A/N: I won't even try to make an excuse for the delay in this chapter. I'm sure I could come up with plenty but they wouldn't make a difference. All I can say is that I'm sorry and here's chapter 8. Please read A/N at end of chapter for hint regarding next chapter. This has all three of our main characters playing a major part in the plot and I hope you enjoy. Also, not only have I been neglectful in putting up this next chapter but I've also been neglectful in returning some of your comments. I just want to say a big THANK YOU to all of my readers and thanks for the comments. I still have them in my email and will be answering the ones I haven't gotten to yet. Please let me know at the end what you think. Thanks so much for your patience and now onward my friends!!!

Fic Rating: T

Fic Warning: slash, season 6 premier spoiler

Disclaimer: David Shore owns them not me!

Pairing: House/Wilson (mostly) A bit of House/OFC and Wilson/OFC

Sequel to: "Tell Me You Will Understand"

CHAPTER 8

Both House and Wilson had become proficient in the art of evasion, managing to avoid one another in the week following their strained banter in the hall with Lydia as their witness. House had been consumed by a difficult case and Wilson by his desperate need not to see his ex lover and friend face to face. Wilson thanked the giver of small miracles that House's latest case didn't present in a possible cancer diagnosis; great for the patient and for him.

The day had arrived for Lydia's first sonogram to be performed by the obstetrician that House had set her up with: Doctor Snyder. House sat in his office finding himself anxious at the thought of seeing his child on the screen for the first time. Of course he'd seen hundreds of fetal sonograms over the course of his medical career but this was different. He had a vested interest in the fetus he was about to see. Lydia pulled House from his thoughts as she entered his office to gather him to accompany her to the appointment. House had made it clear in no uncertain terms that he was to be notified and included in all said appointments.

"Hi Greg, you ready to go?"

House started at the sound of Lydia's voice but quickly gathered his senses enough in order to put his cane out and steady his assent. "Uh, yeah…ready as I'll ever be."

Lydia noticed the strained features that House wore guarded on his face but chalked it up to the difficult case that he'd mentioned to her during one of their many conversations over the phone. Even though Lydia had not spent much time in House's presence since her arrival, they had definitely made a connection over the phone. Lydia suspected that House wasn't much of a phone person, but she figured it was something he could use as a shield and hide behind until he felt more comfortable with her sudden reemergence and their current situation.

Upon arriving at the office of Doctor Snyder located on the obstetrics floor, House couldn't help but notice the awkward stares he received from several passing nurses and doctors. While the attention made him uncomfortable, it also supplied him with a sense of pride that he couldn't quite understand as to why it was there. Lydia signed herself in and took a seat next to House in the waiting area.

"You look terrified." Lydia placed a gentle hand over House's forearm as she spoke.

"Pftt…nothing scares me." House tried for arrogant with a shade of sarcasm but it fell short on both counts.

Lydia couldn't help but produce a fond smile at that. "Yes, says the man that looks like he's about to lose his lunch."

House slid his arm away from Lydia's touch, uncomfortable with the public display as well as he still wasn't sure how he felt about Lydia being in his life like that. "I'm fine."

Lydia looked at House with an expression of hurt mixed with a bit of puzzlement. She knew he was still getting over a breakup and had no intentions of pushing him into something he wasn't ready for. As she contemplated who this mystery woman was in House's life, the nurse called her into the exam room. House followed behind Lydia as they passed the nurse who held Lydia's file.

"Doctor House, are you accompanying Lydia for this procedure?" House and Lydia both could tell what here real question was…what the hell are you doing? Lydia wasn't sure what House had told people or if he did at all so she went to respond in some generic fashion before House cut her off.

"She's got my kid in that huge gut of hers; what did ya think she was carrying in there….a basketball." He followed that with his best 'duh you're stupid' look and made his way to the room. Lydia threw the nurse an apologetic smile and followed after him.

"Um…ok, Doctor Snyder will be with you in a moment." As the nurse closed the door, Lydia gave House a sharp look but couldn't hide her amusement at his childish antics.

"What?"

"You know what; behave!" Even though Lydia tried to keep her voice stern, she couldn't stop the smile that crept across her face.

