Author's Notes: Thank You SXG4070, ImmaDude92, and pinku aisu kuriimu reviews really do make my day, and thanks for those who alerted and favorited I really appreciate it =). This chapter is set before, during and directly after the episode "Fall from Grace", I don't know about anyone else but I was curious what Masters would have done after it ended. Now without further delay on to the next part of Masters little story.
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"Martha there's something I've wanted to do for awhile now"
He was moving his face closer to hers
"Chase what are you doing?"
He grins "I told you call me Robert when we're alone"
He's so close to her now their lips are only inches apart, she closes her eyes and tilts her head she can feel his warm breath, he leans in and-
*BEEP!*
*BEEP!*
*BEEP!*
Masters jolted awake, looking around she makes out the familiar surroundings of her bedroom, her alarm clocks ring signaling that it was time to get up and get ready for work.
It was all a dream
She sighed that had been the most vivid dream she could ever remember having and it ended before he… she blushes, what was she doing dreaming about Chase, that had never happened before. I mean sure they had been spending more time together lately (more time than she had spent with a member of the opposite sex in… she couldn't even remember) and yeah he was gorgeous and funny and when he smiled at her she felt her heart do flips.
All at once it hits her she was starting to fall for Robert Chase. She wanted to tell herself that this couldn't be happening but she knew that she did really like him and this time she couldn't blame it on her prefrontal cortex. But they were colleagues and he probably didn't even feel the same way about her.
Thinking back on their time together though it occurs to her that all their friendly banter is getting more than just friendly, all his teasing, could he actually have been flirting with her. He always seemed so out of her league that the thought Chase could really be interested in her romantically never seemed possible.
Was she even ready for a relationship, there was still so much that-
She notices what time it is, "Oh no I'm going to be late"
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Doctor Eric Foreman knew something was up the minute Chase walked into the office whistling and smiling like a lunatic.
"Good morning Foreman"
Oh yeah something was definitely going on, "Why are you so happy this morning?"
"What makes you think I'm happy?"
Is he serious, "Well you're whistling for one thing and oh yeah your smile is so bright and chipper I think I might go blind. So how many women did you sleep with this weekend?"
"Why are you assuming I'm happy because I got lucky?"
"Hmm let me see because I know you. Oh god it was another threesome wasn't it?"
"I told you I was having tons of sex, and I was bored - hating myself. I'm done with that"
"You said you were looking for something real but… wait did you meet someone is that what this is all about?"
"Why are you suddenly so interested in my love life?"
"Well I'm getting kind of bored with Taub's so…"
"Sorry to disappoint you but you'll just have to keep guessing"
"Wow it must be serious if you don't want to brag about it so who is she, is it anyone I know?"
This was bad Chase didn't want people finding out about his feelings for Masters before even she knew. He needed to come up with something Foreman would believe without making him more suspicious.
Luckily the conversation was effectively ended by Masters herself arriving all out of breath, "I am so sorry I'm late it's just-"she notices only Chase and Foreman are present, "Where's Taub and House?"
Not knowing that she just saved him from having to come up with a convincing lie to tell Foreman he grins at her, "Taub's probably getting in a quickie with his wife before work and House… well who knows"
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Chase is worried; ever since Foreman explained to Masters who or rather what their latest patient turned out to be she has just been standing there staring off into space with a horrified expression on her face.
He's having a hard time believing it himself. A homeless man comes to the hospital, he seems like a good guy but he lies about who he is. He keeps getting progressively worse until it looks like he's going to die then just in the nick of time we save him. Next day he disappears and the FBI shows up because it turns out he's a serial killer who eats his victims. It sounded like the plot to a bad movie.
Turning his attention back to Masters he notices she looks like she is either going to faint or throw up and just as he is about to say something to her she takes off running for the doctors lounge. He spares a moment to look at Foreman and Taub before he goes after her.
When he gets there he finds Masters on her knees emptying the contents of her stomach and he does the only thing he can, he holds her hair and rubs her back until she's finished.
She knew she was going to be sick the moment Foreman finished explaining why the FBI were tearing apart the patients room looking for any clues or forensic evidence as to his real identity.
