House sat in the car staring at his favorite dog as she laid back in his back seat nursing the four puppies she had given birth too.

"How did this happen?" He asked Cameron shaking his head

"Looks like Lusha had more fun with Charlie's dogs than she let on."

"Tramp." He said gently.

"I guess we should take Lusha home before we go to the hospital." Cameron said turning back in her seat.

"I shudder to think what Vampire Jane's back seat looks like."

They drove back to the cabin. House took some old sheets and put them inside the hall pantry where Lusha could nurse her puppies in peace. Gently Cameron picked up two of the pups and House got the others with a watchful mama right behind them. They set the puppies in the sheets and Lusha sniffed at them to ensure they were all right. He changed the bulb in the pantry to a soft white light and then left the dogs alone.

"How does a dog have puppies and not show anything?" He said boggled.

"Aunt Virginia told me she was pregnant last week but with all the drama as of later I hadn't had a chance to tell you."

"Vampire Jane thanks you." He said sarcastically.

House sat down on the sofa. All the life seemed to be gone from him. Cameron sat beside him but not too close.

"Come here." He whispered.

She obediently curled up to him.

"I don't know what I would do without you here, Al. For the first time in my life I don't have a clue about what I'm doing and I can't even diagnose the problem."

"It's about time."

"For what?"

"For you to admit that there's a heart in there that has taken over that over-inflated ego of yours."

"It sucks." He said dejectedly.

"Yeah it does. Welcome to the land of the living."

He pulled her chin up towards him and kissed her slowly and affectionately. Then he held her to him and whispered. "Thank you."

They stayed that way till both of them fell asleep.

The gun was poised at his temple. When he looked down at himself he saw only flames. He heard a baby crying. There was a gunshot. The flames seemed to consume him. Cameron's face flashed to Margarite's face. Wilson was pulling the gun from his hand but it was too late. He ran with no injury. He fell and kept falling. A bell was ringing loudly and he was trying desperately to turn it off.

"House!" He heard Cameron's voice and then realized the bell he heard was his cell phone. He had not yet downloaded new ringtones so it was just the standard ringer.

"Uncle Cappy?"

Cameron could hear Uncle Cappy's voice but couldn't make out his words. House's expression was not foretelling of the news.

"We'll be right down."

"What is it?" Cameron said at House's silence.

Tears began to flow freely and he bit into his fist to suppress it.

"House. Tell me."

She braced herself. He stood up and again did something completely uncharacteristic. He got on his knees on the floor and wept uncontrollably. But it was what he said that gave Cameron her first glimpse into the call.

"Thank you God! Thank you God! Thank you for saving her!"

The sobbing was uncontrollable and it was in that moment that Allison Cameron found herself believing for the first time in her life and as the tears rolled down her face she silently said thank you as well. Then she went down on the floor, wrapped her arms around the middle of his bent over frame and just held him. She knew in her second bit of revelation that she was totally, truly and hopelessly in love with him and that there'd never be another man in her heart.

They sat there on the floor holding each other for a long time. Cameron wanted details badly but she let him hold her as his tears subsided. Finally he stood up and embraced her.

"She's awake and the doctor says she shows no brain trauma of any kind. She has to stay in the hospital for another week or so just so they can keep an eye on the fracture but Uncle Cappy said she's been hollering at him all morning."

"That is the best news of the year! You ready to go?"

"In a few minutes I have some calls to make. Take the car up. I'll get a ride with Dan in a little while."

She hesitated.

"I'm all right I promise. Just go and be there with them. Give her a kiss for me. If you need me call me."

She walked back to him and kissed him.

"Hey before you go, did you talk to Cuddy?"

"Oh I almost forgot. She said she wasn't coming up unless Wilson comes too and that she might not be able to comply with her roommate request. She said marrying me probably wouldn't help. So I'm figuring you will probably back out of that. And-."

"Wait a minute. Who said I was backing out?"

"I don't want you to worry about that now."

"Al, listen to me. I'm not doing this because of what's happening at home. I've already realized that option isn't going to help me. I have another reason and I will let you decide before the wedding if you still want to go through with it."

