lit_luminary (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lit_luminary) wrote2009-04-14 01:29 am
lit_luminary) wrote2009-04-14 01:29 am
AU "Saviors" ficlet.
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.
Notes: In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a Chase/Cameron supporter: I feel that there are deeper problems between them than the writers have explored, and that the relationship is not ultimately a healthy one. Those of you who disagree are respectfully asked to criticize only constructively.
He stands there in the locker room, still seething from everything that’s gone wrong between them in the last two days. Discovers that the whole damned mess started because she found the engagement ring in with his socks.
For a moment he’s relieved: it wasn’t about House, wasn’t that she’s found someone else she’d rather be with or that she doesn’t care—
Except.
What does it say about their relationship that she couldn’t just tell him what was wrong in the first place? What does it say that her response to seeing his frustration and hurt was to avoid him?
Her eyes are teary, and part of him is tempted to let it go, chalk it up to upset from the past week and propose anyway, even if his planned setting and time and all the rest has gone to hell. He can easily call what’s happened an isolated incident.
But four years with House have made him too good at spotting patterns, and when he's angry enough to see a list of symptoms spanning the last two, he can’t deny this one anymore. Not when he’s got to admit the possibility that this is how she’d deal with every problem they ever have after marriage.
The idea of going through the past forty-eight hours (failed attempts at communication on his part, evasion on hers and then fighting) again at intervals for the rest of his life—
No. Enough is enough.
“It doesn’t matter,” he says, shaking his head. “This—that I can think you care more about House than me after two years together; that you can keep brushing me off—there’s a bigger problem than your freaking out about finding a ring in a drawer.”
She holds his gaze. “I didn’t want you to propose because—”
“Right. Kutner committed suicide and it put me in such a romantic mood I couldn’t help myself.” Normally he’d care about the sharp edge in his tone, but right now he just feels like he’s bitten his tongue one too many times. “Cameron. If you don’t know by now I wouldn’t propose out of—some mad desire to cling—there’re clearly questions we should be asking that have nothing to do with getting married.”
“So now you want to break up? Just because I didn’t want to talk to you for two days?”
“You don’t usually want to talk to me,” he points out, “and it’s reasonable to assume my putting a ring on your finger wouldn’t change that.” He shakes his head. “I’ve been telling myself that sooner or later, we’d get through all these disagreements and learn to talk, or you’d learn to trust me, or we’d get to know each other well enough that this sort of thing wouldn’t keep happening. None of that’s happened.” A bitter laugh. “House is right: people don’t change.”
Her expression is incredulous. “You’re taking relationship advice from House? The man whose idea of a romantic evening is porn and a hooker?”
“He may suck at relationships, but I can't disagree with his insight into people. Or his methodology: I’ve been ignoring the underlying cause and trying to tell myself I could fix it treating symptoms.”
“So now our relationship is some—pathology you can treat?” she demands. It’s her turn to laugh: like his, it’s humorless. “And I used to think Foreman would be the one who turned out like House.”
There’s too much he respects in the man for that to sting. He wants to tell her that when he’s still not sure she wouldn’t rather be with House instead, it shouldn’t bother her a bit.
But incendiary remarks aren’t what they need at this point.
“I’m not sure it was ever anything else,” he says quietly. She’s not the only one at fault; his problems are in the mix, too: in the beginning, he'd used her and allowed her to use him for sex; later, he’d kept trying when it was obvious her investment in the relationship didn’t match his; he’d let her cross lines without saying a word, just to keep her. “And I’m sorry, but I see now it’s not going to work.”
Her expression hardens. “Fine. You can come over tomorrow and empty your drawer.” Then she turns on her heel and stalks out.
It says more than he wants to admit that there’s just the one drawer to empty. House would say something about its being a metaphor for his role in her life—something to be used and put away out of sight. And he’d be right.
He stands there for ten, fifteen minutes; turns at the triple-beat of House’s lopsided gait, not really unexpected.
“I’m not in the mood for mind games or social experiments.”
Better to establish that from the onset.
“I just saw Cameron,” House says. His tone is casual, but Chase isn’t fooled: House doesn’t do casual conversation. “Red with fury and black with running mascara. The ‘woman scorned’ look does not work for her.”
“It’s been two years,” he says shortly. “I thought—maybe marriage would fix things, make it so I’d be sure what she wanted. And that would’ve been a mistake.”
“True,” House agrees. “They don’t give you mind-reading powers at the wedding along with the crappy toaster and the fondue set.”
He smirks a little. Anyone else would express sympathy for the end of the relationship: not House. And he’s grateful. “I have no business marrying her if, two years in, I’m still not sure she wouldn’t rather be sleeping with you.”
