A/N: Visitkarte brought to my attention that the piano hasn't been invented yet in 1666. My bad. Just goes to show how lazy I am. Eventually I'll go back and change that detail, but in the meantime, here's another chapter :) I'm so glad everyone seems to be enjoying this. Thanks for reading :)

Chapter Six

London, England, 1666

There was great commotion in the town square as people crowded the streets and shouted various cheers and jeers at the man who was wheeled up to the platform.

"What's going on?" House whispered to Emmett as they stood off to the side and watched the condemned man be led up the steps to the chopping block.

"You'll get to witness your first execution so enjoy. I'm sure there will be many. I've already witnessed at least a dozen since I arrived months ago."

House's eyebrows shot up. "You're a sick ticket, Brown."

"It's fascinating how some men go quietly, and others whimper and plead for last minute mercy. And then there are the ones who give some long winded speech only to prolong the inevitable."

House watched the executioner beg for forgiveness and chuckled. "What's the point of that? What's the condemned going to say, no, I won't forgive you? And if he does say no, is that going to put a halt to the proceedings? It's going to happen one way or another."

Emmett shrugged. "It's procedure. Uh-oh, he's putting up quite a struggle. Funny, I thought he'd be brave and take it like a man. I always liked that guy."

"Who is it?"

"He was one of the King's advisors, but it turns out he was discovered trying to send secret messages to the Duke's father."

House arched an eyebrow. "Althea's Duke?"

"None other. Needless to say, their marriage will be called off and he'll be unable to set foot in this kingdom ever again. I'm surprised King Richard didn't order both the Duke and his son to the scaffold. He does have a penchant for beheadings."

"Terrific. Does Althea know about any of this? About the Duke, that is."

"If she doesn't, she soon will. If the Duke comes anywhere near her, his head will also be on the chopping block. I could've told his majesty the man was no good."

"So why didn't you?"

"Not my place. I knew it was only a matter of time before the Duke's shit began to stink. Clearly Althea thought the same, which is partly why she didn't want to marry him in the first place. That and the fact he's too old for her."

"How old is he?"

"Um, if I had to guess I'd say mid to late forties. Which is still more than twice her age. As are you. Speaking of which," Emmett said, with a smirk, "How's Charlotte?"

House shrugged as he kept his eye on the condemned man as they struggled to get his head to stay put on the chopping block.

"Seems she had her fill of me and has moved on to greener pastures. Which is fine. She was a dead lay anyway."

"House!"

"Well she was. Clearly her late husband was too or she'd be a little more exciting in the sack. But alas, she wasn't able to hold my interest very long. I can hardly maintain interest in a woman who doesn't even know what foreplay is."

Emmett's eyes widened. "She doesn't?"

Just then, the executioners axe came down swiftly, promptly removing the head of the man on the chopping block and both men winced while everyone else cheered. "

"Remind me not to piss off his Majesty."

"Well the way to do that is to stay away from Althea."

"I never touched her," House said as he watched the headless man's body get dumped in the nearby wagon. The crowd began to disperse and people went back to their daily chores as if nothing happened.

"That's not what I heard," Emmett said as they headed back to his workshop.

"Okay, then enlighten me, what did you hear?"

"That you were holding her in your arms."

"So? Haven't we already been over this? Her mother was dying and she was naturally upset. She could've just as easily walked into your arms if you'd been standing there. And chances are, you would've been better at comforting her than I was. I don't deal well with crying females."

"Right, you're much better at making them cry," Emmett smirked. "I heard about that maid the other day. Did you really have to scream at her?"

"I didn't scream at her. I asked her to get me something, she failed, got me the wrong thing so I called her an idiot. Loudly. Anyway, what is it you're so eager to show me?"

"I got part of the time machine working," Emmett said proudly as he got into the car, flipped several switches and the car turned into a hovercraft that floated a couple of feet off the ground.

"Holy shit."

"Yeah that's what I thought. Now I just need to fix the damage to the front end, make sure the time circuits are working alright and then we are out of here."

"How long do you think?"

"A few months if all goes well."

House nodded. "Sounds good."

XXX

It was Althea's eighteenth birthday and her father went all out. His purpose was for her to find a new husband and get her seen by the other nobility in the neighboring kingdoms. Much like a debutante ball.

House and Emmett were dressed in their finery, having been invited by the King himself, even though neither of them had any hope in hell of winning the Princess.

