"Babe! You'll never guess who I saw whilst I was out running!" Talia panted to Chase as she shut their front door behind her. It had been exactly eight weeks since House's shooter, which then made it seven weeks since the couple returned back from their Budapest trip, which then made it four weeks of being at work without House - and what a four weeks it'd been. It was somewhat peaceful at first, but then everything got incredibly busy. The team had no official cases as House's department was essentially closed, but they were stocked up on clinic duty and helping out in other departments. More importantly, Talia had changed her number and hadn't heard a word from Ryan since - so in her mind, there was no longer anything to be afraid of…

…for now.

"Who did you see whilst you were out running, T?" Chase frowned distractedly, barely glancing up from his paperwork to see her stretching in her leg against the wall. "And also - d'ya think I'd be a good surgeon?"

"My father - and I think you'd be a good anything, baby," Talia smirked, walking up to him and pressing a sweaty kiss onto his forehead.

"You…are so gross?" Chase shuddered as he wiped it dry. Then he froze. "Sorry, did you just say that you saw House? Doing what?"

"Running," Talia giggled, watching Chase's face drop even further into confusion.

"Huh? Running as in…running, running?" he spluttered with his eyebrows risen. "Like…with his legs?"

"No baby - with his arms," Talia drawled back. She squirted a ton of ice cold water into her mouth from her bottle and gulped it down before wiping her mouth. "He was jogging like crazy in fact," she panted, bending over and touching her toes in another stretch. Chase ran his tongue over his plump bottom lip as he watched her.

All these months had gone by, and he still couldn't stop staring.

"Hey, Doctor Chase - eyes off the ass please," Talia giggled girlishly without raising her head.

"Why? You tell me it's all mine all the time," Chase smirked back, although he obediently tore his eyes away and focussed back on his papers.

"Yeah, cos it is - but it's sweaty right now," Talia hummed, throwing him a wink which he received with a chuckle. "Anywayssss my guess is that House'll be back at work with us tomorrow morning. Then I can actually apprehend him for ignoring our loving home visits."

And of course, she was correct.

…

"Wait, you're telling me that House was…running?" Foreman scoffed to Talia sceptically the next morning. They were all in the office for the first time in forever, waiting for House. "Like…without a cane?"

"Foreman, how would running with a cane work?" Talia squinted back. Foreman shrugged and went back to stirring his coffee, shaking his head in amazement. "Look, the operation must've taken the edge off of whatever pain was battling all that time - it's not completely unheard of!"

"Unheard of? No. Amazing? Yes," Cameron frowned. But then she turned to Talia with an anxious face. "Soooo…how's everything going with the Ryan case? We haven't spoken in forever," she whispered as Chase entered casual catch-up with Foreman. Talia's mouth ran slightly dry at the sudden mention of his name, and she shuffled uneasily in her chair.

"I haven't had any messages or threats or anything since changing my number, and the police have allegedly put a call out for his arrest," Talia hummed back discreetly, tucking her hair out of her eyes. "I-" But, before she could continue, in walked her father for the first time in two months.

Not hobbled, not limped - but walked, and Talia's face immediately broke out into a pleased smile.

"Wow! Welcome back!" Cameron gushed as she rushed up to him. "You look…great!" Chase and Foreman clamped their firm hands on House's shoulders as a greeting, which was slightly awkward - and Talia couldn't help but giggle at House's bemusement.

"That was…odd. So! Today, we're doing two on two. House Jr and Cameron, you're working on an autistic kid. Severely autistic actually, like, screams down the place, lashes out to avoid making eye contact - thought you'd like to work together cos…feminism!" House announced brightly, chucking the women a case file each before they could ask. "Poor kid went to three different doctors, all cleared the basics, so we get the fun part of helping him out. Check in with me regularly, all that good stuff. I'm counting on you - bye!" Talia and Cameron blinked at each other a few times before slowly getting up and slipping from the office, shooting Chase and Foreman little looks of confusion as they passed them.

"That was…weird," Cameron murmured as they headed to the paediatrics ward. Talia nodded, chewing the inside of her cheek anxiously. Something about House's perkiness was making uneasy. "You think he's gonna stay like that forever?"

"I think he's gonna stay like that for as long as the drugs keep up," Talia murmured as they stopped outside the kid's room. "They'll start wearing off soon, no?"

"That's if they haven't started already," Cameron sighed a little nervously. "But he also kinda gets high off of solving cases, right? So if he stays busy and stays correct, I think he'll be fine."

