Fic: Moving Foward (Angel the Series, AU, PG)
Title: Moving Forward
Name: sheryden
Fandom(s): Angel
Word count: 1835
Rating: PG
Spoilers: "Blind Date" 1.21
Summary: AU for "Blind Date." After Angel reaches out to Lindsey, Lindsey decides to leave Wolfram and Hart and come to work at Angel Investigations.
Author’s Notes: This was written for au_bingo for the prompt "Alternate History: Canon event changed." I've often wondered what would have happened if Angel had come back for Lindsey instead of leaving him at the mercy of Wolfram and Hart. This story looks at that possibility.
Wolfram and Hart had its own special way of doing things, and every single person who worked at the firm was well aware of the risks that accompanied their parking space and paycheck. If a person knew how to keep their eyes forward and do what they were told, they could do pretty well for themselves. But if they decided to go rogue or sprout a conscience… well, they shouldn’t plan on living long.
Lindsey wasn’t ashamed to admit that he didn’t want to die, but he accepted the fact that he probably would die today. Despite his usual sense of self-preservation, Lindsey’s moral quandary over the lives of three kids had compelled him to grovel to Angel and then to commit outright treachery against his own firm. It was only a matter of time before Holland Manners decided to call for the mind readers, and when that happened, Lindsey knew he was bound to get a bullet in his head. If he were a lesser man, he might dissolve into tears and give up. But if there was one thing experience had taught him it was that a man should maintain his dignity even if he wound up bleeding for it. If he died today, he wouldn’t cry, and he wouldn’t beg.
As he pondered how he might get out of the building, he found himself wondering if Angel had gotten away with the evidence they’d been after. Lindsey had had a fleeting hope that Angel might do the hero thing and come back to get him, but as he felt the panic begin to rise in his chest, and as he saw the seconds begin to slip away on the clock, he knew his hopes were in vain. That self-righteous vampire had left him there to die.
Before he had a chance to internally kick himself for trusting Angel, Lindsey felt a hand grasp his forearm and tug him into the shadows. “Come on,” said a familiar voice.
Lindsey blinked and clenched one hand into a fist to try and keep his body from trembling in relief. “Angel,” he said. “What are you d-”
“Saving your ass,” Angel said. “Shut up and come on.” He kept hold of Lindsey’s arm and steered him toward the exit he had prepared. “We need to get of here before this little rescue mission gets us and those kids killed.”
Once they were safely away from Wolfram and Hart, Angel released his grip on Lindsey’s arm and let out a breath. “All right, we need to get back to the office.”
The cloud of dread over Lindsey’s head started to subside, and he found himself staring at Angel. “Why’d you come back for me? It was a stupid risk.”
Angel shrugged. “I guess if I expect you to prove yourself, I shouldn’t just leave you behind to get killed.”
Lindsey let out a hoarse laugh. “So you’re a role model now? Should I be taking notes?”
Angel turned to leave. “If you’re not grateful, fine,” he said. “I have three kids to save.”
“No,” Lindsey said quickly. “I appreciate it. Thank you.” He folded his arms across his chest. “So what now?”
“Now, we figure out how to save those kids.”
***
After the kids were safe, and the mission was done, Angel, Lindsey, Cordelia, and Wesley all found themselves back at Angel Investigations. Lindsey wasn’t sure why he had followed them back to their office. He wasn’t a social person by nature, a fact which Holland Manners often brought up in their private discussions. But on some level, maybe he needed to put off going home to his empty apartment for a little while. All that awaited him there was a sleepless night while he tried to figure out how to not die by sunup.
As Cordelia chattered on about eggs and toast and Wesley buried himself in translations, Angel waved Lindsey into his office. “So, Linds,” he said. “What’ll you do now?”
Taking a deep breath, Lindsey leaned against the doorframe with a thud. He was suddenly exhausted, and his body was still sore from the hits he had taken tonight. “I have no idea,” he said. “I guess I’m done with Wolfram and Hart.”
Angel sat down on the edge of his desk. “Are you? You know, if you’re serious about getting out… you have talent and knowledge… we always use you are here.”
A tinge of relief surged through Lindsey’s chest, but pride compelled him to bite it back down. Making a face, he shook his head. “You want me to hang around with you people?”
He waited for Angel to make his obligatory smartass remark, but it didn’t come. Instead, Angel shrugged. “I’m saying if really want to change, and if you really want to make a difference, you could work with us. We couldn’t have saved those kids without you.”
“Wow,” Lindsey placed a hand over his heart. “I garnered a scrap of praise from the Vampire with a Soul. I should call my Mom and tell her the news.”
