Chapter 1 Ace of Spades

House stared down at the engraved stone of the burial marker, his eyes shifting back and forth between the freshly dug soil to the roses that lined the top of the granite. Something pulled at him from beyond what he had believed before. Something seemed wrong with the entire picture. How could he have lost one of his patients so easily? How was it possible that he could have missed something so obvious? Thomas James... rest in peace.

Suddenly the sound of a violin slipped into his train of thought. Clapping, stomping, a tambourine entering the atmosphere. He couldn't help but lift his gaze to catch a glimpse of the commotion. A circle of people had formed about a single grave, each with an instrument and a smile upon their faces. Within them a woman danced with amazing fervor.

She was clad in white, her dress flowing like liquid as she spun and turned, her bare feet slamming into the hard ground as her golden anklets created a sparkling sound of purity. Her long black curly hair danced with her against deep olive skin. Eyes closed she clapped and turned, the music almost intoxicating by her appearance.

Curiosity consumed House's urges to weep and he made his way towards them to watch the apparent show. As he came closer he caught the dazzling shimmer of the woman's intense purplish-blue eyes. They seemed to glow amongst the darkness of the grass, the gray of the tombstones that surrounded her. The violin slowed and so did her motions, one after the other a part of her body stopped until she fell to the ground in a kneel. She reached out to the tombstone and set out a single white lily. And with just as much subtly as they crowd had began they stopped and dispersed, each giving a kiss to the young woman.

Of course House had to inquire about what he had just witnessed. The woman stood alone before the grave and simply stared down into the soil with a sweet smile on her face as if reminiscing about the one she had lost.

"And who might you be?" Her European accent hung harsh in her proper English. House was slightly taken aback for a moment, not quite sure how she could have noticed him so near.

"Just a curious fellow wondering why there was a concert going on in such a sacred place." House tried to keep his sarcasm to a minimum until he got the information he desired.

"It is because this is such a sacred place that we dance. My people dance to release the spirit with joy, to remember them with a smile on our face. Tears may be shed later but never now. They are done suffering."

"You're people?" House watched her turn around to face him, her dazzling eyes shocking him all over again. Her sweet doll-like face showing both hardened emotions and innocent ideas.

"The Roma... Dr. House..."

"You know my name too. I'm going to guess I'm either well known or you're going to try to tell me your part of a fortune telling tribe of sorts." He leaned against his cane and watched her expression only widen in joy.

"No. You were the man whom saved my brother many years ago. I cannot forget those eyes. Though my tribe just happens to be of the fortune telling nature, I am not naive enough to push that upon a man like you." She tilted her head to observe his eyes in deep detail.

"But with eyes like yours how am I so absent of whom you might be. It's not every day that you see such a color. Unless you gypsies are starting a contact trend to make yourselves more mystical."

"My name is Sirena Lovel. I suppose the fact that I always hid from you made it a little less obvious as to who I was." Her pouty come-hither lips curved beautifully up towards him as her cheeks darkened with a gentle blush.

"I remember a Lovel. He had syphilis if I'm not too shabby with my memory." He watched her nod. "I also remember that Sirena is Greek for seductress. You might not know of why you may have been named that, now would you?" He moved closer, towering over her small voluptuous frame. She only beamed back up at him.

"My tribe gave me the name when we were traveling through New York as a teenager. I was originally called Kezzy but that is a name they use for the runt. We put on shows for the more mature audiences of that land. Belly-dancing was popular. I was just a simple dancer."

"Belly-dancing? So in a way you were a respectable stripper. Interesting." He smiled as she looked down trying to hide her reddening face. "Perhaps you could give me a private show." Suddenly his face hardened, his flirting going to the darkest region of his mind only to be replaced with utter concern. "You're bleeding..."

Sirena looked down to see blood rolling down her wrists and ankles, the glint of her golden bracelets suddenly tinged with crimson. She looked back up at House without even the slightest bit of worry in her expression. She let out a sigh and slumped forward into his chest. House quickly grasped her and began to lie her down onto the soft grass, his cell in hand with panic easily determined in his face.

"Stay with me Sirena..." He whispered as he felt her pulse slowly dying away.

"Ace of Spades, Dr. House... Ace of Spades..." She whispered as her eyes began to fade away.

((Author's Note: I am of Roma decent so I decided that a little heritage could be used in this one. Get ready for some freaky stuff! R&R, sorry so short this time!))