2005

Reilly was filling out charts at the desk in the clinic when House walked up to her.

"Cuddy's making me teach a class in Diagnostics," he whined.

"Poor you," she said without looking up.

"Come with me," he begged. "It'll be less boring if you're there."

"Only if you and Allison come for dinner on Friday night."

"Deal."

She closed the patient files, stacked them neatly and they turned to leave.

"Greg."

He stiffened and Reilly turned to look at the woman who spoke.

"Reilly?" a beautiful, statuesque brunette asked in surprise.

Reilly stared at her, "Do I know you?"

"No. I'm Stacy Warner. Greg and I lived together for five years. I saw the Christmas cards."

"Oh," Reilly responded with a quick glance at House. "It's nice to meet you."

"He didn't tell you about me, did he?" Stacy asked.

Reilly looked down. "No," she said softly. "I'll be in the lecture hall, Greg."

He watched her walk away and turned back to Stacy. "What are you doing here?" he asked. He noticed the large file she carried.

"I need your help," she answered as she held out the file to him. "My husband, Mark, is sick."

House took the files and read them. "So, he's suffering from abdominal pain and fainting spells. No sign of tumors, no vasculitis. Could be indigestion, or maybe a kidney stone."

"When did Reilly come back?" she asked.

He shrugged and began to look over her husband's x-rays. "About a year ago."

"You didn't tell her about me?"

"Didn't come up. So, how long have you and Mack been married?"

"His name is Mark. Did you think I wouldn't get married?" she asked.

He shoved everything back at her. "To be perfectly honest, I didn't give it much thought. I gotta give a lecture. I'm all about nurturing the young."

"Oh, yeah, that sounds like you. What did Lisa bribe you with?"

He laughed mirthlessly. "Why are you here?"

"Because my husband is sick. He's been to five doctors and three hospitals. No one found anything."

He shrugged and started to make his way out of the clinic and across the lobby. "Go up to the fourth floor and leave all that with my team. Doctor Cameron will schedule a time for Mark to come in."

He continued on to the lecture hall.

Once House finished his lecture, Reilly slowly got up and went to the Diagnostics conference room. Hearing about his leg and how Stacy went behind his back the way she did left her stunned and slightly sick. She sank down in a chair at the table and rested her head on the cool glass top. She heard the door swing open and heard the distinctive sound of a cane hitting the floor.

"Do not feel sorry for me," he said as he sat down next to her.

She breathed out but didn't lift her head.

"Things like that happen," he continued.

She sat up and looked at him. "Why didn't you call me?" she asked.

He shrugged. "There was nothing you could do."

"I would have come. I would have been here for you."

"You were married. You had your kids to worry about."

"I would have come," she repeated.

He sat silently staring out the window. After several minutes, he spoke softly. "I didn't want you to see me like this."

"Why? I've never judged you. I'm judging that ex of yours, though."

He laughed. "Yeah, I knew you would." He looked at her. "What would you have done?"

"You know what I would have done."

"Even if it killed me?"

"It's your body, Greg. You get to decide what happens to you. But I would have told you about the other option so you had all the facts. I'm surprised Doctor Cuddy didn't tell you about it. I certainly wouldn't wait until you were in a coma and then approve a procedure that you didn't know about."

"I want you to be my medical proxy," he told her suddenly. "And I want to be yours."

"Okay," she agreed. "Does this mean you're done punishing me and that you forgive me for leaving you?"

"Yeah."

He took her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

Cameron walked in. "I take it you two are friends again?" she asked.

Reilly nodded. "We are."

"We're having dinner Friday night with her and her rugrats," House told her.

Cameron looked at Reilly. "How'd you get him to agree to that?"

"I bribed him."

"One more thing we have in common," Cameron laughed.

"You bribe me?" House asked in shock.

Cameron nodded. "Occasionally."

He narrowed his eyes. "I see I'll have to keep an eye on both of you from now on."

House picked Cameron up at five thirty on Friday evening and they drove to Reilly's house. He whistled softly when he saw it. It was a two-story Colonial with red brick, white columns and black shutters.

"She said alimony is a very good thing," Cameron told him as they got out. "And I still think we should have brought some wine at least."

"She doesn't drink," House told her as they walked up to the house. "I'm sure that breaks some important Irish Catholic rule."

He reached out and rang the doorbell. The door swung open to reveal Jenny. She smiled when she saw Cameron.

