Title: Something New
 
Author: Steph (Stephs_star@angelfire.com)
 
Author's note:
 
SUMMARY: This fanfic is totally superficial and purely for my own enjoyment. I liked writing it,
cause it was practically brainless mush, and based on my very favorite couple! So, you guessed it,
Bobby and Lindsay fans beware! Also, a warning that it is not actually factually correct, because
it is as if the whole Christmas party never happened. It is set anywhere after Helen and Lindsay
move in together, but as I said, before Bobby and Lindsay get together. Enjoy. (Hopefully!)
 
Disclaimer: The Practice and the characters used in this story do not belong to me. No profit was
made off this story; no copyright infringement intended. 

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Lucy could see from the way Lindsay listlessly shifted the papers on her desk that she was unwell.
Her eyes seemed dull and tired and were ringed with dark circles. She hadn't had any court
appearances or meetings that day, for which both her and the other firm members were grateful,
sure that in her present state she would jeopardize any case.
 
"Lindsay, are you sure you're okay?" Lucy asked for the umpteenth time.
 
Lindsay sighed as she met Lucy's friendly eyes. "I'm fine. I'll tell you the truth though, since
the others aren't around. I'm just hung over. Helen and I went out last night, if there was a
reason for it, I've forgotten, but the point is that I've never handled a lot of alcohol well."
 
Lucy looked relieved as she laughed. "You better not tell Bobby that you're just hung over. He
read that motion that you wrote this morning and said that you should rewrite it. I told him that
you were sick, which is why you couldn't focus. If he found out you were just hung over..."
 
"Thanks, but I can handle Bobby. I am a partner here, after all."
 
"Who are you reminding, me or yourself?" Lucy asked wisely.
 
"Oh I hate it when you're so smart." Lindsay said wearily. "But did he really think the motion was
that bad? I mean, I know it wasn't great but..."
 
"Lindsay, you wrote like you speak. You had "umm" in there. Didn't you proof it?"
 
"Well, I was going to, but it hurts my eyes..."
 
"Okay...I think you need to go home and sleep."
 
"I agree, but I have a ton of paperwork to read before tomorrow. Can Bec handle writing that
motion? I know she's only second chair, but..."
 
"It's fine, I already asked."
 
"Thanks Luce. When did you get to be so helpful?"
 
Lucy just laughed, then leaned closer to get the details of the previous night. As they were
talking Bobby had come back from a meeting. He looked at them huddled together and furrowed his
brows.
 
"Problem?" Lucy and Lindsay were not the closest of friends.
 
They jumped apart guiltily, Lindsay recovering first. "I was just thinking of going to the chemist
to get some aspirin. I don't feel so good."
 
Bobby's expression immediately softened. "Luce, go to the chemist for Lindsay. You want to go
home?"
 
"I can't Bobby, I need to catch up on family law, I have that meeting with Judge Fernald tomorrow
and I need to sound like I know what I'm talking about."
 
"Okay, but you look really pale, do you want to lie down in my office for an hour?"
 
Lindsay thought of his soft comfortable couch and relented. She was in no condition to work in any
case.
 
"Yes, thanks."
 
"Okay, I even have a pillow for you." In his office, Bobby opened a cupboard and pulled out a
blanket and pillow from the many nights he had substituted his bed for the couch when he had
worked too late to go home.
 
"Thanks." Grateful, but feeling undeserving and a little conniving Lindsay sank into the makeshift
bed.
 
"Sure. You just get better, okay?" He lingered a hand on her forehead, making Lindsay flush
further, and remember the last time she and Bobby had been so close on this couch.
 
Bobby, however, had other things on his mind, and stood to leave.
 
"Where are you going?" Lindsay asked disappointed, as she would have liked to watch him work.
 
"I have a meeting. Lucy's back now, so you wont be alone. Can you lock up, though, when you
leave?"
 
"Oh, I can't! I locked my keys inside the house today, I had to bus it here."
 
Bobby would have laughed, but the look on her face warned him not to try. "Umm...okay. I'll come
back and lock up in a few hours. It should be fine till then."
 
"Sure." Lindsay said, glad for the fact that her headache was subsiding. She was more tired than
she thought, and fell asleep the moment she lay back against the pillows.
 
She didn't wake again until long after Lucy had left and she heard Bobby's voice.
 
"I'll just grab my briefcase."
 
"Fine." An unfamiliar female voice joined his, and Lindsay resisted the temptation to turn and
study her curiously, she had not known Bobby was seeing anybody.
 
