Me and Emily
Title: Me and Emily
Author: nomoretearsAS
Rating: K+/PG
Summary: When House discovers that Chase has a kid, he decides to find out more about both of them. House/Chase friendship.
Disclaimer: I don't own House, Chase, or any characters that you recognize.
Chapter: 9/?
A/N: Okay, here's the one you've all been waiting for...why Chase left Lauren.
"Well, you know the basics at this point. You know Lauren was an alcoholic, you know she didn’t want kids. Tell me exactly what it is your looking for from me." Chase said, after taking a long sip of his wine.
House gave him his patented ‘you’re an idiot’ look, but Chase didn’t flinch. "Why did you up and leave your life and take your daughter away from her mother?" House was irritated that Chase made him spell it out.
Chase closed his eyes, clearly in a memory. And just when House thought he was going to have to beat if out of him, he began to speak. "Emily was three months old. She was so little, and so beautiful. I had just finished up my residency and Lauren was encouraging me to use my father to get a good job. I didn’t want to, I wanted to get in on my own merit." House opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. "I wanted nothing to do with my father. He was an arrogant, controlling bastard. Well, you met him." Chase said and House had to hide a smile. "I came home from an interview at St. Vincent’s and Mercy hospital. They had offered me a job in the NICU. It was a good job and I was planning on taking it.
"And then I came home. Lauren was drunk. And I mean, really drunk. I hadn’t seen her that intoxicated since before Emily’s birth. I managed to keep her sober during her pregnancy, but afterwards, well..." he trailed. He took another long sip of his wine. He was pretty surprised that House was managing to keep quiet, but he wasn’t about to comment on it. In fact, it was making things a little easier. He swallowed the wine and took a deep breath. "Anyway, I come home and she starts screaming at me. How I wanted this baby, how I made her have this baby and now I was out all the time, having fun. I knew better than to mention she was the one to push me into med school, she was the one who wanted me to be a rich and famous doctor to take care of her." Sarcasm dripped into his voice and House raised an eyebrow at him. Chase took another breath to calm himself. "I didn’t want to go to med school."
"What?" House finally interrupted. Chase shot him a look and he quieted down again.
"I was happy in seminary school. But then I met Lauren. After she found out who I was, whose son I was, she pushed for me to go into med school. She told me I’d be an excellent doctor. I loved her." he said a little desperately. "So I quit seminary school and enrolled in med school. Of course, what Lauren didn’t realize was how much time of mine it would take up. My schooling cut into her party schedule and especially into caring for the baby." Another shaky breath. "So I get home with this great news and I find her trashed. I asked her where Emily was and she snapped. She started hitting me...it wasn’t the first time." he admitted in a small voice. "But I was used to drunken rages, from my mother." His voice was so quiet House could barely hear him. "She was pretty tiny and so drunk she wasn’t really dangerous to me. And then..." his voice broke.
House reached forward and placed a hand on his arm. It was so un-House, but it seemed to calm him. Chase looked up at House, looked directly in his eyes and House had never seen more hurt in those aquamarine eyes. "Then she stopped. I could see it in her eyes. She turned and she ran to Emily’s room. I’ve never been more terrified in my whole life. I tore after her. She was drunk and clumsy and I got there first, but she was close behind. Em was so little. She reached into her crib at the same time I did. But my reflexes were better and I got her first. Lauren was crazy, hitting me, scratching me, trying to get at Emily. Emily was terrified, she was screaming and I was trying to calm her and keep her safe." Chase stopped again for a moment. "Finally, she stopped. She bent over, puked on the floor and passed out in her own vomit. We’d been ‘together’ for seven years. I had picked her up, cleaned her up, every single time she did this. But this time, I couldn’t.
"I grabbed a couple bags for Emily, got her birth certificate, some clothes, her blankie, some pictures, and a couple of bottles and I left. I got in my car and started to drive. I really had no idea where I was going. I drove until my gas tank hit almost empty and finally pulled off and into a cheap motel. I paid cash and registered under a fake name. In the morning, I called the only person I could think of. He was the last person in the world I wanted to call, but...I had no choice." Chase tried to justify.
"You called your father." House stated and Chase nodded his head.
