House of Cards

by siofrafire

This story picks up where the series ended and reveals some insight into House's past and how it will affect his future. Will he end up with someone new or does he find himself in the arms of an old flame? Where did his travels take him after his best friend died? If you love House as much as I do and just cant get enough come and join me in my version of how his story continued.

House of Cards

House looked down at the familiar face of his best friend; Wilson just looked like he always did when he was sleeping. He was lying in his arms so still, so peaceful, there was no fan fare, no trumpets; just a silent exit from the world that he was no longer a resident of. House had no idea how long it had been since he watched Wilson take his last breath, it could have been minutes or maybe even hours he lost all concept of time. He wondered to himself shouldn't he be feeling something by now? Anything? He quickly ran through the stages of grief looking for some kind of direction his emotions or thoughts should be taking. Denial? Nope, he's dead alright. Anger? Not really. Bargaining? No, wouldn't do any good he's already dead. Depression? How is that different from any other day? Acceptance? I guess that would be a yes because he's dead. What moron came up with those stages? I guess I must be some kind of psychopath, I mean who doesn't feel anything when their best friend of decades bites the dust? No tears, just maybe a bit of relief. Yep, just more proof there's something seriously wrong with me.

"How in the hell could you feel anything? You've had almost as much Vicodin as he did."

"Amber? Really? This again?"

"I'm always with you; you can't hide from your sub-conscious."

Why you of all people? I don't even like you!" Amber laughed, "Well wouldn't that make perfect sense? You don't like you so I'm an ideal choice really, and I'm much prettier to look at."

"Makes sense I guess… House's voice was trailing off.

"House! House! Wake up!

"Just leave me alone I'm going to sleep."

"Oh you're ready for the big dirt nap now too? Coward!"

"I'm not a coward. I'm not afraid, I'm just done! I can't go back home, if I do it's do not pass go and I go directly to jail. I've been there, done that, and I got the T-shirt already and I'm not doing it again. It wasn't very fun the first time, I imagine the second time around would be worse, even you can't deny that. I can't be a doctor, the only thing I've ever achieved in this miserable life that was worth a damn, and it's gone just like Wilson. I have no friends to speak of; Wilson was the only one that could put up with my crap. I'm not a coward; I've just come to the end of my road."

"Really?"

"Yes, really now go away and leave me in peace!"

"Peace?" Amber laughed out loud with a sneer and a wicked smile. "Everybody lies, right?"

"I'm not lying; look at Wilson, Wilson looks pretty damn peaceful to me. It's as good a way to go as any other."

"You aren't in the same boat as Wilson, hell you aren't even in the same ocean."

"What does it matter what boat I'm in? Sinking is sinking, and done is done."

"You're willing to just sleep forever? No more anything, no more puzzles to solve, just dead?"

"Maybe there is something more, something after."

"After what, after the eternal light switch gets turned off? Since when did the great logical Gregory House believe there was anything after?"

"I don't really, but hey it's the puzzle of all puzzles no more mysteries after this right? Nothing left to solve."

"Pathetic! You would rather have hope with no proof than the actual truth? At least you know there is something more now."

"Just go!"

"If you really wanted me gone I wouldn't be here now would I? All those lectures berating people for believing that there is something more than this life, at least they really believed. You, you're just running away."

House wanted to close his eyes and stop listening to Amber, he wanted nothing more than to join the void of dark nothingness and end the pain of his life, end the constant pain of his leg, end the pain of his childhood, and end the pain of destroying every relationship worth having like a category five tornado whenever he was given the opportunity.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself! Self-pity doesn't become you!"

"Go away!"

"You know I'm right, you know everything I'm saying is true. You know there are still things you need to have answered."

"I don't care anymore!"

"Wrong! If you didn't you would have taken enough Vicodin to kill yourself already. There are puzzles you still need to solve, and answers you still need to find, there are things you still need to do."

"No there isn't!"

"Hmmm seems unlikely since you're still arguing with me. Off the top of my head I would venture to say you want to know who your biological father is; You still want to keep your word to 13 because that means something to you, because you actually care about her."

"None of that is true!"

"So, you don't want to know who your real father is, and you don't care about 13?"

"Why would I care who my whore mother's sperm depositor is?"

"Interesting! You've never called your mother a whore before is there something you care to share with the class?"

"No! Stop it!"

"What about your obligation to 13? You told her you would be there in the end to help her the way you just helped Wilson. It matters House! Suffering matters and putting an end to someone else's suffering matters even more!"

"Why should it? No one ever put an end to my suffering... His voice was trailing off again and his breathing was becoming shallower. His body was wet and clammy with sweat and the color was draining from his face.

House opened his eyes but it was completely dark. He wondered to himself if he was finally dead. He tried to orientate himself to his surroundings but he couldn't place where he was. This wasn't the abandoned building that he and Wilson were in. He felt around the walls until he came upon a door knob. He must have wandered off somewhere, but where? He turned the handle, but it was locked. A little light was spilling into the doorway from the bottom of the door where the gap between it and the floor met. He knelt down on knees and looked under the door and instantly felt fear and confusion. It was his house on the military base he lived on at a very young age. He could see the familiar dining room table that he had eaten so many meals in silence on. He could make out part of the sink and stove in the kitchen. He could hear his mother and whatever man she had decided to bring to her bed that day. He closed his eyes again and thought this must be his hell. He tried his whole life to forget and not remember what she had been like. It was all so real; he could even smell the cherry cigar smoke permeating through the house. His mother always gave her lovers one of dad's cigars when they were through. His father spent weeks, sometimes months away, but she was never lonely. He used to fear being locked in the closet. It was small and dark, but eventually he learned to love that space and even learned to appreciate the isolation. The darkness somehow comforted him as it sometimes does now. How many dozens of times had she told Gregory to hide in the closet from his drunken abusive father, but now he was remembering the other times she kept him hidden there. The times when she didn't want the men she was bringing home to know she had a child. He had repressed those memories his entire life, he must certainly be dead because there is no other explanation as to why he would remember them now. He sat up with his back against the door. The space had become a treasured place of safety from his traumatic reality; the darkness had become a familiar friend. He was again stuck in the closet and now the memories busted through the dam of his mind flooding the false reality he had built his entire existence on.

"House! House!" he was back at the abandoned building in the room with his dead friend Wilson. House opened his eyes.

"Why? Why are you making me remember? Couldn't I have had the one good thing in my life about my childhood? Did you have to take away my mother too?" House had tears in his eyes. "Why are you doing this to me? I hate you!" He screamed with anguish and defeat in his voice. "Yes, you do, and since you are me and I am you that makes perfect sense now doesn't it?"

"Why?"

"You know why, House."

"No, I don't, and I don't care, I just want it to stop!"

"Tell me what you see."

"No, I don't want to go back; I don't want to see anymore! Why does it matter now anyway?"

"It will explain so much of the puzzle, the pieces that have always been missing in your pathetic wretched life. You can finally understand where it went wrong and what you can do to fix it. "

"It's too late for that now and you know it. You just want to torture me!"

"If you really thought it was too late then we wouldn't be here talking now, would we?"

House was back in the closet. His mother had put him in there again. He could hear his parents fighting.

"What's happening House?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do."

"I don't want to hear it, I don't want to see it, and I don't want to remember!" He shouted

"You already have."

House was on his knees again. "Please, don't make me look."

"It's part of the puzzle House, the riddle you have refused to solve your entire life, the biggest reason your life was such a mess, let me rephrase that, is such a mess!"

"I already know why my life turned out like crap; it's because of the man who raised me."

"That's only part of it. You've denied it for so long. It's time to finish this puzzle, House. You need this!"

House didn't want to deal with it, but he knew Amber was right; he was tired of his life always falling apart and maybe if he finally dealt with what happened he could find some of peace, some kind of happiness that had always eluded him. House knelt down once again and looked under the door.

"You're drunk John!"

"I've only had a few drinks I'm not drunk. Where the hell is Gregory? He's late for dinner and it's unacceptable, that boy is going to learn to be on time one way or another; he slid off his leather belt.

"John, calm down, it's not his fault. I told him he could play at the neighbor's house."

"I told you Blythe that he is to be at the dinner table on time every time and not a minute late. How can I teach that bastard any manners if you keep undermining me at every turn?"

"Please don't call him that John, I hate when you get all worked up like this. Just calm down and let me get you a plate of food. I made you your favorite. We're having pork chops and onions. I'll even get you a nice piece of homemade pie when you've finished eating dinner."

"Don't change the subject you whore. I thought that would end once I saved your pregnant ass. I hear about what a whore you still are skulking around with every Tom, Dick and Harry when I'm gone!"

"John, stop it. Why did you marry me if it was going to be like this? You told me you would take care of me and my baby. That was your idea, not mine. All you have ever done was punish Gregory for not being yours."

"Maybe if his mother wasn't such a slut things could be different. His father knocked the entire dinner off of the table and walked away. His mother knelt on the floor while crying before she began cleaning the mess he had made. She reached into her apron and opened a bottle of pills, she took several and began picking up the broken glass and cleaning the food up off of the floor. After he watched his mother take her pills he knew she would forget about him and he would be in the pantry closet until morning, but at least his dad wouldn't bust his ass tonight.

House sat there perplexed feeling like a complete hypocrite. He had always forced others to see the truth of their lives regardless of how painful it may have been for them to look at. He held up a light forcing people to come out of their own darkness all the while refusing to look at his own. How could he forget? Was he so weak minded? He always felt intellectually superior because of his mind and now the truth of his cowardice, his denial of truths were staring him in the face. All these years…could things have been different for him if he would have faced the truth of his own reality? His entire life was based on lies, it was based on a house of cards.

House had never come close to telling Stacey, or Cuddy, or Wilson anything of importance about his childhood. The closest he ever came to telling anyone the smallest hint of how bad it really had been for him growing up was a patient he met years ago that had come into the clinic after being raped. He himself at the time only remembered the very tip of the iceberg, but why he had been willing to share with her information he never told another soul was lost on him. House remembered he didn't want to deal with her, or to talk to her, he told himself he didn't care about her at all, but he ended up sharing more with her than anyone else in his life before or since then. She had touched him in some odd way. She told him she trusted him and when he pressed her as to why, she simply stated that she could see he had been marked by real pain too; he was never able to forget their encounter. She told him that life was a series of rooms and it mattered who you got stuck with in those rooms because those moments help make up who and what you are. After spending time with her, he adopted that philosophy to some degree, it had changed him. On some level he knew she was right. Maybe that's why he had always gravitated to the broken. People in pain can sense it, see it in other people.

House knew his mother had cleaned up her life by the time he was about six or seven, but the damage had been done and it was too late. The dysfunction and toxicity had set his life on a course that he couldn't escape and it was headed for disaster. He had never been willing to admit even to himself what things had been like for him at home and so why now, why right before he was about to end it all did he have to remember it all?

"Because you don't want to die House, not really…"

Wilson had prepared his suicide note in his own hand for the authorities to find when they found his body. He explained that with cancer ravaging his body he wanted to leave this life with some peace, and some dignity.

Both House and Wilson had pre-determined the abandoned building they would use to end Wilson's life. They purposely picked a place that had no cameras or surrounding cameras that could possibly capture House's image. They both wanted to keep his identity protected and keep him from having to go back to jail.

Amber was right; he was a coward, only she had been wrong as to why. What if hell did exist? What if it was a place that forced him to relive every crappy horrible thing he had ever said or done to hurt people? He wasn't a hundred percent sure that hell wasn't real and he definitely wasn't ready to face some kind of cosmic judgment.

House waited by his dead friend's side for hours until the Vicodin had completely wore off. He couldn't chance driving while high and risking going back to jail. He reached with a gloved hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a burner phone. He kissed Wilson on the tip of his head and said goodbye. He dialed 911 and left the line open hoping they would eventually ping where it was coming from and find Wilson with the instructions of what to do for him.

House and Wilson had been staying at a motel the last few weeks in Sedona, Arizona. Once Wilson had become too sick to continue to ride they stayed put waiting for the eventual end to come. House had no idea at the time, but Wilson had been working on arrangements for months regarding House. He wanted to ensure that House was completely taken care of because Wilson knew that his best friend could never return home to any part of his former life after what he had done for him. House making the decision to spend time with him in his remainder of days essentially ended any life House once knew.

Wilson sold his bike a few weeks before he passed. He told House that he had given it away because he was too weak to ride anymore. Wilson didn't want House to know anything about what he was planning; he wanted it to be a complete surprise. When House got back to the motel he looked at the empty room and almost laughed out loud. It was the perfect representation of how pathetic his actual life had become, a broken down room with absolutely no one else there. House sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed the bottle of whiskey sitting on the night stand beside him. He drank until the golden liquid was completely gone. He turned the television on hoping for a small distraction, but of course nothing held his attention and he wondered what in the hell he was supposed to do next. He had no money, no future perspective of making any money and could never go back to the only thing that ever brought him any lasting happiness. His job had been his entire world and now he would never be able to go back to it. He slowly and hesitantly reached for the Bible stashed in the drawer next to him in the night stand. The Bible was a familiar read to him, not that anyone but Wilson would have ever known that. He had read it several times cover to cover hoping to understand what the appeal was for so many people. He had always reached the same conclusion, they were idiots! He never understood the concept of faith, the idea of believing in something that you couldn't see, or touch or prove. Maybe this time would be different, maybe this time he would see something he had missed. When he opened the Bible he found an envelope addressed to him in Wilson's familiar writing.

"Dear House,

I was confident that you would find this envelop, I'm glad you did. In the off chance I was wrong about this location you may come across a two more copies of the same letter, find them before you leave this place. There are so many things I wanted to tell you, so many things I wanted to say before I died, but I knew you would never let me say them and any time things were about to get heavy you would always tell me, "shut up Wilson, cancer is so boring." How right you were! However, I'm gone now so I thought I could at least give you a letter.

You are the most stubborn, self-sabotaging, pig-headed ass I have ever had the misfortune of meeting and without your friendship I would have been a lesser man. I definitely would have had way less fun and I would have died alone without anyone who really loved me by my side. You gave up everything for me House. For some unknown reason that I could never figure out you let me into your world, into your inner sanctum so to speak and you even fought for our friendship no matter how many times it had been tested.

I've always seen past the jokes, the jabs, the pranks and the idiotic childish remarks and I've seen the heart of the man I call my best friend. The man that actually cared for people so much more than most ever gave you credit for because your methods were well…insane. You kept your friends, but more importantly the true loves of your life at arm's length and not because you couldn't love them, but because you loved them so unselfishly that you didn't want any of them to suffer your brokenness and you couldn't stand the thought of hurting them. That's why you let Stacey go, that's why you sabotaged your relationship with Cuddy and why you let Cameron and Dominika go even though you loved them. You knew you would eventually self-implode and out of concern and love for them you were sometimes cruel and often harsh, but you always had your reasons.

You had seen something familiar in me when you chose me to be your best friend. Maybe it was the same self-loathing, self-sabotaging behavior in me. You could always read people at the drop of a dime and you were usually right. You seen things in people that others never could or would never admit to anyway. Your need to keep people away wasn't from a place of cruelty, but out of compassion for them. You knew eventually you would hurt them beyond anything they could ever tolerate. Yes, it was self protection for you, but it was most definitely out of consideration for their well being. So many times I called you out on your faults when I actually should have been looking in a mirror. It was easier to expose what was wrong with you rather than dealing with my own demons, for that my friend I am truly sorry. I've always been envious of your ability to not need people the way I did. You are actually the sacrificial one. You sacrificed your love, your well being, your happiness and put the needs of everyone else above your own. Deep down I could see, every lecture, every jab, especially toward your team members it was just your obnoxious way of holding up a light to show them how they could learn, change, grow, improve for the better. Your ways were harsh, and often times hard to handle, but look at what you did and at what you taught them, and at what they were able to accomplish because of you. You took them all under your wings and you brought out the best in each one of them. They are better doctors and better people because of you.

I think in the end your pain of losing Cuddy was more than you could bear, but you knew her pain of losing you was more than she could stand too. She loved you ever since the day she met you. She was stuck and you knew you could never be what she needed you to be, so recklessly, you burned the bridge back to you so neither one of you could ever walk across it back to each other again. You let her go even though it almost killed you because you knew she could never really let you go in her heart and in her mind if you didn't. You gave up your literal freedom so that she could be free.

A less broken person (a much less broken person) would have chosen easier ways to show people they cared about them. Maybe you didn't even know that's what you were doing, but I can see it all so clearly now. (or maybe it's just the drugs) House smiled to himself after reading that.

So my friend here is the big reveal. I've been working on a surprise for you. I've liquidated everything I have ever owned including my cars, home, art, furniture, stocks, savings, some overseas investments, and my pretty large inheritance that no one knew about (including you or my exes,) even the motorcycle I told you I gave away I actually sold for cash. I left it all for you and you should have enough money to take care of you for the rest of your life as long as you don't blow all of it on drugs and hookers. (okay so maybe for the next five years because we both know you are probably going to blow it all on drugs and hookers)" House smiled "Oh how you do know me Wilson." House could hardly believe what he was reading and continued on. "There is a small storage unit close by it has cash and the account numbers to the off shore accounts that you will have access to. I left several identities with social security numbers that matched your age and characteristics as best I could from people that had died over the years in my practice. There are a few other things I have left for you that I wanted to give you, one being a copy of the unedited version of the movie I was in. hahahaha your eyes will forever burn! I knew you would need a good laugh and there is definitely one to be had in that travesty of a movie. There is a key in this envelope that will unlock the door to where you need to go, along with the address. My departing wish for you my friend, my brother, is that you live life as if each day is gift because, House, it really and truly is, don't live in familiar isolation, and last but not least I give you permission to find another Wilson. Please never forget me, I ask but one thing more, that you have a drink on my birthday and set one out for me. Cheers, I love you House! Thank you for your friendship and especially for the years of laughter I never would have had without you!

Eternally grateful,

P.S. Be not afraid!

Wilson

House couldn't believe it, even now after his death Wilson was still taking care of him and it was a relief not having to worry about how he was going to survive without money, but how would he get through this life without his very best friend and partner in crime? Now that he was taken care of what would he do next? House didn't want to think about that now so he took another Vicodin and waited for sleep to come.

Lucas Douglas was smart, funny, handsome, easy going, easy to talk to, and he tried never to take life too seriously. He gave up his life on Wall Street because he never fit in with the rest of the suits. Eventually he made the decision he wanted more from life than the stuffy high stress job with no personal satisfaction so he made a life altering change, a 180 degree turn from the life he once was living. He decided to pursue his childhood dream job, he became a private investigator. It was the right choice for him and he loved it. He did well for himself and was happy. He liked the challenges of solving mysteries and he didn't mind the odd hours, the late nights, he had no family obligations, and he could pick and choose which cases he wanted and which ones he didn't, he was in control of his own destiny.

Even his love life had benefited from the change. He had no problems finding dates when he needed a distraction, but he never found anyone that kept his interest until the day he met Cuddy. Cuddy was beautiful, interesting, smart, and funny. He knew his client, House, liked her, but they weren't serious yet. He knew he was about to throw his hat into the ring to win Cuddy's affection and he felt kind of bad about that. He had learned that most people didn't like House, but he actually liked the guy, just not enough to give up on trying to win Cuddy's heart.

There were many similarities between him and House. They both got bored easily; they both didn't like most people or think that most people generally could be trusted, and like House he also believed that everybody lies. Best friends stole wives, wives cheated with bosses, husbands cheated with co-workers; it was a never ending circle of dishonesty and infidelity. It's what kept him busy in his line of work he would never be without clients, just as House would never be without patients because people will always get sick. They both had an endless supply of job security.

Too many people were caught cheating, stealing, and lying and those were just a few of the reasons why he never minded being a lone wolf, but When Lucas crossed paths with House he literally found a kindred spirit. Like himself House liked to have fun, he didn't take life too seriously either, and House was a bit different from the cookie cutter people he usually met that constantly bored him. House started out as his client, but soon after he considered him a good acquaintance, and could have possibly seen him as a potential friend but he knew the day he met Cuddy their friendship would never progress to the next level because either he would win her heart or House would. He knew House really liked her, possibly even loved her, but they weren't together yet. Cuddy was charming, exciting, and intelligent, and he wanted to get to know her better. He felt a little guilty at first, but he rationalized that his pursuit of Cuddy would either bring House and Cuddy together in which he would step aside and give love a chance or it would get him a new girl friend one that he could be crazy about for the rest of his life.

Lucas really didn't see it working out between Cuddy and House anyway she was a mom; she wanted a traditional family, someone she could rely on not only for herself, but for her daughter Rachel too. As far as Lucas could see House would never be that guy.

Eventually Lucas began dating Lisa. It didn't take long before he fell head over heels for her. He even liked spending time with Lisa's daughter Rachel, but Lisa always kept a piece of herself closed off to him. He knew it was wrapped up in her feelings for House, but he believed with time he could take that space in heart.

After a few months of observing how House spiraled out of control because of his relationship with Cuddy his own heart was breaking too because it was becoming very obvious that Lisa would never be able to let House go no matter how much he wanted her to. The deeper down the rabbit hole of despair and depression that House fell into the more it affected Lisa. Eventually Lucas decided to end things with her, he knew she had tried not to care about House, she tried to make their relationship work, but the heart wants what the heart wants and she wanted House.

When it was over Lisa told everyone that she had ended things with Lucas including House, she had lied. Lucas never minded that people believed that to be true. Lucas knew people rarely if ever changed and doubted Cuddy's and House's relationship would last. Lucas was playing t long game. He would give Lisa tie to figure out House wasn't ever going to be right for her. House liked drugs, whores, booze and his work. He wondered if House really thought with any honesty that a woman like Lisa could ever be happy with a guy that didn't want to be domesticated.

A few weeks after Lucas broke up with Lisa he got a call from House. House wanted to know if he could hire Lucas again. Lucas was actually fine with it, he had sort of missed hanging out with him and it wouldn't hurt to get a closer perspective than the one he had on how well the relationship was going between Cuddy and him. He knew when House and Cuddy had started dating, he had been using the tools of his trade to keep tabs on them both. He also knew it was wrong to spy on them, but he never had a problem with crossing conventional lines when needed. Lucas missed her and wanted to know if he had made the right decision in letting her go and if he was right about her relationship with House eventually ending.

Lucas always figured it wouldn't end well for House and Lisa, but he never knew House would implode with the force of a nuclear bomb. After almost a year of House and Lisa dating things went horribly wrong and Lisa broke up with him. Lisa had wounded him deeply by her inability to forgive him falling off the wagon during a crisis when House thought he was going to lose her. He didn't understand why she was being so unreasonable since she knew he was an addict before they ever started dating. In some ways she knew him even better than Wilson did. He was angry because he thought it was cruel to give him false hope that she loved him just as he was, it had taken him years to trust another woman after what Stacey had done to him. House was unable to cope with her acting as if he had meant nothing to her, especially because she had meant everything to him. Erratically he made a spur of the moment decision out of raw anger and pain after seeing Lisa having dinner with her family and new apparent boyfriend. He had a massive lapse in judgement and purposely crashed his car into her dining room. Ultimately he ended up going to jail because of it. The day after the crash Lisa quit her job at the hospital and she never returned. Lucas ceased his good fortune and made sure he was the shoulder Lisa needed to cry on when House went to jail. He took every opportunity to be everything to Lisa that House wasn't able to be, he was doing all he could to insure their future together.

