As the time approached to talk with Wilson and Lucius, House became increasingly anxious, snapping at everyone on the team. By mid-afternoon, only Chase had the chutzpah to approach him.
"What?" House demanded when Chase entered the office.
"Go down and visit with Marius," Chase said firmly.
"I'm your boss, wombat, that means I tell you what to do, not the other way around," House snarled.
"Okay, then I'm going to let Lucius know you're spinning out of control," Chase replied with a deliberately casual shrug, turning back to the door.
"Stop right there!" House snapped. Chase paused, holding the door handle. "Bring me a cup of coffee," he added, a bit less hostile.
Chase nodded and went into the conference room, bringing them both a cup of coffee and a couple of bagels leftover from the morning.
House took both the coffee and the bagel with a reluctant nod at the extra chairs, tacitly inviting Chase to take a seat.
"Wilson's coming over tonight," House said quietly.
"For something different than normal, given how wound up you are about it," Chase observed, taking a bite from his bagel.
"Yeah. He's been granted an audience to ask Lucius any questions he wants about the clan and the lifestyle. He thinks I'm in trouble," House mumbled around his bagel.
Chase nodded, understanding now why House was so anxious. "Seems like being willing to talk to Lucius is a good sign."
"Maybe," House answered, staring over Chase's shoulder. "Maybe it will just confirm his opinion."
"He might not ever understand the lifestyle but I think he'll be able to understand the good it's done for you if he feels like everything's been laid open and above board. It isn't everybody's cup of tea," Chase answered. "Go visit, Marius," he added with a smile, getting up and taking the used napkins and bagel wrappers. "Take your mind off it for a while."
House nodded as Chase left. He took a few minutes to close down his computer and lock up his files then headed down to the ICU to visit Marius. It did help take his mind off the problem, as Lucius asked him to continue reading a book to Marius while he made some business calls.
All too soon, House and Lucius were on their way to House's apartment. He opened the door and led the way in, tossing his keys in the bowl and dropping his pack, nudging it under the console table with his cane.
"Wilson suggested we order Chinese and volunteered his credit card to pay for it," House told Lucius as the master was hanging up his own coat. "What do you want?"
"I'll take mandarin beef and a cup of hot and sour soup," Lucius answered, going over to the fireplace to begin building a fire while House called in the order, chuckling when he looked back to see that House knew Wilson's credit card number by heart.
A few minutes later, Wilson came into the apartment, calling out to House as he took off his coat and hung it in the closet, pausing just a second when he saw Lucius' coat already hanging there. "Hey, House. Did you order the food?"
"Yeah, I got your usual. Should be here in fifteen minutes or so. Beer?" House answered, holding up a bottle from where he stood by the refrigerator.
"Sure," Wilson answered, raising his eyebrows when House stepped out into the living room to hand it to him wearing the leather collar.
"This is Lucius Rushcroft," House said, handing Lucius a bottle of beer.
Lucius took the beer and set it on the table, rising to his feet and extending his hand to Wilson. "Dr. Wilson, it's good to actually meet you."
"Mr. Rushcroft," Wilson responded, shaking his hand.
"You may call me Lucius, there's no need to stand on so much formality this evening," he replied, sitting back down in the armchair.
"Okay, well then, please call me James or Wilson, either is fine," Wilson responded, joining House on the sofa.
"I understand from House that the two of you have known each other for many years now," Lucius began conversationally.
"Yes, yes we met fifteen years ago at a medical conference in New Orleans," Wilson answered with a smile. "He bailed a total stranger out of jail and we've been friends ever since."
"Jail? You don't seem the type to break the law, whatever were you arrested for?" Lucius asked with a chuckle.
"I'd gotten divorce papers and was getting drunk in the hotel bar. Someone kept playing this song over and over again on the jukebox, I got angry, threw a bottle and smashed an antique mirror," Wilson admitted with some embarrassment. "The bar called the cops and I got arrested for disorderly conduct and vandalism. Then House showed up and posted my bail."
"He wasn't boring," House commented with a smirk and a shrug. "Hasn't been boring since."
"That's quite the compliment," Lucius replied, raising the bottle in a toast.
"So, I understand that you are concerned for the welfare of your friend and this new relationship he has gotten himself into," Lucius said, breaching the topic for the evening.
