I know I've had some tough chapters here but a reprieve is coming. Thank you for the wonderful comments and I hope you're enjoying my dissections of House's life.

-Onyx

Cameron fell asleep on the small sofa in Aunt Virginia's room. House had tried to get her to go back to the cabin but she wouldn't go. Truth be told he hadn't tried very hard and Cameron knew he needed her there.

She awoke to the sound of Uncle Cappy's voice and she could tell he was talking to his comatose wife. Out of respect she kept her eyes closed but listened intently.

"And remember that time you got so mad at me and Greg for eatin the manicotti you made for the Christmas party at the church? You trew dat whole jar of your home made marinara sauce as us. Then ya said that if we didn't get it cleaned up you weren't cookin till June. I tell ya Greg and I never scrubbed so hard or fast in our lives."

"Or then there was that time I fell outta Dan Brady's tree tryin to get the frisbee Greg got stuck up der' You iced my back everyday and brought me breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was such-a pain in your ass but God love ya you just kept right on goin. I love you so much. You're all I got if you don't come back to me Greg's gonna have to bury us both. I ain't playin around I can't make it without ya. You're da meatballs in my spaghetti, the punkin in my pie, and the croutons in my salad. You remember I used to tell you that all the time."

He was in tears and Cameron had to fight hard not to ruin the private moment.

"You wanna know what you did? You got Greg so scared he went down to the church. Father Augustine called me to say he was der'. Greg House back in church, never have I thought I'd see the day. Oh baby please come back to Papa I need you and I won't sleep until you wake up."

She couldn't fight it any longer. The sneeze radiated like a bullhorn.

"Allison. I'm sorry I forgot you were over der'."

"Don't apologize. I'm a doctor I sleep less then five hours a night every night." She moved to place her hand on his shoulder but he rose first and wrapped Cameron in a monstrous hug.

"I love you little girl. And I don't care what happens with you and my nephew you will always be my little girl, my bambina. Oh God Allison what have I done to her?"

The man built like a boxcar and stronger than ten lumberjacks began to howl with grief. All Cameron could do was hold onto him.

"I'm sorry I'm all right I just need some time. I shoulda replaced those coils and this wouldn't of happen. I gotta call and check the insurance."

"Pop right now all you need to do is stay here with mommy and make sure she gets better." Joey said entering the room.

He smiled appreciatively at Cameron and she used the time for father and son to make a gentle exit. The keys were still in her pocket so Cameron drove Vampire Jane down to the church. When she got there she was surprised to find his faithful dog Lusha outside the doors. And she realized that he'd walked the three miles to get there.

"Thanks for keeping an eye out girl." Cameron said eyeing the dog with a newfound understanding and appreciation.

Cameron entered the church slowly. She'd never believed in God since she was a child. Neither of her parents was interested in going to church and what knowledge she had she'd ignored. It never made sense to her that the world was so dark and yet someone was out there watching with the power to stop it and didn't. So rather than believe that; she chose not to believe at all.

Still she felt a certain comfort walking through those big brown doors. The church was fairly rundown from the outside and the inside needed some work too but it gave her comfort that people had cared enough to spend their lives under this one roof.

She didn't immediately see House and she wondered if Uncle Cappy had been mistaken but as her eyes adjusted she saw him towards the front.

She walked to the pew behind him and sat down. His head was bent down almost as if he were praying. Not wanting to disturb him, she sat quietly and examined the alter. As churches went Cameron had to admit she thought this one was lovely. She'd even go as far as to say she liked it.

"How is she?"

The sound of his voice was so sudden that for the slightest second Cameron wondered if she was mistaken about God.

"About the same. She looks peaceful though. It's your uncle I'm worried about."

"Of course your worried about him. He's older, injured and at his breaking point. That is your type isn't it?"

This made Cameron smile. This was the House she was used to. This was the House she could handle.

"Like uncle like nephew."

It was his turn to laugh, which surprised her.

"She used to say that about us. We used to do everything together and we'd always end up in trouble together. I remember once when he was teaching me to drive. I was barely 15. Aunt Virginia had a blue mustang convertible 1964 classic. Uncle Cappy had a run down Chrysler. I convinced him to teach me to drive in her car. Cause you know chics digs classic convertibles."