She just couldn't process what he was saying. How could someone do that, how could he act so normal when he killed people?
How could she live with herself knowing she helped to save the life of a serial killer cannibal?
She barely makes it to the bathroom in the doctors lounge before she looses it. She can hear the door open and she knows that someone is behind her but she can't bring herself to turn around and face whoever it is.
Then all of a sudden her hair is no longer in her face and someone is rubbing her back and saying that she's going to be all right, someone with an Australian accent.
Whipping her head around she is mortified to see Chase kneeling there with a sympathetic expression on his face and a bottle of water in his hands. She can't take the bottle though or even look him in the eyes too embarrassed by what she had just done in front of him.
He knows she's embarrassed at him seeing her like this, she doesn't know how close he is to doing the same thing.
"Masters look at me you have nothing to be ashamed of what you just did was completely normal after finding out the guy we've been treating for the last few days was actually Hannibal Lecter."
She turns to him shocked, "The FBI already found out his name is Hannibal Lecter?"
He can't help it despite the situation they're in and what just happened he starts to laugh.
Either she missed something or Chase is losing his mind, "How is any of this funny. Why are you laughing?"
"I'm sorry It's just first you have no idea who Ferris Bueller is and now Hannibal Lecter. What did you do as a kid?"
They're movie characters, she feels foolish for not realizing it sooner. "Not everyone had time to watch movies some of us had to study"
Her parents always told her movies and television were frivolous entertainment and a waste of time, distracting her from putting her time to better use.
He smiles, "Well you can take a break now. You should come over to my place sometime we could have a movie night with popcorn and everything you have a lot of catching up to do"
He's inviting her to his apartment, she blushes, get a hold of yourself Martha it's to watch movies not… what they were doing in her dream.
He offers the bottle of water to her again, taking it she rinses the horrible after taste from her mouth and smiles, "I'd like that"
They sit in silence for awhile until Masters soft voice breaks the stillness, "I'm sorry"
"I told you there's nothing to be sorry for"
"But I don't see you or Foreman or Taub rushing to the bathroom to throw up"
"You need to remember we've been doing this a lot longer, I mean don't get me wrong nothing can prepare you for something like this but eventually you get numb to it. But that's what makes you so special Masters you haven't become jaded you care so much that learning something like this makes you sick to your stomach. That caring is not a weakness it's what will make you a great doctor one day."
She doesn't know what to say that's probably the nicest thing he's ever said to her and now she knows she wants to tell him what upset her so much.
"He confessed to me you know"
Chase is sure he must have heard her wrong, "He told you he killed people"
"No not in so many words but he told me he did horrible things and that I should just let him die, and do you know what I said?"
By this point he can tell she is near tears, "No what did you say"
"I said it was perfectly normal to feel that way because he was sick and that when he felt better things would be all right"
He sees that she has started to cry and wants to say or do something to comfort her but he knows she's not finished and she has to get this out.
"T-then he thanked m-me"
She starts to shake as more and more tears fall and he hates the patient for what he did and himself for failing to protect her from this. He goes over and puts his arm around her whispering reassurances that he hopes she believes.
"Shhh Martha it's all right everything is going to be okay"
His words are soothing and his body is warm and after what feels like forever the tears stop. She rests her head on his shoulder and even though it's the worst day she's ever had working on House's team right now there's nowhere else she would rather be.
Her body and mind drained she turns to Chase and tries to convey how much she appreciates just what he did for her.
"Thank you for being here for me"
She feels very tired and she can't be sure but right before she closes her eyes she could swear she saw Chase blush.
If anyone walked into the doctor's lounge they would be very surprised with the scene inside, medical student Martha M. Masters sleeping with her head on Doctor Robert Chase's shoulder. Chase would have a tough time explaining what they were doing but seeing how peaceful Masters looks he can't bring himself to care.
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Author's Notes: Phew well we've come to the end of another chapter. So Masters has finally admitted to herself that she likes Chase but is she ready to tell him that? Speaking of Chase is he just going to continue flirting with her? Are they ever going to make out? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.