Disclaimer: I want a hippopotamus for Christmas... And the rights to House... I think I'm more likely to get the hippo, dude.

Chapter Three

When Chase arrived at work on Monday, the entire diagnostics department seemed tense. He noticed that Foreman was trying to keep out of the way, and Cameron and House had an air about them that screamed of anger. After such a nice weekend, he wasn't looking forward to starting the week this way.

"You're late," House snapped at Chase.

"I called and said that I would be," Chase answered cautiously. "Left you a message… I had to fix my breaks."

"You know how to fix a car?" House asked with a sneer. "I'm amazed." He turned to Foreman. "Go make sure he did it right. Cameron, you're coming with me. We're checking out what's-his-face's apartment."

"Max," Cameron said through gritted teeth. "The patient's name is Max."

"Sure. Right. Chase, be a good puppy and go with Foreman to be sure you're not going to get into a car accident."

"I'm not checking-" Foreman started to protest, but stopped when House pinned him with a glare.

"Yes," House insisted with a sneer. "You are. Cameron." He nodded and Cameron snatched up her coat, following House with an angry gait.

Chase blinked and looked around the nearly-empty room. "What the hell did I miss?"

Foreman grimaced and set his pencil down. "House found out about you taking Cameron out Saturday night. He … wasn't happy. I think they had a screaming match in his office."

Chase frowned. "What does he care whether or not I took Cameron out on Saturday? It wasn't a date or anything. Besides, he isn't seeing her."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Foreman suggested hesitantly. "He's possessive enough to make me think that they've got something going on under the table."

"You're kidding."

"Nope." He scratched the back of his head and blew out a slow breath. "I've been trying to stay as uninvolved as possible." He paused, tapping his fingers on the table. "You want me to look at your brakes?"

Chase sighed. "Sure." He'd probably fucked them up anyway.

---

When House and Cameron returned to the hospital, they seemed to have solved whatever issue was between them before, and Chase noticed immediately. Maybe Foreman was right about Cameron having something secret with House. Some of her comments when they'd been out the other night certainly leaned toward the idea. Chase wondered if he ought to put in a bet on it.

Or he could just ask Cameron when he got a chance. But, really, where was the fun in that?

"How's the patient?" House asked, hanging his cane on the side of the whiteboard and tossing a couple of prescription bottles on the table. The bottles had been found in the patient's apartment, and not all of them were actually prescribed to the old couple.

"Stable," Foreman answered. "Second tox-screens came back negative."

"Do an LP. I want to know what's attacking this guy's mind. Chase, run some more blood work and check for bacterial infections. Cameron, smear for at least twenty types of viruses. If this guy wants to be difficult, we'll help him right along."

Foreman shook his head and went to take the lumbar puncture, and Chase and Cameron got up to go to the lab. Before they left, House interrupted them.

"Cameron," he said with a nod of his head. She turned to face him. "Office." She sighed and followed House into his office. Chase watched until House gave him a glare and shut the blinds.

"Son of a bitch," Chase muttered. "Foreman was right." He shook his head, angry with himself for thinking he might have had a chance with Cameron and angry with Cameron for having a thing with House. Without another thought, he made his way to the lab to start the blood work.

Not twenty minutes later, Cameron came into the lab and quietly began her virus smears. After a few moments of silence, Chase couldn't take it anymore. "You're sleeping with him, aren't you?"

Cameron looked up from her smears in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

"House. You're having sex with House."

"I…" She looked flustered and shook her head, returning her attention to her work. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb, Cameron," Chase snapped. "Foreman told me that he threw a hissy fit when he found out that I took you out Saturday night."

"He didn't throw a hissy fit!" Cameron exclaimed, shoving a Petri dish angrily into a container. "And I'm not sleeping with him."

"Can you prove it?"

"What do you want, Chase? The nonexistent condoms that we haven't used?" She turned to face her colleague and took her glasses off, crossing her arms angrily over her chest. "Why are you up-in-arms about this, anyway? I'm not sleeping with you, either."

"It's stupid to get mixed up with him, Cameron. He's our boss and he's an asshole," Chase told her heatedly.

"So now I'm stupid for doing something that I haven't done? Chase, are you out of your mind?"

"Out of his mind with jealousy, perhaps?" House suggested from the doorway to the lab. Cameron flushed and Chase glared as House limped into the lab. "I think Dr. Chase needs to find a new past-time. You know … something that doesn't involve harassing his coworkers. Or sleeping with them. Are you two doing any work down here or did I send you down here to have a fuck-fest?"

