A/N: I do not own House, M.D or the Haruhi Suzumiya series.

This story takes place after Season 7, episode 1 of House and after the anime episode "Someday In The Rain". It takes place before the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.

The Melancholy of Gregory House

Prologue:

The typed missive was simple enough. One of his fellows wanted to take a sabbatical, and given the events of the last year, it was understandable and made more sense than more psychodrama with Dr. Foreman. Her talents though would be tough to find a temporary replacement for. It had enough information for him to seek her out if the need ever came, but it was clear that she wanted space to do things she wouldn't be able to in only a few years. He glanced the message over again, it read:

"Greg,

This is my non-official notice to you that I am taking a leave of absence from my fellowship. I plan on being incognito in the Hyōgo Prefecture in Japan for six months. The Tsuruya clan will be my hosts for the time being, and my plans do not include practicing medicine for the time I will be in Japan. I have also sent a more formal letter to Dr. Cuddy detailing my reasons for needing some time off. I want to be able to see at least some of the world before my body and mind start to betray me. The others won't understand, but I think you may be able to. Please do not tell Dr. Foreman or any one else on the team about my plans. All the best to you, and may you always find those puzzles you need to solve in order to stay sane.

Goodbye for now,

Thirteen"

Gregory House, the doctor with the ever-present "five o'clock shadow" and piercing blue eyes that somehow obscured his fifty-one years of existence. then took the note, and put it away in his secret safe. He understood all too well the allure of Japan to someone running away from their feelings and he knew that mystical archipelago is where he found himself on more than one occasion. He often wondered what had ever happened to that cool-headed and dependable medical student that helped him find his way all those years ago. If Lisa had ever known that of one of his few regrets was that there was a girl he had met there while he was lost and on the rebound. He mentally filed away those memories once again and decided that there are some details best left buried in the past where they belong. He then heard a knock on his office door. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was close to midnight. Then his best friend, Dr. James Wilson, who looked still looked somewhat boyish for a middle-aged oncologist said

"Don't tell me you're actually staying here late here to do paperwork for the first time in ten years, House"

He searched his mind for only a few seconds for the right bon mot to tell Wilson, "No, I am writing on my blog about how dreamy Edward Cullen is, and how Bella and him are the only true pairing of Twilight."

"Sam dragged me to the last one and made me almost swear in blood how we are on Team Jacob. " Wilson shuttered "You of course have to remind me at every opportunity, don't you?"

"That's why I'm here" House said.

Wilson turned to walk out the door, and said just before leaving. "You weren't thinking about your time in Japan 17 years ago again, right"

House grimaced " It wouldn't matter if I did. Everything was different back then, I was different. No use in disturbing those old ghosts. There is nothing to be gained…nothing to be solved."

Wilson thought for a moment and said " The fact that you are thinking about it means something. Certainly it shows how much growth both you and Cuddy have gone through since those days. Maybe it is time for you to find closure on this". House then used his cane to get up and turned off the lights to his office and followed Wilson towards the elevator.

There was no case that the team was currently working on, and he knew Lisa would eventually prevail on him to find someone to fill in for Thirteen. That was not going to be enjoyable. However, the upcoming weekend with Lisa was shaping up quite well. He could always play Dirty Preacher to Lisa's prim and proper Goody Cuddy, just as Hawthorne never would have imagined.

Of course, tonight was a night that he was going to spend alone. Lisa had not yet let him any interaction with Rachel, and that would take time for all three to adjust to the new reality. House had no idea if he would be able to act as a father to anyone. Certainly he was lucky that no one has said that he is the father of their child since that would entail some responsibility that he would have to take, and he wondered how they'd deal with all the idiots in the world. Of course, he would likely be able to do better than the man who raised him as his father. Tonight though, he would dream of Japan and wonder what ever became of that Japanese medical student he knew so long ago.