A/N: Yay! Reviews! Here's the next chapter!

II.

Stacy didn't mind silence, but this was getting irritating. If not irritating, then it was making her nervous. House looked deep in thought. His head was tilted slightly to one side, and he was staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably, and apparently broke him from his reverie, for he blinked slowly.

"Why do you put up with it?"

She frowned. What was he talking about? "Put up with what?"

He gave her a look that clearly said 'duh'.

Her brow furrowed, and she stayed quiet, knowing that if she was silent long enough, he wouldn't be able to stand it, and would eventually blurt something out. She was right. After thirty seconds of hearing nothing but breathing, House opened his mouth.

"He doesn't love you."

Jaw hanging open, her eyes widened, and she fumed silently. "How dare you!"

His expression quickly morphed into one that mirrored her own. "What?"

"You have no right to judge Mark just because you lost your chance," she hissed. "He's going through hell right now, and you breathing down his neck isn't going to help anything. Yes, he does love me, but of course he's a little curious that you're hanging around all the time. Anyone with human feelings would."

Ouch.

"I cannot believe you." She stood, feet planted apart, jaw tight, glaring at him again. "All this time… you were just playing. The file… the dishes…"

"The rat," he added, and her eyes darkened with fury.

She shook her head. "Unbelievable. I never thought you could stoop that low."

"Then you don't know me very well." The words were out before he could stop them, and he regretted it instantly.

Oh, you went and made her mad, now, Greg.

House winced. "I-"

"What the hell is wrong with you? What are you trying to do? I came here as a friend, just asking you to help me and Mark, and now you're—"

He knew he shouldn't have done it, but of course, by then, complete irrationality had taken a firm hold on his brain and turned it to mush (yes mush, you read that right). Without a second thought, he bent his head and covered her mouth with his own.

A/N: Muahaha, cliffhanger! Sorry, I had to do it. I'll update again tomorrow, but only if I get more reviews!