“She wouldn’t, if it helps,” House says. “Triple-checked; completely sure.”
“Thanks. But that’s not the problem. The problem is I should’ve known that, because she should’ve been talking to me. And I should’ve seen that was a problem.”
House’s gaze is level; there’s no mockery in it. “When you care about a person, it makes you stupid. When you are also having sex with that person, it makes you more stupid.” A pause. “But you figured it out before that long walk down the aisle—fortunately, since you people don’t believe in divorce. Although when you consider the savings in alimony—”
“I’m hardly a practicing Catholic anymore.”
He hasn’t so much as been to Mass in over a year. Medicine has filled the need God failed to answer.
“Obviously: you were dating an atheist.”
Another thing he’s learnt is that going into issues of faith with House is an exercise in masochism. “Is there a reason you’re here? Besides figuring out exactly how my relationship broke?”
“Just to observe you finally grew a spine to go with your brain,” House says. “Nice.” Then, “I need that in my department more than I need a surgeon. Taub can do my surgeries.”
“You fired me,” he points out. “Said I’d learned everything I could from you.”
“Possibly an overstatement,” House says with a shrug, “and my team sucks without someone to play left field.”
“And you’re asking me to come back instead of hiring that someone because…?”
“Because Cuddy’s head would explode if I ran a second season of Survivor: Fellows Edition, and I don’t want to get brain matter on this shirt. It’s vintage. And because you’re a good doctor I can say with confidence will never cause intradepartmental upheaval by putting a bullet through his head.”
“I’ll be sure to put that on my résumé,” Chase says dryly, but nods assent. He’s missed the variability and the challenge of diagnostics, and returning to his old position will counterbalance Cameron’s exit from his life.
“Good. See you Monday.”
He’s out the door before Chase can answer.
This was a horrible day. He’s still miserable. Still angry, at Cameron and at himself.
But House’s particular brand of—he’s not sure what, because ‘support’ isn't quite the right word—is enough that he feels marginally better.
END.
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.
Notes: In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a Chase/Cameron supporter: I feel that there are deeper problems between them than the writers have explored, and that the relationship is not ultimately a healthy one. Those of you who disagree are respectfully asked to criticize only constructively.
He stands there in the locker room, still seething from everything that’s gone wrong between them in the last two days. Discovers that the whole damned mess started because she found the engagement ring in with his socks.
For a moment he’s relieved: it wasn’t about House, wasn’t that she’s found someone else she’d rather be with or that she doesn’t care—
Except.
What does it say about their relationship that she couldn’t just tell him what was wrong in the first place? What does it say that her response to seeing his frustration and hurt was to avoid him?
Her eyes are teary, and part of him is tempted to let it go, chalk it up to upset from the past week and propose anyway, even if his planned setting and time and all the rest has gone to hell. He can easily call what’s happened an isolated incident.
But four years with House have made him too good at spotting patterns, and when he's angry enough to see a list of symptoms spanning the last two, he can’t deny this one anymore. Not when he’s got to admit the possibility that this is how she’d deal with every problem they ever have after marriage.
The idea of going through the past forty-eight hours (failed attempts at communication on his part, evasion on hers and then fighting) again at intervals for the rest of his life—
No. Enough is enough.
“It doesn’t matter,” he says, shaking his head. “This—that I can think you care more about House than me after two years together; that you can keep brushing me off—there’s a bigger problem than your freaking out about finding a ring in a drawer.”
She holds his gaze. “I didn’t want you to propose because—”
“Right. Kutner committed suicide and it put me in such a romantic mood I couldn’t help myself.” Normally he’d care about the sharp edge in his tone, but right now he just feels like he’s bitten his tongue one too many times. “Cameron. If you don’t know by now I wouldn’t propose out of—some mad desire to cling—there’re clearly questions we should be asking that have nothing to do with getting married.”
“So now you want to break up? Just because I didn’t want to talk to you for two days?”
“You don’t usually want to talk to me,” he points out, “and it’s reasonable to assume my putting a ring on your finger wouldn’t change that.” He shakes his head. “I’ve been telling myself that sooner or later, we’d get through all these disagreements and learn to talk, or you’d learn to trust me, or we’d get to know each other well enough that this sort of thing wouldn’t keep happening. None of that’s happened.” A bitter laugh. “House is right: people don’t change.”
Her expression is incredulous. “You’re taking relationship advice from House? The man whose idea of a romantic evening is porn and a hooker?”
“He may suck at relationships, but I can't disagree with his insight into people. Or his methodology: I’ve been ignoring the underlying cause and trying to tell myself I could fix it treating symptoms.”
“So now our relationship is some—pathology you can treat?” she demands. It’s her turn to laugh: like his, it’s humorless. “And I used to think Foreman would be the one who turned out like House.”
