Disclaimer: Same as before…..please don't sue me!

The Lilac Elf of LothlorienThanks for the heads up on his character – I still thinking it needs a bit of tweaking though – I haven't quite got his sardonic sense of humour right yet.. Hopefully, I'll nail it soon. Well, thank you very much – I doubt it's genius, but I'm grateful you like it enough to think so.

SpectralLady: Yup, and it backfires! MWAAHAHAHAHA! Hope you like this chapter too! Chocolate is so wonderful and I miss it like mad! LOL

Calliann: Glad you liked that chapter and thought that line would be a good one! I get the impression that he wouldn't be all lovey-dovey with Molly as that's just not his way, and by now she would love him the way he is; so instead of 'sweetheart' and 'pudding' (my word! LOL) it would be 'ankle biter' and 'midget'! I know what you mean….when a friend lost her brother she told me that everyone was telling her 'time was a great healer', I told her that was a complete load of bullshit – along with 'what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger' – I said the best time could do was make the pain easier to live with, and thereby help you remember the good times with less heartache at their loss. So I totally agree with you, if I didn't make that clear:O) Hope you like this chapter too!

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE, SO READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please; and I will try to update regularly.

'—' signifies thoughts.

"—" signifies speech.

Anyway…chapter Five!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kindred Spirits

Chapter Five – Fight

Jess came back to find Molly going crazy in House's office, with him sitting in his chair watching in horror struck wonder.

"You gave her chocolate didn't you?" Jess smirked.

House regarded the little girl showing him how to do cartwheels across his office for the 18th time in an hour "I can't deny it…."

"In the hope I would have been back to collect her before this?" She indicated her daughter now trying to do a headstand against the glass wall of his office, and chatting nineteen to the dozen about how she was going to be a vet - and just about anything else that popped into her sugar hyped little brain.

He nodded silently – wondering if this was the same serious child he could usually have almost adult conversations with about stuff from religion to baseball.

"Well, ain't payback a bitch!" Monty grinned at him - before freezing in horror.

"…and Mummy talks in her sleep and Uncle Alex says you should know and Mummy calls him a bas……" She clapped a hand over Molly's mouth.

House sat up suddenly interested, a big grin on his face; Wilson walked in as Molly spoke and thought 'now this should be good'.

"Really Molly…..and what does Mummy say that I should know?"

Molly's reply was severely muffled, but he got a 'miss' out of it; though what and who was a mystery.

At that moment an irate looking man stormed past with two terrified looking children and a sad looking older woman trailing behind him. Jess let Molly go and shot out just as he barged his way into Abigail's room.

"Ah, Mr Mulholland has arrived - how delightful…" House muttered as he and Wilson followed her out.

"Why do I get the feeling we should be more worried for him than Jess?" Wilson asked.

"Because we should - she is not nice if she's pissed, and I think she's about to get pissed." He looked at Molly "Stay here midget." She knew he wasn't messing and sat down obediently, but was still twitching her fingers and fidgeting on the seat.

He turned to leave, and then stepped back "Molly, who or what does Mummy miss?" he knew already, it was Mac…..or maybe chocolate……

"You….."

Just then an almightly crash was heard….

They flew out to find a furious Jess stood in the hallway blood pouring from a cut on her head, and holding an equally furious Mr Mulholland by the scruff of his jacket.

"That will keep, House…." Wilson indicated the little girl "this won't…" and he pulled him up the hall.

"Umm……since when did we start beating up patients' next of kin?" House enquired mildly.

"She didn't – he threw a punch at her and she dodged it and then he threw another and she dodged that, so then he threw his wife's IV stand at her….that she didn't dodge." Foreman offered, clearly impressed with Jess' fighting prowess.

"But God she gave as good as she got; I think she's given him a black eye!"

Wilson was holding a clearly irate Jess back from hitting the stunned man again "She fights like a guy!" Mulholland cried, as if it were an unfair advantage.

"She does, doesn't she? Which for a coward who only hits women and children, it must be a trifle irritating to find a woman who hits like a man….." House offered calmly.

