TITLE changes

AUTHOR ophelia

EMAIL ophelia_rd@yahoo.com

DISTRIBUTION do not take without permission

RATING m

PART 1/?

FEEDBACK yes please!!!

VISIT ME http://au.oocities.com/dra_gon_fly_er

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He was cold.

Make that nervous and cold.

He couldn't feel his feet and his tummy was doing the funny thing again.

He hadn't had anything to eat for close to a week and the days of crisp, clean suits were most definitely over.

In other words, he hated his life.

He'd had such vast plans after he'd left LA; turning his back on Wolfram and Hart.

His eyes drifted up toward the few, dimly lit windows of the neglected old building. The Hyperion - his hotel - Angel's hotel...

"Angel..." he whispered.

They hadn't parted on friendly terms. Although, he didn't think they were still enemies.

Lindsey buried his face in the heels of his hands.

He was lonely - lonely and cold.

After five months on the road with nowhere to go and nothing to look forward to, the young ex-lawyer was just about ready to crawl back to Wolfram & Hart - but only just.

The pay, the apartment, the expensive little sports car, the fridge stocked up with the finest of foods, the cupboard full of tailor-made quality suits...

"Angel..." the word slipped past his lips before he had a chance to bite it back.

"He's not here," uttered the voice of a young man.

"W-w-what???" Lindsey squeaked and then shot around as the firm, yet tired sounding, male voice answered the accidentally spoken question.

A frown on his face, Lindsey glanced at the exhausted looking young man. "Who the heck are you?" he snapped, his bottom lip sticking out in an involuntary pout.

"Sorry man, I didn't mean to sneak up on you." the boy grinned, ignoring Lindsey's immature display of temper and nerves. "Broody-vamp must have rubbed off on me," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Anyway, name's Riley," he said extending his right hand, "Riley Finn."

********

Riley Finn? Lindsey gave the boy a pensive look, searching his mind for something that said 'you know about this kid.'

'Nah, definitely not,' he finally decided when his brain continued draw a blank.

Although, he could be wrong since the only clear though his dull brain was sending was "run!"

He had to get away from here.

There was no way he wanted Angel to find out about his latest failure.

He closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds; his hear felt heavy and sad. He was pathetic - for some reason, he couldn't even run like the ordinary runaway. With a tired sigh, he leaned back against his car.

How could he get himself out of this? Especially now, with the young Flash Gordon watching him with eagle eyes.

"Well, nice to meet you, Mr. Finn," Lindsey eventually managed to croak as he slowly began moving toward the car door.

Glancing up from his intended target, the handle, to the blonde giant, all Lindsey saw was confusion and puzzlement. That was the advantage he needed to make his escape. With a brief nod he opened the driver's door and slid behind the wheel.

"Lindsey?" Riley whispered.

The soft, almost inaudible word came close to making the former lawyer loose his impassive mask. His eyebrows rose and he opened his mouth as if to speak but no words came from his pouty lips.

Who was Riley Finn? More importantly, how could he recognize Lindsey?

For a couple of seconds Lindsey could only stare, his mind racing in circles, only one thought emerging from the blur; run!

He jumped when a warm, comforting hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Don't do this to yourself." Riley said quietly.

Duh-hu??? Lindsey's head shot up.

"If you are who I think you are, you have no idea how hard he's been trying to get a hold of you," Riley continued.

'Yeah right, pull that other one!' Lindsey let out a joyless laugh.

"Things have changed, he's changed - a lot - since you left," Riley said persuasively.

"How would you know?" The older man shot back, his voice filled with hurt and despair. His teeth came close to piercing his bottom lip, as he involuntarily reached for his injured hand, cradling it.

It still hurt, even now, after all this time.

How could Angel have done it?

"Out of the blue Lindsey felt tears well up in his eyes as he started to cry, he could see the sympathy and surprise in the younger man's eyes."

"C'mon, Lin, lets get you inside," Riley said gently.

For a fleeting second, the boy's surprisingly gentle fingers brushed along Lindsey's wet, tear-stained cheek.

"Stop running." The comforting fingers slid down the length of his arm and eventually curled around his cold shaking hand. "Just stay and give him a chance to explain," Riley whispered.

***



Part 2