A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed/added to favorites/subscribed, you are all awesome! I hope you enjoy chapter two!

I have not actually watched every season of House (yet… just 5, 6, 1, and most of 2) So some of the scenes might not be totally accurate, if they aren't let me know and I'll do my best to fix them ^_~

Warnings: mentions of House/Stacy, really, really vague mentions of child abuse

Disclaimer: In no way do I own either House or A Christmas Carol, I am just borrowing them

Stave Two

The First of the Three Ghosts

Or, the Return of Kutner

House jolted awake, everything was silent for a moment, and he couldn't figure out what had woken him. Then a bell tolled, once, deep and melancholy . He frowned, there weren't any bells close enough to the flat that he would be able to hear them.

"House?"

House turned around to see a brightly glowing figure sitting next to his bed, wincing at the light, he growled, "Could you stop glowing?"

"Oh, sure." The figure responded cheerfully. The light dimmed to reveal Kutner.

"Oh great. I'm hallucinating again."

"Not quite. I am the Ghost of Christmas of Christmas Past,"

"Really?" House interrupted.

"No, well yes. Sort of. The other guy is on vacation, so I offered to fill in. I am here to show you why your life sucks, based on your childhood… I think. They didn't really explain like, at all…"

"Great. My life has just become A Christmas Carol. Stupid donor."

Kutner bounced eagerly, "Come on. We've got to get going, this is the fun part!"

"Fun part for who?" House asked.

"Me! It's for your 'welfare' or something, but well, you've seen A Christmas Carol right? Anyway, come on!" Kutner grabbed House's hand a dragged him out of bed, heading towards the window.

"Hang on," Kutner paused and turned back to House, laying his hand upon the living doctors heart, "now we can go." As he said this, Kutner led House forward and they passed through the wall and outside. Everything blurred and seemed to be rushing by at super speed, House caught a brief glance of a Christmas he spent in Egypt and then another when they were in Japan. The world finally stopped moving, and he found himself standing next to Kutner outside the home he had spent the worst years of his childhood in.

A little boy was sitting on the grass a few feet from them, he shivered and gazed longingly at the brightly lit house.

"That's me." House whispered, stepping forward

"He cannot hear or see you, he is merely a spirit of what once was."

"I know that.' House snapped, watching his younger self in fascination.

"Greg!" both looked up, the younger House jumped to his feet and ran to meet his mother.

"John said you could come back inside dear." Blythe told him, wrapping a blanket around the shivering boy.

"That was the first time she stood up to him for me. Actually, it was the only time. She was never brave enough, and despite everything he did, she still loved him."

"I know." Kutner said.

"Can we go?"

"Yes, there is more to see, and the night can only last so long."

These words seemed to be a cue, because suddenly noise filled the air. The bar was crowded, and House smiled as he heard the familiar notes of "Leave A Tender Moment Alone". At the sound of the crashing, House whipped around to see a very drunk Wilson staring in confusion at the mirror he had just broken. Over the noise of the fight that was beginning to erupt House could hear his younger self chuckling. He grinned to himself, remembering how confused Wilson had been later that night when House had bailed him out of jail. House could just hear the sirens approaching when Kutner tapped him on the shoulder, "My time is short, we must go."

"Alright," House agreed, casting a regretful glance backwards. That night, when he had first met Wilson, was possibly one of the best in his life. Things had been so much simpler then.

The next scene was not as bright. House now found himself in his old apartment. All the lights were off, but the TV was on. This House was slumped on the couch, facing the TV but not watching. His face was drawn and gaunt and he had dark circles under his eyes. One hand hovered above his thigh, the other was creeping towards the open Vicodin bottle on the table.

"Greg?" a voice called, and Stacy walked into sight. The younger House did not respond.

Kutner glanced worriedly at his companion who had frozen at the sight of Stacy.

"Greg? Are you ok?" Stacy asked, her voice growing unintentionally harsher as she grew frustrated. Her patience was almost gone.

Completely gone, House knew. He silently willed his younger self to do something, anything.

"Greg," Stacy sighed, sitting down next to him on the couch and carefully placing the lid on the Vicodin bottle, frowning at how few pills were left in the bottle she had picked up the day before. "Are you ever going to be able to forgive me? I've tried so hard to believe that you would, but I don't know that I can keep this up."

House's former self finally responded, he turned to Stacy, fixing her with cold, almost lifeless eyes.

"I don't know that I can," he whispered, voice raspy.

Stacy looked as if she were fighting back the urge to cry, "Aright. That is all I needed to hear. We can't keep fooling ourselves, Greg. If you can't forgive me then this isn't going to work." She stood up, suddenly all business, "I'll come by tomorrow to pick up my stuff." Then she was gone.

"Kutner, please take me home!" House pleaded.

"Alright" Kutner agreed, looking almost sorry for haunting House, even though he knew that it would all be for the best. Hopefully.

House suddenly felt exhausted, and he stumbled back into his own bed, falling asleep immediately.