Chapter Seven: No One
"You need a biopsy to diagnose," House said walking into the conference room.
"Chest CT would be quicker," Chase disagreed.
"The lady just came in with a rash," Foreman protested.
House looked at Emma as she worked. She was writing out notes and he snuck up behind.
"What the hell is that?"
Emma jumped and nearly choked on the candy cane she had in her mouth.
"It's a candy cane," she coughed.
"Candy Cane?"
"Quit bitching," Emma snapped. "You're not offended, you're amused. I hear you almost killed a woman today."
"Cuddy said she wasn't going to notify lawyers."
"She has to notify me."
"Churk Strauss is a bit grim," Cameron said, turning the conversation back to medicine, "Untreated thirty-three percent of all patients survive past a year. Treated, they survive maybe five years."
"I definitely suggest treatment then," House said.
"Is it possible you just made a mistake?" Emma said as Chase sat down across from her. Everyone looked at her and House rolled his eyes.
"I didn't screw up," he told her firmly.
"Everyone screws up."
"Order a chest CT and start the sister on pregnazon," House said, ignoring Emma.
"The sister," Chase said curiously.
"Forty milligrams IV," House continued limping to the door.
Chase groaned, "I hate nuns."
"Who doesn't?" House said amused as he left.
...Emma stood in the middle of the courtyard as the nun walked around the room holding a ruler.
"Clearly, Miss Aslin, you can't do as you're told," she snapped angrily.
"But I had to go," Emma complained, "I had to Sister!"
"Silence!" the sister thundered.
Eight year old Emma's eye sought out ten year old Robert's. She looked at him tearfully and as the nun brought down the ruler hard on her hands.
Emma cried out in pain and tried to cover her hands but another sister held her still.
"Stop it you old hag!" Robert called, "She had to go to the bathroom! I didn't think God punished little girls for that little of an offense."
The students started laughing and the sister who had been hitting Emma marched over and grabbed Chase by the ear. She dragged him to stand next to Emma.
"You can have ten hits plus Miss Aslin's five," the nun snapped before she brought the ruler down as hard as she could on Chase's hands.
By the eleventh hit his hands were bleeding. Emma stood horrified as the nun hit Chase's hands a total of fifteen times. When the punishment concluded, the crowd of children was dispersed and Emma walked next to Chase. They quietly snuck away to the kitchens where lunch was usually made. Robert sat on a stool and Emma ran water over a towel.
"Thank you," Emma said softly as she gently dabbed the blood away, "You didn't have to do that."
"Yes I did. You didn't deserve that."
Emma kissed his cheek causing him to blush. She giggled at him and continued to clean his hands…
Emma was jarred from the memory by House slamming his cane down on the desk.
"Why is it that Chase hates nuns?" he asked. "Did one of them get too fresh?"
"No," Emma said with a chuckle. "Why do you care?"
"I don't. I'm just curious."
"Ask Robert."
"I already paged him," House said as Chase walked in.
"My mother's been dead for ten years."
"But she's always with you in spirit. What do you know about the nun?"
"Which one?"
"The sick one, you idiot."
"Her parents died when she was a child and she's known the church ever since."
"What's she lying about?"
"Why do you say that?"
"He always says that."
"You know nuns, what do you think?"
"I don't know nuns."
"You hate nuns."
"Maybe I hate them on principle. Like Nazi's."
"I have a theory about nuns. They put the fear of god into good little boys and make them fear divine retribution and listen to their daddies like when their daddies tell them to go to med school even when it's the last thing they wanna do."
"House," Emma said quietly as an uncomfortable silence descended. "Stop."
"I think if your nun had a secret her boss would know."
Chase left angrily and House turned to Emma, "I hit the nail on the head."
"I will never understand the sick fascination that you have in torturing people. What happened between Robert and his father is none of your business."
"But you know," House said. "Were you there for the fight?"
"It's not your business," Emma said firmly.
"Just like Chase, cheating isn't any of my business?"
"Robert isn't cheating on me."
"Denial is the first step in acceptance."
"I would know," Emma said. "You're looking for a reason to make Robert miserable. Congratulations to your nun, by the way. Who knew that nun's were on birth control?"
House chuckled and stood, "Merry Christmas, Emma."
"Happy Christmas, House."
"Is it your birthday by chance?" House asked knowing full well that it was.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"I read it in your file. Here you go. Happy Birthday," House said, handing her a small card.
Emma smiled at him, "Thank you."
Emma stood at the mirror in the bathroom and applied red lipstick and put on a silver cross with a single diamond in the center of the cross. She was fumbling with the clasp and was looking down when she felt Chase's hands take the necklace and fixed the clasp.
"Thank you," Emma said as she held the cross in her hand. "I heard about your nun. Congratulations. I know it must have been hard."
Chase nodded and looked at Emma and watched her slip on a pair of black ballet flats. Her tights were black and the dress she wore hit mid-thigh.
"Are you going to church?" Chase asked. He had stopped going after failing out of the seminary school, but Emma had been the ever faithful catholic and went almost every Sunday.