She looked beautiful when she came into the courtyard. Her long brown hair was down around her shoulders in ringlets and she wore a teal and gold gown which made her eyes sparkle. It was as if House was seeing her for the first time, and he was mesmerized. He didn't even hear what Emmett was saying to him as he watched her walk toward them.

"Emmett," she smiled as she placed a hand gently on his forearm. "Would you like to dance with me?"

House snickered at the look of complete adoration and lust in the man's eyes as he merely nodded and let her lead him to where the others were dancing. He watched them for awhile and then went to refill his glass of wine. That's where he ran into Charlotte doing the same thing.

"Good evening, Sir Gregory," she smiled demurely at him.

"Hi. You're talking to me again?"

She frowned. "Why shouldn't I speak to you?"

"Oh gee, I don't know. After you so graciously left my bed and jumped into another I figured you were done with the likes of me."

She bit her lower lip and looked up at him. "I have to say, sir, that you've ruined me for any other man."

"Now I find that hard to believe," he chuckled as he took a long sip.

"It's true. Now, would you care to dance?"

He shook his head. "I don't dance. But I'm sure you'll have no difficulty filling your dance card, or your bed."

The resounding crack was heard across the room as Charlotte's hand made contact with House's cheek and she stormed off in a huff, leaving him alone at the buffet table. He chuckled and reached for a chocolate covered berry as he watched Emmett and Althea dance together. He had to admit they were a cute couple, such like a grandfather dancing with his granddaughter. He knew there was no possible way there could ever be anything more than friendship between the two of them, but he was amused with the smiles they were giving each other, and the way Althea would occasionally glance in his direction.

"It appears that Dr. House has done it again," Althea said to Emmett as they danced. He was quite a bit taller than she was, and she found her neck was beginning to ache from looking up at him for the last several minutes.

"Done what?" Emmett inquired as he smiled down at the beautiful creature in his arms. God, how he ached for her. He found his body responding to her in ways that just weren't natural. She was just a girl! He thought to himself. A beautiful, graceful, brilliant girl. And yet, she looked at him with such adoration it made him wonder if House was right. If she'd come to his bed, would he turn her away? Could he?

"Emmett?"

He gave his head a shake to clear it. "I'm sorry, what?"

Althea giggled and rested her cheek against his chest. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

He sighed. "I'm afraid not."

"I said that Dr. House has managed to alienate himself from another female at court. Unfortunately this time it just happens to be my sister."

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Have you alienated yourself from him as well?"

"I am not interested in that doctor," she whispered as they swayed together. He looked down at her and she smiled up at him.

"Althea..." he began to speak, his voice filled with warning.

"I know," she said, and sighed. "It is impossible. And yet..."

"Yes?"

"I've never known anyone like you. You're a very nice man, wise and intelligent. I find that very attractive. Is that so wrong?"

"No, it's not wrong. It's just that our ages..."

"I know it," she frowned and went back to resting her cheek against his chest.

House watched the two of them dance and couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy inside. He wasn't sure where it came from, since she clearly wasn't interested in him.

On the other hand, as his father once told him, a little healthy competition was good for the soul. Wasn't that what he said? If not, it went something like that. His point was still valid. He wondered if he could play that game with Emmett and win. A good part of him said yes, only because he was at least twenty-five years younger than the old man. He also knew Emmett's temperament and he didn't strike him as the type of man to fight House over a woman.

With his mind made up, he moved through the crowd and tapped Emmett on the shoulder. "Mind if I cut in? I haven't had a chance to dance with the birthday girl yet."

"Word has it that you don't dance," Althea said, looking smug, but not moving away from Emmett just yet.

"Everybody lies," was House's simple reply as he shrugged. "So?"

She glanced up at her partner, and something flashed in the old man's eyes for a brief moment. House thought it might've been anger, but he really didn't care.
"Come come now, Emmett," House laughed as he cut between the two. "You've already had two dances in a row. You gotta share."

"He's right, Emmett," Althea said as she stepped back. "It's alright. We can have another dance later."

He managed a smile for her benefit, but House could tell he was not the least bit happy. Once he was gone, House took her small hand in his and placed his other arm around her waist but kept her at a safe distance.

"There now, is this so bad?" he asked her. "You can have loverboy back later."

She scowled. "Lover...boy?"

"I saw the way you two were looking at each other just now. If I didn't cut in, someone would've had to turn the hose on you."

"The hose?"

House groaned and rolled his eyes. "Never mind. My point is that you're not fooling anyone."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Emmett is not but a good friend."

"If you say so. So, are you enjoying yourself tonight, Princess?"

