And…next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy.

Don't own House. I want the soundtrack, though. Just burned myself another CD of House music tonight(more comfort. I swear, I need it.)and when I buy the soundtrack next week I'll have three House CD's. Ah well. You can never have too many.

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He didn't even knock on Wilson's door before he entered, preferring just to barge in and sit down. It wasn't like Wilson would tell him to leave. He rarely ever did, and he never actually meant it. As far as House could tell. "Stacy came back."

Wilson raised his eyebrows slightly. "And…"

"Said she wanted to talk…started talking, started yelling, then she kissed me, then we had sex, then we were gonna go back to my place to talk, then Cameron came in with the file and this burn victim kid is dying then…I think that's about it. He's still dying. I am working on it, though. They're just…working on it for me at the moment."

"Ah…" Wilson sat back in his chair, rubbing his hands together and recovering pretty well from the shock. "So…wait…you yelled at her-"

"To be fair, she yelled at me too."

Wilson held up his hand to shut House up. "You both yelled, whatever, then….you had sex…you want me to tell you this is normal or something because…"

House waved his hand at Wilson. "Ah, people have make-up sex all the time. It is normal."

"But…this isn't that. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. You'd be…doing something else, like watching TV or staring at the whiteboard."

House bounced his cane nervously on the floor, looked away then looked back up at Wilson. "I'm not…exactly sure what to do. About anything."

He hated to see House so confused but maybe it was good for him…he could only hope. The oncologist leaned forward, arms resting on his desk. "You told her before it couldn't work but…you had other reasons for saying that than you."

House nodded. "Yeah. I was part of it but…yeah."

"And now?"

"I'm confused now. I thought we established that."

"House." At the sterner tone, House looked up from his cane and met his best friend's eyes. "Specifics. Or I can't help you."

House took a deep breath. "I told her I didn't want her to leave, she came home with me, we slept together, I asked her later if she'd told Mark she seemed hesitant. Said if she never told him…it would never hurt." He flinched almost imperceptibly when he said it, as if the very words still burned and he hated the fact that they did. "Next day…she said she was going to leave Mark and stay with me but…she had said before she was lonely with me but not with Mark so seemed like he was better for her than me, and that maybe she thought so too. Otherwise why the hesitation? But then today she came back…even though I told her to go and I'm not sure what that does to my reasoning. Exactly what it means."

Wilson weighed his options, his words. He had to say just the right thing, largely because he knew House would analyze it a dozen times over before he took any action. "Trust is…a gift in one respect, House, but in another it has to be earned. Stacy loves you. More than Mark. But Mark hasn't done anything to break her heart yet and so Mark is safer. You pushed her out of your life, and you didn't ask her to come back. You aren't the safe one to trust, but you're the one she wants to trust. Wanting and doing are two different things and it takes courage. Sometimes courage can take a while to work up and sometimes we have to first sit down and think about what we have to lose. Just because her first instinct was to do what seemed to hold the least potential pain doesn't mean that it was the right choice or even the one she really wanted. Maybe she just needed time to think it over. House…don't assume she doesn't really love you just because she didn't immediately run and tell him it was over. She's scared. She has reason to be. She wants to try anyway. People can't always live up to your…insane standards."

House nodded slightly. "Hm." He tapped the handle of his cane on Wilson's desk. "I don't even understand why she married him."

"Have you…talked about it?"

"I think we were going to."

"Maybe you should."

"Yeah, so she can explain herself? How the hell do you explain that?"

"House…" Wilson slammed his hand down on his desk, then regretted the sign of frustration. "What did you really expect? She wasn't cheating. It's not like you two were married."

"We should have been." His voice was soft and it took Wilson by surprise, but he wasn't ready to back down.

"And whose fault is that?"

House jerked, his eyes growing cold. "Yeah. I'm an idiot. The answer to everything. Thanks for the reminder, Jimmy, I love you, too."

"Did you ever consider…"

"Yes. But we aren't talking about this now."

Wilson didn't hide his surprise well. "House…you never told me that you-"

"What part of 'topic closed' did you not understand? It's old news. Irrelevant old news, I might add."

"Fine."

Silence, only the various sounds of House being amused with his cane. Then…

"What if she leaves again." It was more of a statement than a question: a statement of his greatest fear, his deepest worry with the whole situation.

"If everyone was afraid to take chances, House-"

"Yeah, yeah the Wright brothers would have never flown their bicycle. Airplane. Whatever. Don't give me some inspirational-poster crap."

"Fine. If she leaves again, you'll be messed up. Maybe irreversibly. Maybe beyond my help or anyone's. But we'll cross that bridge if it ever happens and…I'll be here."

