I read the whole thing in printed form and found a lot of typos... sorry for that. So I sat down again and corrected everything I could find... This is the typo-free version... (I hope)... :-)

Thanks a lot, for all the great reviews!!

This story is set after the Tritter-Arc. Otherwise there's nothing you need to know, to understand it.

Chapter 1: News

„House! My office, now!"

Cuddys voice rang through the reception area of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, cutting through House's hangover tormented brain like a laser sword through an ice sculpture.

„I only just came in, can't this wait?" House mumbled halfheartedly.

„No. The sooner you listen to me, the sooner it's over and you can go sulk in your office." she said sternly.

House gave up and followed her through the two glass-doors into her office.

„I haven't done anything that would upset you or ruin this hospital. So what do you want?" he asked defiantly. Inwardly he was treading she might want to force him to hold another lecture or attend some stupid charity-thing. Better not mention anything to her, he thought, it will just give her ideas.

„You might not have noticed it yet, but Princeton Plainsboro is a Teaching Hospital." Cuddy started.

„Oh, I've noticed" House muttered, thinking back to the last two lectures she had forced him to hold. Ever since she had saved him from prison, she used her new powers ruthlessly. He had to come up with something to stop this. House made a mental note.

Cuddy kept talking.

„Since you so despise holding lectures or attending anything offical, I've decided that you will take one of our interns. It's a 3 month internship students have to do before they start their final exams. So from next monday on, you will have a new member in your diagnostics team and I want you to treat that person nicely. If I hear any complaints I'll get you another intern afterwards. If you scare him or her to leave early I'll also give you a new intern right away. And so on, I think you get the point. So be nice, make sure he or she does the 3 month and you'll be free again untill next year. Oh, and that internship should not consist of making your coffee, writing your reports, answering your letters or anything else you usually get Cameron to do. That's all."

House stood there, staring at Cuddy for a moment. He couldn't belive it. She really thought he would deal with a stupid, probably stoned or braindead student for 3 months?! And be nice?! He looked at her, trying to figure out if she meant what she had said. Surrely this was a joke. But Cuddy's stare told him she was serious. He would be stuck with an intern for the next 3 months.

„I'll better go to my office then and get a strong coffee. And I'll need a new prescription for Vicodin. Make it a double dose, if you want me and that student to survive." he finally managed to growl. He turned and limped out of the office to the elevator. Behind him Cuddy grinned. Yes, she thought, Wilsons idea wasn't too bad. If they kept a close eye on that intern and made sure things didn't get out of control ...

„3 month" he mumbled on his way to the office. „This is torture. 3 months"

Chapter 2: The First Day

It was monday morning 9 o'clock. Chase, Cameron and Foreman were sitting in the lounge, drinking coffee, waiting for House to show up. With him you could never be sure when he would arrive. Although they had to admit, it had been better since the Tritter-incident.

There was a knock at the door and a young woman came into the room. The three of them turned to look at her.

„Ehm. Hi, my name is Christine Manners. I'm looking for Dr. House." the woman said. Looking questioningly at them.

„Hi." Cameron was the first to reply. „I'm Dr. Cameron, Dr. Chase and Dr. Foreman" she pointed at them, „We're Dr. House's assistants. He isn't in yet but he'll surely arrive soon. Maybe we can help you in the meantime?"

„Well, I'm not sure. I'm the new intern. I'm going to work here with Dr. House for the next three months. So, if you're his assistants I guess we'll be working together too."

„Oh, great, yeah Dr. House told us you'd be coming. Come on in Ms Manners, take a seat. Do you want coffee?"

„Sure, thanks. Oh, and you can call me Chris. Everybody does. My last name is just too stupid to be used." Chris said and sat down.

„How'd you manage to get stuck with House?" Chase asked, receiving a sharp look from Cameron for this.

Chris grinned. „I know he has a bad reputation when it comes to social skills. But he's supposed to be a brillant doctor. At least that's what they say on campus." she said. „And you're right I did get stuck with him. We drew straws who would get Dr. House, because everybody was afraid to work with him and I lost. But I don't mind. I have a thick skin and sometimes a rather sharp tongue too. And I'm determined to finish my three month."