"Um, well, yes, quite frankly I do," Wilson agreed. "I don't think he was thinking clearly about the long term ramifications when he agreed to get into this lifestyle with Marius. He was in a delicate state when they met and although Marius did help him and keep him safe, I feel like he manipulated him into learning more about this whole… thing."
"Manipulated me? That's righteous coming from you, the master emotional manipulator," House snapped angrily.
"He took advantage of you! He was a total stranger and he just carried you off to his house for a weekend. You didn't know the first thing about him!" Wilson retorted.
"He didn't take advantage of me! I called him for help, he came over and gave it to me!"
"You should have called me!"
"I talked to you before I left the hospital, Foreman at least tried to stop me, you just told me to go home!"
"Well, I didn't know you still had drugs in the house, I went through it with a fine toothed comb!"
"Hello! Addict!" House sneered.
"Enough. While potentially cathartic, this will not achieve any type of understanding between you," Lucius commanded firmly, causing both men to fall silent like recalcitrant boys. He gave both of them a long, searching look to drive the message home. When both men nodded in agreement, he continued.
"Now, Wilson, what is the primary concern that you have about House's decision to join us?" Lucius asked in a calm, reasonable tone of voice.
Wilson took a breath to collect his thoughts before answering Lucius.
"The biggest thing that worries me is the idea that this is a complete lifestyle change," Wilson began. "I mean, I'd be uncomfortable but not overly concerned if he was just doing a few scenes at some club on weekends but he's given me the impression that this is all day, every day."
"And what is it about the idea of it being more than just a scene on weekends that alarms you?"
"Well… the whole idea that he's says it's for life not to mention the fact that he started with just Marius as a… as a master and now he has you too. That should have been made clear before he joined," Wilson answered, taking a bit of a self-righteous stance.
"Yes, Marius should have told him about me before House accepted the offer to join the clan," Lucius agreed. "However, Marius answered his questions, allowed his servants to freely answer his questions, and gave him the option to walk away with no hard feelings."
Wilson was a bit startled that Lucius agreed with any of his points but before he could ask another question, a knock at the door heralded the arrival of dinner. Wilson answered the door and signed for the food while House rummaged in the kitchen for silverware, napkins, and refreshed all of their drinks. After a minute of checking boxes, they were all settled in with their food and Wilson began again.
"Is that what Marius considers House to be now? His servant?" Wilson asked, picking up on Lucius' wording.
"No, not at all. Sidney and Timmy are both clan members, this is true, but they are literally Marius' servants. Timmy, though still very young, is well on his way to being able to call himself the household butler. Sidney is an extremely talented massage and physical therapist, who aids Timmy in his duties when more than just Marius is in residence, to help carry the load," Lucius explained, able to see how his choice of wording might have been confusing.
"So, House doesn't have any household chores then?" Wilson asked just to be clear.
"None whatsoever. He is not a servant."
"Then what is he? Why do you and Marius want people to commit to you for life? And this Timmy, how you ask that of him when he's so young? He hasn't even lived yet to know what he might choose if he waited longer," Wilson objected.
"In order to become a doctor and get into an excellent medical school, it is my understanding that you must make your choice in high school, to begin the correct preparatory courses which you will continue at university and then so onward. This means you've made your career choice decision at about 15 years of age, but certainly by 23, which is Timmy's age."
"Well, yes, but… that's different. I don't have a master, I didn't pick it for life," Wilson answered, scrambling to distance himself from the comparison.
"You have a master, just not a permanent one. The chief resident, the department head, the department chair, the dean of the hospital, the board of directors, the medical ethics committee. The trouble is that you have too many masters, each with a slightly different agenda.
"That is certainly the trouble for House. With his unique gifts and aggressive, radical methods, his work masters have many different goals for what would make him their ideal employee, so much so that they struggle with each other for which one will gain direct control. Thus far, that control has been rested on Dr. Cuddy, but in my experienced opinion of mastering people… she's terrible at it," Lucius said matter-of-factly, drawing a snort of amused agreement from House.
"Cuddy's been the only one who can keep him in line at all!" Wilson protested, eager to defend her efforts and his own. "She's gone against the board…I can't even count how many times now to keep him on and support the way he chooses to do medicine and he can't even give her the courtesy of doing his clinic hours."
