New to this thread. Just came up with a Lilah drabble. Don't want to post in the middle of this Wonderfalls/House crossover, so I guess put it up later?

t on edit. Oh wait, the last post was yesterday, so I guess I can.

It's okay, TB. I've got nothing for the next little bit and have been thread-hog enough...

Market Research

The department head from Acquisitions and Investments leaned forward. His sour, skeptical eyes focused on the top button of Lilah’s blouse.

“I don’t see why you wasted my time with this very low grade variant on the common familiar” he said. “The creatures can detect deliberate lies, run minor errands, spy and poison a bit. Nothing you couldn’t get from dozens of minor demons; but to form the bond you have to sacrifice another living being you genuinely and deeply care for. The potential market would appear to be very small. The little lizards don’t even look impressive.”

Lilah gazed at his own appearance for a moment. “The sacrifice doesn’t have to be a lover or family member or even another human. The usual choice is a beloved household pet” she said, gesturing until he had to meet her eyes to avoid a pen in his own. “And the smallness of the market is the point. Anyone who buys one of these is capable of genuinely caring for others, and yet willing to sacrifice them for a small advantage. That is a very special and potentially profitable demographic.”

“And every purchaser reveals himself to us. We know who you are”, she hissed. “We see you behind your disguises.”

Good one!

Thanks. Based on a dream with an unusually coherent narrative.

Oh, I like that one, Typo Boy! You could post in GWW next time, Teppy doesn't really mind if we stray occasionally into fic territory.

::says the person who posted Sandman fic in GWW::

I've done that, too.

Fortified with research, more House/Wonderfalls. I don't really use the research in this next bit but I couldn't keep writing without it.
Cuddy paused, in thought, and ran her fingers through her hair. She picked up her phone and asked for Shapiro’s extension. “Alan? This is Cuddy. Have you started the Tyler evaluation yet?”

”Uh huh. Well, don’t, just yet. Because I want to supervise it. Personally.” She thought she had to be out of her mind to let Greg see her do this, but for whatever reason, God help her, she cared what he thought. He saw that look in her eye and was amused to see it aimed on somebody else for a change.

”Yes, I know I have paperwork, but I’m still a doctor, and Karen Tyler has brought a lot of donations into this hospital...ok, great. See you then.”

”Well, I’ll be damned,” House said.”Everybody does lie.”

“I did not lie...Mrs. Tyler is a big fundraiser.”

”But you don’t care about that...or at least not more about her daughter than some other patient.”

”According to legend, you don’t care at all.” She replied, “what gives?”

“She ate my pickle chips without asking.”

“Oh, well, following that logic... would make me as crazy as you. Fine, don’t tell me.”

She sighed. House was tiring, but she had to admit she loved working with him because he tapped into the part of her that remembered why she liked science and medicine...that wanted to be Madame Curie, Elizabeth Blackwell, Albert Schweitzer...not some bean counter or traffic cop watching the bottom line or some mom having to say no and make everyone play nice...it had all been an adventure once...the doctor thing, and sometimes it was only working with House that kept that part alive. And damn it, some of his risky gambles completely paid off.

“What do you expect after you crippled me? It’s bad enough you hobbled me to keep me working at the clinic.”

“Yep, you caught on to my master plan. Your constant kvetching about it is only a nice bonus.”

“You know you love it. And, another thing...”

“House, I’m in no mood, okay?”

“I think you’ll want to hear this, Cuddy. Because I’ll only say it once. I have a reputation to think of.”

“Okay. If you must, let it rip.” Cuddy braced herself for whatever hideous thing House took it upon himself to spout and was thankful she’d worn a modest blouse today.

”Thank you.”

“My hearing must be going...I thought you said...”

“I’ve got a pill that would probably take care of that.”

”One of your pills...I’ll be hearing thank you from the wallpaper. Never mind...”

House made sure to be conveniently present on the Psych floor when Mrs. Tyler, Shapiro, Jaye, and an annoying nervous blonde woman who kept introducing herself as “Sharon Tyler, Esq.” showed up. Cuddy, ever the diplomat, had arrived first and was feigning interest in some medical journals or paperwork...House couldn’t tell which, although he’d been good at reading upside down since his student days and often enlivened boring lectures by reading his classmates’s scribbled notes about their personal travails. What a pity adults didn’t pass notes anymore. He found himself wondering what kind of guy a teenage Cuddy would have written about and put his name in her notebook surrounded by hearts and flowers...no, it was too big of a disconnect.

Shapiro struggled hard to be gracious. “Wow...we have a full house today,” he said, flop sweat showing underneath his attempt at jocularity. “I guess you cured all the rare diseases in New Jersey.” He forced a laugh, and looked back at the Tylers.

“No,” House replied. “It’s you. We want to make sure you don’t screw up. Unless you want to make a case for your incompetence being some kind of disorder or something....”

“Look,” the psychiatrist said, trying a different tack, “I can appreciate your frustration...cut down in your prime and everything? That’s bound to lead to hostility. No wonder you act out.”

“You know what else leads to hostility? (continued...)

( continues...) Those stupid childproof caps on my pill bottles...oh, and something else...doctors that suck. Yeah.”

“Gentlemen, could we remember that this is a hospital and not a playground, please?”

“Yes, a little decorum, please, Dr. House...”

House snorted. “He’s just mad because most of his other patients are so over-medicated they look like refugees from a Pink Floyd revival and I don’t want him to do it to Ms. Tyler.”

“You would know...” Shapiro mumbled under his breath.

“What was that?” House demanded. “I assure you my hearing is beyond perfect. Share your joke with the class, there, Alan.”

Shapiro caught Cuddy’s eye. “Oh, it doesn’t matter.”

”That doesn’t sound like good, therapeutic self-esteem...go on, say it.”

“I said ‘you would know’ because you know you struggle with painkiller dependency and the denial it engenders.”

”I’m impressed...didn’t think you had the guts. Or maybe I’m just stoned. I get those so mixed up. For the record, I don’t struggle at all...becoming addicted to painkillers was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done. Just like riding an operating table,actually.”

I'm looking for a beta to give a quick look-see at my porny Baith/Spike story. A hair under 4,000 words, angsty AU leads to sex, there are a couple bits I'm not sure belong. (Wow that sounds porny.) Anyone interested?

ETA hi. I just discovered this thread - yay!