Chase woke up the next morning a bit confused as he looked around the room and realized that he was sleeping on House's couch. It took him a few seconds to remember why, then he stretched and quietly made his way to the bathroom. House was still sleeping although it looked like he'd had a restless night from the way he was twisted in the blankets. He headed into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker, then went back to the couch and put the TV on low to wait until House got up.

House came out half an hour later, lured by the smell of coffee but was moving pretty slowly. Chase looked over at him then got up and went to the kitchen to get him a cup of coffee, leaving the couch for House to steal his seat.

Chase sat down in the armchair and pulled his own coffee over to him, not saying anything until House had finished his first cup of coffee.

"You going over to Marius' house this weekend?" Chase asked once the older man looked more awake.

"Yeah. Need Sidney's massage magic."

"Hungry yet?"

"No. Waffles are in the freezer if you are. There's bacon too if you want. I'm going to take a bath first," he said, hauling himself slowly to his feet and heading into the bathroom.

Chase had just gotten out the bacon to cook enough for both of them when he heard House call for him and headed to the bathroom.

"Yeah?"

"I need your help," House said tensely, not looking up at Chase from where he stood next to the filled tub in his boxers.

"Sure, what do you want me to do?" he answered easily.

"I… almost fell getting off my sweats. Can you…" he fell silent struggling against the long ingrained defensiveness and actually ask for help.

Chase wasn't sure whether it was better to just do what he knew House needed or wait until he was able to actually ask him. After a few seconds, he decided on a middle ground.

"You want to just wear your boxers in the tub? Or I could get them off you, no worries either way."

House looked up and met his eyes gratefully but after a moment he sighed. "Off would be easier when they're still dry. Can you?"

"Sure, no problem."

Chase came over and pulled them down offering his shoulder as a balance point for House to step out of them and tossed them onto the pile of clothing already on the floor. He did look at his boss, it would have been weirder not to, but made it a point not to linger either as he stood straight again.

"What do you need me to do to get you safely in the water?"

House needed to brace himself on Chase's shoulder while Chase held him at the hips stepping into the tub, but was able to use his arms and good leg to lower himself carefully into the water.

"You good now?"

"Yeah."

"I'm going to make breakfast. If you need a shoulder to get out, shout for me. Don't fancy cleaning you up off the floor this morning," Chase said with a smirk.

"Yeah. Get out," House answered, clearly uncomfortable but not rejecting the very real possibility of needing more help.

Chase left the door open and returned to the kitchen to cook the bacon while the waffles were reheating in the oven. When it was all done, he fixed the plates, put House's into the oven to keep warm and settled down on the couch to eat his own.

"These are really good, did you make them?" he called out loudly.

"No, I get several meals a week made by a personal chef," House returned.

After finishing his meal, Chase washed up his dishes and sat back down with another cup of coffee to wait for House to finish.

About twenty minutes later, he heard House call out for him and went back to the bathroom.

"It's better now but…" House said with false casualness.

Chase merely nodded. "Still rather not wipe your ass up from the floor. What do you need?" he asked, glancing around to note where the towels were.

"Once I get partway up, I need you to get under my arm with your shoulder and help lift the rest of they way and while I step out. Use a towel if you don't want to get wet."

"Okay, whenever you're ready."

House managed to get halfway up on his own and Chase ducked under his arm when he nodded, using one arm to steady him across his back. Once he was standing, Chase grabbed both his cane and a towel and moved so he was facing him, letting House use both of his shoulders for balance, so that he could easily grab him if he slipped. Fortunately that didn't happen. House grabbed his cane for balance and Chase quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped back.

"That was smoothly done, Wombat," House said heading for his bedroom. "I might even give you the privilege of helping with my shoes and socks."

"Oh, I don't know if I'm worthy of the honor," Chase smirked.

"We'll find out after I test your cooking skills," House jibed back.

Chase wiped up the water on the floor and dumped the dirty clothes into the hamper. He decided to take a quick shower while House dressed and ate, and came out into the living room about fifteen minutes later to see him polishing off his food with one shoe and sock on.

"Well, what's the verdict? Do I cook bacon well enough to graduate to shoes and socks?"

"Nope, just shoe and sock. Singular. We'll try just one of each for now, don't want to put too much pressure on you," he smirked.

A minute later and the deed was done.

"Well, I think I'm heading for home then," Chase said as he picked up his jacket.

"Chase."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"You too. Needed last night," Chase allowed.

"Couch is always free."

"I'll keep that in mind. See you on Monday."

"Bye, Wombat."

House was back at work Monday morning, feeling better after Sidney had spent the weekend working on him. Marius was doing much better now and plans were in full motion to meet the other households in two weeks time. Marius and Lucius both were pleased with the way Chase's visit had played out and that House had actually risked reaching out to Chase for a level of help he had only ever entrusted to Wilson, and only recently to Marius. House felt pretty good about it too. He had gotten the help he needed and Chase had proven adept in the way he approached giving it and asking for direction. Though in retrospect, House thought he shouldn't be so surprised. Chase had cared for his alcoholic mother for years. But even more so was that Chase had actually acknowledged needing that visit with House too. It took away some of the bitter sting that asking people for help still plagued him with, to know that he was able to mutually help Chase at the same time, and this was the topic he brought up at his appointment with Nolan that week.

"I'm glad you were able to ask for what you needed," Nolan said with a genuine smile. "And both accept that needed it and the actual help with some grace."

"Well," House shrugged uncomfortably, "I guess. I didn't take his head off anyway. It helped that he was casual and laid back about it, not all anxious and hovering like Wilson is. That made it easier to accept his help."

