I am SO sorry guys! School started and I got a little writer's block. It just wasn't coming out right but now its better. I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. I understand if you guys hate me...please don't though. All right then, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Twenty Three: Kieler

"Kara, are you okay?" Skyler asked her friend apprehensively, as Kara slowly slid down into one of the clinic's chairs, looking as if she had just lost a bet that decided if she was going to live or not. Kara stared numbly at the wall. "Kara?" She asked again, waving her hand in her friend's face.

"Skyler?" Kara asked weakly. Skyler stopped and stared at her. "Can I borrow your parents?"

Skyler sighed. "No. Kieler will know. Look, it's not that bad. Just..." She started warily, trying to think of anything that Kara could do to get Kieler to like her.

"Not that bad? Do you even remember Kieler?" Kara snapped, raising her voice slightly. The nurse in the clinic looked up sharply and Kara lowered her voice. "Skyler, you have that one nice lady. I have the man who was forced with a crappy job to pay rent and hates me!"

"Don't give him a reason to hate you more, Kara. Make him think you changed." Skyler told her. She looked over at the corner where her father was waiting. "Look, I have to go."

"When is he coming?" Kara asked quickly.

"Tomorrow or the next day, I don't remember." She answered. Kara collapsed back down in the clinic chair, looking in pain. "Bye, Kara." She said softly. Kara barely raised her hand to wave back at her friend before she joined her father and left. Kara chewed her lip quietly, glancing around her. She got up and quickly ran back towards the elevators.

&

"We have a problem!" Kara yelled as she barged into Wilson's office. "A very, very, very bad problem that my parents can't know about! You need to understand the amount of horror that's running through my veins, Wilson. I mean, you think you have problems. Wait until..." Kara stopped her monologing as she realized what Wilson was doing. He was kicked back in his chair and his feet were on the desk. There was only one person that Wilson would act like that around. Slowly, Kara turned. "Dad..." She trailed off.

House stared up at Kara, slightly amused. "So, what is this problem?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at him. He was slightly hurt that she had to go behind their backs to Wilson, but Wilson was his friend and Wilson would most likely tell him everything. So it was win-win situation.

Kara straightened herself up as tall as she could. "You know, now that I, uh, think about it, it's not that important. It can wait." She answered slowly, taking a step back and fearfully groping behind her back for the door handle.

"Kara." House said crustily, standing up and towering over his daughter easily. She looked up at him. "Sit." He pointed at the now vacant seat he had just occupied. Kara dropped her searching hand and slowly made her way and sat down in the warm chair. House perched on the arm of the chair. "Go on; tell Wilson what you were going to tell him."

Kara grimaced and stared helplessly at Wilson. "Umm, this is really awkward, Dad." Kara offered.

"Do you want me to get your mother up here too?" He threatened.

Kara's shoulders sagged. "You're probably going to say she has to know this anyway." She told him despondently. There was no point in waiting for the inevitable. Might as well get this over with once then do it twice.

House exchanged a glance over at Wilson, who looked mildly surprised as well. "Hold on," House said, throwing open Wilson's door. "You," He pointed to a nurse passing. "Tell Cuddy that Kara's bleeding and she needs her help. She's with Wilson." The nurse nodded and House closed the door and took his spot back on the chair's arm.

"She's going to get pissed at you, House." Wilson offered.

House rolled his eyes. "She can't be a total bitch to me with Kara here. She's got the bad news." He said, jerking his thumb over at Kara. Kara scowled at her father and chewed her lip, which was now becoming a habit. They all waited in silence. Wilson had caught Kara's eyes and Kara tried to plead with him silently about how she couldn't just drop the K bomb on them. Of course, he didn't understand what she was trying to say.

The sound of heels clicking across the hallway from outside could be heard from down the hall. She was running. Kara swallowed hard. "Oh my god, Kara are you...?" Cuddy stopped her eyes wide as she took in the bloodless scene before her. Her jaw tightened and her grip tightened on the doorknob as her glaring eyes turn directly for House. "Bleeding?" She repeated dangerously.

