Sorry about the break between chapters, I had a bit of a mental block and Christmas time was really busy. Hope you like this!
A week had gone by, and Chase had been acting really weirdly towards everyone. Cameron had expected him to quit his job, or at least get a transfer to get away from them, but he had stayed, and gone back to his old, reclusive self, the person he was before him and Cameron got together.
"What's going on with you and Cuddy?" House asked as Chase watched her walk by through the glass walls of the room.
"What's going on with you and Cameron?" Chase answered, watching Cuddy walk away down the corridor.
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"Have you noticed Chase and Cuddy?" House asked Wilson as they ate lunch one day and watched Chase talk to another doctor in the lunch queue.
"You're just jealous," Wilson answered.
"You would think that he would be hiding away from the world, trying to avoid Cameron and Me at the least,"
"Be happy for the guy, you took the only person he had, and he took it all in his stride," Wilson had answered, annoyed at House's petty observations.
Meanwhile…
"Hey, how are you doing?" Foreman asked as he sat down.
"Not bad, considering," Chase had answered.
"What's up with you and Cuddy?"
"Nothing,"
"We both know that's a lie Chase" Foreman
"I can trust you right," Chase said to Foreman.
"Of course,"
"She bought me a drink and we talked for a while…" Chase trailed off as Cameron headed towards the table.
"How's the patient," Chase asked as to avoid any awkward conversation.
"Stable," Cameron answered, avoiding eye contact.
"I'll leave you two," Foreman said, patting Chase on the back as he left.
"How are things going?" Cameron asked Chase.
"How's House?" Chase asked.
"How's Cuddy?" Cameron answered. They both sat in silence for a while before either spoke again, "I deserve to know, I did tell you,"
"Bit of a difference," Chase answered, taking a large mouthful of sandwich and looking straight into her eyes.
"I don't regret it," Cameron said.
"Me neither," Chase got up and dumped his unfinished food on the tray recklessly.
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"Chase, we need to talk," House was getting sick of the tension that had developed in the department. Chase walked into his office as the other two left the room to treat the patient. "How are you going?"
"I don't really think it is your business to ask," Chase answered, refusing to take a seat as House offered.
"Look, Chase, Cameron made a decision and-"
"You took the only girl I have ever loved away from me now you are trying to tell me to accept it? I should have known it was you. First you took Stacy, now Cameron. You asked me how I was meant to work with you after I ratted you out to Vogler. I'm asking you the same question now,"
"I hear you and Cuddy are the next hot couple," House answered, deflecting Chase's question.
"You are a real asshole House," Chase said, standing up and leaving the room.
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"What did House ask you about?" Cameron asked as Chase walked into the MRI room where the other two were.
No answer.
"Are you ok Chase?"
No answer.
"Foreman, tell House that I am taking the afternoon sick," Chase said as he left the room. Foreman looked at Cameron and frowned.
"It wasn't my fault," Cameron said.
"Yeah, ruining a guy's life by sleeping with his boss is the kindest thing to do,"
"I didn't mean it to happen,"
"You made Chase happy, let him see a light in his dim life, and you blew it out with one stupid mistake," Foreman answered.
She sat there for a second without answering.
"Do you still care for him?"
"Of course I do," Cameron snapped.
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"Cuddy, I can't stand this anymore," Chase said, handing her an envelope with her name written on it.
"You don't have to leave,"
Chase shook his head, "No, this is the only way,"
"Chase, I can get you transferred to another hospital, Princeton General is short staffed in the-"
"Thanks Cuddy, but I'm final on my decision," he put out his hand for her to shake it, "House has finally got to me,"
Bloody House! "Chase," she called out after him as he turned around to leave. "I have another option for you, come to my house for dinner tonight, we'll discuss it then,"
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'Bang, Bang, Bang' no answer…
'Bang, Bang, Bang' still nothing…
"Robert, I know you're in there," Cameron yelled, "I'll use my key then,"
"Go away,"
"Fine, I'll use my key," Cameron said, pulling the shiny silver object out of her pocket. She opened the door, only to see Chase with a giant suitcase on the bed. "Where are you going?"
