Title: Fight for the Future
Chapter 25 – Dancing with the Devil

"Wh…" Chase's words catch in his throat as his breathing starts to become shallowed and his throat constricts. His eyes widen as Marcy's cold expression turns almost dark and evil.

"No one plays me for the fool Dr. Chase. Now it's time for you to pay for that!"

Oh my God…oh my….HELP ME! Chase's mind calls out as his body spirals downward. He hears Marcy's laughter, House's warning…Detective Secord saying he was the target all along and now it's over. HOUSE! HELP ME!

Chase's mind and body finally sink to the floor, his whole frame on fire, his heart aching with almost intolerable pain as he tries to look up. But his eyes blur and his fists tighten; a few seconds later his whole body goes limp at his captor's feet.

"And you will pay," Marcy whispers as she disappears around the corner and brings in a wheelchair. With a bit of effort she bodily gets Chase into the chair, straps down his wrists and then covers his entire frame with a blanket; his head left to loll to the side. From an outward glance it would appear that Robert Chase was simply sleeping in his wheelchair not being kidnapped.

"You will suffer…" Marcy promises softly as she pushes him into the hallway, takes Chase's key and locks the door. Her lips whistle a small tune as she pushes him toward the service elevator. Once they reach the parking garage, Marcy pushes Chase's limp frame toward a car she had parked there a few hours earlier. However, she had been in such a heated frame of mind that she also had forgotten that her motorcycle was left parked outside in the alleyway; one more little misstep that would ultimately lead to her demise.

"Hope you and Dr. House enjoyed your last few moments together," Marcy hisses as she dumps Chase's unconscious frame into the back seat and slams the door shut. She then folds up the wheelchair, puts it into the truck and then closes the lid and hurries into the front seat and heads for the parking lot exit.

"Dr. House you'll regret the day you ever dared to defy me."

Her lips utter a brief evil laugh as she casually pulls into traffic and heads away from their apartment.

XXXXXXXX

"Why do you look so miserable? I thought you were getting out today?" Wilson asks as he enters House's hotel room about the same time that Marcy was paying Chase a surprise visit at home.

"I'm worried about my boy," House huffs as he puts his phone down.

"Where is he?"

"He and Bruno are out doing a few things. I only called once," House sighs as he looks at the phone again. "But after all we learned yesterday I'm worried he might try to confront Marcy on his own. And that makes me worry even more about what emotional lies she'll try to manipulate him with after all we've learned."

"Did you hear from Leo?"

"Not yet but it won't be long," House replies as he leans back in his bed and looks at Wilson with a heavy frown. He looks away and then back at Wilson's expectant expression.

"Something else. What's going on?" Wilson presses.

"After this I think I want to take my dear duckling to see our beach House."

"You two bought a beach House?" Wilson asks in shock.

"No…I did."

"You did? When?"

"It had been in the works since summer. Thought it'd be a nice surprise. But he's been so preoccupied with…"

"Wait you actually bought a whole House?"

"No just the roof," House retorts in sarcasm. "Of course the whole House! It's going to be a fixer upper, one that we can work on together and get it ready for next summer. What? I have no real children of my own and I can't take it all with me. Besides…he loves the beach and…oh just spit it out already."

"I just…" Wilson pauses with a smile. "I think it's great and I think he'll love it. I really think he'll love it."

"That's what I'm going for. I told him that we'd buy it together but this way he can use his money to help with the reno's and the new furnishings. He'll still have lots to do."

"When did you plan all this?"

"You think I spend every coffee break with you?" House counters as Wilson shakes his head. "Remember you can't tell Robert."

"Trust me it's a surprise I'd never dream of ruining. I just hope we can end this nightmare and soon."

"I hope that too," House frowns as he looks at his watch and then up at Wilson. "I want to call but I won't play paranoid parent. He's with Bruno so I know he's okay."

But in the pit of House's stomach, there is this gnawing feeling that something's not right. I hate this feeling…Robert needs to hurry back. Now. Right now.

XXXXXXXX

Don't go anywhere alone…Marcy…what are you doing here…THIS!

Chase's watery eyes snap open but as soon as they do he realizes his situation is far from safe, secure or ideal. In fact it was downright scary.

