This one is a little sad - sorry, it had to be done.

Chapter 47: Passages – Part 1

House was just pulling into his driveway when he saw Wilson's car pulling up to the curb. He didn't remember making any plans with his friend for the evening, so he was slightly confused. He hid it as the younger man approached him.

"Stalking me now, Jimmy? I told you, you can't have my body."

"Yeah, that's why I'm here. Guess I'll just have to live with the bitter disappointment." Wilson smirked. "I was invited for dinner."

House was still confused. "No one told me."

"Ah, I think it was just arranged. Joanne wanted to make dinner for us. She's doing it at your house because there's more room."

House looked at his friend. There was something… "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing." Wilson said, not meeting his eyes and heading for the door.

"Right." House muttered, opening the door.

Inside, Kate and Joanne were in the kitchen preparing dinner and laughing. Actually, Joanne was doing most of the preparations, while Kate helped in any way she could.

The men came in and greeted them. House, still suspicious, kissed Kate, while his eyes roamed the room.

Joanne continued to work as she said, "Hello, Gregory, hello, Jimmy."

"What's the reason for you poisoning us tonight?" House asked her.

"Don't be impertinent, Gregory. I know that you love my cooking, so do not think that you are going to upset me with your foolishness." She glanced at him briefly, then back at the food she was working on.

House smiled slightly, but there was something in her eyes…

"Come on, let's get some drinks." He said to Wilson, leading him to the bar in the dining room.

While House poured drinks for the both of them, he asked, "What's going on?"

"What are you talking about?"

"This little dinner party with no warning, from a woman who makes plans before she leaves a room."

"What makes you think I know anything about it?"

"You were invited."

"Joanne and I are friends."

"Which is why you should know that she never does anything spontaneously. You were invited and you're not curious about it. Which means you know what's going on."

Wilson studied his drink for a while. "I can't say."

House stared at him. "Oh, God. How bad is it?"

Wilson just shook his head.

"Oh, God. And if you're her doctor, that means…"

Wilson nodded.

House concentrated on the liquid in his glass, then took a healthy swallow. This would devastate Kate. Joanne was her friend, sister, mother, mentor. Obviously, she didn't know yet because she was laughing in the kitchen with her friend.

House limped in, and came up behind his wife, putting his arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Me," he whispered, "if you play your cards right."

"Greg!" she laughed as she tore the lettuce leaves.

No, he thought, she doesn't know. She's too happy.

Soon they sat down to dinner, the four adults along with Monica and Emily. Everyone talked and laughed and enjoyed each other in the way that only people who know each other well can.

After dinner, Kate and Monica brought the dishes into the kitchen to clean up, leaving House, Wilson and Joanne in the living room with coffee and after dinner drinks.

"Joanne, I hope you plan on telling Kate about your problem. You can't leave her hanging in the wind."

"How do you…" Joanne looked at Wilson. "Did you…"

"He guessed. He's good at that."

"I don't know the details. All I want to know right now is that you're going to tell Kate."

Joanne sighed. "Yes, I'm meeting her for lunch tomorrow. I'll tell her then. I just wanted an evening, one last evening when everything was still wonderful. Once I tell her, it will always be there. We won't have anymore happy, carefree evenings."

With that, she rose and went to the kitchen to join Kate.

House stared at his drink for a minute, then asked Wilson, "What kind is it?"

"Ovarian. Advanced. She has…"

"Yeah, yeah, six months tops. Why are you treating her? You're friends."

"She's a little scared of doctors. She wanted someone she felt comfortable with." Wilson walked to the fireplace and rearranged the pictures sitting there. "Kate's not going to take it well, is she?"

"Oh, she'll probably have a party! What the hell do you think?"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Kate and Joanne sat in their favorite restaurant, enjoying their lunch.

"Last night was so lovely, Katie. Being with you and your lovely family and Jimmy as well."

"It was nice." Kate smiled at her. "But I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that you wanted to do dinner at the spur of the moment. You're usually not that spontaneous."

"I really needed to see the people I care most about."

Kate just stared, her police senses coming to life. "Why? Why now?"

