Disclaimer: La-de-da... Still not mine...

Author's Note: This is it, kids! I know this chapter is pretty short, but I like how it turned out. I hope you've enjoyed the story and thank you for reading and reviewing!

Chapter Six

Monday brought an annoying realization upon Chase. House had been right when he'd accused Chase of wanting to go to the seminary to escape the feelings he had for Cameron. And Chase hated it when House was right.

So on their next date, Chase sat down and talked with Cameron about his real reasons for returning, prepared to have her smack him or something. What he got was completely opposite.

"You wanted to go back to get away from me?" Cameron asked quietly. "But why?"

Chase sighed and frowned. "I don't know, honestly. It seemed like a good idea at the time," he mumbled.

Cameron smiled gently and pat his knee. "Chase, you should know better than to try and run from your problems. The best thing to do is face them, isn't it?"

"You'd think that," he muttered. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"You weren't thinking," she responded with a laugh. "But that's okay… Sometimes, you just don't think about decisions like that."

"I feel a bit stupid about it now," he admitted sheepishly.

"Don't," Cameron said softly, brushing a kiss over his lips. "I think it's … kind of cute, actually. That you told me, I mean."

"I know I promised not to ask about House…"

"Chase…"

"I just need to know if he's making you happy," Chase said quietly.

Cameron smiled gently. "Not quite so happy as you've been making me," she admitted.

---

It was a week and a half later that Chase heard pounding on his apartment door around ten in the evening. He frowned and answered, surprised to see Cameron. She was supposed to be with House tonight, wasn't she? "Cameron?"

"I can't do this anymore," she said frankly, stepping into Chase's apartment without being invited.

Chase closed the door and a small frown graced his features. "This was your decision…"

"I know. I can't. I can't do this anymore." She shrugged out of her light jacket and tossed it on over a convenient chair.

"You're supposed to be with House tonight…"

"Don't you understand?" she asked with a small laugh. "I'm done playing this game. I can't do it. I won't let myself do it. I'm here, not with House. I want to be here. With you."

"Me…" he repeated dumbly, staring at her. "Me?"

"You," she replied with a happy smile. "I don't need to play around with you two to know who I want to be with. I thought I'd have to… I didn't." She crossed to him and played with a button on his shirt. "I'm sorry I put you through all of this."

He wasn't. Well, he had been. But he certainly wasn't sorry now. "I'll blame House," he promised.

She laughed and brushed a kiss over his lips. "Thank you for your patience. You're not… Were you still going to go back home?"

"Not anymore," he blurted, blushing soon after. "I mean…"

"Don't explain," she replied with a grin. "I kind of like the answer as it is. I've been an idiot."

"I'm not going to agree," he said simply. "Because I don't want to get hit." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, smiling down at her. "You still staying with your parents?"

She nodded. "My apartment will be ready in another three weeks. I don't know how much longer I can stand my parents' house," she laughed.

"Come stay with me," he insisted. "I've got plenty of room. I wouldn't mind having you around."

"I may take you up on that." She snuggled into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I can't believe I've done this. It was so stupid."

Chase laughed. "It wasn't stupid. Theoretically, it was a perfect solution."

"Theoretically, communism works," Cameron replied pointedly.

Chase grinned and rested his chin on Cameron's head. This was the way it should be. He didn't fear the repercussions of being with Cameron; not one bit. What was House going to do? Yell at him? That was fine with him. It was Cameron he was worried about. "How is House going to take this?"

"I've already told him," she said softly. "He wasn't happy about it… But I doubt he's going to do anything about it. I regret that I've hurt him, though."

"I don't think you hurt him," Chase murmured, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "He wasn't in this to love you, Cameron. He just wanted to prove a point."

"He always wants to prove a point."

"You proved him wrong."

Cameron smiled. "I did, didn't I?"

"Definitely."

She turned her face up and pulled him down for a slow, leisurely kiss. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime," he answered with a smile.