I do not own these characters, they belong to fox!

Chapter 1

James Wilson entered Lisa Cuddy's office, Cuddy looked up from the work she was doing to smile at the oncologist.

"Hi Wilson, what can I do for you?"

"Friday night, the diagnostic's team has booked a table at some place they want you and Gabe to come. I said I'd pass the invitation on, apparently Alison Cameron is in town and they have arranged a get together."

"I'll check with Gabe and get a babysitter. How are things with you?"

"OK, Sam and I are trying to work things out, she has finally agreed to see me after all this time."

Lisa Cuddy looked at James Wilson, she knew why he was sad, she found herself thinking and remembering times gone by, she said gently.

"You still miss him don't you?"

"Everyday"

"I'm sorry, I never thought he would just disappear like that. I keep checking, but there is no news on the medical front, where the hell could he have gone?"

"I keep thinking, he'll just ring me or limp in here one day, but it's been nearly four years. Do you think he's still alive?"

"Of course he's still alive." She answered upset; it had never occurred to her that House could be dead.

"Sorry Cuddy, I didn't mean to upset you, its just he has not practiced medicine anywhere in the states at least, and there is no record of an overseas medical license being applied for, I just don't see how he is getting by, it's not like he had money. He just disappeared."

"Did you ever find out what happened to his property, someone must know where his stuff went, House loved his records and his books, when did his apartment become empty?"

"About four months after he left, I went round there and the locks were changed, his landlord said he just received notice that his lease would not be renewed, and when he checked the place it was empty."

"So you don't know when it happened?"

"It had to be about a week before he gave notice, I had been around there the week before, and it was how he left it, he took very little with him that I can see."

"You know I keep going over that day in my head and thinking "If only" I know I pushed him too hard, I wish I could tell him that I wasn't seeing that guy, maybe we could have all been friends again."

"You seem happy, other than right now!" Wilson grinned looking at Cuddy's tear-filled eyes "Things with Munroe going well?"

"So far, its early days. He hasn't met my mother yet!"

"I'd leave that as long as possible if I was you!"

Lisa watched Wilson's departing back, she let herself go back to that day when House drove his car into her house, handed her the hairbrush and walked out of all their lives. She had been so angry, she had thought she never wanted to see him again, but as time went on she had come to acknowledge her own part in what had happened. House had thought that only hour or two before she had looked deep into his blue eyes and lied to him. He thought that she had moved on without a thought about what it would do to him. As if she could, she had been so in love with him. Part of her still loved him. She went back to that day; she could almost smell the crash scene, her eyes misted over as she thought of that retreating back. At that moment she hated him with a passion that only someone who loved deeply could feel. She closed her eyes and let herself drift back to the good times: how he felt when she held him, how he made her feel, she could almost smell his aftershave. She shook herself; no good would come of reliving those times. She had made a statement to police, called an emergency meeting of the board and requested six months leave, which they had granted her, then her and Rachael left town. Cuddy smiled when she thought of her daughter. Rachael was soon to be six and was already planning her party. The six months that they had spent together had really cemented their relationship, and when Cuddy had returned to work, she was much better at delegating so she could spend more time being a mother.

A knock at the door bought her from her musings, her boyfriend of six months Gabriel Munroe was about to walk through her door, his Irish accent could be heard giving her assistance cheek.

"I really am attracted to insane geniuses," she thought to herself as he burst into the room.

"I hear we are going clubbing with the young ones Friday night." The neurosurgeon said without preliminary.

"If you can spare the time from your poker buddies!"

"Eye, none of them are built like you." He said leering at her

"How'd the surgery go?"

"That depends on the next few hours, we removed the tumor, hopefully not too much damage was done in the process, and otherwise prognosis is good. Why you want to take me off somewhere for "LUNCH" and reward me for a job well done?"

"You get paid for doing your job, don't expect me to reward any more than that. I have work to do."

"You're a hard woman Lisa Cuddy." He said over his shoulder as he left.

Cuddy leaned back and smiled, she was enjoying her relationship with the mad Irishman, he was brash and couldn't get along with anyone outside his own team, and he gambled and smoked like a chimney. He was brilliant at his job; she had been thrilled a year ago, when she had been able to lure him to the states from England after his marriage had ended. He had a nineteen-year-old son and he had a daughter who had died at twelve of a brain tumor, he was damaged, maybe that was why she was so attracted to him.

