Wilson had faced lots of tough situations before. The morose feelings that lingered in the air among family and friends of a desperately ill patient was something he always approached with the right amount of sympathy and concern, while still maintaining his professional composure. This time it was all unfamiliar. His normal methods weren't working. With each step closer to the ICU, he felt his world fall further apart.

He turned to check on Michael, who was being pushed in an enclosed crib by Chase and one of the NICU nurses. The baby was content, likely enjoying the comfortable ride. Wilson pictured giving him plenty of stroller rides in the future.

Once they reached the room he took a full second to panic, but that was all he would allow himself. He slid the door open and entered the uncongenial room. He had been in the ICU lots of times, but it never felt as gloomy as it did now. It lacked warm touches, signs of vibrant life, sounds that were soothing to the soul. The beep of the monitors and the swish of the ventilator were the only sounds, signaling a milieu of despair.

As expected, the first sight of Lisa was a shock, despite the fact that he had already mentally pictured what it would be like. What threw him was the pallor of her skin, pale and greyish, and the lack of any sign of what she once was. If he didn't know better, he wouldn't believe it was her. He half expected House to be sitting by her, staring at her with his indignant eyes and unshaven face, but there was no sign of him. No doubt Chase and Foreman ran him off.

He went straight over to Lisa and took her hand. He felt some warmth underneath the clammy texture, but also sensed calm as well. Wherever she was now, it couldn't be all that bad. It was in sharp contrast to the last time, when she was clutching onto him in terror. He knew he needed to say something to her, but he didn't have anything rehearsed. Whatever he would say, it would come out simple and cliché.

"Lisa, I'm here," almost waiting for a response even though he knew full well he wouldn't get it. "I'm sorry I haven't come by sooner. I've been doing what you asked."

Wilson looked at Chase, who nodded to give him okay. The nurse came over with a fresh gown and helped him put it on. Then she took Michael out of his crib and placed him in Wilson's arms.

"Lisa, Michael is doing great. He's here with me now." He turned his head toward the boy. "Michael, this is your mom."

He placed the baby down onto the bed, in the crook of Cuddy's arm, and held him in place. Wilson wanted him to hear that familiar heartbeat, hoping he'd realize that this was the person that brought him into this world. He wrapped Cuddy's arm around Michael, wishing that the lifeless touch would do something for them both. Given the fact that the baby wasn't fussing, what he was doing wasn't hurting.

Chase and the nurse both smiled at the beautiful family reunion. Chase cocked his head toward the door, indicating that they should give them some time alone. They slipped outside unnoticed.

Wilson spent several minutes watching both mother and son together. This moment felt almost right. It would have been perfect if she was awake. He rested his chin on his right hand, which was stretched on the bed, and his left hand held Michael. "I miss you Lisa." His vision became blurred from the tears welling up in his eyes, but he still wouldn't openly cry. He needed to be the strong one.

A towering figure stood on the other side of the glass door, watching the gentle family moment, and intently watching Wilson fall apart.

"What are you doing House?" Chase asked.

"Nothing to see here." He walked away.

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"Dr. Wilson?"

Wilson looked at the clock. He didn't know that almost an hour had passed. That was far more time than they were allowed. Chase would probably get hell for that. "It's time, isn't it?"

"Yes, we need to get Michael back to the NICU. You're welcome to stay here if you want." Chase said.

Wilson shook his head. "No, I need to be with him. She understands." Wilson reached over and with delicate care handed the baby back to the nurse. He stood up, leaned over, and gave Cuddy as soft kiss on the forehead. "Get better."

They quietly shuffled out, Wilson sliding the door behind him, the monitors now being the only sounds echoing in the room. There wasn't a nurse, or a doctor, or even House there to see Cuddy's hand begin to twitch.

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Cameron was waiting at the NICU when Chase and Wilson came back. "How did it go?"

"Good," Wilson replied, returning to his familiar chair as the nurse pushed the crib back.

Cameron pulled Chase outside. "Is he okay?"

"He's heartbroken right now Allison, and carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. For Cuddy's sake though, he held up very well and gave her some time with the baby."

She nodded, needing to know his state of mind before she talked to him.

"Come here." Chase pulled her in tightly for a hug. He took in deep breaths, grasping onto her like every minute depended on it. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

She melted into his arms, offering him the comfort he desired. "Robert, you're exhausted. You should go home now."