Cameron threw her arms into the air in exasperation. "I'm not fucking Chase, either!" she exclaimed angrily. "What is it with you two?"

"Well, you see…" House started, leaning on his cane with a smirk plastered smugly on his face. "When a man finds a woman attractive, blood rushes to his-"

"Go to hell," Cameron cut him off, storming out of the lab and leaving the two to stare each other down.

Silence settled over the two men as they challenged each other without words. Finally, Chase broke the tense silence.

"Are you seeing her?"

"Every day at work," House retorted simply.

"Are you screwing her?" Chase clarified through clenched teeth.

"I wish. She's a hot piece of ass."

"House-"

"There's nothing going on between Cameron and me."

"As if you would tell me if there were."

"Exactly," he sneered, going to check over Cameron's work. "All you need to know is that I can have her if I want her and you… Well, you can't, now, can you?"

"I could," Chase growled angrily, hands clenching into fists at his sides. "I'm just not going to play with her like that. It's not fair to her."

House smirked. "You know what? You're right. I'll go tell her right now that I'd like to meet her for drinks after work. Get her smashed, take her home, have a little fun. Maybe something will even develop. Hopefully not a kid, though… I'd have to dump her ass for that one."

"You're twisted and sick."

"Yeah…" House drawled, tossing a Petri dish back into the testing case. "But I'll still get the girl. The most wonderful thing about it all is that I won't even have to try all that hard." He left the lab slowly, and Chase knew why he'd done what he'd just done. He wanted to intimidate Chase. That's fine … let him intimidate. Chase would do what was right: He was telling Cameron.

---

Chase found Cameron eating dinner in the cafeteria. He took a deep breath, wiped his sweaty, nervous palms on his dress slacks, and took the seat across from her. "Mind if I talk to you for a minute?"

Cameron frowned. "I only mind if you're going to accuse me of screwing my boss."

Chase sighed. "I'm sorry. I was way out of line when I said that. I was…"

Cameron studied him with a somewhat sad look in her eyes. "Jealous?" she asked softly. When Chase didn't answer, Cameron prodded along gently. "It's okay if you were… I just don't like the way you handled it."

"I wasn't… I was…" He frowned and studied his hands, which were crossed on the table in front of him. "I was upset to think that you would let yourself get involved with someone like House. You do deserve better, Cameron." He paused and finally managed to meet her eyes. "I am sorry for it, though. I never should have accused you of sleeping with him."

"Thank you," she answered slowly, taking another bite of her salad. "Both for thinking that I deserve better and for apologizing. It really hurt me that you thought I would hop into bed with House without a second thought."

"I know. It was wrong of me." He paused and stared hesitantly at his hands once more. "It's not my place to judge anything you do. I just… House is such an ass… And… And you should know…" He fought with himself… Should he really tell her? Maybe House was just goading him. It was a very good possibility that House had just been trying to get a rise out of Chase. House did that. Constantly.

"Yes?" she asked.

The look on her face told Chase that she was expecting some sort of admission of love. He'd have to let her down… At least this time. "House… He mentioned…" Chase frowned. "He may have just been trying to rile me, but he said that he'd invite you out for drinks. That he could get you without even trying. I just … I think you should know that."

Cameron chewed thoughtfully on her salad and frowned slightly. "Really?" she asked, eyes narrowing in thought. "Well… I'll take that up with him." She dived back into her salad. "Mind you, I'll do it on my own time… But I'll be sure to bring that up." She gave Chase a smile. "Thank you."

He gave her a sheepish grin in return. "Just looking out for you."

---

Later that evening, as the team sat and attempted to figure out the rest of the problems with Max, House tapped his cane on his foot. "Enough of this," he declared. "I'm getting out of here. Liquor sounds good…" He turned to Cameron. "Drinks?"

"Sure," Cameron answered slowly. Once House's back was turned, she gave Chase a small wink.

Chase smiled. Cameron really wasn't going down without a fight, and he couldn't be happier. He worried, though, that maybe she hadn't really believed him when he told her… But he had to put those thoughts behind him. As the team stood to leave, he pulled her aside. "You're going?" he asked worriedly.

"Chase, I told you that I'd confront him about it. And that's what I'm doing," she answered with a smile as she took off her lab coat and tugged on her jacket. "Don't worry, Chase. Everything's going to be fine. Thank you for looking out for me," she said sincerely.

He gave her a small smile. "You're welcome," he answered softly.

She ruffled his hair affectionately before following House out of the hospital. Chase stood back and hoped, with all of his heart, that Cameron wasn't going to go and do stupid… Like fall for whatever device House had planned.