Fic : Barn Raising
Dec. 20th, 2012 09:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
menolly_auTitle: Barn Raising
Characters: House & Wilson friendship.
Rating: PG
Words Approx 1100
Warnings: None
Summary: House finds out why Wilson has been reading Barn Restoration magazines during their estrangement. An AU ending to 5.05 Lucky Thirteen.
A/N Inspired by a fic by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sassyjumper - Overheard.
Be outside my apartment at 8:00 tonight.
He's not sure when Wilson started giving the orders around here. He thinks about drawing a line in the sand and being a fashionable hour or two late but well, Wilson's only just come back; and the booby trapped chair was pushing it. Their friendship still seems shaky, fragile, despite Wilson's assurances that nothing has changed.
If he's not at Wilson's by eight Wilson might go without him, and House isn't taking any chances.
Wilson comes outside and joins him in the car at eight o'clock on the dot. He doesn't say anything much, just motions for House to shove over into the passenger side and then drives off.
They drive for a while, making their way through the tangled mess of the evening traffic and out into the countryside. House tries to make some conversation but Wilson is intent on where he's going. He's got that peculiar scrunched up look he gets when he's doing things against his better judgement, wherever they're going Wilson's not sure if he should be taking House there. Interesting, a Wilson puzzle - House has missed those, nothing's been the same since he woke up from his coma to find Wilson gone.
At least this time nobody has drugged him to get him in the car, and there won't be a funeral at the end of it. House hopes. For one moment he thinks maybe Wilson is taking him to Amber's grave and he looks around for a way to get out of the car.
Wilson glances at him, frowning, and House settles back into his seat. If they end up at a graveyard House will make a bolt for it, there's no point trying to jump out of a moving car.
When Wilson begins driving through farmland House starts thinking about bodies being buried in the middle of the night and he peers suspiciously at Wilson when they pull up outside of a ramshackle building. He's seen this, in countless movies, it never ends well.
"We're here," Wilson says, getting out of the car and gesturing for House to follow.
House looks around to see if he missed any strip club signs, maybe this is some private place that only Wilson knows about. It doesn't look promising but Wilson is disappearing rapidly across the field so House levers himself out the seat and follows, his cane sinking unhelpfully into the soft ground. This had better be good.
Wilson creaks open the door to the wreck and waves House in, still with that anxious look on his face.
It's a barn. A derelict barn. The last cow this place saw was many years ago. Wilson has one of those flashlights he likes to keep in the trunk of his car for emergencies and as he shines it around House catches glimpses of decaying rafters, old straw and multitudes of cobwebs. He swears he can hear rats scurrying around in the dark. Maybe Wilson thought he'd like to pick up another rat as a pet - but there was no need to come out here to the boondocks, there are plenty of rats hanging around Princeton.
"It's a barn," he says; his banter skills must have atrophied in all those Wilson-less months.
"Yes," Wilson shifts his feet and then folds his arms across his chest in a classic Wilson defensive move. "I'm restoring it."
"You own this place?"
"Yes. I bought it." Well it wasn't like House had thought that Amber left Wilson a run-down barn in her will. She might have left him her Weapons of Mass Destruction collection, but not a rat infested, derelict, barn. "That's where I was the other morning, signing the papers."
"You bought this barn to restore it?"
"Yes. Why else did you think I was reading Barn Restoration for Beginners?"
"I thought it was a euphemism for gay porn."
"No, that's House and Garden."
God, he's missed Wilson.
He turns around in a circle, taking in the less than luxurious surrounds. He can see Wilson here, hammering away, sawing, cleaning, doing whatever it takes to restore this dump to being, well, a better looking barn. At least until Wilson's patients and Wilson's responsibilities close in on him - House gives it three months before the project becomes just another thing that Wilson Wished He Could Have Done.
"I thought... I thought maybe you'd like to help." Wilson says, and there it is. That's what Wilson has been anxious about.
Do you know me? The words are on the tip of his tongue but he somehow, heroically, stops them coming out. Wilson is looking at him like he thinks House is going to mock him for this - whatever this is. Of course, House is, but not tonight. Plenty of time for that when he's here and Wilson's working away while House supervises, because if Wilson thinks he's going to drag his crippled ass around a barn with a tool-belt tied around his waist he's got another think coming. He might bring some beer. Then again he might tell Wilson to bring the beer - it's his barn after all.
"You can bring the beer," House says, establishing the ground rules early on.
Wilson does his little sigh thing. "Of course, what else?"
