Alex Hopper sighed softly as he looked around the apartment. It was the first time in months that he'd been truly left on his own, or not on a ship somewhere. It was hard on him as the silence gave him time to think over what he was missing, what he would never get to say. Grabbing a beer from the fridge he sighed as he sat down on the couch, flipping on the tv with a careless glance at the screen that said he wasn't really interested in anything but the background noise that it offered.

Sam was off wedding shopping, which just made his head hurt, so he'd decided to stay home, but now that his thoughts were having time to settle, he wasn't sure it was a good idea. Even after 5 months the hole left by Stone's death was eating him alive. The idea that there should have been something, anything to stop his brother's death killed him. Even if he knew Stone, where ever he was, would never blame him, or want him to blame himself.

Starting a little at the doorbell he frowned as he rested his head back against the couch cushions before sighing as he levered himself up off the cushions and headed for the door. Pulling open the door he expected to find that Sam had forgotten her keys or something equally ridiculous, not the small blond that for the life of him, he knew he should know but couldn't place.

Amanda smiled a little as she looked up at her brother in law, swallowing hard. The woman felt like she'd been kicked. Even if the brother's weren't close in looks, there was a curve of his cheek, the dark blue of his eyes, that said this was Stone's brother, that some part of him still lived. And it was true, as long as Alex Hopper was among the living, Stone's fierce overprotectiveness and personality would still be alive in some way. Which was why she was there, even if the idea was making her sick to her stomach. She knew she was going to shock him, and on the heels of such a devastating loss, for them both, she didn't want to do it, but knew she had to.

"Amanda-"Amanda stuttered for a moment, almost introducing her as Amanda hopper, but she couldn't do that, it would just be to mean."Blake. you knew me as Amanda Blake."

"Stone's ex."Hopper said after a moment, feeling like lightening had struck as he looked at the woman. He remembered her now, his brother had been as devastated as he'd ever seen him in those months after she'd left him. And even if Stone had never said it, he was pretty sure he was looking at the reason Stone had never married, or even really tried dating after he joined. Tightening his grip on the doorknob he frowned at her for a moment, not wanting to let her in, not when she'd hurt Stone so badly, but neither could he convince himself to close the door in her face, because he could see Stone's look of disproval if he did.

"Yes….and no."Amanda said after a moment, glancing at Hopper's confused look, swallowing hard."Can I come in?We need to talk."she said looking more nervous with each passing moment.

Hopper stared at her for a long moment, before nodding. Stepping back he sighed softly, because he had a feeling whatever was coming, he wasn't going to be happy to hear it. Knowing deep in his heart that whatever could bring a woman Stone had loved to him, after Stone died, would be painful and devastating to them both.

Amanda smiled a little as she looked around the house, though it wasn't big, or something she would have thought Hopper would live in, to orderly, to spacious and calm, she felt stupid when she realized what it was. He'd moved into Stone's place. And she wondered if he planned on keeping it, or was between places. Moving to sit on the couch she watched him for a moment, shaking her head as he offered her a beer,"No, thanks. Water would be nice though."She added tilting her head.

Hopper smiled slightly as he walked to the kitchen again and poured her a glass of water, pausing in the doorway was he watched the woman sitting on his couch, watching her for a moment as she fidgeted. Moving into the living room he sat down across from her, looking curious."Amanda, what brings you here?" He said slowly, trying to ease into whatever had brought her here.

Amanda stared down at the glass in her hands, sighing softly."You know Stone came home for our class reunion right?"She said taking her time, because she was nervous about admitting it, because she knew Stone had died before he had a chance to tell Hopper. He'd said he'd wait till after the war games, and well…for Stone, there had been no after. That and she wasn't sure just how much the brothers kept each other informed, despite living so close. She knew the John Paul Jones was stationed out of San Diego and the Sampson had stayed in Oahu, but she didn't know just how close the two had stayed.

"Yea. Said he was going back east for two weeks, enjoy the break before the war games."Hopper said his features tightening a little at the idea, even if he knew he wouldn't have gotten to spend the time with Stone, looking back it would have been nice to been able to go home and visit his parents before their family fell apart.

Amanda nodded slightly, as she twisted her fingers together, a nervous habit that Hopper immediately remembered. Reaching across the coffee table, he gently took her hand in his, startling a little as he felt what was suspiciously close to a engagement ring and band."Amanda, what is it?"he said gently, knowing from the look on her face, whatever it was, she was scared to tell him.

"We got married. When he was home."She blurted out, far more blunt then she had meant to, before scrambling to fix it. "We hadn't meant to. We were drunk and ended up going to the chapel and…he wanted to tell you, he just didn't know how."she stuttered a little.

Hopper stared, not sure he was hearing right. His brother, impulsive?Drunk enough to get married without inviting anyone, or even dating her before hand? No, surely they were talking about another Stone Hopper. "What?Why didn't…"he said his voice going soft with hurt.

"because he didn't know how to explain this impulsiveness to you…he didn't want to admit to having a ''hopper' moment of pure feeling. You know how he i-was."Amanda winced as she corrected herself, even after all this time, she still expected to see him walking in the door.

"Why didn't you come to the funeral?Or the memorial?If..if you were his wife, you had more right to take the medal then me….You should have been there."Hopper said pain in his eyes as he realized that he hadn't done something for his brother. Even if he hadn't known about Amanda, it hurt to realize that he should have been looking after her for these past months, even if Stone hadn't told him there was someone to look out for if something happened.

"I…I didn't want to invade on your grief…."She flushed staring down at the floor, and their joined hands. She hadn't been able to face his grief, along with her own."You hadn't seen me in 16 years Hopper….I hadn't…I hadn't known how to approach and tell you, oh yea by the way, me and stone were married."

A slight smirk curled Hopper's lips as he studied his sister in law before getting up, and wrapping a arm around her shoulders."Well, you're doing a damned good job of why now?"He said looking at her, studying her face. He knew there had to be a reason she was reaching out, instead of letting them all remember Stone in their own ways, in their silent grief.

Amanda laughed a little at his words, smiling that small shy smile."I'm pregnant."She muttered, and it was the first time she'd said it since she found out, and the happiness and shock written on Hopper's face just made her smile more. Looking startled as the front door opened, looking at Sam's bewildered look she had to laugh, for the first time in months, really laughing.

"Sam!"Hopper grinned as he bounded to his feet, looking at his fiancée, "I'm going to be a uncle!and you're going to be a aunt!"He said happily, and her continued bewilderment just made the two laugh all the more. Their grief breaking in front of that much joy that Stone would still be with them in some small way.