HI EVERYONE!

SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE. RL HAS BEEN HECTIC.

DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE'S AROUND (IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE DAY HERE IN THE STATES)...

BUT HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!

PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-)

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CHAPTER 28: Please read and comment.

After making love on Chase's couch, Sophie was lying on top of Chase, her breathing still shallow.

Chase had pulled the blanket over their naked bodies to keep them warm.

As their breathing relaxed, Sophie lay her head against Chase's chest as he wrapped his arms around her back, his fingers idly raking through her long wavy hair as he nuzzled his nose against it.

They lay their in silence together for a while, enjoying the afterglow and the feel of their bodies against each other.

"You have a heart murmur," Sophie said, breaking their silence in a tone barely above a whisper, her ear against his chest.

Chase smiled slightly.

"Very good," he said. "I'm impressed you can hear it."

Sophie looked up at Chase with concern in her eyes.

"Is it serious?" she asked him, the worry evident in her voice.

"No," he assured her as he brushed a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. "It's just an innocent murmur. I've had it since I was a child."

"Is it systolic or diastolic?" Sophie asked him, her concern growing on her face.

"It's NOTHING," Chase reassured her, caressing her cheek. "Stop trying to diagnose me," he added gently.

Sophie chuckled. "My friends tell me the same thing," she admitted. "I guess its annoying."

Chase gazed into her eyes contemplatively and then brushed his lips lightly against hers.

"No it's not," he said.

Sophie caressed his chest with her fingertips as she watched Chase's face, knowing he was trying to search for the right words to say next. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again.

"...I guess..." Chase began, and then paused once more.

Sophie waited patiently for him to say what was on his mind.

"...It's just been a while since anyone's really cared about me," he finally said.

Sophie nodded in understanding and kissed him.

"Well then you'd better get used to it," she said, before nestling back down on his chest.

Chase grinned as she got comfortable once more, tangling his legs in hers.

"So tell me more about Melbourne," Sophie said.

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The next morning at around seven am, Sophie awoke with a smile as Chase tenderly kissed the back of her neck.

He was spooned up behind her on the couch, the quilt that he had purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond wrapped around their naked bodies like a cocoon.

They had never made it to the bed.

They had been up for a good part of the night, making love and talking intimately on Chase's couch about his childhood.

"What time is your flight back to Boston?" Chase murmured against her skin.

"Eleven," Sophie replied sweetly as he wrapped his arms around her naked frame underneath the blanket, his legs intertwining in hers.

"That gives us four hours," Chase said suggestively, glancing at the clock.

"I need to be at the airport an hour before my flight," Sophie reminded him gently.

"Three hours, then," Chase said, cupping her breast from behind.

"And I promised… Jimmy that I'd say good- bye to him... before I left… and I should really shower," Sophie said haltingly, feeling her nipple pucker at his touch.

"Ok, two hours and forty- five minutes at the most," Chase insisted.

Sophie laughed in response and turned around to face him, pressing her body close to his.

"I'm so glad I stalked you this weekend," she joked.

"You didn't stalk me," he chided lovingly. "You came to visit your boyfriend."

Sophie smiled happily.

"Boyfriend, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah," Chase replied, matching her smile with one of his own.

They kissed softly as his hands raked through her long, dark wavy hair.

"You know… considering that you're my boyfriend, I find it odd that we haven't had a first date yet," Sophie teased him between kisses.

Chase broke off their kiss, a mischievous smile forming on his features.

"Whaddya say we go on it now?" Chase asked her.

Sophie arched her eyebrow, thoroughly intrigued.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked him.


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Around a half- hour later, Chase and Sophie were sitting next to each other at a small, round table at the Princeton University Campus coffee shop.

She had thrown on her jeans and sweater from the night before, borrowed a new toothbrush from Chase and had styled her hair with some of his hair product to make herself look presentable in public.

But in turn, she refused to let Chase take a shower, teasing him that it wouldn't be fair, since she hadn't showered either.

"You know, we could have showered together," Chase said coyly.

Sophie caressed the two- day growth of dark blonde scruff that had formed on his cheek.

"No way," she insisted with a grin, gazing into his eyes.

"You're a stubborn little girl, aren't you?" Chase said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"And you like it," she replied in a sultry manner.

Chase nodded eagerly, eliciting a chuckle from her.

He brushed his lips against her once before sitting back in his chair to sip his coffee, watching her as she did the same.

