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Hi, all :) Here's the latest chapter of Losing It. :) As I'm sure most of you can tell, this fic is nearing its conclusion :) Thanks so much for all your kind words along the way :) I'm looking forward to your thoughts on this chapter in particular, and you'll know why as you read it :P Hope you enjoy :)

*hugs*
DoS

Title: Losing It
Betaed by: [livejournal.com profile] zeppomarx

Rating: R
Pairing: sort of House/Wilson, story is mostly focused on a twisted relationship between House and Wilson, though a non-sexual one; House/Cuddy friendship
Summary: After Amber's death, Wilson is having trouble moving on, he cant bring himself to forgive his former friend for the part he played in her loss. All he can think about is vengeance. House is willing to do anything to earn back Wilson's friendship, and this proves to be a recipe for disaster.
Warnings: abuse, violence, dark themes, mild language, *very* dark Wilson throughout


Chapter 34
Caring Too Much

 

“Just slow down for a minute and think about what you’re doing.”

House kept his voice quiet and calm, wary eyes watching Wilson closely as he paced back and forth in front of him with shaky, frenetic steps. House’s gaze shifted between Wilson’s taut, anxious expression and the gun held tightly in his white-knuckled hand, as he tried to calm him, to talk him back to a place of reason and sanity.

“If you do this,” House continued slowly, “you can’t come back. You shoot somebody, and you’ll spend the rest of your life in prison, or on the run, or maybe in some foreign country where your first language is somewhere around third or fourth. Good luck with that.”

“Yeah,” Wilson sneered, stopping his pacing as he turned toward House, the gun waving dangerously as he gestured wildly with his hands. “Too bad I’m not brilliant enough to speak seven languages like you, right, House?” He rolled his eyes with a cold, bitter laugh as he added, “Freakin’ genius, and the thing you’re best at is destroying everything and everyone around you. I found that out first hand when you ruined my life.”

“I didn’t ruin your life, Wilson,” House insisted, boldly meeting Wilson’s eyes, his voice quiet and even.

“Please,” Wilson scoffed. “You’ve destroyed every relationship I’ve had since I’ve known you. You’ve nearly cost me my career – even my clean criminal record – more than once…”

“Yeah, but apparently those things don’t mean that much to you anyway.” House shrugged, his tone scathing, defiant. “Do they? Let’s talk about the things that do still matter to you.” He paused for a moment, meeting Wilson’s eyes in a clear challenge. “Amber’s death was an accident. I didn’t kill her.”

Wilson’s face flushed with rage, and he took a threatening step closer to House, pointing the gun at him again.

“Don’t you dare… speak her name!”

“Why not?” House snapped back, well aware that it would be wiser to hold his tongue, but unable to hold back the accusation in his voice. “Somebody ought to! She’s what this is all about – right?”

Wilson’s voice was warning, trembling with rage. “Shut up, House…”

“Because I’m starting to forget. You haven’t mentioned her in a month!”

Shut up!”

Wilson came at him in a rush, slamming the pistol down across House’s face and knocking his head back against the couch behind him. House struggled against the blinding flashes of light and color that obscured his vision, raising a hand to his swollen, bleeding mouth. Before he could recover, Wilson had grabbed his collar with one hand, pressing the gun to his head with the other.

“That’s it,” he hissed in a furious whisper. “We’re done.”

House flinched at the click of the revolver, closing his eyes and bracing himself for the shot, certain that Wilson was right.

It’s over… I’m dead…

A sound from across the room drew Wilson’s attention abruptly away from him, and House opened his eyes in surprise as he felt the gun removed from his head. He looked up to see that Wilson had turned his back to him and was staring down at the guard on the floor, who was stirring slightly, a low moan reverberating from his throat.

“Shit.” Wilson turned back toward House with accusing eyes. “That sedative should have had him out for hours.”

House shrugged. “Don’t ask me. I didn’t prepare the dosage.”

Wilson swore again under his breath, hurrying toward the fallen guard, who was gradually returning to consciousness. Wilson crouched beside him, his hands scrabbling frantically along the floor where House had injected the guard, searching for the discarded needle. Finally he found it, raising it to find that it was still more than half full.

