Thanks for the reviews, ya'all! I never tire of hearing what you have to say!

Mollisk: Haha, wow, I could kind of tell you weren't so excited about the story in the beginning, but I can't tell you how cool it is that I've "won you over," so to speak. I'm happy to hear it! Also, yes, I figured that was probably true about Alma being denied a liver, but I can't let her die too; that would be a little too angsty, even for my taste. Thanks for reading!

Irock708: I need all the luck I can get for the driving lessons; thanks! Here's my update, I hope you enjoy it.

Amber Chase: I'm so jealous, you live on a farm! I live in the suburbs, the worst of both worlds, you know. Driving is…terrifying, haha! Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing, glad you liked it!

Nikelodean: Glad you've enjoyed the past few chapters, and really, no problem about the language thing! I know I curse too much; it's better that I break the habit sooner than later, right? Slowly but surely, I'm getting there. Thanks for reading!

Reitashnehelena: Thanks for stopping by, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Haha, wow, I never thought I could write something that would get people to read the second I updated! Maybe if they were bored to tears and had nothing else to do, but certainly not this. Thanks for telling me; that just made my day!

Regina Halliwell: Haha, gotta do the whole cliffhanger thing to keep you guessing and coming back for more. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!

Queen of Blank: Wow, I'm glad you're so excited about the story you come as soon as you know! That just warms my heart…but you'd better tell me I need to step up my game a little bit, or my head's gonna get too bit for my own good, haha! Thanks for the "good luck" in regards to driving; I need all the help I can get!

Okay, here's chapter 18, and I hope you love it.

And since I haven't been faithful in disclaiming, here's an update on that: I DON'T OWN "HOUSE, M.D." I BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT, DID YOU?

Now you know. Enjoy!

Julia waited outside the OR, seated in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. She was ready to spring at any moment, the second she saw someone who looked like they knew something. The liver had arrived, they had come to her mother's room, and almost not prepped her for surgery. "She's too weak," they said. "She'll never survive."

"And she has a better chance at living again if she stays like this?" she had shot back, cranky from no sleep, being sick, and worrying for her mother. "My mother needs that liver. I promise you, she will make everyday she lives with it a treasure that everyone can benefit from. Please do this surgery!"

The surgeons had conceded reluctantly.

She jiggled her leg anxiously. They've been in there for over an hour. The fact that I haven't heard any unusual noises, screams and loud beeping and things like that – that must be a good sign. But it's taking so long! Over an hour, several hours to go before this is over…

Wilson watched her from afar, today distracted from his job. No, House wasn't telling him anything – he had to depend on rumors to get the information he needed, wheedling it down into little grains of truth that he had to assemble again for the big picture. It was a very long-winded process, but worth going through.

He really wanted to speak to her, but she probably wouldn't like that too much. Things had gotten too complicated – none of it his or her fault. It wasn't just the kiss – that could have been resolved days ago, practically. But throw in a fatal disease, a buried crime, an estranged father, and a sick mother, and what did you get? A problem. A huge, ugly, sickening, grotesque, in-your-face, here-to-stay problem. It wouldn't go away with a jovial, "Hey, sorry about the other night!" It would take a lot more than that to gain back what they had before. He just wasn't sure what.

Chase was watching her from the opposite side of the room, lost in his own thoughts, barely noticing Wilson. He wasn't stupid; the village idiot could tell what was going on. But then, the village idiot didn't have access to the files that told exactly what the situation was: Julia's mother was in need of a liver transplant due to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis, he knew for a fact, was caused by the excessive drinking of alcohol – in this case, anyway. He didn't know what it was like for her – his own mother had died running her car into a tree, a sudden death – but it couldn't have been any less heartbreaking than his own experience had been. Chase didn't know what to say or do; he only knew that some action out there had his name written all over it, an action no one else could take.

He decided it was a mess worth getting into. After all, he liked Julia a lot, and he really missed seeing her smile. Chase knew it wasn't likely that he'd get one out of her now, but if she'd stop crying, even momentarily, that would be quite enough.

He began to walk briskly toward her, then stopped as he saw Wilson eyeing him sharply. He knew he thought it was a bad idea to get involved with House's daughter, but his intentions were quite honorable, so why shouldn't he? Chase didn't know how well Wilson knew Julia, but he bet she knew a little bit more about him than she would have liked. For this reason, Chase felt bolder and continued walking.

"Want some company?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

She nodded quickly, her eyes never leaving the door. "It's taking longer than I thought," she commented quietly. "This is agony, Chase. I thought I'd seen my share of bad news, but I guess not."

