I've been listening Johnny Cash lately, so the tracks for this chapter- and the next one, too - are Guess Things Happen That Way and It Ain't Me Babe.

And thank you for your comments again :)

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Before they left home Saturday night, House had a word with his mother. A conversation Blythe really didn't want to have, so she tried to deflect it.

"What is this I hear from Lisa that you don't think Aiko said her first word?" Blythe asked her son.

"She has been saying all sorts of words for some time now, some sound like real words some don't," House shrugged. "I don't see why I should arbitrarily decide that one particular word is the word just because it seems to fit the time and the situation. The process of learning is precisely that: a process, it happens gradually and eventually she will speak the same as everybody else."

"So you don't think she has said her first word?" Blythe wondered.

"She has said several," House explained. "Just like I said, some make sense others don't. She is developmentally at a stage where she experiments with two-syllable sounds where the same syllable is repeated. I won't egoistically decide for her which of them have more meaning to her, especially not that Dada means Daddy. I know when she is talking to me, no matter what sounds she uses. Besides I have been having long conversations with her for weeks!"

"You know, I think Lisa is right," Blythe smiled at her son. "You may well be the most unconventional Daddy there is."

"Well, as long as you don't say it like it's a bad thing," House reflected.

"No, it isn't," Blythe stated. "For it does seem to work well for Aiko. She is happy and that is all that really matters."

"I keep telling her that her opinion is all that matters. But don't think that I have forgotten the real reason I sought you out now. I really want to know if you are sure you don't want to come with us?" House asked. "The restaurant would let us bring Aiko with us, too, this early in the evening."

"Really, Greg, I'm fine," Blythe reassured him. "I really look forward to being alone with Aiko this evening. I need some Aiko-time. And maybe I can find out if she really is talking or not!"

"If you are not regretting your decision to stay home tonight, then something else has happened," House reflected. "What is dragging you down?"

"There really is no hiding things from you, is there," Blythe sighed. She caressed Greg's cheek briefly. "I'm fine, truly. I just need to get over myself, that's all."

"Not good enough," House refused to let go. "I need a better explanation."

"I got a letter from a busybody neighbour," Blythe finally gave in. "Your father hasn't exactly been broadcasting our divorce, so quite a lot of our old friends are still under the impression that I'm just staying here to help you with Aiko. So this woman wrote to me to warn me that unless I get my priorities straight, I might loose my marriage."

"Meaning?" House asked though he had a pretty good idea.

"Meaning that John has been seen stepping out, as it was phrased, with someone else," Blythe revealed. "May Perkins to be precise."

"I seem to remember her," House frowned. "Major league slut, as one of my patients would put it, I think."

"No she isn't!" Blythe couldn't help but smile, nevertheless. "She just was brought up to believe that women existed for men and that she wouldn't be a real woman without one. It's not her fault that she is needy. She has never been independent in any sense of that word and it really is too late to expect her to change now. And I cannot blame her for going after John, not when I was the one who filed for divorce. And though I do wish John had waited a little longer before... Well, whatever. But I rejected him and I'm sure he is feeling miffed. I just hope this isn't one of those rebound things they talk about. May may be an airhead, a little, but she does not deserve to be hurt."

"I doubt she has the sense needed to be hurt," House derided. "You don't need to worry about either of them. Sounds like Dad landed himself in a tub of butter: a woman who will serve him hand and foot and think he can do no wrong. Must be soothing to his ego."

"Greg," Blythe sighed. "Let it go. It's not worth it."

"But it is hurting you," House pointed out.

"Just my pride," Blythe insisted. "I hadn't realised how easily I can be replaced. But that is all. I'm not hurting in any other way. If it even is hurt, more just melancholy. Things could have been so different, if only... But I will be fine."

"Ok," House agreed to let go. "If you are sure you're fine. Aiko will certainly keep you entertained for the night and she will also certainly lift your spirit. If she can do that to me, then the rest of the world is a peace of cake."

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The dinner party went well. As Cuddy and Cameron had suspected, the reason for the invitation was that Grey and Kasumii had gotten engaged. House wasn't thrilled and refused to congratulate them until they assured him that they were not getting married any time soon and nothing was going to change for Aiko.

"Fine, if that is the case, then ok, you can get engaged," House grudgingly gave his permission.

"I wasn't exactly asking for your permission, you know," Grey felt compelled to point out. "I already did that with her Mother, you have no say in this!"

"You think?" House raised an eyebrow at him. "You try to steal my Nanny and you think I don't have any say?"

"I'm not your property," Kasumii huffed at House. "And he is not stealing me. We just wanted to exchange rings to show people that we are together."

"And not available to others, I presume," House noted perceptively.

"That's a side effect," Grey admitted. "But mainly we did this for ourselves."

"That's a good thing," Chase observed. "As I know a few people who see a ring as a challenge not a sign of commitment to someone else."

"I certainly could name one or two," Cameron agreed.

"Please, no," Wilson raised his hands. "We are not bringing those two into this dinner table. I'm not ruining my weekend with Sheridan and Janelle. Leave them at work."

"Hear, hear," Cuddy agreed.

"Works for me," House approved. "Besides, they are pretty much taken care of once Cuddy mobs the floor next week."

"You mean my talk with the department heads?" Cuddy queried. "It cannot be as easy as that?"

"Yes it can," House stated. "Sherry Darling has lost the hospital already. You just need to make sure he doesn't ruin it."

"Weren't we supposed to change the subject?" Foreman wanted to know, though he did agree with House; Sheridan J. Rawls had lost so much ground the first week that there was no way he could regain it in six months.

