Keeper (Agnates in Elysium), 10/10 (R)
Dec. 15th, 2007 04:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deelaundryposted to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
house_wilson and betteronvicodin
Title: Keeper (Agnates in Elysium), Part 10/10
Author: Dee Laundry
Rating: R
Summary: House & Wilson’s son Jack passes one of life’s crossroads and makes an unexpected connection.
Note: Part One began in June 2033. Sequel to My Fathers’ Son, set in an AU that crosses over with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
simple__man’s Churchverse, which began with Brilliant. Grateful appreciation to daisylily for beta and to simple__man for creating something wonderful and letting me play with it.
Special Note: This is the final section; no epilogue. (Although there are two short interludes that take place between Parts Eight and Nine: Vision and Character.) Thanks again tosimple__man, little_himself, anamatics, and thedeadparrot for letting me explore intriguing characters that they created.
Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine (Interludes, after Part Eight: Character and Vision)
Jack looked up from the computer and stared at his cell phone. The ringtone currently trilling was for family only, but the name on the ID was Beth Kerk. He didn’t know any Beths, except for Beth Israel where Pop was consulting this week. Beth Israel. Beth, a form of bayith, Hebrew for “house.” And Kerk…
He fumbled the phone but got it turned on somehow. “Church?”
“Jack, you son of a bitch. After all these months finally you answer the damn phone!”
Something multi-cornered and sticky had lodged itself in his throat; he tried to breathe around it. “Like you have any room to talk, dickface, changing your phone number without ever telling me.”
“I never changed my number,” Church retorted. “When I tried to call you, it would ring and ring.”
“You’ve never shown up on my received calls list. Every time I tried to reach you, it said the number was disconnected.”
They sat in silence for a moment, until Jack began to panic that the connection would be lost. “Church, why did you call? What do you want from me?”
“Why do I have to want something from you? Am I that much of an asshole?”
“Yes,” Jack said dismissively, “but that’s not how I mean it. You called me even though you thought I wouldn’t answer. What did you want to say?”
“I don’t want to say this at all.”
“Don’t be difficult.”
“Dad’s dead.”
The icy cloud that sank through Jack’s skin was no less painful for being familiar. His thoughts collided and shattered, leaving his tongue empty.
After a minute, Church asked, “Jack? Still there?”
“Yeah. That just hit me hard.”
“Imagine how I feel.”
“I don’t have to.”
Church blew out a long breath. “God, it’s been ridiculous, totally pissing me off, the way people keep saying they know how I feel.”
“Well, I do. That’s why you called me.”
“Shut up. You’re not me. You didn’t have my Dad, my Jimmy.”
“How is Jimmy?”
“I don’t know. Weird.”
“He’s depressed. He’ll be that way for a while. Nothing you can do.”
“It’s fucking annoying. He’s supposed to be the parent; he’s supposed to be worrying about me instead of me worrying about him.”
“It works both ways – probably will for the rest of our lives. Besides being annoyed and pissed off, how do you feel?”
Silence. Jack strained to try to hear Church’s breathing, to get any clue as to where he was emotionally.
“Does it get any better?” Church asked quietly, the most subdued Jack had ever heard him. Jack had no doubt whatsoever what Church was referring to.
“You get used to it. It transitions from acute to chronic, and then you – figure out how to manage. Dad’s last lesson: how to deal with chronic pain.”
“I guess it’d suck even worse if it went away altogether.”
Jack thought about it for a moment, imagining, his chest growing heavy. “You’re right; it would.” He chewed his lip and set his mind in a more positive direction. “It helps me to think about how I’ll see him again after I die.”
After a brief pause, during which Jack could perfectly picture Church’s expression of scorn and pity, Church replied, “Sucker. There’s no afterlife.”
“That was Dad’s view. I believe heaven’s waiting for us.”
Church scoffed. “Waiting for the perfect apple-polishing suck-ups. You and I and Dad sure as hell ain’t getting in.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“God’s talking to you now? Classic sign of mental illness.”
There was the Church he knew. Jack couldn’t help smiling, in spite of the grief he was sharing with Church. “I believe what I believe. God’s got infinite compassion and infinite capacity. We’re all getting in: you and me, Jer and Mary, your Mom and my Pop, your Dad and my Dad.”
“And on the giant fluffy cloud we’re going to connect up how?”
“How did we connect up the first time? I don’t know. I just know it won’t be heaven unless you’re there.”
“I think I heard that song on the radio the other day. Fuck, you’re a flirt. Pervert.”
God, he loved this ass so much. Jack pressed the phone closer to his ear. “Pop always wanted me to have a brother or sister.”
