A/N-Hey! Thank you all for your responses, particularly those about the last chapter, I was definitely nervous about that one, so I'm glad it worked. Thanks to all who reviewed this last one: IHeartHouseCuddy, jkarr, OldSfFan, suzmum, JLCH, ikissedtheLaurie, TheHouseWitch, jaybe61, CC, Josam, ClareBear14, Boo's House, Suzieqlondon, dmarchl, CaptainK8, LiaHuddy, southpaw2, Abby, HuddyGirl, Alex, LapizSilkwood, BJAllen815 and Mon Fogel.

Still coming up on the end here, a couple of chapters left. I will post the new story tomorrow. I may be late posting this fic on Friday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

*Thanks to BJAllen815 for your correction

**-The day of House's original interview at PPTH-**

"OK, I'll take it," House said as he flung the door to Cuddy's office open and limped heavily into the room, sour, angry and drugged.

"Take what?" Cuddy scoffed from behind her desk.

"The job," he sneered as if the answer was obvious.

"You are eight hours late for your interview. The one I set up for you with me and the other members of our hiring committee. I'm not the Monarch of Princeton-Plainsboro. We follow procedures here to ensure proper hiring practices…equity…"

"That's very impressive, I said I'd take it."

"You're lucky I was even still here for the day."

"I didn't think you'd be anywhere else."

"I don't know if I can offer it anymore since you can't even show up on time for an interview."

"My fucking leg hurts," he practically yelled. "Is it possible that you of all people are somehow unaware of that?"

"Sit down," she said softly, walking over to him to take his arm and help him to a chair.

"Don't touch me," he said coldly, "Don't ever touch me."

She put her hands out to the side. "You said your leg hurt. I was trying to help you. Had you shown up for the interview when you were scheduled, there would have been other people here, so you wouldn't have to fend off my unwanted sexual advances," she replied with irritation.

"I'll make a note of that," he said as he almost fell back into his chair and sighed with relief that he was no longer standing.

"Are we going to be able to work together, Dr. House? Let's just put it all on the table and be honest with each other."

"What do you mean…together? I thought it was my department."

"It would be. But you'd answer directly to me. All department heads do. And, honestly, many people here…or more accurately almost everyone else here, thinks that a diagnostics department is a waste of money, and they want nothing to do with it. I want to start it, and I want you to run it. In fact, I'm not sure if it's worth starting if I don't have you."

"You're flattering me because you feel guilty."

"Fine. I do feel somewhat guilty," she nodded, "but that's not why I'm saying it. I'm saying it because you are the most brilliant medical mind I have ever encountered. Right now…that brilliance is being wasted."

He studied her face, waited for qualifiers or a verbal jab. She stared at him, her face open and approachable.

"I've been honest, upfront. Can you be?" she asked.

"I want the job," he answered. "And you don't have to feel guilty."

"Stacy called me after she-"

House interrupted loudly, "I'll be honest about the job. That's all you get. I don't want to talk about her. I don't want to talk about…" he squinted and studied her momentarily. "I don't want to talk about…personal matters."

Cuddy nodded, "Believe me, all…personal matters…are long forgotten."

"And yet…we're talking about them."

"No," she said coolly, "We aren't. We're talking about work."

"Fine"

"We'll have to reschedule the interview with the committee."

"Why? They know what they're getting. I have a history of being fired from almost every job I've had. You are probably the only human being with a job to offer that wants me to take it…in or out of medicine. I'm rude, socially inept and completely lack both a decent bedside manner and tact. I don't interview well. What I am…is very good at solving puzzles. I'm also willing to work for the salary you offered…a pretty modest offering for a great medical mind."

"Your other…qualifications…tend to hurt your bottom line."

"You know I'll bomb any interview you set up. If you want me to work for you, you'll have to make it happen without me interviewing."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Good"

"I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of smoothing over to keep you employed."

"Any chance of…oh, I dunno…doubling the salary so that it's close to what I deserve?"

"None"

"Any chance of doubling the time off?"

"Absolutely not. I can offer you the package I sent over to you. I want you to run the department, but I'll cut it or try to find someone else if I have to. My funds for this project are limited. And my hiring committee…HR…the board…some people in accounting…other department heads…they all think hiring you is one, gigantic mistake. They all think you…will be my downfall."

"OK," he shrugged. "I'll take it."

After House left, Cuddy's phone rang. It was her sister, who noticed after a few seconds of conversation that something clearly wasn't right. "What is it? What's wrong?" Julia asked.

