A/N: The penultimate chapter! Hope you all enjoy. Much thanks to my lovely reviewers, it's wonderful to know some people are reading and enjoying my attempts to explain a bit of the inexplicked (not inexplicable).

Growing Up Chase

By Rebel Yell

Part Twenty-Three (age 25)

"Where is he?" Dan shrugged, as his wife stopped by to hiss in his ear before pasting a smile back on her face and starting to make the rounds of the party once more. Jen had tried to convince Rob to let them have the party at his place, but he'd resisted. It wasn't that Rob was anti-social, he just refused to have any of Liz's "work" friends over to his house. Dan couldn't explain it to his wife, but he was pretty sure just the idea of having models and semi-famous actors and "up-and-coming" musicians in that house reminded Rob too much of his mum's old parties. Willing it to ring, he checked his mobile again, as if he might've missed a call from Rob explaining why he was nearly two hours late.

" Waiting for something important?"
" Liz!" Dan jumped, dropping his phone back in his pocket. "I thought you were out with…those two girls from your show…sorry, you know how I am with names."
" I'm continuously surprised you remember your own. Where's Robbie? Is he…not coming?" She sounded unsure, and probably for good reason. Dan hadn't actually been present when Liz finally told Rob she was moving to London -- despite all-but begging her to wait until he was round to do so -- but from both accounts it hadn't been pretty.

" He's coming."
" He was so upset, Danny. I think he's truly angry at me right now."
" He's scared is all. And Rob's a right bastard when he's scared."
" I put this off a year already. There's more work in London, and I've got an agent lined up and she's already got me work and…I just couldn't stay in Australia and do the work I want to do."

"He knows that logically, Liz. He's not angry, not really. I think he's just hurt. You should have told him back when you told your family. Given him more time to adjust. Took your dad a bit to come round to the idea too, didn't it?"
" Yes. I just knew that if I told Robbie before it was all set and I was truly ready he'd convince me not to go, he'd get that look and he'd get upset and he'd shout and he'd start crying and I'd feel horrible and put it off again. I feel horrible as it is, but I can't put it off this way, everything's set. I didn't do it to hurt him."
" Don't you start crying, or you'll set off every woman here and I don't want my house full of crying women. He knows all that, Liz. He just needs time to start thinking logically again. We're all going to miss you but…you and me, we're all he's got. It's gonna take him a bit to get used to you living on the other side of the world. He will get used to it though."
" I wish I could stay -- everyone I love is here, but the work isn't here. Thanks for putting all this together. It's so nice to see everyone together one last time."

" You're welcome. Figured after twenty years of friendship -- bit more than that now isn't it -- the least I owed you was a party. Besides, it gave Jen an excuse to have people round the new house."
" So…he is coming?"

" He promised he would. He had to work today. I'm sure he just got hung up there, Liz."
" Yes, of course."

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" Where the fuck have you been?" Dan grabbed Rob the minute he was inside the house.

" One of my babies died today. Almost lost another. I just got off, all right?"
" Shit, Rob. I'm sorry. You…all right?"
" No." Rob visibly gathered himself, taking a few deep breaths. "I'm not ready for this."
" She leaves the day after tomorrow. We can't put it off any longer."

" Wish she'd told me sooner. I was last, wasn't I?"
" Yeah. I think you were the hardest for her to tell."
" So, is your wife going to kill me for being a bit late?"
" A bit? You're three hours late. But, no, Jen'll calm down. You got a pretty good reason after all." Dan sighed, looking at Rob carefully. His best mate was clearly just barely holding it together. Between having one of his NICU patients die, and Liz leaving for the other side of the world it wasn't shaping up to be the best day in Robert Chase's life. "You'd best go find the guest of honor. She's been looking for you."

" Do me a favor, mate?"
" Yeah?"
" Hold on to these." Dan had to look down to confirm that Rob had just handed him his car keys. That was never a good sign.

"Rob-"
" I'm getting fucked up tonight. I'm definitely getting fucked up." Dan watched his friend walk away, before tucking the extra set of keys in with his own in the drawer of the hall table.

" That's healthy, Rob. Sure, go ahead, get really drunk. That'll solve things. Act just like your mum, grand idea that." He was talking to himself, but sometimes, it was the only way to get a sane conversation.

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"Dan, tell me you have his keys." Jen whispered in his ear quickly, as the party emptied out. Truthfully, people had been gradually leaving, instead of gradually arriving, for the last couple hours but there were only a few die-hard party-goers left. It was amusing to watch Liz's friends watch Rob and Liz do their weird platonic cuddle -- which didn't look in the least platonic if you didn't know better. It didn't hurt that both Rob and Liz had been drinking, and were being particularly affectionate.

" He handed them over when he got here."
" Good. Now go join them, you've been a good host, go enjoy a last bit with your two fellow stooges."

"Thanks, love. It's been a great night."
" Go. Thank me later. I can already think of…interesting ways."
" Really?" Dan asked, eyebrows raised. That sounded nicely suggestive.

" Later."
"Fine. Tease." He walked over and dropped into the lounger next to the one Rob and Liz were sharing. His house wasn't nearly so nice as Rob's, but then, he paid for it himself. It might not be beachfront, but it did have a gorgeous in-ground pool and a nice patio beside.
" Hey, Danny. You want a drink?" Liz offered, gesturing to the bottles of beer in the cooler between his chair and the lounger.

