"Puppet Master"
Chapter Two-"Setting the Stage"
By: Purpleu
House and Lydia held hands as they walked down Lancaster Street toward Gateway Realty. They had to park several blocks away as the office was near the site of the crane collapse and many streets in the area were still closed off. Lydia was walking at a brisk pace; House had some trouble keeping up. For all their joking about him overusing his leg last night, it was bothering him more than usual this morning. Lydia tried to get him to stay home and she would send Wilson over to pick him up, but House would hear none of it. He wanted to try and support her as best he could; there was just one thing he couldn't do…
"Hey, Speedy Gonzales. Will you slow down? They give tickets for speed walking as well as jaywalking in this town." Lydia stopped.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah; I just didn't count on adding in the hundred meter dash to the decathlons I participated in."
"I'm sorry; I'm just so anxious to get there and see the place. I really want this one to work out." House moved close to her and gave her a gentle kiss.
"Stop worrying. If this one doesn't work out the next one will. You're not going to be out on the street and homeless. I'll make sure of that." Lydia tilted her head to the side and looked at House with gratitude.
"I know you will." She gave his hand a squeeze and started walking again at a slower pace. "I also don't want to keep Annie standing there for too long. She's doing well with her therapy, but she is still very uncomfortable around people she doesn't know. She's been dealing with this real estate agent for a few weeks now, but I'm afraid if James gets there before us and he tries to talk to her, it might freak her out a bit." House glanced over at Lydia with a smirk.
"Wilson is one of the least threatening people on the planet. If anything, he'll wind up ignoring her; he's got too much on his mind right now." They approached the end of the block and started to cross the street, when a loud sound came from their right. Lydia was startled and House noticed the saw horses blocking off the road. He shifted his gazed upward toward what remained of the block. York Street still looked like a shambles as buildings from both sides of the street were being torn down due to the damage from falling debris. He stopped midway across and stared in a daze at the sight. Images from that night flooded his brain, both real and imaginary. House closed his eyes, trying to make them go away; but they remained until Lydia spoke.
"Greg?" He opened his eyes and turned to look at her. "Let's move onto the sidewalk." House nodded and walked silently with her to the other side of the street. He stopped and leaned back against the building on the corner and stared down at the ground.
"Do you want to find a place to sit down?" Lydia asked.
"No, what I want is a way to erase that night from my mind," House snapped. "I'm responsible for one person's death and a person I've known for over twenty years is nothing more than a….turnip with hair and breasts because of me." He shook his head and refused to look at Lydia.
"There is a bench by the bus stop. We are going over there and sitting down," Lydia said firmly.
"No, you have to get things going with the realtor and meet up with Annie. Wilson's probably eaten her for lunch by now." Lydia smiled, took House by the hand and led him toward the bench.
"Lydia…" he began to protest. They arrived at the bench.
"Sit," she said, slightly pushing him downward. He complied and she sat down next to him. "I was worried that bringing you down here might upset you; I'm glad I'm with you rather than you dealing with it alone." She reached over and gently rubbed his back. "Greg, you know you were not responsible for that woman's death and for Cuddy's injuries. Yes, I know you could have gotten that woman out of there sooner if you had talked her into cutting off her leg. But, she didn't want that, right?"
"No; she begged me not to let them do it." Lydia nodded.
"And you weren't even conscious when Cuddy went down into the rubble pile; you were incapable of stopping her. Sometimes it's a matter of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time." House let out a sigh.
"I just feel there's something I could have done. And it doesn't help that Cuddy and I were arguing right before the second collapse." Lydia gave him a wry smile.
"From what you've told me, that's nothing new." House managed a smile.
"True. We went more rounds than Mohammed Ali did in his entire boxing career." He looked at Lydia. "I'm sorry. It's the first time I've seen the aftermath of the collapse and I felt like someone was dancing on my grave when I looked at it. I… shouldn't have yelled at you."
