First of all, my sincerest appologies on this taking so long. I was having some difficulty with this chapter, but I promise the wait for the next chapter won't be nearly as long. It's already written and I'm working on sixteen as we speak.
I want to dedicate this chapter to quack675 and her infinite patience with me and my rambling questions and hounding her for her opinions. I appreciate your help more than I can say! This chapter nearly kicked my butt until you stepped in!
It took them almost an hour to get Chase to calm down. He was so afraid that he was never going to see her again. He missed her so much. The police had been informed and traced the phone call to a pay phone at a gas station in Camden. The gas station attendant had confirmed that he had seen her there. He hadn't seen Emily, though. He said that the woman fitting Lauren's description had come in, paid for gas, and then left. He wasn't really paying much attention.
It did give the police something to work with though. They knew she was driving. The gas station was under video surveillance and within a half an hour, they had the images from when Lauren was there and now they knew what kind of car she was driving and had her license plate number.
The police told him it was only a matter of hours before they found her. Chase was less certain. About two in the morning (no one was asleep) Chase finally got up and headed to the door. Glancing around for his keys, he got angry when he couldn't find them. "Where the hell are my keys?" he demanded.
"I have them" House stated, unabashedly. "I don't think you should be driving."
"Give me my keys. I have to get out of here." he sounded panicky. Wilson and Cuddy exchanged a worried glance.
"Where do you want to go?" he asked, calmly.
"Anywhere." his voice was shaking with fury and nerves.
"Okay. Let's go." House gave in easily.
"What do you mean 'let's'?" he questioned.
"I mean that you and I will go somewhere." House reasoned, getting up off the couch.
"No, I want to be by myself." Chase argued.
"Not a chance." House told him. Chase made an angry move and Wilson was up in a second.
"We're just worried about you." Wilson tried to reason with him.
"I'm not going to do anything stupid. I just...can't stand one more second in this place...without...her." he was losing his composure.
"Then why can't I come with?" House asked. Chase realized he had no argument and didn't have enough energy to fight him. He gave in and allowed House to come with him. Both Cuddy and Wilson stayed behind. House took the wheel and Chase didn't argue. "So where are we going?" Chase shrugged and House just started to drive.
It was freezing outside, but Chase rolled the window down. House said nothing. As they drove the dark streets of Princeton, Chase stared out the window. The cold air kept him from crying more. All of a sudden, they passed a church and Chase asked him to pull in. There were lights on. He told House he could wait in the car, but House followed him anyway.
He opened the door, to his relief it was unlocked. He entered and read the sign. It was a catholic church, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. It was a small church and he quickly found the chapel. He crossed himself as he entered and headed to the front. He lit a candle for Emily and headed to a pew a few rows back. He got down on his knees and really began to pray. He felt House sit down in the row behind him.
After a few minutes of praying in silence. Chase looked up. He was looking at the front, at the large cross in front of a stained glass window. "Why?" he asked. House seemed to know that he was talking to him.
"I don't know." He said, honestly.
"Do you think I'll get her back?" he questioned, his voice breaking.
"Yes." House said. Chase turned to face him.
"Why?" he asked again.
"Because she belongs with you." House said, simply. Chase nodded, accepting that answer. He crossed himself again and stood up.
"Let's go home." he said, leaving the pew. House stood up, too. He turned to head out the door but House went the opposite direction. He headed up to the altar and lit his own candle. Chase stared at him, flabbergasted.
"Can't hurt." he shrugged. Chase nodded and they headed out the door. They had just made it back to the car when Chase's cell phone rang. He answered it quickly.
"You ready to talk yet?" Lauren asked him.
"Just tell me what you want. You can't want Emily, she's just a pawn in this." Chase begged as House began dialing the police, then Cuddy and Wilson.
"Meet me in Cherry Hill. At the Days Inn. Come alone." she ordered, hanging up on him again. Chase relayed the conversation to House as he drove home. But he didn't turn on his street, he continued on and got on the highway.
"What are you doing?" Chase demanded.
"We're going to Cherry Hill. The police won't let you go alone and I sure as hell won't let you go alone. And if you go with the police, she'll be out of there in seconds." House said. Chase quickly realized that he was right. It normally took about an hour to get to Cherry Hill, but the way House was driving, they were there in thirty minutes.
