[everyfiveyears - Lindsey McDonald] Age 5 - Don't Matter at All
Title: Don’t Matter at All
Author: Nora [remember_nomore/simply_shiny]
Fandom: Angel the Series
Character: Lindsey McDonald
Character’s Age: 5
Other Parts: [Found Here]
Word Count: 1185
Rating: G/PG
Warnings: None
Beta: The now deceased *giggle* strangecreature
Author's Notes: This is my first pure attempt at writing our favorite lawyer. We never really knew what happened when he was younger so I took a few liberties. I hope you all enjoy. Written for everyfiveyears. This fic is pure adorableness.
Don’t Matter at All
“Hey! Get off’a me! Lemme out!” he yelled, hollering at the top of his lungs, using his fists to beat on the top of the laundry hamper. Lindsey could hear his brother’s laughter as he struggled. “I’m gonna tell mamma.” He set his jaw, angry and determined not to cry.
“Nuh-uh,” Harold taunted, kicking his feet against the hamper and flipping over his comic book like it was any other day. “Not ‘till you tell me where they hid the Christmas pr-”
His words were cut off when their mother walked into the makeshift laundry room. “What are you boys doing?” Leah McDonald scanned over the room and pressed her lips together, crossing her arms over her chest. “Harold, let your brother out this instant.” Her tone was sharp, something she never did. Harold's eyes got wide before he jumped down from the hamper lid and running outside to read his comic in the barn.
“Mamma?” Lindsey pushed the lid open and peaked out at her, looking up when she walked over and pulled the lid all the way off, letting it fall to the ground. “He was bein’ mean to me again.” Lindsey’s voice was soft and quiet as he raised his arms up, letting her pick him up and carry him into the living room to sit in her small sewing corner.
“It’s alright. You know he was just playin’ and didn’t mean nothing by it.” She soothingly ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead, watching as his hair fell back into his dirt-streaked face. “Do you wanna go out and play?”
Lindsey shook his head hard, slipping down off his mother’s lap and sitting on the floor, pulling out the pieces of fabric she was working on. He tipped his head to the side and pointed to a small piece of stitched material studying the pattern he knew he was familiar with. “Mamma?”
The older woman looked up from her pattern box and smiled. “Yes, baby?”
“Isn’t this one’a my shirts?” He looked up at her, the sun peaking through the window making Lindsey’s bright blue eyes sparkle. “Why’d you go and do that for? The rest of it’s gone.”
Leah laughed and moved the box from her lap, slipping down onto the floor next to her son. “You weren’t supposed to go snooping in there, Lindsey.” She picked the stitched material and unfolded it over her lap revealing a patchwork of what would look like scraps of material to anyone else, but she knew the story behind all of them.
Lindsey got up on his knees and looked down at it, his small fingers moving over the stitches before pointing out different patches. “This was Anna’s, wasn’t it?” He grinned and looked up at her, hoping he got it right like he was being quizzed. Lindsey’s mother nodded and brushed his hair off his face again; watching as he went over and started picking out the ones he knew were his.
“Now you don’t go and tell nobody ‘bout this, alright?” She leaned down so her face was level with his. “It’ll be our little secret.” Lindsey’s blue eyes met his mothers even bluer ones.
Nodding his head he pressed his finger to his lips. “Shh.” Grinning he did the same when he pressed his finger against his mothers lips, his eyes sparkling before he heard a honking noise outside. “Grandpa!”
Laughing, his mother kissed Lindsey’s forehead, helping him to his feet and fixing his overalls. “Go on, but stay outta the road.” He was out the door before she could even finish her words. Shifting so she leaned her back against the wall, Leah pulled out the paper bag that was filled with the clothes that the children had long since grown out of. Some items were hers and their father’s as well.
She pulled the scraps of material out of the bag and started to work on her secret project, knowing she only had three more days till Christmas. Her heart ached when she thought about their father being out of town looking for work - again - and it made her sad when she looked over at the poorly decorated house. She always wanted more for them and she wished she could give it.
