So they went and changed the way this site works and all my nice dividers disappeared making it a little harder to understand where the scene changes. Well, I'm not going back and correcting all the old chapters but I'm using a different "marker" from now on so hopefully the story doesn't "throw" you anymore.

And thank you again for your reviews :)

"So why haven't you been around for poker lately," the Guy From the Bus-stop asked Wilson.

"Just been busy," Wilson shrugged.

"With his girlfriend," House inserted.

"The patient?" the Accountant asked.

"NO!" Wilson was appalled that they still remembered that – though considering the way House had behaved then and them having left the guys alone in House's flat he probably should have expected it.

"No, that was over a long time ago," House informed the party. "Oh, no he has been sleeping with me lately."

House's announcement caused an immediate reaction. The guys stopped doing whatever it was each of them were doing at the moment and froze on their seats – except for their eyes. Their eyes went from House to Wilson and back to House again. House, however, kept on dealing the cards like he had said nothing unusual at all. Wilson, on the other hand, gave a deep sigh and closed his eyes in despair.

"No, I have not been sleeping with him," Wilson enunciated. "I have a perfectly normal girlfriend. Just because House thinks she shares some characteristics with him does not, and I repeat, not mean I'm sleeping with his proxy."

"Cut-Throat Bitch doesn't just share some of my characteristics," House insisted. "She is practically me in a skirt twenty years ago."

"Why would he want to date someone like you?" the Dry-cleaner wanted to know. "Doesn't he get enough of you the normal way?"

"Beats me," House shrugged.

Very deliberately Wilson set his cards on the table and held up his hands to indicate that the guys should give him a second. Then he dug his wallet out of his coat pocket and fished a photograph out of it. There had been a photographer at the Oncology benefit and Wilson had got a picture of Amber from him. It showed Amber in all her glory – the heels, the leg, the curls and a slightly arrogant tilt to her head. Wilson gave the picture to the Accountant who then passed it to the Dry-cleaner who gave it to the Guy From the Buss-stop who gave it back to Wilson who put it back into his wallet. There was a moment of reflective silence.

"Nope, can't say she reminds me of the good doctor here at all," the Accountant summed "Wilson, you are a lucky dog."

"Not if he cheats on her," House muttered.

"Why would he cheat on her?" the Dry-cleaner wanted to know. "She is hot."

"I will not cheat on her," Wilson stated. "I'm not an idiot."

"Actually, you are," House told him consolingly. "Any woman who knows how to cry can get you in bed with her. But if you cheat on Amber that will definitely be the last time you do that kind of an idiotic thing. She is not called Cut-Throat Bitch for nothing."

"She does look kind of fierce," the Guy From the Bus-stop observed with a definite tinge of envy.

"I will not cheat on her," Wilson repeated with exaggerated patience. "Not because I'm afraid of her but just because I will not cheat on her."

"That is what you said about all your wives, too," House declared.

"Wives?" the Accountant asked. "How many has he had then?"

"Three," House informed him.

"And he cheated on them all?" the Dry-cleaner queried.

"No, I didn't," Wilson huffed. "Besides, I thought we were here to play poker not to dissect my love life."

"We can do both," House shrugged.

"But we don't have to," Wilson groused. "Besides, there is nothing that mysterious about my love life. However, you are a different story. What is going on between you and Cuddy?"

"Nothing is going on between us," House frowned. "You know she is the Devil! Why would I want to have anything to do with the Devil?"

"I don't know," it was Wilson's turn to shrug. "You just seem to be sniffing around her a lot lately. And given that she has been in a brooding mood lately it does seem somewhat suspicious."

"That does sound rather interesting," The Guy From the Bus-stop agreed.

"Ok, just shut up and let's play poker," House decided.

Shades of Amber

"Are you sure you want to go back home tomorrow?" Amber asked Helena as they sat in the living room of Helena's hotel room. Amber had spent a few hours with Helena and Ari and they had just put Ari to bed. Now they were drinking coffee and eating sandwiches before Amber left them.

"Yes," Helena stated. "Your Father is coming home tomorrow and he usually does stay home the first night after a trip so this is probably the one night when I can be sure to catch him. I don't really want to tell him in a letter or over the phone that I'm going to leave him and start the divorce proceedings."

"He has never been physically abusive," Amber started cautiously. "But are you sure it's a good idea to tell him like this? Home alone with him."

"He will probably insult me," Helena mused. "But I am sure I'm safe. However, I am not taking any risks. I called my brother today and he will meet me at home and stay the night. I don't want him to be there with me when I talk with your Father, but I do want him in the house. Just in case."

"Have you noticed that you mostly refer to him as my Father?" Amber asked Helena. "You hardly ever call him by his name and I'm not sure I have ever heard you call him your husband."