"I'll believe that when I hear it."

He nodded and she began to walk away.

"Oh wait I forgot to tell you. Sam Stevens is still alive."

"What?" He said his eyes fully open. "How can he be alive?"

"Cuddy will be here tomorrow morning with Wilson. I'm sure you can resolve things then."

Cameron left House to himself and headed to the hospital.

"Ah there's my girl!" Uncle Cappy said meeting her in the hallway. "Where's Greg?"

"He said he needed to make a few phone calls but he will be here soon. How is she?"

"Beautiful! If you didn't see the big bandage on her head you'd tell her to get out of that bed and cook you some cannelloni!"

"I am so happy to hear that."

"I wrestled with God for her I tell you that. I'm not sure I won but the big Man upstairs let me have her anyway. She's in now with Vivian and Bruce and the doctors."

"Good very good! How is Charlie?"

"They moved him in wit' Virginia on her insistence. She's callin Charlie her guardian angel. Says he was the last face she saw before she fell asleep in the fire. He's some special kid. And Joey won't leave the room. Good people in this town Allison."

He hugged her again and then took her in to see Aunt Virginia.

"Hello sweetheart." She said with the biggest smile on her face. "How you doin? How's my bambino?"

"Scared out of his mind but holding it together."

"Always worrying about me he is. He's crazy though. If I'm dead these boys will try to get away with anything. Nope they ain't getting rid of me that fast."

Everyone in the room laughed.

"I want all of ya's outta here so I can talk to my daughter-in-law privately. Joey that means you too. Go down and tell Ellen at the desk that you want to take a shower. Carrado take Vivian and Bruce to Mable's for lunch. Allison is a doctor. I'm in good hands. And tell Ellen to put in a movie for Charlie in the waiting room. He really likes that Cars movie."

Uncle Cappy and the rest of the visitors left hesitantly.

"Finally some alone time. Help me sit up some will ya?"

Cameron moved the bed back up.

"That's better. Allison I want to tell you something. I knew I wasn't meant to die in that building. You know why? I saw an angel there with Charlie. I asked him if I was going to die and he said it wasn't time yet. Now you can take that as delirium but I am much to faithful to believe medical delusions over miracles. The point is honey; I loved the same man for almost my entire life since I was nineteen. We've been through war, the realization that we weren't going to have our own children, near-death experiences and times where we thought it impossible to live with each other. But we've lived through coming home parties, adopting a son and raising a nephew, and times where we couldn't breathe without the other one. Carrado is my best friend, my lover, my defender, my worst enemy, and the most soul I have ever seen. God brought me back to him because he brought us together in the first place."

"I'm so happy that He did."

"And I see you as I was when I met Carrado. He was a cad. Went out with different girls every night of the week and it was worse when he joined the Marines. He was awful to me when we were dating. He'd show up drunk on my doorstep. I thought my father would kill him. Then one night he comes to my door and he tells me that he's going to marry Rafiella Van Merrill. I was crushed beyond belief and I had no understanding why. I'd certainly dated men that were much better to me but for some reason I'd hoped he'd come around."

"So what happened?"

"He and Rafiella had a big engagement party and then he was shipped to Korea. I cried for months after he left and what was worse was that Rafiella lived a block from my house so I saw her often. She would be at the fountain shop talking to her friends and bragging over the ring he bought and how they were honeymooning in France."

"This story has a happy ending. Go on." Cameron said intrigued.

"He came home six months later. He'd been shot in the shoulder and was honorably discharged. I heard from his mother at the market all about it. I went home and cried some more and then suddenly my doorbell rings. I answered it and there he stands, still in uniform with his arm in a sling."

"Did he bring Rafiella with him?"

"No. He said he came to my house straight from the airport and that he couldn't wait another second to see me. He said the shoulder wound wasn't too bad but it was the bullet that grazed his temple that scared him. In that instance he saw me not Rafiella in his mind and he knew that he was in love with me."

"Did he propose?"