Bobby turned on the light and walked to his desk. He saw a figure on the couch and started
violently. Then he relaxed. Lindsay.
 
"Christ, Bobby, there's a woman on your couch."
 
"I know. Lindsay." He answered distractedly, as he fumbled to collect the papers on his desk.
 
"Oh. Uh...okay. Can you hurry? I want to get you home as soon as I can."
 
Lindsay grimaced as she heard them kissing; thankful that she was facing the back of the couch,
for the temptation to sneak a peek would be too great to resist. She tried to block out the sound
of them kissing though, because it bought back to many memories and made her heart ache. It seemed
not long ago that it was her. She sighed and pushed her feelings back, telling herself that
regrets were futile and useless.
 
"I just have to find the Samson file and wake Linds and we can go." Bobby said finally,
breathlessly.
 
"Why wake her?"
 
"Cause she locked the keys out of her house this morning, and I need to lock up."
 
Lindsay grimaced at the woman's laugh.
 
"She sounds like a true ditz, Bobby!"
 
"Yeah." Bobby said noncommittally, making Lindsay seethe.
 
"In any case, wake her and we can go."
 
Bobby frowned at her impatience, but agreed. He shook Lindsay gently.
 
"Lindsay, sweetheart, wake up please."
 
The woman glowered at the endearment. She resented the fact that her boyfriend was so close to
another woman.
 
"Honey, come on please."
 
Lindsay stretched, smiling sneakily. She turned and wrapped her arms around Bobby's neck. "Babe?"
She managed to whisper before bringing her lips to his.
 
Bobby was too stunned to move. In the background he heard Kate gasp, but a buzz in his ears soon
drowned her out. He got a hold of himself eventually though, and drew away.
 
Lindsay sank back with a satisfied smile. Her eyes flickered open, and she winked at Bobby, who
was trying wildly to compose himself.
 
"Lindsay?" He managed.
 
"Sorry, couldn't help myself. You'd be pleased to know I feel better now." She propped herself
into a sitting position so that she could study his girlfriend.
 
It wasn't dislike she felt exactly, or jealously, just a feeling that she wouldn't like her. She
had long ice blonde hair and cold eyes; in fact, she looked like a Nordic model, with the pout
down to perfection as well.
 
"You were awake the whole time?" She asked, a chill in a slightly exotic accent.
 
"Yeah. Sorry, Bobby, I didn't want to...interrupt."
 
"You like to play with people?"
 
"Well, Bobby is such an easy target." Lindsay was apparently unaware of the undercurrent in Kate's
voice, either that or she chose to ignore it.
 
"Your Samson file is in the conference room, babe." Lindsay addressed Bobby.
 
"Thanks, I'll get it." He stood, and gave Lindsay a look that clearly told her to behave.
 
"I'm Lindsay Dole."
 
"Kate Wall."
 
"Have you known Bobby long?"
 
"I saw him eating alone at a pub down town a few months ago. I asked him to join me and the rest
is history."
 
"Funny, he didn't mention you to anyone."
 
"Well, perhaps because he didn't think his personal life had anything to do with his...business
people."
 
Lindsay definitely caught the ice behind that one, and laughed. 'Kate, Bobby has always mixed
business and pleasure. And I'm more than one of his people; this firm is small and close. I'm his
partner, and we share a lot."
 
"Obviously." Kate said condescendingly.
 
"What's so funny?" Bobby said as he came back into the office.
 
"Nothing much." Lindsay said smoothly. "I was just remarking to Kate that I was hurt you didn't
mention her before."
 
"It never came up. Sorry, Lindsay. Hey, I can't find that file still."
 
"It's on your chair, I think."
 
Bobby nodded and left again. Lindsay turned to Kate to find her glaring venomously at her.
 
"A problem?"
 
"You won't ever have him."
 
Lindsay was hardly shocked, though she felt this was somehow reminiscent to fights she used to
have in junior school. "Well you started it." She wanted to say.
 
"What are you talking about?"
 
"It's obvious that you want him. The way you throw yourself over him is disgusting. I'm telling
you Bobby is mine and you'll not have him, so don't even try."
 
"Try?" Lindsay laughed. "My dear, I've already succeeded."
 
At Kate's shocked expression she laughed.
 
"You want him to love you, but he won't. He loves me." Kate said in an effort to regain her
composure. Lindsay couldn't help but marvel at the chattiness that had descended upon them.
 
"I don't want his love. He is so emotionally unattached that any minor victory would not be worth
the battle."
 
