Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. So sue me (no, really don't).
A/N: Inspired by the Point of Grace rendition of Carol of the Bells. I honestly don't know how good this will be, so I'm sorry if it sucks. I haven't done a lot of editing. I also have not seen any of season 3. Sorry if I missed something.
Also, this is supposed to be part of a trilogy. You can expect Carol of the Bells and O Holy Night to come before Christmas (hopefully).
Silent Night
"So I was thinking, since none of us are going to be with family over Christmas that we could all meet at my place and have Christmas dinner." Cuddy seemed tentative addressing the diagnostics team. Wilson raised an eyebrow. House countered with a near invisible shrug. Cameron, Foreman and Chase watched the silent exchange across the room, and looked at each other, bewildered.
"Sure. We'll do it." Wilson said. House nodded.
"Does anyone else think they're telepathic?" Chase mumbled to his colleagues.
"So then we'll all meet at 8:30 at my house, Christmas Eve." Cuddy announced. Everyone nodded.
"Bring anything?" asked Cameron.
"No, that's okay. Last time I told my relatives to bring food, we wound up with nothing but green bean casserole for dinner."
"Well, this has been all very lovely, but until tomorrow, Dr. Cuddy. Thank you, but we have sick people to save." House steadily shooed Cuddy out of the conference room.
"Can you get any ruder?" Chase snapped at House. "She's just invited us over for dinner – Christmas dinner no less – and you brush it off like it's no big deal."
"Geeze, House." Foreman mumbled. House looked thoughtful for all of about two seconds.
"I don't care. Differential diagnosis. Female with severe pain in her hip…"
Christmas Eve approached. House was as crotchety as ever. People in the clinic were stupid. Not to mention the inconvenience of the carolers outside the hospital. One of the girls looked far too young and innocent for his taste.
He popped a Vicodin as he limped down to his bike. In all honesty, he could think of several dozen things he would rather do than attend this Christmas dinner after this rotten day. He was running late. At the last minute his meds had spilled, gotten lost, and needed replacing.
He pulled the machine out onto the highway. This was fast becoming the highlight of his day. He loved the feel of the machine under him, the wind whipping his body, the incredible feeling the speed gave him. He gunned it a little. While he didn't mind being late, he didn't want to give Chase the satisfaction of proving his rudeness. The car in front of him on the three lane highway was a little slow. He decided to pass on the right.
House revved the engine and motored forward, trying to slip past the driver's blind spot. It was the only downside to the bike. It was a pity House's telepathy didn't extend beyond Wilson. He didn't expect the other driver to merge right while he was passing.
The jarring slam to his body was a shock. So was the cold, cold snow in the ditch he found himself lying in. The blackness was the only comfort he received.
House stared oddly as he rose from his spot on the ground. He felt odd. It was supposed to be colder than this. He looked around. The innocent caroler was standing next to him.
She was wearing a long royal blue dress. The top half was velvet and the skirt was a faux suede in the same color. She was wearing white ballet slipper shoes and snowflake jewelry. Her chestnut hair was wavy and gently pulled away from her face, so the curls framed her high cheekbones and wide brown eyes. Her skin was creamy white and seemed to be glowing.
"Hello, Dr. House." She said.
"Who are you?" House asked, impatiently. What was she doing here?
"I am the Angel of Christmas." She replied simply.
"Well what do you want? I'm late to meet people." House snapped. His nerves were shot for the day. He searched for his bike, only to see a body on the ground. It looked vaguely familiar. The man on the ground was still. House ran to check for a pulse. His fingers passed through the man as House realized who it was on the ground and simultaneously noted the lack of pain in his leg. He was looking at himself. He gasped. "What's going on? What's happened to me?" He demanded. This was getting stranger by the moment.
"You've been in an opportune accident. Come. We must go now." She said, beckoning with a thin, pale hand. House reached out. She was the most real thing right now.
House felt himself lift into the air. He looked down. They were flying. The air was crisp and cool, but not uncomfortable. They soared over trees, watching as the landscape changed underneath them. House laughed at the sheer excellence of it all. He turned to his escort.
"So what's your name?"
"Noel." She replied in her simple, elegant way. She smiled at House. Then she began to bring them down into a very familiar yard.
"This is my old home! But – I don't understand. Mom and Dad sold it years ago. Why are they inside?" House asked, bewildered.
"Take a closer look at Christmas past." Noel said, softly. House watched through the window. That was Mom and Dad all right, but who was the kid – oh, wait. It was him. He hadn't recognized the four-year-old, hyperactive version of himself.
"No, Gregory, you know better. Only one present on Christmas Eve. You have to wait until tomorrow." His mother was talking to the little boy. His father handed him a box. Little Greg looked at it with wonder for all of five seconds. Then he tore the paper off wildly. Inside was a play doctor's kit. House chuckled.
