Disclaimer: Same as before…..please don't sue me!
I haven't seen the episode with Brenda yet, I can only base her character on the little I've gleaned from the transcripts of the show. So her look is entirely based a friend of mine from London I used to work with a very long time ago. She is a large black lady, who was a major shoulder to cry on but also one tough cookie – I miss her.
SpectralLady: Read on and you will see…..There is one more chapter after the next one, but I can do a sequel if you want. Molly is such a sweetheart, I love her to bits.
Calliann: No I get the call of Colin Firth, so no need to apologise! I thought he was brilliant in 'BJD' too! Molly is brilliant, but gets very upset in these chapters. There's one more after this one – but I can do a sequel if you're interested.
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 Twelve!
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Kindred Spirits
Chapter Twelve – Tears & Goodbyes
Molly ran into her mother's room "Why are you taking me away from my friends?" she demanded hotly; the route march to her mother's room only stoking her already flaming temper.
"What!"
"WHY….ARE….YOU…."
"I heard you the first time Molly... I meant what did you mean?" Jess sighed.
"The others believe you're taking me away from them, from House. Well, you can't make me….I won't go!" she stamped her foot.
"Actually I can….I'm the Mum here – not you!" Jess' temper was beginning to rise "I have my reasons, and we won't go far. We need to be around for auntie Jaynie and Uncle Mike."
"But far enough away from House, right?" Molly was only 7, but she wasn't stupid "I never took you for a coward mummy, but you're just rolling over and letting that bitch win!"
"MOLLY!" Jess was horrified, not only at the bad language – but also the strength of feeling from the child stood so defiantly in front of her.
"Molly…I will not subject myself to that torment again…I will not…." She scrubbed a hand over her face "I can't help it if he wants her more than me!" She almost yelled.
"I think you're right…Chase can stay…" House stopped "Who wants her more than you?" he was thankfully alone for a change.
"NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS, NOW GET OUT!" Jess yelled; angry herself now, to see the cause of her problems sauntering into her room without an apparent care in the world.
"Excuse me? What have I done? I wander in, with my early morning cup of caffeine….no threat to anyone….." House resorted to his customary sarcastic wit. The others, now gathered at the door, let out a collective quiet groan.
"Does he not know the signals the woman is giving off?" Muttered Foreman "She couldn't be more obviously angry if she had a neon sign above her head saying 'seriously pissed, do not approach' – he is so screwed!"
"SHUT UP HOUSE….JUST SHUT UP – FOR ONCE IN YOUR GODFORSAKEN MISERABLE LIFE….."
"Well, Godforsaken I'll give you – but miserable I think is open to conjecture…. Bitter and twisted probably, but miserable is a little erroneous."
"As long as she's shouting we're okay…it's when she quietens down we have a problem." Cuddy said.
Jess ignored the joke, and took a deep breath "You have her….you keep her. I won't be here this time." She said so quietly the others only just heard her.
"What you mean like that…." Sighed Chase.
She picked up her flight bag and slung it over her shoulder, got her crutches and limped past the stunned doctor.
"Stop her, just reach out and stop her…." Wilson muttered as he saw the stricken look in House's eyes, as he turned to watch her leave.
"No one asked you to leave Ethiopia and your earnest works with the natives the last time Monty." He muttered.
She stopped, the hurt apparent on her face "If it wasn't for Jaynie I would be straight back there this time Dr. House, and you could rot in hell before I came back to be abused like I was then."
"Abused? I never abused you! It was Stacy I pushed away….."
"Stacy? Do you know what you're precious Stacy was doing? Oh, forget it, just forget it! As for abusing – oh you may have cussed her out a bit, been a bit obnoxious; like she'd even know the difference, but did she have full bedpans hurled at her head?
I wonder if you tried to punch her out like you did me. I wonder if you physically fought her like you did me every time I tried to help you stand or move about. I wonder if she had more than one black eye when you lashed out.
No? So what were you saying about abusing? But I stuck by you because I cared….God forgive me, I loved you House!" She was angry now and trying not to cry.
"Uh oh, past tense" Wilson groaned.
