Thanks for the reviews again, I'm getting rather addicted to them :) Well better them than Vicodin, I think.

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House took Kasumii to the roof. He leaned against the parapet and let his gaze roam the grounds. Kasumii didn't quite know what to do, join him ask him what this was all about or turn around and leave. Well, the last option was really not an option since she was way too curious about her summons – and even after just one meeting (well, two if you count the encounter at the lobby as separate from the interview), she knew that he would just come after her. He wanted something and he was going to get it. So she joined him, leaning next to him against the low wall and waited.

"Your mother's husband came by today," House told her. He didn't turn to her when he said that.

"Oh," Kasumii was uncertain how she was supposed to react to that. "Did he ... Why?"

"Basically he came to tell me that I ought to terminate your employment," now House turned to her.

"But I haven't even started yet!" Kasumii gasped.

"Precisely," House agreed. "In addition to that, I didn't get a very fatherly feeling from him. So I think it is time you tell me why you are so anxious to move away from home?"

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," Kasumii said uncertainly refusing to look him in they eyes. House put his finger to her chin and turned her face up.

"It's not just your imagination," he told her. "Talk."

"He has never said anything or done anything," Kasumi tried to mostly convince herself.

"That is good," House agreed. "But there is still a story there, so spill."

"But I'm not sure how much of it is just in my head!"

"Having met him, I don't think any of it is just in your head," House said gently.

"I never had anything to do with him until I was fifteen and moved in with my Mother and him," Kasumii sighed in defeat and started her story. "Mother did come to see me as often as she could, but she was always alone. I have a good relationship with my mother, even if it isn't exactly normal by American standards, but you know that in Asia it is not that uncommon for children to be brought up by their grandparents. I was happy to come to the States to live with her when I turned fifteen and they settled down here. At first I thought that I was awkward with him because I didn't really know him. And vice versa, I suppose. I figured that it wasn't easy for him either to suddenly have a teenage daughter in his home, not that I was that difficult. I didn't throw any temper tantrums; I didn't do drugs or anything. I did well in school – my grandparents had made sure I was fluent in English since I do have dual citizenship. I tried to be un-intrusive, tried to stay out of his way when I thought he was busy. But then I started to notice that he was sort of popping up at unexpected places. He never said anything improper he never did anything improper but his eyes just made me uncomfortable. I felt like he was watching me all the time. Sure it could have been concern; he might just have wanted to see how I was adjusting to a new country and new life. But it made me nervous."

"That's when you decided to go to England to get your Nanny diploma?" House prompted her.

"Yes. I just felt too uncomfortable at home," Kasumii nodded. "Besides it was a logical move. I had always wanted to be a Nanny and Norland is the best school. Having my diploma from there would enable me to work almost anywhere in the world. As you said, there is a demand for Norland Nannies in Japan, too. Anyway, having spend three years in England – well, three and a half nearly, as I had a short job in England substituting for another Norland Nanny who needed a few months of sick-leave. But having been away for that long I had quite forgotten about my suspicions – or actually I had dismissed them as overactive teenage imagination. But when I got back, it started again. Only it has been worse. He still hasn't said anything, but he seeks my company more and half the time he does it when my Mother is not around. I'm right in the middle of it all, and I still don't feel sure that what I think is happening is really happening. He is married to my mother, why would he ... How could he ... but if it is all in my mind, what does it say about me?"

"Hey, it is not just in your mind; how many times do I have to tell you that," House told her. "When he came here he acted more like a jealous boyfriend than a concerned step-father. Look, you are an extremely beautiful young woman – even in old jeans and a baggy duffel coat. You probably resemble your mother, which definitely makes you his type. He can have no fatherly feelings for you as he has never been a father to you – due to his own stupidity, but that is another matter. When you first came here, you were fifteen. Fortunately he is not into children so he kept his distance though he was attracted to you even then. When you turned eighteen, and probably old enough in his estimation, you were also smart enough to move away from him. Now you are back and you are definitely old enough, and now he is probably planning to do something about his infatuation."

