Disclaimer…I don't own anything.

Author's Note…The Epilogue…dun dun dun! I just want to thank all my AMAZING reviewers who have done such a good job and inspired me so much…every time I read one I just get happy! ;) Well, anyway, now that the story is OFFICIALLY over, I'm kinda sad to let it go. It's my first story...it's my baby. Oh well. Time to leave the nest. I know, I know…me so cheesy.

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There are many labels to put on a person when they lose somebody. When both parents die, they are an orphan. When their husband dies, they are a widow. When their wife dies, they are a widower. When their siblings die, they are an only child. When their friends die, they are alone.

And when their children die; they're ruined.

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Things were bad for a couple years, really, really bad. Cuddy and Wilson were husks of people, walking around without emotion because it was easier to feel nothing than it was to feel angry, sad, and dead. But time marched on; as it inevitably would; and they learned to cry and they learned to grieve and they learned to remember and eventually; they learned how to smile.

But they were never Libby's parent.

It was the little things that got to him. No phone calls from college on Sunday nights, coming home to an empty coffee pot, the feeling in his stomach he got when he went up and down the elevator each morning at work and saw the flashing red number "7". He wondered how Wilson managed to get off there every day. About three weeks after the funeral, House had gone food shopping as there was literally nothing to eat. He been fine through the gourmet food section, fine through the bakery, but when he went down the snack aisle and realized he could get whatever he wanted because he no longer had a diabetic living at home, he had broken down.

After a couple years, House and Cuddy had decided to move out because the apartment was too painful. Cuddy had jokingly told House this was just a plan to get him into a home (he was about 68 now) but he had just looked at her because nothing had seemed funny for two years. Eventually, they decided to move back into Cuddy's house. It was still under her ownership and seemed like the simplest thing to do.

The moving truck came a week after the reached the decision.

After the movers had packed up the final box, one of them had asked House if there was anything in the room with the door closed. Libby's room. House glanced at it; he hadn't been in there for two years; and he shook his head at the man. He didn't tell Cuddy. They left a few minutes later.

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That night, House couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in his familiar routine of an insomniac. Slumber had never come easy for him but it had drifted farther and farther away since Libby had died. So at night; while Cuddy snored quietly next to him; he would think. The most persistent question on his mind was whether Libby had known. Did she have too have trouble sleeping that night, knowing she wouldn't wake up in the morning? Did she pay extra attention to the sunset, knowing that she wouldn't wake up in the morning and see it rise? Did she open her window that night on purpose, knowing that she would need an easy exit? Did she wake up right before it happened, knowing she was only minutes away from another world?

Who was he kidding? He couldn't stay in bed. House rolled out and downed a few more Vicoden than necessary. Without knowing where he was going, he got in his car and just drove. Before he knew it, he was back at the apartment. They hadn't sold it, though he didn't know why.

Libby's room. There it was; just as he'd left it. Nothing had changed; it even smelled like her, the mixed fragrance of apples and flowers. Her bed was unmade. Her laundry was still in the basket. A cook-book was out, she had even doggy-eared a page. House opened it.

It was a wedding cake. Despite everything that had been happening; despite being mere days from death; she still had fantasies about marrying the boy of her dreams.

To tell the truth, he thought the cake was beautiful. Exactly what he would have chosen for her. Maybe for himself, if he was the marrying-type. Cameron had been one thing, but too much had happened.

He noticed a pale green piece of paper taped to the bottom of the page, folded up at least five times. He gently opened it up and heaved a sigh when he saw it was a note from Libby.

Dear Dad,

I know a lot has happened and I know a lot's about to happen but this is the cake I was going to bake for my wedding. It sounds stupid; baking my own wedding cake; but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Don't mock me for being insane. I'll totally haunt you and switch all your Rolling Stone tees with polos from Lands End.

And yes, I know that you're not the marrying-type and whatever, BUT if you and Aunt Lisa ever "tie the knot" (yeah, I said it, watcha gonna do 'bout it? Huh? Huh?) this should be your wedding cake. I think you'll like it. I guess the real bright side to me dying is you can have any kind of cake you want, and this one has lots of chocolate.

Well, whatever you do, knot or nothing, fight the urge to be an ass and screw the whole relationship up. Otherwise, when you do finally kick the bucket (and by the way, I hope you give it a good dramatic kick…knock if over if you want to…it's probably much more fun than gently nudging it like I am) Mom and I are gonna make fun of you so bad, you'll be begging for mercy. Don't underestimate us.

Ok, that's it then. Eat up! I love you…Libby.

House's jaw couldn't be any lower if he tried. How was it that a simple 200-word letter from his daughter simply wipe away all the pain? He walked back to his car in a daze and drove home in some kind of stupor, the note still clutched tightly in his hand. If he could crush paper, that thing would have been dust by now.

And despite his numb mind, House managed to realize something that would change the rest of his life; it was time to move on. Not to forget, just to move on.

He got back into bed and gave Cuddy a kiss on her cheek. He didn't think she was even awake but she rolled over and sat up. "Where have you been?"

"Doesn't matter."

Cuddy rolled her eyes and put her head back on the pillow.

"Hey, Leese?"

"What?" Her reply was muffled.

"You wanna marry me?"

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The ceremony was four months later. The only people in attendance were Wilson and Josh. It had been Wilson's idea to invite him, and to Cuddy's surprise, House agreed. But something about House had changed; something that Cuddy couldn't quite put her finger on. Oh well; some things were never meant to be understood.

After a short service, everyone enjoyed a delicious chocolate cake that House had chosen himself.

Life tasted sweet.