AN-Takes place a few months after the series finale. Obviously, Lindsay is alive. I was sad when Lorne killed him.
After killing the Black Thorn, Angel's former team was no more. Wesley was dead. Gun had made it to the alley, but didn't last long after that. He bled out in a matter of minutes, taking out as much evil as he could on the way. Lorne was gone. Angel had no idea where he was, but he knew he would never see him again. Illyria was somewhere out there. She had stuck with them for a few weeks, but she went off on her own, to 'cause much pain'. So it was just the two vampires and Lindsay for the past three months. Nights spent killing any evil the could and days spent hiding in the basement of an abandoned building where they had set up base.
Angel had told Spike and Lindsay to stay put until he was healed. It was too dangerous for them not to go out as a team. Angel had nearly been riped to shreds earlier that morning by some monster they had never seen before when they had been out fighting the good fight.
"Come on, then. There's no bloody point in us waiting around for the boss man to get all better. We've people to save, monsters to kill" Spike said as he pulled on his trench coat.
"Angel's not going to agree to that" Lindsay replied, not moving from his spot in the corner of the poorly lit and sparsely furnished room.
"And that's precisely why we don't tell him" Spike said, "Look, I know Angel never wants us to go out alone and all that, but we'll be fine. We're big boys, after all. He worries too much"
"I could use a change of scenery" Lindsay said as he stood. It was clean enough for a ramshackle basement. They even had an old couch and a must cot. There were weapons and other random things they had scavenged taking up most of the space in the room and the light from all the candles gave it a sort of cave-like feel.
"It's settled then. We'll just slip out for a few rounds of kill the baddie and be back before Angel even knows we're gone" Spike smiled triumphantly.
"And what if he does notice we're gone?" Lindsay questioned. He didn't want to push Angel's buttons. He was grateful that he wasn't alone in this hell, even if his only company was two vamps he wasn't very fond of.
"The usual, I'm sure. He'll get his knickers in a twist, maybe throw someone against the wall, and try to order us not to do it again" Spike shrugged, not looking too worried.
Lindsay's only response was to raise his eyebrows.
"Oh, come one. Don't be such a girl. It's not like he'll kill you or something. We're the only ones he has left" Spike reassured.
"Fine, but we have to be quick" Lindsay agreed. There was only so much staring at a wall one could take.
Spike grinned, "That's my boy!"
"SPIKE!" Lindsay screamed. Whatever the monsters they'd encountered were, they clearly were the violent sort. They had stopped two of the alien-looking things from attacking what they thought was a human, but it had been a trap, and they were ambushed. Spike was holding his own, but Lindsay was pinned down, literally. Two of the creatures had him on the ground, while a third held a very large, very sharp looking knife to his throat. He had a sinking feeling that they planned to add his head to the row of decapitated heads on spikes around what must have been their new home.
"A little busy here!" Spike yell back, punching and kicking and slashing. He had already taken five of the bastards down, but they just kept coming.
Lindsay was trying with all his strength to fight, but he couldn't move an inch. He closed his eyes, thinking this was how it all ended. He felt the blade on his skin, and a small trickle of blood slide down his neck. They were going to take their time, then.
Suddenly, the strong hands that had been holding him were gone, and he herd the sickening sound of a bones cracking. He opened his eyes, and saw Angel surrounded by baddies. Angel managed to kill a small cluster of them before joining Spike to finish them off. Lindsay didn't move from his place on the cold damp pavement.
Angel looked furious as he walked back to Lindsay and practically hauled him off the ground. He shot him a look that could kill before he turned and took off down the alley.
"Come on! We need to get out of here before the damn calvary arrives" Spike yelled, pulling on Lindsay arm. He ran behind the two vampires, occasionally feeling at his neck, making sure it had stopped bleeding and wondering if Angel planned on making him bleed more.
"What the hell were you two thinking?" Angel yelled when they were safely back to their basement, and Lindsay actually flinched. He knew it was a bad idea before he and Spike even left, and now Angel was probably going to kick him out, and then he'd really be alone, if not dead. He wouldn't leave Spike, he liked him better, and at least Spike would be able to protect himself.
"Oh don't get so upset, Peaches. Everyone's alive" Spike said nonchalantly. Angel grabbed him by the collar of his coat and shoved him against the wall, his feet barely touching the floor.
"Lindsay was two seconds away from losing his head!" Angel yelled. He released Spike and turned his back to the pair. He ran his hand through his short dark hair and sighed.
"I told you it wasn't safe. You can't go out there alone" Angel said, sounding less angry but his voice still boomed of the walls.
