⋆. 𐙚˚࿔ abi 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

and now there was a puppy in your bathroom.

a very tiny puppy. a very dirty puppy. a very skinny puppy.

a puppy that had looked at you with huge brown eyes and immediately destroyed your ability to make rational decisions.

so now you’d spent the entire night cleaning him up, feeding him tiny portions of food left over in the fridge, googling what was safe for the pup to eat, and trying to convince yourself that jack wouldn’t be upset.

or at least not too upset.

the front door unlocked just after seven in the morning.

your stomach dropped. jack was home.

you were still sitting on the couch in yesterday’s clothes, running entirely on caffeine and poor decisions.

the second he walked inside, he frowned. “why are you awake?”

you immediately looked anywhere but at him. “couldn’t sleep.” you stuttered out quick.

jack narrowed his eyes. doctor eyes. the same eyes that caught every lie told in the emergency department. unfortunately for you, they worked at home too. “you look guilty.”

you scoffed. “i’m just tired.”

“you look guilty and tired.” he kicked off his shoes. “what happened?”

“nothing happened. what makes you think that?” you defenced back.

“something happened.”

you smiled weakly.

he sighed.

“how much trouble am i about to be in?”

“define trouble.”

jack groaned. “oh no.” he pointed at you. “what did you do?”

“i didn’t do anything.”

before he could respond—

woof!

both of you froze.

the tiny bark came from the bathroom. jack slowly turned his head. then looked back at you. then toward the bathroom again. then back at you.

“…what was that?”

you considered lying.

you lasted approximately one second. “…a dog.”

jack closed his eyes. “you found a dog.”

“well technically the dog found me.”

“that’s not how dogs work.”

another bark echoed through the apartment. followed by a tiny scratching sound against the bathroom door.

jack pinched the bridge of his nose.

you stood. “before you say anything—”

“that’s never a promising start.”

“—he was abandoned.”

jack immediately opened one eye.

you continued. “he was cold.”

the other eye opened. “and hungry.”

his expression softened despite himself.

you knew it would.

jack could pretend to be grumpy all he wanted, but he spent twelve hours a day saving people for a living. he had the softest heart of anyone you’d ever met.

you disappeared into the bathroom before he could argue further. a moment later, you emerged carrying the beagle puppy.

the puppy looked ridiculously small wrapped in a towel.

one floppy ear. oversized paws. sleepy brown eyes.

the second jack saw him, his face did something. not much. just enough.

that tiny shift that meant he was already losing the battle. “he’s cute,” he admitted.

victory. you grinned.

the puppy, however, had his own priorities. the second you crouched near the couch, the little beagle scrambled from your arms.

straight toward jack.

jack blinked. “oh.”

the puppy climbed directly into his lap. like he’d been doing it his entire life.

tiny tail wagging so hard his whole body wiggled. you watched in delight as jack looked down at the puppy.

the puppy looked up at jack. and that was it. gone. completely smitten. jack was finished.

the puppy pressed his nose against jack’s hand. jack immediately scratched behind one floppy ear. the puppy practically melted.

“oh my god,” you whispered.

jack didn’t even hear you. “hey, buddy.”

the puppy licked his thumb. jack smiled. an actual smile. the soft one. the one that made you fall in love with him. the one that meant you were absolutely bringing this animal home forever.

you pointed accusingly. “there it is.”

“what?”

“that face.”

jack glanced up. “i don’t know what you’re talking about.”

the puppy promptly curled up against his chest and fell asleep.

you laughed. jack looked back down at the tiny sleeping beagle. then sighed. a long, defeated sigh.

“…we should probably schedule a vet appointment.”

your grin widened. “jack.”

“don’t.”

“jack.”

he rolled his eyes. “fine.”

you practically launched yourself at him.

the puppy remained asleep through the entire thing.

you glare at him from where you’re sprawled dramatically across the couch in shorts and one of his old loose fitting t-shirts. “if you say electrolytes one more time, i’m leaving you.”

“you can’t. it’s too hot outside.”

annoyingly, he’s right.

he’s spent the entire day implementing increasingly ridiculous survival strategies. curtains closed to block sunlight. damp washcloths in the freezer. homemade iced tea. strategically placing a fan in front of a bowl of ice like some kind of exhausted scientist.

and worst of all? all of it actually works.

“you’ve thought about this way too much,” you mumble as he presses a cold bottle of water against the back of your neck.

he shrugs. “heat stroke cases go up every summer.”

“romantic.”

“i contain multitudes.”

by nighttime, the temperature barely drops.

you’re both lying in bed on top of the sheets, trying not to move because movement somehow makes it worse. jack’s hair is damp from another cold shower, his t-shirt abandoned somewhere on the floor hours ago.

you hear him sigh beside you before he rolls closer automatically, half-asleep and seeking you out of habit.

the second his arm touches your waist, you immediately squirm away. “absolutely not.”

his eyes crack open. “rude.”

“you are a human furnace.”

“i’m just trying to cuddle my girlfriend.”

“you’re trying to kill me.”

he groans and flops onto his back dramatically. “this heat wave is destroying our relationship.”

“survival first.”

“wow.” jack scoffs.

you point weakly at him from across the mattress. “stay on your side before i start hissing at you.”

he snorts tiredly. “noted.”

the next afternoon, you come home expecting another miserable day of sweating through existence.

instead—

cold air hits your face the second you open the door. you stop dead in the entryway.

“…jack?” you call out.

from somewhere down the hall, he calls, “living room.”

you follow the sound and find him kneeling beside a brand-new portable ac unit, screwdriver still in hand, hair messy, looking annoyingly pleased with himself.

you stare at the machine. then at him.

“did you install air conditioning?”

“i did.”

“today?”

“i had a post-shift moment of clarity.”

you blink at him in disbelief before immediately walking straight into the stream of cold air with an emotional sigh.

jack laughs softly from behind you. “there it is.”

“i could kiss you right now.”

“could?”

you turn toward him, already crossing the room. “doctor jack abbot,” you say solemnly, grabbing his face with both hands, “you’re the love of my life.”

he grins as you kiss him, cool air humming softly around the apartment for the first time all week.

you nod too quickly. “fine.”

you’re not fine. two minutes later, you’re rushing into the bathroom, barely making it to the stall before getting sick.

your eyes sting as you lean back against the wall afterward, breathing hard. “great,” you mutter to yourself.

“rough night?”

you look up to find parker standing in the doorway, concern written all over her face.

you groan softly. “please pretend you didn’t see this.”

“absolutely not,” parker says immediately, moving to sit beside you against the wall brushing the strands of hair that fell forward out of your face and slowly rubbing circles on your back with her palm. “how long have you felt sick?”

“i don’t know. a couple days maybe.” you close your eyes at the feeling of parkers hand rubbing your back, leaning to put your head on her shoulder feeling sorry for yourself.

“fever?”

“no.”

“stomach pain?”

you shake your head.

parker studies you for a second, then narrows her eyes slightly. “when’s the last time you slept?”

you laugh weakly. “that’s not a fair question.”

“when’s your last period?”

that makes you pause. you lift your head from parker’s shoulder to look her in the eye. “no,” you reply immediately. “no way.”

“you literally just did the mental math.”

“i’m stressed, parker. i’ve just thrown up in this shitty hospital bathroom.”

“uh-huh.”

you stare at the floor. she stares at you. then, without another word, parker stands up. “don’t move.”

“parker—”

“seriously. stay there.”

you watch her disappear out the door and drop your head into your hands.

twenty minutes later, you’re sitting in a locked bathroom stall staring down at a positive pregnancy test like it personally offended you.

“oh my god,” you whisper.

outside the stall, parker lets out a very loud, “i knew it.”

you laugh before you can stop yourself, somewhere between panic and disbelief.

“you okay in there?” she asks softer this time.

you look down at the test again, heart pounding impossibly fast. “i think so?”

and somehow, that’s the truth.

—

by the end of the shift, you’re exhausted in a completely different way.

the secret feels huge sitting in your chest.

jack notices something’s off immediately as the two of you walk to the car together. “you’ve been quiet,” he says gently.

you glance over at him in the early morning light. he looks tired, messy-haired, coffee in hand—and suddenly this feels very real.

“can we sit for a second?” you ask once you get home. immediately letting out a massive sigh as you sit on the couch.

his expression shifts instantly. “yeah. of course.”

the two of you settle onto the couch, still in scrubs, knees brushing.

jack turns toward you fully now. “you’re starting to scare me a little.”

you let out a nervous breath.

“parker found me getting sick earlier.”

his brows pull together immediately. “why didn’t you tell me?”

“because i didn’t know what was wrong yet.”

“yet?” he repeats carefully.

your hands twist together in your lap before you finally look up at him.

“i’m pregnant.”

silence. complete silence.

for one terrifying second, jack just stares at you. then his face changes so fast it makes your chest ache.

“you’re serious?” he asks quietly.

you nod once. “yeah.”

his eyes immediately soften, disbelief mixing with something warmer. brighter.

