Glass Waltz: Chapter 87 (039. Burn)
Title: Glass Waltz (87)
Fandoms: House/24/MI5
Characters/Pairing: Greg House/Brittany House, referenced Brittany House/Michael Colefield and one-sided Brittany House/Jacob Lindsay
Prompt: 039. Burn
Word Count: 1023
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and adult subject matter.
Spoilers: None for this part
Summary: A killer's dying wish brings his last victim to life.
Author's Notes: The 87th chapter of an ongoing novel. All chapter subtitles are from the song "30 Minutes" by TATU.
Eighty-seven.
Shine.
do i stay
June 13, 2011
4:11 A.M. EST
Princeton, New Jersey
The phone rings, and House shifts on the bed to roll and grab it. He's not sure who it is or why they're calling when it's still dark out, but he doesn't care. Julian promised him he'd call if something happened. So did Kyle. So did Michael. His heart climbs up in his throat as he picks up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, tiger." Her voice comes across with a little bit of static, but he writes that off as the fact that they're all the way across an ocean from each other. She's standing outside of a cafe where they're supposed to be meeting Taylor in a few minutes.
House closes his eyes in relief. "Polar bear." He murmurs. "Oh, God, I love you. I love you so much." The fear of losing her, to some crazy bastard or to a divorce, just losing her period, is coming through in his voice. "You okay?"
"Yeah, Greg, I'm okay. Just sitting down to breakfast in a couple of minutes. I just wanted to call and tell you I was on a flight home tonight."
He refrains from sighing, or crying in relief, and he just smiles. "I'm glad, sweetheart, really, really glad. Jackson will be so happy when I tell him. He spent all night talking about you at dinner," he says. "He misses you so much. I miss you so much."
"I know, baby." She tells him. "I'll be home late tonight. I promise, I'll be there." She sighs into the phone. "Baby, I don't know how to tell you this, but I," there's a long pause. "I don't know who did this to you. And I don't know if I'm going to be able to find who did."
House shakes his head as he sits up in bed. "Baby, I don't care. Honestly. Just come home to me. I need you to just come home. I don't care if we ever find who did this, I just want you. I quit. It's over." He sounds desperate as hell, and he is, in a sense, because he wants her.
"I know. I'll be home. Bring Jackson to the airport, okay?" She sees Taylor exiting a car and decides to wrap up the conversation. "I love you. So much baby, I'll be home soon."
"I love you too. I'll be there." He says, and waits for her to hang up first, then flops back down on the bed and hangs up the phone. He closes his eyes and rubs at them for a moment, then smiles. She'll be home soon. His son will see his mother. Jackson will be so excited.
He decides to sleep for a few more hours, even though it's more of a rest than a sleep. Then, he gets up, makes breakfast, takes care of the bills and calls that have collected. He wakes up his son and lets him watch some television while he cleans up the house. He knows his wife and her routine when she comes home from an overseas trip. She wants a shower, and then a soft bed, with fluffy pillows, and an undisturbed sleep.
He plans on getting that just right.
The house is clean. The child is dressed, and bouncing excitedly as he runs to his bedroom and selects a stuffed bear to accompany them to the airport. His Mama will want something soft to cuddle.
When they finally go to the car to make the drive to the airport, Jackson is bouncing in his seat, stuffed bear in his lap. His Mama is coming home.
June 13, 2011
9:27 A.M BDT
London, England
Brittany hangs up the cell phone call with her husband and wipes slightly at the mist in her eyes. The desperate tone in her husband's voice makes her sad, but she shakes it off as she repockets the cell phone, sliding it into her front jean pocket.
Michael has been standing there outside the small cafe, waiting for her to finish the conversation with her husband. He knows that Brittany wants to find the answers, but he also knows that she really, really wants to go home to her husband and son, regardless of the circumstances or what she knows.
She wants the answer, to who buried her husband alive.
But if she doesn't find it, will it really bother her that much, if she has to tell him that she doesn't know?
She's not sure.
Taylor walks across the street, hands in his pockets, and nods a greeting to the two of them. He's not quite sure what he's doing here, but he showed up like he said he would. He keeps his promises.
Brittany smiles tightly. Focuses back on the task at hand. Finding any last information from Taylor, burying that last ghost, and being able to put this entire week and a half behind her. Bury it deep.
Like they buried Greg.
She shudders, even though the sun is peeking through the clouds in the sky above. She feels cold, suddenly. Very cold.
"Taylor," she says in response to his nod. "Listen, let's grab a cup of coffee, guys, sit down, and work this out." Not quite sure what they're going to be working out. Maybe it's just a last ditch plan at resolution. She doesn't know.
What she does know, is that after this meeting, she'll be boarding a plane, and she and Michael will be flying back to the United States. Her husband and her son will be there at the gate, waiting to see her. It's been much too long since she saw Jackson, and she misses him badly.
But first, before the emotional reunion, they need to have the finale.
And that is exactly while they are all there. The three of them. She sits between the two men at the small table, orders a cup of coffee, and then folds her hands neatly in her lap once the waitress takes their orders.
"So," she starts. "What is it that we know," a glance around the table at the two of them, and the surrounding patrons in the cafe. Can never be too careful. "And what am I going to tell my husband when I land at Newark?"