"mmm," Chase's lips mumble as his brain tries to pull him fully awake. But his whole body is sluggish and none of his limbs want to cooperate as his brain tries to order them too. But it doesn't take long, mere seconds actually for him to realize he's trapped…caught…in trouble. His head pounds and his heart still races but thanks to some tight bonds he's unable to pull his arms free…or even move them to his sides in an attempt to try to free himself. His eyes squint into the dimly lit surroundings, gazing up to see a small slit of light coming through the door. He was seated on a chair, his wrists bound behind his back with tape and then more tape wrapped around his chest and the chair, effectively pinning him to it. Each leg was bound to one leg of the chair with tape and he was also gagged with a single strip across his mouth.

But what worries him most is the outline of what he thinks he sees behind him. Oh my God…not….this can't be happening…Chase's mind swirls as he hears some shuffling and tries to lift his throbbing head to look at the door that now opens.

"Hello Robert," Marcy states as she flips on a weak overhead light and walks toward him. She had shed her earlier disguise and was now back to the person he first met – at least her outward appearance was the same.

Chase's frame strains against his bonds but with him unable to pull his arms over to his sides and his legs unable to kick out, his body was vulnerable and basically hers to do with as she wanted. His eyes narrow as she nears and then straddles his lap, sitting down on his legs; her lips offering a slight smile as she leans in and plants a soft kiss on his forehead before leaning back and ripping the tape from his mouth.

"Marcy…." Chase utters breathlessly as his sluggish arms try to pull in vain. "What…what are you doing?"

"Tying up loose ends," she replies coldly as she pulls a syringe. "Literally, as you can see."

"Why?"

"I want to. So much simpler than just a single stab wound to the heart. Don't you think?" She arches her brows.

"You don't have to do this. If it was just a lie or…stab…wound?"

"Oh sweet naïve Robert," she chides in a mocking tone. "It was a bit more than that," she tells him somewhat coldly. "But why do I think you're aren't as naïve as you want me to think you are?"

"You can just…walk away now," Chase states with a hint of desperation in his tone.

"Oh I will walk away…after I'm finished what I came to do. And that…is kill you," she replies firmly as she holds up the syringe to his face and he is forced to look in horror at the two words printed on the side. He looks up at her in dread, the color draining from his already pale and flushed face.

'strawberry extract'

"Don't do this," Chase whispers as she taps the red liquid filled syringe and then winks at him.

"Oh I always do what I want," she replies matter-of-factly as she leans back and looks at him coldly.

"Why are you doing this?" Chase asks; his brain still trying to get his heart to stop racing and his body to try to rock her off the chair.

"If this chair knocks over you'll only suffer more! I can still shove the needle in your arm from any angle and kill you!" She hisses as his jaw sets.

"At least tell me why you're doing this?" Chase lightly begs in desperation as she pulls out a clean needle; the other end already attached to a bag of saline that is hanging behind him. "Marcy….the real reason!"

"Did you honestly think that I'd just let Dr. House continue to try to play me for the fool?" Marcy hisses as his body slightly recoils.

"He just wanted…you can still walk away…just leave now and call from…I don't care from where but please don't do this," he begs as she looks down and attaches the other end to the tubing. But Marcy doesn't listen. Instead she gets off his lap and heads around to the back and pulls the IV stand to his side so he can see it.

"Marcy…"

"You're not afraid of needles are you Robert?"

"Why did…NOOO!" Chase shouts as she sticks the clean needle into his taut arm that is bound behind his back; the sudden action forcing his body to slightly buckle. His mind races that she's injected the strawberry extract and that very soon he'd be gasping for air…taking his last few breaths before he takes his very last one.

She comes back to him with the syringe dangling in her grasp. "I am going to kill you Robert. But not quickly. I read about how much I need to dilute this and with what to keep it from dealing you a lethal dosage at the start. So instead your body is going to slowly ingest the extract in minute quantities before you get the whole thing and basically…well the reaction will kill you and it'll show that you died of natural causes," she concludes with a grin.

"House knows…"

"NOTHING!" She shouts as he slightly pulls back with a facial wince. "He knows nothing! So what if he has some phony DNA results and a hunch! Big deal! He has nothing else!"

Chase looks at her with a heavy frown, wondering if he should play his final trump card and tell her that House is working on a DNA match from her prints and a hair that they managed to obtain. "But he's right."

"About what? Being bored? Okay fine so I was bored and made up some phony DNA results."

"But why? Why did you want to pretend to be my sister?" Chase asks as his eyes nervously dart from Marcy back to the tubing that was slowly filling with slightly pinkish tinted liquid. She read up on what the non-lethal dosage is? Is there such a thing?

