Chapter Four

Two days later, House and his team were had just finished with their latest patient. It had been a simple case, and House was able to diagnose the patient rather quickly once they had all the information. So not what House would call a 'good case' because it wasn't very challenging.

Now that he had nothing to do, House was sitting in his office playing solitaire on his computer. He knew he could offer to help out in the clinic… but then again he could also jump off the balcony to see if he could fly, neither of which was going to happen anytime soon.

He barely looked up from his computer as he heard the voices of Chase and Foreman coming from down the hall as they came closer to the office. It wasn't until he heard Max's name that his interest peaked and he turned his head slightly. Just enough to focus on the younger doctors but not enough that they would think he wasn't still looking at the computer.

"So you're finally got over your fear and asked Max out?" Foreman asked.

"More like, she kept asking and I gave in," Chase replied with a small smile. "I like her. We're having lunch in the cafeteria."

"You're heading into dangerous waters. She's still House's daughter."

"But he's only been in her life for a few months, or I mean he's known about being her father for a few months. So I should be ok. Right?"

"Keep telling yourself that." Foreman quipped as they entered the office.

Both men stopped their conversation as they walked in. Chase looked over at his House and was glad to see that his boss was busy playing computer games.

What he didn't know was that House had been listening and was, in fact, trying very hard to keep his face straight. However, his mind was ticking over as he started thinking of a plan.

"You need us for anything?" Foreman asked suddenly.

House finally snapped his head around to look at them.

"Where's Cameron?" He asked.

"She said something about heading to the ER," Chase replied.

"So?" Foreman asked, looking at House. "Need anything or can we find something else to do?"

House paused before looking at them seriously. "I need one of you to go over our department's budget reports from the last two years."

"What?" Chase almost yelled.

"Why?" asked Foreman. "You don't care about that stuff."

"I need to make sure that it's all correct, for Cuddy." House lied while keeping a straight face. "Don't want her getting stressed now do we?"

Foreman and Chase both looked at each other before turning back to House.

"If you're so worried about it why don't you do it?" Foreman asked.

House leaned back in his chair and smirked slightly. "That's one of the best bits of being the boss. The power to delegate." He paused, sat back up and pointed his cane towards the two men. "Now who will it be? Eanie meanie miney…" House started to chant as he moved the cane between the two men. He stopped at Chase and said "Mo! Looks like we have a winner."

"Oh come on," Chase whined. "I haven't even had lunch yet."

"Sucks to be you then doesn't it." Said House.

Chase groaned and then turned around and stomped out of the office.

Foreman turned around and gave House a curious look.

"What?" House asked, trying to pretend like he was innocent. "Go find something to do."

Foreman rolled his eyes before he also walked out. Of course, House didn't need the reports to be looked over. Hell, he didn't even know exactly where those reports where. That was never something he cared about. He just knew that if he kept Chase busy then there was less chance that Chase could meet up with Max.

**House MD**

It was two o'clock that afternoon when Max finally tracked down Chase. He was meant to have met her in the cafeteria for lunch an hour earlier but he never showed, and Max wasn't the type of girl to sit and wonder why. No instead she went looking for answers.

She found him alone in the DDX room next to House's office with some folders and files laid out in front of him. Max walked over to him and sat down in one of the vacant chairs at the table.

"So," She began and waited for him to look up at her. "What happened to lunch?"

Chase frowned apologetically at her. "Sorry. I have to do these reports."

Max grabbed one of the folders and quickly flipped through the pages. "Ah, I'm pretty sure all this stuff is already sorted out. So why are you doing it?"

"Cuddy needs it done."

"No, she doesn't," Max said with a half scoffed.

Chase looked at her for a moment and then looked down at the paperwork before looking back at her. "Are you sure?" He asked.

"Please, I'm Cuddy's assistant. If she wanted budget reports to be looked at I'd know about it."

"Then why am I?... House said…."

Max's eyes suddenly narrowed and she folded her arms over her chest. "What exactly did House say?"

Chase thought for a moment before slowly saying, "He said that the last few years budget reports needed to be looked at for Cuddy. He mentioned not making her stress."

Max looked at him and arched one of her eyebrows.

"You're saying that's not true?" Chase asked.

"Not even a little bit," Max replied. Then she rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I bet he's just acting like a jerk because he knew we were going to have lunch together."

"R-really?" Chase asked in shock. "How did he know?"

"Please don't tell me you are still scared of him?"

"I-"

"-Look, I'll deal with House," Max told him firmly as she stood up. "He has to learn that he can't mess with my personal life."

"What are you going to do?"

Max looked down at him and only gave a half shrug as a response. Then she leaned across the table and kissed his cheek gently before standing back up and walking out.

Chase watched her go and knew that this was probably going to end badly for him, but on the other hand, he had to admit that seeing Max determined to stand up to House was a bit of a turn on.

He didn't want to have feelings for Max. Not having any would certainly make his working life a little easier and less complicated. He couldn't help it though. He couldn't stop thinking about her and the fact that she was House's daughter was just one obstacle and eventually, he would get over that.

Now, though he wished he could be a fly on the wall as Max confronted House. Chase knew of only two other people who did that. Cuddy and Wilson. Guess he could now add Max to the list.

**House MD**

House was half lying on the couch in Wilson's office with a smug look on his face. His cane being twirled in one of his hands.

Wilson was sitting at his desk trying to write some notes while ignoring the other man, who had made himself at home despite being told to go away.

The door swung open quickly and Wilson looked up, half expecting to see Cuddy but was surprised when he saw Max storming in with a determined look on her face. Before Wilson could open his mouth, Max turned and walked to House before stopping in front of him and glaring down at him.

House stopped twirling his cane and frowned.

"What?" He asked.

"Oh don't 'what' me." Max snapped. "You know 'what'. Stop giving Chase pointless unnecessary work to do just to try to keep him from going out with me. It's not going to work."

"What?" Wilson asked but was ignored by both House and Max.

House sat up slightly. "If it's not going to work then why do you care?" He asked. "Not that I'm admitting to anything." He added quickly.

Max folded her arms over her chest, a gesture that made her look so much like her mother. It was another thing that had House questioning his own intelligence for not figuring out who Max was sooner.

"Remember when I said you couldn't stop me from dating anyone? Well, what I actually meant was – you have no right to stop me from dating anyone."

"I'm not stopping you from doing anything," House said calmly. "All I've done is give my employee some work to do. If that happens to cut into his personal life then that's too bad."

As House sat watching Max, he tried very hard not to smirk at how his plan was working out. Though a part of him felt…strange to have Max angry at him. Another part was actually proud of how she was fighting him back.

"It's not fair on Chase and you know it." Said Max. "So knock it off or else."

House looked at her quizzically with one raised eyebrow. "Or else what?" He asked, slightly amused.

"Or else it's on."

With those words, Max turned and headed towards the door again. Just as she got to the doorway House called out to her.

"It's on?" He asked.

Max paused and looked at him over her shoulder before replying "Oh, it's on."

Then she walked out.

House turned and looked at Wilson who was looking just as confused as he himself was feeling. Wilson turned to House and could only offer a slight shrug at what had just happened.

To Be Continued…