"Ezra Powell passed away last night. I'm sure you already knew about that." Cuddy said entering his office looking somewhat affected by the old man's death.

"No. I just got in." House said shaking his head a little.

"The nurse charted at 2 AM; he was stable. Breathing laboured, but regular. And at 2:30 he suddenly stopped." She said sighing softly but her eyes fixated on him with dark curiosity. "You know anything about that?

"If I did, would you really wanna know?" House said normally.

Dudley appeared just as Cuddy left his office. House turned accusingly to the angel. "What the hell?!"

"Figure it out Gregory. I'll be waiting." and with that he disappeared.


I hate being right House thought as he approached the chapel.

Dudley stood leaning against the railings watching life pass by below.

As House approached he took a moment to glance through the stained glass windows seeing that there was indeed a familiar figure sitting in the chapel before he turned and stood next to Dudley mirroring his position.

"She did it." He stated but really he was asking a question to which he already knew the answer.

"Yes." The angel answered softly.

House sighed. "Can she... will she still go to heaven?" he asked concerned for her soul now that he knew there was life after death.

Dudley smiled. "She's pure Gregory. She's quite possibly the only person in this entire city that could take a man's life for the right reasons. Even she may not understand them herself but the big guy does. She did the will of God... she is an angel. Always will be. It's just who she is."

He sighed in relief and nodded.

"You knew this was going to happen didn't you?" House asked perceptively.

The angel smiled gently.

"Perhaps."

"So what is the decision I have to make that you're supposed to help me with? I thought it was Powell, I thought I was supposed to help him die?" House mused aloud the conversation from last night still lingering in his mind.

"This is it." Dudley said matter of factly looking around.

"What do you mean?"

"What you do at this exact moment will determine your future."

House fought away what he already knew. "Dudley." he said warningly.

"It's a constant battle for you isn't it? Between your head and your heart. Hope and love is what a man needs to survive and you push away both." Dudley leaned closer to House. "She's your salvation Gregory. You knew it from the first moment you met her even before she spoke. She is your hope and your love. And now you have to decide."

House gulped. "Decide what?"

"Between your head." he said pointing to the human's skull. "Or your heart."

Those fingers touched his chest and his body sang that heavenly tune once more he felt whenever the angel touched him.

"Stop!" House exclaimed pulling back from him, his hand moving over his chest where the angel's fingers lingered. His eyes were inexplicably drawn to the doors of the chapel.

"Go to her." he said encouragingly to the conflicted mortal. "She needs you now as you have always needed her."

He glanced at the angel. "I'm not going to see you again am I?"

"You will." He said with a smile as he fixed his coat and smoothed out its non-existant creases before holding out his hand to the mortal. "But not for many, many years yet."

House took the angels hand and squeezed it tightly. "Thank you, Dudley." he said wanting to linger in that heavenly place just a little longer.

The angel smirked and then faded.

House looked around almost hoping that the grey figure would have stayed just a little while longer. A sad smile around his lips he turned to the chapel and entered with hope in his being for the first time in a long time.

He loped forward slowly and came to a stop at her side. He rested his hand on her shoulder as he'd watched the angel do yesterday. It felt so small and fragile under his palm.

"I'm so proud of you." He murmured softly.

She sighed softly and stayed quiet.

House tapped her arm gently and she slid over the bench a little. He said beside her a little uneasy and uncomfortable.

"Why here?"

"It seemed like the right place to come to." She murmured in a weak voice.

House tapped his cane gently on the thick carpet.

"You did the right thing."

"I killed a man."

"You did the right thing. I know you. I know that your intentions are good and true. You did the right thing." He repeated.

"It doesn't feel like it."

Leaning back House thought for a moment and then moved his arm. It took him a while to set it around her shoulders and squeeze her cold little body to his long frame. "Sometimes good things feel awkward, but that doesn't mean it's not right." He said to her and to himself.

Her breathing was harsh and quick from an overload of emotions. Her body was stiff from the unfamiliar position as she wrestled with what to do. House rubbed her arm gently willing her to relax if only to know what it would feel like. And relax she did giving into her heart and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you." He whispered.

"Thank you." She replied equally as softly shuffling closer to him, needing to be closer to him.

"You're welcome." He murmured. "Allison."

She smiled softly and so did he.


Dudley stood invisible to them both in the corner of the room and smiled softly and happily knowing two souls were now destined to be entwined for the rest of their mortal and immortal lives.

They would face trials and uncertainties but together they would make it through.

"You did it." Said the body attached to the pair of arms that wrapped around him.

"We did it." He answered turning and embracing his own soul-mate. "How did it go with Allison?"

"It was tough but we got there." She said with a gentle smile.

"Yup we did and so did they." He kissed her softly. "Time to go home."

They kissed once more and with that they left the mortal world not for the first and certainly not for the last time.