"Hi, Allison," she said. She looked at House and her smile dimmed slightly. "Hello, Doctor House. Won't you come in?"

"Allison?" House questioned softly. "Have you been cheating on me?"

"Yes," Cameron smiled. "Often. I come over here whenever I'm not with you or working. I've even spent the night."

House leered at her. "A sleepover?"

"Sometimes we even have pillow fights in our nighties."

House's eyes glazed over slightly. Cameron laughed and took his hand.

Jenny led them into a large kitchen where Reilly and Sarah were putting the finishing touches on dinner. A large round table was set for five. The kitchen opened out to a large informal living area. There were bookshelves lining the back wall and the television sat in the center. A large sofa separated the two rooms. There were also two large chairs and a coffee table. Two sets of French doors ed out to the backyard and the pool. Both rooms were decorated in soft shades of yellow and grey.

"Hi, Allison," Sarah said with a smile. She nodded at House her eyes locking with his.

"Girls," Reilly said. "That is Greg. You will be nice to him and treat him with respect."

"He ignored you, Mom," Sarah said without taking her eyes off House.

"And I left him to marry your dad. No more impertinence. Understand?"

"Will you finally tell us about him?" Jenny asked.

"Yes, will you?" Cameron asked with a wide smile.

Reilly smiled at House. "Maybe Greg will tell you."

"Your mother encouraged me to do very bad things," he said.

"I did not!" Reilly gasped with indignation. "You were the instigator!"

"And she lies," House continued with a slight smile.

Reilly stared at him with narrowed eyes. "Greg put a snake in your Uncle Boo's bed."

Everyone turned to look at him. He shrugged. "His reaction was worth it."

"It was, wasn't it?" Reilly laughed. "At first he was terrified. Then Greg showed him it was simply a harmless black snake. We had Slinky for a long time."

The oven timer dinged.

"Still hate pickles?" Reilly asked as she turned to the oven.

"Yep," House told her.

She and Sarah began to carry the food to the table and they all sat down. They talked and laughed as they ate hamburgers, onion rings and salad. Once the dinner dishes were cleared away, Sarah brought a chocolate cake to the table and Jenny brought the dessert plates.

"Do you want some coffee?" Reilly asked Cameron and House.

"So long as Cameron didn't make it," House told her.

"Oh, ha, ha," Cameron smirked.

Reilly brought them coffee and then set the carafe on the table. Once they all had cake, Jenny looked at House.

"How did you hurt your leg?" she asked.

"I had an infarction in an artery in my thigh. It cut off blood to the muscle. The muscle died and it had to be cut away."

"Does it still hurt?" she asked.

"Yes, it does."

An awkward silence descended on them. Sarah and Jenny studied House as he concentrated on his cake. He kept his eyes lowered and Reilly looked at Cameron. Cameron looked at Sarah.

"Did you make the cheerleading team?" she inquired.

"No," Sarah replied with a scowl.

"Why didn't you make the team?" House asked looking up at her. "Are you clumsy like your mom?" He looked at Reilly with feigned pity. She made a face at him which brought a smile to his face. Cameron relaxed. The tension was dispelled and they all seemed more comfortable.

"I can't do a flip."

"She wouldn't even try," Reilly told him.

Sarah looked down at her plate and pushed the cake around.

"You gotta practice," he told her. "Your Aunt Eithne could show you if she lived close by. She was practically a contortionist."

"She's very bendy," Jenny said.

House laughed. "That's one way to put it."

Jenny leaned toward House. "Is it true you and Mom embalmed a rat?" she asked with a glint in her eyes.

"We did," House told her. "I've still got the rat."

"What?" Reilly exclaimed. "You told me it got lost when we went to Langston!"

"I wanted to keep it."

"We were going to share custody of Fatty Fat Rat. And you lied to me. I want to see him," she told him.

House looked at her and tilted his head. "I don't know. He lost an ear when he was with you."

"That was Gus!"

"Because you didn't protect poor Fatty."

Sarah leaned close to Cameron. "Does this make you feel jealous?" she whispered as her mother and House continued to argue about the rat.

"No," Cameron whispered back. "It makes me happy. House really missed your mom."

"If I tell you a secret will you promise not to get mad?" she asked leaning closer.

Cameron nodded. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I wish my mom had married Greg."

Cameron looked at the two of them. They were laughing now and House looked relaxed and happy.

"Are you mad?" Sarah breathed.

"No," Cameron assured her. "I just want House to be happy."