One of the things I like about the hotel is its size. The thing is huge and it's easy to get lost in the rooms and hallways to be alone for a while. There were always so many people around here as we were growing up, so having a lot of space was definitely a plus. There were still a lot of people around, but not quite as many as the first time around. And that's all I was going to think about that because if I dwelled on it too much, I'd really want to go find something priceless to break.

I grabbed my ipod and plugged in the headphones for a start. Setting up the shuffle, I hit play and turned the volume up pretty loud. Smiling to myself at the first song that came on, I left my room and started up a set of stairs to go exploring. It was something I did as a kid, so why not do it now. I hadn't done it in a long time and who knows what I'd forgotten about while we'd been living somewhere else.

Half dancing down one of the halls a couple floors up, I ducked into a couple rooms but didn't find anything worth sticking around to investigate. Maybe this whole walking randomly around the hotel was stupid, but I was a curious eight year old and that wasn't exactly changing now that I was seventeen. It was something easy to do and it kept my mind off of everything else.

The music changed and I still crept around, finally settling into one of the rooms that had a few toys in it from when we lived here the first time. I smirked to myself and eyed the hug tv sitting in front of me. More video games than you could imagine and a sound system that was seriously amazing to go with the kickass stereo. Gotta say one thing about my parents being only a few years older than me -- I didn't have to beg for games and stuff like this. They just bought it for themselves. Heh.

Pulling out my earphones, I set the ipod over to the side and flipped on the tv. Might as well put it to good use since it seemed to have gotten a little lonely in our absence. I doubt Angel or even Connor came up here to play around as much as we had. Well, maybe Connor liked the action-type of games, but the one time or so I saw Angel attemtping to play was pretty damn funny. So much so that I think he'd otped out of playing ever again.

It didn't take long to set everything up and I picked one of the street fighter kind of games to get started. We even had this kind of thing at the other houses, but I hadn't really been in the habit of playing exactly. The game started up and I got going. Several lives and levels later, I'd probably made my presence known to most everyone in the hotel from how loud I was starting to get by yelling at the tv or exclaiming when I'd gotten past some big opponent. Especially in a hotel full of super-hearing people.

Just when I was about to pass onto another level, some bitch came out from the side and shot me right in the head and I was dead. Yelling a little again at the screen, I slumped back in the couch and waited for the my last life to start. But then something caught my attention in the doorway and I looked up to see Dad just walking in. The game paused and I smiled a little. "Hey, Dad."

[Open to Harry]

1. Think of the first word that comes to mind when you think of me.
2. Go to http://images.google.com and search for that word.
3. Reply to this post with one of the pictures on the first page of results -- don't tell me the word.
4. Put this in your own blog so that I can do the same.

Happy Valentines Day, Lily.

I love you.

Life is a Soundtrack
Rules:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie.

( soundtrack )

Warning: By posting this up you are subjecting yourself to other peoples tastes in music. First rule of Play List is do not get offended by the music people share with you. Your cup of tea is could be someone else's leafy water.
Warning: By posting this up should be willing to seek out the same meme on your friends list and give them some music too!

01. How it works: Place this post up in your journal.
02. Fellow friends list members [and their writers too] are to then in turn comment to your post with music.
03. Said music is shared via an upload that you can download, or a link to lyrics for the connection challenged that reminds them of you.
04. When you comment leave the song title and artist in the subject line so that if someone else thought of the same song they don't have to send it to you again, ;)
05. With enough people and enough variety of songs you should end up with a lovely playlist inspired by those that know you pretty well. [or so you hope]

They wouldn't let me in to see her at first. So many doctors and nurses were working around her body that I was going crazy because I could barely get a glimpse of what was going on. After things had started to clear at the battle scene, a couple of the slayers helped Sarah and I get Lily to the hospital. The entire way there and during the painfully long minutes sitting outside of her room, all I could see was her falling out of that window. Sarah was screaming and I was positive my heart stopped beating for a second or two. She had fallen so far and if not for the guy on his broom and whatever he did to slow her down, I was sure she would have died right then.

