I felt this story had a few more chapters! Hope you like!

Chapter Twenty Six

House woke in the early hours of the morning following the wedding, his leg was screaming with pain from the cramped muscles that he hadn't had for some time, and his nightmares had returned, he had woken himself up, he was sure he had called out but luckily Dom was still sleeping soundly. He smiled as he watched her sleep; their wedding day had been great! Even the appearance of Billy's grandparents had been unable to ruin it, he felt proud of himself! For one of the first times in his life he had let something go. He still had a really bad feeling about them turning up and he didn't trust them but he had let Dom handle things so as not to ruin their day. He crept out of bed and went out to the lounge, he really needed to have a soak in the bath but he didn't want to wake Dom. He dry swallowed the emergency meds the pain doc had given him to take if things flared up and waited for them to work and coffee to brew.

Two hours later he was sitting in the foyer of their building throwing a ball and catching it, he had been pacing to try to relive his pain to no avail, and it was just after six and he knew the house would begin to stir soon.

Michael Tritter let himself out of Ania's rooms, although they were connected to Dom and House's place they still had a separate entrance thank goodness, at least he wouldn't have to face House quite yet, he knew Ania was worried about his reaction to their relationship. It was the first time he had let himself feel something for a woman since his marriage ended nearly twenty years ago. He was drawn to the gentle kind woman who had somehow made him believe he could love again, or maybe he had watched someone like House, who no one really believed could sustain a lasting relationship actually, make one work. He came around the corner to see Greg House throwing a ball against wall and catching it with amazing dexterity. The man's face was tortured; he was obviously in pain that few people ever get to experience. Tritter hesitated then backed up a little and then he walked around the corner making a lot more noise and feigning surprise at seeing the man sitting on the floor there, he knew he would only get away with that because this perceptive man was distracted by his pain.

"Well who is sneaking away this early?" he never lost his rhythm as he continued to throw and catch.

"What's a newlywed doing siting in a cold foyer; she pissed off with you already?" Tritter threw back a question.

House ignored the question, he stopped throwing the ball, he hand going automatically to his throbbing thigh he looked directly up at Tritter his blue eyes piecing "Are you serious about this or is this some opportunist fling?"

Tritter slid down the wall opposite House returning his stare. "It's no fling, if I'm to be honest…."

"That would be nice!" House butted in

"…I'm more invested in this than she is!"

"Scary huh?"

"Yeah!"

"You should be OK because there's one thing Dom and Ania have in common"

"What's that?" Tritter asked

"They both have terrible taste in men!"

Tritter grinned, he got to his feet, and he offered House his hand to help him up. House looked at it for a moment, not really wanted to show what he considered to be weakness, but deciding he would look sillier trying to get to his feet on his own.

"So are you OK with me seeing Ania"

"She's a grown woman she doesn't need my approval!"

"I have a feeling that she would like it, she's been worried about telling you, if Dom had not asked me to come last night I'm not sure Ania would have."

"Yet you spent the night?"

"Yeah but she wanted me gone before you were up!"

House paused meeting Michael Tritter's gaze, this man had put him through hell all those years ago but when he thought back to those times it almost felt like they had happened to someone else, back then he had been living in a drug addicted fog and one thing he was sure of was that Tritter hated addicts. House was surprised to discover he no longer despised this man. In a lot of ways they were cut from the same cloth; both obsessive and would go to extremes to get their way. House started to walk saying over his shoulder

"Come on, I need coffee!"

A surprised Tritter fell into step beside him "So you are OK with me seeing Ania?"

House shrugged "You helped my kid; you could have let things turn out differently for Billy. Just be kind, Ania has been through a lot! Her second husband turned out to be a mongrel, I don't know much but both her Dom are still very scared of him!"

"So he wasn't Dom's father?"

"No, her Dad died when she was quite young."

House opened the door and the two men walked into the kitchen, startling Ania, who was just giving the twins their breakfast. House said a brief good morning to his mother-in-law, then poured himself and Tritter a cup of coffee.

"Daddy we are having lunch in the park" said Will

"Yes we are"

"I'm going to feed the ducks" Sophie stated.

House took Dom a cup of tea, she pouted when she realised House was up and dressed.