" Not right now. You two look comfortable."
" I was cold. Robbie's warm. And comfortable too."
" I've been relegated to just a warm body, have I?"
" You know I only ever cuddle like this with you now Robbie. I used to cuddle with Dan too, but his wife doesn't like it."
" I like being special." Rob loudly confided, kissing the top of Liz's head. He squeezed her tightly, pulling her back into his chest before snuggling in to rest his chin on her shoulder. "You know, now that you're leaving me, we can't do this anymore."
" I'm not leaving you. I'm just moving on. In my career. I'm still going to ring you at random times just to check up on you, you know."
" I look forward to your constant harassment."
" You love my harassment, Robbie Chase."
" I love you. The harassment is just part of the package."
" We should probably head out." Dan didn't miss the 'knowing' looks passing between Liz's former co-stars -- but he wasn't entirely sure what they meant. The two women (Dan still couldn't remember their names) stood, and Liz popped up, rather steadily which made Dan suspicious about how many of the empties about were Rob's rather than hers.

" I'm going to miss you both so much. If you're ever in London, you better look me up or I will find you and hurt you." Hugs went all around, and then another round of hugs and promises to keep in touch.

" Liz, do you mind if I borrow Rob for a minute?" The dark-haired woman asked, and without waiting for a reply, the two women pulled Rob to his feet as well. He wasn't as steady as Liz, nor as unsteady as Dan thought he should be (maybe all the empties weren't his either?) and he made it to his feet easily -- he probably could have done without the help too. "I've been wanting to do this for two years of co-starring with you, Liz. Since you're leaving, I'm seizing the day."
Before any of them could quite figure out what Kirsty meant (THAT was her name!), she had pulled Rob into a kiss that quickly became fairly obscene. There was definitely tongue involved, and Dan tried not to laugh at Liz's face. Somehow, despite all evidence to the contrary, Liz still seemed totally confused when her friends or acquaintances thought of Rob as a man in the sexual sense. Finally, Kirsty pulled away, a large grin on her face.

" Definitely worth the wait."
" My turn."
" Turn? What-" Rob was cut off when the other, blonde, actress also pulled him into a kiss. Dan was still blanking on the woman's name, but it wasn't very important. He glanced away, feeling his face flush in embarrassment when it became obvious that the woman was slightly more intent than Kirsty had been -- her hand was sliding suspicious between them and Dan wasn't going to think any farther than that.

" Stop molesting Robbie!"
" Oh, I'd like to properly 'molest' him." The blonde pulled away, and smiled easily at Liz. She grabbed Kirsty's hand, and called over her shoulder as they headed out the gate to head round the house towards the cars, "I don't know how you haven't hit that yet -- but you're missing out. Good luck in London, Liz."

"That was weird." Rob managed, standing for a moment as though frozen to the spot. He dropped back onto the lounger, staring up at Liz suspiciously. "Did you know they were going to do that?"
" NO!"
" Apparently you're just irresistible, Rob." Dan teased, reaching over to ruffle his hair. Liz sat back down as well, still looking a bit nonplussed, but not upset in any way.

" Oh, wait, Liz. Sit up a minute." Rob reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small, shallow box wrapped in simple blue paper. "I brought you a present."
" Hmmm…what could Robbie have gotten me?" Liz mused aloud, quickly tugging at the paper. Dan shook his head, Rob spoiled her rotten. He was as indulgent as a doctor with a significant independent income could be -- not that Liz wasn't making more than good money herself. It was more that Rob liked getting her things, always had.

" A set of keys?" Liz asked, raising her eyebrows at Dan as if expecting him to be able to explain the significance of the gift.

" It's the full set for my house here in Sydney. You sold your place, you said, and…I wanted you to know that you've always got someplace to come home to." Rob wasn't looking at them, clearly unable to meet either Liz's eyes or Dan's. Neither of them was going to mention that Liz's parents and sisters all lived in Sydney or its suburbs, that she wasn't in any danger of not having someplace to come back to if things went to hell in London, or she just got homesick. This was as much about Rob, as it was about Liz, maybe more so. "Someplace that's yours, not a guest room at someone else's place."
" Robbie, what'd you do?" Liz was holding back tears, barely.
" Well, technically it's not official until I'm thirty-five and Dad's grips are well off my inheritance. But…I had my mum's old solicitor, who drew up the trust, set it up that the house is in your name as well. It's half yours, if you want it. Someplace you can always come back to, someplace safe and yours and no one can ever make you leave."
" Oh, Robbie."
" I would've done the same for you, Dan, but…you've got Jen and this place and everything."
" Don't worry about me, Rob. I'm set, right like I am." Dan nodded, knowing he wasn't being excluded because he was less valuable as a friend. Rob knew he was already home, he didn't need a guaranteed place, he had it with his wife.

" I love you so much!" Liz finally started sobbing, throwing herself into Rob's arms and burying her face in the crook of his neck. Dan just watched, not feeling the least left out, particularly when Jen silently came out to join him, wrapping her arms around him warmly.

" No matter what happens, you can always come home. There's always a place for you here. Nothing can ever change that. I love you." Rob said softly, fingers threading through her hair gently. No one commented on the fact that he was crying too, just like none of them mentioned, although they all knew, that those were words Rob had been wanting to hear himself for a long time.