House

[london_spy]

The trip took much longer than he'd hoped, and he'd been right in assuming he'd wind up taking a ship back. That would have been fine, except the damn thing had sunk  miles out from the shore, forcing him and the other passengers to struggle to shore on planks and leaky lifeboats.

He'd done it though, all without losing a single item from House's order.

He was feeling victorious- Until only a few hours into the last leg of his trip back he'd begun coughing and his body shakey and unsteady by the time he reached Greg's door and began to knock.

Comments

[drfeelbad]

"Couldn't find a portal that would bring you back here?" House asked.

[london_spy]

"No, it's always harder leaving there, you know? They hate portals there. People sneak in, but getting out is way harder," Danny explained. "And I just never learned magic, you know?"

[drfeelbad]

"Right, of course," said House. "Well I was going to send you to the Dryad Realm next, is that better or worse?"

[london_spy]

"Depends. Do I have to deal with Dryads, or can I gather it myself?" Danny asked.

[drfeelbad]

House considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "I think you could get almost everything yourself with some ingenuity."

[london_spy]

"When do you want me to leave?" Danny asked, honestly dreading his next trip being too soon. He felt drained, not that he wanted to admit it.

[drfeelbad]

"When you feel ready to go again," House said with a shrug. It wasn't like he was in some huge hurry for what he needed. And if Danny waited to long he just wouldn't be paid. Though House also didn't really mind if he crashed here in the meantime.

[london_spy]

"I can go now, if you want," Danny offered, even though he was clearly in no fit state.

[drfeelbad]

House sighed. "No. You were clearly not ready to go anywhere. Look, you can stay here while you recuperate. I'll even buy the bacon."

[london_spy]

Danny seemed unsure, poking at his food.

"I need to make money, House," he said quietly. "I have some money from when my friend died, but, um- I can't get it. It's in this metal box with a charm on it. He left a note saying I know how to open it, but I don't.

Scottie was a lovely man, but he wasn't good at being direct.

[drfeelbad]

"How much money do you need?" House asked. "In the immediate, I mean."

[london_spy]

"Enough to eat. Enough to get back home and back here again for work... I don't know. I just know I can't afford to be still."

[drfeelbad]

"Danny, let me be clear," said House. "I'll give you what you need. Okay? An advance. But you're no good for me if you take off now and die on the way and don't come back."

[london_spy]

Danny sighed, rubbing his face.

"I'll figure it out, I don't want an advance."

[drfeelbad]

"So what do you actually want?" House asked, genuinely having no idea.

[london_spy]

"What makes you think any of this is about want? I want to have a normal life. I want to be happy, and safe," Danny snapped. "That's not in the cards though, so it's about need. Needing food, needing transport, needing to buy fucking firewood so I don't freeze to death."

[drfeelbad]

House looked at him for a second, and then sighed. "I can't give you a life, Danny. But I can make sure you don't freeze. I'm trying to work out why you don't seem to want to take what I'm offering you. Are you afraid I want something in return?"

[london_spy]

"People always want something in return," Danny assured him, starting to cough again.

[drfeelbad]

"Well yeah, I want you to be my errand boy. That's why I'm paying you." House stood up from the table, and returned a moment later with the pipe again.

"This should help even more," he said. "Though I don't have much." It was John Constantine's mix, specially designed to open the lungs. Also a nice painkiller... and a high.

[london_spy]

Danny refused though, pushing it away.

"I'm fine. I'm- I should go, I shouldn't have stayed last night."

At first it had seemed like House had wanted him around, now he felt like things were getting weird. Like he'd done something he shouldn't by turning up sick.

[drfeelbad]

House ran his fingers through his hair, agitated. He was used to people being prickly around him but he had no idea what he'd done this time. "What the hell have I done? I'm trying to help you!"

[london_spy]

"You haven't done anything," Danny sighed, slumping in his seat.

[drfeelbad]

"I mean, look, refuse the magic lung clearing smoke if you want. Even refuse the advance if you want. But I seriously can't figure out what your problem is." House set the pipe down and sat back down.

[london_spy]

"My problems are plenty, but they've nothing to do with you," Danny sighed. "It's complicated."

[drfeelbad]

House wasn't really sure what to make of that so he finally said, "Well, the offer stands. My next shopping list is for the dryad realm. You can go whenever you want, and stay here as long as you want to before. But I'm not going to force you to stay anymore than I'm going to force you to go."