A/N-Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter-Ann, jaybe61, OldSFfan, Boo's House, LoveMyHouse, housebound, JLCH, IHeartHouseCuddy, jkarr, Josam, Abby, ikissedtheLaurie, HuddyGirl, Alex, southpaw2, CaptainK8, Mon Fogel, LapizSilkwood, dmarchl21, BJAllen815, ClareBear14 and Suzieqlondon.

This story is at its end. I will start the other piece to this soon. I want to finish my other fic, and probably write one or two other shorts before I pick up the flashback only piece to this. I just need a few weeks before I can start that, and I'll try to include the requests I've received. Thank you so much to everyone who has followed this story and for all of your kind words. Hope everyone has a great 2013! I'm trying to get back on my regular update schedule…doing my best, sorry to keep you all waiting.

This chapter has two flashbacks.

-Empty Nests-

**-December, Days After Rachel's Death-**

She'd buried her daughter days earlier and every single home she drove by with garish decorations on the lawn and flashing fucking Christmas lights made her feel more angry, despondent and nauseous. Julia convinced her to stop by a party, something nondenominationally holiday-filled so that all of Julia's friends could attend in one evening. Cuddy had gifts, expensive ones, for Julia's children that she wanted to give them to get it over with so that she wasn't expected to attend anything else. She hoped she could blend in at this party. Cuddy walked in the back door and was greeted by the smells of a warm home filled with food, family and friends. There were desserts, bubbling crock pots and trays of hors d'oeuvres on all of the surfaces around the kitchen.

She could hear the hum and roar of polite discourse in the next room, and the thuds and patters of children playing upstairs. Someone walked out to the kitchen, a person Cuddy didn't recognize, and she guessed it was a caterer. The caterer was so busy preparing things that she didn't even acknowledge Cuddy's presence. It seemed a golden opportunity. Cuddy turned, placed the gifts for the children on the table, and stepped back. This way, Julia could let them open the gifts that night, or on the last night of Hanukkah, or on any of the other appropriate days.

She took a few quick steps out the door and was fleeing to her car.

"Lisa," Cuddy heard from behind her, "you can't just disappear like this."

"I'm entitled to a few days of disappearance, aren't I, Mom?"

"I remember after your father died…"

"Not the same thing," Cuddy responded angrily, "at all."

"No, it wasn't," Arlene unexpectedly allowed. "But, losing someone you love…is difficult."

"I can't stay here, Mom. Not tonight. Too many reminders of…too many things."

"There will be other parties. Other years you won't feel this way."

"Bullshit!" Tears welling in her eyes, Cuddy practically yelled through her sorrow, "I will always feel this way. Every single holiday and birthday…I'm going to sit on the outside looking in. Watching couples get married and grow old. Watching kids graduate from high school, and learn how to drive a car. And sweet, old Lisa will watch…and remember the time she barely tasted it. I was close. I almost had this. Now I barely have a career. I'll never have more children. No matter how badly I may want to. Maybe it's for the best, I was shitty fucking mother anyway. I don't even want a guy because that never works for me, so why even fight, why invite the frustration…why even try? And I was willing to sacrifice more children and a husband and even my career…to spend time with Rachel. That one thing I had…my one lifeline…my one peek into the human experience…is gone. I laughed at people…writing their dream-married names in their notebooks in middle school while they fantasized about the future. I scoffed at girls who wrote that their aspirations were to be mothers in their high school yearbooks only to end up wanting that stuff anyway."

"Come back to the party," Arlene insisted.

"Why?"

"Self-indulgence will get you nowhere."

"Self-indulgence?" Cuddy screamed with disbelief.

"Start moving on so you can start to heal. You can find other things that will suit you. You have to take steps away from where you are."

"And these are the steps? Living through Julia?"

"Better than going home," Arlene insisted.

"Is it? I don't think it is."

"You have to do something. The longer you wait, the more difficult it's going to be."

"Wait 'til her body's fucking cold to tell me to move on," Cuddy said angrily before she stormed off to her car.

**-2011-Two Days after House attempted surgery on his own leg-**

"What about getting a job at another hospital?" Wilson asked. "Then you wouldn't have to see her all of the time."

"You think Cuddy is the reason why I'm here…as a patient?" House sneered.

"Indirectly…sure. You're completely out of control. Your risks will get stupider, your behavior more insane and at some point you're going to kill yourself. It's time to get past all of this. You need space from Cuddy."

"Because all of my problems are about Cuddy?"

"Right now, it's interrelated. You're upset about what happened…that's OK…but you can't keep doing this."