House had found the only Days Inn in Cherry Hill on his blackberry and pulled into the parking lot. They shared a quick look before Chase got out of the car. House stayed where he was. Chase ran into the lobby of the hotel. He hurried to the front desk. "Excuse me, have you seen a woman and a young child check in here?" he pulled out the photo of Emily he had and showed him.
"Oh! Are you Dr. Chase?" He asked.
"Yes!" he practically shouted.
"I have a message for you. It's kind of strange, but she said you'd get it." He shrugged, handing over a memo pad with a scrawled message.
Robert. I'm almost disappointed that you didn't trace the call before you came rushing here. You didn't really think it would be that easy, did you? Chase's heart sank as he continued to read. Just go ahead and check in. I'll try and remember to give you a call sometime tomorrow. I rented you a room. Have a good night! Lauren and Emily.
Chase couldn't believe that he had fallen for this. Suddenly, the door burst open and House came rushing in. He was waving his cell phone. "The police called! She checked into a hotel down the street, with her credit card!" House rolled his eyes. She's not really the brightest crayon in the box, is she? The manager checked them in and then called the police. He recognized them from the news reports." Chase was standing there, stock still. "Come on, let's go!"
That seemed to get Chase moving. Chase grabbed the note and turned and rushed out, House right behind him. The ride was silent, Chase's heart was pounding. He'd give anything in the world just to see his daughter and make sure she was safe. He tried not to think of what Lauren might have done to her, that line of thinking wasn't going to do anyone any good. In no time at all they had pulled into a parking lot. Chase was beginning to feel physically sick.
They both got out of the car and headed inside. Chase spotted her immediately and grabbed House, pointing. He made a gesture for House to stay where he was and he headed into the bar, where Lauren was downing a drink. Watching her brought a fresh wave of fury over him. "Lauren, it's over. The police are on their way."
She spun around on the bar stool, but apparently the drink Chase had seen her with wasn't her first and she almost lost her balance. She looked stunned to see him there, this clearly threw her plan. "How did you find me?"
Chase rolled his eyes at her. "You checked in with your credit card. Plus, both of your pictures have been all over the news. The hotel manager called the police. Where is my daughter?" he demanded.
"Our daughter is safe and sound." Lauren sounded smug.
"You left a five year old alone. You kidnaped her from her father, you're drinking. How do you think all this is going to look?" Chase accused.
"It's not going to look like anything. You're going to give me money and I'm going to disappear." She stated. Chase looked at her like she was an idiot.
"Until when, Lauren? The next time you need more booze money and kidnap my child again?" He snapped.
"She's OUR child, Robert. I carried her, I gave birth to her." Lauren said.
"In a biological sense, yes, you are her mother. But you didn't want her, I'm still fairly certain you don't want her, you're after something else. Money, it seems. Fine, Lauren, I'll play your games and pay you off. But if you think you're ever getting near her again, you're sorely mistaken." Chase paused and let that sink in. "How much?"
"A million." Lauren glared at him. Chase felt like the bottom had dropped out of his stomach.
"A million DOLLARS?" he asked, flabbergasted.
"No, a million dimes." Chase was beginning to feel panicky.
"Lauren, I don't have that kind of money." he said seriously.
"You're a doctor, your father was a doctor. I know he died, and I know he had to leave you the money. You may be a disappointment to him, but you are his only son." She rolled her eyes at him. Chase took a breath to try and calm himself.
"My father left his entire estate to my step-mother and her kids. I was cut out of the will. And I've been on a fellowship for the last four years. I'm serious, Lauren, I don't have that kind of money." he tried to keep his voice steady.
"Well, you better find it fast. Because if I don't have that money you won't ever see your daughter again." she said. Chase thought fast.
"There's no way you can run with her. We've found you, it's up." he tried to stall her. He wondered where House was.
Lauren pulled out a gun. She smiled sadistically. "Who said I had to take her? I'm not messing around here, Robert, I want my money. I want it in cash and I want it right now!" She was losing control.
"Even if I HAD a million dollars, do you think I'd carry it around in CASH?" he asked her, disbelieving.
Suddenly, several things happened at once. The doors to the bar flew open and several police men came running in. Lauren fired a shot at Chase, who fell to the floor with the force of the bullet, and Emily broke free and came running in, just in time to see him fall. "DADDY!" she screamed.