Thanks for all the reviews! It really made my day! I own nothing but Skyler, Kara, and the other unimportant people! Enjoy!
Chapter Thirteen: Operation Matchmakers
"Come on, kiddo." House finally said, leaning into his office succinctly to inform Kara. She got up quickly, following him out of the office and down the hall while still playing his PSP. "You're still playing that?" He asked, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
She frowned at him. "I've only been playing it two days! And the first day I didn't even save!" She said impertinently, scowling slightly at him and saving it. She slipped it into his pocket and followed him all the way to Cuddy's office. "But you said I could come with you!" Kara protested.
"I'm just telling your mother that I'm leaving." He assured her, throwing open the door. "We're leaving!" He yelled before turning swiftly away. Kara barely saw her mother jump in surprise before the door closed. Shaking her head, Kara continued to follow House.
As they stepped outside, Kara looked around and spotted House's motorcycle. "Mom says I'm not allowed to ride on your motorcycle just yet." She advised him, watching him pick up the helmet and turn around to her.
"What 'Mom' doesn't know, won't hurt her." House told her, placing the helmet on her head and tightening the strap as far up as possible. "It's still a bit too big but it'll be fine for now." He murmured to no one in particular.
"But," Kara protested apprehensively, glancing at the hospital.
"Why are you so worried?" House suddenly asked, frowning.
"Because I don't want to go back to the orphanage." Kara answered mellifluously, looking up at him innocently from the helmet.
House smiled and pulled Kara into a hug. "Your mother wouldn't send you back for disobeying her." He assured her. He let go of her and sat on the motorcycle. She sat behind him cagily. "Wrap your arms...yeah like that." He began; making sure his daughter was comfortable and felt secure before he turned on the motorcycle.
House opened the door to his apartment and helped Kara take off the helmet. "This is...nice." Kara said slowly, choosing her words charily. She sat down on the couch and looked up at her dad. "What now?" She asked him inquisitively.
House shrugged, closing the door before plopping down on the other side of the couch and picking up the remote. "I don't care as long as you don't interrupt me." He said, clicking on the TV to some wrestling.
"Do you have Skyler's phone number?" Kara asked, looking around for the phone. House dug in his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. "Thanks. Can I go into your bedroom?" She asked, picking up the phone, noticing that House had turned up the volume.
He turned his head quickly, narrowing his eyes at her. "Why?" He asked frowning with suspicion.
"So screaming fans and the announcer dude won't interrupt Skyler and me talking." She answered, pouting.
"Fine." He mumbled, waving his hand at her.
Kara smiled and slipped into the bedroom, wrinkling her nose at the messy sight. She sat carefully on the edge of his unmade bed and quickly dialed the number. "Hello?" A man asked on the other line.
"Uh, hi. Is Skyler there?" She asked curiously.
"Yes, she is. May I ask who's calling?" The man told Kara.
"This is Kara."
"Oh, okay! Let me go get Skyler." There was a lot of shuffling and then muffled words before Skyler finally came on the phone.
"Hey Kara! This isn't your mom's number." She said.
"I know. I'm at my dad's." Kara answered, looking at the closed door.
"Cool. Do you want to come over to my house tomorrow? My parents are already cool with it. My dad works here at home but my mom will be gone. Okay?" Skyler asked animatedly.
"Um, let me ask my dad." Kara said, getting up. "Hold on." She set the phone down and went out into the living room and sat by him. "Dad." She began. House put up a finger, watching the TV. She paused for a few seconds before starting up again. "Dad."
House finally sighed and put the TV on mute. "Yeah?" He asked resignedly.
"Can I go over to Skyler's tomorrow?" She asked pleadingly. She gave him the face that Cuddy had told her to use on House.
"Well, I say yes but you have to ask your mother." He said, patting Kara on the cheek huskily.
"Can you call her on your cell really quick, I've got Skyler on the phone waiting for an answer?" She asked him, again using the face because it looked like House was about to reject that idea. He looked over at her and immediately his facial expression changed and he took out his phone.
It ringed for a few seconds before someone picked up. "Cuddy...calm down, calm down we're okay!" He said a bit goaded with Cuddy's frantic questions. "Kara wants to know if she can go to Skyler's house tomorrow." He asked, looking over at Kara. She seemed to be happy. So it could be something this simple that would make the child happy? This parenting thing was going to be easy! "Are Skyler's parents going to be there and have they said yes?"