"You weren't yelling at me, you were yelling in my presence. There's a difference." She looked at her watch. "We'd better go." They stood up and House hesitated for a moment.
"Thank you," he said. Lydia smiled.
"You're welcome." House gave her a kiss and turned to start walking. He waited till Lydia stepped next to him and he put his arm around her.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"Eleven twenty. We've got enough time."
"We would have had even more if you hadn't taken so long in the shower." Lydia turned and shot House a look.
"You mean if we hadn't taken so long in the shower. Water conservation mein arsch." House stopped walking.
"Hey, hey; watch your language, young lady. You forget how much of your native tongue I know. I'm aware of what you just said." Lydia shrugged.
"I'm just trying to work on my bad girl image." House smiled.
"You did fine with that last night." Lydia giggled as they rounded the corner.
"Well, you were a big help…" Lydia had stopped walking. Her eyes were open wide, staring in amazment. "I don't believe it." House looked down the street to see what she was staring at. His eyes widened, too.
"I guess you worried for nothing," House said. Standing in front of Gateway Realtors were Wilson and Annie. Far from looking uncomfortable, Annie was animatedly talking, obviously telling Wilson a story that had him laughing heartily. Lydia just stood there shaking her head.
"What's the matter? Isn't she allowed to talk to strangers?" House asked.
"Greg, you don't understand. If a waiter came over to take our order, she'd have me do it for her; she couldn't bring herself to talk to them. If we were walking down a crowded street or in the mall and someone bumped into her, she would just freeze up and need to sit down." Lydia put her hand up to her mouth. "This…is…wonderful!" The joy she felt was clear on her face and it made House smile.
"I hate to break up their little chit chat session, but if we stand any chance of seeing this place together, we've got to move." He took her hand and they started to walk toward the realty office. As House and Lydia got closer, they could hear the conversation.
"…then the woman yelled out, 'Linoleum, Formica, get over here'," Annie said.
"What?" asked Wilson. Annie nodded.
"I couldn't help but stare at her. When she saw I was looking at her, I said, 'Those are very…unusual names.' And she said, 'Well that's where they were conceived, so that's what I named them'". Wilson just looked at Annie, dumbfounded.
"Oh…my …what did you say?"
"Where's Kitchen Table and Chair?" offered House. Annie and Wilson turned to see House and Lydia standing nearby.
"Hey, sweetie," said Annie as she hugged Lydia. House looked over at Wilson who was grinning ear to ear. He was trying to catch Wilson's attention, but Wilson was too busy looking at Annie. House became aware that Annie had finished hugging Lydia and had turned to him.
"Hi, Greg. It's so good to see you again." She reached out and gave him a hug. Normally House would be uncomfortable with any kind of display of affection, but in Annie's case, he was willing to make an exception.
"Chatty Cathy, my favorite cellist." Annie laughed and looked up at him.
"I have a feeling I'm the only cellist you know." House nodded.
"That's what makes it easy to pick my favorite." Lydia smiled at the scene; seeing two of the most important people in her life laughing and joking around made her feel so good. She turned to her left and saw Wilson watching the pair. She very casually moved over until she was standing next to him as Annie and House continued to talked
"Greg got very upset when he saw the accident scene," Lydia said, barely moving her lips. Wilson glanced over at her.
"I'm not surprised. He blamed himself for Hannah and Cuddy?" Wilson asked also talking quietly. Lydia nodded. "I'll keep an eye on him today."
"Thank you," said Lydia gratefully. Annie and House walked over.
"Ready to take a look at our new place?" asked Annie.
"Let's hope," said Lydia. Wilson pushed on the door to the office and held it open for the group. Lydia and Annie walked over to a desk and sat down, waiting for the agent. Wilson hung back by the door and House with him.
"How are you doing?" asked Wilson. House kept a blank look on his face.
"Fine."
"You sure?" House became annoyed.
"Yeah; I'd be better if you'd stop assuming something was wrong. Oh, and congratulations on your first miracle." Wilson looked at him quizzically. "I'll explain it later." They walked forward and joined Annie and Lydia at the desk as the realtor arrived.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, ladies." The realtor looked at House and Wilson. "And who are these gentlemen?"
