I'm so sorry this was so long, I have been unbelievably busy and never got a chance to finish this. I hope everybody likes it (: thank you to everybody following this story and to all my wonderful reviewers. You keep me going.
House slumped on the sofa his eyelids growing heavy
Oh no, what have we done MISTAKE! MISTAKE!
His mind was racing, all traces of his need to be dreamless lost to the overwhelming panic. House tried to stand but found his legs too heavy, his body still as a rock.
Letting out a grunt, he slipped into unconsciousness.
The small boat and dipped as House shifted in his seat staring out across the great black lake, the only light coming from a dull moon flickering on the edge of his vision. There seemed to be no stars here, no land, it seemed he were alone.
"Didn't work did it"
House spun around and stared in shock at the stranger sat across from him. A man was crouched, his long thin legs splayed awkwardly in front of him, white shirt rumpled, shocking blue eyes gazing out of sunken dark blue sockets, grey skin pulled tight over a long face with dark purple lips grinning maliciously revealing pointed sharp white teeth and a bright red tongue darting over the fangs.
House almost reeled backwards his arms flailing as he fell backward, saved at the final moment by the mans clawed hand on the front of his own white shirt, pulling him back to safety. He looked at himself trying to catch his breath, feeling queasy as the other-House examined his claws, humming quietly to itself.
"Who are you?"
The other House jumped forward in his seat grasping Houses hand tightly grinning, House reluctantly pumping the cold fist once before letting go.
"Why I'm fear of course"
"What?"
The man shimmered back to his seat and gestured elegantly with his hand "Well technically I'm your fear, your fear of everything you are and… everything you feel"
The other House turned and grinned the moonlight glinting off his fangs "your greed, your arrogance, your desperate desire to be the best at any cost and your lust for darling sweet little Wilson. So delicate, so…corruptible"
House just stared, flinching when the creature licked his lips
"Oh don't look so worried, without me you wouldn't be half the man you are today, I made you. We make such a good partnership don't you think?"
"No, no we don't. How can everything bad about me be a good thing?"
The creatures face dropped and he scowled at House "Now now Gregory dear" it scuttled over , claws tugging on Houses clothes putrid breath swamping the terrified mans face in a pungent fog
"Don't talk like that, you and me? We make a great pair, Oh the things we are going to do. The first being getting rid of that horrid little distraction, it served its purpose long ago, no need to let sad little affection get in the way. Time for a new experiment"
House shuddered as it tightened its grip on him "Don't…don't talk about him like that"
"What? Offended are we? Don't forget I am you…It's not me; it's you that thinks that he is an experiment. I'm just a voice "
The other House grasped him around the throat pushing with one hand, the other tightening around the diagnosticians' neck until he was hanging dangerously close to the pitch-black water
"Time to go Gregory"
House groaned deep in his chest his eyes blinking open in the bright harsh hospital lights. His fellows were grouped around his bed, fiddling with charts and messing with the drips grouped around his head. House frowned trying to focus on the quiet muffled murmuring, the voices muddled and confusing. House groaned again unsure if he were making any noise at all
Oh god I've gone deaf, why do they look so worried. No need to panic, we picked them for a reason, they can help us. The leg the leg oh agony, help me. Don't leave me kids, help me!
The fellows' turned to leave, their faces drawn, worried glances shared as they filed out of his room, Cameron leaving after the others, but not before injecting what appeared to be morphine into Houses drip and laying a soft kiss to his forehead.
House tried to groan again but it was lost as he drifted back to the dark lake.
House let out a scream as the other House drew a thick sharp claw over his throat, blood beading and dripping down his anguished face.
Suddenly the creature let out a great metallic howl as a bright white animal struck it from behind; purple blood splattering from the deep wound in its back.
The white creature grabbed the beast and threw it bodily into the cold black spray, the sudden silence broken by the soft sound of silver waves as they brushed against the boat.
House slumped panting, his back pressed up against the rough wooden bench eyes closed as he tried to calm his pounding heart. He jumped up when he heard the quiet whisper and the sound of scratching nails against wood.
Peering over the edge of his dinghy House bit his lip, watching the now glistening eyes of the other House glaring up at him, dragging wet claws down the side of the dingy
"Oh Gregory, won't you help me back in"
House reeled backwards shaking his head "Wake up House wake up" he screamed to himself in the pale light, his stricken voice echoing back to him.
"You're not going to, not yet"
A familiar voice rang out in the quiet night air startling the doctor. He squinted at the opposite end of the boat, to where the white creature sat, legs crossed, staring right back.
House crawled forwards a little biting his lip "It can't be"
"Sit down Gregory; it can't get back into the boat without your help"
House put a hand out behind himself feeling around for the bench and pulling himself up onto it. He glared warily at the man opposite, hunching over himself.
"Wilson?"
The Wilson smiled warmly at him, shaking his head, dark eyes jarring against translucent pale skin.