“we’re having a baby?”

the way he says it—like it’s the most unbelievable thing in the world—makes tears sting behind your eyes.

you laugh shakily. “apparently.”

jack exhales a quiet laugh of his own before suddenly reaching for you, pulling you into him so fast you barely have time to react.

“hey—”

he kisses you before you can finish the sentence.

soft. breathless. smiling. when he pulls back, his forehead rests against yours.

“i’m so happy right now,” he admits quietly.

you blink at him. “you are?”

that makes him laugh again, like he can’t believe you even asked.

“are you kidding?” his hand slides gently against your cheek. “yeah, baby. i am.”

your chest feels tight in the best way.

“i thought you’d panic.”

“oh, i’m definitely panicking,” he says. “just… happily.”

you laugh through the tears threatening your eyes, and he kisses you again instantly, softer this time.

“we’re having a baby,” he says again, mostly to himself.

and the look on his face when he says it—

pure happiness.

he’s leaning against the bar when you glance over, sleeves rolled up, that familiar half-smile he gives you like you’re in on some private joke. like you’re something he can pick up and put down whenever life gets too loud.

you told yourself you were okay with that.

you told yourself a lot of things.

the opening beat drops, loud and buzzing, and suddenly you don’t have time to think anymore. the mic is in your hand, the room is watching, and your heart is doing something stupid in your chest.

you start singing.

it’s playful at first, almost teasing. you lean into the rhythm, into the absurdity of it, letting the words roll off your tongue like they don’t mean anything at all. like you’re not looking straight at him when you say them.

like you don’t feel them.

but somewhere between the chorus and the second verse, something shifts.

your voice softens just enough. not enough for anyone else to notice—but jack does. because you’re still looking at him. and suddenly it’s not a joke anymore. it’s not just a song.

it’s the way your smile falters for half a second. the way your shoulders tense before you relax them again, like you’re catching yourself wanting too much. like you’re reminding yourself of the rules you agreed to.

no strings. no expectations. no future.

jack feels it before he understands it. something tight, something uncomfortable, curling in his chest. he straightens slightly, eyes narrowing like if he looks hard enough, he can figure out what just changed.

because something did.

you finish the song to cheers and laughter, handing the mic off with a grin that’s just a little too bright. just a little too practiced.

and then you walk back to him like nothing happened. like you didn’t just say everything without actually saying it.

“your turn,” you tease, nudging his arm. “unless you’re scared.”

he huffs out a quiet laugh, but it doesn’t quite land. he’s still watching you too closely, like you’ve become a problem he can’t solve. “i don’t get scared,” he says automatically.

“sure you don’t.” you turn away, reaching for your drink, and that’s when it hits him.

the way you move on so easily. the way you don’t wait for him. the way you’ve already started pulling back, just a fraction, like you’re preparing for the moment this ends.

like you expect it to.

and he hates that.

he doesn’t know why—he’s the one who set the boundaries. he’s the one who kept things light, uncomplicated, safe. after everything with his wife, after losing her, after learning the hard way what it costs to give someone everything—

he told himself he couldn’t do that again. wouldn’t.

but watching you now, laughing with someone else, not looking at him the way you did during that song—

it feels wrong.

it feels like losing something he didn’t realize he already had.

“hey.”

his voice cuts through the noise, low and steady, and you turn back, brows lifting slightly.

“yeah?”

for a second, he hesitates. you can see it—really see it, which almost never happens. jack abbott doesn’t hesitate. he doesn’t second-guess.

except now he is.

“that song,” he starts, then stops, shaking his head like the words aren’t lining up the way he wants. “you meant that, didn’t you?”

your expression flickers. just for a moment.

then you shrug, trying to play it off. “it’s just a song, jackie.”

it’s not.

you both know it.

he exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair, gaze dropping before it comes back to you—clearer this time. more certain.

“i think i’ve been lying to myself,” he admits quietly.

that gets your attention.

you don’t joke this time. don’t deflect. you just look at him, waiting.

and for once, he doesn’t run from it.

“i told myself i couldn’t do this again,” he says, voice rougher now. “that keeping things casual was… safer. easier.” a humorless smile tugs at his lips. “turns out, it’s not. not with you.”

your heart stutters, but you don’t move. don’t speak. like if you stay still enough, you won’t scare the moment away.

he steps closer.

not much. just enough.

“i noticed tonight,” he continues, softer now. “the way you were already letting go. like you were preparing for me to never catch up.”

his eyes search yours, and there’s something vulnerable there—something real in a way that almost hurts to look at.

“i don’t want that,” he says.

you swallow. “you don’t have to want anything, jack. that was the deal.”

“yeah,” he murmurs. “maybe the deal was the problem.”

that lands somewhere deep, somewhere fragile.

you let out a small breath, shaking your head slightly. “you’re not exactly known for… commitment.”

“i know.”

no defensiveness. no deflection. just honesty.

“i’m not saying i have it all figured out,” he adds. “i don’t. but i know i don’t want to keep pretending this is nothing.”

his gaze softens, just a little.

“because it’s not nothing to me.”

the room is still loud, still crowded, still full of people who don’t notice the way everything between you just shifted.

but you feel it.

every bit of it.

“you’re serious?” you ask, quieter now.

he nods, a small, sure movement. “for once.”

you study him for a long moment, searching for the exit, the joke, the easy way out he always takes.

it’s not there.

so you take a step closer.

“okay,” you say softly.

his shoulders loosen, like he didn’t realize he’d been bracing himself.

“okay?” he echoes.

you nod, a small smile tugging at your lips—real this time. not forced. not careful.

“okay.”

his brow furrows slightly. “it reminds me what kind of person you are,” you continue. “how deeply you love. how fully you commit to the people who matter to you.”

his expression softens.

“it reminds me that loving someone doesn’t just disappear because they’re gone.” you step a little closer. “and honestly?” your thumb brushes over his knuckles. “i feel honored to have a place in your heart alongside her.”

his breath catches slightly.

“you loved her,” you say. “you built a life with her. she’s part of who you are.” your voice softens further. “why would i ever want you to erase that?”

for a moment, he just stares at you. like he’s trying to process what you’ve said.

“i don’t want to replace her, jack.”

his jaw shifts. “that was never—”

“i know,” you cut in gently. “and i’m not replacing her either.” you smile a little. “if anything, seeing your ring reminds me that you chose to love me while still carrying that love for her. that says more about your heart than anything else ever could.”

his eyes glisten slightly.

you can see it—the emotion he’s trying not to show too openly.

“you really mean that,” he says quietly.

“i do.”

his fingers tighten around yours.

“i like that she’s part of this,” you admit. “part of us.”

he lets out a slow breath, shaking his head just slightly like he can’t quite believe what he’s hearing. “you’re something else,” he murmurs.

you smile. “i’ve also been meaning to talk to you about something.”

that gets a small laugh out of him. “should i be worried?”

“probably.”

he raises an eyebrow.

“i think you should put pictures back up.”

he blinks. “pictures?”

“from your first marriage.”

his expression shifts immediately—surprised, almost hesitant.

“you don’t have to say that.”

“i’m not saying it because i think i have to.”

you move closer still, your free hand settling against his chest. “she’s part of your story. probably more than i ever will be.”

his mouth opens immediately. “don’t say that.”

“you know what i mean.” you smile softly. “she helped shape the man i fell in love with.”

that lands hard—you can see it in his face.

“pretending she didn’t exist feels wrong.” you tilt your head slightly. “i’d rather honor her with you.”

he’s completely quiet now. so you keep going.

“birthday cupcake every year.”

that one makes him blink. “what?”

you grin. “one cupcake. one candle.”

he stares.

“we celebrate her. quietly. just us.”

his eyes shine openly now, all that careful restraint slipping. “you’d do that?”

“of course.” your thumb brushes lightly along his jaw “she mattered to you. that means she matters.”

for a second, he can’t seem to speak. then his hand comes up to cradle your face, his touch careful—almost reverent.

“come here,” he murmurs. he kisses you softly.

slowly. with so much feeling behind it that your chest aches. when he pulls back, his forehead rests against yours. “you have no idea what that means to me.”

“i think i do.”

he smiles then—small, emotional, completely real. after a moment, he glances down at his hand.

“what if…” he starts.

you wait.

“what if i wore it on my right hand?”

you smile instantly. “i’d like that.”

he slips away for a moment, heading toward the bedroom. when he comes back, the ring is back where it belongs—just shifted.

right hand. still there. still part of him.

you reach for it immediately, brushing your thumb over the band before looking back up at him. “perfect.”

jack’s expression softens. then he leans down and kisses you again, smiling against your lips.

and months later, on a quiet evening, the two of you sit at the kitchen table with a single cupcake between you.

one candle flickering softly.

a framed photo nearby.

his hand finds yours as the flame dances. and somehow, it doesn’t feel like looking backward.

you and jack haven’t actually said it yet.

the word hangs between you constantly, tucked into soft touches and lingering glances and the way he always saves the last cup of coffee for you during long shifts.

but neither of you says it. maybe because saying it makes it real. maybe because it already is.

the shift from hell starts around midnight.

three traumas back-to-back. understaffed. too loud, too fast, too much blood and too many people shouting at once. by 4am, your hands are shaking from exhaustion and adrenaline.

you keep going anyway. because that’s what you do.

jack notices long before anyone else does. he catches the tremor in your hands while you’re trying to chart. the way your breathing keeps hitching. the way you stare at the screen too long without actually typing anything.

