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12/4/11 10:53![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
telarynTitle: Things Left Unsaid
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
telaryn
Word Count: 1006
Fandom: Leverage/AtS
Characters: Eliot, Lindsey
Rating: PG
Warnings: None really.
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Lindsey has a job for his favorite retrieval specialist, but is surprised to find out that he's not the only one interested in looking out for family.
Author's Note: Written for angst_bingo, for the prompt "restraints". The prompt ended up working on a lot of levels here - not just the physical restraints referenced in the story, but the emotional restraint the twins exercise in their dealings with each other.
I actually wrote this entire story out from Eliot's POV, but realized as soon as I was finished that the true emotional impact of the story rested with Lindsey.
Set pre-series for Leverage, and in between S4 and S5 of Angel. Hopefully I won't lose angst-points for references to Lindsey's attempted image change.
Revenge… He’d waited so long to taste the truth of it on his tongue. So many years, so much careful planning – so many pieces that he’d put in place since leaving Los Angeles – the plain fact of being this close to being able to set everything in motion was intoxicating.
Lindsey McDonald checked the clock behind the bar, and signaled the woman on duty. “MGD, sweetheart.”
The bartender nodded and moved to fill his request.
“Domestic, huh?” Almost as if on cue, the newcomer that had come up behind him moved into view – taking the stool to Lindsey's left. “That answers that question.”
Lindsey rolled his eyes and took a pull off his own beer. “I can't exactly write you off as a business expense anymore, Eliot.”
His twin favored the bartender with his second best smile, before tapping the neck of his bottle gently against Lindsey's. “But you can still ask your brother for a favor, huh?” Eliot blinked then, obviously registering Lindsey's ensemble for the first time.
He grinned, pivoting so the other man could get a better view. “Like it? It's the new me.”
Eliot was obviously dumbstruck as he checked out Lindsey’s new look. After carefully looking him over head to toe – including the worn and scuffed cowboy boots – Eliot finally shook his head and settled back onto his stool. “I want you to stop and consider what it really means when I say this may be the creepiest thing I've ever seen you do.”
“Creepy would have been if I’d actually raided your closet,” Lindsey countered.
That got him a smile, as he’d intended. “Point,” Eliot conceded. “So…what’s the job?”
“Retrieval,” Lindsey said, sliding a manila envelope across the bar into Eliot’s hands. “I’m going back to Los Angeles.” Eliot glanced quickly at him – Lindsey could tell his brother wasn’t happy with the news, but ever the professional he kept his opinions mercifully to himself.
“Vampire Slayer?” he asked instead, indicating the sheaf of papers he’d taken out of the envelope.
Lindsey nodded, trying not to mentally sketch in what he couldn’t see of the photo clipped to the top. “I know they’ve come up before, but I wasn’t sure how much you remembered so I included everything Wolfram & Hart had on the subject.”
“Enhanced physical attributes, but basically human,” Eliot observed, continuing to scan down the page. “All the standard vulnerabilities – just harder to apply in her case.” He paused then – his expression darkening.
“You want her alive? How negotiable is that?”
“Non,” Lindsey said, reaching down to pick up the briefcase he’d set on the floor. “Eliot, be serious – if I had any use for her dead, I’d hire a sniper and have done.” He passed the case over. “Don’t...don’t open it here,” he cautioned when Eliot set the case on the bar. “There’s a set of restraints inside – they’re enchanted specifically to be able to hold that Slayer. All you have to do is get them on her, and she should be completely controllable.”
Eliot was quiet for an uncomfortably long time. He’s thinking about it! Lindsey realized – stunned by the possibility that Eliot might refuse him.
“And then what?” his twin asked finally.
Lindsey knew his shock at the question was obvious. He swallowed, carefully considering his answer. “Eliot, I’m going after them. All of them – Wolfram & Hart, Angel, the whole mess. The plan is solid – all I’m missing is Faith. Get her for me, and I can take them all down in one shot.”
“How?” Eliot asked. Before Lindsey could respond, he set Faith’s picture on the bar. “You told me about her, Linds – what she did the last time your bosses tried to recruit her.” He set a hand on the briefcase. “You obviously don’t expect her to cooperate, so what happens after I bring her to you?”
