Co-Written with the amazing Scribes1015!

"Wait. So Cordelia and Lindsey met here?"

Mr. Chase shook his head, "Their paths had crossed briefly before I think a time or two because of Angel and him working together but they didn't start dating until they both happened to be here," he corrected. "Cordelia wasn't even supposed to come with us that week but... well, I forget even what happened but she wound up here and Lindsey was actually here with someone else at the time."

"Oh," Buffy said, her eyes widening.

"He wasn't serious with the girl but he had come out here with her so he didn't have a way home other than calling a cab or something so we took pity on the kid. He still didn't know too many people out here since his move so... When he wanted to get away from her, we took him in."

"He and Cordelia were relentlessly just teasing the hell out of one another," Mrs. Chase smiled, remembering. "I'll be honest, he's not her usual type but I'm pretty sure that works in his favor. They've proven to be rather perfect for one another."

Buffy reached to put her now empty mug up, declining another refill, and settled back in her chair, asking how the two of them met and she sat utterly intrigued as they both weaved in and out of the story together about how ever since he was a young teen he would try his hand over the summers at different trades or jobs and one particular summer he wound up delivering packages, how she had worked out at a large animal clinic out in the middle of nowhere, how his route seemed to always have him arriving when she was off on her lunch break and how he never put the packages in their designated spot in the office, always on her desk until one day when he was running late...

"And they have been arguing around slight inconveniences ever since," came from behind them. Buffy laughed as she turned her head to face him, her heart lurching up to her throat at his sleepy looking appearance. "You should hear about the parking disaster of the night I was born," he joked. "And all about how I was almost delivered right there in the parking lot."

"Good morning, Angel," his mother drawled.

"Mother," he answered with a cheesy smile. "I was hoping I'd be walking down here to some eggs and bacon or something."

"I've yet to start cooking, unsure of how long it'd be until at least some of you would be awake."

"Uh huh. Well when you're ready I can help I suppose."

"Did you sleep alright?"

She and Angel shared a brief look. "More or less. I did wake up without my girl beside me though so that's been a downward turn so far."

"Oh please. She's been having much more fun with us anyway. I'm starting to worry you may smother the poor girl with how close of an eye you seem to keep on her."

Buffy blushed, but he payed his mothers teasing no mind. Tugging on Buffy's hand he pulled her from her seat, quickly spinning them around he sat in her place and pulled her right back down onto his lap.

"Feel free to hose him off dear," Mr. Chase told her as he carefully sat a fresh cup of coffee within his son's reach.

At his father's words Angel's arms slipped beneath the small blanket to tighten around her, "Want me to run back and grab your sweater?"

"Nah," she grinned, shifting around a bit so she was sitting across his lap. "I'm sure the chill will be gone soon enough."

OoOoO

All hell broke out once Cordelia and Lindsey joined them. After breakfast they had all sat around discussing what their big adventure for the weekend should be. Cordelia wanted four wheelers, Lindsey wouldn't shut the fuck up about zip lining for no reason other than he was trying to kiss their mothers ass, since she had been the one to suggest it. Angel kept trying to suggest they rent a few jet skis, meanwhile Buffy sat quietly off to the side with his dad who kept reassuring her that this was perfectly normal.

After watching them all go back and forth for a while she felt Mr. Chase gently nudging her side, "Just say you want to go do the zip lines, otherwise we're going to be here all day, plus it'll make Mom feel good to have the both of you on her side."

Buffy grinned, here she was worried that her and Angel's dad might not get along, what with her whole hang up on men, and especially since she never really had a real relationship with her own dad, not since she was a kid anyway. It made her heart do funny things to know how much she was actually enjoying his company, she could totally imagine the two of them teaming up against all the others.

"Actually, zip lining sounds kinda fun."

All of them froze, none of them being quite used to having a deciding party around. Mrs. Chase's cheeks almost instantly spread into a wide smile, Lindsey just started laughing as he slapped Angel on the shoulder "I think you found yourself a keeper," he quickly told Angel who looked a bit confused that she hadn't sided with him, Cordelia the least impressed with the situation simply rolled her eyes, "Well would you look at that, a decision before noon," she quipped.

