Over.

He had never really thought it would happen and definitely not by her. But she had ditched him not just temporarily but for good. He could tell she was serious and he was screwed.

The look on her face scared him the last time they talked or rather he tried to talk to her. Her grey-blue eyes barely looked at him. Her fabulous smile gone from her beautiful face. He never believed she would lose interest first.

It had always been so easy. He screwed up more chances with her than any man had a right to have. The look was so unreadable. Check that, it was readable he just didn't want to admit it. Her eyes glanced at his but every pore of her being oozed disappointment. Her manner showed boredom bordering on impatience.

Had he really done it? Pushed her far enough she couldn't come back? Wouldn't come back? It made him want her more than ever. It was as if she finally passed some stupid test he'd given her, watching her fail at it every time over the past twenty years. Had she finally graduated from his horror show?

He suddenly felt small in her eyes. Embarrassed by his own behavior and suddenly feeling the need to disappear from her view, he felt himself slither from her office and wander aimlessly back toward his office knowing he'd end up in Wilson's.

Glancing over his shoulder, he paused taking in the view of the woman who had his heart and no longer wanted it. "You finally did it, House. You killed us." he thought bitterly.

x x x

Oddly, she felt relieved, freed even. He had done his typical number on her, jousting sexual innuendos while leering at her all the while needling her for putting up with his bullshit. Something fell deeply inside her body. A feeling of recognition of the hurt built up over years wrapped inside frustration and obscured by passion. Suddenly it withered and collapsed as if it dried up from within and fell to dust. All at once she no longer cared nor had the energy or interest to bicker and joust back.

It was as if all the years she spent waiting and wondering had hit her full force and she realized this really was all he was and would ever be. A lonely man with a need to hurt others before they could hurt him. She'd showed him her feelings along the way now and then. Soft compassion, worry, friendship, respect even lust but fate didn't want them together and she was tired of fighting it.

She stared at the file before her spread out on the desk he had gifted her from storage that had once meant something between them. He stood looking hollow as if he would faint. His eyes looked sadder than she could recall, fragile even. She felt nothing. She sighed resignedly and stared back with an unreadable look on her smooth face. He had no clue what to do until she looked away.

x x x

House slumped into his leather chair and braced his weaker leg on the ottoman. He stared off into space while his young team watched carefully through the glass wall. Unconscious of the two tears that slid down his face, Taub and Foreman stared at one another in disbelief. Thirteen was stunned still as her eyes widened. Foreman gently shook his head at her to discourage any attempt to comfort or comment.

About 45 minutes later, Wilson entered the office and was a little surprised to see his friend nearly catatonic, expressionless except for tear tracks that gently continued down his scruffy face.

"House?"

"House? Wilson said again. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." House murmured without looking at him. "What do you want?"

"Killing time. Thought you'd buy me lunch today," Wilson cajoled. He had seen the tear tracks and thought better than to mention it.

"Can't you see I'm sleeping?" House said dully.

"Yeah, I did. I also noticed your eyes are leaking. A lot."

"What?" House said turning to Wilson and feeling for the first time the dampness that had pooled slightly under his chin and into the hollow below his adam's apple.

"Eye drops."

"Okay," Wilson shrugged not buying it.

"Lets get out of here." House stood, grabbed his cane and stormed out with Wilson following.

"Where are we going?" Wilson said as soon as he caught up by House's side.

"Anywhere, I just need to think."

"A case?"

"Yeah." House fell silent but continued limping to the elevator.

The two men exited the elevator and Wilson took notice of House slowing down as he passed Cuddy's office. She sat at her desk speaking on the phone in her normal adminstrator mode. Wilson waved at her, she looked away.

"That was weird." Wilson mentioned.

"You don't know the half of it."

"Something happen between you two? Wilson asked.

"Yeah, nothing." House glared straight ahead.

Wilson looked confused but waited. House would bring it up when he was good and ready. Wilson hung back quietly as they walked to Wilson's car. "Where to?"

"I don't know, some where far away and quiet."

Wilson popped the gears into reverse and drove in silence finally pulling into a small bar with decent buffalo wings and strong drinks.

"Perfect, I need to get drunk." House said to himself.

"I thought you had a case?"

"I do."

"Getting drunk isn't your usual route to solving cases. What's different this time?" Wilson asked slowly.

"I'm the case."

"In that case, I'm buying."

"You always do." House smirked for the first time.

Over the next twenty minutes House sat quietly watching his only friend left devour more than two dozen hot buffalo wings and down two beers. House was still nursing his scotch on the rocks deep in thought.