Friday night the diagnostics' team met Cuddy, Munroe, Sam and Wilson out side a place called "House of Blues"

"I thought it was appropriate" Robert Chase said as they commented of the name of the "Blues bar and restaurant"

An elegant young woman with a strong accent showed them to their table and said she would have some one take their drink orders.

"I know her from somewhere," Chase said puzzled

"You wish," said Taub watching the retreating woman.

"I think I know her from somewhere too." Said Wilson "She must have been a patient at some stage."

"Not with us, I always remember patients," said Foreman

They ate their meals with much fun and banter, the band had begun to play in the background, and it was mournful and beautiful. They were discussing Cameron's decision to specialize in oncology, and she was becoming defensive, so was Wilson.

"No offence, Wilson, but I can't understand anyone wanting to practice medicine with no hope" Munroe said

"Somebody needs to look after the people you guys misdiagnose or can't cure" Alison Cameron replied defensively.

"House would have a field day, if he knew what you were doing" Chase grinned

They bantered back and forth and were having a great time. The music changed and the piano man in the background stepped forward to the microphone with his guitar, the lights were dim as he played, then started to sing. Gabe Munroe wondered why the people around him were staring in shocked silence.

All my life I've been a traveling man

Said, all my life I've been a traveling man

Staying alone and doing the best I can

I hauled my trunks down to Tennessee

I hauled my trunks down to Tennessee

Hard to tell about a man like me

I met a girl I couldn't get her off my mind

Well, I met a girl I couldn't get her off my mind

She passed me up said she didn't like my kind

I'm scared to bark around her house at night

I'm scared to bark around her house at night

She got a police dog that's craving for a fight

His name is Rambler and when he gets the chance

His name is Rambler and when he gets the chance

He leaves his mark on everybody's pants

I think I'll travel; now I think I'll let her be

I think I'll travel; now I think I'll let her be

Before she sick's that police dog on me

They watched as House returned to his piano and they belted out an old song called Swanee River, they watched as Greg Houses finger worked their magic on the keys, no one had spoken, until the song finished.

"He actually looks happy!" Remy Hadley stated

"What's going on" Gabe Munroe asked Cuddy

"Its House" she whispered shakily

Sam had taken Wilsons hand in hers, she could see how shaken he was, he hadn't said a word since they had recognized the man on the stage. "Are you OK," she whispered, he nodded too choked up to speak, he had really started to believe he would never see House again. He addressed Chase when he finally got his voice.

"Did you know he was here?"

"No, I'd just heard good things about the place, but I've never been here before."

House was winding things up onstage, thanking them and the band whom he introduced and dedicated the last song of the night, to the lovely Dominicka. He then started to play and sing.

Just let them talk,

If they want to?

That don´t bother me.

I´m gonna keep on till the whole wide world knows,

That I really love you, I really love you so.

And let them whisper for they know no-

What´s between you and I

I´m gonna keep on, I´m gonna keep on loving you?

Till the day that I die?

They´ll try to brake up our romance,

They didn´t stand a chance.

We have the kind of love that so strong,

We´d be together from now on?

They´ll say that gossip comes from the devil´s workshop,

And only true love can make it stop?

I´m gonna keep on, I´m gonna on loving you!

Till the day that I die?

Oh they´ll envy us, of everything that we do.

But I wanna say it´s wonderful -

When you love someone,

and that someone and that someone really loves you,

and that someone yeah that someone really loves you,

and that someone and that someone really loves you-

Yeah-

And that someone yeah that someone really loves you?

"Have a safe journey home thank you and goodnight," House said, and then he was gone. Wilson got up and tried to find him, but came back empty handed.

"They said he's left already. Do you think he saw us?" Wilson asked Cuddy.

"I don't know, but at least we know he's OK," Cuddy was a lot more shaken than she let anyone see, but Munroe was not fooled, he had watched her face as House had sung and played, the man was good! Munroe had imagined House to be remote and cold from what he had heard about him, but the man on the stage had been passionate and immersed in the music. Wilson was frantically trying to get information from the waitress about House; she had replied firmly that she was not able to give information about staff members.

"I'm not leaving until they tell me something." He was beginning to make a scene and the other patrons were watching with interest.

"Dr. Wilson" He looked around into the beautiful brown eyes of the woman who had first shown them to their table, the woman he now recognized as House's green card wife.

"Where is he?" Wilson said firmly "I'm not leaving until I see him.