Okay, now you all get to find out what was in the letter!! YAH! But I know I'm going to get flack because I know it's not what everyone wanted to hear. But keep reading. I think (and hope, crossing fingers and toes) that what happens at the end of the chapter will make everyone happy (House certainly wont' be!)

And thanks for 'liking' Debra. I think I will bring her in after Cam dies – I mean is better. Hehehe

AllyCameron(not sure if right) – I couldn't reply to your email. I know where you are coming from. Is it turning around to your liking? I already knew where I was taking it, but you have to be patient with me. I'll get there!!!!! Geez! lol

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Chase sat on his couch staring at the letter from House to Cameron. It was well past 3 a.m., which had been the norm the past two days since he found the letter when he saw Wilson holding it. He insisted Wilson give it to him, even though he fought it tooth and nails, until he finally relented.

He held the tri-folded letter in his hand and seethed with anger, growing with each word he read. He'd read the letter almost ten times and it never got any easier to read. He noted that the handwriting was somewhat shaky and the direction of the letters seemed to change occasionally, as if he'd paused in writing to get his thoughts together.

Cameron,

This will come as a shock, considering you're delirious, but you and I are not romantically involved.

You wished we were, and I wouldn't have minded ripping your lab coat off. But it's never happened, and it isn't going to happen. We have a professional relationship, and it will remain that way.

If you can't handle that, then I suggest you take the position in Boston I signed that letter of recommendation for.

H

Chase crumpled up the letter with distaste, walked to the fireplace and threw it in. He watched with intense satisfaction the red flame igniting the paper and sending it up the flue in a ball of fire. House may or may not know he had the letter, but technically, it was no longer his anyway. And Cameron would never know House gave her a letter.

"I was right! I knew he would do something to hurt her."

Chase was livid, angrier at House than when he punched him in the face when House wouldn't listen to his diagnosis about the little girl with the problem with sensitivity to light. He snatched the phone, dialed a number and impatiently waited for the person to answer.

"Hello?"

From the mumbled voice on the other end of the line Chase knew he was still half asleep but he didn't care. He needed to talk, to get someone else's opinion – someone on the 'outside.'

"You awake?"

"No."

Chase was instantly faced with a dial tone.

"Foreman!"

Chase quickly dialed the number again, and when Foreman answered Chase cried out, "Cameron just died!"

"Huh? Wha…oh, my god!" Foreman bolted upright and gripped the phone tightly to his ear.

"No, just listen. I need your help with something."

"But you just said Cameron died!"

"I lied. But you are awake now, aren't you?"

"You're a jerk! What do you want? And make it quick!" Foreman warned as he rolled over on his side away from Wendy, the Peds nurse he broke up with a while ago. They'd been back together for three weeks now, but decided to try to keep it 'on the down-low.'

It took Chase just five minutes to relay the contents of the letter, the fight he'd had with House and the "non-serious convenient sex partners only" arrangement he had with her. Although Foreman tried his hardest not to be interested, by the time Chase got to the sex part, he couldn't help being intrigued. He was dying to know where Chase was going with it all.

"I really care about her, Foreman. But I'm not sure if she cares about me the same way. Apparently her thinking she's with House means she does still care about him."

"That's not necessarily true," Foreman objected.

Chase remained quiet while he waited for more input from Foreman, but he was disgusted at hearing water running – no, Foreman was peeing.

"You could have at least waited until we got off the phone."

"Hey, you woke me up in the middle of the night. You also woke up my bladder. Get over it. What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing, really. But I mean, what would you do?" Chase finally asked.

"Well," Foreman said as he sat on the couch in the living room. "Considering Cameron's current state of mind, you should back off and just pretend you two are still coworkers."

"But what am I going to do about House? How do I deal with him?"

"The same way you always have, Chase. Don't give him the satisfaction of knowing how angry you are. You know he'd eat you up alive."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. But I don't know if I can deal seeing her with him."

"Look, I'm going to have to go in a second. But listen: it's best for Cameron right now if we play along with her delusion. It shouldn't last long…"

Suddenly a woman's voice in the background asked, "Is everything alright, Eric?"

"Hey, look, I've got to go. We'll talk more on Monday, okay? Promise. Hang in there."

"Will do. Thanks, Foreman."

Foreman didn't even bother saying goodbye. He hung up and gave all of his attention to Wendy.

Chase, on the other hand, was only somewhat comforted. But after a few minutes, he realized Foreman was right. He'd have to give her time. And Dr. Robert Chase was a very patient man.

First thing the following Monday at work, Cuddy called House personally and told him to meet her in his office right away. House finally sached into her office and sat down smugly on the couch.

"House! Where have you been? I called you two hours ago."

"Oh, you did? I just came in here to take a nap."

Cuddy didn't play along with his childish behavior. She stood and walked to the couch and sat down next to him.

"What I have to say isn't going to be easy for you, but it has to be done," she told him.

House's left eyebrow shot up at that, and the first thing out of his mouth before he considered what he was really saying was, "You've finally decided to let me father your child? Good choice. Wilson's would have been whining and in your face all the time and…"

"Shut up, House. This is about Cameron."

"What happened? I saw her just this morning when I first got in."

"No, no. She's fine. I'm releasing her on Wednesday, and you have to take care of her until she's able to take care of herself when she's alone at home."

"YOU ARE KIDDING ME, right?!" House yelled.