Lucius outright laughed at Wilson's justification. "No wonder you are so concerned for him. You have absolutely no idea of what true mastery is, especially if you think she has been controlling him. It has been the other way around, Dr. Wilson. Oh, I'm sure there have been isolated moments where she has held authority over something he valued that she could threaten to remove from him, but overall, no."
"I don't believe that! She could pull his practicing rights, put Foreman overseeing him again like she did last time he was disciplined by the board," Wilson countered.
"Did either of those events change his behavior?"
"Well… for a short time… no," Wilson admitted defeated. "So you're saying that a 'good' master would be able to change his behavior? House's behavior? Maybe you haven't known him long enough."
"That is exactly what I am telling you, Wilson," Lucius answered, stopping a sarcastic comeback from House with a single glance, which Wilson didn't even notice. "Why do you feel threatened that he has joined the clan for life?"
"Threatened? I'm concerned about my best friend, not threatened. Every now and then he makes impulsive, stupid decisions and brings more grief on himself. I want to be sure that isn't happening again," Wilson sputtered.
"Oh, let us not lie to ourselves and each other," Lucius said in a smooth, purring tone of voice. "The point of this meeting is to clear the air of underlying issues; we can hardly do that if you won't admit to them. You are threatened by his decision. You wish to be the one he turns to, the one to explain his behavior, pay for damages, pick up the pieces and set them back into place again. The problem with that is that you will only do those things when it satisfies your need to be the helper, the savior."
"I don't… that's not true!" Wilson choked out angrily! "I've been there for him for years. You don't know anything about us or what we've been through! I blew up two marriages taking care of him…"
"And you've never let me forget it," House commented resentfully.
"Yes, well, somehow you always have an urgent crisis the very night I have plans with my wife or girlfriend," Wilson retorted. "They think you did it on purpose and I've wondered that myself from time to time – "
Lucius stopped Wilson's building rant by slapping his palm sharply against the table top.
"And you dare to call yourself his best friend?" Lucius asked in quiet but menacing tone. "It is exactly this attitude that had him reaching out to a complete stranger in a moment when he should have been able to rely on you. If all the years that you have been together have not taught you the difference between him manipulating you because he desires your attention and presence or a true, soul shattering crisis, then it is you who truly knows nothing about him. You cannot meet the needs that Marius and myself are meeting for him because you have yet to even recognize them let alone see that your own needs are met. I wonder if you even know what your own needs are."
"And just what makes you and Marius think you can tell the difference?" Wilson snapped, stinging and angry at being rebuked.
"I don't simply think that, I know that. I have seen the proof of it," Lucius replied. "What he says, even what he does, is often in direct opposition to what he desires and needs. This is learned response from lifelong experience of having his needs ignored and exploited. You need to see beyond his actions, listen to what is not being said. You must become for more observant and attuned to the nuances that will tell you exactly what he is thinking and what he needs at the moment. Until you are willing and able to do that, until you can overcome the guilt you feel for missing the nuances of another you were trying to help, you will never be able to help House."
"You told him about Danny!" Wilson exploded angrily at House.
"I never said a word about Danny," House answered, keenly interested in the way Lucius was reading Wilson's expressions and reactions with such accuracy. It was eerie; fascinating but eerie.
"Liar! There's no way he could have guessed that unless you told him," Wilson blustered.
"House told me nothing about anyone named Danny. He has only told me minimal facts about how you two met and what your friendship is like," Lucius answered, his tone now more soothing and calming. "When I was describing the process I use, the process I taught Marius to use, I read guilt in your eyes and deduced that you had missed those nuances in someone else you cared for.
"Wilson, in the very short amount of time I have known House, I have learned that he does care very deeply about those he chooses to call his friends and he has chosen you as his best friend. I have also learned his is very loyal, even if it is detrimental to him to be so. You are not losing him to Marius. You may succeed in pushing him away if you continue to upbraid him for a choice which, quite frankly, has been good for him and you know it," Lucius admonished lightly.
Wilson was about to object again but then thought of that night he went out with House in the pub and nodded instead, deflating from the anger he was feeling.
"I, uh… I'm going to use the restroom," Wilson said, getting to his feet and heading down the hallway leaving a disgruntled and worried House behind.