When House got out of jail Lucas kept up with him and even went out for drinks a few times with him, of course Lucas never told Lisa about any of it, and the two of them never talked about her, they both completely ignored the subject which was just how they liked it.

House and Lucas used their acquaintanceship for their mutual benefit, House knew Lucas would always be a person's whose skill set could come in handy to him and Lucas thought it was wise to keep tabs on House and make sure he stayed out of the picture when it came to Cuddy and Rachel. Eventually House used Lucas' assistance in faking his own death in order to avoid jail when his parole was revoked so he could spend Wilson's remainder days with him.

When Lucas agreed to help House it wasn't just out of the kindness of his heart. Once House was permanently gone he hoped he would finally be able to marry Lisa. He would sometimes catch her thinking quietly sometimes staring off into the distance when she thought no one was aware, and he was certain her distant thoughts were of House, the man she had loved for decades. He thought maybe with House "dead" she could finally put him behind her and out of her mind once and for all and he could finally have her full heart.

Lucas explained to House that he would be giving up everything, every contact, including his own mother, and he would give up every hope of ever returning to his old life. House completely understood and agreed. He gave Lucas the green light to make it happen. Lucas and House put quite a lot of time and thought into making House's death appear real. Lucas had to make sure that every I was dotted, and that every T was crossed. If this was going to work there could be nothing left to chance. He would have to make sure it was done right or Lisa would never forgive him and he could even end up in jail himself.

Lucas arranged for a body, one that matched House's weight, height, age, and blood type. He paid off a mortician from a different county to take the remains. He switched dental records and made sure to pick a place that could explode in flames and not put any other building or people at risk. With Lucas' help they pulled off the unimaginable. They were the only two people who knew that House wasn't really dead. House had even kept Wilson in the dark until their plan could not be reversed. He didn't want Wilson trying to talk him out of it or blowing it by telling someone he shouldn't. They needed Wilson to be honest in feeling the reality of House's death or their plan would never succeed. Lucas and House had done the deed and they pulled it off without a hitch. Lucas had even hidden some microphones at the funeral home so that House could hear what his grieving friends and family had to say about him. House was extremely happy about being able to be a fly on the wall; they had even managed to say some nice things about him.

House's "death" allowed House to spend his time with Wilson in the remaining months of his life before dying of cancer. House knew eventually he would probably get caught, but at least his best friend wouldn't die alone because of his own stupidity in getting his parole revoked.

When Wilson died House had nowhere to go but back to the sleepy little motel room that they both had been staying in. That first night back took its toll. After finishing off the bottle of whiskey and popping his Vicodin he was finally able to get a good night sleep. House had been exhausted for weeks, taking care of Wilson day in and day out when the cancer had ravaged his body was the hardest thing he had ever done other than detoxing.

House woke up to the sound of a humming air conditioning unit and a completely dark room thanks to the blackout curtains on the large window. The only thing he could actually see was the tiny green light on the air unit. House had no idea what time it was, but had hoped he could find a place that was open for breakfast. It had been weeks since he had any kind of a real appetite, and today he was ravenous. His now growling stomach was calling for pancakes, bacon, and at least three cups of steaming hot coffee. He sat up in bed and reached over to turn on the lamp. He rubbed his leg, he was in pain again the Vicodin and whiskey had completely worn off from the night before. The older he got the less he could tolerate the discomfort in his leg and he wondered how much longer his body could stand the abuse of whatever he happened to be using at the moment to alleviate his pain. He helped guide his leg as he always had to and swung his legs over the side of the bed to sit up. As soon as he could manage the excruciating morning ache he would stand up. He limped his way to the window and opened up the musty curtains; the light was flooding into the room that only moments ago was pitch black and it hurt his eyes. It took a few seconds to become accustomed to the brightness, and once he did he made his way to the bathroom. House took a shower, dressed, and brushed his teeth. How long had it been since he actually looked at himself in the mirror? He hardly recognized the bearded aging man staring back at him. His face was much too thin and the wrinkles were deeper then they had been even six months ago. Wasn't it just yesterday he was a promising young kid at university? How did this become his life? It was too much to ponder before breakfast. He threw on his leather jacket, grabbed his keys and headed for the local café just off the highway.

The place looked like it was built in the 50's and had never been updated. He was sure the waitress that greeted him must have been there since the place first opened. She probably never imagined she would spend her entire life waiting on ungrateful people in the little desert town. The thought was completely depressing. He sat at the booth took his sun glasses off and before he had even set them on the table the old woman had come by and asked if he would like a cup of coffee. "Please."

"Would you like to look at the menu Honey, or do you already know what you want?" She sounded so cheerful it was almost annoying. What the hell did she have to be so happy about?

"I'll take a side of pancakes, two sides of bacon and keep the coffee coming."

"Sure thing, Love."

"Love?" He thought to himself. If she only knew what an ass hat he was.

House was a people watcher and sized up every person within eye and ear shot always; it was a constant source of entertainment for him. He summed up their lives and had judged every single one of them within seconds of his summations'. Why was this old lady getting under his skin?

He ordered his pancakes and bacon and drank his coffee all of which had been delivered to him with a kindness and with what appeared to be a genuine smile, all though he doubted it could actually be genuine. He kind of felt sorry for the old lady and wondered where this new found sympathy was coming from. He preferred going through life not caring about such stupid incidentals, but when he was through he left her a 100 dollar tip and headed for the storage facility Wilson had told him about.

On the ride there, House was processing all that Wilson had done for him. He never dreamed that Wilson would go to such lengths to take care of him although he shouldn't have been surprised because Wilson had always struggled with his role as care taker, always going above and beyond the call of duty no matter who it was for. Wilson sometimes could be supportive and sometimes he was a complete dick head, but he had always been his best friend and had always or eventually always been there to help him pick up the pieces of his life every time it had ever fallen apart. He would miss having him around and wondered how he was going to make it through this life without his side kick. Their friendship had been based on complete dysfunction, but in truth wasn't most people's relationships based on tolerable dysfunction? It's just that most people weren't willing to admit it. House was done evaluating for the moment. He didn't want to think, he didn't want to process, he didn't want to remember, he didn't want to feel, he just wanted a distraction from the realities of his life. House wasn't certain of much, but what he was absolutely positive of was that he needed a drink; in fact he needed to get shit faced. He would make a detour. Scotch was his vehicle of choice for the moment. Wilson and him had become quite acquainted with the local bars and found one that they liked in particular. They had spent quite a lot of time there before Wilson had become too riddled with cancer to go there any longer. House arrived at the bar and ordered a scotch neat, he told the bartender to keep them coming. The bar tender said, "I haven't seen you here in a while. Where's your friend?"

"He's dead."

"I'm so sorry."

"Why? Did you kill him?"

"Of course not."

"Then why are you sorry?"

"Well, to begin with it's very sad when you lose a friend especially someone you love, and I know you loved him."

House looked up from his drink he was staring into when the conversation had started. The beautiful eyes looking back at him seemed to be searching the depths of his soul. He didn't like being sized up.

"Why would you say that?"

"Say what? That I'm sorry? Because it's a nice customary response and it's true. I am sorry that you lost your boyfriend/husband/partner whatever he was to you."

House laughed out loud. She wasn't the first to have thought they were a couple. "Why would you think we were gay?"

"I just assumed you were. Neither of you ever responded to any of the women that hit on you here. I never seen either one of you hit on anyone either. You took very good care of him. You always made sure he had a full drink; you helped him to his seat, and helped him get up when he became weaker. You always made sure he had his jacket on before you left, and you always called a cab before he got too tired so he had enough strength for you to help him walk out to the car."

House was looking at her peculiarly.

"I wasn't stalking you or anything, I just happen to notice things about people, it sort of goes with the territory when you're in my line of work. You learn to read people. I could tell you loved him very much."

"Well, we aren't - weren't gay. I guess you were right about one thing, I did love him. He was my best friend." House couldn't believe he admitted that to a stranger. He couldn't stand when people over shared about their lives, especially with a complete stranger. He quickly finished his drink and she poured him another.

She never once took her eyes off of him the entire time they were talking and it made him very uncomfortable.

She wondered why she felt such an interest in this guy. She had heard hundreds of people's stories and never once had any real interest in getting to know someone because of it. For some reason this guy was different. There was a depth in his eyes, maybe it was a profound sadness and the sadness was more than just because he had lost his friend. She could usually sum a person up in a minute or two, but he was different. His shoes weren't expensive, but his leather jacket was. He had soft hands, but calluses on his fingertips. A musician maybe? He was older, but not married, no ring on his finger, no indentation or tan line from one either. Previously he had always tipped well, but not excessive so he appreciated a job well done, but also thought you should do your job well because it was your job. He and his friend spent their time here instead of at home so not many close friends or home life to speak of. She thought they were gay, but his declaration of their heterosexuality proved that to be an incorrect assumption. He was at least 20 years her senior maybe even more, but that didn't bother her at all. For some reason she wanted to get to know the mysterious stranger better and get to know the man behind those beautiful blue eyes. He was on his fourth drink and didn't seem buzzed in the slightest. He obviously could hold his liquor. She could tell by his vocabulary he was an intellectual, but he didn't appear to be strictly an academic because he rode a motorcycle, perhaps played guitar indicative of where his calluses were located. After several hours there she knew he didn't want to go home wherever home was…As the night continued so did his drinking. She could tell he was finally getting buzzed, the high tolerance pointed to the fact that he probably was an alcoholic because most people would have been beyond wasted by now.

She caught him staring at her a couple of times. She pretended not to notice. She wasn't in the habit of picking up customers in fact it was an unwritten rule of hers and she had never broken it until now. Tonight would be different. She smiled to herself because she already knew she had made up her mind to leave with him. She had been keenly aware since puberty the absolute power her feminine beauty wielded over men. She knew the odds were heavily tipped in her favor that she could get him to leave with her tonight.

It was a week day so the bar closed at midnight. There were only two other customers left when she yelled last call. She wiped down all the tables and the bar and got everything ready for the morning shift. Her regulars left and to her delight the handsome blue eyed man was still there. He got up from his seat and stumbled to the cash register at the end of the bar, he wanted to settle his bill. She wasn't sure if his stumbling was due to his leg or the alcohol or because of both. He left a nice tip and headed for the front door, if she was going to make a move it would have to be now. "Hey, hold on a second." House stopped and turned around. "I'm locking up right now, can you walk me out to my car?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Cool, let me grab my purse, I'll be right there."

She caught up to him, set the alarm and they walked out the door. She stopped to lock the bar up. House sarcastically inquired. "Do you have a lot of stalkers or one in particular waiting to jump you?"

"No, why?"

"Just curious as to why you would want the help of a drunk cripple for protection, that doesn't make much sense so why ask me to walk you out to your car?"

"I just thought it would be nice to have a conversation with you."

"Really? While walking to your car? Seriously? That's just stupid and you don't appear to be a moron, so what is it that you really want? Are you going to hit me over the head and steal my wallet?" She laughed out loud.

"Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine? You aren't a very nice drunk are you?"

"I'm not very nice when I'm not drunk."

"Hmm sounds suspicious to me considering you're the same person I watched care for his friend, but you're right I have an ulterior motive. Do you think it's a good idea to be riding your motorcycle while you're so intoxicated?"

"Do you think it's a good idea to be serving so much liquor to your already drunk patrons? Don't they have laws against that?"

"You're right, I shouldn't have."

"Then why did you?"

"I'm not sure, but let me call you a taxi, better yet just let me drive you home."

"That won't be necessary."

"Look, you're right. I shouldn't have kept serving you, but your friend died and I felt sorry for you, and I thought you could really use getting good drunk on. I don't want to feel guilty if you hurt yourself or someone else so please just let me take you home."

"I did need to get a good drunk on as you so eloquently stated, so thanks for that, but I'll be fine." He was slurring his words now.

"No. I don't think you will be and you owe me. You don't want me to get in trouble after being so nice to you, do you?"

"Fine, I'm staying at the Sedona Red Motel just off the highway. It's not that far from here."

"You're staying at that dive? You've been here for weeks there are much nicer places to stay than that dump."

"Maybe that's all I can afford."

"Maybe. Give me your keys."

"Why? I said you could take me back to the hotel."

"I'm driving your ride."

"You're going to have to drive your car, I have a motorcycle."

"Yeah, I know. Looks like a Honda CBR1000R."

"You're taking me home on my bike?"

"No. I'm taking you to my home on your bike. You can give me a ride back to work tomorrow, now hop on and hold on tight." She put his helmet on. House asked, "Why do you get the helmet?"

"Well, for one you obviously don't care if you die since you were willing to drive a bike drunk, and also you're a loooottt older than me. She exaggerated a lot emphasizing his age. "So since I have way more life to live I should be the one most protected."

House was smiling now. "Good point, but you could've left the latter part out." She laughed. "True, but you deserved it."

"So, what is it with you anyway? A daddy complex?"

"No."

"You just like older men because you find them so attractive?"

"Not usually."

She was a breath of fresh air, she said what she thought, she was straight forward, and he liked that about her. He pressed her further. "Do you make it a habit of taking your customers home?"

"Not usually, actually not ever. You're the first, but even if I did, you don't come across as the kind of person that would care."

"I'm not."

"Then what's the problem?"

"No problem."
When they arrived to her place House was actually a little nervous. He liked this girl and it had been a while since he spent any time with a woman he actually liked and didn't pay for.

As they were walking to her door House asked, "What if I'm a serial killer?"

"Are you?"

"If I was would I actually tell you that I am?"

"Probably not, but I have excellent liedar so I ask you again are you?"

"Yes."

"You're lying."

"Then I guess you're safe."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far, but it would be safe to say you aren't going to kill me." She winked at him. She hung his keys and kicked off her shoes; she walked over to her cupboard and pulled out a bottle of scotch. House thought that was unusual for such a young woman to have scotch in her cupboard.

"No daddy complex, but you have scotch? That's generally not a young woman's drink of choice."

She laughed, "I keep it for my actual dad. It's his drink of choice too." She enjoyed letting him know she was keenly aware of their age difference. She smiled and poured him a drink. "I'm taking a shower make yourself at home." He watched her disappear into her bathroom. He was pretty sure this was a hook up, but she had been concerned about him maybe this wasn't what he hoped it was. He emptied the glass quickly and poured another. While waiting he was sizing her up by her apartment. Her studio was big for being a studio apartment, it was clean, but lived in. She had a bohemian vibe that had an old soul feel to her place. She had an easel, paints, and canvases of all sizes dedicated to an entire corner of her place, she was obviously an artist. He walked over to look through some of her work. She was good; better than good really, she preferred painting people over landscapes. The way she captured them indicated her keen eye had some depth into people and that she didn't just paint features, but captured something special about each one of her subjects. She had textiles in bright colors and some items nicely displayed that indicated she had traveled not in a pretentious way, just a pleasant reminder of where she had been. She liked to get stoned at least once in a while there was a faint smell of weed mixed with some lingering incense. He quickly scanned the room trying to learn anything else he could about her from her belongings, gain any insight to this stranger he had gone home with. He heard the water turning off so he sat on the couch and waited for her to come out. A few minutes later she appeared in the doorway in a Rolling Stones t-shirt hugging her in all the right places, her long hair was hanging almost to her waist and was still damp. She was an image of feminine perfection. Anytime he had seen her working at the bar her hair had been pulled back into a tight bun. She was pretty even then, but now she looked absolutely stunning. He watched her walk to her closet, she grabbed a man's robe and another towel. "Your turn."

"Whose robe?"

"My daddy's of course." She chuckled. "I'm kidding; it was my ex-boyfriend's."

"You kept it, so I'm guessing he broke up with you?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"But you want to get back together so you kept it."

"There is probably some truth in that, but there's no chance in hell we are ever going to get back together." House could never let anything go; he always had to know what he had to know. You obviously like him why is there no chance, did you cheat on him?"

"No."

"He cheated on you, and now you can never forgive him?"

"No."

"He's an abusive drunk?"

"No, he's dead."

House wasn't expecting that, why did he always have to push people?

"I'm sorry."

"Really? Why, are you the one that killed him?"

House's words had come back to bite him in the ass. He hoped he hadn't blown it with her, he liked this girl. She was smart, witty, fast on her feet, and in the short time he had known her she was constantly surprising him, he liked that about her. Not many people could do that.

She handed him a towel and the robe and told him, "Don't take too long."

House took the shower all the while glad for the distraction of tonight, he had dreaded going back to the hotel all day long and at least for tonight he wouldn't have to. When House came out from the shower the lights were off and a few candles were burning. She had blues playing softly in the background. She was turning out to be his dream woman. His leg was hurting; he rubbed it a few times out of habit. "Pain?"

"Always."

"Want some weed? It might help."

"Sure, why not?"

He wasn't a doctor anymore, he wasn't on call, and he didn't have to stay clear headed anymore. She motioned for him to sit next to her in bed. She kind of reminded him of a college aged Cuddy with her legs sitting crisscrossed rolling a joint. Something he had seen Cuddy do on more than one occasion in her dorm room. She finished rolling the joint, sparked it up and passed it to him. House inhaled deeply a few times. The pain was already easing. "So what's your name?"

House was just about to answer her when he remembered he shouldn't be using his real name. He blurted out the first name that popped into his head. "Chase."

"Funny you don't look like a Chase, she said after taking a hit; she passed the joint back to House.

"Really? Hmm what do I look like then?"

"A James maybe."

House was amused by the irony of her picking that name of all names.

"And yours? What's your name?"

"Amber."

House turned almost ghost white. There is no way in hell her name was Amber he thought to himself and then it occurred to him. "Wilson put you up to this?" She started laughing. "Yeah, he did." Well played Wilson he thought to himself with slight amusement, but then he felt like a complete idiot. "He put you up to all of this…" He sounded a little let down. She quickly added, "Well, not all of it. He told me you would probably be in to the bar after he died. He said you would most likely get out of hand and paid me to keep an eye on you when you did." House couldn't believe how disappointed he was with her revelation, he thought she liked him too. "He told me the names were an inside joke." House nodded his head in slight amusement. She could tell she had hurt him; his eyes always gave him away even if his words said different. "Just so you know, I would have done it for free, but there was no way I could turn down two thousand dollars."

So, you're a working girl and this is all on the books, you're good, I can usually tell."

"Don't be such an ass; he paid me to look after you not have sex with you." House was well on his way to being stoned. "Then why make me take a shower?"

"Umm because I want to have sex with you, genius." House didn't believe her for one second, but she would still be a nice distraction. "So what's your name?" House asked. "It's Celeste."

"Oh sure, that sound legit, not like a stripper name at all."

"Wow! You don't have to be so insulting, that really is my name."

"really?"

"Yes, really. My mother was a bit of a hippy."

"You're too young to have a hippy for a mother."

"True, but my grandmother was and I guess her vibe was passed down through our DNA."

Celeste crawled over to House's side of the bed, she straddled his lap. She began kissing him gently at first, but as he responded to her touch the electricity between them intensified. House removed her T-shirt, her hair spilled all around her. She was so damn beautiful House thought to himself. He used her body to numb his pain; wave after wave of ecstasy was had by them both. House felt alive for the first time in months. The dew of passion poured off of their skin and both were completely satisfied. "Wow! Chase that was…well amazing!" House didn't like being called Chase. He never liked other people getting credit for his work and this felt no different. Why did that bother him so much? She is nothing more than paid distraction you idiot, he told himself. He reminded himself that everybody lies. She was still sitting on top of him. "I know you just lost your friend, but there is so much sadness in those beautiful blue eyes of yours. Layer upon layer." She kissed his cheek softly.

"I don't need a shrink." He said angrily. I'm sorry Chase; I just call it like I see it. I like you, a lot, and I just thought maybe you needed someone to talk to."

"You don't even know me, how can you say you like me?"

"I may not have known you for long, but I know your heart. You're loyal, kind, and you care deeply for your friends." I could see that in the way you cared for your friend and how much he cared for you wanting to make sure you were okay after he was gone. House was annoyed by the reminder that this whole night had been a set up. "I'm not a kind person at all"

"That's not true."

"You're just a stupid little girl and you don't even know my real name."

"Well, maybe I was wrong about you, and you're just a mean jerk!" Celeste moved off of his lap. He immediately regretted sounding cross with her. Why did he say that? Why did he always have to be such a dick head? He wished he could take it back. Would he ever learn? He had genuinely hurt her; he could see it in her eyes, and for what? She had been nothing but kind to him. Maybe they did have a real connection; he just didn't know what was real and what wasn't anymore. Maybe none of it was real, but he liked spending time with her. He swept her hair away from her face. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. It's just what I do. "

"You don't have to push me away. I don't want to marry your or anything I just wanted to be with you, You seem interesting, your handsome, and I like talking to you, not to mention the sex was freaking fantastic, didn't you think so?" He smiled, "Yeah, I did." She kissed him passionately again. Celeste was healing to his soul. After spending so many months with someone who was dying, her beauty, her youth, and her passion were refreshing. He didn't want to ever leave. He just wanted to be near her and bask in her energy and light. Just like he had once wanted to with Dominkia. He had desperately wanted her to stay and had screwed that up so royally and he was screwing up again. There were so many things he already liked about Celeste. He liked she could handle herself around a bar, on a motorcycle, she had great taste in music, she smelled delicious, she was outstanding in bed and she was stunning to look at. She had brains, beauty, and talent. It wasn't lost on him how quickly things could change. Yesterday he wanted to end his life, and today he actually wanted to live.

It occurred to House how much power women truly yielded in this world. They could change the course of life with one wink of their eye. He found comfort in her passions yet again and the both of them fell asleep from exhaustion.

House woke up to the smell of coffee brewing. It was the first time in a long time that he had slept through the night it surprised him that he slept so soundly next to Celeste.

House watched her through half open eyes. She seemed to almost bounce wherever she walked. Her youthful energy was to be envied. Celeste poured House a cup of coffee when she seen that he was awake. "Good morning sleepy head."

"Good morning."

"Black?"

"Is there any other way?"

"Not for a man like you."

"A man like me?"

"I can only go by the short time we have had together, but you are definitely all man, so no mocha latte extra whip for you." She softly giggled.

He could feel the stupid grin spreading across his face even though he tried not to, she was pleased with him and he was happy about that.