"That explains a lot about Vampire Jane."

"Like I said chics dig the classics. Anyway we took the car out at midnight when she'd gone to sleep. I did a great job driving, primo. We decided to stop off at this all night fountain shop in the next town to get root beer. I parked the car at the curb, opened the door and wham! I hit the cement stand that held the light post. I scratched the paint on the door slightly."

"You were so busted."

"Well not quite. Cappy had a friend named Teddy Tanker. That's his real name we called him Tank. Anyway he ran an autobody and paint shop. Cappy could pick up the car at the diner where Aunt V was working and get it fixed. All we needed was a cover so she wouldn't notice till he fixed it. We got home and couldn't find anything to match the color until I stumbled across her bingo markers."

"You didn't"

"It matched the paint to a T. We would've gotten away with it but do you know how hard it is to get bingo marker off your hands? When he went to get her keys and she handed them to him she put two and two together when she saw her favorite color on his hands. I was with Johnny but I heard him yelling two blocks away. It was the only time in his life my uncle could've beat Jesse Owens for the gold. She chased him halfway home with a hard Italian salami. Johnny and I stayed on his boat for a week. That's when she decided I needed saving. I became an alter boy and Uncle Cappy got stuck building her that gazebo in her backyard. She'd always tell us nobody messes with Virginia Caponeri and my uncle has the salami scars to prove it."

For the first time since he'd begun telling her the story, he looked at her. The eyes were not those of a man but of a small boy and he looked to Cameron for the answers.

"I think it's great you guys were always so close. How come you never included their son Joey in on any of them?"

"Joey was adopted when he was twelve. They couldn't have kids of their own. There's an eighteen year difference between us and I was already long gone by the time Joey came to live with them. His mother was shot and killed by his father in front of him. He tried to steal a car from Vivian's elderly father and he got caught. The cops knew he was an orphan. They brought him to Aunt Virginia and she straightened him out. He's been there ever since."

He turned back to the front of the alter as if something was catching his eye. Then he lifted his head upward.

"I don't know whether you're up there or not all I know is that you can't have her right now. You can't punish this whole town and this family for what I've done. So here's the deal if you promise not to take her, then I'll help Father Augustine do all the repairs on the church until their done."

Cameron smiled even as her heart broke. If House could bargin with God who he'd wrestled with in all the time she'd know him, he must really need people. And if he really needed people then it just might be true that he needed her and cared about her.

They walked outside together and Lusha seemed relieved that Cameron had rescued her beloved master. She trailed behind them barely trailing to the car.

"You need sleep the bags under your eyes are so big your head might fall into them." He snarked.

"You'd feel terrible."

"Of course I would who would I get to stalk me and make my coffee in the mornings at work? Don't think I can't spot your special touches. I'm surprised Disney hasn't called to get one of their pathetic princesses back."

She swatted at him and for the first time in two days he smiled at her.

"You need to sleep too."

"I have to go back to the hospital." He murmured.

"All right we'll compromise then. We'll both go back to the hospital until Vivian and Bruce get there and then we go home and sleep. Russ and Pauline said they'd be coming in with them too so you will have plenty of watchmen for her."

"I never compromise. Hookers hate wusses."

"Oh I'm sorry did I make that sound like a compromise. Why don't we just say you agreed to a little female manipulation?"

"Well cave girl then you better manipulate me something to eat later too."

"Done."

They drove Vampire Jane back to the hospital with Lusha in the back seat. About a mile away from the hospital Cameron suddenly jerked on House's shirt.

"Stop the car!"

"If you want to get wild the woods are a mile back that way."

"When you turn around I think you're gonna wish we were in the woods."

House pulled the car over and stared back at where his dog lay. The look of horror as the first tiny head made its appearance.

"She's having them now?? In my beautiful, never been harmed, softly waxed leather seat, custom classic car?"

"Looks like it. Congratulations Grandpa!"

Lusha the dog seemed to smile as she gave birth to five little white miracles right there on the leather seats of a classic. Once again life had triumphed over death.