Co-Written with Scribes1015!

As much as she was looking forward to this little getaway with her sister, Joyce couldn't seem to shake the feeling that she was making some mistake leaving her daughter alone after everything that had happened the past week. She knew that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but wasn't what had her so worried. Ever since they found out about Angel's accident, she'd watched Buffy spiral right back down to that dark place she'd only begun to pull herself out of.

"Honey, are you sure you're going to be okay, it's not too late for me to cancel you know."

Her eyes rolled, "I thought we already talked about this," she groaned, lifting the last of her mom's luggage into the back of the car. It was times like these that almost made her miss that brother of hers, almost.

Joyce nodded, "We did, I know, I just worry about you, it's part of my job."

"Ya, well," Buffy sighed, "Just like I told you yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, I'm fine. You have nothing to worry about, and I promise if California starts falling off a cliff, or I decide to go take a dive off one you'll be the first person I call."

"Very funny," Joyce smirked, "You better watch it missy, you keep talking like that and I just might be forced to call one of your many pseudo siblings to come check in on you."

"Ha ha ha," she shook her head, "Seriously mom, stop worrying. You're going on a vacation to one of the most beautiful islands in the world, enjoy it. Like I've told you many many times already," she stressed, "I'm going to be fine." She opened the driver's door, "Now you, sit, drive, airport, now."

OoOoO

Everytime the news came on, or he heard anything about the massive wildfires inching closer to Sunnydale, the knot in his stomach tightened. Fires were nothing new, living here they just became something you got used to. Though, they had only ever been such a direct threat a handful of times. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Angel's worried gaze, they were safe, for not at least, the apartment was about twenty miles or so out of town, but the house well, he wouldn't be surprised if the neighborhood wasn't put under a mandatory evacuation order by the end of the day.

Angel cleared his throat, "Have you heard from her?"

"Nah," Lindsey shook his head and sighed, "Mom's out of town though, so I'd imagine she's probably running around with Willow or Xander…"

"Have you," Lindsey asked after another moment of silence passed between the two of them.

Angel shook his head, "Pretty sure the world would have to end before that happened." After nearly two days of going round and round with Lindsey over why he couldn't just move back in, how it would only cause more problems between him and sister, how they couldn't just go back to the way things used to be, he'd finally just given up. He didn't have the energy nor the patience to battle that man anymore, Buffy had been right when said there just wasn't any winning when he had his mind made up. He still wasn't fully convinced it was all going to work out, but for the moment at least it was out of his hands.

Not wanting to face the consequences had he not, and not wanting her to blame Linds for anything else, he'd tried to text her to let her know he was living back here, for now at least. But she hadn't responded, he'd watched the bubbles indicating she was typing for a couple of minutes, but eventually they disappeared too. He tried telling himself that at least he knew she didn't have him blocked, but honestly he was pretty sure he preferred that to knowing she just didn't have anything to say, even if he more than deserved it.

OoOoO

"Sure mom, fly halfway around the world, I'll be fine mom, don't worry about me, I'm a big girl now…" Buffy continued to mumble quickly shoving whatever she could think of into a suitcase. She'd grabbed all of their important documents from her mom's room, their birth certificates, the deed to the house, all the insurance stuff, everything her parents had taught her not to leave behind in a situation like this. She had thought about leaving earlier, taking off to Willow's for a couple of nights until they got the fires more under control, but then the winds had shifted and for a few hours at least she had thought they were going to be in the clear, that was until she was woken up by a police officer banging on the door telling her she had two hours to evacuate.

At first she still hadn't been too worried, but in just the short amount of time since she'd started packing the smell of smoke had become so strong her eyes began to burn. Outside, where it had been clear, stars shining just a little while ago, it was now dark and grey with ashes starting to fall and whip around in the wind in a scene that almost mimicked snow falling on a winter's day. Everything felt too damn close with each passing moment.

Running nervous hands through her already messy hair, she mentally recounted again what she had already packed away and what she still needed to grab. No matter how well she'd been prepared for something like this it was always different when the time actually came, looking around your room, your home... it's hard to decide what is important enough to take and what's not, what's not necessary but the idea that you're leaving this and that behind and may never see it again fully messes with your senses, too.

