Chapter 21
A/N:Thanks for all those great reviews! HuddyTheUltimate, Shikabane-Mai, glicine, chris-am, jassy2009, hahasxybitch, MiaFr, starkidtw, Ant1984, SavvyKitten, confusedsarcasm, Calli1, Dr.AnaWebster, Nicole, cazness, bostonfan, Princess-Leasel and scheggia you support is much appreciated! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, I enjoyed writing it! It's great to know your thoughts.
We're slowly rounding on the end, there's only about three or four chapters to go after this one so stick with me, people! Almost at the finish line now.
A bit of a language warning this time around. Please take the time to review at the end!
Let's head back to Princeton-Plainsboro.
00
Cuddy sat at her desk the following day, unable to focus. There were too many things rushing through her mind for her to pay any attention to the paperwork in front of her. Her thoughts were mostly on the fact that her sister could walk into her office at any moment.
The previous evening Linda had left in a rush, obviously uneager to go into the details of what had transpired years ago. She made some excuse of getting back to Ted at the hotel, and had left Cuddy with House in an awkward silence.
He had stayed a little while to make some tea while she cried, all with a most unusual quietness.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by her ringing phone.
"Dr Cuddy," she answered.
"Dr Cuddy there is a Linda Weston here to see you," her assistant James said timidly, still afraid he would be fired after the dancing incident in her office several weeks ago.
Cuddy looked up to see her sister standing outside her office. She sighed. "Send her in."
James communicated this to Linda and she entered, with a great deal more humility than she'd had in entering Lisa's home the previous day.
Cuddy stood as Linda approached, coldly gesturing to the seat opposite for her to sit. They both lowered themselves into their chairs silently.
"I'm sorry for yesterday," Linda began, "it was quite a scene."
Taking a small breath, Cuddy remained quiet, waiting for Linda to continue.
"It seems, ironically, that the tables have turned on my life," she said with a slightly bitter laugh and a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I'm not really here with Ted," she sighed, wetting her lips a little and touching her pearls, keeping herself composed. "He… he left me. A week ago. Said he was going to stay with his brother… I don't know if he's really there. We'd been fighting, and…"
She trailed off, not looking Lisa in the eye.
"The fact of the matter is, I now find myself… alone. Liam's not speaking to either of us, and for the first time in my life I have nowhere to turn and nothing to fall back on. I didn't think, I just… came here."
Cuddy sat quietly, not sure what to make of her sister's story.
"I can't even think of telling mom and dad."
"I… I don't know what to say to you," Lisa sighed. "I'm sorry about Ted, but Linda, I don't know what I can say or do that will be of any help. You're not forgiven."
"I had thought so much would be true," Linda conceded. "Would it help if I apologized?"
"Only if you meant it."
Linda remained silent.
"I guess I'll go stay with a friend for a while, until I've sorted things out," she said resolutely, standing and moving towards the door. Cuddy watched her go, a longing sort of pain in her heart that spilled to her eyes. A hope for something that could never be.
"And Lisa," Linda continued, turning around as she reached the door, "I am sorry that this is what we've become."
00
Emily grinned as she opened the front door. Chase stood with his grin mirroring hers.
"Hi," she said with a flip of her hair, "I was wondering when you would materialize."
"Your absence at work was noted."
"As was your lunch hour. Skipped out a little early, ey?" she flirted.
"Only for you," he smiled, stepping inside and immediately wrapping an arm around her waist.
She kicked the door closed and slid her hand up his shoulder. "Things have been a little crazy," she said with a pout and a small sigh.
Chase saw the sadness in her eyes behind that playful guise. "I noticed Cuddy's been shut up in her office all day."
"Mmm," Emily mused, "sounds likely. Big revelations were had."
Her eyes glazed over and she stared out into nothing for a moment, before shaking it off. "I don't want to think about it."
"Then it is my job to keep your mind off it," Chase replied, tangling a hand in her hair and kissing her cheek softly. "Is Anna home?"
"She left early this morning. Don't know where she's gone," she replied dismissively, focusing on kissing Chase's lips instead, and leading him backwards further into the house.
"How convenient," he grinned, lifting Emily swiftly, and she wrapped her legs around his waist with a laugh.
"Mmm indeed," she said in a low voice, taking his face in her hands and kissing him forcefully.
00
Anna sat in her car outside Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, staring at the building, lost in her thoughts. So many thoughts, so many things to be feeling at once that she couldn't single out one feeling or one thought. Everything was just lost in a colossal web of confusion and hurt and shock and a thousand emotions she couldn't even begin to describe.
She was desperate for a cigarette, but instead just grabbed her asthma puffer, inhaling several doses and laying her head back, eyes closed. Waiting for that feeling in her chest.