I was going out of my mind just waiting. Sarah would sit with me for a while, but she seemed to have trouble just sitting still. After a while, more and more people started filling up the emergency room and I looked to see if I recognized anyone. Some of the slayers I knew, but I didn't go over to any of them. From what I could tell, none of my family had gotten there yet and I was starting to worry even more. Minutes past and then I saw them wheel Connor by and immediately into another room. If people like Connor and Lily were in such bad shape, I didn't want to know about the rest.

Leaning forward, I held my head in my hands and gripped fingers tightly in my hair. I couldn't just sit here. She needed me in the room with her. I needed air. She needed me to stay. I felt like the walls were closing in. She was counting on me to be there for her. No, I couldn't leave now. If one of the doctors came out I needed to be here.

Sarah sat down beside me again and looked about as bad as I felt. I looked at her, but I couldn't get up the words to say anything. I knew they were both close, but I couldn't deal with other people right now. The girl I loved was broken and dying, my family was no where to be found, and I didn't know what the fuck to do with myself.

I don't know how long we waited, it seemed like hours, but finally the doctor came out and I immediately got to my feet and asked, "How is she?"

"Are you family?" he asked me with a hesitant look on his face.

"I'm her boyfriend. Please, just tell me what's going on."

"I'm sorry, but does she have any family that can be notified?"

My hands gripped at my sides and I wanted to punch him in the face. Just tell me! "Her parents live in Florida and have no idea what's going on and I'm pretty sure she'd want to keep it that way, so tell me what her condition is, doctor." He still had a look on his face. Fine. "My father is Harry Osborn and I doubt you'd want me to call him down here to help you understand why telling his son the prognosis of his girlfriend is the best idea for you right now."

The doctor seemed to change his tune then, even if he still had a strange look on his face. "Yes, sir. Your friend is lucky to be alive. How was it you said she got these injuries again?"

"She fell out of a window."

"Right, well she has multiple broken bones, fractures, bruises and we're still not completely sure the extent of her injuries just yet. We'll have to run more tests, x-rays and other tests, but we'll be watching her closely over the next couple of days to make sure she does not have any internal bleeding."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. All I could do was nod at him. "Can I see her now?"

Another hesitation. "For a while, yes. When we're ready to perform the other tests, I'll have to ask you to return to the waiting rooms."

"Thank you." At that, he turned to walk away and I looked into the room. She was hooked up to all kinds of monitors and just the sight of her made me wince. Sarah had gone off somewhere, but once she was back at least we could both sit inside the room now instead of feeling so useless and waiting for answers. Pulling up a chair, I sat down next to her bed and stared at her face. Cuts and scrapes and bruises. One arm was wrapped up as it looked like her legs were under the blankets. Broken bones, the doctor had said. Swallowing hard, I carefully took her hand in mine that minus a broken finger, seemed to be unbroken.

"I'm sorry," I said barely above a whisper.

Gently, I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her hand and rested my forehead on the bed. I couldn't handle anymore death. It didn't matter if the faces were still around, but people kept dying one after another and I knew it was all connected to me. Maybe not me personally, but my family. My grandparents. I was the Powers' supposed "good one". I was unexpected at least according to the prophecy and to James, but I didn't want to be the one on this side of the grief anymore. I didn't know if I'd be able to handle it from anymore sides. Maybe it was technically over now that Wolfram and Hart was gone, my grandparents were all dead or sent to hell, but I didn't have the hope right now to think that it was all over. Something would happen. Something always happened.

The last thing I was about to do was take off now no matter how much every single member of my family or whoever else wanted me to. Did they think just because I was pretty much the only member of the family without some kind of superpower that I couldn't fight? Yeah, that wasn't happening. This was my fight as much as it was theirs and when it came to some people fighting, it was more so. My family, my legacy, my evil sons of bitches evil grandparents and family members. Like it or not, I wasn't going anywhere.

