25

(A week later)

Wilson had moved back in with Amber and had kept his promise to call everyday. Although he was happy being back with her, he had to admit, he missed the chaos of the twins and the friendship he shared with Maddy.

Maddy had been keeping up to date with some paperwork to help Stacy out, even though Stacy had told her it wasn't necessary.

She wandered into PPTH and headed up to legal.

"Hi!" Stacy greeted her with a hug. "How are you?"

"Tired, but fine. Here are those files from last week." She handed a folder over to Stacy.

"You're sure you're up to doing this?"

"Have you seen what's on daytime TV, to be honest, paperwork is a god send!" She laughed, sitting down on the couch.

"How are these two?"

"I was at clinic just before here, Hannah has colic, Jamie has a slight cold." Stacy grimaced at the thought of two sick infants. "Yeah, noisy apartment. I feel bad for my neighbours."

"Does Wilson know?" Maddy shook her head, "Why not?"

"Because, I have to learn to cope on my own. He needs time to get things back on track with Amber, and me calling every five minutes with every new sniffle won't help."

" I'm worried about you. Does Greg know?" Maddy shook her head again, Stacy sighed, "You know, just because Wilson moved out doesn't mean you don't have a support network anymore. You've nothing to prove."

"I know. Thanks." Maddy stood up, "I need to get this prescription, then try and grab a few hours sleep. I'll pop by after the weekend."

"Only if you promise me you're not doing too much." Stacy gave her a quick hug, "Take care, ok?"

Maddy nodded and headed back downstairs. She was almost at the front door when she heard someone calling her name, she sighed as she turned around. It was Amber who had shouted on her.

"Hi." Amber greeted her, Maddy smiled back, "How are things going?"

"Not so bad." Maddy tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn, "Sorry. Rough few nights with the twins."

"They ok?"

"Hannah has colic, Jamie a cold." Maddy explained, pointing to her prescription.

"James never mentioned it." Amber frowned, wondering if he had started to keep secrets.

"He didn't know."

"But I thought-"

"Me calling with constant updates isn't going to help you and him get back to how you were. I'm sure this will all pass." Maddy interrupted. "It's fine, really."

"Is it? You look exhausted. James and I will take the twins for the weekend, let you catch up on some sleep and just relax. Ok?" Maddy tried to object, "I don't mind, honestly. He misses them and I'd like to get to know them."



"You're sure?" Amber nodded, Maddy had to admit, the idea of a sound sleep was appealing. "I'll drop them over tonight?"

"Why don't I take them just now? I was just going to give James his cell phone."

"You have everything you need? Bottles, diapers, clothes, car seats, cot?" Maddy asked, half expecting that Wilson had already bought all these things in anticipation of sleep overs.

"Yeah, you know James." Amber laughed, Maddy nodded. "Go!"

"If you're sure..." Maddy was unsure, "Ok," she leant down to kiss each baby on the forehead. "Be good guys." She whispered. "Thanks Amber."

"No problem, have a nice weekend, and don't worry, they'll be fine." Maddy handed the diaper bag to Amber, along with the prescription and watched as she walked away with the twins.

Amber walked slowly towards Wilson's office, hoping that having the twins wouldn't ruin any plans he may have had. She reached his office and knocked. "Come in." She walked in with the stroller, he smiled in surprise. "And who do we have here?"

"I met Maddy at the front door," Wilson was instantly concerned, "She's had a few 

sleepless nights. Jamie has a cold, Hannah has colic."

Wilson stood up and walked over to look in the stroller, where Jamie was just waking, he picked him out. "You not feeling too great, little guy, huh?" Wilson smiled at him, "Maddy asked you to take them? How's she coping?"

"She's coping fine, I offered to take them, she looked exhausted." Amber explained.

"Why didn't she tell me they were sick?" Wilson looked up at Amber frowning.

"She said something about letting us get back to where we were by not calling all the time." She smiled and sat down, "She not trying to hide anything from you."

"I just wish I'd known, then I could've helped." Wilson sighed, sitting down with Jamie.

"Well we're helping now." Wilson smiled at the emphasis on we. "Looking forward to it."

"You don't mind?" Wilson asked, Amber shook her head.

"No. They are a part of who you are. I'm fine with it." She smiled, "I need your car keys though, you have car seats." Wilson pulled his keys out of the drawer.

"Thank you for this." He walked over and kissed Amber, then placed Jamie back in the 

stroller. "Any problems, just call me, ok?" She nodded, and left.

Amber walked out of the hospital with the twins and proceeded to strap them into their car seats. "What's going on?" She heard House ask behind her. "You don't have secret kids too?"

She laughed lightly as she turned around, "James and I are babysitting for the weekend."

"Maddy has plans?" House asked, "Is it really babysitting when it's your own children?"

"I think she's just relaxing. The twins have been ill-" House was instantly moving to examine them, "Nothing serious." Amber blocked his path, "Colic and a cold." She could see him visibly relax. "Maddy's ok?"

"Yeah, just tired. You should call her." Amber recommended, closing the car door. "She'd appreciate some adult conversation I'd bet." She opened the driver side door. "I better get to the pharmacy, then get these two back to ours, don't want to keep them out in the cold, what with Jamie's cold and-"

"He has a cold?" House was again peering in the car, "You do know he had breathing issues when he was born-"

"Yeah, and I'm a doctor, he'll be fine. Clinic said there was nothing to be concerned 

about."

"I'm their grandfather and a doctor, their own father is a doctor, their step mom type person is a doctor, and she goes to a walk-in clinic!" House was offended that Maddy appeared to be shunning his advice.

"I don't know why, maybe she knew you'd react like this." Amber smiled at him, "She's just asserting her independence. Normally a teenage thing, but you missed out on that part." She glanced at the twins, "I really need to go. Call her."

House stood in the car park, thinking about Maddy and what Amber had said, he resolved to go and speak to Stacy, as she appeared to know Maddy quite well.

"Hi, Greg. What can I do for you?" Stacy smiled as she greeted him.

"It's Maddy."

"Oh my God, is she ok?" Stacy was instantly worried.

"She took the kids to the clinic." Stacy nodded, she already knew, "You knew?"

"Yeah, she was here before and mentioned that they were ill, but nothing serious."

House was annoyed, "She should've asked me to look at them, or Wilson. We're 

family!"

"You ever think maybe she just wants a dad, not a doctor." House frowned at Stacy, he'd spent so long being a doctor, it was hard to be anything else. "Take a step back, be there if she needs you, let her do things her way." Stacy urged.

"Oh yeah, 'cause that's worked well so far." House muttered, "I feel like I'm losing her."

"You're not." Stacy assured him, "Call her. She's had a rough few days. She's just doing what she thinks is best. It's not always about you, Greg."

"Thanks." He answered quietly, and walked back out of the office. He pulled out his cell phone on the way back to his office, dialling Maddy's number, she didn't answer, voice mail kicked in, sighing, he left a message. "Maddy, it's Dad, call me when you get this." It wasn't until after he'd hung up he realised he'd used the word Dad for the first time.