House stared at her nonchalantly for a moment. "Who?" He asked. Cuddy's eyebrows shot up and Kara could tell she was trying to hold it back. "Kara has something to say." He interjected.

Cuddy let out a frustrated sigh and turned to Kara. Kara looked up as everyone's eyes were on her. "Um, I...uh...I have to stay after school tomorrow." She said quickly, thinking of the first thing on her mind. She couldn't say that the meanest person on the face of the earth was coming to rip her from her family! Cuddy would have a meltdown!

Cuddy frowned slightly and House's eyebrows rose up slightly. "Why?" Both of them asked at the exact same time.

"Um, I've got some extra things to do at the school?" She said quickly.

"Okay." Cuddy said slowly, turning to face House. "We...need to talk later." She glanced at all of us before walking out of the room.

House rounded on Kara as soon as Cuddy closed the door. "Staying after school? You couldn't have told me this before?" He asked. "Do I have to teach you the difference between a problem and something...that doesn't have to be said at this moment?"

Kara stared at him. "Well, you asked if mom needed to hear this and I said yeah, because I'm her daughter and she would want to know where I am. And then you went off saying I was bleeding so it sounded urgent. Maybe you should have asked." Kara snipped back.

Wilson cleared his throat before a fight could begin. "So, what about dinner?"

&

"How come you didn't tell your parents?" Skyler screeched through the phone at Kara. Kara held the phone back from her ear as Skyler ranted on about Kara's irresponsible behavior. She had gotten home to Cuddy's house just moments ago and Kara escaped to go talk to Skyler. She could hear the yelling going downstairs. Nothing worth eavesdropping. She could hear it from here, but also Cuddy was just informing House not to joke around about Kara bleeding or something.

"I couldn't bring myself to it. I mean, if you knew how they would react, you wouldn't've either." Kara pointed out stubbornly once she was given a chance to talk.

Skyler sighed heavily. Kara could all most picture Skyler rubbing her forehead. "Kara," She began.

"Oh, my mom's coming up here. I gotta go." Kara lied. She hung up and put the phone down.

"Haven't you ever heard of The Boy Who Cried Wolf?" Cuddy snapped angrily from the living room.

Kara rolled her eyes and slipped inside her bedroom. She changed to her pajamas and slipped into her bed and put the pillow over her head.

Cuddy woke her up the next day. "Sorry about last night." Cuddy apologized, smiling sadly at her.

"Oh, it's okay." Kara answered tiredly, sitting up and trying to stare at her mother, but not accomplishing anything from the sunlight.

"It's not okay, but..." She sighed. "You'll understand when you're older. Now, hurry up and get ready for school. I've got breakfast waiting on the table." She said, clapping her hands together. "And clean this room."

&

It was about two o'clock in the afternoon and he had to drive to Princeton Academy. His lip curled and he scoffed at the thought of it. It was obviously a mistake. There was no way in hell that she could have been able to get into that school unless her parents were like loaded. He stopped at the stoplight and he strummed his fingers on the steering wheel of his new Mercedes Benz. The light turned green and he jolted forward quickly, finding the school and parking in the 'Visitor's Parking Space' as it was so happily labeled. The quiet engine turned off and he stepped out in broad daylight.

He put a clipboard on the top and immediately went to straighten his tie. He wore a midnight black, pinstripe suit, with sharp boots, white collared shirt, and tie. His black hair was slightly spiked and sunglasses adorned the bridge of his nose. He was a young man and he thought it unfair to be in charge of unappreciative orphans. Sighing, he grabbed his clipboard again and closed the door, locking it behind him before putting the keys in his pocket.

He found the office easily enough and the lady in there looked up at him expectantly. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"I hope so. I'm here to see a Kara...House." He said, raising his eyebrows as he peered at his papers through his sunglasses.

The lady nodded. "And you are...?" She asked. He didn't look like the two people who had brought her in here to get registered.

"I'm Mr. Kieler, her still legal guardian and her social worker." He answered smoothly, showing the papers on her clipboard. "It's important for me to talk to her."

"All right, let me call her." She said, nodding and taking out the student handbook, flipping to the page with the H's.

