Hi everyone. This story was written for a fan fiction contest and I think it came out pretty well. It's not very long, but it's been totally written, so I will update it frequently until you have the whole thing. This is House with a character outside of the show. Please enjoy and please let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

House pulled up to the gas pump and waited until the attendant came to the window.

"Fill it up, regular." He told the young man, who nodded and began pumping the gas. This was when he was happy to be living in New Jersey. Say what you will about the state, it was at least civilized enough to pump your gas for you and at prices lower than its neighbors. Thank God for all the refineries in the state. As long as they weren't in his neighborhood.

While he waited for the tank to fill, his eyes roamed around. Even though it was dark out, the station was well-lit and he could see three burly young men in the corner. They seemed to be huddled around something. His curiosity was piqued and he wondered what was going on.

He almost let it go, as the attendant took his credit card and processed the sale. But then he saw more movement from the trio. But it wasn't them. It was a young woman who dashed out and started to run down the street. The guys followed and quickly caught up with her.

House knew he should just drive away and go home where Vicodin and scotch waited for him, but that damn curiosity got him again. The girl looked nervous and scared. Also, there were three of them and one of her. He didn't like those odds. He pulled slowly away from the pump and drove towards the group.

As he pulled closer, he could see that the guys were hassling the girl. She wasn't saying anything to them, she wasn't even screaming, but she looked terrified. So why not scream and alert someone? Curiosity again.

"Hey," he called out to the guys. "You'd better leave her alone."

"What's it to you, old man?" Bully Number 1 asked.

"To me, nothing. But it might mean something to the cops. The attendant saw you and he just called them. They'll be here any minute."

The trio looked at each other, nervousness in their eyes.

"Let's get out of here." Number 1 said to his companions. They took off down the road as quickly as they could while trying not to look like they were running.

House watched them go, then turned back to the young woman. She really was very young, not much more than a girl. She looked at him, but didn't say anything. She also didn't move from where she was.

At first she looked like no more than a teenager, but something in her eyes said she was a little older, though not by much. She had long brown hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Her eyes were a soft grey. She was wearing jeans that were a little too loose and a bulky sweatshirt. From her attire, it was hard to tell her build, but she certainly wasn't fat and she was fairly tall as well.

"It's okay," he told her, "They're gone."

She nodded and slowly started moving away from the wall. She approached him cautiously, then just stared at him.

"Not that I care," he said, "But some people feel the need to thank another person for helping them out of a situation like that."

She nodded.

"Okay, if you don't want to, that's cool. See you around." He started to pull away, but something bothered him about her. Damn that curiosity!

"You shouldn't be out here alone at night. You need to go home."

She nodded.

"Do you have a car?"

She shook her head.

Something occurred to him just then. "Can you hear?"

She shook her head.

"But you can read my lips, right?"

She nodded.

Damn, he thought. She was deaf.