All his life, Lindsey had tried to protect Eliot from the truth of his world; the things he’d done to gain them the power and prestige they’d always craved growing up. In his head he’d figured as long as one of them retained some vestige of a soul it didn’t matter how far into the darkness the other one had to venture.
He hadn’t counted on Eliot’s conscience tripping him up when it counted most. “Is it a problem if you don’t know?” he asked finally.
It clearly was – he could read it in every line of his brother’s face. “Okay,” he muttered, trying to cover how much the unexpected betrayal hurt by starting to gather everything back together. “Sorry to have bothered you.”
A hand covered his – quiet, steady power stopping him in place. “Let me help.”
He hadn’t thought Eliot could surprise him anymore. Lindsey turned to stare at his brother – eyes that were warmer than his, but still as familiar as looking in a mirror. “You need to stop trying to be me, Linds. Whatever you need from this girl, keep me in it. Let me help.”
Lindsey was only aware that he’d stopped breathing when his chest tightened in protest. He’s trying to protect me.
“I’m serious,” Eliot pressed, validating Lindsey’s new awareness of his twin. “You don’t want to take this step.”
He’d never expected this. Eliot suddenly trying to protect him from a darkness he’d embraced years ago. The one person on the planet whose opinion truly mattered to Lindsey – whose opinion had always mattered – believed there was still something in him worth saving. The knowledge was so incredible he suddenly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“It’s not your job to protect me,” he said finally, his voice thick with tears he would never willingly shed. “I’m the oldest. Doesn’t matter if it’s eight minutes or eighty years – it’s my job to watch out for you.” He glanced at the picture of Faith. “Do you want out? I won’t hold it against you.”
Eliot was quiet for a long moment, then shook his head. “I think you’re making a mistake, but whatever happens I’ve got your back.”
Author:
telarynWord Count: 1006
Fandom: Leverage/AtS
Characters: Eliot, Lindsey
Rating: PG
Warnings: None really.
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Lindsey has a job for his favorite retrieval specialist, but is surprised to find out that he's not the only one interested in looking out for family.
Author's Note: Written for angst_bingo, for the prompt "restraints". The prompt ended up working on a lot of levels here - not just the physical restraints referenced in the story, but the emotional restraint the twins exercise in their dealings with each other.
I actually wrote this entire story out from Eliot's POV, but realized as soon as I was finished that the true emotional impact of the story rested with Lindsey.
Set pre-series for Leverage, and in between S4 and S5 of Angel. Hopefully I won't lose angst-points for references to Lindsey's attempted image change.
Revenge… He’d waited so long to taste the truth of it on his tongue. So many years, so much careful planning – so many pieces that he’d put in place since leaving Los Angeles – the plain fact of being this close to being able to set everything in motion was intoxicating.
Lindsey McDonald checked the clock behind the bar, and signaled the woman on duty. “MGD, sweetheart.”
The bartender nodded and moved to fill his request.
“Domestic, huh?” Almost as if on cue, the newcomer that had come up behind him moved into view – taking the stool to Lindsey's left. “That answers that question.”
Lindsey rolled his eyes and took a pull off his own beer. “I can't exactly write you off as a business expense anymore, Eliot.”
His twin favored the bartender with his second best smile, before tapping the neck of his bottle gently against Lindsey's. “But you can still ask your brother for a favor, huh?” Eliot blinked then, obviously registering Lindsey's ensemble for the first time.
He grinned, pivoting so the other man could get a better view. “Like it? It's the new me.”
Eliot was obviously dumbstruck as he checked out Lindsey’s new look. After carefully looking him over head to toe – including the worn and scuffed cowboy boots – Eliot finally shook his head and settled back onto his stool. “I want you to stop and consider what it really means when I say this may be the creepiest thing I've ever seen you do.”
“Creepy would have been if I’d actually raided your closet,” Lindsey countered.
That got him a smile, as he’d intended. “Point,” Eliot conceded. “So…what’s the job?”