“Mom and Dad always said they couldn’t handle another me,” Church said in a bragging tone, pleased and smug. Jack imagined him kicked back and stretched out, long legs crossed at the ankle.
Jack replied warmly, “They were lying.”
“No, they really weren’t. I’ve been an asshole my whole life.”
“Doesn’t mean a sibling would be too. Look how I turned out.”
“Sanctimonious prig?”
“Exactly.” Jack smiled and then had to hold back a sigh. He missed this. He hadn’t even realized how much until he had it again, and the feeling was threatening to overwhelm him.
They sat in silence for a bit, until Jack heard a large swallow from the other end of the phone.
“So,” Church said shakily, and then cleared his throat. His next words were stronger – moment over, good – as he asked, “Has Mary dumped your ass yet?”
“You didn’t get the wedding invitation?” Jack hadn’t expected the card to get there, not when phone and email hadn’t worked, but it was still a disappointment.
“I did get it,” Church replied, shocking Jack. “Two days too late. Fucking dinosaur Postal Service. Should’ve been disbanded decades ago.”
Jack grinned. It got through; awesome. “Well, you know, cross-universe is one of their lesser-used services. Probably had to bring in a subcontractor.” Writing letters was a piece of cake for Jack; Church was going to have to get used to a full mailbox.
“Fuck it. How’s it feel to be married?”
“Great,” Jack said, nodding his head even though Church couldn’t see. “Stable.”
Church let out a groaning sigh. “Boring.”
“No way.” There was this thing that Mary was willing to do now that Jack had never… but Church didn’t need to know that.
“Bambinos?”
“Later. We’re having fun with just ourselves now.”
“I bet you are. You’re not getting any younger, though.” Church’s voice morphed into an impression of a very familiar person. “It might be smart to start now if you want me to be able to –”
“– help out at all with my grandchildren. Yeah. Pop hasn’t said anything directly, but the wistful looks at Mary’s midsection are nagging enough.”
“How is your Pop?”
“You’re inquiring after the wellbeing of another person? Wait a minute; I thought I was talking to Church House.”
“He’s the reason you walked out on me. I’m just hoping he’s on his deathbed so you can move your ass back here soon.”
Church had the same talent as Jack’s Dad – hiding a true sentiment in sarcasm. Instead of being offended, Jack felt absurdly fond of the bastard.
“Pop’s doing much better. Still has his moments of sadness but overall he’s pulling out of his depression. Moving back here was the right decision. Walking out on you was just a side bonus.”
Church growled, “Fucker,” and Jack smiled.
“It wasn’t in vain; that’s all I’m saying. He’s going to stick around now, keep going, and that’s why I left New York to move here. You know you’d make the same sacrifice for your family.”
“I did make it.” Such simple words but the emotion behind them filled Jack’s heart. He’d been waiting his whole life for this, he realized, for someone who understood.
Church quietly continued, “I love you, Jack.”
It was so sincere, so heartfelt, so… un-Church-like. Jack snickered. “Pussy.”
“Shut up,” Church groused. “You’re the one who wears girls’ underwear.”
“Right.” Jack couldn’t suppress his grin. “You know you’re Penny in Pigtails.”
“I am not! I’m the Antichrist asshole.”
“Yeah, I forgot. I love you, too.”
After grumbling for a moment – a happy sort of grumble, if Jack wasn’t mistaken – Church said, “Mom’s going to be here soon; I’ll have to go.”
That brought a damper on Jack’s mood. “I don’t want you to,” he said, trying not to whine.
“What, you want to stay on the phone forever? You’re really that curious about gay sex, that you’ll listen in when I’m fucking Jer?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “You can hold off until I’m sleeping.”
“Generous of you. I don’t have unlimited minutes on this phone, anyway.”
Pulling the phone away, Jack stared at it briefly before returning it to his ear. “Who doesn’t have unlimited minutes? I didn’t even think there were plans without unlimited minutes any more.”
“Starving student, remember?”
“Still?”
“Quit bitching at me. Sanctimonious prig.”
“Lazy good-for-nothing prick,” Jack accused in retort.
“Hey, my prick is good for a lot of things!”
“Definitely more than I ever want to know. So,” he said, drawing the word out, “what are you studying now?”
Church snorted. “Stop changing the subject – I do have to get off the phone.”
“I know, I know.” There was an unpleasant tingle under Jack’s skin and he clutched the phone tighter. “I just have this feeling that once we hang up, we won’t be able to get in touch again.”
“Yeah, I think so too,” Church sighed. “But you can’t live your life with a phone stuck to your ear.”
“They’re actually working on this implant –”
“Jack.”
