The Ghosts of the Past

by purpleu

That which haunts us doesn't exist only in our minds. As an image on a screen preys on House's psyche, he learns that some who have touched upon his life are in pain, too. When they come knocking, seeking his help, will he slam the door on them, or will he relent and let in "The Ghosts of the Past."

17. Chapter 17

"Ghosts of the Past"

Chapter Seventeen - "Nightmares into Dreams"

By: purpleu

"Hi… it's Lydia."

"Come on up," Wilson said pressing the button to buzz her into the building. Annie came over to him.

"I couldn't tell… how do you think she sounded?" Wilson sighed.

"Couldn't tell, either. At least it didn't sound like she had been crying; there was no sniffling." Annie put her arms around Wilson and rested her head on her fiancé's shoulder.

"I'm worried about the both of them. From what you've told me about Greg's past, if he loses Lydia…"

"If he loses Lydia, it'll be his own damn fault. And I'm not going to be waiting to help him pick up the pieces this time. I have more important things to be worried about," Wilson said resting his hand on her stomach. She gave him a look.

"James, it's very sweet of you to say that; but you know damn well you'll help him," she said. He reluctantly nodded his head. The doorbell to the apartment rang. Wilson took a deep breath, and opened the door. Lydia was standing there by herself. Neither Annie nor Wilson could read her face.

"Hi, Sweetie," Annie cautiously said to her friend. Suddenly, House swooped into view and stood behind his girlfriend.

"Hi. We've come to pick up our kids," he said. At that point, both Lydia and House couldn't hold back their smiles as their friends stood dumbfounded.

"Yes!" yelled out Annie. She somehow managed to throw her arms around both Lydia and House at the same time. Wilson dropped down his head, smiling as he shook it back and forth.

"You could have told me when we spoke this afternoon what was going on," he said as his friends entered the apartment.

"Couldn't do that; I didn't know what was going on. Not until we actually sat down and talked," House replied.

"Oh, please… I could have told you what would happen when you asked her to get back together," Annie said.

"He didn't ask to get back together; he asked for his half of the bed back," Lydia said with a smile.

"And I still don't see how I'm going to fit," he said showing the picture and message that Ben sent.

"Aw! How sweet!" Annie said.

"Looks like emotional blackmail to me," Wilson said.

"Normally, I'd agree, but I'd already made up my mind when I got this. It just re-enforced that I was doing the right thing." The four friends went into the living room. House and Lydia sat on the couch, Annie and Wilson on the love seat.

"Do you want something to drink… or eat?" Annie offered.

"No, thanks," Lydia said. "We were both starving, so we stopped over at Otto's to grab something. There was more than enough time until when Greg told you the kids would be picked up."

"You went to Otto's? Isn't that where you had your first date?" Wilson asked.

"I wouldn't call it a date, but it's where we went to lunch the day she hunted me down at work," House said gesturing toward Lydia.

"Hunted you down?" she said laughing. "I didn't know you thought of my appearance at the hospital that way."

"Come on; you were warm for my form. We hadn't even been talking for ten minutes before you let me know you regained your sanity and dumped your ex-moron."

"Well… " Lydia started to say, trying to look innocent.

"It is Mommy… and House!" Elise yelled down the hallway to Ben. The two kids ran into the living room, and threw themselves on the couch; both managed to squirm in between their mom and House. They couldn't stop giggling.

"Can I help you?" House asked them.

"Yeah," Ben said. "Tell us you finished your work and you're coming home." Lydia looked over the tops of their heads and smiled at House.

"I've finished what I had to do…for now. I still have a lot more to take care of, but I'm better off doing it at home."

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Elise said bouncing up and down in her seat.

"Sweetie, stop; you'll ruin Aunt Annie's and Uncle James' sofa," Lydia said, putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I just got excited," the little girl said.

"Really? I thought you had to go to the bathroom," House said sarcastically. Elise looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I do," she said. "Be right back!" She left the couch and ran down the hall. Ben rolled his eyes at his sister.

"Now that she's not here, I've got a question for you," House said to the boy. "What made you think it was a good idea to borrow your mom's phone without asking?" Ben's mouth fell open; he wasn't expecting anyone to have a problem with his actions.

"It was just that I heard Mom crying, and I went to check on her, 'cause you told us to take care of her," Ben said looking at House. "And then I saw her holding your pillow like it was you, and… I thought if you saw that, you'd finish your work faster and come back home. And we missed you, too."

"Yeah, I got that part of the message," House said. "And I did like the picture."

"Ben, what you did was very sweet; I'm not mad, and you're not in trouble. But next time, please don't touch my things, or anyone else's without asking first," Lydia said. "OK?"

"OK, Mom," he said, relieved that no one was mad.

"By the way," House said to the boy. "Thanks… you did a good job of taking care of your mom." Ben's face lit up with a smile. Elise returned and stood in front of her mother.

"Can we finish watching the movie Aunt Annie picked out for us?"

"They're watching it in the bedroom," Annie explained. She looked at her watch. "It should have about forty-five minutes left on it. Did you guys remember to pause it when you came in here?" Both children nodded.

"You can finish it up, and then we have to get you two home to bed," Lydia said. She gave both kids a kiss before they left to return to the bedroom. "What movie are they watching?"

"Stuart Little," Annie replied. She saw that House rolled his eyes. "You don't approve of my movie choice?"

"An uptight, rich couple decide to adopt a talking mouse to be their son's new brother… kill me now."

"It was a classic book and very popular movie," countered Annie.

"Doesn't matter. Do you know the amount of psychological counseling that kid's going to need for the rest of his life?"

"The boy who played the son was very cute," Wilson noted. House shook his head.

"The kid is cute, the obnoxious cat is probably the best character in the whole movie; the mom is hot… and the dad is a total dweeb. Can't imagine how he was even capable of procreating in the first place. If the spawn is even his." Lydia was going to say something admonishing her boyfriend, but she noticed he was vigorously rubbing his leg.

