A/N: *Hides in shame.* Okay guys, first of all, I'm so sorry for the long wait! I've been shown recently that life truly can be a bitch. On top of everything happening in my personal life, we also had the news of House ending this season and Lisa not coming back for the finale and I got hooked on some other great series. All this just made my muse flee, I guess. So I want to apologize once more and I hope some of you are still around and remember this little story of mine. Also, if any of you guys are reading my other story 'Being The Better Man', I am working on an update for that one too. Hopefully it will be done by the end of this week. Oh, and I'm still beta-less, so all mistakes are mine. Now, on with the show!

Disclaimer: Not even gonna bother anymore...

Chapter 2

Previously on A Deadly Game:

Lisa Cuddy just sighed, slumped her shoulders and shook her head before she turned the knob of the door, leaving the exam room without looking back. Oh yes, something was definitaly wrong…

House was momentarily stunned watching his boss lady walk away without the usual fierceness in her stride. Deciding that it was time to get lunch and some insight on the matter at hand from his personal psychologist slash best friend, he made his way to the elevator and the fourth floor. The closed door of the oncologist's office didn't deter the diagnostician in the slightest way. He just barged through it in his usual manner, announcing his presence to the occupants of the office in a singsong voice:

"Lunch time Jimmy! Your treat."

Upon finishing his sentence the blue eyed doctor was met with an annoyed expression from his best friend.

"By all means House, do come in! It's not like I have a patient or anything." the oncologist sarcastically replied while subtly nodding to an older man sitting across from him and looking rather surprised by the sudden interruption of his 'doctor-patient time'.

House, never one for following normal social conventions, just scoffed at Wilson before he turned his attention towards the graying and pale looking man in the office.

"Okay, you're visiting an oncologist, which means you're afraid that you probably have cancer, right?" The man just nodded hesitantly.

"Well, judging by the pitiful look Jimmy over there has been giving you, I'm gonna go with yes you're indeed sick and it's terminal. You've got about three months left to live. I'm very, very sorry. Now, goodbye!"

Looking anything but sorry he ushered the shocked and now even paler looking guy out of the office before slumping down in one of the chairs across from Wilson, who didn't look very pleased with his friends rude behavior.

"House, that was totally uncalled for! Mr. Rodgers doesn't even have cancer, it was a malignant mass!" he exclaimed.

"Ah well, all the better then, right Jimmy?"

Wilson just sighed and decided to let it go, knowing that nothing he could say would make his friend change.

"Now, to what do I owe the honor of you barging through my door again?"

"I need your advice on something."

Upon hearing this, the oncologist's bushy eyebrows almost reached his hairline, making him look rather comically. He then, calmly, stood up and made his way to the window.

"Huh." he said thoughtfully.

House, confused and slightly amused by this odd behavior only asked:

"What?"

"I was sure I was going to see flying pigs. I mean, the great Gregory House is actually asking for my advice?" he teasingly answered.

"Haha, you're hilarious Jimmy. No wonder all those cancer kids like you so much."

Ignoring his friends antics, Wilson instead decided to address the matter at hand.

"So, you needed some insight?" he questioned, unable to hide the smirk on his face.

Clearly annoyed House answered: "Yes and if you don't wipe that smug grin off your face I'm just gonna have to beat it off."

"Ok, ok!" Wilson held up his hands and schooled his features, knowing it was better not to mess with his friend when he was in a mood.

"So what's up House?"

"It's Cuddy, something is wrong with her today."

"Uhu. And you know this how exactly?"

"I just see it Jimmy. She let me out of clinic duty without a fight, didn't nag about me being late again this morning and…" he trailed off. "I don't know, she just seems out of it."

"And you don't think that maybe she's just too busy to deal with your shenanigans right now? It's not like it's flu season or something."

House again just scoffed. James Wilson might be his best friend, but if you asked the diagnostician, he wasn't always the brightest.

"Right, when has she ever stopped bugging me about me not wanting to help het poor, sick people in her precious clinic? I'm telling you Wilson, something's off."