"I will soon. Foreman will be back in an hour."

Just then his pager went off. His eyes grew wide as he read the message.

"Is it Cuddy?"

"There's random movement."

Cameron grew somewhat hopeful, knowing that even though twitches were common in coma patients, in this case it might mean something. "Go, check on her."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll let you know as soon as I know something." He ran off.

Cameron smiled before heading back into the NICU. She felt a boost, knowing that any glimmer of hope or optimism would make a huge difference to Wilson right now.

----------------------------------------------------

Wilson didn't leave the NICU for three more days, except for bathroom breaks. The nurses were bringing him meals and he often had people checking on him. Chase and Foreman came in periodically to update him on Cuddy's progress, and Pamela stopped in a couple of times to show support. His most frequent visitor though was Cameron, who would spend sometimes stretches as long as a two hours with him. He hadn't seen House since the day of the delivery.

He couldn't take his eyes off of the innocent being in front of him while thoughts flew through his head like an unstoppable freight train. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel. After several days of heartache, today he felt nothing. He actually took that to be a good sign. Sure, it could just be from excessive fatigue, but it was the first sign to him that maybe things were headed back to normal, as normal as they could be under the circumstances anyway.

Why didn't he feel the betrayed over his best friend not stepping up when his son needed him? Probably because as much as he cared about House, he knew that he would be the better father. It was the right decision. He was finally feeling peace over the situation, which meant he was ready to go on. But there was the other part of him, who just wanted to go to sleep and wake up with everything back to the way it was. He was so lost in thought that never noticed Cameron enter until her hand was on his shoulder.

"Hey there." She took a seat next to him. Judging by the eager look on her face, she had something to share.

"You want me to get out of here for a while," Wilson guessed by her look.

"For good reason. I just finished speaking to Dr. Agbar. Michael can go home the day after tomorrow. We need to get his nursery ready. How far did you and Dr. Cuddy get with it?"

"There's an unassembled crib, a changing table, and not much else."

"Okay, we'll fix that. Robert has put a couple of cribs together, so he can help with yours. I'm taking you to the baby superstore."

Wilson nodded, fully appreciating the gesture. He could use help.

"Also, you need to start getting out into the open. I'm here to take you downstairs. Pamela is having a nursing appreciation luncheon and you are their invited guest."

Wilson smiled, for the first time in days. "It's a front for a baby shower, isn't it?"

"Well duh." She said smiling back.

"You guys going to make me wear the silly hat made from all the bows?"

"Yep, and you can't break ribbons either. The last thing you need is more bad luck. I got you a fresh change of clothes in the locker room. Go take some time to get freshened up first. Michael will be fine."

Wilson got up and took a long overdue stretch. He gazed at the sleeping child, who was probably sick by now of having him around all the time. "I know he will."

He followed Cameron out of the room.

"What's the latest on Lisa?" He asked while they walked down the hall. "I'm sure people will be asking."

"She's opening her eyes periodically, and still making random movements. Foreman is really encouraged by the brain wave activity and hopes it all means she's coming out of the coma. She's breathing on her own, but they haven't taken her off the ventilator yet. Maybe by tomorrow."

Wilson exhaled in relief. Being off the ventilator meant her condition would be upgraded and she would be moved out of the ICU.

"All signs point that she is slowly coming out of it, but she still has a way to go." Cameron further explained.

"Okay. That's enough good news to go with." He let out a long exhaustive sigh. "Everything's going to be okay."

Cameron gave him a supportive smile. "You get a family out of it. Not a bad deal for someone who shoots blanks."

Wilson let a small chuckle escape him. It's a good thing he never stopped believing that things happen for a reason. They reached the locker area. "If you'll excuse me, I've got a party to get ready for."

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"Oh wow, another much needed onesie. How nice. And it's blue too." Wilson was well rehearsed on responses from Cameron.

Pamela and Cameron stood in the corner of the conference room, watching Wilson open the barrage of presents, admiring how he was holding up so well. "So, he's better today?"

"Yes, I think he's ready to go on with his new found responsibility."

"Good. I have a meeting with him tomorrow to go over family leave options. I was basically going to give him all he wants."

"Thanks for doing this for him. Sure we all could have just given him gifts, but he really needed a party."

