Fic: Every Silver Lining
This was my first 'serious' House fic. I wrote it after the Season 7 finale, so it's AU now, but I wanted to share it anyway. :)
Title and lyrics are from the amazing song "Touch of Grey" by the Grateful Dead. Everything House-related belongs to David Shore. I own nothing.
Title: Every Silver Lining
Characters: Wilson, Cuddy, House
Must be getting early
Clocks are running late
Paint by number morning sky
Looks so phony
Dawn is breaking everywhere
Light a candle, curse the glare
Draw the curtains
I don't care 'cause
It's all right
Cuddy sat in her office, alone. The events of the previous evening - had it really only been less than twelve hours ago? - replayed in her mind, leaving her feeling as if she were watching everything happen to someone else. She still didn't quite believe it.
A soft knock at the door startled her. Slowly, Cuddy rose and walked over to open it. Wilson stood there, his arm in a sling.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
"Fine," Cuddy said quickly. She tried to smile. "I could ask you the same thing."
"Lisa - " Wilson hesitated. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Cuddy said, her tone sharper than she'd intended it to be.
"I should have tried to stop him," Wilson protested. "If I'd stayed in the car - "
"It would have made no difference," Cuddy snapped. Her voice rose as she continued. "Don't apologize for him. Don't make excuses for him. He damn well knew what he was doing, and he didn't care. And I'm done with it. I'm done with him."
When Cuddy finished her rant, she realized she was shaking. She noticed that Wilson looked as hurt and exhausted as she felt, but his expression was touched with sadness instead of anger. She exhaled deeply and raked her fingers through her hair.
"I just need to be alone right now," she said.
"Okay," Wilson said quietly.
When Wilson had left, Cuddy glanced at the clock. It was almost 4:30 in the morning. She took a few deep breaths, trying to compose herself to face the day ahead.
It's a lesson to me
The Ables and the Bakers and the C's
The ABC's we all must face
And try to keep a little grace
After several weeks of rumors and gossip, Cuddy formally announced her resignation as Dean of Medicine. She had accepted a head administrative position at a hospital in New York, and she and Rachel would be moving in two weeks.
Except for a few professional interactions, Wilson had kept his distance from Cuddy as they both tried to deal with the aftermath. But two days before her departure, he walked into her office. Cuddy looked up and gave him a forced smile.
"Let me guess," she said. "I was the most wonderful boss you've ever had, you'll miss me terribly, and you wish me all the best in the future, just like every other employee in this hospital."
"That wasn't quite what I was going to say," Wilson said. He sat down across from Cuddy. "So...is everything ready for the move?"
"I think so," Cuddy said. "All I need is for the movers to show up on time."
Wilson chuckled, then fell silent. Finally, Cuddy spoke.
"That wasn't what you wanted to say, either," she said. She hesitated, then asked, "Have you heard from him?"
"No," Wilson said.
He stood up and began pacing. Then, abruptly, he stopped and faced Cuddy.
"He wasn't thinking," Wilson said. "What he did was incredibly stupid, reckless, and dangerous, but - he wasn't trying to hurt you. He did love you."
"I know," Cuddy said. She took a deep breath, then slowly rose from her chair. "But that doesn't excuse him, and it doesn't change my decision." Her eyes met Wilson's. "I think it's time for all of us to make a new start."
They faced each other across the desk. Wilson saw that, although there were tears in Cuddy's eyes, she was smiling genuinely now. Slowly, he smiled, too.
The shoe is on the hand it fits
There's really nothing much to it
Whistle through your teeth and spit
'Cause it's all right.
Oh well, a touch of grey
Kind of suits you anyway.
And that was all I had to say, and
It's all right.
Wilson stepped into the quiet loft, his mind on the e-mail he'd gotten from Cuddy earlier that day. She'd written that she was enjoying her new job and Rachel was making lots of friends at her new preschool. Wilson had sent her a polite reply, saying he was happy that things were going so well for her. He didn't tell her how much her comment about making a new start had affected him over the past few months, making him think about a lot of things and make some decisions of his own.
He forced Cuddy's message and all other unwanted thoughts out of his mind as he started to make dinner. After he ate, he meticulously washed the dishes and made sure the kitchen was clean. Finally, he headed to the couch to watch TV.
Just as he sat down, someone knocked at the door. Wilson considered pretending he wasn't home, but instead he got up and walked over to the door. He pulled it open.
House stood there with an unreadable expression.
Wilson stared at him, unable to speak and unsure what he even wanted to say first.
"I guess this was a mistake," House said after several seconds, when Wilson had still not said a word or even moved. His eyes searched Wilson's face, than he turned.
"Wait," Wilson said finally. House glanced back, and Wilson opened the door wider. He tried to sound nonchalant. "I was just going to see what's on TV."
Without waiting for House's response, he headed back to the couch. He heard House's familiar steps behind him. They settled onto opposite ends of the couch. As Wilson grabbed the remote, he glanced over to see House watching him intently.
