My humble apologies for letting this linger for so long. The muse ran away for a while, but I think I might have her back under control now. As usual, I don't own House.

# # #

The house was still quiet when House returned after taking the long way back from the hospital. As usual, the ride had gone a long way toward settling his mind, and he now had a clearer idea of how to handle a few things.

Finishing his CV would be one thing. It would be a time-consuming, but relatively simple task, a good focus for his mental energy for the evening. As long as he was working on that, he wouldn't have time to think about his conversation with Wilson.

He entered the house and was, as usual, enthusiastically greeted by Baxter, Elsa following close behind. The other dog had finally started to get over her initial shyness with him, and now tagged along behind Baxter as House dug into the box of Milk-Bones.

"You beasts are going to eat Rob out of house and home." He grumbled as he emptied the box into his hand. The two dogs didn't seem to care as one gobbled his treat and the other delicately took hers and ambled into the living room. House made a note to himself to buy a box next time he was in town.

The thought caught House off guard. It was almost as if he was starting to settle in here. He still wasn't sure he wanted to do that. As welcoming and friendly as most people seemed to be here, House wasn't convinced it was enough to motivate him to make a permanent move. Besides, sooner or later he was bound to do something to turn these people against him. Maybe it would be better to return to Princeton before he managed to do something to screw up their impression of him.

On the other hand, there wasn't much waiting for him back in Princeton. He had no job to return to, only an empty apartment. There was a possibility that he could crawl back to Cuddy, his metaphorical hat in his hand, and ask for his job back.

House snorted derisively as he sat down at the computer. No, it wasn't worth it. He had no interest in asking for anything from Cuddy. They had hurt each other enough over the years. As far as House was concerned, it was better for both of them if he cut whatever ties might have been between them. If that meant leaving Princeton for good, so be it.

He could do without Cuddy, but Wilson? House wasn't so sure about leaving his best friend behind. Granted, Wilson hadn't been acting much like a friend recently, but House knew that Sam's return had a good deal to do with that. Once Wilson got over the honeymoon phase with her, he would return to some semblance of normal. If the relationship lasted that long.

All of these thoughts processed in the back of his mind as he opened up the Internet browser and searched for hospitals in the nearby area. The first one that popped up made House nearly smack himself in the forehead.

Of course, Vanderbilt University. The medical school was nothing to sneeze at. House had applied there after he had been kicked out of Johns Hopkins, and would have accepted had the University of Michigan not taken him.

A slow smile curved his rough face as he clicked on the link to their website, easily finding the main page for the medical school. It was coming up on summer, so it was unlikely that any teaching positions would be available. Still, it was an intriguing possibility.

He clicked on the CV he had been working on, typing away with renewed energy. What had started as only a vague idea was growing into some semblance of a plan. He wouldn't have to return to Princeton, at least, not for very long. Maybe just long enough to pack up his stuff and arrange to have the piano moved here, but that would be about it.

A few hours passed without House realizing it. If it hadn't been for Baxter whining pitifully to be let out, he might have kept right on working. He slowly rose from the desk chair and limped heavily to the door.

As he opened the screen door and let Baxter out on his chain, House thought he heard voices and soft laughter. In the darkness, he could just make out two bodies leaning up against the side of a vaguely familiar SUV.

Something stabbed at House at the sight. Of course Rob and Celia would come back here. He should have known.

He flicked the switch just inside the door, flooding the porch and driveway with light. Rob and Celia immediately broke apart, murmuring something to each other before Celia quickly kissed Rob and climbed back in the SUV.

House stood on the porch, leaning on the railing as Rob approached. He suddenly felt a slight twinge of guilt for so obviously cutting the other man's night short.

"Hey." Rob nodded in greeting as he climbed the steps.

House nodded in response, still deep in thought over his knee-jerk reaction to Rob and Celia. "She didn't have to go, you know."

