Sorry for the delay. Funny how life seems to intrude on one's obsessions... Anyway, here's the first of three chapters that I will be posting in the next day or so. Enjoy and please continue to let me know what you think.

Chapter 37: Trying to Adjust – Part 1: Separate Stories

House's Story

I just don't understand that girl.

I came home from work to find Kate, Emily and Monica in the kitchen. I could hear them talking and laughing from the hall.

When I entered, Kate smiled as usual and said, "Hi, Greg, how was your day?"

Emily, my little sweetie, reached out to me, excited as she could be and crying out, "Daddy! Daddy!" Gotta love that kid.

But Monica stopped talking and laughing and immediately dropped her eyes, afraid to even look at me. I don't think I've even seen her eyes yet.

Being me, I couldn't let that happen. I don't really care if anyone talked to me, unless they go out of their way not to. Then I have to do something about that. So after kissing Kate and picking up Emily, I turned to the teenager and said, "Hi, Monica, how are you?"

With her eyes still downcast, she mumbled, "Fine, Dr. House."

Kate interrupted, trying to distract me with something they did, but I cut her off and directed my remarks to Monica.

"Anything exciting happen at school?"

"No, Dr. House."

"Anything exciting happen at home?"

"No, Dr. House."

God, she was difficult. "Well, then I guess we're just a boring little group here, aren't we? Too bad."

Kate interrupted again, turning the conversation away from Monica and back to whatever she was talking about. I let her—for now. But I was going to get to the bottom of this mystery.

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Monica's Story

Kate and Emily and I were having a wonderful time in the kitchen. I used to cook before, to help my mom, so I was trying to show Kate how to make some easy stuff. We had just finished putting a casserole together and it was in the oven. We were laughing at how much landed on Kate's shirt, when he came in.

Of course, Kate smiled at him, as she always does, and said, "Hi, Greg, how was your day?"

And sweet little Emily, well she's too young to know any better, she started saying, "Daddy! Daddy!"

He kissed Kate and picked up Emily, but I could sense the coldness. I turned away. I didn't want to see those mean blue eyes. I couldn't stand it. He wasn't fooling me. I knew what he was really.

But he wouldn't leave me alone. He went out of his way to say, "Hi, Monica, how are you?"

I knew he couldn't care less how I was. I didn't look at him, I just answered, "Fine, Dr. House." I had been taught to be polite to my elders.

Kate interrupted him, trying to tell him something important to her, but he didn't care about what she had to say. He had to keep at me. "Anything exciting happen at school?"

Like he cared about my school and the fact that none of the kids liked me. Actually, they didn't even talk to me. I was just the murderer's kid, so they stayed far away. But I knew I had to answer him anyway.

"No, Dr. House."

I thought that would end it, but not with him.

"Anything exciting happen at home?"

"No, Dr. House."

God, he was a jerk. Instead of letting it go, he had to add one more stupid comment.

"Well, then I guess we're just a boring little group here, aren't we? Too bad."

I hated him. He was just as bad as my dad. Kate said he didn't hurt her, but I knew how women lied about that. My mom did all the time. Well, I wouldn't let it happen again. If he hurt Kate or Emily, I would make sure he paid for it. As for me, well, I had killed my own father. What did I care about this jerk?

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Kate's Story

I was with Monica and Emily in the kitchen when Greg came home. I was so excited that I had actually cooked something! I'd never done that before. So of course, there was a big smile on my face when Greg came in. I greeted him as I usually did.

"Hi, Greg, how was your day?"

Emily, being her daddy's girl, got so excited to see him and starting crying "Daddy! Daddy!"

Poor Monica looked away from him. She hadn't looked him in the eye since she got here.

Greg kissed me and picked up Emily, but, being Greg, he couldn't leave Monica alone. He deliberately addressed her, "Hi, Monica, how are you?"

She didn't look at him, as usual, just mumbled, "Fine, Dr. House." Her parents had taught her to be polite, but the bad things they'd done to her far outweighed the good.

I thought I would distract him from Monica, so I started to tell him about my day, but I should have known better. It's almost impossible to distract Greg House when he doesn't want to be. He kept looking at her and then cut me off by saying, "Anything exciting happen at school?"

I knew she wasn't happy at school, but so far she hadn't even given me details. There was no way she was going to tell him.

"No, Dr. House."

I thought that would be it, but no, he couldn't let it go.

"Anything exciting happen at home?"

"No, Dr. House."

God, they were both so infuriating. Why couldn't they learn to get along? Of course, Greg had to try to have the last word.

"Well, then I guess we're just a boring little group here, aren't we? Too bad."

I didn't let him go any further. I started talking and wouldn't let him interrupt. He seemed satisfied—for the moment.