Realization dawned on the oncologist and he quietly said:

"Huh, now that makes sense."

"What? She said something to you? You guys had some of your sister bonding time again during which she poured her heart out?" House asked, inching closer to Wilson. He had a feeling that the solution to his latest puzzle might be close.

"No…" Wilson trailed off and just smirked again.

Getting annoyed by the behavior of his best friend the grumpy doctor just growled: "Then what Jimmy? What makes sense? By all means, do share it with the rest of the class please!"

"You're making this up."

"Oh come on…" House exclaimed before the oncologist interrupted him.

"No, it makes sense. Cuddy is ignoring you right now, which makes you feel neglected. And now you are making up some crazy story about something being wrong with her so you have a 'legitimate' reason to keep annoying her."

"Seriously Wilson? Do you even believer yourself?"

"Yes, I do. I'm telling you House, don't obsess over this. Don't make Cuddy one of your puzzles. Just leave her alone. The woman's already busy enough. God knows she doesn't need to have to deal with your antics on top of everything else!"

"On top of everything else? Ha! So now you admit that there's something wrong! What, is she trying to get pregnant again? Or dating another man-child who's now stalking her? Oh I know! She's…"

"Shut it House! I already told you: nothing's wrong with Cuddy!" Then, the brown eyed doctor just smiled sweetly, making his friend shift uncomfortably in his chair. That smile never meant anything good…

"What's with the stupid grin again?" he grumbled.

"You know, I think it's actually kind of sweet." Wilson answered cryptically. House just raised an eyebrow and sent his friend a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look.

"What? It is!", Wilson insisted, "You keep doing all these insane things just to get her attention. It's like a little boy pulling the pigtails off the girl on whom he has a crush. I'm gonna keep saying it House, just ask her out. It's going to save us all a lot of misery."

And again that stupid grin.

House was seconds away from wiping it off of Wilson's face with some help of his cane.

"Well that's great Dr. Seuss. You just reminded me why I never ask for your advice in the first place." House snarled, before getting up and making his way towards the door.

Sighing, Wilson replied: "I thought you wanted to grab lunch with me?"

"Nah, sorry Jimmy, changed my mind. You already made me reach the daily amount of Freudian crap I can take. I really can't bear any more of those conversations. Besides, I have some obsessing to do!" House smirked before leaving his best friends office without closing the door of course…

"I was serious House! Ask her out or leave her alone!" Wilson yelled after the diagnostician's retreating form.

"Whatever you say Jimmy!" came the muffled reply from down the hall.

"Now that was helpful." House muttered under his breath while making his way to his office. Slouching down in his chair, feet propped up on the ottoman, he started to ponder the events of the day once again. Wilson might not believe him, but that didn't mean House was gonna let this go.

No, he was sure something was different about his boss lady today and he desperately wanted to find out what. Besides, it's not like he had anything else to do. He didn't have any interesting cases and he would rather die than go down to the clinic and waste his time on a couple of idiots with the sniffles.

Debating his next course of action the grumpy doctor decided that the time had come to actually confront Cuddy about the matter. And this time he wouldn't let her get away without a decent explanation regarding her odd behavior. Determined to get an answer, the diagnostician found himself once again in the elevator, heading towards the Dean's office.

After scaring off Cuddy's newest secretary and her feeble attempts to stop him ("Doctor Cuddy has requested to be left alone Doctor House!" Did they seriously think that was going to keep him from entering?), he barged -once again without knocking- through the doors of the Dean's office. Needless to say that he was surprised to find it dark, with all the blinds closed and his boss crying on her couch in the corner of the room.

House was momentarily at a loss for words before he snapped out of his stupor and asked tentatively:

"Cuddy…?"

So...? I've already written an outline of the next few chapters, which will start to give you guys some answers. I hope I'll be able to update sometime soon, especially since I have a break from college the next two weeks. I'll try to write as much as I can then. In the meantime you could click on the nice, blue link bellow this rant of mine to leave me a message. It might encourage me to write faster ;). Seriously, even if it's just to yell at me because I'm a horrible author, I totally deserve it!

xoxo

E.