ext_230483 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
sydpenguinbunny.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sick_wilson2011-07-10 11:28 pm
sydpenguinbunny.livejournal.com) wrote in sick_wilson2011-07-10 11:28 pm
Entry tags:
Us Against the World, Chapter Twelve
Title: Us Against the World
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sydpenguinbunny
Rating: R
Pairing: Wilson/Amber, House/Cuddy, Wilson/House, maybe House/Amber
Spoilers: Up until the end of Season 6.
Warning: Nothing major.
Summary: Wilson is kidnapped by someone who holds a grudge against House. House is told to come out and play, and Amber refuses to stand by. Time is running out...
Notes: Please give me comments. They make me happy and I squee.
Chapter One: A Shot in the Dark
Chapter Two: Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
Chapter Three: Photograph
Chapter Four: Private Eye
Chapter Five: Purity
Chapter Six: Nowhere to Go
Chapter Seven: Nightmare
Chapter Eight: Throwing It All Away
Chapter Nine: Anyone for Tennis?
Chapter Ten: Turn the Page
Chapter Eleven: The Game
Chapter Twelve: Domino
“Do you know what you have done?
Do you know what you've begun?
Do you see we shall never be together again?
All of my life –
Lonely people, empty rooms,
Pointless violence, silent tombs.
Could it be that we shall be together again?”
Amber dreamt that Wilson was pedaling down the road in a bicycle when he crashed. Amber walked out the door of her house, but it wasn’t her house now – she didn’t have a house now, she had an apartment – it was… what was it? She’d never had a house – maybe her grandparents’, she couldn’t quite place it, but she walked out of it and she scooped him up from the road and brought him into the house and then…
Then she awoke and she looked around, not recognizing where she was at first, before it all came flooding back. This was House’s place, the loft. And she was here because Wilson was gone.
She swallowed hard, hoping that that part was just a dream, a horrific nightmare, but knowing that it wasn’t. She’d have to work with House to figure out a way to save Wilson – there was nothing else she could do. She felt her stomach constrict as she realized that if Wilson died… if Wilson died…
No, she couldn’t go there. It just wasn’t… Wilson was alive, and she had to focus on that. While Wilson was alive, she could find a way to get him home.
She was smart. House was smart. Between them, they’d find a way. They simply had to.
She climbed off the bed and walked across the creeky boards, hoping that House was already awake so that she wouldn’t have the awkward task of going into his room and waking him up. When she arrived at the bottom of the steps, she not only saw him awake, sitting on the couch in front of the TV, but she was sure that he hadn’t slept at all.
“Hey,” she called quietly, and he looked up, his eyes red with dark circles burned around them.
“Hey,” he replied, seeming to look past her instead of at her. Looking at her made it all real, made Wilson really gone, and he couldn’t quite accept that – not yet.
“Are you going to work today?” she asked, trying not to let any judgment creep into her voice. Just make it an innocent question.
“I have to,” he said, turning to stare at the TV, which appeared to be turned to coverage of Casey Anthony’s trial. She knew he wasn’t really paying attention because she was sure that he couldn’t actively watch people feverishly discussing kidnapping and duct tape and murder right now. He was just staring at white noise. “I have to act like everything’s normal or Lucas will know I went to the cops.” His voice was dead, quiet and broken.
“Why don’t I call in and go talk to Tritter while you go to work?” Amber suggested. “There’s no way I’m going to get anything done, and the hospital needs you more than it needs me.” She smiled with a hint of self-deprecation.
“You deal with Tritter?” House asked with a snort. “Yeah, that’ll go well. You don’t even know what you’re getting into. Just let him do this thing and stay out of it.” Amber glared back at him.
“Tritter’s an idiot,” she replied bluntly. “And therefore needs our help if he’s going to ever get Wilson back. If we all put our heads together, we can figure it out…”
“No, we can’t!” House retorted, standing up as he yelped, his voice strangled. “We can’t get him back – we just have to hope Lucas has a change of heart. I’ll do whatever he wants me to do.”
“You can’t seriously be discussing negotiating with a crazy kidnapper!” Amber declared.
“If it gets Wilson back…”
“It won’t. The only thing it will do is make Lucas even more comfortable in his position. He’ll just demand more and more concessions from you,” Amber snapped back. “We need to beat him at his own game. We need to figure out how he thinks and head him off.”
“And if Lucas figures out we’re sniffing around, Wilson is dead!”
“Wilson is dead if we don’t do anything!” Amber screamed. “He’s dead if we don’t do everything in our power to bring him home. You want to just sit here like nothing’s wrong and depend on the goodness of Lucas’ heart? I don’t think you do.” She pointed her finger at him. “You’re just terrified that your misstep will kill Wilson, well you know what? I’m just as terrified. But I can’t stand here and do nothing, I can’t hope that Lucas feels bad. The sooner we get Wilson back the sooner we can be with him instead of this constant waiting for the other shoe to drop!” She was shaking now, and she clenched her fist and swallowed hard. “So I’m going to talk to Tritter whether you like it or not.” House swallowed and paused for a long moment. Finally, he nodded.