"It's gonna be okay," he said softly, deciding it wasn't his role to play a doctor now. "I don't want you to get up and leave if you don't want to, but it's going to be several hours until we know anything for certain, so maybe you'd like to go elsewhere?"

Julia looked him in the eyes briefly, then glanced back at the OR entrance. "Like where?" she asked. "Would they be able to find us if something…you know, happened?"

"We could just walk around outside for a few minutes and you could stretch your legs a little." Chase gauged the expression on her face, and he was guessing that she wasn't feeling up to moving around after a night of no sleep. "Or we could go to the cafeteria, since I'm almost positive you haven't eaten in quite some time."

"You're right about that," Julia agreed and she stood up slowly. "That sounds like a good idea."

Chase stood with her and they walked together out of the waiting room. Julia couldn't help but look back at the doors a few times, just to see if anybody was rushing to her with news of her mom's condition. She had never felt so nervous in her whole life; her entire body was rigid and shaking.

They walked by Dr. Wilson, and Julia caught his eyes for a moment. He was surprised; she didn't look like she felt particularly hostile to him, just confused. The look Chase gave him was more menacing, as if he was saying, "Leave her alone. You had your chance and blew it; my turn now. Watch and learn." Conversely, she thought Wilson looked almost apologetic, for everything that had been going wrong lately. He looked like he wanted a second chance at…something. Julia might have stopped and talked to him, but at the present time, it was just too much. Wilson had been a great addition to her circle of friends, but the way things were now between them combined with all the other forces of the things that had been happening made it unbearable for her to think about this trial. She passed him by, vowing to talk to him later, if she got the chance.

"I promise, Julia, this is the worst part of the entire procedure," Chase told her as he lead the way. "The waiting, the anticipating. It will get better as time progresses."

"Chase, I don't mean to be rude, but you're speaking from the opposite end of the spectrum," Julia said. "Your mom…she's already passed away, right?"

"Yes," he said, suddenly feeling apprehensive about the subject. Here he was, facing an almost parallel situation, and he was just as clueless as how to help her deal with it as he was when he had to face it alone. "She didn't die like this. She was driving home under the influence of alcohol, and it impaired her judgment so much that she ended up in the wrong lane and veered into a tree when she swerved to miss a car. She was killed instantly, but it helped me a lot to know she didn't suffer."

"I'm sorry," Julia said. "I really am. But…what if my mom survives surgery? She's going to come out of the OR, still addicted, and it's a hard habit to break. When I die, it's going to be next to impossible for her to give it up." She swallowed hard and sat down at the first empty table she saw, wanting to avoid causing a scene in the middle of the cafeteria. "I mean…in a strange way, it would so comforting if this was the end."

Chase understood her dilemma, and it broke his heart to watch her facing it. She wanted her mom's life to be one of quality, so much that she'd fought for her to have this surgery, and now she wasn't sure that her mother, faced with a second chance at life, was going to be willing to take it. It was a hard place to be in, and he wished it could be as black and white for her as it was for him.

He sat down beside her and said, "Julia, I know because I've been there. It's okay to want to live for yourself a little bit. And for someone in your position, with only a short time left to enjoy life as you know it, it's got to be more important than ever." He hoped that sounded alright, sensitive and delicate enough for the situation. "You have every right to do what you want, and the fact that your mom is an alcoholic should not change that. And ultimately, either she will live or she will die. It sucks, but it's out of your hands. You've got to trust that she'll be okay, whatever happens."

Chase didn't know what he expected her to do – he hadn't done this to provoke tears, but it was so easy to get into these profound, philosophical monologues that seemed to have no ending point. He stopped and watched her.

Julia nodded, biting her lip, and said, "Thanks, Chase. You're right. I'm really lucky to have you, do you know that? Did you have anyone there to tell you these things and help you through it?"

He thought of his father and shook his head. "No."

She nodded again, then told him, "I just want you to know something about the AIDS. It wasn't my fault. I don't know why, but for some reason it's important to me that you know that, okay? I don't want to elaborate, really, but you've just got to trust me."

"I believe you," he replied simply, then sighed and leaned back. "You hungry?"

"A little bit," Julia said, shrugging. She was starving, but she didn't think it prudent to stuff her face when there were so many other things to worry about besides her hunger. Not to mention that she was concerned her monstrous appetite would scare Chase off.

"You want something to eat? My treat," he offered, smiling on the inside. He'd known Julia and Alma for three days and would have already taken them both out to eat if she agreed. Chase remembered his mom and knew she would have been proud that he'd taken on such a chivalrous nature.

"You don't have to do that," Julia said as she stood up and got in line. "You've been great to me since I got here, and then the way you took care of my mom…I can't let you do that."

