Title: Fight for the Future
Chapter 14 – Careful What you Wish For

Chase gets out of the cab at the location Marcy had sent him and stops, looking around at the somewhat seedy buildings and starting to feel inside that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. But his hesitation has no room to flourish into full-fledged anxiety as he hears Marcy's voice and turns with a nervous smile.

"Hey Robert…sorry traffic was horrible," Marcy states in haste; another lie as she had actually been there all afternoon, prepping the next usable dupe on her list and getting the phony results already on the path to being doctored.

"Just got here myself," Chase replies in truth as he walks up to her and gives her a warm hug. "Please tell me I'm not the only one nervous."

"Terrified and to top it off I hate needles," she mockingly huffs as they turn and slowly head for the front door. "But I really want to do this. I know this might sound stupid but I stayed up all night thinking about what it might be like to have an actual sibling. To know I'm no longer alone in this world."

"I did too. But whatever happens, I hope we can still remain friends," Chase adds as they enter the strange building.

"Of that I am certain," Marcy assures him as he follows her down the hallway toward their intended destination. His eyes dart nervously around in the unfamiliar surroundings and for a split second Chase's mind flashes back to the time he was held captive in the abandoned military hospital away from House and seemingly his future. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, his mind nervously muses as Marcy stops before a door marked 'lab'.

"Ready?" She turns and asks with determination in her tone.

"Ready," Chase nods as he enters the unfamiliar room. A guy with dark rimmed glasses looks up as they approach and offers them a friendly smile.

"Morning Marcy. And you must be Robert?"

"Morning," Chase replies as he shakes the lab tech's hand.

"Alright this won't take long and I understand I am supposed to send the sealed results to Marcy so you two can open them together?" He asks Chase directly, already being part of Marcy's masterful rouse.

"That is correct," Chase reaffirms with a nod as he looks at Marcy who smiles sweetly and nods in agreement.

"Okay so let's get started."

Chase takes off his jacket and slowly rolls up the sleeve to his dress shirt and then takes a deep breath. He watches Marcy put on a false cringe and instantly his hand reaches out and rests on her shoulder for a bit of extra support; something she laps up greedily.

He watches the needle enter his arm and his heart rate instantly speeds up. What if it's a negative? Then we remain friends…maybe more? What if it's a positive? Then things change forever. Chase feels his anxiety starting to gain momentum as the needle is carefully withdrawn and the fresh blood sample is packaged the same way as Marcy's, waiting to be tested as soon as the machines are available. At least that's what they want Chase to believe.

"Okay so, Marcy will get in touch with you as soon as it's done. And…good luck with whatever you need this for."

"Our future," Marcy smartly replies as Chase nods in agreement; his hands pulling the sleeve to his dress shirt back down and then reaching for his jacket. They both exit the same way they enter and reemerge onto the quiet street front.

"So did you want to get something to eat?"

"I can't. I have a few rounds to finish up and then House and I have a few things to work on for the new hospital extension; at least that's what he told me. Did you want to join us for dinner?"

"Ah you two will probably be talking shop. Next time," she tries to assure him, wanting her to be the one calling the shots not him and not without much warning when going up against who she fears will be the biggest obstacle to her payload. The two of them part ways, Chase getting into a cab and heading back to work and Marcy heading back inside the lab to work with her friend on the soon to be tampered DNA results. On the way back to PPTH, Chase's mind can't help but think about how long the test results will take and what he'll say to House if they come back positive and it's proven that Marcy is his biological sister. Of course he knows that even with DNA testing there is always a chance of false positives but since both his parents had been cremated at their request there was no other Chase family member to take a DNA sample from.

He tries to think about it from House's perspective and find another angle but he comes up short with the death of his parents and not having anything personal from either one that could be used for comparison DNA testing; both his parents saw to that. Maybe if Marcy had appeared on scene before his father died but then…then he could have admitted it by his own words. Ah even if he didn't a DNA test would have done that for him. Damn this waiting!

Chase reenters PPTH and hurries for the staff room to hang up his jacket and hopefully get to a patient's room before being discovered missing for just over an hour by House. He's the only one that would notice and say something! Chase pokes his head into the staff lounge and breathes a sigh of relief as he heads for his locker to hang his jacket and get back on the floor.

