AUTHOR'S Note: Apologies to all reviewers who have said such nice things about this story. Real Life has intervened this weekend with extended visit from family. I have not been available to answer your letters of encouragement, since these guys of mine come first. So-o-o … I'm not sure if you'll see this as a threat or a promise, but … "I'll Be Baa-ack!!!"

Bets;)

Chapter 7

"Ticket For an Aero-plane Ride"

Julie Wilson pulled the Avalon into the long-term parking area at Kennedy International, lifted a large travel-all valise from the trunk and hit the remote to lock things up. She'd made the call as soon as she'd heard Jimmy's pickup leave the garage. If she managed to get to the airport before one o'clock, she could book a one-way ticket to Denver on the first connecting flight out. If what she was looking for was not there, she could always return to Princeton at a later date. Maybe. She gave them a credit card number and rang off. If Jimmy ever wanted to find her bad enough, he could always check the card. But she doubted that would ever be the case.

After packing a few necessities, some easy care clothing and other important articles into the hefty travel bag, she found Jim's keys to the Avalon on the kitchen table, tossed them into her purse, took a final look around this "no-longer-a-home" and locked the back door behind her. She got into the car and took off fast. She was going to be a long long way from here when he got home from work tonight. There would be no harsh words, no recriminations, no tears, and most of all, no pleas for an eleventh-hour reconciliation.

Julie sighed heavily. Who the hell was she kidding? More than likely Jim would go running to Gregg House's apartment when he found out what she'd done, looking for a hand to hold or a shoulder to cry on, or for that matter, both. They were so "there" for each other! Damned if she knew what was going on between the two of them, and truth be told, she was certain she didn't want to know. It was no longer her concern.

She would miss being married to Jim. He was even-tempered, responsible, an attentive and attractive companion, and certainly a man who was brilliant, funny, and a joy to be with …

…except where Gregory House was concerned! When Gregg's name was added to the equation, the balance changed like a bat-out-of-hell in his favor. She had stopped fighting it a long time ago. They were joined at the hip, and Jim "took care" of Gregg, because it was obvious Gregg would not … or could not … take care of himself.

Gregg's leg injury, years before she'd met him, had left him very nearly a full-time cripple, and impeded by constant pain. God knew no one deserved that, but Gregg had learned to play it like a violin, intentionally or not. Probably not, but his pain had made him whiny.

Jim, being the bleeding heart that he was, had fallen very easily into the trap of making himself responsible, not only for aiding Gregg in maintaining his unpredictable health issues, but seeing to it that every time Gregg turned wrong or went into leg spasms, or hurt himself in some other usually stupid manner, Jim gravitated to him like straight pins to a magnet.

Julie had witnessed more than a few instances with Gregg House back on crutches, battling yet another injury of indiscretion, ashen-faced, but hanging on with stubborn determination not to let the thing whip him. She'd had to admire him for that, but those instances always took her husband from her and sent him flying to Gregg's side, mindless of anything else, silently supporting, literally hands-on; being there in case Gregg needed him.

Julie often wondered if Gregg had any idea of the toll his disability was taking on his best friend. She thought not. Or he didn't care. His infarction had made him thoughtless of others, especially sweet James Wilson, who would have gladly given his soul to have his best friend back the way he was before.

In the end, in order to put Gregg's dependence on Jim behind her, she'd had to put Jim behind her as well. It was sad but true, and she was so sick of being portrayed as the shrewish wife by Jim's colleagues at PPTH. They didn't much care for the acerbic Gregory House as he was now, but they cared for her even less.

Julie was ready for something different. She had old college friends in Denver; people she was crazy about, but hadn't seen for years. They'd bugged her often to come out there, but something always turned up: job obligations, home responsibilities. Jim's reluctance to leave Gregg long enough to come with her, had always intervened.

Damn both of them!

Now she was ready to create her own freedom with the chance for a new life and a new start. Julie could feel her optimism mounting steadily. If things turned out the way she thought they might, she would send for her belongings and never return to New Jersey again. She could call the Toyota dealer who'd sold her the car and have him pick it up here at the airport, put it back on his lot and sell it.

The divorce could be handled through a Denver attorney just as easily as from the law offices of old friend Ben Broadhearst back in Plainsboro. She could fax the papers to Ben, and he could call Jimmy to go to his office and sign them. End of problem. They would both be free to climb back on the Merry-Go-Round to oblivion …

She picked up her pace toward the terminal. It was 12:45 p.m.

There was no way she could have known what had happened that morning to put a "hold" on the life of her gentle soon-to-be-ex-husband.

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