Fanfiction: Christmas Night in White Part 1/2
Title: Christmas Night in White Part One
Prompt: Maybe NJ gets snowed in and so Murphy can't get back to Chicago to see Anna so she ends up spending Christmas Eve/Day with House and Bree (and possibly Wilson).
Characters: Dr. Greg House, Bree House, Lt. Connie Murphy. Mentions various other House & Dresden characters.
Rating: G
Author’s Notes: I’ll admit, I had a great deal of fun writing this. It was pretty specific, but I still got to do a lot with it. Even better, I made it two parts. Not because it was so long it had to be, but because another request just fit for a part two that it demanded it. Part one is for toomuchlikedad.
---
Murphy hesitated, hand halfway raised to knock on House’s apartment door. Even though she’d been invited, she felt like an interloper. She shouldn’t be here. Christmas was a time for family and she may have been invited by both House and Bree that didn’t make her family. She felt like she should be somewhere else. No, she was supposed to be somewhere else, but she was here because she couldn’t get to her own family. There weren’t many other places in Princeton she could go either. It was choice between home or the office and neither idea was appealing. The holidays made her feel isolated enough as it was. Her empty house or the nearly empty office would just make that worse. She was getting sick and tired of that feeling.
So here she was, standing awkwardly outside House’s apartment door debating with herself if she was more pathetic for wanting to be part of their celebration when she wasn’t really part of it or going to work when she really didn’t have anything to work on. In the end she knocked because standing around debating with herself was the most pathetic option of all.
She worked up a smile when House opened the door and held up a bottle of eggnog, “Guess what happened?”
“Right.” He didn’t look that surprised to see her, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes. Clearly this was as awkward for him as it was for her. The evening was off to a great start. “Come in.”
She stepped past him, noting the minimal decorations and the miniature Christmas tree that sat in the middle of the coffee table. When he said they weren’t big on Christmas, he wasn’t lying. She was grateful to be inside though. Even in the little walkway outside his apartment had been chilly. The snowstorm outside was one to rival even the worst Chicago could cook up, heavy snowfall, bitterly cold temperatures and howling winds. Everything was grounded, including her flight home which was why she was here.
She hadn’t even bothered to try and make it the airport. She was a veteran of many a Chicago winter and able to accept the fact that Mother Nature had once again stuck it to them. That fact stuck her in New Jersey on Christmas Eve, intruding on House and Bree’s celebration because she didn’t want to be alone. Maybe this was the more pathetic option.
“Murphy! You made it,” Bree called, looking over her shoulder from the couch. Glancing over, Murphy could see the teen had her legs stretched out in front of her, one knee propped up under a pillow. She’d seen House do the same.
“Well, everything that flies is grounded so…” she ended with a shrug as she took off her jacket and other winter wear. “How’s the knee, kiddo?”
“It’s fine, but Dad’s chained me to the couch.”
“You’re staying off your knee.” House stalked around her, looking pointedly at Bree. “You walked on it enough before the surgery.”
Bree rolled her eyes. “I said I was sorry about that.”
“Now you suffer the consequences.” He turned to Murphy. “I can…”
“Oh, right.” She handed over the eggnog, once again feeling awkward dealing with him. Wasn’t this outside the “nothing changes” rule they had going?
“Can I have some?” Bree asked hopefully, breaking the awkward moment.
“Not with the pills you’re on.” With that, House started towards the kitchen. “With or without ‘Christmas cheer’?”
“With.” Murphy called after him. It was one of those nights where she’d appreciate a little extra “Christmas cheer” in her eggnog. Maybe it would even help her relax.
“Come on, have a seat.” Bree scooted back on the couch, making room for her at one end. She hesitated for a second, watching House in the kitchen before making her way to the couch and sitting down by Bree’s feet.
She did a quick check to make sure Bree was actually okay after her surgery. It wasn’t that Murphy didn’t trust House was taking good care of his daughter, it was just that she was protective and more worried than she cared to admit. The teenager was beaming, practically radiating with happiness. Murphy had to wonder how much of that was from the pain killers. Still, she didn’t look to be unhappy at all or in a great deal of pain.
“Was Anna mad?” Bree asked curiously. She had her dad’s streak for asking uncomfortable questions.
Murphy shook her head. “Not really. Just disappointed. This isn’t the first time I’ve missed out on the holidays.”
“Sorry.” Bree did look sad for a moment, and Murphy was touched. It was nice sometimes to be cared about, even if most of the time she didn’t know what to do with that. The sympathy was gone in a flash though, Bree bouncing right back into her happy excited state. “It’s great that you showed up though. Wilson got called in on an emergency so we totally ordered way too much Chinese food. You can help us eat it.”
“Is that all you do? Eat Chinese food?”
“Dad’ll play some carols, or something later.” Bree leaned over slightly to call around Murphy towards the kitchen. “I’d join him expect he won’t let me up from the couch!”
