away from her this time, he was embracing it, maybe this time it really could work.

'Yeah.' His heart felt like it was going to burst. He couldn't believe it. He needed to kiss her again. He leant his head down again, it was a much more passionate kiss this time, now he was sure it was real. He wanted this kiss to last forever. He threw the Vicodin on the floor, goodbye drugs, hello Cuddy, my new drug he thought, his new addiction. This time an addiction he never wanted to be cured from.

He felt like he had to do something, to show her that he can be the man she wants, that he is serious about this, and would try his hardest to make it work. He could tell her he loves her. Nah that would be too much, too far out of character at this stage, he would make her work for that, make sure this was secure, before he bears his soul like that. He would tell her of course, eventually.

He decided in the end to grab her hand and lace his fingers with hers. It wasn't really his style, but he needed to show her what this meant.

She was just getting into the kiss, when he entwined his fingers with hers, it was unexpected on her part, it was sweet, not House at all. But she understood, what it meant, and that was all she needed, she had just turned her life upside down, and with that one little action from him, she knew it was all worth it. She smiled into the kiss.

The kiss continued, they both had the same thought, this wasn't going to be easy, but it was going to be fun. And they were going to do their utmost to make it work.