Next chapter. Starting school on the 22, so the updates will be slower.
Chapter 26: Who You'd Be Today
House limped back down the stairs and back to the family. He needed more answers.
"And he's back." Shi sang out.
"And he looks confused." Matt commented.
"I got some answers which led to more questions."
"Ah. You talked about Ethan and then Allie brushed you off and disappeared." PJ summarized.
"Yeah. How'd you know?" House looked between the five of them.
"Allie hates talking about Ethan." Nicky explained. "And when I say hate, I mean absolutely despises. After he died we barely brought it up." She hopped off the counter and grabbed House's wrist.
"Twenty says she's not going to come straight downstairs." House obediently followed hoping to get some sort of answers to the questions he wasn't sure how to ask.
House sat in the recording studio looking between Ellie and Shi. Matt, Nicky and PJ had stayed downstairs.
"What exactly are we doing?"
"Waiting." Ellie replied.
"Waiting on what exactly?"
"The world to change" Shi deadpanned before she softened slightly. "We know each other ridiculously well, which I guess is good because we're related. Old habits die hard. Allie has traditions- we all do- and this is one of them."
Ellie nodded. "Ethan was her best friend before the fight. Mom always used to joke that they would get married one day. When they had their fight- it was like we lost part of Allie. And there was everything with Adam going on- it was terrible. When Ethan came back it was great to see them together, but too soon we found out about the cancer and then he was gone."
House wasn't sure how to react, and they sat in silence for a few minutes. The sound of footsteps startled him and he saw Allison walking into the ballroom tentatively.
House realized that he could hear what was going on in the ballroom, but Allison apparently didn't know that they were in the recording studio. If she did know, she didn't care.
"Mom had this built so that she could be in here, but still be able to watch/hear us when we were in the ballroom."
Allison began to play the piano and Ellie tapped his shoulder. "Listen to the words." She instructed. "Really listen."
"Sunny days seem to hurt the most
Wear the pain like a heavy coat
I feel you everywhere I go
I see your smile, I see your face
I hear you laughing in the rain
Still can't believe you're gone"
Allison's voice was quiet, but louder then the piano. The pain in her voice though- that was very strong.
"It ain't fair you died too young
Like a story that had just begun
But death tore the pages all away
God knows how I miss you
All the hell that I've been through
Just knowing no one could take your place
Sometimes I wonder who you'd be today"
And there is was. The husband who had died too soon. They had been in their twenties. That was too young to lose anyone you loved. Especially the husband you thought that you would spend the rest of your life with.
And her mother. Allison had been only 15. Just a child. And she had been a child in the public eye and then gone through hell and back.
"Would you see the world?
Would you chase your dreams?
Settle down with a family?
I wonder, what would you name your babies?"
Her voice caught and House wanted to go out and sit at the piano with her. Hug her, kiss her, do a bunch of un-Houselike things and make her forget about Ethan and Lizzie.
"Some day's the sky's so blue
I feel like I can talk to you
And I know it might sound crazy
It ain't fair you died too young
Like a story that had just begun
But death tore the pages all away
God knows how I miss you
All the hell that I've been through
Just knowing no one could take your place
Sometimes I wonder who you'd be today
Today, today, today,
Today, today, today
Sunny days seem to hurt the most
I wear the pain like a heavy coat
The only thing that gives me hope
Is I know I'll see you again someday
Someday, someday"
House watched in astonishment as Allison finished the song and let her head rest on the piano as she broke into a million pieces.
He didn't notice Ellie and Shi leave, he didn't notice the way the bent their heads together and whispered. His main concern was getting to Allison.
He slipped into the ballroom and she looked up at the sound of his cane on the hardwood floor.
"Hey."
She didn't smile at him, just stared for a second before nodding and standing. Her eyes had a sheen of tears and she took a few steps until they were face to face. He wondered if she was going to yell at him- say anything at all.
"Should've figured that they would take you up here." Her voice was soft but thick. House wasn't sure what to say. He didn't think that he could come up with a snarky comment if he wanted to.
House's hand went out and gently traced her face with his finger. Allison lifted her arm and caught his hand in her own.
"How do you make it stop?" Her voice was a mere whisper.
"Make what stop Allie?" He had grown so used to hearing her nickname and using it in his head that it slipped out easily. It drew a brief smile from her.
"How do you make the hurt stop?" With that the tears overflowed. House had no idea how to answer her.
On their own accord his arms wrapped around her. How do you make the hurt stop? Even after 10 years she still didn't know. And after five without Stacey (and his leg) he was just as lost as she was.
He wasn't sure which was worse. Having your husband die two weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer or having your girlfriend have your thigh muscle remove leaving you permanently crippled.
House thought of their childhoods. His with his fathers' hours of torture and hers with the happiness until she was raped, abused and ignored. And then her husbands death and Stacey's betrayal. Maybe they were more alike then he had ever thought.
"I don't know."
They were broken pieces. He pictured a jagged heart. They were broken, but maybe they could put each other back together.
So another chapter that wasn't very happy. Song was Who You'd Be Today by Kenny Chesney.
I came up with an idea for another fic. Not really sure the details yet, but it goes something like this: A song fic about House/Cameron based on songs that remind us of them. Actual songs may not even be in the chapters. No idea how it's going to work. If you 1. Want to help write, tell me.or 2. Have a song that makes you go 'that's so them' let me know. It might not be up for a little, but I want to start now. Thanks,
Jess
Review!