"Not right then. He said he wanted to court me for a while and treat me the way he always should have. And you know what Allison? He still is. The arrogant boy that left here came back a wonderful and generous husband and he's never been anything else but that. Allison, remember what I said? Greg is just like his uncle. Sweetheart, follow your heart with him. You don't have to marry him now. It took three years before I was ready to marry Carrado and those three years were beautiful. Hold on to him though, times get tough but forty years down the line you will pass this story and your own onto your grandchildren."

Cameron had tears rolling down her cheek.

"I love you." She said to the wise woman.

"I know. I love you too. I can't wait to see you in that wedding gown. Now call up Greg and tell him to get down here. Come in Carrado."

Uncle Cappy came in.

"Forty years of marriage and you still haven't learned much about snooping."

"Just for the record love, I always knew I loved you. I just proposed to Rafiella to make you jealous."

"I've been awake for exactly two hours and already I gotta call Father Augustine for you to have confession. Wait till I get out of this bed." She said to him playfully.

Joey came back in followed by House who seemed beside himself at seeing his aunt.

"I thought marriage suicides happened in the first ten years not forty." He said leaning down to kiss her.

"Smart alek! Why do I love you so much?"

"Because I can get the flour down out of the cabinets?"

"Where's my shoe? I'm gonna throw it at you!"

"Pop can I talk to you?" Joey said standing in the doorway while the others teased Aunt Virginia.

"Whatsa matta, son?"

"You didn't cause that fire, Pop. I got tired of Ma complaining that you didn't fix the coils in the oven so I hired an electrician out of Fishkill to do it. He was in and out in like an hour. I thought he did a good job."

"I can't believe it!"

"Pop, the guy was dirty. He's had run ins with the law before over issues like this. I talked to Warren Drifty the fire inspector and he can confirm that the coils were the cause of poor wiring. I called Nick Timmons, the attorney in Arkville. He says we can sue the electrical company that employs this guy because they didn't release him after other issues. He said with the insurance and the lawsuit, the restaurant will rise again!"

Uncle Cappy hugged Joey tightly. He'd been the victim of devastation two days ago and now he was being blessed again. The restaurant was his pride and joy and also his legacy for Joey who had the same passion. They joined everyone after they'd wheeled Charlie back to the room. When he stood up House wrapped in a big hug and thanked him for saving Aunt Virginia. Then he informed him that Lusha had puppies and that Charlie would get pick of the litter. Charlie was overcome with emotion and cried happily.

An hour went by and Bruce and Vivian went home. Dan and Ruth, Charlie's mother came in.

"Dan Brady I want to speak to you right now. Ruth you get over here too."

"Oh yes ma'am." He said playfully.

"Now that the good Lord knocked sense into me. I'm not keeping my mouth shut anymore." She said.

"Yeah not like you ever did before."

"Gregory, don't give me an excuse to air more of your dirty laundry here in the hospital. You forget how much I have over you. Now Dan you listen here. For years you and Ruth have been sneaking around in this guise of friendship. The whole town knows how you feel about each other. Charlie, you tell your mama and Dan what you told me last month."

"I said to Mrs. Virginia that I love you a lot mama and I love Dan too. He's a good fella mama and think you should marry him."

Ruth blushed slightly but the smile and the tears said it all.

"Can't argue with the town's biggest hero. What do you say Ruthie, you wanna make a husband out of me?"

"Dan I have waited for you since I was in high school. Yes of course I want to marry you."

"Well all right!" He said and kissed her deeply much to the applause of the visitors.

Cameron leaned over and whispered to House. "You better get a prescription for Valium while you are here?"

"For what?"

"Vivian. She finds out Dan Brady is getting married she's gonna have a breakdown." Aunt Virginia heard the joke and laughed as she pictured Vivian.

Vivian had a crush on Dan for years. She loved and adored Bruce but she got the giggles when Dan spoke to her. It was an ongoing joke between the ladies in the town.

Cameron breathed her first breathe of relief. Now it was time to make a call herself and she only wished Verizon could give her the answer she needed.