By the time she was done she felt more frazzled than ever. Time was ticking, she hated being here alone, she tried sending a quick message here and there or making a quick call to make sure others were okay, getting out, had everything on their end under control. Every passing moment screamed at her it was time to flee, to get as far from here as possible as it was only growing worse around her.

As soon as she was as loaded up good as it was going to get, she spared a few moments to glance around her, the only home she had ever known, the houses surrounding theirs, the street that had built her into the person she was and said a silent prayer to anyone listening that this little part of her world would actually wind up being okay in the end. No matter how impossible that seemed in the moment.

Gripping the steering wheel, she let out a few deep breaths and started plotting the best way out of town and in what direction she should head... only to find herself flying into a panic as soon as she started to pull back out of the driveway.

OoOoO

As she pulled into a parking space, Buffy felt an onslaught of varying emotions swarm inside her. Lindsey, with some help from their worried sick mother, had somehow convinced her the best option she had right now was to head his way. Of course there was a natural instinct that said the very same thing and made Lindsey out to be the only place that seemed safe right now but it wasn't that simple either. Just because she was terrified didn't mean she suddenly stopped being angry with him.. and there was the fact the last she knew Angel had wound up crashing with him, if not having decided to just move in and they pretend everything was peachy keen by this point, and she didn't want to deal with any of that.

But options seemed otherwise limited. Sure she had funds and could go get a hotel room or something but as her dear family members had pointed out it might not be so smart to be wasteful if she didn't need to be, who knew how long she might be displaced for, and what else could happen and everyone might feel a tiny bit better if she wasn't alone and was being accounted for. It made sense, she knew that, but it still stunk.

Sighing, she glanced at her phone one last time and started to get out, her body still feeling shaky as she moved.

OoOoO

"Come here," Lindsey breathed out, pulling her into a hug, uncaring about their other drama in that moment. He'd been wearing a hole in his floor since he'd even got word Sunnydale was added to the list of towns and cities needing to clear out, more sensible people explaining how it wouldn't do him much good to jump in the car and try and rush to her and he needed to just wait and hope she would be alright. More than a couple times he'd about gone anyway. "You okay?"

Buffy's arms tightened around her brother and her head shook, tears burning her eyes as words just started rushing out of her a mile a minute about how everything had gone down from her perspective. She recounted how she hadn't been worried at first and just hoped it would be handled or go around their small town like it had countless times before, how scared she'd started to become, how bad everything was as she started to head toward LA... the panic inside of her, animals fleeing, seeing so many people out trying to help them, help people get on the road and out of harm's way, trying to figure out where she should go...

"It's okay, I got you. And if things get worse this way at least you won't have to be alone in it and I have been working on some next steps if it comes to that alright?"

Buffy nodded and within a couple moments finally stepped inside, Lindsey telling her she could put the bag she had over her shoulder down anywhere and would help her bring in anything else she might have. Buffy nodded and he couldn't help but notice her eyes slowly moving around the space.

Fingers dancing along the edge of the door, Lindsey nodded his head toward Angel's room. "He's passed out, with this new medicine they gave him the other day there's a good chance he will be for awhile. He doesn't even know you were coming this way."

Buffy wrapped her arms around her midsection. "I really shouldn't be here."

Lindsey shrugged. "It'll be alright."

OoOoO

It felt like several lifetimes came and went as soon as Angel's eyes fell on her, he'd come out of his room calling out something to Lindsey and comically stopped mid step and mid sentence right then and there and the two of them just seemed to be locked in a trance. Lindsey stood watching with growing interest at the scene before finally breaking the silence and explaining what he'd missed out.

Angel's head nodded the slightest bit, his mouth finally closing. "I should go," he said slowly and started turning right back around.

Buffy rolled her angry eyes, mumbling how that wasn't surprising and was about the only thing he was good at while Lindsey shot her a look asking if she were okay. She shrugged and went back toward the kitchen while he continued to Angel's room.

"Sorry to spring that on ya."

Angel shook his head. "It's your place, Linds. And your sister. Don't think you need any permission from me."