"Greg, take off your sneaker, and put your leg across my lap so I can massage it for you," she said.

"I'd rather you do that at home when I'm naked," House said raising his eyebrows up and down in a lecherous manner.

"I can do that, too," Lydia said. "But you need some relief right now." House kicked of both sneakers and laid his legs onto Lydia's lap.

"My third leg is badly in need of attention, too. No complaints from me if you help it along," House said closing his eyes.

"Boy, he really did miss you," Annie said to her friend with a wink.

"I missed him, too," Lydia said as she began to rub House's leg.

"You know, I never knew you had a thing for redheads," Wilson said. "I mean… you told me just the other day that Sarah was a ginger..."

"An artificial one," Lydia said with a touch if anger in her voice. "And if you ask me, the hair dye ate away most of her brain cells and all of her heart." House had to smile at her effort to defend him.

"I never showed any preference as far as hair color goes," House noted. "As long as she was female, had a brain, and a sense of humor, I was interested."

"True… your track record is two doctors, a lawyer and a future doctor," Wilson said. "It's just that both Stacy and Cuddy had dark hair, and I had never seen you with anyone else until Lydia."

"I heard someone say once that guys look for women who remind them of their mother… or the exact opposite depending on whether she was June Cleaver or Joan Crawford. My mom… " House let out a sigh. "She did what she thought was best under the worst circumstances. But she always had something cooking or baking, she always asked me about school and my interests, she took me out places when Flyboy wasn't around… and her natural hair color was auburn before she started to fiddle with it." House smiled. "Sarah had the redhead part down right, but she was a zero on the domestic front; she once burned boiling water."

"Oh, come on," said Annie.

"I'm serious. She was trying to make hard-boiled eggs, didn't set the timer, and she boiled all the water out of the pan. The eggs exploded everywhere; it looked like the kitchen scene from 'Ghostbusters.'" Wilson, Annie and Lydia were helpless with laughter between House's description, and the look on his face.

"She must have made up for it in other areas," Annie said giving Lydia a wink. "I hear redheads are very passionate."

"That's an urban myth," House said dismissively. "Sometimes it's easily disproven, and sometimes it's an irrefutable fact." He reached over, took Lydia's hand from his leg, and raised it in the air. "Meet fact." Wilson was laughing, but as he did, he gave Annie a quick look; she nodded.

"House… do… you mind telling us what happened here?" Wilson said indicating his two friends. "What… why… " Lydia glanced over her shoulder to make sure the movie was still playing, and the children couldn't hear what they were talking about. She always believed in being very honest with them about things, but this was something that she and House would sit down together and deal with at some point in the future, if needed. She nodded to House, indicating that they were in the clear.

"There's one condition to that; it stays here in this room," House said.

"Of course," Wilson said. "We're not going to repeat anything you say in confidence." Shaking his head, House gave his friend a look.

"You are worst secret keeper/gossip in the known world. I'm going to have to ask your wife-to-be to keep you in line."

"Greg, don't worry; I have better things for him to do with his mouth than gossip," Annie said.

"I knew I could count on you," House said, wincing as Lydia hit a particularly sensitive area on his leg. "OK… here comes the whole sorry tale." As he had with Bell, and then Lydia, House related the events that led him to raise anew, doubts about his ability to have a permanent relationship including showing them the cancelled check and the note. Lydia wasn't sure who was angrier… Wilson or Annie.

"This… this is… disgusting!" Annie exclaimed. "On both John's part and Sarah's. I… I'm shocked." Wilson had leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of him.

"House, I'm so… so sorry I forced you to go to that bastard's funeral. If your mother hadn't begged me to get you down there… "

"Where's he buried?" asked Annie. "Cause I'd like to go spit on his grave!"

"I have a feeling several of the men who served under him have left marks with their own personal body fluids," House said grimly. Wilson gave his friend a curious look as something dawned on him.

"So the… ultimate bad boyfriend act with Stacy… was just that? An act? I know you loved her like crazy, which is why I could never understand why you pulled half… hell, most of the crap you did with her." House sighed.

"I did it to keep either one of us from falling too much in love with the other; to keep from going through what I did when Sarah dumped me. It not only backfired, but I ruined her life and mine in the process. Although she seemed to recover fairly quickly with Mark; it just took me a little bit longer," House said as he reached for Lydia's hand. She gave his hand a squeeze and smiled. "There are things I still have doubts about," he said to his girlfriend. "I still can't help feeling like I'm using you… in reference to my leg." Lydia closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Greg, we talked about this at dinner; you're not using me. I'm supporting you at a time you need help with something. I know it's hard for you to accept that you need assistance with anything; but I'm here for you because I love you… and not for any other reason you're thinking. This not about pity."

"I never even would have considered getting the ultrasound and ultimately, the operation if I didn't know that you willing to play nursemaid for a year, possibly more," House countered.

"OK, yes… fine. You're using me. Just like I'm using you to achieve my dream of going to medical school," Lydia said.

"You're doing that on your own," House said taking his leg off Lydia's lap and sitting up. "You're the one working, going to school and taking care of me and the kids at the same time."

"I'm not the one who picks them up from school, or whatever else they may be doing, and makes them dinner every Tuesday night," Lydia said. "Or any other night when I wind up getting stuck working late. And if I'm accepted into med school, you're going to be doing a lot more than that with them."

"What do you mean 'if'?" House said sounding slightly annoyed at her doubts. "You have a 4.0. You've done clinicals that most students don't get a chance to do until after their time in the classroom. Oh, and you're also getting the Adult Studies Scholarship."

"That's not a sure thing," Lydia pointed out. "And if I don't get it, you offered to pay my tuition in full. So I guess I'm using you, just like you're using me." She folded her arms and looked at her boyfriend who was sitting forward, returning her gaze. After a second, they both started smiling, which led to quiet laughter between the two.

"OK," House conceded. "I get your point… with reservations." He put his arm around her as she leaned in to him; Lydia raised her head up and gave House a kiss.