Kieler waited somewhat patiently in the office, walking to the far end of the office, viewing some of the awards, and then walking back as she called Kara from her class to the office. Finally, Kara entered the office and stopped dead at the sight of Kieler. She had been hoping he was going to come the next day, not today. Kieler smirked and walked towards her. "Come on." He told her, passing her and heading outside. Kara gulped and followed him outside to his car. "I tried getting in contact with your parents. Left messages on both of their machines." He said as he unlocked the car and opened the door, motioning her to do the same. Kara entered the nice car and got inside.

The seats were leather and nice, still cool from the air conditioning. She buckled herself in and watched as Kieler started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "I see you got a new car." Kara started out softly.

"Yes, I did." He said, frowning slightly. Usually Kara was always the one to start the snide comments and of course, he'd fire them right back at her. But, she hadn't made a comment yet. "So, how is public school?"

Kara frowned. She just realized that since he had checked her out, she wasn't going to be able to make up her test today. Tomorrow was the last day to do it. "It's a bit more difficult then what Ms. Charles taught us." She told him truthfully.

He nodded. "That's because the public school follows a curriculum. So, what about home life? What do both of your parents do?"

Kara sighed. "They're both doctors. My mom is the Dean of Medicine at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. And my dad is head diagnostician there too." Kara answered swiftly.

"Doctors, eh?" He asked, slightly amused. Doctors made good money. "That means they're busy a lot."

Kara straightened slightly. "Yes, but, I always have someone to watch me. My dad has like four people who watch me whenever they..." She began.

"Watch you? So you're parents don't watch you?" Kieler said his voice sharpening.

"What, no! They do it's just..." She trailed off. "Look, they're busy okay, and I'd rather them be saving lives then dealing with me all the time." She snapped angrily.

Kieler kept quiet for a minute. "Could you get in touch with them?" He asked tenderly.

Kara blinked. "Um, I can call them on their cell phone. But I'm not guaranteed an automatic pick up." Kara told him worriedly.

Kieler nodded and pulled into the hospital parking lot. Kara looked up, confused. "You didn't think that I wouldn't come see your parents at work, did you?"

Kara sighed. "I kind of hope you wouldn't." She told him. Kieler laughed and turned off the car.

&

Kieler walked behind Kara as she led the way to House's office. Cuddy wasn't in her office, which was weird since it was usually House who had disappeared. She opened the door to the conference room. "Go away, differential." House snapped, not even looking up to see who it was as he scribbled something on the white board. Cameron and Foreman were throwing out ideas. Chase was the only one who glanced over to see who it was.

"Uh, House." Chase said slowly, turning to face his boss.

"This is no time to ask for a..." House began snidely, turning around. His arrogant face quickly fell to one of his 'What the hell' faces as he took in his daughter with some strange man. "Keep thinking, if that's possible, while Dad takes care of some business." He said quickly to the three before he limped out of the conference room, pulling Kara with him. "What the hell are you doing out of school? And who the hell is he?" House snapped, glaring daggers at Kieler. Kara winced at his choice of vocabulary.

Kieler stared solemnly at House, pursing his lips only slightly. House had to mentally stop himself from tightening his grip on Kara's arm. "Well, I'm guessing you can't get in touch with them." Kieler told Kara somewhat smugly. Was it wrong to enjoy that his orphan may not be able to stay with her parents?

"What are you talking about?" House snapped irritably.

"Hello, Mr. House. I'm Kieler, Kara's other legal guardian and social worker." Kieler said, sticking out a hand at House and putting on his best fake smile.

&

House and Cuddy stood in front of Kieler in an almost military type fashion, watching Kieler with their equally cold blue eyes. Kieler was standing as well, but much more casually, as if he was just regarding them mutually. Kara was stuck in the middle, trying to figure out what to do. "I don't understand why you are here?" Cuddy asked as politely as she could.

"I'm here to see if you're suitable parents or not and Kara's not being ignored." Kieler answered quickly, flipping through a few pages of his clipboard and taking out a sleek, silver pen.

