Okay, here's the next chapter. hope you like. Lemme know what ya think ;) And once again, thanks to those who reviewed. :D

CHAPTER 15

At 3 pm Kate made her way over to the diagnostics department to get ready to go home. She had met up with Wilson and House at lunch to go over the details of their living arrangements and it was decided much to his dismay that House would drive her to her hotel after work to pick up the few things she had brought with her from New York. After lunch, Kate made some phone calls and arranged for the rest of her stuff to be delivered by truck directly to House's place the next day.

She entered the diagnostics office by way of the conference room to find Foreman sitting at the table alone engrossed in a medical journal. The other two lackeys were nowhere to be seen. Kate cleared her throat to get Foreman's attention, as he didn't notice her walk into the room.

"Oh, sorry didn't see you there." Foreman said a bit startled as Kate was standing over his shoulder looking at what he was reading. It was an article on the effects of a new SSRI.

"So where are your buddies?"

"Chase is finishing up clinic duty and Cameron's helping out the immunology department. They're a bit backed up today."

"And what about you?" She asked. Kate didn't really care what Chase and Cameron were up to. She was just trying to make conversation until House came back from where ever he was.

Foreman looked down at his journal and back up at Kate, "Reading."

Kate just raised an eyebrow at him and nodded. She then proceeded to go over to the coffee machine and pour herself a cup of coffee. It was not gone unnoticed by Foreman that Kate was drinking out of House's red mug.

"So you and House huh?" asked Foreman cautiously.

"Me and House what?" replied Kate sipping her coffee. She decided to have a little fun with Foreman as she waited for House to return.

Foreman regretted bringing up the conversation the moment the words left his mouth. He began playing with the pen that was resting on the table and tried to avoid eye contact with Kate. "Nothing. It's just what you said this morning." Responded Foreman, choosing his words carefully.

"What did I say this morning?" Kate was not about to let him off the hook that easily.

"Umm. Nothing. It's none of my business." Foreman hoped that would be the end of the conversation.

"No that's okay. Ask away." She said smiling sweetly.

Foreman didn't know what to do. He considered pretending his pager went off but didn't think a smart woman like Kate would fall for that. Just as Foreman was deciding on what he could say to get out of this situation, House limped in, eyeing Foreman suspiciously.

"Trying to make a move a Kate, Foreman? I thought I made it clear that she was not available." He said as he looked between Foreman and Kate.

Chase and Cameron walked into the conference room together and abruptly stopped talking to each other when they saw the scene before them.

"I was not making a move on her House. We were just talking."

"Oh really. About what?" Smirked House, knowing perfectly well what they were talking about.

Foreman opened his mouth to reply but Kate cut him off before he got a word out. "Relax House. It was nothing important. Let's go. I'm hungry." She said getting up from the conference table.

House frowned at her for ruining his fun before walking over to her, grabbing the red mug out of her hands and draining the contents. "My mug." He replied before handing her the mug back to put in the sink.

"I know House. I was the one that bought it for you remember?" Kate replied rolling her eyes. "Now let's go. My stomach will not fill itself and we still have to move my things into your place. Correction, our place." She added the last bit in just to see the look on Cameron's face. Cameron was playing with the folder she was holding in her hand when Kate made that comment. Kate never saw anyone's head move that quickly in her life. It took all of her strength for Kate to turn to House and tell him that she would meet him downstairs without bursting out in laughter. House however, kept a straight face throughout the whole episode. He had perfected his poker face over the years and it took a lot to break him. But even House had to admit, Cameron's reaction was priceless.

After both House and Kate were gone the ducklings looked at each other in amazement. They had just learned some real insightful information about their boss. One, House was really protective of Kate, two, they have obviously known each other for a long time if she was the one that bought him the red mug, three, he cared for her a lot because he doesn't let any one touch his red mug, and four, Kate and House were moving in together. What was going on here?

MD MD MD MD MD MD MD MD MD MD MD MD

House walks into his apartment and throws his keys on the side table. Shortly thereafter, he is followed by Kate who is struggling with her duffle bag in one hand and a box of pizza in the other.

"No, no. That's okay. I'm fine. No need to help me." House shrugs at her and walks over to the couch. Kate glares at him but realizes that glaring at the back of his head is not going to make him magically get off his ass and help her so she heads off into the kitchen to put the pizza on the counter. Kate then makes a beeline towards the bedroom hoping that House doesn't see her, but alas she is not so lucky.

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Where do you think your going?" House asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Umm. Well considering I am a guest here, I just assumed that I would take the bedroom while you would graciously take the couch." Kate replied batting her eyelashes at him.

