AU "Saviors" ficlet.

[lit_luminary]

Title: Things Left Unsaid
Author: dominus_trinus
Genre: AU
Characters: Chase, Cameron, House (past Chase/Cameron; House/Chase friendship/mentorship).
Summary: “There’re clearly questions we should be asking that have nothing to do with getting married.” My interpretation of how the Chase/Cameron scene ending tonight's episode should have played out.

Comments

[lit_luminary]

Exactly. It just seemed to encompass the entire mess, that he started out standing up for himself and ended up on his knees. (Okay, that's how a man traditionally proposes, but I couldn't help but think, 'That submissive position isn't always going to be physical, but you just got stuck with it.') Because it's not just this single incident he's forgiven her; it's a history of toying with his feelings, which is Not Okay and should be treated as such.

And yes, I agree: he's desperate enough for affection to jump _every time_ when Cameron offers a scrap (I absolutely fumed over that single lousy drawer), and that says to me that there are deeper problems he needs to deal with before thinking about marriage.

(And thanks for spotting the extra 'thats'--they're what I get for writing at one in the morning.)

[lit_luminary]

Thanks so much for your comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the fic, and agree with the points you made--particularly about the similarities between Chase and House, which make Chase (for me) a fascinating character to write about.

It's my hope that he'll look at the situation objectively and admit what's going wrong before this trainwreck of a relationship erodes his self-worth any more than it already is. He's not so damaged as House in that respect, of course, but he's certainly not doing himself any good.

[lit_luminary]

Exactly. This kind of situation is the last thing he needs: Cameron is both unable to give what he needs and unwilling to receive what he brings to the relationship, and the end result is his being pushed farther down the road that left House so damaged.

I agree that Cameron's pathological desire to 'fix' was probably behind her continuing their relationship beyond the 'microwave pizza' stage: note that she rebuffed Chase's attempts to reconcile for weeks, then showed up on his doorstep after House had fired him and left him at an emotional low. (Coincidence? I think not: what attracts her is pain.)

[chase_austenfan]

I agree... I definately think that what you wrote makes Way more sense and seems Way more in cannon than where the writers went.

Nice job!

[lit_luminary]

Thank you. What the writers have done and continue to do with the Chase/Cameron 'relationship' just doesn't work, so far as I'm concerned, and the situation cried out to be fixed. I'm glad you enjoyed my interpretation.

[jerom2003]

This is my dream-fic!

Thank you very much for writing it!

In that moment when she asked him to propose her again - I really wished he wouldn’t do it. It was very unrealistic. In The Itch it was different because there, what he told her was a warning and later she thought it over and decided to be with him. But here he broke up with her, and he had a very good reason for it, he couldn’t change his mind so quickly!

Thank you again - you made my day and now I can imagine that this is the way it ended :)

Besides that I was really hoping that they would give Chase some storyline in no way connected with Cameron, but now I lost any hope I ever had :(

[lit_luminary]

Thank _you_ for commenting! This was a story that simply had to be written, because I could not abide the idea that Chase finally stood up for himself only to end up on his knees (and presumably relegated to a submissive position in the marriage for its duration). As you said, he had a very good reason for the breakup: there are limits to what one should forgive in a relationship.

(And of course, it didn't seem realistic to me that House would be happy with just Cameron's side of the story, and I love House/Chase mentorship/interaction, so... I'd also hoped Chase might get a storyline that didn't require him to be an extension of Cameron, and they extinguished all hope. I wonder if the voices of a thousand fans screaming "I object!" during the wedding scene would make a difference?)

[topaz_eyes]

I think you nail the root problem of Chase and Cameron's relationship. Love how House's scathing honesty turns out to be a comfort. And, it's a great way to get Chase back on the team.

[lit_luminary]

Thanks so much for commenting--I love your work, so I'm honored you took the time to say something about mine. This had to be written, because I was _furious_ that Chase finally stood up for himself, only to end up literally on his knees.

And yes: so far as I'm concerned, lack of trust and communication prevent the relationship from being functional or healthy (particularly, perhaps, for Chase, with his tendency to give in to Cameron's demands). I felt honesty would be the most comforting thing to Chase: unlike House, he won't follow the truth over a cliff, but it's still something he values, and House is still someone he values. The right words from the right person at the right time make for a powerful combination.

Getting Chase back on the team was just the finishing touch: I've always felt he'd have made a better attending than Foreman, given that he has a talent for diagnostics that should have been developed (to say nothing of the fascination of the unique dynamic he shares with House).