“hey,” he says quietly, stepping closer. “when’s the last time you sat down?”

you don’t even look at him. “i’m fine.”

“you’re not.”

“jack—”

“come with me.”

you finally glance up at him. “i don’t have time—”

“you do.” his voice is gentle, but firm enough that you know arguing is pointless.

you let him guide you into an empty consult room, the second the door closes the noise outside dulling just enough to make you realize how overwhelmed you actually are.

and suddenly, it all hits at once.

your chest tightens painfully. your eyes burn. you press the heels of your hands against them before the tears can fall.

“hey,” jack says immediately, softer now. closer. “look at me.”

you shake your head once. “i’m okay.”

“baby.”

that almost breaks you on its own. you let out a shaky breath, shoulders curling inward. “i can’t keep up tonight.”

“yes, you can.”

“what if i can’t?” your voice cracks despite yourself. “what if one day i mess something up because i’m too tired or too slow or—”

“you won’t.”

“you don’t know that.”

he steps closer until his hands are gently holding your face, grounding you before you can spiral any further.

“i do know that,” he says quietly. “because i know you.”

your eyes sting harder.

“you care too much to ever stop trying,” he continues. “and yeah, this job is hard. some days it’s impossible. but you are not failing.”

the tears slip free before you can stop them.

“i just feel exhausted,” you whisper.

his expression softens instantly. “i know.”

the way he says it—like he wishes he could carry some of it for you—undoes something in your chest completely.

you laugh weakly, embarrassed as you wipe at your face. “this is not attractive.”

jack actually smiles a little at that. “you kidding?” his thumb brushes beneath your eye gently to wipe the remaining tears that still fall. “still the prettiest person i’ve seen all night.”

you groan softly. “that was so bad.”

“worked, though.”

you shake your head, but you’re smiling now despite yourself.

for a second, neither of you says anything.

he’s still standing close. still holding your face carefully like you’re something important. then, very quietly, he says, “i hate seeing you this overwhelmed.”

your breath catches slightly.

“i don’t know how to do this part,” he admits softly. “the standing back and pretending i don’t…” he trails off, shaking his head once.

your heart pounds.

“pretending you don’t what?” you ask gently.

his eyes meet yours fully then.

open. terrified. honest.

“love you.”

everything goes still.

jack’s expression changes almost immediately after he says it, like he didn’t mean for the words to come out yet.

but it’s too late now. you stare at him, your heartbeat so loud you can barely hear anything else.

his hands loosen slightly against your face. “i—”

before he can panic himself into taking it back, you kiss him hard enough to stop the words entirely.

he makes a soft sound of surprise before immediately kissing you back, one hand sliding into your hair while the other settles against your waist.

and somehow the kiss feels different now. deeper. like something’s finally settled into place between you.

when you finally pull away, both of you are breathing harder. you rest your forehead against his and laugh shakily. “you really picked the middle of my emotional breakdown to say that, huh?”

jack lets out a breathless laugh. “wasn’t exactly planned.”

“good,” you whisper.

his hands tighten gently at your waist. “good?”

you smile then, small and helpless and completely in love with him. “because i love you too.”

the look on his face nearly ruins you. like relief. like wonder. like he’s been holding those words inside for so long he forgot what it would feel like to finally let them go.

he kisses you again immediately—soft this time, slower.

“say it again,” he murmurs against your lips.

you laugh quietly against his lips. “jack—”

“please.”

your chest aches in the best way.

“i love you,” you whisper.

his eyes close for just a second, forehead resting against yours.

his hand.

bare.

you blink, like maybe you imagined it. but when he reaches for a pen, it’s still there—no ring, no familiar black metal you’ve gotten so used to seeing. it was never an issue jack wearing it, you understood why he still did. but still your chest tightens, not entirely sure why.

“jack,” you say quietly.

he hums, distracted. “yeah sweetie?”

“your ring…”

that gets his attention.

he pauses, just slightly, before looking at you. really looking this time, like he knows exactly what you’re asking without you having to finish the sentence.

“oh,” he says softly.

there’s something in his expression—steady, but careful.

you don’t push right away. “did you… forget it?” you ask, even though that doesn’t sound right. he’s not the type to forget something like that.

“no,” he answers.

just that. no.

you nod slowly, but your thoughts are already running ahead of you. “okay.”

it’s quiet for a second too long.

“you’re wondering why,” he adds.

you let out a small breath, offering a half-shrug. “i mean… yeah. a little.”

he studies you for a moment, like he’s deciding how to say it. then, without a word, he gently takes your hand.“come on,” he murmurs.

he leads you down the hallway, away from the noise and movement, into an empty consult room. the door clicks shut behind you, and suddenly everything feels a little more still. more private.

more real.

you turn to face him. “you didn’t have to—”

“i wanted to,” he says, cutting you off gently.

you search his face. “jack…”

he exhales, running a hand through his hair before letting it fall again—bare, unguarded. “i’ve been thinking about it for a while,” he admits. “long before you asked anything.”

“i didn’t ask,” you say quietly.

“i know.” his gaze softens. “that’s kind of the point.”

there’s no pressure in your expression, no expectation—just concern. and somehow, that made it harder to ignore.

“i kept it on because… it felt like the right thing to do,” he continues. “respect. habit. maybe a little bit of not knowing how to let go.”

your chest aches a little at that.

“but that’s not where i am anymore,” he says, voice steady now. “not really.”

you swallow. “and taking it off… that means you are?”

“it means i’m ready to be honest about where i am,” he says. “with myself. with you.”

your eyes flick back to his hand again, then up to his face. “because of me?”

“not just because of you,” he corrects gently. “but you’re a big part of it.”

something warm and fragile settles in your chest.

“i didn’t want you to feel like you were… second to something i’m still holding onto,” he adds. “because you’re not.”

your breath catches slightly.

“you deserve more than that,” he says, quieter now.

for a moment, you don’t know what to say. so you step closer instead.

“you didn’t have to prove anything to me,” you tell him softly. “i never thought i was—”

“i know,” he says again. “but i needed to prove it to myself.”

that lands differently.

more certain. more grounded. your fingers brush against his, lingering where the ring used to sit. it feels strange, but not wrong.

just… new.

“are you sure?” you ask, voice barely above a whisper. “about this? about… us?”

his answer isn’t immediate—but it’s not hesitant either.

it’s deliberate.

“yes.”

the way he says it makes your chest tighten in the best way. “i wouldn’t be doing this if i wasn’t,” he adds, lifting his hand slightly, like it speaks for itself.

you smile a little, something soft and almost shy. “okay.”

“okay?” he echoes, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

“yeah,” you murmur. “okay.”

there’s a pause—one of those quiet, heavy moments where everything feels like it’s shifting into place.

and then his hand comes up to your face, fingers gentle against your cheek.

“come here,” he murmurs.

you don’t hesitate.

the kiss is soft at first—careful, like he’s still giving you time to pull away if you want to.

you don’t.

instead, you lean into it, your hand sliding up to rest against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm beneath your palm. he deepens the kiss just slightly, still slow, still warm—like he’s memorizing it.

like he’s choosing this.

choosing you.

when you finally pull back, your forehead rests against his, both of you a little breathless.

“that was…” you start.

“yeah,” he says softly.

you smile, eyes still closed for a second. “you’re really doing this.”

“i am.”

your fingers lace with his again, more certain this time.

“no going back?” you tease lightly.

he huffs a quiet laugh, brushing his thumb over your hand. “no going back.”

and the way he looks at you—steady, open, completely there—makes you believe him.

for the first time, it doesn’t feel complicated.

“hey—have you eaten, had a break yet?” he asks, brows pulling together.

you shake your head, already stepping back. "i’m fine. i’ll grab something later.”

“you said that three hours ago.”

“i know,” you say, a little sharper than you mean to. “i’m working.”

“so am i.”

the words land wrong.

you frown, tired and already stretched thin. “okay… and?”

“and you still need to take care of yourself,” he says, quieter now but firmer. “you can’t just run yourself into the ground every shift.”

you let out a short breath, frustration bubbling up faster than it should. “i don’t have time for this right now, jack.”

“i’m not trying to argue—”

“it kind of feels like you are.”

there’s a pause. not long. just enough for something to shift between you.

“i’m trying to make sure you’re okay,” he says.

“i am okay.”