"See, that's why they're such a great couple, just like us," Annie said to Wilson. "They fight the way we do; emotional and logical at the same time." The pair smiled at House and Lydia as they snuggled together on the couch.

"I don't see the point in discussing things in a nasty way with anyone, but especially not with someone you love," Lydia said with a shrug. "Come on; get your legs back up here so I can keep working on them," she said to House. He gladly swung his legs back across her lap.

"Funny… your boyfriend has made a career out of nasty conversations," Wilson said. "Only most of the time people are so stunned, that they don't know how to react."

"No, the problem is that they think I'm being funny. They don't realize I'm actually mean and not joking," House replied. "If you want to accuse me of having a split personality, go right ahead. I'm not going to treat Fraulein or you two the way I do the morons of the world. Simply put, I don't suffer fools gladly; never have, never will and I do take great delight in cutting them down to size… especially when they can't figure out what I've just done. As far as my patients go, I don't care if I have to argue with the patient, the family, my team or the administration… I will do and say what I have to solve a medical problem. Just because my personal life has improved by leaps and bounds, doesn't mean I'm going to change my M.O. in my professional life. It's worked fine for me for years."

"Yes, it has," Wilson said. "Which is why I wish Foreman and I didn't have to keep dealing with pressure to make cuts in different departments. You may have to borrow some of your girlfriend's diplomatic skills." House scowled.

"Foreman brought the subject up to me a few months ago. The higher powers are still ragging on it?" Wilson nodded.

"I thought the increase in insurance funds recovered has helped with that," Lydia said with concern. The last thing she wanted to see was House having to fight to keep his department intact.

"It has, but that's only been for one quarter. It's got to be sustained or even increased for it to have a real impact. Plus we could use a bunch more benefactors to come out of the woodwork." Wilson ran his hand through his hair in frustration and anger. "Hell, they want to make cuts in the children's ward and family housing in oncology," Wilson said in disgust. "If I have to look at one more report that's trying to reconfigure things… I'm going to need reading glasses."

"There have been nights when James comes home and I've had to read the reports to him," Annie said rubbing his shoulders. "Everything is just too blurry for him, to the point he keeps getting headaches. I told him I want him to get to the eye doctor before the wedding."

"I promise I'm going to go as soon as I can. I want to be able to see the baby clearly when he or she arrives," Wilson said with a smile.

"The trade-off is that when my back's acting up, and I need to do maintenance on my cello, James helps me out with it," said Annie. "He knows how to re-string it and tune it up."

"Trying to give Yo Mama a run for his money?" House asked.

"If you're referring to Yo-Yo Ma, no. I'm lucky the neighbors haven't called the police because of the screeching sounds the cello emits when I touch it."

"It would explain that collection of alley cats looking up at your windows as we came into the building," House noted sarcastically.

"James, you have my complete sympathy when it comes to becoming bleary-eyed after doing all that reading. There are nights when I come home with work, and like Annie, Greg has to read some of it to me. I may be right behind you to the eye doctors."

"So, since I've been reading reports to you before you agreed to take care of me after the operation on my leg, you've been using me before I started using you," House said. "Cool." He looked over the top of Lydia's head to where the hall met the living room. "Of course, payback will come when I'm forced to spend extra time with the two little imps when you go back to school," House said loudly.

"We are not imps!" Elise exclaimed as she and Ben entered the living room.

"I saw them peeking around the corner," House said quietly to Lydia.

"Were you spying on us?" Annie asked her niece and nephew.

"No. We were going to just come right in, but then we heard House say something about an operation on his leg," Ben said sounding concerned. "What's going on?" He was looking back and forth between his mother and House; Elise was picking up on the vibe given off by her brother.

"Come here and sit down," Lydia said sliding over to make room as House removed his legs from her lap. "We were going to talk to you about this after the holidays were over. Nothing is going to happen until May; the Monday after my graduation, in fact." The children still looked confused, but seemed reassured by their mother's calming demeanor.

"I had an ultrasound last week," House began, addressing mainly Ben. He knew the boy would at least have some understanding of what was going on. "And those… 'doctors'…that I've told you about? They really screwed up my leg badly. They left sponges and other things in there that has caused a constant low-grade infection over the years; a big source of the pain. There's also a lot of other damage. If I don't get it taken care of, I face the possibility of winding up in a wheelchair in the next few years."

"No!" Ben said, clearly upset. Elise got off the couch and went over to House to give him a hug; he accepted it awkwardly at first, but then put his arm around the girl. He let her climb up onto his good leg.

"House is going to have to have a couple of operations to try and make sure that won't happen," Lydia said stroking Ben's head. "And hopefully if everything goes well, his leg will be much stronger, and he'll have a lot less pain." Ben turned to House.

"Mom said a couple of operations; what are they going to do?"

"The first step is to clear out all the junk that's in there and put me on strong IV antibiotics. Then one to three weeks after that, they'll go back in, and try to repair things… including a muscle transplant." Ben's eyes opened-wide.

"What? From where?"

"Right here," House said placing his hand on the boy's left shoulder blade.

"But… then you'll be weak on that side."

"Yep. I'll be rehabbing my leg and shoulder. If both procedures go right, I'll be OK. And back kicking your butt at scrimmages." Ben was able to smile a bit.

"Will we be able to come visit you?" Elise asked. Her eyes opened wide as she realized something. "You're going to be in the hospital for my birthday!"

"Nothing says you can't bring me a piece of cake. In fact, I already know it's on my unofficial medicine list." Elise started giggling. "You can come and visit me, but you may not want to… and I may not want company. In the beginning, the pain's going to be worse than ever; then it will get better as time goes on." He looked at the little girl. "You know how cranky and grumpy I get when my leg is really bothering me?" Elise nodded. "This will be even worse."

"Can that really happen?" the little girl asked.

"Yeah, I'm afraid that can happen. But, there's enough pain meds out there to keep me from wanting to rip my leg off," House said, easing the girl off his leg and standing up.