Jack swallowed and tried to ignore the tightness in his throat. “I’m going to miss you, brother.”
“Me too. Maybe we’ll get another chance some day. I’ll keep trying, at least.” Something rustled; Church was shifting, moving somehow. “Not that you deserve it.”
“Yeah, like you do.” Grabbing for a pen, Jack asked, “You still at the same address? I’ll write to you.”
Church shifted again. “I’m still there, but I’m not much of a correspondent.”
“I don’t care,” Jack said definitively. “This way, at least, I’ll always get the last word.”
“Is that a challenge?”
Jack smirked at his own transparency. “Take it whatever way you want. But I will say if you don’t at least try, I’m so going to bitch you out when I see you in heaven.”
“I told you, loser, there’s no afterlife.”
“You get the afterlife you think you will. It doesn’t matter whether you see me; I’ll definitely see you.”
“Quit making me cry. Mom’s walking in; I have to go. Bye.”
Jack squeezed the receiver one last time and closed his eyes. “See you, House.”
“Yeah,” Church sighed. “See you, Wilson.”
~end~
house_wilson and betteronvicodinTitle: Keeper (Agnates in Elysium), Part 10/10
Author: Dee Laundry
Rating: R
Summary: House & Wilson’s son Jack passes one of life’s crossroads and makes an unexpected connection.
Note: Part One began in June 2033. Sequel to My Fathers’ Son, set in an AU that crosses over with
simple__man’s Churchverse, which began with Brilliant. Grateful appreciation to daisylily for beta and to simple__man for creating something wonderful and letting me play with it.Special Note: This is the final section; no epilogue. (Although there are two short interludes that take place between Parts Eight and Nine: Vision and Character.) Thanks again to
simple__man, little_himself, anamatics, and thedeadparrot for letting me explore intriguing characters that they created.Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine (Interludes, after Part Eight: Character and Vision)
Jack looked up from the computer and stared at his cell phone. The ringtone currently trilling was for family only, but the name on the ID was Beth Kerk. He didn’t know any Beths, except for Beth Israel where Pop was consulting this week. Beth Israel. Beth, a form of bayith, Hebrew for “house.” And Kerk…
He fumbled the phone but got it turned on somehow. “Church?”
“Jack, you son of a bitch. After all these months finally you answer the damn phone!”
Something multi-cornered and sticky had lodged itself in his throat; he tried to breathe around it. “Like you have any room to talk, dickface, changing your phone number without ever telling me.”
“I never changed my number,” Church retorted. “When I tried to call you, it would ring and ring.”
“You’ve never shown up on my received calls list. Every time I tried to reach you, it said the number was disconnected.”
They sat in silence for a moment, until Jack began to panic that the connection would be lost. “Church, why did you call? What do you want from me?”
“Why do I have to want something from you? Am I that much of an asshole?”
“Yes,” Jack said dismissively, “but that’s not how I mean it. You called me even though you thought I wouldn’t answer. What did you want to say?”
“I don’t want to say this at all.”
“Don’t be difficult.”
“Dad’s dead.”
The icy cloud that sank through Jack’s skin was no less painful for being familiar. His thoughts collided and shattered, leaving his tongue empty.
After a minute, Church asked, “Jack? Still there?”
“Yeah. That just hit me hard.”
“Imagine how I feel.”
“I don’t have to.”
Church blew out a long breath. “God, it’s been ridiculous, totally pissing me off, the way people keep saying they know how I feel.”
“Well, I do. That’s why you called me.”
“Shut up. You’re not me. You didn’t have my Dad, my Jimmy.”
“How is Jimmy?”
“I don’t know. Weird.”
“He’s depressed. He’ll be that way for a while. Nothing you can do.”
“It’s fucking annoying. He’s supposed to be the parent; he’s supposed to be worrying about me instead of me worrying about him.”
“It works both ways – probably will for the rest of our lives. Besides being annoyed and pissed off, how do you feel?”
Silence. Jack strained to try to hear Church’s breathing, to get any clue as to where he was emotionally.
“Does it get any better?” Church asked quietly, the most subdued Jack had ever heard him. Jack had no doubt whatsoever what Church was referring to.
“You get used to it. It transitions from acute to chronic, and then you – figure out how to manage. Dad’s last lesson: how to deal with chronic pain.”
“I guess it’d suck even worse if it went away altogether.”
Jack thought about it for a moment, imagining, his chest growing heavy. “You’re right; it would.” He chewed his lip and set his mind in a more positive direction. “It helps me to think about how I’ll see him again after I die.”
After a brief pause, during which Jack could perfectly picture Church’s expression of scorn and pity, Church replied, “Sucker. There’s no afterlife.”