"I won't. The nice surgeon removed all those pesky little tumors, and now I'm fine."

"You aren't fine. It's time…to move on."

"To what? One nondescript night moves into the next. You want me to seek enlightenment? Get clean again…'cause that worked out great the last time! I doubt it but maybe…maybe it would have been worth it ten years ago. Now it's…too late."

"There can be new nights," Wilson nodded.

"No, there can be the same night. Over…and over…Cuddy hates me. She'll continue to hate me. The only improvement in our relationship…will be my ability to make her hate me more. Nothing changes. People don't change…they just become more of who they are. I want to go home to my apartment, with my Vicodin and my piano and I want you…and Cuddy…and everyone else…to leave me alone."

To Ethan, it seemed simple. He was awake often through the night as he thought of each person's reaction to the prospect that he wanted to apply for a position at the Center while dating Ava. Everyone thought he was insane. He carefully considered his options, and in the end, it seemed there was only one choice.

When Ava woke up and walked into the living room where Ethan had slept the night before, she was surprised to see him sitting there. "What time is your interview?" she asked, sitting next to him and leaning into his arm.

"Ten," Ethan calmly stated.

"You have twenty minutes to get down there and you aren't even dressed?"

"I'm not going"

"You talked to my parents? I can't imagine them telling you not to-"

"They didn't talk to me," Ethan interrupted. "I decided it was best."

"You're giving this up? This is a chance very few people get, why would you do that?" Ava asked with confusion.

"This way, you won't think I'm just interested in you for the job."

"I don't think that."

"Let's see how this goes, I can always reapply next year."

"There is no next year," Ava answered. "This is your chance. If you squander this opportunity, that's it."

"Well, then at least you and your parents will judge me based on me. Not based on me professionally."

"They'll judge you based on the whole package. That's how they work. They think who you are is who you are at home or work or anywhere. They aren't going to see this as a noble gesture."

"Well, as long as you understand."

"I don't. I don't understand. You and I might be over in a month. This position could change your life, define your career."

"There are other positions," Ethan argued.

"Not like this one."

"What about conflicts of interest?"

"They work together now, and my dad worked for my mom when they dated before."

"And that wasn't a problem for them?"

"Well…I guess it was, at the time," Ava admitted, "But they work together all of the time now. They're together going on twenty years. They've worked side by side almost the entire time. You think they'll tell you it's inappropriate for me to date you when I don't even work with you directly? Ethan…this is your decision. But you're a complete idiot if you give up this opportunity. You really are. You're a good guy, but you'll regret this."

Ethan swallowed nervously, "Every single person I talked to asked if I really thought I could work for them and date you. Like I was completely insane."

"You have to be completely insane to do either of those things individually," Ava responded.

Ethan hopped up, running for his luggage in Ava's room, pulling out a wrinkled dress shirt and tossing his tee shirt on her bed. "You have an iron?" he asked.

"Nope," Ava answered, shaking her head, "You don't have the time."

He had a panicked look on his face as he dressed, wearing sneakers since he was unable to find his shoes. Ava ran with him, showing him the fastest route down to the Center through yards and side streets until they reached the entrance. "Good luck," she said, looking at the panting, disheveled mess before her and smiling nervously at him.

Ethan went through the doors and into the large waiting room while he tried to fix his hair. Celia and Arlene were sitting behind the counter, he guessed more for fun than for function, as a young receptionist was running around frantically while the women chatted. The grandmothers looked at him suspiciously. "You're four minutes late," Celia said, looking at the clock on the wall.

"I had…I got…I'm…I'm…uhh…Are they still here?" Ethan asked.

The grandmothers pointed to House's office, giggling as Ethan walked away. "Good luck," Arlene offered.

Cuddy looked at Ethan with surprise when he entered. The young man was a mess. His hair was sloppy, his grey slacks were covered with sand and dust, his dress shirt was unevenly tucked in and he wore sneakers. His tie was perfectly placed, but its perfect placement seemed odd, given his otherwise haphazard appearance. "What happened?" Cuddy asked. "You do know that you have to spend a few years proving that you're a brilliant genius before you're allowed to show up for work in dirty clothes and sneakers, right?"

Ethan calmly told them the truth. He told them that he thought it might not be the right time for the job, but last minute he realized the error of his decision while talking to Ava. He apologized for being late and politely waited for their questions. He was proud that he'd calmly told them the truth, feeling that he'd done the right thing.

"You waited…until someone you were dating told you to show up for your fucking interview?" House asked loudly.

"Well…it was Ava," Ethan answered cautiously.

