AN: OK, so here's the end part to this. Thanks to everyone for your comments and for taking time to read this and staying with it, and for bearing with me for the mistakes and everything. I really appreciate it, and you've made it a really great experience to write a fic. I've enjoyed writing it, and I think you guys are great, so thanks again, and I hope that this ending is alright for you all :)

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3 months later…

Wilson stood outside the courtroom, leaning casually on the wall. Even if his body looked relaxed, his mind was anything but. He smiled slightly, knowing that House wouldn't be pleased that he was waiting for him. Or at least House wouldn't act like he was pleased that Wilson was waiting for him.

The three months had passed so fast, or so it seemed to Wilson. He knew that House had been dreading this day – the day when the whole situation was either over or not. And yet despite his fears that maybe something would happen that would mean he would have to face Alec all over again, he still was too proud to let anyone be there with him.

He looked up and smiled as he saw House coming slowly out of the court, his head bowed in thought. He didn't even see Wilson coming towards him, and jumped as Wilson put a hand on his shoulder.

"God Wilson, don't creep up on a man like that!" he snapped, looking slightly sheepish that Wilson had caught him by surprise. He should have known that he would be there. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I know you wanted me here, even if you won't admit it," Wilson replied, slowing his pace so that he could walk along the sidewalk with House.

House looked at him for the briefest of moments, letting Wilson know by the strange unconscious link they had that Wilson was right. "Unfortunately, I don't need a babysitter, so you might have wasted your time standing out there," grunted House, quickening his pace slightly. Wilson grinned.

"So how did it go?" he asked, watching House as they walked along, trying to pick up on those silent signals that came from House that he was so good and noticing.

House was silent for a moment, as if thinking about what he had just seen. "He got 10 years," he said softly, catching Wilson's eye for a moment before speeding up his walking again. Wilson was confused.

"So…that's a good thing. Right?" he asked, puzzled by House's odd behaviour.

"Guess so," House grunted again.

"So what's the problem then?" asked Wilson, struggling slightly to keep pace with House. He sighed. House walking away so fast was a sure sign that he didn't want to talk, which meant that there was something he didn't want to talk about.

"No problem. So is Cuddy going to kick my ass for not being in the clinic today?" He hoped that Wilson would take the hint, knowing that it was unlikely.

"Of course not. She does have a heart you know," Wilson said laughing. He turned serious for a moment, stopping House with a hand on his arm. "I know something's bugging you. You know where it got you last time you kept secrets. What is it?"

House sighed and leaned against the wall for a moment, Wilson stopping to lean beside him.

"It just seems wrong somehow," House said, shrugging his shoulders and looking uncomfortable.

"What does?" asked Wilson, trying to look away so that House had a bit more space.

"He was just upset and confused about his brother. It seems wrong to send him to jail for 10 years."

"House, he broke the law. He has to be punished," replied Wilson, wondering when House suddenly became so moral.

"Why does he have to be punished? You know as well as I do, he's no criminal. A complete mental case yeah, but not a criminal. They'd be better treating him, not locking him up." House sighed again, looking down. "Doesn't matter anyway," he grunted.

Smiling, Wilson moved to walk down the sidewalk again, House following. "I can't believe you've kept the fact that you have a heart secret for so long," laughed Wilson. House smiled weakly. "And he's not your responsibility House, he chose to do what he did, and now he needs to learn that you can't go around taking your grief out on whoever you want. I tell people they're dying every day, and they don't turn around and try and kill me. He deserves what he gets."

House nodded. "I think maybe Alec killed a few brains cells when he hit me. Those ones that give me common sense."

Wilson snorted, seeing the old House back again and feeling grateful that things were back as they should be. But House just couldn't shift a strange feeling that he had, no matter how hard he tried.

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He shut the door quickly behind him after he entered his apartment, trying to keep the cold winter air from getting in. Shrugging out of his coat quickly, he threw it over the arm of the couch before hobbling into the kitchen to grab a drink.

He stopped part way and rubbed his thigh, trying to ease the ache from it. It had healed completely since Alec's attack – well as completely as it was going to. It was perhaps a little more painful than before, but not much worse. He sighed, and reached for a glass.

"You're back earlier than I thought you would be," said a voice. He looked up, and felt his heart melt once again, wondering how she had that effect on him every time he saw her.

Cameron wandered into the kitchen as House filled his glass with water and took a gulp. She put her arms protectively around his middle and rested her head on his back.

"How did it go?" she asked, hoping that he was alright and not really knowing how to ask. He sighed, and turned around so that he could pull Cameron closer to him, thinking for the millionth time how lucky he was to have her.