“you’re not,” he replies, and it’s the certainty in his voice that does it. something in your chest tightens. “you don’t get to decide that.”

“i’m not deciding, i’m—”

“you’re assuming,” you cut in. “like you always do when it comes to me.”

his expression hardens slightly. “because every time i ask, you brush it off.”

“because i don’t need to be managed.”

“i’m not managing you,” he says, frustration slipping through now. “i’m worried about you.”

“i didn’t ask you to be.”

the second the words leave your mouth, you feel it.

that line you shouldn’t have crossed.

jack stills.

for a moment, he just looks at you—really looks at you—and whatever he was about to say disappears. the frustration doesn’t vanish, but it pulls inward, sharper, quieter. “right,” he says finally.

you hate how calm he sounds. “that’s not what i meant,” you try, but it comes out weaker than you want.

he nods once, already stepping back. “you’ve made it pretty clear what you meant.”

“jack—”

“you’re busy,” he interrupts, not unkindly, but distant in a way that makes your chest ache. “we’ll talk later.”

and then he’s gone. just like that.

the rest of your shift drags. everything feels off—too loud, too heavy, too wrong. you keep replaying it in your head, every word, every look.

you didn’t mean it like that. but you said it anyway.

by the time your shift ends, exhaustion has settled deep in your bones—but it’s nothing compared to the knot in your chest.

you find him in an empty consult room, exactly where you thought he’d be.

he looks up when you walk in, expression guarded. for a second, neither of you speaks.

“i’m sorry,” you say first. it comes out soft. honest.

his jaw tightens slightly. “you don’t have to—”

“yes, i do,” you cut in, stepping closer. “i didn’t mean it like that. i was stressed and tired and—”

“and you said what you felt,” he says.

“that’s not fair,” you reply, shaking your head. “you know that’s not what i meant.”

“then what did you mean?” he asks, not raising his voice—but there’s something there now. something real.

you hesitate. just for a second. “i meant…” you exhale, trying to find the right words. “i meant i don’t want to feel like i’m being watched all the time. like if i’m not okay for five seconds, it becomes this whole thing.”

his expression shifts—hurt, more than anger. “caring about you is ‘a whole thing’?”

“no,” you say quickly. “that’s not—jack, that’s not what i’m saying.”

"it’s what it sounds like.”

silence falls again, heavier this time. you take another step closer, your voice softer now. “i like that you care. i do. i just… i need you to trust me to handle myself too.”

he studies you for a long moment. “i do trust you,” he says. “i just don’t trust you to slow down when you need to.”

you almost laugh, but there’s no humour in it. “that’s kind of the problem.”

another pause.

then, quieter, he adds, “and i don’t know where i fit in when you push me away like that.”

that hits harder than anything else.

you swallow. “you don’t… not fit. i just—” you falter, then try again. “i’m not used to having someone there like that. it’s new. and sometimes i don’t know how to… let you.”

the tension in his shoulders eases, just slightly.

“the don’t shut me out,” he says. “talk to me.”

“i'm trying,” you admit.

“i know,” he replies.

the silence that follows isn’t as sharp anymore. still fragile—but softer. you reach for his hand, hesitating just a fraction before your fingers curl around his.

this time, he doesn’t pull away.

“i didn’t mean to hurt you,” you say.

“i know,” he answers.

a beat.

“but you did.”

you nod, because you deserve that. “i’ll do better,” you say quietly.

his thumb brushes against your hand, absent and grounding. “we both will.”

it’s not perfect. it's not magically fixed.

but as he steps a little closer—close enough that the distance doesn’t feel so wide anymore—you realize something steady beneath all of it.

you're still here. both of you are.

and that’s exactly why this—whatever this is—has to stay between you.

you’ve built your life in these halls. day shift nurse, always moving, always checking in twice. dana keeps you grounded, having grown along side her with your uncle robby who watches out for you like he always has. you love him for it.

which is why he absolutely cannot find out about you and jack.

not yet.

so you keep it small. quick smiles. passing touches that could mean nothing to anyone else. conversations that end just a little too soon.

you’re careful.

mostly.

it’s late in your shift when it happens—a rare lull, a quiet stretch of hallway with no one around. you lean back against the wall, letting out a slow breath.

“you should take a break,” jack says as he steps closer. you glance at him, a hint of a smile forming. “you sound like dana.”

“dana’s right.” jack wraps his arms around your waist, bringing you closer to him.

“heh, don’t tell her that,” you mutter, but you don’t move away. his expression softens in a way no one else ever really sees. “your secret’s safe with me.”

“that’s what i’m worried about,” you say, lighter than you feel.

the moment stretches—warm, fragile, a little dangerous. you know better than to do this at work, anyone could pop their head down the hall but you dont step away.

neither does he.

the kiss is quick, soft. you both let out a little sigh when you kiss as a way to say this kiss is everything.

“are you kidding me?”

your heart drops.

you pull apart instantly, turning toward the voice you’d hoped not to hear.

robby.

he stands at the end of the hall, staring at the two of you like the world just shifted in a way he does not approve of. “robby—” you start.

“no. no, absolutely not.” he runs a hand through his hair, already pacing. “jack? jack? this is what’s been going on?”

you wince. there goes the secret. “i was going to tell you,” jack says, steady as ever.

“when?” robby fires back. “after the wedding?” jack rolls his eyes at that one.

“uncle robby—”

he points at you, firm but not harsh. “you. stay right there. i'm not done being mad.” you cross your arms, trying very hard not to smile, because somehow this is exactly how you imagined this going.

he turns back to jack, lowering his voice but not his intensity. “i trust you with my patients. that does not automatically mean i trust you with her.”

“i understand,” jack replies.

“do you?” robby steps closer. “because if anything—anything—happens that hurts her—”

“it won’t.” jack says quietly, but there’s no hesitation in it.

you feel that more than you expect.

robby looks between you—really looks this time—and something shifts. The frustration doesn’t disappear, but it softens just enough. “i don’t like this,” he admits.

“i figured,” jack says.

robby exhales, long and reluctant. “but… i’ll try to live with it.” you can’t help it—you smile. “that’s basically your version of approval.”

“don't push it,” he mutters, though there’s less bite to it now.

then he fixes jack with one last look. “you hurt her, you answer to me. not as a colleague.” a beat. “as family.”

jack nods. “understood.”

robby lingers a second longer, shaking his head before walking off, muttering under his breath. you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. “well… that could’ve been worse.”

jack glances at you, a quiet huff of laughter escaping. “could it?”

you bump his arm lightly. “hey. you survived the over protective uncle talk.”

jack scoffs “barely. i thought he was going to take my other leg.”

your hand brushes his again—this time you don’t pull away so fast.

the secret’s out now.

cameron shows a small half hearted smile at the compliment given by foreman. "white blood cells attacked what it thought was an alien invader. you then had an anaphylactic reaction."

"we'll keep monitoring your blood for a few days." aurora finishes for cameron. adler nods. she understands this isn't what's killing her, but she trusts her doctors to find out whatever is.

aurora and her co-workers leave adler to rest. outside the room house is there. he looks over at his team. "told you. you cant trust people." he shrugs.

aurora rolls her eyes at him. "oh yeah, she probably knew she was allergic to gadolinium but figured this was an easy way to get someone to cut a hold in her throat."

"her motives aren't really relevant to us mortals, are they?" house fires back. "any chance we can make this work with some other contrast material?"

"high likelihood of allergies to similar materials." chase speaks up. "and low likelihood of getting another released signed."

house pulls a face and then turns to foreman, the only one who has been quiet throughout the whole thing. "can't get a picture; we're going to have a thousands words."

foreman pulls a face back. "you want me to take patient history? what happened to everybody lied?" he says in a mocking tone back to house. house and his famous 'everybody lies.' hitting him back in the face.

"truth begins in lies. think about it." house then turns to aurora. "note that down, quite an excellent quote for my auto biography."

aurora looks stunned at the comment but before she can reply, house walks away. "house? house!" she calls out before walking to catch up with him.

foreman, chase and cameron watch them go. all looking at each other thinking the same thing. how did house survive without dr aurora callie trailing after him.  

aurora found herself sat in house's office, finally finishing up her emails before cameron could get at them again. after loosing house to the elevator she decided there was no point in trying to catch up, her heels could only get her so far. turning off the computer, aurora groaned. the screen getting too much to bear giving her a slight headache. well maybe it was the screen or the fact a woman is dying and she has no idea how to help her yet. putting her head on the desk and shutting her eyes aurora felt peace for the first time today.

"well either you're sleeping on the job or you've died. i hope it's the latter" a voice calls out.

aurora didn't lift her head. she knew who it was. "if i die here, just drag my body out onto the curb, house couldn't stand it if he found i died in his office chair."

wilson laughs. "yes well, it's also a lot of paper work if you die whilst on the job. i mean we'd all have to go through police interrogations just to make sure it wasn't a murder."

aurora finally lifts her head from the desk to look at james. she narrows her eyes. "please, if someone murdered me i'd end up haunting them. plus it would probably be house who kills me. but then again if he killed me, i'd like to think he would hide it well." 

