Stand Back (Mirage Era: Part 3)

Take Me Home

SURPRISE!!! :)
Bet you thought I'd go straight-up reality and Stevie would divorce Kim (like she did), he'd take the baby home to Minnesota (like he did), Matthew would grow up and marry Amanda (like he did) and have Little Robin (like they did) but this would lead Stevie to fall in love with Joe Walsh next (like she did). But nope!

I'm in a love mood (I blame my personal love life lol) so here is one of the remaining chapters of the Mirage era stories, the end of the trilogy. Just two chapters after this!

Enjoy! <3
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Marina Del Rey, California
Valentine's Day,
Monday, February 14, 1983
(8:00 pm)
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Her two best options were Square Pegs and Archie Bunker's Place.

Kim had called an hour ago and apologetically explained he was out with clients for Warners and wouldn't be home until at least eleven. He said he was sorry it was this way on their first Valentine's Day, but Stevie had not really cared, nor had she cared that afternoon when a dozen pink roses and a box of Godiva truffles had shown up attached to a teenaged delivery man with a card reading Love and thanks, Kim & Matthew. Love and thanks?! What the hell kind of Valentine was that? She had cheated earlier and tried to do a bump of coke, realizing this was going to be harder to handle than she thought, this quitting drugs...but the tiny amount she'd done had made her throw her guts up two minutes later, so maybe there was hope yet. It was as if her body was healing faster than her mind, and she knew it was the little Buckingham Nicks inside of her that was making her feel so much better.

She settled on Archie Bunker's Place, Carroll O'Connor's okay-at-best spin-off of All In The Family, to which she and Lindsey and Richard Dashut had been addicted on Saturday nights on Orange Grove Avenue ten years ago. They'd smoke pot and laugh at conservative Archie Bunker's ignorant arguments with his liberal son-in-law whom he called Meathead, and she would lie with her head in Lindsey's lap and watch as he played with her hair and she'd sigh softly at his touch, making Richard all kinds of uncomfortable so he'd go back downstairs to his room and they'd be alone to make love before The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Smiling at the memory, Stevie opened the box of Godiva truffles and dug in, wishing she had Animal Crackers in the house to snack on instead.

Archie Bunker was arguing with his niece, Stephanie, when Stevie heard the phone ring beside her on the end table. Matthew was asleep and Kim was out, and she almost didn't answer, relishing her time alone. Finally she caved and answered, thinking maybe it was Barbara to wish her a Happy Valentine's Day. "Hello?"

"Happy Valentine's Day, angel." Stevie felt her heart leap into her throat. Lindsey. "I won't stay on long; I know you're probably involved in a celebration over there."

You could lie right now, Stevie, she thought. You could tell him yes, you are celebrating your first Valentine's Day with your husband to whom you've been married for seventeen days. You don't have to tell him you're watching Archie Bunker's Place alone with Ginny and eating Godiva truffles from your husband who's working and wishing they were Animal Crackers from this man on the phone who you love more than anything...except, of course, for his baby you are carrying.

"I'm actually not," she said, setting her box of chocolates down on the arm of the couch, grateful that Ginny, at twelve, had long-since given up trying to get her nose into things like chocolate that were dangerous for dogs. "Kim's working till about eleven. What's up?"

"Well, I was going to invite you somewhere tomorrow, but...if Kim's not home...I can do this now." She heard Lindsey take a deep breath over the phone. He sounded nervous. You haven't seen nervous yet, pal, he said to him in her mind, her hand dropping to her non-existent baby bump instinctively. "Can you meet me? It'll only take a few minutes, Stevie...it's really important."