“You’re so dead, House,” he muttered without turning as he tried to steady his hands, preparing to inject the rest of the clear fluid into the guard’s arm before he awakened.

“Yeah,” House scoffed quietly. “More dead than I already was?”

Wilson didn’t answer, his mouth set in a taut line as he depressed the plunger on the syringe, then removed the needle from the guard’s arm. He watched anxiously as the semi-conscious man drifted back into unconsciousness, before tossing the needle down again and rising to his feet, shoulders slumping with relief.

“Oh, trust me, House,” he replied at last, his voice low and dark. “I can make this a lot worse for you than it was already gonna be…”

His voice trailed off as he turned to face House, and his eyes went wide in surprise at the sight that met his eyes. The drawer in the endtable beside the couch was open, empty, and House was still crouched against the side of the couch – but in the few moments it had taken Wilson to deal with the guard, something vital had changed.

House had taken his own gun from the drawer where he kept it – and it was trained steadily on Wilson. House’s mouth twisted upward into a grim, humorless smile, eyes solemn and certain as he met Wilson’s gaze.

“Can you?” he challenged softly. “I’m starting to doubt that.”

*************************

“Hello? House?”

Cuddy’s voice was eager, anxious, as she heard the click as House’s phone was answered. But relief was swiftly replaced by disappointment when only silence met her words.

House!”

Finally, she let out a heavy sigh, removing the phone from her ear and glaring at the screen.

You want to avoid me, House? When I’m the only one on your side right now? Fine!

She was about to hang up, when she caught the muffled sound of voices on the other line. She put the phone back to her ear, listening closely, but the words were muffled, too quiet to make out.

The voices, however, were unmistakably familiar to her.

House – and Wilson.

As she listened, Wilson’s voice rose to an almost frantic pitch, and the dangerous level of fury she heard in it made her stomach drop. She listened closely, focusing her attention on the voices to try to make out the words. Finally, she thought she could hear House’s voice, slow and clear and even, and the words he spoke sent a shiver down her spine.

“… you can’t come back. You shoot someone, and you’ll spend the rest of your life in prison…”

Wilson’s got a gun? God… House!

Her hands trembling, Cuddy quickly disconnected the call, and dialed the number for the police.

Come on, House… Keep him talking… Help is on the way…

*************************

Wilson was startled for a moment, but then his expression faded into a pitying smile as he took a slow step closer to his intended victim. “House… do you really think you can shoot me?” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t think you can.”

House’s hands, his voice, never wavered, as he kept the gun aimed steadily on Wilson. “I think you’re seriously underestimating my instinct for self-preservation.”

Wilson let out a quiet huff of laughter, rolling his eyes as he replied with clear sarcasm, “In spite of all the clear and undeniable evidence as to just how strong that instinct is. Right. No. That’s not what I meant.” He paused, his smile fading as he explained, “I emptied that gun weeks ago.”

House did not miss a beat, replying immediately. “I know. I found it unloaded last week. That’s when I knew I’d better make sure it was loaded from then on.”

Wilson was still slowly drawing nearer to House, the gun still aimed at his head, apparently unbothered by House’s words. He shook his head, something resembling a twisted affection in his eyes.

“I still don’t think you can do it,” he observed softly. “I don’t care anymore whether you live or die. You know that.” He was quiet a moment before adding, “Unfortunately, I don’t think you can say the same. You care too much, House. You can’t shoot me.”

“I will,” House insisted. “If you come any closer.”

Despite House’s calm threat, Wilson kept moving forward. He was only a few short yards away from House by now, and did not seem inclined to stop.

“Go ahead, House,” he said in a voice barely over a whisper, a cold smile on his lips. “Shoot me. Kill me.” He raised his eyebrows in a challenge. “Can you?”

House steadied his grip on the gun with both hands, his finger tightening on the trigger, but he didn’t answer.

