Ch. XX Complications of the Heart

Author's notes: Well, this took a while due to massive writer's block. But this fic is back in business and the end is near. (It just hasn't been typed yet.)

That's all from me. Read and review, please!

Also, anyone who spots a real-life 'House' parallel wins a special prize. Just put your guess in a review.Thanks a bunch!

When Cassie awoke, Wilson was still asleep. She watched him for a moment, a stirring starting in the pit of her stomach. This was crazy. This was… she loved Wilson. More than anything. But her affections were shadowed by her fear of loss. She sat up, drawing her knees up to her chest, her leg strongly protesting the action. After a moment, Cassie grabbed her bottle of vicodin and downed one before getting up and quietly getting dressed. Then she grabbed her cane and left Wilson's home, heading to the hotel to get the rest of her things before loading up her car and driving away.

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When Wilson woke and saw that Cassie was absent from his bed, he got dressed before looking around the house. Realizing that she was indeed gone, Wilson got in his own car and went to the hospital first, though he didn't see Cassie's car in the lot. Parking, he walked inside and saw Stabler waiting for him. "Have you seen Cassie?"

Stabler nodded. "Left this morning, according to Benson."

Wilson nodded. He knew that Cassie would leave, but a part of him hoped that she'd stay. She was afraid, and Wilson knew that it was a fear that would not end easily. "Any idea where she'd go?" Wilson asked.

Stabler sighed. "Probably to her loft. Maybe to her father's home. But I wouldn't follow her."

Wilson look surprised. "Why not?"

Stabler didn't say anything for a second. "Cassie's in a vulnerable position right now. She knows what she feels and knows what she wants. But she's afraid of losing you."

"Yeah," Wilson said, dejectedly. "She told me about Matt."

"It hurt her more than anyone could have possibly imagined. If she gets hurt like that again, it'll kill her."

Wilson nodded and started towards his office, unaware that House was watching from the doorway to the clinic.

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Cassie didn't take the expressway home. She just wanted to drive. Think things through. She turned the radio on but switched it off after a while. God, why couldn't she just settle down and be happy? Wilson didn't have a dangerous job that took him into the heart of the Bronx. He had the nice, safe job of being an oncologist. Cassie slapped the steering wheel in frustration. She was the youngest female police captain in New York. She'd just apprehended a dangerous serial rapist… Why was her life so fucked up? Why couldn't she just be happy like other girls in love? Cassie threw her newest Bryan Adams CD in the player and sighed as the music played.

'There's a road- long and winding

The lights are blinding- but it gets there

Don't give up- don't look back

There's a silver lining- It's out there somewhere

'Everybody wants an answer- everybody needs a friend

We all need a shining star on which we can depend

So tonight we're going to wish upon a star

We've never wished upon before

(To find what you're looking for)'

Cassie looked up at the brilliant blue sky. The sun was shining and only a few fluffy clouds dotted the horizon. Still, Cassie wished upon the invisible stars. "Please… Help me find happiness. Help me figure out what to do…" As Cassie headed down the road, the traffic started to pick up. She continued along, still wondering what she was going to do once she got back to Brooklyn.

'There'll be times in your life

When you'll be dancin' and shit

But you ain't getting it

Don't get disillusioned- no, don't expect too much

Cause if what you have is all you can get

Just keep on trying- it just ain't happened yet'

Cassie was lost in thought when she turned onto another road. After a few minutes, she realized where she was heading. Her father lived about 40 minutes away. Maybe she'd go there and try to get some advice….

'Everybody wants to be a winner- Everybody has a dream

We all need a shining star when things ain't what they seem

So tonight we're going to wish upon a star

We've never wished upon before'

Charles Ross was one of the most level-headed, yet emotional cops in Brooklyn. He'd been thrilled beyond belief when Cassie graduated the police academy second in her class. When Cassie had decided to join the Special Victims Unit, Charles had only briefly questioned her decision before supporting her whole-heartedly. After her mother's death, Cassie had depended on Jesse Spence and her father to help her, though to them Cassie presented a stony face and a brave demeanor. But inside, Cassie hated that her life was torn apart. When Cassie started playing hockey in the academy, the other members on the team became an extended family. Laurie, Jesse, Jenna, Omar, and Leo, especially, became her best and closest friends outside of the police force. Hockey gave Cassie the perfect outlet for all her emotions. She could be happy, sad, frustrated, tough, sensitive, angry… whatever she wanted while beating guys up.

