A/N: We're so glad you're enjoying this story. Lots of excitement to come! Thanks for reading!

Chapter Four Drive

"It wouldn't be a House party if the cops didn't show," someone called out. "Sure sign of a good party, dude! Thumbs up!"

A few others joined in and started cheering but Greg focused on Lisa.

"Nice try," he told her. "I thought you were headed back to your dorm to drown your sorrows in chocolate or whatever you chicks do when you're slut shamed."

Lisa looked at Amanda. "There really are two police officers here. They want to see House. I'm not making this up."

Amanda saw how pale Lisa was and stood up. "Come on. Let's go see what they want," she told him.

They walked through the living room where everyone stood silently looking at the two burly police officers.

"You paid those speeding tickets didn't you?" Amanda whispered to Greg.

"Most of them," he whispered back.

They stopped in front of the two police officers. One held a small note pad.

"I'm Officer Hamilton," the one with the pad said. "This is my partner, Officer Adams. Are you Gregory House?"

"I'm House. Listen, I plan to-"

Officer Hamilton cut him off. "Do you own a red 1983 Corvette?"

Greg nodded. Something was very wrong; he could feel it.

"Do you know Jackson Evans?"

Greg glanced at Amanda. She stared at Hamilton with wide eyes.

"He's my husband," she said her voice trembling. "Has he been arrested? He wasn't drinking."

Officer Hamilton looked at his partner. "No, ma'am. Would you come outside, please?"

She gripped Greg's arm and all the color drained from her face. Greg led her out of the apartment and closed the door behind them.

Hamilton cleared his throat and looked down at his pad. Greg felt his heart begin to race. Something terrible happened. He put his arm around Amanda pulling her close. She trembled and leaned heavily against him.

"Two boys were drag racing and one hit the Corvette head on. We need you to come down to the morgue to identify your husband. I'm very sorry, Mrs. Evans."

"Our car is in the shop," Amanda told him in a strained voice.

"We'll take you and make sure you get home," Officer Adams said.

"I want Greg to come."

The officer nodded and led them to the police cruiser.

The county morgue was cold and the walls painted a dingy shade of yellow. The two officers led them to a large window covered on the opposite side by a white curtain.

Greg held Amanda up. He looked at her. Pale and shaking, her eyes were wide and she kept swallowing. He knew she was in shock.

"Could you get a blanket?" he asked Adams. Adams nodded and walked off. He returned a few moments later with a blanket. Greg wrapped it around Amanda and pulled her closer.

"I'm ready," she told them.

Hamilton knocked on the window and the curtains parted. A whimper escaped Amanda. Lying on a steel table covered by a thin sheet was Jack. He was bruised and bloody.

"It that your husband?" Hamilton asked.

Amanda nodded and walked up to the window. She put one hand on it. "Yes, that's him," she whispered. She turned to look at Greg and began to cry. She flung herself at him and he wrapped his arms around her. He stared over her shoulder at Jack's body.

"She needs to go home," he told the two officers, and they were taken back outside to the squad car.

Greg led Amanda back in her apartment. Everyone was gone except Lisa who was cleaning up. She looked up when they entered. Silently, she took the garbage bag she held into the kitchen.

"I want to lie down," Amanda said. "I want to go to bed."

"How about the couch?" he asked. The last thing she needed was to lie on dirty sex sheets.

Lisa appeared at his elbow. "Come on," she said taking Amanda's hand. "I'll help you get changed."

Amanda allowed Lisa to lead her into the bathroom. Greg raced into the master bedroom and flipped on the light. The bed was neatly made. There was no sign he and Cuddy had sex there a couple hours earlier. He pulled back the covers and saw that she'd put clean sheets on the bed.

Lisa and Amanda entered the room. Greg stepped forward and guided Amanda to the bed. He got her settled and looked back at Lisa.

"Go get some pillows off the couch," he told her.

He tucked the covers around Amanda and stroked her hair.

"I feel like I'm caught in a nightmare," she whispered and began to cry again. Greg held her hand and continued to stroke her hair.

Lisa appeared holding four throw pillows. Greg took them from her and lifted the blankets to put them under Amanda's legs. As he did that, Lisa placed a box of tissues on the bed next to Amanda. Greg covered her again and sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"Don't leave me Greg," Amanda begged tearfully. "Please don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised her.

