Okay so, Nickelback was amazing and that was two days ago, and then yesterday I didn't write fanfiction because I was too busy reading the new Harry Potter book. I finished it because I am insane. I won't say what I thought because I don't know who hasn't read it yet that reads my authors notes.

Also, today is the one year anniversary of a friends of mines death. So yeah. This chapter may have a depressing feel at the end, and that's probably why. Sorry. Some reviews would amke me smile.

Chapter 22: Wishbone and Little Lost Girls

The group trouped outside and paused in front of the two cars parked out front.

"We're going to have to split up." Matt pointed out.

Allison, Shi, and Ellie all grouped together, Shi pulling on House's arm so he was standing with them.

"El, you're driving."

"Why?" she demanded crossly.

"Because I said so." Shi grinned at Allie's reply. The men had already climbed into their car with no protest.

"Can we go?" House asked the three sisters. "I'm hungry."

They all sighed and rolled their eyes in perfect unison but got in the car. Shi rode shot gun and Allie and House were in the back.

Soon they were speeding into Chicago music blaring. Nicky was driving in front of them and Ellie pulled up next to him for a second so the girls could childishly stick their tongues out at him as they passed.

"Wow. Aren't all of you adults?"

"So?" Allison grinned at him eyes dancing.

"We're always children in Chicago anyway. We can't help it." Ellie turned onto a side street and parked, cursing under her breath.

"Nice." House commented hearing her swears.

"I thought so." Ellie replied. She shut off the engine and paused at the onslaught of oncoming cars, not wanting to open her car door and have it get hit.

"So…" House regarded the three women in the car. "You" he pointed to Ellie. "Swear like a sailor. But you" he pointed at Allison "don't. And you-" Shi looked at him. "Barely speak at all, so I can't really say what you do. What's up with that?"

"Family life style" Ellie replied. "Even though we're all related I lived with my mother and had the most normal childhood out of the three of us. Allie was stuck there for four years and had to follow their rules and was also surrounded by small children. Shi was pretty much considered invisible."

"It was fun though." Shi commented. They got out of the car and headed for the rest of their group. "I never had to spend a lot of time with them." Allison shook her head and stepped inside Wishbone.

House looked around the building in surprise. It was big, but was painted warm colors and he had to do a double take when he saw some of the paintings.

Allison caught his surprised look and smiled. "The paintings always catch everyone's eyes."

Indeed, it was true. They were of different animals, mostly farm. There was one of a chicken with eggs as clouds while he was laying eggs into what appeared to be water. Another was of a dog and a – cow? He wasn't sure what the other one was under an apple tree with a snake, which House could only figure to be a representation of Adam and Eve.

"Interesting."

She smiled at him. "We used to practically live at this restaurant."

"What happened?" Allison gestured for him to walk with her as they followed a star-struck server to their table.

"Rory was born. My dad used to have an apartment here a few blocks away. When Rory was born they decided that she needed a back yard and that they city wasn't where they wanted to raise a child or something." House watched Cameron as she spoke. Her voice was clear and devoid of emotion, but he could see the bit of hurt that her eyes held.

Over brunch the group had a great time. The girls focused their attention on Matt and Nicky and mercilessly teasing them, while Foreman and Chase were taunted by House with Cameron interrupting from time to time.

They were standing up to leave when it happened. Siobhan and Allison immediately tensed in a reaction he had seen before at Ed's. Ellie winced and Matt and Nicky sighed. Allison and Shi subconsciously moved closer to P.J. and their brothers.

House recognized the man as her father, but not the woman he was with. House watched as he greeted his children with hugs and bright smiles. Even when he saw Allison his eyes didn't seem as cold. The woman standing next to him wasn't smiling.

"I wonder how many mimosas it took to get her out of bed today." Allison muttered under her breath. She was standing next to him and Shi.

"With or without the orange juice?" Shi sassed back just as quiet.

"Dunno. It wouldn't be a mimosa without the orange juice."

"So? She could just add without the orange juice in her head and tell everyone that she had a mimosa for breakfast."

"And add a mimosa plus two or three without the orange juice in her head too?"

"Yeah. That's how it goes." Shi nodded. House looked at the two of them.

"I'll explain in the car." Allison smiled at him. "I have to go be nice, excuse me." With some jostling around by movement of siblings House ended up next to P.J.

"Wasn't this he same man who could care less about Allison when we went to Ed's?" House was sure to keep his voice down, and he surprised himself slightly by using Cameron's first name out loud, but he wanted to know the answer.

P.J. nodded and smiled. "Thomas has always been competing with me for father of the year."

"What?" House looked between the men.

"When Allie was born -" P.J. sighed.

"He didn't want her really. He had his sons and his daughter and his affair, and everything was great for him. I was always the one Allie went to for advice or help, or any stuff that she wanted to talk about. He didn't want her, but he didn't want me to have her. Same goes for Shi, which I can maybe understand more, because she's my dead wife's ex-husbands daughter. So, when he sees one of them with one of the older siblings or me, he suddenly acts like he was Daddy of the Year. Allie's my little lost girl. Shi too, but not as bad."

"Little lost girl?" House raised an eyebrow.

"Psychiatrist term. Allie grew up attempting to be invisible. She was always the one sibling you could find after a fight. She would be off in her room 'thinking' or reading. Allie hated being drawn into reality and she didn't bother to get upset when something happened. If she was disappointed or if someone had forgotten something she acted like it didn't matter anyway. She was always the shy one. One of the favorite things she used to tell me is 'if you don't trust you don't get hurt'." P.J. shifted from one foot to the other watching the small family reunion.

"Tom made Allie see a psychiatrist after her mothers' death. This is what she said. Some of it's not off the mark that much. The psychiatrist also made the other siblings come in once or twice. She labeled the four of them."

House watched the siblings.

"Ellie is the good child, the one who all the praise was thrown upon, the" here P.J. made air quotes "'hero'." House could see Ellie nodded and he could see her father talking to her animatedly.

"Matt and Nicky are both the mascot. The ones who are always making everyone laugh, making sure that the attention is on the laughter not on what was going on in their lives." House turned his attention to the brothers who were laughing, and at one point tickling Shi.

"Allie and Matt are both problem children because Allie is the scapegoat, and Matt is the only one who ever really will speak the absolute truth. Allie is the caretaker, which means she looks after the emotional well being, which they all do actually, but Allie looked after the physical well being of the younger ones too. She made sure that they were all fed and dressed and had their homework done, and anything else a mother would do. And, she's my little lost girl, the one who's always hiding." House could see that in Allison Cameron.

Quiet and nice Cameron was, but there was the underlying stuff that House had never really thought about. She had never been the one talking too loudly or trying to upset anyone. She brushed off emotional pain or hid it until she was by herself.

Apparently the 'hellos' were over and Cameron appeared back next to him, face calm and emotionless. "Let's get out of here."

The rest of the family followed out, and House watched Cameron, P.J.'s words still ringing in his ears. He thought that he knew how damaged she was, but all of this went beyond anything he ever could have dreamed up.

All of that I got from Wikipedia after I googled Dysfunctional Family. I read it. Ha. I could be considered a "Lost Child" too. Also got this from there: A lot of actors and writers are 'lost children' who have found a way to express emotions while hiding behind their characters. Yep. I could be doing that now. Whatever. Review!