Cassie finally turned onto her father's street and after a little while longer, she pulled up to a one-story ranch with an old Cadillac in the driveway. Parking next to the Caddie, Cassie paused for a moment before she got out of her car and grabbed her cane. As she locked her car, she saw her father coming from the back yard where he had his gardens. "Cassie? What are you doing here? Thought you were dealing with Peters in New Jersey."

Cassie nodded. "Yeah, we… we got him. Being arraigned for the attacks in New Jersey, then he'll be transferred to New York."

Charles studied his daughter's face. "But you're not happy," he said. "I thought you'd be thrilled. Finally caught the guy that…" He trailed off as Cassie's eyes started shining with tears. Cassie dropped her cane as she hurried forward to hug her father. Charles held her for a moment before pulling away slightly and watching her closely. "Cassandra, what happened? What's wrong?"

Cassie looked up into her dad's worn face. "Dad, I… I met someone," she said meekly.

Charles nodded understandingly. "I see. I see." He put an arm around Cassie's shoulders and said, "I'm going to get your cane and we'll go inside and talk. Okay?" Cassie nodded and stood for a moment as her father went to retrieve the fallen cane. The two then went inside the house, Charles closing the door behind them.

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In normal situations, House loved to be right. But right now he'd give anything to be wrong. He'd played his GameBoy for about 10 minutes before losing focus. He couldn't stop thinking about Wilson and Cassie. House had seen Wilson miserable with his divorces and partly happy with his marriages. With Cassie, though, Wilson was just… happy. He was cheerful and… House picked up his oversized tennis ball and started rolling it around in his hands. Cassie made Wilson happy and Wilson made Cassie… well, if not happy, at least less miserable than she usually seemed.

The two deserved each other, that much was clear. But how to convince Cassie to go for it with Wilson? House set the ball down and started twirling his cane. After a minute, though, he stilled the cane, studying it. His old one had been broken when it got caught in one of the hospital elevators. It was a shame. The cane had been one-of-a-kind, a gift from a group of diagnosticians House had given a conference to in England. He'd kept the pieces for sentimental value, though.

House started twirling his cane again. He liked this one. It had been a birthday/thank-you gift from Cuddy and Wilson. House stood up and started pacing. Wilson was his best friend. He deserved happiness. And if Wilson wasn't going to fight this battle, then House would just have to fight it for him…

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Cassie's tears had stopped, but her eyes were still red and puffy. She sighed as she sat at her father's kitchen table, looking around at the living room decorated with various law enforcement paraphernalia. "This Dr. Wilson sounds like a great guy," Charles said as he set a mug of coffee laced with whiskey in front of her before sitting down himself. "I mean, you said he's smart, witty, charming… nice. So why didn't you stay with him?"

Cassie shrugged. "I don't know. I love him. I just got overwhelmed and…"

"Casey-bear, Wilson isn't Matt. I mean you've already admitted you like this guy. He likes you. He took you to a hockey game…" Charles stood up and started making lunch. "So why are you so afraid to be in love again?"

Cassie watched her father working in the kitchen. "I'm afraid of getting hurt again. I just don't want to deal with everything again…. The pain of everything…"

"I know, Cassie. I remember after your mother died…. And I remember when you fell down the steps at the precinct," Charles said as he made Cassie's favorite Ramen Noodle soup. "Munch told me about that at the hospital. Not what I'd recommend as a suicide….. except it wasn't about that was it?"

"No, Dad," Cassie said as her father set lunch on the table. "It was…" she trailed off as the doorbell rang.