OoOoO

She was quickly learning that it wasn't just Angel that had the ability to pull her out of her comfort zone, Apparently the trait was genetic. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine she would agree to be doing something so daring. At first she'd just assumed it was some miniature version of a zip line, after all she hadn't exactly seen anyone sailing over their heads since they had been here or when they drove in. However the further they made their way up the side of the mountain the more her stomach tightened.

Sensing her begin to panic Angel draped an arm around her, pulling her closer to his side, "We can just wait at the top with Dad," he suggested softly, "He'll say he needs to drive the car back down, but they have guides for that, truth is he's always been scared of heights."

She shook her head, scared or not there was no way she was backing out now. Her mother might tell you that was one of her biggest faults, never listening to that voice inside her screaming this was a terrible idea. "I'll be fine," she promised, though even she could hear the tremble in her voice.

"Uh huh, well if it gets to be too much just let me know okay, don't let Lindsey or anyone else pressure you into anything."

She couldn't help but grin, Lindsey was clearly head over heels for his sister and yet she couldn't help but sense a little jealousy brewing where he was concerned. Tilting her head back a bit, she slowly raised her hand to trace along the side of his brow, getting a little more lost in the moment than she'd intended, the next thing she knew his mouth was fused with hers. It wasn't the deepest kiss, and it was over practically as quickly as it started, but they were still in the back of his parent's suv, and she couldn't help the way she just knew her face was flushing.

OoOoO

By the time they had made it to the spot on the mountain side to pull over and park, Buffy was feeling a little better about the whole experience. Hearing stories of Lindsey nearly vomiting the first he'd gone had certainly helped to ease her nerves, not because he had been scared but because to hear Cordelia tell she thought he was the biggest freaking cry baby to ever exist, and that meant that Cordy thought it was no big deal, and Buffy silently swore that if Cordelia Chase could do something then there was absolutely nothing for her to be worried about. Not that Cordy wasn't brave or whatever, but she was definitely more high maintenance than she considered herself, and there was just no way under any circumstance would she ever be able to live with herself knowing Cordy of all people had more guts than she did.

Angel helped to get her all situated in the harness, then continued to hover as the operator double checked his work. They were going tandem, which he was glad, Buffy's nerves may have been the ones showing, but that was only because he had so much experience keeping his in check. It wasn't himself that he was worried about, not only had he rode these zip lines himself dozens of times before, he watched everyone from Lindsey to his mother do the same. They weren't her though, and apart from the irrational fear that something catastrophic could happen and send her careening to her death on the rocky ground, he was also a little worried she might panic.

"Hey," she smiled, draping her arms around his neck while they waited for the attendant to hook their harnesses up to the cable. "I love you."

His fingers looped through the cables on her hips to pull her closer. Sometimes he was utterly amazed by her ability to say just what he needed to hear, "I love you more," he promised, leaning down, taking the opportunity to get lost in her a few seconds.

The sound of someone clearing their throat had them breaking away, and Angel couldn't help but roll his eyes at the look on Cordy's face, there was absolutely no question in his mind that she'd just overheard their quiet confessions. Taking the walkie talkie she held out in front of her, he secured it to one of the climbing hooks on his side, "It's just a precaution," Angel started tell her just before they were all interrupted by another voice talking loudly to gather their attention to go over the last of the group instructions and to explain if they wanted to do the new adventure ropes course how they could get to it once this part of the journey was completed.

Splitting back up into their different rows so that they could go at the same time, Buffy found her hands shaking as she gripped the little bar in front of her. She barely noticed the man to the side of her quickly making sure she was all safe and secure one final time, only hearing bits and pieces of his instructions on what to do once they were given the go ahead.

"You're gonna be fine," Angel called out to her and she smiled nervously back at him, nodding her head.

When the time came for her to go, and she was just starting to fall away from the safety of the wooden ledge, she felt like she couldn't breathe at first, her mind screaming several times over that she hated everything about what was happening... Angel seemed to sense it, yelling over to her again. He yelled at her to look over to the side, giving her something to focus on, and from there it seemed to only get better.

She was terrified, yes, but there was something thrilling about it, too... and she found she kind of liked that. She was so used to be terrified for all the wrong reasons, this kind of energy being negative excitement and negative adrenaline coursing through her, but this was all together a different experience.

