Chapter 10

Destructive Behavior

He left her class, wondering how she was going to get home, but knew that Flynn was forever resourceful. House put in a long water-dripping-tortuous day, not getting out of the hospital until six pm. By the time he got home, she was in the kitchen with two other women, one apparently her age, the other a little older, both pretty and, from their ring fingers, available.

Flynn sprang forward and grabbed his arm, hooking hers through it. "Greg! Meet Anne and Kathy, they're anxious to meet the legend of PPTH."

House studied Anne, the younger one with the light brown, almost blonde, hair. She had a round, but petite face with hazel eyes. Her smile showed that she was nervous and self-conscious. Her breasts were larger than Flynn's; her waist narrower and hips slightly wider. She wore a ribbed red sweater and flat front brown pants. The older one, Kathy, was a real knockout but with more lines in her face. She had a long torso, a nice even cleavage which bubbled up just under her tunic. She had on leggings that showed off her long calves and sweet ankles. House was divided between the two. Anne was younger but not quite as beautiful as the older Kathy.

"How did you get in?" House asked Flynn.

"You're brilliant, but not very smart. A key on the door ledge?"

The doorbell rang, Flynn jumped up and ran to the door, opening it and motioning for Wilson to come inside. "Good to see you again James, come on inside, meet my friends."

Wilson, dressed in a silky looking sweater and slacks, walked through to the kitchen and was introduced to the women.

Flynn announced to everyone. "I took the liberties of ordering Chinese for us to eat. I also made Martinis."

The girls oooohed with delight. They all went out to the living room to eat. Flynn sat on the floor with an oversized pillow under her. Flynn watched as House hooked up with Kathy, which she knew he would. He talked the big talk about younger women, but in the end, he always connected with the woman who challenged him and made him laugh the most. Kathy was doing a good job of both. Flynn watched and felt a shot of jealousy zing through her. Was she jealous of Kathy or jealous that they were enjoying each other and she had no one?

The drinking had started earlier in the afternoon, with the girls stopping by a local bar before making their way home to the apartment. Alcohol consumption increased as Wilson connected with Anne and Kathy with House, leaving Flynn the odd man out. Done with her meal, she got up to go to the bathroom and, after brushing her teeth, took the second door into the bedroom. She undressed and crawled into the bed, falling asleep on House's pillow.

It was another half hour before House realized that Flynn hadn't returned from the bathroom. He got up, indicated he needed the bathroom and went to find her. Poking his head into the bedroom, he could hear her deep breathing, meaning he'd either have to move her or convince Kathy to take him back to her place if he wanted some action.

Christ, once again, she interferes with my life. I can't even screw in my own bed. "Damn it, Flynn, you're supposed to be on my sofa, not in my bed!"

She opened one eye, her voice slipping out in one long, moan, "Oh, Greg. Come and keep me warm, I'm cold."

He picked up a book and threw it at her.

"Owww! What was that for?"

"For introducing me to someone and then making it impossible for me to screw her."

She sighed. "I'll go! You can have your bed to…to…to…"

"Screw."

"Yeah." She forced herself up and out of the bed, "Okay, don't worry. Just give me a few minutes." She turned and looked at him. "Go on! Leave!"

He went back out to the living room, smiling across at Kathy, who answered his smile with hers. Grabbing a bottle of Taliskers, he joined her on the sofa while Wilson continued to sit on the floor talking to Anne who was ensconced in the chair. About ten minutes later, he looked up just in time to see Flynn flying through the living room and out the door.

Wilson looked at House, "Was that Flynn?"

House nodded.

"Where is she going? It's ten-thirty and she's drunk." Kathy asked.

House grimaced, pulling himself up and hobbling as fast as he could out the door to the curb. His breath rolled around in wisps of clouds and his body started to shiver. He saw her crossing the street towards a parked car as a guy jumped out, grabbed her and kissed her. It was the kind of kiss that reeked of sex. The driver's hands were crawling all over her as their bodies pressed into each other. Staring, House couldn't make out the man very well; he was facing away from him. Frustrated, he ran as fast as he could towards them as Flynn started to pull away from the guy to get in the car.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" House yelled out.

The couple stopped and turned, somewhat surprised.

House looked at Flynn, "Who is this?"

She looked at the guy and then at House, "He's uh…he's Edwin…uh."

The man was annoyed, "Edward Lowe. Who are you?"

Flynn smiled and wrapped her arms around the man, whom House could see now was several years younger than Flynn and quite handsome. "He's my cousin, the one I told you about."

The guy looked around, "The one who told you to get out of his bed so he could screw your friend?" He turned to House, "Why are you out here?" The man emphasized the question with a quick peck on Flynn's lips.

House furrowed his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes, feeling the frustration and anger he always felt around Flynn, "You're going with him? You don't even know his last name."

She hissed, "Well, you don't know Kathy's last name! What's good for the goose is good for the gander."

She was right; he didn't know her last name. He shook his head, "Yeah, but she comes with references. You're just going to go off with this guy?"

Now Flynn was frustrated, throwing her arms down, "You're the one who threw me out. Come on Edwin, let's go."

"Edward."

Flynn smiled. "Edward." She ran around the car and got in.

Edward looked at House and shrugged his shoulders. "Hey man, she's hot…and famous. What can I say?"