Celeste opened all of her curtains now that he was awake. She had to stand on her tip toes to reach the tops of them. When she raised her hands above her head he could see everything that had delighted him last night and he could feel his desire for her grow, he wanted her again. He sipped his coffee, and waited for the morning acclimation of pain to come. Once he thought he wouldn't fall over from standing he went to the bathroom, washed his face, gargled and hoped to find Celeste still in just her T-shirt. She was watering her plants now. Her back was to him, he walked up to her and pressed his body into hers. He caressed her curves repeatedly and firmly ran his hands over her silhouette. He began to nuzzle her neck. She moaned as she pressed into his kisses. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

House was a man of excellence and a man of excess. Whatever he liked he dedicated his time and energy to wherever his pursuits took him he always immersed himself in them fully. Anything he had ever done he did well and to the best of his abilities. He attacked everything he had a passion for with dedication and drive and sex had been no different. He pursued many things in his life including music and his education, but his favorite of all his studies was sex. He put just as much time and effort into gaining knowledge and insight into studying the art of sex as any other thing he had ever mastered. He learned a lot from reading he even studied other cultures and their ideas about sex including the art of Kama Sutra, but his real education began when he approached sex scientifically almost like one would run a clinical study. His first experiences with prostitutes were about learning and the discovery of what women liked in bed, and what made them tick without the pressure of having an actual relationship. His explorations had served him well over the years because often times his lovers stayed longer than maybe they would have otherwise because of the amazing sex with him. He never had anything but complete and total satisfaction from the women in that department.

Being with Celeste was impractical, it was illogical, it would not last, but he would use his skills to make sure she fully enjoyed their time together as much as he did.

Eventually their morning love making turned into afternoon love making and with regret Celeste had to get ready for work. Her car was still at the bar so House gave her ride on his motorcycle. He dropped Celeste off with no plans of ever seeing her again.

House decided it was time to check out the storage facility. When he arrived and opened the door to his delight and surprise it almost looked like a small mini studio apartment. Because of the desert climate his unit was equipped with air conditioning. Wilson had done an amazing job of putting some things together that he knew House would love. Even in death Wilson was trying to make sure he was okay. House's piano and favorite two guitars were there as well as his beloved ridiculously ugly coffee table. He had arranged a few of his most favorite books on a shelving unit. He had a t.v with video games and a twin bed and desk. Everything was a super tight fit, but just perfect as far as House was concerned. If it had a bathroom he could live there quite comfortably. When he opened the t.v. unit/armoire every shelf and every drawer had prescription Vicodin in them. It looked like a ten year supply to House. There was a note taped to the inside of the door that read,

"Dear, House, if we get to take our memories to the next life then I will never forget how much you sacrificed your own comfort for mine. I never fully understood what pain actually meant until I went through chemo and lived with cancer. You gave up your own supply of Vicodin the time you helped me with chemo at your house giving up more than I deserved after giving you so much grief about those dam pills, and you risked giving up your potential freedom for me. If I had died for the crazy idea I had to double up on chemo at your house you would have paid the price. I'm sorry I put you in that position. I've tried making it up to you by tapping out every doctor I have ever known, and I even stole script pads from other doctors (something I learned from you) and used dozens of pharmacies to acquire this stash for you. You will have to be wise and not over use because obviously you could never get a legit script again, so once these are gone they are gone. Maybe I just signed your death warrant, but the choice is yours to make. I hope these will help you endure the physical pain of this life, something I had never fully understood until very recently, but I have new respect for what you dealt with daily for all these years. I'm sorry I wasn't a better friend to you and judged you so harshly for being an addict. I only wish now that I had a prescription to help you with the mental pain that you have always refused to deal with. I know it's tied up somehow in your childhood, but I have nothing to help you there my friend. Do the WORK House, maybe you can be set free from whatever has imprisoned you. Be well and for shits and giggles Be Not Afraid!

Eternally Grateful,

Wilson.

House was contemplating everything that Wilson said and was amazed at what he had done, and how he had accomplished all of it without his help and without him knowing. There was another envelope on the twin bed, but he didn't know if he could handle reading another one of Wilson's letters so soon, he decided not to look at it just yet. House wanted to get back to the motel so he could shower and then grab something to eat. His time with Celeste had depleted him and he needed some sustenance, but damn, it was worth it he thought to himself. House locked up and headed back to the Sedona Red.

After House showered he decided to take a nap before grabbing some food. He took some Vicodin, turned the radio on softly, closed his eyes and he was out. He had no idea how long he had been sleeping but he woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door. He hoped it was the maid otherwise he may be in trouble. The knocking stopped before he could reach the door, he opened it and Celeste was walking away. "Celeste, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I thought maybe you were poolside or something."

"I was sleeping."

"Oh I'm sorry, I must have worn you out." She said with a gleam in her eye.

"Yeah, I guess you did."

"What time is it? Don't you get off work around midnight or so?" Yeah, usually but I asked a friend to cover for me. Are you hungry Chase? Want to grab something to eat? House looked upset and when she seen the look on his face she apologized. "Sorry, I guess I over stepped in tracking you down. I'll leave."

"No, no it's not that, umm can you come in for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure." She was happy that he wasn't turning her away.

"Look Celeste, I just can't stand hearing you call me Chase. I wasn't going to tell you anything about it, and maybe I'll regret it, but my name is Gregory, people call me House."

She looked disappointed. "Oh I get it, you don't leave real names, and you don't leave numbers not even fake ones. I should've never come, I get it, it was a one night stand. Cool, I'll let you get back to your nap. She got up to leave and House stepped in front of her to stop her from reaching for the door. "No, it's not like that, "Look I have no reason to trust you except that I just do which makes no sense to me by the way, but that's beside the point. I'm hiding from the authorities and I gave you a fake name because everyone thinks I'm dead and I'd like to keep it that way or I'm headed back to jail." He didn't seem like the type of guy that had been to jail before and now he would be put back in if he was found? What in the heck had she gotten herself into and what was she doing there with a fugitive? House could see the fear in her face. I didn't rape anyone or anything like that. I'm a serial killer." Her eyes got wide and then she punched him in the shoulder. "Not funny!"

"Ouch! You've got a wicked punch for such a pixie."

"Why are you pretending to be dead?"

"It's a long story Celeste, and the truth is the less you know the better, but I'm honestly not a killer, a rapist, an abuser or anything like that and if you want to go I totally understand, but please don't let the police know about this conversation."

"I'm not leaving and I do trust you, all though I have no reason to and I don't understand why I do. Okay, look I won't ask you any more questions but one."

"What is it that you want to know?"

"Are you ready for another round with me? I've been thinking about you all day long."

House grabbed her by her long hair and kissed her fervently biting her lower lip softly, her head was spinning, she had been thinking about his hands, his touches, his kisses the entire time she had been at work. They both got wrapped in each other's desires; and they passionately with much enthusiasm made love. Here she was again with the stranger she really knew nothing about except some vague facts about how he was on the run and in the reckless, impassioned moment she didn't even care.

House and Celeste were both famished after their heated tryst and they decided to get something to eat. Sitting across from each other they both were quiet. She didn't want to seem overly inquisitive, and he was never one for small chat anyway. House knew even then as much as he enjoyed her company that he was too old for her, too set in his ways, and too much trouble to ever have a lasting relationship with her, but he wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet.

Celeste finally broke the silence, "I think you should get your stuff and come stay with me because that motel really sucks."

"As in move in with you?"

"Why not?"

"I could list a dozen reasons just off the top of my head."

"Look, I'm not asking for a commitment of marriage or anything, we enjoy each other's company and my place is a lot nicer than that crappy motel."

"We enjoy sex with each other, we have nothing in common."

"Okay, so we enjoy sex with each other, there's nothing wrong with that being the only reason, but you aren't being quite fair about knowing if we have anything other than sex in common or not, you don't really know me, and I don't really know you."

"I don't really want to get to know you." Celeste was hurt by that, her eyes spoke volumes. She started pulling cash out of her wallet.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm paying for my meal. There's no reason to continue I'll get out of your hair." He could tell she was trying very hard to hold back the tears. House put his hand on her arm and said, "Please don't go, I'm sorry I'm just not good with this kind of thing. What I wanted to say, and should have just said was that I don't want to get to know you better because I already like you a lot, but this won't end well. I am who I am and I'm just not boyfriend material. Besides that the age difference alone makes this doomed from the start."

Celeste was happy that he explained a little more clearly because now she had a chance and she didn't want to blow it. "Look, like I told you before I'm not asking for a commitment, I don't even want one. I'm just having fun with you and I think you are too. Let's just hang out with no strings attached. Were you planning on staying in Sedona forever?"

"I haven't even thought about tomorrow, I have no plans for the future."

"Staying with me has got to be better than staying at that shitty motel at least until you figure out what you're going to do. I may be young, but I'm a big girl. When you want to leave I won't try and stop you." House wanted to believe it was that easy that he could just pick up and go when he was ready, but he knew his reluctance to say yes had more to do with him not ever wanting to leave someone like Celeste than her needing him to stick around.

"As long as you're clear about me just staying temporarily than yeah, I'd like that."

"Cool!"

"Cool."

The next few weeks were fun and House began to let his guard down which was always a mistake and he knew it, but he was actually enjoying himself. Celeste liked video games, she had similar taste in music, she had an excellent hook up with killer weed, and the sex was amazing. Sometimes he would cook for her when she got off of work and it was all great for a while, until the lack of challenges in his life began to wreak havoc on his mood, he felt trapped by the lack of ambition. For the first time in his life he had no goals, no objectives, no aspirations and he didn't like it. His disposition began to change; he let old habits take over and he started pushing Celeste away. She didn't deserve it, he knew that and somehow it didn't stop him from being a jerk. He didn't want things to end badly between them, he knew she would end up hating him so before he ruined some sweet memories for him and her both he packed up his stuff, wrote a note good bye and left.

Celeste noticed that all the lights were turned off and House's motorcycle was gone. She had a feeling he was gone for good. She could sense he was getting antsy and wondered how much longer he would stick around. She had hoped to win his heart, but early on figured out he had built walls so high around it that she would never be able to scale them. She tried protecting her own heart because she knew inevitably this is how it would end, but as hard as she tried not to, she loved him.

She walked through the door turned on the light and seen the note on the table.

"Dear Celeste, I'm not good with goodbyes, thank you for being there for me when I needed someone. I don't believe in angels, but if they were ever real than I'm sure you are one of them, you saved me when I needed some salvation. You are smart, beautiful, and so much fun to be with; I know you are going to be better in the long run without me. I'm too set in my ways and you deserve more than I am capable of ever giving you. I wish you all the happiness in the world.

Stay cool cutie,

The real me…

Celeste thought she might cry, but instead poured a drink and thought of him fondly. He had always been honest with her and never once lied about what they were about and she hoped he would find his happiness too.

House brought his things to the storage facility and crashed there for the night. Wherever he ended up, he couldn't go back to the Sedona Red Motel; he didn't want Celeste to show up because leaving her was hard enough the first time. Playing house with her was fun but feelings were developing on both sides and it would just be too hard when their relationship crashed and burned, and it definitely would.

It had been a little over a year since Cameron found out about House's death. She regretted so many things. Maybe if she hadn't been so selfish he might still be alive. Thankfully between working and being a mother she rarely had time to think about him, about her choices, but today the clinic was closed and Gregorie was napping, but unfortunately the luxury of time always brought with it memories of him.

Cameron had admired House from the moment she heard about him and was captivated by his reputation. When she found out that he was hiring a team she did everything she possibly could to make sure she was a part of it. She wasn't surprised he had chosen her out of the hundreds of applicants. She had studied everything she could about House and made sure she bent her applications to his likes. She wanted this position more than she had wanted anything else ever. Cameron had been at the top of her class, a dedicated doctor, but more importantly to House she was stunningly beautiful. In doing her research she knew House liked his eye candy and wasn't shy about it. Cameron decided she would play to her strengths to make sure she would have an edge over her female competition, she would get her foot in the door anyway she could for a chance to work with the brilliant diagnostician.

She spent her entire school career and medical training keeping her beauty in the shadows. She wanted people to take her seriously and it had been her experience that men tended not to do that with beautiful women. She wore very little make-up, she always chose sensible clothing and often had her hair pulled back into a pony tail. However, Cameron knew if she was able to work with House her career would know no limits. She decided if eye candy was what he liked then that's what she would give him. She actually took professional head shots to submit with her application and she hoped it would sway House in her direction.

She had heard many things about House, his genius was never in question but his moral character constantly was. There were many rumors and plenty of stories circulating about him and none of them were very nice. He liked prostitutes, he was a drug addict, he was self-centered, egotistical, narcissistic, insensitive, uncaring and brutally honest, but his brilliance, and diagnostic genius gave him a pass for many of his character flaws. She was sure she would strongly dislike him but she would sacrifice her personal comfort to learn from the best of the best. In the end she made the right decision because House did up choosing her for the position, she had made it she was part of his team.

Cameron was surprised by how much she liked her boss. Others found him to be abrasive, harsh, and often condescending, but she actually found him to be refreshing. He was many of the things that people said he was, but she also found him to be the very opposite of uncaring. His refusal to meet with patients was misinterpreted by most people in her opinion, she felt it's what kept him objective which helped him be the best doctor he could be and he suffered people's bad opinions because of it. House's brutal honesty forced people to confront hard truths about themselves and that often times could be uncomfortable, but his approach usually helped people deal with whatever issues they needed to deal with and she saw it as an act of kindness that often left House in isolation and friendless, but ultimately helped the person he was honest with. She knew it wasn't always altruistic, but many times it absolutely was. Where others only seen selfishness she seen a life of sacrifice. He often times denied his own happiness, he gave up friends, family, and respect to dedicate his existence to his craft. People assumed he was a drug addict because of his use of Vicodin and he was, but she knew it was necessary in order for him to function with the constant and extreme pain he was always in. She obviously had heard many of the horrible things he would say to people, but she also more importantly witnessed his actions which relevantly spoke to his goodness. She watched him put his own life in danger trying to save Foreman from certain death. If House had not been willing to personally find the cause as to what was killing Foreman, putting his very own life on the line Forman would have died. Cameron often thought House just needed someone to believe in him, to love him just as he was, and she did. His crystal blue eyes often haunted her thoughts; she wanted to take care of him, to protect him from all of people's wrong assumptions about him, and to protect him from himself. In the beginning she tried hiding her feeling for him but ultimately she couldn't, she had loved House, and if she was being honest with herself she still did, she feared she always would.

No matter what she had done to try and get House to see she loved him and they would be good together he would never allow himself to see her as anything more than a student with a school girl crush. She was embarrassed thinking about how far she had pushed things; she even resorted to blackmailing him into giving her date once. She knew he wanted her to stay and work with him the first time she left. House hated change and she used that knowledge against him, forcing his hand into agreeing to go out with her for one night. She remembered seeing him and feeling hopeful because he picked a beautiful restaurant and even dressed up for their evening together. He had complimented her, and brought her a corsage. She was overjoyed with his efforts and really believed that after all of his denials that maybe he wanted to be with her too. She couldn't have been more wrong. The sting of him sitting across the table from her hearing from his own lips all the reasons he didn't like her in that way and why it would never work out between them hurt her deeply. She knew some part of him was lying or he could have just picked another person to work for him, he could have not agreed to come on the date with her, but he was scared of what it could be, that had to be the reason didn't it? She asked herself. Nothing else made sense some part of him wanted to explore their relationship further. She had always told herself that he was just protecting her from himself because he did love her and she knew he thought he was too broken of a person to love someone the way they deserved to be loved. He hid behind insults, but she chose to believe that deep down he really did love her.

Tears had come, she hadn't thought on these things in a long time. She remembered fondly how he kept his word, she knew he was a man of his word and she had fought that night with everything in her arsenal to redeem the evening that had crashed and burned all of her plans with the love of her life. She swallowed her pride and gathered her thoughts, and put her best foot forward after he had crushed her with his words. She used any means necessary to achieve her objective. House had put up walls with her every time she had ever made herself vulnerable and that time had been no different. However, she wasn't the shy girl that backed down when he confronted her so harshly in the past, that night she would be the vixen that House had no clue she could be, the kind of woman he always paid for, only that night the fem fatale would be someone who actually knew him, who was actually in love with him. She made sure the drinks kept flowing; she wanted to knock a few of those bricks off of his wall.

Cameron did what she could to try and keep up drinking with House without losing control. She "accidently" spilled a drink. She would ask for another before hers was actually finished. She ordered her drinks straight (with ice) unlike House's neat. When dinner was over he said thank you for a nice night and that he would see her at work in the morning. Cameron was not happy with that and interjected strongly that he owed her one "real" date and that there was no way in hell he would end an evening with a beautiful woman who invited him back to her place. House was staring at her with a look of shock, a look she had never seen him express until now.

"Oh come on Cameron we both know you're bluffing and that you aren't forcing me to sleep with you to come back to work for me." Cameron looked him eye to eye not backing down, not showing one iota of how timid she felt right then and there. House actually was amused by the game. "So are you telling me I have to sleep with you or you won't come back to work for me?"

"No, I'm just saying you still owe me at least time. You would never end your evening early if you thought you had an opportunity to have sex."

"Fine, we both know you're bluffing, but I'll bite let's go back to your place."

House had only seen the inside of Cameron's house briefly once before. It was warm, cozy, not any different than what he would expect from her, but one thing he did find unusual, she didn't have any photos just art work on her walls. She had none of her parents, or a sibling, none of any friends, and not of any of her exes either it was void of anything truly personal. That intrigued him, he was now very curious as to why the lack of anything relational was evident in her home.

Allison poured House another drink. "Trying to get me drunk?"

"Maybe."

"So you think if I get drunk then you can take advantage of me and once I taste the fruits of your love I'll fall madly in love with you and we're going to live happily ever after?" He said sarcastically

"Maybe."

"That's not going to happen."

"Don't worry House I'm just teasing, I already know that."

"Then what's the point of all this?"

"The point is I want one night of hot, sweaty, nasty sex with you, and don't worry I promise no one will ever know and I can finally get you out of my system once and for all."

"Yeah right, like you would even be psychologically capable of having a no strings attached night of passion with someone you care about. You're the squishy type, you love unicorns and mermaids. This isn't you, Cameron."

"You think you know me, you thing you have me all figured out. You might know some things about me, you may know my public persona, you might know some of my personality, my work ethic, and you may even know me better than most, but you have no idea who I am behind closed doors. You don't have me all figured out House and you certainly don't know how I feel about sex."

"So you're telling me with certainty you want a one night stand with no strings attached?"

"Yes."

"Won't that make things awkward between us? I hate awkward and you'll end up leaving because of it."

"No. I won't."

"You say that now."

"You have my word that if we end up having sex tonight no one will ever know, if you don't tell them, and I will continue working with you."

Cameron poured him another drink. I'm going to slip into something more comfortable. House was having an internal dialogue. He knew he liked Cameron a lot, maybe even loved her. She was beautiful, smart, sweet, an exceptional doctor, and she actually liked him. He didn't understand why she was attracted to him. He had been rude, curt and harsh with her time and time again. He had done everything he could to squish her infatuation with him. He knew he could really fall for her and he didn't want to go through that kind of pain again. She would eventually end up resenting who he was; she would become disillusioned with him it just wasn't worth the pain. After breaking up with Stacey the cost had been too high and it wasn't a price he was willing to pay again. Besides he had convinced himself that what Cameron was feeling wasn't real, it was the equivalent to a school girl crush.

House finished his drink and poured another. Was he even entertaining the idea? It would be a regrettable mistake, wouldn't it? He was going back and forth. He wanted her, he had always wanted her, but he would rather see her everyday than have a hit it and quit situation. He heard Cameron putting on some music in her room. Wow! She's really going for it; was he actually considering this? No, don't do it you idiot. You're thinking with the wrong head.

Allison came to the doorway. He almost spit out his drink. She looked like she belonged in a music video all that was missing was the fog. He must be passed out at home dreaming this up there was no way this is really what was going on. She had a short catholic school girl uniform on that hugged her in all the right places. "Shut it down House, this isn't going to end well, no good can come from this." He couldn't look away she was wearing white thigh high stockings with a garter belt and red stiletto heels. Her cropped button up shirt was tied at her waist and her hair was in two pony tails.

"Wow! The whole hot for teacher thing is really working for you."

"Well, you always treat me like I'm a school girl with a crush on her professor so I figured why not?"

House was sitting on her couch staring at her intently. She made her way to him and straddled his lap. He wasn't expecting her to take it this far. "Come on Cameron what are you doing?"

"House, shut up!"

"You don't want to do this, this isn't you."

"I told you, you have no idea who I am."

Allison grabbed House's face and began to kiss him deeply. House was trying to stop himself from responding, but once he felt the warmth of her on his lap he knew he was giving in to what they both wanted and the consequences be dammed. Allison grabbed House's hands and set them on her hips. We have one night, that's it, House. We have no time, no rules, just you and me. Don't think, don't evaluate, don't hold back."

"Cameron this is a mistake." She was kissing his neck. "I'm not Cameron and you're not House. Tonight I'm Allison and you're Gregory. Allison was purposeful, determined, and extremely sexy. He was definitely turned on. She got off his lap and pulled him up by his tie and led him into her bedroom. Allison backed Gregory onto her bed. This wasn't what he expected to happen tonight, she was toying with him like a cat plays with a mouse and he liked every minute of it. House knew he had impulse control issues, but now with Cameron, he didn't want to ruin their friendship or working relationship or whatever it was that they had, he couldn't think straight. Cameron could feel she was about to lose House to his logic, he was getting ready to walk out the door. Even now he was fighting taking advantage of her. She upped the ante and made sure to seal the deal. She unbuttoned her shirt and climbed on top of House. Allison nibbled on his neck and on his ear; she placed his hands on her breast. He couldn't control himself any longer and showed her what it meant to be teacher. She had finally bypassed his reasoning, and he more than responded, he took control of what was happening. Gregory flipped her over and kissed her on the back of the neck and worked his way expertly down her back. Gently he bit her hips and waist; he found his way to the warmth that decided their fate tonight. He gained access proficiently and maneuvered with skillful and purposeful hands. He flipped her over again and looked into her eyes, she was already in ecstasy. How many times had she dreamed about this very moment, this was better than she could have ever possibly imagined. He raised her arms above her head had held her wrist together with one hand while his other hand explored her body capably finding out what pleased her. Allison was reeling, his hands caressed every curve, he bit her body in different places applying the perfect balance of pleasure and pain she moaned with delight and desire moved her to reach for him and let any inhibitions go she expertly returned the gratification he had given her. She had lovers before but nothing had prepared her for what he had given her. They spent the rest of the night tangled in the passion of forbidden lust; they continued to be raptured in euphoric bliss and when all their strength had been depleted they fell asleep in each other's arms from pure exhaustion.

Allison woke and momentarily wondered if last night had been the most amazing dream of her life, but she felt House lying next to her. She looked at the clock it was almost four in the morning. She never wanted this night to end. How could she ever let him go now? She had never known anyone like him before, his mind was brilliant, he could be infuriating at times, but what she had experienced last night brought a new awakening to her she would never be satisfied with another lover now.

Allison needed to shower before work, she didn't want to get out of bed but she told him no one would ever know if he didn't tell them and if she showed up to work late after everyone knew about their date, she would be breaking her word to him. Cameron slipped quietly out of bed and hoped he would feel differently about her after the exhilaration of what happened last night between them.