"as much as i love talking about house murdering you." james goes to sit down on the other side of the desk. "brought you coffee. thought you could use it." and hands the cup to rory.

"hm, maybe i was wrong." she perks up and takes the coffee.

"about what?" james asks leaning back in the chair.

"it's you who will kill me due to all the caffeine you feed me." she smirks and takes a sip of her coffee. 2 sugars with milk. just how she likes it, of course james knows this. she hums joyfully. "thank you."

james smiled at her, taking a small sip of his coffee too. they both enjoyed these moments, the quiet. no doctors, no patients, no house. just them. wilson and callie. james and aurora.

james stirred in his seat. "rory" he stared. she looked at him in the eyes. he looked back, gemstone green meeting deep brown. "before you said, about house and cuddy arguing is like being back home. you don't have to tell me but just know if you do. im here."

rory took a big breath, not knowing how to reply. her parents always had a difficult relationship, fighting back and forth but then suddenly one day loving each other and then back to fighting. it confused aurora growing up, this was something she thought was normal between parents. it was only later in life she realised it wasn't. "i know, thank you." she replies.

it wasn't the time to trauma dump on james. it's not even like she had a bad childhood. just maybe not as happy as others. she could only imagine what house was like as a child. aurora started to let out small laughs at the thought of child house.

"what is it?" james asked, smiling now because rory was practically laughing the room down.

she takes a deep breathe. "sorry. sorry. i was just imaging house, as a child." she burst out. "tall, doctor gregory house, my boss with the cane, as a child. i wonder how his childhood was." she laughs more as she spits her words out each time she takes a breath.

james rolls his eyes at her chuckles and soon starts to laugh with her. "yes well. i can imagine that sight to be terrifying."

"that's definitely one word for it." rory finally takes a deep breath, her laughing subsiding. she looks at wilson. "thank you. for just being here, i appreciate it."

wilson smiles back. "who else would i laugh about house's childhood with."

aurora is already in examination room one, waiting for house. the patient, ROB PRITCHARD, sits on the examination table. usually dr callie does her clinic time solo. but mr pritchard was something house had to see. it wasn't anything bad, it's the fact mr pritchard is well. orange.

"how much longer love?" mr pritchard asks aurora.

aurora looks up from the file containing mr pritchard's information on why he came to the clinic today. she forces a small smile. "not long sir, my boss will be here any minute."

just as she spoke those words, house barged in the room, door swinging open. he hadn't even seen the patient yet. turning his back on everyone to shut the door behind him. "this better be worth it dr callie- " he turns to face aurora and mr pritchard. he then limps over next to aurora, they both stand in front of mr pritchard.

"i was golfing. my cleats got stuck. it hurt a little but i kept playing. the next morning, i could barley stand up."

house looked at him and then to aurora. this guy is orange and he is complaining about his back? the pair couldn't believe it.  "can you see why i called for you dr house?" aurora spoke.

house doesn't even try to hold back his smile. "smart move dr callie. smart, incredible move. i thank you."

the pair end up giving him one of house's pain killers for his back, whilst house tells mr pritchard that he is a moron because of how orange he looks and also his wife is cheating on him. aurora tells mr pritchard to come back if his back keeps hurting and she'll prescribe him more pain medication. as aurora shuts the door to exam room one, she exhales and turns to house.

"sorry for bothering you, but i saw him and just thought to myself. house has to see this." she smiles at him, suppressing a laugh.

house smiles back at her. "oh im so proud you did dr callie. so very proud." he pats her shoulder in a gentle way before walking off to find wilson, most likely to tell him all about the situation they just endured.

the interview with adler went well according to foreman. it was then house decided to give adler steroids, high doses of prednisone to support house's theory of vasculitis. both cameron and aurora argued against this theory, vasculitis is inflammation of the blood causing them to swell and become narrow. but the girls listened and went to give adler the treatment. adler was not happy with this treatment but what did make her perk up was the lie cameron gave her when she told alder she doesn't have a tumour. 

wilson sits opposite adler, the steroids have seem to work wonders on her. aurora is close by, updating her chart as wilson speaks to her. 

"am i ever going to meet dr house?" she asks the pair. 

aurora puts the chart back in it's place and lets out a small laugh as she looks at adler. "maybe one day. you'll most likely run in to him on the subway."

"or at the movies." wilson adds on.

"is he a good man?" adler asks, it's a question that she deserves to know the answer too. house is the one calling the shots on her treatment. 

 wilson takes a moment to answer. ".. he's a good doctor." 

adler scoffs. "can you be one without the other? don't you have to care about people?" 

"caring is a good motivator. he's found something else." wilson replies. 

adler nods her head, accepting wilson's words. "he's your friend, huh? does he care about you? and what about you dr callie. does he appreciate you?" she looks over at aurora. aurora gets stunned at the question. could she count house as a friend? she definitely liked him and loves working with him. but she didn't share the closeness with house as much as she did cameron or wilson. but if house was in trouble, she would be there. 

"i think so.." wilson replies for the pair of them. 

"so you don't know?" 

"everybody lies." dr callie finally speaks up. 

"it's not what people say; it's what they do." adler argues back. 

wilson tilts his head to the side as in lost in thought. "yeah." he starts. "he cares about me. he cares for dr callie too, despite what he may tell everyone." wilson smiles at aurora sweetly. she sends one back his way.

the room is silent, something in the air shifts. adler's face drops. ".. i can't see."

aurora eyes widen. she rushes from the foot of the bed where she has been standing and goes to check adler's eyes. but as quick as a whippet, adler starts to have a seizure. 

 wilson calls out a code and team of medical professionals hurry toward adler's room to assist wilson and aurora. an orderly is already there attempting to hold adler down as she has convulsions. aurora examines her eyes "she's non-responsive. she's conscious but eyes are fixed and-- " she gets cut off. 

the buzz of a patient flat-lining fills the room. 

ADLER'S APARTMENT. 

aurora wasn't quite sure how she ended up at adler's apartment with foreman. in his words. "when you break into someone's house, it's always better to have a white chick with you." 

and that statement was something aurora had no words for before he took her by the hand and dragged her along with him. 

aurora snaps her pink gloves onto her hands, if foreman wants her to rummage through alder's trash she'll be doing it in pink and protected. "nothing interesting in the garbage. you know, house just doesn't believe in pretence; figures life's too short and too painful, so he says what he thinks. my grandfather did the same thing before he died." 

foreman yells out from the bathroom. ""i say what i think." is just another way of saying "i'm a asshole." no offense to your grandad." 

"oh none taken, he was a bit off an ass." aurora pulls her hair up into a ponytail before sticking her head into the ceiling crawl space, a small meter in hand. "if you want to be judges for your medical prowess only, maybe you shouldn't of broken into someone's home. no asbestos, trace amounts of lead in the paint." 

"i was sixteen years old. plumbing leaks, but no evidence of faecal matter backing up from any other units." foreman calls out. 

aurora reaches adler's closet and opens it, she notices a dog bed and examines it closely. "i've never even met anyone with a criminal record before, i'm not judging don't worry. dog's got fleas though. that i am judging." she quickly shuts the closet door and shivers. 

"you don't have a criminal record? that somehow does not shock me. pretty smart doctor barbie hasn't done a day of bad in her life." foreman open's adler's fridge. he inspects the fridge before puling out some food. ham specifically. aurora walks in too. 

"i never said that. maybe i was just so good, i didn't get caught." she smirks over at foreman before pulling up a chair at adler's small table, letting out a sigh as she sits down. "all this breaking and entering is tiring work but even i wouldn't eat her food. what is you got there?" 

foreman looks at the food. "ham."

aurora tenses. shit. ham. wilson doesn't eat ham. he is jewish. adler's james 'cousin' she shouldn't eat ham too. maybe foreman won't notice. 

foreman takes a bite of the ham. "huh." 

double shit, aurora thought. 

"i thought you and wilson said adler was his cousin? what would she be doing with ham in her fridge?" he asks. looking at rory in the eyes. 

rory looks away. "oh! well!" she starts. 

"they're aren't cousins are they?" foreman blanks out.

"no. they're not." she admits. "im sorry! in all honesty, i kinda forgot me and james even told house that!" 

foreman rolls his eyes and shoves the last bit of ham into his mouth before standing up, giving his hand to rory to help her out of the chair too. she takes it shyly, embarrassed she has been caught in her lie. "common trouble maker, we better go tell the boss this." 

foreman is the one to report to house and wilson, aurora too ashamed in her lie sits quietly and watches them argue it out. 

"she's getting worse fast; vision comes and goes; losing muscle control. i'm convinces it's infectious." foreman argues. 

wilson grows desperate asking his questions. "no chemicals, no medication?" 

