May. 29th, 2006 11:22 pm
Title: Chapter Two
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lovely_ambitionTitle: Chapter Two
Characters: Robert Chase, James Wilson
Prompt: 002. Middles
Word Count: 1,084
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: This is a continuation of the 'She' universe from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
crossovers100. Chase is left a woman instead of being changed back.
She had never come back to offer Chase a choice. Instead, Chase had left the apartment in Jersey, leaving the ring in an envelope in Wilson's mailbox with the simple note attached that said: 'I'm going home. I'm sorry.'
Chase bought a plane ticket back to Melbourne the next day, packing up what little there was to her new life and calling House, citing, "tracking down Rob," as an excuse for the time off.
House almost said no, but Chase had pleaded, desperation flooding her voice and he'd relented with a hesitant, "Tell him he can have a raise if he wants." He had paused long enough to ask if she'd broken Wilson's heart. Chase never answered that question, and instead just hung up.
*
She still wasn't used to the staring or the chivalry that came with the new body. Men seemed to do anything if Chase just gave them a wide-eyed look and a 'please?' - not that she was abusing her newfound power. She'd had copious help getting back to the family home, but she finally arrived and felt immediately cocooned in safety and anonymity. There would be no marriage proposals or Wilson there.
The first few days were spent in stretching, exercising, and becoming truly used to the new core balance of the body. Chase learned the proportions and how to walk and sit and sleep and be. It took a good week before Chase was comfortable enough to go out and go shopping for clothes for this new life.
The second week was spent lounging on the beach in new swimsuits and sarongs and straw hats, trying to figure out the much more difficult answer to the question of, 'what next?'
It turned out that it didn't matter much, as during the third week, James Wilson himself arrived.
*
She had been sunning in a brown string bikini, a hat tipped down over her eyes and had only noticed something was off when her sun was blocked. She yanked the hat off - hair flying in too many directions - and was shocked into silence when she saw him staring down at her.
"You're in my sun," Chase said quietly, sitting up and reaching for clothing. It was alarming how very good it was to see him again. She stood, pulling on the tank top and shorts and pulling him into a tight hug, even though he hadn't yet said a word. Chase clung on, face buried in his neck while she struggled to ignore the likely reason he came. She eased away, the guilt probably showing on her face.
"Got a room for me?" he finally asked quietly.
Chase just nodded, leading him inside with the hat clasped between her hands. He remained several steps behind her and always silent. She had a dozen questions for him and she imagined he had about a hundred for her and all because she had never given him an answer to the most important question he'd asked.
"You can stay in the guest room," Chase offered, opening the door to the room beside the main room. He leaned in, cupping her cheek gently, but Chase pulled away, a lump in her throat. "I'm making you dinner. You should eat, you're probably jet-lagged." She didn't wait for an answer, simply escaped before Wilson could further cloud her head.
She lost herself in making too many courses at dinner, making family recipe mashed potatoes and shrimp scampi and a light chocolate mousse for dessert. Time slipped away and became inconsequential. She never even noticed when Wilson emerged and leaned forward on the island in the kitchen.
"Rebecca," he prodded. "Talk to me." She looked up and didn't shrink under his expectant gaze. "At least, just look at me for more than thirty seconds." He was staring at her incredulously. "You just left an engagement ring in my mailbox and you expect 'sorry' to do the trick?"
"James," Chase exhaled, avoiding his gaze. "I am…"
"Why?"
"I'm not ready!" Chase rocketed back and the answer shocked her, even. She should have said 'I don't want that' or 'I don't love you that much', but those would have been lies and the way Wilson reacted to her answer, Chase feared the potential future. She led him to the table. "Come on, dinner's on. We can talk later."
*
They didn't actually speak properly for eight days, not until Chase was having a nightmare one night and she woke up to find Wilson standing there in the moonlight, watching her. Chase sat up slowly, her t-shirt completely rumpled and wrinkled. "James?" she asked, voice hoarse. "What are you…"
He just advanced slowly, wordlessly sliding into bed with her. Chase blinked, not quite sure what to make of it, until she realized that she didn't know what it was.
Chase just curled up in Wilson's arms, falling to sleep in his warm embrace.
In the morning, Chase awoke first, feeling oddly at home with Wilson's hands splayed against her stomach, his lips pressed to her shoulder and barely an inch of space between them. She took a deep breath and pressed in just a little closer, able to feel him rousing.
"Morning," he greeted, voice still heavy with sleep. "You awake?" She nodded her agreement. "I can't stay away from Oncology too long. Even now is pushing it. But here's the deal. I want you to come back to Jersey. Not immediately, but eventually. No new beginning. And no ending. Just a continuation of what we've started." He kissed her bare neck. "We'd just date for a while."
Chase slowly turned so she could see his face. He looked honest, achingly so.
"What do you think?" Wilson asked.
Chase knew that this might be the end if she let it. If she made the call, this might be the last time in her life that she ever saw Wilson. But Chase realized with a sudden keening ache that she didn't want that to happen. Not at all. Chase just nodded slowly and he kissed her forehead.
"Yeah? You'll think about it?"
"Of course I will," Chase replied, as though it had never been an issue in the first place. She gave him a smile. "I will," she promised.
*
Two days later and Wilson was on a plane for home and Chase had to think about what choice to make and whether to give their story a conclusion or whether she was going to give it another chapter.