"This is my boyfriend, Dr. Gregory House and this is our friend, Dr. James Wilson," said Lydia indicating the two.
"Well, hi. I'm Stella Hanford and hopefully I'm going to be settling these two lovely ladies into their new digs." House wondered how many happy pills she had to take each morning to attain that false level of perkiness.
"Are you ready to head out to the house?" Stella asked.
"The sooner the better," said House.
"Good. Ladies, why don't you join me in my car; I assume you gentlemen have a car as well?"
"Yes, we do," Wilson said. "I'm parked on Manchester."
"Fine, I own the black Volvo just down the block. I'll pass your way and you can just fall in behind me."
"What's the address in case we break the conga line?" asked House.
"Three twenty-seven Peachtree Lane, about four blocks down from the intersection of Woodfield and Chestnut Streets," Stella said. Wilson nodded.
"I'm familiar with the area." He turned to House. "Want to start walking to the car?"
"Probably a good idea," House said. He walked forward a step and put his hand on Lydia's shoulder. "I'll see you over there." He leaned down and gave her a kiss.
"Bye," she said. He looked at Annie.
"Calm down Nervous Nelly here, would you?" House asked. Annie laughed.
"I'll take care of her." House turned and started to walk to the door; after saying his goodbyes, Wilson followed. They made a right after exiting the realtors and walked down the block toward Wilson's car. House was just waiting for Wilson to go off about Annie. He didn't have to wait very long.
"Wow, Annie is …delightful; she's a doll. Why didn't you tell me she was so attractive and intelligent?" asked Wilson.
"Because you'd start doing exactly what you're doing right now; planning for wedding number four." Wilson rolled his eyes.
"I'm not doing any such thing. I just met the woman."
"And you've already managed to get someone who hadn't spoken in over a decade to turn into a talking parrot."
"Is that what you were referring to when you said something about performing a miracle?" House nodded.
"Lydia told me Annie can't even talk to a waiter to order her own food and suddenly she's regaling you with a stand-up routine. I'd call that pretty amazing." They arrived at the car; Wilson hit the clicker to open the doors.
"What the hell happened to her?" House opened the door and got in the car; Wilson did the same.
"I'll tell you both of their stories on the way to the house. Right now, we've got company," said House as he glanced in the rear view mirror. A second later, Stella pulled up next to them with the passenger side window down.
"Just follow me," she said cheerfully. Wilson nodded, put on his indicator and pulled out behind her. He glanced over at House who was staring out the side window. They were passing by the other end of York Street and House felt a chill go through his body as they drove by. Wilson was going to ask him if he was OK, but at this point, he knew better.
"Lydia and Annie are probably two of the most remarkable women, the most remarkable people, I've ever met," House said quietly. "To have dealt with the crap life has thrown at them…."
"Why don't you start their stories from the beginning so I know what you're talking about?" House started with Lydia; how she had traveled around the world with her parents while her father was in the diplomatic corps, how strict her parents were, dictating every detail of her life. The car accident that forced Lydia to leave school and become nursemaid to her parents was next on the list. First her father dying, then her mother and then just months after her mother's death, Annie being robbed, beaten and raped by her boyfriend and his buddies. How the threat against Lydia from the boyfriend frightened Annie so, that she didn't speak for over ten years to protect her. Lydia marrying Annie's brother, out of loneliness, not love. Finally, the significance of the music box and how he and Freedom Master were able to give it to Annie, allowing her to regain her voice. When he finished, House looked at Wilson to check his reaction. Oddly, there appeared to be none.
"Wilson?"
"Unbelievable. My God, what the two of them have been through. And Lydia went to visit her almost every day, for all of those years?" House nodded.
"Five times a week. She'd sit and talk to her, play the piano for her…"
"Did I hear you say something to Annie about the cello?" asked Wilson.
