AN: Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone for reading! And a special thanks to those of you who are reviewing, you can't even imagine how much it inspires me and motivates me. Thanks for sticking with the story. I just felt it was crucial to my story to give insight into Bella's family life. Now back to focusing on House and Bella. Oh and fair warning…this chapter includes my first attempt at some smut.

Chapter Ten: What A Wonderful World

A Week Later

"So when did your sister leave?" Meredith asked me over one of our weekly lunch slash chat fests.

"About a week ago. God, you should have seen Greg the minute I got home from dropping them off at the hospital. I don't think I have ever seen him so happy. He wanted to have sex in the freaking kitchen," I told her, crunching on some salad.

Meredith laughed at me. "God, I wish Jimmy would be half that passionate with me, but you know, who would want to be with some fat pregnant woman," she told me, letting her neurotic side come out.

"Oh God, Meredith. First of all, you are not fat. Second of all, you're what, three months pregnant? Are you going to be like this for the rest of your nine months? Cause if you are, I need to start drinking at our little lunches." I picked out a crouton from my salad, popping it in my mouth.

Meredith gave me a little smile, "Thanks, Bella. And I'll try to keep my neurosis to a minimum." She took a long drink from her water. "So did anything else happen with your sister after the whole Christmas debacle?"

I looked away from her for a minute, thinking about what to say. Even though Meredith was my closest friend after Greg, I still kept a lot from her and I didn't know how much I wanted to share, especially considering she worked for Greg and I knew he wouldn't be happy if she knew too much about our personal lives.

"We made up more or less. She apologized to me, but it was one of those fake apologies. She told me she was sorry I was upset by what she said, not that she was sorry she had said it. It was complete bullshit. The saddest thing about this whole thing is that I know our relationship will never be the same and she acts as though nothing has changed."

"I'm sorry, Bella."

I shrugged my shoulders at her. "It's okay. We were never that close anyway. She has always been too busy telling me how to live my life to ever connect with me as a sister."

"My sister is like that. She thinks that just because she is two years older than me she has the right to comment on my life. But, unlike your sister, mine doesn't make me feel like shit while she is doing it," Meredith said, taking a bite of her turkey sandwich. "But what does she have to complain about with your life? You are a successful attorney married to a world-renowned doctor. What more does she want from you?"

I rubbed my forehead in frustration, remembering the fury my sister caused within me. "Financial and professional success mean nothing to her. Plus she doesn't like Greg."

Meredith smirked a little, saying, "Well you can't get rid of all the people in your life that don't like him. I mean it is House we are talking about here."

I chuckled lightly to myself. "I know. I know. But at least with you, you can accept the fact that we love each other and that he makes me happy, regardless of what you think of him as a person. But my sister and even Lisa can't get past his faults and just assume that I have made a huge mistake by having him in my life. You know that is the reason Lisa and I aren't as close anymore. She couldn't stop telling me how much she disapproves of my relationship with him."

"House is insane, but you two work together. Who is anyone to say whom anybody else should be with?"

"Thank you!" I exclaimed at her, causing her to jump a little. "My sister just doesn't get that."

Meredith leaned back in her chair, finishing off her sandwich. "Well it's not your sister's call what you do with your life. How did your brother take the news of your little fight?"

I took a drink from my Coke before answering her. "He just shrugged and said that I shouldn't get too worked up over it, because that is just the kind of person she is and always will be."

"God, how annoying," Meredith said, resting her hand on her slightly protruding belly.

"That's what I thought. Needless to say, I am taking an extended vacation from my entire family." I shoved the last of my salad in my mouth. "But, enough about my dysfunction. How are you doing? How's the pregnancy going?"

"Actually, it has been a little weird. I have wanted a baby my entire life but now that it is finally happening I am scared shitless and I don't really know if I can really do it."

"Meredith, there is no shame in being scared."

"I know. That's what Jimmy tells me." Meredith gave me a weak smile.

"Listen to him. He is right." I reached over and touched her arm.

"It's just hard you know, doing this by myself. None of my friends are pregnant or already have kids so there is no one I can really talk to who has been through this already. It's just not the same talking to Jimmy or my OB."

"Well if I was a better friend I would get pregnant just so you would have someone to talk to, but I am not that kind of friend." I smiled broadly at her.

Suddenly, Meredith's phone began ringing. As she pulled it out of her purse, she said to me, "God you are so much like your husband. Anyone who says you are not perfect for each other has never met the two of you." I stuck my tongue out her. "Sawyer," she answered her phone.

I knew it must be the hospital so I tried to get the waiter's attention to bring our check as I listened to her conversation.

"No, I told you I was going to lunch with your wife while we waited for test results," she paused, listening to Greg. "Well you don't have to get all bent out of shape about it. I am two minutes from the hospital and I will be there before you can even limp from Pathology to your office."

I laughed at her. The only reason Greg borderline tolerated her outside of the hospital was because she was the only Fellow who would even dare talk to him like that. He needed that around him. Cameron was too in love with him and Chase was too busy kissing his ass.

Meredith hung up her phone. "I'm sorry. My pain in the ass boss is having a conniption fit because I am out of the hospital. I should get going."

I chuckled slightly, "Of course. Duty calls, right?"

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As I walked home from lunch, I thought about the things Meredith had said about babies and pregnancy and I wondered if I was missing out on an essential womanly experience. Every woman I knew, Lisa, Meredith and Rebecca, spoke endlessly of a longing for children. And yet I didn't feel the call. Was I less of a woman because I didn't want a child of my own? Would I feel differently if I were actually faced with the possibility of having a child? I don't know.