Charles went to the door and opened it, revealing a scruffy looking man with a cane. "Can I help you, sir?"

The man smiled. "You must be retired Lieutenant Charles Ross. I'm Dr. Greg House. Is Cassie home?"

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Wilson hadn't seen House at all today which was slightly odd. Poking his head into the Diagnostics office, he saw Cameron sitting on House's chair playing GameBoy. "Hey, have you seen House?"

Cameron didn't stop playing, but rather flicked her eyes up at Wilson for a moment. "Uhhh—laska?"

"He went to Alaska," Wilson said, dubiously.

"No," Cameron, said, focusing on her game.

"So where is he?"

Cameron sighed. "He said you'd figure it out." Wilson nodded. He knew what House was up to. House would try to fix things with Cassie. Wilson headed out. He had to find House before he irreparably messed things up. Maybe Cassie's friends could help…

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Suz Spence was a girl with a mission. Stabler had told her that Cassie had left for New York that morning—and now for a romantic weekend with Wilson. Laurie was milling around the hospital lobby when Suz found him. "Cassie's gone. She went back to New York."

"Wait, she left?" Laurie said, bewildered.

"Yeah. So we have to fix this," Suz said matter-of-factly. "Cassie's upset so she's not going to go home. I think she went to her dad's place."

Laurie nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Okay, short-stuff. I'm going to find Dr. Wilson and then we'll go find her and… what?"

Suz's face had taken on a mischievous smile. "Wilson's already waiting for us."

Laurie grinned at the daughter of one of his best friends. "You've learned well, my young padawan."

"I'd never make a good Jedi," Suz said as she and Laurie headed out. "I'm too reckless and emotional."

"Worked for Anakin Skywalker," said Laurie.

"Yeah, and look what happened to his career. I'm devious, not evil."

"I think Cassie and House would argue that point."

"Cassie taught me well and House is a—" She paused before swearing and gave a quick glance at Laurie. "Well, I can't think of a mean word right now, but that's what he is." Laurie just laughed as he and Suz went to Wilson's car and got in, the three of them heading to New York.

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If given the choice between being intimidated by Detectives Munch and Stabler and standing in the kitchen of Charles Ross… House was pretty sure Munch and Stabler would be the better choice. Certainly they'd be less likely to kick his ass for no reason. Unlike Cassie's father.

"Why the hell are you here?" Cassie asked as House sat down next to her.

"Well, you left without saying good-bye, so…"

"Oh, so you drove 2 hours to say good-bye to me?"

"I don't care if you leave without saying good bye to me," House said, tapping his cane. "Wilson's the one you devastated. I'm starting to regret apologizing for calling you a coward."

Charles sat opposite House. "You called my daughter a coward?" Charles didn't like this guy; he was abrasive and gruff with no charm whatsoever.

Cassie looked at her father. "Munch and Stabler… were intimidating House. He thought I was sending them out. Which I wasn't."

"No," House said, his temper starting to peak. "But you were using my friend."

'I didn't use anyone!" Cassie shouted, angrily. "YOU'RE the one who told Wilson to stay away from me because you think I'm too damaged for him!"

"What do you mean calling my daughter damaged?" Charles asked, getting annoyed. "Like she's broken or something? Who the Hell do you think you are, you limping bastard?"

House stood up as did Charles. "I came here," House said, standing his ground against Cassie's father. "-To try and get the Captain here to try sticking it out with Wilson."

"And since when is what Wilson and I do any of your business?" Cassie asked, standing as well despite the familiar tingling in her leg. "It's my life. My choices."

"Wilson's my friend," House replied, his piercing blue eyes staring into Cassie's. "You're the first woman he's actually seriously given a damn about and you use him and lose him."

"Don't talk to my daughter like that!" Charles shouted, fighting the urge to rip one of the rifles off the wall. "I don't give a shit what your problems are, but leave Cassie out of it!"