"Come on, it's only a few bucks in exchange for the best dining company available," he protested good-naturedly.

"If you insist," Julia said, her mouth forming a hint of a smile.

Chase had gotten what he wanted. "And if the dining experience isn't pleasurable, you realize I'm going to have to make it up to you," he continued, feeling braver. "One complaint, and I'm whisking you off to as fine a restaurant as we've got in the state of New Jersey."

"Getting a little ahead of yourself there, aren't you, Chase?" Julia commented cheerfully as she eyed the hot turkey sandwich she had dropped on her tray. It was exactly what he'd been thinking, and he hoped it hadn't entirely scared her off. "But I'm keeping that in mind, I'll have you know. You'll be sorry."

They sat down and ate, discussing various things like the weather, carefully avoiding the topics of alcohol, sex, and difficult fathers.

Julia stopped eating and shot a look of malice at her food. "After three days of eating here, I can honestly say it's worse than school food," she commented, exaggerated her look of disdain in an attempt at humor.

"We're gonna have to fix that," Chase said, pushing his own plate away from him. He had to admit, even though it still beat airplane food in his humble opinion, it wasn't all that thrilling a concept.

"Indeed," Julia replied, panicking inside. What had possessed her to do that? Surely he had noticed that obviously-put hint. She didn't want to seem desperate; he might do the most lowly act he could possibly do and offer a date out of pity. That was the last thing she needed. "I'm sorry, I should really go back." She stood up and dumped out her trash. "Thank-you so much, Dr. Chase. I appreciate it so much."

Chase had been under the impression that things had been going very well, and the subtly-put hint she'd inserted in the conversation left him reeling with a sensation of good fortune. He was sure she might say yes if he suggested they hang out sometime. Nothing fancy, of course; maybe some dinner and a movie, or putt-putt golfing, or…something. He wasn't exactly sure of what people did on dates in America. Back in Australia, they did something wildly athletic to socialize, things like riding horses in the outback or dingo-hunting followed by a quick meal and some smores around a campfire. He wasn't so sure Julia would be receptive to those ideas, at least not right away. But hell, he was willing to try it, up until she'd realized what a mistake she'd made in hinting at someone as messed-up as he was to ask her out. Nice save, he thought sadly as he watched her walk away.

Chase stood up slowly and dumped out his trash as well, then picked up his pace as he got back to his duties as a doctor. His job had to come first. If he couldn't do that right, then he had no business asking a girl like Julia out.

A girl like Julia, he repeated to himself. She was a very unique person, and he was lucky to have met her. Chase couldn't debate with himself on that fact. But he knew he hadn't given adequate thought to her condition, or the fact that House would be standing by with his cane and a snide remark for him if anything went wrong, or Alma and the pain-tainted memories she presented. It was a lot to think about, and Chase couldn't blame himself if he decided his mind was best left on other things. It wasn't everyone that had the ability to love a girl like Julia the way she deserved. Still, Chase wondered if maybe, just maybe, he did.

Wilson watched from the clinic as Julia retreated from the cafeteria, taking small, quick steps as she did so. She didn't look upset, more…embarrassed. Looks could be deceiving, though, and he'd kill Chase if he'd said something stupid.

Wilson followed her back to the OR waiting room, feeling just a little bit ridiculous and sadistic. He didn't know what he was going to say. Maybe he should just try keeping his mouth shut for once and see what happened, but what did he expect her to say? "Wilson, I'm sorry for being so tempting, please forgive me." That was highly unlikely, to say the least.

He watched her resume her waiting position, erect and ready to spring at any news she could get her hands on. He swallowed hard, suddenly terrified of her. She was House's daughter, for crying out loud; he didn't know what she was capable of! Wilson hadn't thought House could hit that hard, but he had, and split his lip and loosened some teeth in the process. Julia was much younger and a girl. He couldn't hit a girl; it simply wasn't done, the way he saw it. He didn't stand a chance…but he'd noticed too late. Wilson was standing right in front of her, and she was looking straight at him. He felt like he was being lead to the gallows.

"Dr. Wilson," she said stiffly. "How's it going?"

He shrugged, and his voice increased an octave as he replied, "Pretty well, I guess, under the circumstances. I haven't fallen over and died of fright yet."

"Fright?" she said. "What could you possibly have to be scared of? I know I'm looking my best lately, but can't you give me a little credit for at least being freshly showered and wearing clean clothes? Or perhaps my appearance doesn't terrify you as much as the fact that the longer you stand here, the more people will have seen you with me, and that's not exactly healthy for your reputation, now is it?"

