The ducklings stared curiously at their boss as he almost ran through the differential room - without using his cane - snatching his jacket, keys, helmet and wallet before he ran out again.

"Why do I get the feeling that he can move around on that leg a lot better than he wants us to know?" Foreman asked Cameron and Chase.

Chase shrugged, "Don't know. He's been looking much better lately."

Foreman smirked, "Really?"

Chase glared at him, "I might be bi, but I'm not hot for my boss," he said, "I'm just saying that he looks much more rested and healthy lately - at least in the last week. You have to agree with me!"

Wilson came into their office, looking a bit dazed, "House just ran out of my office." He said.

"He just ran out of here as well -"

House just marched into the differential room, scanning the white board, reading Chase's easily readable and loopy writing. "Looks good. Call if everything goes Britney Spears on your asses." He said and hurried back out. The ducklings just looked after him in astonishment, while Wilson just shook his head and went back to his office.

~*~

His leg was complaining as he tapped his cane in impatience as the lift descended the floors. He watched the numbers on the wall light up; 3, 2, 1 - Finally - oh fuck no!

"House!"

"Busy!" he shouted back at his boss.

"You can take tomorrow off!" Cuddy shouted after him, knowing that he would object to having to take a day off, especially when he had a case as interesting as this one. Speaking of, why was he leaving?

Cuddy gaped when he just waved at her without even turning back or commenting on her extremely low-cut top and just yelled, "thanks!" before he disappeared out the doors of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

~*~

House spotted Ali sitting on the bench in the tiny garden next to the parking lot. Ali saw him in the corner of her eye and stood up to meet him, "I was waiting for the taxi. I figured you'd be a bit longer. I saw Dr. Cameron running through the lobby chirping 'got a case, got a case', and everyone just moved out of her way. It was very funny. She was like a chipmunk on speed." Ali giggled.

"Yeah, had a case. Not interesting enough to stay over night for." He said, adding in his mind, 'and I'm about to do the most....something.... thing I've ever done in my life',

Ali frowned, "Have you been running?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "Had an epiphany -"

"And the kick of pain-numbing adrenaline that comes along with it?"

House nodded, "I love you."

Ali cocked her head curiously, "I know, and I love you too...was that your epiphany?"

"No." House said shortly, "That was just the prologue."

Ali shifted uneasily; had he all of a sudden realised that she wasn't worth the trouble, or that -

"Marry me?"

~*~

Wilson poured himself a healthy cup of coffee after chatting with the Ducklings, plainly telling them that it was none of their business what was going on in Houses life to make him so...happy. Well, to be fair, only Foreman, uncharacteristically so had been all that nosey. Cameron had faked her nonchalance and Chase had been curious, but backed off when he realised that Wilson wasn't too keen to tell, understanding that when something was personal, there usually was a reason for it and figured that if there was any reason for them to know, or if it would affect them in any way, House would have the good sense to tell them - or just whenever he was ready to share the goods, or being the gossiper he was, would pick it up in the grapevines soon enough.

Lazily, glad to be finished for the day he padded out on his terrace and leaned on the railing. He frowned as he saw House standing on the taxi-holding spot with a blonde girl. Quite attractive he noted to himself. Straining his ear, he could barely hear when they were saying, as the wind carried their voices.

"Yeah. Had an epiphany -"

"And the kick of pain-numbing adrenaline that comes along with it?"

Wilson could see House nod, "I love you."

"I know, and I love you too...was that your epiphany?"

"No. That was just the prologue. Marry me."

Wilson choked on his coffee coughed violently. He set the cup on the broad topped railing bent over, trying to catch a breath. Suddenly two warm hands pulled him up and patted his back roughly, literally knocking the breath into him. "Woha there Wilson. Would be a shame to see you get killed by your coffee, having survived all those wives."

Wilson chuckled breathlessly at the jibe and turned to the blonde, "You've been spending too much time with House, Chase. No wonder he likes you. As for the coffee; it just went down the wrong pipe."

Chase nodded, "I understand that. I mean, it's not every day you get to witness your best friend, whom is rumoured to be completely heartless, propose to his twenty years younger pregnant girlfriend."

Wilson gaped, "How -?"

"I was looking for him because Cameron paged us with a case, and him being him, I figured he was hiding out in your office."

"You snooped?" Wilson blinked in astonishment over the Australians deviousness.

"Not really. I just heard her name, the words 'pregnant' and 'love' - thought about how he flipped at Cameron last week and pieced it together," he said and shrugged.

Wilson looked at him oddly, "You really don't get enough credit."

Chase just grinned and shook his pretty hair, the light making it shine "look," he said and pointed towards the couple in the small park.

Ali froze, completely stunned. Did he really just ask her to marry him? Her lips parted in shock, her breathing shallow as she processed his words.

House shifted uncomfortably as she just stared at him, "You don't have to -"

Ali seemed to unfreeze and shook her head frantically, "Of course I want to!" she said breathlessly and threw herself at him, hugging him so tightly, House was sure his circulation was dead. He led her just s tightly, burying his face in her neck, breathing her in. After a while, she pulled away slightly, only to kiss him full on the lips.

~*~