Bobby heard this last bit, and paused. Was she right? Was he emotionally unattached? He supposed
he was, since despite Kate claims of loving him, he was unable to feel anything but the vaguest
liking towards her, and even this was hard when she constantly tried to wheedle into or out of
everything. He realized he didn't even know why he was still with her. She was beautiful, perhaps
the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he supposed that was why. Amazed by his
superficialness, and even more amazed that he didn't care, he shook his head in disbelief.
 
"Bobby, let's go." Kate urged, glaring at Lindsay.
 
"Damn! I didn't read that family law gunk!" Lindsay exclaimed.
 
"Take it home." Kate interrupted.
 
Lindsay nodded and raced off to the library to gather the books she needed. It took her ages to
find them, and Kate amused herself by toying with Bobby's hair. He didn't respond to her charm
though, and Kate sulked by the doorway.
 
"Can you drive me home, Bobby?" Lindsay asked when she came into the main office carrying thick
stacks of books.
 
"Sure." Bobby took most of the books off of her, and led the way to his car, despite Kate pained
expression.
 
Lindsay hopped out of the car and grinned her thanks to Bobby. "Have fun, Bobby." She said, overly
bright. "Nice meeting you, Kate."
 
"And you, Lindsay." She replied, barely covering her dislike.
 
"I don't like her, Bobby. She's a little snob who is used to getting what ever she wants."
 
Bobby could have laughed, for Kate might have been describing herself.
 
"She is so plain, too. Though I dare say she thinks she is beautiful." Kate went on. "She tells me
you had a history? In jest I hope."
 
"Oh, no. Lindsay and I slept together for a bit. It was a short...fling which we both enjoyed
immensely." He said bluntly, not caring for the temper tantrum that would inevitably follow.
Seeing Lindsay and Kate together had showed him their obvious differences, and how much he
preferred Lindsay.
 
He had been wrong, too, in saying Kate was the most beautiful person he knew, because he had no
doubt in his mind that it was Lindsay. So what was he doing with Kate?
 
He abruptly turned the car around and drove madly towards Kate's apartment.
 
"Where are we going?" Kate broke from her sulky silence.
 
"I'm dropping you home. I don't think we'll work out."
 
Kate was too outraged to speak. She knew that she was being dumped for that little heiress and her
heart raged.
 
"Fine, you asshole." She whispered fiercely when he stopped by her place. The apology on his lips
died quickly.
 
"See you around, Kate." He said a little sadly before again turning the car wildly around and
racing to Lindsay and Helen's place. Helen answered the door and looked very surprised to see him.
"Bobby? Lindsay told me you had a date."
 
"I dumped her. She wasn't...well, she wasn't Lindsay."
 
Helen laughed and pulled him inside. "Finally! She's in her room. I wouldn't let her clog up the
floor out here again."
 
Bobby nodded and pushed open her door cautiously. He smiled with such love when he saw her,
sitting on the ground in the middle of the room with law books and papers strewn all about her.
Despite the February chill, she was dressed in skimpy cotton boxer shorts and a matching single
top. Yep, she was the most beautiful and sexy person he knew.
 
"Lindsay?" He asked softly, making her jump in fright.
 
"Bobby? What the hell are you doing here?"
 
"Some greeting her said wryly, walking over to sit by her. "I was worried about how you were,
that's all." He lied.
 
"Okay, spill it. Where's Kate?" She stressed her name wrinkling her nose.
 
"I broke it off."
 
"Eww...painful. How'd she take it."
 
"Better than expected."
 
"What'd you tell her?"
 
"The truth."
 
"That she was whining, self obsessed witch?"
 
"No..."
 
"You should have."
 
"I told her that it wouldn't work. But I didn't tell her the reason."
 
"Oh? And what's that?"
 
Bobby took her hand ad lifted her chin so that she was looking straight at him.
 
"That I'm in love with somebody else, only I'm not sure if that's a good thing, because she
doesn't want my love."
 
Lindsay felt happiness rise inside of her, but she had to blink to make sure that she was not
dreaming.
 
"How can you be sure?" She whispered.
 
"Because I heard her tell someone."
 
"Maybe she was lying." Lindsay rested her forehead against his so that they were staring right at
each other.
 
"I hope so, because I love you so much." He brought a hand up to stroke her hair. "I only hope the
victory was worth the battle." He couldn't resist the tease.
 
"Oh, it was." Lindsay promised.
 
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End part one
 
Okay, that's it. I warned you it was a bit superficial. 

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