“That was Dad’s view. I believe heaven’s waiting for us.”
Church scoffed. “Waiting for the perfect apple-polishing suck-ups. You and I and Dad sure as hell ain’t getting in.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“God’s talking to you now? Classic sign of mental illness.”
There was the Church he knew. Jack couldn’t help smiling, in spite of the grief he was sharing with Church. “I believe what I believe. God’s got infinite compassion and infinite capacity. We’re all getting in: you and me, Jer and Mary, your Mom and my Pop, your Dad and my Dad.”
“And on the giant fluffy cloud we’re going to connect up how?”
“How did we connect up the first time? I don’t know. I just know it won’t be heaven unless you’re there.”
“I think I heard that song on the radio the other day. Fuck, you’re a flirt. Pervert.”
God, he loved this ass so much. Jack pressed the phone closer to his ear. “Pop always wanted me to have a brother or sister.”
“Mom and Dad always said they couldn’t handle another me,” Church said in a bragging tone, pleased and smug. Jack imagined him kicked back and stretched out, long legs crossed at the ankle.
Jack replied warmly, “They were lying.”
“No, they really weren’t. I’ve been an asshole my whole life.”
“Doesn’t mean a sibling would be too. Look how I turned out.”
“Sanctimonious prig?”
“Exactly.” Jack smiled and then had to hold back a sigh. He missed this. He hadn’t even realized how much until he had it again, and the feeling was threatening to overwhelm him.
They sat in silence for a bit, until Jack heard a large swallow from the other end of the phone.
“So,” Church said shakily, and then cleared his throat. His next words were stronger – moment over, good – as he asked, “Has Mary dumped your ass yet?”
“You didn’t get the wedding invitation?” Jack hadn’t expected the card to get there, not when phone and email hadn’t worked, but it was still a disappointment.
“I did get it,” Church replied, shocking Jack. “Two days too late. Fucking dinosaur Postal Service. Should’ve been disbanded decades ago.”
Jack grinned. It got through; awesome. “Well, you know, cross-universe is one of their lesser-used services. Probably had to bring in a subcontractor.” Writing letters was a piece of cake for Jack; Church was going to have to get used to a full mailbox.
“Fuck it. How’s it feel to be married?”
“Great,” Jack said, nodding his head even though Church couldn’t see. “Stable.”
Church let out a groaning sigh. “Boring.”
“No way.” There was this thing that Mary was willing to do now that Jack had never… but Church didn’t need to know that.
“Bambinos?”
“Later. We’re having fun with just ourselves now.”
“I bet you are. You’re not getting any younger, though.” Church’s voice morphed into an impression of a very familiar person. “It might be smart to start now if you want me to be able to –”
“– help out at all with my grandchildren. Yeah. Pop hasn’t said anything directly, but the wistful looks at Mary’s midsection are nagging enough.”
“How is your Pop?”
“You’re inquiring after the wellbeing of another person? Wait a minute; I thought I was talking to Church House.”
“He’s the reason you walked out on me. I’m just hoping he’s on his deathbed so you can move your ass back here soon.”
Church had the same talent as Jack’s Dad – hiding a true sentiment in sarcasm. Instead of being offended, Jack felt absurdly fond of the bastard.
“Pop’s doing much better. Still has his moments of sadness but overall he’s pulling out of his depression. Moving back here was the right decision. Walking out on you was just a side bonus.”
Church growled, “Fucker,” and Jack smiled.
“It wasn’t in vain; that’s all I’m saying. He’s going to stick around now, keep going, and that’s why I left New York to move here. You know you’d make the same sacrifice for your family.”
“I did make it.” Such simple words but the emotion behind them filled Jack’s heart. He’d been waiting his whole life for this, he realized, for someone who understood.
Church quietly continued, “I love you, Jack.”
It was so sincere, so heartfelt, so… un-Church-like. Jack snickered. “Pussy.”
“Shut up,” Church groused. “You’re the one who wears girls’ underwear.”
“Right.” Jack couldn’t suppress his grin. “You know you’re Penny in Pigtails.”
“I am not! I’m the Antichrist asshole.”
“Yeah, I forgot. I love you, too.”
After grumbling for a moment – a happy sort of grumble, if Jack wasn’t mistaken – Church said, “Mom’s going to be here soon; I’ll have to go.”
That brought a damper on Jack’s mood. “I don’t want you to,” he said, trying not to whine.
“What, you want to stay on the phone forever? You’re really that curious about gay sex, that you’ll listen in when I’m fucking Jer?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “You can hold off until I’m sleeping.”
“Generous of you. I don’t have unlimited minutes on this phone, anyway.”