"Yes, thank you," she said. Her body was stiff in his arms and he knew he had to come up with a way to relax her a little. She was far too uptight.

"I suppose you're relieved not to have to marry the Duke."

She smiled, and her relief was palpable. "Very."

"So...anyone you have in mind?"

"No, not at the moment. Between you and I, I'm enjoying my freedom."

"And so you should. You're young, and beautiful. You shouldn't need to worry about settling down and having a family just yet. Have fun. Life is short."

Althea blinked up at him, as if she were seeing him for the first time. "You are so right. And I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"Assuming the worst of you."

"That's alright. Everyone does. But if you'd take the time to know me, you'll see that I'm not a bad guy. I can be just as much fun as the mad scientist over there."

She perked an eyebrow. "Oh really? Do you like to ride?"

No. "Of course," he nodded, even though he wanted to shake his head to the contrary.

"Meet me at noon tomorrow at the stables. I just might let you prove yourself."

The song ended and she extracted herself from his arms. "Thank you, sir," she smiled as she curtsied to him and wandered into the crowd, no doubt looking for Emmett, he figured. But all was not lost. He had a date with her the next day. He couldn't say the same for Emmett.

XXX

"Emmett?"

Her voice was like an angel's song to him and he froze. He bolted from the driver's side of the time machine and quickly covered it up, having a very odd sense of déjà vu while doing so. What was it with women sneaking up on him while he was working?

"Althea? I'll be right out," he called out to her as he smoothed his clothes and ran his fingers through his messed up hair. He came out and closed the door behind him. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the party?"

"I was looking for you. Someone said you left."

"Yeah uh, I'm not one for big parties, I'm afraid," he smiled as he ran another hand through his already messy hair.

"I was hoping we could perhaps, have another dance," she said, biting her lip in the most adorable way possible. Emmett didn't know what to do next. Here was a girl, and that's exactly what she was, a girl, willing and wanting to be in the same room with him and he couldn't make sense of it. Most women ran the other way when they saw him coming.

"But there is no music. Never mind. It was a silly idea," she sighed.

A light bulb went on over Emmett's head. "You want music? I might be able to accommodate you," he said as he scrounged around for the portable CD player he kept, and the external speakers.

Althea's eyes widened when she saw the device, and then she backed up against the wall when she heard the music playing.

"What is that?" she asked, completely in awe as a gentle waltz played from the speakers.

"It's a secret. You can't tell anyone, Althea," he warned her, looking serious.

"Where did it come from?"

"I brought it with me."

"From America?"

"Yes. We're a little more advanced over there." He took a step closer and offered her his hand. "It's alright. It'll be our little secret," he smiled.

She hesitated but then let him wrap his arm around her tiny waist as he held her other hand. "Emmett," she sighed as she rested her cheek against his chest once again, like she'd done earlier. He rested his chin on top of her head and breathed in the smell of her hair. He couldn't for the life of him understand why she wanted to be around him, but at the moment he didn't really care.

"Mhm?"

"This is the best birthday I've ever had."

He chuckled. "Well I'm glad to hear it."

"You're really not going to leave, are you?" The desperation in her voice was clear and it made his heart ache.

"Not for awhile. I have a lot of work to do, yet."

"I couldn't bear not seeing you. Not being able to talk to you," she said as she slid her arms around his waist and hugged him close to her.

His heart was beating so loudly in his ears he was sure she could hear it.

"Althea..." he choked out as he felt her hands slide up his back and her lips on the exposed skin under his collar. "Althea, God," he murmured as he closed his eyes. Her lips were moving up his throat as she stood on tip toes to reach higher. "Althea, don't," he said as he took her face in his hands and crashed his lips against hers in a kiss that could only be described as fierce.

At first he wasn't sure what was happening, only that Althea was kissing him back with the same amount of passion that he was showing her. He opened one eye to see that her eyes were closed, and glanced at the clock. It was almost ten. House would be showing up any minute to help him with the time machine. He had to get her out of there.

But God, she felt so good in his arms. Her body literally melted against his and he couldn't seem to let her go.

That is, until he heard footsteps outside, and they broke apart as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on them.

"Who is that?" she whispered, eyes wide, but dilated.

"Open up, Emmett," House called from the other side of the door.

"Oh no!"

She wildly looked around and spotted an open window. "I can fit through," she whispered as she ran to it and opened it wider.

"I'll be right there!" he called to House as he helped her out of the window and closed it just as the door opened and House waltzed in.

"Whaddya know, credit cards do work in 1666."