"Australia," Chase said, moving Cameron aside to get to his wardrobe.
"You don't have to do this," Cameron said.
"It's just a holiday, then I'll come back and…" Chase trailed off.
"and what?"
"dunno," Chase said not paying any attention to her as he frantically packed his bag.
"So this is it for us,"
"I would have thought you were smart enough to realize that by now," Chase answered, still running around the apartment looking for stuff.
"What you looking for?" Cameron asked.
"My brown shoes,"
"They are in the back right hand corner of the wardrobe." Sure enough, when Chase looked there, there they were. "Don't I get a thank you?"
Chase stood up for a second and looked her in the eyes. "Thank You,"
"Look, Robert, I'm sorry, If that means anything, and I was wondering if…if you would forgive me?"
"So you can break my heart again?" Chase said, zipping up his suitcase and putting it on the ground.
"Do you want your key back?" Cameron said, holding it out, he gently took it out of her hand.
"I guess I have no use for this then," he said, re-opening his suitcase and rummaging threw it. While he was doing this, Cameron noticed something on his bed side table. She slowly walked over to it, and identified it as a wring box, sitting in front of a picture of the two of them on their first date. "Here," Chase said, making her jump. He handed back his key to her apartment. "What you looking at?"
"Oh, just the picture," Cameron said.
"You've lied enough to me Cameron," Chase said, walking over to the bedside table and picking up the picture and the box. He looked down at the box briefly, before shoving it in his pocket and turning around to pack the other stuff. "You didn't even remember our anniversary." Chase re-zipped the case and again put it on the floor.
"Chase, please, don't leave, I can't think what I'll do without you around at least. Just being near you makes me…happy," Cameron said, now a tear coming to her eye.
"You should have thought of that before you slept with House. How many times did you do him anyway?" Chase said, "I'm just interested, lets me see how much of a failure I was,"
"Chase you aren't a failure,"
"You're wrong. I was in my Dad's eyes, and he was right. So how many times?" Cameron looked at the ground.
"Only that once when we were together, and twice since then," Chase stood still, staring at her for a while then looking at his watch, "when does your plane leave?"
"Tomorrow, 11am from New York, I'm driving up there tonight,"
"Bye then," Cameron said, holding out her hand to shake his, just like she had when she told House she was leaving the hospital the year before.
"Bye Cameron,"
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"Good morning everyone," House said, as he walked into the office the following morning, only to be greeted by two rather looking glum faces. "Where's Chase?"
"He's gone," Foreman said, "Cuddy told me to tell you this morning,"
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"Chase is gone," House said, as he walked into Wilson's office.
"What do you mean gone? Dead, terminally ill, taking away the things you love one by one?" Wilson answered.
"Left the hospital,"
"Well done, another person pushed away," Wilson said. House took a seat opposite him. "You going to get him back?"
"At the moment, according to Cameron, he is on a plane over the Pacific,"
"Let the fellowship interviews begin," Cuddy walked in just as Wilson said this.
"Dr Wilson, may I have a word with Dr House outside please," House reluctantly got up and followed Cuddy into the corridor.
"Did you get my message?" Cuddy asked.
"Yeah, Foreman told me this morning,"
"Well, have a nice day Dr. House," Cuddy said, turning around to walk away.
"What about the fellowship interviews?" House asked her.
"I think you have two very capable doctors in your department, we'll wait and see how you go without Chase for a couple of months, then I'll re-access the situation,"
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"Did you go and see him?" Foreman asked Cameron as they sat by themselves in the conference room.
"Yeah," Cameron said as she slowly stirred her coffee.
"What did he say?"
"He was going to propose," Cameron said, with a sick feeling in her stomach, "Eric, I broke his heart,"
"It happens," Foreman answered after a while, "How do you know he was going to propose,"
"He had a wring box on his bed side table,"
"Oh…" Foreman said.
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TBC