"It's alright." Rob answered, leaning down to scratch Baxter behind the ears. "Probably better that she did."

House huffed irritably. "It's your house, not mine. Don't let me cramp your style."

"The hell are you talkin' about, man?" Rob threw House a puzzled look.

"Nothing. Never mind." House pushed himself off the railing and limped heavily into the house.

Rob wasn't far behind, and House spotted him taking up residence at the end of the couch, immediately tugging up the leg of his jeans and undoing his prosthesis. House attempted to ignore him while he continued to work on his CV.

"I wouldn't have brought her back in here anyway." Rob spoke again. "Not without givin' you a heads up first."

House rolled his eyes and continued typing. "And why is that?"

"The place is becomin' almost as much yours as mine." Rob answered casually. "Wouldn't want to disrespect you like that."

The statement touched something in House, even as he snorted derisively in response. Wilson had certainly never given a damn about that. Well, no, that wasn't strictly true. Wilson had thought House would be in New York the night he brought Sam over. That one wasn't exactly Wilson's fault. If anything, House had to take the blame for that one.

"Hey, you mind checkin' this out for me?" House turned to see Rob unwrapping his stump.

House huffed and saved his CV before pushing himself out of the chair and limping the brief distance to ease himself down on the coffee table. The gauze that covered the end of the stump was dotted with both dark and bright red blood, and House shook his head.

"I hope she was worth it." He told Rob. "Looks like you tore it open again."

Rob smiled slightly, a faraway look taking over his scarred features. "Every minute, man."

House shook his head. "Where's the kit?"

"Usual place."

House pushed himself off the coffee table and made his way toward the bathroom to find the med kit. He managed to dig it up without too much difficulty and returned to the living room.

He opened up the kit, noting that Rob was starting to run low on some key supplies. Another thing to add to his list for his next trip to town, House figured. It was the least he could do for the guy after all he'd done for House. "So, how was the movie?"

Rob chuckled slightly. "Can't really say. Wasn't really payin' attention."

"Seriously?" House rolled his eyes as he examined the open wound. "What are you, fifteen?"

"Kinda feels like it." Rob shrugged casually, a slightly dopey expression taking over his face.

House simply continued working on the wound, cleaning it out and rewrapping it. "You need to stay off that antique for a few days and let this heal."

"Yeah, I know." Rob shifted, absentmindedly smoothing his hand over the newly wrapped stump. "Sure appreciate it, man."

House merely nodded in response and closed up the med kit, returning it to its place before seating himself at the computer once more. Rob had settled in to channel surf, almost seeming to ignore House.

This was…okay. Comfortable, even. Each of them seemed to have created their own space within this small house, neither one of them encroaching on the other's. Maybe House could manage to stay here, at least temporarily.

"So tell me something." House turned to Rob. "Where did this town doctor of yours live when he was practicing?"

Rob frowned thoughfully. "Think he had a place right above his office. Why?"

"Thought I might check it out tomorrow." House answered. "If I'm going to hang around, I might as well see what kind of shape the place is in."

A slow smile lit Rob's face. "Could always swing by the café in the mornin'. Marge would know who you should get in touch with to get a look see."

"Of course she would." House muttered. "What doesn't that woman know?"

Rob let out a short laugh. "With her around, we don't need our own newspaper. She is the news."

House couldn't help laughing a little at that. "I guess I'll drop by. Got some other things to do in town while I'm at it."

Rob nodded, reaching down to reattach his prosthesis. House couldn't help commenting. "What did I tell you about that?"

"I know, I know." Rob answered irritably. "Left my crutches in the bedroom. Soon as I get there, this thing comes off, alright? Back off, man."

House nodded firmly and returned to his work. One thing he liked about Rob was his bluntness. House always knew where he stood with the guy. There was something oddly comforting about that.

He heard the bedroom door close, and an odd quiet fell over the house as he continued working. His fingers were cramping from all the typing, and he wasn't even halfway through the thing yet.