Lily was going off to fight my uncle and I tried to put that out of my mind as much as I could. At least the reasons behind her doing so. She was worried that something was going to happen to me, but she was the one going up against my more than powerful uncle. I was worried just as much as she was. But not just for her. My mom, my aunts, my dad, my sister, everyone. My entire family was in this fight and what if I came out of this an orphan? I hadn't had any kind of vision at all and maybe that was for the best. What if I didn't want to know.

It just better had not come ten seconds before it happens and leave me unable to do a damn thing about it. Been there, done that.

Mom and Aunt Nicole both hugged me fiercely before we all left to go fight and I was just trying to stay focused and not get too caught up in what might happen. Anyone I'd ever cared about was a part of this and, yeah, it was a little terrifying to think about.

Once we were all in place, I stuck close to Sarah and we were both armed with some of Dad's weapons from OsCorp. Darts and some of the bombs they'd developed. I wasn't exactly useless in a fight, I was still the son of a vampire and a slayer, but against an army full of demons? I'd need a little backup.

The sky darkened and cracked with thunder and that was when I knew it had started. My eyes went to the firm's building and I swallowed hard. They had to make it out of there alive. All of them.

Demons came at us from all directions and I stood close to Sarah and we didn't stray too far from Connor. I knew he was hell bent on making sure we came out of this alive and I'd gotten over any issues I'd had with him and when he'd taken Mom a long time ago. There was the prophecy and my sister, but he was still like family. Prophecies be damned.

We fought as best we could but then suddenly I heard Connor screaming at the two of us to run and I looked up just in time to see a demon coming towards us. Connor hurled himself at the demon and I felt Sarah's hand gripping on my arm, pulling me out of the way. "CONNOR!" I yelled as loud as I possibly could, trying to get back in the fight. Everything stood still, though, when I watched the demon rip open his chest with its claws and just as it fell to the ground, so did Connor. No. No No NO NO NO! "CONNOR!" I yelled out again and had almost gotten free from Sarah when suddenly there was this huge Marshmallow Man standing in the middle of the battle taking hits and slamming demons all over the place.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" I shouted at Sarah above the crowd and just let her pull me back from the Puff and demons coming at us. Dan Akroyd better not appear next or else I'd be convinced I was either already dead or had hit my head against a brick wall a dozen times.

Looking around, I took in the scene in front of us. Countless demons, slayers, and bodies. Some of each dead on the ground and I knew some of ours were dead. They were fighting a fight that was personal to them, but it was different. This was my family they were fighting for too. Now they were dead.

The next thing I heard was the sound of glass shattering above us and Sarah screaming Lily's name. My head jerked up to where I'd heard the noise and I couldn't move. I just watched her fall almost as if in slow motion. No. Not Lily. My mouth parted and I prepared for the scream that was about to escape, but I stopped short when I saw something flying around on a broom and had approached Lily's falling body. There was a dragon on his tail, but he pointed what looked like a wand at her and she seemed to slow. What? Not long before she hit the ground, she seemed to slow enough but then dropped down again towards the pavement with a hard thud.

I was frozen in place for a few seconds and everything else going on around me was just background noise. "No," I whispered and finally took off at a run to where her body had fallen. "LILY!" I screamed, hearing Sarah following close behind me.

The guy on the broom was still leading the dragon away from the rest of the fight as much as he could and I had no idea in hell who he was, but right now I didn't care. Something he'd done had slowed Lily's fall and if she was still alive I'd never be able to repay him. I fell down next to Lily once we both reached her and immediately took her hand in mine. The other arm was gruesomely twisted underneath her body and I blinked back tears as I looked at her like this. She was always the strong one. She wasn't allowed to be like this.

