Greg emerged from his house, flu free, a week later holding a small package of, indeed, Oma's famous cookies to the Wilson's. Blythe had made up an extra special batch and of course a few for Greg and herself (those cookies were quite addicting) as a present to thank them for helping when Greg was ill.

Of course Greg wanted to give the Wilson's the cookies quickly and then head down to the library where he was meeting Lisa. While she was still on the fence about their relationship, with mid-terms coming up, study buddies were always a plus. Though Greg would have been happier if it had just been her and him instead of the whole gaggle of annoying classmates. He felt more like the tutor instead of just the friend. It always seemed like they would hang with them if they had some kind of school work issue. But, that had been typical in his life, so he was used to it.

Not to say that he liked it very much.

Anyway, he trudged over to the Wilson's and rang the doorbell. Hannah appeared.

"Gregory!" She said. "I see you are feeling better, I am glad!"

"Thanks." He said. "My mom wanted to give these to you. It's those cookies James had at my place!"

Hannah smiled.

"Why thank you!" She said. "That will make James very happy."

"Yeah, I'm surprised he's not running around right now like a bull in a china shop."

Hannah gave him a sad smile.

"Oh, James is not feeling well." She said. "He's upstairs in bed."

Now it was Greg's turn to frown.

"He catch some virus or something?" He asked.

Hannah sighed.

"Unfortunately my boy's got the chicken pox." She said. "It had been going around his school."

"Man, I'm sorry." Greg said.

"Oh he'll be just fine." Hannah said. "But because of Danny still being a baby, James has to stay upstairs. He also can't go outside to play either. David, he had it when he was James's age, played with him a little bit but he also went to a friends house for the day to work on a school project. It's made him quite down on top of being itchy and tired."

"Yeah, I had the chicken pox too when I was little." Greg said.

"You did?" Hannah said surprised.

"Yeah, my mom said I practically had to bathe in Calomine lotion." He said. "She was ready to put mittens on my hands to keep me from scratching."

Hannah smiled.

"Greg?" She asked. "Could you do something for me?"

Gregory shrugged.

"Sure."

"Well, could you go sit with James for a bit?" She asked. "I think a visit from you is just the thing he needs to make him feel better."

Greg should have suspected as much.

"I mean if you are in the middle of something, I don't want to keep you." Hannah pleaded. "I know you are quite busy. James is going to be out of school until Wednesday, but if you can visit him sometime that would be wonderful."

Greg sighed.

"Well, I guess I could see him for a few minutes today." He said. "I got mid-terms coming up so I got a lot of studying to do during the week, but I got some time right now."

Hannah smiled and let Greg walk further inside. After kicking off his boots he headed upstairs with Hannah in the lead.

James was definitely a sour puss today and with good reason. He felt crummy and his whole body had spots that were constantly scratchy. His daddy had said not to scratch them and it made him very frustrated. He couldn't go outside to play, he had to take icky medicine, wear pink, PINK, cold cream on his spots, even the ones on his face, and he had to stay in his room so his baby brother didn't catch it and get sick. James's mommy said the chicken pox could make his brother so sick he would have to go to the hospital.

"Chicken pox is a stupid name." He muttered crossing his arms. "I didn't even touch a chicken. They should call them itchy pox instead."

There was knock on his door and his mommy appeared.

"How are you feeling honey?" She asked walking in.

"Yucky." He said.

"Are you itching?" She asked feeling his head.

"No." James said not wanting to be covered in that cream again. Unfortunately the spots on his arm decided to do otherwise and James couldn't help but try to scratch.

Hannah gave him a look and reached for the lotion.

"Arm please."

James pouted and dropped his arm into his mommy's hand where she rolled up the sleeve and slathered the lotion on it.

"I don't like chicken pox mommy!" James cried out. "They are no fun!"

Hannah smiled.

"Well how would you feel if I told you I have a surprise for you?" She said.

James's pouty face went away.

"Is it ice cream?" He asked.

Hannah shook her head.

"Cookies?"

"No." She said. "One more guess."

James thought hard.

"Umm...an airplane!" He said excitedly.

Hannah chuckled.

"No silly." She said tapping his nose. "Something much better!"

She turned to the door.

"You can come in!"

James thinking it was his daddy was thrown for a loop when he saw who walked in.

"GREG!" He yelled. "You're here!"

"Hey." Greg said nonchalantly.

James jumped out of bed and grabbed Greg at the waist for a hug.

"I didn't see you cuz you were sick!" He exclaimed. "And now I got sick and I can't come out to play. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Greg said wishing the kid would loosen his death grip. Though he had to admit he felt bad for the boy. He was practically covered in those spots and he smelled heavily of the lotion.

"Greg had the chicken pox when he was little and its very hard to get it again, so that's why he can visit today!" Hannah said. "He wanted to make you feel better."

James's eyes lit up like stars.

"So Gregory can play with me today?" The boy asked happily.

"Only for a little while." Hannah said. "He has things he needs to do for school just like your brother. Maybe a quick game or a story. In the meantime, I think I'll go downstairs and see if I can scrounge up a snack!"

Hannah winked at Greg as she left the room. James meanwhile pulled Greg towards his bed.

"I got lots of games!" He said releasing himself from Greg and digging under his bed. "I got "Don't Break the Ice" and "Pick Up Sticks." I have puzzles too! We can build one together!"

Greg rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you want Wilson." He said. "Sick people get first pick."

James decided on a jigsaw puzzle. A medium sized picture of the world. He sat down on the floor and opened the box. Then he dumped all of the pieces out.