He turned to Cameron and Foreman "What happened?" he inspected Jess who was now completely incoherent with rage, as Mulholland tried again to get back into his wife's room. The children cowered in a corner, and he went to lash out at his son who was merely trying to shield his sister.

Jess' eyes darkened so much, that Foreman stopped speaking and stepped away from her. She wrenched herself away from Wilson and tore into the room, grabbing the man's arm before he hit his son and pushing him away from them so violently he fell over.

She positioned herself between him and the children, but also within reach of the terrified woman in the bed. Her eyes blazing she had her fists down but ready……they watched each other warily.

Suddenly an angry voice from the doorway spoke "You leave my Mummy alone….you're a bad, bad man! I've told security on you!"

Everyone turned to see Molly standing by the door feet apart, hands on hips and clenched into fists, a furious look on her face. "I have had four bars of chocolate in the last 2 hours and have so much sugar in me I am very keen to get into a fight; so…..DON'T….MESS….WITH…..ME!" she exclaimed.

House, despite the severity of the situation, had to really bite his lip not to laugh as he looked at a miniature of Monty.

Jus then security arrived "Little girl called from your office said a man was hitting her Mummy - trouble Dr. House?"

"Yeah Stan, this man needs to be shown the exit and banned from coming back in here…." He stopped and considered for a minute "well, after we test him for lung fluke." He eyed the man coldly as he went to protest "If we don't and you have it, it will eventually kill you if left untreated - still it's your call, personally I would prefer not to treat you; taking you out of the gene pool would be a huge boost for mankind's evolution……"

"I'll take the test…." Mulholland muttered.

"Do it…" House motioned to Foreman "and don't be gentle about it" he added quietly as the younger doctor passed. Foreman nodded, grinning as he and the security left with the now subdued man.

"Where were you?" House asked Chase.

"In there…." He indicated the room.

"and you didn't think to stop it?"

"She was handling it fine, why should I get thumped as well?"

Foreman looked round and rolled his eyes at the other doctor. "Yeah 'cos you're so damn handsome, you couldn't possibly help protect a fellow medic and a sick patient in case it ruined your good looks!" he called.

Chase bridled "Listen, she was holding her own without my help; I just don't see the point in getting involved in stuff if I don't have to!"

"Or if it doesn't make you look good to the powers that be….." House added "Mr Mulholland?" He called.

The short stocky man looked round "yeah?"

"Meet Dr. Chase…." He indicated the young Australian doctor "I just wanted you to meet a bigger coward than you, bet you never thought that was possible? But looks like it is." he called the head security guy "Stan?"

"Yeah, Dr House?"

"We don't need to make Dr Cuddy aware of this right?"

The older man grinned, not being a fan of Cuddy either "Nah, Dr House we certainly don't…"

House looked at the young Australian with disdain "Well, you learn something new every day – today I've learnt you can sink lower in my expectations than even I thought possible."

Chase winced as Jess elbowed him out of the way. She was still unable to speak but went to Abigail and hugged her and the children, though thankfully donning a mask as she did so.

"I'm so sorry Jess…I am – he just came at me and….." the woman started to sob.

Jess, still immensely upset, couldn't speak and began to get extremely agitated. "Chase – go get some coffee, Cameron go with him. By the way, if this makes it's way out of this department I will know who to kill, got it?" he eyed the two medics left, but Chase in particular. The young doctor coloured "yeah I thought so…" mused House.

He came for Jess "Excuse us Mrs Mulholland, I just need to consult with Michaela Tyson here before she enters round two with your husband…"

He drew Jess outside who was now almost crying with frustration, her mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out.

"Okay, okay. Llisten, don't stress - I actually like you like this alright? No nagging, no moaning – hell this is the quietest you've been in a long time….me, I'm just going to lap up the silence…" he sighed in mock satisfaction.

She smiled a watery smile; her voice coming back as she calmed, albeit a little intermittent "He just………walked in………..and went……….for her……what was……I supposed…….to do….Greg….."

