Author's notes: Well, here it is! The new chapter! And I am so glad it works. I think. Maybe. Eh, you guys let me know…
Ahem, anyway… No challenges this time as my cowriter was unable to do this chapter. (Real life stuff, job, phone, etc…)
Smokey Bones is a real restaurant. Great food... wonderful ribs and pulled pork.
Hope y'all like!
Oh, the song lyrics at the end belong to Howie Day. But y'all knew that, right?
Ch. 13 Expect the Unexpected
By the time Wilson was heading home, he had two bruises forming on his head from Cassie and House's canes that morning. Wilson was almost to his car when he heard someone call his name. Turning, he saw Detective Munch jogging up to him. "Got a minute, Dr.?"
"Sure," Wilson said. "It's not like my wife's at home waiting for me."
"Divorced?"
"3rd time, actually."
"Same here," Munch said. "So how are you and Cassie doing?"
"We're good," Wilson replied, rubbing his head. Damn, canes were painful. "Except she hit me this morning. House, too."
"Yeah, Cassie told me about that. Hey, have fun tomorrow night."
Wilson smiled as he got into his car. "I will, Detective. Good night."
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The next morning, Cassie was awoken around 6:30am by her leg spasming. Cassie groaned as she grabbed her bottle of pills and opened it, groaning again when she found that she only had 3 vicodin left. Oh, well… she'd just ask Wilson for a refill when she saw him that day.
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Olivia Benson woke up at 9 when she heard Cassie in the shower and decided to flip on the TV and see if there was anything about Peters on the news. "—no information has been given, but informants have told us that the Special Victims units from New York are closing in on Adam Peters, the man who raped and slashed 7 women, leaving two dead. We have also heard that the police captain from Manhattan will be joining the manhunt today—"
Olivia muted the TV as Cassie came in wearing only her underwear and a towel. "You okay this morning?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Leg's just acting up again," Cassie said as she pulled on a shirt and sat on the bed, catching Olivia's glance out of the corner of her eye. Cassie ran a hand over her wasted leg, lightly massaging the remaining muscle. She finished getting dressed and grabbed her car keys, bag, and cane. "I'm heading over to the hospital. I'll see you later."
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Cassie got to PPTH and was surprised when she didn't see Wilson's car. Going in, she decided to head up to Wilson's office when she heard House behind her. "Wilson's not in today," he said as Cassie hit the 'up' button on the elevator.
"Where is he?"
"Took a day off. Something I can help you with?" House asked, the usual sarcasm in his voice.
Cassie sighed and dug into her pocket for her vicodin. Pulling the bottle out, she said, "I'm almost out. Could you write me a refill?"
House studied her for a moment, his eyes resting for a second on her leg. "Your leg's twitching. How long since you took a pill?"
"About 4 hours ago," Cassie replied, wondering where House was going with this.
"Take a second pill and I'll get you a refill," House said, holding out his hand. Cassie did as told and handed the bottle over. House studied the dosage. "10 mg. I'm going to get you on the 20 mg. dosage. It'll do more and you don't have to take it as often."
"Thanks," Cassie said. "I think." She followed House to the hospital pharmacy and stopped at the counter next to him.
"36 vicodin, 20 mg dose, for Captain Cassandra Ross."
The pharmacist nodded and filled a new bottle which House then tossed to Cassie along with the old pill bottle. "Have a good day, Captain."
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With her vicodin refilled, Cassie debated going back to the hotel when she heard some one whistling. Turning, Cassie saw Suz Spence who started running down the hallway. "Aunt Cassie!" The teenager skidded to a stop in front of Cassie. "Hey there. How are ya?"
"Hey, yourself, kid. I'm good. How are you feeling?"
"No cancer for 3 years," Suz said, grinning. "Daddy told me about you and Dr. Wilson. He's cute, isn't he?"
"Very cute," Cassie agreed, unaware that the topic of conversation had come in and was now eavesdropping.
Suz went on. "I was talking to Daddy and he told me that you're still afraid of being hurt like Matt hurt you."
"Your daddy's a smart guy."
"Dr. Wilson's not going to hurt you, Cassie. I know he won't."
"You can't be sure of that, Suz," Cassie said, sadly.
"And you can't be sure he will. Just have fun and enjoy yourself. Oh, and if you two get married, you'd have to pay me to be a flower girl," Suz said, crinkling her nose in horror at the idea of wearing a frilly pink dress.
"Suz, James and I aren't getting married."
"You damn well better," Suz said, putting her hands on her hips. "Uncle Laurie and I have $425 on the two of you getting hitched."
"Really?"
"Yep. So get married, okay? I want a new iPod."
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After visiting patients and doing paperwork for a while, Wilson went up to his office and found Suz sitting in his chair, spinning around. "How old are you again?" He asked, smiling.
