Chapter 2: Less Than Strangers

"We'll fast-forward to a few years later. No one knows except the both of us. And I have honored your request for silence." ~Hands Clean, Alanis Morissette

"What is this?" House asked placing a piece of paper on Cuddy's desk.

Cuddy looked up at House annoyed, took the paper, and said. "It says: you have a new fellow, Dr. Katherine Harker, working for you."

"I already have a team." House said and turned to leave.

"Oh no you don't." Cuddy thought before saying; "I told you about this months ago and I reminded you last week."

"It must have slipped my mind. Plus, I don't really listen to you."

"Dr. Harker's contract starts today. What do you want me to say?"

"How about, goodbye. You're a people person you'll figure it out."

"Why don't you give her a chance? Here look at the application, she has excellent credentials."

House skimmed over the application. It was impressive but he would not show it. "Fine, but only for one month. Then she's gone." He turned to go out the door.

"Six months."

House stopped and slowly turned. "What?"

"It's part of the original contract." Cuddy said.

"One month."

"It's not a negation."

"Then find a different department for her."

"You owe me." Cuddy said. They were the magic words. House knew that he owed everything to Cuddy. She had lied on the stand for him.

"Fine, but only for six months and then she is gone."

"We'll see."

"Where is she?"

"In the clinic."

"You are giving me a sick doctor. What's next a zombie?"

"She's not sick. She's a doctor who works here. She was getting acquainted with the facility."

"Uh huh…" House walked out into the clinic and watched the occupants. He looked through the unfamiliar faces trying to pick out the new doctor. He found Dr. Harker talking to Nurse Brenda probably going over the clinic's procedures. House got up and leaned against the wall watching Dr. Harker. "You are way too cute to be a doctor."

Dr. Harker looked at House. "Dr. House I presume. You certainly live up to your reputation." She said with a thick Australian accent.

"I use a sock." House said with a smirk trying to see what could possibly set off his new fellow. "Great another Brit! Cuddy neglected to mention that."

"I'm not British, but I am sure you already know that. Do you need me upstairs or in the clinic today?"

"Are you trying to suck up or just annoyingly dedicated to the job?" She refused to answer the question but waited for a reply. "Since you already found a calling here you can stay."

"Thank you." Dr. Harker picked up a file and got to work.

House shook his head and went back to his office where Cameron and Foreman were looking over their latest case. He went over to the white board and looked over the symptoms. Chase came in and handed House the x-ray. "You might want to see this." On the x-ray was a dark spot. "It's not a shadow. I double checked."

"Are you sure? You should have tripled checked." Chase waited patiently for House to somewhat stop acting like a child, if that was possible. "Fine. Kangaroo you did not make a mistake. What do you see?"

"Maybe it's a legion or growth." Chase suggested.

"No! See, that why I never tell you good job it ruins you. Cameron?"

"It's a legion House."

House sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine. Go get a biopsy. By the way, you have new fellow." Everyone stopped and looked at House. "She cute too. Don't worry Cameron you're still pretty. Her only fault is that she speaks funny like Chase."

"When will she start working?" Foreman asked.

"Oh, she's downstairs something about being committed to the clinic."

"You did not think of introducing us to are new fellow coworker."

"Now that something I'd expect to hear out of Cameron or Chase's mouth not yours." Realizing that Chase had yet to say anything on the subject, House asked. "What? No opinion Chase."

"She has a clotting disorder." Chase said.

"She did not mention anything, but then again it was only for a moment."

"Not the newbie the patient." Chase said before heading for the hall. "Never mind."

"Get Cuddy's approval." House shouted after Chase.

Chase stopped and turned. "Why?"

"Just do it."

Chase left the conference room rather confused and went down to Cuddy's office. After getting approval, Chase was coming out of Cuddy's office when he saw her and caught his breath.

She was in the clinic completing paper work in a patient's file before putting it in a pile for the nurses to process. It was so strange and somehow comforting to see her. This was complete irony if he had ever encountered it.

Cuddy notice Chasse watching Dr. Harker. "Was there something else you needed Dr. Chase?"

Chase looked back at Cuddy. "When did Dr. Harker start working here?"

"She's House's new fellow." Chase looked at Cuddy shocked. "I'll take it that House did not tell you." Cuddy stood up and walked over to where Chase was standing. "She's pretty. How do you two know each other?"

"We grew up together."

Cuddy smiled to herself she doubted that was all. The way Chase looked at her…Well, it was like a boy looking at a girl for the first time and realizing she didn't have cooties. "You should ask her to help you with the testing. In fact, why don't you tell her I told her to?"

Chase looked at her with a grin. "Dr. Cuddy, what are you trying to do?"

"Nothing. I'm just trying to let two friends catch up."

Chase shook his head and walked out of Cuddy's office. She had a terrible poker face. He went over the exam room where Dr. Harker was. The door opened and out came a patient with a script. Dr. Harker stopped as she saw Chase standing in the doorway. "Hi Kate."

Dr. Harker stood looking at the person in front of her. She felt the blood rush from her face. It was like seeing a ghost. She quickly covered with an act as she said, "Hi Robert."

He could tell by her reaction that she was surprised to see him just as he had been. "You look good." He couldn't think of anything else to say in such an awkward situation.

"You to." Kate slowly said. She was still trying to process seeing him.

"House has a case and Cuddy said you were free to help with testing. I guess she was wrong." Chase blurted out. "I'll go. Sorry to have bothered you."

"No. I am free." Kate said. She did not know why she agreed to go but she did.

"Okay," Chase said rather stunned.

Shortly after the tense reunion in the clinic, they were running a test on the patient in silence. They were both unsure of how to act around of each other, as they were both equally confused by their emotions.