Halfway through, she closed her eyes, and found peace for a short while. It was truly a beautiful sight, and she was pretty proud of herself for going through with this.

All the same, as they reached the other side, she was back to shaking, and being glad she'd done it, but also very glad it was done and over with, too.

OoOoO

Deciding she'd done enough extremes for the day, when they did make it over to the small ropes area, she was glad they all decided to test the easier one out first and save the bigger, badder one for another time. That said, it wasn't any walk in the park either and she'd nearly fallen a handful of times... unsure if each of those missteps had scared her or Angel more.

Cordelia had wound up hanging upside down at one point when she did in fact miss a jump, but she was quite impressed with Angel's mom and how fearless she seemed to be. Age was certainly just a number where she was concerned.

Once all was said and done, they went to go check out some of the official pictures that had been snapped along the way, then she found herself being dragged off to the surprisingly large gift shop. "Alright, everyone go pick out a tee shirt or at least something or another you can wear, and then something else you want to take back home with you," called out Angel's mom.

"Woman has never met a souvenir that she didn't like," she heard. Mr. Chase whisper to her just as he was coming around the side of her. They shared a smile before he told her to go pick something out.

Looking back to Angel she started to tell him no one needed to buy her anything, if anything else she could purchase something herself, hell that she should be getting them all something for allowing her to come but he quickly shut all of those ideas down. "It's tradition, and it makes them happy. My whole life I'm pretty sure everywhere we went we had to get at least something with a name of said place on it somewhere."

Her mind flashed back to a number of tee shirts he'd worn in their time together with various places splashed across them or other ones she'd spotted in his collection, and the various little trinkets he had in his house here and there. She sighed and let him lead her around, grousing every time he showed her something that it was too much.

"Alright, well if you don't pick something out then I will," he warned, his finger pointing off to the side.

Following the invisible line, her face flushed as she spotted the small display of boycut underwear advertising this place. "Your parents are one hundred percent not buying me any of those!" she whispered harshly at him and he dodged her hand as she tried swatting at him.

By the end of it, she wound up with a shirt and a matching necklace and earring set despite any of her further protests.

Everyone was practically starving by the time they checked out, so a quick stop through a drive thru was in order, Mr. Chase joking that the lot of them needed a shower before he wanted to be seen out in public with any of them.

OoOoO

After getting cleaned up, Buffy figured she better do a quick check in with those back in Sunnydale, promising to give more details about the trip once she was home but assuring everyone that she was safe and having a good time out here. Just as she was telling her mother she missed her and loved her, she stepped back out of the tent, her eyes searching until she spotted Angel, Cordelia and Lindsey over by the playground close to the bathrooms.

Shaking her head, she managed to get out her goodbyes and promise to check in soon, she zipped the tent back up and went to go see what in the world they were doing.

Before she could ask, Angel's arms wrapped around her, his mouth landing on hers. She could feel him smiling as he pulled away. "And tag, you're it!"

Buffy's mouth hung open a little as she watched him pulled away with a wink, Lindsey laughing from up on the walkway between some of the slides. "Well, that's just unfair!" she said, earning a chuckle from Angel as well before she started running toward him.

She was pretty sure she hadn't been on a playground once since she was a young teenager and it certainly showed. She laughed so much her sides and face hurt as she ran around with the three of them, going down twirling slides and climbing up the small rock wall at one side of the whole large structure, sliding down the fireman type pole.

Lindsey tried to convince her to walk over to the dual seesaws just a short distance from where they were but she easily declined, pretty sure she could foresee how that would end. Even Cordelia told him she knew better than to tempt fate over there, with him. "I have enough memories from elementary school and those things falling out of the sky and busting my ass when I landed to last a lifetime, thank you."

"Oh, you're no damn fun!" he told the both of them and then she and Cordy propped themselves up on swings when Angel agreed to go. They watched as each of the boys purposely tried to slam the other to the ground.

"He seems so happy," Cordelia softly whispered.

Buffy smiled, "You mean he's not always like that?"