Letting out a breath, Angel slammed one hand against the top of his desk, knocking off a pencil sharpener and a cup of paperclips in the process. “Why don’t you drop the defenses, Lindsey? I’m trying to help you.” He stood up and flung open the door. “If you want to work with us, be here tomorrow morning. Or not. At the end of the day, it’s your choice.”
Lindsey licked his lips and stalked out the office. As he left, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Angel watching him with an unreadable expression on his face. Part of Lindsey wanted to turn around and tell Angel he was more than willing to join his band of Merry Men. Anger and embarrassment and maybe a nugget of fear won out, though, and kept him moving toward the street.
***
After Lindsey left, Angel walked into the outer office and found Wesley and Cordelia waiting for him. “We’re taking him in, aren’t we?” Wesley asked.
Cordelia cocked her head at him. “Well,” she said. “We take in rogue demon hunters. Why not a formerly evil lawyer?”
Wesley raised an eyebrow, then nodded. “True.”
Angel wandered over to the coffee pot and rearranged the mugs. “He probably won’t even come back.”
“But if he does,” Wesley said. “We are taking him in?”
Turning back to them, Angel nodded. “You guys have issues with that? You need to tell me now.”
Wesley shook his head. “No, he deserves the same chance at redemption as the rest of us. And he would be a valuable asset with his knowledge of law and the way Los Angeles works.”
“And he dresses nicely,” Cordelia said. “Unlike the other men who work here.”
Angel glanced down at his clothes. “Well,” he said, smoothing out his shirt. “He probably won’t come back. This is Lindsey we’re talking about.”
Cordelia tapped her bottom lip with her index finger. “He also has nice eyes.”
“They’re not that nice,” Wesley said.
“No,” Cordelia said. “They’re nice. They’re really blue.”
“That’s our Cordy,” Angel said. “Keeping her priorities straight.”
“Well, nice clothes and pretty eyes might help us scare up some paying clients. I do have a lifestyle to preserve, you know.”
Shaking his head, Angel headed toward his bedroom. “He probably won’t come anyway,” he said.
***
Lindsey sat on his bed, staring down at a ragged old picture of his family. He didn’t have many possessions left from the old days, but those he had, he treasured. He kept them as reminders of the life he’d been trying to escape when he went to law school, as well as reminders of the people who had tried to raise him to be a good man.
He wondered if any of them would recognize him today, or if he’d be a disappointment to the family name. He had been so sure that his daddy was weak, that he had given up. But now that Lindsey had some life under his belt, now that he had seen the world for what it was, he was starting to realize that maybe he was the one who had given up.
Angel wasn’t about to make any of this easy for him, and Lindsey knew that. In fact, that damn vampire would probably find every possible way to twist the knife a little deeper just to see if Lindsey would bolt. But he wasn’t about to give Angel the satisfaction of seeing him walk out the door again. No, he was going to tough it out, and he was going to prove that he could change-not for Angel, but for himself.
***
When Lindsey walked into Angel Investigations the next morning, he found Cordelia sitting at her desk, filing her nails and chatting on the phone. He could only hear her end of the conversation, and it was comprised of “uh huh, uh huh, nuh uh.” And every few seconds, she would roll her eyes. After a couple of minutes, she hung up the phone and clapped her hands together. “You’re here! Angel didn’t think you’d show. I thought you would.”
He stared at her for a moment, then glanced around the office. Wesley was in the next room, and it looked like he was working on the same translations he had plunged into when they had gotten back to the office the night before. In fact, he looked like he was wearing the same clothes.
“So,” he said to Cordelia. “Where’s our fearless leader? Brooding? Saving a puppy?”
“He’s making eggs,” Cordelia said. With a smile, she added, “To be fair, he’s probably brooding, too. He’s a multi-tasker.”
Lindsey bit his lip to keep from grinning. Leaning against Cordelia’s desk, he snatched up a letter opener and started twirling it in his fingers. “So what we do all day? Save damsels in distress? Hunt dragons?”
There was a shuffling sound from the next room before Wesley appeared in the doorway, holding a large book in his arms and looking a bit out of breath. “We have a dragon case?”
Cordelia exhaled loudly. “No, dummy.”
About then, Angel sauntered into the room. “You showed,” he said to Lindsey. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
Chewing his bottom lip for a moment, Lindsey admitted, “I wasn’t sure I would either. But here I am. So I guess I’m officially a good guy now.”
Angel snatched the letter opener out of Lindsey’s hand. “Not quite,” he said. “If you’re really after redemption, you’ve got a long ways to go. Fortunately, so do I.” He placed a hand on Lindsey’s shoulder. “We can head that way together.”
Laughing out loud, Lindsey stepped out of Angel’s grip. “I feel all warm and fuzzy right now. Should we hug?” He smirked, then wandered over to see what Wesley was doing, still chuckling under his breath.
Cordelia slid up beside Angel. “Well, he’s snarky,” she said. “But he at least he’s here.”