Wilson knew there was no use trying to hurry up the process with House so he relaxed and fed himself piggishly with delight. "God, they don't make these spicy enough for me!" Wilson exclaimed mopping the sweat from his face. "Not hungry?"

"I lost my appetite." House said softly.

"You? You lost your appetite? What, did you see something gross and oogie?"

It worked. House looked up at his friend with a look of contempt. "Anybody ever tell you you're gay?"

Wilson rolled his eyes. "Alright open up. I'm full and about to fall into a food coma so get on with it."

House studied Wilson for a moment searching for the words to describe the most frightening feeling he'd had in decades.

"I lost her."

Wilson looked confused again. He tended to do that a lot when hanging out with House. "I thought said you were 'the case.'" Wilson finished with air quotes.

"Cuddy. I finally did it."

Wilson was clueless. "I don't understand. What did you do now?"

"It was weird. One minute she was bickering with me and the next, it was like watching a candle blown out. Nothing left. She looked like she didn't know me. Just stared at me and said nothing. I even insulted her a couple more times and she just stared at me and didn't say anything back."

"That's it? That's the big deal?" Wilson seemed unsure.

"I think I finally broke her." House said in a sad tone.

"It was bound to happen. I'm amazed she took your crap this long." Wilson said bluntly.

House glared at him. "Would you talk to her for me? I don't think she's speaking to me anymore."

Wilson stared at House and realized how upset he was at the prospect of losing one of the only two friends who mattered to House. "I'll talk to her. What do you want me to ask exactly?"

House thought for a moment and stared at his hand wrapped around the glass holding his scotch. "I don't know. She's just not Cuddy. At least not with me. Not anymore."

"What did you say to her?"

"Nothing different than usual." House croaked slightly. Wilson's head snapped up to check House's expression.

"Finish your drink and let's go. I'm feeling miserable for you."

House meant to smile but felt himself exhausted and unenergetic. "Am I that pathetic?"

"Yeah, actually you are. You pushed her too far. Guess your charm's expiration date has finally arrived." House glanced up at Wilson and realized his friend's power of observation might be as sharp as his own.

"I don't think I need this." House got up to leave without finishing the drink.

"Then let me have it. If I'm going to intercede on your behalf to Cuddy then I'll need it!" Wilson knocked it back in a big gulp, tossed cash on the table and stood to leave.

x x x

Wilson dropped House at the Hospital lobby and went off to park the car. Wilson leaned back and paused to consider how he might approach Cuddy for his friend. This wasn't the normal fix he had gotten used to handling when the two were at each other's throats. No, this time he saw despair and there was no denying House had shed tears without realizing it. Tears of the depressed that happen without even realizing it. Never-ending, constant tears that slide out of the eye unstoppably. God, the man was a miserable bastard and a star bastard at that for torturing himself and those he loved. Wilson wondered how Cuddy had managed to put up with House's shitty attitude for so long. They clearly longed to be together but neither was brave enough to admit it. Their employee-boss relationship further complicated their lives and risked livelihood as well as heartbreak. What was the worst that could happen? Fired? Dumped? Both. Die penniless and unloved? C'mon, people survived those risks, these two could handle that, couldn't they?

Wilson sprang forward out of his car and strode directly toward Cuddy's office, forgetting to set the car alarm.

Cuddy sat at her desk like the automatron she had become, work, work, work. That seemed to be all she was good at. That and mothering her adopted daughter, the new light of her life.

She felt herself being watched and glanced at the French doors to her office. Wilson stood outside staring at her trying to decide whether to knock and enter. He had suddenly lost his nerve realizing she must be in pain and non-functioning as badly as House. Surprisingly she was not. It unnerved him.

"Wilson? Are you coming in?" Cuddy said flatly.

"Uh yeah," Wilson approached quietly. "Got a minute?"

Cuddy frowned trying to read his face. "Not really but I can take a break if it's important."

"It is." Cuddy stood and followed Wilson who chose to sit on her sofa away from the desk and the direct view of those passing by outside her office. He patted the sofa for her to sit by him. Cuddy raised an eyebrow but sat on the sofa within reach.

"What is it?"

"What did you say to him?" Wilson asked. Cuddy didn't respond. She didn't look away either.

"I think he was crying." Wilson murmured sadly. Again, Cuddy was unresponsive and unmoved.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Wilson said a little too loudly.

"I heard you." Cuddy said calmly.

"That's it?" Wilson asked incredulously. "I just told you House shed actual, real, honest-to-goodness tears over you and you act like that happens every day."

"What do you want from me?" Cuddy said tiredly.

"I want you to care!" Wilson said reaching for her hand.