"nothing that would explain these symptoms." aurora perks up from her chair. 

house turns to foreman. "you said "nothing that would explain these symptoms." what did you find that doesn't explain these symptoms." 

foreman stutters and lets out a sigh before he turns to rory. he has an apological look on his face. "sorry rory" he turns back to house and wilson. "adler's not dr wilson's cousin. rory and wilson convinced you to treat this patient under false pretences." 

wilson stutters and puts on a shocked face. house closes his eyes, as to get away from this shit show he calls his career. "that's ridiculous, you can ask  her yourself." wilson manages to spit out. 

foreman gives an odd look. "she's not jewish! i had ham in her home!" 

wilson leans back and laugh's looking at aurora. she's looking back. just give it up, she silently begs. she can't take this anymore. "dr.foreman, are you aware of the intermarriage rates in this country? a lot of Jews have non-jewish relatives. And pretty much all Jews are bad Jews - we eat traife-" 

"rory told me the whole thing." foreman stops wilson before he can insult his intelligence one more time. aurora finally stands up to go next to foreman. 

"i'm sorry wilson, he started to eat the ham and i panicked! i remember you don't eat ham and i just thought-"

"you idiot!!" house argues in. aurora looks at the floor. 

"im sorry house but i knew you wouldn't of taken this case if-" 

"not you!" he shrugs aurora off and points at foreman. "you! you said you didn't find anything! you found ham!!" 

wilson, rory and foreman give house a look. "where there's ham, there's pork. where there's pork,  there's neurocysticercosis." 

aurora gets it first. "tapeworm? you think she's got a worm in her brain?" 

house shrugs. "it fits. could have been living there for years! it didn't occur to me because i was under the impression she was jewish." he gives a look to wilson and aurora. "what happens when you give steroids to a person suffering from tapeworms?"

foreman figures it out first this time. "they get a little better. and then they get a lot worse. just like adler did." 

"there's a worm in my brain?" adler asks, confused on how this has happened to her. 

the team show her the x-rays they took of her brain. "probably been there six to ten years." chase replies to her. "it's good news."

"what do we do now?" adler asks again. 

"now we get you better." aurora speaks up, handing adler two pills. she takes the pills from aurora and looks at them. two simple are going to make her better, after all this time? just two small pills. "this is albendazole. possible side effects include abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, dizziness and fever. we'll probably keep you on the pills even if you get every one of those." aurora hands adler a small cup of water too to help digest the pills. adler smiles as she accepts the water and pills and gulps them down. 

the day goes on well, adler is now recovering from her tape worm which lodged itself in her brain and hid there for years and then ended up planting larva in her thigh. aurora finds herself in house's office, finishing up her emails. house enters and see's her sat in his chair. aurora goes to move but house stops her and wait's for the girl to finish.

"why did you hire me?" aurora asks. it's a question she never really thought about after today. but after adler questioned aurora and wilson if house actually cares about them. she has been itching to know. 

house takes a moment to answer back. "does it matter?" he replies. 

"well it matters to me." she talks back.

"why?" he questions. 

aurora get's stunned at his 'why?'. "is that rhetorical?"

"no. it just seems that way because you can't think of an answer. does it make a difference what i think? i know i'm a jerk - only thing that should matter is what you think - can you do the job?" 

aurora scoffs. "that's- that's crap! you hired foreman because he is black and had a criminal record!" 

house scoffs back to the girl. "it wasn't a racial thing. i didn't see a black guy; i just saw a doctor.. with a criminal record. i hired chase because his dad made a phone call, i hired cameron because i thought she was pretty. and you.." he stops himself looking at aurora. 

"because..?" aurora ask's softly. 

"because. you were a very good applicant and i needed help with the emails. plus with the way wilson kept making googly eyes at you during the interview i thought i'd at least help him out by hiring you. you do know he is married though right." 

aurora's eyes widen at the information. "yes! believe me i know he is married, but wilson has nothing to do with this. i may just be the doctor secretary with a slight obsession with pink but i went through medical school too you know! and i am so much more than the girl who answer's your emails. i'd follow you anywhere! you're my mentor. i care for you."

house stops, caught off guard by her words. house doesn't care for other's. he only care's about himself because deep down, house knows he can only trust himself and he wasn't about to let this small blonde doctor change his beliefs. "well then, you're even more stupid then i thought." 

aurora doesn't respond. instead she grabs her jacket off from the office chair and goes to walk away. if house isn't going to be nice to her, then she go find someone who is. she stops half-way, standing next to house and looking up at him. bright blue eyes meeting green. "maybe i am. but at least i know if i am ever in trouble, i have people i can call to help. and god forbid something happened to you, i'd hope you call me and i'd be there for you." 

and with that, aurora left the office. leaving house alone to think about her words. 

not too close to cause suspicion from co workers. he was married of course, this information aurora had to keep reminding herself of, but they definitely enjoyed each other's company. for coffee on the nights house would work late, quick lunch breaks before house needed aurora back.

aurora had thought maybe house knew how she felt because when ever she had a moment of time alone with wilson, her pager would beep a message from house stating that he needed her.

however, she would argue that whenever aurora isn't around house. he struggles. just like wilson said he would do. she tried not too think about it too much, now being a full time diagnostician (and still helping house with his emails and calls) she didn't have enough time to worry about her school girl crush on wilson.

november hadn't always been aurora's favourite time of the month. the colder weather setting in, more people only coming into the clinic because they had a snotty nose and sore throat. the build up to christmas giving aurora anxiety as she begins to think about what to gift everyone.

still, she walked into the hospital with a smile on her face. opting for more casual wear today, aurora wore her light pink striped shirt and long white trousers with some small white kitten heels topped along with her lap coat. her hair was down, but she carried a scrunchie on her wrist just in case she had to tie it up quick.

"morning doctor callie." the nurse at the front desk spoke to her. "i heard doctor wilson was looking for you, he should be in his office"

aurora finished clocking in on the paper held at the desk and looked up at the nurse. "thanks for letting me know."  and walked off to find wilson.

aurora knew the walk to wilsons office like the back of her hand. the pair end up having much needed coffee breaks together as well as staying late some nights to help each other with patient cases.

aurora reached the door.

JAMES WILSON, MD DEPARTMENT OF ONCOLOGY

giving a gentle knock on the door, aurora walked in.

"i heard you needed me." she spoke

wilson looked up from his desk, his mood changing ever so slightly now that she was here. he gestured her to sit opposite him, which she did.

"yes that's the morning gossip apparently, i got your coffee by the way." wilson told her, handing her coffee.

aurora took the coffee and took a small sip, the coffee was lukewarm not knowing how long it had been ready for her but she smiled politely anyway. "thanks, so. what is it you need? house will start chanting my name three times if i don't go see him this morning."

wilson laughed "i won't keep you long, i had a patient come this morning. collapsed at work, starting having a seizure. no previous history of seizures. she is only twenty nine and has lost the ability to speak. i need house and you on this." he handed aurora the case file.

aurora took the file and started to flip through it.

RACHEL ADLER, FEMALE, 29.

OCCUPTION: KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

aurora hummed as she flipped through adler's file. "i wont lie james, i dont think house will be interested in this. dysphasia? most likely she had a stroke or some sort of head trauma. it happens."

"its more than that, you must see it rory." he spoke with urgency. wilson always needed to be able to help.

aurora looked at him, file in one hand, coffee in the other. she always loves it when james calls her rory. it was a nickname held for special people in auroras life. and james definitely was special.

"well" she sipped her coffee. "you'll have to convince him."

wilson let out a short sigh. "how do you suppose we convince the almighty doctor god himself."

aurora took a minute before finishing her coffee with one big gulp.

"tell him she is your cousin."

the clinic was always busy, lots of sick people, lots of visitors, nurses and orderlies and always lots of doctors and medical students. aurora and james rush through the crowd hoping to catch house before he runs off to hide from his duties and more importantly. hide from cuddy.

they finally spot him, house had just finished clocking in with the nurse at the front desk. aurora, a bit faster than james being able to squeeze through the crowd because of her small frame, reaches him first.

"morning house!" aurora smiles brightly, whilst taking a deep breath. that fast pace walking caused her to loose her breath just a bit.

house eyes her up, one eyebrow raised. he looks at her then around at the clinic. "they all assume im a patient because of this cane"

aurora goes to deny his claims before being interrupted. "then put on a white coat like the rest of us doctors have" wilson speaks, having finally caught up. he looks at rory. "you're faster than you look you know"

house rolls his eyes. "i dont want them to think im a doctor"

its auroras time to roll her eyes. "you see where the administration might have a problem with that?"

"someone's feisty today" house whispers to wilson, but looking straight at rory. rory smiles a fake smile towards him. "people dont want a sick doctor"

"which is fair. i don't like healthy patients. speaking of, patient for you and the team, rory's already informed. twenty nine female, she's my cousin-"

"and your cousin doesn't like the diagnosis; i wouldn't like it either. brain tumour, she's going to die. boring."

