AN: It seems that I worked up the courage to post this... Which is great (kind of)...

This story picks up after "The dig" in season seven (with some changes in the past of our favourite characters). Mostly because things are not completely f*ck of between House and Cuddy.

In the beginning it may seem that this story is not really about them, but it is...

It's new and different and you guys should read it.

House MD is not mine and I apologize ahead for my mistakes...

"What!?" a rough voice finally had answered the number that she was trying to reach for almost two hours.

"Dr House, this is from your son's school, the dean has requested a meeting regarding your son's recent behaviour."

"What?"

"Your son, Benjamine... He studies at Princeton High school." most parents, although with stable lives, remained oblivious to their children's lives. It didn't pass a day when, at least one student was forgotten in there by very busy parents. Benjamine's father seamed the type to remain isolated from his son's life, which was truly a shame. Over achievers like Benjamine should be recognised, if not idolised.

"Benjen?"

"Yes and your presence his vital-"

"Did you call his mother?"

"Your presence was specifically requested by your son."

"Okay." the secretary heard a mumble, before the call abruptly came to its end. The woman truly hoped that the man was better than the impression that he gave on the short phone call, for Benjamine's sake. The relation between the secretary and the young boy had started to develop a few weeks after the beginning of the school year, no one could beat his record of detentions. It had reached the absurd of him spending more time in the dean's office than the actual class rooms. The only reason why he hadn't been expelled was his geniality, however someday that would not be enough.

It was too good to be true, the first time in weeks that he didn't have a case. Although his presence was needed in the hospital, he was planning on taking the day off. Today was supposed to be all about whiskey, pills and possibly his piano. He couldn't do anything but feel sorry of himself. He was being a hypocrite; he knew that it had been his fault. Yet the idea of Lisa dying had thrown him of balance. He had made a mistake and she had been unforgiving. She had been afraid, still was ... Not only for her but also for Rachel and Benjamine.

However Benjen had to come first, even if the rest of the world was simply against him. Since Rodrick's birth he had made a promise to himself, the promise of being a decent father. In a way of proving himself a better man than the one that had raised him. He knew that the relationship that he had with his kids could not be defined as normal or usual. Yet they always had to come first.

Limping through the bedroom, a thought was still in his mind. Why had Benjamine asked for him... With the other kids he could understand but with his younger son it was a complete mystery. He had been the one that had more scares because of his decisions. He didn't have the chance of a normal family. The first time that he had seen him it had been a couple of months after his birth, in the fourth year anniversary of their divorce.

He looked to his reflection. His eyes clashed dramatically with his pale complexion. The pills and the alcohol did that, his eyes acquired a darker shade of blue and his skin gained a sick colour that would resembled to ash. He looked like shit. He had seen patients with better looks in their death-bed. The weight lost had become obvious. Nowadays he didn't care much about cooking. That would only remind him of Lisa and Rachel. In most days the little girl would try to help, although it ended in a mess, Lisa's smile would fallow him for the rest of the night.

Why him, why not her?

Suddenly the phone rang... Probably it was his minions proving once more how incompetent they could be. After years of having his own team, it seemed impossible that no one knew his schedule. The sound echoed through the rest of the house. At this moment, he had neither the patience nor time to talk with another human being. His mind was racing due to his youngest son. He wasn't in condition to talk with anyone besides Benjamine.

After two more missed calls, he finally left the apartment after picking a horrendous orange helmet that was religiously saved beside his oldest guitar, white Vintage 1960 Airline Electric Guitar that remained hidden by the rotten couch in the living room. It was funny how much she interfered with his own actions. A few years back, it would never cross his mind that he would have to hide his kid's favourite helmet by the fear of what Lisa could do to him. Since he bought his bike, she had made him promise that he wouldn't let Benjen even dream of riding it. However hearing her certainly wasn't a thing that he did often.

When they had started their relationship on college, there wasn't a day that they didn't ride his black Harley Davidson Super Glide. She used to say that she only stayed by his side because of it. He loved to ride with her, mostly because she seemed free. All of the things that clouded her judgement, they things people expected from her, her worries and obligations, all would fade away. In the end, it was a girl with stormy grey eyes that would hold him tight and laugh in the most intoxicating way. In those times she could be just that, someone who wouldn't let go of him, of them.

The school was relatively close to his building. Standing in front of it, a powerful construction with Victorian architectural traces and gigantic windows, yet still was High School. Although different from others, it held the same feeling of complete prison and boredom. Benjen had pass a few years ahead in his academic path as the same happened with his siblings. Benjamine's insistence of passing years occurred in the hope of being closer to them. He always felt lost without them. Besides they knew how to deal with both of their parents.

"Dr. Gregory House, I presume? I'm principle McMillan." a petite woman stood in the main door with a disapproving expression, fixating her gaze in his bike and wrinkled shirt.

"Yes." he lazily walked to her. The woman appeared to be in her yearly sixties with blonde hair and green eyes that reminding him of his mother. However, although she appeared to be inoffensive, there was this voice in the back of his head telling him to run as fast as he could.

"I've been waiting for you." now the woman was starting to annoy him. She held the same position of authority that he used to saw in his supposed father. The cold eyes and the failed attempt of appearing the most calm person in the world. "I don't think we've met, your wife-"

"She is not my wife."

