Hi I hope I still have some readers out there! There is probably one more chapter left in this story!

Chapter Eighteen

House spent the rest of the day with Dom she would sleep a while, then wake wanting to know all that happened while she had been unconscious. They discussed Billy and what would happen when he returned to school the following week.

"They all have detention at interval and lunch; they will also have to do some after school stuff. They have a really tough stance on fighting."

"How is Billy? He will hate the attention especially if they talk about his scarring. I feel so upset he had to go through that Greg."

"I know but if he hadn't shown the marks on his torso things would have got nasty. Tritter was on the warpath!"

"Are we going to have trouble with him?"

"Surprisingly no, he was shocked at what the system had done to the kid, he could even be helpful. Not that I want him hanging around!"

That evening Dom was determined that House would go home and spend the evening with the children, then get a good night's sleep.

"Make sure you have a good sleep and rest, I'm fine you don't have to be up early." Dominika said gently stroking House's fuzzy cheek "they are going to move me in the morning anyway so just sleep till you wake, mums OK with the kids."

"I don't want to go" he said honestly "I'm kinda used to that bloody chair!" he was perched on the side of her bed.

"Greg, you could do with a good night's sleep, please." House did not meet her eyes and she knew that he was still scared that something might happen if he left. "Tell you what, charge my phone and when you get to bed, call me and we can talk for a while."

"Not the same" he meet her eyes, she was shocked at just how vulnerable he was and even more surprised that he was not trying to hide behind humour or deflecting, there was a rawness about him that she had never seen before. The last few days had worn him down to a point where he just had nowhere to hide. She felt she could see she right into his soul.

"I know! I love you too, but you need to sleep, you have hardly had a full night's sleep since this whole nightmare began." She pulled him close she couldn't stop touching him her hands seemed drawn to his unshaven face. He was placing soft kisses wherever he could, making a trail down to her ear and neck deliberately tickling her with his stubble. "That reminds me, since when was Mr Darcy unshaven with a limp?"

"I just thought I'd sexy him up a little for you!" he grinned "Honestly how you could find him attractive is beyond me!" he went on to have a little rant about how she would never really be happy with a man who didn't even try to steal a kiss or two! Eventually Dominika persuaded him to go home to bed.

A little over a week later House was at the hospital to take his wife home, things were looking up, the new pain regime had reduced his cramps, and his wife was going to live. He felt good! Cuddy was at reception leaning over Brenda's desk, House was a married man but he still appreciated the view. He could not resist an arse joke on his way past.

"Oh there it is! I thought reception had gone, but it was hiding behind a giant arse."

"Speaking of giant arses, how are you?" Cuddy turned toward him never missing a beat. "I hear Dom's being discharged!"

"Yip! Thank goodness being a solo parent is not what it's cracked up to be. I'm exhausted, but I guess you know all about that" He said as Cuddy fell into step beside him. They stepped into the elevator. "Where to?"

"Four, I'm picking Rachael up from physical therapy."

"How is she doing?"

"Really well, she has almost fully recovered." She smiled up at him "You'll be pleased to know we are going to choose a puppy this weekend. I'm going to come to visit and show your kids when we get it!"

"I will make sure that when they are old enough, they will have a pet, what sort of dog?"

"She has her heart set on a poodle, we are going to look at a litter of miniatures' they are small and don't shed so I think I'll cope, just!" she grinned. She got out of the lift, "Isn't Dom on this floor now?"

"Yeah, I'll be back down, I have an errand." He pushed the button. He took out an envelope it had the names of the four nurses that he cared for Dom. He went to the ICU office and left it on the desk.

When Erin found it she opened it to find a card inside it, and double tickets for the four nurses, to a show that everyone was raving about. She looked at the card it read simply "I'd fly with you girls anytime!" It wasn't signed but there was no doubt whom it was from! She almost missed him! Almost.

That night when House climbed quietly into bed beside his wife, she had tried to stay awake while he showered but just being home had exhausted her, House had made her have a sleep in the afternoon when the children slept and then he had taken them to the park so she could have some quiet time with her mother. He lay at her side breathing in the scent of her, he felt like the luckiest person on earth, which was a new and unique experience for him. He was tied it seem like weeks since he had slept properly and amazingly enough that had little or nothing to do with his leg!