"Yeah, I know it's a bad way to spend my birthday, but I want to. Besides, Mrs. Addison always wants to know what you're up to and I couldn't disappoint her in her weekly update. She's always gushing about how handsome Dr. Chase must be and how she's always disappointed you don't show up."
Chase had never met Mrs. Addison but knew that Emma was close with the old woman. She'd even helped her last winter when she'd been sick.
"Would you mind if I went with you?" Chase said, looking at Emma. She looked at him and walked back towards him.
"There is something you can do for me instead." Emma said standing on her tippy toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Things hadn't been good but if this was her last Christmas she'd spend with Robert she wanted it to be memorable.
"What's that?"
Emma smiled, "Do you remember that one Christmas in Sydney where we had absolutely nothing?"
"That was a lot of Christmas' Emma." Chase said, holding her hips close to him.
"I know but there was this one when we really had nothing." Emma said, placing a kiss on his cheek, "You told me we didn't need everything that other people had and you put on the radio to that station that played all those old piano tunes and you lit a bunch of candles and we pushed the furniture away and just danced for Christmas. That's what I want. Instead of you doing something I know you wouldn't want to do please do something that's at least bearable."
Chase kissed her lips gently, "It's not a problem Emma to do either of those things."
Emma smiled back at him as Chase kissed her hand, "I'll get the candles if you move the furniture and get the radio."
He smiled, "Deal."
Chase placed one last candle on the mantle and saw Emma's reflection in the glass of the photo frame.
She had put her hair up in a loose bun and had removed her tights and shoes. All she wore was the mid thigh dress she'd worn earlier that wrapped around the waist and tied in the back in a bow. The back of the dress was open in the mid back and the sensual arc of her neck and spine turned him on. Chase gave a small smile, "You look beautiful."
Emma smiled and listened to him tune the radio till she heard him tune to the right station.
The slow jazz music sounded through the radio and Emma smiled watching Chase take off his tie and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt before taking off his shoes and socks.
"I always knew you liked the feel of this rug on your feet." Emma said with a smile.
Chase chuckled and pulled Emma onto the rug. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he took her left hand and held it in his. Emma's hand rested her hand on the back of his neck and feeling her finger tips on his neck sent a shiver up his spine.
The music was slow and Emma and Chase were as close as possible. Emma rested her head on his chest and Chase kissed her head as their bodies slowly moved with the music.
"I owe you an apology." Chase said softly.
"For what?" Emma whispered.
"I haven't been the nicest husband to you for the past few months and I'm sorry for that."
Emma looked up at him and ran her fingers down the back of his neck, "I don't expect you to be the nicest husband everyday and thank you for your apology. I love you regardless of everything you do, good and bad."
Chase chuckled, "And I love you too. I'm sorry again for everything I've been doing."
Emma looked at him and softly kissed his lips. Chase dropped his hand to her hips and held her close to him.
Their breathing was uneven as Emma's other hand rested on his shoulder. The music was in the background and Chase gently kissed Emma again tracing her lips with his tongue asking for entrance. Emma let him in and Chase stopped moving and moved his hand up to her neck and cupped her jaw.
Chase deepened the kiss and let his mind close down and just be in the moment. Being with Emma at that moment was all that mattered. Emma kissed him back and moaned. Moving his hands back to her hips and pulled the bow.
"Robert…I want you…"
Her dress loosened and Chase kissed her again with more passion than before. His hands touched her lower back and ran up to where her bra should have been but wasn't. He gently pulled the dress down over her shoulder and stepped back letting it fall to the floor. Emma looked at him just standing in a pair of lace panties.
Taking a shaky breath, Emma took a step out of the dress and stood on her toes to kiss Chase's lower lip. Unbuckling his pants, she kissed him again.
Emma wasn't sure how it happened but she found Chase lowering her to the rug and felt his breath on her neck as his lips touched the shell of her ear.
"I love you." He murmured.
"I love you too."
Emma slowly unbuttoned his shirt and moaned as Chase continued to kiss his way down her neck to her collarbone and her breast bone. She cried out when Chase kissed her breast and gently touched her.
Emma pushed his shirt over his shoulders and ran her nails lightly down his back. Chase hooked his fingers on the sides of her underwear and slowly pulled them down as he kissed down her body reaching her navel. Tossing her panties aside, he dipped his tongue into her navel and she moaned loudly.
Her legs fell to the sides as Chase rested between them and kissed lower past her navel.
His hot breath on her body excited her more as he took her bundle of nerves into his mouth and sucked hard. Emma's body arced off the rug and she moaned at the sensation. Chase smiled and continued to explore her body until she was so close to climaxing that her body was on edge waiting.
"Robert…"
"Relax.." Chase said softly as he continued to kiss her everywhere. His own body was taunted and begging for release as he kissed Emma's breasts again and lined up his hips to her. They both moaned at the sensation of their body's grinding against each other and Chase couldn't stop himself. Thrusting into Emma, he closed his eyes at the feeling of being inside her velvet warm and panted. Her legs wrapped around his waist and hugged him closer to her. Steadying himself on his elbows, Chase looked down at Emma as she gazed back at him with the same pleasured look on her face that he supposed he had also.
