Fic: The First One's Always the Hardest (Angel the Series, Lindsey-centric, PG)
Title: The First One's Always the Hardest
Name: sheryden
Fandom(s): Angel
Word count: 1356
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Prompt: "Change"
Summary: Holland Manners takes Lindsey to his first significant function as a lawyer at Wolfram and Hart.
Author’s Notes: This was written as part of my whedonland Big Bang. My theme is Lindsey McDonald.
“It’s all right to be nervous, you know. The first one’s always the hardest.”
Lindsey glanced over the top of the car at Holland Manners’ self-assured, almost fatherly smile and instinctively stood up a little straighter. “Yes, sir,” he managed to choke out. He glanced up at the darkening sky and groaned inwardly. Rain was starting to spit down on the little group from Wolfram and Hart as they stood there in the night waiting for their drivers.
Holland patted the roof of the car. “Let’s get inside, Lindsey. No use getting soaked out here.” Once they were in the vehicle, he clapped a hand on Lindsey’s shoulder. “It’s just you and me in this car. We don’t need to travel with the rest of the riff-raff.” He let out a hearty laugh, and Lindsey forced a smile in response.
Tugging on his seatbelt, Lindsey shifted in place, trying and failing to get comfortable. He wasn’t used to any of this-not the expensive suits, not the luxury cars. And certainly not the clandestine nighttime functions. Part of him feared that he was so far out of his element he would drown trying to fit in. The other part of him, though, breathed in the intoxicating smell of the car’s leather interior and wondered how he had gotten so lucky as to catch Holland Manners’ eye back at Hastings.
“So, Lindsey, do you have any questions about what’s going to happen tonight?”
Lindsey bit his bottom lip. “No, sir.”
“Well, you should,” Holland scolded. He scowled at Lindsey. “What kind of man goes into a new situation without asking questions?” Then his face softened. “It’s better that you know what to expect. There are going to be a lot of other people there, and you want to make a good impression.”
“Yes, sir.” Lindsey did have questions, but he wasn’t sure he wanted any of them answered. Since he’d gotten out of the mail room and into a position with a future, he’d tried to keep his head down. He knew he wasn’t privy everything that went on at Wolfram and Hart-though he’d heard unsettling rumors-but he wasn’t sure how much he wanted to know. He was a long way away from being innocent, but Lindsey had a feeling he was about to cross a threshold into a grim, forbidding world tonight. “What… what are they sacrificing?”
“You mean who?”
Lindsey felt the blood drain from his face and his stomach lurch. “Sir?”
Holland burst out laughing. “Relax Lindsey,” he said. “I’m joking. You take everything way too seriously.” Pointing his index finger at Lindsey, Holland got a serious look on his face. “I mean it, son. You’re uptight. You need to relax if you’re going to make it very far here at Wolfram and Hart. And to answer your question, it’s probably a goat.”
“Yes, sir.” Lindsey cleared his throat and made fists to try and keep his hands from shaking. He knew he had to be as white as a sheet, and he was grateful that the darkness of night was hiding some of his discomfort.
When he saw the driver climb into the front seat, Lindsey’s stomach started to do somersaults and handsprings. A small part of him had hoped that the driver would dawdle long enough for them to miss out on the ceremony.
Glancing into the backseat, the driver said, “You ready to go gentlemen?”
“We’ve been ready,” Holland grumbled. “Let’s get there before the whole thing is over, huh?” Turning back to Lindsey, he whispered, “Oh, listen. I wanted to tell you not to stand too close. Sometimes there’s splatter. Just stand where I do.”
Lindsey swallowed and kept his eyes forward. “Yes, sir.”
Holland settled back in his seat and nudged Lindsey with his elbow. “You know, Lindsey, I remember my first ritual sacrifice. I made the mistake of eating beforehand, and well… let’s just say I got ribbed for a while over that one.”
“Yes, sir. I guess you would.”
“You didn’t eat, did you?”
“No sir.” In fact, he hadn’t eaten a thing since lunch. He’d been halfway through a turkey sandwich when Holland had sidled up to his table and had told him not to make any plans that evening, because they had a “significant function” to attend. It hadn’t taken Lindsey long to get wind of what exactly that function was going to entail.
Once they were on the road, Holland fished a pack of gum out of his pocket. Holding it out to Lindsey, he said, “Take a piece. You know why I brought you along tonight, Lindsey?”
Lindsey reached out, snatched a piece of peppermint gum, and popped it into his mouth. “No, sir,” he said. “I was wondering, though.”
“You’re my best and brightest, Lindsey. Now I don’t want to you let that go to your head, because you still have a lot of hard work ahead of you. But… you have what it takes. And the time has come for you to be a little more involved in the bigger picture.”
“The bigger picture, sir?”
“Wolfram and Hart, as you know, has its hands in a lot of important places, and I think you’re ready to be a part of that.”
“Thank you sir. That means a lot.”
“Well, it should,” Holland said. He laid a hand on Lindsey’s shoulder. “I don’t back a lot of young lawyers, Lindsey. Hire them? Sure. Give them my full trust and support? Hardly ever. My bringing you here tonight is a statement of trust.”
