Thank you for the reviews. I'm winding this down gradually but I already have a name for the sequel. It will be called The Pregnant Days and it will focus on how House deals with Cuddy's pregnancy, how Cuddy deals with her maternity leave, and what happens at the hospital with the new temporary Head of the Hospital – or is she/he temporary? (I know, I'm evil).

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On Thursday House got a new patient. The ducklings thought that was a very good thing since House had been somewhat moody all day as his Mother had left that morning to have her first marriage counselling session with John and their chosen therapist. Nothing wrong with the therapist, House certainly had him checked out, but he still worried about his mother. Blythe had assured him that she was just fine, and perfectly capable of taking care of herself but he hadn't really settled down until Blythe promised that if things got too difficult for whatever reason, she would fly home immediately – damn the expenses.

The team had worked all day to find out what was wrong with their patient, a twelve year old boy with extreme dehydration, kidney failure due to tubular damage, hyperthyroidism and developing diabetes due to problems with pancreas. Finally, some time after midnight House, diagnosed late-onset cystinosis - a disease that affects probably only about 2000 people around the world. Unfortunately it is one of those inherited diseases that there is no cure for. Fortunately there is a treatment though the boy needed a kidney transplant.

Once they had a diagnosis all they needed to do was to do the necessary tests to confirm and they could all go home. The ducklings were in the diagnostics room waiting for the results and having a snack when Foreman suddenly lunged at Cameron's plate taking it away from her.

"No!" Foreman cried as he whipped the plate away from Cameron. "Did you manage to eat any of that?"

"No, what is wrong? Is it rancid or mouldy or what?" Cameron stared at Foreman completely at a loss.

"Phew," Foreman said wiping his forehead. "Just in time. I was afraid I was too late and you had eaten already."

"Why, what's wrong with it?" Cameron was getting impatient.

"Nothing's wrong with the sandwich," Foreman explained. "It's just that it's past midnight."

"So?" Cameron didn't feel any wiser.

"Right!" Chase, who had been watching almost equally puzzled, suddenly realized what Foreman was up to. "Well spotted Foreman! We have only just got our cute Cameron back we better make sure we can keep her."

"What are you two blathering about," Cameron was getting angry. "If there is nothing wrong with my sandwich just give it back and stop fooling around!"

"No can do," Chase said regretfully. "We cannot risk it."

"You cannot risk not giving me my food," Cameron got a very purposeful look on her face and suddenly, without a warning she launched herself at Foreman and her sandwich. Not having got any warning, Foreman was completely surprised and Cameron actually managed to wrestle him to the floor. Unfortunately that didn't get her her sandwich as Chase reacted quickly enough to get it from Foreman and Foreman himself wrapped his arms around Cameron and rolled her underneath him.

"Do I even want to know what is going on?" they suddenly heard Wilson's voice from the doorway.

"Probably not," House's voice replied. "I however do want to know why, if you were having threesomes, I wasn't invited. I'm your boss after all."

"We are not having a threesome," Chase explained. "It's just that it's after midnight and Cameron tried to eat." Chase shrugged nonchalantly as if his words were clear enough. Wilson's look seemed to suggest that Chase seriously needed his mental faculties checked.

"Of course," House, however, seemed to get the reference immediately. Big surprise there! "I was wondering what had happened. Good call guys. For some reason I never suspected she was a gremlin though the signs were definitely there. Are you telling me that she has been back to her old self these last couple of days because you two have made sure nobody feeds her after midnight?"

"I am not a gremlin!" Cameron growled from the floor. "Tell Foreman to let me go!"

"Only if you promise not to eat," House said patronisingly.

"The only promise I'm making is that you will all seriously regret it if I'm not up from here and eating my sandwich by the time I count to ten!" Cameron yelled at them.

"That didn't sound very cuddly," House pondered. "What do you think Chase, did that sound cuddly to you?"

"No, I have to admit that didn't sound cuddly at all," Chase played along.

"Foreman, are you sure she isn't a new breed," House asked Foreman earnestly. "You know a mutation that turns into a gremlin if you don't feed her after midnight? Because she definitely sounded Gremlinish to me."

"Oh for crying out loud," Wilson had had enough. "Foreman, let her up. Chase, give her her sandwich. House shut up. Man, am I the only adult in this room!"

"Hey, I'm here, too," Cameron reminded him from the floor.

"Yes, but you are wrestling with Foreman," Wilson pointed out.

Wilson's interference seemed to do the trick though, because Foreman rolled away from Cameron and they both got up and Chase set the sandwich on the table next to Cameron's coffee mug.

"Is this how you run your department," Wilson turned to House.

"Hey, they are giving me great practise for the triplets," House exclaimed.

"Except that the triplets are two girls and a boy," Wilson pointed out.

"That is Cuddy's opinion," House rejected. "I still say Jimmy is a boy."

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The next morning House could not sleep late thought it had been early hours of the morning when he and Wilson had brought sleeping Aiko home to House's flat. But as Kasumii had gone home with Cuddy the previous day, she was also coming to work with Cuddy, so House needed to see to Aiko's needs himself in the morning. Especially as Blythe, too was away. Naturally he didn't bother being quiet, so Wilson, too woke up when House started Aiko's morning routine. Of course, Wilson was more used to getting up at an ungodly hour – as House described it – in order to get to work in time, but this morning Wilson actually had no morning patients, so he could have slept later had he been allowed to. Though it turned out that he didn't mind, he was actually happy to help House with Aiko.

