These are the last two chapters before I leave for a few days. If I can't post while I'm in Vegas, I should have more chapters up at the end of next week.

Chapter 51 LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND

The only one in the elevator when House got on the next morning was

Foreman, who acknowledged him with a curt "House" and then faced

the door.

"So how are the schools in your neighborhood?" House asked in a

conversational tone, seemingly out of the blue.

"Say what?"

"I asked about your local school system," House repeated. "I assume

you and Dana moved there for the schools."

"Yes, they're very good. Maybe not in a class with those in Cuddy's

and Wilson's area, but far better than Princeton schools."

"Housing expensive?" House wondered.

A light dawned. "I heard that Cameron was coming back. You want to

make sure your daughter goes to a good school."

House just stared at him.

"Prices aren't bad," Foreman finally answered the question.

"What about condos?"

"Doesn't Cameron have a house in Albany? Why would she want a condo?"

Foreman asked.

House shrugged. "It's more expensive to live here."

"And you're not about to help support your daughter," Foreman accused.

"Who says?" House asked indignantly.

As the elevator 'dinged' and the doors opened on House's floor,

Foreman shook his head. He didn't need House messing with his mind

this early in the morning.

House found his ducklings sitting around the conference table.

"OK, people, what's the story on the kid with the fever?" he threw

out, then walked into his office to put down his bag.

"The new blood films indicate malaria," Sullivan shouted, but he'd

returned before she finished.

"I may be old, but I can still hear," House said. "So, you think it's

malaria. Has he been out of the country?"

"No," Yen said.

"Then how did he get it?"

Their faces were blank.

"OK, let's look at this another way, is the chloroquine working?"

"Maybe we haven't given it enough time yet?" Sheffield suggested.

Obviously it wasn't working.

House sighed dramatically. "It. Is. Not. Malaria," he said.

"But what about the blood films?" Sullivan protested, putting them up

and pointing. "Isn't that a malaria signature?"

"Looks like it, doesn't it?" House agreed.

She felt vindicated, momentarily.

"But it's not malaria!" House repeated. "Give him atovaquone."

"Isn't that an antimalarial?" Yen asked, completely confused.

"Works on other parasites too," he said. "Just do it, and then try and

figure out what's really wrong with him." House went back to his

office and closed the door.

Foreman had finished checking his current patients. House's questions

were still nagging at him, or rather the reason House was even asking

those questions. The person who would know was Wilson, but the

Oncologist wasn't in his office, so Foreman headed for the cafeteria

to see if he was there. After all, it was lunchtime.

He got a tray and some food, then looked around for Wilson. He

spotted him right away, but he wasn't alone. Lisa Cuddy sat across

from him and they were deep in conversation. Well, he wasn't about

to interrupt the hospital administrator and her husband.

So, who else might have the answer? Chase of course! Who knew what

the Intensivist learned from his girlfriend about her boss? And

Chase was sitting alone. Foreman headed towards the table where

Chase was, but before he reached it, Sullivan sat down. Foreman

decided that maybe it was time to give up.

He found an empty table and sat down. As he started the second half

of his sandwich, a shadow formed across the table and he looked up

to find House looming over him.

"Mind if I sit down?" House asked. 'Polite!House?' Foreman wondered.

"Be my guest," Foreman said.

"Look, I know I don't owe you an explanation," House began, "but just

for the record, I'm looking for a place for the three of us. So if

you know of any three-bedroom condos with a bit of a yard for a dog,

let me know."

"The three of you are gonna live together?" Foreman couldn't believe

his ears. "Whoa! When did this happen?" He didn't wait for an answer

because he knew he probably wouldn't get one, at least not a direct

one. "I know you like to play with people's heads, but I hope your

not doing that with Cameron. The girl still has feelings for you,

you know."

"The 'girl' is a grown woman," House corrected. "This is between me

and Cameron. And Gretchen." His voice softened. "Foreman, we just

want to try to make this work."

Foreman had thought his earlier conversation with House was a mind-

blower, but this was way beyond that.

Chapter 52. TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME

Tommy Wilson was smiling when he came down to breakfast Saturday

morning. It was his birthday and he was nine years old. Finally. His

Mom was in the kitchen fixing breakfast. But what was she wearing?

She'd worn jeans before, at least on the weekend. But she also had

on a T-shirt reading 'Detroit Tiger' and a matching ball cap on her

head, her dark hair hanging out the back in a ponytail. Her outfit

was completed with an old pair of Converse sneakers.

"Morning Tommy," she greeted him with a smile. He'd almost accepted

what she was wearing when his Dad came in wearing jeans and a plain

white T-shirt (no pocket, therefore no pocket protector).