"You did right Jess - self defence. Hell, I 'd have stabbed him with the drip needle…either that or beaten him to death with the IV stand."

"Chase, Greg….he stood……there…..on the….phone….." she grasped his arm urgently "Don't….don't….trust him…..Chase….don't….he's…he's… Greg…don't…..he's……." but her voice went again as her agitation grew once more.

"Alright, alright Jess - I don't anyway, so quite nagging. God, it's not like we're married or anything – so shut up with the haranguing harpy thing!" He rolled his eyes.

Wilson noticed that if extremely agitated and upset she would call him by his first name and he hers - it was obviously something they'd been doing for a while. He noticed as well that when she did, House's face would soften but he would also look anxious as if knowing she was vulnerable and needed him by doing so.

House took her back to his office – Wilson could see he was worried about something, but was covering well. He himself was chatting to Molly who also looked like she was waiting for something to happen to her mother.

He soon found out what…….

0-0-0-0-0

They just made it into his office when Jess dropped. There'd been no warning that Wilson could see, she just went. But obviously there had been signs – because both House and Molly knew. House caught her and, given his leg, lowered her awkwardly and painfully to the floor.

He sat on the floor next to her smoothing her hair and Molly ran over to sit down by her too, and coo at her mother that every thing was alright.

Less than a minute later she was awake and trying to get up, her speech a little slurred but she was able to speak again. House hauled himself painfully to his feet and then helped her up.

"Sorry…..sorry, House" she shook her head "I didn't see that coming…."

"I did…your eye was twitching again…" he indicated her right eye "did you not feel it?"

"No…I was…I was…." She sat down heavily.

"Take it slow…." He paused "You know - I'm flattered…." She rolled her eyes "no, really – I never knew you cared enough to throw yourself into my arms!" he grinned evilly.

She took a deep breath and glared at Molly who was about to say something. The little girl changed her mind and shut up.

Wilson made a note to try and talk to the child himself at some point – there was obviously something about her mother that was bothering her and concerned House.

"Monty, I need you to tell me what happened…." House sat back in his chair; Molly, the adrenalin from the altercation having burned up her sugar high, climbed calmly into his lap. He patted her head "Hey midget…you did good, but go sit with Mummy."

"No…I like your lap, so I'll stay – and don't pat me, I'm not a dog." House sighed and rolled his eyes, but did not evict the child. Wilson smirked, she sounded just like House…

"Okay ankle biter -just don't hug me alright…" he ordered with disdain. He looked expectantly at Monty "So?"

"So I came out….and Chase was talking to that Volger guy. I know…..because he said his….name." Her speech was still a little off - Wilson and House exchanged a look; at least their suspicions were confirmed; Chase was the mole.

"So I went into the room…..as the dick" House knew this would be Mulholland's name now for evermore as far as she was concerned "just lunged at her….." she paused "Bitch!' he curses at her 'Get your arse home….and cook me some food…..I'm sick of slaving away in your fuckin' mother's restaurant……and then again when I come home!'

so I…..said 'She's sick – really sick….leave her alone'. Calmly – although I……felt like decking the……..dick right there…….and then." 'yup' House thought he was right 'forever more a dick'.

"So he swings on me……and says, get this, 'you want a piece of me!' and I……said 'you have got to be kidding me!'

I mean what? He thinks…….he's bloody…….Robert De Niro now!" Both House and Wilson had to stifle a smile, they knew that although calmer – her rapidly improving ability to speak proved that – she was still mad and they didn't want to provoke her again.

"Nah you Brit broad….you want a piece of me?' he says again, so I…..said 'not really, I don't……know where you've been…..frankly, why would I want a piece of horse shit? After all you're definitely a horse's arse…" House smirked.

"Then he took a swing at me, which I…..ducked - and then another……I dodged it. Then he hit me with the IV stand, hence the cut……on my head…."

"It won't need stitches…" butted in House "Shame really, I would've enjoyed doing that….it's been a while since I had to shove a needle in you…."