"So…still…a woman you're dating, told you what to do professionally?"

"No, Sir, I…"

"I thought I told you not to call me sir," House asked through a thick blanket of irritation.

"Sorry. She didn't tell me what to do…I asked her advice."

"It's not the asking of advice that's a problem," Cuddy answered, much more calmly than House, "But the fact that you bail when you think things are tough is a big disconcerting."

"Disconcerting?" House asked, as if Cuddy's suggestion was insufficient. "You're a coward. You get a hint of some sort of problem and you're out the door, ready to bail at the slightest inconvenience."

"Not inconvenience, everyone thought I was crazy, in over my head," Ethan calmly explained.

"You have to be crazy to want this job. We're always in over our heads," House was yelling, "And if you're so worried about what people think, you'll never make it."

"I'm not worried about…"

"You are! You just said you are. You let a few people's opinions dictate the course of your life."

"Not personally…it was a professional consideration."

"It's the same you," House insisted, loudly questioning. "Here, at home, everywhere. I can't judge you in pieces. Your brain is yours and it's the same one, no matter where you go, or what you do. It's all a reflection on the same person. Are you the kind of guy who would run out on his kid? Would you give up on a case because it's quitting time and you want to go play some golf? Will you quit your job every few years, hoping for something easier?"

"I wouldn't do that"

"Are you sure?! Or do you have to go ask someone else what you would do?" House asked. "Don't walk around pleasing people. I don't want someone to agree with me, I want someone with a mind of their own. A brain I can count on."

House limped heavily over to Cuddy, "We chose the wrong one. I guess spinelessness wasn't conveyed on the resume."

"You didn't choose the wrong one," Ethan began.

"Looks like it to me. We were too easy on him," House insisted. "I tried to…back off…to let Ava make her decisions when I should have been the asshole I'm more comfortable being. Get out of here, we'll have to find someone with a brain."

"I have a brain," Ethan said assuredly and filled with frustration. He walked up to House, standing right in front of him. "I'm trying to make huge fucking decisions with no time at all. In the space of a few weeks, my whole life has turned completely upside down, and all I can think with every single decision I try to make is…am I doing the right thing? Because I'm trying really fucking hard not to fuck it up. Everything all along has seemed to be this perfectly place route in front of me. I knew where my residency was going to be, and it was easier than being here. I saw this program…and I took a chance. I don't know why. I threw the preplanned route out the window because I felt like this was what I had to do. And I was shocked to make the cut, to get selected to interview. And here I am. I've never even left the country before. And yes, on the way, I met a girl. I didn't know she was your daughter but it was stupid to forego that for a job. I sat up all night trying to figure out how to not fuck this up…and I made a choice. This morning, when it was too late, I realized I didn't have to make a choice."

"So you panicked under pressure?" House accused.

"No. I made a mistake. Haven't you ever made one? I made a mistake and someone had information…a perspective…that I didn't see. And when I heard that perspective, I realize I was wrong. I will make mistakes. Haven't you ever gone nuts over trying to do the right thing? This isn't picking a new paint color for my living room. This shit matters. All of it."

Ethan was far more disheveled now, angry, staunchly holding his ground. He added less angrily, "If you want people who are infallible…I'm not your guy."

House reached back on the desk and grabbed a case file, handing it without a word to Ethan. The young man looked confused for only a second before he opened the file. Ethan looked over it for a few minutes, leafing through several pages of test results and then said, "Joint pain, dry cough…fatigue. African-American female…thirty one years-old…I don't see a chest CT or lung function test. Could be cancer…could be sarcoidosis. I'd check for those first."

"That one's easy," House said, pulling away the file. "This is the one I wanted you to look at."

Ethan studied the new case, looking through scans, test results and blood work.

"Who ordered all of these tests?" Ethan asked. "I don't think most of them are even necessary. Did you check his ears?"

"His ears?" House asked, sounding displeased.

"It seems to me like an ear infection. Best to rule out the simplest possibility first, then move on to bigger things," Ethan stated confidently.

House and Cuddy exchanged a look and Cuddy said, "You have to start in June. We need you to agree to the entire term. You're the only one, there's no backup."

"Me?" Ethan asked, entirely astounded.

"You saw the first file…and figured out what information you thought you needed to make a diagnosis. You saw a cluttered file and waded through the unnecessary information to get to a simpler truth. You made a decision, but when someone had information that could cause you to rethink your opinion, you did. And you were smart enough to admit that sometimes, you're wrong and someone else might be right," House stated. "You're hired."

"Seriously?" Ethan asked.

