Disclaimer: All of these people belong to Joss Whedon. I own nothing.
Sequel to Commiseration.

Second Thoughts
By Imzadi

Wes woke up with a ghastly headache in a strange room. There was a head on the pillow next to him. Fortunately, the head was attached to a body. Unfortunately, the head belonged to:

"Lindsey!"

Blue eyes opened and Lindsey smiled that huge, know-it-all, annoying but so attractive grin of his. "Was it as good for you as it was for me, Wes?"

"Lindsey, I didn't, I mean you didn't, I mean we didn't, did we?"

"Well, after you told me you were in love with Fred, I thought I'd make my move."

Lindsey began to laugh as he threw off the covers and sat up, revealing that he was fully dressed. "Don't worry, Wes. You're not my type. I like women. And besides, we were too drunk to have done anything even if we'd wanted to."

Wes saw to his relief that he was also fully dressed. Too fully dressed, for that matter, as he hadn't even removed his shoes. And they still hurt.

"How did we get here? I don't remember a thing."

"Fortunately I wasn't as drunk as you were when we left the bar. I took you in my truck. We finished off the bottle I keep here. By the way, you look like hell."

"That's exactly how I feel. Do you have any aspirin?"

Lindsey walked into the bathroom and emerged with a large bottle, which he tossed to Wes, who missed it. It fell onto the bed. He grabbed it and struggled with the cap but managed to pour two tablets into his palm and swallow them. Lindsey handed him a glass of water. "Let's get cleaned up & get some breakfast."

Twenty minutes later they were seated in a booth at the small diner that was next to the motel. "Eggs over easy, sausage patties, and white toast, please."

"Scrambled eggs, bacon, and an English muffin for me, please." Wes took a large drink of orange juice. "About last night, Lindsey. I've been thinking. I know I'm upset with Gunn for winning Fred, but he's saved my life more than once, especially when I was shot by the zombie cop. I can't do anything to hurt him. I'm just going to have to give Fred up gracefully."

Lindsey sipped his coffee. "Last night was the liquor talking, Wes. Much as I loved Darla, she had a history with Angelus that I couldn't fight. After all, a hundred fifty years of being with him is hard to defeat, especially as the firm brought her back to seduce him away from his mission. And, if she had loved me, I'd be a vampire now. I do have hopes of making amends for my past sins." The Oklahoma twang was gone, and Lindsey was back in lawyer mode.

"So you don't want to get revenge on Angel."

"No. He saved my life, too, much as I hate to admit it. I wouldn't mind making him squirm a little, though. Did he tell you about COPS SUCK? That sign got me a couple of expensive tickets."

"The sign wasn't against the law."

"No, but it brought me some unwanted attention from the state troopers. The third one kindly told me about it, after he gave me a ticket for lack of taillights, that is."

"So what are you going to do now, Lindsey?"

"I want to see my sister, Wes. And maybe, once we get to know each other, I can talk a little sense into her. Gunn's not a bad guy, as I remember, but, if she's as smart as you tell me, she belongs with you. And I have to admit to a desire to see this miracle baby. Does he look like Darla or like Angel?"

"Actually he looks like Winston Churchill. All babies look like Winston Churchill to me, though."

Lindsey threw back his head and laughed. "I think I'll give you a ride to the Hyperion, Wes, after I do a little shopping. I want to get a little gift for the baby and also for my sister. After all, it's been a while. I don't want to come back empty-handed. By the way, what about Cordelia?"

"I think she's in love with Angel, or at least I did, until the Groosalugg showed up. I know Angel loves her, but, because of the curse, he doesn't want to risk the moment of perfect happiness that would cost him his soul again."

"Who, or what, is the Groosalugg?"

"About six-four, two hundred fifty pounds, muscles you wouldn't believe, handsome, looks like a cross between a pro wrestler and a rock star. He was the king of Pylea until they deposed him for a democracy. He and Cordelia had something going on before we got out of there."

"Brains?"

"He's not stupid, but he's not particularly educated by our standards."

"Well, that's nothing a smart, not to mention good looking, singing lawyer can't handle." He looked at his watch. "I think the mall is open. I want to do a little shopping and then we'll go to the Hyperion. Let's go." Lindsey wiped his mouth with his napkin, left money for the bill and a decent tip on the table, and rose. Wes followed.

An hour and a half later, Lindsey, bearing a tiny Dallas Cowboys shirt, a silver bracelet engraved with WSM for Winifred Susan McDonald and her date of birth, and a long-stemmed rose, followed Wes into the Hyperion.

Continue to Part 3: VIOLA & SEBASTIAN Contact Imzadi.

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