Usual disclaimers apply. I don't own the House characters, just the OCs.
House awakened earlier than usual, and for once it wasn't one of his usually painful body parts that woke him up. He grinned and pressed against Avery, kissing the back of her neck, slipping a hand under her nightshirt.
"Mmm…you're…up early."
"You okay with that?" House snickered and stroked Avery's thigh. A shiver went through her at his touch, always so gentle despite his rough hands.
"Can't you tell?" Avery's voice was soft with desire.
"I'm getting an idea…" House drew his tongue down her neck while his hand slid up her thigh to cup her rear, squeezing lightly. Avery gasped softly and pressed against him. House's hand kept sliding up her back, slipping around to play with a nipple, stroking it to full hardness.
Avery rolled onto her back, raking her fingers through House's wiry chest hair, finding his nipples, rolling them around in her delicate fingers. He growled and gasped with pleasure, leaning down to capture her soft lips in a long, lingering kiss, his tongue dueling with hers. Avery's hands slipped around his ribcage, sliding up and down his back, reaching down under the waistband of his boxers, grabbing his ass, bringing him closer to her.
"Dammit, woman. You're killing me." House rasped in her ear, lightly biting her neck, then sucking, working his way down her long, elegant neck. He whipped off her nightshirt, revealing her soft, fleshy breasts and little lace thong. Soon he slipped his fingers under the string of the thong, pulling it aside to find her soft, moist center, running his fingers through the hair. Avery moaned and squirmed underneath his fingers as he stroked her, watching her eyes flutter closed, her chest moving as her breath quickened.
He reached up with his other hand to stroke her hair, pushing his tongue into her mouth as he entered her with two fingers, pumping in steady rhythm. She arched her back beneath him, crying out under his ministrations.
She grabbed him and pulled him on top of her, pushing off his boxers, taking hold of his shaft, stroking in quick, steady rhythm, bringing him close to the edge. House removed his hand and hers, rolling over on his back, taking her with him. Avery straddled him, guiding him inside her, rocking him as his hands roamed all over her lush, curvy body, resting on her round ass.
He exploded inside her, wrapping his strong arms around her to bring her to his chest. She wasn't far behind, gasping as she relaxed against him.
"Mmm…I could stand to wake up like that a little more often." Avery's head rested on House's chest, listening to his heartbeat finally slow to its usual rhythm.
House chuckled, his large hands stroking Avery's smooth back. "Been a while since I've done that. Usually it's my leg waking me up. Not exactly a big turn-on, you know?"
Avery glanced at the alarm. It would be going off anytime, so there was no point in going back to sleep. "Let me up. I might as well start coffee."
"Hmm…well, if you insist." House lightly smacked Avery's rear before he released her. He laid back and watched her move around the room, finding her nightshirt and robe. "Do you really have to put that on?"
She let out an amused chuckle. "Well, it is January in New Jersey. It's a bit chilly out there."
"Fine." House huffed in mock annoyance. "Have it your way, as usual."
Avery stuck her tongue out at him, tying her robe around her.
"Don't stick that thing out unless you plan on using it!" House bellowed teasingly out to her, only to hear her hearty laugh in response. God, he loved that woman. He knew the sex would ease up eventually, but until then, he would gladly take what she gave.
House rolled over on his side, smiling to himself. He was trying to remember a time when things had felt so good, so right. It had to be pre-infarction. Even his relationship with Stacy during that time was far different from what he had with Avery now. He supposed he took a lot for granted back then. If he'd known then…well, it didn't really matter now, did it? He started to close his eyes when his cell started singing 'Mmm Bop', signaling a call from the team.
"Shit." So much for getting some rest before going into work. He flipped the phone open as he crawled out of bed. "House."
Avery heard House crashing around the bedroom, barking orders to the team, then quickly hanging up. Soon he emerged, barefoot in jeans, buttoning his shirt, foregoing the t-shirt underneath. The shirt flapped open slightly, revealing a bit of middle-aged belly that Avery found especially endearing.
"Gotta run. Patient's crashing." He quickly kissed her cheek, taking the coffee she offered. She filled a travel mug and set it near his backpack so he could grab it on his way out. "I'll see you later."
Avery was surprised by how quickly House got up and around. He was surprisingly fast, given his condition, and now that his pain was under better control and he had started working the leg in PT, he was quickly becoming damn near unstoppable. Before she knew it, Hurricane House had left the building. She glanced at the coffee table, noting the prescription bottles he left behind in his haste to get out the door. Avery picked them up and dropped them in her purse, reminding herself to drop them to him when she went in.
# # #
Avery was busy at her desk when House came barging in. The adrenaline had worn off, and he looked a bit beaten down as he flopped in a chair near her desk.
"Not going so well?"
He shook his head. "Back at square one." House rubbed at his leg with a frown. "I think I forgot my meds this morning."
Avery reached down into her bottom desk drawer, pulling the bottles out of her purse and handing them to him. "I thought that might be the case, so I grabbed them on my way out."
"Babe, you're a lifesaver." He shook one out of each bottle, tossing them back with the remains of his coffee, closing his eyes as he waited for them to kick in. After a few minutes, his eyes popped open and he heaved himself out of his chair. "Okay, back at it. I'll try to check in around lunchtime. See you."
"Bye."
# # #
Avery walked by the conference room to check in before she left for the day. House was scribbling on the whiteboard, and the team and Wilson appeared to be involved in some sort of debate. She tapped on the glass door, and House looked up, waving her in.