They got to work at House's usual time. Wilson went to his office and House handed Aiko to Kasumii intending to go and do his clinic duties. As he handed Aiko to her Nanny and got up from his wheelchair he noticed something about Kasumii's movements. He observed her for a moment and then he smiled widely.

"Saddle sore?" House asked Kasumii smiling a little wickedly.

Kasumii turned to look at House, first suspiciously and then she turned bright red. "Could ... Do you think ... Could you just once, just once, not tell me when you know something personal about me?"

"No," House smirked. "Not a chance. Especially not when it's something as juicy as this. So you didn't go with Cuddy last night, did you?"

"Well obviously it's useless of me to deny anything," Kasumii glared at House. "No, I stayed with David. Happy now?"

"Only if you are," House replied with disconcerting sincerity. It actually made Kasumii blink. "Are you?" House asked.

"Yes," Kasumii replied though she felt a little confused. "We had a long talk, too. He said that what he really wants is to grow old with me. If that means he has to wait for me, that's ok. I... I still need to think it through, but I like the idea of growing old with him. Even if we have to wait some time before we can actually be together, in the normal sense of that word."

"Good," House nodded. "Besides, by the time Aiko is six or eight you are still young enough to have children if that is what you want. And your training definitely qualifies you for any kind of work with children, including kindergartens. Since he isn't in any hurry you, too, have time to think things through. Good. It's good that Aiko can keep you around." With that House left for the clinic.

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House got a phone call from his mother later that day. She had stayed the night at home with John, though sleeping in the guestroom. The therapy session had been that morning and Blythe promised she would tell House everything as soon as she got home, but she didn't want to talk on the phone. She was flying home that evening, though originally she had planned on staying till Saturday in order to pack some more of her things. She just said that she had got enough done for now. After the call House sat in his office and worried. Blythe had sounded downhearted and House didn't like that.

Blythe got home in early evening. The cab driver carried her cases up to her door – obviously she had some secret powers! – and soon after that she came down to talk with House. House had Chinese take away waiting, it just needed a couple of minutes in the microwave. While they ate they talked about the weather, Blythe's flights, and her general impressions about the therapist but no details about the session. It wasn't until they were sitting on the couch nursing coffee mugs that Blythe talked about the session itself.

"I told John about the triplets," Blythe didn't look up from her coffee.

"I see," House replied, just to say something. "Well, it's hardly a secret. So what did he say?"

"He was happy," Blythe however didn't sound very happy. "He said it was great to finally have grandchildren and especially three all at one go."

"Three grandchildren?" House repeated. "Hmm. I suppose that does make it pretty clear what he thinks of Aiko."

"He doesn't think of her at all," Blythe stated with some bitterness.

"Mom," House tried to comfort her. "Maybe he just needs time."

"You don't believe that," Blythe smiled at her son.

"Well, no, but nobody would have believed a few months ago that I would want to be a father," House pointed out. "And not only to Aiko but to the triplets as well. People can change."

"Only you haven't changed," Blythe told House. "You have always had it in you to be a father. The main reason why you have avoided responsibility all these years is because you know how totally you would commit yourself once you did. You have only allowed yourself to commit yourself to your patients, the people nobody else can help because once they cease to be your patients you can end the commitment. But you have still always had this in you. Always."

"Mom," House squirmed a little finding her words hard to accept. "You could be a little biased here. I don't think anyone would agree with you."

"They don't have to agree with me," Blythe pointed out. "Their belief or disbelief does not change the facts nor my opinion. I know what I know. Just like I know that come November I will have two more granddaughters and one grandson."

"I keep telling you that you will have two grandsons and one more granddaughter!" House reminded her trying to lighten the mood.

"I may have," Blythe sighed. "But unless John can accept Aiko as one of his granddaughters he will not have any grandchildren at all. I cannot believe that I have been married for nearly fifty years to a bigot and never notice! How blind am I?"

"You are not blind," House hugged her. "It's just love that is blind. Nothing much anyone can do about it. Besides, if you think back to your marriage, how much time have you actually spent with your husband? And how much of that time has been such that would bring up these things?"

"Thank you, Greg," Blythe squeezed his hand. "But he needs to change. I told him that whatever happens with our marriage I am staying here. You and Lisa need me and even if you didn't, I don't want to live that far away from my grandchildren. So it rather looks like you are going to get a tenant in that housekeepers flat."

"Fine with me," House hugged his mother. "But don't give up as yet. This was just the first session."

"That almost sounds like you want me to stay married?" Blythe wondered.

"That really is none of my business," House said. "But I know you. You need to know that you have done everything in your power to save your marriage. If you give up too easily you will wonder about it for the rest of your life."

"You may be right," Blythe had to agree. "Anyway, we did schedule our next meeting a month from now, so I suppose I'm not going to give up easily. I really need to know that I have done everything."

"Wouldn't expect anything less from you," House stated.

"Thank you son," Blythe kissed his cheek. "I think I better get myself to bed. It has been quite a day."