“Okay,” he replied quietly. “Do what you need to do… I’ll go to work… If I hear anything I’ll let you know and if you find out anything you’ll let me know?” There was a note of pleading in his voice that made Amber feel like she’d been splayed open and dissected. House didn’t say anything more; instead, he simply crossed the room and then disappeared up the stairs, where Amber could hear the shower running. She walked to where she’d dropped her purse the night before and reached down, pulling out her phone and dialing her boss’ number before hitting the green “call” key.
“Hello?”
“Hi, this is Dr. Volakis.”
“Oh,” the woman’s voice on the other end replied, not without a bit of distaste seeping through. “How can I help you?”
“I need to call out today,” Amber replied, trying desperately to sound as if she was deeply hurt by that fact. “I’ve got a nasty case of the flu.”
“Okay, well, make sure you’re in tomorrow. Take care of yourself, Dr. Volakis.” The dial tone sounded in her ear and Amber pressed the button to hang up. As soon as House went off to work, Amber would drive out to Tritter… and tell him what? She’d never met Lucas and heard of him only vaguely; she knew he was a private investigator and that he’d been engaged to Cuddy for a while, which had basically cut House wide open, before Cuddy had decided she wanted House instead and dumped Lucas and broke the engagement. That’s the extent of my knowledge.
That would just have to be what she’d have to work with, then… She would just have to make it work.
House’s footsteps down the stairs followed that thought, and Amber swallowed, not sure she really wanted to walk outside and have to face the reality of all of this. But she didn’t have any choice, and she couldn’t get overemotional. She had to think about all of this rationally, or else Wilson would pay the price. She had to keep to her advantage that Lucas might not even know that she knew Wilson had been kidnapped.
House walked out the door without saying a word to Amber; she wasn’t particularly surprised. Just because this had driven them together didn’t mean they got along any better than they ever had. They were just two people who happened to love Wilson. Who happened to need Wilson. They were the two people who were going to do anything to get Wilson back.
After House’s car pulled off, Amber walked out the door and let it swing locked behind her, before walking out to her own car and opening it, hopping in the driver’s side and taking a deep breath.
Here goes nothing.
* “Domino (In the Glow of the Night/The Last Domino)” by Genesis, Invisible Touch, 1986.
Author:
sydpenguinbunnyRating: R
Pairing: Wilson/Amber, House/Cuddy, Wilson/House, maybe House/Amber
Spoilers: Up until the end of Season 6.
Warning: Nothing major.
Summary: Wilson is kidnapped by someone who holds a grudge against House. House is told to come out and play, and Amber refuses to stand by. Time is running out...
Notes: Please give me comments. They make me happy and I squee.
Chapter One: A Shot in the Dark
Chapter Two: Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
Chapter Three: Photograph
Chapter Four: Private Eye
Chapter Five: Purity
Chapter Six: Nowhere to Go
Chapter Seven: Nightmare
Chapter Eight: Throwing It All Away
Chapter Nine: Anyone for Tennis?
Chapter Ten: Turn the Page
Chapter Eleven: The Game
Chapter Twelve: Domino
“Do you know what you have done?
Do you know what you've begun?
Do you see we shall never be together again?
All of my life –
Lonely people, empty rooms,
Pointless violence, silent tombs.
Could it be that we shall be together again?”
Amber dreamt that Wilson was pedaling down the road in a bicycle when he crashed. Amber walked out the door of her house, but it wasn’t her house now – she didn’t have a house now, she had an apartment – it was… what was it? She’d never had a house – maybe her grandparents’, she couldn’t quite place it, but she walked out of it and she scooped him up from the road and brought him into the house and then…
Then she awoke and she looked around, not recognizing where she was at first, before it all came flooding back. This was House’s place, the loft. And she was here because Wilson was gone.
She swallowed hard, hoping that that part was just a dream, a horrific nightmare, but knowing that it wasn’t. She’d have to work with House to figure out a way to save Wilson – there was nothing else she could do. She felt her stomach constrict as she realized that if Wilson died… if Wilson died…
No, she couldn’t go there. It just wasn’t… Wilson was alive, and she had to focus on that. While Wilson was alive, she could find a way to get him home.
She was smart. House was smart. Between them, they’d find a way. They simply had to.
She climbed off the bed and walked across the creeky boards, hoping that House was already awake so that she wouldn’t have the awkward task of going into his room and waking him up. When she arrived at the bottom of the steps, she not only saw him awake, sitting on the couch in front of the TV, but she was sure that he hadn’t slept at all.