She ran her hands down his chest and down to his hips. She shifted and he closed his eyes repressing the need to thrust wildly inside her. Her hands moved again to his back and her nails ran up and down his back lightly. Emma bucked her hips up again and Chase couldn't stop himself. He pulled out of her softness and slowly pushed himself back in. They both moaned at the feeling of being so close to each other.
The candle light played on her features as Chase opened his eyes and began to move faster. Her hair had fallen out of its loose bun and was like a halo around her head as he buried his face in her neck and smelt her perfume.
Roses and the ocean…
Emma's body was so close and Chase could sense it as he continued to thrust inside of her. She tightened around him and he squeezed his eyes as Emma climaxed and he gave into pleasure also.
He collapsed on her and the soft music in the background met his ears again as Emma's heart pounded in her chest where he rested his head.
She ran her fingers gently through his hair as he kissed her body in random places, "I love you."
Chase smiled and kissed her ear lobe, "I love you more."
Emma's head rested on Chase's chest as they laid on a sheet in the middle of their living room rug. Chase had pulled a soft blanket out and covered them up. His fingertips ran softly across her hair and he placed the occasional kiss on her head every time she moved.
"I almost forgot I got a present for you." Chase said as he pulled his jeans over and fished around in the pocket before pulling out a small black box.
Emma smiled, "You didn't have to get me anything. I thought we agreed a long time ago that we wouldn't give each other Christmas presents."
Chase chuckled, "This is eleven years overdue Emma, it's more of an extra late gift."
Emma sat up clutching the blanket to her chest and opened the box. Inside was an engagement ring.
A medium sized diamond was in the middle of a diamond encrusted silver band by itself.
"It's beautiful," Emma said, taking it out, "Thank you."
Chase sat up too and kissed her, "It's not as pretty as the wearer but it's still beautiful like her."
Emma smiled and kissed him again before gently pushing him down and climbing on top of him.
"Don't you look happy! I think I might hurl." House said as Emma walked into his office on the first day back from Christmas vacation.
"I'm sorry. I'll try and tone down the cheer for you."
Emma grabbed a file off his desk but House grabbed her wrist, "Nice bling...what'd Chase do? Cheat?"
"No he didn't." Emma said annoyed, "It was a present."
Foreman and Cameron walked in and House zeroed in on Cameron, "If someone cheated on you how much money in jewels would you expect?"
Cameron opened her mouth to answer but Emma cut her off, "It was my birthday on Christmas Eve and he gave it to me. Just because someone gives someone else something doesn't mean they automatically did something wrong."
"What are we talking about?" Foreman asked.
"Emma got a diamond for Christmas. What's with that?" House said.
"So what? Chase bought his wife jewelry. Married people do that sometimes."
"For the love of-," Emma began pinching the bridge of her nose, "Robert bought it because I never had an engagement ring or a fancy band when we got married. It was a nice thought and I liked it. Happy?"
House leaned back in his chair, "Why would he wait all this time? See, now I'm interested."
Chase walked in and stopped as everyone looked at him, "What?"
"We were just discussing your gift to Emma. Great way to save your marriage that's on the rocks, buying her new rings to show her just how committed you really are or cover the fact that you cheated. Where'd you learn that from Wilson?" House commented while standing, "What do you have for me?"
Chase walked over and handed House a chart, "Just because I buy my wife something I haven't been able to afford in the past doesn't make me a cheater and doesn't mean my marriage is on the rocks."
There was an uncomfortable silence while Chase and House stared each other down. Emma cleared her throat, "Okay, I'm going to go visit Cuddy. No one had better kill anyone while I'm gone or do anything life threatening to patients and or colleagues. Fair?"
Walking out slowly, Emma laughed to herself as Cameron looked nervously between Chase and House while Foreman looked amused. She waved to Wilson who held the elevator for her and stepped on.
"How was your Christmas Wilson?"
"Spent it with House, yours?"
Emma hit the button to the lobby, "It was nice."
"I assume you and Chase made up."
"Why do you assume we were fighting?" Emma asked.
"Because you two avoided each other like the plague and racked up the most overtime put together in a four month period than any other persons on the staff ever have." Wilson replied with a chuckle, "That and the fact that every time you looked at Chase you looked murderous. How's the ear infection?"
Emma raised an eyebrow at Wilson, "It's fine and I do not look at him murderously."
"Maybe or maybe not, but you did help me win five hundred bucks with the surgical department."
Rolling her eyes, Emma stepped off the elevator, "So glad that my personal struggles made you money Wilson."
"I'll buy you lunch then we'll be even." He called.
Walking into Cuddy's office, Emma raised an eyebrow at a frazzled looking Cuddy.
"Everything okay?"
"Call House, he has a case."
Emma nodded and went to the nurse's station dialing House's office.
