A/N: I have several Wings stories in the making, but this one crept up on me after finishing my re-watch. Hope you enjoy.

Somehow life seemed quieter without Joe and Helen. Brian had the office all to himself and that in itself felt wrong. He didn't want to be there. He wanted to be on a plane, too. Not to Austria, mind you, but to somewhere. Nantucket was so… small. This office held too much responsibility. His house was just too normal. Brian sighed and reminded himself why he was doing this; it was for Joe. The brother who loved him despite all his flaws (the ones he would never admit to having). Throughout their lives, Joes had given up so much for Brian. It truly was his turn now – and Brian realized he had grown up. A few years ago he wouldn't have cared. He wouldn't even have looked back. The moment came and went. This was his life now; whether he liked it or not.

Brian didn't go home that night, because he had finally found a silver lining: Joe and Helen's house. He had told Casey that he would move there so that they both could have some privacy. Reading people's facial expressions had never been his strong suit and so he hadn't paid attention to the sadness in Casey's eyes. For a moment he felt weird taking over this house that still looked so much like Joe and Helen's. They hadn't taken any furniture with them of course. Everything looked the same, but the essence seemed to be gone. As he slumped down on their bed, Brian was surprised how much he already missed them. He changed and curled up in the strange bed. Knowing that Joe would have a fit if he knew Brian was sleeping in his bed made him smile, but soon the weariness of this new life captured him and he fell asleep.

He only woke when his bed dipped. He hadn't heard anyone enter the house or the room. Immediately, Brian was wide awake. Who would break into a house just to crawl into bed with him? The ridiculousness of the situation made him turn around to face the intruder.

"Casey," He said with annoyance. There was just a tiny trace of relief in his voice.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why do you get their house? We need to discuss this."

"In the middle of the night?"

"It's as good a time as any."

"It's not, I'm tired. Go sleep somewhere else. You have the house all to yourself. Good night."

"I know." Casey answered and this time Brian noticed something wasn't right. He tried to look at her in the darkness, but he only saw shadows.

"Didn't you always want a place of your own?"

"I thought I did," she admitted, "But it's such a big house, you know?"

"I don't care, Casey. I'm tired. There's enough space around here if you think you can't be alone. This is my bed." Brian turned around so he was no longer facing her. He waited for her to leave the bed, but she didn't move. The situation dimly reminded him of that one time – that first time – they slept together. Nothing good had ever come out of that.

"Caseeeeey." He pleaded with her.

"Do you, you know, miss them?" She asked him instead.

"No," Brian lied, "I miss being able to sleep!"

"I miss them. In a way, I mean." Casey went on. Brian buried his face in the pillow.

"Fine, I miss them, too, all right? There's nothing we can do. Oh wait, there is; you can let me sleep!"

"I didn't want to be alone tonight." Casey admitted through gritted teeth.

"What?" Brian wasn't sure he had understood her right. It had been a while since they'd slept together. They had both been sick and the whole thing had been incredibly messy. They hadn't been able to look at each other for days. Now it sounded like… it sounded like… hadn't she said she would miss him? Before he had agreed to her tagging along?

"I didn't want to be alone tonight and I-I missed you. The house isn't the same without you."

"We don't share a bed there either. Most of the time we don't anyway."

"Just tonight?" Even with the lights off, he saw her pout. Suddenly the thought didn't seem so offsetting anymore. Brian was certain that if they had left Nantucket together, they would have wound up together a couple of times. Somehow they always ended up together. Maybe his life was tied to hers just as much as his life was tied to Sandpiper. And to this damn island. He sighed – again.

"Just tonight." He mumbled and lay back down. His eyes closed on their own accord, because he was just that tired. When Casey snuggled up to him, he wasn't as surprised as he should have been. Instead of fighting her off, he accepted it. More than that, he enjoyed it. His life had changed in a day. He was still Brian Hackett, but a more refined version. There were responsibilities now. Apparently, Casey was one of them. He held her tighter, because he found it nice to share. He would take one day at a time. Maybe Casey would help him with that.

END