25

(A Week Later)

A week had passed since Chase had discovered Maddy's true relationship with House, despite numerous warnings and comments from House, he was still very much interested in her.

"Foreman, can you cover for me?"He asked his colleague one day, "I need to go and see someone." Foreman nodded, still studying the case file that House had left on desk.

"No antipodean company today?" House questioned, walking into the room and seeing only Cameron and Foreman. "Where is our friendly neighbourhood koala?"

"Clinic follow up from last week." Foreman didn't look up from his file, Cameron stayed silent, not wanting to lie to her boss.

"We'll start without him, not that he's any use anyway." House answered, "Symptoms, hit me with it homey." He told Foreman, who proceeded to rhyme off the various symptoms. Meanwhile Chase was strolling purposefully up to pediatrics.

"Hey Maddy." He greeted her smiling, "How are things?"

"Good, thanks. You?"

"Can't complain." He replied, "Anyway, the main reason I wanted to see you was..." He put his hand in his pocket and produced two tickets to the forthcoming Brown Cats concert. "Care to join me on Friday?"

Maddy grinned, "As in a date?"

Chase blushed slightly, "If you want, yeah."

"Do you want?" Chase nodded, "Ok, then, I'd like that."

"Show starts at 9, maybe we could go for dinner first?" He asked, hopefully.

"Dinner and a concert?" She raised her eyebrows, "You sure know how to treat a girl."

"Maybe we could discuss arrangements over lunch?" He was grinning now, he had read the situation correctly.

"Sure, you know where to find me." She smiled at him, as Dr Michaels approached, "I gotta..." She indicated the ward where her patients were waiting. "Page me, 6783."

"Will do, I better get back, House doesn't know I'm here." He told her, as he turned to leave.

"Robert!" He turned around, "Don't worry about dad, he's harmless really."

"He's constantly armed with a cane, and he signs my pay check." Chase reminded her.

"I'll handle him." And with that, Chase returned to the team.

"Decided to join us?" House sneered as Chase walked into the conference room.

"Well, you only have us to make your ideas sound good, I'm sure you didn't miss my input."

"But I missed mocking you." House answered, "I've had to mock Cameron twice as much to make up for it, you should apologise to her." Chase rolled his eyes.

"I'm here now. Mock away."

"See, now you've ruined it, I like to do it most when you are under the illusion of being right. MRI, go." He addressed his team. "Chase." Chase turned, "How are things on pediatrics these days, still got that hot blonde nurse?"

"Wouldn't know," Chase told him, "Wasn't up there checking out the nurse." Chase walked away before House could comment further.

House intrigued by Chase's unwillingness to hide the fact that he'd been to see Maddy decided while his team were busy to visit her. "Fruit of my loins, how are you?" He called, seeing her at the far end of the hall.

"You know, I answer to a variety of names, Madeleine, Maddy, Dr House, Dr House Junior...there's no need to call that." Maddy called back at him, laughing.

"You forgot to add Mrs Chase to the list."

"You know something I don't?" She asked, playing dumb. "Oh, by Mrs Chase you're referring to Robert and I going to the concert on Friday?"

"Concert?" House asked, he hadn't quite expected that.

"We're going to see Brown Cats Friday, well that and dinner." Maddy explained, "I wouldn't wait up."

"How's he gonna pay for concert tickets and dinner on no pay?" House asked in mock shock.

"Funny, dad. Really. His job has nothing to do with us going to a concert." Maddy glanced down at her pager as it went off. "Excuse me, I have a lunch date."

"With him?!"

"No Wilson actually." Maddy joked, keeping her face straight.

"Wilson?" House questioned.

"Look, you need to get used to the fact that I'm not going to stay single just to reinforce your view of me as your little girl."

"I'm not asking you to stay single-"

"Of course you're not." She answered, sarcastically, "I need to go."

"Yeah. Run along to the little wombat." House muttered, as Maddy turned and headed for the front door.

"Hey," Chase greeted Maddy, "I was thinking we could eat out."

"Sure, less chance of being disturbed." Maddy agreed, noting Wilson watching from the upper floor, House stood beside him, telling him something. "Come on."

"So," Wilson started, as he ate his lunch in House's office, "they're having lunch together, it's nothing."

"My definition of nothing or yours?"

Wilson sighed, House was obviously still angry about him and Maddy. "All I'm saying is it's lunch, not sex, calm down."

"Which would be your definition of nothing." House dryly noted. "I don't like it."

"Maddy did have a point when she said that she wasn't going to stay single forever." Wilson replied, taking a bite of his sandwich, "She's what 22, he's 27-"

"You were married and divorced by her age." House pointed out.

"Which would indicate that she has better sense in relationships than me. All you can do is, I don't know, be happy for her, Chase is a nice guy, she could do a lot worse, believe me." Wilson thought back to the night in his hotel room after his conference, "Be there for her if it doesn't work. Forget that he's with her when he's at work, and forget your his boss when they're together."

"Harder than it sounds." House muttered.

"You're gonna need to try or else you'll lose her." Wilson warned.