"Yes, I can understand how that helped," Nolan nodded.

"The new assistant, Celeste, is working out great so far," House said, shifting away from that line of thought for now. "She didn't offer empty platitudes when our patient died last week, or get all upset because we were immediately trolling for another case. She even stayed and got food when Chase and I were there to go over the autopsy reports, then sat down and ate with us."

Nolan nodded, extremely pleased with this good news after the missed appointment for the case last week. He'd worried House wouldn't be in a good state this week after losing a patient but he was making good progress with coping skills and support systems, not that Nolan would ever put it that way to him.

"So you think you'll keep her for another week or two?" he asked instead.

"Well, at least that long. Monthly billing is due, we'll see if her work has been enough to stall hurricane Cuddy. If it is, she can stay," House smirked then looked thoughtful and got up to get another cup of coffee. Nolan declined the offered refill.

"There is something else though. Gaius, I told you about him right?" he asked, continuing when Nolan nodded. "He came over a couple of weeks ago for an evening get to know you visit. Mostly it was a good night, talking about his part of the clan, dinner. But it got a bit heavy early on about… about my step-father… wanting to know why I still let him control my life and my mind. He left it alone after bringing it up but, re revisited it after we ate. Said he had to address an issue he'd brought up."

"Okay. What happened then?"

"I… I told him how all I ever wanted as a kid was John's approval. That despite everything he did to me and the fact that he's dead, part of me still wants it. About how bitter I became after the infarction when everything I thought about who and what I was got ripped away and my whole life changed. How… suicidal I was."

House took a sip of coffee and stared over Nolan's shoulder for a moment, replaying the conversation that night, trying to decide what he wanted to say and Nolan waited silently, letting him gather his thoughts, although he was greatly relieved to hear him say that he was suicidal, past tense.

"I've been thinking lately about what my life is now and how hard things still are. Wondering how far down I was. Whether I was even stable before the infarction. I'm beginning to think I wasn't and that's… unnerving. And now, I've found myself doubting that there's a place for me outside of medicine even more than I have in the past."

"Whether there's a place for you in the clan?" Nolan clarified when House lapsed into another long silence.

"Yeah. Everyone seems to have a defined role. Everyone but me. I can't see one right now. And I still feel like I am… wimping out by hiring people to cook and clean."

"What did Gaius say?" Nolan asked curiously.

"He said that everyone wanted their parent's approval for one thing."

"Well that's very true."

"And he said that hiring a maid and a chef was like hiring a dry cleaner or an accountant. I don't feel guilty about using those services, so I shouldn't this one."

"You are not physically able to clean anymore."

"Yeah, he said that too."

"Do you believe that?" Nolan asked, raising an eyebrow.

House sighed. "I know it. I'm starting to believe it. I'm not happy about it."

"Fair enough."

House drained his coffee cup and set it aside, picking up his cane and thumping it on the floor in his thinking pose. Nolan waited patiently.

"After we talked we played a couple of games of chess. And then… he told me to get ready for bed. I was nervous, thought he was going to move beyond what he'd cleared with Lucius and Marius, and have a session. Well he did, but not like I was thinking. I was a good boy, went potty, brushed my teeth, put on my pajamas," House said smiling lightly then sobering. "He followed me in. Got a warm washcloth and washed my face, hands and feet. Then lotion and massage on my hands and feet, followed up by a scalp massage and brushing my hair. Then he literally tucked me into bed," House said, looking over at Nolan with a mixture of embarrassment and consternation.

"Did he? What's wrong with that?" Nolan asked, hoping the casual tone and wording would entice House to elaborate what he was feeling.

"My mother was the only one who ever tucked me in bed and only until I was five when John decided I was too big for that nonsense. Well… Wilson did from time to time but his fussing was a whole different thing to this."

"And what was this? How was it different?"

"It was… calm. Soothing. After he pulled up the covers, he rested his hand on my chest for a moment, said goodnight, turned off the light and let the room. I could hear him picking things up in the living room, then lights went out there and I heard him lock the door and leave."

"Did you stay in bed?"

"Yeah," he answered distractedly. "I actually fell asleep too."

"Close your eyes," Nolan said quietly. "Go ahead," he coaxed. "Now think back to that moment. What were you feeling?"

House's eyelids fluttered, betraying his discomfort with the process, but he didn't open them and seemed to be considering Nolan's question.

"I felt… cared for. Comforted. Happy and sad. Safe."

Nolan remained silent, letting House continue to offer answers until he gradually opened his eyes.

"Don't you think it's weird how much that's affecting me?" House asked.

"No, not at all. I'd be worried if it didn't affect you. These feelings are things you should have gotten as a child from John, feelings he tainted from your mother, and belittled you for wanting. But this is what people long for, whether from just a few people or a large group. People want more than anything to belong, to feel cared for and about, loved and cherished. To feel safe; emotionally and physically. You haven't had much of that in your life, so it makes sense that when you finally do get it; from Marius, from Lucius or Chase or Gaius… that it affects you."

"It hurts in a way," he said softly, unconsciously rubbing his chest.

"Because?"

"Getting it now tells me how much I lost."

"There's still time."

House nodded. "Don't give up. He said that to me. Keep fighting for answers and don't give up."

"That's a trait I admire in you," Nolan said honestly.

House gave him a sharp look, testing his sincerity and looking confused by it. After waiting to see if House had anymore to say on the matter, Nolan started talking sports, shifting the conversation to get House into a place where he felt comfortable with him driving home to Princeton, only sending him on his twenty minutes later.