"Really?" Helena was surprised. "No, can't say I had noticed that. I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable with it! I mean, even though he is your Father, he hasn't exactly been very good at it and your relationship…. Well…"

"No, it's ok," Amber reassured Helena. "As you said, he is my Daddy. Nothing will change that. He was a lousy one and now that I had my say with him I have no desire to meet him again. On the other hand, if I need to see him again for Ari's sake or just because it happens, that is ok too. I think I have processed my feelings about him far enough to be ok. I'm no longer as angry and a lot of the other feelings have gone away too. And those that are still there aren't as strong as they used to be. I still have work to do in dealing with everything my childhood was and what it did to me, but I think I'm done with my Daddy."

"That is really sad, you know," Helena sighed. "Not that you are dealing with the damage he did to you, but that you need to. That you have to be done with a parent to go on with your life. I hope I do better with Ari."

"You will," Amber reassured her. "Sure, Ari will have problems because Daddy is what he is and I have no idea how he will deal with the divorce. He may cut all ties with both of you or he may even try to get custody of Ari. So get a good lawyer! But you will be a fine parent to Ari no matter what. And you will also have your family there to help you."

"And you," Helena said it more as a question than a statement. "I hope."

"If you want me to be part of Ari's life, I will definitely do my best to be there for him," Amber promised. "If things work out with me and James, I'm going to be in Princeton for quite some time so we can certainly work something out."

"Surely you don't think anything could go wrong with you and James?" Helena considered. "You seem so perfect for each other! I mean I can understand that you're not thinking of marriage yet, not so soon, but surely you are compatible in every way."

"I'd like to think so," Amber accepted. "But it really is too early to tell. Besides we both seem to have some commitment issues. Because of my parents I have always been cautious about relationships and James has been married three times. Those things alone are bound to cause problems. Especially since he is in good terms with all his exes."

"Is that a bad thing?" Helena asked. "Unless he is in too good terms with them?"

"No, not that good," Amber clarified. "No, there has been no break-up sex going on. But it could cause problems since they do tend to turn to him for advice. And then there is House with his demands and James is friends with Cameron and I don't care for her because of Chase and there are a lot of things that just need to be adjusted to."

"But you're willing to do it?" Helena was pretty sure of the answer.

"If he does his part, yes," Amber pondered. "I don't want to change what he is in essence and I'm sure he doesn't want me to change either, but some change is inevitable if we want to be together. We will just have to wait and see."

"So what are your current plans?" Helena wanted to know. "Engagement?"

"No, I can't handle anything like that yet," Amber stated. "But we have decided to move in together. He will start looking for a place for us soon."

"He will?" Helena wondered. "Won't you do it together?"

"Ugh... Well, you see the realtor is his ex-wife and I don't really want to deal with her that much," Amber confessed. "We agreed that he will narrow it down to a couple of places and then we'll choose from them together."

"Why would you agree to let his ex-wife find a place for you?" Helena was astounded.

"Because she is the worst realtor in the state," Amber sighed. "And James feels responsible for her. And she is a very, very, very nice woman. A bit inept and boring even, but she is like an over-eager puppy and you just don't want to hurt her no matter how annoying you may find her on occasion. And it wasn't that big a deal for me but rather important for James."

"And you love him," Helena understood.

"Yeah, I love him," Amber sighed.

"You know, he does not seem like the kind of man who would deliberately take advantage of that," Helena consoled Amber. "Sure, he may sometimes get what he wants because of it, but I doubt he will realise that is the reason. He will just think that you are being nice."

"The trouble with that is," Amber made an indecisive face. "That I really ain't a nice person. So he may end up disappointed."

"First of all, you are a nice person," Helena insisted. "You just may be a little choosy about who you are nice to. But you will always be nice to him."

"Unless he cheats on me," Amber pointed out. "Then I will not be a nice person at all."

"Then he doesn't deserve you to be a nice person," Helena agreed.

"Ok, enough about me," Amber decided finishing her coffee. "It's time I let you to go to bed. Ari will wake you up early enough and you have a long drive ahead of you tomorrow."

"I'll be fine," Helena promised. "And I will call you when I get home."

"And especially let me know if your brother is with you," Amber demanded. "I don't want to worry about you."

"I promise," Helena smiled. "I will probably go to my parents first but after that, I have no idea yet."

"You didn't sign a prenup did you?" Amber asked.

"No, we don't have one," Helena said.

"Then do remember, what you get from him as settlement is not for you it is for Ari," Amber advised. "Don't let anyone shame you into accepting less than is your due. Get a good lawyer and let him do his work."

"I suppose you're right," Helena sighed. "I just don't know what my parents will say! There has been no divorce in my family at all and if this turns into an ugly one on top of all, they may disown me."

"I doubt that," Amber stated. "But you may need to tell them everything about your marriage and especially about what he is like as a Father. They will want what is best for their Grandson."

"True, they do adore Ari," Helena accepted. "Maybe I'm just afraid for no good reason."

"They will react the way they will," Amber reflected. "You have other things to worry about before you get there. And if all goes to Hell in a hand-basket, you can always come back here. We will figure something out. But I don't believe we need to."

"Thanks for the pep talk," Helena smiled. "And I do promise to keep you posted no matter what happens."

"Good," Amber nodded. "And do remember to stop at the hospital tomorrow before you hit the road. I want to say a proper goodbye to Ari – and you too."

"I promise."