"Excuse me?" Cuddy asked, raising her eyebrows at Kieler's choice words.

"Suitable parents or not?" House echoed menacingly. Kara just cringed.

"Yes. Now, how many times has Kara been feeling ill over the past few weeks?" He asked.

"She was in the hospital once..." Cuddy began, frowning.

"What for?" He asked.

"She had Lyme Disease..." She started. Kieler scribbled that down, frowning furiously. "Not with us. She got it when she was still an orphan."

"Okay and how is she supposed to contact you if something happens at school?" He asked on.

"By phone..." House began.

"I called your phone, yet no one answered, so is she just suppose to wait it out or...?" Kieler continued.

"Look," House snapped, causing Kieler to look up sharply. "We're doctors. We know how to take care of kids. Now, let us finishing speaking. Or are you just too stupid to comprehend all of what we're saying?"

"House," Cuddy said, looking worriedly over at him.

"Don't 'House' me, Cuddy." He paused just for a moment, frowning at Cuddy. "You know very well he isn't giving us a chance to explain ourselves, so that we sound like horrible parents." House glared over at Kieler. "Now, listen. You'll sit down and we'll sit down and act like adults."

Kara had to keep from laughing from the look on Cuddy's face when House said adults. "Kara why don't you go help Wilson while we take care of business." Cuddy said, shooing Kara out the door.

Kara opened her mouth to protest but was all ready out the door to say anything. Kara frowned and went to do what she was told. Not listening to her parents was not in her to do list with Kieler around.

"This is a pretty big deal, Kara. You should have warned them." Wilson told her solemnly as he typed something on his computer. He glanced over at her quickly before looking back at the screen then down at the keyboard.

"I know, Wilson." Kara snapped, frowning as she stretched across one of his chairs. Her legs were hanging off the side and dangling, so she could kick the side of it. "You think..." She trailed off as the door opened and House strolled in.

"Come on, Kara, it's time for me to leave." He said to her.

"How did the..." Kara began.

"I'm here, aren't I?" He asked her. She nodded. "That's how it went."

Kara picked herself off of the chair and followed House out of the office and out of the hospital, surprisingly not going for his motorcycle, but Cuddy's car. Kieler's car was still there were he had left it. She sat down in the passenger seat and buckled up, watching House shift into reverse and back out. He went by the front entrance and had to stop for none other than Kieler himself. Kieler stopped for a moment, giving a wide eyed stare at House through the windshield. House smirked at him and waved at him to pass. Kieler booked it across the parking lot to his car. "What did you do? What happened?" Kara asked. She had never seen a man look so...she didn't know exactly what the name of that expression was.

House smirked at her. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He teased, pulling out of the hospital.

Kara sighed heavily and leaned back in her seat, staring out the window. It served him right.

.: Flashback :.

An eight year old Kara looked up at the tall man that sat next to her, unsure of what he wanted. He was asking her questions and such, to see if he could find a family fit enough for her. He had this certain aura around him that made her want to run away scared. She didn't know him! He sounded scary and he wouldn't take off those sunglasses. "For God's sake, kid, you can't come up with anything?" He snapped at her, glaring over at her from the clipboard. "What do you not have a brain or something?"

"I do too have a brain. Everyone does." Kara pointed out stubbornly.

"So now you're responsive." He rolled his eyes at her. "You know, you're going to end up with no body if you keep being so weird." He said, scribbling something on the clipboard before getting up and opening the door. "Time's up." He added as he motioned for her to get out.

Kara slowly stood up, walking unsurely to the door. Where was Ms. Charles? As she exited the room, she barely heard him whisper, "No wonder your parents dumped you." He whispered to himself. It was at that point that Kara decided that he was the enemy. Before she would die, she would somehow voluntarily or involuntarily make him pay. She ended up waiting for another twenty minutes before Ms. Charles came to pick her up.

.: End of Flashback :.

Kara slowly smiled. She guessed that his words came back and bit him in the butt. She just hoped it left a mark.

Yay, Kieler's gone...or so we hope...and now the Huddyness begins...so we hope...lol...it will happen. Review please!