"Kids, go get your shoes back on, and get your jackets. We have to be getting home," Lydia said. Ben and Elise ran out of the room. "Oh, I really didn't want to discuss this with them until after the first of the year; we'd have more time to just relax and spend some time talking about things then."

"Nothing says that in January we can't do something like take them out bowling or to Dave and Buster's for lunch, then come home and talk," House said. "About this and other things like the future abode." Lydia smiled at the mention of the house they were having built.

"That's something else we have to do; approve the plans so Scotty can submit them to his professor."

"I think it's great that his senior project is designing the house for you," Wilson said keeping his voice low.

"And Misty will be doing the interior design with me for her senior portfolio," noted Lydia. "I can't wait." The children returned to the room.

"Here, Aunt Annie; thank you for letting us watch it," Ben said handing her the DVD.

"You're very welcome," she said giving him a hug.

"Mommy, Aunt Annie says that next week, she's going to go get her dress for the wedding," Elise said. "Will I get mine, too?"

"We should all have our dresses ready, but we'll go in one more time for a fitting. The seamstress always waits until the very last minute to make sure the gown fits just right."

"And we get measured for our tuxedoes?" Ben asked.

"Yep, Wilson said. "Everything is moving along very quickly."

"You sound nervous," House noted. "Getting ready to bolt?"

"Not at all. It just that I've been through this before, and honestly, I never really cared about any of the planning. I just showed up when and where I was told to. This time… " He smiled at Annie. "This time means a lot more to me. I really care that everything goes right… goes just the way Annie and I want it."

"Can we show them the bridal favors that we were helping you with?" Elise asked.

"Sure; go get one from the table," Annie said.

"A collection of candied rocks tied onto a bottle of cheap wine?" House asked. "I understand that's the proper thank you for the guest handing you a check."

"No, actually, we've done something different," Annie said as Elise handed her a square, lavender envelope. "When Lydia escorts me down the aisle, the string quartet I work with through the college will be playing, 'Jesu, Joy o Man's Dawning' instead of the usual 'Here comes the Bride.' They'll also be playing at the cocktail hour; then the DJ will handle the reception. Well, I went into a recording studio with the quartet, and made a CD of the music that will be played." She removed a CD case from the envelope. It was imprinted with a picture of Annie and Wilson, their names, and the date of the wedding. On the front of the envelope was their monogram, and the date.

"Even I will begrudgingly give my approval to this," House said. "Classy."

"I love it," Lydia said looking over the CD Annie had handed to her. "Did you mail the invitations yet? Because we didn't get one."

"Shhh! Maybe that means we don't have to show up," House said in a stage whisper.

"Oh, you'd better show up," Anne warned. "We mailed them yesterday which gives everyone about five weeks to respond. There's… there's something we put in the invitations that we didn't think you'd mind."

"We had met with Rev. Bell to go over things and we mentioned the honorarium that's traditionally given to whomever performs the ceremony for you. He refused it. Thomas said instead, he would very much like it if we donated the money in your mom's name," Wilson said to House. "He said the Wounded Warriors Project would be his choice."

"We talked it over, and we don't need any money or gifts from anyone. So there's a card included in the invitation, asking that in lieu of gifts, we'd like our guests to make a donation in the names of Reverend and Mrs. Thomas Bell to the Wounded Warriors Project." House found himself choking up. He guessed it was because of his emotions being so close to the surface after everything that had gone on with Lydia the past few days. She wasn't doing anything to calm him; Lydia had tears in her eyes.

"That's… a very nice gesture," House said not acknowledging either Wilson or Annie. "I'm sure Bell will pleased." He stared at the floor and began to twirl his cane between his fingers.

"We are, too," Lydia added in. "That's such a special remembrance to honor the both of them. Thank you." She hugged Annie, then Wilson. House stepped forward, and hugged Annie; to Wilson, he simply gave a nod, but Wilson knew how his friend felt. He just wasn't able to express it.

"Come on, kids… time to go home," Lydia said. Ben and Elise gave hugs to Wilson and Annie and thanked them for taking care of them. Lydia said her goodbyes, then got the children out the door. House said good night, then stepped out into the hallway; Wilson followed him. They watched as Lydia started skipping down the hallway, holding on to children's hands and laughing.

"House, I'm very glad you made the right decision." House smiled.

"So am I."

The next few weeks were incredibly busy for everyone. The night after House and Lydia got back together, were the soccer awards. Ben's team had won first place, and the travel team selections were to be announced. Annie and Wilson were there, along with Tom, Marianne and their children. Tom had already clued House in that Ben had been chosen for the team, but they both kept it a secret so everyone else would be surprised. House and Lydia had gone over to a table set up with league merchandise; hats, sweatshirts, t-shirts, water bottles and other novelties. Lydia was looking at House who was trying on one of caps to see if she liked it for him or not. He was goofing around, turning it sideways and backwards, when Lydia snatched it from his head, and gave him a kiss, which he gladly returned.

"Well… I'm glad to see you're as smart as I thought you were," a voice behind them said. Rev. Bell was standing there, with a smile on his face.

"As James Coburn said in the movie 'Charade', 'My mama didn't raise no stupid children,'" House said. Bell nodded.

"No, she most certainly did not," he said.

"There's still a bunch of stuff I'm sure will raise its ugly head in the future," House said as he bounced his cane off the floor. "But I have the right kind of help to get through it."

"You always did; you just had to take step back and look at it from a distance to realize what you had. Just remember… no one has the right to take you're happiness away from you… especially not him." House took a deep breath.

"Not going to happen," he replied.

"Thomas, since Greg and I don't need to talk to the children, you don't have to go rushing away in the morning. Do you have time to spend with us? We have to take Greg's car over to the shop, and then we were taking the kids out to breakfast. We'd love for you to join us," Lydia said.

"There's a possibility that we may even take them to see the antique train show over at the high school," House added in. "And since you were the one to put my first train set under the Christmas tree… " Thomas' eyes widen.

