Ch. 18 Coming Home

Author's notes: As I am nearing the end of my summer semester of college, I'll probably be unable to do a lot of writing, so readers should have patience.

Also, the next chapter will probably be really long, as it will be the wrap up for everything.

That's all, folks

The morning after the wedding dawned bright and sunny for the newlyweds. House awoke to find Angela's arm thrown across his bare chest and her head nestled into his shoulder. He carefully slid out of bed and got dressed before opening the curtains, letting the sunlight pour into the room.

Angela groaned before burying her head under the pillow. "You are a very mean man," she grumbled.

"Yes, but it's morning."

"Tell morning to come back later. Like, around 12pm."

"That's called noon," House said, smiling.

Angela's hand came out from under the pillow and flipped House off. He laughed. "That's not very ladylike."

Angela groaned again and sat up. "When, in the course of our courtship, did I ever give the impression I was a lady?"

"'Courtship'? I think your age is showing."

"So is your sign that says 'I'm a limping twerp'." Angela got up as well, and got dressed, while shooting mock-glares at her husband. She was just pulling her boot over her prosthetic when both she and House heard a shriek coming from the floor above them.

"What was that?" House asked, looking up.

There was a second shriek and Angela closed her eyes in thought. "I believe that shriek said 'Oh, my God! I slept with my vampire lover and he didn't lose his soul!'" Then there was an ear-splitting scream. House looked to Angela for an explanation. She said, "I think that one said 'Someone just walked in on me and Angel naked!'"

"Okay," House said, trusting his wife's intuition. Changing the subject, he asked, "So where are we going for our honeymoon?"

Angela's smile was one that reflected her lost childhood. "We're going to my home; to Galway, Ireland."

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Galway, Ireland

Landing in the Dublin Airport, Angela felt a renewed sense of calm. She hadn't been home in 10 years and now she knew that this trip was 9 years overdue. When Angela and House got off the plane on a gray, cloudy Thursday, Angela was surprised to see another one of her old flames: William Addington, better known in the demon world as Spike.

"Will, what are you doing here?" Angela asked, completely floored.

Spike grinned. "Angel and Buffy told me you were coming here, so I decided to escort you since the entry rules for North Galway have tightened lately."

Angela groaned. Words like that typically meant nothing good… "What happened?"

"Death eaters."

"Great. Any chance Voldemort's going to screw up my honeymoon?" Angela asked, looking worried. House took his wife's hand. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Angela."

Angela lifted an eyebrow at him then glanced at her left leg. "Uh, in case you forgot, Voldemort's the reason I'm a day late and a leg short."

House looked at Spike. "But there's nothing to worry about right now, right?"

Spike nodded. Last thing he wanted to do was ruin Angela's honeymoon. "It's under control for now. Just have to register at the town hall so they can keep track of everyone."

Angela nodded. Then let's grab the luggage and go."

House smiled at his wife. "Eager to get home are you?"

Angela gave his hand a squeeze. "You have no idea."

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Arriving at the town hall, Angela noticed that while the oldest part of the town still maintained it's aged feel, there were scattered signs of modernization.

Due to the overcast day, Spike didn't have to worry about the sun as Angela parked and opened the door to her rental car. House, Angela, and Spike entered the building and saw a woman sitting behind a desk in the lobby.

"Bless my soul! Angela McKeaten! Good heavens, me!" She turned to a young man nearby and said, "Patrick, fetch their things, lad."

The boy got the car keys from Angela and hurried out to the car, returning a moment later with a luggage rack loaded with the bags. "Ma'am, do you want me to take your car to the parking garage?"

"Yes, thank you," Angela said, smiling.

House leaned close to her, catching a whiff of her vanilla perfume. "We're not driving there?"

Angela smiled lightly as she felt House's breath on her neck. "Cars aren't allowed on the main roads. We'll take a carriage to my old home."

"Ye'll have to wait a while, lass," said a gruff voice behind Angela and House. They both turned and Angela was surprised to see Alastor 'MadEye' Moody. House, however, was startled by Moody's appearance. The other man's face was weathered and heavily scarred… and one of his eyes was a vivid, electric blue and spinning around in all directions, completely independent of the other eye. House was totally transfixed by the revolving blue eye. Why was it always moving?

House stopped staring when Angela elbowed him in the ribs. "What do you mean we have to wait?" Angela asked.

Moody grunted. "They've been renting the place out. Current visitors will be gone by tonight."

"Who's renting it now?"

Moody shrugged. "No idea."

Despite Angela's elbowing, House continued to stare at Moody's mismatched eyes. After a while, both eyes settled on House. "Something wrong, lad?"

House cocked his head slightly. "Your eyes…"

Angela put a firm hand on House's arm. "Greg…"

House looked at her. "Well, they're… weird."

Angela sighed and buried her face in her hands. She really didn't want Moody to blow her husband into a million tiny pieces on their honeymoon.

Thankfully, Moody didn't take offense. Instead, he smiled at Angela. "He's a muggle, then?" Moody asked, nodding his head at House.

