Lindsey McDonald (morallydamaged) wrote in parabolical, @ 2009-01-19 11:35:00 |
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Entry tags: | lindsey mcdonald, narrative |
Who: Lindsey McDonald
What: The Dream Scheme is stepped up.
When: January 19th, early afternoon
Where: Apartment
Rating: PG-13
Status: Complete, narrative
People were bitching at each other on the boards, clowns were inciting riots in the park, people were getting possessed again. All manner of crazy was coming down again on the city (not that it ever left) and he couldn't have given less of a damn if he tried. The urge to mock and tear someone out verbally, especially the first group, had disappeared as fast as his second wind. There was no sleep to be had in the apartment as of late, not him and not Cathy, and even Lindsey's endurance was stretching to almost unbearable limits. He was used to the wear and tear but he had no idea how Cathy was keeping up with it. His main concern was to figure out what the hell was going on before she reached that snapping point.
Several books littered the island counter, giving the kitchen a faint library smell of old book and musty pages. The coffee maker was chugging away again and there was a stack of several caffinated teas and energy drinks beside the fridge, not to mention what was in the fridge. Sleep was the enemy, after all. Unfortunately, after an episode of heart flutters brought on by too much caffeine, so were the energy drinks.
Lindsey leaned against the counter, mug in his hands, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. Another full morning spent in the books and he was about as close to an answer as he was to finding a way out of his contract with Wolfram and Hart, the only exception being instead of finding no options, he had a few too many. A few had been knocked out by symptom but it still wasn't getting him closer to a solution as quick as he wanted. He was very close to marching into the firm and demanding to see Lilah. Of course, that wouldn't work out so well in his favor. He'd either end up dead, laughed at, or rehired.
So the latter might have been pushing it.
It took him a few minutes to realize he was no longer alone in the apartment and that the second person was not Cathy. He felt the glare right between his shoulders. As he started to ask who the hell it was, the person in question beat him to it, the voice sending a cold chill down his spine. "For someone who wants so badly to a power player, you sure as hell aren't trying real hard. What happened, Lindsey? Give up when the going got tough?"
He slammed the mug down hard enough for porcelain to crack and turned sharply to confront the speaker. Daniel McDonald, the man who was the root of Lindsey's paternal issues, sneered at his son from the doorway. Lindsey could have sworn he could smell the bourbon wafting off the dead drunk. "Son of a bitch," he snapped. "What ever happened to rest in peace?"
"Could ask you the same."
"Fuck you." It amazed and frustrated him at the same time how the man, even long gone, could turn him into a ten year old again just by existing in the same room. Daniel left the doorway and Lindsey quickly followed after, wondering just what the hell was up now. I'm going to kill whoever Lilah gave access to my personnel file. Right after I kill her. Daniel lifted a photo frame off the shelf, holding it up. It was the picture of him and Cathy from Sarah and Peter's wedding.
"All it takes is a little love and you go spineless." He clucked his tongue and Lindsey lunged to snatch the photograph away. His hand went right through Daniel's arm and he growled in annoyance. "What happened to the boy so devoted to screwing over the innocent that he couldn't even come to his own father's funeral? The one that manipulated people like they were chess pieces, took delight in winning and destroying people's lives?" He dropped the frame and glass shattered. "You don't deserve her, you know."
"What do you want?" Lindsey snapped each word, arms crossed tightly over his chest.
"You always had that temper. How long is it going to be before you lose it on her, Lindsey? Lash out because she said something wrong at the wrong time and give her a black eye, break her nose?" Daniel's eyes narrowed. "Or how long will it be before you betray her, and the others as well, just so you can get back that job you want so badly?" Lindsey clenched his jaw, trying not to rise to the bait. "You want it badly still. Quitting was a mistake, wasn't it?"
"No."
Daniel threw back his head and laughed. "Still as stubborn as ever. But you're making a mistake. I'd lay down money that one of the next people that shows up here will be Jamie Wellerstein. And you know what'll happen? She'll go back to him because she won't have to deal with his baggage. I feel bad for that poor woman." His prediction of the future was like a knife through his heart, one of the few vulnerable spots in the armor he'd built up since childhood. "You're not saying anything. Did I hit a nerve? Realizing that trying to love when you're not capable of it doesn't work?"
"You've been talking to Angel while you were in Hell, haven't you?"
Another dry laugh. "Couldn't say I have. Just popular opinion. Hate to admit it but you're a smart boy, Lindsey. Be pre-emptive, don't let her take away every single thing you've worked for. There's still time to take it all back and drop the what's holding you back before she drops you." And then he was standing in front of Lindsey. "Or maybe even worse." Quicker than he could see, Daniel snatched Lindsey's wrists and
-pain flooded his senses, every joint and muscle and inch of flesh crying out for relief as the stink of sulfur wreaked havoc on his sense of smell. Not again. He wasn't going to go through this again. Lindsey focused and threw himself backwards, trying to escape -
Lindsey slammed into the kitchen floor, the stool coming down on top of him as he slammed his knee into one of the cupboards during the awkward landing. Papers rained down over him as he went still, expecting to hear that voice mocking him again. It hadn't been his father. It was too damn smart, whatever it was. Just another fucked up dream.
He shoved the stool aside and sat up, his heart thundering in his chest. He was going to have to warn Cathy when she got home. And at that thought, the conversation came back to him. She'll go back to him. Would she? They'd never discussed her marriage in real depth and she never mentioned Jamie anymore. She wouldn't, right?
Shit.