“That’s what’s so pathetic about all of this,” Wilson sneered as he continued to edge closer to House. “You’re still so desperate to fix things – to make it like it was before. But that’s never going to happen, House. Those days are over. But you still think of me as all you’ve got – so you can’t do it.” Wilson shrugged, a mocking smile rising to his lips. “You might as well turn that gun on yourself – because you have nothing left to live for. I know you can’t kill me – but you’ve been slowly killing yourself for years now. Why don’t you just do us both a favor and end it the easy way?”

House flinched at the cruel words, undeniably hurt by Wilson’s calloused, vicious suggestions. He didn’t lower his gun, didn’t look away – but he didn’t fire, either. His voice was low, hoarse with unshed tears, as he replied haltingly.

“You don’t know it right now, Wilson… but if this goes down like you want it to… you won’t have anything left, either. You lost somebody – yeah. That’s sad. But instead of getting over it and moving on with your life like you should have, you spent the next few months systematically destroying everything else in your life that was worth anything.”

House was aware that Wilson was still advancing, but he just kept talking, keeping the gun trained on Wilson, but unable to bring himself to pull the trigger.

“You don’t think I’ll shoot you, because you’re all I’ve got left… and if you shoot me, you lose everything, too,” House continued. “So the way I see it – in about thirty seconds, either way this goes, one of us is going to lose everything…”

He was quiet a moment, swallowing hard. Wilson was only a couple of feet away now. His voice was soft, heavy with regret and tragic affection when he finally spoke again.

“… and I care too much to let it be you.”

Wilson’s eyes widened as he recognized something in House’s eyes, and saw the older man’s finger tighten on the trigger of the gun in his hand. Wilson’s hand shot out to slam his gun into House’s hands, forcing him to release the weapon with a cry of pain, and sending the gun skittering across the floor and into the far wall.

Immediately House reached up to catch Wilson’s hand, pushing it away from him. Wilson had the advantage of better leverage and greater strength, but House struggled against him as he tried to take aim again, both hands locking around Wilson’s left hand to keep him from regaining his deadly aim.

Wilson’s right hand shot out to backhand House, hard, and he fell back against the couch, but did not let go of Wilson’s hand. He was desperate, fighting for both their lives, and determined despite his disadvantage to keep Wilson from accomplishing his deadly goal. House jerked downward on Wilson’s hand as he fell, pulling the younger man off balance and onto his knees on the floor. Pressing his advantage, House yanked him closer to him, bringing the fight to a more even level.

For a few tense minutes, they struggled in near silence, no breath or strength to waste on words, their very lives at stake, grappling for control of the weapon in Wilson’s hand. House struggled blindly, unable to see the gun or which way it was pointed, as the upper hand seemed to pass back and forth between them with each passing moment.

All at once, a deafening blast rang out in the quiet room, and both men froze.

House wasn’t sure which of them had been shot at first. He blinked, eyes wide and shocked as he stared at the mirrored expression on Wilson’s face. For an instant, he recognized their old familiarity in Wilson’s eyes – that certainty that he knew exactly what Wilson was feeling without a word, and Wilson was reading him just as well.

The moment was larger, more intense and powerful than any of the conflict that had passed between them these past few weeks.

Breathless, heart pounding with fear and adrenaline, House forced himself to look down at the space between them. His stomach clenched with dread, and he knew that regardless of the outcome, there would be no relief. Either he was shot, and in too much shock to feel it yet, or he had shot Wilson.

House wasn’t sure which option was worse.

His eyes gradually made sense of the gun in Wilson’s hand, his own hands turning it back toward Wilson’s stomach… the seeping red stain that was swiftly overtaking a large portion of Wilson’s rumpled white dress shirt… the frighteningly pale appearance of Wilson’s face as he sank back onto his knees, and then collapsed to the floor on his back, wide eyes staring in shock and disbelief.

House was barely aware of the distant pounding on the door of his apartment – too focused on the thunderous roar in his ears, the piercing ache in his chest as his heart shattered into a million bleeding fragments on the floor at his feet.

TBC...

 


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Date: 2008-10-15 11:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bonomania.livejournal.com
...just to back you up on that...

Oh my...

