A/N: So, I thought it was gonna be a oneshot, I was wrong...Though there shouldn't be any more to this specific storyline because I've got other ideas I wish to pursue XD

I do not own, nor shall I ever own CBS's BrainDead, there would be a lot more of Aaron Tveit's face if I did...

What is even going on right now? Can I just let something like this happen? Laurel contemplated her situation for a moment.

The answer is, yes. Yes, I can.

Laurel smirked, playing with the straw in her drink, as she watched Gareth being hounded by middle-aged women at the bar. He was getting all flustered, which was always entertaining to watch, as he was so often the one in control. He had gone to the bar to get another round for the two of them.

There was apparently a sorority reunion party being hosted at their usual bar. So, when they walked in, more than a third of the bar was taken up by women between the ages of 45 and 55. They had been surprised, but willing to roll with it. She could tell that Gareth had started to regret that decision.

She almost spat out the remains of her first Old-fashioned when she saw one of the women go for his ass. From where she sat, Laurel could see red rising up the back of his neck, his ears were practically on fire. Gareth hadn't even had a chance gotten to order their drinks yet, and she was about to get up to help him out when a man walked up to the table, leaning on the back of what had been Gareth's chair.

"Aren't you a little young to be attending the reunion?" He gave her a smarmy smile, like he thought he was God's gift to women or something, Gareth sometimes smiled like that. The difference though, was that Gareth actually pulled it off.

"I'm not here for that." She shakes her head, trying to catch sight of Gareth, but the guy was directly in her line of sight.

"Well, would you like some company, then?" He invited himself to sit down, and Laurel could finally see Gareth again. He was still being bothered by one of the women in particular, and it was bordering on harassment. The urge to get up and help was much greater now that she had 'company'.

"I'm here with a, uh," she paused for a moment, unsure what to call the republican chief of staff. They hadn't had a chance to talk about what they were. "A friend." Laurel barely spared the man another glance; Gareth had finally gotten the bartender's attention. He had done so by leaning over the bar and snagging the guy by the arm.

"Well, where is she?" He looked excited at the prospect that she might have a hot girl-friend, too.

"He's," She jerked her head in Gareth's direction, who had turned around to try and get the cougar off his ass, literally, "at the bar, getting us," gesturing between herself and Gareth, "another round of drinks." Laurel tried to show this asshole that she was not looking for anything, because she had kinda, sorta found something.

"Only way a guy like that could be just friends with you, is if he's gay." He chuckled at his own joke. "And that boy certainly looks it. So c'mon, honey," Laurel ground her teeth at that. "Let me buy you a drink somewhere else, huh?" Laurel had had just about enough of this guy.

"Listen hear, ass-" Drinks slammed down on the table before Laurel could finish her insult.

0o0o0

Gareth finally had the drinks in his hands, and beaten off Janice, he shuddered at the thought. He had been hoping Laurel might have come to his rescue, and was a little disappointed that she hadn't. But as he made his way to the table he knew why she hadn't.

Some guy was sitting in his chair. More like splayed across it really, an arm slung along the back, legs spread and he had this sleazy look on his face. Alright, he couldn't actually see the guy's face, but he could see Laurel's and the assumption was made.

His grip on the glasses tightened as his knuckles turned white, and he walked with a greater purpose and speed.

"…c'mon honey…" That was all Gareth needed hear to know that this guy was every bit the asshole he appeared to be. He slammed the drinks down on the table, cutting off Laurel before she could even get started.

"Excuse me, sir, you're in my seat." He put an edge in his voice that he rarely ever used. He thought he might have seen Laurel shiver out the corner of his eye, but he'd have to over-analyze that later.

"Hey, hey, the lady and I are having a conversation. Why don't you leave the drinks and scram, kid?" Asshat, as Gareth had taken to call him, waved a dismissive hand at him. "Now, where were we?" The sleaze reached for Laurel's hand. Before she could recoil though, Gareth's own hand shot out, grabbing the other man's wrist in an iron grip, fingers digging into the sensitive tendons there.

"Alright, Asshat, clearly you are not paying attention to what 'the lady' has been telling you." He tightened his grip just enough to cause the other man to whimper a little. Gareth could see Laurel starting to smile.

"Now, you have two choices facing you." Laurel starts. "One, you get up and walk away, and we never have to see your face again." She said with an overly sweet smile and tone. "Or," and she chuckled evilly here, sending shivers down Gareth's spine. "Option two, I jam the very pointy heel of my shoe through your foot, and then you get up and limp away and we still never have to see your face again. Which will it be?" From the extra whimper, Gareth could tell that Laurel had started to apply pressure to the man's foot.

"Alright, alright, I'll leave! Let go of me, you psychos!" Gareth immediately dropped Asshat's wrist with a pleasant smile on his face, and watched as he walked away, with a slight limp. The chief of staff, sat down in the vacated chair and shared a triumphant smile with the woman across the table as he picks up his drink to take a sip.

"He thought you were gay, ya know?" Gareth splutters into his Old-fashioned, nearly choking.

"What?! Where ever the hell did he get that impression?"

"Well, I said I was here with a friend, then I pointed you out. And he said the only way a guy could be just friends with me was if he was gay." She took a sip of her own Old-fashioned, to hide her embarrassment.

"I hate that guy even more now. Asshole, doesn't know how to talk to an actual woman." Gareth scoffed into his drink, then looked a little thoughtful. "We aren't just friends, are we?

"I don't know what we are really, and I didn't want to say we were anything that neither of us had agreed on yet."

"That's acceptable, I guess." He nodded his head. "Now, where were we?" Laurel gave him a rueful grin, but put her hand in his when he offered it.

"I believe I was trying to convince you about the bugs that are maybe eating people's brains?"

"And either causing them to become political extremists or make their heads explode?" He looked at her concernedly.

"Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but I witnessed one man's head explode. And I was told about a couple others."

"Jonathan, Red's late chief of staff, was one, wasn't he?" At her nod Gareth could see events falling into place. "That's why the FBI went to you about him, and why you've been asking those weird questions about Red?"

"Yeah," Laurel looked at his face searchingly. For his part, Gareth could only think of one response.

"Huh."

Hope you like it! Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? Let me know :)