"Nah…that's alright." Jaynie noted "she's merely talking about then."
"What about the crying?" Chase was worried.
"That's a problem; for her to be that angry she's trying not cry with temper means he has now pissed her off to the point that if it wasn't for the fact that she knows she'd probably fall over, she'd hit him so hard his brain would rattle…."
"But you want her more; so have her and when she rips your heart out this time" she stomped over and jabbed him in the chest " and tears it in two and stamps on the remains and you start crucifying yourself all over again, assuming you ever stopped, because once again she lets you believe it's all your fault – I…won't…..be…..here! I won't watch you fall apart - I won't carry the can for what one female bitch queen from hell has done to you!"
She hobbled out "goodbye Dr. House….you won't be seeing me again….."
The last thing House saw, as the others scattered, was Molly's tear streaked face looking back at him as her mother dragged her out as best she could.
Jess made it to the elevator before she broke down and cried….Brenda found her curled up on the floor.
"Oh baby, what's the dick done to you?" She cooed.
"Molly honey, go get your mama some coffee….." she gave the little girl some quarters.
She helped Jess to her feet and got her to the nurse's station. "You should sue his skinny ass….."
Jess laughed even as the tears swum, but she stopped herself crying now "Why? Oh, and it's not so skinny…."
"Well he hit you and verbally abused you….and how do you know it's not skinny, girl!"
"Ah, that's now outside of the three year statute. I saw it when I had to help him bathe a few times….in fact he has a reasonable body under all those baggy clothes!" She smiled "Thanks Brenda…."
"Uh…Huh, I'll believe you – but are you sure you two have never gotten jiggy?"
Jess slapped her arm "I'm sure! That I think I'd remember…at least I hope I would…."
"If you saw him naked….how, you know….big?"
"Ooooh, big enough – trust me!" Jess laughed, tears fading "Let's just say, I doubt anyone I know would complain!"
She looked out into the lobby and scarffed the coffee Molly brought back "I better go…he's coming."
Brenda looked out but couldn't see anything "I don't……"
"Trust me……" Jess stood and limped out. 2 minutes later House, Wilson and the others came down. Brenda shook her head, they were that connected and that oblivious – sometimes life truly sucked.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Go…." Jaynie was slowing rapidly "I'll stay…" She looked at Wilson "Don't let them screw this up…."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, they're my friends; I couldn't let them screw up completely…."
"I meant about leaving you….."
"I know….I was being facetious, though to be honest Jess and House are better at that than I am. I think it must be genetic." They both grinned.
Stacy walked up "What's happening."
Jaynie shook her head at the others, not to tell her. "Nothing…."
"Well, where's House going?"
Jaynie lost it, whilst her temper wasn't like Jess', she did have one "Why don't you turn round and go back to your web you bloody black widow spider? You've poisoned him enough already….." she stood and glared "Go before I do what everyone else here is thinking…." She looked at Cuddy "and that includes her I'm sure…"
Stacy stomped off as her friend reluctantly nodded her head.
"I'll stay with you…" Wilson offered.
"Thanks…." After the others left, Jaynie turned "I don't feel so good – can we go back upstairs; I need a coffee."
"Come on darlin' – why don't we go and sit in House's office, where he has that nice chair, until they get back?" Brenda offered.
She and Wilson helped her into a wheelchair. "You should have told them – especially Jess."
"No….why bother them before I have to. Have everyone moping around. You haven't said anything have you?"
"I can't – patient/doctor confidentiality…." He sighed "Jaynie you've only got a few days, maybe few weeks at most; let everyone know so they have time to come to terms with it."
"No…I'll be fine." But she looked terrible "I just need a sit down and a coffee."
"I'll give them half an hour and then call if she doesn't get any better." Wilson muttered to Brenda.
"I'll be fine….I'm just tired. God, you guys fuss – we never fussed like that did we Brenda?"
"No, honey you and Jess were heartless to the extreme!" the nurse laughed as they wheeled her to the elevator "no mercy given or expected – wasn't that your motto!"