*More coherent comment later* :o
x

Date: 2008-10-15 11:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] californiaquail.livejournal.com
If House shot Wilson, even by accident, he's going to hate himself, especially if Wilson dies.

Thanks Spike, for making this ten times more interesting than last night's episode.

Date: 2008-10-18 05:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehe... glad you thought so, and yeah, this is not going to be easy on house, any way things play out :(

Date: 2008-10-18 05:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
lolol... kay, looking forward to it ;) hehehehe... but soooo glad it left you speechless for now :P the next chapter's up now, love, hope you like it as well :)

Date: 2008-10-18 05:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
yeaaaaaah.... thanx, love ;) the next chapter is up now, hope you enjoy :)

Date: 2008-10-15 11:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] madwriter223.livejournal.com
I... am actually not really happy with how this happened. I'd much prefer the bastard to go to prison, not die. But then again I doubt he will. [shrugs] Maybe this'll wake him up.
And House still trying to protect Wilson. Awesome job.

Date: 2008-10-18 05:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
yeah, house is still trying to protect him from the damage he is doing to himself :( and as for wilson's fate, it's not actually revealed yet, is it? ;) hehe... glad you enjoyed this chapter, thanx so much, hon :) *hugs* the next one is up now :)

Date: 2008-10-15 11:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] travln1.livejournal.com
Oh you did NOT just leave it there!

Date: 2008-10-18 05:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
heheheeh... sowwy :P the next one's up now, though :) *hugs* thanx :)

Date: 2008-10-15 11:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] myene-01.livejournal.com
hmm...nice. Cuddy's reaction was a bit slow, but beleaviable at the same time (no 2 second intutive leep of 'omgz! house is in trubble!' but a more realistic train of thought.)

Date: 2008-10-16 05:22 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] romeo46.livejournal.com
Completely off topic but I love your icon


Date: 2008-10-18 05:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
thanx, love, glad you liked it... and yeah, i thought with the games house was playing with the guard, cuddy's first reaction would be that he was still messing with her... until she heard wilson's voice :( thanx, love, i'm so glad you liked this chapter... the next one is up now :) *hugs*

Date: 2008-10-16 12:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chickloveslotr.livejournal.com
*makes my voice sound like a 14 yr old gangsta chick*
Oh no you DIDNT!!!!!


*back to MY voice*
OMFG OMFG OMFG OMFG OMFG OMFG OMFG OMFG !
:-O!

Date: 2008-10-18 05:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehehehehe... oh yes i did :P

glad you enjoyed the chapter, honey :) *Hugs* the next one is up now, hope you like it as well :)

Date: 2008-10-16 01:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 2cbetter2.livejournal.com
Whoa, when I left this chapter I was both a little breathless and a little teary. I fear even if Wilson doesn't die - and I hope he doesn't because that would shatter House - House has still lost his friend.

Date: 2008-10-18 05:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
yeah, either way this turns out is sad for house :( thanx, love, i'm glad you enjoyed the chapter... the next one is up now :) *Hugs*

Date: 2008-10-16 01:47 am (UTC)

Date: 2008-10-18 05:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehehe... thanx, love... next chapter's up now, hope you like :)

Date: 2008-10-16 03:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chaoskir.livejournal.com
What a evil cliffhanger! Thanks a lot for the exciting new chapter. Great!!

Date: 2008-10-18 05:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehe... you're most welcome, love :) *hugs* hope you like the next one, it's up now :)

Date: 2008-10-16 05:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] romeo46.livejournal.com
See Icon for comments, that is pretty fucked up


Date: 2008-10-18 05:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehe... love the icon, btw... and thanx... the next one's up now, hope you like it as well :)

Date: 2008-10-16 06:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] verbal-kint10.livejournal.com
And you say *I* leave evil cliffhangers?!! Argh, I can't even properly articulate how awesome this chapter is, so it basically comes out as algj;gqj;n;ne;ndfjknbana;ne!!!!

So now I'll be checking my email approximately every 30 seconds until you update, sound good (not to me, DoS, not to me, lol).