"Lily," I said and gave Sarah a desperate look. I knew there was nothing she could do, but what was I supposed to do? Gently, I cleared the bits of broken glass from her face and body. "She's breathing!" She was breathing and had a heartbeat. Squeezing her hand in mine, I jumped a little when I felt the ground shake around us and the building not feet from where we were sitting groaned and trembled.

"Come on, we've got to get her out of here fast," I said to Sarah. "The building is gonna go." I glanced behind me and up at the window, praying that everyone inside would make it out alive. Something had gone off inside there and I had a feeling my grandfather, aunt, and uncle were getting sent straight back to where they came from and deserved to stay.

I wasn't sure if moving her this way was the best idea, but we didn't have a choice. As carefully as I could, I slid my arms under her back and gently as possible lifted her up as Sarah did the same with her legs. Just by looking at them, I knew there were broken bones, but I tried not to think about that right now. Move to a safer spot and then we could worry about it and get her to the hospital.

"Over there," I nodded to a spot under an awning so we could get out of the rain and far enough away from the majority of the fighting so we shouldn't have any trouble. "It's okay, baby, I'm here," I whispered to her and immediately took her hand in mine again. Just then, I heard a loud screeching all of a sudden and as we laid Lily down carefully on the sidewalk, I looked up to see the dragon shooting fire out at Sarah's Puff Man. He went up in flames just like a roasted marshmallow at a bonfire, but still was going for the demons on his way down.

The guy on his broom had Lily's sword still in his hand and I watched as he was able to get the final blow to the dragon and it fell to the ground so hard I could feel the ground shake again.

And as if on cue, Wolfram and Hart started crumbling.

1 question...
1 chance...
1 honest answer...

That's all you get. Ask me one question. Any one question, anything, no matter how crazy it is. An honest answer. No catch.

Well, okay, there's just one. All comments will be screened so your question stays private between you and me, and only you will get to see my answer to your question. But I dare you to repost this and see what people ask you.

I miss you.

Where the HELL is everyone?

He needed a vacation. Not just a weekend away to some place he'd never been before. Tyler needed to get away from everything and just let loose for a while. He chose Manhattan because it feels like a second home to him. He's not really sure where his first home is anymore, but this one keps him grounded a little more when all he really wants to do is forget everything and feel nothing at all.

New York was the perfect choice. Tyler had been wanting to go back there for ages and he'd also wanted to take Lily with him and show her around the city that was supposed to belong to him. This was his father's city once upon a time and Tyler wanted that legacy and he wanted to share it with one of the few people who truly mattered to him anymore.

It's Lily and the faint reminder of his family back in Los Angeles that keeps him from going under. There's a pull so strong and it would be so easy just to let go completely. Sometimes he thinks bringing Lily was the wrong choice because it's keeping him from actually going there, but in the morning when he wakes up next to her, Tyler knows there wasn't any other choice he could have possibly made that wasn't the wrong choice.

They live like proper Osborns should while in the city. Fine dining, the best shopping the city can offer, shows and plays, and of course the best night life he's ever seen. More than one night he takes her to the clubs and they dance the night away. Sometimes he thinks he's forgotten about what they eventually have to go back to after the stay in New York is over. He lets himself get lost in the excitement of the city, in the music, and in Lily and sometimes it's just all a bad dream. Not real. Reality hits him hard, though, and it's then that he struggles the most.

Lily is his lifeboat to keep his head above the waves when all he wants to do sometimes is let himself drown in them.

This was written for Jenna who requested Tyler/Lexi with the prompt: A dream. If you haven't made a request and would like to, you can do so here.

"Tyler."

The sound of his name was barely audible, but Tyler heard it loud and clear. A quiet whisper daring him to find her and he was falling for the ploy. She knew that he would.

"Tyler..."

Rushing through the woods, dodging trees and bushes he kept looking for her. He knew she was there, somewhere close and probably watching him. The thought sent a chill up his spine. Tyler pushed through a brush and on the other side he found her standing there looking as beautiful as ever. As much like his sister as he'd known her. "Lexi."

