Chapter 10

"Chase? What are you doing here!" Cameron exclaimed, standing and embracing him.

He returned the hug by wrapping his arms around her waist and giving her a tight squeeze.

"Just happened to be in the neighborhood," he replied.

She stood back and regarded him with wide eyes, surprised to see him standing before her. The last time they laid eyes on each other they were saying goodbye at the airport, resolved in their decision to end their romantic relationship, but vowing to remain friends. Everyone knows how that usually works out. She hadn't spoken to him since that day.

"Business or pleasure?" Wilson said, standing and shaking his hand.

"Good to see you, Wilson. Uh…pleasure, actually," Chase said, laughing nervously. "I suppose."

Wilson and Cameron both questioned him with their eyes.

"I…uh…I actually came here to see you, Allison," said Chase.

Her eyes widened even more. "Me? Why?"

"I needed to talk to you…" Chase trailed off, his gaze moving uncomfortably towards Wilson. Wilson took the hint.

"You know I am meeting a patient in twenty minutes so I should get going. It was good to see you Chase. I hope you get a chance to say hi to everyone while you're visiting," Wilson said, smiling on the outside but inwardly shaking in his boots. Chase was here to see Cameron…Wilson prayed this had no repercussions on her relationship with House. He knew Chase and Cameron hadn't spoken since he left, so he probably didn't even know she was with House.

"I plan on it," Chase said, smiling back at him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your lunch."

"No, we were just finishing up," Wilson said, patting Chase on the arm. "I'll see you later, Allison."

Cameron looked at Wilson nervously. She hoped he wasn't about to run to track down House, to tell him what was currently transpiring in the cafeteria.

"Ok, thanks for lunch," she replied, her voice wavering. She watched him disappear through the doors and the lump finally formed in her throat.

"So," she laughed nervously. "What's going on? How's Virginia?" She sat back down in her seat and he sat in Wilson's chair.

"It's great…wonderful actually," he said. "No complaints."

"That's really good to hear, Chase." She began to fidget, continuously tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. She couldn't believe how nervous she was.

They kept glancing at each other, then darting their eyes around the room. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Why are you here, Chase?" she asked, her tone turning serious.

He sighed deeply and lowered his gaze to the table.

"I…I hate how we left things," he said quietly.

She raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Allison. We ended it because long distance relationships rarely work, even though I wanted you to come with me."

"You know I couldn't leave, I had too good a thing here," she said softly.

"Right," he said, piercing her with his eyes. "You mean, House."

She glared at him. "No, I mean becoming the head of Immunology. It was too good an offer to pass up."

"You passed it up the first time Cuddy offered it to you," he recalled.

She shrugged. "I didn't feel ready for it then. When I resigned from House's department, I felt ready."

They stared at each other.

"What do you want, Chase? Did you come here to see if I still had feelings for you? Did you want to rekindle our romantic relationship?"

He chuckled to himself.

"Because I'm a little confused as to why you made the trip up here. Something tells me it has more to do with than just a friendly visit," Cameron said.

"I just…I had to see you. I had to find out the answer to one question," he said, running his fingers through his perfect, blonde hair. Cameron had to admit he was even more handsome than ever. She could never deny that.

"What question?"

"Do you?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Do I what?"

"Still have feelings for me?"

Wilson stepped off the elevator and approached his office, his mind racing with what to do about Chase's surprise visit. As House's best and only friend, he felt he should find House and let him know. But his well-mannered side told him to stay out of it, that it was Cameron and House's business and it was her right to tell him herself.

He opened the door to his office and closed it behind him, leaning his back against the door and throwing his head back. He sighed, exasperated. When did this hospital become its own private soap opera?

A quick knock on the door startled him. The door knob turned and he backed away from the door. Cuddy stepped through, smiling and closing the door behind her. She slid her hands up his chest and around his neck.

"I've missed you," she whispered, drawing him into a passionate kiss. The pleasure of her lips on his quieted his worries and left him feeling utterly euphoric.

She pulled away and opened her eyes. "You ok?" she asked.

"I am now," he said, pulling her back in for another kiss.

She smiled and stepped away from him. "Seriously…what's going on?"

He held on to her hand and started to laugh, shaking his head. "The House and Cameron saga just got worse."

"Worse? I thought a marriage proposal was pretty great. I mean, Cameron's obviously struggling with the decision, but I think she'll finally cave and say yes," Cuddy replied, laughing.

"Chase is here."

Cuddy ceased her laugh and gasped. "Chase?"

Wilson nodded.

"He's talking to Cameron in the cafeteria at this very moment."

"What is he doing here?"

"He said he needed to see her," Wilson said, releasing her hand and dropping heavily into his chair.

Cuddy put her finger to her lips as if deep in thought. "Where's House?" she asked, concerned.

Wilson threw his hands in the air. "No idea. He vanished after his latest marriage proposal."

Cuddy raised her eyebrows.

"You can still see it on the whiteboard in his office," Wilson added.

Cuddy shook her head and sat in the chair next to Wilson. "Are you going to find him and tell him?"

"I don't think it's my place."

"You're right. Cameron should tell him. Hmmm…" Cuddy looked off into the distance.

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

Wilson leaned forward, watching her intently.

"About what? You're not going to tell House, are you?"

"No, but if he knew Chase was here to see Cameron, you have to admit it would be fun to watch that," she laughed mischievously.

Wilson laughed. "Yes, I will admit that."

"Even better," she continued, her eyes wide. "I should offer Chase a job."

House turned the corner, his eyes transfixed on the road before him as he rode his motorcycle along the streets of Princeton. He knew he had a stupid smile plastered across his face, a result of the purchase he had just made twenty minutes ago that was currently nestled protectively within the inside pocket of his leather jacket.

The minute he saw the nicely sized, yet simple diamond in its platinum setting, he knew it was the perfect ring for her. He was bound and determined to win this latest challenge, to get her to say yes. It was all he could think about since the night before, since he held her in his arms, their fears finally conquered and all he could see was her. He knew this was right. He knew she was supposed to be his, 'till death did they part.

The intersection approached, and the light turned yellow. Anxious to get back to the hospital and to her, he revved the engine to beat the light. His helmet shielded him from viewing the pick up truck speeding into the intersection, equally anxious and anticipating his own light to turn green.

He felt the pressure of the car clipping the back of his bike, he felt the lightness of flying through the air, then he felt the pain of his body being dragged along asphalt. Then everything went dark…and quiet.