As soon as House heard the water turn on in the shower and the sliding glass door shut the reality of letting this happen began to sink in. He knew he would lose his team over this. He had thought so many times about exploring their relationship and last night proved they definitely had chemistry but he knew they would never be on the same page about the big things in life. She was young, she would eventually want a family; she would want a husband that stayed home and played with the kids. He was a drinking, smoking, drug-addicted man-child and he knew nothing would ever change that, they had no future together. He quickly got dressed and left for home.

When Cameron got out of the shower and seen that House had already left she was extremely disappointed, but she wasn't surprised. She didn't know how she would be able to face him and act as if everything was the same and that last night never happened, but she knew that's exactly what she would have to do or he would let her go before she could find a way into his heart and prove she could be the one for him.

House was already regretting last night, but it had been amazing, if he never had to see her again it would have been a perfect night or if he were a normal person and could spend the rest of his life with her it would have been perfect night only neither one of those scenarios were an option. He would be seeing her everyday and he knew Cameron wouldn't be able to let things go back to the way they were, maybe he was wrong about that, he certainly didn't expect any part of what happened last night from her. He knew he was being ridiculous, people don't change and even though she said she wanted just one night, everyone lies and because of how much he liked her he ignored every logical fiber in his body. He was a moron!

When they both returned to work the following day, everyone was more than curious about their date and what had transpired between them. Both played it off like it was no big deal, and no true specifics were ever revealed by either one of them. Cameron had surprised him; she never let anyone know about their night together. Not many people ever surprised him. It had cost him though, things were different between them. She wanted more from him, he wanted to be able to give her more, but he was never going to change and ultimately even though she loved him, she couldn't forgive him for it. He knew her getting together with Chase was never going to last, but at least she had someone to channel her attentions on. It was hard to see her with him, but he knew it was better than anything they could have together because anything they had together would end in pain for the both of them and he wanted to avoid pain whenever possible.

House spent the next few nights at the storage facility wondering what he would do now. He had picked apart every aspect of his life including his relationships with Stacey, Cameron, Cuddy, Lydia, Dominika, and now Celeste. How could he have been recognized for his intelligence and be such a damn moron too? Every single one of them were amazing women, far prettier, far more intelligent, far more caring than most, and he managed to screw up every single one of those relationships. The only thing that he was ever any good at, the only thing that he didn't manage to screw up was being a doctor. He was convinced he would never know any kind of happiness ever again without being able to be a doctor. He had been ruminating on an idea that had been brewing in the back of his head. Maybe it was because he was drunk, maybe he had a little too much Vicodin but maybe he really could practice medicine. Of course he wouldn't be a high profile diagnostician, the reason most people thought he did what he did was strictly for the puzzle, for the recognition, for the glory, but it was always because he wanted to make a difference. The other stuff was just icing on the cake, but he missed eating cake.

"You've always been in it for the puzzle, and people don't change."

"You again? Maybe they do."

"And do you have evidence for such ridiculous nonsense?"

"You don't have all the answers and mine certainly haven't worked out for me."

"Mine is your answers genius. Why do you say that because you're alone? You've always said everyone dies alone."

"I was wrong! Wilson didn't die alone. I was there for him, I tried to be there for you…Wilson wasn't alone and that made a difference to him."

"Valid point, I'll give you that, but what, you're a humanitarian now? Helping people out of the kindness of your heart? Doesn't sound like you."

"I am capable of caring about people, I just choose not to."

"Yeah, I know and apparently now you know too." Amber disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared.

House made up his mind and he once again would need Lucas' help. House looked through some of the identities Wilson helped procure for him and he finally settled on Blake Jones, now all he needed was a fake passport. House was hoping that Lucas could once again work his magic.

Lucas got a simple text from a number he didn't recognize, but who the message was from was no mystery to him. Midnight Blues was the agreed upon calling card if House was ever in trouble. Lucas waited until Cuddy went to work to return his call. Cuddy accidently finding out that House was still alive was something he couldn't risk ever coming to light. If Lisa ever found out that Lucas helped House fake his death and his disappearance he was worried she may never forgive him and he wouldn't risk losing the love of his life ever again.

"House, I called you as soon as I could, sorry about the wait. You must be desperate, what's up?"

Wilson is dead it happened a few weeks ago, I'm going out of my mind with boredom, I need to get back to work."

"I'm sorry about Wilson, but House when you started down this road I told you that you would never be able to come back, you said you understood."

"Yeah, I know and I'm not, at least not in the traditional sense."

"What the hell does that mean? Not in any sense!"

"Look, my life is a mess, but I think I've found a way to have some kind of meaning in it, you know like what you found when you built your happy little life with Cuddy and Rachel."

"How did you know about that?"

"I'm not an idiot Lucas, you liked me, but we weren't lifelong friends or anything. You wouldn't have helped me if it didn't help you. You wouldn't have risked what you did if there wasn't a pay off worth risking for. Cuddy was why you put your ass on the line."

"What is it that you want?"

"Wilson with your help arranged for some fake I.D's and all I need is a passport to have some kind of a life."

"Oh, is that all… Why don't you ask for a slice of cheese from the moon, that's about as likely!"

"I know it might be difficult."

"Difficult doesn't even come close, try impossible."

"I know it won't be easy, but you don't want me coming around messing up the good thing you have going on."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, Lucas, but I might as well be in jail with three square meals if you don't besides you want me to stay dead your dream life depends on it, so you'll find a way. With all of your assets, with all your connections I know you're going to make this happen because you like your life, in fact you love your life and you do not want anything screwing that up. Blake Jones appreciates it"

"Fine, Mr. Blake Jones, I don't know how long it's going to take, but you'll have it. I'll call you when it's been arranged."

House had been hanging out at bars all throughout Arizona, playing his guitar he even made it to a few open mike nights. For weeks he had taken in some of the local sights Arizona had to offer trying to kill some time waiting to hear back from Lucas. The lack of feeling useful in any way shape or form was beginning to wear on him, he hoped Lucas wouldn't be much longer because he was running out of things to keep himself occupied and he knew that would eventually lead to him getting in trouble. Trouble had a way of finding him, actually he had a way of finding trouble and he was no longer in a position to allow that to happen.

Lucas knew the ins and outs of procuring fake documents; he had contacts in all walks of life including the underworld. He also knew that his happiness with Lisa and Rachel depended on his ability to get House out of the country and he would do whatever he had to in order to make that happen.

House finally got the phone call he had been waiting for. Lucas got the documentation he needed and to make sure there were no problems he went above and beyond and arranged for a private flight into the jungles of South America. House wanted to start a clinic in a corner of the world in some out of the way remote village. He took a huge chunk of the money that Wilson had left for him and used it once he got to South America to build a small clinic and living quarters along with medicine and items he needed to get the clinic going. There was a freedom in not having anyone know anything about him or his past, or his reputation professional or otherwise. He had changed in many ways once he served time in prison and even more so over the last year. He had spent a life time repressing memories from his childhood and Wilson's death forced him to deal with some things he had never been ready or willing to deal with before. It had brought some healing to him and a desire to make some profound lasting changes; he didn't want to be a victim of his childhood any longer. His whole life had been spent trying to solve problems, answer unanswerable questions, to make the pieces of puzzles fit and now that he had put together some of his own missing pieces his motivations had changed. He realized how much being there for Wilson mattered not just to him, but to Wilson too. It was difficult towards the end, but he had experienced a new appreciation for caring for people. He spent a lot of time absorbing a new reality for him, it actually was fulfilling to help someone who was helpless he thought to himself. "Give it a rest House, you only felt that way because it was your best friend you were helping. Do you honestly think you're going to get some great sense of fulfillment from helping strangers? You hate that part of medicine, you always have and it's just not you!"

"Well, I don't get to be me anymore!"

"That's right you don't, so find some nice white sandy beach somewhere and live out your days with the three V's"

"The three V's?"

"Come on House don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about…Vicodin, Vodka, and Voluptuous Babes."

"Been there done that. Yeah, it's great for a while but there has to be something more."

"Why? Why does there have to be something more?"

"I don't know there just does!"

"Wow! Great argument there, your debating skills have kind of gone to crap sense we last talked."

"I'm done listening to you."

"I'm here to protect you, to make sure you don't end up a weak pathetic sap."

"You haven't protected me, you've stunted me with fear every step of the way and I'm giving this a go. I've spent my entire life searching for answers, searching for peace, for some kind of lasting happiness, and I don't know if this will give me any of those things, but it's worth a try."

The location House picked was a remote one. There were no other doctors or clinics for miles and miles around. He may not have the luxuries of his old life, but with his guitar, Vicodin, and a new clinic he had all he needed and now he wanted to build some kind of a meaningful existence for himself that wasn't just pure misery.

House had gotten to know some of the locals pretty well while they were building his home and clinic. There was a new ease with people because they had no idea who he was, no preconceived ideas of who or what he was about. He had lost everyone he had ever cared about except his mother and in a sense she might as well be dead to him too because he was dead to her, he would never be able to go back home and as sad as that made him there was also comfort in knowing there was no one left to disappoint, he was free from everything that had ever held him back except for the pain in his leg, he knew that would always be a part of his life, but at least he was enjoying the freedom of so much anonymity.

The clinic was crude, but operational, it was slow at first but as word of mouth grew about the American doctor he got busier and busier. He worked long hours, but be actually didn't mind it too much. The people were extremely grateful, and they seen him through new eyes; not as a sarcastic jerk, but as a caring doctor. He hated with a passion his clinic duty at the hospital it was a constant source of dread and frustration and he had always viewed it as pure punishment, but here it was somehow different, maybe he was different. Maybe losing everyone and everything he had ever cared about made him appreciate the things he obviously took for granted in his old life. Whatever the reason his work now had brought him some sense of meaning that he had severely been lacking just a few months ago.

The pain in his leg was bad, but he tried very hard to keep his consumption of Vicodin to bare minimum. His vices had decreased dramatically. He still enjoyed a few drinks at night, a nice cigar but that was choir boy behavior compared to his past. He enjoyed playing guitar or listening to music and then he was off to bed usually from pure exhaustion.

House was surprised by the very poor community's generosity. Many nights people brought him dinner to eat or fruits and vegetables for his pantry. There was even a woman who came often to collect and wash his clothes. Her son was one of his first patients. He had saved her son from death with simple antibiotics and now she wanted to pay him a debt of gratitude. House didn't think he would necessarily describe himself as happy, but for the first time in a very long time he felt content, of course sabotage was a House specialty. The unfamiliar acquaintance with contentment left him feeling uncomfortable. He was always waiting for the rug to get pulled out from under him. He was familiar with unhappy and dissatisfied in a sense it brought him comfort to be discontented he knew it was a messed up way to live and it what something he was trying to change.

When the memories of his childhood had floated to the forefront after being suppressed for so long he had been trying to deal with the reality of what the actual truth of his childhood had been. It was hard and often painful processing his past, but it explained so much of whom and what he was and why he had made so many bad decisions. With no distractions, no friends, and no call girls around he had nothing but time to think and with that time he began peeling back the layers of years of dysfunction. Each day brought a little more freedom from carrying the pain of his past. He was in a good place and it had been a long time since he could say that with actual honesty. He had even forgiven Lisa and with some small spark of sincerity had hoped that Lucas and Lisa would actually be happy and that Rachel would be happy too. He thought about how that little character had found a way into his heart and he missed her. He wanted the best for them.

"You're bored."

"Not really."

"Oh come on House, we both know you are. Why am I here then?"

"Because you like to torment me."

"That doesn't even make sense unless you are saying you like to torment yourself. I'm just the bringer of truth."

"Wrong! You are the bringer of destruction. You're still a cut throat bitch!"

"Interesting, now does that mean you have cut throat bitch tendencies because I'm you and you're me."

"Whatever, I'm not playing. After a few drinks you'll go away and I won't have to listen to your B.S."

"If you say so, but I'll be back. You know I'm right."

House knew it was true. He was content with what he was doing, but he was restless too. He was bored; he had always looked for the next high his entire life. He was always moving from distraction to distraction. It had been a while since he had been with a woman. A new personal record for him, but it wasn't like he could just call a service and stay anonymous. Being in a remote village had been good for him but it had its drawbacks too. There would be no secrets here of that he was sure of. He poured a few more drinks and went to sleep. The next morning he was woken by a knock at the door. He had a hangover so it took him a minute to realize someone was at his door. "Yeah?"

"Dr. Jones, it's Camellia, I'm here to pick up your clothes."

"Come in."

"I'm sorry Dr. Jones I didn't mean to wake you. I didn't think you would be sleeping this late in the day. Are you feeling okay?"

"It's okay Camellia, I shouldn't have been sleeping so late." It took House a minute to acclimate to the morning pain. Once he had he sat on the edge of his bed. He was grateful he had passed out with his clothes on. "I've been meaning to talk to you Camellia." She could tell his was in a lot of pain she just didn't know if it was from his leg or the apparent hangover.

"What about Dr. Jones?"

"I feel like I'm taking advantage of you and I want to start paying you for your laundry services."
"No, I cannot take money from you, I can never repay you for saving my son's life. When my husband died Manny was all I had and I would have lost him too without you." House seen the tears welling up in her eyes.

"I can't even begin to imagine what I would have done if I lost him too." She stopped herself from crying and he was glad. He was never good at comforting people. He also knew that she did whatever jobs she could to make ends meet and he didn't like the idea of her cleaning his clothes for free, but she was quite insistent and stubborn about the whole subject and he just didn't have the energy to argue with her right now. Even through his foggy brain he could see how beautiful she was. She was the quintessential raven haired beauty. Her skin looked like it had been kissed by the sun and her eyes were almost as black as night and her smile was genuinely one of the prettiest warmest smiles he had ever seen. She had a pleasant nature that reminded him so much of Dominika. He wondered why a woman of her beauty wasn't already remarried she could have her pick of almost any man to help take care of her. House stopped himself from thinking about her as anything more than a patient's mother. There were dozens of reasons he needed to keep his distance from her, but everything about her was making that more and more difficult. The way she looked at him with those angelic almond eyes made him feel things that he never wanted to feel again. Relationships were his kryptonite and he screwed every single one of them up. He navigated them the way a deaf, drunken, blind sailor would navigate a starry night. Camellia's voice brought him back to reality. "You just woke up, you must be hungry, I'm going to cook food for you."

"No need for that, but thanks anyways."

"Yes, there is a need for that. You have very important job and you need your strength. I will not take no for an answer." When Camellia's back was turned while she started the coffee, House stood up. He tried to put the weight on his leg without her seeing how difficult it was for him to walk first thing in the morning. He excused himself to bathroom and freshened up. The light was hurting his eyes so he put on some sunglasses before he sat down at the little bistro table he had for eating. He watched her busily cooking, he had never seen her wear more than a simple dress and she hardly wore any makeup. She was a natural beauty; she always wore an opal necklace with a silver chain. He had never seen her without it. He laughed to himself women and their necklaces. He remembered Stacy never went anywhere without her crucifix. He wondered if it was Camellia's mother or husband that had given it to her. He knew she didn't have an easy life but she always seemed to be brimming with joy. That was another thing about her that reminded him so much of Dominika. He had so many regrets in his life, regret on top of regret and Dominika was one of the biggest ones. He loved her and he realized it a little too late. If he could have been honest with his feeling for her instead of taking advantage of her situation things in his life would have been so different. The day Dominika had left and walked out his door it had left a gaping hole in his life and it was all his fault. The day she left he realized she had loved him too another realization that came too little too late. Camellia would be easy to love, but he wasn't easy to love not by a long shot, and he would ruin any kind of happiness he might find with her like he did every other relationship he had ever been in.

Camellia served him his breakfast and sat across from him. She tucked her hair behind her ear while drinking her coffee. Something he noticed she did when she was nervous or uncomfortable. "Aren't you going to eat?"

She laughed, "Oh Dr. House I had breakfast hours ago." He forgot he slept in so late.

"Please, Camellia, Call me Blake." He hated using a fake name, but for all intents and purposes this was who he was now Dr. Blake Jones.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her while he was eating his breakfast. He thought she was blushing; he must have stared at her a little too long. She was happy he noticed her. Could he be right about that? Was he reading more into it than he should? He always had a gift for reading people until it came to the women he liked and then somehow his powers of observations went to crap. He wouldn't put too much stock into it and get his hopes up that she was interested in him.

"You'll just hit and quit it anyway, House, you don't do relationships. You're happy not having anyone to answer to, not having to worry about someone else and what they're feeling all the time. Remember how hard it was with Cuddy?" He knew all of that was true. Camilla had to go and she said her goodbyes, House was glad she was leaving, Amber could be so hard to ignore sometimes.

"I wasn't good at it, but I liked caring for Cuddy and Rachel. Caring about someone and having them care back felt nice, until it went away and then it didn't."

"So what you're saying is you like feeling needed and being needed, you just don't like the pain that comes along with that. Isn't that pretty much what Cuddy told you?"

"Yeah."

"I guess you have to decide if the pain is worth it."

House didn't think it was. The last time that kind of pain touched his life he ended up in prison. He determined right then and there to quit entertaining the idea of him and Camellia getting together.

It had been over a year and a half since Cameron had gone to House's funeral. She had learned so much from him and become a better doctor, a better person because of him. She really believed until the day he died that she would someday win his heart, she thought there would be more time and now those dreams had ended. She was thankful for the night they had together so long ago. She had been obsessed with House. She knew she was a broken person herself maybe that why she had been so drawn to him. To Camron's surprise after Cuddy dropped off her letter of resignation at the hospital, Cuddy never stepped foot back into the building that once had brought her so much pride and accomplishment, she had worked her ass off to become the Dean of Medicine and she left it all after House destroyed her dining room. Cameron respected Cuddy as a professional, but she personally never liked her, she thought she played House like a fiddle and her break up with him had been heartless. She was happy they weren't together when that happened but she was sad to see how devastated it left House.

Before the board asked Foreman to become the next Dean of Medicine, they had asked Cameron to come back and interim temporarily for Cuddy. They knew Cameron was familiar with her duties because she had taken over for her when she was on leave caring for Rachel. They made it worth Cameron's time and she agreed.

One of Cameron's first tasks were to pack up Lisa Cuddy's belongings and get them to her. Cameron came across a file that had quite frankly shocked her. House had donated his sperm to Cuddy when she was trying to get pregnant. She knew they had been friends, but she also knew House said he never wanted children. She was surprised that he would willingly do that for Lisa. It made her sad to think that he loved Cuddy that much even then. Cameron couldn't let it go; she knew Lisa hated House now and that she would probably destroy the sperm if she hadn't done it already. Cameron knew it was wrong but she didn't care. She found out all the details she needed and starting formulating a plan. Cameron gathered all of Cuddy's things and had them returned to her but not before making copies of those files.

Cameron knew Lisa would eventually fill out the forms to destroy House's sperm. She paid off a technician with 10,000 dollars to change the paperwork on House's donation. He was instructed to produce the needed paperwork that the donation had been destroyed, and to create a new file with her name and a false name linked to his sperm for her account. Cameron knew she loved House and always would, even if he had never loved her back and when she was ready to become a mom she would do invitro-fertalization like she had planned to with her first husband who had died, but now House was the one she wanted to be the father of her child.

Cameron had loved her first husband, she had even loved Chase, but her true love was House. She admired so many things about him including his genius mind, it had moved her, but it was other things about him too. He cared for people deeply it was disguised by brash, rudeness, and brutal honesty, but almost always came from a place of caring. She couldn't understand why people couldn't see past his curious ways when in the end they always benefited from what he said or what he had done. When House died Cameron was so glad she had saved his sperm and now more than ever she wanted to be a mom. She wanted to start a new chapter in her life. It didn't take long after the funeral to decide to get pregnant. She had been thinking about it for awhile, but now with House gone there was nothing standing in her way he couldn't be hurt by her decision.

Death may have cheated her chance to be with House, but at least she now had a piece of him with her. The new love of her life was Gregorie. Gregorie was 13 months now and her eyes were as beautiful and as blue as her father's. Cameron had blues eyes too, but when she looked into her baby's face there was no mistaking those were Houses eyes staring back at her. She was the sweetest baby and so smart. She loved music as much as House did, which made Cameron happy. She just wished that House could have seen her. She knew if he ever laid eyes on her she would bring him so much joy. She had seen how he had been with Rachel and even though he claimed to hate kids, kids were always drawn to him.

Cameron had gone back to work when Gregorie was four months old, but once House was gone the hospital held no joy for her. She stuck it out as long as she could hoping that eventually that dreadful feeling would go away, but it never did. Going back there day after day was becoming an impossible task and she knew she needed a change of scenery.

Dr. Jones was making quite a name for himself with the locals. People were coming from miles away to see him. House took his job seriously. It was the only thing he had left in his life that had any value. Practicing medicine in South America was very different than what he was used to in New Jersey, but it was to his surprise satisfying. Time and circumstance had changed him; he actually enjoyed caring for his patients something he never thought would be possible. He thought distance from interacting with patients had made him a better doctor and maybe that was true when he was a diagnostician, but those days were far behind him. Here it was completely different, here he knew his patient's names, what they did for a living, who their children were and people loved and respected him.

It had been almost a year since he had been with anyone and he was ready to end his celibacy. Camilla tried to get his attention every time she came to pick up his clothes and her charms were beginning to penetrate his wall of defenses, she was weakening his resolve to stay away from her. Every week she asked him to dinner and every week he made up an excuse as to why he couldn't, but this week was different, this week he said yes. He knew he shouldn't have, he knew this would be opening a door that should stay nailed shut, but his base nature was winning. This was the longest time except when he was in prison that he had gone without sex. Camellia's flirtations were crashing through his plans of keeping his life simple.

In his old life sex was always available even if he wasn't in a relationship he had no problem calling a professional. He liked not having any strings attached to physical needs it made life easier, but here it was different. Dr. Jones was different. He had no reputation of being a drinking, gambling, drug addicted prostitute chaser who was a complete ass. It was easy to be treated differently when his reputation didn't precede him. It had been a struggle at times, but he had worked hard at not being himself. He could still be inpatient, too direct at times, but he curbed his natural inclinations and cultivated a different persona and people here liked him. Everyday had its personal challenges in overcoming what everyone had considered his personality flaws back home, but with each passing day Dr. Jones was becoming more and more real. He was becoming more and more a part of him and he felt more at ease than when he first adopted the persona of Doctor Blake Jones.

He knew it would easy enough to find to find a beautiful girl in these parts desperate enough for money that they would gladly have sex with him. The high end girls at home were in their profession by choice, but here most girls involved in prostitution were doing it out of necessity because of poverty and he just wasn't okay with that. He was getting restless and lonely and Camellia was always on his mind now.

Camellia liked him she had made that clear, and he really liked her too. He wasn't the same man he had been when he arrived. Maybe he could settle down, have some kind of a normal life. Maybe he could love her and she could love him…

"Really? How does someone like someone they don't even really know? Wouldn't everything be based on a lie?"

"I thought you were finally gone."

"No, you didn't, you just haven't wanted to talk in a while."

"I never want to talk to you."

"We both know that's not true, because if it were true then I wouldn't be here."

"It's not really all a lie; this is who I am now."

"So you will never have any deep conversations, never discuss your past; never discuss anything that's real. Everything would always be one big fat lie!"