"She used to play with the Philadelphia Philharmonic. She plays beautifully."
"When did you hear her play?"
"When she came out of the aphasic state, she asked for Lydia. They phoned her to come in right away, but didn't tell her what had happened. She had brought Annie's cello to her a while before that, hoping that she would respond to it. Annie saw it standing in the corner of the rec room while we were waiting for Lydia to arrive and she responded, alright." House shook his head. "It was like she had never stopped playing. Lydia came off the elevator and I was waiting there; I took her hand and led her into the room where Annie was playing." House leaned his head back against the seat and smiled. "I'll never forget the look Lydia had on her face: pure joy. Kind of like the way she looked last night and this morning."
"OK," Wilson said quickly, "OK, no locker room talk. I don't want to know." There was silence for a moment. "Is that why your leg is bothering you so much today? I saw the way you were walking." House started chuckling.
"I knew your curiosity would get the better of you."
"I'm not asking for the gory details," Wilson said as he changed lanes to keep up with Stella. "I just think you should have known better than to try a second or third round since you're a little out of practice."
"I would have been fine with a second or third; it was the fourth and fifth that did me in."
"Fourth…yeah, right," said Wilson smirking. He looked over at House. House was returning his look with a serene smile on his face.
"You're serious. What…did you get some little blue pills from the pharmacy or something?" House shook his head.
"Nope; I got Lydia." Wilson stared wide-eyed straight ahead of him as he put on the indicator to turn on to Peachtree Lane. House looked at the surroundings; it seemed to be a typical suburban street. He glanced over at Wilson who was still staring straight ahead.
"They're best friends, not sisters, so get that thought out of your head."
"What thought?"
"That Annie might wind up having the same effect on you through some inherited genetic trait." Wilson continued looking ahead very intently.
"She's already having an effect on me." House looked at him.
"Damn. Wilson, be careful. She's got more baggage to deal with than the Kardashians on a month long trip," he warned.
"House, who in this world doesn't have baggage? Some more than others. You ought to know that." House made a face. "I would just like to get to know her. I'm not making any long term plans. A little companionship with someone whose voice is an octave or two higher than mine, would be nice." House had forgotten that it had been awhile since Wilson dated anyone, or even went out on a single date for that matter.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," House advised. He looked out the window. "We seemed to have arrived." Stella had pulled her car into the driveway of the house and Wilson parked his car at the curb. The house looked nice from the outside; it was neatly landscaped with hedges lining the front walk, beige siding on the top half, red brick on the bottom and an attached garage. It appeared to be a split level ranch. White vinyl fencing surrounded the property; safe for the kiddlings thought House. The only thing that concerned him was the narrow, steep concrete steps leading to the front door. He and Wilson made their way up the driveway.
"So, yes the heat is included, but not the water, electric or gas," said Stella as she climbed the steps and opened the door. "And here we are!" House was painfully making his way up the stairs when Lydia turned to say something and saw the concern on Wilson's face and the pain on House's.
"Are you OK?" she asked quietly.
"Never better," he said. Lydia and Wilson exchanged looks which House caught sight of. "Don't you two go all Starsky and Hutch and gang up on me." He looked at Lydia. "See if we can get the abridged version of the tour, at least for me. I have a feeling Wilson and I are going to have to get out of here soon. I need to go find out what I'm dealing with in reference to the snake charmer's kid." Lydia nodded.
"She's the real Chatty Cathy," Lydia said quietly. "But I'll get things moving."
"The house lacks any furniture as the previous tenant moved out about three weeks ago, but I think …"
"Stella, could the four of us," Lydia said indicating herself, Annie, House and Wilson, "just do a quick walk through and then you can go into detail with Annie and me? They," Lydia said pointing at House and Wilson, "need to get back to the hospital."
"Of course," said Stella. She turned to House and Wilson. "Princeton-Plainsboro?"
"Yes," said Wilson. "I'm the head of oncology and Dr. House the head of diagnostics."
