Disclaimer: I don't own 'em. Joss and Co. do. I'm just playing with them.

Author: Erin

Teaser: I'm trying something new. A Lindsey and Lilah story. Just something about those two... Anyway, Lilah has an adventure.

The trimly dressed woman tapped one perfectly manicured nail on the armrest of her chair. Air travel was not on her list of favorite things. Sitting in a metal death trap thousands of feet above ground, relying on engines that were fueled by highly combustible liquid just didn't seem too smart. She'd much rather have driven. Well, at least the firm had gotten her a first class ticket. The smallish plane was mostly empty, thanks to the firm as well. Just her, Gavin and a few underlings. She had money on hand, to buy enough drinks to quash any un-ease. She chided herself inwardly. She ought not to be afraid of a stupid airplane flight. Really. She hadn't gotten where she was in life by being a pushover. Admitably, people regarded her as unapproachable and nasty. Lindsey had dubbed her the ice-bitch on wheels, and it had caught on. Of course, she'd returned the favour later by "accidentally" spilling coffee all over the Langdon contract he'd worked on all night. She had to smile at that. Lindsey was always good for a laugh. Her rivalry with him had been bitter, of course, but he was an enemy you could appreciate. Not like that incompetent moron Gavin.

She glanced out the window. The sun was setting, and the colours spread out over the clouds like a rich tapestry. Beautiful. Suddenly, the plane gave a lurch. She frowned. Turbulence? But there was no announcement made by the captain. The plane lilted to one side. Ohhhh... not good. She struggled to her feet and, clasping the seats along the way, made her way to the cockpit. The door was open a crack and she stepped inside. There, where there ought to have been a pilot, sat a furry creature known as a werewolf.

"Oh, well that's just great." The creature leapt at her. She calmly shot it in the foreleg, and it went down like a pile of bricks. Stepping around it, she made her way to the console. One look at all the switches and levers made it clear to her that there was no way she could land this alone. She turned to the radio and noted with frustration the nice chewed-through cord. She glared at the whimpering wolf. "Bad dog..." Suddenly, the plane rocked violently and began to fall. She could hear the frightened shouts of her colleagues, making their way to the front of the plane. Gavin made his way into the small room.

"Lilah, what the hell is going on?"

"We're crashing Gavin."

"Yeah, I got that. But why?"

"Maybe you didn't notice the werewolf with the shreds of a pilot's uniform on..."

"So what do we do now? My cell phone isn't working..."

Lilah frowned and glanced at her own. It read No Signal. "Huh. Well.... we're screwed..." Oddly, she felt very calm.

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Her head ached. Opening her eyes, she found herself looking at green grass, and torn metal. Was she in Hell? No... Hell hadn't looked anything like this the last time she'd done business there. Carefully, she sat up. The world immediately began to swim around her. Touching her fingertips to her temple, she felt a warm stickiness. Through her hazy confusion, she saw a small river not far from the crash site. The brunette began to drag herself slowly toward it. Finally, she reached the edge of the bank. The lawyer leaned forward to get a look at her reflection and in doing so passed out, toppling in. The current carried her battered form downstream.

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When Lilah came to her senses again, she felt warm. She was someplace soft and cozy. She could hear the nearby crackling of a fire. Opening her eyes, she allowed her gaze to travel around the room she found herself in. It appeared that she was in the master bedroom of a house built in log-cabin style. There was a stone wood-burning fireplace, in which a fire leapt cheerfully. Contrasting with the rustic building materials, the furniture was actually quite sophisticated. Black leather recliner.. expensive stereo system.... she noted the rich carpeting, and the silk sheets on the king sized bed in which she lay. A thick, warm down comforter was pulled up over her shoulders. She noted with some slight disconcertion that her wet clothing was gone, and she was covered in a long man's shirt, of deep blue flannel. She wondered if the guy who lived here was having an identity crisis. Really, was he country or city? She moved to sit up, but immediately laid back down, overwhelmed by dizziness and pain. So, where on earth was she? Not that she was going to complain about the accomodations. She was comfy enough, if she didn't move around. Now, if her host would just show himself...

