A couple of days later, Wilson was at House's flat helping him pack some things that he didn't want to leave to the movers. Blythe was going to do most of House's packing, the clothes and things like that, but there were a few things House didn't want his mother to see – and it wasn't just the porn. House had told Wilson to get a locked box from the upper shelf of his bookcase and place it on the coffee table. The two men were sitting down looking at it.

"So," Wilson said, not knowing what else to say but feeling that something had to be said.

"So," House replied. He was fiddling with the key that would open the box.

"What are you going to do," Wilson asked close to exploding.

"I'm not sure," House shrugged. "It has been there for so long and knowing that it was there ..."

"But you cannot have it anywhere near your kids," Wilson tried to point out.

"Don't be silly," House scoffed. "It is a locked box and if I take it with me to my new place I will keep it on the top shelf there, too. The kids are more likely to get to my Vicodin and what other medicine we may have in the house sooner than they get to this. And once they are troublesome teenagers and decide to do drugs they will get them easier from somewhere else than from Daddy's secret stash."

"But its still morphine," Wilson worried. "You would hate yourself if something happened to the kids because of it."

"I will hate myself if they drink kitchen cleaner, bang their heads on a table or whatever it is kids always end up doing to hurt themselves," House mused. "This is not a direct danger to them in any way. That is not the reason I think of leaving this behind."

"But you are thinking of leaving it behind," Wilson wanted to be sure.

"Yeah," House sighed. "I think it may be time. I'm not saying that I won't need morphine again; I still have chronic pain and there is no reason to assume it won't get worse again, just because I have had it good ever since Aiko came into my life. But I believe I need to stop secretly self-medicating. Before if I got it wrong or if what I took disagreed with something someone else gave me, it didn't matter. The only one who was going to suffer was me. Now, if something happens to me Aiko is the one who will suffer most and Cuddy and the triplets need me, too." House shook his head banging the key to the table next to the box. "I always knew that responsibility is a bitch! Take it away Wilson. Take it away."

Wilson didn't need telling twice. He took the box and the key and went out to lock them in his car for the time being. He would dispose of the items later, at work. He returned to House's flat.

"You did the right thing," Wilson told his friend.

"Yeah," House scorned. "And I feel so good about it, too. You know this feeling of righteousness, virtue; almost holiness is what I live for. It's so me."

"Stop that House," Wilson found his friend somewhat exasperating, though he did feel a little like smiling at his disgusted demeanour. "It doesn't make you any less an ass just because you do the right thing just once in a while."

"Jerk," House insisted. "I'm not an ass. I'm a jerk."

"Fine! Have it your way," Wilson sighed.

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

Blythe had been home to her husband when House and Wilson had disposed of the box. She came back the next day bringing more of her things with her. She also said that she had arranged to have the rest of her things shipped at a later date.

"That almost sounded like you're not going back?" House wondered. "How would that work with your marriage counselling? Or is Dad moving here too and you are going to find a new one here?"

"No, we are not getting anywhere with the counselling so I'm starting the divorce proceedings," Blythe revealed. She refused to look at her son, though, in stead she concentrated on Aiko who was happily exploring her grandmother's face with her little hands.

"After only four meetings?" House asked. "That does not sound like you. I don't mean to interfere since it's your marriage, but are you sure?"

"No," Blythe sighed. "But I don't know what else to do. John is not co-operating. He is basically waiting for the therapist to tell me to get over it and go back to my husband. He is not talking about anything he is not participating; he just sits there and grunts."

"That sounds like him," House acknowledged. "He probably thinks that the whole thing is old news and going over and over the same ground is just pointless since he cannot change anything he did anyway."

"I know that, but things need to change now," Blythe distressed. "I don't want to go over the same ground over and over again but he isn't willing to go over it even once and I need to know how he feels about it. If he regrets it if he knows that what he did was wrong. Just once. I lived a lie for over forty years; I cannot just shrug it of. I know he can live with what he did, he has been doing it all this time; I know he doesn't need to talk about it, he didn't. But I need it. And if he isn't willing to do even this for me, then there is no marriage. At least not one I want any part in."

"Are you expecting to shock him into co-operating with the divorce papers?" House wondered.

"If this does shake him enough for him to want to talk, want to really work with me, I'm willing to put the divorce on hold," Blythe finally looked his son in the eye. "But I am not counting on it. This is not a scare tactic. Until we have really dealt with this, with what he did to you, I will not go back to him. And if he never wants to deal with it, then why stay married to him?"

"Ok," House was still worried, but he had to trust that his mother knew what she wanted. "It is your marriage and your husband. You are the only one who knows what is best for you. You will go on seeing your personal therapist, though?"

"Yes," Blythe nodded. "I still need help in sorting out my own feelings. Especially now, I suppose."

"Good. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you," House told his mother.

