A/N: Pay particular attention to each chapter's particular POV, it will be important to the tone of each piece (I hope -- if I did this right at any rate). Also, I stink at creating titles. So I'm sorry to inflict them on you but every story needs a title, I'm told.
Warnings: foul language, references to sex and sexuality.
Let My Feelings Show
By Rebel Yell
Part One
" Can I help you?" Cameron asked, surprised at seeing an unfamiliar woman sitting in the Diagnostics conference room. There was no hospital I.D. on her, so she wasn't a doctor, nurse or any other employee of PPTH. That, and the fact that she had what appeared to be dry-cleaning laid across the chair next to her, made Cameron naturally suspicious of her intentions. Random visitors to Diagnostics hadn't turned out to be patients' loved ones wanting to thank them in the past. Granted, this woman didn't appear to be a homicidal gun-toting psychotic…but then how many did?
" I'm just waiting for Dr. Chase." Well, at least she wasn't waiting for House -- Chase was less likely to have pissed someone off recently. Someone who wasn't Cameron herself, or Foreman, at least. There was…something about her accent that wasn't quite right, wasn't quite American but Cameron couldn't place it. House would be able to, probably, but House was harassing Wilson.
" If you're just dropping something off, I can make sure he gets it…" Cameron offered, a small polite smile on her face.
" Oh, the suit. It's a gift for Robbie. I'm kidnapping him a little early."
" O-kay." That made sense. In a parallel universe where people announced kidnappings, and Chase actually had a life that didn't revolve around the hospital. Cameron had been somewhat a part of his life since February, and he'd never been busy when she suggested they get together, or had plans when she invited him over to her place or even so much as received a call on his cell (that wasn't the hospital calling about something) in all those weeks. He didn't even mention people in casual conversation -- except elderly Mrs. Lehmann who lived across the hall from him, who he'd had to introduce to explain why he was accepting a plate of brownies from a woman who had to be eighty years old if she was a day.
" You must be Dr. Cameron."
" Yes." Again, she was confused. Apparently Chase mentioned the hospital to whomever this was, even if he hadn't talked about her to people from the hospital.
" Robbie's never so much as mentioned me has he? Or that I'm in town this weekend?"
" No, sorry."
" I'm Elizabeth Hughes, I'm Robbie's friend. From home."
" Australia?" It was a stupid question, but it was out before Cameron could stop herself asking it. "He's never mentioned it. And you don't have an accent."
" I'm just in the habit of sounding American now." Sure enough, she suddenly sounded like a female version of Chase, and Cameron was surprised at the ease of the transition. Chase couldn't even make a decent attempt at an American accent. "Besides, I doubt my name would come up in a conversation with you. From what I heard, there wasn't a lot of conversation involved."
" He told you about that?" Great, Chase was telling people now. Like they'd been together in an actual relationship.
" He was upset. You may not think it, but he does have feelings. He needed someone to actually listen to him and give a damn about him for once."
" It's not my fault he's fooled himself into thinking he loves me. I was honest. He broke the rules--"
" Fuck the rules. You can't make rules about people's emotions. Especially not with Robbie. He never can stop hoping that…never mind. I really don't want you to understand him."
" I know enough to know-" Cameron started, but was interrupted before she could finish arguing that Chase wasn't in love with her, he was just lonely. It still sucked for him, and she was still sorry he got hurt, but she couldn't really help that he was lonely.
" Liz? What're you doing here?"
" Robbie! You look…like you've dressed yourself in the dark again. I've missed you so much!" It was almost dizzying, watching the other woman go from annoyed to ecstatic so quickly. And there was not, absolutely not, a part of her that was upset to see another woman in Chase's arms, wrapped in a tight hug that lifted the smaller woman from the ground.
" I've missed you too. You look amazing."
" I'm on a very large caffeine dosage right now. After the press and events and things, I'm really exhausted. Oh, here. I come bearing Armani. You're going to look so perfect in this suit."
