Somewhere In Between - Chapter 3 [AtS]
Title: Somewhere In Between
Author: Nora [simply_shiny/remember_nomore]
Chapter: 3 of ?
Word Count: 1,161
Characters: Lilah, Lindsey, Tara, Wesley
Rating: R [Eventually]
Warning: It’s out of my brain… C’mon, what do you expect? Mild slash warning as well.
Fic Notes: AU. AU is an authors best friend. Things will become clear as the story goes on. Then again it's not that far off canon...
Authors Notes: I know I haven't updated this in a while and this chapter is a bit shorter than before but hopefully things will come into play easily for the future chapters. This is mostly a transition chapter.
Previous chapters found here
Blinking, Tara stood there after Lilah shoved her out of the office, wondering what was going on. There was a strange man in Lilah’s office and while it was obviously none of her business, if it in some way would affect Lindsey then it was. After thinking it over, she walked over to Harmony’s desk, taking a deep breath before sighing heavily. “Harmony?”
“Huh, yeah?” she said, looking up at Tara absentmindedly. “Did I miss my lunch break again?”
“No, I was um…” Pausing for a moment, she leaned over the desk to speak softer. “Who’s that in Lilah’s office?” Harmony looked at her blankly. “The English gentleman…”
Her eyes brightened. “Oh! Well that’s Wesley. He used to be a watcher or something in Sunnydale and then he left and became all growly - not like Angel though - and tried to strike out on his own. I think; at least that’s what Cordy told me.” Shrugging, Harmony turned back to her filing…of her nails.
Tara sighed and shook her head, knowing that was the best she was going to get out of the blonde. Without another word, she turned and headed down towards Lindsey’s office, noticing the office was still how she left it the night before, leading her to believe that Lindsey hadn’t come in yet.
“Strange,” she muttered, setting her files down on the side bar and headed over to the printer and pulled out the files she left to print the night before. With slow movements she punched legal holes in the top and started to sort them out, putting them in the right order. Tara moved behind Lindsey’s desk, sat in his chair, pulling the drawer open and pulling out a new file folder; with small writing she rewrote the case file number from memory and the defendant name last then first. “I don’t know his notes.” A sigh escaped Tara’s lips and she looked over the file pages, making sure that everything was there before closing it and leaving it on his desk.
The door opened and startled her thoughts; her nervous look turned into a smile when she saw him walk in wearing the same clothes he had on the day before. “Morning,” he murmured, dropping his briefcase down and walking over to her. Before she could react he kissed her slowly, his hands pressing either side of her face and keeping her flush to him. Tara kissed him back, her hands resting on his chest as she let herself get lost for a few moments before pushing back to breathe and unwillingly let real life fall back on the two of them. “Missed you,” his voice was breathy on her lips and she smiled softly.
“Me too.” She pulled back and looked up at him. “You didn’t come home; I was worried.” Tara hoped her tone wasn’t demanding or something he’d take as her being clingy.
Gently he touched her face and shook his head. “Drove the truck most of the night,” he lied, “I needed to breathe.”
“Oh.” Her heart sank and she pulled away, pushing down her feelings and going full on into work mode. “I had left you a note on your desk last night Mr. McDonald. Ms. Morgan had destroyed the Noyes file last night and I just finished the reprinting.” Tara tucked her hair behind her ear and continued. “It’s in a new folder marked with the case number; t-the only thing I couldn’t replace were the notes.”
“It’s okay,” he said, sighing as he moved to sit behind his desk, his fingers roughly going through his hair. “I know this case well enough.”
Tara smiled tensely and nodded, moving over to where she put the papers down and bringing Lindsey some new case files. “There are a few things here that need to be reviewed at some point today…oh, and um…”
Lindsey looked up from the case file on his desk, seeing Tara’s hesitation. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s a gentleman in Ms. Morgan’s office that was waiting when we arrived and…”
“I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about,” he interjected.
“His name is Wesley, Harmony said he used to be a watcher…” Lindsey stopped his work and felt a chill run up his spine; wondering if he was going to be betrayed yet again.
“Do you know what his business here is?”