“Complaining isn’t going to make me change my mind. I’ll just make you stay there longer for annoying me!”
Bree huffed out a breath and pouted. “Can’t you change his mind? I’m fine.”
“You had knee surgery, kid. You’re recovering. You’re stuck.” Murphy ducked her head, smiling a little. The two of them really had the strangest ways of showing affection for each other. She didn’t always get it, but she was glad they had it. Anna would probably be smothered with her grandmother’s affection right now. She’d always spoiled the kid.
“Here.” House shoved a glass of eggnog under her nose, jerking Murphy back to New Jersey.
“Thanks.” She cradled the glass with both hands, trying to focus. She didn’t want to spend the whole time thinking about where she was supposed to be. “Bree says you’re going to play carols.”
“Are you going to sing along?” House dropped into an arm chair, watching the two of them as he put his bad leg up on the coffee table and then popped a Vicodin.
“You don’t want me to sing. Trust me.”
“Oh, come on, Murphy you have to sing!” Bree put on her puppy eyes, entreating. Murphy had to admit, they were good puppy eyes, but her daughter’s were better and she could resist those. Bree didn’t stand a chance.
“Sorry, the musical talent in my family skipped me,” she said. “You don’t want me singing.”
Now Bree was pouting again. She looked towards her dad who just raised an eyebrow. It made Murphy roll her eyes. “Not even your dad’s powers of persuasion can sway me on this. I’m not singing.”
“Well, what are you going to do? You’ve got to have, like, your own Christmas tradition you can share.”
She rolled the glass in between her hands for a second. She did have a tradition. One she had only shared with her daughter. But she didn’t have her daughter this Christmas. She had the two of them. Was sharing that tradition with them betraying her daughter? It felt a little like a betrayal, but Bree looked so happy to have her there with them. She didn’t want to let the kid down.
“There’s one thing,” she hedged, “But you don’t have to do it just to indulge me. I’m the one crashing your Christmas.”
“It’s something terrible and embarrassing isn’t it?” House asked, now looking interested.
“Oh, oh, I bet it’s something good. You open one gift the night before Christmas right?” Eager Bree was back. Murphy would admit that a doped Bree was pretty amusing to deal with.
Murphy had never heard a teenager sound so hopeful before. She looked over at Bree, smiling for the first time since her flight had been grounded. “Should I say yes just to make you happy?”
“Yes.” Bree nodded enthusiastically.
“No.” House called cynically from his chair. “Let her suffer. It’s funnier to watch.”
She chuckled and shifted a little to relax back into the couch. She even took a sip of eggnog, noting the strength of the drink. House had added a lot of “Christmas cheer” to it.
“I read How the Grinch Stole Christmas to my daughter. I’m going to call her later, around her bedtime, to read it to her.” She paused for a moment. “You guys can listen in if you want.”
“I love the Grinch! I’ll totally listen.”
Murphy made sure she kept her eyes on Bree and not House. “I do too.”
“Dad, you know that song from the cartoon Grinch right? You have to play that now.”
“Any other requests? Since I seem to be taking them.” House sounded slightly annoyed, but also resigned. Murphy tilted her head slightly, he was doting on Bree? That was… a little strange to see in person.
“I have a list in my room.” Bree started to get up, one foot actually touching the floor before House told her to stay put and got up to get the list himself.
“Has he been like that ever since you came home?” Murphy asked, finding the caring, practically doting House a little… disturbing. It was sweet, touching even and that was the disturbing part. She shouldn’t be surprised House cared about his daughter, but House caring was so rare, seeing it even rarer. The world was tilting slightly right now.
“He complains more when no one’s around, but yeah.” Bree’s smile became loving. It was sweet, but an old pain twisted in Murphy’s chest. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled like that about her dad.
“Good. I’d feel bad if I had to kick his ass for not taking care of you.” Murphy said, pushing the old pain back where it belonged. She wasn’t going to spoil Bree’s Christmas because the holidays brought up bad memories. She knew Bree had her own bad memories to avoid.
“You’d beat up a cripple?” House limped back into the room, going towards the piano in the corner. “Lieutenant, I’m shocked.”
“That good cop routine is just an act, Doctor. I’m really corrupt and vicious.” She watched him hook his cane on the piano and then sit down.
“Kinky.” He did a little flourish and then settled into a jazzier version of “Jingle Bells”.
“Ew.” Bree drew out the sound, and shuddered. “Stop flirting in front of me. How am I supposed to eat with you two making goo-goo eyes at each other?”
Murphy laughed, letting go of the last of her concerns. What the hell? She was here and it wasn’t a bad substitute for Chicago and her home. She didn’t have to deal with her ex or her ex-in-laws. She didn’t get to see her daughter, that would always hurt, but she wasn’t alone. She didn’t have to be alone. That was a good feeling.