"Come back to bed" she said sleepily then she looked at his face more carefully "your leg! Why didn't you wake me?"

"It's no biggie; the meds are starting to work. That pain doc is pretty good."

House sat apart from his family, he had his back to a tree as he observed the scene around him, Billy was throwing a ball with Patrick and Jed over on a large flat area, and his Grandparents were sitting at a picnic table with Blythe. Anna and Dom were sitting on a blanket with the twins; Sam and Wilson were also there.

Dom had delivered a large plate of breads, salads and cold meats to her husband, but knew not to push him to join in, House needed time to process things and sometimes he was happier lurking on the fringes. He sat missing nothing, his mother was driving him crazy, she was telling John Williams all about her husband distinguished military career. House seethed as the older man listened politely.

"Of course John would have loved Greg to have followed in his footsteps, but discipline was never our son's strong suit so he headed off to med school, John was devastated!"

"Medicine is a very noble profession; by all accounts your son is one of the best!" John Williams was noticeably uncomfortable at Blythe's criticism of her son while he sat only yards away "It's hard on military children by enlarge, being shifted around the place, I remember it well" he smiled cordially.

"I think it was a good thing in our case! Greg was always pushing the boundaries so it was nice to know a fresh start was just around the corner!"

They watched as Billy tried to catch the ball, failing and landing on his back, Will ran after the ball to bring it back while Sophie comforted her big brother it was so cute as she helped him up and Will returned with the ball. The exchange bought a smile to everyone's face with the exception of Blythe who said

"I do wish Greg would make that boy cut his hair, maybe you can have some influence in that department, goodness knows I've tried, and at least he tired it back yesterday!"

House was surprised when John Williams replied firmly

"It's just hair Blythe, Billy is a fine young man" The obvious pride in his voice scared House, the older man was defending his grandson but it was only a matter of time before he'd want a say in the boy's life, House didn't know when but he was sure there would be a showdown in the not too distant future! Dom on the other hand believed that if they gave his grandparents as much access as they wanted there would be nothing to fight about, after all Billy was soon to be eighteen so really it was up to him to decide how much of a role they played in his life.

True to her word, over the next two weeks Dom welcomed the two older couples and it seemed to House that every time he turned around there they were! It was really starting to grate on him, although things got decidedly easier after Blythe went home. Luckily House had been called in to consult on a case so he was at the hospital a lot of the first week, it was great to be hanging out with his former team and stealing Wilson's lunch! He and Cuddy had even returned to their predating banter, and he'd found that Gabe Monroe was his equal at both poker and chess! It was this distraction that got House through that first week, but as always happened his emotions affected his physical body so his pain levels were worse and even the emergency meds weren't helping and Dom knew that even when he was home he was barely sleeping. He was trying hard to keep his mouth shut; he knew Dom was still recovering from her surgery although she seemed almost back to her pre-tumour self, House knew she still suffered headaches when she over did things.

After a week at being at the hospital a great deal, the case was solved and the treatment was working, House and his former team all headed to their respective homes for much needed sleep and sustenance, after living off cafeteria food for the best part of a week, House let himself into his apartment to have the heady scent of a their traditional Sunday roast meal wash over him! He couldn't wait to eat his fill and hang with his family before a hot bath and go to bed with his beautiful wife!

He opened the door into their large open plan living area, to see a bustling scene before him, he stood un- noticed, and leaning heavily on his cane as he took in what was going on. John Williams was showing something to Billy on his laptop; Blanche and Rose were helping Sophie into what looked like a ballerina costume. Peter Timms was playing what looked like chess with Will using a set House had never seen before, Michael Tritter was carving meat while Dom and Ania we both doing some other meal preparation.

"Gramps is going to teach me chess, Dad" an excited Will ran up to his father.

"That's great Will!" House replied trying very hard to hide just how furious he was, that his son had just referred to Peter Timms as "Gramps!" it didn't help when Sophie rushed to tell him what Gran and Granny had bought for her! Dom could see the rage under the polite exterior her husband was trying to maintain, John Williams missing nothing could also see that the distant Doctor was not happy about their presence or inclusion, everyone else seem oblivious as they greeted him before House excused himself, saying he needed to shower.

If anyone out there is reading I'd love to hear from you! Cheers Clare