"Well then, it explains a lot." keep calm... she returned with a bitter sound, while waving her hand with the obvious indication to fallow her. The statement had made him observe her closely, since the beginning, the woman had directly showed her displeasure towards him. Yet, besides the obvious recrimination, there was something else in her voice. A hint of sadness, regret even. Maybe Benjamine had left a good impression on that woman, one that made him able to get away with everything he did on this school.

He followed her through the empty hallway and staircases. Even though the artistic traces made the school magnificent, there was an oppressive feeling on the air. No wonder that Benjen tried to make this place a bit different from its normal state. After a long silent walk, they reached an elegant division, where a shy redheaded answered phone calls and compulsively typed on the keyboard in front of her. Probably she had been the one to wake him, never letting go of the phone, her brown eyes met his electric blue, with a sarcastic grin and a wink, he broke the connection. Leaving her blushed to the root of her hair. He had to admit that girls' reactions towards him had always been a bust to the ego.

"Dr House, this way." the voice of the old woman warned when he broke the connection. The principal felt the same sense of discomfort that her student's father gave the impression to have. After meeting Benjamine's mother, it seemed impossible that a woman like her, a reminder of a younger and confident self, would get involved with such man. It was disturbing to see how her friends would embrace their diseases, yet while confronting this man, in his yearly fifties and with a son too young to be here, that had accepted his redwood cane and his pills so willingly, it was simply scary. "Benjamine's behaviour was always been erratic. Yet in the last couple of months it is..." she started before opening the door. "Our psychologist tried to discover the source of the problem."

"Psychologist?"

Ignoring him, the woman turned the silver knob of the oak door, giving this way entrance to a spacious office decorated with dark colours. A man with sandy brown hair was standing in front of a boy sited on the sofa, gazing at the ceiling. It was obvious to everyone that saw them that they were father and son. Benjamine shared the exact same features as his father; unfortunately physical characteristics weren't the only thing that they had in common. However when balanced with his ambition, focus and sensibility, the darker parts of his personality remained hidden to the general public.

"Good morning, I'm Dr Richards." the man hurriedly came his way, in the hope of gaining an alliance in this unusual situation. In the doctor's mind, the boy was showing anti-social tendencies, a light depression and without doubt, seeking for attention. Benjamine House had always been an interesting and vital case. In school most of the students passed through a thorough psychological evaluation, especially kids as bright and young as this particular boy. They would be analysed, observed and tested in search of the perfect balance that would bring to the surface their best capacities. The school was well-known for young graduates, if they wanted to keep that distinction, psychological analyses was absolutely necessary.

"Can I go now?" the look in his son's eyes only showed boredom, mischief and something that he couldn't really place. These types of situations were getting old. At first they had called his mother that would try to solve everything as quick and efficiently as possible. Thus the origin of the problem was never reached. With his dad it was different. Gregory House would always be puzzled by something, even with situations such as this one. His older sister once had told him that if their father could play games, so could he.

"Don't you want to talk abou-"

"Nope... We both know that conversions only leaded us to nowhere."

"Benjamine, we talked about this-"

"For God's sake, Petey... Even oncology is better than psychoanalysis and you know why? You work with the things that I say or do and for what, analyse me, and understand me? But I'll tell you something. Everybody lies. And people like you with the delusional idea that you're able to read someone in six sessions, well you get caught up in this huge web of lies." the man was shocked with Benjamine's reaction, as well as everyone inside the room.

"Dr Richards, Mrs McMillan, please pardon my son's reaction. It has been a very unstable time in his life. Partly it is my fault but mostly his mother's." Benjen was being held by his father, who was trying to calm the kid. For his son, it had been the first time that he seen his father apologize to someone. House just needed to observe Benjamine with no interruptions, at this moment he was extremely intrigued by his son's comment. The Benjen that he knew would never say that among this people. Certainly he could hear it from his oldest son and in a really bad day, from his daughter but never from Benjamine.

"If you would excuse us, I would gladly have a long conversation with my son."

"Dr House, your son should be in class." the principal replied.

"He's cranky, but if you want him like these be your guest. The next time that his grandma comes to town, he can stay." no teacher would accept the kid in classes today and both the principal and the psychologist were aware of this fact.

They had tried to find the source of the problem, however everything was in vain. He showed symptoms of a determined problem in a day, the next it would be something completely different dismissing the previous conclusions. This would happen every day. The actual main problem weren't the childish trick or the pranks, it was the lack of them. Not that the teachers missed it but the sudden change in his behaviour... Benjamine House wasn't the same boy. He had distanced himself of everything, school, his friends, his favourite sport... Yet when he asked for his father the psychologist had been so hopeful. Now, with the father there, Benjen was putting up more walls than ever, welcoming with open arms his isolation.

"You can take him Dr House, however be aware that if Benjamine doesn't change his behaviour we have no other option than to expel him. At the moment he will be suspended for a few days." the women warned with a cold voice, yet House did notice the sadness in the principal's eyes.

"Right..." if there was a thing that he hated were pointless ultimatums. His son's intelligence was too valuable to the school. The kid could already be in college if both he and Lisa had agreed to that. The principal was just proving his point by spending resources on his kid and trying to fix him. In his career ultimatums had always a way of reaching him, yet he could count by the fingers the ones that truly had meant something.

Hope that someone reads and likes this (vital part)... And reviews are good for the balance between you and the universe (just saying)...