"Okay two things. First of all, I did not invite you to stay here. You invited yourself. So although there was an invitation somewhere in there, it went in the wrong direction. It was supposed to come from me to you, not you to me. Therefore you are not a guest."

"And second of all…?"

"And second of all, when have you ever known me to do anything graciously?"

Kate just shakes her head knowing better than to think that that line would have worked on him and sets her duffle bag down beside the couch. She then proceeds to make her way back into the kitchen and grabs the pizza box and two cans from the fridge, one beer and one diet coke. 'What is House doing with diet coke?' she wonders.

She sets the pizza box onto the coffee table and throws the diet coke at House. He catches it and eyes what she's drinking.

"Aren't you a little under age to be drinking a beer?"

She rolls her eyes and replies, "I'm over 21."

"Yeah, well my house, my beer." House says as he tries to reach for the other can. However Kate is faster and snatches it away from his grasp.

"Trade ya? Beer for remote." Asks Kate.

"How about beer for a place to sleep tonight?"

"Nope, already got a place to sleep."

"Not for long."

Kate opens the can of beer and looks over at House again. She picks it up puts it up to her mouth. "Last chance."

Reluctantly House throws the remote over to Kate who seems pleased. 'Too bad House doesn't know that I stopped drinking after the whole tattoo fiasco' muses Kate. She hands the can over to House and grabs the unopened can of diet coke.

"Why do you have diet coke anyway?"

"Wilson." House spoke that one word as if it explained everything and apparently it did because Kate did not inquire any further. Instead, she turned on House's TIVO and picked out an old episode of the OC to watch. House had already seen it but was content to watch it again because it was the season finale of the first season and he liked that episode.

House opened the pizza box and grabs a slice of pizza and begins to stuff it in his mouth and downing it with half the can of beer. "Someone's hungry" chuckles Kate. House just gives her a 'What are you looking at?' look and gets back to stuffing his face.

Kate grabs herself a slice of pizza and notices that House has put olives on it. She glares at him because he knows that she hates olives. He tries to concentrate on the O.C. but Kate can see the corners of his mouth turning upward. She tries not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her pissed so she just picks off the olives and throws them back onto the remaining pizza.

After finishing off the whole pizza (House had 6 slices while Kate only had 2) Kate gets up to get ready for bed…er…couch. She changes into her pjs and makes her way back into the living room. House is still sitting there but the TV is off and he has his eyes closed with his head resting against the back of the couch.

"If you prefer to sleep out here I have no problem with taking the bedroom." Quipped Kate taking her seat next to House.

House opened one eye and looked over at her. "Nice try Goldilocks, but this couch is juuuuusst right for you."

Kate makes a face but doesn't say anything. She really doesn't want to take the bedroom, but just enjoyed annoying him. However, she does notice that something is bothering him. Half way through dinner, House had become increasingly quiet.

Even through his silences, House was able to convey more than his words ever could to those who were able to read him. There were only a select few that picked up on these moments like Wilson, Stacey and Cuddy; and Kate liked to think that she could sense when something was bothering him too. At this particular moment Kate felt like House was stressing about something and she had a feeling she knew what that something was too, but she did not know how to approach the subject. When it came to relationships, like House, Kate kept everyone at a distance too. She was okay with the lighthearted, easy going stuff, but when it came to feelings and emotions she tended to clam up.

"House?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm tried."

"So?"

"So, unless you want to be my pillow I suggest you get off of my 'bed' so I can get some sleep."

House opens his eyes and looks over at Kate. Wow, she grew up into a beautiful woman. He remembered the times that she used to come over every time she fell and hurt herself playing in her backyard. She would never let her mom or dad clean her cuts or scraps or take her to any other doctor when she was sick. "I want Doctoe Gweg" is what she used to say. At first, he was annoyed when she used to show up on his doorstep crying because she fell off of her swing again and hurt herself again, but after a while she grew on him. And the fact that she stopped crying the minute he opened the front door always had him wondering if she really was hurt or just playing him so she could get a lollipop after he "fixed her up".

"House?" Kate said sleepily.

House is brought back from his thoughts at hearing his name. He shakes his head and looks away from Kate. He uses his cane to push himself off the couch. This takes more effort at the end of the day because all of his muscles are sore and ache more than usual. He stands up and pops two pills before heading to his room.

House is almost out of the room when he hears Kate sleepily mumble a "G'Night House" before rolling over and pulling the blanket over herself.

House nods in reply, turns the lights off and heads off to bed himself.