"Her dad is going to be there and yes." Kara answered quickly.
House repeated the information to Cuddy. "But why...fine." He said, closing the cell quickly. Kara looked a bit worried now. "Your mother said yes but I have to take you." He assured her, placing his cell phone back in his pocket and un-muting the TV.
"Thanks!" She said, jumping up and running back to House's room and grabbing the phone. "I'll be there tomorrow."
&
Cuddy knocked on House's door loudly, wondering what was taking him so long to answer. Yes, she knew he was crippled but someone should have answered by now! She glanced at her watch before pounding on the door again. "House! Open this door!" She yelled austerely, letting her temper get the better of her. She waited for just a few more seconds before sighing, aggravated. She took out her phone about to dial House's number when she heard something from inside.
"Come in already! The door's open!" House yelled from inside. Cuddy opened the door and looked around but House or Kara weren't in the living room. She walked through the living room and into the kitchen, where House and Kara were eating pizza. "Geez, what's your problem. Most people don't try to knock down other people's doors."
Cuddy blushed slightly. "Sorry, I thought you might have taken off somewhere with Kara without telling me." She apologized, straightening herself to look dignified.
"You want some?" Kara offered, going to get another piece for herself.
"No, thanks, honey." Cuddy rejected politely, sitting down next to Kara and watching her eat. She seemed to enjoy it since it was her first time eating pizza. Kara finished up her pizza quickly, noticing the tension that her mom had around this place. "Say goodbye and thank you to your father." Cuddy reminded Kara as she started out of the door.
Kara turned around and looked up at her dad. "Bye Dad! Thanks for letting me come home with you." She said, hugging him tightly.
House smiled. "No problem. See you tomorrow." He told her, holding the door for Kara. She nodded and followed her mother out.
&
There was a loud rapping on Kara's bedroom door that made her jump awake. Confused, Kara scrambled out of bed, noticing the sunlight streaming in her bedroom. Why didn't her mother wake her up? She opened the door and looked up at her dad holding the cane up again to start rapping. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty. Rise and shine, you're burning daylight." He said, pointing at the window. He turned around to walk down the hallway.
"Wait, where's Mom?" She asked groggily, stifling a yawn.
"At work. Don't worry, your mother locked everything before she left and told me where I could find the spare key, even though I didn't need it." He answered with a sly wink before disappearing around the corner. Kara got ready in the accumulative of ten minutes. She found House on the couch watching something on TV. Whatever it was, she couldn't see it because he turned it off as soon as she entered the living room. "Let's go." He said, getting up slowly. He dug in his pocket and pulled out his Vicodin.
"What about breakfast?" Kara asked, looking at the kitchen forlornly.
"We'll get some on the way." He offered, opening the door and looking at her. She nodded and followed him, watching him lock the door and hide the key in the flowerpot. "Ever had a kolache before?" Kara shook her head as they walked to House's motorcycle. He turned around and fitted the helmet on her head. "You'll like them." He assured her. He sat on the motorcycle and with Kara arms wrapped around him tightly, he sped off.
"Here we are." House said as they pulled into the wide paved driveway. "You sure this is what your mother wrote?" He asked distrustfully as he got off the motorcycle and helped Kara with the helmet.
"Uh-huh! The address is the same." She answered, showing him the slip of paper that her mother had left on the counter. "That's a nice house." The house was a two story with pillars in the front and a beautiful wood and glass door. The front lawn was trimmed and the hedges were all the same length. Even the ivy growing on the stone exterior of the house seemed to be in good care. House just grunted and headed for the winding sidewalk that led to the front door.
House, instead of ringing the door, picked up his cane and began to rap against the door repetitively. Kara frowned and reached for the doorbell. House grabbed Kara's wrist with his free hand and shook his head at her. Finally, the door opened to Mr. Rivers looking sort of aggravated. "Oh, hello, Dr. House, Kara!" He said, his facial expression brightening quickly. "Please come in, come in!"
"I rather not." House said, holding out the cane so it caught Kara before she came in. Mr. Rivers' smile seemed to falter. "She'll be here all day, right?" He asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes at Mr. Rivers. He wasn't going to hand his daughter over to some irresponsible man.
"Yes, sir. I work at home so they will be watched and taken care of." He assured House. "When do you plan to pick her up?"