“Retrieval,” Lindsey said, sliding a manila envelope across the bar into Eliot’s hands. “I’m going back to Los Angeles.” Eliot glanced quickly at him – Lindsey could tell his brother wasn’t happy with the news, but ever the professional he kept his opinions mercifully to himself.
“Vampire Slayer?” he asked instead, indicating the sheaf of papers he’d taken out of the envelope.
Lindsey nodded, trying not to mentally sketch in what he couldn’t see of the photo clipped to the top. “I know they’ve come up before, but I wasn’t sure how much you remembered so I included everything Wolfram & Hart had on the subject.”
“Enhanced physical attributes, but basically human,” Eliot observed, continuing to scan down the page. “All the standard vulnerabilities – just harder to apply in her case.” He paused then – his expression darkening.
“You want her alive? How negotiable is that?”
“Non,” Lindsey said, reaching down to pick up the briefcase he’d set on the floor. “Eliot, be serious – if I had any use for her dead, I’d hire a sniper and have done.” He passed the case over. “Don’t...don’t open it here,” he cautioned when Eliot set the case on the bar. “There’s a set of restraints inside – they’re enchanted specifically to be able to hold that Slayer. All you have to do is get them on her, and she should be completely controllable.”
Eliot was quiet for an uncomfortably long time. He’s thinking about it! Lindsey realized – stunned by the possibility that Eliot might refuse him.
“And then what?” his twin asked finally.
Lindsey knew his shock at the question was obvious. He swallowed, carefully considering his answer. “Eliot, I’m going after them. All of them – Wolfram & Hart, Angel, the whole mess. The plan is solid – all I’m missing is Faith. Get her for me, and I can take them all down in one shot.”
“How?” Eliot asked. Before Lindsey could respond, he set Faith’s picture on the bar. “You told me about her, Linds – what she did the last time your bosses tried to recruit her.” He set a hand on the briefcase. “You obviously don’t expect her to cooperate, so what happens after I bring her to you?”
All his life, Lindsey had tried to protect Eliot from the truth of his world; the things he’d done to gain them the power and prestige they’d always craved growing up. In his head he’d figured as long as one of them retained some vestige of a soul it didn’t matter how far into the darkness the other one had to venture.
He hadn’t counted on Eliot’s conscience tripping him up when it counted most. “Is it a problem if you don’t know?” he asked finally.
It clearly was – he could read it in every line of his brother’s face. “Okay,” he muttered, trying to cover how much the unexpected betrayal hurt by starting to gather everything back together. “Sorry to have bothered you.”
A hand covered his – quiet, steady power stopping him in place. “Let me help.”
He hadn’t thought Eliot could surprise him anymore. Lindsey turned to stare at his brother – eyes that were warmer than his, but still as familiar as looking in a mirror. “You need to stop trying to be me, Linds. Whatever you need from this girl, keep me in it. Let me help.”
Lindsey was only aware that he’d stopped breathing when his chest tightened in protest. He’s trying to protect me.
“I’m serious,” Eliot pressed, validating Lindsey’s new awareness of his twin. “You don’t want to take this step.”
He’d never expected this. Eliot suddenly trying to protect him from a darkness he’d embraced years ago. The one person on the planet whose opinion truly mattered to Lindsey – whose opinion had always mattered – believed there was still something in him worth saving. The knowledge was so incredible he suddenly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“It’s not your job to protect me,” he said finally, his voice thick with tears he would never willingly shed. “I’m the oldest. Doesn’t matter if it’s eight minutes or eighty years – it’s my job to watch out for you.” He glanced at the picture of Faith. “Do you want out? I won’t hold it against you.”
Eliot was quiet for a long moment, then shook his head. “I think you’re making a mistake, but whatever happens I’ve got your back.”
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(no subject)
12/4/11 14:59 (UTC)(no subject)
12/4/11 15:50 (UTC)(no subject)
12/4/11 15:31 (UTC)(no subject)
12/4/11 15:49 (UTC)Glad you liked it!
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12/4/11 16:11 (UTC)I'll show you where I'm hiding my current projects?
*hands you an entire carton of eggs*
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12/4/11 15:56 (UTC)(no subject)
13/4/11 11:26 (UTC)(no subject)
13/4/11 20:36 (UTC)