"You remember that," he said quietly, partially in shock. "You were only six or seven… "

"Six. He was away that Christmas, and the train set was under the tree in the morning. Mom said we had to put it away right after New Years and never tell him about it," House said making a face. "I still have the trains; I've never put them out again because it just didn't feel right to me." House looked away to his left. "And as I recall, my favorite Christmas song that year was 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause'" Bell threw his head back and laughed.

"Guilty as charged. I dressed as Santa when I came by the house in case you got out of bed in the middle of the night… which it would seem you did." Lydia smiled; it made her feel good any time she saw them together. The connection between the two was so obvious.

"So, would you care to join us tomorrow? Lydia asked.

"I would love to," Thomas replied. "And now a question for you… would you like me to watch the children tomorrow night so you two can have… well, let's call it a little alone time together? I think it's well deserved and needed for the both of you." House and Lydia looked at each other and smiled.

"That would be wonderful, Thomas. Thank you so much," Lydia said as she gave him a hug.

"Just do me a favor… so I know how to find you, leave me the name of the hotel you're staying in. Because I know you'll be turning your cell phones off." Lydia's eyes opened wide and she blushed slightly at Bell's words. House chuckled, more at Lydia's reaction, than what Bell said. Thomas turned his attention to the items on the table; something caught his eye.

"A coffee travel mug," he said picking it up. "And nicely made, too. The liner on mine cracked the other day; afraid I've dropped it a few too many times. I think I'll get this to support the kids' teams." Lydia took the mug out of his hands.

"We'll take care of this," she said. "Greg's getting a hat, I'm getting a sweatshirt and the kids are getting sweatpants; we'll just add this to the pile. Why don't you go on into the auditorium and look for Annie and James? The kids will be with their teams." Bell knew better than to argue, so he started to turn away.

"Bell?" He turned back to face House. "I was wondering if you'd be in the area sometime next week."

"Yes, I will. I'll be dropping off the food donations we've collected to our sister church for the holiday meal that we do for the poor and homeless. Friday is the day I was planning on coming up. Why?" House took a deep breath.

"I don't believe you or Mom lied to me, but I base my beliefs on facts not wishes. I'd like us to get that DNA test done. I want to remove that question from whatever kind of relationship we may be working on." Thomas smiled.

"I'm ready whenever you want to do it. Would you like me to come up sooner?"

"No. I still have too much paperwork to deal with from Alvie's case. But as long as no one else shows up with any other sort of rare tropical diseases, Friday should be fine," House said, still not making eye contact with Thomas.

"Greg?" House finally raised his eyes up to meet Thomas'. "Don't be nervous about this… I already know the answer." He patted House's shoulder and disappeared into the auditorium.

The awards ceremony was very loud, with a lot of enthusiasm coming from the kids. Elise got her participation award, Ben's team their first place trophy. The highlight of the evening, was the announcement of the travel team selection. While House already knew that Ben had been chosen, what was a pleasant surprise for all, was the announcement that he was the youngest player selected to the travel squad in the soccer club's history. It seemed a little odd to him, something he never expected to experience, but House felt like a proud dad.

The next day was fun for them all; House didn't even seem to mind when the mechanic told him his car wouldn't be ready until next week… it was hard to get twenty-year old parts. The train show was amazing with huge layouts depicting different rail lines of old. That night, House took Lydia out to the best Northern Italian restaurant in town, and then to the local Hyatt Regency so they could have some quality time together; the bottle of chilled champagne and the roses he arranged to have waiting in the room, just added to the evening. The speed of things really began to pick up after that weekend. The guys were measured for their tuxes, the ladies for their dresses; Annie and Wilson met with the DJ to give him their requested playlist, and with the florist to make the final selection on things. Bell stopped by to give a swab sample for the DNA test; the next night he joined House and the men in their group of friends in taking Wilson out for a steak dinner; Lydia and the ladies went out for an English breakfast the next morning. Since neither Wilson nor Annie wanted any kind of bachelor/bachelorette party, the events were the perfect way to celebrate the upcoming wedding.

In the midst of all this, House attended his first parent/teacher conference. He tried at first to get out of it, making the argument that he had already met the teachers and he knew the kids were smart and well-behaved. But he changed his mind when Lydia told him the school wanted the children to skip ahead a grade again. They had already done so once, and Lydia saw a problem with them not just being the youngest in the class, but more vulnerable to bullying. Remembering all too well the bullying he had gone through by always being the new kid in class, House wanted to hear the school's reasoning on the subject. Without coming out and saying so, his intention was to protect the kids and be supportive of Lydia.

Finally, it was time for Thanksgiving. While any holiday didn't thrill him, this one had always had little meaning for House; celebrating the day didn't interest him. Leave it to Lydia to make the day something special. Wilson and Annie came over in the morning; Lydia had made a continental breakfast with breads, muffins, fruits, cheeses, bacon and sausages. Bell had slept in Annie's old apartment, and came up to enjoy the feast, too. They gathered in front of the television to watch the Macy*s parade, something House had never done. He was pleased to find it was an unending source of fodder for his usual inappropriate comments. After the extravaganza was over, the kids took turns trying to play Christmas carols on the piano; Annie dove in and helped them, as well as singing with them. Wilson and Bell came into the kitchen to help with the food and setting the table. There was a lot of laughter, music and talking; it was unlike any Thanksgiving House could ever remember. The best part of the evening came after dessert, when Bell asked if some space could be made on the table. He had brought a portfolio case upstairs with him and he now removed from it, a large piece of paper, which he unfolded as he sat down at the table.