"You're right. We're on a thin line here but so far we're ahead," Talia contemplated as Cameron nodded in agreement. "As long as we stay that way, I don't think it'll change anytime soon."

She was only half right - and she should've seen it coming.

…

Talia always knew she loved children - it was rather obvious. But working in this hospital allowed her to experience the different types of parents that existed in the world, and she wondered which one she'd be when it was her time again. For example, the case of the young woman who smothered her baby was still lingering in her mind, because despite the heinous nature of her actions, the woman wasn't necessarily a bad person. Whereas today, she was dealing with Adam, the most beautiful little autistic boy, and it was obvious that both his parents loved him; but his father seemed slightly more sharp and impatient than his mother. Talia didn't doubt that raising him was hard work, but his impatience was still slightly unnerving.

Then again, she was also desperately trying not to judge. She had a knack for doing that - particularly as she was beginning to master the art of 'pre judging' people just like her father, much to her own horror.

So that afternoon, she sat herself beside Adam's hospital bed and watched over him whilst his parents went out for some air and Cameron went to run the test results by House. "Hey, Adam?" Talia murmured out, gaining his attention - although he couldn't look at her. She grabbed his brightly coloured showcards and popped it on the table in front of him. "Which one is the lunchbox?" Adam grunted and started fidgeting, obviously not wanting to do this right now. "Adam? Which one is the lunchbox?" Talia asked again calmly, still staying firm. Adam grunted impatiently and started flailing his arms everywhere, looking the complete opposite direction. But she simply waited patiently for him to work himself out of the frenzy she was in, determined not to give up. "Adam? The lunchbox?" she tried again - this time a little quieter than before. Then, much to her amazement Adam half pointed his finger and stabbed it on the picture, and Talia gasped once she saw which one he chose. "Hey! Good boy!" she grinned at him proudly as her heart started to swell.

Suddenly the door slid open and his mother walked through with a cup of water.

"Thanks for watching him," she smiled gracefully, settling herself on the other chair beside Adam's headrest. But before Talia could respond, she saw his mother's eyes dart towards the flash cards. "Oh…oh god, I'm sorry if he lashed out at you-"

"He didn't," Talia assured her, trying her hardest to bite back her pleased smile. "He pointed at the lunchbox when I asked for it. I mean, after the third time of asking - but still."

"Wow. I can't believe he actually gave you the time of day. He's…he's clearly comfortable around you," Adam's mother hummed in surprise as she stroked her son's thick brunette locks. "He kicked off at the nurses earlier. I think it was too many faces for him." Talia nodded in understanding, her eyes still trained on Adam.

"He's such a beautiful boy," she sighed longingly, eyes flickering back up to his mother again. "I'm sorry if this sounds intrusive but…how has it been for you guys?"

"Hard," his mother quickly admitted, pushing her blonde curls away from her face. "But we love him more than anything in the world. That's…that's just how it is when you're a parent. It's not the easiest ride for any child, but we still wouldn't trade it for anything, you know?"

"Yes, I- well actually no, I don't know," Talia chuckled to herself with an almost saddened sigh. "But one day I will."

"Every child is a blessing, Doctor," Adam's mother reminded her quietly.

"Absolutely-" Talia began to agree - when suddenly, the door slid open again, causing her to turn her head.

She couldn't help but groan.

"Oh joy to the world, the witch has come," Talia muttered under her breath. "Excuse me…I'll be right back," she whispered to Adam's mother whilst standing up. Adam's mother nodded and watched her leave, wondering who the dark haired woman was that had nosily poked her head through the door.

But Talia knew.

"You cannot just waltz into a ward like that!" she snapped to Stacy once they were face to face. Stacy was, for once, not wearing a suit. She was wearing jeans and a cute black linen top, but Talia had no space in her heart to compliment her.

She still couldn't stand the woman.

"I just got a call from the police department," Stacy put it bluntly, her sharp eyes boring into Talia's.

"You did? Well good for you-" Talia was about to sass back without thinking - before she realised. Her jaw relaxed and she dropped the attitude. "Oh. And…? What did they say?"

"That there is an investigation pending against my deceased son," Stacy choked out as her eyes flooded with tears. Talia bit both her lips and dropped her gaze to the polished floor beneath her feet. "Talia, what do they mean by that?"