He took one look at Emmett's wild eyes and the fact that the man was breathing rather heavily and stifled a laugh. "Am I interrupting something?"

"What? No, of course not," he said as he casually leaned against the wall, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. Of course, what he didn't know, was that House was onto him as soon as he needed to unlock the door with his credit card. Emmett never locked the door before.

"Uh-huh. Whatever, man. If you want to make a fool of yourself with an eighteen year old girl, that's your business. I hope it's worth it."

"It is. She is," he said, quietly.

"What do you think his Majesty is going to say about this? He will find out eventually."

Emmett shrugged. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, but with any luck, we'll be out of this time before that happens. Let's get to work, shall we?"

House nodded. "Gladly."

XXX

It was eleven O'clock when Althea entered the stable in her riding gear and carrying a picnic basket. Emmett was working nearby at the forge, hammering a horseshoe into shape when she approached.

"Good morning, Emmett," she said with a smile, but she didn't come any closer.

He stopped hammering, looked up and smiled at her. "Good morning, Princess." He stood up and put down his tools. "Going for a ride?"

"Yes. In awhile. With Sir Gregory."

Emmett's face fell. "Oh well good. It's dangerous to go alone, anyway."

"I can handle myself," she said, standing a little straighter.

"I know you can. But still, you are a Princess, and kidnappings are not uncommon."

"I'll be fine."

"Indeed," he said as he went to find the proper saddle for her horse, and the other equipment.

"Emmett, about what happened last night..."

"Nothing happened last night," he said. Then he sighed. "Nothing but a few innocent kisses, at least."

Althea smirked. "I was there too, Emmett. And those kisses were not innocent."

"I'm sorry," he said as he went about preparing the horse.

She blinked. "Sorry? What for?"

"Well, for kissing you the way I did."

"If you recall," she said, moving a little closer. "It was I who kissed you first."

Emmett smiled when he thought back to the night before for the hundredth time that day. She might've started things, but he definitely kissed her first.

"Okay then we're even."

"It shouldn't happen again like that," she said, still moving closer until they were standing side by side in the stall next to the horse. "We've been very good friends since you came here. I wouldn't want that to change."

"Right," he nodded. "So we're in agreement that we shouldn't get involved."

"Yes. So we won't," she nodded, even though she didn't quite want to believe that. Emmett's nearness was making her heart race as she glanced up at him.

"It would be unprofessional," he nodded.

"And untenable."

"And unworkable," he added, turning to face her and closing the gap between them.

"And unacceptable." She glanced down as his hands reached for hers and held onto them.

"And unthinkable."

"And..." she breathed as he stood so close she swore she could hear his heart beating in his chest.

"And..." he bent his head and his lips hovered over hers, so close that they were breathing each other's air. And then he kissed her. It wasn't nearly as intense as the kiss the night before but it made her wrap her arms around his neck as she melted against him.

It was he who ended it when he thought he heard someone, and he blinked. "Unbelievable."

"Emmett?" she asked, looking worried.

He gave his head a shake as if to clear it and then stepped back. "What time did you say you were meeting Dr. House?"

"Noon. But I came here early to talk to you. I was up half the night thinking about you and what that kiss meant."

"And what did you come up with?" he asked as he finished preparing her horse.

"I think that, even though we are attracted to each other, it wouldn't be right to be more than just friends. I hope you understand."

He wasn't sure if he should feel hurt or elated, but he nodded just the same. "Yes, I understand perfectly. I'm too old for you anyway. Your father would send me to the chopping block if he knew."

"And possibly me as well," she chuckled.

"If anyone's in the wrong here it's me. You do know how old I am, don't you? Where I'm from, it could almost be considered high treason."

"Age is but a number, but I think I understand what you're saying."

"Look," he said as he took both her hands in his. "Go out with Dr. House today. Have fun. He likes you."

She looked surprised. "He does? I thought he liked my sister."

"You're the one he's really interested in. He could make you happy. Give him a chance. I'm bowing out gracefully."

"He only likes me because you do. Now that you don't, he won't. You'll see."

He helped her onto her horse and she smiled down at him. "Thank-you, Emmett. You are a true gentleman."

He watched her leave and went back to the forge, wondering if he was doing the right thing. He knew it was wrong in so many ways. But she felt so good in his arms both times. How could something so wrong feel so right? And when they kissed...

He gave his head a shake. He just wouldn't think about it anymore today. She deserved someone younger, more alive than him. What was the phrase? If you something let it go, but if it comes back, it was meant to be. Well he was going to let her go. But if she came back, she was his.