Master Fic List
***
Name: sheryden
Fandom(s): Angel
Word count: 1835
Rating: PG
Spoilers: "Blind Date" 1.21
Summary: AU for "Blind Date." After Angel reaches out to Lindsey, Lindsey decides to leave Wolfram and Hart and come to work at Angel Investigations.
Author’s Notes: This was written for au_bingo for the prompt "Alternate History: Canon event changed." I've often wondered what would have happened if Angel had come back for Lindsey instead of leaving him at the mercy of Wolfram and Hart. This story looks at that possibility.
Wolfram and Hart had its own special way of doing things, and every single person who worked at the firm was well aware of the risks that accompanied their parking space and paycheck. If a person knew how to keep their eyes forward and do what they were told, they could do pretty well for themselves. But if they decided to go rogue or sprout a conscience… well, they shouldn’t plan on living long.
Lindsey wasn’t ashamed to admit that he didn’t want to die, but he accepted the fact that he probably would die today. Despite his usual sense of self-preservation, Lindsey’s moral quandary over the lives of three kids had compelled him to grovel to Angel and then to commit outright treachery against his own firm. It was only a matter of time before Holland Manners decided to call for the mind readers, and when that happened, Lindsey knew he was bound to get a bullet in his head. If he were a lesser man, he might dissolve into tears and give up. But if there was one thing experience had taught him it was that a man should maintain his dignity even if he wound up bleeding for it. If he died today, he wouldn’t cry, and he wouldn’t beg.
As he pondered how he might get out of the building, he found himself wondering if Angel had gotten away with the evidence they’d been after. Lindsey had had a fleeting hope that Angel might do the hero thing and come back to get him, but as he felt the panic begin to rise in his chest, and as he saw the seconds begin to slip away on the clock, he knew his hopes were in vain. That self-righteous vampire had left him there to die.
Before he had a chance to internally kick himself for trusting Angel, Lindsey felt a hand grasp his forearm and tug him into the shadows. “Come on,” said a familiar voice.
Lindsey blinked and clenched one hand into a fist to try and keep his body from trembling in relief. “Angel,” he said. “What are you d-”
“Saving your ass,” Angel said. “Shut up and come on.” He kept hold of Lindsey’s arm and steered him toward the exit he had prepared. “We need to get of here before this little rescue mission gets us and those kids killed.”
Once they were safely away from Wolfram and Hart, Angel released his grip on Lindsey’s arm and let out a breath. “All right, we need to get back to the office.”
The cloud of dread over Lindsey’s head started to subside, and he found himself staring at Angel. “Why’d you come back for me? It was a stupid risk.”
Angel shrugged. “I guess if I expect you to prove yourself, I shouldn’t just leave you behind to get killed.”
Lindsey let out a hoarse laugh. “So you’re a role model now? Should I be taking notes?”
Angel turned to leave. “If you’re not grateful, fine,” he said. “I have three kids to save.”
“No,” Lindsey said quickly. “I appreciate it. Thank you.” He folded his arms across his chest. “So what now?”
“Now, we figure out how to save those kids.”
***
After the kids were safe, and the mission was done, Angel, Lindsey, Cordelia, and Wesley all found themselves back at Angel Investigations. Lindsey wasn’t sure why he had followed them back to their office. He wasn’t a social person by nature, a fact which Holland Manners often brought up in their private discussions. But on some level, maybe he needed to put off going home to his empty apartment for a little while. All that awaited him there was a sleepless night while he tried to figure out how to not die by sunup.
As Cordelia chattered on about eggs and toast and Wesley buried himself in translations, Angel waved Lindsey into his office. “So, Linds,” he said. “What’ll you do now?”
Taking a deep breath, Lindsey leaned against the doorframe with a thud. He was suddenly exhausted, and his body was still sore from the hits he had taken tonight. “I have no idea,” he said. “I guess I’m done with Wolfram and Hart.”
Angel sat down on the edge of his desk. “Are you? You know, if you’re serious about getting out… you have talent and knowledge… we always use you are here.”
A tinge of relief surged through Lindsey’s chest, but pride compelled him to bite it back down. Making a face, he shook his head. “You want me to hang around with you people?”
He waited for Angel to make his obligatory smartass remark, but it didn’t come. Instead, Angel shrugged. “I’m saying if really want to change, and if you really want to make a difference, you could work with us. We couldn’t have saved those kids without you.”
“Wow,” Lindsey placed a hand over his heart. “I garnered a scrap of praise from the Vampire with a Soul. I should call my Mom and tell her the news.”
Letting out a breath, Angel slammed one hand against the top of his desk, knocking off a pencil sharpener and a cup of paperclips in the process. “Why don’t you drop the defenses, Lindsey? I’m trying to help you.” He stood up and flung open the door. “If you want to work with us, be here tomorrow morning. Or not. At the end of the day, it’s your choice.”