She stared up at the ceiling, crying softly.

Greg looked at Lisa. "Go back to your dorm."

She shook her head. "No, I'm staying. I'll be cleaning up," she told him turning on her heel and walking out.

Greg ground his teeth in frustration.

Amanda looked at Greg. "Hold me?"

He toed off his shoes and got into bed, wrapping his arms around her. She pressed up against him and put her head on his shoulder. Soon her tears soaked his shirt but finally she fell asleep and he continued to hold her.

Lisa stood in the doorway. "I'm going to sleep in the other bedroom," she announced.

Before Greg could say a word, she was gone.

Soon the apartment was dark and quiet. Greg lay listening to Amanda breathe as her warmth seeped into his body. Jack was dead. Greg always hoped Amanda would come to her senses and divorce him but not this; never this. He knew marriages between two people in their early twenties usually ended in divorce. He also knew Amanda and Jack often argued about money, her desire to become a doctor, and his need to support them. She made decent money at the bookstore but Greg knew Jack wanted her to choose a different career. Jack never said it to her but he often said it to Greg. Greg never said anything but he knew Amanda wanted to be a doctor more than anything else. Like him, she saw patients as puzzles to be solved. Her bedside manner was better but she still saw them as nothing but puzzles.

Greg knew that's what drew her to him in high school. He fell for her immediately but she was dating the captain of the soccer team. She followed Greg around peppering him with questions most of which he ignored. He quickly learned ignoring her made her more determined so he ignored her a lot. By eleventh grade, she managed to weasel a few details out of him about his father and the way he treated Greg. Soon, she was his champion and he began spending more time at her house than his own. By the time they graduated, they were both accepted at Michigan. They lived in the same dorm and for the first three years everything was perfect. They took all the same classes and both worked in the bookstore. Then, at a particularly wild party, Greg drunkenly introduced her to Jack. He had to stand by and watch as they fell in love and got married. Now they were in med school, still working in the bookstore together, working as teaching assistants and spending most of their time together. Greg was happy but Jack was always there. Except now he wasn't. Would Amanda turn to him? He didn't want to be a rebound guy for her. He wanted her to love him as much as he loved her. He would never say that to her, though. He couldn't. It wasn't possible for him to say something like that. Turning slightly, he adjusted his hold on her and drifted off.

In the morning, he woke up and Amanda shifted onto her side facing away from him. She was clearly still sound asleep so he carefully got out of bed. He smelled the coffee instantly and he followed the aroma to the kitchen where Lisa was sitting, staring out the window. When she heard movement,she turned and smiled at him, somewhat sympathetically. "How is she?"

"Still asleep, thank God. The real question is, why are you still here?"

"I just…"

"Wanted to help? Great. Thanks. You can go now."

Lisa frowned. "Wow. It's true what they say about you."

"And are you really surprised?"

"Well I thought…"

"What? That after a roll in the sack I'd start treating you like a Princess? Now who's being delusional? Look," he said as he poured himself some coffee. "I appreciate your help last night and I'm sure Amanda will thank you herself when she sees you, but you don't have to stay. I'm going home soon myself to study. You should too. There may or may not be a pop quiz in Endo tomorrow. I suggest you bone up on your thyroid gland functions. Now shoo."

"Fine!" Lisa snapped back, got up, dumped the rest of her coffee down the drain and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Keep it down!" he hissed as he followed her. "Some people are still asleep, ya know."

She whirled around to face him. "You know what your problem is, Greg? You think you're God's gift to women. You assume just because you're smart and attractive that you can have any girl you want and they'll come running."

"Like you did?"

She squared her shoulders and looked at him with defiance. "I decided to ignore the rumors and give you the benefit of the doubt. But clearly I won't be the last of your conquests. Tell me Greg, which slut are you going to be with next?"

"What's it to you? We're not in a relationship. I can do who and what the hell I want."

Lisa stepped back like she'd been slapped and Greg realized he might've gone too far with that last remark. "Listen," he said, his voice a little softer. "If it weren't for you, this place would still look like a bomb went off. I'm sure AJ will thank you personally next time she sees you."

"Is that your pathetic attempt at an apology?"

"It's as good as it gets."

"Will Amanda go to classes tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Knowing her, probably. Chem is her favorite class and God knows she needs the distraction right now."

"I thought you'd provide that for her."

