title Thanks, that was fun.
author eleblack
fandom House MD
characters Robert Chase, Gregory House, others
timeline 4th season
spoiler S04E10: It's a wonderful lie
rating G
warnings one shot
words 785
disclaimer House MD and all its characters belong to producers Bryan Singer and David Shore. notes This is my first fic on House MD. Be nice. I was inspired by "Thanks that was fun" (Barenaked Ladies). As soon as I read the lyrics, I thought they could fit in Chase's mind – if you read them carefully, and then the fic, you will know what I mean. A special thank to my Betas eryslash and snopesfaith! You did a great job, girls :)
Chase raises up the golden plastic glass in his hands, and toastes with half a smile to House's new team members. Cameron widely smiles beside him, looking protectively at Thirteen, Kutner and Taub.
As they get closer, so insecure, Foreman shakes his head to greet them.
Chase tries to see his few-years-ago self in anyone of the three, failing. He's never been self-confident dealing with House but now, now that they're done. So, he's not Thirteen.
He can't say he's ever been a full-trusted experienced member of the team, like Taub: every day he used to get out of the hospital, after a new brilliant diagnosis by his chief, he had realized he had not learnt enough about the job yet.
And still he didn't make stupid facial expressions like Kutner's.
No traces of the old team members in the new ones.
Why, then?
People started chatting around him. Foreman's telling Cameron how "the guys" are working with House, and it's up to them now to crack a smile. She nods, holding a glass in her hand, and sometimes takes a look to him, her boyfriend, who's staring at some point of the room, his glass still raised up.
Chase knows he's changed. Whether he's willing to admit it or not, being fired changed his life. He's got a lovely girlfriend, a job which is exciting enough and not too stressful, an easy ordinary routine.
Getting in and out the surgery room doesn't get him any hitches.
He is happy.
But he keeps wondering why.
He's getting back to the present when Foreman's eyes catch someone behind Chase's back. Thirteen's follows them and so do Kutner's and Taub's. Eventually, Cameron and Chase turn round.
There he is, limping across the hall, a thin red scarf barely hung around his neck.
House doesn't take a look at anything but a few rosettes; there's no need to ask if he's staying.
Then Chase can see his head lift up, an undetectable slow-down to watch them all, gathering under a Christmas tree and sharing past, present and future and having nothing in common but House himself.
House who doesn't change direction, glances down at the floor and goes through the hospital's main door.
No change occurred in House despite all the people that went in and out his life, and Chase wants to know why.
Chase knows for sure he's been a good fellow for House, that he didn't go unnoticed in the years they worked together. But it's like Greg burnt out his memories after he left. As if Chase was still present in his life, just in the ashes and dust put in some dark corner of his office. As if their bets and quarrels were just to be a childish pursuit. As if Cameron wasn't something he had won for himself after a long battle.
Chase still remembers the anger for being thrown out of his circle.
He remembers the decision to change himself, thinking he'd easily become a better man, with House so far away. Obviously better.
He would never ever be begging House to be with him, or come back for forgiveness; he wasn't sure of his own mistaking either.
Besides, Chase remembers how the anger got silent, the disdain lowered and the resentment became a simple stomach ache, that shows up every time they meet through the passages or House gets to the surgery room to ask a favour.
Still he doesn't understand how House might not have changed as it seems while he steps away completely on his own.
And when House turns his back on Chase, and Cameron gets back to her chat mates, and Foreman starts talking, that's when Chase, unseen, raises again his glass: gives thanks for the amazing past times and wishes Merry Christmas.