"no wonder you're such a renowned diagnostician." wilson started. "you don't even need to actually know anything to figure out what's wrong."

house looked unimpressed. "you're the oncologist. i'm just the lowly infectious diseases guy."

"brain tumours at her age are highly unlikely." aurora spoke, who grew tired of this boring bickering. it wasn't helping anyone's egos when the older pair bickered. they both were right, in their own ways of course.

"she's 29! whatever she's got is highly unlikely."

wilson takes the case file from rory's hands and gives it to house. "the protein markers for the three most common brain cancers didn't show up in her blood tests."

house didn't even look at the document before speaking back. "that's an HMO lab. they might as well have sent it to a high school kid with a chemistry set."

"there's no family history"

aurora winces at this, wilson obviously forget the pair had agreed ot make house believe that rachel alder was his cousin, other wise house would no way take this case. in his words, it'd be too boring.

house notices this comment and auroras face, "i thought your uncle died of cancer?"

"other side, no environmental factors." wilson quickly backfired.

smooth one, aurora thought. "she's not responding to radiation treatment." she told house.

"none of which is even close to dispositive. all it does is raise one question." house leans into wilson. "your cousin goes to an HMO?"

"come on." wilson looked house in the eyes. "why leave all the fun for the pathologist?" "your staff is getting bored."

house walks away from the pair, heading towards the elevator. rory looks up at james. "im starting to think this isn't worth the hassle when he finds out she isn't actually your cousin."

james shrugs his shoulders. "it'll be fine." and rushes off to catch up with house to the elevator.

rory sighs "that's what everyone says." walking towards the elevator to catch up to the old pair of friends.

the rest of the team already sit in house's office. robert chase sitting on the couch finishing his crossword puzzle, eric foreman leaning against the door frame watching allison cameron who sits at house's desk sorting through house's mail.

"you know cameron. if rory see's you sorting that mail out, she'll throw a tantrum" eric calls out to allison.

"yeah yeah, but then she'll be even more pissed that you borrowed one of gel pens and then forgot to put the lid back on top and it dried up." cameron bites back.

foreman holds his hands up in defensive. chase laughs at the interaction.

"three days." he starts. "i haven't seen an actual patient. this all we do now?"

chase looks up from his crossword. "until the checks start bouncing."

foreman frowns. "so glad i passed up that neurology job at sloan. so glad i was able to parlay a chief residency position into this-"

"so glad you filled us in on your vaunted past" chase interrupts.

the boys bicker back and forth stating how they gave up so many opportunities to work here and with house, only to be bored on a daily basis with no new cases. because the man they work for, only chooses case's which interest him.

cameron, who is still sitting at house's desk starts to reply back to one of his emails on the computer.

"what are you doing?" chase starts. "house already has rory to do that for him."

cameron looks up at chase. "if you start too i'll tell rory that you blew her off that one time so you and foreman could go watch SAW."

"hey hey hey!" foreman starts. "we would of offered her to come, but you know." he looks at chase. "i have no response" he admits.

cameron smiles at the boys. "that's what i thought."

back in the elevator, rory is in the middle of the two men. praying that no one needs to use the elevator at this point in time because if they did they'd be shocked to see the poor girl with slightly flushed cheeks from standing a bit too close to wilson.

"you think this will be as interesting as cat man?" house speaks up.

aurora gives a small laugh. "that definitely was interesting. you diagnosed a cat allergy over the phone!"

the elevator doors open, house gets ready to move on out most likely heading to his office. in a quick second wilson grabs house's cane. stopping him in the doors. aurora gasps at the sudden action.

"hm." house starts. "would you grab somebody's leg?" he asks, head tilting in a sarcastic way.

"this is important to me." wilson says.

house scoffs. "everything is important to you. let go of my cane."

the elevator starts to beep, a warning to indicate something is blocking the doors from closing. that something being house.

"we're not done." wilson says.

with a deep sigh from house, he looks over at rory. rory looks at him and gives him a small shrug and smile. "it couldn't hurt us to look house."

house looks back at wilson. "... intraventricular lesion right?"

wilson lets go of the cane and hands rachel alders file over to house. rory now not trapped between the cane and house, slips out the elevator waiting for house to follow.

"right.. wait i never said it was intraventricular."

house steps out the elevator, the beeping finally stops.

"if it was anywhere else, you'd biopsy and you wouldn't need me to figure out what it is."

aurora sends a small wave and smile to wilson before the doors shut on him.

"that went well!" rory spoke. turning to smile at house, only to see had already began to walk off without her.

"keep up dr callie! places to be." he shouted back at her. rory did a small jog to keep up, following house into his office.

house and rory walk into the office where the rest of the team already are. rory goes to straight to the desk to catch up on some emails whilst house informs the team about the new case. as aurora sits down she instantly notices something is wrong. the mail is already open and filed, logging into the emails they are already answered. she looks up from the computer trying to find the culprit, but she is already looking straight at her.

"allison! you know how i feel when you do this!" rory whines. "i have a whole system."

"i know i know rory, its okay! i was honestly just so bored waiting for you and house i thought id do some simple admin." cameron replies.

aurora sighs. "i guess we did take some time to get here this morning. its fine, but please don't do it again. i know what im doing here."

cameron smiles at her . "you got it."

rory narrows her eyes at her. "you're gonna do it again aren't you?"

cameron smiles cheekily before walking away over to the rest of the group.

everyone is looking at the lit up film from an MRI. chase is going over rachel alders file making sure he has all the information needed.

"and the big green thing in the middle of the bigger blue thing on the map is an island! i was looking for a something a bit more creative" house speaks, looking at the MRI.

foreman raises his eyebrows, also looking at the MRI. "shouldn't we be speaking to the patient before we make a diagnosis?" he asks.

"is she a doctor?" house asks.

"well, no but she may-"

"everybody lies."

cameron joins in the conversation. "dr house doesn't like dealing with patients."

foreman scoffs. "isn't treating patients why we became doctors?"

house scoffs back, sarcastically. "no. treating illnesses is why we became doctors. treating patients is actually what make most doctors miserable."

aurora brings in the whiteboard and markers for house. she hands him a pink whiteboard marker and eraser. he takes one look at the pink pen and looks at aurora.

"what? its the only colour i have." she shrugs and takes her place at the table.

soon enough smart exchanges of ideas start to burst through the team. soon it's agreed to give rachel adler a contrast MRI and double check all her blood work and sample tests. the team disperse each having their own jobs to get done.

waiting outside cuddys office aurora could hear the yelling from both house and cuddy. of course house was pissed cuddy pulled the authorisation to get the MRI done for adler. sometimes aurora thinks they'd both get along better if they just stopped and listen to reason. but, this was house and cuddy. both great doctors, just different views on what 'great doctor' means.

wilson spots aurora fist. walking over to her coffee in hand ready to give her. rory smiles when she see's this.

"thought you could use this." james says, handing her the coffee.

aurora takes a sip and smiles. "all that yelling, might as well be back home with my parents."

james gives rory a sheepish look. before looking at the doors to cuddy's office. he can see house and cuddy having their argument, hands flying, each trying to get their point across. "well. hopefully the coffee helps."

"it always helps. thank you james."

james smiled softly at the young doctor. soon enough the rest of the group find wilson and rory, standing with them waiting for house to come out cuddy's office.

eventually house emerges back to the group waiting for him. his face showed anger obviously still annoyed at cuddy's actions. he turns to chase. "go do the MRI" before limping away. aurora and wilson knowing house better than the other three, follow him.

"i'll be making up clinic hours 4 hours a week. i'll be finished in 2054." he stopped to look at wilson. "you better love this cousin a whole lot"

house walked off, leaving aurora and james along standing in the corridor. james sighed and looked at rory.

"starting to see your point, the hassle isn't worth it" he spoke.

rory let out a low chuckle. "glad you finally come to your senses."

aurora joins her coworkers in doing adlers MRI in the radiology room. chase injects her with contrast material as the motorised bed backs the kindergarten teacher into MRI machine. aurora stands close to adler, guiding her through the process. "so right now, the gadolinium is flowing with your blood, through your neck, towards your brain. but you won't feel a thing  for the entire process."

"how is someone so pretty, so smart?" adler speaks weakly to aurora. "i dont feel so good" she adds on.

"its common to feel a little claustrophobic. just, try not to move." aurora responds. "next you'll be hit with a pulse of radio waves. this throws everything out of alignment."

"when the nuclei go back into alignment, they send off signals. which the machine reads." cameron adds on. there is no response from adler.  "the machine now slowly scans your body. it's almost over."

there is still no response from rachel, cameron and aurora look at each other, sensing something is wrong. "rachel?" aurora calls out. "get her out of there" cameron sharply says.

chase looks unbothered. "she probably fell asleep! she's exhausted." 

cameron scoffs. "two minutes ago she was claustrophobic. she is not sleeping. get her out of there!" cameron leans over and hits the emergency button to eject the bed out of the MRI machine. 

as the bed slowly brigs adler out, aurora, chase and cameron rush out from the observation area. aurora grabs adler by her ankles out of the bed, putting her onto a nearby gurney. "she's cold" aurora checks for respiration. "she's not breathing either. we need equipment. now." 

in a quick second chase intervenes, he takes a scalpel and cuts into adlers throat, blood flies out but its under chase's control. chase inserts a tube, quickly and efficiently performing a tracheotomy to save rachel. chase then turns to aurora and cameron. "good call."

