Part Forty-Six
“He not the same Lindsey anymore,” said Whitney, almost in tears.
Daithi pulled the younger man close, cradling him in his arms. “He’s been gone a long time. People change.”
“But not like this! He was… he said…”
Daithi pulled away so that he could look into Whitney’s eyes. “What did he say?”
Whitney dropped his gaze, unable to keep the eye contact going. “He said things I already knew, but it was the way he said them. It wasn’t like him at all!”
“C’mon, Whit,” Daithi paused for a brief kiss, “you can tell me what he said.”
Whitney clung tighter to Daithi. “No, I can’t.”
** the Next Day **
Iam sulked angrily as he waited for his appointment with his new psychiatrist. He absently touched his eyebrow, and a fresh wave of anger rolled through him. Thanks to Corey, he’d had seventeen stitches put in and his eyebrow would be permanently scarred.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Summers,” said a youngish looking woman with blond hair, approaching Iam. “You must be William.”
“It’s Iam.”
“Why don’t you step into my office?”
Once inside, Iam flung himself onto the couch. “They tell you my last psychiatrist didn’t even make it through an entire session?”
“Kevin Jones is an idiot. I’m surprised he even managed to graduate, let alone get a job.”
Iam stared in shock at Dr. Summers, not quite believing what he’d just heard.
Dr. Summers laughed and said, “Everything we say is completely confidential in here, right?” Iam nodded. “Good, because I don’t need that repeated outside this office.”
“So, Iam, what would you like to talk about today?”
“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me, Dr. Summers?” sneered Iam.
“Oh, don’t call me that, it makes me feel like an old woman. Buffy’s fine. And I don’t care what we talk about. It’s your session.”
Iam rolled his eyes. “What kind of a name is Buffy?”
“What kind of a name is Iam?”
Giles picked up the phone to try calling Corey’s mother again, as she had not been home the night before. He had started to dial the number when a knock came at the door. Setting the phone back down, Giles went answer the door. “Yes?”
“Hello, I’m Lilah, Corey’s mother. I apologize, but I’ve only just gotten your message.”
“That’s quite alright,” said Giles. “Won’t you please come in?”
“Thank you,” Lilah stepped into the house. “Now, what happened? Corey’s looks like he got hit by a truck.”
Giles sighed and motioned for Lilah to sit down. “He got into a fight with my nephew. But neither one would say why they were fighting.”
“That’s boys for you.” Lilah stood. “Thank you for telling me this, but I must go.”
Giles showed her to the door, “It was a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”
Daithi cornered Lindsey in the bathroom. “What the hell did you say to him?”
Lindsey turned, confused. “What did I say to who?”
“Whitney! You little shit, what did you say?”
“Oh, just asked him a question, that’s all,” Lindsey said mildly. “Do you mind? I don’t need adult supervision to use the bathroom anymore.”
“No, I do not mind,” snapped Daithi. “You tell me what you said, or I will…”
“You’ll what, hit me?” Lindsey smirked nastily at Daithi, “Go ahead, Whitney did.”
Daithi narrowed his eyes and glared at Lindsey. “I don’t want to hurt you, Lindsey. I want to know what you said that hurt Whitney so much.”
Lindsey took a step closer to Daithi, barely keeping a hold on his temper. “I only asked him if you called out his name or Eoin’s when you two fuck, that’s all,” he said innocently. “So tell me, it’s because he looks like Eoin, right? I mean you don’t really want Whit at all, do you?”
“You fucking bastard!” Daithi lost all control of his temper and launched himself at Lindsey.
“Jesus Christ!” Morgan stepped into the bathroom. “Daithi! Goddamn it, Daithi, get off him!” Morgan grabbed Daithi’s arms and wrenched him back, away from Lindsey.
Lindsey wiped some blood off his mouth and grinned malevolently at Daithi. “Did I hit a nerve?”
Daithi pulled against Morgan, trying to get back to Lindsey. “Daithi, fucking stop that,” commanded Morgan sternly.
“You don’t understand,” growled Daithi.
“Daithi…” said Morgan warningly.
Lindsey snickered quietly as he pulled himself to his feet. “Replacement,” he said quietly, starting to exit the backroom.
Daithi tried to lunge for Lindsey again, but Morgan had a tight grip on him, and he wasn’t able to get free.
“And as for you,” Morgan’s gaze fell on Lindsey, “you have done nothing since you got here but be a bastard. If you can’t be fucking civil around us, then leave.”
“Who died and made you king?” asked Lindsey snidely. A bit childish, but still, he felt it was an appropriate response.
“Eoin,” was the curt reply. Morgan didn’t even give Lindsey a chance to answer, he just pulled Daithi out of the bathroom and left.
Xander lay flung out over his bed. He couldn’t believe Corey had ended up getting grounded. Now what was he supposed to do until Corey could come over again?
A knock sounded at his door. “Yeah?”
“It’s Iam. Can I come in?”
“No.”
“Please?”
Xander rolled over and stared off the edge of his bed. “No, go away. I don’t wanna talk to you.”
“But I really need to speak with you.”
Rolling off his bed, Xander went to the door and ripped it open. “What part of go away do you not understand? Because of you, Corey’s grounded for three weeks. Now, leave me alone!” Xander slammed the door shut and returned to his bed and his contemplation of the ceiling.
“I just wanted to apologize.” Iam stared dejectedly at the closed door in front of him for a few minutes before slowly making his way back to his room.
Morgan pulled Daithi into his bedroom and shut the door. “What the hell do you think you were doing?” he asked, letting go of his younger brother.
Daithi glared at Morgan for a second, then sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“Right,” snorted Morgan.
“And Lindsey’s life is a breeze right now, right?
Do you really believe what he said?”
“Of course not! But if he won’t let us help him, I say let him do whatever the hell he wants. If he wants to whore himself out for his job, good for him.”
“Daithi!”
“What?” asked Daithi defensively. “He’s becoming a fucking little prick.”
“But he’s still your brother.”
“Not if he’s going to keep hurting Whitney,” muttered Daithi.
Morgan stared at Daithi for a long moment before asking, “And just why would you turn your back on Lindsey if he hurt… Oh, God, Daithi. Tell me you’re not!”
“So what if I am?”
“God, Daithi. That’s just sick.”
“And my being with Eoin wasn’t? How is it any different?”
“Hello?”
“Corey.”
“Hello, Father.”
“How did things go?”
“Good, sir. Xander interrupted the fight before we were finished, but Iam had to have seventeen stitches in his eyebrow.”
“Ah, you marked his face? He’s going to hate you forever. He’s always been too concerned with his looks. Now, here’s what I want you to…”
“No.”
“What?”
“No, I don’t want to do anything else.”
“Well, what do you want?”
“I want to stay here in Sunnydale with Xander. I don’t want to be a part of this anymore.”
“And do you really think I’ll let you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Go ahead and stay. I won’t stop you, nor will I involve you in anything else. For right now. You will continue to receive everything.”
“Th-thank you, Father.”
“But Corey, when I decide to start this up again, you will do as I say.”
“Yes, sir. Um, why are you…”
“Letting you do this? Simple, I’ve a couple things here that need my pressing attention. Goodbye, Corey.”
“Goodbye, Father.”