"Yes we were," Cuddy nodded. "So no wedding bells any time soon. Any other plans? Like do you need time off to visit David's family?"

"No they don't," House reacted immediately, but was ignored.

"Not right now," Kasumii said.

"We do have plans, but my family is rather scattered and they travel a lot," Grey explained. "It's even possible that in the end they will come here; or at least my parents will. We'll see. We are in no hurry."

"Make sure you won't be either," House inserted. "In fact..."

"DON'T," Cuddy put her hand on House's mouth. "You will not say anything about contraception. If, and only if, they want a doctor's opinion on that they can talk to me, or Cameron, or Wilson, or Chase, or Foreman or Dr Jordan or someone else entirely. You stay out of it."

"Spoilsport," House groused. However he did read the glint in Cuddy's eyes correctly and decided to shut up.

Later he did get a sort of dig in, though, as the restaurant had live music and before they had started the dinner he had tipped the waiter to take a request to the singer who, as soon as coffee was served to their table, started a song that made Kasumii give House a glare. Grey just smiled ruefully and mouthed "Touché" to House.

Look at me,/ I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree / And I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud / I can't understand/ I get misty just holding your hand / Walk my way/ And a thousand violins begin to play / Or it might be the sound of your hello / That music I hear/ I get misty the moment you're near / You can say that you're leading me on / But it's just what I want you to do / Don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost / That's why I'm following you / On my own/ Would I wander through this wonderland alone / Never knowing my right foot from my left / My hat from my glove / I'm too misty, and too much in love

Cuddy watched the exchange between House and the young couple in puzzlement: "What did you do now?"

"Nothing," House insisted. "I just thought this song might be appropriate since Kasumii means Misty." Cuddy rolled her eyes, but let it go. House had been grumpy, but even so, almost sociable all evening, so he deserved some slack.

After the coffee Cuddy decided it was time for her to get home as the triplets were getting restless. Dr Higa said that he was ready to leave, too so House got up from the table with them leaving the youngsters to finish the evening on their own. Wilson was quite happy to be classified as one of them, but unfortunately his pager went off and he had to leave for the hospital.

In the lobby, however, House made clear that he was not going to come home with Cuddy and Dr Higa. He wanted to go to the bar alone for a while yet.

"No, Cuddy," House said before Cuddy could even open her mouth. "I'm not going to drink. I want to indulge in other vices, not drinking – at least not my own."

"You think you can walk into a bar and pick up a woman, just like that?" Cuddy wasn't sure House really meant to do that – and she wasn't sure why she felt somewhat deflated at the idea. They didn't really live together; they had made no promises to each other (apart from being co-parents) and the only agreement they had about sex was that they could have it and that no casual dates were brought into the house.

"Hey, you're the one who told me that all a man needs is a condom and a credit card and he can get anything he wants!" House exclaimed.

"That was in Singapore," Cuddy scorned.

"Cuddy, you know, one of the most endearing things about you has always been your innocence," House stated almost seriously. "Don't wait up for me."

"Greg?" Dr Higa had observed the conversation with a tiny frown on his face. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Casual sex is never a good idea," House shrugged. "But I don't think it's a bad idea either. I've been a good boy for a long time now, I need some distraction, some sinning by now."

"And are you ok with this, Dr Cuddy?" Higa asked Lisa.

"Can't say I'm ok as such," Cuddy shrugged in turn. "But it's his business. As a friend, I hope he will be careful and I sure would be happier if he came home with us, but that's it."

"I am still somewhat confused about this arrangement between you two, but if this is ok with you, then I surely have no place to say anything," Higa shook his head a little mystified. "Only, do be careful Greg. For all our sakes."

"I'm always careful," House reassured him. "And now that I have real responsibilities, I'll be doubly careful. I promise."

Higa and Cuddy watched House walk to the bar and then Higa turned to Cuddy giving her a strangely sympathetic look: "This disturbs you more than you want him to know, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Cuddy admitted ruefully. "But I cannot hold him to promises he hasn't made. We did talk about this, sort of, and he is free to do as he chooses. As long as the children aren't affected."

"Sometimes we don't know what affects what until it's too late," Higa sighed and escorted Cuddy out.

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House limped to the bar and sat down. He ordered tomato juice, though he wasn't particularly fond of it, but he could at least pretend it was a Bloody Mary and not feel so conspicuous. He looked around the bar and saw at the other end of the long counter a woman sitting alone. She was beautiful in an understated way, in her thirties, dressed up to the nines – obviously to please some lucky man – and she was staring at her wine morosely. The lucky guy had obviously been a no show. To House's mind she might as well have held up a come hither sign for sexual predators with her lonely vulnerability.

"How long has she been here?" House asked the bartender.

"About an hour," he responded. "She is in her third glass of wine."

"Ah, obviously someone who is not used to hard drinking but wants to get drunk," House concluded. "Only she doesn't really know how."

"You can get drunk on wine, too," The bartender – his nametag identified him as Bo – pointed out.

"True, but when you want to get drunk from wine, you don't order it one glass at a time," House observed. "She is so going to get herself in trouble."

"I know," Bo agreed. "But she didn't want to listen to me when I tried."

"Damn it!" House took his drink and got ready to move next to the woman. "I was so looking forward to getting laid tonight! Well, can't be helped now. Take my advice, Bo, don't ever have daughters. They change your thinking and you find yourself acting totally against your nature."

"Too late, sir," Bo told him. "I already have three of them."

"Don't we all," House sighed. "Don't we all."