"Come on Greg!" He said. The teenager reluctantly got down on the floor and looked at what they were working with. It was a 50 piece puzzle, so it shouldn't take them that long to complete. He figured he would be able to complete the puzzle thus making James happy and then heading down to the library.

"Okay, I think this goes here!" James said to himself but not quiet enough that Greg didn't hear. James put the pieces together correctly and when he did he made a great big smile at Greg. Greg smiled lightly and put some pieces together himself.

"Wow you are really good at puzzles!" James said seeing as how Greg had already put together six pieces.

"I have a few." He said.

"I bet you can make a gajillion piece one!" James said with a big flourish. "You're really smart!"

Greg chuckled.

"You are pretty bright yourself." He said.

There was a knock at the door and Hannah reappeared carrying a tray of cookies and milk.

"Greg's mommy made these for us." She said happily.

"The nut cookies!" James exclaimed. "Wow!"

"Yeah because your dad came over to check up on me when I was sick."

"That was very nice of Greg and his mom, what do we say!"

"Thank you!" James said already having stuffed a cookie in his mouth. If Blythe and Oma had seen that, it would have reminded them instantly of Gregory at that age.

Greg found himself indeed having a bit of fun making the puzzle with James. He got so lost in it that he completely forgot the time. About two hours had passed when the puzzle had been completed.

"We did it!" James exclaimed. "Yay!"

Greg smiled.

"Good job." He said then glanced at the clock.

"CRAP!" He yelled then he looked at James.

"Uh, don't repeat that!" He said. "I'm sorry Wilson, but I really gotta go! I am late!"

"Awww!" James said with a pout. "Really?"

Greg picked his jacket up off the floor.

"Yeah, sorry kid." He said. "I got school stuff that I gotta do like your brother does!"

"Okay." James said sadly. "Will you come play with me again soon?"

Greg zipped up his jacket and upon seeing James's sad face felt guilty, though he tried to swallow it.

"Yeah...I will." He said and ran out the door.

Greg made it to the library and saw Lisa packing up her books. The look on her face said he was in big trouble.

"Lisa!" He yelled. "Hey!"

"SHHHH!" The librarian shushed him. They were actually getting ready to close up.

Ignoring the old lady librarian he ran over to Lisa and tried to kiss her cheek, but she backed away.

"You're late." She whispered. "Everyone has gone already."

"Yeah I see." Greg said trying to catch his breath. "I'm really sorry!"

"You're always sorry." Lisa said angrily and began walking quickly out the door.

"I can really explain!" He pleaded. "Look my neighbors kid has the chicken pox and his mom wanted me to spend time with him. I just lost track."

Lisa turned around once they were outside.

"If its not your neighbors, then its the university, if its not the university, then you just don't want to go. Why don't you be honest and tell me why you really didn't want to hang out today?"

Greg sighed admitting defeat.

"Look I did." He said. "I just...every time we hang with your-

"Our." Lisa corrected.

"No, YOUR friends." He said. "They...look...they just aren't my kind of crowd. I don't like being everyone's study notes. Then you guys just want to go some lame movie or a boring party and brag about cars and gossip about unimportant junk. That's just not my thing."

Lisa made a face.

"But a five year old is your kind of crowd? She exclaimed. "Stoned out college students and stuffy old professors are?"

Greg had to admit building a jigsaw puzzle with James and being able to argue with a professor trumped a lot of typical teenage social activities.

"I am just...not like everyone else." He said. "And I don't want to be. I don't like it."

Lisa gave him a look.

"Well, maybe that's your problem Greg." She said. "And I guess you don't want someone like me either who enjoys kinds of things you hate."

Greg sighed tiredly.

"Come on Lisa." He said trying to approach her. "This is not fair. I honestly have done things that you like and I don't. I can't spend every minute of the day when I am not in school doing the same routine that you and your friends enjoy. I can't help it that my family and the Wilson's see James and I as best friends. The Wilson's are nice people. Their son is a bit strange I guess for wanting to hang out with me, but he's not a bad kid.

He took a breath.

"I like going to the college and learning things that are much cooler than at our stupid high school. Not all of the students are drugged up either. They are just their to learn. The girls there to want to do more than our mom's wanted to do at their age."

Wrong thing to say.

"And how would you know that?" She asked furiously. "Been seeing a few on the side I guess. Shouldn't be surprised seeing as how they are 'your crowd'."

Now Greg felt himself getting annoyed.

"Yeah sure, some twenty something college chick is gonna want to screw a fifteen year old high school freshman." He said. "You really are naïve if you think that. No, I didn't see a few on the side. They are allowed to talk in class or has history taught us nothing."

He then gave her a look.

"And stop acting like you're all innocent." He said. "I see the way you look at the big bonehead of a baseball player in our little study group. I know he's been trying to get in your good graces and you don't seem to be fighting him off!

"At least he pays attention to me, even as just my friend, unlike you!" She argued.

"Again, has the word naive ever once entered your mind?" Greg asked. "That guy is a bonafide hormone factory. All he wants to do is get lucky! And you're certainly leading him in the right direction by acting like such a great friend. "

"I am not naive!" She yelled. "Except for thinking that you and I should be a couple. I must have been out of my mind! You're nothing but a weirdo just like everyone said you were."

Greg became red in the face and decided to quote an old movie.

"Well, you're no prize either sweetheart!"

Lisa gasped and struck him, albeit rather weakly across the cheek. Guess she never saw the movie.

"We're through!" She yelled. "I never want to talk to you or see you again!"

And with that she walked furiously away, but not before she heard.

"SAME GOES WITH YOU!" He yelled. "AND BY THE WAY YOUR COOKING STINKS!"

It was always with the same with Gregory House. He had to get the last word in.