Kate was the first to speak. The patient was asleep so it was safe to have a conversation without a fear of being heard. "So, it's agreed that we don't tell anyone about us?"

Robert knew what she was talking about but was going to play with her. "Us?" He asked with a blank stare

"You know what I mean." He continued to stare at her blankly. "Us. You know when…when we were involved."

"Oh, that." He smiled. "Yeah I think it should stay between us. If you know what I mean." By this time, he was grinning from ear to ear. Kate playfully slapped his shoulder. "Why are you even worried about that? You know me. I'm not going to say anything."

"Things get out. A hospital is never a safe place to keep secrets."

"Last time I checked, what we had wasn't a secret."

"Back home it wasn't but here it's history and that never seems to stay silent. It has a way of always sneaking back up."

Chase laughed. "Unfortunately, that is so true." He could just see House digging up everything. He totally agreed that Kate and he should keep their past to themselves. "We will tell them the truth: we're old family friends."

"Okay, I can buy that." Kate said.

"Can I ask you a question?" Chase asked after a moment.

"Sure," Kate said. She could tell that it was a sensitive subject.

"Why are you here?"

"I work here."

"No I mean: here."

"Robert, I did not come here for you. It's been years." Kate said. She did not believe that Chase could still think that way. Or think that she was that desperate.

"Okay, I just wanted to check."

"Don't worry, I'm over you." The way Kate said that, it stung Chase. Sure, they had moved on but she did not need to be harsh about it. It was not as if their breakup was something simple and small. They had both lost something.

The puzzle was solved once more and the case finished. House watched Dr. Harker as she finished up the discharge forms for the patient. He thought about how she had interacted so easily with Chase. "How long have you two know each other?" House asked Chase and Kate as they sat in the conference room.

"Robert and my brother Peter were best friends growing up. My family lived down the street from the Chases until we moved." Kate said. "So a while." When House continued to look at Kate she asked: "Did you want something else?"

"Nope." House said.

"Okay," Kate said as she completed her paperwork. "If were done with twenty questions for now, I'm going to go give this to the patient." Since there were no questions, Kate left the conference room.

Once Kate was out of the room, House turned to Chase and asked. "So how long were you doing her?"

"She's my best friend's sister meaning she was and still is off limits. Didn't you ever learn that one?" Chase asked avoiding the question.

"I'm going to take that as awhile. Was it serious?"

Chase looked at House. "You misinterpreted what I said."

House was unsure of if Chase was telling the truth of lying. He was stuck but he still had more time to poke and prod. "If you say so." It was going to be a fun six months if not more.

Cameron and Foreman were the last ones in the office. Cameron sat looking over the case file even though it was complete. "What's wrong?" Foreman asked.

"What makes you think something is wrong?"

"You are looking at a case file we've completed." He sat down across from Cameron.

"Do you think House was right?" She asked.

"About what?" Foreman was used to Cameron asking about House. It was often redundant however, he was happy that it wasn't about her recent break-up with Chase.

"Chase and Harker? It seems that there is something more. Think about it, the way Chase avoided that question."

"Cameron? Are you jealous?"

"No!!"

"I was just checking."

"I broke up with him. He's the desperate one with the whole: It's Tuesday." Foreman nodded his head. "I'm over him. He's the one who needs to move on."

"Okay, and no I don't think there is more going on between them. Even more, I don't care if they ever were or are involved." He noticed how Cameron's body slight tensed. "I doubt they are dating. She's only been here a week."

"I don't care."

"I know. See you later."

"So, what do you think?" Chase asked Kate as she was walking out the door of the hospital.

"About what?" Kate asked in reply.

"About working here?"

"It's fine." Kate said. "House definitely lives up to the rumors."

"Yeah, he is an ass, but a genius."

"If you say so."

"Anything else? Don't worry I can keep my mouth shut."

"I know you can keep a secret, but there is nothing to report. I've only been here a week. Everything is still too new. I can't really say anything yet." Chase nodded his head. "What about you? Do you have an opinion that I should know about?"

Chase shrugged his shoulders. "I think that you'll like it here."

Kate smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow." Her cell rang. "Excuse me." She said as she answered it. "Hey Anna. How are you sweetie? Yeah… How is your daddy? Oh he does, okay put him on. I love you to. Hi Peter… I'm fine. How are you? Sure… Okay… No, I'll call her. Thanks. Give Liz my love. Okay bye." She hung up and looked at Chase. "What?" She asked.

"Nothing. It's just for a second I thought that you were a mom." Kate laughed at the comment. "Then I realized you were talking to Anna. How old is she now?"

Kate took a picture out of her wallet. It was a picture of, Anna, a little girl with black hair and brown eyes. "It's hard to believe but she is almost five now."

Chase nodded his head as he looked at the picture. Seeing a picture of Peter's daughter, Anna, made him think about how long he had been in the states. Had it really been four years? "Wow, I can't believe she's almost four. Time flies."

Kate took the picture and put it back. "That it does. I'll see you tomorrow. Night Rob."

"Night Kate." Chase watched as Kate walked towards her car. It was so strange and nice to see her again.

A/N: Since there appears to be a little following I posted earlier than planned. However, I have finals this next week and will be busy. I am unsure of when the next chapter will be up. Also, the lyrics at the start of the chapter: I did this with a different story and I thought it would be fun to try on this. Think of it as a playlist for the story/chapter. Also, it can be a hint in telling you what to expect. As for the character of Kate: Think Kate Beckinsale with brown hair. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Your comments are always encouraging.

Disclaimer: Don't own any music mentioned or House characters.