"Ahhh mooomm, but you're no fun." Lydia noticed that House seemed more relaxed at that point than he had been out in the waiting area. She had come to the conclusion upon first meeting him that he was far from a happy man. She realized that if she could have a few moments each day like this with him, than dealing with his childishness was more than worth it. Just as it seemed House was going to start squirming under her scrutiny of him; Doctor Snyder made his presence known.

"Good afternoon Doctor House, and this must be Lydia." House rolled his eyes at Snyder.

"See Lydia, I told you I'd get you the best. He can tell by just looking at the name on your chart and the fact that you're obviously pregnant that you're you."

"Greg, stop that….I'm sorry Doctor Snyder, Greg's a bit antsy because he's been out of his cage for too long." House gave Lydia a dirty look but admired her gall while Snyder just snickered at the both of them. "Don't worry Lydia, I'm quite used to House's um….personality quirks."

"Ok, I'm right here ya know. You can stop talking about me." Snyder just ignored House and motioned for Lydia to lie down. As she did so, a serious feeling crept into the air as House's next words rang out.

"I want you to start with calculating the approximate gestational age of the fetus. I need to know that before we discuss anything else." He threw Lydia a small apologetic look before turning toward the monitor. Lydia tried to push down the feeling of hurt that crept into her total being at that, but knew it was a reasonable request on House's part; that thought did not make it any easier to deal with.

Several minutes passed in silence as Snyder measured the fetuse's head, chest, arms, legs, and rump to crown height in order to allow the computer to take those measurements and compare them to a database of other fetuses the same size to determine it's approximate age. The doctor announced the most likely age of the fetus and a small window of time when Lydia would have conceived. House was silent as he took all the information in and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when the dates matched up closely to when they had sex. Of course a DNA test would still need to be done but at least he knew that there was a good chance based on the calculations that this was his child. House squeezed Lydia's hand subconsciously in relief but gently pulled back when he realized what he had done. Lydia tried to ignore it. Snyder noticed the tension and spoke to break it.

"Ok, so now that we've gotten that out of the way, would you like to know what you're having?"

House looked at Lydia and nodded once. "Yes, please."

"Well you can see that the baby is very active and not making this easy for me but…ah here we go. It's a…."

"Boy." House finished the doctor's sentence before he could. "Lydia, we're having a boy." House sat there dumbfounded. He never thought he would have a child….he never thought he wanted a child, but seeing the baby…his son…moving around on the screen in front of him, he couldn't help but feel all the emotions that he mocked people in the past for feeling. It hit him then like a ton of bricks…he was going to be a father…he was going to have a child. Lydia and Snyder both watched House in silence for a few brief moments as some unknown emotions passed over his face. Neither had ever seen him like this before and where actually savoring the moment. House stood up and gave Lydia's hand one last squeeze.

"I…I gotta get back to my office. My team will think I ran away, you know with a dying patient and all."

Lydia looked over at House, confused. "Greg, don't you want to be here for the rest of the exam?"

House turned his head but kept his momentum toward the door as if he was a trapped mouse trying to flee a hungry cat.

"Ah no, I can't. I'm sure Snyder's going to wanna do a pelvic exam or something, don't think I need to be here for that." House turned again to leave but stopped in the doorway with his back to Lydia.

"Um, how about dinner tonight? We…um…can discuss the rest of your appointment then."

Lydia was surprised by the invitation but hid it well. "Sure…sounds good."

"Good then, I'll…see ya later." With that House beat his retreat as fast as a man with a cane could manage.

*****

Wilson's afternoon was quiet, with few actual patient appointments. He decided to spend the afternoon sequestered with his paperwork that he'd neglected over the last week or so. His mind had just not been into it and his concentration level was in the toilet. He missed House. Not just the relationship that had blossomed between them over the last five months but he also missed the friendship that had grown into a force to be reckon with over the last twenty years. Well unless the reckoning was in the form of a five and half months pregnant woman named Lydia.

Wilson knew he could hardly blame Lydia for his and House's falling out. After all, Wilson chose to enter into a sexual relationship with his best friend knowing that the odds were against them. Not just because of his own inability to be in an open relationship, but also because they were both very difficult people. How did they ever expect it to work in the first place? Why did they risk what they had before over something as silly as sex? Wilson realized that it was because they loved each other and were each other's soul mate. Well at least he felt that way; he wasn't so sure about House anymore.