However, just as he goes to lock it back up again, he turns around and utters a small gasp as House appears with a questioning glance.

"Ah bugger you scared me."

"Just wanted to hear you say that," House retorts as Chase's face softens. But his tension instantly returns with House's next question.

"Where were you?" House asks directly.

For the first time in weeks, Chase's mind retorts to when he was fresh on House's team and was being asked an inspecting question that he didn't want to be totally truthful for. But in the past it didn't matter, now his guilt settles in as he knows lying to House is just…wrong.

"Something personal."

"Does it have long legs and blond hair?" House asks with slightly arched brows as Chase's lips purse and his face slightly flushes – both signs that he knows he's right. "Thought you two were on the more plutonic route?"

"It was nothing," Chase insists as he looks at his watch. "I have a few rounds to take care of."

"I know. They're waiting. Hurry up or you're grounded."

Chase looks at House, expecting something more to be said and feeling almost let down when he's not questioned more. "I'll see you in an hour," Chase tells House as he pulls away and heads for the door, House slowly following. "How long were you waiting in here?"

"Two hours."

"What? No I was…" Chase turns around with a serious expression only to see House offer a grin and he slightly narrows his eyes as he pulls the door open. "Should I ask what you've been doing?"

"Waiting on autopsy findings. Dead men can sometimes tell many tales."

"Should I feel sorry for the dead man?" Chase retorts before he ducks into his first patient's room; House watching with a strained expression.

"Depends," he whispers as he pulls his phone just as it buzzes.

'Dr. House. Just got in the results from the sample we took from the area on the shirt of the stab wound on Rick Woods shirt. Water and traces of CO2. The combination to me would suggest dry ice. I'll forward this result as well as my other findings to the Detective in charge. Hope this helps a little with your medical investigation.'

House's eyes fix on the forensic Detective's text as his brain starts to ponder a few things. Dry ice…a smooth blade and dry ice. Traces only…but enough to be detected…

"Damn," he whispers as he slowly heads back to his office. What did this mean? Why did the knife have dry ice on it? What was it used for? There was no dry ice found in Rick Woods apartment so where'd it come from? But while his brain thinks on that he ponders something else he had learned in Chase's absence. His internet search on Marcy Renard turned up anything BUT the attractive blond Aussie. However, that didn't mean she's not who she says she is. Then there is Carlton Jones and his possible revenge mission that might have ended up in the strange death of a shady mechanic. Ah damn still too many theories and not enough facts that I link to one of them or both of them…only neither of them! And to House that wasn't an option he wanted to contemplate for that meant admitting defeat and with his and Robert's life possibly at stake he knows he can't.

"I won't let him beat me!" House growls as he finally enters his office, takes the stuffed round ball and tosses it at the window, knocking down a small book and sending it toppling to the floor.

House picks up the book and then looks down at the title and frowns: 'Insight into the mine of a pathological liar'. "But who's lying about what?" House muses to himself as he turns back and slowly limps toward his desk and eases himself down into his large leather chair. "What is Carlton Jones lying about? What is Marcy lying about? What did Rick Jones lie about?" Did my boy lie to me?

House looks back down at the text from the forensic detective and then reaches for the phone and calls Jeremy.

"You got the results?"

"Dry ice," House replies slowly as his right hand starts to doodle on the notes he had collected from his internet search on Marcy Renard. "Did you find a murder weapon?"

"Nothing. I was with James and the forensic team while they turned that place upside down. Whoever murdered Rick took the weapon with him. I finally got a hold of Carlton Jones flight plan and unless he drove or flew private, he hasn't left Miami for a few weeks, basically since he left here after the date of the hearing you gave me."

"And when was Rick last seen or heard from?"

"Dr. House…"

"It is possible that he has a private plane at his disposal," House insists somewhat anxiously.

"It's not Carlton Jones, Dr. House. I will keep trying to find a way to connect the two and I will check to see about that private plane but trust me I've been doing this for a lot of years. I know you want to blame him because it just seems to fit so perfectly after the public humiliation but I am just not feeling that it was him. I've looked into his guy's past. The most he's physically attacked someone with was a fat lip! And that was when his last wife tipped some busboy for great service. Apparently."

