Disclaimer: David Shore own's House.
Finally, a new chapter! Sorry this took so long. I hope you enjoy!
Like Father Like Son
Chapter 17
Fortunately, for everyone involved, Jewel's sister came to town. Any differences they might have had disappeared once the sisters set eyes on each other. Ruby and Jewel were invited to live with her and Jewel eagerly accepted the offer.
House and Greg were relieved beyond words that Jewel and Ruby were out of the picture. They both teased Wilson about his disappointment that he couldn't be Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset with Princess Jewel and, as expected, he took the ribbing good naturedly.
Greg and House were discussing the averted disaster over breakfast at House's place the morning after Jewel and Ruby said their good-byes. House, of course, had no idea how much Greg actually knew about the situation and Greg wasn't telling.
"Were you really going to move in with me if Jewel and Ruby stayed with Wilson?"
"Would you want me to?" asked House curious, and at the same time afraid of the answer he might receive.
"No….Yes?" Greg was trying to read House's expression. House knew it and was making it as difficult as possible for the boy.
"I wasn't looking forward to sleeping on the couch, but I was looking forward to seeing you more often." Greg was being as honest as he could while at the same time an ambivalence that he didn't understand gripped his chest. He needed to change the subject immediately, while he could still remember to breathe. "Tell me about the organ that Wilson gave you."
"It's an organ. It plays music rather than performing a bodily function."
Greg deadpanned. "Funny, Dad! Now you can watch me not laugh at your clever way with words."
"Wanna play it?" House had a gleam in his eye that Greg had come to think of as his "let's mess with Wilson look".
Greg thought carefully. He wasn't due at the hospital and he didn't have any lessons scheduled at the music store. "It's cool?"
House grinned an uncharacteristic grin. It was rather scary. "Wilson is at the hospital and I just got rid of a patient. Cured, not killed; just in case you were wondering."
"I never questioned that; it's a given."
"Good! Let's go!" House had been dying to show off the organ to Greg and he couldn't think of a better time than now.
The men tossed their dishes into the sink and together they went down to House's motorcycle. During the trip to Wilson's loft, Greg wondered where all of this was going. He knew that he couldn't keep his secrets forever and each day that passed with him and House together at the hospital was another day that, chances were, he would get caught. He wasn't really doing anything wrong other than he wasn't telling the whole truth. That wasn't really true, either. He was telling his dad the truth about working at the music store; he was just letting Greg Sr. fill in the blanks when it came to the timing of said lessons. As for the time that he spent at the hospital, he just wasn't telling. It was making him more nervous by the day and he really was about ready to tell all.
House pulled into a parking space and both men got off the bike. They took the elevator and House nodded to a woman that seemed to know him.
"Who's your friend, House?"
"Hi Nora," responded House, ignoring her question.
"You aren't going to introduce me to your friend?"
"Should I? Do you really care or are you just being polite?" House was not interested in sharing his life with Nora.
"House is my Big Brother. We get together about once a month. He's going to show me his organ, today!" Greg tried to sound enthusiastic and a little dumb.
"That isn't a euphemism. Wilson gave it to me….the organ, that it."
"It's nice to meet you….uh…."
"It's nice to meet you, too, lady!" replied Greg, still without giving away his name.
The elevator dinged at Nora's floor and she waved as she walked away.
"Bye, Nora" said House to Nora's back.
"Gosh Greg, you're right! She does have big hooters!" Greg smiled at his dad as he made his inappropriate comment. House rolled his eyes and smirked.
"You think those are big, you should see my boss's supertanker of an a-!" The elevator doors closed, cutting off House's final word.
When the doors opened again, they had reached the loft.
"Welcome to Wilson's Home Sweet Loft."
"Where's the organ?"
House pointed to the instrument sitting at the far end of the room. Greg went to the organ and flipped the switch. He started a ground bass using the foot pedals. He looked up to his dad and grinned, then started the melody of Pachelbel's Canon in D. First, his right hand on the upper keyboard, then his left hand on the lower keyboard. This wasn't the first time he'd played an organ, he was proficient. He offered the explanation without being asked.
"I played organ at my grandparent's church. The organist thought I showed potential. It made sitting through the boring services tolerable knowing that I got to play the postlude."
House sat down next to Greg and placed his hands on the keyboard next to his son's. Instead of the classical melody that Greg was playing, House added a bluesy variation, causing Greg to laugh out loud.
"Man, I wish I could do that! You just sit down and play!"
"You'll get there," responded the elder House. "I have a few years on you and experience with solve that. Get confident in being able to play what you are hearing in your head. I, on the other hand, can't read a single note. Well, I have to do that FACE thing and Every Good Boy Does Fine to get the notes and that takes way too long."
Just then, keys rattled in the lock and House whispered and pointed, indicating that Greg should go into the bathroom. The boy did as suggested and locked the door just as the oncologist entered the loft.
"How do you do that, House?" asked Wilson as he entered the loft. "I have no idea how you manage to play so many keys at once. It's really amazing!"
House smirked. "What are you doing here? I need peace and quiet when I play. Get lost."
"I will, just as soon as I find my briefcase. I forgot it this morning." Wilson went into his bedroom, and then tried the bathroom door. "House, why is my bathroom door locked?"
"Since you won't believe it if I tell you my son is in there, I'll just say it's a hooker."
"So why is she there?"
"Your bathroom is bigger and it has a tub."
"You're sharing a bath with a hooker in my tub?" Wilson gave House his disgusted look.
"But it's, oh, so cozy!"
"You'll clean it when she leaves. Gross!"
House received a text from Greg: You are wearing your clothes. What is he thinking?
House responded likewise: He's an idiot.
Aloud, House spoke for both of them. "I'm fully dressed you idiot! Whatever it is that's happening in there doesn't involve the tub…yet." House shot Wilson and evil grin.
"Just don't use my bed. Please." An odd look crossed Wilson's face and suddenly he became serious. House, if you had a kid, and I'm sure you don't, why in the world would you want to hide him…or her from me or anyone else for that matter?"
"IF I had a kid, you would be forever in my business telling me how to raise him and pointing out how I got it wrong or convincing me to send him somewhere so that someone competent could raise him."
"House…."
"Then there would be the rest of the world telling him what an ass I am and how I'm not to be trusted, that I'm an addict, and that I'm probably insane. I'm sure there are some that would actively work on proving me unfit and would try to have him taken away. I'll stick to the hooker story for awhile longer, thank you.
House received another text: Careful Dad. Lighten up!
House took a deep breath. "Do you have what you need?" House grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. "I do have someone waiting, you know."
Looking intently at House, Wilson asked, "Do you really think I would do that; tell you how to raise your kid, that is?"
"Yes."
Wilson shrugged. "You're probably right. Maybe I ought to work on that just in case you have a kid show up on your doorstep, someday."
"You just do that. Now, git!" House smiled and opened the door for Wilson as he grabbed his briefcase.
"Next time remember to hang your stethoscope on the doorknob. I don't like surprises."
House slammed the door behind Wilson. "Finally!"
When House turned, he noticed Greg leaning on the doorframe to Wilson's room. "Do you really think I'm that weak minded?"
"No. I'm that bad. I really wanted you to make your mind up about me before anyone could….tell you the truth about me. I guess I've been honest with you from the beginning, though. You didn't run then when you probably should have."
"I didn't exactly have any place else to go," responded Greg. "You still don't seem all that bad to me."
"I'm still on my best behavior. I want you to stay."
"Good, 'cause I want to stay."
The young man and the old man stared awkwardly at each other for a moment, and then Greg got a very House-like smirk on his face.
"Does this mean we're 'coming out'?"