Wilson felt a pang of longing. He missed listening to her jokes, not to mention House's. Julia was funny enough, he supposed, but Greg House was a comic whose ability could never be mastered by anyone, even his offspring. "Look, Julia, I want to apologize for everything. I was wrong, I'm sorry, it will never happen again –"

"So on and so forth," she finished, cutting him off in mid-sentence. "I know. It's fine. I forgave you almost immediately. You'll excuse me if I don't fall into your arms and weep for joy right now. I'm a little preoccupied at the moment."

At least she wasn't giving him the silent treatment.

"I understand," Wilson said finally. "I just wanted you to know that, but under the circumstances, you probably don't care what I have to say –"

"Au contraire, Dr. Wilson," Julia said. "It means a lot to me that you came over here and talked to me. Really, no lie. Gives me something to be happy about, in the midst of everything else. Once all of this is over, I promise I'll get over myself and we can have a heart-to-heart about the whole thing. Right now, I really don't have the stamina to get through a conversation with you, or anybody, really. Nothing personal."

"You seem to be holding your own in regards to speech," Wilson commented. "Mind if I sit?"

Julia did mind very much, but as he was already seated, she didn't feel like fighting with him to please get away from her. "Go right ahead," she muttered.

A shadow passed over Wilson's head, and he didn't want to turn around. He knew it was House. He knew it and was terrified of what would happen if he acknowledged his presence. I don't want to die! he screamed inwardly.

"Dr. Wilson."

Wilson opened his eyes, not realizing he had scrunched them shut until his vision came back. That's not House. House isn't Australian.

"Dr. Chase," he said by way of greeting, irritated at the intrusion.

Julia rolled her eyes. This was misogyny at its finest; she wasn't used to having so many members of the opposite sex vying for her attention at the same time. And she certainly didn't need them concerned about her. She could most definitely take care of herself, but she didn't have the emotional or physical capability of breaking them up in case they got into a scuffle.

"You alright, Julia?" Chase asked, deciding the best policy would be to ignore the interloper seated next to her. He sat down in the chair to Julia's right; Wilson was seated to her left. Julia was sandwiched between them, feeling that her personal space was being violated.

"I'm fine," she said, annoyed. Why couldn't they just go away and have their little quarrel somewhere else, preferably far enough away that she would forget they existed?

"Got somewhere to be, Dr. Wilson?" he continued. "An oncologist's work never ends, does it?"

"You're one to talk, Chase," Wilson replied, not in the mood for games. "I happen to know someone who's behind in his clinic hours for the week, and guess what? He's standing right in front of me!"

"Some things are more important than work," Chase shot back, glancing at Julia. That's a good line, he thought to himself. See, Julia, I'd fit into your family just fine. At least I wouldn't have to be the silent one at the family reunion; I could argue with the best of you.

"Some things aren't for you to go sticking your nose into," Wilson countered. "Julia and I were in the middle of a private conversation."

"No, we weren't," she protested, her voice small as their volumes increased. They had barely heard her.

"Fat chance! We were just about to go on a walk and get some fresh air."

"That's not true either," Julia said. They hadn't heard her at all that time.

Wilson's face was turning red. "Look, Chase, I've already told you House wouldn't approve –"

"Don't go pretending like you care about my welfare," Chase told him. "I can see right through you, and I know an opportunist when I see one. Stay out of it. I gather you've already caused enough trouble."

"And you haven't?" Wilson sputtered. "Half the problems Julia is having would disappear if you'd just walk away."

"The only problem she's got right now is listening to you pretend you care!"

"My problem is that my mother is having major surgery performed on her right now, I just discovered I have a fatal disease that also serves as a transformation into a social leper, and you idiots don't even care enough to take your childish bickering somewhere else!" Julia screamed, drawing the attention of several passers-by with her loud voice and exaggerated movements as she stood up, breaking eye contact between Chase and Wilson. "Would you please just stop talking?"

They both heard her loud and clear that time, and her outburst had the desired effect. They both shut up.

"Well done, Julia. I couldn't have handled that better myself."

All three parties glanced up towards the entrance to the ICU. House was standing there, not unlike an angel in his appearance, at least to Julia, whose face had broken into a relieved smile. He appeared more like an executioner to Chase and Wilson.

"So," he said as he made his way over to them. "How about if you two kindly go away so I can talk to my daughter alone?"

Sorry, not as good of a cliffhanger as I'd like to leave you with, but I am being forced to spend quality time with my paternal caretaker, so I've gotta bounce. Reviews, anyone? Please, sir (or ma'am, or mademoiselle, as the case may be), I want some more! (How greedy can I get, honestly?) Thanks for reading!