Title: A Glimpse of Hell
Author: Adriana DiVolpe
Rating: PG
Pairing: Chase/Cameron
Summary: Chase thinks about what his life would be like if he married Cameron. The results... turn out to be somewhat more horrifying than he had anticipated.

Warnings: All right, warning for some Cameron bashing. That's really about it, I think. No bad language at all, which is actually really strange for me...

"So in other words, it's not cancer. Great. Did anyone bother to find out what it is yet?"

"We're still running tests," Foreman answered.

"Well good for you," House said sarcastically. "So while you're running tests…"

Chase's attention wandered. Cameron was sitting across from him at the table. She was so pretty.

She tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear, and he watched the movement of her fingers as she trailed them down her neck, rubbing at her shoulder.

He'd kissed his way up and down that neck many times. He'd touched every inch of Cameron's flesh, tangled his fingers in her hair, felt her writhe beneath him in the throes of ecstasy.

Sometimes, though, he yearned for more.

He imagined waking up beside her on Sunday mornings, trailing his fingers down her cheek, seeing her smile at him sleepily as the sunlight streamed across her beautiful face.

He wondered what it would be like to be married to Cameron.

"Cameron, will you marry me?"

"Oh Chase, yes! Of course I'll marry you!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately.

"Cameron, you've made me the happiest man in the world!" Chase exclaimed.

"And I'm the happiest woman in the world, my love!"

"Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health?"

"I do."

"And do you, Cameron, take Chase to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health?"

"Of course I do!" She flung her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife!"

They skipped out of the church, hand in hand. Everyone there was very happy for them.

Chase didn't think his life could get any better than it was at this moment.

"Sweetheart, I've got something to tell you." Her eyes shone with happiness. "We're going to have a baby."

"Oh Cameron, that's wonderful!" He swept her up in an enthusiastic hug.

She wrapped her arms around him, kissing his cheek. "We're going to be so happy."

"It's a girl," the doctor announced, handing the baby to Cameron. She smiled happily, running her finger over the baby's cheek.

Chase leaned down to kiss Cameron, brushing the bangs from her eyes. Gazing down at his wife and daughter, he was overcome with warm and fuzzy feelings of love and joy.

This was the best day of his life.

"Honey, we're going to have another baby."

Chase looked at her in surprise. He hadn't been expecting this, especially not so soon after she'd given birth to the first.

He hadn't really thought about having more kids, but now that it was happening… Yeah, he thought he could handle two.

He smiled at her. "That's great news, Sweetheart."

She wrapped her arms around him, grinning. "I'm so happy, Chase."

"Me too, Cameron. Me too."

"Chase? Sweetheart, I have some news."

Chase looked up in concern, standing from the couch. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, yes, everything's fine." She smiled in reassurance, placing her hands on her growing belly. "I found out why I've been putting on weight faster than with the other kids." She paused a moment. "Honey, we're going to have twins."

Chase's eyes widened in shock. His knees felt a little shaky, and he had to sit down.

She sat down beside him, clasping his hand in hers. "Are you okay, Sweetie?"

He nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the carpet, mouth slightly agape. Twins. Two more kids. At the same time.

Cameron sighed happily, leaning her head against Chase's shoulder. "Isn't this wonderful?"

He nodded again, not really sure what he was agreeing to. Two more. They would have four kids.

Chase set down his beer, flipping aimlessly through the channels on the TV. He'd had a lousy day at work; House had found him sleeping in the storage closet, and had laughed so hard when he explained that it was his only means of escape that it had almost made Chase cry at the hopelessness of it all. Which, of course, had only made House laugh harder.

He was in the middle of taking another swig of his beer when Cameron came out to sit with him. She laid her head against his chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, resting his chin against the top of her head. Maybe his life wasn't such fail after all. It wasn't so bad.

They watched the TV quietly for a few minutes, before Cameron raised her head. "Honey?"

He looked down at her. "Yes, Sweetheart?" He brushed the bangs out of her eyes affectionately.

She smiled at him, tugging his hand down to rest it against her belly. "I have some good news."

He was slightly puzzled. "About the baby?"

She nodded up at him, still smiling. "Sweetheart… We're having twins again."

He tried to smile but failed terribly, his face a twitching mask of despair. "That's… great news…"

She snuggled against his chest, sighing happily.

He just sat in stunned silence a few minutes, staring at nothing. Wondering why. Why did God hate him?