"Uh…. Hi," said a young voice from the doorway. All three turned to see Wilson, Suz, and Laurie standing there. Suz looked at the tensed faces and her eyebrows lifted slightly. "Did we come at a bad time?"

"No," Cassie replied, shaking her head. "You're just in time. Dad and House are about to kill each other."

"House, what's going on?" Wilson asked, looking at his friend.

"I came here to try and help you and Captain Coward, here."

Charles charged around the table, grabbing House by the front of his shirt and slamming him against the wall. "I've had enough of you and your goddamn problems with Cassie!" he raged.

"Dad, let him go!" Cassie said. "He's not worth it." She started towards her father when her leg gave out and she fell to the floor.

"Cassie!" Charles let go of House who leaned against the wall to keep from falling himself. Charles dropped to the ground next to his daughter, and Wilson knelt down as well. "Casey-bear, you okay?"

Cassie started to shrug, but hissed in pain when Wilson took her left hand to try and help her up. "Okay, that hurt," Cassie said as Wilson started probing Cassie's left hand and wrist. Suddenly her fingers tightened in pain and her wrist hurt like crazy.

"Well, I don't think your wrist's broken, but your fingers might be. You need to get to a hospital."

Charles nodded and scooped Cassie up in his arms. "Your car, Dr. Wilson?"

Wilson nodded and led the way outside and to his car.

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Dr. Jamie Langley had just come on duty when she saw Charles Ross come into the ER holding Cassie in his arms. "Captain Ross? What happened?"

"Her leg gave out," Wilson said as he came in a brief moment later. "Slight trauma to the left hand and wrist.'

Langley nodded and motioned for Charles to take Cassie to an open exam room. Once in the room, Charles lay Cassie down on the bed and stepped back so Langley could examine her hand. Langley finished the hand exam and then gently prodded Cassie's leg. When Cassie hissed in pain, Langley stopped. "Okay, Captain. Looks like you're going to need some x-rays. We'll take a couple pictures and see what's up." Cassie nodded, and started feeling around in her pocket for her vicodin when she realized she'd left her pills in her car. The female doctor noticed Cassie's look and said, "I'll get you something for the pain in a minute."

"Thanks. I appreciate that," Cassie said as her hand and leg spasmed again. Langley left and came back a moment later with a wheelchair. Cassie started to ease off the bed when her father tried to help. "Dad, I can do it myself, okay? I'm not a baby."

Once seated, Langley had an orderly take Cassie to radiology. The orderly, a thin woman named Sara, smiled at the police captain. "So who's the cute guy back there? The one with those sweet bedroom eyes."

Cassie smiled. "That's James Wilson. He's a doc at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey."

"Ohhhh," Sara said, suggestively. "Boyfriend? Lover?"

"'Lover' is the only one I'll commit to," Cassie said. "But…"

Once they arrived at radiology, Sara got Cassie set up for the leg and forearm films. "You know the drill, Captain. Just relax a minute." Cassie waited for the tech to finished the x-rays, at the same time trying to control her breathing, a pain management technique she sometimes employed when her leg got really bad.

After the films, Sara helped Cassie back into the wheelchair and took her back to the room. "Well, Captain, you better saddle that doc quick before someone else steals him."

"They try," Cassie said, not even a hint of a smile on her face. "—and I'll have them arrested."

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About an hour later, Langley came back and snapped the x-rays into the light box on the wall. "Well, you didn't break anything, so that's the good news. It looks like you twisted your wrist, though… and your ankle; so we'll wrap you up. As far as your fingers… looks like a standard sprain of the center joint of the middle and ring fingers. You could get away with taping the fingers, but really, they should be splinted."

Cassie started to protest, but Charles squeezed her shoulder. "Go ahead with the splinting. And… she'll be okay?"

Langley pulled the films and put them into Cassie's file. "We'll keep her overnight, but she'll be fine."

Cassie looked at her father. "Dad, could you go home and get my vicodin out of my car? And bring the others over—"

"Already here, Cass," Laurie said as he came in, followed by Suz and House. Laurie tossed a small bottle to Cassie who managed to catch it one-handed before taking a vicodin. "I thought you'd want these."