"I'm not sure. I, uh, have to talk to her mother. Cu...Lisa might pick her up." House answered, catching himself. He didn't know how much Mr. and Mrs. Rivers knew about Kara's family arrangements. He turned around to Kara. "Have fun. No matter what your mother tells you, manners don't get you anywhere." He planted a kiss on Kara's forehead before lifting up his cane. Mr. Rivers blinked at House's statement about manners. It was quite obvious that he didn't agree with House.
"Bye, Dad." Kara said entering the house and waving goodbye before Mr. Rivers closed the door.
"This way, sweetie." He told her, starting up the wooden staircase. Kara followed him quietly, admiring the decor that the house held. They passed by two bedrooms before finally getting the Skyler's. "Skyler, sweetheart, Kara's here." He said, knocking on the door.
The door swung open and Skyler leaped out of her bedroom and hugged Kara. "Thanks, Dad." She said, watching him walk away. He waved to her and disappeared along the hallway. "Come in." Kara obeyed, entering the large wooden room. The four poster bed was covered in a velvet crimson comforter with cream sheets underneath. For just being adopted only a few days before Kara, she had her room pretty much decorated. "You like it?"
"Geez, you're parents must be loaded." Kara murmured, collapsing on the bed and glancing over at Skyler.
She rolled her eyes. "And your point is?" She asked sighing.
"You're lucky." Kara answered, sliding off the bed and starting to go through Skyler's things.
"And how so? You found your real parents, Kara. Mine are dead. I think you're the one who's lucky." Skyler told her, shaking her head. Kara was always obstinate about these sorts of things, always telling Skyler how she was unlucky.
"At least your adopted parents are together." Kara retorted, looking up at her with calm blue eyes. Skyler stared back at Kara quietly. She was right.
"Is it that bad?" Skyler asked cautiously.
Kara shrugged. "Yes and no. They bicker a lot like divorced people but they also tone it down because I'm around." She began softly, frowning. "It's like both of them are too stubborn to admit their feelings for each other. They just hide it with more arguments."
Skyler nodded. "So that's where you get your stubbornness from."
"Hey!" Kara reached around and threw the pillow at her. Skyler barely dodged the fluffy projectile unjustly thrown at her. "So, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Reconnaissance? Blackmail? Spying?" Skyler asked, rubbing her chin contemplatively.
Kara looked at Skyler shocked. "Okay, Cruella DeVil, no Dalmatians for you!" Kara scolded, furrowing her brows at her friend.
Bewilderment appeared on Skyler's face. "I'm just trying to think like you!" She objected, pouting.
Kara laughed. "I know you are but I'm thinking something more on the lines of...Operation Matchmakers!" Kara said dramatically.
Skyler nodded. "Short and sweet. Alright, I'll help you, but since they are your parents, you have to do most of the work." Skyler offered.
"I know that. Now, before we begin our meeting, let's get something to drink. My dad bought me some kolaches but he forgot the drink." Kara said, opening Skyler's door. Skyler nodded and headed out of the room first, walking down the staircase.
"What do you want?" Skyler asked as they passed through the living room towards the arched opening. Kara noticed that everything was clean and the whole house smelled like a bunch of different cleaners. She rolled her eyes and entered the kitchen with Skyler. The sight was a very outlandish one. On the wood cabinets were labels that were obviously what was in the cabinets. Skyler opened the refrigerator and Kara stared in awe. All the liquids were in pourable containers and every other food was stored in a plastic container that was labeled.
"What kind of sick people do you live with?" Kara asked appalled.
Skyler rolled her eyes. "So sorry my parents are organized. Now, what do you want to drink?" She apologized in exasperation.
"What's that pink stuff?" Kara inquired.
"Pink lemonade. It's good." Skyler answered, twirling one of her loose strands of hair.
"I'll drink it."
&
House hadn't even reached the elevator when Cuddy hounded him. "House! Did you take her to Skyler's?" Cuddy asked agitatedly, her heels clicking against the floor. House kept walking, reaching his cane out to push the elevator button. The door opened and he stepped inside without having to stop. "House!" House turned around suddenly, almost colliding into Cuddy. She composed herself quickly and set a defiant glare his way.
"Yes, Cuddy. Stop being so paranoid." He answered tiredly, pushing his button. The doors went to close but Cuddy stopped it. "I would be much comfortable if we did it in a bed, Cuddles." He saw the fire immediately jump in her eyes at his snide remark and she scowled.
