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Title: Lazarus
Characters: House/Wilson
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season 8 Finale
Words Approx 1000
Warnings: None
Summary: You never know who you are going to meet in a bar.

A/N Okay, so this is a crossover between an as yet unnamed television pilot and House (and probably definitive proof that I have too much time on my hands :) Thanks to [livejournal.com profile] sheppa for posting this interesting bit of news.



Rick Waller sat at a table in the bar, nursing a glass of coke, his empty dinner plate pushed to one side. The bar was quiet tonight; he could hear the piano playing over the soft murmur of conversation. The guy who played Tuesdays was good, he'd seen him here before, playing for hours, the tip jar was always full by the end of the night.

Rick found himself eating here more and more often, rather than going home to a microwaved instant dinner and a night in front of the television watching the latest trashy reality show. He usually propped his netbook up in front of him and pecked away at it between bites, to convey the impression of a busy executive, fitting food in between urgent appointments, rather than some loser hanging around a bar because he had nowhere better to go, and no-one he could be with.

It wasn't that he didn't have work, he did, but nothing that required him to work through dinner - business had been slow lately, the economy had more people struggling to hold onto their jobs and put food on the table than hiring lawyers, even cut-price lawyers, willing to do a little work on the grey edges of the law.

He played with the small package in front of him. He'd picked it up earlier today, hoping he'd be able to give it to her tonight, that maybe it would change things; she hadn't exactly been receptive to his efforts to make amends so far.

"It won't work."

He looked up, startled, as a rough voice interrupted his thoughts. The piano player was standing there, leaning on the cane he always used. He was a white guy, his hair cropped close to his head, his face creased and aged, his most startling feature was his bright blue eyes. He was tall, over six feet, but seemed shorter due to his lopsided lean. Right leg injury, Rick’s cop's brain supplied, painful by the way he was standing, and the way his knuckles were white where he gripped the cane.

"Going to her now, straight from a bar, she'll be able to tell." The man talked in quick, clipped sentences, his words sure, arrogant, as if he could never be wrong. "There's a smell you pick up in bars, women can sniff it out a mile away. You go there now, she'll think you've fallen off the wagon and you'll kill your chances for sure. Trust me; I've been on that rodeo."

"I haven't been drinking," Rick said, automatically defensive. The drinking was what got him kicked out of the police, he hadn't had a drink in over a year, although he wanted one every day. Then he frowned, "how did you know..."

"That you're an alcoholic? Seen you here lots of times, haven't seen you with anything stronger than a coke. But I've seen how you look at other people's drinks. You don't drink coke because you want to. Pretty dumb move, spending so much time in a bar, unless you're trying to prove something to yourself." The piano player fished a little medicine vial out of his pocket and ostentatiously swallowed a pill. "Addicts are stupid. Doesn't matter how much time you spend in bars not drinking, the day will come when you have one, and then you won't stop."

"You should know," Rick said sharply, taking a pill in front of someone else like that - the guy had problems of his own. Rick wasn't going to listen to any moralizing lectures from this ass. He pulled his netbook closer to him, signalling that the conversation was over.

"Don't you want to know how I knew where you were going?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me." Rick tapped away at the keyboard.

"You've been playing with that wedding ring all night," the guy nodded to Rick's finger. "Except for that's not the finger your dear wife put it on, I can see the tan line on the other one. She's on your mind though, and you've got a pretty package all wrapped up for her, so she's not dead. Divorced. Probably due to the drinking. You think you're going to win her back with expensive trinkets?"

Rick dropped the pretence of doing any work. "Who the hell are you? Sherlock Holmes?"

The guy's lips quirked in amusement. "No, although there are similarities. My name's Greg, and that's all you need to know for now. I need a lawyer who knows a few different ways to get things done. You interested?"

"What makes you think I'm a lawyer?"

Greg rolled his eyes, "I asked the bartender of course. What else?"

Of course. Rick sighed, the guy was probably right, no point in going to Cheryl's place tonight. He nodded to an empty chair at his table. "Have a seat."

"Just waiting for the little woman," Greg said, his eyes scanning the rest of the room and then softening as he apparently found his target.

Another man came up to the table. He was younger than Greg, but with similarly close cropped hair. He was thin, his clothes bagging on him, and he looked tired and worn down. His smile was quick, although his brown eyes assessed Rick as thoroughly as Greg's had.

He put out his hand and shook Rick's, a pleasantry Greg hadn't bothered with. "James," he introduced himself. "Nice to meet you, Mr Waller."

Greg rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, you can make eyes at each other later. Now shall we sit, cripple here, remember?"

"Rick," Rick introduced himself to the newcomer as the two men got settled and had drinks orders taken. Once they were alone at the table James leaned forward.

"Rick, will you take our case?"

" My case," Greg interrupted. "You haven't done anything that would spoil your Boy Scout copybook."

"We're in this together." James replied firmly, amazingly managing to quiet Greg.

"I don't know what your case is yet," Rick pointed out, although he already knew his answer.

Greg smirked, twirling his cane between his hands.

"Well, to start with, we're both dead." He stilled the cane, staring straight at Rick, "but we got better and now we want to go home."

Rick sat back, draining the last of his coke; for once not even regretting it wasn't scotch. This should be good, if nothing else he suspected that this case wasn't going to be boring.

End

Date: 2012-09-19 10:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sheppa.livejournal.com
Oh don't end it here, it is too good! You should continue!