For the first time tonight, Lindsey felt his stomach start to settle and his muscles start to unknot. “Thank you, sir,” he said. “Not a lot of people have shown this kind of confidence in me.”
“Then they’re idiots.”
When the car finally pulled to a stop, both the men climbed out into a small patch of blacktop in front of what appeared to be a warehouse. Lindsey looked over at Holland for some direction.
Holland smiled warmly at him and gestured for Lindsey to follow him toward the door of the warehouse. “I think this’ll be good for you,” he said. “It’ll give you a chance to network a little bit. Make some connections.”
As they approached a tall, striking man with white-blonde hair that Lindsey knew as “Mr. Crenshaw,” Holland reached out a hand and flashed a grin. “How you doing, Greg? I wasn’t sure you’d make it tonight.”
Mr. Crenshaw vigorously shook Holland’s hand. “Well, the wife has the book club tonight, so she can’t complain that I’m working late. I usually have to fend for myself on book club night..”
“Hey, you’ll have to have her call my wife. She’s been thinking about a book club for a while.”
“I’ll do that,” Mr. Crenshaw said with a smile. “Ellen is always looking for new members.”
“Listen, Greg,” Holland said. “I wanted you to meet someone.” He motioned toward Lindsey like a proud father. “This is Lindsey McDonald.”
Greg broke into a grin. “So, you’re Holland’s golden boy from Hastings. I’ve heard good things about you.”
Lindsey smiled and firmly shook Mr. Crenshaw’s hand. “Thank you, sir.”
Holland smacked Greg on the arm. “It’s Lindsey’s first ritual sacrifice.”
“Ah,” Mr. Crenshaw said knowingly. “That must be why you look off-color. You didn’t eat did you? You don’t want to eat before these things. Did old Holland here tell you what happened at his first one?”
“Come on, Greg,” Holland said with a grin. “Haven’t I been ribbed enough about that one? Oh, hey, since this is Lindsey’s first real function as a proper lawyer for the firm, why don’t we take him out for drinks afterward?”
Mr. Crenshaw nodded. “That’s a damn fine idea, Holland. I’ll let Bill and Charlie know, and we’ll make an evening of it.”
"Sounds good."
As Mr. Crenshaw disappeared into the warehouse, Holland, grabbed Lindsey by the wrist. “I think you made a good impression on Greg,” he whispered. “And believe me, that’s hard to do with Gregory Crenshaw. You’re going to be all right tonight, Lindsey.”
“Yes, sir,” Lindsey said with growing confidence. “I think I will.”
Master Fic List
Name: sheryden
Fandom(s): Angel
Word count: 1356
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Prompt: "Change"
Summary: Holland Manners takes Lindsey to his first significant function as a lawyer at Wolfram and Hart.
Author’s Notes: This was written as part of my whedonland Big Bang. My theme is Lindsey McDonald.
“It’s all right to be nervous, you know. The first one’s always the hardest.”
Lindsey glanced over the top of the car at Holland Manners’ self-assured, almost fatherly smile and instinctively stood up a little straighter. “Yes, sir,” he managed to choke out. He glanced up at the darkening sky and groaned inwardly. Rain was starting to spit down on the little group from Wolfram and Hart as they stood there in the night waiting for their drivers.
Holland patted the roof of the car. “Let’s get inside, Lindsey. No use getting soaked out here.” Once they were in the vehicle, he clapped a hand on Lindsey’s shoulder. “It’s just you and me in this car. We don’t need to travel with the rest of the riff-raff.” He let out a hearty laugh, and Lindsey forced a smile in response.
Tugging on his seatbelt, Lindsey shifted in place, trying and failing to get comfortable. He wasn’t used to any of this-not the expensive suits, not the luxury cars. And certainly not the clandestine nighttime functions. Part of him feared that he was so far out of his element he would drown trying to fit in. The other part of him, though, breathed in the intoxicating smell of the car’s leather interior and wondered how he had gotten so lucky as to catch Holland Manners’ eye back at Hastings.
“So, Lindsey, do you have any questions about what’s going to happen tonight?”
Lindsey bit his bottom lip. “No, sir.”
“Well, you should,” Holland scolded. He scowled at Lindsey. “What kind of man goes into a new situation without asking questions?” Then his face softened. “It’s better that you know what to expect. There are going to be a lot of other people there, and you want to make a good impression.”
“Yes, sir.” Lindsey did have questions, but he wasn’t sure he wanted any of them answered. Since he’d gotten out of the mail room and into a position with a future, he’d tried to keep his head down. He knew he wasn’t privy everything that went on at Wolfram and Hart-though he’d heard unsettling rumors-but he wasn’t sure how much he wanted to know. He was a long way away from being innocent, but Lindsey had a feeling he was about to cross a threshold into a grim, forbidding world tonight. “What… what are they sacrificing?”
“You mean who?”
Lindsey felt the blood drain from his face and his stomach lurch. “Sir?”