"Shut it, House! And I'm not being paranoid! I just don't want her spending all day alone and knowing you, it would be probable for you to forget her." She told him irately, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Your feeble attempts at covering yourself won't work." He advised her, watching as the doors went to close again but she pushed them back. Slowly, his eyebrows began to rise.
"You are despicable. Can you ever stop thinking about sex and just be a grown up for once? Honestly, House, you wonder..." She fussed. As she talked her cheeks were turning red. House tilted his head slightly. "Why are you looking at me like that?" House stepped forward breaking the unwritten law of personal space. Cuddy's eyes widened and she stepped back. House backed up and the doors closed, leaving Cuddy puzzled by House's questionable behavior. She would never understand him. Shaking her head, she headed towards her office, locking herself in.
Cuddy desperately tried to work on all of her paperwork but it was impossible. Her mind kept on wandering towards House. "You're being silly, Lisa. You have a lot of paperwork to do and then more afterwards, so stop thinking about him." She told herself, clicking her pen once more. Her eyes drifted to the fine print of the paper but House's startling azure eyes stared back at her from the paper. She shook her head and stood up, going towards her window. "What did you expect? Did you expect everything to change once Kara was rightfully home? I'm over House. He's just a phase and nothing more than that." She assured herself. There was more fish in the sea. Sure, she was a bit older but that wouldn't change a thing, would it? She sighed defeated and collapsed in her office chair, glaring at the evil stacks of paperwork that mocked her. She grabbed her pen and chewed on the end fretfully. She wasn't paranoid. She just knew House and his lack of remembering skills, though he seemed to remember every indecent time or something of the sort. She dropped her pen and placed her head in her hands, groaning. Why did House always seem to give her headaches?
&
"So let me get this straight," Skyler said, placing her cup on her bedside table, "You can tell that both of your parents are still in love with each other but are either to scared to admit it or don't want to bring down their pride in doing so?" A bizarre look was plastered on Skyler's face. "Why do adults have to be so difficult sometimes? Can't they ever just do things the simple way instead of worrying about what the other will do or say?"
Kara shrugged. "They are adults. They are the ones who think they are more intelligent than us kids, but let me tell you, they've got it all wrong. Wars weren't started by kids. No, siree, it was adults." Kara told her sadly.
"Okay, let's hold on the politics category, Kara. We're talking about adults and their love lives." Skyler advised her, frowning. Kara nodded and placed her drink besides Skyler before sprawling out on the bed. Skyler followed suit. "What do we do if we like somebody?"
"We tell our friends and either they tell them or we tell them." Kara supplied.
"And if they told us they didn't like us, what did we do?" Skyler asked.
"We punch them." Kara answered happily, grinning from ear to ear.
"No!" Skyler corrected in horror, looking at Kara as if she was crazy. "We go on with life."
"That too." Kara muttered, rolling her eyes. "You didn't let me finish."
Skyler sighed tiredly and continued. "Adults spend their whole time worrying and stuff. They just need to take a breath and do it. Be spontaneous!" She looked over at Kara. "We've got a lot of work to do, Kara. Are you sure your parents are in love with each other and I mean really in love?"
"I stake my life on it. No, scratch that, I'd stake your life on it." Kara said genuinely, her eyes turning that beautiful cerulean blue that looked more like Cuddy's eyes than House's at the moment.
Skyler scowled. "I'm so glad that you would put my life on the line." She told her sarcastically.
Kara smiled. "That's the bond of our friendship." She said tearfully, doing a fake sniffle. It was Skyler's turn to pick up the forgotten pillow and throw it at Kara. Kara tried to dodge the flying pillow but she failed miserably as the pillow hit in square in the face. She threw the pillow on the floor, glaring up at Skyler. "Some friend you are."
Skyler smirked. "That's the bond of our friendship." She mocked before entering a giggle fit. The look on Kara's face was priceless. Kara was right though; Skyler was acting more like her than before. And the scary part was, Skyler didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "So, here's what you need to do. You need to evaluate your parents' strengths and weaknesses. Basically you need to spy on them secretly. After a few days of that, we should know what needs to be done to get your parents together forever." Skyler made a heart shape with both of her hands. Kara rolled her eyes and smirked. Spying should be quite fun as long as her parents didn't end up doing anything that she didn't want to see.
Operation Matchmakers is a go! Please review and another update will be on the way!