Author's Note: I still don't own House, just the lady and her dog. Here's the latest installment in their adventure. You know what to do - read and review. Thanks!

House had felt Thirteen watching him all day. She'd been the one to bring in the test results and the updates on the patient's status. Lunch had mysteriously turned up on his desk and he suspected she'd brought it too. As interesting as the case was proving to be, House still wanted to know why she'd gone searching for it.

It was just after 6 and he was sitting in his office, rolling his red and gray ball between his hands. He had just sent the team to start a treatment based upon his latest theory. He didn't think it was going to work, but the patient's reactions would tell him more and that was what he needed.

The door between his office and the conference room opened and Thirteen entered. She sat down in one of his visitor's chairs.

"It's too soon for any reaction," he told her.

"You should go home," she said. "We can call you with updates."

"Why did you go searching for this case?"

"You think you're the only one who finds clinic duty boring?"

"You wanted to work in a clinic," House scoffed.

"They offered me the job. I came back here instead." House just stared at her and she shifted in the seat, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and her palms pressed together. "Why didn't you tell Cuddy that I'm the one who borrowed the equipment?"

"She wouldn't have believed me," House said, shrugging. He heard her sigh as she sat back in the chair.

"House, go home. If you did something stupid, apologize. If she did something stupid, forgive her." Thirteen got to her feet and started for the door. "I'll call you as soon as we know something." She went through it and on out of the conference room.


Sarah checked into a small hotel near the interstate. She paced the room. She had to find a way to get to Maggie. She couldn't abandon her dog. She'd driven back past the apartment once more but he was still waiting. It was cold out – how long could he wait there? Surely he'd leave soon. Sarah told herself she'd wait a while longer, then go past again. It was early afternoon. He wouldn't wait forever, not in the cold. She just had to be patient.

She sank onto the bed. The hotel room was surprisingly clean, despite the run-down exterior. Sarah flipped on the television, flipping through channels at random. Her eyes were burning and their lids were heavy. She'd barely slept the night before. She caught herself the first two times she started to fall to sleep but the third time she dropped off.


House had waited ten minutes after Thirteen walked out before getting up. He thought over her recommendation. He wasn't sure why she was trying to help him these days, but regardless of her motivation, her advice seemed sound. He knew that trapping Sarah against the counter had been a mistake. Pushing and prying after she'd said she didn't want to talk had also been a mistake. She'd always respected his wishes when he'd said he didn't want to talk and he should've done the same for her. He knew what he wanted to apologize for, and he hoped she would accept it.

When he got to Baker Street, he went straight to Sarah's apartment and knocked. There was no answer and he knocked again. Maggie began to bark inside. Her tone was different than House had heard before – more frantic.

"Sarah?" he called. "Please open up." Maggie's barks grew more frantic and House remembered that he still had Sarah's spare key in his apartment. He hesitated to burst in on her uninvited, but the more he heard the dog the more certain he was that something was wrong. He hurried into his own apartment and collected the key from his sofa table, leaving behind his back-pack.

Maggie's tail started wagging the moment he stepped through the door. He shut it behind him and moved to the gate.

"Sarah?" he called, stepping into the living room. He moved farther into the apartment, checking each room. Sarah's bed was made. He stopped himself from looking into her closet and dresser drawers. He didn't want to invade her privacy any further.

Maggie's urgent barks brought him back to the living room. She was jumping on the door. House collected the leash and harness and took her outside. He didn't know how long Sarah'd been gone but the dog stopped at the first patch of grass that they came to.


When Sarah woke up it was early evening. She was disoriented for a moment and couldn't remember where she was. The dim light from the television showed the hotel room. She turned on the bedside lamp, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Everything came rushing back and she nearly sobbed.

Her cell phone was on the bedside table, turned off. She powered it on now and the voice mail notification came up. When she entered in her password, the electronic voice informed her that she had ten messages.

"Sarah, it's me. I need to see you. This whole thing has been a huge misunderstanding. Please…" She hit delete but the next message was the same, and the next and the next. Her hands were shaking by the time she'd finished and there were tears streaming down her face. What was she going to do? She was terrified to go back to her apartment for fear he'd still be there, watching for her, but she knew Maggie had to be hungry by now. The phone rang and Sarah stared at the number. She didn't recognize it. She answered the phone, her hands trembling.

"Hello?"

"Sarah, don't hang up!" She dropped the phone to the bed. His voice continued to call out to her and she reached out to hit the "End" button.


House returned to Sarah's apartment with Maggie. He got the dog dinner and then returned to the living room, pulling out his cell phone. He was about to dial her number when he saw her answering machine. Its light was blinking, indicating that there were five messages on the machine. He reached out toward the "Play" button and hesitated. This was an intrusion, and invasion of her privacy. But he was worried now. She hadn't come home and he knew that, however upset she might be with him, she wouldn't abandon Maggie this way. Something had to be horribly wrong. He hit the button.

"Sarah, it's me. I'm here and I need to see you, please. This has all been a terrible misunderstanding. You've got to give me a chance to talk to you." The man went on, leaving a phone number. The second message was the same man and its content was much the same as the first. The third message took on a different tone.

"Sarah, I'm being patient. I know you didn't mean to make trouble for me and I've forgiven you. Now, stop being so foolish and let's talk." He left his number again. The fourth message was apologetic and the fifth took on the same threatening tone from the third one.

"I'm not leaving, Sarah. I'm not giving up. You can't hide from me forever." House sat down on the couch. So, this was what she meant about not needing another crazy person in her life. The man on the phone was clearly disturbed, vacillating between cajoling and threatening her. No wonder she was frightened. House pulled out his cell phone again and dialed her number. The phone went straight to voice mail.

"Sarah, it's Greg. I… I want you to know that I'm here with Maggie. She's ok. She's safe. Please call me and let me know that you're alright." House ended the call and sat back on the sofa. The dog jumped up beside him, pressing herself along his leg and he stroked her absently. All he could do now was wait and hope that Sarah called.


It took Sarah some time to calm herself. She'd known he was here of course, but hearing his voice, having him talking to her, made it all more real somehow.

When her hands finally stopped shaking, she lifted the cell phone carefully from the bed, as if it were a snake that might bite her. She powered it back on. She had another voice mail alert. She whimpered, and sucked in a deep breath before entering her password.

"Sarah, it's Greg. I… I want you to know that I'm here with Maggie. She's ok. She's safe. Please call me and let me know that you're alright." Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. Maggie was ok. Sarah sat the phone down again and leaned back against the headboard, closing her eyes. The phone rang again, startling her. It was him again. Sarah quickly turned the phone off. Maggie was safe. She was, at least for the moment, safe. She leaned back again.


House waited in Sarah's apartment for several hours. Neither her phone nor his cell phone rang. Finally, when it grew late, he took Maggie out one last time and then took her into his apartment. She roamed about, sniffing every corner as he got ready for bed. He put a dog bed he'd taken from Sarah's apartment on the floor beside his bed and coaxed her to it, covering her with a blanket.

"Go to sleep," he said. "We'll find her – don't worry."

He turned off the lights and lay in the darkness, wishing he could take his own advice. He couldn't stop worrying about Sarah, no matter what he'd told the dog. Where was she? Had the man on the phone found her? Who was he, and what did he want?

He heard a squeak from the floor and felt something hit the mattress. Turning on the light, he found Maggie standing on her hind legs, her front feet against the mattress. She squeaked at him, tail wagging. House looked into her eyes and sighed.

"Fine," he said, leaning down to lift her onto the bed. She burrowed under the covers, pressing herself against his side and he turned out the light.