Of course what Chase didn't know is she was once again lying. There was no safe dosage mixture formula that she found online; in fact the reddish tint was from red food coloring – designed to fool Chase into thinking that he was indeed being slowly poisoned to death. He had read about and dealt with cases of people who had been slowly poisoned by arsenic or even antifreeze but this was different, even a small taste would send him into anaphylactic shock. She's playing you! What if she's not? Can I afford to think otherwise? However, the need itself marked 'strawberry extract' was filled with the death dealing substance and there would come a moment when he would indeed be fighting for his very future existence.

Chase watches Marcy come around to face him again with a small glare. "I just wa….mmmph!" is all he manages before she silences him again with a strip of tape across his mouth. "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere and remember if you tip the chair you only hurt yourself more. There is no one around as you can tell by the silence. So no one is going to hear, even if you pounded on the floor with the chair. Bye bye brother," she smirks as she turns and heads for the door.

"Mmm mmmph!" Chase tries to call out. But it's in vain as she flips off the light and locks the door.

Marcy looks at her watch and then frowns. "Time to take care of a few more loose ends."

XXXXXXXX

House looks at the clock and then back at the empty door to his hospital room and frowns. It had only been just about an hour that Chase left with Bruno to go and get a few groceries, stop by the apartment and then head back to the hospital. Wilson has wisely reminded him that they were two buddies, taking a break from work and were probably having a bit more fun at his worried expense. They probably went out for lunch and a beer to catch up. But as much as that thought doesn't really bother him that much, he knows with Marcy still out there and also knowing that Chase is her ultimate target his agitation was higher than normal.

He told her he has no money. He said she instantly was strained and then came in to meet me and I ambushed her with the direct question. Then she tucked tail and ran and we never heard from her.

House leans back in his bed and allows his mind to ponder all the things they had learned, minus of course the missing piece to the puzzle – the real DNA results. What would it find? Marcy's real name? And then what? But if she's in the system then it's either good or bad – no middle ground.

"Hurry back my boy," House whispers as he pulls his phone and prepares to send Chase a text. "Hurry back."

XXXXXXXX

"Mmmm," Chase mumbles weakly as his system continues to be assaulted by what in reality is just a very strong muscle relaxant with red coloring. His head swims with dizzy pain, throbbing with heated waves of sweat and nausea as he tries to get his neck to hold his head upright and keep the feelings at bay.

House!...help me!... his mind calls out as his arms try in vain to wiggle free. His bound wrists try to pull against the tape, his body pulling and straining but all he does is succeed in working himself into a further heated sweat. He slumps back with an angry growl, his mind now wondering if his breathing was starting to shallow due to whatever is coursing through his system or if it was just his mind playing tricks on him based on what Marcy told him? Maybe both?

He tries once more and for a second contemplates trying to knock over the chair in case Marcy was lying and there was actually someone around to hear him. However, as he sits still a few seconds and after getting the pounding in his eardrums to slightly subside, he realizes she's right. There are no sounds of anyone around. Silence. Sickening silence.

"MMMMMPH!" Chase strains his lungs and tries to yell out as loudly as possible. No response.

Next he tries to carefully tip his chair back and then come forward, hoping the noise of the chair hitting the floor would possibly attract the attention of someone below him. Once again he is only rewarded with silence.

Ah this can't be! Chase's mind growls in utter frustration. If I fall backward maybe the needle will pull out? Maybe I could wiggle toward the door? Maybe…his mind pauses as his heart starts to feel painful in his chest and he starts trying to gasp for air underneath the sticky tape gag.

His eyes squeeze shut as his lungs ache, his nose the only instrument he's able to use to try to take in some fresh air. Oh God…why…does it hurt…so much…his mind swirls in agony as he tries to get his breathing to stabilize. But then much to his horror he finally realizes what's going on – he's forgotten to take his heart medication this morning and now whatever was pumping into his system wasn't playing nice with his straining heart.

"MMMMMMPH!" Chase tries once more; his muffled yell a mix of a call for help and a cry in agony. His sweaty frame slumps back against the chair as his neck, unable to hold his head lets it bow once more. He's once again greeted by pangs of dizziness and tries to lift his head back up. At least if I fall backward then I won't have to worry…about…oh God that hurts…THAT HURTS! His mind yells in misery as his lungs start to heave up and down, his chest straining against the tape bonds holding him tightly captive.