"But he is married! To MY Mother," Kasumii insisted.

"The thing about men is that they are pigs," House sighed. "Marriage, honour, common sense, you name it they can ignore it when they decide to go after something they want, especially if they believe that the something they want can somehow make them young again. Or even give an illusion of it. I'm sure you have already noticed that our culture is very hung up on youth. Plastic surgery, that was originally invented to help people injured in accidents or with genuine deformities, is now mostly used to smooth wrinkles and tighten saggy jaw-lines. Men do it too, but mostly they want their youth vicariously, through a younger wife – or a mistress, depending on the man, but they still want it. You have been lucky in that your step-father is not the biggest pig there is, but you are not imagining anything. He lusts after you; and your decision to move out of his sphere was the right one."

"But you said he doesn't want me to move," Kasumii sighed.

"And that can cause problems. Especially once he realises that you really are going to move. He may get desperate and as a result of that dangerous," House cautioned her.

"What do I do?" She wanted to know.

"First of all, is there a lock on your door?" House asked and at Kasumii's nod he went on: "Then you are probably safe tonight. Of course you do know self-defence so you can probably get away from him anyway, but there is your mother to be considered as well. But anyway, he is going to try and persuade you to stay first before he does anything too obvious."

"How does he think he can convince me to stay?" Kasumii wondered.

"Oh, he is going to comply a list of all my sins and present it to you in order to scare you into resigning," House shrugged.

"You mean he is going to lie to me about you? Make you seem dangerous or something."

"He probably doesn't have to lie," House grimaced. "My record, both official and especially the unofficial one, is less than pristine. In fact it might be a good idea for you to read it so that you know what you are getting into."

"Are you now trying to persuade me to change my mind about working for you?" Kasumii questioned.

"No, no. I expect you to start work come Monday," House assured her. "But you do have the right to resign if you don't like working for me. Most don't – or at least they haven't."

"Ok, so he is going to check you out. Once he hands me the file, what do I do?" Kasumii wanted to know.

"If he has time to hand it to you, you accept it and say you will read it and consider it," House explained. "But, tomorrow afternoon, you will move out. Don't give him time to react, just move. I will send Chase and Foreman to help you with the move, just to make sure everything goes smoothly. If Cuddy is not ready to take you in, you can stay in a hotel, I'm paying, or possibly we can ask Cameron if she has room to put you up for a couple of nights."

"You think I really am in danger?" Kasumii frowned uncertainly.

"I might be wrong, but do you really want to risk it?" House answered seriously.

"No, I don't think I do," Kasumii decided.

"Ok, let's go down and arrange your move," House nodded. "Only, don't tell your step-father that you have spoken with me. The less warning he has, the better."

"I agree. If I'm going to do this, then I better do it quickly and without warning."

"Right, let's move then."

"Just one thing," Kasumii stopped him. "You said that men are pigs. What about you?"

"Me?" House turned to look at her and saw a hint of mischief in her face. "Well, I'm a cripple."

"Does that mean you are not a pig?"

"Goodness, no," House exclaimed. "It just means that you can outrun me."

Kasumii laughed. "Do I really need to?"

"Nah," House denied. "I'm not into infants."

As they were getting ready to leave the roof, the door opened from inside. House and Kasumii stood aside to let whoever it was come out. It turned out to be David, House's physiotherapist. He greeted House briefly, but froze on his tracks when he saw Kasumii. House got the impression that Kasumii, too, had forgotten to breath for a second.

"David," House greeted him. "So you like the roof, too?"

"Yeah, I like to come out here to think," David responded a little distractedly.

"Yes, I find that this place is very good for that," House nodded sagely. "Oh, this, by the way, is Aiko's Nanny, David. Ms. Tanaka." House then turned to Kasumii. "And this is ... wait a minute; I don't think I know your last name David?"