Joanne put down her coffee cup and sighed. "Katie, dear, there's something I need to tell you."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Realizing that Kate would probably need him, House left the hospital as early as he could. When he got home, he found the living room dark. He started to walk through to the other part of the house when he heard a sound. He turned on a lamp and saw Kate sitting alone in the dark.

"Hi." He said.

She looked up at him. Her eyes were red. She got up and went to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and sniffling into his jacket.

"Oh, Greg, it's just awful. Joanne is really sick. She's dying!"

"Yeah, baby, I know."

She pulled back suddenly. "You know? How do you know? How long did you know?"

"Last night."

"She told you last night and not me?"

"She didn't tell me. I figured it out."

"And you didn't tell me!"

"She wanted to tell you. And she didn't want you sad last night. She knew that once she told you, it would always be there between you. She wanted one last evening that was perfect."

Kate pressed her lips together and put her head on his shoulder. He put his arms around her and held tight.

"What am I going to do without her? She was my first friend at the police department. Hell, she was my first friend ever!"

FLASHBACK

"What's the matter, Detective Martin?" The gray-haired woman at the desk asked her.

"Nothing." Kate spat out, turning her head, then she turned back. "It's just that…god, I hate some of these guys. So, I'm a woman, so what? I'm still a cop!"

The woman smiled. "It's terrible that women have to work twice as hard to be thought half as good.

"So what do I do, bust my butt everyday in the hopes that they'll think me almost good enough?"

"If you're worrying about proving something to them, then, yes, that's what you'll have to do. But if you only care about proving something to yourself, then you'll just do your job and say to hell with them."

Kate smiled. "You're absolutely right. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Detective."

"It's Kate."

"Joanne. Nice to meet you."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Four months later….

House opened the door and waited while Kate slowly made her way inside the house. He couldn't wait to take off the suit and tie he was forced to wear to the funeral. Why you had to dress up to watch someone get buried, he could never figure out. It wasn't like they could see how you were dressed.

Kate was subdued. She hadn't said much since Joanne's death two days before. Of course, the months before that had been very busy. Kate insisted on spending as much time as possible with her friend. Even though Joanne had hospice care to take care of her physical needs, Kate had put herself in charge of her friend's emotional needs.

Now that she was gone, Kate wasn't quite sure what to do with herself.

House wasn't too good at the comforting stuff, but he sensed that his wife needed something from him.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"No."

"Can I get you something?"

"No."

"Are you ever going to say anything except no?"

"No." But she smiled slightly. "Greg, what do I do? She was my best friend. She was more than that. She was the mother that I lost years ago and never thought I needed. I don't know how I would have gotten through the last ten years of my life without her."

FLASHBACK

"Joanne, I've been seeing someone."

"Katie, you didn't tell me!"


"I wasn't sure how it would, if it would, well, you know. But I think we might have something."

"Oh, Katie, how wonderful. Tell me about him."

"He's a doctor, a little older than me, but really sexy. He's a little rough around the edges, but there's something about him that. I don't know, is kind of sweet."

"Well, dear, if you like him, I'm sure he's wonderful."

"Yeah, but I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Of the way I feel when I'm with him. I've dated other guys and I've never felt like this. It's really terrifying."

"Then it must be special. The only things that have the power to scare us are the things that really matter."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Kate's eyes filled with tears as she remembered telling Joanne about her feelings for House.

"Greg, what am I going to do without her?"

"What she would want you to do. Live your life."

"But…she was more than my friend. She was like my nother."

"Hmm. How long did you know Joanne? "

"About twelve years."

"So you knew her longer than you knew your real mother."

"Well, I never thought about that, but I guess I did."

"Seems like you were pretty lucky. You lost your mother when you were just a kid, but somehow acquired another one right when you needed her."

Kate sighed. "You're right. I was lucky to have her, for however long. But how do I go on without her?"

"One day at a time, baby, one day at a time."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

In time, Kate returned to her normal life, even though she felt like there was a piece of her missing. She didn't know how to fill that piece, but she took care of her family and attended her classes and went on. It was just harder.

And, of course, in time, she was able to remember Joanne with joy and not sadness, thinking of everything the woman had been to her. She could even smile at the memories. Life went on.