"Lowlife," House mutters as he draws a circle around Carlton's name. "Someone murdered this loser Rick for a good reason. He cut the brakes on my car but why? And for who?"

"And now I'll start looking into his past more to see if perhaps he did have a family member who was treated here or mis-treated or died or whatever but something personal that connects you with Rick Woods. Not Carlton Jones."

"Fine…"

"Unless you have another name?"

"Tell me if he has lovers that are Australian."

"What?"

"Could be nothing, could be everything. I don't know. I don't like the fact that someone out there thinks they can beat me and get away with…well murder."

"I'm not into losing either," Jeremy reminds House firmly. "I have a few other things to check out. I'll be in touch."

House hangs up and then looks at the notes he had scribbled down. Of course Carlton was the perfect patsy, the timing was impeccable. If it wasn't him but someone else and they merely planned it to look like Carlton then they are probably thinking they were getting the last laugh.

"I will find who did this," House vows under his breath just as Chase appears in the hallway, talking to Bruno. He watches Chase's face light up when he talks to his friend about a friendly game of basketball on the weekend and feels some of his anxiety. But as he hears Chase's voice calling out to him as he pictures him in a wrecked car, his whole body shudders and his anxiety returns. I think she has an angle and I will find it. Course then he hears Wilson's voice saying that this is the first time Chase has been excited over someone new and that meant new change – him possibly not being around as much and the new family dissolving before it's had a chance to really grow.

"Hey Dr. House!" Bruno calls out as he pops his head into House's office.

"Bruno," House answers with a friendly smile as his hands casually push the paperwork about the investigation into a file – away from prying eyes. Especially his notes on Marcy. "How's your mother?"

"She's alright. She's at my aunts today and the three of us are going to play crib tonight. I hate that game but I know it makes them happy so I'll do it."

"You're a good man Bruno," House warmly commends as Chase's friend says goodnight and that he'd see them sometime tomorrow. "He could have stayed."

"He's taking them to dinner before the game. Apparently there's a really good greasy dive in his 'hood that they like," Chase retorts with a small snicker as House looks up in amusement.

"You're the whitest gang member I've ever seen," House retorts as he slowly stands up and Chase nods in agreement. "So how is Marcy? I know you saw her or talked to her today."

"She's great. Yes she needed some help but that was it."

"Changing a tire perhaps?"

"Somehow I think she's very capable of that," Chase replies with a hint of pride in his tone as House puts on his jacket.

"So when do I get to meet her?"

"Soon I hope. Just promise me no interrogation."

"Can't ask for a sample of her blood type?" House asks as they reach the elevator. But as soon as he does, Chase's finger pushes the space above the down button and House's brow furrows.

"House…" Chase starts in a serious tone as he looks at House with a hint of mild panic rising in his warm aquamarine eyes.

"I'm not going to," House states somewhat mechanically as his head gently tilts to the right and he sees the waves of doubt starting to gain momentum in the ocean colored pools a few feet away. "All parents worry."

"I just want you two to get along," Chase states with a small huff as they both get into the elevator; House hearing Wilson's voice in the distance to shelve his paranoia for once.

"Why don't we surprise her at work? It's quitting time and we'll take her for dinner. A relaxed setting in a restaurant might seem a little less intimidating than at our place."

"I thought we had work tonight?"

"Not tonight."

"Sure. I'll call her right now."

"Call her? You don't know where she works?" House wonders in surprise.

"Never came up."

"She knows where you work."

"I'll call her right now."

"And we'll go pick her up," House insists as Chase's brow gently furrows. "Indulge daddy," he retorts as Chase's lips purse and he dials. House watches Chase in interest not wanting to tell his beloved boy that this was actually a test. If she says no, again, I'll know something is up. I don't know what…but something.

"Marcy? It's me. House and I were wondering if we could take you for dinner."

Marcy looks at her phone and then up across the street to Chase and House standing side by side and narrows her eyes. She presses mute and quickly clears her throat before she ducks inside a very noisy arcade play zone, out of their view – had they been looking.

"Can you hear me?"