„Well, you'll need all that thick skin of yours to survive." Foreman commented, „And a sharp brain wouldn't be to bad either."

„I'll try."

At that moment the door opened and House limped into the room.

„Who's that?" he asked irritably.

Chris got up. „Hi, Dr. House. I'm Christine Manners, your new intern." she said, smiling.

„And I thought I'd finally gotten rid of my manners completely." House said with a savage grin.

„Very funny," Chris retorted, „forgive me, if I'm not laughing though. I've heard that one about a 1000 times already."

House's grin widened, his eyes lit up delightedly. „I'll try to come up with a better one next time, I promise." he said and when he saw her sceptical look he went on, „ Wanna bet?"

„Sure, lets say you owe me ten dollars for every manners-joke I've heard before. I owe you ten dollars for every new one."

„Mmmhhh, who tells me you're not lying about it, to get my money?"

„I guess you'll have to trust, that I'm honest about it."

House looked at Chris searchingly for a few seconds then said. „Deal." They shook hands.

He turned to his team.

„Well, lets get to work, people. We have a case." He threw the folder on the table.

Chapter 3: The Third Week

House was sitting on the stool in Exam Room 1 watching another disconcerted patient leave the room. Well, it wasn't his fault that most people in this world were idiots.

„Shall I get the next customer?" Chris asked from the corner.

House turned his head to look at her. He had been surprised to find out that she wasn't a braindead zombie. In fact she had turned out to be rather smart. And imaginative when it came to find possible illnesses for the symptoms of his patients. Not really brilliant, but then, she was still a student. Give her 10 years of experience and she would almost reach his standards.

If he evaluated her correctly, she even had the potential of being better than him, because she didn't have his aversion to actually meeting patients. Funnily enough that didn't bother him, even though it bothered him with most of the other doctors. Also he actually didn't mind working with her. She wasn't just a smart girl, she also had the same kind of humor he had. They were getting on pretty well so far.

He nodded, „Go on. I can't wait to chase the next nose that is trying to run away." he said.

The next patient was a middle aged man with, what else could it have been, a probable STD. When House told him to take off his trousers and pants and grabbed for a cotton swab to swipe him, the man looked suspicously at Chris and asked,

„Who is that?"

„Relax, she's just my good manners, you know." House said good-naturedly. „I find it easier to keep them unconnected of me, that way I can always have an eye on them and nobody can accuse me of forgetting them."

Chris burst out laughing. „That was pretty good, Dr. House. I owe you ten dollars. And while we're at it. You still owe me 50. So why don't you give me 40 now and we're even."

House reached into his pocket to give her the 40 dollars, while grumbling into his stubble.

„And I'm Dr. Houses intern." Chris said, turning to the patient. He didn't seem to want to know anything else.

After the guy had left the exam room, Chris asked her standard question again.

This time House looked at his watch and shook his head.

„We've only got about 10 minutes before the shift ends. I'm tired of runny noses and swiping crotches. Lets just hang around and play gameboy." he said.

Chris shrugged. „If you say so."

She settled herself on the exam table. That was another thing he liked about her: she was just as lazy as he was when it came to things that didn't nessecarily had to be done. He pulled out the gameboy he had gotten from the authistic boy he had cured a while back. He loved his little toys.

That was a real good joke." Chris said, casually. „How long have you been working on it?"

House focused his attention back on her. „Just about 3 hours." he admitted honestly, answering her grin.

At exactly that moment the door opened and Dr. Cuddy walked in. She looked at House with a scolding remark about not working while on duty on her lips, but seeing Chris Manners, she decided not to push House. They were both looking at her, still grinning like they were emjoying a private joke. And that second it struck Cuddy how remarkably similar their smiles were.

Well, she thought to herself, lets hope I didn't introduce Little Nicky to the Devil.Then she told them to get another patient and left again.