"Maybe not but still..."

"It's alright," he lied.

"You don't need to run out of here like a bat out of hell you know."

Angel laughed at that. "I'm the last person on the planet your sister wants to see, I can promise you it's not going to do her or me any damn good being stuck together unwantedly in here, and well there's you... and while nothing would be like it was the last time we were under the same roof I don't see that it's going to sit well with you either with us being anywhere near one another. So... yeah..."

"Maybe not," he agreed, "But there's bigger issues at hand here. You take off and there's no telling how far you'll get in this damn traffic with all the evacuations going on, and I'm not sure where you're planning on ending up either. Buffy tried looking at hotels earlier and the closest one with any vacancies was over an hour away, probably even further now."

Between his accident, Lindsey finagling his way so that they were back in the same place, which he couldn't say he wasn't grateful for but the man sure seemed to be doing everything he could to flip all his plans on their head, and the damn powers that be or whoever were out there who sure seemed to be taking his side in the matter, he wasn't sure what the right choice in all this was.

He let out a frustrated sigh, "I'm not sure what you see happening here." This was an impossible situation, it was one thing to accept that they were over, that she no longer wanted anything to do with him while she was somewhere off in Sunnydale doing her own thing, it was another thing entirely to do it with her under the same roof. He didn't want to leave, but that had been the only words he'd been capable of forming just then, had he not ducked right back out of there, there was no telling what stupid thing he would have done. Closing those few steps between them, pulling her into his arms, falling to his knees, begging her for forgiveness, promising to never ever leave her again, all those flashed through his mind in the few moments her sad green orbs locked with his.

Lindsey ran a wary hand over his face, "I don't know man, okay. I know this probably doesn't seem like the most ideal situation to either of you, and yes I admit it's a little awkward, but maybe this is what we all need. You're accident, the stupid fire, maybe it's all some giant sign from the universe telling the three off us that we're supposed to work this shit out…" he sighed, plopping down onto Angel's bed. "Admittedly I've made some mistakes when comes to that girl in there, but you know how much I care about her, all I've ever wanted was for her to be happy, and if it's your ugly mug that does it for then I guess I have no choice but to accept it," his eyes finally rose to meet Angel's, "Besides," he smirked, "And I'm only going to say this once so you better fuckin' listen, I don't think there's another guy out there who's better suited for the job. Mom and me, well we've always considered you family anyway, all this'll be doing is making that all the more official."

Angel's head hung, if only things were that simple.

OoOoO

He kept trying to carry on like the three of them sitting around was the most normal thing in the world, but neither of them were making it very easy for him. It took ages for Angel to even venture back out of his room, so long in fact he'd started to assume that maybe he'd passed back out or was just going to avoid them all together. One thing was for sure, he only thought talking to Angel and apologizing to him had been hard, but everytime he even attempted to broach the subject of him with Buffy she shut him down.

Grabbing one of the beers from the fridge he took a long drink, the three of them had finally made it to the living room, but right then he was almost positive he'd take being stuck in a room with every single girl he'd ever hooked up with over the two of them.

"Pizza should be here in a few," she heard her brother say as he reappeared on the couch beside her. She was pretty sure she gave a small nor, but she didn't dare risk glancing his way to find out. Her emotions were all over the place, in that moment she wasn't so sure that meeting a fiery end wouldn't have been her better option. It was one thing knowing he was in the next room, it was another entirely dealing with him being just a few feet away. Which was exactly why she was trying her best to keep her eyes glued to whatever dumbass movie Lindsey put on. The few glances she had got of him though, made her heart ache proving just how much the stupid organ was still set on betraying her, and Angel wasn't exactly helping to make any of this any easier either.

Where she was in straight avoidance mode, his gaze didn't seem to leave her. She could literally feel his stare pinning her in place, and it was taking everything in her not to completely break down in tears, or hurl the remote that sat next to her right at his face, both were viable options.