Wilson tried without success to shake himself of his thoughts and to complete his tasks at hand, but his mind kept going back to House. He never realized until House was in Mayfield just how two sided their friendship had been. He always knew House needed it…well at least until recently. But he never could admit to himself how much he needed it as well. House was his best, longest, and truest friend. He was all of those things before they started sharing a bed together. Wilson knew he desperately loved House and wanted back into a relationship with him but didn't see that happening again based on House's own words. Wilson needed at least the friendship though; he needed to be in House's life and to have House in his. The younger man made a decision; stood from his chair and made his way to House's office.

Wilson knocked on House's glass office door before he entered. House looked up from his patient's file with his glasses perched on the edge of his nose. God Wilson loved that look on him. A look of pure concentration when trying to come up with the right diagnosis; not to mention the glasses were sexy as hell. Snap out of it, that's not why you're here.

"Hey, can we talk for a minute?" House leaned back in his chair and eyed Wilson skeptically as he removed his glasses. House was going to shoot for something sarcastic but just didn't feel it in him at the moment, not to mention he was curious as hell as to what Wilson wanted.

"Have a seat." Wilson rounded the visitor's chair across from House's desk and steeled himself to relax before he sat down.

"What can I do for you?"

Wilson controlled the nervous shaking in his hands by placing them in his coat pockets.

"House, I miss you…." Wilson quickly held up a hand as if to ward of any unwanted rejection before he had time to finish his thoughts. "I know you said our relationship was over and I'm not going to say that doesn't hurt me, because it does. House, we were friends for a long time and only….together for a little while. I need your friendship, if I can't have more, I at least need that back."

House was silent for what seemed like an eternity and Wilson began to feel like this was a mistake. He couldn't help the hand that migrated to the back of his neck as he prepared himself to make a hasty retreat with his tail between his legs. House's next words were unexpected and surprisingly honest.

"I need you too….I…mean I need your friendship too." House surprised himself by that admission. He missed the younger man so much and wanted nothing more than to cross they desk, throw him down and prove just how much. He couldn't though. He needed Wilson to move on and if restoring the friendship helped him do that then House would give him that much.

"Um, good then…" Wilson found himself at a sudden loss of words and no clue as to what to do next. "Lunch tomorrow then?" House nodded his head and was going to leave it at that but before he could stop himself, the words left him.

"I'm having a son." He felt guilty for saying it but he had this overwhelming desire to share the biggest news of his life with the most important person to him.

"That's….great! I'm happy for you…really, I am." Wilson knew the hurt came through when he spoke but couldn't do much for it.

"Liar." House said softly with no venom attached. Wilson stood up to make his exit…"you'll have that. I'll see you at lunch tomorrow." House again nodded his affirmation. It would take time, he thought.

Wilson passed Lydia in the doorway to House's office as he was leaving and turned back briefly to see House greet here with a small smile. It hurt more than Wilson could bare but he knew he needed to move forward. With that, he went back to his office to finish his paperwork.

*****

"You didn't mention what time or where you wanted to meet for dinner tonight." House looked up but didn't really hear anything Lydia had said.

"What?"

"Dinner. Where? When?"

"Oh yeah, just a bit preoccupied…I'll pick you up at seven and we'll take it from there." Just as House was finishing his sentence, his pager went off, signaling an emergency with the patient.

"Gotta go…doctor stuff and all. Seven, and be ready, I don't like waiting around." Lydia just smiled at him as he left his office. She could see him try to make light of the mood that she had walked into as Wilson left. Something was up with them. She knew if from the first moment she saw them together at House's apartment. She could see some sort of connection between them and each time she saw them together, she witnessed just a bit more. Lydia started to realize that there was something big House was keeping from her; something painful, and most likely something to do with the handsome sad faced oncologist that she had only met a handful of times. Lydia decided it was time to pay a visit to the friendly,but sad Doctor Wilson and have a little chat.

TBC

A/N: I was going to include the chat with this chapter but it's complex in nature so it will be in the next one. Will Lydia end up as an ally to Wilson or enemy number one? I have the next couple of days off of work so I intend to work on the next chapter diligently and get it to you ASAP!!! Thanks for your patience and let me know what you think. Thanks so much for reading!!!