Fandoms: House/24/MI5
Characters/Pairing: Greg House/Brittany House, referenced Brittany House/Michael Colefield and one-sided Brittany House/Jacob Lindsay
Prompt: 039. Burn
Word Count: 1023
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and adult subject matter.
Spoilers: None for this part
Summary: A killer's dying wish brings his last victim to life.
Author's Notes: The 87th chapter of an ongoing novel. All chapter subtitles are from the song "30 Minutes" by TATU.
Eighty-seven.
Shine.
do i stay
June 13, 2011
4:11 A.M. EST
Princeton, New Jersey
The phone rings, and House shifts on the bed to roll and grab it. He's not sure who it is or why they're calling when it's still dark out, but he doesn't care. Julian promised him he'd call if something happened. So did Kyle. So did Michael. His heart climbs up in his throat as he picks up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, tiger." Her voice comes across with a little bit of static, but he writes that off as the fact that they're all the way across an ocean from each other. She's standing outside of a cafe where they're supposed to be meeting Taylor in a few minutes.
House closes his eyes in relief. "Polar bear." He murmurs. "Oh, God, I love you. I love you so much." The fear of losing her, to some crazy bastard or to a divorce, just losing her period, is coming through in his voice. "You okay?"
"Yeah, Greg, I'm okay. Just sitting down to breakfast in a couple of minutes. I just wanted to call and tell you I was on a flight home tonight."
He refrains from sighing, or crying in relief, and he just smiles. "I'm glad, sweetheart, really, really glad. Jackson will be so happy when I tell him. He spent all night talking about you at dinner," he says. "He misses you so much. I miss you so much."
"I know, baby." She tells him. "I'll be home late tonight. I promise, I'll be there." She sighs into the phone. "Baby, I don't know how to tell you this, but I," there's a long pause. "I don't know who did this to you. And I don't know if I'm going to be able to find who did."
House shakes his head as he sits up in bed. "Baby, I don't care. Honestly. Just come home to me. I need you to just come home. I don't care if we ever find who did this, I just want you. I quit. It's over." He sounds desperate as hell, and he is, in a sense, because he wants her.
"I know. I'll be home. Bring Jackson to the airport, okay?" She sees Taylor exiting a car and decides to wrap up the conversation. "I love you. So much baby, I'll be home soon."
"I love you too. I'll be there." He says, and waits for her to hang up first, then flops back down on the bed and hangs up the phone. He closes his eyes and rubs at them for a moment, then smiles. She'll be home soon. His son will see his mother. Jackson will be so excited.
He decides to sleep for a few more hours, even though it's more of a rest than a sleep. Then, he gets up, makes breakfast, takes care of the bills and calls that have collected. He wakes up his son and lets him watch some television while he cleans up the house. He knows his wife and her routine when she comes home from an overseas trip. She wants a shower, and then a soft bed, with fluffy pillows, and an undisturbed sleep.
He plans on getting that just right.
The house is clean. The child is dressed, and bouncing excitedly as he runs to his bedroom and selects a stuffed bear to accompany them to the airport. His Mama will want something soft to cuddle.
When they finally go to the car to make the drive to the airport, Jackson is bouncing in his seat, stuffed bear in his lap. His Mama is coming home.
June 13, 2011
9:27 A.M BDT
London, England
Brittany hangs up the cell phone call with her husband and wipes slightly at the mist in her eyes. The desperate tone in her husband's voice makes her sad, but she shakes it off as she repockets the cell phone, sliding it into her front jean pocket.
Michael has been standing there outside the small cafe, waiting for her to finish the conversation with her husband. He knows that Brittany wants to find the answers, but he also knows that she really, really wants to go home to her husband and son, regardless of the circumstances or what she knows.
She wants the answer, to who buried her husband alive.
But if she doesn't find it, will it really bother her that much, if she has to tell him that she doesn't know?
She's not sure.
Taylor walks across the street, hands in his pockets, and nods a greeting to the two of them. He's not quite sure what he's doing here, but he showed up like he said he would. He keeps his promises.
Brittany smiles tightly. Focuses back on the task at hand. Finding any last information from Taylor, burying that last ghost, and being able to put this entire week and a half behind her. Bury it deep.
Like they buried Greg.
She shudders, even though the sun is peeking through the clouds in the sky above. She feels cold, suddenly. Very cold.
"Taylor," she says in response to his nod. "Listen, let's grab a cup of coffee, guys, sit down, and work this out." Not quite sure what they're going to be working out. Maybe it's just a last ditch plan at resolution. She doesn't know.
What she does know, is that after this meeting, she'll be boarding a plane, and she and Michael will be flying back to the United States. Her husband and her son will be there at the gate, waiting to see her. It's been much too long since she saw Jackson, and she misses him badly.
But first, before the emotional reunion, they need to have the finale.
And that is exactly while they are all there. The three of them. She sits between the two men at the small table, orders a cup of coffee, and then folds her hands neatly in her lap once the waitress takes their orders.
"So," she starts. "What is it that we know," a glance around the table at the two of them, and the surrounding patrons in the cafe. Can never be too careful. "And what am I going to tell my husband when I land at Newark?"