Title: Mentor

Chapter Four: Can't Get You Out of My Head

Leaning back in his chair, House looked at his inbox for his e-mails. Most were hospital bulletins and reminders, which he quickly deleted. The rest was entirely junk mail except... House sat up straighter in his chair and read the name again, Clicking it, he read the e-mail and smiled slightly to himself. He was happy to see that Allison had gone through with getting started in pre-med. Clicking the reply button, House thought about it for a moment before he closed the window and got up.

Dr. James Wilson, looked up from his desk to see House enter his office, "What's up, House?"

"I got an e-mail today, Wilson." House flopped down on the oncologist's sofa and spread out comfortably.

"From?"

"A girl." House answered, "Real babe, totally has the hots for me. Wants to hook up."

"House! What about Stacey!?" Wilson nearly shouted.

"I'm fucking with you, Jimmy. It's from a girl that attended my lecture last weekend. She showed a lot of potential so I tried to encourage her to start pre-med." House rolled his eyes.

"You encouraged someone?" Wilson quirked an eyebrow in disbelief. "Wish I could have gotten that on video."

"Yeah, a lot of strange things happened that day. I ran into her after the lecture and we talked. I gave her my e-mail. Fuck, I even said if she did well I'd write her a recommendation as long as it wasn't to Johns Hopkins." House grunted. "Well, she e-mailed me, told me she had changed her course schedule to start in pre-med."

"Good for her."

"What do I reply with?" House blurted out. "I don't know how to be spontaneously encouraging. I'm not a fem like you."

"And calling me a fem is making me want to help you so much." Wilson rolled his eyes and went back to his charts.

"Come on, Wilson. Help a man out." House threw a wad of paper at the oncologist.

"Just tell her good luck and keep in touch." Wilson grunted, not looking up from his papers, only brushing the stray paper projectile aside.

House rolled his eyes, "Yeah, that's encouraging." He got up and went back to his own office.

Settling back at his computer, House thought for a moment before he finally began typing.

Dear Allison:

Congratulations on starting your new classes. I know it will be tough, but I believe you are more than capable of handling it. Just remember, if you need help, feel free to ask me questions, or just vent if you need it. Organic Chemistry is going to be tough, but if you need help, just ask.

-Dr. House

Hitting send before he could make himself seem like more of a fem than Wilson, House leaned back in his seat. Part of him felt a little giddy at getting an e-mail from Allison Cameron.

It was a strange feeling, like he were a teenager again and a hot girl at school had actually talked to him.

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Coming back from her class, the last thing Allison had expected to find was a reply e-mail from Dr. House. Excitedly she read it and flushed a little from being so delighted.

"Ooh, did the sexy doctor e-mail you back?" Julia asked, flinging her bookbag onto her bed and trying to read the reply over Allison's shoulder. Ever since Allison had confessed, on the car ride back to school, that she found Dr. House attractive, Julia had been teasing her about it ever since.

"Yes he did." Allison covered the screen with her hands, "And it's not polite to read other people's mail!"

"Oh, please." Julia rolled her eyes and grabbed her friend's wrists pulling them aside to read the reply, "Aw, that's so cute." She released Allison's wrists, "Now, if it was a cyber booty call, then you'd have a reason to hide it... Although, I'm gonna admit, that's a lot nicer of a reply than I would have expected from him."

"Really?" Allison turned around in her chair.

"Yeah, the word "congratulations" alone is surprising coming from him!" Julia laughed, "He didn't strike me as the encouraging type." She admitted, flopping onto her bed and shoving her bag onto the floor, as if the mere thought of doing homework disgusted her.

"What should I reply back with?" Allison asked curiously, clicking up a new letter and resting her hands over the keys.

"Why would you reply back?" Julia quirked an eyebrow, "You don't need help with anything yet and you don't have any grades to update him on 'cause second semester hasn't even started yet! If you reply to that letter, he's gonna think you have a crush on him... Which you totally do, by the way." She taunted.

"I do not have a crush on Dr. House!" Allison's face went bright red as she denied the accusation.

"Wow, he was right about something. Everyone does lie." Julia got up and walked towards the door. "Wanna meet up with Joe and Jeff with me?" She invited.

"No thanks." Allison grumbled, not wanting to be teased any further, especially in front of guys. She had a hard enough time talking to men without her best friend trying to get her flustered. "I'm gonna start reading my text books for next semester."

Opening the door, Julia sighed, "Just don't forget to keep up on this semester. I know you're excited to get started and impressing Dr. House, but you've got to keep your grades up through this half of the school year first!"

Allison mumbled as her friend left. Of course Julia had to get in that last lash about her crush on Dr. House before she left. Rolling her eyes, Allison grabbed her organic chem textbook and cracked it open. She regretted signing up for two science classes, biology and organic chemistry, but she knew it would catch her up faster if she did so, and that she would be able to take her MCATs on time this way.

Before she could read a paragraph though, she snapped the book shut and chucked it onto her bed. What was she thinking? She'd never be able to win over the hot, intelligent doctor! After all, someone like him must be in a relationship! He probably had a girlfriend, or fiancee. She hadn't seen a ring on his finger, so she was pretty sure he wasn't married... Unless he just really hated wearing jewelry... Allison groaned and got up to flop onto the bed next to her discarded textbook. She should only be adement about studying medicine for the purpose of wanting to be a doctor. Not impressing a doctor!

On that note, Allison reflected, deciding if she was doing this because she wanted to, or because she wanted Dr. House to like her. After a while, she came to the conclusion that she had already decided to start the pre-med classes before she had even realized what a babe Dr. House was, and therefor, her attraction to him was only an added incentive to study hard. With that comforting thought, she cracked open her textbook and began to read. Sure, she had to work hard to become a doctor, but if she managed to keep on impressing Dr. House like she had at the lecture, she could consider that as bonus points!

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House sat at his piano at home, "Hey," Stacey came to stand behind him, "not playing?" She was surprised. His usual thing was to fill the apartment with music first thing when he got back from work. "Something wrong?" She asked, resting her arms on his shoulders.

"No," House planted a kiss on the exposed wrist of his girlfriend, "Thinking."

"Patient?" She asked, releasing him and sitting on the piano bench, next to him.

"No." House sighed and stretched, "This student who attended my lecture." He turned his neck, cracking it effectively and then the other side. "I convinced them to join the medical program. Just wondering if they're going to be able to handle it."

"Why?"

"Soft."

"Huh?"

"I think they may be too soft to deal with it. Just looking at... I think they may have a problem with the emotional stuff." House confessed. He didn't want to tell Stacey that he could tell by Allison's eyes that she would probably get too involved with her patients. She seemed like the type of person who wanted to know the "why" not just the "what". That was the thing about being a doctor. Compartmentalizing was a huge factor. Some people could do it, others couldn't, and to him, Allison was the type of girl who would cry if a patient died. And death was sometimes inevitable.

"Well, if he really wants to be a doctor, he'll learn to deal." Stacey shrugged and got up. "And if not, he won't."

House tried not to hang his head. He realized that he had completely left out the gender of the student, and part of him wondered why. Though he doubted Stacey would care if the student had been a boy or a girl, he still didn't bother to correct her error.

But, why?

TBC

A/N- Hope you guys are enjoying this! lol Review please :)-Andi