Chapter 13- I love you

AN: the explanation of an infarction is taken from the pilot episode so that's not mine. But the rest of the story is. Also I don't own House and Wilson as you already know. Katrina is mine though.

They were back in the park again but this time as a couple and not just friends.

"Please let me tell Alexis she was wrong" House pleaded.

"No. Because you'll rub it in her face" Katrina laughed. She then entwined her hand with his. House looked down at it and left his hand locked with hers.

"Greg you still haven't told me about your leg." She was looking at him in all seriousness.

"I thought Wilson had told you about it."

"No. James was a good enough friend to let me find out from you what happened."

They had found a bench and sat down. Katrina was staring up, gazing at the clouds as they moved silently through the sky, they moved in the direction the wind took them.

House looked at Katrina. He never liked telling the story of his infarction. It just brought back all the memories of Stacey and the pain he suffered from everyday.

"You'll have to tell me sometime. And you might as well get it over and done with today." She said as she was still staring at the clouds.

House gave a heavy sigh that signalled she was right.

"I had an infarction in my leg" he began

"What's an infarction?" she asked.

"It's what happens when the blood flow is obstructed. If it's in the heart it's a heart attack. If it's in the lungs it's a pulmonary embolism. If it's in the brain it's a stroke. I had it in my thigh muscles."

"Oh my god." She gasped hands covering her mouth.

"Oh it gets better" House explained with a twisted smile. "They couldn't diagnose it as the only symptom I felt was pain. This turned out to be muscle death."

Katrina was still silent in shock, how could James have not told her about this!

"I asked to be put in a chemically induced coma so the worst of the pain could blow over" House continued. "But while I was in the coma Stacey gave the consent to take out the dead thigh muscle."

"But how could Stacey be allowed to do that?" She asked

"She was my medical proxy while I was in the coma." House said looking to the ground.

Katrina stroked his hand in comfort, she didn't know whether it worked but it seemed to cheer him up a little.

After what seemed an hour of just sitting on the old rickety bench Katrina softly said "I love you Greg."

And his reply came almost immediately "I know. And I love you too."

Katrina ended up lying down on the bench resting her head against his leg and still staring up at the clouds.

For some reason she had always had a fascination with clouds. She smiled remembering when she had asked her mother why the clouds kept following them. Her mother's reply came as "Katrina my dear. The clouds are following us as they are like guardians. Looking over and protecting us from the rays of the sun."

After that explanation Katrina had always felt safe when looking at the clouds. Even while her mother and father were having arguments, Katrina retired to her attic room and stared out the skylight.

"You know the first time I met you I didn't like you." Katrina said in a daydream.

"I can believe that." He replied, "I'm not so great with first impressions."

Katrina laughed and sat up to look at him.

"What did you think about me?" she asked.

"At first I thought you where some idiot school kid who didn't know where they were going." He started "Then I saw that you where a young women who didn't know where she was going."

"I knew exactly where I was going" she replied "I was heading for the exit and you walked in my way."

"Whatever. You still walked into me."

"Just think if I'd never walked into you we never would've met." She said deep in thought.

"Just think how much money I would've saved if I hadn't met you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I wouldn't have needed to pay for a holiday every year to come and see you."

"Well you didn't come and see me for five years!" she replied feeling hurt.

"Hey! I'm only teasing you. And I'm sorry for those five years I didn't come to see you. I was too wrapped up in my own self pity. It also didn't help when Stacey came back."

"Stacey came back?"

He stopped and wished he hadn't mentioned Stacey.

"House. Stacey came back? What happened with you two?"

Now Katrina had gotten serious. She never called him House unless she was upset. He gave a heavy sigh and before talking about what happened he reminded her with "I love you, and if Stacey came back for me, I wouldn't have her back as now I have you."

She smiled and braced herself for what he told her.

When he finished Katrina took it in her stride and settled back down against his leg.

They ended up sitting like that for another hour until it started to get cold and House's leg was beginning to cramp from the cold.

"You wanna get a sandwich?" he asked her as his stomach started to rumble.

"What type?" she asked smiling

"Any type."

"You know since you made me pick those pickles out in 'Brenties' I crave them."

"Really?" House asked raising an eyebrow. "What a good team we make. I hate pickles and you love them."

"I don't love them as much as I love you."

"Well I love Rueben's more than you." He teased.

Katrina punched him on the arm and looked at him.

"Of course I don't love Rueben's as much as you. But that could change if you keep hitting me. You know it's again the law to hit a cripple."

"Well good job it isn't in England" she said lightly kissing him.

"Ooh now I'm scared." He retaliated.

They left the park in high spirits and walked over to House's motorbike Katrina mounted it and held onto House as the wind rushed past and the sky was getting darker.

"I just have to go back home and get some money" he told her as they arrived at the apartment.

Katrina was blissfully unaware that Wilson was living there as well. And he could most likely hear her giggling down the hall.

Wilson opened the door to find Katrina standing with House and his hand holding hers.

"What's going on here then?" Wilson asked with suspicion.

As House was about to tell Wilson Katrina interrupted with,

"Nothing!"

She'd forgotten about Wilson completely. Wilson seemed to think they were together now after they had kissed the other night but she needed to talk Wilson round this, and without House in the room.

House knew nothing about what had happened with her and Wilson.

She went over to hug Wilson and whispered in his ear "I'll talk to you later".

As she released him, he nodded in agreement and stayed silent for the rest of the time House and Katrina spent in the apartment.

"Boy this is going to be a long night" Katrina thought to herself as she left.