---
Prompt: Maybe NJ gets snowed in and so Murphy can't get back to Chicago to see Anna so she ends up spending Christmas Eve/Day with House and Bree (and possibly Wilson).
Characters: Dr. Greg House, Bree House, Lt. Connie Murphy. Mentions various other House & Dresden characters.
Rating: G
Author’s Notes: I’ll admit, I had a great deal of fun writing this. It was pretty specific, but I still got to do a lot with it. Even better, I made it two parts. Not because it was so long it had to be, but because another request just fit for a part two that it demanded it. Part one is for toomuchlikedad.
---
Murphy hesitated, hand halfway raised to knock on House’s apartment door. Even though she’d been invited, she felt like an interloper. She shouldn’t be here. Christmas was a time for family and she may have been invited by both House and Bree that didn’t make her family. She felt like she should be somewhere else. No, she was supposed to be somewhere else, but she was here because she couldn’t get to her own family. There weren’t many other places in Princeton she could go either. It was choice between home or the office and neither idea was appealing. The holidays made her feel isolated enough as it was. Her empty house or the nearly empty office would just make that worse. She was getting sick and tired of that feeling.
So here she was, standing awkwardly outside House’s apartment door debating with herself if she was more pathetic for wanting to be part of their celebration when she wasn’t really part of it or going to work when she really didn’t have anything to work on. In the end she knocked because standing around debating with herself was the most pathetic option of all.
She worked up a smile when House opened the door and held up a bottle of eggnog, “Guess what happened?”
“Right.” He didn’t look that surprised to see her, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes. Clearly this was as awkward for him as it was for her. The evening was off to a great start. “Come in.”
She stepped past him, noting the minimal decorations and the miniature Christmas tree that sat in the middle of the coffee table. When he said they weren’t big on Christmas, he wasn’t lying. She was grateful to be inside though. Even in the little walkway outside his apartment had been chilly. The snowstorm outside was one to rival even the worst Chicago could cook up, heavy snowfall, bitterly cold temperatures and howling winds. Everything was grounded, including her flight home which was why she was here.
She hadn’t even bothered to try and make it the airport. She was a veteran of many a Chicago winter and able to accept the fact that Mother Nature had once again stuck it to them. That fact stuck her in New Jersey on Christmas Eve, intruding on House and Bree’s celebration because she didn’t want to be alone. Maybe this was the more pathetic option.
“Murphy! You made it,” Bree called, looking over her shoulder from the couch. Glancing over, Murphy could see the teen had her legs stretched out in front of her, one knee propped up under a pillow. She’d seen House do the same.
“Well, everything that flies is grounded so…” she ended with a shrug as she took off her jacket and other winter wear. “How’s the knee, kiddo?”
“It’s fine, but Dad’s chained me to the couch.”
“You’re staying off your knee.” House stalked around her, looking pointedly at Bree. “You walked on it enough before the surgery.”
Bree rolled her eyes. “I said I was sorry about that.”
“Now you suffer the consequences.” He turned to Murphy. “I can…”
“Oh, right.” She handed over the eggnog, once again feeling awkward dealing with him. Wasn’t this outside the “nothing changes” rule they had going?
“Can I have some?” Bree asked hopefully, breaking the awkward moment.
“Not with the pills you’re on.” With that, House started towards the kitchen. “With or without ‘Christmas cheer’?”
“With.” Murphy called after him. It was one of those nights where she’d appreciate a little extra “Christmas cheer” in her eggnog. Maybe it would even help her relax.
“Come on, have a seat.” Bree scooted back on the couch, making room for her at one end. She hesitated for a second, watching House in the kitchen before making her way to the couch and sitting down by Bree’s feet.
She did a quick check to make sure Bree was actually okay after her surgery. It wasn’t that Murphy didn’t trust House was taking good care of his daughter, it was just that she was protective and more worried than she cared to admit. The teenager was beaming, practically radiating with happiness. Murphy had to wonder how much of that was from the pain killers. Still, she didn’t look to be unhappy at all or in a great deal of pain.
“Was Anna mad?” Bree asked curiously. She had her dad’s streak for asking uncomfortable questions.
Murphy shook her head. “Not really. Just disappointed. This isn’t the first time I’ve missed out on the holidays.”
“Sorry.” Bree did look sad for a moment, and Murphy was touched. It was nice sometimes to be cared about, even if most of the time she didn’t know what to do with that. The sympathy was gone in a flash though, Bree bouncing right back into her happy excited state. “It’s great that you showed up though. Wilson got called in on an emergency so we totally ordered way too much Chinese food. You can help us eat it.”
“Is that all you do? Eat Chinese food?”
“Dad’ll play some carols, or something later.” Bree leaned over slightly to call around Murphy towards the kitchen. “I’d join him expect he won’t let me up from the couch!”