"Alright," he answered, kissing her head quickly before setting off to sit on the couch, leaving Cameron standing slightly bemused in the kitchen.

She joined him on the sofa, sitting at the other end so that he had some space. He smiled at her, before fixing his eyes on the TV again.

"How was your day?" he asked, still keeping his attention on the TV.

"Fine, we don't have any new cases," she replied, watching him with concern. "Something's wrong," she said. He looked down, unsure how to phrase his thoughts. Cameron just waited, knowing that he would tell her when he was ready.

"Alec got ten years," he said finally, still refusing to look at Cameron. She frowned with confusion.

"But, that's a good thing?" she asked, unsure. He nodded.

"Yeah I guess."

"But what's bothering you then?" she asked, reaching out to put her hand gently on his. He smiled slightly, and entwined her fingers in his. She always knew the best thing to do to make him feel at ease.

"It's just something Wilson said," he replied. She waited, patiently giving him time to tell her at his own pace.

"He said that Alec wasn't my responsibility, and that even thought I thought he didn't deserve prison and that he needed help instead, that he needed to be shown that he couldn't go around taking his grief out on other people. Because Wilson tells people bad news a lot and they don't do that." He stopped, feeling unsure of himself.

"Sounds like Wilson's right to me," said Cameron gently, not wanting to put House off his train of thought. He sighed and looked at her for the first time. She saw the uncertainty and hurt in his eyes, and her heart went out to him. All she wanted was a way to make this right again.

"Maybe. But what if he is my responsibility? People don't get mad at Wilson, because Wilson is a good man. I'm an idiot. Maybe if I hadn't been rude to Alec and dismissed him, then this wouldn't have happened."

Shifting further up the couch, Cameron put her arms around him, settling her head to the usual spot on his shoulder, giving him her understanding and love in that one simple gesture.

"Oh Greg, this isn't to do with you. Alec needs help, I agree. But Wilson's right – he needs to realise that he can't do this kind of thing. You did your best for his brother. You can't blame yourself, because you didn't do anything wrong."

"Are you telling me that I couldn't be nicer to patients? Listen to them properly?" She could feel the frustration in him, even though he was keeping his voice even.

Sitting up slightly, she looked him directly in the eyes. "Nobody's perfect. Maybe you're not as easy going with patients as other doctors, but you get the job done and it lets you come to diagnoses that you might not get to any other way. This is not your fault."

"But what if I could still do the same job? How do you know that I'm not just an arrogant ass who got what he deserved?" He looked so hurt and worried, that Cameron just wanted to kiss him. She held herself back, knowing that now she had him talking, it would be the worst time to shut him up. She thought for a moment, wanting to get her words right.

"I don't know. But I trust you. I know you'd do what's right for the patient, no matter what. You've proven that a million times with the way you fight everyone to make sure they get the treatment you know is right." She smiled at him, rubbing his arm gently.

"And you're not an ass. You wouldn't have gotten hurt the second time if you weren't looking out for me Greg. You're just human, and we all second guess ourselves from time to time. But you could ask Wilson or Cuddy, or Foreman and Chase and they'll all tell you that you've shown such a different side of yourself over the past few months. We've seen the sensitive bit underneath all your sarcasm, and everything you do makes sense now. You can't get too close to the patients, or you won't be objective. And looking back, you've got to see that you did everything you could for Alec's brother."

House opened his mouth to argue, before Cameron put her finger gently on it.

"If you still don't believe me, I'll tell you that there is no way I could love a man who has no compassion or thought for anyone else. And I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, for who you are, and that's the person who cares about his patients, even if it sometimes seems like you don't, and who loved me enough to risk his life to save me and his friends."

She let the tears run down her face, all the things that she felt proving too much to hold in. Her heart leapt when she saw the change in his face, as he accepted what she said. Carefully, he brushed her tears from her face, as Cameron leaned towards the gentle touch. His lips brushed hers as he gently kissed her, letting all his love for her pour into the one moment.

"Promise me something," she said, pulling away for a moment.

"Anything," he replied, running his hand gently through her hair.

"That you'll let this go and move on, and stop blaming yourself for everything. Trust me." She said, holding his hand to her cheek. He nodded gravely.

"I know. You're right. I promise. As long as you keep putting me on the right tracks," he replied, smiling a genuine smile of happiness. "It's going to be alright now, I know it is," he said softly, pulling her closer to him.

"I love you," she whispered, feeling like she had finally found the place where she belonged.

"I love you too," he replied, hoping that she knew how much he loved her, and how grateful he was to her. He smiled, determined to make her happy for the rest of her life, as he kissed her passionately, his hand moving to flick off the light as they settled down together on the couch.

FIN