Chapter 20

They were eating dinner one evening and Karen and Emma were babbling on about something. Daniel wasn't there. House wasn't paying much attention, until a few words penetrated his brain,

The words were "boy" and "dance".

"What's going on?" House asked.

"Weren't you listening, Greg? A boy asked Emma to the Junior High Autumn Dance! Isn't that exciting?"

He looked from Karen's smiling face to Emma's excited one and shook his head.

"No." he said.

"No? Well, you should listen to the conversation if you want to be included."

"Not 'no' about listening. 'No' about the dance. She can't go."

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean what do I mean? She's too young to go on a date. You're her mother, you should know that."

"It's not a date, it's a dance."

"It's a date for a dance."

Emma looked ready to cry. "Mom, you said I could go! I already told Zach."

"Of course, you can go, honey." Karen glared at House. "It's not a date and she's not too young for that. She's almost fourteen."

"That's still too young."

"You're not my father!" Emma cried. "You can't tell me what to do!"

"Emma, that's not nice." Karen admonished her.

"Have you asked her father about this? I can't believe Frank would let her go."

"I have custody of her and I say she can go. It's just a dance, Greg. All of the kids are going. And I know Zach and his parents. He was on her soccer team."

"Oh, great! A soccer player!"

"What's wrong with a soccer player?"

"A real American would be playing football."

Karen just shook her head, then turned back to Emma. "Don't worry, honey, you're going to the dance. No matter what anyone else says."

House grumbled, but the look from Karen warned him to keep his mouth shut. Emma finished eating and retreated to her room.

Once she'd gone, House continued his diatribe. He was in the middle of it when Daniel came home.

"What's up?" the teenager asked.

"Your sister is going to a dance with a boy." Karen told him. "And Greg thinks she's too young to go."

"He's right." Daniel said. "I can't believe you'd let her go out on a date, Mom."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, not you too! It's just a dance. You went to them when you were her age."

"Yeah, and I tried to get the girls to leave with me or go to a quiet place somewhere for stuff that I don't want some guy doing to my sister."

"See?" House said triumphantly. "Daniel agrees with me."

"Just because both of you are horny teenagers doesn't mean I'm changing my mind. Emma is smart. We've taught her how to behave and what's right and wrong. She needs to start putting those lessons into practice.

With that, Karen went into the kitchen and refused to speak of the matter again,

Two weeks later – on the night of the dance - Karen came downstairs after helping Emma with her hair. She stopped when she saw both House and Daniel sitting on the sofa in the living room.

"What's up guys?"

"Just chilling on the sofa here." House told her.

"Right." She said. "No TV or video games in here and you aren't even at the piano."

The two males exchanged a look that said, damn, should have thought of the piano.

Just then the doorbell rang. Daniel jumped up, but Karen stopped him with a glare.

"I will get that." She said.

She opened the door and let the young man in to the house. He was followed by his parents, who had come to take some pictures and to drive the kids to the dance.

Karen greeted them warmly. She knew them from the soccer games, so she introduced them to House and Daniel. The guys were cordial, but cool, all their efforts concentrated on sizing up the boy.

Poor Zach looked very nervous as he was scrutinized by the tall teenager and the man with the beard and the steely blue eyes. He was only about as tall as Emma was and thin, with braces and acne. But he was wearing a nice navy blue suit and he had a small bunch of flowers in his hand.

Karen ran up the stairs to get Emma, glaring at the guys before she went. In seconds, she was heading back down, saying, "She'll be right down."

Emma came down next. She was wearing a pretty dress in royal blue and cream, trimmed with black velvet ribbon. Her hair was a nice mix of straight and braided and looked young and fresh, but still lovely. She had a light sprinkling of makeup on, applied with a gentle hand by her mother. She wore black shoes with an ankle strap and one inch heels.

She smiled shyly at Zach and he unceremoniously handed her the flowers. His parents and Karen gathered them together to start taking pictures.

House stayed on the sofa and refused to get into any pictures, but Karen forced Daniel up. Eventually the pictures were finished and the kids were ready to leave. Since Zach's parents were driving them, Karen kissed Emma goodbye and watched from the door as they drove off.

When she came back inside, she looked at the guys and said, "Okay? Are you happy? He's just a kid. A nice, shy, awkward kid. No big deal."

House and Daniel looked at each other and nodded,

"It's okay." Daniel said.

"For now." House added.

She shook her head.

"Well," Daniel said, "Guess I can go out now. Mom, can you drive me?"

"Don't you get a ride from Larry on Fridays?"

"Yeah, but he left already. Since I was, uh,…"

"Since you were being an overbearing, overprotective brother."

He shrugged.

"Sorry, I'm not giving rides tonight. You missed yours, too bad."

"But Mom…" Daniel began.

"Sorry. It's not happening."

"I'll take him." House said.

They both turned to him in amazement. Although he would sometimes help out IF Karen asked, he never volunteered to drive the kids. He saw their looks and shrugged.

"The kid stayed for a noble cause which I support. He deserves a ride."

"If you want to, then go." Karen said. But there was a warm place in her heart for the man who was becoming so close to her kids.

As House drove Daniel to his friend's, he thought about how it felt to belong with these people. And decided that it felt really good.