“I don’t know, he said something about conditions…” Tara sighed and shook her head. “I’m s-sorry, Ms. Morgan pushed me out of the office…”
Lindsey schooled his face and nodded. “It’s alright, I’m sure it’s nothing. I have to go down there and have her sign off on a few files this morning anyway.” He smiled and stood from his chair, picking up a few files and walking over to Tara. “It’s fine, I need a few files faxed over to the Paris office and then maybe an early lunch?”
“Your usual?”
“Yes, please. And company.”
“As usual.”
“Thank you,” he said formally, touching her arm with the back of his hand as he made his way out of the office, trying to rid himself of that ‘kicked in the gut’ feeling he had.
*~*~*
The two of them stood across the desk from each other, their demeanors mirrored - arms crossed, near withering stare - in total silence. Wesley still stood behind Lilah’s desk while she stood on the other side.
“You said something about demands?”
“Yes.”
Lilah cocked her brow, waiting for Wesley to elaborate. “Need to shed some light on this, lover.” He was still stoic. “You’ve been around him too long,” she commented obviously referring to Angel. “I’m assuming you’re talking about the firm and not private demands…”
“Lilah.”
She sighed heavily and shook her head. “I can’t read minds.” Turning, she headed over to the bar tray, pouring herself a glass of scotch and then doing one for her guest. “A clue would be nice,” she commented as she handed him the glass across her desk.
Wesley opened his mouth again but the door to Lilah’s office opened without warning. The two of them turned and saw Lindsey standing there, his face impassive. “Nice of you to inform me of your meeting, Lilah.”
“It wasn’t something you needed to be informed of,” she snapped back, taking a sip of her drink. “Close the door on your way out.” It was obvious Lilah was dismissing him.
He snorted, not daring to look at Wesley in Lilah’s presence. “I needed you to sign these papers for the case we’re working on.” Lindsey’s tone was tense as he tossed the file on her desk; it landed in front of Wesley's drink. “Put that on my desk when you’re done. I’m taking the rest of the week off.” Rotating his jaw, Lindsey cast Wesley a look that couldn’t be read before turning and storming out of the office.
“Who knew he became such a wife…” Lilah shook her head, brushing off the very strange encounter they just had.
“Indeed.”
Author: Nora [simply_shiny/remember_nomore]
Chapter: 3 of ?
Word Count: 1,161
Characters: Lilah, Lindsey, Tara, Wesley
Rating: R [Eventually]
Warning: It’s out of my brain… C’mon, what do you expect? Mild slash warning as well.
Fic Notes: AU. AU is an authors best friend. Things will become clear as the story goes on. Then again it's not that far off canon...
Authors Notes: I know I haven't updated this in a while and this chapter is a bit shorter than before but hopefully things will come into play easily for the future chapters. This is mostly a transition chapter.
Previous chapters found here
Blinking, Tara stood there after Lilah shoved her out of the office, wondering what was going on. There was a strange man in Lilah’s office and while it was obviously none of her business, if it in some way would affect Lindsey then it was. After thinking it over, she walked over to Harmony’s desk, taking a deep breath before sighing heavily. “Harmony?”
“Huh, yeah?” she said, looking up at Tara absentmindedly. “Did I miss my lunch break again?”
“No, I was um…” Pausing for a moment, she leaned over the desk to speak softer. “Who’s that in Lilah’s office?” Harmony looked at her blankly. “The English gentleman…”
Her eyes brightened. “Oh! Well that’s Wesley. He used to be a watcher or something in Sunnydale and then he left and became all growly - not like Angel though - and tried to strike out on his own. I think; at least that’s what Cordy told me.” Shrugging, Harmony turned back to her filing…of her nails.
Tara sighed and shook her head, knowing that was the best she was going to get out of the blonde. Without another word, she turned and headed down towards Lindsey’s office, noticing the office was still how she left it the night before, leading her to believe that Lindsey hadn’t come in yet.
“Strange,” she muttered, setting her files down on the side bar and headed over to the printer and pulled out the files she left to print the night before. With slow movements she punched legal holes in the top and started to sort them out, putting them in the right order. Tara moved behind Lindsey’s desk, sat in his chair, pulling the drawer open and pulling out a new file folder; with small writing she rewrote the case file number from memory and the defendant name last then first. “I don’t know his notes.” A sigh escaped Tara’s lips and she looked over the file pages, making sure that everything was there before closing it and leaving it on his desk.
