A Place to Call Home

Chapter I: "Jessica"

Okay, so the basis of the story is House does not have a daughter but a niece, Jessica, who will be placed in a foster home, after five years of care at a local children's home, if House does not take her in and let her live with him. This really doesn't have any ships and I haven't been following this season very carefully so it may not be too up to date. I don't own House or any of the characters accept the ones created by my imagination. I do not own. Please comment or review or whatever it is you do! This is also my first fanfiction so I'm new at this.

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Jessica woke up to her old, small, run-down, shared room on the First of September morning at Athodox Home for Children. She really hated mornings.

Think positive. She thought. New day, new month— She heard a crash come from the kitchen downstairs. Same old idiots.

She went to her dresser and pulled out some clothes. She'd had the same routine for five years to the day. Jessica knew that today her uncle was to come and take her home but she wasn't going to get her hopes up. She was going to go to that foster family in Ohio and live there until she turns eighteen. This was not going to be a good day for her. Life sucks. She again thought to herself.

Jessica braced herself and headed down to breakfast. She couldn't even hear herself think with the Hannah Montana blaring through a tiny boom box on one of the messy counters.

"God, could someone please turn that damn thing off!" Jessica yelled. Some of the young girls pouted and took their music elsewhere.

"Jessica!" Mrs. Levine, the woman in charge of the home, screeched from the front hall.

"What?" Jessica answered back trying her best to sound pleasant.

"Don't give me that tone! Pack your things I want you out of here by six!"

"They're already packed," Jessica replied. "I'm going on a bike ride." She went out the door, got on her bike, and left.

House paced in his office, waiting.

"You rang?" Kutner asked as he entered with Thirteen right behind him.

"I need you two to run an errand for me," House replied. "Kutner will go as me. And you," he pointed his cane at Thirteen, "will be my wife."

"House, this is--'' Thirteen began.

"You work for me and that means you do what I say. Here's the address now go."

Kutner sighed and Thirteen huffed as they left the office.

"I thought you were done with Clinic Duty," Wilson said leaning in the doorway.

"They're running an errand for me." House gave Wilson a look as a hint to what the errand was.

"Is she thirteen already?" Wilson asked in disbelief. "Why don't you go and get her then? Unless you're afraid she won't like you anymore now that you're not her 'Uncle Greg'. But the House Almighty doesn't care what anybody thinks about him."

"I just think it's better this way. Besides, I'm too busy to raise her anyway. This is just until I find her a home with people I know.

Jessica was back on the front porch with her two duffel bags. She rubbed her throbbing knee and grimaced through the pain. Ever since she arrived there, the joints in her legs would hurt periodically.

A silver car pulled into the gravel driveway. Jessica's heart skipped a beat. An Asian looking man stepped out with a brunette woman. Jessica sank back down, reprimanding herself for being so naïve.

"He cannot be serious," The lady said taking another look at the address.

"Maybe he has to take a kid in for a week or so. Cuddy might have told him to do it," the man said back.

"Yes, he's just that kind of person," the lady sarcastically retorted. " I think this is one of his games. Look at the name. Do you really think he'd have a relative here? And if he did he wouldn't want us to know."

"Maybe this girl here will know."

"She won't say anything if you call her a girl. It's insulting to be called a girl once you get to a certain age." the lady, though rude, did know something about girls. Jessica probably would have said nothing.

"Remind me to get you some chocolate later," the Asian man said as he walked up to the porch where Jessica was. "Excuse me, do you know where the supervisor of this place is?"

"Open the door and look down the hallway and there she'll be. What's your name?" Jessica asked innocently.

"My name's doctor Kutner and you are?" Kutner held out his hand for her to shake.

"Jessica. Jessica House."