Chapter 13

By the end of the week, when House came home, there were no boxes anywhere. Everything had been put away and the empty boxes disposed of. He even made his way up to the loft one day and checked in the kids' rooms. There was some normal teenage clutter, but everything had been unpacked. He knew some people that lived out of boxes for months when they moved.

His look of amazement amused her.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Where is everything? We moved in a week ago. And all of the boxes are gone."

"Right. What's wrong with that?"

"Well, where are they?"

"I got rid of the boxes once they were unpacked. Why? Did you want them for something?"

"No, I don't want the boxes. But, you unpacked everything? I mean EVERYTHING? In one week?"

"Well, I didn't have to go work. And I had help. James and Donna over the weekend, we did a lot. And the kids this week. So, yeah, it's done."

He just shook his head, amazed.

He was about to be more amazed by this woman. Not only had she unpacked everything and gotten rid of the trash, she had hung curtains and drapes and pictures. The house looked as though they'd been living there for months instead of days.

So they started to settle in to their new home and new routines.

Hers involved getting the kids set up with all of the activities they would be doing for the upcoming school year. Then she put up a calendar so that the kids could put in all of their activities. And it was already filling up. Soccer practice and games, band practice, Girl Scouts, etc. He groaned when he saw it, not that he hadn't known she'd be involved in all of that stuff.

His involved finding out which video games the kids were good at and which ones he could beat them at.

But one other thing really floored him. He found out about it after dinner one night. They'd had steak and when they were finished, she gathered up all the bones and put them in a zip lock bag.

"Uh, Karen? Why are you saving trash?"

"It's for Rocco."

"Okay. Can I ask who Rocco is?"

"He lives next door."

"You're giving some guy next door the bones that we've gnawed on?" He looked at her strangely, wondering if there was something wrong with her or the guy next door.

"Sure. Kathy said he loves them."

"And Kathy would be…?"

"Our next door neighbor. Really, Greg, I told you about them yesterday."

"Oh, right." She'd been going on about something when he came home from the hospital, but he'd been tired and really hadn't paid much attention.

"So Kathy and Rocco can't afford food? Is that why you're giving them our scraps?"

"Greg! Kathy isn't eating them! They're for Rocco."

"Uh-huh." He was still confused.

"Do you remember anything I told you yesterday?"

"Uh, sure."

"No, you don't." she sighed. "Once again, Kathy is our next door neighbor. She's around our age and very nice. Rocco is her dog."

"Ah. Okay, that makes sense now. I was getting a little concerned."

She just shook her head and placed the bag in the fridge.

And to add to it, the next day, he found a strange woman sitting on the deck with Karen drinking iced tea, while a pit bull lay on the floor at their feet.

Karen smiled at him. "Greg, this is our neighbor, Kathy. And this handsome fellow is Rocco." She added, as she patted the dog's head.

"Yeah, hi." He said. He wasn't good at meeting new people and wasn't really in the mood to 'chat'. "Sorry, I need to go inside. Have to go in and, uh, do something."

Karen just rolled her eyes. "We know you're busy. Go ahead."

Kathy, who had long dark hair and a nice smile, just said, "No problem, it was nice meeting you."

He nodded and made his escape into the house. It wasn't that he had anything against their neighbor. He just wasn't comfortable around strangers. People didn't usually get him. Although for some reason Karen did. He smiled a little at that.

And for some reason, her kids seemed to like him too. At least they didn't seem to dislike him.

In fact, as soon as he made it inside, Daniel stopped him.

"Can you work with me on the piano a little?" the boy asked.

House shrugged. "Sure."

They went to the living room and spent the next hour at the piano. Daniel played some songs that he had sheet music for – badly. And House helped him find the right notes and chords.

House had thought he would be bored with helping the kid play, but he found it not to be too bad. Daniel was really intent on playing and House found it fun to see him catch on and learn new musical bits.

But even when they left the piano, they found things to interest them. They watched stupid movies or TV together and played video games.

Karen often came into the family room to find them watching "Jackass". She would turn right around and leave, since she hated that show.

Finding things in common with the girl was a little harder, but after she laughed at a few of his jokes – even some of the lamer ones – he knew he had her too. Before long they were watching sports together and science fiction.

But it was with Daniel that he seemed to bond the most. Maybe because he was more comfortable around a teenaged boy, having been one himself – and sometimes behaving as though he still was.

As far as his relationship with Karen, things were progressing normally – for the most part. Of course, they still kept finding out new things about each other.

About a week or so after they'd set up house, they found out something.

House had just gone to bed after working late at the hospital. She was already laying there. He reached out to pull her close, when she stopped him.

"Not tonight, Greg."

"Tired of me already?"

"No, of course not. I just have my period. And killer cramps."

"You have your period?"

"Yes."

"Seriously?"

"Yes." She turned to look at him and saw the incredulous look on his face. "Why do you look so shocked? You do know about women? Once a month, something happens to them? Let me know if any of this is familiar."

"I know what periods are. I didn't think you had them."

"And you haven't noticed that I'm a woman? "

"We've been sleeping together for like eight moths. You haven't had a period in all that time."

"Yes, I have. I just haven't had it when I was with you. My cycle's always been pretty regular and it just never happened when I came to visit."

He nodded. "Right."

She lay back down and curled into her pillow. He lay behind her and put his arm around her.

"Greg, I told you…"

"Shut up. Close your eyes."

She did and she felt his hand moving slowly over her stomach and abdomen. His movements were small and gentle. It relaxed her and made the cramps lessen.

"Mmm. That feels nice."

"Hey, these hands can give pleasure in many ways."

"They certainly can."

She drifted off to sleep, feeling content and happy.

A/N: The "neighbor" and her dog is a shout-out ot my friend and fellow fanfic writer, the wonderful glenlivet. Rocco was our mascot until he left us last year for the immortal dog pound. We all miss him. RIP Rocco!