"I told him what happened. I told him that Lauren had tried to hurt Emily and I needed to get her away. For the first time in my life, he came through. He wired me money and told me to get a plane ticket to America. He knew that you had a fellowship that had an opening." He let out a mirthless laugh. "I’ve always hated nepotism. I never wanted to get something on my father’s name. And if it were just me, I wouldn’t have. I never would have let him get me a job, but my daughter’s life was at risk. And so, I let it happen. He called you, got me an interview and got me the job." Chase looked up. "And now you know, now you know why I had to leave Australia. Why I had to separate Emily from her mother. If I’d let Emily alone with Lauren, she might not be here today."
There was a long silence. It seemed like two eternities went by before finally, House spoke. "Your father never called me, Chase." he admitted. Chase looked up sharply.
"What?" he asked.
"I was told that Dr. Robert Chase scheduled the interview. I looked you up, found your father. I decided I wasn’t going to hire you. You’d probably have a million chances with your daddy’s name. And then, you walked in. You were so confident on the outside, but I could see you were afraid that I was going to reject you. You never mentioned your father and neither did I. Two minutes after I met you, I knew I was going to hire you."
"But...but you told...you told everyone...you SAID you hired me because my father made a call." Chase stuttered.
"Everybody lies." House stated, cool as ice. "I called your schools, I called everybody. It seemed that you never once used your father’s name to get you into anything. I..." House looked down as if embarrassed. "I respected that."
Chase let out a big sigh. "I’m exhausted. It’s...well, I was going to say it’s been a long time since I’d talked about this, but that’s not really true. I’ve never talked about this."
"How much does Cuddy know?" House asked him.
"She knows I have a daughter, that’s about it. I simply asked her to keep that information quiet." Chase said. House nodded and then glanced at the clock. It was almost two in the morning.
"I should go." House said. "Not that I’m ever on time, but you usually are."
"Stay." Chase said. "I have an extra bedroom and it’s so late, you really shouldn’t be driving." Chase didn’t really expect him to stay, but he felt the need to offer. It was no surprise when House stood up, rubbed his leg and headed to the door.
After he left, Chase locked the door, brought the two wine glasses to the sink and tiredly headed to bed. He collapsed, still dressed and fell asleep almost instantly. It was strange, but telling House had been almost cathartic. He didn’t feel quite so burdened. And that night, he didn’t dream at all.
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Author: nomoretearsAS
Rating: K+/PG
Summary: When House discovers that Chase has a kid, he decides to find out more about both of them. House/Chase friendship.
Disclaimer: I don't own House, Chase, or any characters that you recognize.
Chapter: 9/?
A/N: Okay, here's the one you've all been waiting for...why Chase left Lauren.
"Well, you know the basics at this point. You know Lauren was an alcoholic, you know she didn’t want kids. Tell me exactly what it is your looking for from me." Chase said, after taking a long sip of his wine.
House gave him his patented ‘you’re an idiot’ look, but Chase didn’t flinch. "Why did you up and leave your life and take your daughter away from her mother?" House was irritated that Chase made him spell it out.
Chase closed his eyes, clearly in a memory. And just when House thought he was going to have to beat if out of him, he began to speak. "Emily was three months old. She was so little, and so beautiful. I had just finished up my residency and Lauren was encouraging me to use my father to get a good job. I didn’t want to, I wanted to get in on my own merit." House opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. "I wanted nothing to do with my father. He was an arrogant, controlling bastard. Well, you met him." Chase said and House had to hide a smile. "I came home from an interview at St. Vincent’s and Mercy hospital. They had offered me a job in the NICU. It was a good job and I was planning on taking it.
"And then I came home. Lauren was drunk. And I mean, really drunk. I hadn’t seen her that intoxicated since before Emily’s birth. I managed to keep her sober during her pregnancy, but afterwards, well..." he trailed. He took another long sip of his wine. He was pretty surprised that House was managing to keep quiet, but he wasn’t about to comment on it. In fact, it was making things a little easier. He swallowed the wine and took a deep breath. "Anyway, I come home and she starts screaming at me. How I wanted this baby, how I made her have this baby and now I was out all the time, having fun. I knew better than to mention she was the one to push me into med school, she was the one who wanted me to be a rich and famous doctor to take care of her." Sarcasm dripped into his voice and House raised an eyebrow at him. Chase took another breath to calm himself. "I didn’t want to go to med school."
"What?" House finally interrupted. Chase shot him a look and he quieted down again.