"I just…took the first step toward something new. Something that could completely be a hallmark of my career. Something innovating and daring."

"That's…great. Congrats."

"Don't congratulate me yet. I said I started something new, but even a trip to hell begins with one step. I'm pretty sure I just made either the absolute best…or absolute worst…decision I've ever made."

House and Cuddy woke to the sounds of both of their cell phones chirping alerts. They each rolled and stretched to their bedside tables, finding their phones and retrieving identical messages from Kate, "Get Up!"

The couple walked sleepily out to the living room where their two children were playing with all of the energy that their parents seemed to lack at that hour.

"I need a favor," Kate asked. "Mel and I are doing the whole…civil union thing, can you guys come? We want you to be the witnesses, and we want the kids there."

House and Cuddy both stared with a look of shock, awe and tiredness. He looked at Cuddy and said, "Is this another one of your dreams?"

Cuddy barely shrugged and shook her head, "I honestly can't even tell."

"It's on the way to the airport. Well…sort of. At my old bar. A quick drive across the river into Jersey…a ceremony, and then off to the airport with plenty of time. You don't have to check in for your flights until 3," Kate said.

"Where's Mel?" Cuddy asked. "Please tell me you asked her already, and this isn't a surprise."

"It's not a surprise. No one really asked, we just decided," Kate answered.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" House asked.

"Oh hell yea," Kate answered. "I know it's last minute, this is just how I do things. We got a license before we went to see you guys at the beach…thought we might fly back in a few months…but then we weren't sure if you guys could come, so we figured…what the hell."

They looked at Ava, evidence of the last minute decisions Kate often made.

"I can't do this without you guys," Kate answered honestly. "I really want you there. Plus I don't think House will believe it unless he sees it."

"That…is true for both of us," Cuddy answered. "I…want to go. I need some time to get ready, and we'll have to do it this morning, so there's no chance we'll be late for our flight."

"I'm in," House answered.

Cuddy zipped off to get ready while Kate helped the kids to find something to wear for the ceremony. After she left the kids in their own rooms to dress, Kate found House drinking coffee and looking at her suspiciously.

"Why the look?" Kate asked.

"You are sure?" he questioned.

"Absolutely"

"You know this means that the goal is to remain faithful to one woman. Preferably the one you exchange vows with."

Kate smirked, "I've been faithful to one woman for five fucking years, House. You've suspected me of cheating several times now, but it's never been true."

"I know"

"You'll always see me as that single girl who's just looking for fun, won't you?"

"No. I just…worry you may run around…and I try to stop it before it happens, rather than picking up the pieces. It's proactive. I…don't want you to end up falling apart again. You weren't happy. Especially right before you met her. You weren't having fun anymore."

"No…I wasn't."

"And now you're OK."

"I'm better than OK," Kate answered with a smile. "I'm not going to fuck it up."

"I know. I just know…how I'd be if my shit came crashing down."

"When I was single, I played like I was single. And once I was committed, I played like I was committed."

"Oh, shit, I forgot," House said, hanging his head with sadness.

"What? What's wrong?" Kate asked.

"Arlene…she's gonna be heartbroken when she finds out her chances with you are gone."

Walking into the old bar was like stepping back in time. Nothing had changed inside, except for the disappearance of Kate. Customers complained when the new owners tried to change things, and eventually, everything went back to the way it always was.

It was morning, so the heavy wooden chairs were upturned over the tables, and stools were flipped on the bar. There was still a crappy little stage in the corner with the very same piano that had been there since House worked there with Kate. Cuddy took the kids over to one of the tables, flipped the chairs down onto the ground and said, "This is where I sat when I came here and saw your dad again for the first time in years." She sat down, pulling her children near her. "He was right up there behind the bar. He looked so unbelievably handsome, even though I wasn't sure if I should see him or not…and I was still sad and angry and frustrated…but seeing him again, I could remember the way I used to feel about him. It was a hard thing to forget."

"What did you say to him? Did you walk up to the bar and say, 'Hey Handsome,'" Jack asked in his most feminine voice.

"He came and found me. Trapped my chair so it didn't slide right. Made me mad within seconds of seeing him again. He made a smart assed comment about how many yards away from me he was supposed to stay…because for a while…he wasn't supposed to talk to me…and then…he asked why I was here."

Cuddy's eyes drifted up to the front, where House was behind the bar just as he had been on the many mornings when she saw him open. There was a brief window of time when the two of them existed in a world that was largely without medicine, when they worked there in the bar while they both hid from life for a bit, while still living right in the middle of everything.