HELP ME!...SOMEONE….HELP ME!

"MMMMMPH!"

Chase's body slumps back in defeat as his heart starts to ache. House…please father…help me…please…

XXXXXXXX

House looks down at the text he had sent Chase fifteen minutes ago – 'my boy pick up some duckling for dinner. Daddy' it was silly and cheeky but he hoped it would even get him an emoticon rolling its eyes in response. But no response had come so far and he knows that with him still in the hospital, Chase wouldn't play such games.

Damn this gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach.

House's eyes trail back down to the words 'bull dust' – a lie and then narrow as he thinks about Marcy just playing Chase because she was bored. He couldn't wait to get back the DNA results and then…track her down? Robert is probably right…she's probably hopped a plane to the north pole! But he also knows that Chase has her number so if all else failed he'd send a text to her saying he found out who she really is and had gotten the last laugh. And what will that give you? His mind argues back. Personal satisfaction at being right!

"Gregory."

If he didn't know the voice very well, House would have turned around and instantly hurled a scathing remark to the person who dared to call him by his first name. However, because the man was a friend and doing him a big favor, he holds his tongue and offers a strained smile.

"Leonard." House returns the formal greeting with a smirk.

"Left you here all by yourself did they?" The seasoned forensic investigator nears House's bed with a smile. "Good to see you again," he extends his hand which House takes and offers a firm shake in return.

"How is the family?"

"Doing well thanks to you. So…" he pauses as he pulls up a chair and pulls out a small envelop. "What's this about?"

"I take it you found out something on Marcy Renard?" House asks directly.

"Just a question. How'd you find her?"

"We didn't. She found us. Bad news I take it?"

"Well let's just say she's not someone you really want to mess with."

"Figured as much," House replies as Leo hands him the envelope. "I'm almost afraid to read this knowing that my anger is only going to surge."

"She's wronged you personally?"

"In a few ways," House answers as he reaches for his reading glasses. "So…she has a record."

"A somewhat sketchy one but as you can see there…what few bits of data they have managed to gather on her, this isn't a woman whose bad side you want to get on."

"Suspected of…" House pauses as his eyes start to skim the rest of the brief arrest notes. "Killing a man with…what the…"

"Ever heard of anything like that? An ice dagger?" Leo asks with a small groan.

"Actually…I have. Rick Woods," House states plainly.

"What? Who's that?"

"Wasn't sure if his stuff came across your desk but I was told that his death was a single stab wound to the heart. No murder weapon found. No jagged edges on the wound itself but a few traces of CO2 and H2O were found around the stab mark. Odd right?"

"Thought so…until now. An ice dagger? That's the stuff of…science fiction."

"Maybe she's a sci-fi junkie. Alias…Renard, ha," House huffs. "French for Fox…well she is that."

"What's going on?" Leo asks directly.

"From what a few of us gathered on her, she was targeting Robert Chase for what she thought was a whopping inheritance."

"But there was none?"

"Not a cent. She made up phony DNA results, paid guys to be phony employees…who knows what else," House huffs as he rubs his face. "I knew she was bad news but this…this just proves I was right all along."

"Someone doubted you?" Leo tosses back in light sarcasm as House look up with pursed lips. "Parish the thought."

"I do agree and I think had she been dealing with someone who doesn't care as much about Robert as I do…she'd have won."

"But…his inheritance?"

"She made up the phony sister story. Even had some kind of letter from their mother that apparently Robert believed and…and I don't fault him. Up until recently her story almost made sense given I know what kind of ass his father was. However, now I have real facts to confront her with. If it'll come to that."

"She's wanted on something petty here and normally I wouldn't have bothered and let the locals handle it but after I saw that there is an outstanding warrant for her arrest from Melbourne…a Dan Carver...I..."

"Dan?"

"Yeah over on the second page," Leo directs. "I put out an APB on her. But if we catch her I'll let you talk to her if you want."

"I'd love my fifteen minutes of fame," House replies somewhat quietly as he continues to peruse her file. "Maybe fifteen seconds. Wow this is one woman you don't want to mess with. Who came forward on…ah…police notes say a homeless man witnessed the murder."