THE END
Characters: Robert Chase, James Wilson
Prompt: 002. Middles
Word Count: 1,084
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: This is a continuation of the 'She' universe from
crossovers100. Chase is left a woman instead of being changed back.She had never come back to offer Chase a choice. Instead, Chase had left the apartment in Jersey, leaving the ring in an envelope in Wilson's mailbox with the simple note attached that said: 'I'm going home. I'm sorry.'
Chase bought a plane ticket back to Melbourne the next day, packing up what little there was to her new life and calling House, citing, "tracking down Rob," as an excuse for the time off.
House almost said no, but Chase had pleaded, desperation flooding her voice and he'd relented with a hesitant, "Tell him he can have a raise if he wants." He had paused long enough to ask if she'd broken Wilson's heart. Chase never answered that question, and instead just hung up.
*
She still wasn't used to the staring or the chivalry that came with the new body. Men seemed to do anything if Chase just gave them a wide-eyed look and a 'please?' - not that she was abusing her newfound power. She'd had copious help getting back to the family home, but she finally arrived and felt immediately cocooned in safety and anonymity. There would be no marriage proposals or Wilson there.
The first few days were spent in stretching, exercising, and becoming truly used to the new core balance of the body. Chase learned the proportions and how to walk and sit and sleep and be. It took a good week before Chase was comfortable enough to go out and go shopping for clothes for this new life.
The second week was spent lounging on the beach in new swimsuits and sarongs and straw hats, trying to figure out the much more difficult answer to the question of, 'what next?'
It turned out that it didn't matter much, as during the third week, James Wilson himself arrived.
*
She had been sunning in a brown string bikini, a hat tipped down over her eyes and had only noticed something was off when her sun was blocked. She yanked the hat off - hair flying in too many directions - and was shocked into silence when she saw him staring down at her.
"You're in my sun," Chase said quietly, sitting up and reaching for clothing. It was alarming how very good it was to see him again. She stood, pulling on the tank top and shorts and pulling him into a tight hug, even though he hadn't yet said a word. Chase clung on, face buried in his neck while she struggled to ignore the likely reason he came. She eased away, the guilt probably showing on her face.
"Got a room for me?" he finally asked quietly.
Chase just nodded, leading him inside with the hat clasped between her hands. He remained several steps behind her and always silent. She had a dozen questions for him and she imagined he had about a hundred for her and all because she had never given him an answer to the most important question he'd asked.
"You can stay in the guest room," Chase offered, opening the door to the room beside the main room. He leaned in, cupping her cheek gently, but Chase pulled away, a lump in her throat. "I'm making you dinner. You should eat, you're probably jet-lagged." She didn't wait for an answer, simply escaped before Wilson could further cloud her head.
She lost herself in making too many courses at dinner, making family recipe mashed potatoes and shrimp scampi and a light chocolate mousse for dessert. Time slipped away and became inconsequential. She never even noticed when Wilson emerged and leaned forward on the island in the kitchen.
"Rebecca," he prodded. "Talk to me." She looked up and didn't shrink under his expectant gaze. "At least, just look at me for more than thirty seconds." He was staring at her incredulously. "You just left an engagement ring in my mailbox and you expect 'sorry' to do the trick?"
"James," Chase exhaled, avoiding his gaze. "I am…"
"Why?"
"I'm not ready!" Chase rocketed back and the answer shocked her, even. She should have said 'I don't want that' or 'I don't love you that much', but those would have been lies and the way Wilson reacted to her answer, Chase feared the potential future. She led him to the table. "Come on, dinner's on. We can talk later."
*
They didn't actually speak properly for eight days, not until Chase was having a nightmare one night and she woke up to find Wilson standing there in the moonlight, watching her. Chase sat up slowly, her t-shirt completely rumpled and wrinkled. "James?" she asked, voice hoarse. "What are you…"
He just advanced slowly, wordlessly sliding into bed with her. Chase blinked, not quite sure what to make of it, until she realized that she didn't know what it was.
Chase just curled up in Wilson's arms, falling to sleep in his warm embrace.
In the morning, Chase awoke first, feeling oddly at home with Wilson's hands splayed against her stomach, his lips pressed to her shoulder and barely an inch of space between them. She took a deep breath and pressed in just a little closer, able to feel him rousing.
"Morning," he greeted, voice still heavy with sleep. "You awake?" She nodded her agreement. "I can't stay away from Oncology too long. Even now is pushing it. But here's the deal. I want you to come back to Jersey. Not immediately, but eventually. No new beginning. And no ending. Just a continuation of what we've started." He kissed her bare neck. "We'd just date for a while."
Chase slowly turned so she could see his face. He looked honest, achingly so.
"What do you think?" Wilson asked.
Chase knew that this might be the end if she let it. If she made the call, this might be the last time in her life that she ever saw Wilson. But Chase realized with a sudden keening ache that she didn't want that to happen. Not at all. Chase just nodded slowly and he kissed her forehead.
"Yeah? You'll think about it?"
"Of course I will," Chase replied, as though it had never been an issue in the first place. She gave him a smile. "I will," she promised.
*
Two days later and Wilson was on a plane for home and Chase had to think about what choice to make and whether to give their story a conclusion or whether she was going to give it another chapter.
THE END
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