"I was worried you wouldn't be able to find me this time, big brother." Lexi smiled. There was a mix of happiness and then something else that made Tyler remember his sister wasn't the same anymore. She was a devil in sheep's clothing.

"I'll always be able to find you, sister."

Lexi moved towards him gracefully, tilting her head at him a bit. "I know you will." She stopped a few feet in front of him and Tyler watched her closely. "Do you want to play a game?"

"Your games end with me unconscious," he said matter of facty, but all he got was a laugh in return.

"Oh, brother, you need to loosen up. I like other games too, you know."

"Maybe. But this isn't a game."

And that? Earned him a trademark Alexia Osborn pout. She moved closer and started to circle him. "We always did play the best games, though, didn't we?"

"When we were five, yes. I don't much like your kind of games anymore." It was part truth and part a lie. Tyler didn't exactly enjoy the fact his sister went around killing people for fun, but he would never be able to really deny that there was a part of his sister now that intrigued him in a way that never had before. He tried not to think about that. Except it was sort of hard with her standing right here in front of him.

"I don't believe you," Lexi sing-songed and stood behind him now. Tyler stood completely still aside from turning his head sideways to glance back at her. Her body was cold against his and it both disgusted him and comforted him. At least she was here. Monster or not, she was still his sister and every second they were apart, he missed her. Lexi leaned in close and Tyler felt a soft touch to the mark on his neck. It was always a reminder of what she was now, but then it connected them in a way he'd never thought possible. He both hated and cherished the scar she gave him.

Turning around, he looked hard at his sister. "It doesn't have to be this way, Lexi. You can come home."

"I told you before that no one, not you or anyone else, is going to put me on a leash, Tyler." She was getting angry now and maybe he'd done it on purpose. Maybe he really wanted to convince her to come home to stay. He wasn't sure.

"So, instead you're going to keep on like this until someone finally gets to you? It'll happen eventually."

She laughed and pushed him hard back into a tree. "No one can stop me, Tyler." Lexi stepped forward so that she was standing inches away from him again. "I'm stronger than all of them. They can't stop me."

Tyler pressed himself back into the tree, getting himself as far from her as he could. He wasn't trying to get away, but it was better for everyone that he distance himself as much as possible from her. At least until she fixed the problem for him and leaned in close to whisper into his ear.

"I could make you like me. Strong. Don't you want that? They couldn't tell you what to do anymore and we'd be together again. I know that's what you want because I want it too. You're always trying so hard to keep us together, brother. Let me fix it this time. I can make us a family again. A real family. It only hurts for a second, but for you I promise to make it feel as good as possible."

When she pulled away, Tyler saw his sister in her true face. Yellow eyes stared back at him curiously as if waiting for his answer. He knew she could tear him apart without waiting for an okay from him, but for some reason she wasn't. To Tyler, that was proof part of his sister was still inside the demon somewhere. He didn't say anything at first, but just watched her. He didn't move when he felt a cold hand slip into his and the other placed on his chest.

"Don't you want us to be a family?" There was a hint of hurt in her voice that hit him more than the actual words. Maybe it was an act, but somehow he didn't really think that it was.

Did he want them to be a family again? God, yes he did. More than anything that's what he wanted. Even before Lexi was turned, that's what he was always trying to do. Put the family back together. His parents and now his sister. Every time he'd failed to fix them and now Lexi was offering a chance to really make them all a family again. They'd just have to convince their mother, but Tyler knew it wouldn't be hard if both of them did the convincing.

"Yeah." One word was all he said. Lexi waited for a moment then stroked his cheek softy before pulling her brother's head to the side. Tyler didn't fight or put up a struggle. Instead when her fangs pierced his skin for the second time, he gripped onto his sister's hand. His knees buckled under him and Lexi gently cradled him in her arms as she drank.

"Tyler."