"Not quite"
"Oh I get it, so what are you? Desire? Caring? Love? "
"Well… almost. I'm the rational part of your brain"
The Wilson smiled across at him and House laughed "Rational? Nothing Wilson ever does is rational"
The Wilson chuckled blushing slightly "No you're correct on that one. But I'm not really Wilson am I? Your conscience and the rational part of you are one and the same"
"I see so you took the form of Wilson because you're my conscience as well"
The Wilson just bowed its head slightly in acknowledgement. It was Houses turn to blush and he ducked his head
"Uh …thanks for that" the older man gestured his head towards the dark shape circling the boat.
The Wilson chuckled peering over at the creature with interest
"Yes well, it wouldn't be rational to let your fears kill you would it"
House blushed as the Wilson smiled wisely at him. Biting his lip, House scooted forward a little eyeing up his companion. The Wilson was wearing the same outfit as House, a white shirt and dark jeans; but his were rolled to the knee and shirt sleeves rolled to the elbow, almost white skin glowing in the dim light.
He seemed so relaxed and calm, House let out a sigh wishing he could feel the way the Wilson looked.
"You could you know"
"What?"
"Feel as I look. Calm, happy…content"
House blanched
"Yes, I can hear your thoughts… I am you"
The Wilson grinned and House blushed again "You are blushing quite a lot"
The Wilson laughed and House pouted his arms crossed. The Wilson stretched his legs leaning forwards to flick dust off of his knees.
"I heard that as well"
House gaped embarrassed "Well if you are me then there isn't anything wrong with thinking that is there. Then again … if you are just a figment of my imagination then I can…"
House screwed his eyes shut, thinking hard.
Slowly he peered out under his eyelashes, eyelids flying open when he let out a bark of laughter. The Wilson was sat wearing a full size teddy bear costume, his unimpressed face pouting at House, fluffy paws crossed.
"Haha, brilliant"
House shook with laughter, and the Wilson joined in chuckling as it stared down at its paws. "Greg, I just want you to wake up"
Houses face fell suddenly as the voice rang out clear across the lake coming from a far off pin prick of light. "What?" he asked voice quivering.
The Wilson, now solemn looked up at him eyes watery translucent skin now greyed and dull "Wake up, please"
House shuddered "What is going on?"
"Come back!"
House frowned as the Wilson crawled towards him crying
"Please please come back"
"What are you doing? stop it!"
The Wilson lay on House chest crying and whimpering until House lay a hand on its own. Suddenly it looked up at him, so hopeful and pleading House had to look away.
"You have to get out of here, you have to go back"
"Wilson?"
"He is calling us back"
House looked out at the pin prick "He is over there?"
The Wilson nodded clinging to him, shuddering as it wept
"Look you have to calm down. You have to help me"
The Wilson looked up at him, his enormous eyes setting with determination, suddenly it leapt away from him, grabbing an oar "Okay"
House nodded, grabbing an oar of his won, and together they began to row, as fast as they could towards what now appeared to be a small island all alone in the middle of the great lake.
They got near enough that House could see the doorway, a large white wood door with brass handle, unassuming in the midst of the wilderness surrounding it.
Suddenly the boat rocked, and House gripped tight, fighting to keep himself aboard.
"What was that!?"
"It's him, it's the fear!"
A giant dark shape exploded out of the nearby water, showering them in ice cold water and sending the Wilson overboard. House dropped his oar and scrambled to the edge grasping and groping for the Wilson in vain.
"Wilson!? WILSON!!"
But he couldn't find the warm hand, frantically searching through the black water. The wind surprised him, howling and wailing as it swirled around him, pushing and pulling him, trying to knock him overboard.
Turning in his seat House stared up at the enormous other-House, its cold glinting eyes staring down at him, vicious grin dripping with venom, booming laugh making his very bones vibrate with fear
"Oh Gregory. Leaving so soon?"
A massive hand crashed down next to the tiny craft, and House grabbed tight to the benches gasping for breath as the small craft lurched to the side, cold spray soaking him to the bone
"Oh god oh god" he whimpered wincing as the creature spoke again
"Scared are we? Good, maybe that will teach you. We don't deserve anything better, this is who we are, and you can't fight it"
A bubbling boiling rage suddenly fired in Houses stomach and he stood to face the creature "I am not scared of you"
The creature glared down at him and House turned running to the end of the boat and diving out into the cold spray, his arms and legs pumping in a effort to get to shore .
Other House wailed and tried to grab him as he swam, but House dove and kicked and fought his way through, grabbing for the thick dark mud of the shore, heaving his heavy tired body onto the island with one last great push, and there he lay panting , his eyes screwed shut his body wobbly and weak from exertion.
"You have to go, time is running out!"
The Wilson was standing over him, clothes torn face dripping with pearly blood and tears.
"Quick! I'll hold him back!"
House leapt to his feet, stumbling and tripping as he ran full pelt to the door, turning back for one last time as he crashed through, the image of the other House and the Wilson locked in a great battle burned into his mind.
"Help me"