"I remember that. I didn't want to play with any of my other toys the next day. I had that thing for years." House smiled at the memories, as well as watching what it looked like. He was so absorbed the gust of wind caught him off guard. He watched, amazed, as the hours passed to early Christmas morning. He watched his younger self pad down the stairs in Winnie the Pooh pajamas at what had to be four in the morning. It was still dark out.
"Do you remember the wonder you felt staring at the Christmas tree that year?" Noel asked. House nodded. He was staring in wonder now. It was amazing.
"It thought it was the best tree ever that year."
"Do you remember any of the other presents?" Noel asked. House stopped and thought for a moment.
"No. Just that doctor's bag. And the tree." The world seemed to swirl and change as he said the words. He instantly saw a toy shop where his father was choosing the bag with the toys inside.
"Remember your father's love for you." Noel commanded gently. House turned to look at the rest of the yard, but found himself somewhere he truly didn't want to be.
"No. I really don't want to be here. I'm past it." House looked at the Christmas tree Stacy always put up. The magnificent tree with the special memory ornaments, the lights everywhere, the antique glass star on top. The tree dominated their tiny living room. House saw himself – a younger, more able bodied version of himself – enter the front door with an armful of gifts. He deposited the gifts under the tree, and planted a kiss on Stacy's lips. He swung her around, delighting in her laughter.
"I don't want to think about this." House said, adamantly.
"Why?" Noel asked.
"She betrayed me."
"Did she? Are you sure?" Noel asked gently.
"She did something I didn't want her to do to me. She ruined my life." House snapped, bitterly.
"Do you see how much she cares about you here?" Noel gestured to the scene. Stacy was cuddling with House's younger self.
"Yeah." House muttered.
"Do you think she cared any less when she made her decision?" House was floored.
"This is just like when I got shot. It isn't real. You're not real. As long as I keep agreeing with you, this will keep going on." House muttered to the floor, turning from Noel.
"I'm afraid not. It's over when I say it's over." Noel said, gentle as always. "Are you ready to go?" House looked up. If it was a hallucination, then for the time being he may as well go along with it. At least until it got beyond his comfort level.
Noel lifted them again into the air. House looked at the ground again. Well, maybe this wouldn't be so bad – as long as they were flying.
They set down inside a house somewhere. House recognized the place, as well as the people inside. They were in Cuddy's home.
"I can't believe he actually didn't show up!" Cameron complained.
"I knew he wouldn't. House is a self centered, manipulative jerk." Chase replied from his seat in the overstuffed chair in one corner of the room. Everyone was lounging around, casually, except Wilson.
"They think I just wouldn't show up?" House turned angrily towards Noel. He was outraged.
"Their response is to your standard behavior. You don't usually treat anyone with respect. I appear to be an anomaly." Noel observed.
"Well, you're the one here with the power. You could probably zap me out of existence right here and now if you wanted."
"But I don't. Why do you think that is?" Noel asked, rhetorically. She turned back to the scene, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Wilson was pacing with his cell to his ear. "I don't think so. I can't get him on his cell, and he'd turn it off after the number of times I've called him. It would annoy him too much." Wilson looked concerned. "I'm going to follow his route. I think something's happened to him. He's not that rude. Plus he'd want the free food." Wilson said as he grabbed his coat.
"What! I'm not like that! I'd never do that!" House said, mock outraged.
"Right." Noel agreed, somewhat humorously.
"Wait. You're right. I'll go with. He's a manipulative moron, but not that kind of a jerk." Foreman said, reaching for his coat.
"It is a little odd." Cuddy admitted, rising to get her coat as well. Cameron followed suit, giving a long look at Chase, who finally got up and grabbed his jacket.
"Yes! Yes! They're going!" House cheered, suddenly remembering his body lying in the ditch.
"They care about you because they know that deep down, you care about them." Noel answered. "They know that if it were any of them, you would have been searching long ago."
"We'll start out at the hospital and work our way out. Cuddy, Foreman, you're with me. We'll start on the route to Cuddy's house. Cameron, Chase, you two head toward House's apartment." Wilson directed.
"Well, at least Wilson knows me." House said, thinking of how well Wilson covered the bases of House's usual behavior.
"Maybe that's because he's the only person you let in." Noel said. She grabbed House's hand and they lifted off into the cold winter air.
"Wait! I need to know! Do they find me? What's going to happen?" House demanded while they were flying. Noel said nothing. She looked determined and a little pained.
They touched down in a cemetery. Noel looked at House sadly.
"I regret I must leave you here. You will have to find your way out of the future before the snowflake melts." Noel removed her pendant and held it out to House. House looked horrified.
"How do I do that?" He was suddenly anxious.
"You'll have to figure it out." Noel replied, and then flew away. House was alone in the cemetery.