Pulling the phone away, Jack stared at it briefly before returning it to his ear. “Who doesn’t have unlimited minutes? I didn’t even think there were plans without unlimited minutes any more.”
“Starving student, remember?”
“Still?”
“Quit bitching at me. Sanctimonious prig.”
“Lazy good-for-nothing prick,” Jack accused in retort.
“Hey, my prick is good for a lot of things!”
“Definitely more than I ever want to know. So,” he said, drawing the word out, “what are you studying now?”
Church snorted. “Stop changing the subject – I do have to get off the phone.”
“I know, I know.” There was an unpleasant tingle under Jack’s skin and he clutched the phone tighter. “I just have this feeling that once we hang up, we won’t be able to get in touch again.”
“Yeah, I think so too,” Church sighed. “But you can’t live your life with a phone stuck to your ear.”
“They’re actually working on this implant –”
“Jack.”
Jack swallowed and tried to ignore the tightness in his throat. “I’m going to miss you, brother.”
“Me too. Maybe we’ll get another chance some day. I’ll keep trying, at least.” Something rustled; Church was shifting, moving somehow. “Not that you deserve it.”
“Yeah, like you do.” Grabbing for a pen, Jack asked, “You still at the same address? I’ll write to you.”
Church shifted again. “I’m still there, but I’m not much of a correspondent.”
“I don’t care,” Jack said definitively. “This way, at least, I’ll always get the last word.”
“Is that a challenge?”
Jack smirked at his own transparency. “Take it whatever way you want. But I will say if you don’t at least try, I’m so going to bitch you out when I see you in heaven.”
“I told you, loser, there’s no afterlife.”
“You get the afterlife you think you will. It doesn’t matter whether you see me; I’ll definitely see you.”
“Quit making me cry. Mom’s walking in; I have to go. Bye.”
Jack squeezed the receiver one last time and closed his eyes. “See you, House.”
“Yeah,” Church sighed. “See you, Wilson.”
~end~
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-15 09:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 11:52 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-15 09:42 pm (UTC)Brilliant work, Dee. Absolutely captivating in every regard.
“Well, you know, cross-universe is one of their lesser-used services."
I understand it's employed mostly for postcards.
*grins*
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 11:53 am (UTC)Thanks so much for reading along on this wild ride.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-15 09:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 11:56 am (UTC)Thanks.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-15 09:51 pm (UTC)Well Dee, you have done it again. Written an COMPLETELY AMAZING kid!fic that has made me laugh and tear up and just pretty much stayed glued to my computer for an hour or so. The ending is so amazingly perfect. It's... guh, I can't even think of a good enough word to describe it. I absolutely LOVE this universe. Thanks for writing some of the best fic in awhile (or at least since "My Fathers’ Son")!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 12:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-15 10:20 pm (UTC)But damnit, I was NOT going to cry because it seemed that somehow Jack and Church were not going to let something so minor as living in parallel universes come between them... but the last two lines COMPLETELY did me in. I hate you and adore you!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-15 10:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 12:41 pm (UTC)This is (most likely) the last segment I'll write from this universe, but I can tell you that this wasn't the last time Jack and Church were in contact. Throughout the rest of their lives, they always seemed to connect when they truly needed to. : )
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 04:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-15 11:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 12:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 12:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 12:43 pm (UTC)Thanks, punkin, for prodding me to finish this up. It was always my plan to do so, but your encouragement meant it happened this year! : )
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 03:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 02:45 am (UTC)God, but I love this.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 12:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 04:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 12:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 04:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 12:48 pm (UTC)Thanks!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 08:13 am (UTC)Frustrating as a reader to want to help them, but not be able to *sniffle*
Definately adding this to my memories!
Was a fun ride. Going to miss them a lot!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 12:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 11:42 am (UTC)So how many words was it, in the end?
Have a lolly! XD
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 11:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-16 05:59 pm (UTC)Do you think Church and/or Jack could get an alternate universe delivery service running through the drugstore?
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-18 03:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-17 02:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-18 01:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-18 02:04 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-18 01:28 pm (UTC)The decision to include Miriam came in July, when
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-24 02:37 am (UTC).....
http://hirenkoi.livejournal.com/160349.html
*runs*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-24 01:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-24 01:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-24 05:43 pm (UTC)Fic: Keeper (Agnates in Elysium)
Date: 2008-09-02 01:31 am (UTC)Re: Fic: Keeper (Agnates in Elysium)
Date: 2008-09-02 02:42 am (UTC)Church and Jack needed each other; I was so grateful Nicky let me borrow Church, Jer, and Church's Dad for a little while.
Thanks!