" Speaking of that, I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow. How'd you get here?"
" I rented a car, went on mapquest in my hotel room before leaving and here I am. It's close enough to five, be irresponsible and blow off work and come back to your place with me. We've loads of catching up to do." Cameron was tempted to think Chase was trying to make her jealous (he'd accused her of doing so enough) by having some random woman show up at work, and hang all over him. Something about it seemed very genuine though. Chase pulled her into another hug, but had to shake his head.
" Can't leave until Foreman comes back with the latest telemetry results. If everything's clear, as we expect it to be, we can go. Shouldn't be more than fifteen minutes. Can I get you another coffee to top-up your caffeine?"
" Oh no! I'll be bouncing if I add any more caffeine to my system."
" I like you bouncing."
" You would."
" Come on, sit down. You must be exhausted." Cameron almost choked on her bottled water, as the other woman let Chase guide her to a chair, only to insistently push him into the chair first and then sit in his lap. For someone who'd wanted "more" just a few short weeks earlier and had been acting oddly around her since, he'd sure moved on quickly to canoodling with some girl right in front of her -- at work.
" You know, there is more than one chair in here." Chase laughed, but didn't make any move to encourage her to move.
" Yes, but I can sit on chairs any day. I only get to sit on you every few years. Since you never come visit. Bad boy, Robbie. Bad boy." It was sickeningly cute, as she tapped on his nose lightly before running her fingers through his hair repetitively. "Your hair is shorter again. I like it like this."
" It's easier. How's your trip been?"
" Long. I can't wait to get home and just do nothing for a couple weeks. This is the first 'day off' I've had in two weeks. I hate press junkets. I'm told I'll get used to it."
" Have you spoken to Dan recently? I don't think I've done anything to upset him but he hasn't returned my calls for the last week. Can't even raise Jen. Even tried Dr. and Mrs. Kelleher -- Emily gave me some bit of run around nonsense. Does she always giggle like that? I thought she'd outgrown giggling when she spoke to me years ago."
" Maybe she still has a crush on you."
" She's not even seen me in years. Is that the trick to getting girls to like me then? Be absent, so the heart can grow fonder?"
" Don't ask me to explain Danny's sisters. How much longer?"
" You sound a lot like a younger Emily. How much longer? How much longer? How much longer? Just a bit longer, little girl." Chase teased, tickling the girl in his lap and causing her to giggle a bit. It was…stunning and a little disgustingly sweet, to see him lit up like a little boy at Christmas, light-hearted and clearly enjoying himself. He was glowing again. It was a good look on him. But it was still very aggravating being stuck here waiting for Foreman with an overly cute Chase, some random girl he was probably sleeping with, and having to watch them be all giggly and loving.
"Stop it, Robbie."
" Yes, stop it, Robbie." House's sarcastic voice was incredibly welcome at that point. He'd apparently come back to his office, on a break from harassing Wilson with whatever the latest hospital gossip had to say.
" You must be Dr. House. The limp is a giveaway." Both Chase, and his girlfriend, stood, Chase blushing a little and the woman looking…defiant.
" Elizabeth Hughes, this is my boss, Dr. House. House, this is Elizabeth. A friend from home."
" Take your friend home. I don't want canoodling in my office. And no janitor's closets either -- you and Cameron already did it there, it's bad form to take another girl to your old place so soon."
" She's a friend, House."
" Robbie, he just told you to leave. You have permission to leave early. Let's go."
" Woman's anxious, Chase. Go. Enjoy. Stop being the lovesick idiot over Cameron. Your 'friend' is hot."
" She's really just a friend, House."
" Robbie, let's go. It was nice meeting you both, bye!"
" Don't call me, I've the weekend the off!" Chase called over his shoulder, as his 'friend' pulled him from the room. Cameron scoffed, figures that Chase's "feelings" wouldn't last long -- typical Chase. Shake everything off two minutes after it happened. He couldn't commit himself to a hamster.
