Chapter 3 – Part 2

Halloween

House frequently found people in the house when he got home. Maggie seemed to be popular with her friends, cousins and family. He particularly liked it when her cousin Meghan came over. Meghan was three years older than Maggie and a real flirt. Maggie's hair was more of a strawberry blonde while Meghan's was auburn. You could tell Maggie and Meggie shared the same genes; Meggie was taller, but not quite as pretty as Maggie. However, Meggie knew how to make a guy feel like he was the only person in the room whereas Maggie would as soon as kick a guy out of the room.

"I don't know why, but she likes you. You ought to call her and take her out. She thinks you're hot." Maggie was at the table doing some homework while House was scrounging for something to eat.

He hedged around, "Maybe I could take her to Cavanaughs."

"You can't go to Cavanaughs, you didn't apologize to me in time. You're permanently banned."

"You're going to keep your cousin out of Cavanaughs?"

Maggie looked up, her eyes a light blue from the color of her t-shirt, "If she's with you, yeah. She knows the rules."

He started chuckling and then laughing, "I can't believe you'd kick your cousin out because I forgot to apologize within the week. What if I make it up to you now?"

Maggie furred her brow and frowned, "What and let me do your laundry or let me have the honor of paying your phone bill?"

"I was thinking of taking you to the Resident's Christmas Party at the beginning of December."

She shook her head, "Take Meggie. She likes that kind of thing and she's not engaged."

He came over and sat down next to her, "Oh, come on. It wouldn't hurt for you to get to know the people who'll be ruining your life over the next three years. I don't want to take Meggie because I'd be thinking of nailing her all night. I need to keep my wits and network while I'm there. With you there I'd have the best of both worlds. I'll have a nice Catholic girl on my arm and I'll be able to concentrate on the people around me."

Her mouth dropped, "You don't have to insult me. I know you think it's funny to insinuate that I'm not sexy, but it isn't. Ask Meggie to go."

House pulled back, "What? Insult you? I thought you'd like being called a nice Catholic girl."

"Normally I would, but the way you say it, it's like I'm the Virgin Mary. I assure you, I'm not a Virgin." She said it quite gleefully until she realized how sordid it sounded, "Well, I'm not a prude is what I mean."

"I'm not buying it, but I'm willing to give you an opportunity to prove it."

She was about to say something, but shut her mouth and went back to her work.

He chuckled and left.

House invited Meggie out for a date, finding after a few dates that Meggie's apartment was a nice haven away from the judgmental eyes of Maggie Malone. Whenever he had a night off, he found comfort in the willing body of Meggie Kerry. Occasionally, when he was in the throes of a spectacular orgasm, he'd look down and see the features in Meggie that reminded him of Maggie. Oddly, it made him feel as if he was cheating on her, but it certainly didn't stop the warm and fuzzy feelings he had for Meggie's delicious body.

House finished his forty-eight hour shift, headed home and was looking forward to some sleep when he realized it was Thanksgiving Day. Looking at the clock as he entered through the front door, he was surprised that he didn't hear noises in the house. It was ten am and Maggie was usually an early riser. He realized that Michael must have gone home for the holidays and Maggie must be with her family. In a way, House was glad, it meant he could get some sleep and then watch whatever he wanted to watch on tv. Walking down the hall to the bathroom, House saw that Maggie's door was closed, not unusual if she was gone. After doing his business, he opened the bathroom door only to find a man, in boxers, heading down the hall towards him and the bathroom.

"Morning." The blonde guy said as he slipped by House into the bathroom.

House, perplexed, simply mumbled, "Morning." He started to make his way to his room when he noticed Maggie's door was open. He looked in. A smile crossed his face when he saw Maggie, laying naked on her stomach, eyes closed. The blanket was pulled up just over most of her sweet little ass. He could see the curve of the small of her back and the curve of her breast from the side. He couldn't help but think she was the sexiest nymph he had seen in a long time. House took in a sharp breath, causing Maggie to look up. Raising up slightly to look, she unwittingly gave him a better view of the side of her breast. She saw House, grabbed the blanket and pulled it up over her back, hiding her body.

He smiled like a devil, "Good morning Maggie. Who's your friend?"

She frowned, "Get out of here." He leaned on the door jamb waiting for an answer to his question. "For God's sakes, it's Tom. He's here for Thanksgiving."

"Well, it looks like he has a lot to be thankful for. I can see he's stuffed your turkey."

Maggie threw a pillow at House, "Get the fuck out of here before I throw something more substantial…like your ass out the door."

House chuckled, "Happy Thanksgiving Mags." He turned and went to his room, closing and locking it. When he got under the sheets, he reached inside his shorts and started taking care of business, visions of Maggie burned into his mind.

Later that evening, House woke up to a quiet house. The engaged couple was obviously out for the evening. He made his way to the kitchen, noticing the sign on the refrigerator in Maggie's handwriting, "Happy Thanksgiving, Greg. Look inside." He opened the door to the frig and saw two huge plates, each with instructions. "Heat this for four minutes in the microwave." The second one, "Heat this one minute in the microwave, pumpkin pie is on the counter." House smiled, Tom was here with her, but she was still thinking of him.

Sunday, House got home from his shift and found Tom getting ready to go to the airport. Having spent several hours talking to him over the weekend, House realized Tom was a decent enough guy and apparently loved Maggie. He was pretty sure it would piss Tom off if he knew House was beating off to visions of his fiancé. The couple amused House, they were apparently using every free minute of the weekend to screw because House found condom wrappers all over the house, in various trashcans. He was not only amused, but just a little bit jealous.