Finally, when his vision started going fuzzy and he couldn't contain his yawns anymore, House saved his work and pushed himself from the chair, nearly tripping over Baxter.

"Move it, you moose." He told the dog. "Us humans can't just sleep anywhere we feel like it."

Baxter merely snorted in response and rolled to his side, thumping his tail briefly against the floor. House bent down to scratch him behind the ear before limping to the bedroom.

He didn't have his sleep pants, but it was a warm enough night that it didn't matter. As he stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed, his thoughts vaguely drifted to Caroline. She was due to be released tomorrow, and House wondered where she would be staying. He supposed he could always find out from Marge when he went into town in the morning.

It seemed that Marge would be a good source for all sorts of information. House decided it might not be a bad idea to linger at the café. There was no telling what he might be able to find out if he asked the right questions.

# # #

It was late the next morning when House finally stumbled out of bed. He showered and dressed before making his way into the kitchen for a cup of coffee before his trip into town.

The house was quiet, and House assumed that Rob was off working on whatever odd jobs he had going that day. All the better, House decided as he dug up a pen and some paper to make a short list.

Baxter sat eagerly beside him on one side as he sat down at the table, while Elsa placed her head in his lap on the other. House looked from one dog to the other, finally setting down the pen and scratching both dogs.

"You beasts think you have me trained, don't you?" House told them. "I don't have anything for you this morning."

Baxter whined briefly, but Elsa continued to accept the attention House gave her. "See?" He told Baxter. "You should be more like your furry little friend here. She's just glad for the attention."

He gave Elsa one more affectionate pat and returned to his coffee and his list. When he was satisfied with the results, he drained the remains of his coffee and prepared to leave.

Rob's truck was still in the driveway as he left the house. Out of curiosity, House investigated further. As he approached a shed, he heard banging inside.

"Rob?" House called out, curving his fingers around his cane as a cautionary measure. "That had better be you crashing around in there."

Rob poked his head out, a slight grin on his face. "Yep, ain't nobody but me. Come on in. Got somethin' to show you."

House was immediately interested, and he entered the shed to see Rob working on an old motorcycle. "Nice little ride you've got there."

"It ain't bad." Rob agreed. "Needs a lot of work, though. I ain't ridden it since…well, you know."

The wheels started turning in House's head. "You know…I might know someone who'd be willing to work on it."

Rob nodded, the smile growing. "Think we might be on the same page. Heard you were gonna give Tyler a ridin' lesson."

"Yeah, about that…" House scrubbed his hand over his head. "I don't think it's such a hot idea to let him use mine to learn on."

"Probably not." Rob answered. "Figured I might be able to get this old girl goin' good enough for the kid to ride it."

House nodded before a thought dawned on him. "Wait a minute. How did you know about that? I never said anything."

"Who do you think?" Rob chuckled.

"Let me guess." House rolled his eyes. "Marge."

"You got it, man." Rob pushed himself to his feet. "Went down to the repair shop to talk to Mike, and he agreed that Tyler could have this bike after he fixes it up. It's a whole lot less powerful than yours. Probably a better one for him to learn on."

"You sure you want to get rid of it?" House smoothed a hand over the seat.

Rob's expression suddenly turned dark. "Might as well. I sure as hell ain't gonna get to ride it again."

House felt a pang of sympathy for Rob. If his infarction had occurred in his left leg as opposed to his right, he probably wouldn't be able to ride, either. "Guess that's settled, then. I'll just bring Tyler back here when I meet up with him after school, show him a few videos. Maybe it'll help him cool his heels long enough to get your bike fixed up."

Rob chuckled a little. "Don't count on it. The kid's a wannabe speed demon."

"He's not going to have a choice if he wants to ride." House snapped. "Either he'll do it right or he won't do it at all."

Rob sobered at that, nodding firmly. "Guess you're the right guy for the job, then. Good thing you're hangin' around."