END OF ACT 1

tbh guys this chapter is 3087 words and i was like. i cant put the whole of episode 1 in this! so im thinking for each episode i'll do 2 chapters. (depending on the episode )  ik no body is reading this fanfic atm! but i write this cuz i enjoy it. and that is all that matters.

happy new year too! im excited to start 2026, so many things to look forward too.

this chapter isn't edited, i'll do that eventually.  

showering and following her skincare routine, she grabbed her outfit that she left out last night (which took around two hours to plan) and got dressed. deciding to keep it simple, she opted for a white button-up shirt, leaving a couple of buttons undone at the top, a pink oversized knitted cardigan, and a white pleated skirt that stopped just above her knees. opting for white tights instead of black, she slipped on her ballet pumps with a small comfortable heel.

after getting dressed came the jewellery. simple silver earrings and her heart pendant necklace her father gave her when she was sixteen.

looking at herself in the mirror, aurora smiled.

"you got this." she spoke to herself: "you can do this. you're going to walk in, introduce yourself, and be so amazing." she winked at herself in the mirror and smiled before walking away.

gathering all she needed ready for the interview: her notepad, pens and certificates. she left her apartment.

arriving at the hospital, aurora couldn't help but let her anxiety take over a little bit more. taking a deep breath, she walked in.

there was people all around, doctors, patients and nurses flowing in all directions. aurora made her way to the reception desk to introduce herself.

"hi there, my name is doctor callie, im here for a eight am interview?" she told the nurse at the front. the nurse smiled at her and handed her an ID card with the word 'vistor' "good morning doctor, heres your ID card. you'll be heading to the first floor and find the door with 'doctor house'. good luck" the nurse responded before walking away with a handful of patient files.

aurora smiled and cliped the ID card to her cardigan before walking over to the elevator.

"hold the elevator!" a voice called out. the voice came from a man, quickly sliding into the elevator before it closed the man breathed heavily. "heh thanks"

aurora looked at the man. he was slightly taller than her and had an accent. australian she guessed. he had light blonde shaggy hair and wore a smart color shirt with a tie and his lab coat.

"no problem. first floor too?" she asked pressing the first floor button.

"yeah thats great thanks. im chase" he smiled

"aurora. im just here for an interview" she held her hand out for him to shake.

he took it, shaking her hand. "interview? you must be the new one joining my team. i also work for doctor house"

"any advice for meeting him? i heard he can be quite.. different" aurora asked. questioning her word of 'different' she was different too but inst everyone?

chase laughed, before thinking. "different is definitely the word id use. id also use, forward and abrasive but different works too. you'll do just fine. just. dont take what he says to heart"

the elevator pinged open, giving the single they had reached the first floor.

"good luck" chase smiled before rushing off.

aurora smiled and stepped out the elevator heading out to find doctor house's office.

finding the office, aurora stepped in. she saw a small desk in the corner with a computer and a couple of chairs surrounding it. the office had glass doors attaching to another room, she could only guess that was where the team did most of their group work.

"hello?" a voice called out.

aurora turned around to the voice, the voice came from a man who she assumed was not doctor house.

the man was tall, taller than her and older too. he had brown short hair with a small quiff. he wore a light blue shirt with a darker blue tie to match and a lab coat. his face looked friendly,  soft and it held a small smile. to aurora, this man definitely looked... great. maybe too great.

"hi.." she started before being interrupted.

"sorry im late, do apologise. but i was a bit busy saving lives you know?" another man walked in. this definitely was doctor house. house had a long looking face with darker brown hair, graying at the sides and a scruffy beard. he carried his cane and limped over to his chair before dropping into it.

"are you just going to stand there like a ape or sit down?" house spoke.

aurora quickly sat down in the chair in front of his desk. not too sure of what to say to agrue back. the friendly doctor sat down too in the chair next to hers.

"dont be scared. im doctor james wilson, head of our oncology department here. im only sitting in the interview" he smiled at aurora. "house.. play nice"

house looked annoyed. "i am always nice, especially when cuddy sends me an interview with doctor barbie herself. i must ask, what features do you come with?" he spoke, looking dead straight at aurora.

aurora had to think. a bit gobsmacked about what was being said about her she quickly handed out her certificates and interview notes.

"well.." she started. "im doctor aurora callie. i've recently gotten my doctorate and heard that the hospital was looking to hire, here are my references" she handed a piece of paper to house. "and i'll have you find i was top of all my classes and-"

"okayy, i'll stop you right there" house interrupted. "i already know all this stuff, about you, about the recommendations. the question is, why did you want to be a doctor? any unresolved parental issues? unresolved personal issues? or let me guess, you just want to help people"

aurora froze, she couldn't think of an answer more advanced than 'because i want to help people'. she looked over at wilson hoping his face might show some advice. wilson was already looking at her, their eyes met. wilson shrugged and gaped his mouth open as to say something but decided to keep it to himself.

she looked back at house. "because." "because i want to help people. youre right, i want to help and i want to learn and i have a feeling you'll be able to teach me great things i might not know already. if you'll have me."

house looked at her silent. she could practically hear the clogs turning in his head. he looked at wilson, and then back to her before he sighed.

"alright."

aurora's eyes went wide. "a-alright?"

"yes alright" he stood up. "youre hired. you know you'll be working with me personally as a secretary and hopefully within time as you prove yourself. you can assit me and my team. wilson here can show you where to get fitted for a coat and get a pager. i have work to do" house limped out the room.

aurora stood, not quite believing what just happened. wilson stood too, towering over her. despite her small heals on her shoes, wilson was majorly taller than her.

"congratulations doctor callie. i've never seen house quite like that before" he smiled gathering his things together.

"i cant believe it either. it was not how i imagined things going" aurora breathed out chuckling at her own thoughts of being nervous before hand.

wilson smiled at her sweetly. "you did great. besides between you and me" he leaned in to aurora. "house needs you. he wont ever admit that, but having you around. it'll help him" he leant back.

aurora couldn't help but blush at wilsons statement. she felt pride in knowing that "thank you for saying that doctor wilson"

"please just call me wilson, or james if you prefer. follow me, i'll show you what to do next with a pager, coat and ID badge."

it was now around 9pm, aurora is in bed laying down thinking about her day. meeting house, getting her new job. however, there was one thing she couldn't shake off her mind.

doctor james wilson.

wilson. he amazed aurora, she couldn't remember the last time she actually met someone who looked so.. gorgeous.

rolling onto her side, placing her hand underneath her head, aurora tried to close her eyes ready for sleep.

but all she could think about was james.

"fuck"

aurora & james aesthetic <3

her father bought her first-ever doctor kit on christmas day back when she was eight years old. it was a small box, wrapped in light pink wrapping paper covered in white glitter with a gift tag stating "to aurora, love daddy" and since that moment of diagnosing her stuffed animals and barbie dolls she realised she wanted to know how people got sick. why did people get sick? and how does one heal them?

her mother, ph.d mabel callie, a psychiatrist, never did much for the thinking. having spent her time as the listener and not the solver. getting home after a day at work sometimes felt more like a chore than an enjoyment.

her father, dr eugene callie, on the other hand. a surgeon. a man who followed manual and instrumental techniques to operate on patients. being lead surgeon, dr eugene always tried to be involved in surgery. talking with his patients, telling them what's to come. coming to visit them afterwards to go through aftercare after major surgery. and always, dr eugene came home to his wife and daughter with a smile on his face, knowing he helped someone.

fast forwarding through school, college, and medical school. aurora callie ended up in new jersey. specifically, princeton-plainsboro teaching hospital in new jersey. from there she met dr cuddy, a woman with a can-do attitude. who would always be putting care for patients first. from dr cuddy, there was dr house. when aurora found out she would be working under dr house she didn't have being his secretary in mind. but in the end, aurora didn't mind it. answering his emails, following him around with her pink notebook, gel pens and highlighters. wanting to note down every word he mentioned. every diagnosis. everything. just to help her become a better doctor. and of course whenever doctor house is around.

doctor james wilson isnt too far behind.

dr wilson was the one to suggest to dr house and dr cuddy about making aurora a full-time diagnostician following dr house and his team members. dr allison cameron, dr robert chase and dr eric foreman. sceptical at first, dr house agreed. only if aurora would still be his secretary. (being too unbothered to answer his own emails for once), to which she agreed.

having this role made aurora feel needed in the world, knowing she would make a difference to helping people becoming diagnosed and then treated.

and it was all thanks to doctor james wilson. the man aurora had be crushing on since first meeting him in her interview.