"Good….." she rolled her eyes "I'll bear that in mind; next time I'll try………to make sure I get really injured just so you can shove……a needle in me. So then I thought 'fuck this' and hit him back….. and he just fell over. I mean I didn't even hit him that hard….dick! So I grabbed him…….and dragged him into the hall - that's when you lot turned up."

"What about Foreman and Cameron?"

"They came just before you – when he started…….swinging; Foreman tried to grab him, but couldn't really get a grip as he started swinging the stand. Cameron was comforting the kids, Abigail and…….her Mum. But get this – he works in the restaurant…..so him infecting the shellfish are the possible…..way to go."

"So it was really just Chase that wasn't bothered?"

"Yup……" she stopped and thought "You know I really don't like him…..even less than the Cudster. Not just because of the Vogler thing either, though I hate him for betraying you." she nodded at House, who merely smiled thinly "But I mean with the Mulhollands – even she would've at least tried to help, he didn't….it's like all he worries about is himself, hardly doctor material."

"So do I….." House pointed out.

"Yeah, but not like that…trust me." She sighed "Anyway a lot of your 'couldn't give a shit' attitude is so put on its just funny now!" she grinned, relieved her speech was pretty much back to normal.

"I'm hurt you believe I could be so duplicitous…." He pouted.

"yeah whatever…" she stood and yawned "I have to go get some shut eye – it's been a while since I had one of those…..I'll be back in 2 hours" she checked her watch "Make it 2½ as I have to fit in castrating Alex before I get back…."

"Right…." House was as serious as she was.

Wilson grinned as she and Holly walked past, she looked at him with a straight face "what – you think I'm kidding?" he nodded "I'm not!" she thought for a moment "Hey, you know House - your plan was better."

"Of course it was, they always are – what plan?"

She ignored him, but as she left they heard her saying to Molly "Hey Moll how about we buy you some chocolate on the way home, lots of it……let's see what Uncle Alex makes of that!" House grinned.

"Will she be alright?" Wilson asked.

"Yup…she'll be fine now. She always is - she's one of life's survivors; even when she doesn't want to be…." He shrugged "Let's go see how Lung Fluke Lady's doing."

0-0-0-0-0-0

2 hours and 35 minutes later his phone rang – House was with Wilson and Foreman talking about the Mulhollands.

The husband had tested negative – but the children positive, this was all adding weight to Monty's theory, as far as Wilson and Foreman (both now ardent Jess supporters) were concerned, that they'd been deliberately infected and most likely by him.

House wasn't so sure - if Abigail was a good Mum she would hug and love her kids, thereby unwittingly infecting them when she got to the coughing stage. This theory could bear out the fact that the kids infections were minor compared to hers, meaning more recent – in the last month, since she'd been coughing basically.

Her marriage on the other hand was obviously a nightmare; so her sexual and/or loving relationship with her husband was in question thereby explaining his lack of infection.

As House pointed out, she was hardly to get all snuggly with a guy that regularly beat her to the point of unconsciousness.

The fact that there had been no further reported cases ruled out, for now it would seem, her mother's restaurant as the basis for the infection; particularly as her mother was clear too.

It was at this point House's phone rang; he rolled his eyes "She always phones when she's going to be late, even a few minutes – blame her protective mother and deceased fiancé." He picked it up "House."

He heard one word "Greg…."

"Jesus, what's happened Jess?" She sounded terrible - he stood up abruptly, causing the other two men to automatically stand with him.

"I've been shot….I'm bleeding" Was the faint reply "Greg….he's damaged my knee…..its bad Greg…really bad…."

"Jess….tell me where you are…where are you Jess!" The two men could hear the frantic note creeping into the older man's voice.

Wilson signalled him "what is it?" he mouthed, but House ignored him.

"I'm at the hospital…."

"How could you get shot in the damn hospital!" House all but shouted.

The other two looked at him horrified, already moving to call security.

"I'm in the car park…..I…..Greg….." he heard other voices and the line went dead.

"Jess? JESS!" he dropped the phone back on its cradle "SHIT!" He grabbed his cane and headed for the door…..