House gave Wilson a nod and Cassie a thin smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Dad," Cassie said, glaring at House. 'How am I feeling? Take a guess, you limping bastard.' "Hand me my cane. I'm going to hit him."

"You left it at home, Casey-bear," Charles replied, smirking.

"Well, then hand me his," Cassie persisted, gesturing with her left hand then instantly regretting it.

Charles nodded happily. "I can do that," He said, reaching for House's cane.

"Uh-huh," House said, holding his cane up. "You can hit me with your cane anytime you want, Captain, but you're not hitting me with mine."

Dr. Langley came back in and looked around at the crowd around Cassie. "Okay, there are too many people here. Only two of you can stay, the rest have to leave."

Wilson started to head out, but Suz grabbed his arm in a vice like grip. "Dr. Wilson and I will stay," Suz said, happily.

Langley pulled bandages and a 2-finger splint out of a drawer as Cassie said, "No, you're leaving. Sorry Suz, but I don't trust you. Dad, you and Wilson can stay."

As the others left, Langley said to Wilson, "I need you to straighten her ankle and hold it up, please."

Wilson did so, and Cassie winced as her ankle bent. "Sorry, Cassie."

"It's—ahh—okay, James."

Wilson nodded, and continued to hold as Langley wrapped Cassie's injured foot.

"So I understand you and Cassie have had an interesting relationship," Charles said as Langley finished Cassie's ankle and started on her wrist and fingers.

Wilson smiled as he looked at Cassie. "Yeah, I think the highlight was watching her enjoy herself at a hockey game."

Charles laughed. "Yeah, Cassieused to begreat on the ice. Hell of a goalie."

Once Cassie was wrapped up, Charles and Wilson left so that Cassie could rest. As she lay in bed, thinking, Cassie found her thoughts focusing on James Wilson as she drifted off to sleep.

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Late that night, Jesse Spence snuck into Cassie's room for a few minutes. He just leaned against the wall, watching Cassie sleep. As he turned to leave, he saw his daughter standing behind him, arms crossed and blue eyes narrowed. "Hey, Dad. Nice drive?"

"Just popping in. Checking on Cassie," Jesse said softly so as not to wake Cassie.

Suz grabbed her father by the arm and pulled him out into the hallway and closed the door. "Dad, you did not just drive an hour and a half from New Jersey in the middle of the night to check on Cassie." Suz studied her father before continuing. "How long have you been in love with her?"

"Suz…"

"No… Look, Dad, I've watched the two of you for years. Ever since Mom died. You guys have known each other since you were 14, right?"

"Freshman year of high school," Jesse said, smiling at the memory. "English class. She's been my best friend. I love her like a sister."

"Dad, come on. Let's go home, huh?"

Jesse smiled and hugged his daughter. "Oh, what would I do without you, Suzanne?"

"Keep calling me 'Suzanne' and you'll find out, Dad."

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When Cassie awoke the next morning, she found House and Wilson standing next to the bed. House gave her a smile, though Cassie noticed that the older doctor also had a split lip.

"Your father says good morning," House replied as Cassie got up and gathered her clothes, limping into the bathroom.

"I take it Dad picked up where he left off yesterday," Cassie said behind the door.

"Nice right hook, though," House said, sitting on the bed.

"Yeah, he was famous for it when he was on the force. That and his groin-kneeing." Cassie stuck her head out and gave House a hopeful smile. "Didn't try that on you, did he?"

"Thankfully, no," House said, sighing. "Though he did promise 'blow me a new one' if I ever called you a coward again."

"That would be the shot gun over the mantle. Dad taught me to shoot that when I was 12." Cassie came out and saw House leaning on his cane and twirling hers.

"I'll give it back to you," House said, smirking. "Only if you promise not to hit me with it."

Cassie took her cane and nodded. "Deal. Come on. I want to get out of here. Spent enough time in hospitals lately."

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