OTA

[pippa_flynn]

And so she had become the Forgotten Queen of the Trooping Fae. Her grandfather's passing had come at a price and now she was some sort of royalty she didn't quite understand and Fin had gone blind again. It was nearly too much to take but Pippa was carrying on. What else could she do? The facts were the facts and no amount of fuss would change it. And she'd tried. She had power coursing through her now, all the time she felt it, and she'd tried to restore Fin's sight. It didn't work. Of course not. Why would it?

And then the dumb twit had gone back to stay with his stupid boyfriend. Pippa was outraged about that and she'd told Fin so. And that didn't work, either. Of course not. And so on that front she bit her tongue. Fin knew how she felt. It had little to do with keeping him close and everything to do with keeping him out of the treacherous prince's arms.

Pippa sighed softly and looked at her mobile that had just chirped. He newest client wanting a progress report. She needed something more concrete and so she sat down at the cafe on one of the dwindling nice days of the London summer, and she texted her client back.

It was striking, just how much she looked like Fin. And, of course, she'd been all over the papers thanks to the paps hounding Fin about his drug use and his blindness. The gentleman at the next table actually had a copy of the daily rag and she smiled at the photo on the cover.

If only life could be as dramatic as the paper made it seem. If only being queen meant something...

Comments

[drfeelbad]

"Yes," House said. "We also established that you are neither an actress nor a prostitute."

[pippa_flynn]

"And you're only a bit of an ass," she replied pleasantly.

[drfeelbad]

"Only a bit?" House feigned offense.

[pippa_flynn]

"A bit," she nodded as a cheeky smile played on her lips. "Or have you not been in London long enough to know how much a bit is?"

[drfeelbad]

"I was an ass in New Jersey," House said. "Being an ass here is nothing."

[pippa_flynn]

"You take pride in it, then?" she asked.

[drfeelbad]

"I give an astonishingly low number of fucks about what other people think of me," House said with a shrug. But then he smirked a little. "Why, you think I'm an ass?"

[pippa_flynn]

"I think you're contrary," she replied. "Being an ass assumes you're trying to make me angry. Are you?"

[drfeelbad]

"Nope," House said.

[pippa_flynn]

"Well, then. That's settled," she replied with a serene smile. Then she took a sip, making a face at how her drink had gone a bit cold.

[drfeelbad]

House looked at her for a minute, as she sipped and made that face.

"I can see the resemblance," he said. "You look like Fin."

[pippa_flynn]

"I'm older. Fin looks like me," she corrected.

[drfeelbad]

"Ah yes," House said. And then remembering their last conversation added, "Am I old enough to be your dad too?"

[pippa_flynn]

"Of course you are," she said, then mischief glinted in her eyes and her smile turned cheeky. "Why...do you want me to call you daddy?"

[drfeelbad]

She was clearly trying to make him uncomfortable (and almost succeeding) so he decided not to take the bait.

"Go ahead," he said, deadpan. "Try it on for size."

[pippa_flynn]

Pippa couldn't stop smiling but she caught her bottom lip between her teeth and kept eye contact with him.

"I think Fin might vomit if I started calling you Daddy on a regular basis," she said, utterly amused.

[drfeelbad]

"Well clearly don't do it in front of him," House said.

[pippa_flynn]

"Oh, so it should be our little secret?" she asked, her eyes sparkling and...not entirely natural. They were amber flecked with gold more than the brown they had been. As she teased him and felt joy at it her magic began to creep out, winding around everyone nearby making them laugh and smile more.

[drfeelbad]

House shrugged. "You haven't done anything yet," he said, but then couldn't help but smile and wasn't even sure now.

[pippa_flynn]

Pippa laughed softly. As she did her magic grew stronger.

"Alright, that's true," she said, her voice warm and light. "If it's all the same to you I don't think I will. Nothing against you, Greg, but I've got enough issues regarding my father to put any of that on you."

[drfeelbad]

"I suspect that's a very good call," House said, and now was having to actively try not to laugh.

[pippa_flynn]

"You have a lovely smile, Greg. You should do it more often," she said with warmth.

[drfeelbad]

House smirked a little, looking down at the table. "And you really shouldn't be flirting with me," he said, meaning every bit of it.

[pippa_flynn]

"I'm hardly flirting. I'm being kind. If I was going to flirt with you, daddy, I'm sure you'd be able to tell," she teased, still so terribly amused that her magic ran wild. Now everyone around them was a bit happier, laughing easier and touching one another affectionately. The waitress was even smiling and had a bounce to her step as she moved from table to table.

[drfeelbad]

It was actually kind of amazing that it took House this long to notice. But when he wanted to laugh at her statement that she wasn't flirting with him, he knew something was wrong. And then he noticed the behavior of the people around them.

He looked back at her, and wasn't smiling anymore. "What are you doing?"