Holland burst out laughing. “Relax Lindsey,” he said. “I’m joking. You take everything way too seriously.” Pointing his index finger at Lindsey, Holland got a serious look on his face. “I mean it, son. You’re uptight. You need to relax if you’re going to make it very far here at Wolfram and Hart. And to answer your question, it’s probably a goat.”
“Yes, sir.” Lindsey cleared his throat and made fists to try and keep his hands from shaking. He knew he had to be as white as a sheet, and he was grateful that the darkness of night was hiding some of his discomfort.
When he saw the driver climb into the front seat, Lindsey’s stomach started to do somersaults and handsprings. A small part of him had hoped that the driver would dawdle long enough for them to miss out on the ceremony.
Glancing into the backseat, the driver said, “You ready to go gentlemen?”
“We’ve been ready,” Holland grumbled. “Let’s get there before the whole thing is over, huh?” Turning back to Lindsey, he whispered, “Oh, listen. I wanted to tell you not to stand too close. Sometimes there’s splatter. Just stand where I do.”
Lindsey swallowed and kept his eyes forward. “Yes, sir.”
Holland settled back in his seat and nudged Lindsey with his elbow. “You know, Lindsey, I remember my first ritual sacrifice. I made the mistake of eating beforehand, and well… let’s just say I got ribbed for a while over that one.”
“Yes, sir. I guess you would.”
“You didn’t eat, did you?”
“No sir.” In fact, he hadn’t eaten a thing since lunch. He’d been halfway through a turkey sandwich when Holland had sidled up to his table and had told him not to make any plans that evening, because they had a “significant function” to attend. It hadn’t taken Lindsey long to get wind of what exactly that function was going to entail.
Once they were on the road, Holland fished a pack of gum out of his pocket. Holding it out to Lindsey, he said, “Take a piece. You know why I brought you along tonight, Lindsey?”
Lindsey reached out, snatched a piece of peppermint gum, and popped it into his mouth. “No, sir,” he said. “I was wondering, though.”
“You’re my best and brightest, Lindsey. Now I don’t want to you let that go to your head, because you still have a lot of hard work ahead of you. But… you have what it takes. And the time has come for you to be a little more involved in the bigger picture.”
“The bigger picture, sir?”
“Wolfram and Hart, as you know, has its hands in a lot of important places, and I think you’re ready to be a part of that.”
“Thank you sir. That means a lot.”
“Well, it should,” Holland said. He laid a hand on Lindsey’s shoulder. “I don’t back a lot of young lawyers, Lindsey. Hire them? Sure. Give them my full trust and support? Hardly ever. My bringing you here tonight is a statement of trust.”
For the first time tonight, Lindsey felt his stomach start to settle and his muscles start to unknot. “Thank you, sir,” he said. “Not a lot of people have shown this kind of confidence in me.”
“Then they’re idiots.”
When the car finally pulled to a stop, both the men climbed out into a small patch of blacktop in front of what appeared to be a warehouse. Lindsey looked over at Holland for some direction.
Holland smiled warmly at him and gestured for Lindsey to follow him toward the door of the warehouse. “I think this’ll be good for you,” he said. “It’ll give you a chance to network a little bit. Make some connections.”
As they approached a tall, striking man with white-blonde hair that Lindsey knew as “Mr. Crenshaw,” Holland reached out a hand and flashed a grin. “How you doing, Greg? I wasn’t sure you’d make it tonight.”
Mr. Crenshaw vigorously shook Holland’s hand. “Well, the wife has the book club tonight, so she can’t complain that I’m working late. I usually have to fend for myself on book club night..”
“Hey, you’ll have to have her call my wife. She’s been thinking about a book club for a while.”
“I’ll do that,” Mr. Crenshaw said with a smile. “Ellen is always looking for new members.”
“Listen, Greg,” Holland said. “I wanted you to meet someone.” He motioned toward Lindsey like a proud father. “This is Lindsey McDonald.”
Greg broke into a grin. “So, you’re Holland’s golden boy from Hastings. I’ve heard good things about you.”
Lindsey smiled and firmly shook Mr. Crenshaw’s hand. “Thank you, sir.”
Holland smacked Greg on the arm. “It’s Lindsey’s first ritual sacrifice.”
“Ah,” Mr. Crenshaw said knowingly. “That must be why you look off-color. You didn’t eat did you? You don’t want to eat before these things. Did old Holland here tell you what happened at his first one?”
“Come on, Greg,” Holland said with a grin. “Haven’t I been ribbed enough about that one? Oh, hey, since this is Lindsey’s first real function as a proper lawyer for the firm, why don’t we take him out for drinks afterward?”
Mr. Crenshaw nodded. “That’s a damn fine idea, Holland. I’ll let Bill and Charlie know, and we’ll make an evening of it.”
"Sounds good."
As Mr. Crenshaw disappeared into the warehouse, Holland, grabbed Lindsey by the wrist. “I think you made a good impression on Greg,” he whispered. “And believe me, that’s hard to do with Gregory Crenshaw. You’re going to be all right tonight, Lindsey.”
“Yes, sir,” Lindsey said with growing confidence. “I think I will.”
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