“Hey,” she called quietly, and he looked up, his eyes red with dark circles burned around them.
“Hey,” he replied, seeming to look past her instead of at her. Looking at her made it all real, made Wilson really gone, and he couldn’t quite accept that – not yet.
“Are you going to work today?” she asked, trying not to let any judgment creep into her voice. Just make it an innocent question.
“I have to,” he said, turning to stare at the TV, which appeared to be turned to coverage of Casey Anthony’s trial. She knew he wasn’t really paying attention because she was sure that he couldn’t actively watch people feverishly discussing kidnapping and duct tape and murder right now. He was just staring at white noise. “I have to act like everything’s normal or Lucas will know I went to the cops.” His voice was dead, quiet and broken.
“Why don’t I call in and go talk to Tritter while you go to work?” Amber suggested. “There’s no way I’m going to get anything done, and the hospital needs you more than it needs me.” She smiled with a hint of self-deprecation.
“You deal with Tritter?” House asked with a snort. “Yeah, that’ll go well. You don’t even know what you’re getting into. Just let him do this thing and stay out of it.” Amber glared back at him.
“Tritter’s an idiot,” she replied bluntly. “And therefore needs our help if he’s going to ever get Wilson back. If we all put our heads together, we can figure it out…”
“No, we can’t!” House retorted, standing up as he yelped, his voice strangled. “We can’t get him back – we just have to hope Lucas has a change of heart. I’ll do whatever he wants me to do.”
“You can’t seriously be discussing negotiating with a crazy kidnapper!” Amber declared.
“If it gets Wilson back…”
“It won’t. The only thing it will do is make Lucas even more comfortable in his position. He’ll just demand more and more concessions from you,” Amber snapped back. “We need to beat him at his own game. We need to figure out how he thinks and head him off.”
“And if Lucas figures out we’re sniffing around, Wilson is dead!”
“Wilson is dead if we don’t do anything!” Amber screamed. “He’s dead if we don’t do everything in our power to bring him home. You want to just sit here like nothing’s wrong and depend on the goodness of Lucas’ heart? I don’t think you do.” She pointed her finger at him. “You’re just terrified that your misstep will kill Wilson, well you know what? I’m just as terrified. But I can’t stand here and do nothing, I can’t hope that Lucas feels bad. The sooner we get Wilson back the sooner we can be with him instead of this constant waiting for the other shoe to drop!” She was shaking now, and she clenched her fist and swallowed hard. “So I’m going to talk to Tritter whether you like it or not.” House swallowed and paused for a long moment. Finally, he nodded.
“Okay,” he replied quietly. “Do what you need to do… I’ll go to work… If I hear anything I’ll let you know and if you find out anything you’ll let me know?” There was a note of pleading in his voice that made Amber feel like she’d been splayed open and dissected. House didn’t say anything more; instead, he simply crossed the room and then disappeared up the stairs, where Amber could hear the shower running. She walked to where she’d dropped her purse the night before and reached down, pulling out her phone and dialing her boss’ number before hitting the green “call” key.
“Hello?”
“Hi, this is Dr. Volakis.”
“Oh,” the woman’s voice on the other end replied, not without a bit of distaste seeping through. “How can I help you?”
“I need to call out today,” Amber replied, trying desperately to sound as if she was deeply hurt by that fact. “I’ve got a nasty case of the flu.”
“Okay, well, make sure you’re in tomorrow. Take care of yourself, Dr. Volakis.” The dial tone sounded in her ear and Amber pressed the button to hang up. As soon as House went off to work, Amber would drive out to Tritter… and tell him what? She’d never met Lucas and heard of him only vaguely; she knew he was a private investigator and that he’d been engaged to Cuddy for a while, which had basically cut House wide open, before Cuddy had decided she wanted House instead and dumped Lucas and broke the engagement. That’s the extent of my knowledge.
That would just have to be what she’d have to work with, then… She would just have to make it work.
House’s footsteps down the stairs followed that thought, and Amber swallowed, not sure she really wanted to walk outside and have to face the reality of all of this. But she didn’t have any choice, and she couldn’t get overemotional. She had to think about all of this rationally, or else Wilson would pay the price. She had to keep to her advantage that Lucas might not even know that she knew Wilson had been kidnapped.
House walked out the door without saying a word to Amber; she wasn’t particularly surprised. Just because this had driven them together didn’t mean they got along any better than they ever had. They were just two people who happened to love Wilson. Who happened to need Wilson. They were the two people who were going to do anything to get Wilson back.
After House’s car pulled off, Amber walked out the door and let it swing locked behind her, before walking out to her own car and opening it, hopping in the driver’s side and taking a deep breath.
Here goes nothing.
* “Domino (In the Glow of the Night/The Last Domino)” by Genesis, Invisible Touch, 1986.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
And yes, House cannot deal with Wilson in danger :( He just shuts down :(