"Maybe it's as real as it needs to be. I mean no one really know anyone anyway, just what they are willing to share or expose of themselves. People keep secrets all the time and they seem to be happy."

"That's never been good enough for you, that's why you chose to tell the truth even when it hurt people. You don't just want to seem to be happy you want to actually BE HAPPY! That's why you've spent so many of your years alone. You don't want to settle, you actually are a pathetic romantic."

"Bite me"

"That's why you always analyze everything to death, play out every scenario, every outcome. You weigh out all the pros and cons and then you walk away, because you Gregory House wants the real deal, the lasting kind, the true blue happily ever after."

"There's no such thing!"

"And yet beneath it all, beneath the ranting and the raving you, House, remain hopeful. The reason you keep people at arm's length is because you don't want anyone to know underneath all the layers of sarcasm, beneath the gloom and doom soliloquies, you remain a hopeful optimist."

"Shut up before I kick your ass, none of that is true."

"Really? Hmm and yet you question whether or not you and Camellia could make it work, be happy together."

"We couldn't. I don't know how to be a husband, she has a son and I sure as heck don't know anything about being a dad, I don't have the slightest clue how to be a family."

"But you want to."

"Wanting to and being capable of something are two completely different things."

"True, but now you're a simple country doctor and you like it, you practiced the philosophy of fake it till you make it and it's absolutely worked out for you. Maybe it could work for you in this area of life too."

"You just got done telling me it could never work between us because everything would be based on a lie."

"Technically it was you that told yourself that, if I'm being completely honest it's because you're afraid to try again, so you are finding all the reasons to walk away from the idea of happiness with Camellia because it might not work out and you can't handle that kind of pain, but you also know if you don't risk it, make yourself vulnerable than you're absolutely never going to know if you can be happy with her."

"I'm happy now."

"Well, you're happyish. You're lonely."

"I can live with that, I'm comfortable with lonely."

"True, but you don't want to be comfortable with lonely, that's the real rub of it, isn't it? You can deal with lonely; you're perfectly comfortable with lonely, but then you are also never going to be happy. You stated once that is what you wanted, to just be happy."

There was a knock on the door. "Dr. Jones, Dr. Jones! My wife is having the baby, but something is wrong! There is so much blood, please come quick!"

House came to the door and could see his patient Maria was in pain and panic stricken. He told her husband to carry her inside and lay her on the bed. It was times like these he wished he had a real hospital. He wasn't sure what was wrong yet, but even when he did know, he was so limited on what he could do here, he didn't know if he would be able to help her.

House examined the crying woman. "Please, my baby, my baby!" She yelled. House felt the umbilical cord; it had slipped down in front of the baby. It was an emergency and required immediate delivery, the baby was in fetal distress. The blood flow and oxygen were being restricted to the baby because of a prolapsed cord, he had to move quickly or she would lose her baby. If she had been in a hospital she would have been given anesthesia, but the most he could do for this mother was give her a spinal block using lidocaine, he hoped it would be enough; he had had only seconds. He administered the medication knowing it may only help her with the pain after he was done they had no time to wait. He disinfected her stomach and immediately began cutting. The C section would go fast but he didn't know if it would be fast enough. When he grabbed the baby she wasn't breathing and she had turned blue, he suctioned the fluid from her nose and mouth and began CPR while the mother's eyes watched in horror and panic. He suctioned the baby's mouth again and started CPR again. She was finally breathing on her own and began to pink up. House didn't know how long she had actually been deprived of oxygen but for now she was breathing, he would have to evaluate her further when he was done with mom. He finished stitching up the mother and turned his attentions back towards the baby. He took the baby from the dad who had been holding her all the while waiting in anxious anticipation to see if his wife and baby were going to be okay. House gave her an Apgar test. He ran down the criteria in his head. Appearance, Pulse, Grimace (reflexes) Activity (muscle tone) respiration; surprisingly after all mom and baby had been through the baby scored well and appeared to be fine and thriving.

Dr. Jones saved another life and the parents were eternally grateful. Most of his medical career was purposely spent away from the people he diagnosed, he felt it made him more objective and he knew he was absolutely right about that it most situations it created an environment that made him a better doctor. However, interacting with his patients and seeing them up close and personal had somehow made him a better man. He still wasn't sure which he preferred, but since one was taken away without choice he would try to focus on the good of what he was doing now.

The praises of the happy couple had spread like wild fire and yet again he was being hurled further out of obscurity with each success. House didn't want the attention, but his patients were making that very difficult. It was becoming harder and harder to go unnoticed.

Camilla loved him even more with every person he helped and every life he saved. She knew how much it had meant to her to still have her son with her because of what he did for him and for that she would always be grateful, but her feelings for Dr. Jones went deeper than just being grateful. She had observed him caring for people always working long hours while in constant leg pain. His beautiful blue eyes were kind, but sad. She knew loss and pain herself, when she lost her husband it had permanently wounded her. She recognized loss and pain in his eyes too and she felt connected to the doctor because of it. Sometimes Camilla would take a late evening walk just to hear him play his guitar. He was passionate about his work, talented, but that was all she really knew about him. She suspected he was running away from something, or from somebody. She knew he buried himself in his work and isolated himself from having anything more than just acquaintances. He was friendly, but had no real friends and there was no woman in his life that she knew of. Whatever his loss was, whatever pain he was suffering she knew he felt it deeply, and she wanted to help him.

Camilla had tried every way she knew how to get his attention. She was considered pretty by most and sometimes she could almost swear he noticed her, she would get mixed signals about his interest in her. Sometimes she thought he would be on the brink of asking her out and then he would just shut down. She had many opportunities to date since her husband died, but she had not been interested in any one until now. She thought that she could get lost in Dr. Jones' eyes. She had so many questions about who this man of healing was. Had he been married before? Did he have any children? What brought the handsome American to the jungles of South America? Sometimes foreign doctors would come for a few weeks maybe even a few months, but he had been here for almost a year and it looked like he made plans to stay for a long while. He had made additions to his clinic/home and she even asked him once point blank how long he would be staying and he said forever. She wanted to ask him a hundred more questions, but she also knew he was a man that valued his privacy.

Cameron was in love with her baby, she never knew she could love someone the way she loved Gregorie, and she was at peace with motherhood too, she adored everything about it. Still even being so content with Gregorie she was discontented at work. Ever since House died her medical career didn't hold the same joy it once did. She was sick and tired of running the ER. There was no way she could go back to the diagnostic department without House being there and even if she wanted to go back there was just no way she could ever work so closely with Chase again. Cameron needed something new, someplace to go that wouldn't be a constant reminder of House.

Cameron was thinking maybe she could go to Africa. She had been invited there once a long time ago to work with a doctor she treated while working for House. Maybe she would give him a call and see if he could use the help. Eventually she decided against that idea, he had liked her once and since she kept up with his career she knew he was still single and she didn't want any relationship complications. Then she remembered her friend from medical school, she had worked for six months with an organization called Doctors for Others in South America. She had told Cameron what a life changing experience it had been. Cameron had given it a lot of thought, Gregorie was still young enough that she didn't have to worry about missing any kind of schooling, and Cameron's entire adult life she had saved her money. She could easily stay in South America for six months without it hurting her finances. Cameron decided to call Pam and get all the details about working in South America. After talking with Cameron, Pam called some friends on Allison's behalf and got her into the program without a hitch. Now the only thing Cameron needed to do was find a nanny for Gregorie. When Pam found out this was the only thing stopping Cameron she told her about a young woman she made friends with while working there. She met her at the clinic when she had to reset her dislocated shoulder. Pam thought she would be a perfect fit for Allison and Gregorie and set up a telephone interview for her. After talking to Angelica and reading her references she was ready to make plans to leave for South America.

House had been thinking lately more and more about Camilla. He had hired her to clean and disinfect the clinic daily. She would never take any money from him for doing his laundry and she insisted on doing it for free so he thought this was a perfect way to help both him and her out. He knew she needed the money and he could use the extra time for some rest and relaxation. After working all day the last thing he wanted to do was nurse duty and taking the time to sterilize equipment and clean so it was a win/win for them both.

He had always kept his distance from Camilla until now, she constantly did nice things for him; she even made his house look more like a home. She made curtains for his windows and a blanket for his bed. She brought fresh flowers at least twice a week for his clinic and his kitchen table. She even made dinner for him several times a week. He knew she was interested in him, but he always put a wall up until now. Tonight she asked if he would play his guitar while she made dinner. "What if I'm horrible at it?"

"I know that you play beautifully."

"How do you know that? You've never heard me play."

"Sometimes I take walks in the evenings and I hear you play, you're very good."

"I'll play if you join me for dinner tonight."

"Sure, I would love to."

House instantly regretted asking her to join him, why did he do it? He reminded himself he didn't need the complication.

Camilla turned around and smiled to herself, she had waited months for him to ask her out for dinner, or a small walk, or for anything that would show her he might be interested in her.

House was always amazed at how she could take a little bit of food and ingredients and make something so delicious. Tonight he helped her make dinner, he was no stranger to the kitchen himself, he was just usually too tired to make much of an effort. He asked Camilla, "would you like a glass of wine?"

"Yes, that would be lovely." He poured her a glass then he walked over to his record player and put on some music. He always thought there was something nostalgic and charming about listening to music on vinyl. House went back to the kitchen area. "You have the knife skills of a true chef."

"I found out a few years ago that I really like cooking and was kind of good at it."

"Do you master everything you enjoy doing?" Old House would have ran with that opening, but he knew Doctor Jones had a lot more decorum at least his persona did and he simply answered, " I don't know about that."

"Hmm I think you're lying to me Dr. Jones." House stopped in his tracks, what did she find out he wondered. Camilla laughed, I have seen firsthand what an amazing doctor you are, and I've heard you play guitar, and now I find out you are a secret chef. I wonder what other hidden talents you possess. Is there anything you can't do?

"Run, walk quickly," He smiled He wanted to continue on and add have meaningful lasting relationships, tell you the truth, but of course he kept that last part to himself. House said, "Usually people ask me about my leg by now."

She knew he was a private man, "I'm sure if you wanted to tell me, you would have." He liked the fact that she wasn't nosey, or pushy. Camilla was very different from Stacy, or Cuddy and especially Cameron. He decided to tell her the whole story of what happened to his leg. He liked that when he finished telling her that he seen no pity in her eyes, he hated being pitied.

He wanted to know how she came to be a widow, but for maybe the first time in his life he refrained from having to know something just because he had to know, that quality had got him in more trouble than it was probably worth. She smiled and asked if she could pour him more wine. He thought her smile was absolutely beautiful. "Usually people ask me by now how my husband died." House answered. "I figured if you wanted me to know you would have told me." He smiled at her. "It was my fault really because of me he died." She stopped momentarily she thought she was ready to speak about it without losing it after all it had been years ago. House could plainly see she was trying to collect herself. "He was such a good man, one of the best. He was a great husband, a loving father; we went out to the city for our anniversary. It was the very first time we had ever left our son with my mother for more than a couple of hours. It had been years since we had been to the city to celebrate, we decided on a weekend getaway. We had a wonderful meal and we didn't want the night to end. So, we decided to get some drinks and go dancing we had the most amazing time, we danced until I thought our feet would fall off. After hours of laughing and enjoying ourselves we headed for our hotel room. It was almost one in the morning and the streets were for the most part quiet. We were so tired from dancing and my feet were aching in my heels so we decided to take a short cut through some alleys to get back to the hotel. Two men approached us, one of the men started harassing me by saying dirty, nasty, rude things to me. My husband of course confronted him. The one man started putting his hands on me and backing me against the wall with his body, my husband tried to stop him, but the other man was holding him back from reaching us. He knew I was in danger and fought to get them away from me and he was stabbed, he didn't make it… She had tears in her eyes. It was me who insisted on staying so late dancing. He wanted to go back earlier to the hotel, but I told him I was having such a good time and he always wanted to make me happy so we stayed. If we had left when he wanted to, he would still be alive."

"Whatever happened to the two men? Were they brought to justice?"

"Nothing, they both got away." House had always been great at reading people and he seen guilt and shame in her eyes, a feeling he was all too familiar with.

"I'm sorry Camilla." House knew he should leave it alone, but his curiosity got the better of him. He just told himself minutes ago he didn't need to know everything, but he was just fooling himself. Some things would never change and this particular character flaw seemed to be one of them. "There is more to the story though isn't there?" He said it more as a statement than a question. She lifted up her gaze to meet his. She had never told anyone all that took place that horrifying night, not even her own mother. The only other person who knew besides her and her dead husband was the police officer that took her statement. Camilla didn't understand why she was about to tell him the entirety of the events that unfolded that evening she thought she would carry the details of that horrific night to her grave, but maybe she needed him to know. Maybe she thought he could be the person she would spend the rest of her life with and she didn't want any lies between them, maybe it's because he carried something of great sorrow in his eyes too and she knew she would find understanding. She didn't really know she just knew she opened her mouth and out poured the rest of her story.

"I've never told anyone, not anybody and I'm not sure why I'm telling you now, but I was brutally raped by both men in front of my husband as he was dying next to me in a pool of his own blood. Our eyes locked on to each other and my mouth was covered. Tears were pouring out of his eyes; he was helpless to help me." Camilla was crying uncontrollably now. "The last thing he seen in this world…" House remembered the words of his patient so long ago who had been raped and wanted to talk to him even though he didn't want to talk to her. Right now he was in a room with Camilla and it mattered who was in that room, but he had no words to offer. He wanted to take her pain away, to alleviate her guilt and shame, but what could he say that would help her? He walked over to her; he kneeled down beside her, and hugged her. He just held her while she cried into the crook of his neck. He may not understand all that she had endured, but he understood the pain of regret for making a wrong choice, a bad decision. It wasn't her fault, but he knew she would always carry the blame for what unfolded that night. He just quietly held her until she quit crying. In some weird way the exchange had been cathartic for both of them. "I'm sorry for ruining your evening, I don't know why I burdened you with that, and I'm so embarrassed for making such a fool of myself. Her eyes were looking down at the floor now, she couldn't even look at him while she was talking. House gently lifted her chin so that she had to look at him he tenderly kissed her lips, and then her cheeks that were wet from the tears she had cried. Camilla returned his kiss only this time more passionately. She wanted him and he wanted her. She stood up and extended her hand to him and helped him up. She grabbed his hand and led him to his bed. "I haven't been with anyone since my husband died." She was trembling now. "You're vulnerable and sad right now, as much as I would love to be with you, I don't think it's a good idea." "I might be vulnerable, but I'm not confused about what I want. You aren't taking advantage of me." Camilla held both of his hands and wrapped them around her waist she kissed him again. "I want this, I want you, and I trust you." House believed her when she said she trusted him, but he knew that was a mistake and that she shouldn't. She didn't know anything about him, not really. She didn't know what he had done to Cuddy, she didn't know about him spending time in a psychiatric facility, or about him going to jail. She didn't know he was an addict, that he slept with prostitutes or that he had been married before. She didn't know that he faked his own death, or that he would be on the run for the rest of his life. She trusted him and there were a dozen reasons that she shouldn't. She didn't even know his real name. Camilla kissed his neck, his cheeks, and his lips. The internal battle he was having with himself over doing the right thing was subsiding with every kiss. She was offering her body, her heart, her pain, she was raw and that's why they connected. He was raw too, and her kisses were like a balm medicating his wounds. He didn't stop her and he pushed the guilt of the lies aside ad spent the night making love to Camilla. Both of them fell asleep holding onto the other like a life line.

He woke up a few hours after they had fallen asleep. He looked down at her face lying across his chest; her hair was sprawled around her shoulders. Her arm was bent and resting on her bare chest. He thought he could spend every day for the rest of his life waking up to that sight of her angelic face and never get tired of it. That was just a random happy thought, he knew there was no future of forever, he will always screw things up, a life time of mistakes were proof of that. He would at least enjoy the moment, happy to not be alone. He closed his eyes, held her tight, and went back to sleep. The next time he woke up it was to Camilla kissing his chest and then his stomach. "Good morning." She purred.

"It does seem to be starting out that way."

They spent the rest of the morning making love and wrapped up in each other's arms. Hours had passed and both of them were absolutely ravenous. They decided to get up and make some food. Their time together had proven their synchronicity was on point, and being in the kitchen was no different, they worked well together. He noticed her habit many time before today, but he liked the way she tucked her hair behind her ear especially when she was nervous or when she smiled. Her eyes were always filled with joy which was impressive knowing she had lost her husband, but now it was astronomically impressive knowing what she had gone through the night she lost him. She had a happy pleasant spirit and he felt good just spending time in her presence, maybe if he did it long enough some of that joy would rub off on him.

After breakfast Camilla had to leave for home, her mother had agreed to watch her son for her, but she wasn't expecting her to be gone all night. She knew her mother would be furious that she didn't come home, but she would gladly take her mom's annoyance for the incredible night and notable morning she had with Dr. Jones. It had been a long time since she had been with a man; Dr. Jones was the very first one she had been interested in since her husband's death and he was more than worth the wait.

That morning House actually felt happy, it had been a long time since he felt happiness. He knew it wouldn't last, but today for the first time in probably ever he decided not to look down the road, he wasn't going to analyze what just happened, he wasn't going to dissect it to pieces, he was just going to simply take pleasure in the moment. The last few years had been tough, but it had at least taught him what wasn't working for him anymore, he needed to make some changes and this was a good of a place to start as any.

Cameron and Gregorie arrived to the airport it had been a long tedious journey for the both of them, and their day wasn't over yet, it would be another few hours by car to get to their final destination. Gregorie had been a trooper on the entire flight, but she was cranky and didn't understand why she had to be cooped up in the car. Cameron hoped whatever arrangements had been made that it included space for her daughter to play and stretch her legs. After Cameron got them settled in she would meet Angelica, the young woman Pam had recommended being Gregorie's Nanny. After meeting her in person Cameron thought that Pam was right and Angelica would be a perfect fit. Cameron was confident she had made the right choice, she was thankful for her friend's endorsement of such a lovely young lady.

It took just a few weeks for Cameron to find her rhythm. She liked the challenges the job brought her and she was happy about being in a new environment. She was thriving; it was exactly what she needed, and the change of scenery was just what the doctor had ordered. She was glad she made the decision to come and Gregorie was happy too. Gregorie had brought an incredible amount of healing to her broken heart, she hoped that here in this place even more of her heart would be mended and she might find a way to finally let House go once and for all. He was a force, a category five tornado and for years she had been sucked into being a storm chaser when it came to Gregory House. She loved him, and sometimes she hated him, but ultimately she was devoted to him. His mind was brilliant, his medical skills were unsurpassed, and his brokenness was just as beautiful to her as his crystal blue eyes. He had been somewhat right about her from the very beginning; she did have a desire to nurture and to "fix" what was so beautifully broken. She had a need to fix in others what she could never fix in herself. She knew House was the very same way only his methodology was very different. He asked her once out to dinner when he thought his leg was healed, he assumed her hesitation meant no, he also assumed it was because he was no longer "crippled", but he was wrong about that. Her hesitation was because of her brokenness, if he was healthy, no longer wounded dealing with pain or his addiction to drugs there would be too much quiet and stillness, too much time for him to notice her flaws, her pain, her inadequacies, it wasn't that she couldn't love someone that was "healthy" it was that she thought someone who was "healthy" couldn't love her. One of the biggest regrets she had in life was not saying a quick yes that day. Her fear had gotten in the way of building something beautiful with the love of her life. Now little Gregorie was the love of her life and she would be content to raising her to the best of her abilities.

Cameron thought in coming to South America she could escape the memories of House, but how she could ever think that was absolutely absurd. Every time she looked at Gregorie, it was House's eyes staring back at her; there was no doubt about that. Gregorie had not even turned two yet, but already she was showing signs as being brilliant like House, and she had his same ear for music. Cameron was sad that Gregorie would never know her father, but she would at least make sure that someday her daughter would know what an outstanding doctor and musician he was.

Cameron was treated very well in all the surrounding villages. Doctors were highly valued and appreciated in that part of the world. It was a great feeling to practice somewhere her skills could help people that may not get the help they needed from any other source. Cameron felt like she was making a small difference for the better in this world and she was considering staying longer than she expected.

One day a woman came in with a deep gash on her leg, Cameron dressed the wound and gave her medication to send home with her. She told her to come back in two weeks so she could take out the stitches. The woman explained that she didn't live near the clinic and was traveling to a family member's funeral when her injury happened. She told Cameron that she actually lived near a clinic that had a very sweet, very nice doctor and she would go to him to get her stitches removed.

"Really? That's wonderful, it will save you a trip. It must be nice living close to a doctor so you don't have to travel somewhere to be seen."

"Oh, yes, and he's American like you."

"What's his name?"

"It is Dr. Jones"

"Well make sure you visit Dr. Jones so he can check on you okay?"

"Yes, you don't have to tell me twice. He's a very handsome man!" Cameron chuckled because of the age of her patient.

"He is very tall, with the bluest eyes I have ever seen."

"Well he does sound very handsome."

"If I wasn't such an old lady I would have tried to win his heart, cane and all. He's very kind and sweet too. I was a beautiful woman once in my younger days, I might have had a fighting chance." The old woman chortled.

Cameron's hairs stood up on the back of her neck when she heard the description of Doctor Jones. "He has a cane?"

"Yes, he walks with a limp, but it doesn't take away from how handsome he is, no, not at all." The elderly woman had a sparkle in her eyes.

Cameron was stunned by the description and thought he sounded like a carbon copy of House. She would have almost thought it could have been him had she not described him as kind and sweet, and the fact that he was dead. What a strange coincidence she thought to herself. She had come half way around the world to get away from the memory of House and it sounded like he had a body double right here in South America. For some reason it unsettled her for the rest of the day and into the days to come.

Weeks had gone by and Cameron couldn't let her curiosity go, she wanted to go see the doctor the old woman had told her about. She knew it obviously wasn't House, but the eerie similarities compelled her to make time to meet him. When Cameron had mentioned Dr. Jones to some of her colleagues at Doctor's for Others they told her that he had moved to South America permanently. Elias was the head doctor and administrator for their clinic; he was from Germany, and he actually met Dr. Jones once going through the area his clinic was in. Elias informed Cameron that he was on his own and was the only doctor for miles around. She had been thinking about making a permanent move to South America herself she really loved it here and was contemplating making a home for her and her daughter. Between her curiosity about Dr. Jones and truly wanting an American's perspective on a permanent move she decided to meet with him. Cameron resolved to leave the baby with Angelica, she trusted her completely and after almost two months of watching her daily Gregorie adored her. The journey would be too hard on Gregorie to take her with her. According to the locals it could take three to four days to reach Doctor Jones' clinic depending on the weather and the conditions of the road. She would be gone for about a week, she knew she would miss Gregorie immensely, but she also had a unquenchable need to meet the doctor that sounded like Houes's body double.