"That's the problem. You always are. Can't get rid of you." Phrasing it as an insult made it sound better, more acceptable to House's ears, but Wilson got the point.

"House, I think you should talk to Stacy. I think this is worth it."

House stood and crossed to the door, pushed it open, let it fall to be caught in one hand. "...thanks."

The oncologist watched the door shut, listened to the soft sound of the cane on the floor as his friend made his way down the hall. Soon, he couldn't hear it anymore. House was a walking contradiction, so cold and so deeply needy, so disaffected and so easily wounded, so hard and yet so fragile. He sincerely hoped he hadn't just contributed to a train wreck that would destroy the man for good.

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The phone rang three times before she answered. "Hello?"

"Where are you? You with Mark?"

Hesitation, then… "No. I'm not with Mark. He's at work. Decided to go back three days a week, ease back into things. I decided to go for a walk."

"Hm. Well…about that talk. Your idea, remember. If I came and picked you up…"

"Alright. Where are you?"

"On my way to…wherever it is you are. Leaving the hospital now. Patient's having bugs put on him. Long story but I'm not needed right now. Where are you?"

"A park. Near my neighborhood it's-"

"I'll find you." He hung up before she could say anything else.

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It wasn't quite as easy to find her as he had wanted to pretend, but it wasn't all that hard. There was only one park within walking distance of her neighborhood, and, like he assumed, she had made her way to a bench within easy distance of a parking lot. The fact that there were three of those had only been a minor annoyance. She came up to him before he had even turned off the motorcycle. "Hey."

"Hey. Stop." He caught her wrist just before she climbed on behind him. He pulled the helmet off. "Here."

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she took it, tugging it on with what she hoped was as little damage to her hair as possible. "I must look like an alien in this thing."

"Yet you look so much safer. Come on."

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House tossed his keys onto an end table and his jacket over the couch, leaving Stacy to shut the door behind them. He sat down without looking back at her. Talking to her was easier in his head than it was now that she was actually here. "So…what is it we need to talk about?"

Stacy sat down on the other end of the couch, her arms crossed. "Greg."

"Right. You start then. Or is there something I should say .that I don't know I should say?"

"When I came back, with Mark, all you could do was chase after me. Was it because you really wanted me back or because you're an eight year old boy and you just couldn't stand someone else having something that you couldn't?"

He wouldn't look at her but she watched his face, his movements. She could usually read him better than most. "At first…I wasn't sure. I love you but I almost wanted you to suffer. For leaving. Then I did want you back." He looked up at her, crystal clear eyes pinning her with an intensity that took her breath. "I need to know…why you married him if you still love me."

She settled back into the couch, tucking her feet up under her. She kept her eyes on his, hoping to somehow communicate love that way…hoping he would understand. "It was over for me at that point. You had been so distant and after I left I thought I would probably never see you again. Not because I didn't want to or I hadn't wanted things to work I just…they hadn't. It was over. I still wanted to be with you, I still missed you but after awhile I thought it was just one of those impossible things, like…wishing I could talk to my mother again. Something that just couldn't be. I met Mark and he was so kind and good to me and I thought…I was lonely. And when I was with him I realized I didn't have to be. I didn't love him more. But he was there. And I thought you never would be. Maybe it wasn't a good choice, maybe you could have been more noble than me, maybe a lot of people could have been, but I didn't. I love him, and I married him and I wasn't sorry until I saw you. Then I was sorry. And that's the truth. I hated you for making everything so hard. I told you that. But hating you I could stop. Loving you…I never could. And no matter what I feel, what I've felt for Mark, I told you. For me you are…the one."

It was a lot to take in, and he had listened well. Surprisingly. The thought of her marrying Mark still grated on his nerves, woke reserves of male jealousy in him that he hadn't known existed until she had said she had a husband. But it made sense. He had given her every indication that she should move on. Just because he couldn't didn't mean she hadn't tried. He had been staring at the floor, thinking it over, when the touch of her hand drew his gaze to her.

"I didn't mean to hurt you…when I said if I never told him it would never hurt. I can't say leaving him and choosing you is easy. But it's what I want. I don't want a life with Mark. I want a life with you. I love you."

"Even if he's better for you."

"He isn't. You said you couldn't make me happy but that isn't true. Greg, do you think I can be happy with him, knowing that I love you more?" She stroked his cheek and he closed his eyes. "Hey…look at me. I want to be with you. We can work this out. Just because sometimes it's hard doesn't mean we shouldn't be together. You have to fight for the things that mean the most. And I know that now. This is right. And I love you."

She could see the indecision in his eyes, the questions about how much he had to lose if she left him, how much he could make her happy...whether or not it was worth the risk. She moved closer.

"Say something."

