FIC: "Twisted Trails", Greg House/Stacy Warner, Mark Warner/Stacy Warner
Title: Twisted Trails
Author: hawkeyecat
Rating: PG-13
Challenge: two_of_us_fic
Fandom/Pairing(s): House, M.D.; Greg House/Stacy Warner; Mark Warner/Stacy Warner
Warnings: Drug abuse; minor language; unusual interpretation; relationship changes; spoilers for the Stacy arc (“Honeymoon” through “Need to Know”).
Word Count: 679
Disclaimer: I’m running out of catchy disclaimers. For now, we’ll settle for, “Not mine.”
Summary: Stacy left once. House isn’t letting it happen the same way again.
A/N: Many thanks to cerieblue819 and sarcasticsra for the betas, making me improve, and reassurances.
You left me standing here a long, long time ago.
Don't leave me waiting here, lead me to your door.
She left on a Tuesday.
House doesn’t know why he remembers that, the least important detail of their ending, only that she finished packing her black bags in the morning and Wilson closed the door behind her when she carried out her last suitcase. At the time, he didn’t think to question how Wilson knew to be there that July morning, or why he wasn’t at work. He was still on Percocet, needing the oxycodone to lift him above the pain of healing instead of settling for the hydrocodone he’d later depend on to get through the day, and he was just fuzzy-headed enough to not really care that, this time, she wasn’t coming back, didn’t even have a cutting remark to answer her parting teary gaze and soft, “I love you.” Wilson seemed more upset than him at the time, going about getting together a bag of clothes for House and collecting his meds, muttering about Stacy giving up and House driving her away, and House couldn’t be bothered to correct him. He’d been punishing her, damn it, not pushing her away, and she couldn’t take it. If she couldn’t deal with it after she fucked him over, then he didn’t want her around, anyway. At least, his drug-clouded mind accepted that excuse.
It was only later, when Wilson brought House back to his silent condo after three strained weeks staying in Wilson’s first-floor guest room and Kathy’s forced kindness finally snapping, that House realized what he’d let happen. He refused to do anything as stupid as mourn the relationship or miss her, instead lashing out at Wilson for staying and putting up with him, until the night he got well and truly plastered between his painkillers and the better part of a bottle of vodka. By the time Wilson arrived with takeout, his fast way of making House eat, House was on his way to blackout-drunk. He’d never seen Wilson so pissed off; between the incredibly loud, drawn-out lecture that House couldn’t ignore, no matter how he tried, and the retching from the ipecac Wilson forced down his throat, a still-sober part of House’s brain processed that Wilson stayed because he cared, no other reason except that House needed him, and Stacy had left. Hell, Wilson had used his vacation time to see House through instead of taking Kathy on a cruise or to Europe, and Stacy couldn’t handle it. At some point during the night, that got translated into Stacy not caring, and that stuck, deep in his mind, dogging him for years.
It’s only now that she’s back, after worrying over her husband to the point of talking House into an illegal test, and seeing him through rehab, then the Baltimore affair and the night they had sex, that House can see it clearly. It’s not that she doesn’t care, far from it. Stacy cares about what happens, wants Mark to be okay, but in the end, it comes down to what’s best for her. And right now, Mark isn’t what’s best for her; Mark is fights and stress and smoking. House, on the other hand, is familiar, is sex and his own brand of love and willing to take her back. He has a decision to make, and he doesn’t want to have to choose between taking Stacy back and punishing her all over again by sending her back to her husband, but this time, he has to.
This time, House’s mind isn’t clouded by drugs. He’s thinking as clearly as he has since that Tuesday. It’s a Thursday this time, and she’s happy, not drawn and distressed. He’s going to ruin that, and he knows it, but this is what’s best, he decides. If he takes her back, in another few months, they’ll be back to silent accusations and door-slamming fights, only this time he’ll be the one to leave. It’s better for them if she goes back with Mark, and House doesn’t expect a single person to understand that when he goes looking for Stacy to tell her to save her marriage.