Wilson aimed the remote at the TV and flicked it off before turning back to House. He didn't want to be distracted. They had a lot to talk about.
Title and lyrics are from the amazing song "Touch of Grey" by the Grateful Dead. Everything House-related belongs to David Shore. I own nothing.
Title: Every Silver Lining
Characters: Wilson, Cuddy, House
Must be getting early
Clocks are running late
Paint by number morning sky
Looks so phony
Dawn is breaking everywhere
Light a candle, curse the glare
Draw the curtains
I don't care 'cause
It's all right
Cuddy sat in her office, alone. The events of the previous evening - had it really only been less than twelve hours ago? - replayed in her mind, leaving her feeling as if she were watching everything happen to someone else. She still didn't quite believe it.
A soft knock at the door startled her. Slowly, Cuddy rose and walked over to open it. Wilson stood there, his arm in a sling.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
"Fine," Cuddy said quickly. She tried to smile. "I could ask you the same thing."
"Lisa - " Wilson hesitated. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Cuddy said, her tone sharper than she'd intended it to be.
"I should have tried to stop him," Wilson protested. "If I'd stayed in the car - "
"It would have made no difference," Cuddy snapped. Her voice rose as she continued. "Don't apologize for him. Don't make excuses for him. He damn well knew what he was doing, and he didn't care. And I'm done with it. I'm done with him."
When Cuddy finished her rant, she realized she was shaking. She noticed that Wilson looked as hurt and exhausted as she felt, but his expression was touched with sadness instead of anger. She exhaled deeply and raked her fingers through her hair.
"I just need to be alone right now," she said.
"Okay," Wilson said quietly.
When Wilson had left, Cuddy glanced at the clock. It was almost 4:30 in the morning. She took a few deep breaths, trying to compose herself to face the day ahead.
It's a lesson to me
The Ables and the Bakers and the C's
The ABC's we all must face
And try to keep a little grace
After several weeks of rumors and gossip, Cuddy formally announced her resignation as Dean of Medicine. She had accepted a head administrative position at a hospital in New York, and she and Rachel would be moving in two weeks.
Except for a few professional interactions, Wilson had kept his distance from Cuddy as they both tried to deal with the aftermath. But two days before her departure, he walked into her office. Cuddy looked up and gave him a forced smile.
"Let me guess," she said. "I was the most wonderful boss you've ever had, you'll miss me terribly, and you wish me all the best in the future, just like every other employee in this hospital."
"That wasn't quite what I was going to say," Wilson said. He sat down across from Cuddy. "So...is everything ready for the move?"
"I think so," Cuddy said. "All I need is for the movers to show up on time."
Wilson chuckled, then fell silent. Finally, Cuddy spoke.
"That wasn't what you wanted to say, either," she said. She hesitated, then asked, "Have you heard from him?"
"No," Wilson said.
He stood up and began pacing. Then, abruptly, he stopped and faced Cuddy.
"He wasn't thinking," Wilson said. "What he did was incredibly stupid, reckless, and dangerous, but - he wasn't trying to hurt you. He did love you."
"I know," Cuddy said. She took a deep breath, then slowly rose from her chair. "But that doesn't excuse him, and it doesn't change my decision." Her eyes met Wilson's. "I think it's time for all of us to make a new start."
They faced each other across the desk. Wilson saw that, although there were tears in Cuddy's eyes, she was smiling genuinely now. Slowly, he smiled, too.
The shoe is on the hand it fits
There's really nothing much to it
Whistle through your teeth and spit
'Cause it's all right.
Oh well, a touch of grey
Kind of suits you anyway.
And that was all I had to say, and
It's all right.
Wilson stepped into the quiet loft, his mind on the e-mail he'd gotten from Cuddy earlier that day. She'd written that she was enjoying her new job and Rachel was making lots of friends at her new preschool. Wilson had sent her a polite reply, saying he was happy that things were going so well for her. He didn't tell her how much her comment about making a new start had affected him over the past few months, making him think about a lot of things and make some decisions of his own.
He forced Cuddy's message and all other unwanted thoughts out of his mind as he started to make dinner. After he ate, he meticulously washed the dishes and made sure the kitchen was clean. Finally, he headed to the couch to watch TV.
Just as he sat down, someone knocked at the door. Wilson considered pretending he wasn't home, but instead he got up and walked over to the door. He pulled it open.
House stood there with an unreadable expression.
Wilson stared at him, unable to speak and unsure what he even wanted to say first.
"I guess this was a mistake," House said after several seconds, when Wilson had still not said a word or even moved. His eyes searched Wilson's face, than he turned.
"Wait," Wilson said finally. House glanced back, and Wilson opened the door wider. He tried to sound nonchalant. "I was just going to see what's on TV."
Without waiting for House's response, he headed back to the couch. He heard House's familiar steps behind him. They settled onto opposite ends of the couch. As Wilson grabbed the remote, he glanced over to see House watching him intently.
Wilson aimed the remote at the TV and flicked it off before turning back to House. He didn't want to be distracted. They had a lot to talk about.