House and Camilla had spent almost every day together since the night she was with him. When he wasn't working they took short walks, sat on the porch while House played guitar. The little community of people were happy for them, especially happy for Camilla since she had been alone for so long now. The only person that wasn't happy for them was Manuel, her son. When he first met Doctor Jones he had saved his life and he thought he was a great guy, but now that his mother was dating him, he didn't like him at all. Camilla hoped in time his feelings would change, she knew he just didn't like the thought of her being with anyone that wasn't his father. He was so young when he died, he idolized him and he thought her relationship with Dr. Jones was betraying his father's memory in some way. Camilla was heartbroken about the situation; her son wouldn't give Dr. Jones the time of day. She knew Blake had tried to connect with him, he admitted he was awkward with children, but she thought he was doing all the right things to try and form a connection with Manuel. Her son had been her entire life and now there was a growing divide between them. She knew that eventually some distance would happen between them because that was normal for kids about to hit their pre-teen years, but this was more than what she expected.

House was growing a little despondent over the situation with Manuel. Manuel was acting like a whinny brat and normally he would just tell the kid off and not give two figs about the consequences, but he had changed at least he was trying to. He knew Manuel couldn't help the way he felt about his dead father and he tried not dwelling on it, but the kid could be the monkey wrench that ruined a good thing. There was always something that came along to ruin a good thing, something invariably would steal his happiness every single time he managed to find a little, usually it was from his own doing, this time it wasn't but happiness gone was happiness gone regardless of how it came about. He knew it was taking a toll on Camilla too and he wondered how long it would be before she walked away.

Stopping for some help from locals Cameron found her way to Doctor Jones' clinic. She came prepared with her cover story, well it was true, but her main reason for coming was just to lay eyes on the man that was describes as House's twin. Cameron opened the door to the clinic trying to slow down her pace and it was proving difficult she was in such a hurry to see the similarities for herself, but she purposely took a deep breath and proceeded with caution. No one was in the room; she called out, "hello?"

Camilla called back, "it isn't an emergency is it?"

"No"

"Oh good, the doctor isn't in at the moment, but I will be right with you." Cameron was disappointed and hoped he would be back soon she had made a long journey and was already missing Gregorie, she hoped it hadn't all been for nothing.

Camilla came out only moments later. Sorry about that, I was just cleaning up a bit. The doctor isn't here, but if you come back tomorrow he can treat you then. "Oh no," Cameron smiled. "I'm not here for treatment, I'm actually a doctor too, and I just needed to speak with him."

"Oh are you a college of Doctor Jones?" Cameron could sense she was curios and felt a little threatened about her territory, she gathered this must be his girlfriend since she didn't see a ring on her finger or maybe she just simply liked the doctor. Women had intuitions about these sorts of things. "No, no, nothing like that, I've never met Dr. Jones. I work with the organization Doctor's for Others and I actually came to get his perspective on making the move to here permanently. I was only going to stay for six months, but I'm thinking about staying. I had a patient that came through our clinic and told me all about Dr. Jones."

"Oh, you must be the doctor Christina told us about. Yes, Doctor Jones mentioned that you did good stitch work." Cameron smiled "I try."

She could tell the woman was much more at ease knowing that she wasn't some kind of ex-girlfriend or something.

"I'm sorry, I've been so rude, my name is Camilla." She extended her hand. "I'm Allison; it's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." You are more than welcome to come back tomorrow; I'm expecting him sometime around noon. He was actually picking up supplies for the clinic they were being flown in at a landing strip about a day's drive from here."

"Oh, I see." Camilla could see the disappointment on her face. "It's been quite a long journey is there a place I could stay for the evening someone who might be willing to put me up? I can pay, but even a floor would be better than sleeping in the car again and I could really use a shower."

"Tell you what, you can stay here. You are welcome to use the bed. I'll put clean sheets on for you, and there is a shower here. I know the Dr. wouldn't mind. He was worried what would happen if an emergency took place while he was gone. The clinic closes in a few minutes, but if someone comes in the middle of the night with an emergency, now there's a doctor here." Allison thought a shower and sleeping in a bed sounded like heaven so she was more than happy to be on call so to speak. "That is so generous of you. I really appreciate it."

"Let me get the bed made up for you and then I'll make you something hot to eat, you must be hungry."

"No, no that's way too much trouble."

"No trouble at all, I won't take no for an answer."

"Oh my goodness you're an angel that would be fantastic." The women talked while Camilla cooked."

"I heard the doctor had built this clinic not too long ago."

"Yes, we are very lucky to have him; he saved my son's life."

"Wow! That's incredible!"

"Yes, he's an amazing man and an incredible doctor and all of his patients love him."

"That's great; I've known doctors with horrible bedside manners, so it's always nice when they're well…nice." Camilla laid a plate of delicious looking fish in front of her. "Can I get you a glass of wine?"

"That would be lovely, thank you." Camilla poured her a glass and told her feel free to help yourself to whatever is in the fridge. The whole place is run on solar, but if for some reason something doesn't turn on there is a generator in the back and a flash light in the night stand, but you should be fine." Awe so they are sleeping together Allison thought to herself Camilla knew there was a flashlight in the night stand.

"Aren't you going to eat too?"

"No, I'm going to go home and eat with my son."

"Oh my goodness you have to cook again, I'm so sorry."

"Actually my mother lives with us and she will have dinner waiting for me by the time I get home."

"Oh good, you won't have to cook again."

"Enjoy your meal and I'll be back sometime in the late morning. I will make us all lunch."

"I can't thank you enough for your hospitality." Cameron got up from the table to give her hug goodbye before she left.

"Oh and I almost forgot there are clean towels in the wardrobe."

"Okay, thanks again."

Cameron finished her delicious fish and sprawled out on the bed when she was through. She was tired and could go to sleep now even though it was still early, but she desperately needed a shower. Cameron forced herself to get up and got her belongings out of the car. When she came back in she walked to the wardrobe to get a towel and she noticed a guitar leaning up against the inside of it. Her hair was standing on the back of her neck. She could have sworn it looked just like the one that belonged to House. There is no way it could be him, she knew that. He was dead, and this doctor's patients actually liked him, but the similarities were stacking up and for some reason that was quite disturbing to her, and she shivered from the chill of it. She just needed sleep she told herself, it probably wasn't like the one House had at all and I'm just imagining things that aren't real. She hopped in the shower and was grateful for it. As soon as she was done washing the grime off she would hop on that glorious bed and be fast asleep. She didn't know why she felt a little disappointment that the Doctor was with Camilla. She laughed at herself what did you think, that he would be a House replacement and you would fall in love with a doctor who had blue eyes and a limp? You're just delirious from sleep deprivation." she stated to herself out loud. Allison watched the suds run off of her body and go down the drain and all she could think about was her baby. This was the first time she had been without Gregorie for this long and her heart was aching. It was foolish to take the trip, what was she hoping to accomplish?

House pulled up to the clinic, he wondered whose car was parked in front of the clinic he had never seen it before. once he was inside he didn't see anyone there. He heard the water running in the bathroom and assumed it was Camilla taking a shower. He needed a shower too and thought he would join her. He was going to surprise her, but then decided against it, he didn't want to scare her, so he called out to her from the door. "Camilla, I got back early." Cameron gasped.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you, I'm coming in to join you." Cameron knew that voice. Her mind must be playing tricks on her. She was losing it! House was dead! "Did you hear me Camilla?" Cameron couldn't find her own voice; she was paralyzed with disbelief and confusion.

"Camilla, are you okay? He walked into the bathroom and pulled the curtain back. Both Cameron and House just stood there for what seemed like an eternity, both speechless, both bewildered and shocked. Finally Cameron turned off the water it was freezing now because all the warm water had run out. She grabbed the towel on the sink and wrapped it around here. She looked at House in disbelief. "What the hell is going on here? House? How is this possible, you're supposed to be dead! They found your body, they compared dental records. I don't understand what is happening!"

House didn't understand why she was there either, how had she found him? Why was she naked in his shower? "What are you doing here Cameron?"

"What am I doing here, what the hell is a dead man doing here? I don't understand what the hell is going on!" House simply replied, "You first."

"Me first, me first? Are you kidding me? Explain to me what is going on here, House!" Lower your voice Cameron I don't need your shrill voice alerting everyone within earshot to this situation."

"Situation, that's what this is? It's a situation?"

"Why are you here Cameron?"

"Why am I here? "

"If you keep repeating everything I say this is going to take a while."

"I moved here a couple of months ago. I heard about a man named Dr. Jones, a patient of his happened to describe him to me and I was curious. I was thinking about moving here permanently and I wanted to talk to the American doctor who had actually done it and get his opinion to see if he felt it was advisable to do the same, along with satisfying my twisted inquisitive nature in meeting the eerily described twin of yours."

"That's it, you haven't told the authorities I'm here?"

"I didn't know you were here! Camilla said that Dr. Jones would be back tomorrow. It took me four days to get here; I was tired and had no other place to stay but in my car so she offered to let me crash here since Dr. Jones wasn't supposed to back tonight."

"You're turn!"

"Get dressed first, you're distracting me."

"Fine! Then you're talking!" Cameron was shaking she was so mad! She had mourned his death…Oh gawd and Gregorie. She would never be able to let him know about Gregorie he would be furious with her.

House knew she would never be able to keep his secret, she would end up telling somebody and his days of freedom could soon be over.

Cameron came out from the bathroom and was trying hard to compose herself, she sat down at the kitchen table. She stared at him still in unbelief, "start talking!"

House finally began to tell her everything that took place since his supposed death, Cameron never once interrupted him, and she never said a word the whole time he was explaining the chronological order of events. All she kept thinking was that Gregorie's father is alive and sitting across the table from her. When House had finished telling her all that had happened he asked her, "Are you going to turn me in?"

"Why would I do that?"

"You always do the right thing you just can't help yourself."

"Not always."

"Yes, always." I've changed, besides that, there's plenty you don't know about me because you never cared to take the time to get to know me on any real personal level."

"That's not really an answer."

"No, House I'm not turning you in."

You're with Camilla now, I do have one question though, does she know?"

"No."

"So everything you have together is based on a lie?"

"She loves me."

"No, she loves Doctor Jones, she doesn't even know who the hell you are and you like it that way because as long as she doesn't really know who you are, you don't have to be vulnerable, you don't have to be real. She doesn't even know your real name!"

"Were happy, I'm happy."

"For how long? How long can you pretend, how long can you keep up the façade? Then what?"

"I don't expect you to understand, you will always see me as the man I was and she sees me as the man I want to be, I'm better because of her."

"Nobody changes House, you taught me that. Everybody lies, right?"

I was wrong."

"I loved you House, just as you were, because I knew underneath it all this was the man you could be, but I was never enough for you. Cameron wanted to shout, wanted to cry, wanted so many things that never were going to be.

Cameron got up from the table her head was reeling with the fact that House was still alive. She walked over to him and touched his cheek almost as if to see if he was really there and not just a dream or a figment of her imagination. "I'm glad you're alive, House, I was devastated when I got word of your death. I loved you!" She touched his face again. "I've always loved you." She kissed him tenderly she knew that would be the last time she would ever lay eyes on him. He wanted to pull away from her kiss, he was with Camilla now, but as much as he wanted to he didn't, he still had unresolved feelings for her. "Goodbye House, you don't ever have to worry about seeing me again. I'm leaving and I promise the world will go on believing you're dead.

She grabbed her stuff to leave.

"You can't leave now it's too dark, it's too dangerous to drive right now and it started to rain when I got here."

She knew he was right, but she had to get out of there. Losing House to death had been hard, but somehow it was easier than losing him to another woman, losing him to his new life with Camilla was more than she could handle. She wanted to hate him but even now she knew he was the reason she had her Gregorie. She walked out the door and intended to never look back.

Cameron was hysterical she couldn't process all that had happened today. She was only sure of one thing; she needed to hold Gregorie in her arms as soon as possible. She had been driving for maybe two hours when she got into an accident. The night was pitch black now not even the moon would lend its light through the darkened clouds. She was on a curvy road that was far too dangerous for night time driving but she pushed her common sense and logic aside and was running on pure emotion.

A large boulder had fallen on the road and she had come up on it too fast to see it until it was too late for her to completely avoid it. She braked hard trying to evade it, narrowly escaping making full impact with the giant rock. She clipped it with the side of her car and she went spinning eventually rolling her car off the side of the mountain and falling into a ravine. It was a miracle the ledge was there, if she had fallen a few feet before or a few feet after she would have plunged to her death into the deep canyon below her and no one would have been the wiser. She hit her head on the steering wheel and lay motionless, unconscious, and upside down. When she woke up she panicked, no one knew where she was, what would happen to Gregorie? Why had she been so stupid?

House lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, it was hard seeing Cameron. He had truly loved her, but he ruined the possibility of them ever being together not wanting to take a chance back then thinking he was better off without her because she was too young, too sweet for the likes of him. Maybe if he had taken the chance when he had the opportunity he could have been the man he was today much sooner. He loved Camilla, but Cameron's words haunted him. Camilla had no idea who he really was; she only loved what she thought he was. He wondered now how long it would be before the lies caught up with him. House took a handful of Vicodin. "There you are, I wondered how long it would be before House came out to play."

"Shut up and go away." House got out of bed and drank a half a bottle of scotch; he just wanted to close his eyes and forget today ever happened. It didn't take long before a hard sleep rescued him from his tortured thoughts.

Camilla brought supplies to make them all lunch. She was surprised to see Blake in bed and that Dr. Cameron was gone. She thought Blake wouldn't be back home until around noon today. Camilla kissed him on the forehead. "Wake up sleepy head" House stirred a bit. "Blake it's time to wake up." He slowly opened his eyes, the light was too bright. His eyes looked blood shot. She saw the bottle of scotch on his night stand. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He answered coldly.

"Hmm I can see that, are you going to tell me the truth or are you going to keep lying to me?" What had Cameron told her?

"What do you mean?" He tried to ask as calmly as possible.

"You usually don't empty a bottle of scotch and I can clearly see you have a hangover." Safe, he was thinking to himself she didn't know.

"Nothing is wrong, my leg just hurt particularly bad last night and I couldn't sleep, I had a little too much to drink, it that a problem for you?"

No, Blake, it's not a problem, I'm sorry you're hurting Love." House felt guilty for being so short with her.

"Did you see Dr. Cameron?"

"Yeah."

"Where did she go?"

"How should I know?" He answered crossly.

"I just thought she would still be here, she had nowhere else to go. I was going to make us all some lunch today. Is she coming back?"

"I have no idea."

"So she was here when you got here, but she left and you don't know where to or if she's coming back?"

"Yes!"

"Strange."

"Did she talk to you?"

"About what?"

"About why she came to see you, grumpy."

"Yeah."

"What did you tell her?"

House snapped, "What is this, the Spanish inquisition?"

"Okay, that's enough. I'm sorry you're in pain but your rude behavior isn't necessary."

House could see he had hurt her feelings. He got out of bed and stood up as soon as he could get his leg to hold his weight. He walked over to Camilla and grabbed her hands. I'm sorry Camilla, you didn't deserve that. I'm just not feeling myself."

"I'm sorry too my Love, I should have given you a chance to wake up. You told me you were in pain and I didn't listen."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll make you some coffee while you get dressed."

"Sounds good, thanks." He had a banging headache and wished he could just go back to sleep, but he would have to pull it together; he didn't want Camilla to know anything was wrong. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, got dressed, and sat at the table. Camilla brought him a hot cup of coffee.

"Thanks."

"I met Doctor Cameron yesterday. She was such a lovely lady, I told her you wouldn't be here until today."

"Yeah, she mentioned that."

"I think that may be why she left; she was probably just uncomfortable staying in a place with a man she didn't know."

"Yeah, that's probably true."

"I'm kind of worried for her, she had nowhere else to go and she said it had taken her days to get here."

"Did she get the answers she was looking for?"

"Answers to what?"

"About living here permanently."

"Yeah, I think so."

"She didn't say she would be coming back?"

"No, she must have got what she came for."

"It's so bizarre it just doesn't make any sense. Did anything happen between the two of you?"

"Of course not!" he answered sharply.

"I didn't mean like that silly. I mean did you have a disagreement or something like that?"

"Why would I get in an argument with someone I don't know?"

Camilla could hear the anger in his voice again, she just couldn't figure out why he was getting so upset. She knew it had something to do with Dr. Cameron, but she couldn't figure out why Blake didn't want to talk to her about it.

When Cameron came to, the pain was almost more than she could handle. Her shoulder was dislocated; she had a broken wrist and probably a concussion, the way her abdomen was feeling she may have internal bleeding as well. Her pulse was thready and weak. She knew if she didn't get help soon she might die, all she could think about was her baby. What would happen to her precious little Gregorie? She couldn't open her car door even if she could she wouldn't be able to climb to the top of the ravine in the condition she was in. She felt like she was going to pass out again. Cameron woke up to the sound of someone screaming. She opened her eyes and it was day time her head was killing her. Someone was screaming, "Are you okay? Are you okay?" She yelled out I'm here, I'm here, please help me!" A man tied a rope around himself and he was lowered down to her car. She could see him dangling by the passenger window. "Can you roll down the window?" "I'll try." With her injuries it was difficult, but she did it. "We will get you out of here don't worry."

"Listen to me, I don't have much time. My name is Dr. Allison Cameron and I need you to do me a favor."

"Yes, but let's get you out of here first."

"No, you don't understand if I die and that is a big possibility, no one will be able to find her."

"Find who?"

"My daughter, she is with her nanny Angelica Ruiz at the Doctor for Others clinic. Please get word to Angelica to bring the baby, her name is Gregorie to Dr. Jones' clinic. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes, I've been there myself."

"Please this is very important I need to get to Dr. Jones' clinic as well, but if I die before I get there tell him Gregorie is our baby and to DNA test her and tell him to please take care of her. Promise me! Promise me!" She was hysterically crying.

"I promise." Cameron was getting tunnel vision she could feel herself slipping out of consciousness again. The next time Allison woke up she was in the back of a pickup truck. She could see the sky above her it was the most beautiful blue after the rain it reminded her of Gregorie's eyes. She wanted to yell out in pain with the jostling of every bump, but she didn't have the strength. She watched the undersides of overgrown tree branches passing over her as she slipped into darkness once again.

"Allison, Allison are you with me?" Allison woke up to the sound of House's voice. "Gregorie, Gregorie?"

"I'm here. Allison."

"No! My baby, Gregorie, is she here yet?"

"Calm down Cameron, You aren't making any sense, you have a head injury."

"No, you don't understand I need Gregorie, our baby."

"Cameron you don't have a baby you're confused."

"I'm not confused! I have a dislocated shoulder, a broken wrist, internal bleeding, and a concussion."

"I know you do Cameron and I have to open you up and stop the bleeding now." Alison had tears in her eyes, House, I'm so sorry I thought you were dead. I have to tell you something it's very important."

"It's going to have to wait; I'm putting you under now we can't wait any longer or you will die. House injected her with medication and put her under." Camilla had been standing in the door way listening to the entire conversation and she was completely confused by their interaction, she had been led to believe by both of them that they didn't know each other.

House performed surgery on Allison and repaired her blood vessels. He then popped her shoulder back in place, and then addressed her broken wrist. He started her on IV antibiotics and fluids. She was in bad shape and it was his fault. He should never have let her leave when she was so upset especially in the middle of the night, he knew it wasn't safe and he let her leave because he just wanted her gone and it had almost cost Allison her life. After he stabilized her, he sat down on the edge of his bed. His leg was screaming in agony he had not taken his Vicodin so he could take care of Cameron. He took two and waited for them to kick in, he was already exhausted and it was going to be a long night.

Camilla walked into the room and sat down next to House. He knew she had heard everything when Cameron first came in and he knew this conversation was coming and he wasn't ready for it. "Blake, I don't understand. She called you House, and you obviously know who she is. Why would you lie about knowing her?" He had no choice now but to tell Camilla everything.

"I don't know where to start."

"Start from the beginning." House spent the next 45 minutes explaining in a nut shell everything that had led up to the time of him coming there. Camilla couldn't believe that Blake wasn't the man she thought he was, she had loved him with her whole heart and now she couldn't stand to be in the same room with him. "Why didn't you ever tell me? You didn't trust me at all."

"No, I was protecting you."

"You were protecting yourself!" She yelled. House sighed

"You're right I was, I didn't want to risk losing you, I love you Camilla."

"Don't tell me that, a person doesn't do what you've done if you love them."

"And your child?"

"We don't have a child; it was just her injuries talking."

"You never slept with her?"

"Yes, I have."

"Then it's possible you could have a baby with her."

"No, it was years and years ago. There is no possible way we could have a baby." Camilla was hurt, angry, confused, and she really had no idea who the man was that was sitting next to her. "I don't even know you're real name!"

"It's Gregory House."

"What am I supposed to do with all of this? Our whole life together is a lie."

"Not the parts that matter Camilla, I love you."

"And I love you too Blake…Gregory I don't even know what to call you, but I just don't think it's enough. I'm going to need some time to think, I'll be back later." Camilla left and House knew it was probably over between them, but he really couldn't think about that right now, he needed to check on Allison. Her vitals were good and she continued to remain stable so that was encouraging news. She was pretty banged up and bruised, the guilt he felt looking at her battered body knowing he could have done more to stop her made him nauseous, but thankfully he thought she should be okay with some time.

A few hours later Allison began to wake up, she was wincing in pain.

"Try to be still, I'm going to give you more pain medication." Allison tried to talk, "House." Her throat was dry, "water please." House got her some water she gulped it down.

"Slow down."

"Gregorie."

"I'm here Allison."

"No, Gregorie is my baby. Where is she?" House was concerned she had a worse head injury than he first suspected.

"Cameron, you don't have a baby."

"Yes, yes I do. How long have I been here House?"

"Almost a day." Cameron sighed. "She is on her way then."

"Cameron you must have a head injury you aren't making any sense. We are going to have to take you to a real hospital. I don't have the equipment here to see what's going on with you."

"I'm fine House! You don't understand, I didn't want you to find out like this, in fact you were never supposed to know because you were supposed to be dead."

"What am I not supposed to know?"

"I'm sorry House, I know I didn't have any right, but I thought you were dead."

"I still don't understand what you are trying to tell me, just come out with it."

"When Cuddy gave her resignation I found her paper work. I found out you were her sperm donor, I knew she would eventually request to destroy it, and I was right. I paid off a technician to say it was destroyed and to open a file with my name and transfer your sperm to my account."

"Oh gawd Allison, you didn't."

"After I thought you were dead I did invitro-fertilization and got pregnant with our daughter, Gregorie." Allison was crying. "I'm sorry I did this to you House, but I'm not sorry I have Gregorie. She is the most beautiful baby ever."

House was in shock he couldn't believe what she was saying. He didn't want to be a dad; he never wanted to be a dad. He knew he could never be a good one; he never wanted to inflict his short comings onto a child. House wanted to scream and yell, but he knew Allison was in no condition to be anymore stressed than what she already was. House simply asked, "Where is she?"

"She's at the Doctors for Others clinic. The man who found me is sending word to her nanny and she has instructions to bring her here. I thought I might die and told him to tell you she was your daughter and to do a DNA test, but once you see her you will know without a shadow of a doubt that she is yours." He saw Allison's eyes light up when she talked about her.