"You're here! Good." Dominica said sleepily as she curled into him making him smile into the darkness. He kissed the top of her head and drifted off into a deep and restful sleep.

Dom had been home a week and was getting ready to go to a follow up appointment with Monroe, she hadn't been out of the apartment for the whole week, except for physiotherapy and was heartily sick of everyone in vicinity treating her like she was about to break! She had showered and taken time over her appearance hoping to make herself feel better. She studied her reflection, in the mirror she was starting to gain back the weight that she had lost, and her energy levels were slowly returning, but she was frustrated and impatient with herself, she had always been so energetic and bouncy now just drying her babies after their bath exhausted her. The last few days she had been feeling really down. Greg was so overprotective and hovering, she found herself snapping at him which was very out of character for her. He was keeping her at arm's length physically he would only give her a rare quick platonic hug; she was frustrated in every sense of the word! He wasn't sleeping well and she knew he had had several nightmares, he had called out and she had shaken him awake three times in the last week. When she had tried to discuss it with him he shrugged it off saying he did not want to discuss it! Dom was sure the nightmares were to do with the hospital, he had called out both Wilson and Cuddy's names loudly enough to wake her.

Last night had been the worst he had thrashed around and was shouting, she had woken him and tried to discuss what he was dreaming about, he had become very defensive and had limped out of the bedroom. Dom woke with a start at four am she reached her leg out to touch him, finding his side of the bed empty she went in search of him. He was asleep in the leather Nordic recliner she had bought for his first father's day; it was wide and had no arms so they could snuggle quite comfortably in it together, many evenings they would lay in front of TV with her snuggled into his chest and his beautiful long fingers' stroking her arm lazily. She had stood for some time smiling at the memory. She took the down comforter from the back of the couch and covered him with it.

"Not Cuddy…...love her!" House had muttered loudly in his sleep.

Dom shuddered at the memory; she had been close to tears all morning she finished brushing her hair trying not to become emotional again.

House walked out from their bathroom having just cleaned his teeth, he pulled his t shirt over his head and took a clean one out of his bureau.

"Nearly ready?" he asked looking at his watch.

"Yes when you are" she replied quietly

They went out and said their goodbyes to Ania and their children.

Monroe was thrilled with the progress that Dom had made in the week she had been home.

"There is still a need for physical therapy, but the weakness in your left side has improved significantly." He gave her a roguish smile "you'll be running rings around him again before you know it." Monroe could feel the tension between House and Dom and was not sure what to make of it.

"She still has headaches especially when she overdoes it which is most of the time, is that a concern?" House enquired

"Well she has had a tumour removed, then a significant time of unconsciousness it's going to take a little time." Monroe said

"And a haemorrhage! How certain can you be that haemorrhage was the result of the extraction. For all we know she could have an aneurysm"

"It happened during the extraction so I would say that it is safe to assume that it was a result of having a tumour of that size removed."

"So you are guessing?"

"Greg stop it!" Dominika cut in she was annoyed with the way House was acting like she wasn't even in the room.

Monroe spoke directly to Dom "We will run some tests and check the blood vessels in your brain, but I'd rather not do it for a couple more weeks because you could still have some swelling and we won't get a good look at things. I'll see you again next Friday and schedule things then. In the meantime carry on with physical therapy, and take it easy, no lifting or exertion, any questions?"

Dom went off to physical therapy and House went off in search of Wilson.

"Hi, how's everything?" Wilson asked as House plonked himself on the couch in Wilson's office after barging in without knocking. House sat bouncing his cane rhythmically not answering immediately, then he turned those startling blue to his friend.

"I'm goanna wreak this!"

"Wreak what?"

"Dom and I, we can't be in the same room without bitching at each other."

"You've been through a lot; it's natural for you guys to take some time before things get back to normal"

"It's like Cuddy all over again, only worse, we have kids! What the hell am I goanna do Wilson?"

James Wilson looked at his friend in dismay, he knew when House thought that thinks were going to blow up in his face he would usually escalate the situation, sometimes to the point of no return.