"And all around upstanding citizen and honorary Boy Scout," chimed in House. Wilson rolled his eyes and Lydia and Annie did everything they could to keep from laughing.
"Oh, well, how nice," Stella said hesitantly. Her cell phone began to ring. "I'm sorry, I have to take this," she said as she looked at the phone. "Take a look around and I'll be right back in." She walked quickly down the stairs and out the front door.
"Let's do the two cent tour so Wilson and I can hit the road," said House. To their left at the top of the stairs was the living room with a large bay window. The room itself was a good size, as was the dining room and kitchen. Off the dining room, through sliding glass doors, was a deck overlooking the backyard which also was substantial in size. The group walked through the kitchen, back to the top of the stairs and made a left down a hall which led to a bathroom with a double sink, two medium sized bedrooms and a large master bedroom and bath.
"This is beautiful," said Lydia, "and more than enough room."
"It's great; one bedroom for each kid, a big backyard. And I checked it out," Annie said, "this is the school district you preferred." Lydia smiled.
"Let's go check out your part of the house." As Annie and Lydia started toward the stairs, Wilson spoke up.
"I hate to be a party pooper, but we really have to get going," he said. House walked over to Lydia.
"I'm sorry; this isn't the way I wanted things to go."
"It's OK; I understand. What do you think?" Lydia said indicating the apartment. House took a quick glance around.
"I think I see that you look incredibly happy. So, if this place meets with CC's approval, I'd say go for it."
"CC?" questioned Lydia. Annie started giggling.
"Chatty Cathy," she said. Lydia shook her head.
"Oh, before I forget," said Wilson, "here's the key to the storage locker at U-Store-It, number 216. It's right off Route 32; you can see it from the road."
"Thank you, so much, James. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this." She stepped over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Wilson was clearly flustered; House was clearly jealous.
"No problem," Wilson said glancing over at Annie, "glad I could help." House cleared his throat.
"Now it's time for you to appreciate me. Here's the key to my place. Whatever doesn't fit in the storage unit put there. Text me later and let me know how things go with this," House said indicating the apartment, "and the moving guys. I'll call you back when I can." Lydia held the key to his apartment up.
"Are you sure about this?" House thought for a moment.
"Eh, maybe you're right, it's a bad idea." He snatched the key out Lydia's hand and headed for the stairs. Lydia stood with her mouth open in surprise. House turned to her, imitated her expression and then dropped the key down the front of her blouse.
"Greg!" she shrieked. He started to walk down the stairs.
"I'd help you look for it, but then we'd never get out of here." He went back up one step so he was even with Lydia and gave her a kiss.
"I love you." House turned, walked down the stairs and out the door. Annie was laughing so hard, she had to lean against a wall and slid half way down into a crouching position.
"I love you, too, I think," Lydia called out after him.
"Ha! You know you do," House shouted from outside. Wilson shook his head.
"I'm so very sorry," Wilson said, "but I have no control over him, whatsoever." He turned to Lydia. "Are you sure about this?" he asked indicating her and House. "I mean, are you sure you can handle him?" Wilson noticed that Lydia was rolling her shoulders and moving her upper torso from side to side. A moment later, House's key fell to the floor. Wilson's eyes opened wide in shock. Lydia bent down and picked up the key.
"Oh, yes," she said smiling, "I'm very sure." Annie continued to roar with laughter while Wilson stood there speechless.
"Well, then…I guess…I…I'm going to head out now," he said slowly heading for the stairs. The sound of a blaring horn pierced the air.
"Hey Wilson; quit making time with my girl and get one of your own." Wilson quickened his pace.
"Good luck with everything here," said Wilson.
"Thank you; and good luck to you, too." Lydia said. Wilson tilted his head to the side.
"Even with House as our fearless leader, I think we're going to need it this time." Annie and Lydia looked at him sympathetically. "Bye, ladies. Nice to meet you," he said to Annie.
"Nice to meet you, too," Annie said quietly as Wilson headed out the door. "Really nice."