Find You, Find Me
AN: My many Huddy readers, there will be mentions of Huddy in this fic, but it focuses on Chase/13 and will not feature Huddy in any sort of way. This also won't follow Season Seven that much.
Summary: Post-7x01. Chase decides that he's going to get to the bottom of Thirteen's reason for lying to the team; even if it means going on a wild goose chase after her. Eventual Ch/13. Drama. AU.
Dedicated to rolypolychase for welcoming me upon the great ship Chirteen.
Chapter One
The key fit into the lock of the dark wooden door easily, and after waiting outside the unlocked door for a few long moments, Chase pushed it open. He blinked, seeing the empty hallway, and walking down it, he felt the walls blindly for a switch. As he reached the main room in the studio apartment, he blinked again, this time in surprise.
Everything was perfectly still, and though he had never been inside Thirteen's apartment before, it registered with Chase that nothing had been touched. Except for the kitchenette, which looked almost bare, as if Thirteen had purposely planned to empty her cupboards just that morning, and by the fading sparkle on the stainless steel refrigerator, Chase's assumption was correct. Jamming the key into his jeans' pocket, he walked across the floor slowly, taking in his coworker's apartment for the first time.
This was the side of Thirteen that no one got to see. Except maybe Foreman, but Chase pushed the memory of their relationship out of his head as he walked, he knew the relationship wasn't always the greatest. Now, the only important thing to him was bringing his coworker back – and though it surprised him that he was the only one dedicated to tracking her down, Chase would be ready to find her.
As he passed the couch, his eyes caught the corner of an envelope that stuck out of a stack of burned CDs, and without thinking, Chase pulled it out. He eyed the envelope quietly, and pulled the scotch tape off the back, removing the hand-written letter inside.
Why am I not surprised that someone couldn't keep their nose out of my business? And no, I bet this isn't House reading it, only because if it was, he wouldn't be reading it to the team and he'd probably get someone like Taub to do it. Or, maybe you're still in my apartment, in which I sure hope you don't touch anything else, because I will be back.
Hmm, I'm going to take a wild guess that it's either Chase or Foreman who would have broken into my apartment and found this, so I'll just go with the assumption that one of you two are standing in my living room.
Anyways, Chase and/or Foreman, I'm not really surprised that either one of you chose to come after me, though it was one of the stupidest things that I will say either of you have done. I'm not going to tell you where I went, and if you even do want to try and find me, then you'll have to use your own vacation time and money.
See you guys later,
Thirteen
Chase crumpled the paper in his hands, the fine script of his costar's balled up into his fist, and he reached an arm back to lob the letter across the room. He closed his eyes, about to release the paper in a free throw across the loft, but instead, he dropped onto the couch and unfolded the letter again. Running his fingers over the creases he had made on the paper, he reread the letter again. And again. "God damn Thirteen, why didn't you tell anyone?" He couldn't help the anger he felt towards his costar bubbling to the surface, "You're so fucking proud. Never tell us a damn about what's going on in your life."
"And it's for a good reason," Eric Foreman stood in the entry hall, watching his costar crumple the letter back into his fist again, "Chase, she lied to all of us. There's no way in hell that we're going to find out where she went, and even if we did, Thirteen wouldn't want us to come after her."
"You don't know her then." Chase snarled, standing and stuffing the letter into his jeans pocket, "No wonder she broke up with you, you're always so damn concerned about yourself that you couldn't take the time to focus on your girlfriend who is dying." He stepped closer to Foreman, challenging him, "You may claim to know Thirteen better than I do, but at least I took the time to ask her about her disease, and what we could do. And unlike you, I'm going to take all the vacation time I need to find Thirteen and convince her to come home."
"You're insane," Foreman backed off visibly, and he eyed his coworker curiously, "But you care about her." He couldn't help but let the surprise on his face show, "No wonder you were so shocked, you didn't expect her to lie to you, well neither did any of us. Not Taub, not you, not me, and not House. Hell, Chase, she even lied to Cuddy indirectly, and if Cuddy finds out, then Thirteen may not come back to a job."
"You're right," Chase gave a nod, "Which is why I'm going to Cuddy to tell her the truth. And to ask for all the vacation I need to convince Thirteen that Princeton-Plainsboro needs her here." He stalked from the room, leaving Foreman standing in the empty loft in silence.
AN: Short, but I needed to lead into the actual plot somewhere.
Next: Chase confronts his boss' boss and we get a glimpse into where exactly Thirteen has really gone.