"They mean what I've been trying to tell you for an incredibly long time, Stacy," Talia grumbled back, crossing her arms and looking up at her again. "Ryan's alive and has been stalking the sh*t out of me. Chase heard him on my phone too - and you called me crazy for years, but here we are, right? Is he crazy too? Does he need a psych eval too?" At that point, Stacy felt faint and her face went pale. She literally pushed herself up against the wall and placed a shaky hand on her forehead to try and keep cool.

"How…h-h-how did he get your number?" she muttered out uncomfortably. "Why didn't h-he-"

"I have no idea - maybe you could tell me, given that you are the only living link we've got, and he didn't start bothering me again until I moved into this hospital. You knew when I moved into the hospital," Talia responded coldly, staring her out without an ounce of fear. Stacy glared back at her blankly, confused at what she was attempting to imply - until she got it.

And when she got it…she didn't like it.

"Sorry - are you hinting that I gave it to him?" Stacy hissed, standing up straight again.

"I think anything is possible when it comes to your f*cked up family," Talia argued back shamelessly, "and I also think that you went from thinking I was a liar to then telling me not to blame myself very quickly. I'm no detective, but I sure as hell find that weird."

"Oh get your head out of your ass, Talia! I have no contact with Ryan. If I did, don't you think he'd be living with me by now? Instead of me playing these mindless little guessing games with you?" Stacy shot back, taking step closer. Tensions were rising between them by the second, and Talia was starting to feel the air get stuffy around her whilst Stacy felt her mouth run dry.

Then, suddenly, Stacy took a step back again and gulped.

"Have…have they found him yet?"

"Don't know, honestly don't care," Talia snapped back angrily. "One thing I won't be doing, though, is giving you my new number. Because you really are the only link left, Stacy - and it's making me uneasy."

"Wowwww. You really think I'd assist my son in stalking you?" Stacy asked slowly, in pure disbelief.

"You assisted your son in abusing me for years by not saying a thing even when the signs of abuse were clearly present," Talia reminded her quietly, sliding Adam's ward door back open again. "So I sure as hell wouldn't put it past you." And with that, she slipped inside, leaving Stacy there in shock in the hallway.

…

A few days had passed, and Talia was sieving through her 'thank you' cards before work one morning. "This is so cute," Talia cooed at the card from Adam's family. It had a little blue gameboy on the front, and the words 'THANK YOU' in thick blue felt tip scrawled underneath. "Aww! Robert, come look!" Chase poked his head around the bedroom door as he tried to fix his tie for work.

"Aww, who's that from? The autistic kid's family?" he guessed, edging a little closer to see it.

"Adam, yeah," Talia giggled tearfully. "I'm definitely keeping this on our fridge forever and no one can stop me."

"Of course you are, cos you're such a mum," Chase rolled his eyes as he continued fiddling with his tie. Talia gave a mock offended gasp and leapt up from the bed. She took the tie from his grip to finish it for him without thinking twice about it. "This is proof if proof be needed, by the way," Chase joked, nudging his head towards the tie. Talia smirked at him and continued on regardless. "Have you spoken to your dad recently? I think he still thinks that he failed the case of the wheelchair guy that me, him and Foreman was working on whilst you were working on Adam," Chase mentioned quietly.

"No, I haven't had the chance to speak to him," Talia murmured back. "I assume Cuddy knows what she's doing by acting as if he didn't solve the case when he literally got that man out of a wheelchair. I just hope he didn't restart the drugs to cope with his 'failure'. I worry about him a lot-"

"Mummmmm," Chase teased her under his breath. Talia bit back a smile and finished the tie for him, before tugging on it so that he was pulled closer to her.

"C'mon, we have to leave," she murmured against his lips.

"Give me one more minute and we can go," Chase chuckled back, pulling her in for a little kiss. Talia giggled and released his tie again so that he could go, before returning to her pile of thank you cards. There was just one lonely card left on the bed and she smiled down at it, noticing the sweet little grey bear on the front with a cupcake in it's furry little hand.

"Cuuute," she cooed, opening it to see who it was from. Something fell onto the floor as she did so, but she didn't have time to look at it.

Inside, printed so neatly, were the words:

'Dear Dr. Talia House,

The treatment is working well and I've never been more thankful that you convinced me to keep me going to extend my life. It means so much to me and I'll always be in debt to you. I know you've been on holiday for a while, but I hope you're doing well. :)

See you at my next check up!
Lots of luvvv,

Leona xxxooxo'

"Awww Leona! She's soooo cute," Talia giggled as she propped the card up on her dresser.