Allison saw the look on House's face. "Don't worry; I don't want anything from you. She never has to know you are still alive." House couldn't figure out why he was upset by that, was it because she knew he wasn't good enough to be a dad too? If so, why should it bother him to know she felt the same way as he did? He was pissed at how ridiculous he was being. It wasn't logical, and he was nothing if not logical, wasn't he?

Allison's heart rate and blood pressure were climbing. House told her to be quiet and get some rest, it was as much for him as it was for her. He needed time to process the events of the last 24 hours his whole life was falling apart because of Cameron. He knew he should be furious with her for what she had done, but then again she thought he was dead. The sudden realization of just how much Allison had loved him hit him like a ton of bricks. He knew that at one time she had liked him; she may had even thought she loved him, but he thought whatever she was feeling was entangled with as much pity as anything else she was feeling for him. He had miscalculated, he must have been wrong. What roads did he not travel because of faulty assumptions? She loved him, more than just a little, it wasn't pity she had for him. You don't have a baby by someone you pity. She was either completely nuts, which still was a possibility as far as he was concerned, or she actually loved him and thought enough of him to come up with her insane plan to have his baby, she thought enough of him to even name their daughter after him.

"So you are claiming the brat?"

"Go away."

"Wish I could, but apparently I've been summoned, you thought "their" daughter, you didn't just think "her" daughter."

"Bizarre right? Why would I think that? I had nothing to do with this scheme and the little brat is way better off without the likes of me."

"Do you really think that? Because I'm thinking you kind of like the idea of a piece of you being left here after you go."

"Well, yeah, I guess, I mean it's a nice idea on paper, but the reality is she would suffer constant disappointment if I was in her life, and I might be as ass, but I wouldn't do that to a kid."

"This is total insanity, I have a kid." House was pacing the floor in his room walking back and forth, back and forth. He looked at his watch and almost an hour had passed since he told Allison to get some rest. He went back into the clinic to check on her. He checked her vitals, and he untangled her I.V lines. He had been careful to be quiet, but Allison woke up. She opened her eyes and fought back tears. She looked so fragile from the bangs and bruises. "House, on a scale from 1-10 how furious are you with me? Her eyes began to flood with tears again. "House looked at her puzzled by her question. "How am I supposed to answer that?"

"Okay, well what if I ask it this way on a scale from 1-10 Vicodin how many do you think you would need right now to deal with all of this?" House kind of smiled at her, she was being funny. Allison was many things, beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, an excellent doctor, but funny wasn't usually one of them. He didn't know her to have much of a sense of humor. "Again, not quite sure how to answer that, I'm in the middle of having a sector five meltdown so old me would say we are well past taking as many as my liver could tolerate along with some choice scotch, but today's me guesses it would be at about three because that's all I have taken so far."

"Wow! Camilla must be really good for you, House, you seem different. In fact your reputation as Doctor Jones would have never led me to believe you and he were the same person."

"So what's she like, she seemed really nice."

"She is really nice."

"Your turn, what's she like?"

"What's who like?"

"Your daughter."

"She's amazing! She's smart, and funny for such a little creature, so she must get that from you. She has your crystal blue eyes, your ridiculous since of curiosity, and she already has an affinity for music. Her laugh is the most beautiful sound in the entire universe; it's the sound of pure joy. She also has a stubborn streak the size of Montana. There is nothing more precious than when her chubby little hand is reaching for something and the chubby little rolls on her thighs, oh my gosh they are so cute! I could nibble her toes for hours and be perfectly content; she's always been on the quiet side and is extremely observant for her age too." House noticed her eyes sparkling again; she was talking as fast a freight train. "House, she is so beautiful more than words could ever describe." House reached down and moved her hair from her face it was dirty and matted with blood. "She gets that from her mother."

"House, why aren't you more angry with me?"

"I don't know, I don't know anything anymore. I still don't understand how you ended up here, it defies all probabilities."

"Maybe, divine intervention."

"Don't make me slap you."

"Okay divine coincidence then."

"I don't believe in coincidences, at least I didn't used to."

"I miss her House, when I thought I was dying and that I would never see her again, I could only think of getting her to you because I knew you would do right by her."

"You couldn't know that, because I don't know that."

"Even if you don't, I do."

"Are things okay with you and Camilla?"

"I don't think so."

"I'm sorry House, I honestly didn't come back here to screw up your life, I didn't even know you had a life, I thought you were dead."

"I know."

"I'm guessing you had to tell her everything, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Will she forgive you?"

"I don't know, true forgiveness is a rarity even when you love someone, I'm proof of that. I never could truly forgive Stacey and I loved her."

"Do you forgive me?"

"I don't know."

"Yeah, me either."

"Try to get some rest."

"Can you give me something to help me sleep? I can't stop thinking of Gregorie; I've put her and Angelica's lives in the hands of a stranger. I won't be able to sleep until she is in my arms again."

"Yeah, I can give you something." House thought to himself he wouldn't be able to rest until she was safe in her arms too."

The next few days were difficult without Gregorie for Cameron, but she tried concentrating on her recovery and spent most of her time talking to House about their lives and catching him up on the last almost two years that had gone by. House stayed busy taking care of Cameron and seeing the few patients that had stopped by and life continued on. People didn't know all the details, but they knew an American doctor had been in an accident and was recovering at the clinic so most only stopped by the clinic if they absolutely had to.

When Cameron and House were alone most of their time was spent talking about Gregorie, House found it surprising that he actually wanted to hear about her in such detail. If anyone else had rattled on and on about their baby he would have…who was he kidding he would never have listened to anyone going on and on about their baby he simply would have walked away.

Camilla had not come back yet and House was afraid it was all too much for her to handle and he couldn't really blame her. He thought that maybe she was so ticked at him that she might even turn him in to the authorities herself, but he couldn't think about that now there was nothing to be done about it if she had.

Later that same night Camilla came to the clinic, when she walked in while Cameron was sleeping, she watched her for a couple of minutes. She could see past the scrapes and the bruises, she was beautiful, she was obviously smart, she was a doctor, and she had House's baby. She didn't know all the details but despite what House claimed her heart knew it wasn't a delusion when Dr. Cameron asked about their baby.

House had just stepped out of the shower when Camilla walked into his room. "Camilla, I wasn't sure you would be back."

"I wasn't sure I would be either, we need to talk." House was all too familiar with the sinking feeling that came when he heard those words "we need to talk" he had heard that phrase too many times in his life and never once had it been good. It was happening again, he finally found some peace, some happiness, and some love in his life and it was all about to end as it always did, the one constant in his life. House didn't want to hear what she had to say, he knew once the words were spoken the illusion of salvaging their relationship would vanish.

"Blake, I know that's not your real name, but it's who I know you as, I don't know this House person you told me about, but it doesn't really matter because whoever you were, he no longer exists. You are Dr. Blake Jones. You're an amazing doctor, and a caring man, you will always be that man to me. You saved my son's life and there could never be enough gratitude to show you how thankful I am for that. You know my son had had a very difficult time with us dating, Manuel has been so angry and it has put a huge divide between the two of us. Selfishly I tried to ignore it because I wanted to be with you, but…" House interrupted her, "Please don't, don't say it. As soon as you finish that sentence it's going to be over Camilla, I don't want it to be over."

"Blake my mother's brother has a new opening in his business for me in Argentina. I wasn't going to take the job because I didn't want to leave you." House walked up to her and grabbed her by the waist he looked her in the eyes and said, "Then don't."

"Everything has changed Blake."

"No, not the stuff that matters, I love you and you still love me, I know you do."

"I do love you Blake and that's why I have to go. I could never be responsible for getting in the way of a family."

"Wait, Wait a minute we aren't a family. I didn't even know I had a daughter until a few days ago. I was an unwilling sperm donor, and nothing more." Cameron was no longer sleeping and her heart sank when she heard House say that to Camilla. "Please don't throw us away."

"I'm giving you a chance to have your family. As much as I love you and I do love you if someone could magically offer my family back I would take it. You have that magic at your fingertips and I won't get in the way of that."

"But we aren't a family."

"Blake, I seen the way you looked at Dr. Cameron when she was brought in, foolishly you can deny it all you want, but a part of you still loves her and she clearly loves you."

"Maybe she did once a long time ago, maybe I did too, but that's in the past."

"No Blake, I don't think it is and given the opportunity to grow I'm certain it would. I've searched my heart a hundred times over these last few days and I wanted to be wrong about what I saw and what I heard between the two of you, but I wasn't."

"Camilla, I love you." Camilla kissed him and said, "I love you too, and that's why I'm letting you go Blake. I'm leaving tomorrow with my mother and Manny. I'll never forget how you saved my son, and really how you saved me too…goodbye Blake. Tears were dripping off of her face when she turned around and walked out through the clinic door.

Cameron closed her eyes and pretended she was still asleep, Camilla had a feeling she wasn't as she shut the front door behind her. House watched her walk out the door as every other woman he had ever loved ended up doing. He grabbed his Vicodin bottle what's the point of trying so hard when being stoned was just easier. "Don't do it."

"I don't care why you're here or what you have to say."

"Yes, you do or I wouldn't be here, put the bottle down you coward. You're not going to meet your daughter for the first time a stoned idiot. She should be here anytime. Don't do that to her, and don't do it to Cameron, they both deserve better than that. Don't make the same mistake you made with Cuddy and it's not just for them, you deserve better than that too, and do you want your first memory of your daughter to be one through the fog and haze of being high?"

House sat on the edge of his bed holding a hand full of pills ready to forget his troubles, when the door to the clinic flung open.

"Dr. Cameron, I'm here we came as fast as we could."

"My baby, oh my goodness, my baby. Cameron was desperately trying to get up so she could reach for her baby. House as quickly as he could made his way to Cameron's bed side. "Cameron, hold on a second let me unhook the I.V. I'll help you to my bed where you can sit up and have some room to hold her, you can't do that in this bed with your wrist. You're going to need the extra space to help support her. Cameron was crying, "thank you, thank you." House didn't really look at the baby yet. He purposely focused on Cameron he wasn't ready to see her, to meet her yet. He could hear Gregorie calling for her mama. "It's okay baby, mama's right here, I'm going to hold you in just a second, I'm right here angel!" House got her situated in his bed. "Angelica bring her here let me kiss that sweet face." Angelica brought her and Gregorie leaped into her mother's lap. "Hi, my pumpkin, mommy has missed you so so much!" She kissed her face and neck over and over again. House watched silently as mother and daughter reunited. He watched the baby's chubby little hands reach for her mother's face and as Allison pretended to bite each one of her fingers the baby laughed in delight. He knew Allison was in pain from her injuries, but he watched her push it all aside to entertain and love on her baby.

"Dr. Cameron, You're so banged up. When I heard what happened I couldn't believe it, I've been so scared and I've been praying for you the entire time we make our way here. I'm so glad you are alive; I was so frightened for you and baby Gregorie after what Roberto told us happened. Allison said, "that's his name Roberto?"

"Yes."

"He rescued me and brought you both safely to me. Where is he now?"

"He's outside he wanted to give us a few minutes."

"Bring him to me please." Angelica retrieved him and Roberto came into the room. "It's good to see you awake and talking. I wasn't sure you were going to pull through when I seen you last."

"You saved my life; you brought my daughter to me. You traveled for days to do it and for a stranger. I can't ever repay you what you're worth to me because there's just not a price tag big enough to ever do that, but I want to compensate you for your time. I'm sure you've lost time from your work."

"I work for my father; he's the one that brought you here."

"Oh my goodness, I never got a chance to thank him, I had no idea who he was. This is such good news, now I'll know who to thank! Angelica, can you please bring me my purse it's in the clinic next to my backpack." Angelica brought her what she asked her for. "Roberto this is for you and your father it's a check for 5,000 dollars she was glad it was her left hand that was broken and not her right. Please take this in thanks for what you and your father have done for me, for us."

"I can't accept that, it's too much."

"It's not nearly enough. Because of you I'm alive, because you and your father were willing to risk your lives for me my baby still has her mother, and because of you, Angelica and my daughter were brought safely to me, please take it, I insist."

"Thank you." They said their goodbyes and he left their family to their reunion.

"Angelica, are you up to going back and getting our belongings. I'm not going to be able to travel for a bit it will be much easier if we have our things here especially for the baby."

"Of course Allison, anything you need."

"Good, you can stay the night and leave in the morning."

House continued to observe Cameron being pleasant with her visitors despite her pain, and continually push it aside for the happiness of her baby. Gregorie was climbing all over her aching and sore body and Cameron was still all smiles. Motherhood suited her; she wasn't the same fresh faced naïve kid that he hired so many years ago. She was somehow even more beautiful than when he first met her, he could also see a new confidence in her that she previously never possessed, and it looked good on her. She had been so many things that made her special. She was kind, intelligent, she had always been motherly, but now she was a mother. She was still driven and had even more purpose in her life than when she worked for him. Cameron was already a great person and somehow Gregorie had changed her to be even better. Wilson had always told him Cameron would be good for him, but he spent too much time in stubborn denial.

What was he supposed to do now? He kept his eye closely on the baby, he seen the truth of what Allison said about Gregorie's eyes, it was like looking in a mirror. Cameron loved on Gregorie until he thought she might squeeze the stuffing out her. It was truly interesting watching how natural the interaction between mother and daughter were. Cameron noticed House watching and observing. "House you don't have to, but if you would like to you can hold her."

"I'm not good at that kind of thing."

"You could come over and sit next to us and meet her if you want to, but no pressure if you don't, I just wanted to give you the opportunity if you did."

He didn't think he wanted to, but his legs were carrying him closer and closer to the bed. He sat down next to Cameron. Gregorie looked at him and laughed and started banging him on the head with her chubby little hand. "Do you want me to tell her who you are?" House shook his head no. "Gregorie this is Dr. Hou...Jones, Dr. Jones. Can you say hi? Say hi baby."

"Hi." Her sweet little voice mimicked her mother's greeting. House said, "Hi."

She was standing in front of him rubbing both of her hands in his beard stubble over and over, her eyes met his and she stared at him for just a moment and happily went back to playing with his beard. "Why did you name her after me?" I spell it Gergorie, but I wanted to honor you in some small way. Her full name is Gregorie Anne Cameron-House. No one knows her official name, I never use House on any of her paperwork, but that's what it is officially."

"Why did you do that?"

"I wanted her to know someday where she came from. I wanted her to know what a brilliant man her father was, and even if no one ever knew but her and I it would be important for her to someday know the truth."

"What is the truth Cameron, you don't even like me; you blamed me for ruining Chase and turning him into me."

"For being so brilliant sometimes you're such an idiot! I was angry House; I needed to blame you because I needed a reason to end things with Chase. I loved him, he was kind, caring, and handsome, he was so many wonderful things, but he wasn't you. I wasn't in love with him and it wasn't fair to keep him locked in a marriage where he wasn't loved the way he deserved to be. I didn't want to take responsibility for what I had done, and because you didn't love me I needed some kind of wedge between us that made that easier for me to leave and handle your rejection, so even if I didn't realize it then, I used you as a fall guy. Loving someone when they don't love you back is painful and I just didn't want to love you anymore, it hurt too much."

"Did it work?"

"Did what work?"

"Did you stop loving me?"

"Please don't ask me that."

"You look exhausted."

"I am, I'm also gross and in need of a shower, but I kind of need some help."

"Do you want me to get Angelica?"

"Well you definitely could, but then you would need to watch the baby while she helped me."

"How about I close my eyes and help you, and Angelica watches the baby…"

"Hahaha!
"I'm serious."

"Fine, okay."

"Okay? You know I'm not going to close my eyes right?" Allison laughed. "So after having a baby in front of strangers and breast feeding your baby any modesty you once may have had no longer exists and besides that you're a doctor, and besides the fact that you're a doctor you've seen me naked before, just a warning though things have shifted since having the baby and I'm already keenly aware so no need for rude comments please," House put his hands over his head as if he were surrendering and said, "done as long as I don't have diaper duty I'm good with that."

House picked up Gregorie to bring her to Angelica. "I thought you said you weren't any good at picking up babies."

"I didn't say I couldn't, I just said I'm not good at it, I do have some experience with children, I did take care of Rachel from time to time." House had a twinge of pain in his heart every time he thought about Rachel, they had a true bond and connection and he always felt guilty that from her perspective it must have felt like he just disappeared out of her life. Gregorie held on to House's neck like they were old friends and he brought her to Angelica.

Cameron was now not so sure she shouldn't have insisted it be Angelica that helped her. Less than a day with House and all her old feelings that she had tried to burry for so long were already resurfacing.

"Nurse, House, reporting for duty."

"Funny…" House gently helped Cameron to her feet and helped support her the best he could into the bathroom. He turned the water on and waited for the water to get warm. At least she was just wearing a gown that made things easier. He slipped it off of her and helped her into the shower. He kept his eye averted trying to give her as much privacy as possible. Once the warm water hit her she closed her eyes and let the water wash away as much of the matted blood from her hair as it could. When she closed her eyes he couldn't help but scan her over from head to toe. She was bruised and battered, but she was wrong about her body, motherhood had only improved it in his opinion.

"Stop staring at me House."

"I'm not."

"Right…" He laughed. "You really do know me, don't you Cameron?"

"I'm going to need help washing my hair; it's hard to do it one handed."

"I got it."

"Umm okay, thanks." House grabbed the shampoo and rubbed it together to get a good lather and began washing her hair. He was careful not to rub the stitches near her hair line in the front of her forehead and to keep the water away from them. He continued to wash and rinse until there was no more blood.

"I think I got it cleaned."

"Do you have any conditioner?" Normally he wouldn't but Camilla left some here. "Yeah, it's not mine what do I do with it?" Cameron hated that Camilla's conditioner could make her jealous. "The same as the shampoo."

"Okay, he ran the conditioner through her hair; the smell reminded him of Camilla."

"So now that's done, can you put the soap on a wash cloth for me?"

"Sure." He got the washcloth ready for her. "Okay can you turn around now."

"What? This is the part I've been waiting for."

"Shut up and turn around."

"Really? I've been standing here washing your hair while you're naked, but all of a sudden you're shy?"
"This is different."

"Different how?"

"It just is, now turn around."

"What happened to I'm a doctor, and I've already seen you naked anyway?"

"House!"

"Fine, alright." He turned around wondering what the logic was, but he didn't argue and did what he was told. Cameron washed her body with one hand until it came time for reaching her back. She wasn't going to be able to do that on her own. "House?"

"Yeah."

"I need your help." He turned around.

"Are you serious? Now it's okay to see you naked again?"

"Just be quiet and get my back please and thank you."

House was comfortable with Cameron, he didn't have to be anything that wasn't authentic and it felt nice to not have to have his guard up constantly. When he was done he helped wrap her in a towel and helped her back to his bed. "whew! That took a lot out of me. I have clothes in my back pack."

"Do you have pajamas?"

"No, just clothes."

"Do you want a t-shirt to sleep in? It may be more comfortable for you."

"Yeah, that would be great thanks."

House helped Cameron get dressed and settled. He was going to sleep on the cot and give Angelica the clinic bed. She had been on the road with the baby for days so it was the least he could do.

Cameron asked Angelica to bring Gregorie to her, she was back on I.V antibiotics and fluids for at least one more day and then she could switch to pills. It would be hard with the lines but she wanted her baby with her. Gregorie was still full of energy and Cameron was so tired, but she couldn't stand to be away from her for another minute. Gregorie was in her lap when House came in from outside, and Cameron was nodding off. He was exhausted himself, but he hadn't physically been through what Cameron had been through and thought he would help with Gregorie so she could sleep. House reached over Cameron to pick her up, and Cameron opened her eyes. "It's okay, I'll watch her for a bit until she's ready for bed and then I'll put her back with you."

"Are you sure? Maybe Angelica could watch her for a bit."

"She's already asleep."

"You don't know how to take care of babies."

"Again, I'm not good at it, but it doesn't mean I'm not capable of keeping her safe. If there's a problem I'll bring her to you."

"Thank you House."

House grabbed some plastic cups, and some tongue depressors. He sat Gregorie on the floor and showed her how to stack the cups to make a pyramid. It only took a couple of times of showing her until she could do it herself. He walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out his guitar and then sat on the floor beside her. He watched her play; she was really a beautiful baby. He didn't think about babies being beautiful or ugly or anything other than them being nuisances. Well, that was the only way he had ever thought about kids before he took care of Rachel. He missed the little scallywag even to this day. Gregorie entertained herself with the cups and a ball he had given her. The one he used for throwing against the wall when he was thinking about stuff. He liked her, was that because he was biologically connected to her? Maybe she was just a cool baby, she wasn't a nervous child, or a loud one, or one that cried incessantly. If all kids were like her they wouldn't be half bad he thought to himself. After a while he began to play his guitar softly. She stopped playing with the ball and the cups and waddled her way over to his lap, she hunched down into a squat while intensely watching him play. He could tell she was curious so he held out the guitar and let her strum the strings. She smiled when she heard the noise it made after strumming it. Cameron was right, she did like music. He played a few more songs and she was completely content listening to him play. Eventually she put her head on his leg and started falling asleep. Hold on Gregorie, I won't be able to pick you up off the floor if you fall asleep down here and then we will both be stuck. He picked her up and sat her on her feet and with much effort got up himself. He picked her up again once he was vertical. She had a wet diaper and he had to change her before putting her to bed. He may not know much about babies, but unfortunately he knew that. "All right kiddo, I guess were doing this." He changed her on the bed and then laid her next to Cameron. She crawled over to Cameron and nestled on her chest and then starting hitting her mother on the breast. Cameron opened her eyes and smiled at her baby. "Okay little mama, Okay just give me a second. She lifted her shirt and gave her what she wanted. Cameron seen House turn around and he began to walk towards the clinic she assumed to go to sleep. "House."

"Yeah."

"There is plenty of room in this king size bed of yours, why don't you sleep here tonight." House was avoiding looking at her trying to give her some privacy in feeding Gregorie.

"No, it's fine I'll use the cot."

"We both know your leg is going to be screaming worse than usual in the morning, and quit being weird about me feeding her. I'm not embarrassed. You will not do well on the cot, the baby and I won't take up much room, plus I'll feel better knowing that Gregorie can't just roll out of bed in the middle of the night."

"Thanks, and just for the record I wasn't being weird I was just trying to give you some privacy."

"She quit nursing during the day awhile ago; she just nurses before she goes to sleep now. She's used to the bottle too because some nights when I was working at the ER she had no choice. I could have weaned her completely by now, but it's just such a special bond and I'm almost sure she will be my last one." Gregorie was asleep already.

"Really that's kind of surprising you seem to love being a mother."

"I do it's amazing, but I doubt at my age I'm going to meet anyone in time to have another baby." She laughed, "And now that you aren't dead my back up plan of her having a sibling by the same dad has kind of been annihilated." House didn't say anything, but he didn't seem to be vehemently opposed to the idea, he must be so tired he's delusional. "Okay well if you're sure about me sleeping here I'll take you up on it. I'm beat." House turned out the lights and lay in his bed. Cameron couldn't believe that the three of them were sleeping in the same bed, it was so bizarre, it would have been a dream come true if it hadn't been forced on him. She couldn't think about that now and decided to get some sleep while Gregorie was sleeping herself.