Date: 2012-09-20 09:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Not sure if I have any more :) Thanks for the inspiration!

Date: 2012-09-19 11:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
I would love to see more of this, but the last sentences are perfection.

Wilson with close-cropped hair... he got treatment, didn't he? \o/

Date: 2012-09-20 09:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Wilson with close-cropped hair... he got treatment, didn't he? \o/

He did :) Sorry about the hair but it will grow back :) Thanks for reading :)

Date: 2012-09-19 01:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] knitty-woman.livejournal.com
You MUST continue... since you've got too much time on your hands and all...

Date: 2012-09-20 09:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
LOL - set myself up for that didn't I ;) Thanks for reading :)

Date: 2012-09-19 02:11 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Can't wait for the next installment.

Date: 2012-09-20 09:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Thanks for reading :)

Date: 2012-09-19 02:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] justjuly4.livejournal.com
Amazing start! I loved the dialogue, the atmosphere... Brilliant!

Date: 2012-09-20 09:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

Date: 2012-09-19 02:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jahmat.livejournal.com
Love the title! Both are going to be resurrected? But, going "home"? To PPTH? Can't wait to read what you've got in store this time!

Date: 2012-09-20 09:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Maybe not to PPTH, not permanently, but reclaiming their lives/names at least. Thanks for reading :)

Date: 2012-09-19 03:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pgrabia.livejournal.com
Excellent! I hope there's more...?

Date: 2012-09-20 09:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
There wasn't supposed to be :) Thanks for reading, glad you liked it :)

Date: 2012-09-19 04:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] readingrat.livejournal.com
"What makes you think I'm a lawyer?"
Greg rolled his eyes, "I asked the bartender of course. What else?"

"Well, to start with, we're both dead." He stilled the cane, staring straight at Rick, "but we got better ..."


Great lines.

Date: 2012-09-20 09:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Thanks! Thanks for reading :)

Date: 2012-09-19 05:11 pm (UTC)
ext_25882: (Roman Brooch)
From: [identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com
I would read more of this in a heartbeat. :D

Date: 2012-09-20 09:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Thanks, glad you liked it :) Thanks for reading :)

Date: 2012-09-19 05:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] srsly-yes.livejournal.com
The perfect epilogue for House and pilot for Shore's new show. Please write more!

Date: 2012-09-20 09:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Thanks! The new show sounds like it could be interesting I think :) Thanks for reading :)

Date: 2012-09-19 06:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] yarroway.livejournal.com
I can only agree with everyone else. This is wonderful, and I want more.

Date: 2012-09-20 09:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Thanks! I don't know if there is more, we'll see :) glad you liked it :)

Date: 2012-09-19 07:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] damigella-314.livejournal.com
You can't leave like that! It's too tantalizingly short. I want more of them, and more of Rick - maybe House can help him get together with his wife again (or Wilson can advice him on the inanity of marriage).

probably definitive proof that I have too much time on my hands
I'd say your day job is no match for your writing talents.

Date: 2012-09-20 09:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
I think the writing is too much of a distraction from my day job :)

Glad you liked it - I think WIlson would probably advise Rick that it's not a good idea to try for a rerun with your ex-wife :)

Date: 2012-09-19 09:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sassyjumper.livejournal.com
This is just great! I echo everyone else in the demand hope for more :)

I really love stories that give an outsiders' perspective on H/W.

Date: 2012-09-20 09:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Thanks! I really like the outsider's perspective too - it's interesting to see what someone else would make of the various insanities of the HOuse universe :)

Date: 2012-09-19 10:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com
Interesting, and i agree, more!

Date: 2012-09-20 09:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

Date: 2012-09-20 04:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] barefootpuddles.livejournal.com
Very nice. I love the description that they both got better from being dead. :P

I am not sure I want to give DS' new show a try (unless of course his lawyer's first case is House and Wilson) but I was glad to read this lovely piece.

Date: 2012-09-20 09:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Hmm - I know it's not likely to happen, but how about if the 'cunning but charming' lawyer was played by RSL ;) That would be fun :)

Thanks for reading, glad you liked it :)

Date: 2012-09-20 05:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nyannyannayn.livejournal.com
You're clever you! The pilot sounds so interesting and your fic was great. Awesome idea to cross DS's heroes over!

Date: 2012-09-20 09:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
I thought the pilot sounded interesting, and DS did create some good characters for House (even if he didn't always know what to do with them :) I'm sure if the show ends up being picked up there will be some crossovers, so I thought I'd get in early :) Thanks for reading!

Date: 2012-09-20 12:53 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Just loved this! It was way too short - the kind of fiction where you are sad when you come to the last words because you don't want it to stop. Hoping you will write more, whether a continuation of this story or something else!

Date: 2012-09-20 10:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Thanks! Glad you liked it, there might not be more of this, but there will definitely be more of something!

Date: 2012-09-20 05:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] squidbreathth.livejournal.com
looking forward to seeing more of this.

Date: 2012-09-20 10:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Thanks for reading :)

Date: 2012-09-22 10:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] resm.livejournal.com
This was amazing!! Oh I'm just going to tell myself this really happened, the episode I forgot to watch. Happy days, and thanks :D

Date: 2012-09-22 10:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] menolly-au.livejournal.com
Oh, you mean you missed this episode? ;)

Glad you liked it, thanks for reading!

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