Cuddy glanced at him as he took her hand in his and squeezed it. "Well, I don't." She said calmly.

"Why?" Wilson pulled at her hand a little as if jerking her hand would suddenly animate her. Cuddy remained silent.

"Seriously?" Wilson seemed shocked.

"Wilson, I don't feel anything for him anymore. I just don't." Cuddy said matter-of-factly.

"I don't believe this. I don't believe you!"

"Believe it. I'm done. Life's short and getting shorter all the time. I don't have time for bullshit and I'm exhausted dealing with him. It's not fun anymore. Hasn't been for some time now that I think about it."

"Cuddy! You were meant to be with him! Him with you. PB and J. Milk and Cookies…." Wilson paused

"Enough. I just don't have it in me to do this any longer." Cuddy said tiredly.

"I don't get it. Did he do something?"

"He always does something. Isn't that the point?" Cuddy raised her eyebrows sarcastically. "He's just not worth the trouble."

"Cuddy, don't do this." Wilson squeezed her hand. "He loves you. He's in love with you he's just … autistic when it comes to love. He can't reach out."

"Yes, he can. He just doesn't want to. It's more fun to torment and watch how ridiculous I'll be by letting him do this to me over and over again." Cuddy stood up indicating the conversation was ending. "I'm done, its tiring and masochistic and he's not going to stop so I am. I'm ending it."

"You're firing him?" Wilson jumped up.

"No. He's not fired. I just don't want to deal with him unless its about medicine. You can tell him that yourself. And stop encouraging him to make a play for me. It was entertaining back when I cared but I've come to realize its just a hobby for you two. Maybe the two of you will happy together?" Cuddy said before turning and walking over to her chair behind the desk. The Desk.

Wilson's mouth dropped open. "Cuddy, you're my friend. I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy and House is the man for you!"

"He's not a man, he's just a big kid with a sick hobby and I'm tired of being the insect whose wings he keeps tearing off. Tell him to leave me alone and move on."

"I don't believe it. This can't be happening. I told you he's in pain and you act like it's nothing."

Cuddy looked up at Wilson and stared solemnly into his eyes. "He's been a pain and I'm through. I'm moving on. I really don't care if he cries himself to sleep or sleeps with a different hooker every night. I. Am. Done. Understand?"

Wilson swallowed glumly looking crestfallen and feeling numb. "I hear you. You're serious. What should I tell him?"

"You figure it out, Wilson. It doesn't matter to me. I need sanity in my life and Greg House brings nothing but chaos, disrespect, embarrassment and harassment to mine." Cuddy said firmly. "Now, I have to get back to work." Wilson knew he was being dismissed. He hung his head and left quietly. Cuddy never looked up.

x x x

"Disrespect? Embarrasment? Harassment?" House paused. "She really said that?"

"Don't forget 'chaos,'" Wilson added.

House pressed his lips into a flat line. "So that's it. She hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, House. She's just tired of your shit."

"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" House said sarcastically. "Unfortunately for Cuddy, I'm not done with her." House stood and headed for the door.

"House, give her some space. She really doesn't need to see any more of you today. For your own sake leave her alone."

"When have I ever taken your advice?"

"Now you know why you're in this mess." Wilson shot back. House stopped in his tracks and shut the door instead of exiting.

"You know, I could just go down there and ravish her in her office. See if there's a hint of life left in the old broad." House smirked although not convincingly.

"Oh yeah, that's brilliant. Rush down there, molest her into loving you in front of her staff. Why didn't I think of that? Are you fucking kidding me, House!"

"Only slightly."

"Don't do anything stupid. Just go back to your office and think about this. In fact, take this!" Wilson handed House a mechanical pencil.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" House asked.

Wilson sighed exaggeratedly, "Go to your office, find a notepad and write your true feelings for her. In a letter, a poem, anything -- just not a dirty limerick. Then fold it up and put it in your pocket. It'll keep you out of trouble until the day ends and let you obsess over her for the next few hours. Let her miss you. Let her think you're respecting her wishes."

House took the pencil and left. He wasn't going to write a stupid love letter. Was he? He pushed the door open to his office and noticed his staff was nowhere to be found. He fell into his leather chair and considered Wilson's advice. His thoughts wandered to Cuddy. He recalled the look in her eyes and realized the exact moment she had put the final brick into place effectively walling him out of her life and her heart forever. It was over between them but it didn't have to be. House got up and rummaged around his desk until he found a legal yellow notepad.

REVIEWS Inspire. Please share your thoughts on how ways to revive Cuddy's interest or if she should even bother. House needs to work for it.