House left after supper with the promise that he'd be back later that evening. Jesse was concerned but she didn't let it show. She knew he wasn't entirely pleased with her behavior, but there was precious little to be done about it now. She mulled over the options while House was otherwise engaged. And he said he was bringing Wilson back with him. If he showed up with his friend it might mean everything was okay. Jesse hoped she hadn't upset House too much…at the very least they could talk about it.

House could be loud when angry, Jesse gauged that much on Sunday, but there was no physical bite to his bark. No need to worry, Jesse told herself. The cane was a noisemaker, used for punctuation from time to time and nothing more. She felt a hand on her arm. "Why the long face, Queenie?" Jack asked, sitting beside her.

"I don't think House was pleased with my behavior."

"He didn't give much of a reaction."

"He wouldn't." Jesse said. Jack thought about it and nodded in agreement.

"No, he wouldn't. So how do you think he'll react when he does decide he wants to make issue of it?"

"We talk well. We had a few moments Sunday. We got all our cards on the table and he obviously wasn't happy with some of mine. Noise and nothing more…I don't think there's a physically mean bone in his body."

"Well then, nothing to worry about." Jack tried to reassure her.

"Yes there is. I genuinely like the man." Jack put an arm around Jesse.

"I have no doubt he feels the same way about you. Even the twins can see it. The way he looks at you when you're not looking. The way he touches you. He may have every bit the bite and bark that you do to the population as a whole, but when it comes to someone special in his life? It's obvious there's a very gentle soul hidden safely away somewhere deep inside." Jesse nodded. "He's been saving himself for you." Jack said, trying to cheer her with a little humor. Jesse managed a laugh.

"You're terrible."

"The lot of us falls in to that category. That's why our Dr. House fit in so quickly and so well. He's at home here." Jack thought about it for a bit. "Perhaps until he's more comfortable with his new surroundings we should keep 'shop talk' to a minimum?"

"He'd know. House is way too bright for patronizing tactics. Besides, I don't feel anyone should be shielded from the truth when they have a front row seat." Jesse thought about what she'd just said. "He's been front and center since we met, fearless from the beginning. No, there's no need for any of that. I won't live like that anymore."

Jack nodded after careful consideration. "You're right. He's a good man, Queenie. He deserves the very best we have to offer. So how do we handle the delicate situation with our Dr. House until he's acclimated himself to this pond as well as the pond at PPTH?"

Jesse sighed, searching for the right words. "I don't think handle is the best word. We're not the kind of people that handle well." She and Jack thought for a moment. Both nodded at the same time. "We treat him with the utmost regard and understanding. He is deserving of our respect. He's here with both eyes open and aware of the situation as a whole. He's simply untutored in the myriad of goings on 'in this pond' as we would be in his. They would treat us kindly, I'm sure. We should treat House and his friends the same. It's a meeting of two very different worlds and there are going to be a lot of differences popping up from time to time. We remain gracious ambassadors, open to new ideas and hope they will follow suit." Jesse said, hoping for the best.

"That works. We can work with that. I'll start drumming it into Henry Etta."

"Get a large drumstick." Jesse snarked. They laughed.

"We do have that thread in common." Jack reminded her. "You and our Dr. House have the same sense of humor. And this friend of his?"

Jesse shook her head, smiling. "Poor Dr. Wilson…I think he's one of House's favorite catnip toys." Jesse laughed. Jack thought about it for a moment, looking for that positive angle that Jesse always insisted upon.

"That means he's a patient and tolerant man. He'll do well here. If he's single maybe I should introduce him to the twins?" Jesse's expression brightened considerably.

"Three time loser…too nice, according to House. Henry Etta could work with that."

"Practice at least, Play doctor?" Jesse and Jack looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"And I thought I was bad. Actually, House and I were discussing that earlier."

"You are that bad. You're also and excellent teacher, Queenie, queen of the snarkfest. Shall we toast to best laid plans, including those of our Dr. House?"

"Hopefully one of them will be." Jesse laughed, reaching for her glass.

While Jesse and Jack were busy planning a festive evening, House was catching up on things at his apartment. It didn't take much to tidy up when he wasn't there enough to mess it up. Paperwork and some well deserved quiet time under his belt and House was looking forward to getting back to his rabid poodle. Queenie was right, House thought, rabid poodle indeed. She was a force to be reckoned with. He was glad Wilson had accepted his invitation for an evening out. House was feeling a little outnumbered.

House heard the phone ring. "I know you're not calling to cancel." House snarked instead of a simple hello."

"No, I'm ready. I was wondering if you wanted to take your car since you'll probably be staying?" Wilson teased with more than a hint of sarcasm. I can take a cab…"

"I'm heading out the door. I'll pick you up." House hung up before Wilson had a chance to answer. He didn't need any longwinded wonderings about something as simple as transportation when he was trying to think.

A fun evening out, House cautioned himself, sifting through the thoughts in his head. He'd save any serious questions for later. It's not like he couldn't ask. Jesse had been nothing but honest with him. But House didn't know what to ask. She'd left him speechless at dinner. How to ask and what to ask, House couldn't find the words. But he would. A little alcohol and a cozy evening with friends would help get things off to a comfortable start. House admonished himself as he neared Wilson's.

There was no reason to be uncomfortable, none whatsoever. Nothing had changed. It was simply another facet of her abilities surfacing for his personal inspection. She was continually opening up to him. Jesse was being nothing but honest. She could have hid the fact of her complicity, but she'd admitted it without a second thought.

House paused to wonder why he was having such a problem with this. He tried looking at it from other angles. Cuddy had come out on the attack. Then there was the Rolls, and Jesse, and Cuddy had turned the work issue into something personal before Jesse got out of the car. Jesse came out on the attack only after Cuddy got personal with him. Cuddy hadn't a clue Jesse was in the car.

A smile came to House's face as he reached Wilson's and waited for him to come out. Jesse had called it a lesson in manners. It may have turned in to an issue about Cuddy and William but not until Cuddy had turned it into an issue about Jesse and House. In the end, it was about him! When Cuddy ceased being professional Jesse opened fire.

House suddenly laughed in spite of himself. Jesse had done it for him, using twenty plus years of verbal artillery that was about William. It had effectively removed House from the line of fire when she attacked Cuddy. And House was left an innocent bystander. Tactically, it was pure stealthy genius!

House watched his friend exit the apartment as he regrouped. Maybe that's why he was having a problem being angry with Jesse? She'd removed him from the line of fire, the middle of the catfight, and left him nothing more than an enthralled and innocent spectator. Wilson got in the car and broke House's train of thought.

Chapter 36