"This is a copy of the Bell/Davenport family tree," he said referring to Blythe's maiden name. "We had this made up after we had gotten married, and a finer copy is framed and hanging on the wall of my apartment. I had this enlarged, so it would be easy to follow." He looked up at House. "Your mother and I hoped that… well, maybe one day this would hold some interest for you." The first part of it was fairly straight forward; many family members had one or no children. But around the level of House's great-grandparents, things began to get intriguing. "As I had said recently, my grandfather…your great-grandfather was Gregory Bell; his wife was Lydia Clegg Bell. So don't be thinking you're anything special," Thomas said waving a finger at Lydia and House. "You're not the first Greg and Lydia in this family."

"That is really… amazing," Wilson said. "No offense, but Lydia isn't a common name."

"No, it's not," Lydia admitted.

"And you are not the first medicine man in the family," Bell pointed out to House. "Your paternal great-grandfather on your mother's side, James Davenport, was a doctor, and his sister Susan, a nurse." House looked over the chart, trying to take it all in.

"How'd Mom mange to get away with naming me after your grandfather?" he asked. "I'd think it be a dead give-away to Flyboy."

"He didn't know my grandfather's name; he just knew my dad's, which was George. My great-grandfather was Thomas." Bell looked at House. "I have a smaller framed copy of this, exactly like mine, to give you… if you'd like to have it."

"Yeah, I would," House said quietly. "Where do you keep that?" he asked indicating the large copy.

"With other important family papers."

"Good," House said nodding. "Put this with it." He tossed a piece of paper on the table. Bell picked it up; as soon as he began to read it, he smiled.

"I don't need this, Greg. But if you'd like, I'll keep it tucked away… in case I ever have to take it out and remind you."

"What is it?" asked Annie.

"It's the results of the DNA test Greg did on the two of us," Bell said. "And it proves what I already knew… I'm his dad." Lydia came to House and put her arm around him.

"I think all of us that knew that, Thomas. It's just better, knowing this one's inquisitive mind, that he have unquestionable proof."

"I didn't mind one bit giving it to him," he said as he stood from the table. He was face to face with House; there was a slight feeling of awkwardness.

"I know what you said about not letting him take anything away from me," House said referring to John. "But unfortunately, that rat bastard took away any respect I had for the titles of 'Dad' or 'Father' or anything else like that. I… I don't know that I'll ever be able to call you one of those names."

"Greg, it's not about the respect that you give the title…. It's the respect you give the person, no matter what they're called. I think we'll be just fine on that account." Elise and Ben had been more occupied with the TV than what the adults were talking about, but they now came over to see what was going on. "You know, I bet you two can help with this. What should House call me instead of 'Dad' or anything else like that?"

"Why? Did you figure out that you're really House's dad?" Ben asked. Knowing that the result sheet was pretty straightforward, Bell handed it to the boy. "Cool," he said after looking it over.

"I heard House call you 'Papa Smurf' a bunch of times… maybe he can call you that," Elise said. While the other adults either cringed or laughed, Bell looked thoughtful.

"Hmmm… 'Papa Smurf'… I can live with that if you can," he said to House who smirked.

"It'll do until I come up with something better." Not knowing how House would take it, Bell very hesitantly stepped forward and put his arms around him. The first instinct House had was to resist; then he realized, that if there were any people in the world that he'd be willing to share this moment with, they were in this room right now. He return Bell's gesture.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Son," Bell said trying not to choke up.

"Happy Thanksgiving," House simply replied.

The weekend after Thanksgiving was not a shopping weekend for Lydia. She always used the time to get the house decorated for Christmas, inside and out. House, of course, had no enthusiasm for any of the tasks. He finally did choose the job of testing the lights. He could sit with his feet up on the couch and didn't have to worry about untangling things since Lydia neatly put the sets away each year. His only hitch came when he hit a set that wouldn't light, and Lydia handed him a box of spare bulbs. House managed to sneak out and just buy a new set, but he also brought back two additional items. He got a large pink and ivory poinsettia, which were the colors he knew Lydia loved. Along with that, he picked up what he considered to be appropriate decorations; a bunch of mistletoe sprigs, which he proceeded to place in every doorway of the house. He also rigged up one on a pole that he attached to the headboard of his and Lydia's bed. Yes, House knew how to celebrate the holidays with his own unique touch.

The following Saturday was the big day; the time for Annie and Wilson's wedding had arrived. House, Ben and Wilson were in their tuxes in a room just off the altar; the ladies in a room just off the entrance to the church. No one could stop pacing in either room.

"How do I look?" Ben asked admiring himself in the mirror.

"Spiffy," House replied. He felt Wilson's eyes on him; they had been all day. "Could you stop staring at me? It's not like you've never seen me clean-shaven before."

"Yeah, but it's not a common occurrence," Wilson said with a laugh. Reverend Bell came into the room, looking concerned.

"James, I'm very sorry. I've tried making a number of calls, but I can't seem to find another rabbi who can come and give a blessing. If that blasted snow storm hadn't delayed Rabbi Freidman's flight… "

"Don't worry about it, Thomas; there's nothing we can do. House, could you go tell Annie what's happened?" Wilson asked. "I doubt she has her cell phone near her, and I rather she hear it face to face; she's going to be upset." The last thing House wanted to deal with was a teary-eyed woman; he'd be dealing with that in droves before too long.

"Sure," House said exiting the room. He made is way down the hall to the room where Annie, Lydia and Elise were. He knocked and waited for an answer. What he saw when the door opened, blew him away. Lydia stood there in a strapless satin gown; it was a deep pink in color and fit her like a glove. Her hair was swept back on the right side and a cascade of pearls and crystals fell from a comb. House didn't even bother to look at her shoes; he was too concerned with what was waiting up top. "You look beautiful; just…wow!" He couldn't even find the words for what he wanted to say.

"And you look quite handsome, sir. I didn't know you were going to shave," Lydia said running her fingers down his face.

"I thought it'd be my own personal wedding gift to the two crazy kids." House lightly ran his fingertips over her shoulders. "You do like to live dangerously, you know."

"It has a velvet jacket that goes over it," Lydia said putting it on. House frowned.

"As amazing as you look right now, you know what would look even better on you?"

"What?"

