Chapter 14

House barely had time to look back toward the front door before Victor's rushed outside, holding onto his daughter's arm as she smiled brightly at everyone. Amanda glanced up at them, then immediately got to her feet.

"We've got to go," Victor said, suddenly his overly friendly manner was missing.

"Um," Amanda looked down at House just as Allison hurried through the door to see what was going on. "I'm sorry. We forgot about a previous engagement."

"Amanda, we're going now!" Victor said a bit more insistently.

"Well, happy birthday, Greg," she said as she placed her hand on his shoulder in a gentle caress, but Dee reached up and shoved her hand away. "I hope you keep Baton Rouge in mind. It should be very educational."

"Amanda!"

By now Victor was pulling Tara with him through the gate and past Wilson who was still staring after his wife and their car. Within seconds the entire Becker family was in their car and speeding off in the other direction.

"What the hell was that all about?" House looked at Allison as she stared at him through wide eyes and held her hands up in complete lack of knowledge.

"I don't know," she said as she moved toward him and picked Dee from his lap so he could more easily get to his feet. "We were putting the food away, then James went to look for Jess' doll. It took him a while, so Lisa went to help look for it. The next thing I know, Lisa comes running through the kitchen, then a minute later James ran through and Victor took off toward the other rooms and came back, dragging Tara with him. He looked like he was going to wring her neck for her when he came through the doorway–but of course once he saw that I was still there, he seemed to calm down a bit. Then they stormed out of the house as well."

House stood up and leaned heavily on his cane, seeing that the three boys were getting out of the pool and approaching them, each of them very curious to know what had just happened. They all turned and looked in the direction of the gate as Wilson slowly walked back toward them, his hand running through his hair as he stared at the ground. He stopped where the patio met the grass and slowly looked up at his friend.

"What happened?" House asked quietly.

"I–I. . .I'm not sure, myself!" Wilson was stunned. "It all happened so fast–I don't even know where to begin."

"You can begin with why your wife ran out of my house, grabbed your daughter and drove down the street like a mad-woman."

Allison looked at the torture in Wilson's eyes and reached her hand out to him, heading into the house then into the livingroom. "Tony, get James a drink."

"What can I get for you, Uncle James?" Tony asked with concern.

"Scotch, please." He sat on the sofa and rested his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees.

"Mommy, what's wrong with Unca James?" Dee asked as she nervously stuck her thumb in her mouth and stared Wilson. "Daddy?"

"I don't know," House said as he entered the room with them and took a seat in the chair across from his friend. "That's what I'm waiting to find out."

"I can't tell you–not now!" Wilson looked up at House, then looked at Dee.

"Tony, take Dee upstairs," Allison started to hand her daughter to Tony.

"No–I want Tony here," Wilson told her.

"Okay, I'll take her up," Allison said, but again, Wilson stopped her.

"I need you here as well. I really need you both to know what happened–I need you to believe me–but. . ."

"It isn't something for a three-year-old to hear," House said as he nodded his head in understanding. He then looked at Dean and Ryan, and reluctantly suggested the two boys take his daughter into the playroom and keep her occupied.

Once the boys left the room with Dee, Tony brought the drink back to Wilson then moved to stand close to his mother.

"Okay," Wilson sighed after downing the contents of the glass. "First of all–Allison–Tony–you have to believe me. I swear on my daughter's life that I didn't do anything wrong."

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Allison said as she moved to sit on the sofa next to him. "What happened when you went to look for Jessica's doll?"

"I looked for it in here–but I couldn't find it. So–I went to the bathroom." He took a deep breath and looked at the floor. "I had to take a leak, so I did–but. . .but when I went to wash my hands, I heard something behind me and I turned around, and–well," he looked up at House. "Tara was standing there."

"She watched you urinate?" Allison asked with raised brows, then noticed the way Tony moved to sit in the chair closest to his father's.

"That wasn't all," Wilson said quietly. "She came over and sort of fondled my chest, and when I pushed her hand away, she came back and kissed me. I pushed her away again–but then–but then she. . ."

"Oh," Tony said quietly, bringing all eyes to him.

"What do you mean "oh?" You know something you should be telling us?" House asked in a tone that suggested his son had better spill the beans–now.

"I–uh, well–she. . .um. . ."

"Tony!" Allison scolded him.

"Alright!" He looked back at Wilson. "She tried to go down on you, didn't she?"

"Yes!" Wilson said, almost relieved that Tony had voiced it for him. "I mean, she didn't actually have me out–and it really happened so damn fast–she just dropped to her knees and pressed her mouth to my–my. . ." He looked at Allison with discomfort.

"Yeah–yeah, to your flagpole," House said sarcastically.

"But–I put my hand on her head and was about to shove her away again–when Lisa walked in. I swear to God, if she would have walked in half a second later, she would have found Tara sitting on the floor from where I knocked her."

"And just how did you know this?" Allison asked her son angrily.

Tony immediately turned red under his mother's scrutiny. "I–I, well, she. . .I mean, that's how she got me to take her to the prom."

"Only I take it you didn't shove her away!" Allison's anger was rising.

Tony didn't bother answering as he looked back at Wilson.

"First of all, you're not being judged for doing what any normal teenage boy would do," House said. "So, now we all know you really are sexually active. Big secret. You know the rules. I hope you realized this girl was something you should have worn a heavy-duty condom on."

"Yes," Tony sighed, not wishing to discuss this, but knowing he had to in order to help clear Wilson's name with his wife. "Everyone knows she's well used. So, I didn't even–well–you know."

"No, I don't know." Allison got to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest. "Explain it to me."

"I didn't make love to her, alright?" He asked but when she stared at him unbelievingly, he went on. "We had sex–she would give me oral sex. But I didn't do her–at all."

"And yet you allowed this girl to come into my home." Allison looked at her son with disappointment, then looked back at Wilson. "I'm sorry, James. What can we do to help?"

"Tony needs to let Lisa know what kind of a person she found Wilson with," House said from where he was seated. "Tony–take Wilson home, and explain to Lisa what you just told us."

"Dad," Tony almost whined, not appreciating the idea of filling Lisa in on his sexual activity. "Do I have to tell her what I did?"

"You felt you were adult enough to let her blow your trumpet," House said in a voice that remained calm, but threatening. "Now you can be enough of an adult to help your friend out of a situation that "you" put him in."