He could feel the life draining out of him as his vision started to get darker and darker. She was drinking from him deeply but taking her time and Tyler knew she was keeping her promise because god, the pain felt so good.

"Tyler..."

Once she was finished, Lexi held him in her arms and after biting into her own wrist, she offered up the eternal blood to her brother for him to drink. And that he did.

Tyler's eyes popped open suddenly and he stared up at the ceiling. Sitting up, he realized it had all been a dream. He'd allowed her to kill, no not just kill, turn him and it was all a dream. Something he'd promised himself he wouldn't let her do to him. Frowning, he felt something warm on his neck. When he pulled his hand away, there was blood on it.

His scar was bleeding and just for a moment, Tyler had to listen to make sure his heart was still beating.

I turned on the evening news
Saw a old man being interviewed
Turning a hundred and two today
Asked him what's the secret to life
He looked up from his old pipe
Laughed and said "All I can say is."

Don't blink
Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and you
Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife
Don't blink
You just might miss your babies growing like mine did
Turning into moms and dads next thing you know your "better half"
Of fifty years is there in bed
And you're praying God takes you instead
Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster than you think
So don't blink

I was glued to my tv when it looked like he looked at me and said
"Best start putting first things first."
Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand
You can't flip it over and start again
Take every breathe God gives you for what it's worth

Don't Blink
Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and you
Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife
Don't blink
You just might miss your babies growing like mine did
Turning into moms and dads next thing you know your "better half"
Of fifty years is there in bed
And you're praying God takes you instead
Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster than you think
So don't blink

So I've been tryin' ta slow it down
I've been tryin' ta take it in
In this here today, gone tomorrow world we're livin' in

Don't blink
Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and you
Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife
Don't blink
You just might miss your babies growing like mine did
Turning into moms and dads next thing you know your "better half"
Of fifty years is there in bed
And you're praying God takes you instead
Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster then you think
So Don't blink

Naw, don't blink, don't blink
Life Goes Faster Than You Think
Don't Blink...


// locked to Mom and Dad //

I'm not about to take off without saying anything this time, but do either of you mind if I go to New York for New Year's? It's been a year since we were there and I've been wanting to go back for a while. Ending the year and starting the new one there kind of sounds like a good idea right now. After Christmas is over, can I go? I'd like to see if Lily wants to come with me too.

Dad, can I stay in the penthouse? Sometimes I miss it there. //unlocked//

// locked to Lily //

I'm checking with my parents to make sure they don't mind, but would you like to take off for a while? I know I haven't been the best boyfriend ever since San Diego but I'd love it if you could come with me. I want to go to New York for New Year's. Come with me, please? //unlocked//

Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you.

For the most part, I hadn't really been doing much of anything lately. Basically, I didn't feel like doing anything but lay around the house and go to school. Not that school did much for me anymore anyway. At least being at the house wasn't such a pain as it used to be. I could actually come out of my room and not have to avoid everyone I ran into. Me and Mom had talked and it wasn't all like it used to be, but it wasn't terrible either. We could sit in the same room as each other and not sit in awkward silence or want to rush out of the room after thirty seconds.


I’d gotten home from school and the house was empty. Sometimes I liked the quiet, but there were other times, like now, that it drove me crazy. Mom was out doing something, Dad probably back at the office and so that left me alone with all the dogs. And Tigger. And Precious. Speaking of, that damn cat was scaring the fuck out of me. Ever since she realized Lexi was really gone, she’s been eerily nice. Rubbing against my legs and whining like she’s never had any attention paid to her ever. I just knew that the second I didn’t expect it, she’d become her old self and rip me to shreds.

Even still, I couldn’t help but take care of the damn cat anyway.

I ended out on the beach to get out of the empty house for a while. I never planned on going back to the island again, but that didn’t change that the beach still helped calm me and probably always would.