"Yeah just a bit noisy here. One of the girls is getting married so they're um…hold on I'll go into a quieter part," she states as she heads outside and then ducks into a quiet magazine store.

"A bachelorette party?" Chase asks as House looks at Chase and nods. "House wants to crash it."

"Feel like playing stripper in a doctor's coat?"

"Sure," Chase chuckles as he frowns at House. "We'll make it another night."

"We can crash it," House tries to interrupt, making Chase laugh once more and pull back.

"No you have a great time and we'll surprise you another night."

"I like it better when you call first," Marcy tells Chase just before they hang up. "I'll call you later."

"Okay."

"Bachelorette party?" House wags his brows as he pulls away to hail a cab.

"I am not even going to comment on that."

House's face remains a smile until Chase's back turns and then starts to think about another clever excuse that Marcy handed Chase. She's available and obviously likes men…Robert is available and attractive and yet she only wants to be friends and makes up…it's a legit excuse! House's inner conscience in Wilson's voice is heard. Who has a bachelorette party mid-week? It…is…possible!

"Where are we going?" Chase asks when House gives the cab driver an address that isn't their apartment.

"Bachelorette party," he winks as Chase shakes his head. "Wait and see but I promise it'll be painless."

The two of them make small talk until they come to a part of the city that they don't visit too often and Chase once again looks at House in wonder.

"Should I be afraid to ask?"

"You'll see," House simply replies as he pays the cabbie and then gently nudges Chase toward the unfamiliar building. Just before they enter an unfamiliar face appears, heading toward them with a serious expression.

"Gregory House?"

Chase looks at House in wonder, his mind worried that House would deck the strange man for addressing House so formally.

"Kyle Griffin?" House returns as they both shake hands. "Is it still for sale?"

"Well I had one other call this afternoon but you were my first call so figured I'd play fair and let you and your son see if first."

Chase merely nods, not wanting to seem too much out of place but wondering what House hadn't told him.

"Alright. Come this way."

"What's going on?" Chase asks House in a soft whisper.

"Good surprise."

They head toward a small cement walkway that leads around the back of the building and then head toward what appears to be a well-lighted garage. A few moments later, Chase's questions are answered when they enter the warm interior of the large garage and he looks at the black car with the red lettered 'for sale' sign on it.

"House?" Chase mentions in haste as his smile widens.

"Well, she has a lot of options and you know the Prius is good on gas so that's a good savings right there. But I'll open her up for you and let you both take a look at it."

"That'd be great," House replies as he turns to Chase and smiles before looking at Mr. Griffin and nodding his confirmation. "You liked this one best," House reminds Chase as Chase's wide grin remains fully intact.

"I did," Chase agrees as House gestures for him to take a look; Chase wasting no time in pushing past House and heading for what would soon be their new vehicle. "So is this who all the mysterious phone calls were from?" Chase inquires; his back still to House.

"A few were from the bank," House tells Chase in truth as in between his calls to Jeremy and dealing with Foreman he made time to look at the one vehicle they had both chosen due to its price and options.

"My bank too right?" Chase looks up from behind the steering wheel as House approaches the open side of the driver's door. "House?"

"You can go halfie's on the summer home."

Chase looks up and wants to protest as House's hand rests on his shoulder and gives it a friendly squeeze. "I don't mind paying for some of this since I know I'll be using it a lot."

"Trust me if I thought it would be a burden for me I would have asked for your checkbook before we stopped. Check it all out."

Chase gets out and heads around to the engine compartment as House tries to seat himself down in the back seat, stretching out before he too gets out and heads around to the engine block to see what was under the hood.

"Well?"

"It has everything we want. Great condition and the price…well it's a great deal. What do you think?"

"I think it's great," House agrees. "But the final decision is yours. As you said, you'll use it more than me."

Chase looks back at the car, circling the pristine black hybrid with a broad smile before he looks up at House and nods; the grin remaining intact.

"We'll take it," House tells Mr. Griffin as he approaches with two Styrofoam cups of coffee; one for each of them.

The two of them drink their coffee's while Mr. Griffin readies the paperwork for them to fill out, the transfer of deed and the temporary insurance so that House could take it that night and arrange the rest of his insurance and financing the following day.

