Settling Down

3

December 6, 1990

Lindsey had warmed up to Santa Monica as the months rolled on. Stella turned nine in August and because they hadn't really met anyone yet, he took the day off of work and he took the girls to the zoo and they spent a majority of the time by the pool and they ate cake and ice cream for all three meals that day but now it was nearing Christmas.

School had started, authentically Emily made friends with a girl named Lizzie and Lizzie's little brother was in Stella's class. They weren't necessarily friends but because they were in the same class Lizzie's mom had offered to pick the girls up and keep them after school so Lindsey had gotten to put his lunch in a normal spot and life was good.

"Buckingham, what are you doing tomorrow night?" His captain, Captain Larry Grisman, walked up to him and smacked him on the shoulder."

"Um well, Tomorrow is Friday so my girls and I were going to watch I think The Black Cauldrin was the latest verdict, at least as of Breakfast that was what we're watching." Lindsey shrugs.

"Well change it."

"Um, I'm a single dad to two girls who are growing like weeds, why would I want to change it?" Lindsey inquires.

"Because, I need you to go play nice with some security guards at The Forum."

"Um why?" Lindsey asks.

"Because Stevie Nicks is performing on the last night of her Behind the Mask Tour, and they're expecting a big crowd and are requesting that we send a couple of men." Captian Grisman tells him.

"So why did you pick me?" Lindsey asks.

"Because you're the Rookie..."

"I'm not a Rookie, I've been doing this for about twenty years. I'm just new to this precinct." Lindsey explains.

"While I guess that's true you're still the newest one at the precinct." He winks.

"You're lucky I trust my girls to behave themselves." Lindsey rolls his eyes.

***

Lindsey ordered them a pizza, selfishly because he needed to eat something too and then he took a quick shower and put a fresh uniform on and made his way to the Forum. He was placed in front of her dressing room door and that was where he was to stay for the duration of the night and he rolled his eyes leaning up against the wall. It was going to be a very long night. Especially because she was already running late. He had met her briefly in passing. Her hair was teased and her lipstick was smudged, wearing a pair of sweatpants, teeshirt, and tennis shoes and it was almost like she seemed embarrassed to meet him like that but he just brushed it off and took up his post.

Just behind the doors in Stevie's dressing room she was freaking out.

"Karen do I look alright?' Stevie asks modeling herself in the mirror.

"You look like you do every night, why are you all of a sudden so worried about it?" Karen asks looking up from her magazine.

"Because well...oh it's stupid." She bites at her thumbnail and then realizes what she's doing and her eyes widen. She examines her thumbnail to make sure she didn't chip her manicure and then she turns back to Karen.

"Spit it out." Karen sighs chucking the magazine onto the couch.

"They security guard they put outside my door is really hot. And I haven't been with anyone in so long and I want to make small talk with him but at the same time I don't because I don't want to embarrass myself and I've already done that by meeting him in traveling clothes." She rambles.

Karen thought about it for a moment, he kind of looked like the cop that lived across the street from Stevie, but she didn't want to say something incase it freaked Stevie out even more than she already was.

"Stevie, you look great. If you really want to talk to him, wait until after the show okay." Karen looks at her.

"Okay." Stevie nods.

After the show couldn't come fast enough for either Stevie or Lindsey, but she did approach him after the show. If you could even call it approaching him, she really just stood in front of him and stared at him and finally after about five minutes he cocked an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Stephanie Nicks."

"I know, Officer Lindsey Buckingham we met in passing earlier and you're kinda famous." He looks at her.

"I um...I've...I've played here a lot and I've never seen you here before, are you new? I like to get to know the people who are working for me." 

"You could say that...I'm from the Santa Monica Police department but they were called and said that you had a reputation for having some pretty risky shows and they wanted some back up I was the one that was told I had to come here. My original plan was to spend the night with my kids."

"You're married?" Stevie asks.

"Widowed....it's been about nine-ten months now." He nods.

"Oh I'm so sorry."

"Heart condition...we knew it was coming. So to answer your earlier question. I am new in the sense that after my wife died, I didn't want to be in the same house that she lived in, so I transferred and brought my girls here. I've been here since July." Lindsey explains.

"Well, thank you...for watching my door tonight. You have to stay here until I leave, but I just wanted to give you a proper thank you, so thank you and can I sign anything for your kids?" Stevie asks.

"They really only know like two songs of yours so you don't have too." Lindsey shrugs.

"Oh well alright, thank you again." Stevie nods.

"Now was that so hard?" Karen asks once they've settled in the dressing room.

"He's so hot Karen." She whines.

"Stevie why are you thinking about him like that?" Karen asks.

"Maybe because I'm sick of dating rockstars...A cop wouldn't be so bad would it?" She asks.

"You really want to date that guy...Steves you're probably never going to see him again." Karen rolls her eyes.

"Karen just let me dream please." Stevie begs.