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

Later that day – or actually it was more night by then – House walked back and forth in his office. The patient of the week was between seizures and the team was waiting for test results to get more information. But for now House was not worried about the patient. He stopped at the phone a couple of times even picking up the receiver but setting it down every time. Finally he made up his mind. He sat down at his desk, took the phone and dialled. After four rings his father picked up.

"Dad, it's Greg," House said.

"Called to gloat," John House queried.

"No," House replied neutrally. "It's not important enough for me to gloat about."

"Then why are you calling?" John' voice sounded bitter. "Surely you're not asking after my health."

"No, not that either," House stated. "I actually don't really want to talk to you at all, but Mother is too important to me to not try to do this. She needs more from you than you are willing to give."

"She has a funny way of showing it," John scoffed. "If she needs me, she should not be divorcing me."

"I didn't say she needs you," House clarified. "I said she needs something from you. There is a difference. Though if you can give her what she needs, she may end up needing you, too."

"You are saying that she is not sure about the divorce?" John surmised.

"She is sure that the divorce is the only thing she can do, since you have refused everything else," House pointed out.

"I haven't refused anything," John was getting angry.

"Except trying to work on your marriage," House scoffed.

"I don't see how having her tame therapist ask the same questions over and over again is working on the marriage," John nearly exploded.

"And have you answered any of the questions yet?" House asked.

"No, of course not," John huffed. "They are private things, none of his concern."

"But Mom doesn't want to talk about them in private," House reminded him. "She needs the therapist there to keep things neutral. And has she in any way indicated that she has no interest in finding answers to those questions?"

"Well, no," John growled. "But we don't need any therapists or anything. Our parents stayed married all their lives without any therapists putting their noses in things. Marriage is between two people, you don't invite others to meddle in it."

"You do, if you don't know how to go on alone," House said trying to hold on to his temper. "Besides, does it matter? Your wife needs someone else there. You promised to be there for her no matter what. You weren't there for her most of your married life because of your job. Now you have a chance and you refuse?"

"What do you know about marriage?" John threw in for lack of anything else to say.

"Not much," House admitted. "But I do know that you are making your wife unhappy. I don't really want to talk to you about your marriage – or anything, come to that – but Mom is unhappy. You are the reason for it. I needed to do something. I have had my say now. If you want to go on being a coward, fine. Do as you please. This is as far as I'm willing to go to meddle in this."

"That's it?" John huffed. "You call to chastise me about my marriage and then you hang up? You are not even telling me about my grandchildren!"

"I wasn't aware you were interested in my daughter," House noted in a dangerously quiet voice.

"I was talking about my real grandchildren, the ones that have not yet been born," John barked.

"Yes, I rather suspected that you were," House scorned. "They are none of your concern."

"Are you denying me my grandchildren!" John wasn't sure he could believe his ears.

"I suppose I am," House flipped. "You see, you don't get to pick and choose. And since you reject one, you reject them all. I don't expect to be calling you again."

House hung up. He already regretted having called his Father. Though he didn't know what else he could have done; somebody had to try and shake some sense into John or Blythe was never going to get proper closure to her marriage. Well, he had done all he could or was willing to do. Time to go home and relieve Blythe from baby-sitting duty.

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

Next morning when Kasumii came to House's flat to start her day's work as Aiko's Nanny; she found father and daughter in the same bed again. House had, again, made a safe nest for Aiko and he was sleeping curled around it with his hand on Aiko's chest. Kasumii smiled ruefully. She was fairly sure she was going to win the bet about House being willing to let Aiko sleep in the new nursery once they moved into the new house. Kasumii was absolutely convinced that there was no way Aiko would end up spending her nights away from her father for quite a few months yet. Shaking her head at her boss Kasumii went into the kitchen to get Aiko's morning bottle ready and a little later she shook House awake and gave the bottle to him. Kasumii got Aiko's bath ready while House fed the baby and once that was done, he bathed her and then gave her to Kasumii to dress while he had his own shower and Blythe – who had come down from the upstairs flat – made them breakfast. After that the adults ate the pancakes while Aiko sat on House's lap and made conversation with them. Of course, most of her statements needed translation but House was happy to act as an interpreter for his daughter – and Blythe and Kasumii felt that he actually did understand everything Aiko had to say. It was weird, but they could not shake the feeling.

They got ready for work and got to the hospital at House's usual late hour only to find that the Queen of Hearts was reigning that day and the hospital staff had been waiting for House with baited breath to calm Cuddy down.

"I can't believe that none of you are smart enough to go and get her some frozen yogurt!" House sighed at them in exasperation. "Didn't you even have the smarts to ask Wilson?"

"He has been busy with his patients," Miss Hill responded. "And we already tried the yogurt. She wasn't having any. She wanted blood. Yours preferably."

"Her preference or yours?" House asked as he limped into the she-lions den.

"I rather think that was the one thing this morning that we completely agreed on," Miss Hill smiled sweetly at him.