"Grey, David Grey, Ms. Tanaka," David said, taking Kasumii's hand and bringing it to his lips in a brief, graceful, intimate and yet strangely formal greeting. "Pleased to meet you."

"Smooth, David, smooth," House commented from the sidelines.

"Likewise, Mr. Grey," Kasumii responded, ignoring House.

"Now, simmer down you two," House interrupted them. "Kasumii and I have things to do as surely do you, too David. So I have to break up this mutual admiration society, and we'll get going. And don't worry, Kasumii will spend a lot of time in the hospital, so you have plenty of time to moon over each other."

"House, do you think you could be even a little less obnoxious?" David asked him.

"No, not in my nature," House responded as he escorted Kasumii inside.

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Later that day House was in his office writing the letter that Gordon Butler's visit had interrupted. Kasumii's move had been planned and after this one night she was staying with Cameron till Sunday, when she was moving in to Cuddy's guest room. House had got things organised and was now concentrating on other things, like his letter. His brush was moving in graceful arches over the ivory surface of the paper forming elegant vertical rows of Kanji when Wilson walked in.

"What are you doing?" Wilson asked puzzled.

"I'm writing a letter to Aiko's grandfather," House replied. "I have kept him informed through email, but since I don't have kanji on my computer, I have written to him in English. And those messages have been just brief notes. I'm now writing him a proper letter, in Japanese, to inform him of what is going on in Aiko's life."

"You can write Japanese?" Wilson wondered.

"Well you know I speak the language, is writing it such a surprise then?" House asked.

"I suppose not," Wilson conceded.

"So did you just come in to comment on my Japanese or did you have some other reason for your visit?" House questioned as he carefully set down his brush.

"I just wanted to talk to you about your idiotic request that I call Kasumii Ms. Tanaka," Wilson revealed. "If we are going to see each other as much as I think, given that I am Aiko's Uncle Jimmy, to be that formal is just silly."

"In Japan only the closest family can call you by your first name, so I don't see anything silly in my request," House mused. "Also, keeping things formal between you two will help you to remember that she is not working here to give you an opportunity to get yourself a wife number four. Though, given what happened today, I think your chances of impressing her that way, have just changed from minimal to non-existent."

"What do you mean?" Wilson frowned.

"I think she just fell in love today," House informed his friend gleefully.

"Love? Just today? How? When? Who?" Wilson was full of questions.

"Well, I was having a chat with her on the roof and we ran into my physical therapist," House told Wilson. "He is a strapping young fellow with the smoothest manners you have ever seen and a killer British accent. He kissed her hand, and Kasumii just melted into a puddle. So I rather think you are out of the running now."

"Are you telling me that after having warned me off, and in the rudest way you could come up with, you just stood by and let this Britt make his moves on her, and you didn't stop him?" Wilson demanded indignantly.

"I suppose I am," House mused. "Of course, if things go south with him, they never need to see each other again, unlike with you – since you are Aiko's Uncle Jimmy – so interfering there was not that important. Though the next time I see him, when I go to my therapy, I will definitely tell him to watch his steps, because if his actions prevent Kasumii from taking the best possible care of Aiko, I will make him suffer."

"But you really should tell him to leave her alone, entirely!" Wilson demanded.

"Hey, I'm a cripple and he is an athlete. He used to row for Cambridge. One does not want to mess with someone like that unnecessarily," House pointed out.

"Fine, have it your way," Wilson muttered. "But I still think you should protect Kasumii better."

"You know, just because her name means Misty, is no reason for you to go so misty-eyed with her, that you cannot see that she is way too young for you," House told his friend. "Or that you are too old for her. She is only twenty-one, man. Leave the cradle snatching to those who are themselves in the cradle, too."

After a moment of silence during which Wilson pondered on House's statement, Wilson got closer to the desk to look at the letter he had interrupted.

"So you really write Japanese," he asked.

"Yes, I really do," House confirmed.