I quickly walked up the steps to my townhouse and went into my home. Even though I knew Greg was at work, I was a little disappointed not to find him sitting at his piano playing mash ups of Bach and battle hymns or sitting on the couch watching a monster truck rally. Greg had been at work for almost the entire week, only coming home to sleep for a few hours and get new clothes. I missed him. I missed his scent, his presence in the house and I even missed the constant rattle of his pill bottle. When we were both working, it was different, because even if he had a difficult case, we would see each other around the halls and usually catch lunch together. Since I was off, I didn't even get that.

I plopped down on the couch and turned on the television. I had been absolutely exhausted all day and I just wanted to relax for a little bit. I turned on the television, flipping around until I found something good. I finally settled on reruns of CSI: Miami and curled up in the blanket thrown across the couch.

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"Bella. Bella." I heard my name being called, quietly at first, and then more insistent the longer I went without answering. I slowly opened my eyes to see Greg leaning over me, one hand on the back of the couch the other slightly rubbing my arm. The minute he saw me looking at him, he stopped calling out my name. "Why are you sleeping on the couch?"

I bolted up, looking around me. "I must have fallen asleep. What time is it?"

Greg sat down on the couch, leaned his cane up against the coffee table and looked at his watch. "Almost 11:30."

"11:30? Oh my God, I have been asleep since 4 in the afternoon."

Greg rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and muttered, "Lucky you. This patient refuses to get better or just die. And believe me, at this point, I am really okay with either outcome. At least if he dies, I can just do an autopsy and find out what killed him."

I leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged his shoulders. "How was your lunch?"

I snuggled up to him. "Are you fishing for information about James or about Meredith?"

He laughed lightly. "Whatever you got, I'll take." He draped his arm over the back of the couch and began playing with my hair.

"I can't tell you the things she tells me. She tells them to me in confidence. Besides you're her boss, it's weird for her." He gave me a look that plainly said 'oh come on, that hasn't stopped you before.' I giggled at him. "Wouldn't it be weird if I was like that?"

"Yes it would. Please don't turn into that kind of person."

"Well, there was nothing too juicy at lunch today. Meredith doesn't feel like she will be a good mother AND her and James are not having sex, at least not as much as they did before the pregnancy." Even though I had slept forever that day, I was starting to feel drowsy again.

"Interesting. No wonder she is so pissy with me lately. She's not getting any and she knows that I am so she is taking her aggression out on me. I wish Wilson would just man up and fuck his wife."

I laughed out loud at him and let out a loud yawn.

Greg got up from the couch. "I'm going to try to get some sleep. Are you going to come to bed or have you found the couch a suitable replacement?"

I playfully rolled my eyes at him. "I'm coming to bed."

"Good."

We walked down the hall to our bedroom and I climbed into bed, wearing my sweats. Greg followed me into bed, pulling me into him, so our noses were practically touching.

"At what point in our relationship did you stop wearing sexy lingerie to bed?" he whispered to me.

"I am not going to wear sexy lingerie when it is snowing and twenty degrees outside."

"I can keep you warm," he said, putting a hand under my sweatshirt and resting it on the small of my back.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered, "Your hands are cold."

"I'm sorry," he smiled, giving me a kiss. He pulled me even closer to him, dropping a hand down to my ass, firmly keeping me in place. He placed a tiny kiss on my cheek.

I moved my hands from the back of his head to his cheeks. "Greg, I am exhausted. We can't have sex tonight."

"Come on. You don't have to do anything. You can just lay there," he told me, a giant smile on his face.

"You're a pig," I told him, lightly pushing on his chest.

"I can't help it. It's my gender." He leaned into me, giving me a light kiss. I tried to resist at first, but then I succumbed to his kiss, pushing my tongue against his lips, asking for entry.

I lightly pushed him onto his back, rolling on top of him. His hands caressed the curves of my body underneath my clothes as our kisses became more frantic. My hands moved down to his waist, slipping into his flannel pajama pants. His kisses were sensuous, alternating between lightly biting my bottom lip and aggressively attacking my tongue with his. As my hand grasped his growing erection, he took in a sharp breath.

"I thought you were too tired," he managed to get out.

"I'm not anymore," I whispered back, stroking his dick between our bodies. As I played with him, I felt myself becoming more and more aroused feeling him writhe in pleasure underneath me. His hands slipped into my underwear, holding onto my ass.

"Fuck, Bella, you're amazing," he breathed.

I smiled lightly as he began kissing my neck. I pulled my hand off his erection, sitting up and straddling him, as I pulled my sweatshirt off. His hands immediately went to my breasts. Sitting up, he moved a hand to my back and his mouth grabbed onto my breasts, licking and lightly biting my nipples. I let out a low gasp as his actions brought more pain than it usually did.

"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling his head away from my chest.

"Yeah, I want to feel you inside me right now," I told him forcefully, climbing off him to rip off my pants. I ran my fingers across his waistband, tugging on his pants. Wriggling out of them, he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back on top of him.

I straddled him, my legs squeezing up against his. I hovered above his erection, barely touching him, and swayed my hips back and forth so the tip of his dick lightly grazed my entrance. He grabbed onto my hips, steadying me, and lightly guided me down on top of him. As his girth filled me, I let out a deep moan. I leaned down to him, hungrily kissing him. His hands moved up and down my back, guiding me into a steady rhythm. As I continued rocking on his hips, we simultaneously climaxed. Slowing down, I disentangled from him, and laid down on top of him, feeling his heart beat slow back to normal.

"Wow," he whispered into the darkness, lightly running his fingers up and down my back.

I planted a soft kiss on his lips and said, "Yeah," trying to catch my breath.

He wrapped me in his arms. "I'm so glad your relatives are gone, Isabella."

"Me too," I said, playing with his chest hair.

I looked up at him and watched as his eyelids drooped. "Good night," he mumbled, his voice already groggy with sleep.

"Good night, Greg," I mumbled back, falling asleep in his embrace.