"Not Lindsey, I was talking about Angel duh." She rolled her eyes, "Of course Lindsey is happy he has me. Angel on the other hand," she sighed, "It's been a long time since I saw him like this, and I guess I have you to thank for it."

She wasn't sure she would ever get used to Cordelia's way with words and how she could seemingly go from insulting someone to praising them in the same breath. "Oh I didn't do anything," she started but Cordelia cut her off.

"Oh please, my brother is so head over heels in love with you It's nauseating." Seeing Buffy blush she pressed on, "Don't act like you aren't aware either, I heard the two of you earlier before we went down the zip line. Ya know in my whole life, before Sunnydale, before that freaking horrendous night, I have never heard him tell anyone other than our parents and me on very rare occasions that he loved them. Angel's not," she trailed of trying to think of the right words. "He's not like that Buffy, not usually. He doesn't fall in love, hell he doesn't even fall in to like very often. Not only does not wear his heart on sleeve that boy keeps it tucked away inside a barbed wire cage. I'm not sure how you managed it or what tricks you have up that sleeve of yours but I feel like I wouldn't be being a good sister if I didn't ask you to be careful."

Forcing down the lump in her throat she'd just been about to respond when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind. She had been so focused on Cordy and what she was saying that she hadn't even noticed the abandoned seesaw. Looking back over in the direction they had just been she saw Lindsey doubled over.

"What the hell did you do," Cordelia shrieked, smacking her brother in the shoulder.

Angel just shrugged as he touched his lips to the side of Buffy's hair, "I won," he grinned.

OoOoO

After dinner when they were all sitting back around the campfire roasting marshmallows Lindsey seemed to still be walking around with a limp. Angel kept laughing at him, and everytime his mother and Cordelia would shoot him a dirty look.

"Paybacks a bitch mother fucker, and don't you forget it." Taking a seat next to where Buffy was all wrapped safely in the assholes arms, his shifted his attention to her. "I sure hope kids aren't on your radar cause when I'm through with him…" Cordelia promptly smacked the back of his head.

"Oww," he grumbled "What was that for?"

Angel tuned them out choosing instead to focus on the girl in his arms. Wrapping his arms a little tighter around her, he pulled her back enough to whisper in her ear, "That reminds me, we should probably check out the store down the road before they close."

She couldn't help but feel a small rush at the memory, she hadn't really had time to think about it with the craziness of the day. They had been reckless but she just couldn't bring herself to stress out or regret a moment of what had happened.

"What's that I hear about my future grandchildren?"

Buffy tried the best she could to positively melt against Angel, turning her face about as far as she could against him, to the point where she hoped to not even be seen. She knew his mom was joking of course but man could her timing not have been worse.

"Hey, I am fully passing that responsibility over to him," Cordy motioned toward the two of them shaking her head, "Do you have any idea how much work I put in for this body, no thank you."

His mom just laughed in the way that Buffy was quickly coming to realize meant she was not joking at all. "Oh hush, Buffy and Angel just met, you can't go putting all that responsibility on them. They've got at least six months before I start hounding," she laughed, shooting her son a quick wink.

Angel faked a yawn, "Well would you look at the time," he grinned her way, "I think I hear the bed calling out name."

Feeling him shift around, Buffy moved the blanket from around them so she could stand and let him up.

"Oh sit your rear back down," came his father's voice from behind them, but Angel just shook his head, draping his arms around Buffy to pull her closer. "Sorry pops can't do that, apparently we have some practicing to do."

If she hadn't been the freaking color of a damn tomato before she definitely was now. She loved his family, she really really did, but man did they have a way putting her on the spot sometimes. Trying her best to hide any sign of embarrassment, she quickly thanked them, again, for the day and gave her own round of hugs.

OoOoO

"Sorry about that," Angel chuckled once they were out of earshot. The little store wasn't too far so they'd decided to just walk the small trail instead of driving. "I'm pretty sure that's all she keeps us around for, well Cordy at least, I think they gave up any hope of some rugrat coming from me a while ago."

"You don't want kids," she asked, linking their fingers together. Children had never really been something on her radar either, then after the incident and everything happened she'd pretty much sworn off men all together. Now that he was a part of her life though she felt all those doors she'd locked shut slowly starting to open again. She was miles away from wanting a baby of course, but for possibly the first time in all her life the thought that they may get to that point one day didn't send her into a full blown panic attack.