"Babe? You ready?" Chase suddenly called from where he was now stood at the front door, ready to go. "You said you had to drop something off at House's first, right?"

"Yeah, coming!" Talia shouted back, hastily grabbing her jacket and her bag.

Forgetting, of course, about the note on that had fallen on the floor.

…

Fifteen minutes later, both Talia and Chase were stood waiting outside House's apartment impatiently. "Oh this is bloody ridiculous. Where the hell is he? Cos I know his lazy self isn't at work," Chase pointed out whilst impatiently ringing the buzzer yet again.

"Oh he's definitely not at work - it's House for goodness sake," Talia sighed, throwing her head back in exasperation. "He needs to hurry up, though. We can't be late for our shift just because we were trying to drop off this damn guitar-"

"I still don't know why we don't just drop it off after work instead," Chase yawned, leaning up against the wall. "We really could've left it in the boot, babe."

"No because we're picking up food shopping after work and you get too cranky in the evening to run more than one errand - keep up, honey," Talia reminded him with a slightly impatient tut before knocking the door again. Chase groaned and leaned his forehead on her shoulder as time continued to drag. "Alright you know what," Talia muttered irritably, rummaging in her bag for her old keys.

"Woah - you're gonna just walk in?" Chase clarified in uncertainty, lifting his head with a squint.

"Chase, if he's sick or worse, given that now he believes he failed a bloody case and his ego is probably weeping and licking itself - it's gonna be for the best that I walk in anyway, no?" Talia pointed out fairly as she cracked the front door open. Chase sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, letting her stubborn self go ahead. "House?" she called out anxiously whilst stepping into the empty hallway.

There didn't seem to be anyone home at all, and it made her even more uneasy.

"T, I really don't think he's here," Chase frowned as he slowly followed her in. "His bike's gone too."

"But…his cane is here," Talia mumbled, pointing to where it rested up against the living room wall. She didn't like this. "Ahhh man. I'm not feeling this, babe."

"Me neither to be honest - you keep searching, I'll give Wilson a call," Chase assured her as he started dialling. Talia nodded and tiptoed through the apartment and over to House's room, cracking the door open and peering her head round as her heart slammed against her chest, anxious over what she might see.

Then she screamed.

"OH MY GOD!" Talia's horrified eyes fell on none other than Stacy, who was fast asleep, her naked body only half covered by House's deep grey duvet. She woke up abruptly at the sound of Talia's yell and she gasped, scrambling to grab the rest of the duvet to cover her bare chest.

"TALIA?! Do you just waltz into other people's houses without warning?!" Stacy screeched, her enticing crystal eyes wide with both shock and embarrassment.

"Do you just f*cking sleep with him and then not let yourself out in the morning?!" Talia shouted back, squeezing her eyes shut and blindly backing up into the hallway again. "What were you expecting - breakfast in bed?!" By that point, Chase had made his way over to the room too to see what the fuss was about.

"T, Wilson said House g- WOAHHHH!" he shouted, slamming his hands right over his eyes and hurriedly turning the other way. "Ohhhhh I really wish I didn't. I really wish I didn't-"

"Great, this is just great," Stacy mumbled out sarcastically as her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. "Thank you, Talia-"

"Nope. This one is allllll on you, Stace," Talia grunted back, before turning around and walking over to where Chase was now standing in the hallway with his eyes covered. "What were you saying, hun?"

"Yeah…uh…Wilson said House got arrested last night and he's on his way to bail him out," Chase winced, cautiously lowering his hand again.

"Sorry?!" Talia groaned, feeling slightly light headed. "HEY STACY?! Did you know your boyfriend got arrested last night?!" Talia's heart was smashing against her chest, and that was now for two reasons. One - House got arrested, and two - because she was slowly realising that House had slept with her abuser's mother again, even after knowing all he did - and it was making her feel sick more than anything.

What good reason would he have for doing that?

She was fuming.

"He's in JAIL?" Stacy gasped out in shock as Talia gathered her thoughts. "I…he must've left after we-"

"Lalalaaaa! Shut up! Thank youuuu!" Talia groaned, sticking two fingers in her ears in an attempt to drown out Stacy's pending words. "Good thing you're a bloody lawyer then, isn't it?"

...

i feel so baddd when talia and house's relationship goes from being all sweet to all...well, a mess. also, do we think stacy is involved in ryan's shananigans? do we trust her? lmaoooo