Great job!

Date: 2008-10-18 05:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehehehe.... yeah, i guess that's the pot calling the kettle evil, isn't it? hehe... glad you liked the chapter, hon, the next one is up now :) *Hugs* thanx!

Date: 2008-10-16 11:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sganzy-fics.livejournal.com
Oh shit...It was what I want, but...finally, it was not. Two more lines and I'd be crying. First times I'm happy with your cliffhanger. It was beautiful.

Date: 2008-10-18 05:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehe... tht's sort of the reaction i was going for... i wanted to call to memory in the last few lines the fact that this is *wilson* -- and in spite of everything he's done to house, house doesn't want to see him killed :( thanx so much, hon, glad you liked... the next chapter is up now :)

Date: 2008-10-16 03:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] srsly-yes.livejournal.com
Wow! Was that ever heart-stopping, but I hope not for Wilson. Thanks for not ending the chapter with a shot ringing out and not knowing who was hurt. You ended it perfectly (even if I can't wait for the next chapter...hurry please!).

Anyway...good cliffie...niiiice cliffie. Sit. Stay. Sorry. Chapter's blood loss is making me giddy.

Date: 2008-10-18 05:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehe... i couldn't quite be *that* cruel... or.. i could, but... i didn't... so... ahem... ;)

anyways, thanx, love, glad you enjoyed the chapter :) *hugs* the next one is up now :)

Date: 2008-10-16 05:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Date: 2008-10-18 05:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehehehe.... i'll take that as you liked it? hehe... thanx, hon... the next one's up now :)

Date: 2008-10-16 07:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] misanthropicobs.livejournal.com
However this turns out with Wilson and the authorities House is going to blame himself. If House ends up in prison for shooting Wilson he'll be dead either through suicide or someone else in jail killing him and if Wilson dies he'll be dead shortly after since I really don't think he'll be able to live with himself knowing he killed Wilson. If Wilson had been the one to shoot House I also think the end would have been the same for him once he fully realized what he did. That would have happened since without House to take his anger out on it would eventually have worn out and then he would have to face his own actions. I really hope that he survives and finally comes to some sort of realization of what he has been doing.

House has really faced so much adversity in his life - everything from being raised by a father who used force and coercion to discipline and a mother who either ignored or agreed with his father's actions, to the infarction, to being viewed by almost everyone who knows him as someone completely unlikeable. I guess that I'm hoping that in some way there is a positive outcome for him. Even if he doesn't end in jail Wilson's death at his hands is going to make it impossible for him to forgive himself and I think that suicide is a very real risk for him. He's going to blame himself and assume that all the fault is his own in any case and even if Wilson lives that is going to be almost impossible to overcome.

Cuddy figuring out what was happening is great, she if anyone, should be able to let the authorities know what actually went on before Wilson was shot. I sure hope so anyway. House is going to need her very badly after this incident and she is really going to have her work cut out for her to convince House he isn't completely at fault here.

Date: 2008-10-18 05:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
yeah, this isnt gonna be easy on house any way it goes :( thanx, love, i'm so glad you enjoyed this chapter :) *Hugs*

Date: 2008-10-17 05:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] phoenix-of-hell.livejournal.com
You ended it there... *stares at the screen in total disbelief* Aargh, cliffhangers!!! so, House can be sarcastic even with a gun trained on him... God, I LOVE that! I hope Wilson doesn't die, though...

Date: 2008-10-18 05:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehe... yep, house has to be sarcastic, even in life and death situations :P hehe... glad you liked the chapter, hon, the next one is up now :) *hugs*

Date: 2008-10-18 01:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] babymoobunny.livejournal.com
Holy Crap! Yup, that sums it up nicely.

Date: 2008-10-18 05:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehe... glad you liked... next one is up now, thanx, hon :)

Date: 2008-10-18 12:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] swirlsofblue.livejournal.com
WOW, *waits on edge of seat for next chapter*

Date: 2008-10-18 05:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamsofspike.livejournal.com
hehe... next one is up now, hope you like :) thanx, hon *hugs*

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