An apology: It was brought to my attention that the'anonymous review' option was, as a default, disabled (thanks again, Avelynn!). So I fiddled a bit with my user options and finally fixed it! Anyway, I would really love to hear what you guys think, so keep writing feedback :)

Thank you for reading!

One Little Mistake – part 4

"What is the matter with you!" Wilson burst into House's office, nearly ripping the heavy glass door from its hinges. "You've been even more insufferable than your usual, charming self all week. Even Foreman is complaining." Wilson came to a stop right in House's face. "And to top it all, I just ran into Cameron crying her heart out!"

"Oh, that's just hormones. Can't blame that one on me!" House shrugged, obviously not the least bit put off by Wilson's anger.

"You've really got to ease up on her, House. It's not her fault she's in love with you!"

House raised an eyebrow, surprised at Wilson's statement. Wilson braced himself for the sarcastic remark that was sure to follow.

He wasn't disappointed.

"Well, well, well... what crawled up you're a-- and died?"

Not in a very bantering mood, Wilson shot back "Can't you be serious for once in your life! That wonderful woman deserves better, and one day you will kill her feelings toward you! I can guarantee that", Wilson was starting to wind down, though his eyes were still shooting daggers at his friend.

"Huh!" House shook his head and took another swig from the nearly empty glass. "I'm afraid you're one step behind, old friend. Do try to keep up", he punctuated his words by slamming the glass on his desk, the thud resonating in the closed room.

At Wilson's questioning look, House downed the last of his drink and got up. Destination: A nearly empty Scotch bottle. Location: Shelf, East wall.

"Been there, done that", House was working hard trying to project his famous 'couldn't care less' attitude, but Wilson saw right through him.

/OK, I'll bite, Wilson sighed inwardly. "What on earth are you talking about? And on that note, just how much have you had to drink?"

Not expecting a response, at least not a truthful one, Wilson casually reached over and snatched the mostly empty bottle before house could fix himself another drink.

House just sighed in response and sank back into his chair.

More than anything, the fact that House couldn't be bothered with a ten-minute monologue about the horrible injustice of robbing a man of his drink, was a sign for Wilson that House was truly bothered by something, and needed to talk.

"Well?" Wilson prodded, using his 'cut to the chase', tone.

"Right," House rubbed his hands over his face. "Haven't you heard? I was sure it'd be all over the hospital by now…"

"Will you just spit it out!" Wilson was fast losing his patience. And anyway, he had a consult in 10 minutes, and he still had to get there!

"There's nothing to say really. I mean, it isn't uncommon for a young, beautiful, unattached woman to have a lover, a beau, a…"

"I assume we're still talking about Dr. Cameron?"

"Duh!"

"So?"

"So!" House asked incredulously, shooting a frown in Wilson's direction. "So - that – means – she – is – sooooooo – over – me !" he said as if speaking to a particularly difficult child.

"Not to say there was something there in the first place…" he hastened to clarify, "but if there was – it is no more".

"Ah…" Wilson tried to hide his smile. Finally, an actual emotion out of Greg House. "So now you wish you'd taken a chance instead of pushing her away…" Wilson leaned back on the desk, facing House, trying to gauge his feelings. Best friends they may be, but House was a very complex man, his thought and motives not easily fathomable.

"I just want things to be the way they always were…' House sighed, staring at some invisible spot straight ahead.

"What, did you think she was going to follow you around forever without any indication that you return her feelings?" Wilson questioned.

House mumbled something unintelligible under his breath and laid his head on the desk, cushioning it with his forearms.

"House, you must realize everyone has a breaking point..." Wilson said consolingly.

Wilson was touched and more than slightly relieved. For the longest time he'd worried that Stacy had done irreparable damage to his friend's heart, leaving it irrevocably shattered.

/Boy, was I wrong…/

Even before the infarction, Stacy was always saying how it took Greg two years together and her threatening to leave before he actually told her that he loved her – using the actual words.

Yes, House wasn't an open about his emotions kinda guy. It just wasn't his nature.

Therefore, House being in so much pain right now could only mean very strong feelings on his part for the beautiful and bright young doctor Cameron.

"I lost her, Wilson… I pushed and pushed and, hey! I got what I wanted alright!"

A few more seconds passed before House spoke again. "Do you know what pisses me off (which is Housian for 'hurts'…) the most? It's how fast she got over me! I mean, what did she do, wait for two whole days after our date and fell into bed with that new boyfriend of hers?"

"C'mon House, you don't know when she met him! And anyway, it's highly possible they haven't even slept together yet. I mean, Cameron doesn't strike me as the kind of girl that'll sleep with a guy unless she had some pretty strong feelings for him."

"What? Now you're making my case for me?"

Wilson was getting confused. "I wasn't trying to!"

House rolled his eyes. "See, by assuming Cameron would only sleep with someone she's serious about, you've just agreed with me."

"And how, pray tell, do you know for sure whether they've…. you know…? Are you having her followed! Did you stake out her bedroom or something?" Wilson couldn't believe he was having this discussion.

"Well, unless you have another theory on how she came to be pregnant with a 9-10 week old fetus…meaning it was conceived the very same week we were on our date…"

House suddenly jumped to his feet, having just made an important discovery. Unfortunately, it caused him to completely miss Wilson's reaction. While Wilson's jaw quickly made its way toward the floor, the rest of his body seemed to clench for a second, before he consciously forced his muscles to relax.

"I don't believe it! It never even occurred to me!" not realizing he'd lost Wilson's attention long ago, House kept on talking. "She could have already been involved with some guy before we went on our date…that would account for her acting like nothing had happened when I told her I have no feelings for her. I was actually expecting her to start crying or something, but she was acting as if I had just complimented her dress…"

"But, then, why did she force me to take her on a stupid date? Was it some sort of joke? Was she trying to humiliate me?" House finally turned to Wilson for his two cents. That's when he realized he was alone in his office.

Way too preoccupied to wonder about the missing doctor or contemplating the monumental issue of how 'Hello' and 'Goodbye' seem to have become redundant in 21st century America, House just shrugged and reached for his newly liberated bottle, emptying the remaining liquid into his glass….