Team a little team for me

"Happy with your team?" Nyx asked House.

"Yeah, there is already a competition going on between the boys and the girls," House smiled happily.

"And all are ganging up on Taub," Nyx suggested.

"More or less," House agreed. "But he did rather offer himself up on a silver platter with an apple in his mouth."

"Am I supposed to really believe you didn't read the results?" Nyx demanded.

"I don't care what you believe," House shrugged. "If I know then that is just to satisfy my own curiosity. As far as Taub and the hospital goes the bets are off and the paternity of the kids is nobody's business."

"What if he wants to know later on?" Nyx queried.

"The DNA is at his disposal at regular intervals," House reminded her. "He can do the test any time he wants."

"Do you think he will?" was the next question.

"No," House mused. "I think he made peace with his doubts. The kids are adorable and he is inclined to adore. He knows the situation and knows he is ok with the uncertainty."

"You wouldn't be," Nyx stated.

"No," House agreed. "But then, I always want to know. What I do with the knowledge may vary depending on the case, but I always want to know. That's how I'm built."

"And this time you chose just to know and not share," Nyx concluded.

"That is a possibility," House nodded. "If I read the results, that is."

"So the baby-issue is over?" Nyx most definitely wasn't making a statement.

"The parentage is," House said. "But other than that, as long as I can torment Taub with them, I will. I'm sure they will provide endless amusement to us all."

"You really are a cruel man," Nyx smiled.

"But I am what Taub chose," House pointed out. "It isn't like he didn't already know me and know what I would do."

"True," Nyx admitted. "But why just Taub? Surely Chase going surfing for a year is worth a comment or two as well?"

"In time," House didn't deny it. "But nothing he did compares with knocking two women up at the same time! And Taub is a doctor, he should know better."

"True," Nyx nodded. "But then, there are plenty of things doctors ought to know better. Like taking drugs, smoking, drinking, driving while under influence… shall I go on?"

"Shut up," House told her. "I got the point. And I will get around to Chase in time."

"So you think the dynamics in your team are working for you?" Nyx partly changed the subject.

"Yep," House smiled. "The girls will naturally side with each other, partly because they're both girls, partly because they're new and partly because they have already worked together and have started adjusting to each other. Same with the boys. But nobody is so invested in their 'partnerships' that they won't be able to work together with anyone and – when need be – they can change sides quite easily. I think I have done well with them. Especially as none of them are into moral outrage."

"But you need moral outrage sometimes," Nyx pointed out.

"So I do," House was in agreement with her. "But that's why Foreman is there."

"He didn't used to be," Nyx pondered.

"No," House said. "When he was part of my team I needed him mostly as a doctor, but he did moral outrage even then. Except when I had Cameron, who got that covered in spades. Now that he is an administrator he is of no use to me medically so he has to provide the moral outrage. Or remind me of what I can legally do."

"Are you relying on him to keep you out of prison?" Nyx frowned.

"Nobody can keep you out of prison if you don't co-operate," House scoffed. "But I do rely on him to help. And cover up for me when possible, I do admit that. He will do that as long as I'm curing the patients."

"You don't think he is helping you out of friendship?" Nyx wanted to know.

"There is no friendship," House stated. "He used to work for me, now I work for him. And even if there was a friendship, he can't go against the board and as soon as I stop being useful for the hospital someone from the board is going to try and put me back in."

"And still you risk it all to perform risky procedures," Nyx sighed.

"My first responsibility is to my patient," House said. "If I fulfil that, then I'm probably ok myself, too."

"And while you wait, you screw with Foreman and get Wilson to agree things he doesn't know he is agreeing to," Nyx concluded.

"Why not?" House asked. "It's not like I really need to go out of my way to get him all worked up. He does a very good job of it all by himself."

"Was it really worth not going home for four days?" Nyx asked. "Or is that just the story you're telling yourself."

"Are you asking if I devised this game just to have a face saving reason to stay here and not to go home?" House demanded.

"Yes," was the simple reply.

"When there are only two places you can go to," House considered. "You need to make the most of them. There's not much I can do about my home: it is what it is. I can't redecorate as I'm not allowed to go shopping. I can't invite friends other than Wilson as I don't have any. I can't go for long drives either in my car or on my bike – that's just not allowed. I'm ok with my home; it is what it has been for years and I have no problem with staying home alone for number of days. But even when you're ok with something, you still feel itchy when you know you have no choice about it. So creating games that you can play within the parameters you have been given is a way to alleviate the itch. If I can drink, watch TV and listen to the noises people make at home or I can do the same here, in the hospital, while screwing with Foreman why shouldn't I choose the latter?"

"I see," Nyx sighed. "Is the garage door you installed in the same category?"

"Partly," House concurred. "But screwing with Wilson – especially when he thinks he knows what I'm doing – is always extra satisfying."

"I really don't know why you two are friends," Nyx shook her head. "I mean, I sort of understand, there is a connection between you that is rare. It's like you are brothers, or even Siamese twins that were separated at birth. But the way you treat each other – if you were blood relatives you would both have disowned each other years ago. But here you are: friends like enemies but thick as thieves. It seems that nothing can keep you apart. You screw with him to your heart's content; he abandons you at will – and no matter what you just get back together like nothing had happened and all is just hunky dory. You two have the strangest friendship I can think of."

"That's because no matter what, when chips fall down we really are there for each other," House stated. "It may not be pretty. It certainly isn't any kind of fairy tale. But it is real. So this is what it is: he shuts me out – I take down his wall. And he's ok with it, because it really is nothing more than he expected."

"I don't think I will ever quite get you two," Nyx sighed. "And the way your team stays loyal to you though you abuse them left and right. Do you use magic on them or something?"

"No," House said. "I just choose people who like it."

"No, I don't think that is it," Nyx doubted. "It's something else. I don't yet know what, but I'll keep on looking for an explanation and one day I will have it."

"Good luck trying," House sneered.