"Everyone here is his family, Lisa's too. I think I would have been lynched if I didn't throw a shower." Pamela looked all around. "I don't see that miserable SOB that is his so called best friend."

"Trust me. That's the last thing Wilson needs. House signed over custody without even talking to him first. Sure it was the best thing to do, but there was no decency in the act."

"Dr. Wilson," Ramone said. "Here's one more present. There's no card on it."

Wilson looked at the small and soft present in front of him. It was wrapped in basic tissue paper and a bow was randomly thrown on it. He opened it, held up the contents and let out a huge smile. It was a black infant sized t-shirt that had a Harley motorcycle bathed in flames. It said "Raising Hell."

"I know who this is from." Wilson said.

Cameron and Pamela snickered at each other too. "Aww, House does care."

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"Please, come in," Pamela said enthusiastically, very pleased to see Wilson. "Excited about taking home the baby?"

"Yes." He looked around Cuddy's office, feeling obvious discomfort. It didn't feel right to see Pamela behind that desk.

"So let's talk about your leave." Pamela wanted to get to the point, noticing his unease. "You get twelve weeks by law. I'm sure in your case we could get family leave approved."

"I need it to be indefinite. I don't know when I'll be back."

Pamela was prepared for such a response. "I'm not surprised, but yes, that creates a difficult situation. It will take board approval, but I'm sure in your circumstances that won't be a problem."

"I was actually thinking about resigning."

Pamela gasped. "No James, I would never let you do that. You've built up too much tenure here. You'd be hurting your medical career.

"I can't do this job and be the sole caregiver of a baby. The demands are too great."

"I understand, but you don't have to quit. We can work something out. At worst you don't get to run Oncology anymore."

Wilson put his hands on his hips, a motion he usually saved for when lecturing House. "Pamela, it's great you are willing to work things out, but truth be told I'm overwhelmed. Right now I don't feel like ever coming back."

Pamela folded her arms, showing she wasn't about to back down. "Well, I don't accept. You take all the leave you need, but I'm not shutting the door. I don't want you to leave and have regrets later. If I have any say, there will always be a place here for you."

Wilson opened his mouth for more arguing, then relented. He really didn't know what the future would hold, so keeping open options wouldn't hurt. "Okay, we'll do it your way."

Pamela got up and moved closer, putting her hand on his shoulder. "James, don't think you are alone in this either. If you need anything from me or Eric, let us know. We are qualified babysitters you know."

"Why does that scare me?" Wilson said, wincing at the thought.

"We're better than House."

"Point taken. If Cameron, Chase, Brenda, Ramone, the night janitor, the entire pediatric nursing staff and my assistant aren't available, I'll call you next."

Pamela laughed. "You see, you're all set. Good luck to you."

"Thanks Pamela." He left the office, feeling that a huge weight had been lifted off him. Now he could focus on what really mattered, being a dad.

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Wilson heard the knock on Cuddy's door. He wasn't expecting visitors, but then again, it wasn't his house. Given the late hour though, only one name came to mind. He opened the door, and without reaction let his guest come in.

"I brought beer," House said, holding up the peace offering.

"Took you long enough," he replied.

House made his way without invitation into the living room with Wilson following behind. "We'll need to order some pizza to go with our beverage. So where's the little brat?"

"In his crib sleeping."

"Bring him out. The WWE Midnight Smackdown starts soon. It's male bonding time."

"House, babies like sleep."

"How so? Being up at strange hours of the night is not an issue at that age."

Wilson couldn't argue that point and headed into the bedroom to get their son.

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"Oh no, not the steel chair!" House shouted as mayhem on the TV erupted.

He was on the left side of the couch, Wilson on the right, and Michael in his baby seat in the middle. House and Wilson both had their feet propped up on the coffee table, and all three had their eyes fixed on the action.

"He likes this stuff," Wilson observed, looking at Michael's wide eyes following the images on the TV.

"Perfect eye candy for young and old. There's something primal about men being allowed to be men." House held up his beer in a toast. "Here's to having no women around to ruin our evening."

Wilson raised his beer in accordance and drank. Even though he wished Lisa was home, for this one night, he was in full agreement.

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a/n: One more chapter to go. It will close out all the story lines and I promise a nice fluffy ending. Thanks for reading!