"I don't climb ladders. And I don't wear flannel."
"Damn, there goes my fiendish plan to have you limp up a ladder in a flannel shirt and fix the roof. Anything else?"
"Fixing up a barn won't bring her back." He wonders if he's gone too far when Wilson freezes in place. There's a moment of awkward silence and then Wilson sighs again.
"I... I know. I just want to build something, okay?" There's a catch in his voice that tells House he's a long way from being over Amber. Wilson couldn't save her life so he's going to raise a barn. And he wants House to help.
House nods. "Okay."
"You'll help?"
"I'll be here," and he will, because this is where Wilson will be.
There's a moment of silence and then there's that scuttling sound again, and House swears he can hear something howling into the wind outside.
"We don't have to start this tonight do we?" House asks, edging towards the door. "Barns aren't built in a day."
Wilson joins him at the door. "No, they're not."
Back in the car House settles back while Wilson drives. The atmosphere is easier now, more relaxed. The barn may, or may not; ever end up being restored but it doesn't matter.
Wilson's back.
End
Characters: House & Wilson friendship.
Rating: PG
Words Approx 1100
Warnings: None
Summary: House finds out why Wilson has been reading Barn Restoration magazines during their estrangement. An AU ending to 5.05 Lucky Thirteen.
A/N Inspired by a fic by
sassyjumper - Overheard.Be outside my apartment at 8:00 tonight.
He's not sure when Wilson started giving the orders around here. He thinks about drawing a line in the sand and being a fashionable hour or two late but well, Wilson's only just come back; and the booby trapped chair was pushing it. Their friendship still seems shaky, fragile, despite Wilson's assurances that nothing has changed.
If he's not at Wilson's by eight Wilson might go without him, and House isn't taking any chances.
Wilson comes outside and joins him in the car at eight o'clock on the dot. He doesn't say anything much, just motions for House to shove over into the passenger side and then drives off.
They drive for a while, making their way through the tangled mess of the evening traffic and out into the countryside. House tries to make some conversation but Wilson is intent on where he's going. He's got that peculiar scrunched up look he gets when he's doing things against his better judgement, wherever they're going Wilson's not sure if he should be taking House there. Interesting, a Wilson puzzle - House has missed those, nothing's been the same since he woke up from his coma to find Wilson gone.
At least this time nobody has drugged him to get him in the car, and there won't be a funeral at the end of it. House hopes. For one moment he thinks maybe Wilson is taking him to Amber's grave and he looks around for a way to get out of the car.
Wilson glances at him, frowning, and House settles back into his seat. If they end up at a graveyard House will make a bolt for it, there's no point trying to jump out of a moving car.
When Wilson begins driving through farmland House starts thinking about bodies being buried in the middle of the night and he peers suspiciously at Wilson when they pull up outside of a ramshackle building. He's seen this, in countless movies, it never ends well.
"We're here," Wilson says, getting out of the car and gesturing for House to follow.
House looks around to see if he missed any strip club signs, maybe this is some private place that only Wilson knows about. It doesn't look promising but Wilson is disappearing rapidly across the field so House levers himself out the seat and follows, his cane sinking unhelpfully into the soft ground. This had better be good.
Wilson creaks open the door to the wreck and waves House in, still with that anxious look on his face.
It's a barn. A derelict barn. The last cow this place saw was many years ago. Wilson has one of those flashlights he likes to keep in the trunk of his car for emergencies and as he shines it around House catches glimpses of decaying rafters, old straw and multitudes of cobwebs. He swears he can hear rats scurrying around in the dark. Maybe Wilson thought he'd like to pick up another rat as a pet - but there was no need to come out here to the boondocks, there are plenty of rats hanging around Princeton.
"It's a barn," he says; his banter skills must have atrophied in all those Wilson-less months.
"Yes," Wilson shifts his feet and then folds his arms across his chest in a classic Wilson defensive move. "I'm restoring it."
"You own this place?"
"Yes. I bought it." Well it wasn't like House had thought that Amber left Wilson a run-down barn in her will. She might have left him her Weapons of Mass Destruction collection, but not a rat infested, derelict, barn. "That's where I was the other morning, signing the papers."
"You bought this barn to restore it?"
"Yes. Why else did you think I was reading Barn Restoration for Beginners?"
"I thought it was a euphemism for gay porn."
"No, that's House and Garden."
God, he's missed Wilson.