She pointed out features of the place to her children, sharing memories of their lives at that time. When Kate came to take the kids, House crept up behind Cuddy and wrapped an arm around her, "Nice story time you were sharing with the kids."

"I liked it here. We had some good times."

"That we did. I was actually up there…remembering some of the times you didn't tell the kids about."

Cuddy smirked up at him over her shoulder. "Which times are those?" she asked innocently.

"Like…when Kate almost caught us having sex behind the bar after closing…or when we had our first date after we became parents again and you devoured me in Kate's office…those kinds of times."

"Oh…those…" she smirked, "We'll keep those to ourselves."

"Right," he nodded. "I mean…it's all on my blog, but we won't talk about it, you know…verbally."

"Your blog, huh?"

"Yea. Details decades of the finest carnal acts."

"Must you constantly paw at my daughter?" they heard Arlene say from the far corner.

"Must you constantly nag my wife," House answered. "I would have refrained had I known we were under surveillance from the Department of Intimacy Suppression."

"Be careful," Arlene warned, "there's talk of renaming our department to the Bureau of Ballbusting…and you would be my first assignment." Arlene whispered the word 'ballbusting' with some discretion, but grinned victoriously.

"Mom!" Cuddy interjected.

"Of which you will immediately be promoted to Queen," House countered.

"Bureaus don't have queens, they have chiefs," Arlene corrected.

"No," Cuddy said, shaking her head, "We're here for a wedding. Let's just put your whole never-ending feud on pause until after it's over."

"Why are you here?" House asked Arlene.

"Celia's performing the ceremony. She invited me."

"As her date?"

"Gregory, just because you have a chronically physical, almost adolescent, look on interpersonal relationships doesn't mean we all do. Celia and I are companions of sorts, but not every companionship has to be reduced to something that is based on or involves physical intimacy."

"If there's no sex, what's the point?" House asked, both parties catching glares from Cuddy, who was grateful when Kate called House to come to the back.

"I'm looking forward to moving closer," Arlene said when only she and her daughter remained.

"Mom, I can't have you and House constantly bickering every morning when I wake up."

"Oh, please. Greg and I…like each other. We bicker…but it's only because neither of us is able to come up with anything nice to say. Your father and I bickered…but it was with love."

Cuddy physically stepped back.

"I will…attempt…to give you and Greg space, but I need to be closer to my grandchildren."

"OK," Cuddy said with a forced smile that showed she didn't believe Arlene's words.

"I'm alone, Lisa," Arlene stated with frightening honesty. "Julia's kids don't need me around. Now that Julia has that new job…anyway. I figure I have a few years left. I'd like to spend them with a friend. See my grandkids. See my daughter and her irritating husband too."

"Oh, Mom," Cuddy answered, reaching her hand out for Arlene's arm.

"Please," the proud old woman said, jerking her arm away, "I'm not some…feeble elderly woman who needs your sympathy. I'd just rather cook for two than one. Have someone to talk about the newspaper with."

"OK," Cuddy answered, "Sounds good."

Cuddy started to walk away and then Arlene said, "I guess your little friend Kate won't be chasing your skirt anymore."

"Mom," Cuddy said, "it has never been like that. Didn't you just say that not all relationships have to be physical? Didn't you just berate House for following that exact line of thought?"

"They're lucky," Arlene said, ignoring Cuddy's comment. "Kate and Melanie."

"You think?" Cuddy asked, surprised.

"They've had really good mentors to watch. To show them how a real marriage should work."

"Mom," Cuddy began, flattered and touched, "Thank you, I-"

"Oh please," Arlene interrupted, "is it really a compliment? You've just both managed to be married to one of the two most…unmarriable people on the planet without killing each other. I suppose in some way you could consider it a compliment if you really look."

Cuddy looked away, internally rebuking herself for believing that a compliment from her mother could come without some sort of underlying barb. "Thanks anyway, Mom," Cuddy answered. "In a way, it was a compliment…I may be unmarriable…but apparently I have a knack for being married…and finding compliments, hidden in insults."

Jack appeared from the side, "Mom, Aunt Mel needs your help with something. She's back in the kitchen."

Cuddy smiled at her mother, walking past her son and gently tussling his hair before she left. Jack quickly fixed his hair and sat down by his grandmother, gesturing for her to take a seat. "Grandma…we have to talk," Jack stated seriously.

"Oh do we, Jack?"

"Yes," he said, loudly blowing air out of his lungs.