"How…" he finally managed to croak, "I mean… We just had twins… How could it happen twice in a row… What are the odds of that happening?" He dragged a hand through his hair, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Twins run in my family. All three of my aunts had twins, my cousin… Oh, and my grandmother was a twin."

Chase stared at her blankly. "You didn't think to… you know… mention this earlier, maybe?"

She frowned in confusion. "Why?"

He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the cushion. "No reason."

Chase sighed quietly to himself as he watched the new twins sleep in their crib. He'd just spent the better part of an hour trying to get them both to stop crying and settle down for the night.

Looking at their little sleeping forms, he couldn't help but feel a lot of fuzzy feelings.

Sure, they were cute now… But soon they'd start throwing their food at the walls, kicking him in the crotch… doing other things that would make him want to cry and drink himself to an early grave…

He looked up to see Cameron leaning against the door frame, watching him with an admiring expression on her face. Walking into the room, she joined him beside the crib, looking down at the sleeping babies. "You're such a good father," she whispered, turning to smile at him.

He felt a sudden wave of something that felt a lot like… happiness. He wasn't quite sure though; he couldn't quite remember that actually felt like.

He wrapped his arm around Cameron's waist, pulling her close to him. Placing a soft kiss on her lips, he sighed contentedly. Maybe things would be okay after all.

Cameron's lips spread into a smile. "I love you so much, Sweetie."

"I love you too, Cameron." He kissed her again.

She smiled. "Honey, I've got something to tell you."

Oh no. No, no. This was not happening.

"I'm pregnant again."

Oh God. No.

"Cameron… Sweetheart… There's something we need to talk about." Chase licked his lips, choosing his words carefully. "Do you think… maybe we could… try to… not have any more kids, honey?"

Cameron looked at him in confusion. "Why?"

Chase paused a moment. "Well… We've already got… quite a lot…"

She blinked. "Only seven…"

"Well… Don't you think seven kids is probably enough?"

"…I suppose, if you really feel that strongly… We could…"

"Yes," he assured her enthusiastically, "I do. I really do."

"Well, okay." She kissed him. "We could try not to have any more."

Chase's face lit up in relief. "Thank you, Sweetheart," he smiled, hugging her.

She ran a hand through his hair affectionately. "You're welcome, Sweetie. We won't have any more kids, right after this one."

Chase's smile froze on his face. "Wait… What?"

"Yes," she said happily, hugging him tighter. "I'm pregnant again."

Chase fought down the sudden overwhelming urge to cry.

The therapist looked at him over the tops of her glasses. "When did you first start feeling that way?"

"I honestly don't even remember; I've been completely smashed through the last six years of my life."

"How did you go to work every day?"

"Work is my only escape! The only escape from all those crying children, and Cameron crying, and whining at me…" He held his head in his hands. "Sometimes… Sometimes I'd just tell everyone I had to go do clinic duty or something, and I'd just go cry myself to sleep in the storage closet on the third floor…" He shook his head desperately. "…And pray to God she didn't find me…"

The therapist raised an eyebrow and scribbled something in her notepad.

"Every night before I went to bed I'd pray that I just died in my sleep, because that would be beautiful… I wouldn't have to wake up ever again to all those crying kids, and Cameron crying, because she's lame… God, why did I marry her?"

"Would you have done something differently?"

He looked up at her with a disbelieving expression. Had she even been listening?

He shook his head in desperation, looking up at the ceiling. "God, if I could have… If I had a time machine, I would just go back to that moment when I was thinking it would be a great idea to marry Cameron… And I would tell myself, 'No! For the love of God, Robert, no! That's the worst idea you'll ever have in your entire life; whatever you do, do not marry Cameron!'"

Chase snapped awake, looking around in panic. He was in his own bed.

"Are you okay, Sweetie?" Cameron asked in concern.

"Huh? Yes! Yes… I'm fine…" Chase ran a hand through his hair, sighing in relief. It had only been a dream. Just a dream.

"Okay." She snuggled in closer to Chase, resting a hand on his chest. Chase relaxed, letting his eyes fall closed.

Cameron spoke suddenly. "Oh! And I have something to tell you!"

His eyes flew open in horror. Oh God, it was really happening! He looked around in panic for an escape route. Oh God.

"I'll be right back!" he shouted. "I've just gotta go out… for some cigarettes!"

She looked up at him in confusion. "Chase, you don't smoke."

"Gotta go!" He sprung from the bed and pulled his pants on in one lightning motion, dashing from the room.

Cameron stared at the empty doorway in confusion. She'd just wanted to tell him she'd found the tie he'd been looking for yesterday. Oh well. She'd tell him later.

the end