Lindsey licked his lips and stalked out the office. As he left, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Angel watching him with an unreadable expression on his face. Part of Lindsey wanted to turn around and tell Angel he was more than willing to join his band of Merry Men. Anger and embarrassment and maybe a nugget of fear won out, though, and kept him moving toward the street.
***
After Lindsey left, Angel walked into the outer office and found Wesley and Cordelia waiting for him. “We’re taking him in, aren’t we?” Wesley asked.
Cordelia cocked her head at him. “Well,” she said. “We take in rogue demon hunters. Why not a formerly evil lawyer?”
Wesley raised an eyebrow, then nodded. “True.”
Angel wandered over to the coffee pot and rearranged the mugs. “He probably won’t even come back.”
“But if he does,” Wesley said. “We are taking him in?”
Turning back to them, Angel nodded. “You guys have issues with that? You need to tell me now.”
Wesley shook his head. “No, he deserves the same chance at redemption as the rest of us. And he would be a valuable asset with his knowledge of law and the way Los Angeles works.”
“And he dresses nicely,” Cordelia said. “Unlike the other men who work here.”
Angel glanced down at his clothes. “Well,” he said, smoothing out his shirt. “He probably won’t come back. This is Lindsey we’re talking about.”
Cordelia tapped her bottom lip with her index finger. “He also has nice eyes.”
“They’re not that nice,” Wesley said.
“No,” Cordelia said. “They’re nice. They’re really blue.”
“That’s our Cordy,” Angel said. “Keeping her priorities straight.”
“Well, nice clothes and pretty eyes might help us scare up some paying clients. I do have a lifestyle to preserve, you know.”
Shaking his head, Angel headed toward his bedroom. “He probably won’t come anyway,” he said.
***
Lindsey sat on his bed, staring down at a ragged old picture of his family. He didn’t have many possessions left from the old days, but those he had, he treasured. He kept them as reminders of the life he’d been trying to escape when he went to law school, as well as reminders of the people who had tried to raise him to be a good man.
He wondered if any of them would recognize him today, or if he’d be a disappointment to the family name. He had been so sure that his daddy was weak, that he had given up. But now that Lindsey had some life under his belt, now that he had seen the world for what it was, he was starting to realize that maybe he was the one who had given up.
Angel wasn’t about to make any of this easy for him, and Lindsey knew that. In fact, that damn vampire would probably find every possible way to twist the knife a little deeper just to see if Lindsey would bolt. But he wasn’t about to give Angel the satisfaction of seeing him walk out the door again. No, he was going to tough it out, and he was going to prove that he could change-not for Angel, but for himself.
***
When Lindsey walked into Angel Investigations the next morning, he found Cordelia sitting at her desk, filing her nails and chatting on the phone. He could only hear her end of the conversation, and it was comprised of “uh huh, uh huh, nuh uh.” And every few seconds, she would roll her eyes. After a couple of minutes, she hung up the phone and clapped her hands together. “You’re here! Angel didn’t think you’d show. I thought you would.”
He stared at her for a moment, then glanced around the office. Wesley was in the next room, and it looked like he was working on the same translations he had plunged into when they had gotten back to the office the night before. In fact, he looked like he was wearing the same clothes.
“So,” he said to Cordelia. “Where’s our fearless leader? Brooding? Saving a puppy?”
“He’s making eggs,” Cordelia said. With a smile, she added, “To be fair, he’s probably brooding, too. He’s a multi-tasker.”
Lindsey bit his lip to keep from grinning. Leaning against Cordelia’s desk, he snatched up a letter opener and started twirling it in his fingers. “So what we do all day? Save damsels in distress? Hunt dragons?”
There was a shuffling sound from the next room before Wesley appeared in the doorway, holding a large book in his arms and looking a bit out of breath. “We have a dragon case?”
Cordelia exhaled loudly. “No, dummy.”
About then, Angel sauntered into the room. “You showed,” he said to Lindsey. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
Chewing his bottom lip for a moment, Lindsey admitted, “I wasn’t sure I would either. But here I am. So I guess I’m officially a good guy now.”
Angel snatched the letter opener out of Lindsey’s hand. “Not quite,” he said. “If you’re really after redemption, you’ve got a long ways to go. Fortunately, so do I.” He placed a hand on Lindsey’s shoulder. “We can head that way together.”
Laughing out loud, Lindsey stepped out of Angel’s grip. “I feel all warm and fuzzy right now. Should we hug?” He smirked, then wandered over to see what Wesley was doing, still chuckling under his breath.
Cordelia slid up beside Angel. “Well, he’s snarky,” she said. “But he at least he’s here.”
Master Fic List
***