The air started to get cold and I wished I’d at least brought some kind of sweatshirt or something. It was weird. There was a gust of wind and clouds started to come in fast. Holy hell it was cold out here and the wind from the beach didn’t help at all. I looked down the beach and thought about heading back to the house, but realized that I’d walked a lot farther than I thought. Damn. It was going to be one freaking cold walk back. Then it started to do something I’d only seen once or twice my entire life and that was on the other side of the country. And I was miniature in size at the time.

It started to snow. Yes, it was December, but it started to fucking snow in Los Angeles when it had been warm and sunny not hours earlier.

Looking around for somewhere to go, I didn’t want to get caught out here in a snowstorm. It started fast and hard and I squinted through the flakes and saw someone walking towards me that I actually recognized.

“Lucy?” I called out and jogged over to where she was standing. “What are you doing out here?” I asked, but didn’t really wait for an answer. “This is crazy.” Shivering a little, I looked around and tried to figure out where we could go.

Oh hell. You had to be kidding me.

“Come on,” I said, nodding towards a way too familiar house about one hundred yards up the beach. It was the old house. I’d walked this far and hadn’t even realized it. And now it was fucking snowing.

[Open to Lucy and Sophia]

I hadn't laid eyes on my sister since that day on the island. She took off into the woods leaving me there and I wasn't sure what that meant. I can't promise you anything, Tyler. That's what she'd told me before leaving me on the beach. Our beach. Or at least it had been. Not anymore though. I knew now that it was theirs. Hers and Sophia's. All that the beach and that island had meant to me disappeared that day when my sister disappeared into the woods. It wasn't my favorite place on earth or where everything made sense anymore. It was where everything really fell apart. That's what Dad, Mom, and Angel had all felt when we were there the first time and I loved it. I got that now.

Dad bought us a new house and I felt a little guilty for asking him to worry with it all but then again, where else were we going to go? Hell would freeze over before I'd stay at Wolfram and Hart and I knew none of us could stand the house anymore. The hotel was kind of a big no too even if I could have gotten past some things, I knew my Dad couldn't and I wasn't about to push him to go there. So we got a new house. Brand spanking new without any terrible memory lurking around the corner or waiting downstairs in the basement. The dogs weren't crazy about the place at first but they got used to it after a while. I spent most of my time up in my room with Prince. I read a lot because it calmed me. Helped to keep my focus on something besides the obvious.

After a few weeks Dad suggested us going away for a weekend and I jumped at the chance. With the holiday and all the memories, I couldn't stand being here. I'd practically been avoiding Mom like the plague and I knew I'd have to deal with talking to her sooner or later, but I just couldn't yet. Everytime I thought about it, I remembered what it felt like to have her say Lexi wasn't my sister anymore. It didn't matter if I understood that better now. I remembered how it felt to have her hold onto me while Dad left the house and she kept me from going with him. I'd wanted to see my sister so bad. I'd wanted us to stay together and find a way to fix things.

Nothing is as it should be. I should know that by now.

Despite everything, we did have an okay time. I got to see a part of the world I'd never seen before and it was a good dose of medicine. A distraction from everything else and I think, or I at least hoped, that it did the same for him. When we got back, I started going to school again. People didn't really know what to say and some asked questions I wasn't prepared to answer. They didn't really know about vampires and prophecies and all the shit my family dealt with since before I was born. I hated people always looking, but it was better than being at home and dwelling on it all.

One Saturday I woke up and headed downstairs to find something to eat. I saw the dogs outside in the back yard and drank a glass of juice just watching them. I had a feeling Mom was around somewhere and instead of heading up to my room, I stayed put. After the trip to Japan and at least trying to get a grip on my life for what it was now, I knew I had to talk to her. Or at least not avoid her. Setting my glass down in the sink, I sighed and headed outside. I could hear her calling one of the dogs back and I sat down in a chair. Prince came bounding up and I smiled a little at him, rubbing his head. A couple seconds later he ran off again and I looked up to see Mom coming towards me with Bella at her heels.