Slowly, he traced her hand still resting on his arm, followed up from there until he brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. "You're sure this is what you want. To leave him and choose me."

"Yes. I'm sure. Before I just needed to think. I'm sorry I hurt you. Please, understand…I mean this."

A few seconds that felt like hours, then he nodded. "It's alright, Stacy. I believe you." He swallowed hard. This still wasn't easy. "You already know I love you." It took a moment to sink in but it did, a slow smile spreading across her face. She didn't try to hide the tears that came to her eyes but let them fall, brushing them aside once they had with the back of her hand. He took over, spreading his thumb across her cheek to wipe them away and drawing her in close to his chest, her head resting against the warmth of his shoulder. He closed his eyes and relaxed, let her hold onto him and cry until she realized he wasn't going anywhere. He still wasn't certain. He had made this choice with his heart, not his head and his head was still screaming at him that if she left he'd be screwed over. He was in too deep now to pretend it wouldn't hurt like hell. All the same…right now it felt good. Maybe he'd be willing to suffer pain for this pleasure, even if he lost her. He felt her lips on his neck, butterfly soft at first, growing warmer and more insistent as she made her way up. He took them with his own and kissed her slow, reveling in the taste of her, the knowledge that she was his. One kiss melted into the next without rushing, though after an indeterminate amount of time his hands were roaming and she moaned into his mouth, her fingers slipping under the hem of his t-shirt to return the caresses. She dragged her thumbs across his abdomen and he sucked in a sharp breath just short of a gasp, so intense was the shock of pleasure that hit him at her touch. He pulled away slightly, licking his lips. He tasted like her. He disentangled himself to her, standing and holding out one hand. "C'mere."

They moved together toward his bedroom, both losing their clothes somewhere along the way.

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When she looked at the clock nervously, he knew what she was thinking. He had expected it. "Mark's home." She nodded somewhat hesitantly and he pulled away from her, resting on his left side and looking over at her. "So…what are you going to do?"

She sighed. "I can't just not show up."

"I thought you were gonna tell him."

Showdown. She knew that how she handled this would be important. House overanalyzed, that was just his nature. If she said something that was a red flag here…she could have him running again. "I am going to tell him. But you have to understand…that isn't something I can do over the phone from your bed."

"That'd be an interesting phone call…I think it's been done before, too. Saw it in a movie once or something." Her steady gaze told him enough and he nodded. "…Sorry. I understand. You ah…want me to take you…" He choked on the word home. He couldn't make himself say it. This was home, here, with him. The thought of thinking of anywhere as a place she belonged made him sick.

"That'd be really obvious."

"Isn't he going to find out anyway?" If he was nervous he didn't show it, but she knew after her answers the last time they had had this conversation that he was. She moved in close to him, nuzzling against his neck and pressing a soft kiss to his rough cheek. His eyes drifted shut.

"Yes. He is. But he is my husband, Greg. I don't want to hurt him more than I have to. I don't want to rub it in his face. I need to sit down and talk to him, tell him the truth. About everything. He'll know, and he'll know tonight. I'll leave, and I'll come back here. To you." Just then, Stacy's phone rang. Biting her lip, she rolled over and slid out of bed, rummaging around on the floor until she found her jeans. She pulled the phone from her pocket and answered it on the fifth ring. "Hello? Hey. I'm just out with a friend, I'll be home a little later. I'm sorry I didn't call. Alright then. I'll see you later. Love you too. Bye." House had been cringing internally through the whole phone conversation, particularly the obligatory 'I love you' he had known was coming. He climbed out of bed and limped over to stand behind Stacy as she shut her phone and put it away. His arms encircled her waist, his head coming to rest comfortably on her shoulder.

"So you don't want me to give you a ride home?" Stacy leaned back against him, one hand sliding behind his neck.

"I'll take a ride. Thanks. And I'll be back here later. I don't know when exactly." He nodded against her and she almost shivered at the rake of stubble across her skin, his breath warm against her neck. She turned her head more and kissed him, a soft peck that she pulled away from quickly. Any more, and she knew she wouldn't be leaving. She needed to go, to get the worst over with. Then…then she could come home.

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Hmmm…I like making House happy. But there's still more drama to come. In different forms. (cue mysterious music) lol Hope you liked this one.

Reviews are amazing. You guys make me so happy.

Lil' interesting fact…the whole bit about breaking up with someone who you have a very established relationship with over the phone in some other guy's bed…that came from real life. One of my best friends actually did that….made even worse by the fact that the guy she was breaking it off with was a marine fighting in Iraq at the time…that was definitely a time I was NOT proud of her…thought it was a shitty thing to do(she did really love the guy she was leaving him for but…still…) but…makes for a great sarcastic House-ish comment that comes from actual events. lol