"This isn't you and Cuddy, this relationship works, House just don't do or say anything rash, just give Dom some space."

"We don't do "space" we actually talk to each other, usually."

"You have both been through a lot, why don't you go away for a couple of nights? Just the two of you."

"Not a good idea right now, we can't have sex yet, not that she's in a loving mood! We'd only fight! She could barely manage to have a conversation on the car ride over here"

"Maybe a few days together will help you reconnect. The restaurant is taken care of, Ania will take care of the twins, what's stopping you?"

"What part of "no sex" don't you get? Who the hell goes away for a few nights to not have sex! Good talk Wilson. I'd better go; Dom should be finished at therapy."

House left a very worried James Wilson to go and meet his wife.

House waited it the lobby, he was giving Cuddy a hard time about a particularly bright and low cut blouse that she was wearing!

"That top makes you look like an Afghani prostitute."

"Well I guess you'd be the expert in that particular field!"

"Hello Lisa" they hadn't noticed Dom until she spoke

"Hi Dom, how's the rehab going?"

"Slowly, Lisa" Dom said quietly they said their good-byes and left.

Lisa Cuddy was watching them leave with a frown on her lovely face, something was amiss, "what has he done now!" she thought to herself.

The one bright spot in the House household was Billy; he had struck up a friendship with the two boys he had the fight with. They been together a lot during their detention time and Billy had helped the both of them with their school work, they in turn were including him in their adolescent adventures! Jed and Patrick were loud and boisterous and could often be found raiding the fridge will Billy after school. Patrick was a huge African American with a ready smile and despite his size and staunch look was a gentle giant. Jed was the star quarter back, athletic and good looking and fiercely protective of his beautiful twin sister. After their initial concern about the friendships Dom and House took joy in watching the boy returning texts and actually having a social Life.

House decided that he couldn't piss Dom off if he made himself scarce, he was unusually not in bed until late and when Dom awoke he was already gone! Sometimes he would mess up his side of the bed and sleep in the lounge still in his clothes so he could make a quick getaway down to the restaurant or sometimes he would take the twins to the park as soon as they had their breakfast, leaving Ania to take Dom to physical therapy. The week past and the collection of people in the building were becoming more and more concerned over the tension existing between Dom and House; they were rarely together at all and when they were there obviously something very wrong between them.

One night Billy was about to leave the apartment to meet his friends they were going to see a movie; he went to find Dom to tell her when he would be home. He found her in the longue alone sitting on the couch. She was staring off into space the TV was on, but as Billy watched her unobserved he was shocked at the sadness radiating from her, she looked so alone! He knew that the twins were in bed, Ania and House were both working down stairs.

He made a decision, a quick text to his friends and he went to join Dom.

"Hi, want some company?"

"Hi Billy, I thought you were going to see a movie, with your friends."

"I was but I feel like a night in, I've hardly been home lately!"

They made small talk for a while Dom asking about school and his new found friends, and how life was for him at school.

"What's the problem with you and House?"

Dom couldn't meet his eyes "We're going through a rough patch; it's been a difficult time for all of us!"

"I know he can be insensitive but he really loves you, whatever he has done surely the fact he kept it together when you were unconscious should give him some brownie points!"

"He was great" she agreed

"Wilson, Cuddy and co expected him to go AWOL but he held it together, I was proud of him."

"He told me you were a great support not only to him, but to mum and the twins. It means a lot to both of us."

"We talked a lot, Wilson was there too. He said that the success of your relationship was all due to you, that you never play games and that if he pissed you off you would get his attention and tell him. You need to sort this and it's up to you. He will just avoid things until they're beyond repair, you know that don't you?"

"I know Billy" he her voice choked and she could barely speak she could hardly tell the boy that House was pining after his old girlfriend "I'll try I promise you I will try to sort this!"

"I'm sorry to nag you, Dom but I feel powerless, House won't even talk about it, told me to keep out of it. I love you both you know!"

"We love you too Billy! Are you going to tell me about this girl you're keen on?"

If there is anyone out there still reading please let me know and I'll get cracking on the next chapter!