Yep, we've come to the end of another tale. :) Thanks for reading, and thank you for all your lovely comments. You know the deal...I don't own 'em.

# # #

Wilson and House were hanging out on the second floor balcony overlooking the lobby, observing as the maintenance workers took down the Thanksgiving decorations and started to put up the Christmas decorations.

"Ridiculous holiday, Christmas." House observed. "No other holiday inspires so much lunacy."

Wilson chuckled. "Still don't know what to get Maria, do you?"

"Not a goddamn clue." House huffed. "The woman has almost everything."

"So get her something she wouldn't expect." Wilson suggested.

House rolled his eyes. "Maybe I should send you in as my mole."

"You know I'd be perfectly willing to do that." Wilson told him. "Nothing would bring me more joy that to make both my best friends happy for the holidays."

"Oh, shut up." House glared at him.

Wilson shrugged. "It's true." He glanced over at House. "You two are amazing together. I never would have thought…"

"Yeah, thanks for your support." House spotted a familiar figure down in the lobby, and his heart started pounding in his chest. He had told no one about his plan, and he hoped like hell that it would go the way he wanted.

"Maria Velasquez Martinez!" House called out over the railing.

"House, what the hell are you doing?" Wilson whispered to him.

House ignored Wilson, watching as everyone in the lobby stopped to look up at him, including the woman in question. He was nervous, but kept going.

Maria folded her arms over her chest and looked up at him. "Is there something you want, Doctor House?"

"Yes. Here, catch." House pulled a small jewelry box out of his jacket pocket and aimed carefully, tossing it over the railing to where Maria stood.

Maria quickly moved to catch the object, but missed. One of the maintenance workers picked it up and handed it to her, obviously making some comment. Maria nudged him and looked over the object, a puzzled expression on her face.

House drummed his fingers on the railing before continuing. "When you left me all those years ago, you took a piece of my heart with you." He took a deep breath, glancing over at Wilson. Wilson gave him an encouraging nod. "Open the thing, chica."

Maria opened the box, pulling out a necklace with a stylized heart design, highlighted by two rubies and a diamond. "What is this?"

"This is me…giving you the rest of my heart." House's thoughts were churning as he waited for Maria's response. The whole thing had sounded a lot better when he was mentally rehearsing it earlier.

Maria's face burst into a wide smile as she fumbled with the necklace. "Doctor House, will you help me with this thing?"

"I'll be right down." House called back. "Don't go anywhere."

Wilson caught him just before he stepped onto the elevator. "Well played, sir. You've made me proud."

"Yeah, thanks." House answered quickly, nodding briefly. "If you don't mind…"

"No, no, not at all." Wilson let House go, and he stepped onto the elevator, tapping his cane on the floor all the way down.

The doors finally opened, and House strode across the lobby to meet Maria. Maria met him almost halfway, wrapping his arms around his waist and pushing herself up on tiptoe to press her lips to his.

"Gracias." Her face was lit in a wide smile that she couldn't seem to wipe off her face. "This is a perfect surprise."

"I didn't embarrass you?" House asked her.

"Not at all, chico." Maria handed House the necklace, turning so that House could put it around her neck.

House's hands were shaking from adrenaline, and he was having a hard time getting the necklace around Maria's neck. Finally it was fastened, and House pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. "Let me see."

Maria turned around, and House admired the way the jewels shone against her skin. She glanced down at the necklace with a slight frown. "Perhaps I should take off the crucifix."

"Leave it." House told her.

"You think that I should?" Maria gave House a questioning look.

House shrugged. "One for the old love, one for the new…whatever."

"Love." Maria told him. "The new love. And I do love you, mi tesoro."

"Tesoro?" House was puzzled. "That's a new one."

"It means 'my treasure'." Maria answered, drawing closer to him.

House tilted his head thoughtfully. "Huh. Never thought of myself as a treasure."

"Perhaps you should." Maria looked up at him.

House warmed inside. "Te amo, mi corazon…mi amor…mi vida." He murmured as he leaned down, capturing Maria's lips with his own and deepening the kiss.

He didn't give a damn who was watching. Matter of fact, he hoped the whole damn hospital was watching. House was staking his claim right here, right now.

Maria pulled away with a smile, stroking House's cheek. "So…shall we go meet James? I am looking forward to meeting his new girlfriend."

"I suppose." House rolled his eyes as he pulled away, falling into step with Maria as they left the hospital, his hand on the back of her shoulders. "The sooner we meet them, the sooner I can get you home."

"And then what…?" Maria gave him a teasing look.

"And then…I can see what that necklace looks like without all those…clothes in the way."

"Ai." Maria huffed and nudged him in the ribs. "You are…"

"A treasure." House told her. "You already told me, remember?"

Maria sighed, then shook her head with a laugh. She stopped just outside, watching as the snowflakes fell. "Look, it's the first snow of the year. Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is." House agreed. He squeezed Maria's hand. "Almost as beautiful as you."

"You are such a flatterer." Maria squeezed back.

"It does seem to get me almost everywhere." House answered.

They proceeded to meet for dinner with Wilson and his new girlfriend, and House was surprised at what a good time he had with them. The new girlfriend seemed to be the opposite of almost every woman Wilson had ever dated. Oddly enough, she seemed to have a similar personality to Maria.

House decided not to analyze that too deeply. It didn't seem worth it anyway.

Much later, House and Maria were curled up in House's bed after a passionate romp. As House curled his arm around her, he reflected on his good luck. Never in a million years would he have imagined that his past would come back to haunt him in such an amazing way.

His past had a good possibility of becoming his future. While House was in no rush to step things up, he was warmed by the thought. He held Maria tighter and kissed the top of her head. The future was looking damn good, House decided. Damn good indeed.

# # #

Thanks again for reading. :) Leave a review on your way out.