Title: James Wilson Got Married

Author: lbc

Pairing: H/W; pre-slash

Disclaimer: I sure wish I owned these guys, but I don't.

Summary: The title says it all.

Gregory House stood apart as he usually did, but even that wasn't far enough. He could still see the look of love on the face of the woman that he had gone to combat with so many times. She had stood up to House; she had saved House's job, but now she had robbed him of his heart.

Lisa Cuddy, wearing a tasteful off white satin suit, looked contented as she smiled into the face of her new husband. Being a small woman she had to look up into her mate's brown eyes. A brief wisp of light brown hair fell over the man's forehead, as it so often had done over the years. They looked . . . so happy. And now, to add to their happiness, the new couple's young child was lifted into Cuddy's arms. The adoration was evident.

House felt his whole body withdraw as he heard a voice introduce the couple. "May I present Dr. and Dr. James Wilson!"

It was a moment in time that Gregory House, best man as usual, had known before but never had it been so painful. He had endured this ritual twice, and now as then, the jealousy roared through him. This time he knew it would be different. No rushing to House when things weren't going well. No midnight calls when House's leg ached so badly that he needed his friend's words just to get through. This time there was a child, and James Wilson, the ever needy, wouldn't leave his new spouse and "his child".

House knew it would look strange, but he didn't give a damn as he turned to walk away from the man who had been his life for twenty years. It was all over and House didn't care what happened next.

Blue eyes sprang open as sweat poured down the bearded face. This dream . . . no nightmare was the worst of all. In the previous scenarios, everything was vague, unsure, but this time House had seen the wedding . . . James Wilson marrying for the fourth time. His leg ached, but his mind ached even more. Looking at the clock, its red images read 3:00. There was time for more sleep, but it would not come. Finally, chilled from his drenching sweat, House got up. Being early for once will really surprise Cuddy, thought House as he limped from his apartment.

Wilson had been playing matchmaker for House and Cuddy, but it hadn't worked. After all, how could the crippled doctor tell his best friend that the person he was interested in was his "bestest buddy"?

Arriving at Princeton-Plainsboro hours before his usual advent, he found Cuddy already there, standing in the lobby as if she were on the prowl for wayward, grouchy doctors.

"Good morning, Dr. Cuddy!" **Might as well paint another portrait of my enigmatic self!**

"Good morning, Dr. House. You certainly are early."

"Of course, my patients need me. Besides, Dr. Wilson needs me for a consult."

Confusion flooded Cuddy's face as she grimaced with an expression that she often showed when she knew she was being had. "You'll have to do better than that House. You know very well that Dr. Wilson left yesterday to go to Boston."

House stopped, hesitating before he turned. He definitely did not remember that, but the name Boston flooded him with foreboding. **Now why would Wilson go to Boston?**

Expecting House to give some clever comeback, Cuddy waited but upon seeing House's obvious confusion, she gently reminded him with great hesitancy, "You haven't forgotten that he's taken on a new practice in Boston, have you?"

House's confused face obviously revealed that he had forgotten. "New . . . practice? When did that happen?"

Cuddy's face flushed as she realized that this was going to be worse than she thought. "Don't you remember? He has to establish his residency in the state before . . . before he can get married?"

"Married?"

"Yes . . ."

"Who?"

A worried look crossed the Administrator's face. How could House forget that his best friend was getting ready to marry Dr. Jeffrey Driscoll?

"House, are you all right?"

"Sure, just slipped my mind . . . you didn't answer me, who's he marrying?"

"Well, Dr. Driscoll."

"JEFFREY DRISCOLL"?

"Of course, you've known about it for weeks; you didn't seem upset, well except for the . . when you hit Dr. Driscoll."

Turning towards the elevators, House mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Should've hit Wilson instead."

"House, are you sure you're all right?"

The diagnostician ignored the question, limping into the elevator. Closing his eyes, the pain was almost unbearable . . . even Stacey's leaving was nothing because Wilson had been there. Now the man he . . . loved was gone.

RIIIINNNNNNNNNG!

House was startled out of his troubled sleep by the alarm. His body was shivering with the terror of the dream. How long was this going to go on? The dreams had started . . . when?

Getting up and preparing for another day, House tried to focus on the moment that this had all begun. For a moment it was lost in a vague mist of mixed memories; then the image came into focus. James Wilson had informed Gregory House of his decision to go to Boston to teach a month long symposium on new methods of dealing with cancer.

