When I was watching Brandon and Jude interact in last week's episode, I just thought of how little they'd interacted so far in the series. Be warned, there is a lot of sadness ahead. I don't own anything I don't own.

It was midnight, and Jude wasn't supposed to be awake. But for some reason he just couldn't sleep, so he was downstairs on the couch staring up at the ceiling. Maybe there was just a lot on his mind, but there was a lot on everyone's mind. Ana had moved out of Mike's apartment after finally managing to secure a steady job. Brandon and the band had been on tour for the last two months and they were coming home in a week. Naturally Mariana and Mat had been talking through Skype every day and she was also taking part in a math program in the hopes of procuring a scholarship. Jesus had been struggling to find a purpose for the first month of summer but he recently got a new girlfriend and started spending his time with her. Callie had been hanging out with him the most and they'd been getting closer since Robert Quinn finally let her go.

With his eyes on the ceiling he didn't notice the dark smoke creeping its way toward him. It wasn't until the smoke alarm began blaring in his ears that he sat up with alarm. He rushed as fast as he could to the bottom of the stairs and saw the roaring flames licking at the walls upstairs.

"Callie!" he shouted, his biological half-sister the first thing on his mind. He charged upstairs and started searching for her. The smoke was much thicker up there and he started coughing as soon as it hit his lungs. When he tried to open the door to her room the handle burned his hand and he had to pull away. "Callie, are you in there?"

"Jude!" The call didn't come from inside the room, but down the hall. Lena came over to him and looked him over.

"Mom, where's everyone else?"

"I don't know. We're getting out of here right now."

"No, we can't leave without the others!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and her comforting eyes somehow managed to pacify him again.

"Listen to me, sweetie. It's not safe in here. We have to get outside and call the fire department. Okay?" Reluctantly Jude nodded and Lena took his hand, pulling him back down the stairs.

The fire had spread downstairs, catching the drapes and some of the walls in its blaze. On the way to the front door Lena stopped and grabbed one of the photo albums. When they headed for the exit a burst of fire caught the door and cut them off from escape. More smoke billowed around them and Jude felt suddenly dizzy, falling to his knees. She helped get him up and they went for the nearest window. He crawled out first and skidded on some grass upon landing, his head clouded by all the toxic smoke in his system. As soon as she got out she assisted him in getting to the end of the driveway and then they both fell down together.

"I don't feel good," he told her.

"You inhaled some smoke, we'll get help. I'm going to call 911 and they'll make sure everyone gets out." For a few seconds he actually believed her, but then they both heard a loud scream coming from inside.

"What was that?"

"Jesus!" screamed Lena, her calm and rational side overruled by her maternal instincts. Before Jude could grab onto her she was sprinting back toward the house, the photo album forgotten on the driveway. He got to his feet in an attempt to follow her but collapsed again. It was a struggle for him to maintain consciousness but he could still see the fire claiming his home.

"Mom!" he called. The neighbors had called 911 for them at this point and everyone was out in their yards watching, afraid to go too close. His fingers clawed at the ground, dragging himself forward to reach his family. A creaking sound echoed through the air, freezing him. The next moment the entire foundation of the house was collapsing in on itself, and then the sirens came.

He was silent the entire trip to the hospital, he was silent when he heard them call Mike, and he was silent when he sat in his hospital bed waiting for news. When finally they came over to him the grim looks on their faces told him everything he needed to know. Jesus had burned to death, Mariana had gone from smoke inhalation, and Stef had been crushed by a wooden beam trying to get Callie out. Lena had succumbed to her wounds in the ambulance, her selflessness finally getting the best of her. As he stared at his trembling hands, in shock, he overheard them say that Callie was in the ER with a collapsed lung. That was all it took for him to jump up and run to find her.

She wasn't going to make it, that much was clear. Even with all the doctors working on her it was clear from the bruising and splintered bones how much damage the wooden beam had done to her. The doctors noticed his presence in the room but they were too busy to have him removed.

"Callie," he stated desperately, losing feeling in his muscles. "Callie, wake up!" An orderly came in and grabbed him, trying to pull him out.

"You can't be in here. You need to get back to your room." He flailed and squirmed, using all his strength to resist.

"No, Callie! That's my sister!" Everything was disrupted by a loud and sudden beep, the flat lining of a heart monitor. Jude recalled screaming and three people forcing him from the room while he begged for Callie to come back.

This couldn't be happening. Just a few months ago he'd gotten the first real family in years and it had seemed like everything would be alright. Now it had been taken away from him and he was an orphan again. But Callie, she had always been the one constant in his life. When his parents had died she'd been there to get through it with him. She had always protected him, but she was gone. Before he knew it he was back in his room and Mike had wrapped his arms around him.

"I'm so sorry Jude," the man whispered, sounding like he was about to pass out himself. With someone keeping him on his feet he found the tears finally started pouring out. There was so much pain and he had no way to make it go away. This was happening.

Don't hate me, I didn't like writing this part but I wanted to do something different. Brandon becomes a big part of the story next chapter, update coming soon! Let me know what you thought.