As if on cue, the bedroom door opened. A man walked in, carrying a cup of coffee. A very familiar man. She stared in disbelief. "Lindsey?"

"Lilah." He looked at her. "What the hell are you doing so far from LA? Since when do you step outside your cushy little box?"

His former partner glared at him. "I'm here to talk to a client. Not that it's any business of yours anymore."

He took a slow sip of his coffee, just staring at her with that silent, icy look that he was so good at giving. Walking over to one side of the room, he sat himself down in a black leather chair. Then, he began to laugh. "Lilah... you haven't changed at all.... you're still an ice bitch on wheels..."

"Why don't you come closer and say that?"

"No, I prefer my coffee in the mug thanks."

"I don't know what you're talking about." she replied archly.

"I'm sure you don't."

"So.... this is your place huh? Well, at least the furniture is nice... but really linds, a log cabin?"

"I suppose you'd prefer a penthouse suite..."

"With a great view."

He rolled his eyes. "You're not going to find that here in Cafferton... Only about 20 000 people here."

"I don't understand what it is with you and rustic. I mean, you're Ivy League educated for crying out loud."

"And that means I have to be all suits and limos?"

She tried to rise, in order to better get in his face, but instantly regretted it, sitting quickly back down. Lindsey set down his coffee and walked over to her.

"You should stay still Lilah. You got hurt pretty badly, whatever it was that happened to you. I'd take you to the hospital, but if it's demon- inflicted, we'd have a hard time explaining it." He put one hand on her cheek and turned her head to the side, to look at the injured temple. She found herself wondering why it was that he was even bothering to help her.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Why not?"

"Because we hate each other, remember?"

"Well, yeah, there's that. But that was a while ago. We're not partners anymore, so I really have no reason to keep on hating you. More like a feeling of deep annoyance."

"Yeah, what was with that? You were going to get the promotion, and then you just left. You had all that power at your fingertips, and you just take off."

"Sometimes the price for power is just too high."

"When did you get all high and mighty? You've been willing to do a lot of things for that power before."

"When it went too far. Lilah, do you know where they got this?" he asked, holding up the replacement hand he'd been given. "They cut it off someone while he was still alive, and then left him to die, packed in a freezer."

She looked at the hand, and then at him. "I don't understand Lindsey.... the firm has done a lot of things that people would call evil. Why was it this one that made you leave?"

"Just the straw that broke the camel's back I guess. Killing someone for the sake of convenience. Anyway, why do you care that I left? I'd have thought you'd be dancing for joy."

"I have to work with that idiot Gavin now. At least when you were around, things got done. With him it's all a big sideshow disaster."

A slow grin spread over his face. "Oh my god... you actually miss me. The ice bitch was a heart ladies and gentlemen."

Lilah glared at him. "Hey, shut up. I don't miss you, Stumpy." she replied, referring to the nick name she'd given him after Angel cut off his hand. "I miss productivity. It makes me look bad when he screws up."

Still smiling, he shook his head and took a step back. "I'm going to go and get some fresh bandages." With that, he left the room.

As soon as he was out of hearing range, Lilah's expression changed to one of surprise. "Oh my God.... I miss him!" She frowned. This was NOT something that she wanted to deal with. Getting caught up in the personal always detracted from the professional, and she couldn't afford that. She already had to work her ass off to get any respect from the men in the firm. Not like that was anything new. Throughout college, and even high school, she'd had to work twice as hard as the men around her to be considered even half as good. She'd learned that the best way to get what she wanted was to develop a tough skin, and a complete disregard for emotions and sentimentality. Of course, it did mean that her very nice apartment was always empty when she returned to it at night, and that she spent her holidays alone, reading or doing some extra work. But what did that matter? She was a successful, powerful woman who didn't have to rely on anyone to make her way in life. There wasn't anything else that she wanted. That she needed.

She pulled the covers up over her head and clung to that thought, as though she might convince herself it was true.