Annoyed, House started to say something, but nothing came out. Edward got into the car and they drove off. Going back into his apartment, he walked over to Kathy.

"Where is she?"

"She went off with Edward Lowe."

The two women looked at each other with trepidation. Kathy shook her head, "That guy is bad news. We tried to warn her about him. Our friend dated him and he ended up …" Kathy stopped and closed lips tight.

House stared, his curiosity in overdrive. "What? He ended up what?"

"He cracked her rib and gave her a black eye. But, not at first, he was nice to her in the beginning."

House didn't show it, but he felt his anxiety level rise. Kathy was saying something about John Coltrane's, My Favorite Things, but he wasn't paying attention.

"Greg? Did you hear me?"

He guessed, "Yeah, it's one of my favorite pieces."

"I asked you if you had it."

He got up and found the CD, putting it on; they all sat around and listened. But, House kept worrying, pissed that he had woke Flynn up. Once again, if he had just left her alone, she wouldn't be in a predicament, running off with men. House went back to seducing Kathy who ended up staying overnight.

When Kathy went home, he acted nonchalant, as if he wasn't concerned about Flynn's absence from his sofa. In reality, the guilt felt like a suffocating weight on his chest. The day was spent watching Tiger Woods go to the top of the leader board on another tournament followed by a dvd of Suzie Homewrecker in sexual gymnastics he doubted he could have done even in his prime. As soon as A Tale of Two Titties was over, he ordered Chinese and went to bed with his new medical journal. He didn't hear from Flynn for two days, not until he got the call.

He recognized her voice immediately, "Can you come and get me?"

House sat up. Damn, 7:30 on a Sunday morning? He could kill her, "Where are you?"

"Uh, just a second…"

He could hear drawers opening and closing and then she picked up the receiver again.

"I'm at the Red Bull Inn, Bridgewater. Do you know it? It says that it's on route 22."

"Bridgewater! Bridgewater? Christ, what are you doing in Bridgewater?"

Flynn hesitated, he sounded really upset. Truth was, she didn't know how she ended up in Bridgewater; it was all a blur. She tried to think.

The pause was deafening. House shook his head, "Okay, this is it. This is the last time I drop everything for you. Do you understand?"

She had a sneaking suspicion he didn't mean it, after all they were cousins and friends and lately there had been something else, but she went along. "Okay, I'll be waiting outside."

"Too cold, just wait in your room."

She stammered, "Uh, I don't want to. I'm afraid he'll wake up."

"Edward?"

More silence.

"No…this guy. He looks a little rough around the edges and he carries a huge knife."

House put his hand to his forehead. "You don't even know who he is?"

"No, but he'd make a good character in a Quentin Tarantino movie."

"Great, when I need to cast one I'll be sure to audition him. Wait in the lobby; it'll be about forty-five minutes."

"Thanks, Greg." The phone went dead.

Pulling into the Red Bull Motel, he noted that it was a well kept two story brick motel with two buildings of rooms. She ran out from the lobby and jumped into the passenger side, grinning. Leaning over, she gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you, bro." Another sheepish grin.

He sighed. She was dressed in levis that hung down around her hipbone, five sizes too big and a man's shirt, extra large, the sleeves rolled up to her wrists.

"Where's your coat?" he asked.

She shrugged, "I don't know."

"Whose clothes are those?"

She motioned for him to drive. "That's why we have to get out of here now; they belong to the Quentin Tarantino protégé. I couldn't find mine."

House stared at her for a few seconds, not sure what that meant, but then, he didn't want to know. He started the car and they headed for his apartment.

"Your purse?"

She shrugged. "I think my purse is at your apartment. I think."

House didn't remember her carrying a purse the other night when she was kissing Edward, so maybe she was right. "Do you remember anything from the last two nights?"

She didn't want to answer; he wasn't going to be happy with the answer, "No, not really."

"Did you use needles?"

She growled, "No needles, I don't do needles. "

"A condom?"

"Condom?" she looked up at the ceiling of the car as if the answer was magically written up there. "I think so."

He was so frustrated with her; he wanted to dump her on the side of the road. She's not my responsibility, not my responsibility. They drove for fifteen minutes through the gray haze of the winter morning without talking and then he glanced over; she was almost asleep so he shook her, "I'm going to take you in for a physical. You need blood work to see if you caught any coodies."

She rolled over on her side, head on the door. "Fine. I'll come in tomorrow, I need some sleep now." She knew he was simmering, angry at her for more than just getting him up on a Sunday.

He was quiet, stone cold quiet. When they pulled up to the curb, he parked and got out, going inside his apartment and not bothering to wake her. She woke up and followed him in a few minutes later.

Flynn went up behind him, putting her arms around his neck as he sat watching golf on TV. "I really do have to buy a car to use around here. Can you come with…" Her mouth snapped shut. She realized asking him to do her a favor now would not sit well. She switched gears, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "I really, really, really, do love you. You're my knight in shining armor."

House looked in her eyes and saw her soul, her adoration. She was worried, upset that he was angry with her. She looked fragile, eyebrows knitted, lips pursed, as if his approval meant something to her. He shook his head, turning back to the television. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that with that one look, he had forgiven her. The fact that he had set her on this path so many years ago weighed heavily and colored all of his feelings for her. He was quick to respond to her needs and forgive her trespasses, mostly because he wanted so much for her to forgive him for something she didn't even remember.