"Matthews! We need a tiebreaker." House handed her a copy of the patient's MRI. "Wilson and Taub see a tumor, Foreman and Thirteen see a clot, and I don't see jack."
Avery put on her glasses and lifted the MRI to the light, squinting. "I'm afraid I'm with Foreman and Hadley on this one. Definitely looks like a clot to me."
"Told you she'd see it my way." House stuck his tongue out at Wilson and Taub. The two men merely rolled their eyes in response, Wilson walking out, shooting Avery a small smile. "Go find that clot and get it out of there. We'll see what happens from there." The team rose as one and left the room.
House held out an arm, gesturing for Avery to join him. He wrapped it around her in a quick hug. "Nicely done. You're really wasting your talents in administration, you know."
Avery laughed. "You already knew what was there, though, didn't you?"
"Well, duh. I couldn't let them know that, though." He lightly kissed her on the lips.
"So I take it you won't be leaving anytime soon?"
"You're so smart. No wonder I like you." House's shoulders dropped slightly. "No, I might be pulling an all-nighter with this one."
"Okay. Shall I just meet up at your place?"
"Don't know what kind of condition I'll be in, but yeah, I'll see you there." House pulled her in for another kiss, a serious expression on his face. "I love you, you know that?"
Avery smiled warmly, returning the kiss. "I love you, too. See you…whenever."
House watched her walk away, her hips swaying slightly. The view was pretty damn good from where he stood, and he hoped to get this case moving in the right direction so he could get home, the sooner, the better.
# # #
Avery made her way to the elevator, running into Wilson. The two chatted easily as the rode down to the lobby.
"Can I walk you to the parking lot? It seems like a long walk alone."
"It's okay, I'm fine."
"Fine, at least walk with me as far as my car. Humor me." Wilson flashed that winning smile that had won the heart of three wives and countless other women.
Avery chuckled. "Okay, if it will fulfill your hero quota for the day."
Wilson shook his head. "He's definitely rubbing off on you. Good thing you're rubbing off on him, too. I don't think this place could handle two Houses."
They arrived at Wilson's car, and Avery gave his arm a quick pat before starting toward her own vehicle. "Thanks for the escort."
"Hey, anytime. See you in the morning."
Avery walked a few spaces down to her car, hitting the remote to unlock it.
"So, are you working your way through the entire department head directory, or just the ones on your floor?"
Avery froze where she stood. That was a voice she shouldn't have been hearing. It was a voice that should be safely locked away. Finally she worked up the nerve to turn around.
"Bryan? What the hell are you doing here?"
He grinned malevolently. "I finally made bail, baby. Thought I'd come see how you were doing without me. Guess that old cripple wasn't enough for you anymore, huh? I should have known you'd leave him behind." Bryan's expression turned thoughtful. "Unless, of course, you're doing both of them. That would be…interesting."
"Get out of here and leave me alone." Avery hissed. She wasn't going to give Bryan any ideas on either House's or Wilson's whereabouts. "You could go back to jail, you know."
"Oh…I don't think so. See, I learned my lesson when I failed to take out your boy House. I'll make damn sure there are no witnesses this time." He came toward her, pressing her up against her car by her throat and producing a knife.
Avery could feel bile rising in her throat, fear threatening to overtake her. She prayed that Wilson was still somewhere in the parking structure. Bryan pressed the knife to her throat, pricking slightly. She could feel a trickle of blood run down her neck. "One fucking sound, and you're dead, you worthless slut. Don't make me kill you."
She saw movement out of the corner of her eye, a white car pulling out of its spot. Taking a chance, she screamed as loud as she could, flailing and struggling, trying to get out where someone could see her.
"God damn it, Avery, I fucking warned you!" Bryan screamed as he lashed out, catching her across the face with the knife. The knife started at her jawline and slashed across her cheek and nose. She started to bolt, but Bryan was too powerful for her. He slammed her up against her car, cracking her head against the doorframe. "I told you, I fucking told you to give up that old bastard, but you just wouldn't listen." Avery crumpled to the ground, losing consciousness. "Stupid bitch."
Bryan spat in her face, kicking her hard in the stomach before he saw headlights flashing in his direction. He dropped the knife and quickly found cover.
Wilson pulled out of his parking spot, noticing Avery's car was still parked there. He thought he saw movement in that general direction, and some instinct told him to stop the car and check to make sure Avery was okay. If it were House, he would have rolled his eyes and complained about his tendency to overdo the caring thing. Since it was Avery, he would stop. House would kill him if anything happened to her while Wilson was in a position to do something about it.
He stopped his car, shutting it off and killing the headlights. Wilson didn't see anything immediately and would have gone back if his toe hadn't hit something. In the dim lights of the parking structure he could see the glint of a knife blade. Bending down, some liquid soaked the knee of his pants. He pulled out his penlight and clicked it on.
"Oh my God." With shaking hands, he dialed Emergency Services. "This is Doctor James Wilson. I need Emergency Services to the parking structure, third level…African-American female, mid-40s…lacerations to the face and possible head trauma…she's unconscious." He felt her neck for a pulse. It was weak, but steady. "Yes, yes, I've got a pulse, and she's still breathing. Thank you."
Wilson got down on both knees next to Avery, taking her limp hand. "Hang in there. Help's coming."
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