A/N: Short chapter today. Hopefully a longer one and another favorite tomorrow for New Year's. A year ago on New Year's Day, I posted one of my favorite chapters from Hopes and Fears, the dinner at the hotel with all the adults for the first time in extended conversation face to face. That was 5 months ago in story time. So much has happened to our characters since then. Anyway, happy New Year to all if I don't manage to get the next one up tomorrow.

(H/C)

"And that's when I cracked and bolted. I just couldn't take it." House was sitting up in bed, propped against the headboard, a heating pad and the cat both draped across his thigh. Cuddy was in the living room on the phone with Patterson, and he was updating Jensen.

"You shouldn't have to take it," Jensen replied. "Anybody would have felt trapped there with the parallels with your mother's death. That was only five months ago. In fact, Dr. House, I was just thinking a minute ago as you were talking that I probably already would have either stopped it or just walked out myself."

"Really?" House hadn't considered that.

"Yes. Do you know how often I've wondered if we pushed too far that night? Probably not as often as you have, but it's still many times. We'll never know if it would have made a difference, but faced with another situation that similar this soon after, I guarantee it would have gotten to me. I doubt you went too far tonight, but you were right to stop things. It doesn't sound like anything was getting accomplished at all right then. Where did you go?"

"To the back yard," House replied.

Jensen laughed. "Quite a retreat. You weren't running, Dr. House. You were just giving yourself time to regroup and giving her parents a lesson that they needed. What did Dr. Cuddy do?"

House smiled. "Wish I could have heard that. She hauled them off to the guest room and totally went off on them. Told them this is our house and they had no right to disrupt it, pointed out that they were the ones who dropped in uninvited, and got them to agree to be civil to everybody. And told them they couldn't stay here since they hadn't made it a planned visit."

"Wow."

"That's what I said."

"Good for her. You said she's talking to her therapist right now?"

"Yes. She's in the other room."

"Good. She needs to decompress, same as you do. But really, it sounds like both of you have handled tonight very well. Often sending a firm message that you refuse to let an all-out fight happen, even if you have to walk out to prevent it, is the right course of action. It also got her parents to think. Did Thornton come out to join you while she was talking to them?"

House straightened up. "How did you guess that?"

"He wouldn't have just sat there. If she took her parents off for a lecture and left him alone, of course he'd go check on you."

"Yeah." House sighed, still working through that conversation mentally. "He said I wasn't a cripple." A second later, he regretted it. That wasn't where he'd meant to start at all.

"You aren't," Jensen agreed. "Did you call yourself one? He wouldn't have brought up the word."

House predictably dodged. "He said Susan reminds him of Tim's wife. She sounds like another stiff busybody. He also said he wasn't leaving."

"No, he isn't leaving, Dr. House. You can believe that by now." A moment's silence, and then Jensen left the back yard conversation to push on for a synopsis of the rest of the evening. They could dig into the father-son conversation later in sessions, but he could tell that House was running down quickly, the adrenaline yielding to exhaustion. He needed to finish giving at least a summary of tonight to get it logically laid out. That would help him. "What happened after your talk?"

House grasped the subject change gratefully. "That was funny. Lisa came out after she finished laying down the law to her parents. When the three of us went back in, they were trying so hard I had trouble keeping from laughing. He did, too. They hated every minute of it, but they knew Lisa would throw them out totally if they started fights. Basic questions for a little while. Robert wanted to know his jobs in life, of course. The old man didn't stay too long. Said he was tired and left after only 15 minutes or so."

Jensen was sure Thomas had been tired, but he guessed that even more, his son had been tired, not to mention his daughter-in-law. Claiming he had had a long day was the best way to end the conversation, also letting the Cuddys see some "weakness" in him, which would help soothe their ruffled feelings just a little. The man really was a master manipulator in conversation. "And they left, too?"

"About ten minutes later. They had to act all shocked a little more, but Lisa didn't let it go too far. They're getting a hotel room. They have to stay and ask questions, but at least they aren't here." He sighed again, remembering his mother.

Jensen heard the shift. "You did well tonight," he repeated. "Like I said, anybody who had lost another parent that recently would have been reminded of it by that scene. You handled it well, and you kept the distant past back where it belongs."

House felt that odd flutter of pride in himself again. All at once, he wanted to tell Jensen, as he'd wanted to tell Cuddy earlier. "I wasn't hearing John tonight," he said. "I've still been acting like a coward, but it was only me saying so. Not him."

He heard the warm approval in Jensen's voice. "That's wonderful, Dr. House. You've come a long way. I'm happy for you." Another extended silence. "So the horse arrives tomorrow?"

House grinned. "Yeah. Rachel can't wait. Oh, that was funny, too. He invited her folks to come out to the stable with us in the morning. Susan looked like he was offering to mud wrestle them. Her parents are coming over for breakfast, but the horse will be just for us." Startled, he realized a moment later that he had included Thomas in "us."

Jensen heard it but knew better than to draw attention to it. "I wish I'd seen that. Well, Dr. House, it's late, and I'd better get to bed. You, too." He paused. "I'd take the full dose tonight, just in case. You've dealt so well with today, but you need rest, not dreaming about finding your mother."

"I'd already thought of that," House admitted. They had the sleeping pill carved down to a minimum dose now, and Jensen had even said he thought they'd switch to simply prn soon. Resetting a lifetime of sleep difficulties had been a long process, but they were right on the edge of victory with it by now. But yes, tonight, he didn't want to trust his subconscious.

"Good decision," Jensen replied. "Well done, Dr. House. For the whole evening, including getting up and walking out. We can talk tomorrow night if you want to or not, whatever's needed. But send me a picture of Rachel at the stable, okay? I'd like to see it."