Author: hawkeyecat
Rating: PG-13
Challenge: two_of_us_fic
Fandom/Pairing(s): House, M.D.; Greg House/Stacy Warner; Mark Warner/Stacy Warner
Warnings: Drug abuse; minor language; unusual interpretation; relationship changes; spoilers for the Stacy arc (“Honeymoon” through “Need to Know”).
Word Count: 679
Disclaimer: I’m running out of catchy disclaimers. For now, we’ll settle for, “Not mine.”
Summary: Stacy left once. House isn’t letting it happen the same way again.
A/N: Many thanks to cerieblue819 and sarcasticsra for the betas, making me improve, and reassurances.
You left me standing here a long, long time ago.
Don't leave me waiting here, lead me to your door.
She left on a Tuesday.
House doesn’t know why he remembers that, the least important detail of their ending, only that she finished packing her black bags in the morning and Wilson closed the door behind her when she carried out her last suitcase. At the time, he didn’t think to question how Wilson knew to be there that July morning, or why he wasn’t at work. He was still on Percocet, needing the oxycodone to lift him above the pain of healing instead of settling for the hydrocodone he’d later depend on to get through the day, and he was just fuzzy-headed enough to not really care that, this time, she wasn’t coming back, didn’t even have a cutting remark to answer her parting teary gaze and soft, “I love you.” Wilson seemed more upset than him at the time, going about getting together a bag of clothes for House and collecting his meds, muttering about Stacy giving up and House driving her away, and House couldn’t be bothered to correct him. He’d been punishing her, damn it, not pushing her away, and she couldn’t take it. If she couldn’t deal with it after she fucked him over, then he didn’t want her around, anyway. At least, his drug-clouded mind accepted that excuse.
It was only later, when Wilson brought House back to his silent condo after three strained weeks staying in Wilson’s first-floor guest room and Kathy’s forced kindness finally snapping, that House realized what he’d let happen. He refused to do anything as stupid as mourn the relationship or miss her, instead lashing out at Wilson for staying and putting up with him, until the night he got well and truly plastered between his painkillers and the better part of a bottle of vodka. By the time Wilson arrived with takeout, his fast way of making House eat, House was on his way to blackout-drunk. He’d never seen Wilson so pissed off; between the incredibly loud, drawn-out lecture that House couldn’t ignore, no matter how he tried, and the retching from the ipecac Wilson forced down his throat, a still-sober part of House’s brain processed that Wilson stayed because he cared, no other reason except that House needed him, and Stacy had left. Hell, Wilson had used his vacation time to see House through instead of taking Kathy on a cruise or to Europe, and Stacy couldn’t handle it. At some point during the night, that got translated into Stacy not caring, and that stuck, deep in his mind, dogging him for years.
It’s only now that she’s back, after worrying over her husband to the point of talking House into an illegal test, and seeing him through rehab, then the Baltimore affair and the night they had sex, that House can see it clearly. It’s not that she doesn’t care, far from it. Stacy cares about what happens, wants Mark to be okay, but in the end, it comes down to what’s best for her. And right now, Mark isn’t what’s best for her; Mark is fights and stress and smoking. House, on the other hand, is familiar, is sex and his own brand of love and willing to take her back. He has a decision to make, and he doesn’t want to have to choose between taking Stacy back and punishing her all over again by sending her back to her husband, but this time, he has to.
This time, House’s mind isn’t clouded by drugs. He’s thinking as clearly as he has since that Tuesday. It’s a Thursday this time, and she’s happy, not drawn and distressed. He’s going to ruin that, and he knows it, but this is what’s best, he decides. If he takes her back, in another few months, they’ll be back to silent accusations and door-slamming fights, only this time he’ll be the one to leave. It’s better for them if she goes back with Mark, and House doesn’t expect a single person to understand that when he goes looking for Stacy to tell her to save her marriage.