House M.D. -- Greg House/Brittany House -- "Aspiration"
Title: Aspiration
Characters/Pairing: Greg House/Brittany House
Prompt: #5 -- Commitment
Word Count: 474
Rating: G
Summary: Sometimes, love is about sacrifices -- made and repaid.
Author's Notes: Sort of inspired by a scene alluded to between Days 2 and 3 of 24, more inspired by my desire to write Bill Buchanan into a drabble because well, he rules like that.
There was a long silence in Bill Buchanan's office. The veteran agent and Brittany House had been eyeing each other politely for the last five minutes.
Once upon a time, they would have been fairly social with one another; Brittany had never been that familiar with CTU's new Director of East Coast Operations (Brandon Martin had quietly been removed from District authority after the Second Wave scandal, and Buchanan had narrowly beaten out Melissa Joyner to replace him), but they would have been colleagues and that would have demanded a certain amount of respect and socialization. But that had been five years ago, and Brittany House wasn't a colleague anymore. She was the associate head coach of the Princeton men's college basketball team.
Bill spread his hands on the desk. "To be honest, Brittany, I think you're just what the position needs. Even your former chief of staff agreed that you'd be capable in Phoenix."
"I also just finished an NCAA tournament run," she replied, folding her hands in her lap, "and another year or two, and I'll start being due head coaching consideration."
"And what you've done is amazing," Bill conceded. It was hard not to know about what she'd accomplished as the first female head coach in men's college basketball; the first year had been a flurry of media attention, and she was still a novelty, still the only one. Most people figured she'd never last. He knew better. He'd read her file. "But if it's teaching and shaping you want to do, taking over a team of young agents would give you the same opportunity. You wouldn't have to do fieldwork..."
A soft laugh. "Not happening, Bill, I lead by example."
He chuckled and nodded. "You'd be back in the Southwest," he replied, obviously running out of things to say. "Back near your family. We'd deal with the moving expenses, help you find a new place...you always did want to go back."
She paused. It was tempting. Sorely tempting. A raise and a new opportunity and the one thing she'd wanted for years.
"You're right," she replied. "I do." Another long pause, before she shook her head slowly. "But this is who I am now. I'm sorry, but I can't do it."
Knowing he had to be bewildered, Brittany met Bill's eyes. "Six years ago, I gave up everything I had to move here, to be with my husband, because he couldn't and didn't want to leave New Jersey. I couldn't ask him to leave his whole life for me then, and I certainly couldn't do it now." She smiled slightly, then stood from the chair. "I have two commitments in my life -- one's to my team. The other is to my friends and family. I can't change either of those."
Bill Buchanan merely smiled. "I wouldn't ask you to."
Characters/Pairing: Greg House/Brittany House
Prompt: #5 -- Commitment
Word Count: 474
Rating: G
Summary: Sometimes, love is about sacrifices -- made and repaid.
Author's Notes: Sort of inspired by a scene alluded to between Days 2 and 3 of 24, more inspired by my desire to write Bill Buchanan into a drabble because well, he rules like that.
There was a long silence in Bill Buchanan's office. The veteran agent and Brittany House had been eyeing each other politely for the last five minutes.
Once upon a time, they would have been fairly social with one another; Brittany had never been that familiar with CTU's new Director of East Coast Operations (Brandon Martin had quietly been removed from District authority after the Second Wave scandal, and Buchanan had narrowly beaten out Melissa Joyner to replace him), but they would have been colleagues and that would have demanded a certain amount of respect and socialization. But that had been five years ago, and Brittany House wasn't a colleague anymore. She was the associate head coach of the Princeton men's college basketball team.
Bill spread his hands on the desk. "To be honest, Brittany, I think you're just what the position needs. Even your former chief of staff agreed that you'd be capable in Phoenix."
"I also just finished an NCAA tournament run," she replied, folding her hands in her lap, "and another year or two, and I'll start being due head coaching consideration."
"And what you've done is amazing," Bill conceded. It was hard not to know about what she'd accomplished as the first female head coach in men's college basketball; the first year had been a flurry of media attention, and she was still a novelty, still the only one. Most people figured she'd never last. He knew better. He'd read her file. "But if it's teaching and shaping you want to do, taking over a team of young agents would give you the same opportunity. You wouldn't have to do fieldwork..."
A soft laugh. "Not happening, Bill, I lead by example."
He chuckled and nodded. "You'd be back in the Southwest," he replied, obviously running out of things to say. "Back near your family. We'd deal with the moving expenses, help you find a new place...you always did want to go back."
She paused. It was tempting. Sorely tempting. A raise and a new opportunity and the one thing she'd wanted for years.
"You're right," she replied. "I do." Another long pause, before she shook her head slowly. "But this is who I am now. I'm sorry, but I can't do it."
Knowing he had to be bewildered, Brittany met Bill's eyes. "Six years ago, I gave up everything I had to move here, to be with my husband, because he couldn't and didn't want to leave New Jersey. I couldn't ask him to leave his whole life for me then, and I certainly couldn't do it now." She smiled slightly, then stood from the chair. "I have two commitments in my life -- one's to my team. The other is to my friends and family. I can't change either of those."
Bill Buchanan merely smiled. "I wouldn't ask you to."