"Is something wrong?"

"Sort of. I'm really excited for you to come live near us."

"Well, I am too. I'm excited to see more of you. See what you're doing at school…"

"I'm happy about that too."

"Well then, what's wrong? You're like your mother, worrying over nothing. Planning for every problem."

"Grandma, I love you very much, but you're making Mom sad."

"Don't be absurd."

"I'm not being that," Jack answered honestly, "but…you're a little mean sometimes. You tell her what she does wrong a lot. You don't tell her she's a good mom, and she's the best mom ever."

"Lisa knows how I am and I know how she is. It's how it's always been."

Jack shook his head, "Dad seems to like you fighting with him. But…it still makes mom sad."

"Is that really how it looks to you?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "You don't have to be really nice. Just don't tell her she's a bad mother, or bad at being a wife, or bad at being a daughter. She tries really hard to be good at that stuff. She knows you think she's a good doctor. And she knows you think she's really smart, and she's really good at her whole job. She knows you don't think all bad stuff."

"Of course I don't think all bad stuff."

"But she tries really hard to be good at the other stuff too. Just as hard as she tries to do good at work."

"Boy, you just don't get it. She doesn't take that seriously. I'm just her nutty mother."

"That's not true," Jack said, widely shaking his head. "She thinks you mean it."

"Well, I think maybe you're feeling sensitive to things that aren't there."

"I'm not the smartest one in our house, but I'm usually right about how people feel. And I always know when Mom's sad. Just like I know you feel a little sad now about what I told you."

"That's ridiculous," she said, her eyes less certain than her voice.

"I guess," he replied, unconvinced. "But if you'd come down to stay with us, it would be a lot nicer if you could do that one little thing."

"I don't know how to talk to Lisa without offering constructive criticism."

"What's constructive criticism mean?"

"Things…that help her to do better."

"Oh," Jack said, taking time to think. "Do you really think that saying she's not marriable is helping her do better at something?" Jack's question was sincere, not sarcastic in the least.

"Yes"

"What?" Jack pressed.

"I think you think too much."

"Maybe. But it would be cool if you could talk to her without all of that criticism, if it's construsive or not."

"Constructive."

"Yea, that. It's like Dad said that one day, when Ava and I kept fighting because we couldn't agree on what to watch on TV, 'If you can't act half decent to each other for ten friggin' minutes, go to your room and fight where I don't have to hear it…or at least fight over something that matters.'"

"Your father…told you to fight about something that matters?"

"Yea," Jack nodded.

"So what did you do?"

"Well, Ava asked what we should argue about. He said we should talk about cloning for something to do with extra body parts."

"Really? Your father expects you to have an opinion on ethical issues like cloning?"

"Sure…after he told me what cloning was."

"And what was your…five year-old opinion on cloning?"

"I told him I don't want extra arms sitting around. And if something happened to this arm, I'd get a new robot arm with wires inside instead of a new copy of my old boring arm. I could use that hand to pick up hot stuff out of fires and it wouldn't hurt."

"I like the way you think," Arlene nodded. "So you guys were done fighting then? Your dad's suggestion helped?"

"Sort of. Dad and Ava talked for a long time about whether or not it was a good idea to have extra copies of us around, I got bored. Since Ava was so busy talking about it with Dad, I watched what I wanted on TV."

"And you say you aren't the smartest one."

"Sometimes I come up with good stuff," Jack nodded.

"OK. I'll try…to offer a little less constructive criticism."

"Thanks Grandma. Now I'm really excited you are coming," Jack said as he hopped off of the chair and went to find his family.

The ceremony was short and sweet. Celia gave them advice much like what she had given House and Cuddy years earlier. There wasn't an ounce of nervousness or hesitation in Kate or Mel as they exchanged vows and rings and made a relationship that had been committed for a long time a little more official.

It seemed like a fitting end to their trip to the US. They visited the place where they got married, the place where they began family life, and finally visited the place where they had begun this stretch of their journey together. It was a journey that originally started in a book store far away, nearly a lifetime ago, was renewed years later in a hospital, and was reentered for the final time the night Cuddy walked into a bar.

A few hours after the ceremony, the family was on a plane back home. After a layover, and another plane ride, they were there. They stepped off of the plane in Barbados, feeling as if they had just come home from a very long, and very dangerous journey, and had somehow all survived. They found their home intact, waiting completely undisturbed for them, a little dustier, but waiting for them just the same. That night, in the safety of their home, the whole family slept without a single night terror or bad dream.