Fix it

These are...

The upcoming couple of days went by just fine. Even though it was thought of as a vacation for the whole band together, Stevie and Lindsey were mostly spending time together and nobody objected to that. Breakfast time wasn't as tension filled, lunches were spent with mindless chatting and loud whole hearted laughter could be heard during drinks in the evenings. 

Until one morning...

Stevie woke up well rested and in high spirits and it wasn't even noon yet. Lindsey wasn't in bed, so she reckoned he went for a swim or a cup of coffee by himself, he loved his alone time. She took a shower, spend just enough time applying makeup and doing her hear, before she got dressed and went to the rest of the band, as she hoped they were having breakfast, they usually did around that time.

Her wide grin was met with three gloomy faces, causing her to frown. "Well, good morning to you too, guys."

"I'm not sure that it's such a good morning, love." Christine said, pulling out a chair for Stevie.

"What are you talking about? Why do you all look like you've just been told someone died?"

"Um... I guess you just woke up and haven't had a chance to look at any newspapers then?"

"No, that's not my usual routine thing either. What's going on, Chris?"

"Show her, Mick." Christine took Stevie's hand, while with other she took a newspaper, with a headline she was not expecting to see.

"A well hidden affair surfaces as Stevie Nicks and Don Henley are exposed as lovers after over thirty years since they first were a couple."

Deafening silence followed as nobody knew what to say and Stevie felt like she was going to be sick, literally. She didn't even think of reading the article itself, putting the paper aside as she took a hold of Christine's glass of water and downed it to the last drop. 

"Are you alright?" The older woman asked, rubbing her back.

"I don't... I don't get how this got out, I... This is why I went to Los Angeles, to deal with it. It was never supposed to see the light of day!"

"So, it is true then?"

She let out a deep breath, nodding her head. "Yes. You must hate me for this..."

"Well, no. We don't hate you. We don't support you for it, but we certainly don't hate you."

"I thought we kept it to ourselves, that it was locked away from everyone else." She cried silently. "Lindsey let it slip during one of the sessions with our therapist. Well, not it, but Don's name. She went to the press." She felt so ashamed... "Don called me a bunch of times while we were on a plane to Sydney, I flew back immediately and he explained what that woman had been up to." She sniffled, drying under her eyes with a napkin. "We went to see her together, she told us her price and I paid it."

"That's why you say it was never supposed to come out?" Mick asked to make sure.

"Yes. My God... every time we get back on track, something just has to happen, to ruin it for us." 

"I'm sorry, Stevie. We're not about to judge you, we can't be sure what was really going on in your marriage. It sucks this happened, but we're your friends and we're here for you. Right, guys?" Christine looked up and John and Mick nodded.

"Has any of you seen Lindsey today?" Stevie received three negative answers. "I think I've really done it this time. He kept saying how embarrassing this was for him... Where am I going to find him? I must talk to him. If he's going to listen that is..."

"Give him some space, darling." Mick suggested. "You know Lindsey. Until he won't deal with his emotions himself, he won't let anyone in on them, not even you unfortunately."

"I'm just afraid. I'm continuously hurting him, putting him through hell, I don't know what he might be up to this time."

"Don't entertain such thoughts, okay? Just... just wait for him." 

Stevie sighed, standing up. "I'll go back to my room, I need to lie down." Three sympathetic nods let her go as she made her way back to the suite, falling down on the bed. 

An hour, two, three passed, then it got dark and there was no sign of Lindsey. Stevie was going crazy with worry, hoping he didn't do something stupid. She picked up her phone from the nightstand, seeing Karen's name, as she obviously tried reaching Stevie a handful of times, but first it was Lindsey she had to reach.

Having redialed about ten times, Stevie finally gave up, choosing to send a message, a reminder of a few weeks back:

"Please, come back. I love you, I need you."

This time her text was short, yet the message it held was loud and clear. Now all she could do was believe it would be at least seen, hopefully heard too.

~

October 22nd came too soon. It was six days since Stevie's affair came out and it was six days since nobody had heard from Lindsey. He didn't come back to the rest of the group, he didn't answer any calls, messages and didn't make an effort to inform everyone he was fine. And now it was only hours before the first show of the Australia/New Zealand leg of the On With The Show tour. Naturally, everybody was freaking out, wondering if there even was going to be a show without, truly, its most important piece.

Christine knocked on Stevie's dressing room, worried for both her and Lindsey. "Still nothing?"

"No." Stevie replied weakly, as she sat in the makeup chair, everything laid out at the vanity to get her ready. "Chris, I'm going to go insane. Forget about where he is, I don't know if he's still alive!"

"Don't even say that!" 

"Tell me that thought hasn't crossed your mind?" Silence. "Exactly. And how can he do this to you, guys? I know I fucked up, but it's none of yours fault. He always says what a professional he is and now he's leaving as hanging like this?"

"Calm down, love, please. We still have..." Christine looked at her watch. "Five hours. I'm sure he wouldn't leave not only us, but the fans this disappointed."

"I genuinely hope so." She sighed, then her heart almost stopped, hearing a knock, hopeful as never before. "Come in."

"Stevie, this package was delivered to you." Karen entered, holding a brown envelope. "It was brought to my room as everything is while we're staying here."

"Just please give it to me."

Without much thought, Stevie ripped the envelope open and pulled out a file. She opened it and began reading, as she put a hand over her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes instantly. 

"Stevie, what is it?" Christine knelt in front of her friend. 

"These... these are divorce papers."