Chapter One

September 1st 12:00 am

Robert Chase is a woken out of a dead sleep by a pounding on his apartment door. He almost falls out of bed at the sound. He doesn't bother to put on any pants or a shirt since he had been sleeping in just his boxers. By the pounding on his door, he assumes the person on the other side of the door is House. He is not exactly sure why House is at his apartment at midnight, but he doesn't really care why, he has no plans on inviting him into the apartment, he is just going to tell him to go the hell away. He wants just wants to sleep. He has already had a long day and he is going to have deal with House sooner than he wants to. Robert runs a hand over his tired face before opening the apartment door, his mouth is open, ready to tell House off but when he sees who is actually standing on the other side of his door his mouth immediately closes.

"I didn't know where else to go," Allison sobs. "I just… I don't know. I thought… No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. I'm sorry I woke you and that I came. I'm just going to go. Forget that I was even here."

Before she can even move to walk away, Robert gently grabs Allison, pulling her into his apartment and into his arms. The sobs rack through her body. He can feel the tears on his skin. He holds her tighter, letting her cry herself out. He can feel her hands on his back, her freezing cold hands. God, how long has she been outside? He steps back, with her still in his arms, and closes the apartment door. He keeps an arm around her waist as he walks them back to the couch where he sits them both down. Her sobs have quieted down but her breathing is still loud and heavy. Her head rests on his shoulder. He looks at her face, she has been crying for hours and doesn't look like she has gotten sleep recently.

"I'm sorry," Allison whispers. "I shouldn't have come. I should go."

"No," Robert says. "You are in no condition to drive, I can see it on your face, Allison, you are exhausted. You have been crying for hours, I can see it. And when was the last time you got any sleep?"

"I don't know," Allison whispers.

"What happened? What's going on?" Robert asks. "Come on, you can tell me. Tell me what's going, what happened that brought you all the way back here, back to me."

"He's dead," Allison sobs. "He's dead, Robbie, my dad, he's, he's dead."

Allison falls back into a heap of sobs. Robert holds her close, his arms tightening around her small frame. No wonder why she is such a mess. She has a right to be such a mess. Her father is dead. He can't even imagine what she is going through. He knows how close she was to her father. The youngest of four and the only girl, she was definitely a daddy's girl. God, he can't even imagine how this is going to break her. God, she is already broken, this is going break her even more.

He gently runs a hand through her blonde locks, letting a few strands wrap around his fingers. He lets the hair fall away from his fingers before placing his hand gently on her cheek, rubbing his thumb back and forth. Her sobs eventually, once again quiet down till she is once again breathing loud and heavy.

"I'm sorry," Robert whispers, placing a light kiss on her forehead. "He was a wonderful man. I know how much you are going to miss him."

"I feel like I have a lost a part of myself, I have lost a part of myself," Allison whispers, her voice breaking with every word. "I don't know what to do."

"You are going to stay here for as long as you want to," Robert says, pulling Allison closer to himself. "I will go with you to the funeral, okay?"

"O-okay," Allison whispers, her voice still breaking.

"Come on," Robert says, standing up from the couch and pulling Allison with me. "You are going to bed."

Robert and Allison stand facing each other. Robert's arms are still around Allison's waist. It has been so long since they have seen each other. He has missed her. She has missed him. She wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her. It doesn't take long before their lips meet. They kiss for a few minutes before Robert reluctantly pulls away. They shouldn't be doing this.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Robert says.

"Please," Allison whispers. "I need something good, Robbie, these past few days, these past few weeks have been god awful. I haven't had a break for what seems like forever. I need something good. Please, Robbie, give me something good."

"Are you sure?" Robert asks. "Come on, Allison, you have experienced a tremendous loss. You aren't thinking straight. You are upset and emotional and exhausted. Don't get me wrong, I want to make you feel better, but we don't have to do this."

"Come on, Robbie," Allison whispers, wrapping her arms around Robert's backside. "Don't turn into a good guy on me now."

And with that, Robert doesn't hesitate. He places his lips back on Allison's lips. He runs his hands up and down her back, feeling her cool, sweet skin. Oh, how he has missed the feel of her skin, the feel of her lips. Oh, how he has missed her. He begins to back them up towards the bedroom. They are only in the hallway when he pulls her shirt up over her head and tosses it onto the ground. It is not long after that she shimmies out of her pants. He lifts her up by her thighs and she instantly wraps her legs around his waist. His hands find their way to her blonde locks while her hands find their way to his short hair. Moans come from each other them. Robert quickly leads them to the bedroom, once they reach the bedroom, he kicks the door shut behind them.