OoOoO

He kept trying to think of something to say, hell he'd probably run a thousand different scenarios through his mind, but nothing passed his lips. Lindsey was trying, he really was, but what was going on here was out of his hands. There was only one person that could fix what was going on between him and Buffy, and unfortunately it was falling squarely on his shoulders. Earlier he'd wanted to run, to leave like he'd done before and not look back. It was selfish and childish, he knew that but it was the only way he could stay away from her. Sitting here with her so close and yet so fucking far away was torture.

He could almost see the emotions rolling through her too. He could see when she was about to break down, the unshed tears she didn't dare let fall. A few times he'd had to grip the leather of the sofa to keep from pulling her to him, to keep himself from booting Linds from his place beside her. Her sadness didn't come close to matching the anger swirling behind those green depths though, that he was certain of. Somehow she had managed to keep her eyes glued to the television for the most part, but the handful of times she had looked his way...well if looks could kill.

She wasn't sure what he was playing at, but she really was about to smother him with a freaking pillow or something. He'd just come back from the kitchen and handed her a diet coke like it was nothing, not in the can either, he'd even had the audacity to pour it over ice and throw a lime in it just the way she liked. So he'd grabbed Linds a beer too, she didn't care, she didn't need him getting anything for her, she didn't need him for anything, nothing at all. "Thanks," she finally managed so quietly even she'd barely heard herself, then making the ultimate mistake her fingers brushed across his as she took hold of the plastic cup.

Lindsey watched the whole exchange and wondered not only what he was supposed to do with either one of them should they break out into some huge fight but the currently far fetched version of what could be's on the scale of if they actually did manage to come down off their high horses and work things out. Sure, he'd had a lot more time than he had ever wanted in a million years imagining the two of them together since the world got spun on its head but he was sure actually seeing it come to life without so much drama might still take a hell of a lot adjusting.

The looks each of them got on their face from one simple brush of the fingers had him shaking his head, also wondering, not for the first time, just what in the hell he did to piss the universe off so much to be in this position in the first place.

He knew either way pretty soon everything was going to explode around here, there was just no way around it. One glance his sister's way and you knew she was a goddamn ticking time bomb ready to go off at any moment.

He also knew there was no way to the other side of this until that happened either.

OoOoO

Trying once more to ease the tension filling up these walls, Lindsey attempted having a conversation on lighter subjects than their broken, fucked up relationship but that only went so far. He did most of the talking, airing out how things had been going in his life since everything went to shit, not getting much response as he did so but rambling on anyway about staying with Wes, moving in here, how things were going in his own relationship. He bridged some to Angel about the accident and Buffy did her best to pretend like she wasn't paying any attention, and he tried asking Buffy how things had been going, how her new job was coming along but she wasn't overly forthcoming on a damn thing.

Sighing, he patted her hand and told her knew she wouldn't be here if she didn't absolutely have to be but he was still glad to have her there and there was no lie on that one. This was the most interaction he'd gotten from her not to mention he at least knew she wasn't alone and that she was safe when she was here during the shit storm happening with the fires.

Buffy glanced his way and nodded before grabbing one of the throw pillows and bringing it to her chest.

OoOoO

"You sure you're okay?" Lindsey asked as he came back to check on Buffy as she got settled in his room for the night.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she shot back, angrily wiping some of the betraying tears from her face.

He shrugged, tapping nervous fingers against his desk. "It's just been a long day I guess. It's okay not to be okay though, for whatever reason. I just want to let you know I'm here if you need me. I get it, things are strained to put it lightly between us but I'm still your brother like it or not, declare I'm not all you want... I still love you and care about you. And I'm here if you need anything."

Buffy's fingers went to her eyes again for a moment. "Linds, the time that I needed you the most you kind of let me down. And that's okay, just about everyone I thought I could depend on all seemed to fuck me over at the same time with that whole situation and it is what it is. I get that you're trying to make things better and I appreciate it, I am thankful you're letting me stay here for the night or next few days or whatever however long it takes and all this... but what I'm going through is mine to deal with and you are one of the last people I need to try and butt in on any of it."

Lindsey closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, hating how hard a punch in the chest her words hit. "Fair enough," he finally told her. "Offer still stands though, just in case you change your mind. Maybe tomorrow will feel a little easier," he lied.

Her shoulders shrugged the tiniest amount. "Yeah. Maybe."