His eyes then absentmindedly drifted to the front door of the coffee shop.

"So should I have Jimmy take me to the airport, or do you want to?" Sophie asked him.

But Chase didn't answer her.

His eyes were frozen at the woman who had just entered the coffee shop.

She was wearing a fitted, short tan wool coat, a crimson scarf, jeans and high- heeled boots.

As usual, her long blonde hair cascaded about her shoulders.

Chase swallowed the small amount of coffee still in his mouth, a short breath escaping his lips, still staring, frozen at the woman.

Cameron had apparently seen him and Sophie as well, because she began to walk over to their table.

"Hi Chase," Cameron said casually, upon reaching their table.

Sophie, whose back had been facing the door, turned around upon hearing Chase's name.

She looked up at Cameron, who was wearing a confused expression on her face.

Sophie looked back at Chase, who was visibly uncomfortable.

"…Hi…" Chase finally said to her.

At that moment, Sophie knew that the lovely blonde woman standing before them was Chase's ex- girlfriend.

"I'm Allison," Cameron said, extending her hand to Sophie with a somewhat friendly smile.

Sophie paused for only a second before shaking her hand in return.

"I'm Sophie. It's nice to meet you," Sophie replied kindly.

Cameron nodded, her tight, small smile remaining.

"I'm actually glad I caught you," Cameron said, turning her attention to Chase. "I need to come by later to get my stuff. Will you be around this afternoon?" she asked matter- of – factly.

Chase nodded, the awkwardness of the situation enveloping his entire being.

He darted a look at Sophie, who was looking down slightly at her hands in her lap.

"… Sure… come by whenever you want," he said.

Cameron nodded one more time, the uncomfortable silence engulfing them again.

Sophie looked up from her lap and smiled at Chase.

"Did you want something to eat?" she asked him. "Those chocolate cinnamon swirls in the case look good."

"Uh… sure," Chase replied, turning around, trying to get one of the wait staff's attention.

Sophie put her hand on his on top of the table, causing him to look back at her.

"I'll get it," she told him, her eyes penetrating his.

Chase smiled gratefully at Sophie, knowing that she understood that he and Cameron needed a few moments together.

Without another word, Sophie got up out of her chair and got on the line forming at the counter.

Cameron watched her excuse herself gracefully and remained standing at the table.

Chase couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't think she'll mind if you sit down," Chase said knowingly.

Cameron chuckled and sat down next to Chase in Sophie's seat.

Neither of them said anything for a few moments.

"So…" Cameron began.

"So…" Chase replied, nodding.

"… How long have you two been together?" Cameron finally asked.

Chase smiled. "This is our first date," he replied.

Cameron scrunched up her face in confusion.

"You made a date for seven- thirty in the morning—" she began.

At this, Chase's smile became sheepish.

"… oh…" Cameron said, realization hitting her, a slight blush of embarrassment forming on her cheeks.

Another silence passed before Cameron continued.

"When did you meet her?" Cameron asked.

Chase took a breath and exhaled, dreading what he was about to tell her.

"At the conference," Chase admitted.

Cameron blinked twice in complete surprise.

"The… conference in BOSTON?" Cameron asked, knowing full well that he had slept with Cuddy at the same conference.

"… Yeah…" Chase said, bracing himself for an angry tirade or a slap in the face.

Or both.

But instead of doing either of those things, Cameron merely smirked.

"That must have been some week for you," she quipped.

Chase's eyes widened at her response.

And he laughed again.

"It sure was," he said.

"Are you happy?" Cameron asked him sincerely.

"Very," Chase replied with a wonderful smile.

"That's good to hear," Cameron said, returning his smile.

"…Well, I should get on line, I guess," Cameron said. "I've still got a lot to do before the move to Manhattan—"

Chase interrupted her by placing her hand on his on the table.

"Are you sure you're ok with this?" Chase asked her.

Cameron smiled softly, still amazed at Chase's uncanny ability to read her so well.

"I will be," she said truthfully.

Cameron got up from their table and got on the line to buy her coffee.

Sophie then returned to her and Chase's table, placing one of two chocolate cinnamon swirl pastries in front of him as she sat down in her chair once more.

"Thank you," Chase said to her.

Sophie smiled. "Is everything all right?" she asked him with concern.

Chase glanced at Cameron, who was standing on the line, noticing that her posture seemed to be straighter than usual.

He then turned back to Sophie, smiling warmly at her.

"It will be," Chase told her.

TBC…