House merely snorted in response and left the shed, climbing onto his own bike for the short ride to town. He soon found a spot in front of the café, parking the bike and making his way inside.

"Mornin', Greg." Marge greeted him cheerfully. "You want coffee?"

"Sure." House scanned the diner for any signs of either Caroline or Kevin. "Who's cooking back there today?"

Marge snorted as she poured his coffee. "Not Kevin, that's for sure. Sheriff's department picked him up last night down at Dave's place."

"Idiot." House shook his head, even as he was relieved.

Marge laughed slightly. "Couldn't agree more, honey. What do you want to eat?"

House ordered his breakfast, and Marge left him alone with his thoughts. With Kevin put away, Caroline would be relatively safe, at least for the moment. House knew they couldn't hold Kevin forever, but he hoped they could hold him long enough to keep Caroline out of harm's way. Maybe something would happen to take care of Kevin permanently. House briefly entertained the thought of calling up that Mob lawyer just to see what kind of connections he would have down here.

"Here you go, honey." Marge set his plate down in front of him. "Need anything else?"

House shook his head and dived into his breakfast, barely noticing the ringing bell over the door and the two voices that followed.

He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned slightly to see Kieran climbing up on the stool next to him. Further investigation revealed Celia sitting down on the other side of the little boy.

"Hey, baby!" Marge reached out to ruffle Kieran's hair before turning to Celia. "Caroline get home alright?"

"Just fine, Mom." Celia assured her. "She's all settled in at your place, restin' easy."

"You tell her about Kevin?"

"Sure did." Celia answered. "Poor girl almost fell to pieces."

The two women made idle conversation for a moment before Marge turned back to Kieran. "What'll it be, little man? Pancakes and sausage?"

Kieran nodded, and Marge turned away to place the order. The little boy looked up at House. "Hi."

"Hello." House nodded in response. "How are you?"

"Fine." Kieran answered, sounding far older than he should have. "Mama's home, but she's sleepin'. Auntie CeeCee and me are gonna have a play day."

"Sounds like fun." House replied, sipping his coffee.

"Uh-huh." Kieran squirmed in his seat.

"Kieran, baby, have a seat." Celia sighed. "Don't go disturbin' Greg while he's eatin'."

"He's not bothering me." House told her.

Marge returned to pour House another cup of coffee and present him with his bill. He handed over some cash and awaited her return.

When she returned with his change, he spoke up. "What do you know about the old doctor's place?"

Marge raised her eyebrows. "You'll wanna talk to Ralph Warner. He's the real estate guy. Just go two streets down and hang a right. You'll see his office." She leaned on the counter. "You thinkin' about openin' it up?"

"Maybe." House gave her a sharp look as he left cash for a tip. "I at least want to check out the place."

"That'd be good." Marge nodded in approval. "Be nice to have a doctor in town again." She leaned in with a conspiratorial smile. "And it'd be doubly nice to have you around. I know at least a couple of people who'd hate to see you go."

House merely rolled his eyes and rose from his stool. "Thanks for the info. See you around."

Marge's voice caught him just before he left the counter. "You know…you're welcome to come by the house any old time."

"I'll keep that in mind." House quickly limped out of the café and climbed back on his bike, Marge's words working at his mind.

He pushed the thoughts away, focusing on finding this real estate office. He was genuinely curious about what might be left behind in the doctor's office.

House easily found the office and pulled up in front, climbing off the bike and limping inside. The receptionist greeted him with a curious smile. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Looking for Ralph Warner." House glanced around the small office.

"Sure thing. Just a sec." The receptionist made her way to the back, poking her head around a partition. Soon a portly, slightly balding older man emerged, extending a hand as he approached House.

"Hello there." He shook House's hand firmly. "Ralph Warner. What can I do for ya today?"

"Looking into the old doctor's place." House told him, returning the handshake.