******
Three days later, Lindsey was up before the sun even thought to come up, his eyes darting around the room and glancing to the door at every sound he heard. He knew that it was Christmas, but he knew better than to head down stairs before everyone else.
About an hour later he slipped out of bed, his toes cold as they hit the warped floorboards of the room he shared with his brothers. Moving quietly, he passed his sister’s room and headed towards his parents room, slipping through the door and looking up at the half empty bed.
“Mamma.” His voice was a quiet whisper as he climbed into his parents bed on his fathers empty side of the bed. “Mamma.” Lindsey reached out and tugged his mother’s shoulder, not seeing the small smile on her face before she turned over and started tickling him.
“I’m gonna get you.” He squealed with laughter, his feet kicking up as she tickled his ribs, his arms getting tangled up in the ratty blanket that covered the bed.
She pulled him into a tight hug, kissing his temple and lifted him into her arms. “C’mon, let’s head down stairs. I’ll make breakfast and we’ll open presents…”
Grinning brightly, he nodded, giggling and jumping out of bed, pulling her blankets away. Lindsey reached for her hand to pull her down stairs, anxious to see what was there.
By the time they got downstairs, the room was already filled with laughter; the crinkling of brown paper and the sight of his older brother and younger sisters shaking the packages with their names on them. “Go on,” Leah whispered to Lindsey, grinning as he took off and hurried to the one package sitting under the small almost-bare tree.
Lindsey grinned when he saw his name written on it in big bright red crayon, pulling the ends where the twine was as not to rip the paper or his name. Dropping the string onto the floor he shook the bag and out poured the softest material he’d ever felt. A bright smile lit up his face when he saw that it was his ‘secret’ he had with mamma.
Looking up he saw that everyone had the same thing, but each seemed to be different. It was almost as if they all had a piece of each other. He looked down and studied the patches, noticing a part of his baby blanket stitched in the right corner. A patch of his mother’s lavender flowered dress was even there.
He wrapped it around his shoulders and padded over the cold floor to his mother in the kitchen. “Thank you, mamma.” He grinned up at her and wrapped his arms around her thigh, hugging her close. That was enough to make her realize that maybe they weren’t so poor after all.
Author: Nora [remember_nomore/simply_shiny]
Fandom: Angel the Series
Character: Lindsey McDonald
Character’s Age: 5
Other Parts: [Found Here]
Word Count: 1185
Rating: G/PG
Warnings: None
Beta: The now deceased *giggle* strangecreature
Author's Notes: This is my first pure attempt at writing our favorite lawyer. We never really knew what happened when he was younger so I took a few liberties. I hope you all enjoy. Written for everyfiveyears. This fic is pure adorableness.
Don’t Matter at All
“Hey! Get off’a me! Lemme out!” he yelled, hollering at the top of his lungs, using his fists to beat on the top of the laundry hamper. Lindsey could hear his brother’s laughter as he struggled. “I’m gonna tell mamma.” He set his jaw, angry and determined not to cry.
“Nuh-uh,” Harold taunted, kicking his feet against the hamper and flipping over his comic book like it was any other day. “Not ‘till you tell me where they hid the Christmas pr-”
His words were cut off when their mother walked into the makeshift laundry room. “What are you boys doing?” Leah McDonald scanned over the room and pressed her lips together, crossing her arms over her chest. “Harold, let your brother out this instant.” Her tone was sharp, something she never did. Harold's eyes got wide before he jumped down from the hamper lid and running outside to read his comic in the barn.
“Mamma?” Lindsey pushed the lid open and peaked out at her, looking up when she walked over and pulled the lid all the way off, letting it fall to the ground. “He was bein’ mean to me again.” Lindsey’s voice was soft and quiet as he raised his arms up, letting her pick him up and carry him into the living room to sit in her small sewing corner.
“It’s alright. You know he was just playin’ and didn’t mean nothing by it.” She soothingly ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead, watching as his hair fell back into his dirt-streaked face. “Do you wanna go out and play?”
Lindsey shook his head hard, slipping down off his mother’s lap and sitting on the floor, pulling out the pieces of fabric she was working on. He tipped his head to the side and pointed to a small piece of stitched material studying the pattern he knew he was familiar with. “Mamma?”
