Disclaimer: I do not own House.

Chapter 18

Cameron was first to wake, looking slowly around the room the previous nights events came rushing back to her. Sitting up she gazed down at House, lightly running her finger over his stubble she smirked to herself before standing. She yawned and ran her fingers through her hair loosely and walked over to the surgery room. Peering into the window, which was no longer shielded by blinds she was shocked to find the room empty, except for a young nurse cleaning up. Her heart raced in her chest and she pushed the door open quickly.

"Where are they?"

The young nurse turned bewildered. "Sorry, where is who ma'am?"

"The children, the two children who were in here." The nurse shook her head.

"I'm sorry ma'am I don't know." Cameron sighed in frustration and turned quickly on her heel. Half running down the hallway she went in search of her children. Turning the corner sharply she ran straight into another female doctor she faintly recalled working with years ago. The woman smiled and reached out to touch Cameron's shoulder.

"Oh Allison I'm so sorry about what happened in surgery." Tears filled her eyes and Allison's heart dropped in her chest. "I'm sure they did their best, not that that's any consolation. Oh Allison I'm so sorry."

She nodded and wiped her eye before carrying on. Allison stood staring at the spot where the woman had stood as her eyes blinked furiously. No tears came. No sudden shaking of the body. Just a feeling. A strong feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her fists clenched at her sides she walked slowly back to the room where her children had been. Entering the room she saw the made beds and the coats hanging over them.

Walking forward in a trance she ran her fingers lightly over the bed sheets, picking up Lilley's jacket she held it in her hands as she sat on one of the beds. She found herself staring at the crimson jacket in her hands willing herself to cry. Why couldn't she cry? Her daughter was dead, and she couldn't cry. What kind of mother didn't cry when her daughter died? Lifting the jacket to her chest she pulled her feet up and lay on the bed clutching the coat.

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House awoke to find his lap empty, rubbing his leg he took out two vicodin and took them without any water. Standing he peered into the surgery room, it was empty. Clutching his cane he made his way to his office, on his way he bumped into Wilson.

"Where are the brats?" Wilson smiled at House.

"If by 'brats' you mean your children they are doing fine and are recovering nicely."

"Well obviously that's great, but you see I didn't ask for their medical records I asked where they are." House snarled and Wilson rolled his eyes.

"Last I saw of them, they were in the canteen with that blonde guy stocking up on chocolate cookies." He put his hands in his pockets and cocked his head to the side. "I'm guessing that you have accepted them as your children now?"

House looked at him with an odd look on his face. "They always were my children. If by that personal question you meant am I ready to accept responsibility for them. Then yes, I suppose I am."

Wilson's smile grew as wide as his ears and he nodded shortly. "Growth." House looked at him his eyebrows almost joining in the centre. "What?"

Wilson nodded once more and walked past him chuckling and repeated almost to himself. "Growth."

House rolled his eyes and continued making his way to his office, pushing open the glass door he came face to face with two wheelchairs and two grinning children. Walking past them he made his way to the coffee machine and grabbed a cup. "Yes?"

Chris' grin didn't falter. "Hey Dad." Putting emphasis on the last word he and Lilley laughed as House pretended to shiver in disgust.

House turned to face them and brought his coffee to his lips. "Where's your mother?"

"We don't know, we came here to wait for you as soon as we were allowed." Lilley looked around the office as if her mum was hiding, House nodded at her.

"Are you ok?"

Lilley turned her attention back to him and smiled. "Yeah, I feel great." House nodded and then looked at Chris.

"And you?"

"The same, I feel fine, best I've felt in months!" He smiled and House couldn't help but return the smile the best way he could. Drinking his coffee he put the cup in the sink before walking forward between them.

"Come on, we best go find your mum then." The two children followed him out of the room and Lilley looked up at him.

"Watch this." Wheeling herself to the end of the corridor she then turned and began pushing herself back down the corridor, once she had gained enough speed she leant back in her chair tipping the chair up off its front wheels and she glided down the corridor on the back wheels. Sitting forward again she brought the wheels crashing down and stopped just short of the elevator. Turning she grinned back at Chris and House who looked at each other and House said.

"There's only one Lilley Cameron." Chris nodded.

"Thank god!" House nodded and pushed Chris into the elevator where Lilley was waiting.

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Cameron lay on the bed cursing herself, why couldn't she cry? She had been asking herself this question for the past thirty minutes. She could hear their laughter in her head; hear it plan as anything as if they were still here laughing. Sitting up straight she smiled, she had just realised why she wasn't crying. She knew they weren't dead.As a mother, if her children were dead, she would feel it, but all she felt was her stomach telling her she was hungry. She knew they weren't dead. And that laughter wasn't in her head, it was here, in the hospital. Jumping from the bed she ran to the door and smiled as she saw House stood between two wheelchairs at the end of the corridor. He held his cane in the air and said loudly.

"Ready. Set. GO!" Brining his cane down between the wheelchairs Lilley and Chris laughed and began pushing themselves furiously down the corridor not caring if they bumped into anyone.

As they rolled past Cameron she found that the tears had reappeared in her eyes, tears of happiness. Her eyes turned from her children to the man stood at the end of the corridor, but he was no longer at the end of the corridor he was stood in front of her. His hand came up slowly and wiped her eyes and she leant her face into his hand smiling at his touch, looking up at him she met his eyes.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes." He nodded and she removed her face from his hand.

"Are you positive, because it's a big responsibility, you cant change your mind." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to change my mind, I want you, and them, in my life." She opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off. "Allison, would you shut up, I've already put an offer in to buy a bigger house. I'm positive about this."

She smiled and he reached out once more and his thumb grazed her lip and then rested on her cheek before pulling her to him and kissing her passionately. They pulled apart as they heard a big crash come from the other end of the corridor, giggling Cameron turned her head and saw Lilley and Chris pointing at each other as Cuddy towered above them motioning to the big mess they had just created. House sighed.

"On second thoughts…." Allison laughed and smacked his chest and he pulled her into him and embraced her, she turned her head up and looked at him and said quietly.

"Its funny the way even the worst circumstances can have a happy ending." He looked down at her and shook his head.

"You are such a girl."

There you have it folks.

Finito.

Except the very last chapter, which is going to be an epilogue.

Im toying with the idea of writing a fan fic about life after this...to show what happens...if you like the idea..let me know.

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