"Sure, sure." Ralph nodded, suddenly snapping his fingers. "I've heard about you. You're that doctor fella. Lookin' at openin' the place?"

"Maybe."

"That'd be terrific. Been needin' a doc around here since the old man retired. Let me find you a key."

Soon Ralph found the keys, and House followed him out of the office and down the street. "Doc lived above the office in that apartment. Wasn't nothin' but a one bedroom, but it's pretty spacious." Ralph studied House. "You here alone?"

"Yeah."

Ralph nodded. "Probably be perfect for you, then. Here's the place."

Ralph opened up the office, and House took in the small reception area, making his way into the exam area. It was as basic as it got, even sparer than the exam rooms at PPTH's clinic.

A slight smile curved his lips. Without the benefit of the most recent medical technology, perhaps practicing medicine here would be a greater challenge than he thought. A little bit of excitement started coursing through him at the idea.

"You want to see the apartment?" Ralph asked him.

House nodded and followed Ralph up the narrow flight of stairs that led to the apartment. He had no idea how he would get his piano in there if he did decide to take the place.

Ralph opened the door on a modest space. House's heart sank just a little. There would definitely be no room for his piano here. He wondered where he would be able to keep the thing. It was too important to him to leave behind.

He examined the apartment further. It was quite a bit smaller than his apartment in Princeton, but it would be just him and his stuff. He was pretty sure he could make it work.

"So…what do you think?" Ralph prodded.

"I like it." House told him firmly. "This thing for sale or for lease?"

"Either or." Ralph told him. "Depends on how long you want to hang around."

House debated with himself briefly. It was probably better if he rented the place for a while before he got too settled. "Guess I should lease it for a while."

"Sure, sure." Ralph nodded, clearly eager to have an occupant at all. "We can do a short term lease. Three month minimum, one year maximum. Why don't we go back to the office and we can start the paperwork?"

House nodded, getting a little swept up in the excitement of it all. He was staying. He was signing a piece of paper and committing to staying put in this little town. Even he was having a little trouble believing it.

He returned to the office with Ralph, where the realtor drew up a three month lease for him. Once the papers were signed, he stepped outside the office and pulled out his phone.

"Wilson."

"Hey, guess what?" House got right to the point.

"What?"

House took a deep breath. "I just signed a lease on an office and an apartment."

There was a long pause. "You what? Where?"

"Here." House told him. "I'm staying down here."

"What about your apartment here?" Wilson asked him. "What about…."

Wilson trailed off, almost as if he had reached a similar conclusion to House. "That's just it. There is nothing for me back there but that apartment. Might as well truck it all down here."

"So you're really doing this." Wilson spoke quietly. "You're really not coming back."

House's heart sank at the sound of his friend's voice. "Just long enough to get everything packed up. Other than that…no, I'm not."

Another long pause. "I'll miss you."

"You've got Sam." House snapped softly. "Not to mention all your cancer kiddies. You'll be okay."

"It won't be the same."

"No, it won't." House responded, cursing himself for the small lump that had taken up residence in his throat and refused to leave. "I've…kind of got a favor to ask you."

"Sure."

"Would you have room at the loft for my piano?" House asked tentatively. "I won't have room for it here."

There was a long silence, and House thought for certain that Wilson would say no. "I'll make room. Just let me know when."

"I will." House let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding. "And…thanks."

"Sure." Wilson paused again. "I guess I'll see you when you get here."

"Guess so. I'll let you know when I get on the road again."

"Sounds good. Bye."

"Bye, Wilson."

With that House hit the 'end' button, sliding his phone closed and staring at it. "I'll miss you too, you idiot." He murmured.

He shoved the phone back into his pocket and climbed back onto the bike. This plan, such as it was, was finally in motion. House couldn't help feeling he was jumping off a cliff, into the great wide open. He just hoped there would be somewhere to land.

# # #

I've done my part, now you do yours. Read and review.