There’s too much he respects in the man for that to sting. He wants to tell her that when he’s still not sure she wouldn’t rather be with House instead, it shouldn’t bother her a bit.
But incendiary remarks aren’t what they need at this point.
“I’m not sure it was ever anything else,” he says quietly. She’s not the only one at fault; his problems are in the mix, too: in the beginning, he'd used her and allowed her to use him for sex; later, he’d kept trying when it was obvious her investment in the relationship didn’t match his; he’d let her cross lines without saying a word, just to keep her. “And I’m sorry, but I see now it’s not going to work.”
Her expression hardens. “Fine. You can come over tomorrow and empty your drawer.” Then she turns on her heel and stalks out.
It says more than he wants to admit that there’s just the one drawer to empty. House would say something about its being a metaphor for his role in her life—something to be used and put away out of sight. And he’d be right.
He stands there for ten, fifteen minutes; turns at the triple-beat of House’s lopsided gait, not really unexpected.
“I’m not in the mood for mind games or social experiments.”
Better to establish that from the onset.
“I just saw Cameron,” House says. His tone is casual, but Chase isn’t fooled: House doesn’t do casual conversation. “Red with fury and black with running mascara. The ‘woman scorned’ look does not work for her.”
“It’s been two years,” he says shortly. “I thought—maybe marriage would fix things, make it so I’d be sure what she wanted. And that would’ve been a mistake.”
“True,” House agrees. “They don’t give you mind-reading powers at the wedding along with the crappy toaster and the fondue set.”
He smirks a little. Anyone else would express sympathy for the end of the relationship: not House. And he’s grateful. “I have no business marrying her if, two years in, I’m still not sure she wouldn’t rather be sleeping with you.”
“She wouldn’t, if it helps,” House says. “Triple-checked; completely sure.”
“Thanks. But that’s not the problem. The problem is I should’ve known that, because she should’ve been talking to me. And I should’ve seen that was a problem.”
House’s gaze is level; there’s no mockery in it. “When you care about a person, it makes you stupid. When you are also having sex with that person, it makes you more stupid.” A pause. “But you figured it out before that long walk down the aisle—fortunately, since you people don’t believe in divorce. Although when you consider the savings in alimony—”
“I’m hardly a practicing Catholic anymore.”
He hasn’t so much as been to Mass in over a year. Medicine has filled the need God failed to answer.
“Obviously: you were dating an atheist.”
Another thing he’s learnt is that going into issues of faith with House is an exercise in masochism. “Is there a reason you’re here? Besides figuring out exactly how my relationship broke?”
“Just to observe you finally grew a spine to go with your brain,” House says. “Nice.” Then, “I need that in my department more than I need a surgeon. Taub can do my surgeries.”
“You fired me,” he points out. “Said I’d learned everything I could from you.”
“Possibly an overstatement,” House says with a shrug, “and my team sucks without someone to play left field.”
“And you’re asking me to come back instead of hiring that someone because…?”
“Because Cuddy’s head would explode if I ran a second season of Survivor: Fellows Edition, and I don’t want to get brain matter on this shirt. It’s vintage. And because you’re a good doctor I can say with confidence will never cause intradepartmental upheaval by putting a bullet through his head.”
“I’ll be sure to put that on my résumé,” Chase says dryly, but nods assent. He’s missed the variability and the challenge of diagnostics, and returning to his old position will counterbalance Cameron’s exit from his life.
“Good. See you Monday.”
He’s out the door before Chase can answer.
This was a horrible day. He’s still miserable. Still angry, at Cameron and at himself.
But House’s particular brand of—he’s not sure what, because ‘support’ isn't quite the right word—is enough that he feels marginally better.
END.
no subject
I mean, come on. ONE DRAWER.
Also...
“and it’s reasonable to assume my putting a ring on your finger that wouldn’t change that.”
He wants to tell her that that when he’s still not sure she wouldn’t rather be with House instead...
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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.)
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I mean, I get that her husband died and that was very painful. But it's been like 10 years. Get over it already and move on.
It wouldn't be so bad if Chase weren't such a nice, decent person. I feel like he deserves to be the light of someone's life, not with someone out of convenience.
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And yes, it's worst of all because Chase is a good, decent person with a number of lovely qualities who deserves a lot better. (The sad thing is that he doesn't seem to recognize how much he has to offer a relationship: if he did, he'd have realized Cameron was by no means the only proverbial fish in the sea. Really, how many women wouldn't want a handsome, intelligent man who has good values, a sense of humor, a successful career, _and_ is good with kids?) It's tragic that the writers don't seem to know what to do with him.