Angel's grip tightened on her hand, tugging her a bit he stopped in his tracks so he could pull her to him. "Honestly," he blew out a deep breath, "I've never really given it too much thought. If someone would have asked me before I met you Buffy then that answer would have been a resounding NO, but with you everything's different. I love you Buffy, with all that I am, and like I said last night I know in some ways that probably sounds crazy but I don't care. You have changed my life in ways I didn't think possible, I want everything with you. As far as I'm concerned I want my life to be with you because you are my life, and whether or not that future includes little mini versions of us running around doesn't matter. All that matters to me is you, and that you're happy and safe, and most importantly that you know that there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you no matter what."

She could feel her emotions getting bigger than her body as his words sunk in, as her rushing thoughts reminded her of just how different her life had become all over again since he became this giant, new part of it, how she had so recently been simply used to being alone and understanding as well as accepting that she would never have exactly everything he had been offering to her this entire time. Angel held her even closer as her heart squeezed and raced, as she let out a shaky breath, trying hard to fight off stinging tears threatening to come. Angel's arms tightened around her, one hand rubbing down her back as he whispered he loved her once more, and also asking to make sure she was alright.

Nodding against him, they just stayed linked up together for a few more moments before pulling back apart enough to resume walking hand in hand, her mind remained heavy though. There was no denying that this weekend felt like another one of those mountains of a moment where everything shifted to the point nothing would be the same afterward. She didn't know exactly what all that would bring on but she couldn't wait to see what just might come next.

After assuring Angel for probably the fourth time that he hadn't managed to scare her off with his latest of confessions, he did change the subject away from the idea of them having children or not to much lighter tales about some of he and his family's trips out here as they got further down the path.

OoOoO

Buffy joined back up with Angel inside the store after making a quick check in call to her mom, easily amusing herself with some of the random novelties set up while Angel found what they'd come here for, doing everything possible not to blush when he went from grabbing just one small box to then adding two more and shooting a wink her way. Whatever plans he had brewing in that little mind of his she doubted she would ever be able to find any sort of fault in.

Grabbing them each a long neck bottle of old time soft drinks from the shelf then filling up little bags of various bulk candy set up near the check out counter, she scanned the small store for anything else that might look appealing for in the moment. Poking Angel on the shoulder after he was done at the check out counter, she pointed over to a little photo booth in the corner before he asked the teenager working if it was in order before dragging her that way as she shoveled a handful of chocolate into her mouth. Turned out it wasn't working after all once they tried but she didn't mind the other set of memories they quickly made otherwise in here.

Of course this only helped to make their journey back to camp and being back in the confides of their tent feel impossibly long, as fun and as perfect as the entire day had been, she wouldn't have taken issue up with having spent the entire day in their either.

Thankfully, and also not so given he reminded them of their plans, Cordy and their mother passed them by as they were heading toward the bathrooms to bid them goodnight again so they could have the rest of the evening to themselves. She was pretty sure if anyone was destined to die from embarrassment it was bound to be her and at some point along this trip if he kept this up.

Whatever concerns she had about the fact his family were all still awake out there and knew what they were up to in here still only lasted so long while he was doing delicious things to her body. By the time she was bent over in front of him, fingers curled up in blankets as he entered her, she really didn't care who knew, saw, or heard what as long as he didn't stop.

OoOoO

Safe and sound, tucked into Angel's warm body, absolutely sure there was no way she could go another round with him anytime soon and survive it... though there was no denying that would be her preferred way to go if it came down to it. Her body was absolutely spent, her eyes barely able to stay open any longer, and it didn't take long for her to simply give up on trying.

"I wish we could just stay like this forever," she whispered sleepily.

His lips pressed against her forehead once then twice. "You and me both, Beautiful. I have no idea how I'm going to pack us up at the end of this little holiday and return to work and bustling around when all I want to be wrapped up with your sexy little ass. I'm just trying to ignore any of those thoughts the best I can and enjoy everything for now I guess."

Nodding, she wasn't sure what if anything either of them might have said after that point, already passing out off into dreamland.