Southern Comfort (4/?)

Author- Midnight Faith

Spoilers- 'Reprise' 'Dead End' 'That Vision Thing'

Distribution- FF.net, AOH anyone else just ask :)

Pairing- Lilah/Lindsey

Rating- PG-13

Summary- Lindsey goes to Cordy for advice as Lilah's life gets even more complicated

Disclaimer- not mine… yadda, yadda

Lindsey entered the doors of the Hyperion hotel glancing around the shadowy lobby.

"Oh my god! Lindsey?" Cordy's voice said from the reception area.

She walked towards him,

"Hey," she said, neutrally, "What are you doing here? Angel said you left town…"

"I did," he told her, "I came back… I'm visiting a friend," he cut in quickly.

She nodded

"Well if you're looking for Angel he's out of town… come back in a week," she turned to leave.

"No actually," he said. She turned back to him,

"I wanted to talk to you… about something…"

Confusion crossed her face.

"OK… what’s up?"

"Can we go sit somewhere and talk?" he asked her, despondency shining through in his voice.

She nodded.

"Of course…"

Ten minutes later they were seated on the stone wall of the sunny Hyperion courtyard.

"Sorry," he told her, "You’re the only person I could really think of to talk to,"

She shrugged slightly,

"So what's up?"

He took a deep breath.

"I'm staying with Lilah," he told her.

"Now I see the problem!" Cordy interjected, "You need a place to stay I mean I wouldn't wanna stay with..."

"No," he cut in; "It's fine staying with her,"

"Oh," Cordy said embarrassed, "Sorry, carry on."

"She dropped these this morning," he told her, pulling the container of valium from his shirt pocket, "They're valium," he told Cordy as he handed them to her and then asked desperately, "What the hell do I do?"

"I don't know what to say," she said to him, "I mean doctor's don’t prescribe these to just anyone you know? I think you have to try loads of other stuff first…" she trailed off, "My god, she must be in a real state inside… who would've thought it."

"That's if they've even been prescribed by a doctor," Lindsey said sighing.

"I was thinking it," Cordy offered.

"Lilah wouldn't do drugs," Lindsey said a little unconfidently.

"You don't sound too sure," Cordy told him. "Go home. Talk to her about it."

"She's not there, she's at work," he told her.

"Fine… that's gives you a bit of time to work out what you're going to say," Cordy told him, "and be gentle with her… you don't know how fragile she's feeling right now…"

Lilah walked down the corridor at Wolfram and Hart quickly, taking a deep breath as she paused at her office door.

She didn't know why Gavin insisted on having these stupid staff meetings every Saturday morning. She didn't know what kind of kick he got eating into every one of her weekends with his 'contingency policies.' She shuddered slightly at the thought, setting a cat-like smile in her features and opened the door slowly.

Gavin was seated with his feet on her heavy oak desk browsing the finance section of USA today.

"Lilah," he said, "So nice of you to stop by,"

"I overslept OK?" she snapped back, pushing his feet from her desk, sending him slightly off balance so she could reclaim her chair.

"Another one of your drunken scotch induced hangovers where you take home Cyril from the mailroom?" he bit back venomously.

She scoffed slightly.

"Like I'd ever do that… and make this snappy. I have somewhere to be this afternoon."

"The beach?" he asked virulently, "That's about up to the standard of your brain power," before adding, "Got a proposition for you."

"If it involves a gold lamé bikini, cheap red wine and a scanky industrial club count me out," she quipped.

"I would've thought that was right up your street," he smiled coldly before saying, "Angel Investigations."

"What about them?"

"What if I told you… Angel doesn't have a detective's licence."

"Yeah… and…"

"And I have former clients of theirs willing to sue," he said handing her a beige case file over the desk. "The Sharps. Clients of Angel investigations approximately eight months ago… don't believe in demons… neither do sunny courtrooms… gold dust."

Lilah met his gaze over the desk.

"Are you in?" he asked her.

She smiled at him icily over the desk…

Lilah glanced at her watch 12:58. Perfect. She reached into her bag on the passenger seat of her car searching for her pills. 'Just when you feel you need them' the doctor had told her.

'OK not here…' she thought, searching into the depths of her bag which included a six month old cinema ticket and an empty mini packet of ready salted pringles.

'Lindsey…' she thought getting out of the car and locking it behind her.

She walked seriously towards her apartment each click of her stiletto 'power' heels sounding like a vast thunder claps to her.

She opened the door slowly and saw Lindsey sat on the sofa.

He looked up at her and she was surprised to see his big blue eyes filled with concern.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her, standing up and walking over to her enveloping her in his strong arms.

"I didn't know how to," she surprised herself with her integrity, stiffening slightly at his touch.

"How long have you been taking them?" he asked her, leaning her head against his shoulder and guiding her over to the couch, "Before I left?"

She nodded.

"Oh god, Lilah," he said, I didn't know you felt so…" he trailed off.

"It's OK…" she reassured him, "I'm fine… really... I only take them when I need them…"

"I'll take care of you I promise," he said into her hair.

She looked into his eyes pleadingly

"Don't leave me again," she supplicated.

"I promise," he assured her…