00
Chase played absently with Emily's hair as she lay naked in his arms, a quietness having come over her.
"You alright?" he asked, lifting his head slightly from the pillow.
"Mmhmm," she mumbled into his chest, "just thinking."
"A penny for those thoughts?"
She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "You are so cheesy."
"It's my best quality," he said playfully, planting a kiss on her head.
"I was just…" she let out a sigh and snuggled closer to him, "just thinking about my crazy family. And… my dad."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I've always wondered what he's like, what he does. I just… I wish I knew more about him," she said quietly. Chase pulled her in tightly.
"You can't ask your mum?"
"She doesn't like talking about it. She's very good at changing the subject."
Chase rubbed her arm softly.
"Ugh, it's just all this stuff that is happening at the moment is bringing up all this -"
She suddenly froze, completely still and silent.
"What?"
"Ssh," she quieted him. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear wh -"
"Emily!" a voice called from the hallway.
It was Cuddy. "You home?"
"Shit!" Emily hissed, immediately jumping out of bed and frantically searching for her underwear.
"Shit, is that Cuddy?!" Chase whispered hoarsely, his eyes wide.
"Yes, get dressed!" she threw his boxers at him as she pulled her own underwear on and hunted for her bra.
"Where the fuck is my bra?" she squeaked, and Chase tossed it to her from the other side of the bed.
"You've gotta hide," she continued, bra in hand as she started quickly pushing him towards the window.
"What?" he protested.
"You've gotta get out, hide! If she sees you she will kill you!" she exclaimed, freaking out and pushing the window open.
"What – but – what about my clothes?" he complained as Emily continued to shove him frantically towards the now open window.
"There's not enough time, just get outside and hide!"
He had one leg out the window, and at that moment was extremely thankful that Emily's room was on the ground floor. "Em…"
"Get out!" she hissed, pushing him completely out the window.
"Emily," Cuddy knocked on her bedroom door, "you in here?"
Chase stood at the window looking dejected, and Emily hissed and waved anxiously at him to hide.
"Ah… yeah… but don't come in!" she called out. "I'm indecent!"
"Why are you indecent? It's the middle of the day," Cuddy commented from behind the door.
"I'm getting changed!" she called back, putting on her bra as fast as she could, but the clasp refused to do up properly.
"Are you going somewhere?" Cuddy asked, the door edging open a little.
"No… I… ah… I spilt pasta sauce on my top," Emily lied, finally getting her bra done up.
"Em, give me my clothes!" Chase whispered from the window.
"Ssh!" she hissed, recklessly pushing the window shut and trying to close the blinds.
"Oh great one," Cuddy said, "Did you put it in the laundry?"
"Yes!" Emily called, pushing a stray sock of Chase's under the bed.
"Did you remember to put stain remover on it?"
"I'm not stupid, mom," Emily protested.
Cuddy rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm coming in, whether you are decent or not."
As the door opened, Emily stood there sheepishly, dressed in only her underwear. Cuddy looked at her skeptically before glancing around the room and noticing the unmade bed.
She tsked. "I though we were beyond me having to tell you to make your bed."
Emily's heart was beating at a million miles an hour. Her mother knew. She could just tell.
"Oh… sorry… I forgot," she fumbled.
They stood there for a moment in an awkward silence, just looking at each other.
"So… were you actually going to get dressed? Or just stand there in your underwear for the rest of the day?" Cuddy asked.
"I'm getting dressed," Emily replied too quickly. Cuddy raised an eyebrow.
"Is there something going on here I should know about?" she asked slowly, eyeing her daughter suspiciously.
"No," Emily tried to say innocently.
Cuddy gave her a stern look and crossed her arms. "However you lived in California is fine, it's your business, but you don't live like that here, understand?"
"I'm not, I'm not," Emily defended.
Her defensiveness sealed the deal for Cuddy. She looked around the room and noticed the half-drawn blinds and slightly open window. She squared her jaw and walked purposefully over to it, flinging back the curtains and opening the window quickly.
She stuck her head out the window, looking in both directions. No one was there.
Pulling her head back inside, she narrowed her eyes at Emily. "If I find out you are… entertaining boys in your room, you will wish you'd have stayed in California."
Emily nodded nervously.
Meanwhile, around the side of the house, Chase stood against the wall shivering in just his boxers. Suddenly a set of wide hazel eyes peered over the neighbour's fence, looking him up and down. An older woman's face emerged, displaying a knowing grin. All Chase could do was cover his privates with one hand and wave sheepishly with the other.
00
A/N: hehe a bit of light relief for you there at the end! Nothing like Chase caught outside in his undies. Please don't forget to review, you know I love them!
Coming up next… House and Cuddy have a chat and Anna's problems catch up with her…