"Just because the human got himself into trouble doesn't mean I can't keep myself safe. You're not the boss anymore, you know" Spike said. Angel turned back to him and grabbed the smaller vampire by the arm. He tucked Spike under his arm and brought his hand down hard on his backside.
"What the hell Angel?" Spike yelled, sounding annoyed, but not surprised. He grunted when Angel smacked him again. He tried to pull away from Angel, but even in his injured state, Angel still overpowered the younger vampire. Angel didn't say anything as he continued to spank him. He could see Lindsay still standing against the wall, eyes wide.
"Angel, ok! Stop!" Spike yelled. He was able to handle the pain but he was embarrassed that Lindsay was witnessing his grandsire disciplining him. Angel landed a few more hard swats before letting Spike stand.
Angel grabbed his arm roughly and growled into his ear. "I am still the boss here, Spike, understand?"
"Yes" Spike mumbled. As much as he had tried to see Angel as his equal, there was always a part of him that wanted Angel to be in charge. It was what he was used to, and it made him feel safe. Angel, satisfied that Spike had been sufficiently reminded of how their relationship worked, released Spike.
"Your room, Spike" Angel ordered. Spike flushed again, but obeyed, mumbling as he went. Spike's 'room' was more of utility room at the back of the basement. There was just enough space for a mattress and all of the booze Spike had managed to pilfer. He had claimed the space as his as soon as they decided that there were going to stay there, claiming he needed his privacy.
Angel turned back to Lindsay, who looked more scared now than he did when he was about to get decapitated.
"Come here, Lindsay" Angel said calmly. The light from the candles was making Angel's usually brooding face look menacing.
"What? No! No way in hell, Angel!"Lindsay yelled. He tried to back away, but Angel grabbed him. The smaller man tried to fight off the vampire, but Angel pulled him to the couch and maneuvered him over his lap.
"We have rules for a reason, Lindsay" Angel said as he easily subdued the man.
"Get the hell off of me!" He screamed, near hysteric, "Why are you doing this?" Lindsay continued to yell. Whatever way he chose to deal with his fellow vampire was his own business, but there was no way he was going to get spanked. It was ridiculous. He hadn't been spanked since he was a teenager.
Angel brought his hand down hard and fast, making Lindsay struggle harder. He stopped after less than twenty smacks when he felt Lindsay trembling.
"Listen to me" Angel said sternly as he pinned Lindsay on his lap, "calm down" Lindsay was crying now, surprising Angel.
"Please don't, Angel! I'll leave, okay?" Lindsay sobbed into the couch cushion. He didn't know why he was crying. LA was now a hell dimension, he was nearly killed, and life in general sucked but he hadn't cried over any of that. He was pretty good at dealing with all forms of pain, so why an annoying vampire spanking him brought him to tears, he didn't understand. It was very confusing.
"Lindsay" he felt Angel's hand in his hair, gently. He wanted to get away from Angel more than anything. He thought maybe he'd rather be back in that alley with the freaky alien things.
"Please, just let me leave" Lindsay said miserably. Given his history with Angel, he deduced that this was just Angel's newest way of torturing him and as soon as he was done, Angel would be kicking him out.
"You're not going anywhere. You're staying here with me and Spike. But you're going to listen to me, or you'll be in this position again" Angel said calmly. Lindsay couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why did Angel want him to stay?
Angel stood and pulled Lindsay up with him. Lindsay wiped at his eyes and tried to look anywhere but at Angel.
"Why...I don't understand" Lindsay said quietly. He wanted to run but he didn't know where he would go.
"Lindsay, look" Angel sighed, "I've lost so many people that I love, and so have you. You and Spike and me, we're all each other has left, and I'm going to protect you. Understood?" Angel said, making it all sound so simple.
"But...why did you just..." Lindsay trailed off, unable to say the words.
"Why did I spank you?" Angel asked, trying not to smirk at Lindsay's awkwardness.
"Yeah. Why would you do that if you want me to stick around? If you plan on...spanking me again, I'm outta here" Lindsay said, trying to sound defiant.
"If you think you'll be better off by yourself, then fine, go. But you and I both know that your best chance is with me and Spike. I know you're not going anywhere, Lindsay. So you do as I say, and if you don't, I'm going to spank you. Got it?" Angel said.
Lindsay didn't say anything thing. Angel was right. Even if he stuck with the two vampires, his survival rate wasn't that high, and without them, he probably wouldn't last a week.
"Okay" Lindsay said meekly.
"Get some rest, we're going out tomorrow" Angel said.
Lindsay collapsed onto the couch and tried to ignore the stinging in his backside as he drifted to sleep.