"Happy Birthday, son," he said.

"Why are you guys dressed like that?" he asked. They were usually

casual on the weekends, but not like this!

"You'll see," Wilson said smiling at him.

Just then he heard a motor outside. He went to the window near the

front door and looked out. It was his Uncle Greg, arriving on his

motorcycle. Tommy let House in. "Happy Birthday, Slugger," House

said, tousling the boys hair. "So, you gonna feed me?" he asked

Cuddy. "It's a loooong ride."

She handed him a cup of coffee, then pointed to the carton of eggs

and the pan she'd used for her family's breakfast. "Help yourself,"

she said with a smirk.

"Got the tickets?" Wilson asked.

House held up four. "I had the other four delivered to Cameron," he

said, then turned to Tommy. "Happy Birthday, Slugger," he said again

and handed him the tickets.

Tommy looked at them, his eyes as wide as saucers. He was so

transfixed by what was in his hand that he barely heard his Dad say

"Gretchen and her Mom and two friends are meeting us there."

All he could say was, "Hooray!"

House laughed. "Have you been talking to Gretchen?"

"She messaged me to tell me that she and her Mom are going to move

here," he said. "They are, aren't they?" he asked the three adults.

"Yes, Tommy," his mother confirmed.

House was suddenly glad they'd told Gretchen that the ballgame was

a surprise for Tommy. She could have easily told him and spoiled the

effect.

They finished their breakfasts, Cuddy relenting at House's pleading

eyes and cooking him some too, and were soon on their way to NYC.

Cameron, Gretchen, Clair and Emily were already driving south. Emily

was excited about finally meeting Gretchen's friend Tommy.

"Mom, can we ask Aunt Lisa to find Aunt Clair a job at PPTH, too?"

Gretchen suddenly asked.

Cameron and Clair exchanged looks.

"I think we've pushed Dr. Cuddy enough for now," Cameron told her.

Gretchen narrowed her eyes at her mother. "Did you and Aunt Clair

talk about this already? Is there something you know that you're not

telling us?"

Emily was listening to the conversation intently. She hadn't even

thought about the possibility. She waited for Cameron to answer.

"Let's just let Dr. Cuddy meet your Aunt Clair, OK?"

The two girls looked at each other and held up crossed fingers,

smiles appearing on their faces.

As the Princeton contingent made their way to their seats at New

Yankee Stadium, House asked Tommy, "Ever been to a ballgame before?"

Tommy, still wide-eyed with excitement, said, "No, never. I've only

seen games on TV."

"I don't think Gretchen has either, or her friend Emily."

"Emily's coming too? Double hooray!" Tommy whooped.

House had sprung for box seats for them all, since it was a birthday

present for Tommy, and since this treat was for Gretchen too. Oh,

and, of course, for himself.

The two women and two girls were already there when House and the

Cuddy-Wilsons arrived.

"Dad!" Gretchen shouted and grabbed him around the waist.

"Take it easy kiddo," House said, chuckling at the strength of her

tackle.

Then she spotted Tommy. "Tommy! Happy Birthday! Isn't this great?"

All he could do was nod in agreement. But he suddenly became shy when

he saw the blond girl with Gretchen.

"Tommy, this is my best friend Emily," Gretchen said, trying to make

it a grown-up kind of introduction. "Emily, this is Tommy, my best

friend in New Jersey."

Emily was just as shy as Tommy. "Hi," she managed.

"Hey, now you're nine like us," Gretchen told the boy.

"Yeah," he said, grinning.

Their seats were two rows of four. "Why don't you kids sit together,"

Cameron suggested. She didn't really want the fourth kid to sit with

them, wanting him all to herself, but someone had to. Clair solved

the dilemma by volunteering, leaving Cuddy and Wilson as well as

House and Cameron to sit behind them.

Tommy and Emily quickly got over their shyness and the three children

were soon chattering away about their seats with the mini-viewscreens

that allowed you to see each play close-up, about their closeness to

the field, and about which team to root for, the Tigers or the

Yankees.

The adults, too, found things to talk about while they waited for

the game to begin.

"So Clair, you work with Cameron?" Wilson asked.

She turned in her seat to talk to him. "Yes. I'm a hematologist at

Albany Childrens'."

"She runs the labs at ACH," Cameron told him. Cuddy seemed to find

this very interesting.

"As well as I can, given the restricted funding for new equipment

lately," Clair said.

Cuddy filed the information away for consideration, then asked,

"Allison, have you put your house on the market yet?"

"Yes, I listed it yesterday. They said it should sell pretty quickly,

since it's moderate-sized and -priced."

The game was about to start and everyone rose for the National

Anthem. And finally the umpire called out, "Plaaaay baaall!"