"Me," House said leaning down to kiss her neck.

"Don't start anything now that we can't finish until later; it'll be too distracting," warned Lydia.

"Do you like the way I look?" Elise asked coming over to him. She was wearing the same color as her mother, but in a style much more suitable for her age. It had puffed, short sleeves and a ruffle at the hem.

"You look… cute… I guess." Elise looked disappointed. Sensing he'd better not bust her chops, he backtracked a bit. "You look like a princess." The girl skipped happily away, as House finally caught sight of Annie. She had on a lace and satin gown with an empire waist to hide her growing baby bump. It was just barely off white in color and adorned with crystals and pearls. She wore her curly hair loose with a small veil attached to a comb in the back. She looked stunning.

"One look at you, and Wilson's going to actually decide to go through with this," House joked. "You look great."

"Thank you. And you look great yourself," she said playing with her chin. House rolled his eyes.

"If that's going to be the only topic of conversation this evening, I'm making an early exit. Then again with the way Fraulein looks, I may do that anyway." He smiled at his girlfriend, but then remembered why he came back to the room. "Got a little problem; Bell's tried everywhere including Rent-A-Rabbi and he can't get anyone to fill in."

"Oh no! I really wanted to have a blessing in Hebrew or some kind of prayer. I know it would mean so much to James' parents."

"You can go visit with Rabbi Freidman when he gets back and things settle down. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you," Lydia said trying to reassure her friend. There was a knock at the door; Reverend Bell was there with Ben.

"I've come to deliver this handsome young man to you," he said. "It's time." Bell left the room; the tension was rapidly building.

"See you up front," House said taking a deep breath.

"Greg… wait… I just noticed your cane," Annie said laughing. House had wrapped it in white bandages, and put a black bow tie on the curve of the handle.

"Hey, you said formal wear for everyone," he replied twirling the cane. "Let me go calm your groom down." There wasn't much time for that. Literally a few minutes after House returned, Wilson, Bell and House stepped out to the altar. A white runner had been placed down the aisle, and the string quartet began to play. Elise was the first down, scattering rose petals as she went; she drew smiles and oohs from everyone. Next was Ben, looking adorable in his tux. He was holding a white satin pillow which had the rings attached with ribbons. Wilson and House both edged forward to get a better look at Lydia and Annie as they came down the aisle.

"Oh, God… she's beautiful!" whispered Wilson.

"You're just noticing now?" House replied. The two friends were holding hands as they came down, and when they got to the front, Lydia reached out, took Wilson's hand, and placed Annie's into it. Lydia took her friend's arrangement of long-stemmed ivory and pink roses, and added them to her bouquet. She moved over to Annie's left; then everyone turned to face Bell.

"Friends and family, we are here today to witness the marriage of Annie and James. If you were expecting something else, now is the time to leave." Everyone in the church started to laugh. House was looking at Bell; Annie, Wilson and Lydia were looking at him.

"What? I didn't tell him to say that," he protested.

"No, but I'm beginning to realize where you get it from," Wilson said quietly. Bell smiled as he looked at Annie and Wilson.

"Soulmates. I find all too often the word is misused. Your soulmate is not someone who comes into your life peacefully. It is the one who comes and makes you question things, who changes your reality; someone who marks a before and after in your life. It is probably not the human being everyone has idealized, but an ordinary person who has managed to revolutionize your world in a second. Annie, James… I'm very pleased to tell you, that in my opinion, you two have gotten it right. Now, each has written something they would like to say to the other, so if you would please face each other." Annie cleared her throat and began.

"James, 'I love you' means that I accept you for the person you are and that I do not wish to change you into someone else. It means that I do not expect perfection from you, just as you do not expect it from me. It means that I will love you and stand by you, even through the worst of times. 'I love you' means that I know your deepest secrets, and do not judge you for them… asking only in return that you do not judge me for mine. It means thinking of you, dreaming of you, wanting and needing you constantly… and knowing you feel the same way for me." It was now Wilson's turn; he hoped he could get through it.

"Annie, I take you to be my best friend, my faithful partner, and my true love. I promise to encourage you and inspire you and to love you truly through good times and bad. I will forever be there, to laugh with you, to lift you up when you are down and to love you unconditionally through all of our adventures in this life we will make together." Annie smiled and dabbed at her eyes as they turned back to face Bell.

"Hearing such beautiful words from James and Annie, I'm sure I already know the answer to this question; are you ready to make your vows?" They nodded, and changed position once again to face each other. "Please repeat after me." Annie and Wilson exchanged traditional vows, and placed their wedding bands on each other's fingers. There were smiles all around as they kissed, and they thought Bell was about to present them as husband and wife, but he paused.

"I was supposed to have company up here today, but Mother Nature had other ideas. I'm afraid Rabbi Freidman, who was going to give Annie and James a blessing, is stuck in Chicago. Now, my ability to speak Hebrew is very limited; in fact if I say too much, I'll be wishing you luck with your pig farm instead of giving you a blessing… a definite no-no," Bell said with a laugh. "But I do have a knowledge of the Jewish religion and customs. If you will permit me," he said to Wilson and Annie, who both nodded.

"Eschet Chayil… a woman of valor. The prayer is traditionally said by a husband to bless and praise his wife. The words here refer to bravery, triumph, capability, courage and strength. It is taken from the last book of Proverbs. I will say the first line… the most famous… in Hebrew; then I will switch to a safer form of communication. I must admit to not knowing the entire prayer, but I think what I can remember is more than appropriate." He began….