"Yup….mostly with House!" she chuckled; she looked at the door the others had left through "We were happier then, don't you think?"
"Honey, we all were…but that's life."
"'Life isn't fair…..live with it'!" they chorused together laughing "House did love that saying….."
"Still does sweetpea, still does….." Brenda was smiling on the outside, but on the inside she was crying. No life wasn't fair…it damn well wasn't.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The others got to Jess' apartment just as she was getting ready to leave; she'd pretty much loaded her car with basics, figuring to get anything else whenever. She knew she'd be coming back, just not for a while.
Cuddy came running up "You said you wouldn't leave her….you said…."
"And I won't. She knows that – she has the bleeper, the bleeper House used to have. They call that and I'm there, I'll be with her every day that I can….but I…can't, won't…." she took a deep breath.
"He wants to be a dick over her again – fine. It's his life and if he wants to screw it up, I can't stop him. But I don't have to watch, and you're too cruel to want me to."
"But she won't stay….." Cuddy pleaded "she's my friend and I should know."
"I don't care – I can't take it again."
Cuddy walked back to the others. Cameron came up "You know you care Jess, you wouldn't be so upset if you didn't. She won't stay…."
"I know she won't; and even if she does it won't be forever and I get the left-overs, again - the pieces to rebuild, again. Not this time – Molly told me on the way back he's been taking amphetamines Cam, on top of Vicodine! I mean what is he thinking?" Cameron could hear the exasperation in her voice and felt the same; they had to sort him out if they were ever going to sort this.
"She does this to him and then sods off; but I am not sticking around this time for the explosion. He told Molly he agreed to the job as he didn't want to be seen as the bastard this time – but he wasn't the bastard last time either.
He's taking the amp's to give him a kick, let him control it all – including the pain – have the odd moment when he doesn't limp or need the cane. To prove to her he can be the man he was. But she didn't like that man either, didn't like the sarcasm or the jokes even then." She sighed.
"I'm out – on the ropes, calling 'uncle'. Tell him for me…." She turned and went to get in the car.
"Tell him yourself, I'm right here."
She was past the point of caring if she hurt him, if she broke a promise – any of it.
"She was screwing Mark before you even needed the surgery House! She was already going to leave you! I was told it wouldn't help you to know and I promised I wouldn't tell – then I got back and found out she'd left you believing it was all your fault she'd gone.
I couldn't say, I'd promised and I knew it wouldn't help anyway. So I left it and took the consequences….
But now she's back and you're back to playing the idiot - and I can't watch her persecute you again, torture you again, for her own sick reasons." She looked him square in the eye. "Goodbye House…"
"You said you'd never leave me…." His voice was agonised.
"I said I'd never leave as long as you needed me….." Her shoulders sagged and he could see tears in her eyes, but they didn't fall. "You don't anymore, you've got her."
"Don't do this…." It was little more than a whisper.
"I can't let you drag me down this time House…I only hung on by my fingernails last time. I have Molly to consider, I can't go back to that place…."
"Please -don't do this…..Jess….." the note of desperate begging was there.
She closed her eyes against the plea, her name – this wasn't her fault, it wasn't. He'd made the decision, him. Well, now let him live with it.
She shook her head.
House looked at Molly, giving up "Take care alright Midget – I don't want you turning up and slowing me down in the clinic…" his voice cracked.
"I'm sorry House….I told you I couldn't be your friend if you hurt her….you did. I know you didn't mean to, but you did." She got into the car. What happened next tore at everyone there…..even Cuddy.
As they drove away Molly suddenly leaned out the back window "HOUSE! HOUSE! I DIDN'T MEAN IT – I'LL ALWAYS BE YOUR FRIEND, HOUSE….I LOVE YOU MUCHLY, REALLY MUCHLY!" She was openly sobbing "MUMMY STOP THE CAR…STOP THE DAMN CAR MUMMY! PLEASE…..PLEASE STOP….HOUSE! HOUSE!"
House fell to his knees, forgetting the pain in his leg, as the car went round the corner - just then everyone's beeper went off…………..including Jess'.
Jaynie had collapsed…….