House could hardly comprehend the turn of events that had complicated his already overly complicated life, and yet somewhere in the chaos of all that had happened and all that he had lost he found himself at peace and feeling more like a better version of his true self than he had felt in a long time. Cameron and Gregorie were a complete surprise one that he didn't even know that he wanted until now. Within ten minutes both of them were sleeping as peacefully as baby Gregorie.

Allison woke up in the middle of the night when she didn't feel the baby next to her, to her surprise; Gregorie was sleeping on House's chest snuggled into him like she had been doing it her whole life. House's hand was resting gently on her shoulder. It was like they fit, like perfect little puzzle pieces that were meant to be together. Cameron had tears in her eyes because she didn't ever want this to end and she knew as soon as she was well enough to travel it would.

Cameron couldn't fall back asleep and she had to pee, and she was thirsty. She carefully unhooked herself and went to the bathroom. She went to the kitchen area to get a cup of water and she saw a picture of House and Camilla together on the counter. He looked so happy; she knew her arrival had taken that happiness from him. She always wanted him to be happy she just had always hoped that it would someday be with her… and it never was. House was awake he had heard Cameron get out of bed and he was just as surprised as Cameron had been to find the baby snuggled against him. He was shocked because he had always hated sharing a bed with anyone, he always got better sleep when he was alone, but he had just experienced one of the most peaceful sleeps he ever had that wasn't drug induced. He gently moved the baby over to check on Cameron. He wanted to make sure she was okay.

Cameron's eyes instantly started watering when she discovered the picture; she was trying to hold back the tears. She kept staring at the happy couple hating both of them. House didn't know she was crying because her back was too him. She had been so deep in thought that she didn't even hear House come up behind her. He put his hand on her shoulder and she jumped. "Sorry, "he whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you; I was just checking up on you, I wanted to make sure you were okay. She couldn't turn around because she didn't want him to see her crying, and she couldn't talk because her voice would surely betray what she had been doing. When she didn't answer House got worried. "Are you feverish?" She shook her head no. "Do you have any abdominal pain?" She shook her head no again. "Is your head okay, your vision alright." She shook her head yes.

"Cameron turn around and talk to me." She was paralyzed; she would lose it if she looked into his eyes.

"I'm fine House, quit worrying she managed to get the words out." House touched her shoulders to turn her around and he could feel she was trembling. "You are feverish aren't you?" he slipped his hand onto her forehead. "You're not hot. Are you in pain?" She shook her head no. House physically turned her around and once she seen his face the tears started pouring out of her eyes and running down her cheeks. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Quit being so dam nice!" She was sobbing quietly now.

"Cameron, don't do that, you know I don't know how to handle it when people are crying."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Oh gawd, Camilla really has changed you hasn't she…" Cameron started sobbing even more. House patted her awkwardly on the top of her shoulder. He assumed she said that in sarcasm in reference to him asking her if she wanted to talk. "If you don't tell me why you are crying then I can't help you fix it."

"Not everything can be fixed."

"True, but if I don't know what the problem is then how do I know if I can or can't?" Cameron wanted to tell him, she wanted to ask why she had never been enough for him? Why Stacy, why Cuddy, why Dominkia, and now Camilla? She never would have left him like the others; she loved him just as he was. She was deciding if complete honesty could get her the answers she needed to finally let him go for good.

"House, I need to know something." She tried to slow her breathing and to quit crying, she knew he didn't like hysterical people. The clinic door swung open and someone came in yelling for Dr. Jones. It startled Angelica awake and she practically fell out of the bed.

Cameron told him to go she could get back to bed on her own. House's patient had been drinking all night while having a fire pit. It was almost dawn and he was chopping some wood to keep the fire going and he missed the log. The ax came down on his shin and split his leg open. Luckily for him, it wasn't as bad as the gushing blood had led him to believe. He irrigated the wound, stitched him up, gave him antibiotics and sent him home. House took some Vicodin for his own leg, it was times like these he wish he had a nurse to do the grunt work. He never appreciated them until coming here; they were worth their weight in gold as far as he was concerned now.

The only person now sleeping was Gregorie she had slept through the entire ordeal. In was morning now and Angelica decided to get going so she could retrieve the things that Dr. Cameron and Gregorie would need while she was recovering. She had a cup of coffee and some toast before she headed out. House told her where she could go for some supplies for her trip and gave her the money she would need to get them.

House looked tired, Cameron felt bad for him and she was in no position to really help him. He came over to her and checked her vitals and she was still doing well, he was happy about that. Do you think we can permanently unhook me now?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Good." House removed the I.V and could see how happy she was to not be so restricted. Gregorie was waking up. "I guess I understand now why the expression sleeps like a baby exists."

"Yeah, she's always been a good sleeper."

"Well, she doesn't get that from me."

"No," Cameron laughed. "She certainly doesn't."

"Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving actually!"

"Yeah, me too, I'm going to make us some breakfast before we both pass out from starvation."

"Can I help?" House rolled his eyes. Oh sure, broken wrist, baby on hip I think you definitely can fry the bacon."

"Stupid question, I get it. I'm sorry about how much work we are."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, I'm just glad you both are okay."

"You are?"

"I'm not a complete ass." He was surprised she sounded surprised.

"I know that, I mean, I guess what I'm trying to say is, you don't hate me? You aren't angry about Gregorie?" That's a loaded question he thought to himself. Cameron heard the hesitation and was waiting for the hammer to finally drop.

"I could never hate you Cameron, honestly I don't know what I'm feeling about Gregorie. I haven't even had time to process her existence. I've spent my whole adult life making sure I was careful to not contribute to the population of this spinning rock, but here I am with a daughter who is biologically related to me that I had no say in creating, but anger isn't something I'm feeling. Fear maybe, oddly enough less than what I would have imagined I would feel. She's kind of amazing… When I agreed to give Cuddy my sperm it was strictly as a donor. We weren't together then; she was having a hard time picking someone. She knew I wanted nothing to do with being a dad, she was clear on that, and she would never tell her baby who their bio-dad was if she ever got pregnant. We had been friends since college and even though I gave her an extremely hard time about it, I just wanted her to be certain that she actually wanted to be a mom and not just the fairy tale movie version of being a mom. I always knew she would be a great mom, and it would make her really happy. I agreed because I could be part of making that happen without really being a part of making that happen if that makes any sense. Cuddy took a chance on me when no one else would, and she stood by me every time the board wanted to fire me, she stayed friends with me through well…everything, and a part of me felt like I owed her for that. When Cuddy and I started dating, I started thinking about things that I had never thought about before. I mean Rachel grew on me, and I thought maybe we could even have a kid together, it was just a passing thought and thankfully we didn't because I blew up that relationship too."

"I know I had no right to do what I did and I'm sorry for taking that decision away from you, but I can't ever be sorry about Gregorie."

"In your defense you did think I was dead, that kind of changes the level of betrayal I suppose." Alright enough of this, I'm wasting away from starvation I'll make us some bacon and eggs."

"Sounds good." House made them all breakfast and brought a plate to Cameron. He sat at the table eating while watching her share her plate with Gregorie, He was still unable to comprehend what he was seeing; he was looking at Cameron, and his daughter. The only person that knew he was still alive until a couple of days ago was Lucas. It felt nice knowing Cameron now knew too. It was like he had been erased and all though some of that was a good thing there was a weird kind of loneliness in completely disappearing like you never existed or made a difference to anyone.

House was cleaning up from breakfast and asked Cameron why she came to South America. So much of what drove her here was him, and she didn't know how to answer that without revealing how she felt about him, even now, even after all of these years. She was sure he knew she loved him, but she didn't know if he understood exactly how much. "Just needed a change of scenery and thought it would be a great experience. I didn't have to worry about taking Gregorie out of school she was young enough that we had no commitments or obligations to anyone. The stars lined up and I went for it. Cameron asked House to help Gregorie off the bed she was getting antsy. She toddled around chasing the ball.

"Cameron, you know way more about me than I do you. You've never talked about your parents, not even once that I can recall. How did your parents feel about you taking your daughter to South America, and did they know how you got pregnant?"

"They don't know about Gregorie, and I don't really talk to them."

"I knew there was strife there, your lack of conversation about them over the years spoke volumes."

"It's just something I don't see the need to dwell on. It wouldn't change anything that happened and talking about it only brings up a past I would rather forget."

"I get that, in fact I understand that completely. Is that why you've given me a little more mercy and grace than most? You understood me a little more than most because of what you went through yourself when you were a kid?"

"See that question just means we're talking about it, and I don't want to talk about it."

"Just tell me this; you kind of owe me now." Cameron rolled her eyes.

"Fine, what's your question?"

"I think I should get at least three."

"You get two, and that's it!"

"Who was the fatty in your family?"

"Really? That's what you want to know. That case with that man so many years ago really had you in a bundle and I've always wanted to know."

"Fine, it was my mother."

"I thought so."

"Is that why your father sexually abused you?" Cameron stared at him with fire in her eyes.

"You can be a real bastard you know that?"

"Yeah, I do, now answer the question."

"Yeah, are you happy?"

"No, I'm not happy to know that happened to you, but I am happy to understand you better and why you never wanted to get close to anyone who was "healthy" and why you wanted to fix what was broken all around you while never being able to fix yourself."

"Well you don't have to answer a damn thing House, because you and I are exactly the same. Your childhood made you the very same way."

"Yeah, it did. Only we aren't the same because you have been "fixed"."

"What do you mean?"

"Clearly you aren't defined by what happened to you anymore, being a mother changed you. Cameron was tearing up.

"I hope that's true and I hope it was enough."

"It is."

Gregorie needed a diaper change. "Can you bring her to me, she needs a diaper change."

"I got it." Cameron laughed "Sure you do, Angelica left a bag of them next to my things."

"I know I found them when she needed one earlier before you woke up."

"You changed her diaper?"

"I am a doctor you know, went to school and everything, it's not rocket science." I know it's just your House and it's weird thinking you changed a diaper, it makes me laugh."

"Well, I guess get ready to laugh again, because I'm about to change another one."

"No, you've done enough. I can do it."

"It will take you forever now that you're lame and all."

"I don't know what to say House, thank you!"

"Don't thank me, someday I'm going to be old enough that I'll need someone to change my diapers. You can pay me back then" Cameron chuckled. House knew the conversation had gotten pretty heavy so he tried to lighten it up a bit.

House enjoyed that he didn't have to wear a mask when it came to Cameron, he could be himself and not have to worry about every little thing he said or did. It was a nice change not having to filter every thought that popped into his head.

House had several people stop by the clinic and he cared for each one of them. Cameron was astonished by his kind treatment for each one of his patients. He showed a graciousness and respect that she wasn't used to witnessing in his interactions with patients. He really was a new man she thought to herself. Cameron basically had been waited on all day by House and he was pulling double duty helping with Gregorie. She also watched in stunned amazement that House seemed so at ease with Gregorie and she enjoyed watching him laugh at their baby's antics. She also noticed he had cut way down on his Vicodin use too. She wasn't sure if that was usual for him or if he did it because he was watching Gregorie, either way she was glad he seemed to be doing better that the bad years at the hospital.

The day had come to an end and the clinic was closed. House made chicken and rice for dinner and after eating and cleaning up the mess he was exhausted, dog tired from the emergency last night and taking care of Gregorie and Allison. He didn't know how mothers who worked did it all day long day in and day out. He was ready for a hot shower, a stiff drink and some sleep.

Cameron was feeling better but there were still a lot of things she couldn't do and Gregorie was getting bored without her toys and without being able to go for walks like they normally did. House had been doing a fantastic job taking care of her, but she would be glad when Angelica came back to help with her and the baby. It was a lot of responsibility to put on House and she didn't want him to end up resenting them for it.

House took a long over do hot shower, he stayed under the water until it ran cold and then got out. He changed into pajamas and was looking forward to bed time; it couldn't come soon enough in his opinion. When he came into the bedroom, Gregorie ran to him and wrapped her arms around his legs as tight as she could. "Up, up, up." House looked down at her sweet little face and as tired as he was he couldn't deny her request. He picked her up and she snuggled into him laying her head on his chest. House was touched by the display of trust and affection. He patted her back and looked at Cameron. "She likes you."

"Looks like it." She picked up her head and stuck her fingers in his mouth and started laughing. She was doing it over and over again. Cameron said, "She wants you to pretend like you're biting her fingers."

"Why?"

"It's a game she plays, she thinks it's funny."

"That's gross not funny."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you Gregorie thinks it's hilarious." House reluctantly pretended to bite her fingers, and Gregorie's laugh got more and more animated. He did it again and again and her genuine surprise each time he did it made him laugh too. When she was done playing the game she said, "Down, down." House put her on the floor. She walked over to the wardrobe and began to bang on the door. "Gregorie, stop that please." She shook her head and said, "No"

"Don't tell me no you little monkey." She tried opening the door, but wasn't strong enough. House said, "She wants something from there."

"So it appears." House opened the door for her and she reached for his hand and put it on top of the guitar. He picked up the guitar and she ran around the room in a circle. "I guess she wants you to play." House as tired as he was sat down on the floor and began to play. Gregorie smiled and clapped her hands. She walked over to him and strummed the strings like he had showed her yesterday. After a few minutes of doing that over and over she sat down next to him and just listened to him play. Cameron watched as father and daughter were enjoying each other's company. Gregorie was yawning now and so was Cameron. "I feel the same way sweetie." House put the guitar against the wall so he could get up off of the floor. He changed Gregorie for the night and put her in bed with Cameron. House turned out all the lights and got into bed next to them. "You know you don't have to sleep all the way over on the edge. It looks like you're about to roll off of the bed. I'm not going to jump you."

"It wouldn't be the first time." Cameron laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I was younger then and so were you." She said sarcastically.

"Touché, okay as long as I'm safe."

"I didn't say you were safe." They both laughed.

"Ah don't make me do that, it hurts to laugh that hard."

"Oh damn I almost forgot your pain meds."

"I didn't ask for them on purpose. I'm not taking them anymore it's not good for Gregorie, with her still nursing at night and all."

"At this point she eats and drinks why don't you just quit and wean her completely?"

"I don't want to; she won't be this little for much longer. I know it sounds corny, but it's not even about nutrition, like you said she eats food and drinks, but it's our bonding time and I don't want to give that up yet."

"No pain meds in your condition, you're kind of a bad ass now."

"Ha! I've always been a bad ass…"

"If you say so." Cameron threw a pillow at him.

"One last thing before you go to sleep can you take her clothes off. She just likes sleeping in her diaper, she's a heater baby."

"Like father like daughter, I like sleeping in the nude too." Cameron chuckled and then the realization came that this was the first time House made any reference to Gregorie being his daughter. House realized what he had just said as well and wished he hadn't, he didn't want Cameron reading more into it than it was.

Gregorie lifted her mother's shirt exposing her without any cover. "Sorry about that" Gregorie did it again. "Stop that."

"I have seen breast before, in fact I've seen your breast before." Cameron laughed.

"Okay I get it, you don't have to remind me every chance you get what a fool I made of myself. I tried to seduce you it didn't work I'm an idiot."

"You didn't make a fool of yourself." House turned over to give her some privacy. Cameron smiled to herself, he didn't think I made a fool of myself, that simple declaration made her happy. Both of them contemplated many things that night before drifting off to sleep. House woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and Gregorie's little arm was wrapped around his neck. He had to pee, but he didn't want to wake her, and he didn't want free from her sweet little embrace yet either. He was stuck, but he didn't mind it too much, at least not at first. He laid there in agony until he thought he might burst and she finally rolled over and cuddled next to her mom. He rubbed out his leg and stood up when he could and as quietly as he possibly could he went to the bathroom. When he came back out Gregorie had made her way to her mother's breast. Both were sleeping through the exchange. It was one of the most interesting, natural, beautiful events he had ever been privy to. Did all parents feel this way? He just thought of himself as parent. Did he want to be one? "Well like it or not you are one."

"Amber go away."

"Sorry House, you called me out to play."

"No, you just showed up."

"Must have been a reason, you like the kid, nothing wrong with that, she is yours after all."

"I can't get involved we both know I'll screw it up, even worse I'll screw her up."

"All parents screw up all kids. Your very own words! So why not you, why do you get to be exempt from humanity's calling?"

"Because I'll be worst than most."

"A cowardly answer, you would never be the kind of person or commit the kinds of sins that were perpetrated against you. You know that everything you have ever done at the root of all your foolish behavior and crazy antics were always to protect people, sometimes from themselves, sometimes from sickness and disease, sometimes from you, but you've always done what you could to protect the ones you love and care about. You left Stacy when you could have spent the rest of your life with her because you couldn't let her leave her husband because of you. You gave up everything to care for Wilson when he was dying and he had no one else. You stayed away from Cameron because you thought she was too young, too naïve to love you the way she thought she did, and you knew you would break her heart back then. You weren't always the bad guy House."

"What if…"

"Aren't you tired of living your life in what ifs?

"Look what happened with Camilla."

"So what you overgrown baby! You had a lovely time with a kind beautiful woman whom you helped heal and whom helped healed you and contributed to making you a better person. Poor, poor you! Do you know how many people never even get one love in their life? Sometimes your whinny ways really make me sick!"

House thought about what Amber/his self conscious was saying to him. He made his way back to the bed. Maybe he did want to be a part of Gregorie's life…

The next morning Allison wanted Gregorie to get some fresh air. They were both antsy and needed some outside time. House closed the clinic for a few hours for a much needed break. He went with Cameron and the baby for a very short walk, but it was exactly what they all needed. The clinic had slowed down somewhat after a year and half of House being there. People flooded it when he first opened it. Many of the people for miles around had no access to any kind of health care and had been neglected for far too long before he arrived, but now House had more time on his hands. After being there for a while people knew he wasn't leaving in just a few weeks and when they understood he set up to stay permanently and had their trust everything wasn't treated as an emergency.

After a short walk they sat on some rocks under a shady tree and watched Gregorie pick wild flowers. She brought them to her mom and then to House one by one being careful not to crush them. House was reluctant to bring up the subject, but he knew he had to. "Hey Cameron, as much as I have enjoyed being called by my name and having someone actually know me, you have to start using the name Dr. Jones or Blake. If anyone hears you call me House they might start asking questions. I just don't want anyone to be able to trace me here. If they catch up with me I'll probably spend the rest of my life in jail."

"Of course, I didn't even think about that."

"I know it's weird, it's still weird for me to be called that, but I don't have a choice."

"Speaking of choices, I know I haven't given you any choice but to let us stay with you and take over your place. Angelica should be here in a few days and maybe she can help me find a place to stay for a while, so we are out of your hair."

"I don't mind you staying; I've kind of enjoyed it."

"Oh sure playing nursemaid has been a blast for you, and there's Angelica to think about."

"Yeah, I didn't think about that. Cameron I need to talk to you about something."

"Oh that's never a good thing when someone says they need to talk to you about something."

"That's what I always think too, but I'm actually hoping you think it's a good thing."

"What is it House… I mean Jones?"

"I want to be a part of Gregorie's life."

"Oh."

"That's it? Oh?"

"No, I'm just trying to figure out.."

"You're just trying to figure out a nice way to tell me you don't want me to be in your daughter's life. It's okay Cameron, I understand."

"No, no that's not it at all! I would love for you to be a part of her life; it's more than I could have ever hoped for her, but…"

"But what?"

"But I just want to make sure this is really what you want. I don't want you changing your mind after she gets attached to you."

"I would never do that to her, I would have never asked you without giving it a lot of thought."

"I'm sorry House, I mean Blake, I just had to be clear because she's the only thing that matters now and I have to protect her from getting hurt."

"You don't have to protect her from me just walking away, I mean I might make stupid mistakes, in fact I'm sure I'll make stupid mistakes. I don't know the first thing about being a dad. The one I had was pretty horrible so if I do the exact opposite of everything he did then maybe I won't screw it up completely."

"House, damn it, Blake…What if you end up in prison?"

"That is always a possibility, but at least she would know I didn't leave her voluntarily if that ever happened".

House, ARGH! Blake I don't want you getting hurt either."

"What do you mean?"

"What happens when I go back to my life?"

"You could always visit."

"What happens when I meet someone, fall in love, get married, and she has a step dad? Are you going to walk away because things got complicated?"

"I wasn't really thinking about that."

"I need you to because I need you to be sure this is really what you want."

"Allison, I don't want you to be with anyone else, and I don't want you to leave, not ever!"

"How could you say that to me now? I waited years for you, years for you to say that you loved me, or even liked me. You just broke up with Camilla less than a week ago. Is she is so easily replaced?"

"No she isn't, but she isn't here anymore."

"So I'm a consolation prize?"

"No!"

'That's what it feels like."

"I've always loved you Allison. I knew I'd screw it up some way, somehow. I liked you enough, loved you enough to hope we could stay friends. I knew if we were ever together I would eventually push you away because that was my M.O. it's what I always ended up doing. I thought if we just stayed friends than maybe you would have no reason to ever leave."

"Why now? You aren't afraid of screwing it up now?"

"Allison, do you still love me?" She was silent; Gregorie wanted to be picked up so Allison gingerly reached down and sat Gregorie on her lap." Cameron had worked hard at moving on with her life once she came to terms with the death of the man that she had been in love with and now he was asking her a question she didn't want to answer. She held Gregorie wrapped her arms around her and sighed. She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

"Allison, do you still love me?"

"God help me House, I always have."

"You love the real me, the person you know so much about. I've changed, well maybe grown is a better way to put that, hopefully for the better, but you've always loved me just as I am." Allison cradled his face with her hand, "from the moment I met you."

"I'm far from a perfect man, I have no idea what the future holds because I'm always going to be looking over my shoulder, but I love you and I already love Gregorie. I don't want you to go back to your life; I want you to stay here with me. I want us to be together. Cameron had been thrown into a whirlwind of events; fate picked her up like a tornado and landed her here. She was never sure if God was real, but if He was real she was certain He didn't exist in the details of people's everyday lives, but now she was almost positive she had been wrong about that. She was sitting here with House, with their baby, with what was supposed to be a "dead man" in this remote corner of the world and that had to be more than luck, more than a coincidence. House watched her patiently while he was trying to breathe waiting for her to answer him. Cameron inhaled deeply, closed her eyes and kissed the man she had loved for so many years. Gregorie smashed her cheek up against both of their faces, both of them laughed. House for the first time maybe ever felt like this is what home was supposed to feel like.

Allison stayed with House from that day forward. It took a long time for the two of them to find each other through their mistakes and decisions, but they lived the rest of their days together serving their community and raising Gregorie. Somehow they both ended up with the happiness that they thought would always elude them. Until now their lives had continually been a House of Cards failing and falling never able to withstand the winds of time and circumstance. They both survived the worst of what life had thrown at them and this time their house was built on a lasting love, its foundation was impenetrable and no storm would be strong enough to bring in down. Cameron and House found their way out of their pain, out of their past trauma, and built a life with a family of their own; nothing and no one would ever come between them again. Their House of cards became their castle and they spent the rest of their lives building it stone by stone.