House M.D. : Double Down 8

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Gentle notes played to the empty room, slow.... sluggish.

Each notes echoing out, growing lower and lower in its tune. Gab sat on the piano bench that still lingered on the empty stage, her fingers rolling idly along the white keys. Dressed back in her regular get up, she had her thick winter coat on, a dark navy blue scarf wrapped limp around her neck, laying limp along her back.

The on lookers were all gone, placed back in their rooms or back in their cold cars to drive back home to their warm holiday filled homes. Cuddy had ordered the piano to be moved tomorrow due to the lack of time. It was late and everyone was tired. So Gab sat alone upon the stage, testing each key to her liking before slowly she began to play. Her fingers moved gracefully along each key, playing out slowly the song she was 'suppose' to sing.

The empty room did not clap for her nor did she hear any nose of movement. She was truly alone. Lost to her own thoughts, the events of the day weighing down on her. Her leg hurt, her vicodin doing nothing to stop the pulsing nerves. Thou, as stupid as it sounded, her heart did not hurt as bad as she thought it would.

She had just witnessed the beginning of her broken relationship with Wilson. Something that hasn't even reached the max level. Reality? She had lost the battle even before it began.

Closing her eyes a little, she played, singing out lightly to herself. "When I was young, I fell in love. I asked my sweetheart, "What lies ahead, will we have rainbows day after day?" Guess what my sweeheart said..."

She stopped the notes for a moment before frowning, moving the tip of her fingers to lightly play the keys to 'you can't always get what you want' by the rolling stones. But as soon as she ended the main chorus she stopped, letting her fingers stay in place. She felt.....nothing...

"House?"

She didn't look up, she just kept focus on the keys. The next note, it was right under her fingers. What was the next verse? Soft foot steps approached her and lightly she began to play, random notes, linking one by one into a gentle stream of music in til the person whom spoke stood before the stage.

"House come on. We need to go get your stuff."

Letting her hands finally slip, spilling into her lap, she turned her head a little to look upon Jessica, watching her friend smile hopefully to her. Dressed in her own coat, pulling her leather gloves over her fingers for the blistering cold outside. They stared at one another, no words could heal the wound that seem to ooz from them both. Even thou oddly enough, Gab felt nothing. No pain, no sorrow.

"Come on." Jess reached out her gloved covered hand, offering her strength to get Gab up and going. This world, so familiar yet so different. It carried all the joy Gab had in life and too carried pain. Letting out a deep sigh, she nodded before standing up, ignoring the offered hand. Taking her cane instead, she began to walk, Jess quickly following behind, joining in her step.

"It'll be okay Gab." She offered, shoving her hands deep into her coat pockets. Gab only tilted her head back to stare up at the ceiling, her bangs brushing before her half opened eyes. "I know." Looking back, she gave Jess a smile before muttering, limping her way out from the room.

"I know but even so, I still dont like the outcome."

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Greg walked in on the middle of Gabs packing.

He didn't say a word, he didn't have too. Her gaze told him enough.

She looked at him, empty and silent. Like she had nothing else to hold onto. Greg stared at her and with a numbing feeling spreading along his gut, he limped away, needing to do something, drink something.

The only sounds that greeted him that whole night was the clicking Gabs items as she packed them away and the idly sounds of his tv. He wanted to say he was sorry, but deep down he wasn't. He wanted James, he was more shocked then anything to see Gab give up. He really thought she would turn around and rise up to his level and fight him for his best friend. But she only backed down and gave up. Why?

Shuffle foot steps greeting his ears making him turn, the bottle of beer slipping from his lips. Gab made her way over to the couch, settling herself down on her end. She sighed deeply, rubbing her sore shoulders. Greg waited for her to say something, anything. But she only kept quiet, listening to the tv. Looking away, he reached out and offered her his drink, a brow raised. She stared at it for a moment before taking it from his fingers, raising it to her own lips.

"Wheres Jessica?" He began, letting his eyes stare at the muted t.v. before them.

"Waiting for me at her apartment." Gab answered boredly.

"Do you hate me?" He cut straight to the chase.

She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt. "Nope." Keeping her eyes forward, she handed the bottle back. He stared at it, taking it from her fingers but before she could pull away, he snatched her wrist with his free hand. "Why not?" She looked at him then, annoyed, her head tilted back. "Whats the point?"

His fingers squeezed her wrist tightly before pulling it close, making her lean towards him. "I thought you would fight me for James." He muttered, watching her scoot closer, to keep herself from falling face first into his lap. "You thought wrong." She hissed back, her eyes narrowing. She tugged her arm but he only kept tight, keeping her in front of him. He needed to understand, why wasn't she fighting? Why wasn't she giving a damn.

"You dont love James do you?"

Her lips gave a twitch before she let out a snort, her free hand pushing into the couches back, pushing herself closer. "Oh no. I love James." She whispered, watching Greg lean back away from her, puzzlement in his eyes.

"Then why aren't you fighting me? Spiking my drinks with laxatives? Telling James I'm gay? Hell, why are you not calling the gay hookers hot line and telling them to give me a lap dance in the middle of my office in front of my team?"

"You would enjoy that to much." She pointed out, making him snarl.

"Why?" He asked again.

Her eyes narrowed to him then, her lips pressed. "I love James, almost as much as you love him."

"But you don't love him enough to fight." He muttered.

She gave a short nod, pushing herself to move away but he kept her at his side.

"Then who is?"

She went still, keeping her eyes lowered to the ground. Her arm tugged but still, he would not let go. "Who do you love enough to fight for?"

"You know Greg. Only one of us can be happy."

He frowned at that information, "That doesn't answer my question."

"It does." She muttered, "Look Greg. Laure briefed me on some info she found out. and as much as I hate following rules, this one is hard to jump over."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Only one of us can have Wilson." She claimed. "We are the same Greg but our choices that we make that will change our own life, selfish choices you and I pick that will either ruin our life or make more bearable, whatever we pick, the opposite happens."

"You just said you didn't love James." He stated confused.

"Only one of us can have Wilson." She whispered again. "We both love Wilson, we both will fight for Wilson. The only difference... Only one of us will be able to have it."

They sat their in silence, Gab watching Greg as he sorted through her words. His eyes went wide slowly as the pieces slowly started to come together

Gab was Greg, she felt everything he felt, she knew everything he knew.

'Only one can have Wilson'

"So who will it be?" Gab whispered, tugging her arm free from his limp hand.

"If I have James..." Greg whispered, his eyes slowly trailing up along Gabs body, meeting her cold eyes. "If he loved me back.."

"In my world, Jessica will never be mine. Like I said Greg." She pushed herself back up onto her feet, her fist closed. "Only one of us can have Wilson."

He watched her limp away, his body limp.

"Who will take that selfish step first. You or me."   

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