Angela looked up and nodded. "He's a doctor."

Moody looked at House. "I imagine this-" He pointed at his mismatched eyes. "-would be pretty strange to a muggle such as yourself." Moody glanced at Angela. "I'll see you later, lassie." Moody then gave a short nod before stomping out of the building.

Angela sat down and House sat next to her. After a moment, Angela turned to look at him. "Do you know how lucky you are to be sitting here and not be a smoking spot on the floor?"

"House pretended to think, then said, "Pretty damn lucky?"

Angela sighed. "Alastor Moody is one of the most trigger-happy ever. So, hell, yeah, you're pretty damn lucky!"

House looked at her. "Are you serious?"

Angela gave a small smile. "No, that's the guy you kept getting into scraps with over me."

House smiled back at her. "Plus, you're cuter than him."

"Oh, thank you for that. Sorry I can't say the same."

"You don't think I'm cute?"

Angela took House's hand. "You're more… devilishly handsome."

"That does sound better than 'cute'."

Angela stood up and leaned slightly on her cane. "You want a drink?"

House stood and leaned on his own cane. "You feel the need to ask?"

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The local band was just setting up when House and Angela sat down at a table and ordered pints. Angela sipped her Guinness and sighed. It was so good to be home. She missed this—sitting in a pub, a pint in her hand, and the prospect of good, Irish music.

"Angela McKeaten?"

Angela looked up. "Oh, no…" she groaned, though there was a smile on her face.

House looked around and saw a young man, probably a wizard, judging by the dark green robes he wore, coming towards them.

Angela grinned at him. "Josh Macalister. How are you?"

"You know him?" House asked, looking from Josh to Angela.

"Long ago," Angela replied. "It was a brief affair about 70 years ago."

"She was my muse," Said Josh with a smile. "I'd been an Immortal for about 326 years. Angela pulled me out of a writing slump." He flashed her a winning smile. "Even wrote you a song."

"Oh, you didn't…" Angela groaned.

Josh smirked. "You'll like it. Trust me. I'll leave you and your husband to your drinks," Josh said as one of the other band members called his name.

House looked at Angela. "I see you made an impression."

Angela sipped her pint. "I am a woman, and I… charm people."

"Is that what would you call it?"

Josh took the microphone and got the attention of the other pub hoppers. "Ladies and gentlemen, before we go with the regular night's performance, I would like to do a piece written for an old friend of mine, Angela McKeaten."

Angela glared at Josh while dragging a finger across her throat. Josh, however, ignored this and signaled the band to start up.

"Near Banbridge Town, in the County Down

One morning last July,

From the village green came a sweet colleen,

And she smiled as she passed me by;

She looked so neat from her two bare feet

To the sheen of her nut-brown hair,

Such a coaxing elf, I'd to shake myself

For to see I was really there"

"From Bantry Bay to the Derry Quay,

And from Galway to Dublin town,

No maid I've seen like the sweet colleen

That I met in the County Down."

Angela had to admit that the song was very good. And deep down, she did like that Josh appreciated her inspiration enough to write a song just for her. As Josh went on singing, Angela sipped her pint.

"Well she onward sped I shook my head

And I stood with a feeling rare,

And I said, says I, to a passer-by,

'Who's the maid with the nut-brown hair?'

He smiled at me, and he said says he,

'That's the gem of Ireland's crown;

Young Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann,

She's the Star of the County Down.'"

House nudged Angela's leg with her cane. "What's with the name?"

Angela smirked. "Back then I went by Rosemund McCann. It was my grandmother's name."

House looked at Angela. "'Rosie McKeaten'. I like it. You could name a kid that."

Angela didn't say anything, rather she took another drink. It was hard to think about answering House. How could she tell him that she couldn't have children? She decided to owl Lily as soon as possible about the surrogacy. She did want children, but she couldn't say anything, for fear of House's response. Staying silent, she just watched the band.

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It was well after 11pm before House and Angela reached Angela's old home. The walk hadn't been too easy for either of them, but it was necessary as they couldn't find a carriage when they left the pub. Angela went to one of the lamps along the side of the house and felt around the bricks until she found the loose one. Pulling it out, she found the old key just as it was years ago. She unlocked the front door and opened it. The lamps inside were still lit and the place was clean. Their bags were sitting in the foyer, and a fire was flickering happily in the fireplace. House and Angela left everything where it was, and instead went into the master bedroom where they undressed and slid into bed, falling asleep immediately in each other's arms.

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The next morning, House awoke to the sun shining through the window. He grabbed his pills off the nightstand and popped one before getting up and grabbing his cane. He went to the window and saw the bright rays of light cutting through the fog that was still settling across the land. After a few moments though, House was able to make out the vague outline of a large, sprawling estate.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

House turned to see Angela standing beside him, her prosthetic on and dressed in jeans and a tank top. She leaned on her cane as she looked out at the estate in the distance. "That's McKeaten Manor. Been there for 825 years. We'll go down there later." Angela slid her hand into House's and smiled at him. "So… what do you want to do today?"

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