The door opened and startled her thoughts; her nervous look turned into a smile when she saw him walk in wearing the same clothes he had on the day before. “Morning,” he murmured, dropping his briefcase down and walking over to her. Before she could react he kissed her slowly, his hands pressing either side of her face and keeping her flush to him. Tara kissed him back, her hands resting on his chest as she let herself get lost for a few moments before pushing back to breathe and unwillingly let real life fall back on the two of them. “Missed you,” his voice was breathy on her lips and she smiled softly.
“Me too.” She pulled back and looked up at him. “You didn’t come home; I was worried.” Tara hoped her tone wasn’t demanding or something he’d take as her being clingy.
Gently he touched her face and shook his head. “Drove the truck most of the night,” he lied, “I needed to breathe.”
“Oh.” Her heart sank and she pulled away, pushing down her feelings and going full on into work mode. “I had left you a note on your desk last night Mr. McDonald. Ms. Morgan had destroyed the Noyes file last night and I just finished the reprinting.” Tara tucked her hair behind her ear and continued. “It’s in a new folder marked with the case number; t-the only thing I couldn’t replace were the notes.”
“It’s okay,” he said, sighing as he moved to sit behind his desk, his fingers roughly going through his hair. “I know this case well enough.”
Tara smiled tensely and nodded, moving over to where she put the papers down and bringing Lindsey some new case files. “There are a few things here that need to be reviewed at some point today…oh, and um…”
Lindsey looked up from the case file on his desk, seeing Tara’s hesitation. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s a gentleman in Ms. Morgan’s office that was waiting when we arrived and…”
“I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about,” he interjected.
“His name is Wesley, Harmony said he used to be a watcher…” Lindsey stopped his work and felt a chill run up his spine; wondering if he was going to be betrayed yet again.
“Do you know what his business here is?”
“I don’t know, he said something about conditions…” Tara sighed and shook her head. “I’m s-sorry, Ms. Morgan pushed me out of the office…”
Lindsey schooled his face and nodded. “It’s alright, I’m sure it’s nothing. I have to go down there and have her sign off on a few files this morning anyway.” He smiled and stood from his chair, picking up a few files and walking over to Tara. “It’s fine, I need a few files faxed over to the Paris office and then maybe an early lunch?”
“Your usual?”
“Yes, please. And company.”
“As usual.”
“Thank you,” he said formally, touching her arm with the back of his hand as he made his way out of the office, trying to rid himself of that ‘kicked in the gut’ feeling he had.
*~*~*
The two of them stood across the desk from each other, their demeanors mirrored - arms crossed, near withering stare - in total silence. Wesley still stood behind Lilah’s desk while she stood on the other side.
“You said something about demands?”
“Yes.”
Lilah cocked her brow, waiting for Wesley to elaborate. “Need to shed some light on this, lover.” He was still stoic. “You’ve been around him too long,” she commented obviously referring to Angel. “I’m assuming you’re talking about the firm and not private demands…”
“Lilah.”
She sighed heavily and shook her head. “I can’t read minds.” Turning, she headed over to the bar tray, pouring herself a glass of scotch and then doing one for her guest. “A clue would be nice,” she commented as she handed him the glass across her desk.
Wesley opened his mouth again but the door to Lilah’s office opened without warning. The two of them turned and saw Lindsey standing there, his face impassive. “Nice of you to inform me of your meeting, Lilah.”
“It wasn’t something you needed to be informed of,” she snapped back, taking a sip of her drink. “Close the door on your way out.” It was obvious Lilah was dismissing him.
He snorted, not daring to look at Wesley in Lilah’s presence. “I needed you to sign these papers for the case we’re working on.” Lindsey’s tone was tense as he tossed the file on her desk; it landed in front of Wesley's drink. “Put that on my desk when you’re done. I’m taking the rest of the week off.” Rotating his jaw, Lindsey cast Wesley a look that couldn’t be read before turning and storming out of the office.
“Who knew he became such a wife…” Lilah shook her head, brushing off the very strange encounter they just had.
“Indeed.”