"9. Thanks for asking, Dr. Wilson," Suz said, vacating the chair as House came in.
"New girlfriend, Wilson?" House asked, looking at the kid. "A bit young. But, hey… maybe that works for you."
Wilson sighed. "This is Suzanne Spence. She's a patient."
"Former," Suz said. "In remission for 3 years. And I bloody HATE being called Suzanne!"
"Nice to meet you, kid."
"I'm 15-years-old," Suz said, crossing her arms and glaring at House. "How old are you? Like… 80, or something?"
House brandished his cane at her. "You should show cripples more respect. I have a cane, and I know how to use it."
Wilson sat behind his desk and watched with amusement. This could prove to be very entertaining.
"So does Aunt Cassie, but she's cooler. And she doesn't look like an escapee from an asylum."
House felt a swelling dislike for this kid. At the same time, she was interesting. "So if you're in remission, what are you doing here? Most recovering cancer patients avoid hospitals unless it's absolutely necessary."
Suz rolled her eyes. "My Dad's here helping Cassie Ross. Apparently there's some jackass doctor named House that's bugging the crap out of her. I'll tell ya… if I meet him, I'm going to kick his ass." Suz paused for a second, and then asked. "So… who are you?"
House held out his hand. "Dr. Greg Jackass."
Suz hesitated for only a second before kicking House in the left leg. House cursed loudly, and Wilson started laughing his head off.
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When Cassie saw House pull up outside the hotel that evening in his corvette, she noticed that Cameron and Wilson were wedged in the small backseat. "Oohh. People with bad legs get front seating? Sweet."
"You're lucky I don't make you sit in the trunk," House said as Cassie got in. "Your friend came trolloping by today. Kicked me in the shin."
"Uh… I have many friends who would like to do that to you. You gotta narrow it down a bit."
"The 15-year-old," House said, zooming off.
"Oh, you met Suz?" Cassie asked, cheerfully. "How'd you like her?"
"She was tolerable till she kicked me," House grumbled. "You don't deserve ribs after that, but…"
"Ribs?" Cassie repeated. "We're going to a barbeque place?"
"Smokey Bones," House said. "Best barbeque you've ever tasted."
"Sounds good."
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'There are more painful things than this double date,' House decided. 'Getting kicked in the leg by a formerly cancer-ridden brat, for instance.'
"So how come you didn't turn into a misanthrope like House after your leg?" Cameron asked Cassie.
Cassie pulled the last morsels of meat off the rib she was eating and shrugged. "My friends wouldn't let me. Then of course there was also my dad, all the New York cops… Good support system, I guess."
"Did you choose the surgery option?" Cameron asked.
"Yeah. I thought maybe it wouldn't be too bad and I could still be a street cop. That idea got screwed to hell. But I'm okay being captain. Plus I get great parking."
"Yeah, the perks are great if you can forget the stabbing, aching, killer leg pain," House said as he munched a couple of fries.
"Hey, try getting shot in the gut sometime," Cassie said, snappily. "And I hurt more than you. I've got pain in both shoulders thanks to some trigger happy SOBs."
"Both shoulders?" Wilson asked, surprised.
"Remind me to show you the scars sometime," Cassie said, nudging Wilson's foot with hers.
"Count on it," Wilson said, while House pretended to gag.
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After dinner, House dropped Cassie and Wilson off at Wilson's home. Wilson unlocked the door and held it open for Cassie before entering himself. As soon as he closed the door, Wilson pulled Cassie into his arms. "I have to kiss you," he said, softly. "Or I'm going to go nuts. I love you."
Wilson kissed her, and this time, when he slid his hand down her right thigh, she didn't stop him.
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When Cassie heard her cell phone ring, she checked the clock on Wilson's night stand. Grabbing the phone and flipping it open, she barked, "What?"
"Peters is in custody," said the voice of Donald Cragen.
Cassie bolted upright, waking Wilson. "What? When?"
"40 minutes ago. He was outside the hospital near Stacy Delaney's room," Cragen said.
Cassie let out a whoop and Wilson asked, "What is it?"
Cassie covered the mouthpiece and said, "Peters has been arrested. We gotta go." Talking to Cragen, she said, "We'll be at the precinct in half an hour." Hanging up, Cassie got out of bed and started hunting around for her jeans. "James, why did you toss my pants?"
"We were kissing, it was a passionate moment—I'm sorry. I was an idiot."
"James, you're not an idiot. Now help me find my pants."
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When they finally got to the Princeton Police Department, Cameron and House were already there along with Benson, Munch, and Stabler. "If this is a joke, I'm going to be very upset. Just to forewarn you."
Munch jerked his thumb at the interrogation room where Cassie could see Tutuola keeping an eye on Peters. Cassie started towards the room and House fell in step beside her. Before Cassie opened the door, she turned to House and said, "You're not a detective. So if you feel like assaulting Peters, please keep it to a minimum."