"Wait! What kind of angel are you? How can you do this to me?" He screamed at the sky. It was no use. Noel was gone. House looked down at the pendant. It was starting to drip. He would have to figure out how to get home. He looked around. Wilson was just behind him.
"Hey, buddy. Merry Christmas. The others would have been here, but I guess they've just been too busy." Wilson was saying to a gravestone. House walked around to see what was on the stone.
Gregory House
1962-2006
Son, Friend, Mentor
Healer
"Wilson, I'm not dead. I'm right here." Wilson didn't hear House.
"What with Cameron and Chase's new baby – they named him after you, you know – and Foreman with Cindy, his wife. Cuddy's been with her fiancé, but she wanted to come out. We've been busy. I just wanted to tell you I miss you." Wilson's finger reached out to touch the headstone. House tried to put his hand on his friend's shoulder. It slipped through.
After a moment, Wilson laid the holly down on the grave and stood. House followed him to the car, and then slipped through the door. Amazingly, he stayed solid while he sat down. Wilson drove intensely, as if he was afraid to let his mind wander.
After a time, House realized they were approaching a new housing development. Wilson pulled up into the driveway and got out. House slid out after him. Chase opened the door.
"Hey! You made it!" He exclaimed.
"I went to see House." Wilson mumbled. Chase nodded, and then escorted Wilson inside. House followed.
The inside was decorated beautifully. Cameron was sitting next to Foreman with a baby in her arms. She stood as Wilson entered the room.
"Here, I think little Greg wants to see his Godfather." She said. The baby boy cooed. Wilson held him, smiling. The baby reached up. Wilson rocked him.
They all seemed so happy. House felt the worst empty feeling. He hadn't felt this way in years. It was the most intense longing. A loneliness that felt like it was cannibalizing his insides was rising up inside him. House wanted to be a part of this. This wasn't right. He needed at that moment to be part of this little family.
Family. That's what they were. House looked down at the slowly melting snowflake in his hand. They were his family too. So why did he treat them so badly?
"Is it because we hurt those we care about the most?" House asked himself. He thought back to the past he'd seen. He hardly ever spoke to his parents. It hurt them, and somehow he knew it. He'd cut Stacy right out of his life, and would have easily done the same with Foreman, Chase, Cameron, Cuddy, and Wilson.
Why did he treat them the way he did? Especially on Christmas? Maybe he was thinking clearly because his leg didn't hurt, but somehow treating his little family like dirt made him feel low.
House didn't have much time. He needed to get out of this. He looked down at his functioning leg. He ran as fast as he could. The cemetery soon loomed up ahead. Where was his grave again? The snowflake was almost gone!
"I see you've learned the most important part of Christmas." The soft voice could only be one person – or angel rather.
"Noel! You've got to send me back! I haven't got much time! I need to tell them!" House gasped. He hadn't run in a long time.
"Why?" Noel asked, wisely.
"Because I need to apologize. I need to tell them that I do care about them. I need to be part of my family! And that's what they are! I can't just analyze them without analyzing that, too!" House was getting desperate. Noel smiled. The world around the two of them seemed to be turning white.
The whole world began spinning. Faster and faster. House was getting dizzy. Was this the end? Was he too late? Did Noel trick him? Those were his last thoughts in the frenzied darkness.
Suddenly, the spinning stopped. It was still frighteningly dark. House reached out a hand in the darkness to get his bearings. Something warm grabbed onto his hand.
"Hey, slow down. You're okay." Wilson! House rubbed his eyes. His head felt like it was going to explode. He reached up. There was a bandage around his head. His left arm was in a cast. He ached all over. Did it all really happen? Was Noel even real, or had he been dreaming?
"Umm." House tried a sound. His whole body felt like lead. He was cold. "Cold." He managed.
"Not surprising. You were in the later stages of hypothermia when we found you." Chase stated. "You're only just warming up."
House looked around the room. Everyone was just as he had seen with Noel. They were all with him. Someone had set up a tiny Christmas tree in his room. "Sorry I ruined dinner." Everyone froze. Was House actually apologizing for something?
"It's fine really. You're alive. That's all we care about." Cuddy said, patting House's shoulder.
"No, it isn't. I've been a jerk. A self centered jerk. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. It's just, you guys are my family, and it's not something I'm used to. So I'm sorry. For everything." House said quickly. "Now forgive me, quick. Before I take it all back." He smiled.
"Merry Christmas, House." Foreman said, smiling himself.
"Excuse me, but we were wondering if you wouldn't mind a carol or two." A young man poked his head in the room.
"Sure. Come on in." Cameron beckoned the group in. House stared. Noel stood among them. He looked at her. She looked at him.
Noel still looked as innocent and ethereal as always. But her snowflake pendant looked like it had melted a little…
Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant most tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
The carolers sang beautiful music.
Noel seemed to catch House's eye. She winked.
For the first time, all seemed to be right with the world.
Merry Christmas.