Boston meant Jeff Driscoll and Jeff Driscoll meant Wilson first extramarital affair. It had happened just before House had met the younger man at the medical convention and bailed him out. House smiled briefly as he remembered that first meeting; then his memories turned into ashes as he remembered some of the dreams he had been having. The end result of every one of them had been: James Wilson got married.

Sighing, House tried to settle down to work, but that was a farce since there were no new cases. Even visiting Coma Guy and watching his TV failed to divert his thoughts. House knew he had gone around the bend when he found himself, wishing for Clinic duty.

Finally, he wandered, he hoped casually, into the office of James Wilson. There were files piled everywhere and the younger doctor seemed hard at work. "Doing anything?"

Keeping his head bent, Wilson replied, "Gee, thanks for asking. Actually, I've just piled this stuff up so that my replacement can do all this stuff, and I can go for four sun-filled weeks among the 15 inches of snow that Boston is enjoying now."

House flopped down on the sofa as best as he could. "Sounds good; when do you leave?"

"Mid-week, next week, I guess. The weather is playing havoc with scheduling."

"Next week, hmmmm? What are you doing this weekend?"

Wilson thought for a moment then responded, "My mom wants me to attend my Aunt Naomi's wedding. It's her eighth or ninth, but who's counting?"

House's forehead wrinkled as he contemplated being married so many times. "Gee, must run in the family."

Wilson frowned, giving a glare that would have stopped a charging rhino, except this was Gregory House, well-known for his ability to appear oblivious. House stretched out on the sofa, trying to decide what to do. Then, it came to him.

"What time is the wedding?"

"Three o'clock on Sunday, why?"

"Good, we can leave on Friday evening, and that'll give us time to drive down to Atlantic City, visit the casinos, visit the buffets, play around a bit and still get to your Aunt's in time for the wedding."

Wilson's mouth dropped open: House was willing to go to a family wedding? What was going on? Struggling to find an organized thought, Wilson stammered, "How . . . how did you know that my Aunt lives near Atlantic City?"

Frowning at his friend, House voiced his thoughts about Wilson's mentality, "Well, you sent her a card last, what was it . . . Chanukah? It had the address on it . . . Pleasantville, wasn't it?" Mumbling something which sounded very much like the word, moron, House stared at his friend, crossing his eyes as if to say that he wondered about the younger man.

"YOU remembered that from a year ago?

"OF COURSE, what friend doesn't remember their bestest buddy's family members?"

Now, Wilson knew something was amiss. "House, I practically had to drag you to your own dad's funeral, what's going on?"

"Well, you're going to be gone for a month; just thought you might enjoy a weekend at the casinos before participating in the joys of a wedding."

"Oh, come on now. You expect me to believe that?"

House's eyes twinkled, "No, but I thought it was a good excuse to get some gambling in." Standing up, the older man headed towards the door. "'Course, if you don't want to . . . "

"No, no, that'll be okay. The weather doesn't look too good so be prepared. I'll let my mom know."

Just as House closed the door behind him, he announced, "Don't have to; I've already called her. And bring lots of money; you never know if you'll get lucky." Giving one of his quirky smiles, House closed the door.

Only in later moments as Wilson continued to stare into space did the thought come to him, **I wonder what House meant by "playing around a bit"?

HWHWHWHWHWHWHWHW

Wilson's Lexus pulled into the luxury hotel late on Friday evening. The grandeur of the place made him nervous, trying to recall how many credit cards he had brought with him. House had said that he would pick up the tab, but the younger doctor had heard that before.

"Are you sure we've got a reservation?"

"Absolutely, I confirmed it this morning. Don't worry; everything is ready and waiting for us. Fun and games are lurking within those walls of sin and corruption!!!!"

The interior of the hotel proved to be everything that was promised, and House didn't hesitate to register the two men, even spending a few minutes asking the hotel staff about various services provided. Within moments they were on their way to the elevators.

It was not until the attendant opened the door that James Wilson became nervous. It wasn't a suite, but it was a huge room. The attendant was droning on about the Jacuzzi and other amenities, but the only thing that Wilson saw was the super humongous bed. It was a dream, but . . . and this was a rather large but, there was only one of them!!!!

Wilson waited until the attendant left; then raising one eyebrow queried, "Why is there only one bed in the room?"

For a moment House looked at the younger man as if he was used to suffering fools gladly then he pronounced an observation that sent explosions of stars and some blackness before Wilson's eyes.

"It's simple; when people are getting married they sometimes sleep together!"

End of part 1