"You're giving me permission to hit him?" House asked, incredulous.
Cassie shrugged as she popped a vicodin. "I can't do it. Police brutality. You're not a detective, so…" She pulled open the door, with House right behind her.
Peters looked up as the two came in. "Captain. So nice to see you again. What's with the cane?"
Cassie's hand tensed so much on the head of her cane that her knuckles were white. With her other hand, she yanked on the pendant around her neck, snapping the ball-chain it was on. She threw it on the table and Peters picked it up. "That's why the cane, you son of a bitch."
Peters picked up the bullet. "Ahhh, yes. I am sorry. I did only intend to keep you from following me."
Cassie tried to lung at Peters, but House held her back. "Let me at that bastard," Cassie hissed.
"If I may ask, Captain… how much damage did my bullet cause?"
"A blood clot," Cassie muttered through her teeth.
"That doesn't sound too bad. Complications?"
This time, Tutuola had to keep both House and Cassie from beating Peters. "Calm down, both of you!" Tutuola said, pushing both of them back slightly. He then turned to Peters and grabbed the front of the man's shirt and shoved him down into a chair. "Now you shut up, punk! Answer the Captain's questions or I'll let her and Dr. House take a stab at you."
Peters adjusted himself in the chair and waited as Cassie sat down on the opposite side of the table. "Now listen up, you SOB. You're going to jail. I don't care what excuse or rational you have for what you did."
"Why'd you target Dr. Cameron?" House asked, leaning against the wall and popping a vicodin.
Peters crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "It was a game. I like to play with people. This thing with Dr. Cameron was just an… amusement."
Cassie could see House tensing up so she asked again, "Why Cameron?"
"It had nothing to do with Dr. Cameron, Captain. It's you. Or, I should say you and Dr. Gregory House, here," Peters said in a calm voice, like a professor teaching a class. "I studied the two of you for months. Started with a chance encounter. Captain, you pulled me over for drunk driving when you got a call about a girl who had been sexually assaulted. Dr. House, I came in complaining chronic fatigue syndrome. You gave me a prescription for candy. Separate encounters that made me find the both of you incredibly interesting. What you were like. What your limits were. How far I could push you before you cracked."
"You're saying we were your lab rats?" Cassie said, horrified.
Unknown to peters, House had gone behind him and slammed the man to the table, using his cane to pin Peters by the back of the neck. "You think this is a game?" House screamed. "You attack two women I care about for you own personal fucking curiosity?"
"Two?" Peters gasped out, confused. "You mean Dana Morris wasn't…?" Peters twisted slightly under the cane. "Oops."
"House, let him up," Cassie said, her voice filled with icy calm. House let Peters up and Cassie said, "Peters… you're going to die. You have two choices as to how. Either it's in a jail by lethal injection or Dr. House and I beat you to death. Choice one means you shutting up. Choice two… just keep talking."
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"So what now?" Wilson asked as he and Cassie sat at a table at Starbucks. "You going back to New York?"
Cassie shrugged as she sipped her espresso. "Probably."
Wilson played with his cup. "So you're not staying?"
Cassie sighed. "I don't know. Case is over, so… You know I never thought… all this would happen. And now it has…. I don't know what to do."
"You could stay," Wilson said, hopefully.
Cassie nodded. "I'd like to, but… I've been in SVU for so long. I've even gotten used to being Captain."
"You don't have to be a cop," Wilson said.
Cassie smiled sadly at him. "Police business is in my blood. I've never wanted to be anything else. Being a cop is who I am."
Wilson nodded. "So there's nothing I can say to make you change your mind?"
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Cassie lay on her hotel bed a few hours later, just staring at the ceiling. Her leg was starting to throb, but she ignored it. Her thoughts were tied up in Wilson right now. She turned on the radio and close her eyes, listing to the new Howie Day song.
"The dawn is breaking
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah
"I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again"
Cassie felt tears sting her eyes. She wanted so badly to be with Wilson; the way he made her feel was…. It hurt to be without him. Yet she was so afraid of losing him. But here she was, thrown together with this wonderful man… and Cassie was scared to death to throw herself into the relationship.
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"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find you and I collide"
Wilson was sitting on his couch sipping a beer when he heard the distinct sound of a cane rapping on the front door. Wilson ignored it. It was probably House coming over to say that he was right about Cassie being irreparable damaged and that wasn't what Wilson wanted right now. The rapping continued and Wilson got up and marched over to the door. "House, I don't want to talk to you right now." He pulled the door open to tell House to go away when he saw Cassie standing there.
"Hi, James."
"Where's your car?" Wilson asked, looking outside.
Cassie shrugged. "I walked. James… I love you. I really do, but… I don't want you to hurt me."
Wilson let Cassie in and closed the door.
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find you and I collide"