"If you want it," Cuddy said, "but we need a definite. You have until tomorrow."

"I want it," Ethan said.

"In six years," House nodded, "No one has ever passed the ear infection test. They all come here, expecting something else, and their expectations cloud the simplicity of the answer."

A few days later, House and Cuddy took their children and Ethan to the airport. They were all going to Boston. In June, Ethan would become the resident. Jack was only visiting Boston for the week, but the following school year, he would attend college near his sister. After the plane took off, House looked at Cuddy, "We're alone."

"Just for the week," she answered as they went to the waiting taxi.

"I need your help. Can you monitor me to make sure my erections don't last for hours?"

Cuddy shook her head, and laughed softly, "I'll do what I can."

"A whole week, huh? It'll be nice to have the place to ourselves," House said, trying to sound unaffected.

"Better enjoy it while we can," Cuddy suggested. "Jack will be back next week…then he'll leave again, but Ethan will be here."

"Ethan can get his own place. He's not moving in."

"He'll still be around."

"At work. The old ladies can eat on their own, Kate and Mel are big girls. Once Jack moves to Boston, you can take your clothes off and you don't have to put them back on until he comes back for holiday break."

"I have to go to work, Mom's appointments, the grocery store…naked?"

"I'll get you a robe," he smirked.

They rode home in silence, settling in for the evening. Cuddy was more worried about House than she'd been for years. During the last few days, it became clear just how much he was going to miss the kids, so she walked around the living room, closing the blinds and taking off her clothes.

"What are you doing?" House asked with a pleased look on his face.

"We have an empty nest…let's christen it."

"Really?"

"I won't go to the store in a robe…but I'll spend the next few days in various states of undress…just for you."

"The empty nest thing…it's warming on me."

"Good," she smiled as she pushed him back gently onto the wide lounge.

She helped him out of his clothes and climbed on him after making sure the doors were locked. Somethings had changed. House took a pill every day to make sure that he never failed to become aroused. He'd started to years earlier when he didn't even have a problem, simply because the thought of having a problem terrified him. He was grateful that his wife still did yoga, that she was still strong and wonderfully bendy, because by that point, his leg was quite weak. They dealt with any of the obstacles life handed them as best they could. Their lovemaking was simpler, gentler. They loved to relive their glory days in whispers during foreplay, reminding each other of all of the moments that made their physical connection over the years so intense.

They both acknowledged that things weren't as charismatic as they had once been, but what they lacked in charisma, they made up for in connection. They knew each other perfectly well. They knew every word, move or suggestion that could make the other one crazy. Perhaps most surprising was just how much they still loved making love. It was over forty years since the first time they'd touched and nearly twenty since they'd started the incarnation of their relationship that actually worked and they still wanted each other.

They made love slowly in their newly emptied nest in the living room with promises to try other rooms on other days as they whispered reminders of just how much affection there was between them. Afterwards, Cuddy pulled a blanket over their bodies and sighed, "Maybe this new-found freedom will be good…maybe even great."

"Maybe," House yawned, wrapping his arm around her.

Cuddy tightened her grip around him as she leaned on him, "I know how much you're going to miss them…Are you going to be OK?"

"Yea, of course," House answered.

"Are you sure? I'm worried that you're going to feel…alone."

"Alone?" House asked, as he grabbed her ass with one hand, "This…is not alone."

-Epilogue-

Ethan eventually took over the Diagnostics Center. Ava worked in an office in the building doing research and writing books. Ava shied away from cases publically, but privately she solved more of them than she'd ever admit to solving. She traveled, lecturing and leading the way in Quantum Biophysics. They would be a couple for nearly twenty years before they would get married. Later in life, they adopted two teens.

After two years of college and without a degree, Jack decided to move back home and began working closely with Kate to bring art and music to the children who were victims of abuse. Although he had no degree, he was a natural with the children, inspiring many of them to embrace the arts. Jack did meet a woman that he swore was his true love shortly after he turned eighteen. Within a year, amidst a cacophony of protest from her family, Jack married her. They had two biological children and adopted three more.

Both Ava and Jack proudly kept pictures and mementos of Rachel around their homes.

A few days after House turned seventy-seven, grouchy, cantankerous, and far more determined than ever to never die, he saw Cuddy holding their first grandchild, a robust, healthy, plump baby girl. "This is impossible," he insisted when Cuddy handed the little girl to him to hold. "I wasn't even supposed to have kids."

"It's a little late to deny paternity now," Cuddy teased.

It took four days to convince him that he wasn't just experiencing a Vicodin-induced hallucination.