Dearest Readers,

"Wait…you're just gonna leave him there with a grenade stuck up his ass?"

This chapter is shorter than it originally was b/c I basically cut out the last half, so this chapter is VERY short.

Read on, Cherubs.

Over and out.

Best Friend Stamp of Approval

He sat at his desk, twirling his cane aimlessly as he stared at the diamond ring on his lap. He didn't want anyone else to know that he was thinking about proposing to Chase, truly cautious about what their reactions would be. He turned towards his cell phone which lay on the desk next to him, thinking if he should call now or later. House figured that it would probably be best to talk to her face-to-face, especially about something like this.

He closed the box and placed it in his pocket while picking up his cell phone. Aura had given him her number as they parted ways from the bar and he 'promised upon the pinkies' to call. He rolled his eyes at Aura's terminology and dialed her number.

"Hello?" Her voice was crystal clear even via cell phone.

"Aura, its House."

"Hey there Mister! What are you up to on this fine night?" House rolled his eyes while smiling slightly.

"I need to talk to you…in person." The line was quiet for a few seconds before Aura spoke again.

"Is it about Robbie? Is he alright? I didn't really see him today." He wasn't too surprised at the sound of concern in her voice.

"Yes it's about Chase and yes, he's fine." He heard her exhale deeply.

"Good, if he's alright…what's there to talk about?"

"Just meet me at the bar we went to earlier at around 10, alright?"

"Yes Master. I'll see you soon." House hung up and pulled out the ring to look at it again.

To say that he was nervous would be an understatement; he was terrified. Even though he had no idea when he was going to pop the question, he was slightly on edge but he didn't bark at people like he usually would. He glanced at his watch: 9:15pm.

He stood and left a note for Chase telling him that he left early and to not wait for him, all the while his nerves were growing as he wondered what Aura's reaction would be when he told her that he wanted to marry her best friend.

HouseXChase

They sat at a table in the corner and both were pushing their drinks around on the table. House decided to take the same approach with Aura as he did with Wilson. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the small, black box and placed on the table between them. Aura's eyebrow rose with curiosity; House nudged the box towards her, silently telling her to open it. She picked up the box and opened it; her eyes grew wide and she let out a gasp as she looked at the ring. She looked up at him, a smile playing on her lips.

"You're proposing?" She asked excitedly; House nodded, glad that she wasn't yelling at him.

"Yeah, I am. What do you think his reaction will be?" Aura's smile grew as she looked at him.

"Well, I think I can safely say that he won't say no. Ever since you guys told everyone about you two being together, you're all he'll talk about." House quirked his head to the side; Aura took a deep breath as she continued.

"With that being said, you need to know something…I don't know what you've done or what you're doing, but keep doing it. It's been years since I've seen him this happy and I don't want to see that go away. You make him happy, House, and he's been hurt in ways that we won't really understand." She paused.

"You're helping him out of the toughest period of his life, you're helping him overcome an eating disorder that he's had for years and you're making him see that he truly is beautiful and loveable. If you go through with this…I can't begin to imagine how happy he'll be. He won't say no…he loves you deeply and I know you feel the same about him."

She smiled at him as she let her words sink in. Aura gave him the ring and he twirled it between his fingers, the light reflecting off the diamonds.

"You don't mind?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Hell no! Go for it Mister! You make him happy…if Robbie is happy, then I'm happy…and all is right in the world." She chuckled slightly and House smiled as a huge weight was lifted off his chest.

Aura gave him permission to propose to Chase. He then felt panic coarse through him as a thought came to his mind: the only thing to do now…is ask. He looked up at Aura who was looking at him as though she could read his thoughts.

"You'll be fine, House. Like I said, he won't say no…he loves you too much."

HouseXChase

Alright Gang,

Like I said, this chapter was REALLY short. I thought that getting rid of the last half of this chapter makes the story better in general.

As always, patience and reviews would be appreciated!

When-Rabbit-Howls