"Eishet hail mi imtzah? A woman of valor, who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life." Annie and Wilson were looking at each other as Bell spoke; Lydia was watching them. But House focused only on Lydia as the reverend continued. "She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hand to the needy. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her; 'Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruits of her hands, and let her works be praised in the gates." Bell bowed his head down; Wilson's mom and dad could be heard crying. "Oh, come now… imagine what it would have sounded like if I tried it in Hebrew." The church once again erupted in laughter. "I know what I just said is far from complete, so I do recommend a trip to see Rabbi Freidman for a proper blessing. In the meantime… Mazel Tov!" Annie turned to Lydia to take her bouquet of long stemmed roses, then faced back to Wilson and took his arm. "Friends and family… it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you… Dr. and Mrs. James Wilson!" Everyone sprung to their feet and burst into applause as Wilson and Annie made their way back up the aisle. Elise and Ben went up side by side, with House and Lydia right behind them. As he walked, House kept stealing glances at Lydia.

You know you'd be damn fool if you didn't do it…you have nothing left to be afraid of… what possible objection could you have to making Lydia your wife?

No, House said to himself. No… not now, not yet. Not until I can be the kind of man a woman like her deserves. And for right now, I'm far from it. It won't be easy… but damn, I'm going to try…

The receiving line went quickly; Wilson and Annie had wanted only their closest friends and colleagues with them, so the guest total was about sixty people. House had to endure countless comments about his shaving, but he managed to take them all in stride. He was pleased to see Cameron and her fiancé attending; he made note that she still wasn't showing yet. Quite unlike Steve, Freedom Master's wife; she looked like she was going to pop any second. Annie had invited Alive and Carmen; he was doing much better, and was back at work. House busted his chops about cleaning up better than he expected. Everything was going beautifully at the cocktail hour, with people not believing the amount of food that was out, and loving the string quartet. As they sat at their assigned tables, they couldn't stop commenting on the unique gift waiting for them. Then Wilson and Annie were announced for their first dance as husband and wife. They chose Elvis' "Can't Help Falling in Love." Lydia and House joined them on the dance floor, as did Elise and Ben. Elise tried to get her brother to dance with her the way the others were, but he was having no part of it; he just stood in one spot and rocked back and forth. Finally, the time came for a toast; House and Lydia decided to do it together.

"Hello, everyone… may we have your attention?" Lydia said into the mic. "Greg and I would like to make a toast to Annie and James." The room got very quiet, partially because some were dreading what House might say. "People have different ways of measuring a friendship. Some say it's how long you've know the person."

"Others measure it by the fact that they can always count on their friend to be there for them… whether they deserve to have them there or not," House said, being surprisingly serious.

"We consider ourselves very lucky," Lydia said. "In our best friends, we have found that both qualities are present. They have always been, and will always be, the best part of our lives."

"To Annie and Wilson… and to a long and happy life together," Lydia and House said in unison as they raised their glasses.

"I don't believe he played that straight," Foreman said in shock to the others sitting around him. "I would have bet anything that he'd be cracking jokes."

"That was my job today," Reverend Bell said as he sat down.

"I have to say, Thomas… I will never again wonder why House is the way he is," Tom said with a smile. Bell nodded.

"And he didn't even grow up around me, proving that it's in the genes." Everyone looked at little confused.

"Did you and he do the DNA test?" Thirteen asked.

"Yes, and it would seem that I'm stuck with him for the rest of my life," Bell said with a chuckle.

"Congratulations… I guess?" Taub said. Bell looked at his glass of champagne.

"Yes, yes, congratulations are in order; I finally have my son." The group at the table smiled and raised their glasses in delight for Bell. The party continued on with great music being played by the DJ, incredible food at the buffet including crab legs and lobster tails and all having a good time… even House. He slow danced with Annie, Cameron, Thirteen, and even let the kids drag him out for an up-tempo number. No one could believe he was visibly enjoying himself as much as it appeared. Near the end of the reception, the DJ made an announcement.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've been taking requests all night and right now, we have a special one. This goes out from our best man, Greg, to our maid of honor, Lydia." House walked over to where Lydia was sitting. He twirled his cane, then hooked it on the back of the chair next to her; and as he had in the day room at Mayfield, he offered her his hand. She took it, and let him lead her out on to the dance floor. "We have for you now," the DJ said. "Billy Joel's, 'To Make You Feel My Love,' from Greg to Lydia."

"What do you think? Will he ever pop the question?" Slick asked as the pair began to dance.

"Give him time," Wilson said as he and Annie came over to watch their two friends. "He's not stupid; he knows I'd have to disown him if he doesn't make an honest woman out of her."

"What the hell is he waiting for?" Cameron asked. "He'll never find anyone who's a better match for him."

"You mean you guys haven't figured it out?" Alvie asked. "House is just waitin', Waitin' you see, till his lovely lady becomes an MD. Cause then it's 'Dr. and Dr. House' with his life and he won't have to admit that he's got a wife." Everyone laughed at Alvie's rap, until Annie got a serious expression on her face.

"Wait, you… you don't think that's what he really planning… is it?" she asked.

"With House, you can never be sure," Chase said with a laugh.

"Well, if you excuse me, I'd like to get a couple of pictures of them dancing together. Be right back." Bell moved to the front of the room, but off to the side, so he wouldn't be so obvious. He listened to the lyrics of the song as it played.

I know you haven't made your mind up yet, but I would never do you wrong

I knew it from the moment that we met, no doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue, I'd go crawling down the avenue

There is nothing that I would not do, to make you feel my love.

"Blythe, it hurts me so that you're not here. Our son is happy… whether he's willing to admit it or not," Bell whispered aloud. "I'm sure you must have an 'in' with the Man upstairs, so please… I ask only one thing. Before I leave this Earth, please let me join them in marriage. Nothing would bring me greater joy... except to have you here with me to share in it."

The storms are raging on a rolling sea, and on the highway of regrets

The winds of change are blowing wild and free, you ain't seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true, there is nothing that I would not do

Go to the ends of the earth for you, to make you feel my love

There is nothing I would not do, to make you feel my love.*

Bell watched House and Lydia as they kissed at the song's end. Maybe… just maybe… one day in the future, his wish would come true.

THE END

The full version of Billy Joel's, "To Make You Feel My Love" can be found here: watch?v=WJTBhherM3Y

Author's note: Coming up, the epilogue to the story featuring Annie.