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"Cameron honey? Would you mind opening the drawer just a bit, if it's not too much trouble? It's just that it's a little crowded..."
"Stop complaining, Chase. I took out your spine, your self-respect and your dignity to make room, didn't I?"
(For God's sake! If she had a pet, it would get more affection, concern and attention from her than Chase does.)
*Edited to correct a typo.
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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.
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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.)
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Nice job!
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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 :(
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(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?)
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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).
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What does it say about their relationship that she couldn’t just tell him what was wrong in the first place?
Exactly. If their relationship worked, they would have been able to discuss the situation. As it was... Well, no relationship can survive without communication. And Chase is absolutely right to fear that this would be the way Cameron dealt with every problem.
“Right. Kutner committed suicide and it put me in such a romantic mood I couldn’t help myself.”
I couldn't believe that that was the reason she gave. It doesn't even make sense, really.
“He may suck at relationships, but I can't disagree with his insight into people.
Absolutely. And in this situation, having an insight into people is much more useful than being good at relationships.
“Just to observe you finally grew a spine to go with your brain,” House says.
I can see why House would like that. I just wish that the show would allow Chase to grow a spine as well.
And I really like the idea of Chase being back on House's team - with Kutner gone, House needs someone with real diagnostic talents.
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I agree with you-- this is what should have happened. The relationship between Chase and Cameron is not only unhealthy, but less interesting when compared with the Chase/House mentor relationship. I only wish that the show would continue with this alternate ending... alas, my dreams are squashed. Your characterization is wonderful; I especially appreciate the balance of House as both understanding and sardonic. Please sir, may I have some more (House and Chase interaction)?
We can always hope for a Xander/Anya wedding!
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And yes, I agree: Chase's dysfunctional relationship with Cameron is much less interesting than his role as House's protégé (not least because I always prefer characters to grow and develop rather than self-destruct). As far as my personal universes go, this is how it went, and I'll write accordingly.
House in a quasi-supportive role is always interesting to write, because it's a delicate balance to achieve, given his usual inclinations. But I was very satisfied with it here.
(And believe me, I am hoping for such a wedding--he'd never leave her at the altar; he's too much a gentleman, but she might very well walk out on him, likely citing some excuse to do with lingering attachment to her Sainted Dead Husband. And if _that_ doesn't end this farce, nothing will.)
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(Anonymous) 2009-04-29 04:51 am (UTC)(link)i have this feeling that she started gravitating toward chase as a person to sleep with and manipulate because house was taking her security and sense of self-worth away. I mean, he rebuffed her and you gradually saw her kind of trying to make herself known and stand out more over several episodes. i think she put her attention on chase because she felt powerless and needed to feel power over someone, so she chose Chase because she KNEW he liked her and used that to her advantage. Then, thanks to house firing him, as soon as he has one foot out the door, she runs to him for a commitment. Technically, you can argue she had done that before: her hubby practically already had one foot in the grave when she met and married him. I can't get my Cameron's Mentality Theory out of my head, and haven't been able to for two years now.
But Chase, though he started out with some not-terribly-pleasant attributes, never tried so hard to be somebody he wasn't. He was very much himself and was finding his own way. He grew as a person throughout the show, and I liked that. Cameron has been holding him back, though--when he's not in the same room with her, he seems like a better man. Chase needs happiness, and needs to be genuinely loved for who he is more than lovin'--if that means he and house develop a dysfunctional semi-snarky loving father-son relationship, that'll satisfy me...and if Chase gets an attending position--he's better than foreman, dammit!!!
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I'm not fond of Cameron either, to say the least--not since "Love Hurts," when she pushed women's rights in the workplace back fifty years with the assumption she was entitled to harass House for a date. And the way she treats Chase is its own rant, which you've already covered. I shudder to think they'll soon be married, and I want to send an angry letter to whichever writer was responsible for last night's bachelor party disaster--_where_ did they get the idea that a man with an alcoholic mother would want a party involving a tower of flaming vodka, much less let himself get drunk? And I shudder to contemplate the idea of his being married to Cameron.
Chase has been the character who's experienced the most growth since the show began--whose path has arguably been the most healthy, since it's reliably been one of maturation--but Cameron upsets that trend by failing to appreciate and validate Chase in his own right (which should be a requirement before you marry someone, dammit). I'm more interested in his father/son, mentor/student relationship with House: it's not exactly idyllic, but it's helped him grow. They understand each other in unique ways and bring out interesting aspects of one another, and I enjoy exploring that in fic. (And I was endlessly disappointed that Foreman was given the attending position that, by merit, should have been Chase's.)
THANKYOU
(Anonymous) 2010-08-31 02:15 am (UTC)(link)Great writing. Please write more
Re: THANKYOU