Author's Notes: Nikelodean - Thanks for pointing out the typo on the word anecdote – of course spell check would never catch that one. I'll have to add it to my caution list along with effect/affect (which you can watch for… it's a one in three chance I'll use the wrong spelling on that one too)

Anyway, I've gone back and fixed it!

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It wasn't the first time he'd woken up since surgery, but it was the first time he wasn't confused or anxious. The anesthesia was well out of his system and he'd gotten a good eight hours of sleep aided only by mild painkillers. Still, House did a double check to see that all was still right with his world. First he checked to his right, and saw Allison asleep, facing him, in her own hospital bed. Then he gently moved his hand down the side of his leg past the bandages until it reached his knee. Yep, still there.

Only then did he decide to look around the room to see what else was going on. His mother was sitting quietly reading in a chair by the window. Sunlight filtered in through the blinds behind her so he knew that it was daytime, probably early morning if he was judging the angle of the sun correctly. He tried to say something to get Madeline's attention but found that his throat was too dry. Finally he gave a weak little cough.

A moment later his mother was at his side with a huge smile offering him a cup of water that he sipped greedily through the straw. As if by magic, a nurse was there checking his vital signs, and generally making a nuisance of herself. House finally growled at her and she scuttled off.

"Well it's clear to see that you are back to normal," James commented from the doorway after almost being barreled over by the departing nurse.

"How much back to normal, exactly?" House inquired.

"Shepard will give you finer points, but in summary, possibly better off than before the surgery. This time the problem was caused by scar tissue cutting of the supply of blood to the area. Lindon shrunk that tissues and removed a small bit of additional muscle. But in shrinking the scar tissue he was able to take some pressure off of a nerve bundle too. You may find yourself in less pain," Wilson told him. "Lindon really was brilliant."

"I'll have Allison send him a thank-you note," House said. "Speaking of which, how is Sleeping Beauty?"

"She's fine, the baby is fine, and Cuddy says you owe her for allowing Allison to be moved down here," Wilson chuckled.

"She was going crazy up there," House explained.

"Sure, she was the one going crazy. If memory serves me right, you're the one that woke up every half hour to send a nurse to check on her until Cuddy finally gave in," Wilson teased.

"Mother, are you going to stand there and let him pick on me like that?" Greg complained.

"Yes, dear. You were quite annoying," Madeline agreed.

At that moment Allison decide to make her presence know with a snort if laughter. "Greg? Annoying? Never!" she protested.

"Oh look who's talking missy. You were almost as bad," James pointed out.

Allison had the grace to look guilty. "I'll apologize to the nurses later," she promised. After all she still had to give birth up there, and she'd hate for the maternity nurses to be annoyed with her then.

"So when can we get out of here?" House asked.

Madeline rolled her eyes. "I think it will be a few days for you son," she told him firmly. "Allison on the other hand can probably get out today once her doctor checks her over."

"Sure, she's just your favorite because she's carrying your grandchild," House griped.

Madeline didn't even bother answering that. Soon enough breakfast arrived, another source of complaint for House who only got clear liquids compared to Allison's feast of pancakes.

"Don't make me regret putting you two together," Cuddy chided as she stopped in to check on them.

"I suppose I owe you a year's worth of clinic duty. Whatever I agreed to at the time remember I was on drugs and have pity," House begged.

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The highlight of the rest of the day was Allison's check up, as Dr. Lundstrom rolled in a portable ultrasound and they had a crowd that got to see baby House on the screen. Madeline and Olivia were thrilled, and even the doctors, Cuddy, Wilson, Foreman, and Chase were smiling when they left.

Greg and Allison both declined once again to know the sex of the baby, which had surprised their friends. But they had discussed the issue before her first ultra-sound and both agreed they didn't want to spoil the moment at delivery when they could see first hand that they had a boy or girl.

The next few days were a whirl of activity. With House down for the count Diagnostics was as good as closed, so Allison had the luxury of taking a few days off. Olivia and Madeline stayed with her until House was released, and then once he was home they took off, Madeline for Florida, and Olivia back home to Connecticut. Finally Allison and Greg had some time alone, and there was one question Allison had been waiting to ask.

"Why?" she inquired curling up on the couch next to him.

"Why? That's a pretty opened ended question," Greg replied.

"You know what I mean. Why did you sign the permission for amputation," she questioned placing her head against his shoulder.

Wilson had asked him the same question while he was still in the hospital but they'd been interrupted and he'd never answered his friend. He didn't think there would be any reprieve this time though.

"I wasn't asleep when you made your little trip to my room in the wee hours of the morning," he confessed.

"I gathered that. But I don't remember saying anything profound," she told him.

"You said you loved me, that was pretty profound," House teased.

"I've told you that before though," she pointed out.

"You said you'd felt the baby move, which put things into a bit of perspective," he told her.

"That's it?" she pressed.

"Yeah, pretty much," he said. Seeing that she was still confused he sighed. "Ok, why do people generally commit suicide?"

When Allison shook her head indicating she had no clue where he was going with this, he continued. "They see no future, or one only filled with pain and loneliness. I guess the first time around that was the position I was in, imagining a future without my leg. I think I knew Stacy and I wouldn't last and basically didn't care to stick around for that life. This time? In two sentences you gave me a future."

It was the last thing she had expected him to admit. "You wanted to stick around to have a future with me?"

"You could put it that way," he said skirting admitting anything definitive.

"And you know that that future includes sleepless nights and dirty diapers, right?" she inquired.

"Well I didn't say it was a perfect future, but yeah. I also know it's going to include great sex, and watching you breastfeed, so there is an upside," he smirked.

At this point Allison didn't know whether she should slap him upside the head or fling herself into his arms. Conscious of the fact that he still had stitches she chose to simply to wrap her arms around him and draw him into a kiss. One that got out of hand all too quickly.

When they drew apart for breath House murmured, "Is it time for the great sex part?"

Allison pointed to his bandaged leg and commented, "Maybe we should hold off on that."

"Oh I'm sure we can come up with something creative," House assured her before gathering her in for a kiss.

And of course they did.

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Afterward as lie in the darkness on the verge of consciousness Allison spoke once more.

"Greg?" she whispered in case he was already asleep.

"Mm hmm?" he responded.

"Thank you," she said placing a kiss on his shoulder.

"Well, I know it was good, but it was hardly a performance worthy of gratitude," he replied earning a small nip of her teeth on the same shoulder. "Ouch!"

"Don't ruin it," she scolded. "You know what I mean. Thank you for wanting to spend the rest of your life with me."

House started to correct her. He'd never actually said any such thing even though it was what he'd meant. But she was right, why spoil the moment? He didn't give her very many. So instead he just pointed out the obvious.

"I think that is supposed to be my line."

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TBC