He turns around in a circle, taking in the less than luxurious surrounds. He can see Wilson here, hammering away, sawing, cleaning, doing whatever it takes to restore this dump to being, well, a better looking barn. At least until Wilson's patients and Wilson's responsibilities close in on him - House gives it three months before the project becomes just another thing that Wilson Wished He Could Have Done.
"I thought... I thought maybe you'd like to help." Wilson says, and there it is. That's what Wilson has been anxious about.
Do you know me? The words are on the tip of his tongue but he somehow, heroically, stops them coming out. Wilson is looking at him like he thinks House is going to mock him for this - whatever this is. Of course, House is, but not tonight. Plenty of time for that when he's here and Wilson's working away while House supervises, because if Wilson thinks he's going to drag his crippled ass around a barn with a tool-belt tied around his waist he's got another think coming. He might bring some beer. Then again he might tell Wilson to bring the beer - it's his barn after all.
"You can bring the beer," House says, establishing the ground rules early on.
Wilson does his little sigh thing. "Of course, what else?"
"I don't climb ladders. And I don't wear flannel."
"Damn, there goes my fiendish plan to have you limp up a ladder in a flannel shirt and fix the roof. Anything else?"
"Fixing up a barn won't bring her back." He wonders if he's gone too far when Wilson freezes in place. There's a moment of awkward silence and then Wilson sighs again.
"I... I know. I just want to build something, okay?" There's a catch in his voice that tells House he's a long way from being over Amber. Wilson couldn't save her life so he's going to raise a barn. And he wants House to help.
House nods. "Okay."
"You'll help?"
"I'll be here," and he will, because this is where Wilson will be.
There's a moment of silence and then there's that scuttling sound again, and House swears he can hear something howling into the wind outside.
"We don't have to start this tonight do we?" House asks, edging towards the door. "Barns aren't built in a day."
Wilson joins him at the door. "No, they're not."
Back in the car House settles back while Wilson drives. The atmosphere is easier now, more relaxed. The barn may, or may not; ever end up being restored but it doesn't matter.
Wilson's back.
End
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 04:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 08:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 05:43 pm (UTC)I think there's a tiny typo here? :D
... the bobby trapped chair ...
no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 09:01 pm (UTC)Oh, that's an unfortunate typo :) Thanks for pointing that out !
no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 06:39 pm (UTC)because if Wilson thinks he's going to drag his crippled ass around a barn with a tool-belt tied around his waist he's got another think coming. That is SO perfectly House!!!
I'll bet Wilson has "H&G" channel on his "favorites".
no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 09:04 pm (UTC)He was very keen on having that little garden early on in the sixth season :) But yet he can't furnish an apartment - the man is an enigma :)
Thanks for reading, glad you liked it!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 07:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 07:53 pm (UTC)God, he's missed Wilson.
Me, too. Your Wilson is mopey, wistful and snarky, all at the same time.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 09:09 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-20 10:51 pm (UTC)I feel the need to thank you because you explained, in such a lovely way, a loose end from canon - I know, there was so many... but who is counting? - that always intrigued me and made me smile at the same time (and now that I wrote that I realised this is the reaction I always had about Wilson, actually). Barn Restoration is such an oddity, but I guess that I can see Wilson trying to bring life to something in debris - it's a great metaphor for Wilson's own life at that time, and sadly at others moments too.
I loved House's reaction, his suspicion and curiosity and then how he started plotting ways to stay there for Wilson. So very House!
Your fic will be in my mind every time I rewatch that episode. <3
no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 08:07 am (UTC)Glad you enjoyed the fic :) Thanks for reading and commenting!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 12:13 am (UTC)I seriously love this. The banter is great. And the way you have House bitching and setting the ground rules for what he won't do, yet all the while confirming the most important thing -- that he will be there -- is perfectly IC. And yes, I also much prefer this to the canon ending for this ep ;)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 08:14 am (UTC)Thanks for reading and commenting! And thanks for the inspiration :)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 08:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 02:34 am (UTC)"I'll be here," and he will, because this is where Wilson will be.
This is the House and Wilson I love!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-21 08:16 am (UTC)Thanks for reading and commenting!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-24 03:35 am (UTC)*mems*
no subject
Date: 2012-12-25 08:02 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading!
no subject
Date: 2012-12-26 03:34 am (UTC)And this:
"No, that's House and Garden."
God, he's missed Wilson.
made me LOL.
no subject
Date: 2012-12-26 04:04 am (UTC)Thanks for reading, glad you liked it :)