"I was happy in seminary school. But then I met Lauren. After she found out who I was, whose son I was, she pushed for me to go into med school. She told me I’d be an excellent doctor. I loved her." he said a little desperately. "So I quit seminary school and enrolled in med school. Of course, what Lauren didn’t realize was how much time of mine it would take up. My schooling cut into her party schedule and especially into caring for the baby." Another shaky breath. "So I get home with this great news and I find her trashed. I asked her where Emily was and she snapped. She started hitting me...it wasn’t the first time." he admitted in a small voice. "But I was used to drunken rages, from my mother." His voice was so quiet House could barely hear him. "She was pretty tiny and so drunk she wasn’t really dangerous to me. And then..." his voice broke.
House reached forward and placed a hand on his arm. It was so un-House, but it seemed to calm him. Chase looked up at House, looked directly in his eyes and House had never seen more hurt in those aquamarine eyes. "Then she stopped. I could see it in her eyes. She turned and she ran to Emily’s room. I’ve never been more terrified in my whole life. I tore after her. She was drunk and clumsy and I got there first, but she was close behind. Em was so little. She reached into her crib at the same time I did. But my reflexes were better and I got her first. Lauren was crazy, hitting me, scratching me, trying to get at Emily. Emily was terrified, she was screaming and I was trying to calm her and keep her safe." Chase stopped again for a moment. "Finally, she stopped. She bent over, puked on the floor and passed out in her own vomit. We’d been ‘together’ for seven years. I had picked her up, cleaned her up, every single time she did this. But this time, I couldn’t.
"I grabbed a couple bags for Emily, got her birth certificate, some clothes, her blankie, some pictures, and a couple of bottles and I left. I got in my car and started to drive. I really had no idea where I was going. I drove until my gas tank hit almost empty and finally pulled off and into a cheap motel. I paid cash and registered under a fake name. In the morning, I called the only person I could think of. He was the last person in the world I wanted to call, but...I had no choice." Chase tried to justify.
"You called your father." House stated and Chase nodded his head.
"I told him what happened. I told him that Lauren had tried to hurt Emily and I needed to get her away. For the first time in my life, he came through. He wired me money and told me to get a plane ticket to America. He knew that you had a fellowship that had an opening." He let out a mirthless laugh. "I’ve always hated nepotism. I never wanted to get something on my father’s name. And if it were just me, I wouldn’t have. I never would have let him get me a job, but my daughter’s life was at risk. And so, I let it happen. He called you, got me an interview and got me the job." Chase looked up. "And now you know, now you know why I had to leave Australia. Why I had to separate Emily from her mother. If I’d let Emily alone with Lauren, she might not be here today."
There was a long silence. It seemed like two eternities went by before finally, House spoke. "Your father never called me, Chase." he admitted. Chase looked up sharply.
"What?" he asked.
"I was told that Dr. Robert Chase scheduled the interview. I looked you up, found your father. I decided I wasn’t going to hire you. You’d probably have a million chances with your daddy’s name. And then, you walked in. You were so confident on the outside, but I could see you were afraid that I was going to reject you. You never mentioned your father and neither did I. Two minutes after I met you, I knew I was going to hire you."
"But...but you told...you told everyone...you SAID you hired me because my father made a call." Chase stuttered.
"Everybody lies." House stated, cool as ice. "I called your schools, I called everybody. It seemed that you never once used your father’s name to get you into anything. I..." House looked down as if embarrassed. "I respected that."
Chase let out a big sigh. "I’m exhausted. It’s...well, I was going to say it’s been a long time since I’d talked about this, but that’s not really true. I’ve never talked about this."
"How much does Cuddy know?" House asked him.
"She knows I have a daughter, that’s about it. I simply asked her to keep that information quiet." Chase said. House nodded and then glanced at the clock. It was almost two in the morning.
"I should go." House said. "Not that I’m ever on time, but you usually are."
"Stay." Chase said. "I have an extra bedroom and it’s so late, you really shouldn’t be driving." Chase didn’t really expect him to stay, but he felt the need to offer. It was no surprise when House stood up, rubbed his leg and headed to the door.
After he left, Chase locked the door, brought the two wine glasses to the sink and tiredly headed to bed. He collapsed, still dressed and fell asleep almost instantly. It was strange, but telling House had been almost cathartic. He didn’t feel quite so burdened. And that night, he didn’t dream at all.
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