"Wouldn't have held much water except they got the call from the homeless man…yeah a call," Leo lightly chuckles. "Pay as you go works for them too. They found what was left of the weapon plus a partial print. It was then tied back to a minor BandE prior and then the hunt for her started. But she was gone. As you can see from the alias's they didn't know who to track and I'm guessing she came by boat or something to avoid any kind of airport security. I am guessing of course but if she's here and targeting someone else they better watch their ass. She plays for keeps."

"Figures," House mutters as he pulls his phone and dials Chase's number.

"Who are you calling?"

"My boy."

"Your son is her target? Wait…you don't have a s…"

"Robert is my family and I'll do whatever I have to to keep safe," House gently hisses as he looks up at Leo in dread.

"What?"

"He's not answering."

XXXXXXXX

Chase's mind tries to pull himself out of his sleepy stupor as he hears Marcy's heels heading in his direction. Wake…up…WAKE UP! His mind yells as his watery eyes slowly open and he tries to lift his head.

"Miss me brother?" Marcy's lips gently giggle as she flips on the light and strolls toward him. "I'm sorry to have been away for so long but I had a few debts to settle. I hate unpaid favors, don't you?"

"mmmmph," Chase's lips mumble as her fingers rest below his chin and lift his face upward so he's forced to look at her directly.

"Oh come come now…did you really think you could play me for a fool and get away with it?" She snaps as her free hand strikes his face. But her left hand holds his chin firmly in its grasp, forcing the pain to reverberate through his jaw, making his lips utter a painful grunt under the tape gag.

"mmmm," Chase grumbles as he tries to jerk his chin free. A few seconds later, Marcy rips the tape from his mouth and lets his head go slack. Chase spits out some bloody saliva but has just enough energy to look up in contempt; his body unable to try to pull away from her. "It was for the…money right?"

"Well if I must play this pathetic little guessing game, yes it was all about the money. The millions I thought you inherited from your rich loser father."

"And…the letter?" Chase asks as he tries to swallow a small lump of emotion.

"I found something with your mother's hand writing from an old friend of hers in a nursing home. The old bat told me all I needed to know and then I concocted the rest. Fooled you."

"If you needed….money you could have…"

"Needed?" Marcy retorts with a laugh. "No I wanted your money! All of it!"

"You never…knew my real father."

"And that was my mistake! One I am going to remedy now," Marcy promises with an icy tone.

"And the brakes?"

"Bad mechanic," she growls as she glares at Chase in anger. "I killed a few…ah okay so they were losers but I did it thinking I was getting a big payload."

"You should have asked…first," Chase grunts as his heart starts to thump painfully once more. "What…did you give…me?"

"Death," she quips as he looks up in agony.

"And Carlton…Jones?"

"Who?"

"So it was just…a coincidence right?"

"Must have been. No idea who that is," she shrugs as she leans in closer. "Prepared to take your last breath…brother?"

Chase eyes the syringe as it get closer, his mind and heart now racing at top speed as his mouth suddenly goes to dry to beg for his life. House…I'm sorry father…I should have listened…you always know best….HELP ME!

XXXXXXXX

Just before House can redial Chase's number, he hears footsteps approaching and watches Bruno near. "Oh thank G…" House starts and then stops when Bruno enters the room without Chase anywhere in sight.

"Where's Robert?" House asks in haste.

"Uh…I thought he was with you?"

"What? I thought you two went out together?" House asks with rising demand in his tone.

"I did but then our apartment was attacked and my mother was hurt and he told me…I told him she could wait but…"

"Where is he?" House presses.

"He said he'd take a cab here. It was only…he didn't come back yet?" Bruno asks weakly.

"Marcy has him," House offers with a dreaded whisper as he looks from Bruno to Leo. "She took what I value most."

A/N: oh yes House she certainly has! Muwhahaha (sorry I love my evil laugh guys). Yup Chase has finally heard the whole truth from Marcy but it doesn't really matter now does it? She's of course toying with him (b/c well a quick death is a no no in our books!) and Chase isn't sure what he's been given but he's feeling pain b/c he forgot his heart medication. But now the DNA results are in and House knows the real truth. Will it mean anything at all now that he knows Chase is missing? Will Marcy brazenly taunt House with that horrible fact? Poor Bruno, will he get past his guilt? And just what clues will lead House to his precious boy before Chase takes his last breath? Please do review before you go and thanks so much!

PS: On a personal note, today (Nov 24th) is our 13th year anniversary here on fanfic! Thanks for all your amazing support – it's so much appreciated! And more to come!