The older woman looked up from her pattern box and smiled. “Yes, baby?”
“Isn’t this one’a my shirts?” He looked up at her, the sun peaking through the window making Lindsey’s bright blue eyes sparkle. “Why’d you go and do that for? The rest of it’s gone.”
Leah laughed and moved the box from her lap, slipping down onto the floor next to her son. “You weren’t supposed to go snooping in there, Lindsey.” She picked the stitched material and unfolded it over her lap revealing a patchwork of what would look like scraps of material to anyone else, but she knew the story behind all of them.
Lindsey got up on his knees and looked down at it, his small fingers moving over the stitches before pointing out different patches. “This was Anna’s, wasn’t it?” He grinned and looked up at her, hoping he got it right like he was being quizzed. Lindsey’s mother nodded and brushed his hair off his face again; watching as he went over and started picking out the ones he knew were his.
“Now you don’t go and tell nobody ‘bout this, alright?” She leaned down so her face was level with his. “It’ll be our little secret.” Lindsey’s blue eyes met his mothers even bluer ones.
Nodding his head he pressed his finger to his lips. “Shh.” Grinning he did the same when he pressed his finger against his mothers lips, his eyes sparkling before he heard a honking noise outside. “Grandpa!”
Laughing, his mother kissed Lindsey’s forehead, helping him to his feet and fixing his overalls. “Go on, but stay outta the road.” He was out the door before she could even finish her words. Shifting so she leaned her back against the wall, Leah pulled out the paper bag that was filled with the clothes that the children had long since grown out of. Some items were hers and their father’s as well.
She pulled the scraps of material out of the bag and started to work on her secret project, knowing she only had three more days till Christmas. Her heart ached when she thought about their father being out of town looking for work - again - and it made her sad when she looked over at the poorly decorated house. She always wanted more for them and she wished she could give it.
******
Three days later, Lindsey was up before the sun even thought to come up, his eyes darting around the room and glancing to the door at every sound he heard. He knew that it was Christmas, but he knew better than to head down stairs before everyone else.
About an hour later he slipped out of bed, his toes cold as they hit the warped floorboards of the room he shared with his brothers. Moving quietly, he passed his sister’s room and headed towards his parents room, slipping through the door and looking up at the half empty bed.
“Mamma.” His voice was a quiet whisper as he climbed into his parents bed on his fathers empty side of the bed. “Mamma.” Lindsey reached out and tugged his mother’s shoulder, not seeing the small smile on her face before she turned over and started tickling him.
“I’m gonna get you.” He squealed with laughter, his feet kicking up as she tickled his ribs, his arms getting tangled up in the ratty blanket that covered the bed.
She pulled him into a tight hug, kissing his temple and lifted him into her arms. “C’mon, let’s head down stairs. I’ll make breakfast and we’ll open presents…”
Grinning brightly, he nodded, giggling and jumping out of bed, pulling her blankets away. Lindsey reached for her hand to pull her down stairs, anxious to see what was there.
By the time they got downstairs, the room was already filled with laughter; the crinkling of brown paper and the sight of his older brother and younger sisters shaking the packages with their names on them. “Go on,” Leah whispered to Lindsey, grinning as he took off and hurried to the one package sitting under the small almost-bare tree.
Lindsey grinned when he saw his name written on it in big bright red crayon, pulling the ends where the twine was as not to rip the paper or his name. Dropping the string onto the floor he shook the bag and out poured the softest material he’d ever felt. A bright smile lit up his face when he saw that it was his ‘secret’ he had with mamma.
Looking up he saw that everyone had the same thing, but each seemed to be different. It was almost as if they all had a piece of each other. He looked down and studied the patches, noticing a part of his baby blanket stitched in the right corner. A patch of his mother’s lavender flowered dress was even there.
He wrapped it around his shoulders and padded over the cold floor to his mother in the kitchen. “Thank you, mamma.” He grinned up at her and wrapped his arms around her thigh, hugging her close. That was enough to make her realize that maybe they weren’t so poor after all.