Greg cocked his head to one side. "I don't like those implications. AJ and I have been best friends since high school."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it. She's been with Jack for the last four years."

"So why are you giving me the cold shoulder? Was I really just an easy lay for you?"

"Other than being totally hot, yes. I don't know why that would bother you. You're smart, pretty and fun. I figured guys would be lining up to go out with you. Why limit yourself to just me? This is college. Get out, experiment, have fun, study smart, not hard. You can't take school too seriously or else you will burn out and drop out. You've come this far already. This isn't an easy school to get into but here you are."

That seemed to diffuse her a little and she actually smiled at him. "See you tomorrow." Then she leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his lips before throwing her jacket on and making her exit.

Amanda stood in the entrance of the living room and looked around. It was spotless, with no sign a party took place the night before. "Did you do all this?"

"Good God, no," he laughed. "When have you ever known me to clean your apartment? Let alone my own?"

"Good point. So who did?"

"Lisa Cuddy."

"Oh. She really likes you. A lot."

"I know. How're you doing?" he asked, changing the subject.

"My head hurts. It wasn't a dream was it? Jack's really gone, isn't he?"

He made his way over to her and led her to the kitchen."Afraid so, kiddo. Come on, I'll buy you a drink," he said and began another pot of coffee.

"There better be booze in it," she sighed as she collapsed into a chair at the table and rested her head on her folded arms.

"Bailey's?"

"Perfect."

He fixed her coffee the way she liked it, adding a splash of the irish cream and handed it to her. Her eyes were still swollen and she looked like death itself.

"Did you manage to get any sleep last night?"

"Some. Thanks for staying with me last night. It helped."

He looked down at the floor. "Good. So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well, I have to call Jack's family," she said, and then closed her eyes. "God...how am I going to do that? I don't know if I can…"

"I'll do it," he offered.

"Thanks, but it should really come from me."

She was right, of course, but he still wanted to help. "What can I do?"

"I've never had to deal with anything like this before. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"His family will probably take care of everything. You just have to ask. I'm sure any of our friends will do whatever you need to help."

"You'll help me, won't you?" she asked, reaching for his hand.

"You know I will."

She smiled and leaned over to kiss him. "You have no idea how grateful I am to have you, Greg. It felt so good being in your arms last night. Now I know why all the girls want to be with you. You make them feel good, just by being around. I feel close to you right now. I just want to go back to bed and stay there…with you..."

She was touching and kissing his face all over, and it overwhelmed him. He knew she was dealing with some very strong emotions but this was very unlike her.

"Amanda," he said, softly, placing his hands over hers and stopping her movements. "You're upset...and you're grieving. And I don't think you realize what you're saying."

She paused and stared at him. "How dare you negate my feelings! I'm telling you how I feel and you're just…"

"Amanda," he sighed as she got up from the table.

"Go home then! Leave me alone! I'll get through this without you! Since you obviously don't care about me…"

"Don't talk stupid!" he snapped back at her as he got up too. "I'm not going to be your rebound guy. I'm better than that. Jack's not even in the ground yet and you're coming onto me? Stop and think about that. When you come to your senses, let me know. I'm outta here."

"Fine! Go then!"

"I will!"

"Good!"

"Good!" He shouted back and slammed the door closed behind him.

Three days later, Amanda stood with Jack's parents as his casket was lowered into the ground. Jack's mother clung to Amanda and cried. All their friends stood behind them. Lisa stayed near the back. She wondered where Amanda's parents were. She was especially surprised that Greg was MIA. She looked at the girl next to her.

"It's a shame Amanda's parents or Greg couldn't come," she whispered. "It's so sad that she'll be alone."

"Her dad is in like the Marines; like an admiral or something. The aren't here in like the States. I think they're in like Germany. Like, I don't know why Greg isn't here. I mean, he totally hates things like this so maybe that's why. But, they're like totally best friends. I wouldn't be surprised if they like eventually get married. They are so like perfect for each other, you know?"

Lisa nodded. She slipped away from the girl and walked back toward her car. In the distance, she could see Greg leaning against a tree watching. Lisa held up her middle finger. He straightened up and came stalking toward her. She kept walking to her car.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he whispered angrily.

"Why the hell are you skulking around? Why aren't you with her?" she snapped back.

He looked over her head. Lisa turned and saw the mourners making their way to the long line of cars. When she turned back, he was gone.