"I will. The old man asked Lisa to take pictures tonight when we were talking about tomorrow. He'll bring his camera for her. He wants some for himself, plus to send to his one friend who knows back in St. Louis." He settled back against the headboard a little more. "We should have known we couldn't keep it a secret."

"Yes. But there's nothing wrong with privacy, or with taking something at the pace it needs to go. It's a fine line to walk, but you haven't done as badly with it as you think. Good night, Dr. House."

"Night, Jensen." House ended the call and sat there, looking at the cat. "What do you think about everything?" he asked her after a minute.

Belle gave a jaw splitting yawn, glared pointedly at the empty other side of the bed, and put her head down, closing her eyes.

(H/C)

"Good job," Patterson said as Cuddy wrapped up her story. "Especially well done resisting temptation to just tell them they were replaced."

Cuddy hadn't mentioned how tempting that was at the moment. "They're my parents," she insisted.

"Yes. It's all right, Dr. Cuddy. You don't have to feel guilty for the thought crossing your mind. But they do love you. You know that. Not everybody is capable of expressing love in the same ways, and they are trying. So are you. That's good."

"The grandkids have been an eyeopener," Cuddy said. "I never thought I'd see those two soften up as much as they have. Still nothing like Thomas, but it's more than they ever showed to me and Lyla. And they love Greg. That's odd, really, how it seems easier for them with him."

"Not that odd. You share the full past with them, Dr. Cuddy. When you're trying to change things and do better, it's almost always easier with someone who is a fresh start, not with someone who shares all that history."

Cuddy had never thought about it like that. "That makes sense."

"Yes. You've also told me that they didn't welcome him with open arms at first. He didn't get an automatic pass."

"No. They were both worried about whether he was right for me. It was the piano with Mom. His playing that piece at our wedding. That's odd; I never thought of her as having a romantic streak. But that's where he won her over, and she's never wavered since."

"Maybe secretly, she has always wished for some grand romantic gesture like that to her. I doubt she'd admit it, because she knows she isn't likely to get one from her husband. But it's sort of like fairy tales. Even when you scoff and point out how things like that aren't reality, a little part of you would get right on the horse with that handsome prince in an instant if he rode up, and to hell with logic."

Cuddy laughed. "Maybe. It's still hard to picture Mom dreaming of things like that."

"Could you have pictured yourself there? Or were you afraid to admit wanting it for years, because you thought it wouldn't happen, so no point in wasting time waiting?"

"I suppose. But still, she's my mother."

"But also a woman. I think your husband playing that song spoke to that small part of her she keeps hidden. As for your father, you said the point where he finally let go was during Patrick Chandler's campaign."

"Yes. He finally saw Greg as a success. Of course, he looks for everybody to be a success, but it's usually purely business like. That's what I kept trying to emphasize to Dad, the successful doctor, but that wasn't what finally convinced at the end." She surprised herself with a yawn.

She could hear Patterson's smile. "You need to get to bed. Today has been long enough for you."

"Greg's talking to Jensen. I don't want to interrupt."

"I doubt they talked too long, either."

"Probably not. Greg is exhausted. I'm glad Thomas called a halt to the night when he did." She sighed. "Now there's just the next few days to get through with the Parental Inquisition. I hope Thomas doesn't think . . ."

She trailed off, and Patterson spoke after waiting politely. "He isn't going to think less of you, Dr. Cuddy. He loves you and your family. You and Dr. House make quite a pair. He's afraid that Thomas is going to leave, and you're afraid that Thomas will find something that he thinks less of you for. And both of you are wrong, you just as much as your husband is. But we don't need to get into that tonight. Just try to relax and let yourself believe it. It's all right."

"Any tips for the next few days?"

"Just take it one moment at a time. But I'm glad you stood up to them. Let them know you mean that if they start to go too far again. And there, we'll end it for now. Good night, Dr. Cuddy."

Cuddy fought back another yawn. "Good night. And thank you, Dr. Patterson."

After hanging up, she slowly walked down the hall, ears peeled. Once she was far enough to see past the half-closed door, she realized that her husband was asleep, still propped up in bed. At least he didn't still have the phone in hand. With a smile, she took a moment to make a last check on the girls, who were also totally out, then went into her bedroom and closed the door.

"Greg?" She touched him gently on the shoulder. "Greg. Come on; you can't sleep like this."

"Mmph." One blue eye finally opened, followed by the other one. Belle, without raising her head or opening her eyes, gave a low murmur of protest.

"Let's go to bed," Cuddy said. "We can talk more tomorrow, but today's been long enough."

"You talk to Patterson?"

"Yes. It helped." She didn't ask about his mini session. Instead, she picked up the heating pad and cat as a unit. Belle growled. "Slide down, Greg."

"Got to take the pills first," he admitted. She put the cat back down and went for a glass of water. He gulped down the handful of painkillers and sleeping pill, and she lifted the heating pad again as he worked himself down to horizontal. Belle gave a louder growl.

"Shut up," Cuddy told her. "I'm doing the best I can." Finally, with her husband lying down fully, she lowered the cat and heating pad again, then tucked the covers up around him. By the time she got into pajamas and turned out the lights, he was asleep again. She gave a final check of the heating pad but left it on low. Maybe it would help ease some of the kinks of tension from tonight and would help him walking at the stable tomorrow.

Crawling into bed beside her husband, she snuggled up. spooning against him, and his arm tightened around her in his sleep. "Good night, Greg," she told him, not needing a reply. His presence was reply enough. She drifted toward sleep, appreciating the calm, quiet atmosphere of their house. Their house. Not her parents', not John's and Blythe's, but all theirs. Belle's purr rapidly sent her off.