“Complaining isn’t going to make me change my mind. I’ll just make you stay there longer for annoying me!”
Bree huffed out a breath and pouted. “Can’t you change his mind? I’m fine.”
“You had knee surgery, kid. You’re recovering. You’re stuck.” Murphy ducked her head, smiling a little. The two of them really had the strangest ways of showing affection for each other. She didn’t always get it, but she was glad they had it. Anna would probably be smothered with her grandmother’s affection right now. She’d always spoiled the kid.
“Here.” House shoved a glass of eggnog under her nose, jerking Murphy back to New Jersey.
“Thanks.” She cradled the glass with both hands, trying to focus. She didn’t want to spend the whole time thinking about where she was supposed to be. “Bree says you’re going to play carols.”
“Are you going to sing along?” House dropped into an arm chair, watching the two of them as he put his bad leg up on the coffee table and then popped a Vicodin.
“You don’t want me to sing. Trust me.”
“Oh, come on, Murphy you have to sing!” Bree put on her puppy eyes, entreating. Murphy had to admit, they were good puppy eyes, but her daughter’s were better and she could resist those. Bree didn’t stand a chance.
“Sorry, the musical talent in my family skipped me,” she said. “You don’t want me singing.”
Now Bree was pouting again. She looked towards her dad who just raised an eyebrow. It made Murphy roll her eyes. “Not even your dad’s powers of persuasion can sway me on this. I’m not singing.”
“Well, what are you going to do? You’ve got to have, like, your own Christmas tradition you can share.”
She rolled the glass in between her hands for a second. She did have a tradition. One she had only shared with her daughter. But she didn’t have her daughter this Christmas. She had the two of them. Was sharing that tradition with them betraying her daughter? It felt a little like a betrayal, but Bree looked so happy to have her there with them. She didn’t want to let the kid down.
“There’s one thing,” she hedged, “But you don’t have to do it just to indulge me. I’m the one crashing your Christmas.”
“It’s something terrible and embarrassing isn’t it?” House asked, now looking interested.
“Oh, oh, I bet it’s something good. You open one gift the night before Christmas right?” Eager Bree was back. Murphy would admit that a doped Bree was pretty amusing to deal with.
Murphy had never heard a teenager sound so hopeful before. She looked over at Bree, smiling for the first time since her flight had been grounded. “Should I say yes just to make you happy?”
“Yes.” Bree nodded enthusiastically.
“No.” House called cynically from his chair. “Let her suffer. It’s funnier to watch.”
She chuckled and shifted a little to relax back into the couch. She even took a sip of eggnog, noting the strength of the drink. House had added a lot of “Christmas cheer” to it.
“I read How the Grinch Stole Christmas to my daughter. I’m going to call her later, around her bedtime, to read it to her.” She paused for a moment. “You guys can listen in if you want.”
“I love the Grinch! I’ll totally listen.”
Murphy made sure she kept her eyes on Bree and not House. “I do too.”
“Dad, you know that song from the cartoon Grinch right? You have to play that now.”
“Any other requests? Since I seem to be taking them.” House sounded slightly annoyed, but also resigned. Murphy tilted her head slightly, he was doting on Bree? That was… a little strange to see in person.
“I have a list in my room.” Bree started to get up, one foot actually touching the floor before House told her to stay put and got up to get the list himself.
“Has he been like that ever since you came home?” Murphy asked, finding the caring, practically doting House a little… disturbing. It was sweet, touching even and that was the disturbing part. She shouldn’t be surprised House cared about his daughter, but House caring was so rare, seeing it even rarer. The world was tilting slightly right now.
“He complains more when no one’s around, but yeah.” Bree’s smile became loving. It was sweet, but an old pain twisted in Murphy’s chest. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled like that about her dad.
“Good. I’d feel bad if I had to kick his ass for not taking care of you.” Murphy said, pushing the old pain back where it belonged. She wasn’t going to spoil Bree’s Christmas because the holidays brought up bad memories. She knew Bree had her own bad memories to avoid.
“You’d beat up a cripple?” House limped back into the room, going towards the piano in the corner. “Lieutenant, I’m shocked.”
“That good cop routine is just an act, Doctor. I’m really corrupt and vicious.” She watched him hook his cane on the piano and then sit down.
“Kinky.” He did a little flourish and then settled into a jazzier version of “Jingle Bells”.
“Ew.” Bree drew out the sound, and shuddered. “Stop flirting in front of me. How am I supposed to eat with you two making goo-goo eyes at each other?”
Murphy laughed, letting go of the last of her concerns. What the hell? She was here and it wasn’t a bad substitute for Chicago and her home. She didn’t have to deal with her ex or her ex-in-laws. She didn’t get to see her daughter, that would always hurt, but she wasn’t alone. She didn’t have to be alone. That was a good feeling.
---