"I don't know if you boys have supper plans. It's simple but Mable has some extra stew and homemade biscuits if you both want to join us."

"You…live here?"

"We're the caretaker's for this whole industrial complex. Unless you have plans?"

"We'd love to stay," Chase answers for both of them as House looks at Chase with a friendly smile and then at Mr. Griffin and nods.

"Supper at Mable's it is."

They follow the older man back to his home that is situated on the top floor of one of the home décor places; his wife already alerted to their presence and the idea that they might be staying for dinner, the table already set.

"Hope you don't mind us staying," House greets the older woman with a friendly smile and tilt of his head.

"Robert," Chase greets politely also as he shakes her hand and then asks if he can help with anything. But she says no and within moments the four of them sit down to a modest home cooked meal. The conversation revolves mostly around the purchase of their new car, their work at PPTH and then how the Griffin's ended up being caretakers. Two hours later, House and Chase help them clean up and then take the keys to their car; House leaving the deposit in their care.

"Care to do the honors?" House asks as he hands the key to Chase as they near their new, shared vehicle.

"Oh yes please," Chase happily takes the keys and gets into the driver's seat and starts it up. "Can I sleep in it tonight?" Chase gently snickers as they leave the quiet industrial park and head for home. "Now we can stop making up excuses to take the bus."

"You miss the bus," House retorts as Chase shakes his head.

"I kinda miss Charlie at times. But I don't miss the actual bus," Chase states seriously. The two of them make small talk about their new car and Chase still wanting to contribute something and House only saying 'we'll see'. They talk about a few surfing trips they want to take during the rest of the summer now that they have proper transportation and then of course saving for their summer home for next year. Or sooner if they wanted to fix and use next summer.

"Think I'm too excited to sleep," Chase mentions as they enter their quiet apartment.

"Want to play some poker?"

"Sure. I'll get the brandy," Chase suggests as he heads for the kitchen, hanging the new key on the key holder beside the front door. Just before he enters the kitchen, he makes a side detour into his bedroom to dump his jacket and cross shoulder body bag onto his bed and pulls his phone.

Just as he's about to leave the room to go and end the evening playing a game with House, his phone buzzes and he's quick to reach for it and read the message.

'Hey Robert. Party is still going, but just heard from my friend and we should be getting the results tomorrow morning. Hope you are having a good evening. Hope you are still as excited as me. Marcy.'

"Robert?" House's voice calls out.

"Coming!" Chase replies as he puts down the phone and heads into the hallway, his mind telling himself that the happy vibe of the day was going to continue and this time tomorrow he'd be telling House that he has a sister.

Marcy on the other hand enters the quiet lab with a totally different feeling on her mind – one of anxiety.

"Is that them?"

"One set of doctored DNA results right here," Ian hands Marcy the unopened envelope. But just before she takes it, he pulls it back and holds out his hand. "I want my money."

"You don't want to make me angry."

"Oh I know that because I know what happened to Dylan in Melbourne."

"Bastard," she whispered with narrowed eyes.

"Well I might be that but I don't want to be a dead one either. I don't give a damn what you're trying to take this poor sap for but I do want my share and then I'm leaving town. Tonight. You're not the only ruthless person on the planet although I almost feel sorry for this guy."

Marcy pulls out a thick envelope and slaps it into Ian's waiting palm as she snatches the phony test results out of his grasp. "You better leave tonight or you'll end up lying next to that poor guy."

Not having any interest in arguing or waiting to see what Marcy's plan would result in, Ian shoves the money into his jacket pocket and disappears out the back door into the darkened alley as Marcy pulls the results and stares at them with an evil glint in her eyes.

"Careful what you wish for Robert Chase," she mutters sarcastically under her breath as she puts them back in, seals the envelope and then disappears into the night.

A/N: yikes! So Jeremy is narrowing down a few things on Rick's killer and it's not leading to Carlton. House has learned a few interesting things also and you know Marcy doesn't like to feel like a caged lion. Yikes! What else will both of them find next? And what happens when Chase tells House about the 'fake' results? And who will be the next to feel her wrath? On a lighter note I got some Bruno in there and yay a new car! Please do review before you go and thanks so much!