Crystal Visions Part 1: The Reunion

Once In A Million Years A Lady Like Her Rises

The Greek Theater
Los Angeles, California
Sunday, May 20, 2007
(7:45 pm)
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"You know, it's not too late for me to just go sneak a peek out there to see if he's there."

Karen would be lying if she didn't admit to herself that she was just as anxious about Lindsey turning up tonight as Stevie was. In the twenty-seven years since she'd been her assistant, Karen had come to feel almost like a third member of their relationship - she'd kept their secrets, arranged for special gifts and evenings and hidden more evidence of their love for each other, specially since Lindsey had been with Kristen, than she cared to remember. She had not been sure if Stevie should have done this, gone out on a limb this way, and when she'd asked her last night why this was the way she'd chosen to fess up to what she really wanted, Stevie's answer had made perfect sense.

"I used to be afraid of how much I loved him. I used to think it would hold me back, keep me from being Stevie Nicks. Well, I've been Stevie Nicks for a long time now, and I realize that Stevie Nicks needs Lindsey Buckingham and that's all there is to it."

Stevie was dressed and ready, her "Stand Back" shawl hanging nearby and two different people working on her hair as she grimaced at Karen and said, "No! I know you think I'm going to flip out and fall to pieces if I go out there and he's not there...but I'm not. It'll hurt, but I am sick and tired of the back and forth. I need to know." She smiled. "Hell...should make 'I Need To Know' really interesting to sing tonight!" Karen laughed, and Stevie did too, that raucous laugh she had that took over the room and made everyone in the room laugh along even if they weren't sure why.

"Well look, Stevie, no matter what happens, you're going out there and you're going to give them all an awesome show, and if it doesn't turn out the way you want it..."

Stevie cut her off. "If it doesn't...your life is going to get a thousand times easier once it's done being hard...and so is mine." She broke away from the dueling combs in her hair and crossed the room to give Karen a hug. She held her tight and said, "I love you, Karen. Seriously...I'd be dead without you, and that's not even the reason why I love you because there's so much more."

"I love you too, Stevie." Karen gave the woman who'd grown to be her best friend over the years an affectionate squeeze before releasing her back to the hair stylists. They could hear the music the theater was piping in before the lights went down, and the song they were playing was "Little Red Corvette" by Prince. Stevie took it as a sign from Robin; "Little Red Corvette" was the song that was playing in the car on her way to her honeymoon with Kim Anderson before she'd derailed the trip completely to write and record "Stand Back" to its tune.

I hear you, Robin, she told her best friend in heaven in her mind. I know you're watching...wish me luck!

There were fifteen minutes to showtime.

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It had occurred to Lindsey as he found his way to his seat in the audience that Stevie Nicks was the most clever woman on planet earth. He'd had a fleeting thought in the car on the way to the arena - Stevie's fans in the front row would surely have recognized him and made a huge fuss that they were seated next to Lindsey Buckingham. He knew half of her fans loved him and half did not, half thought they belonged together and half thought he was a jerk, according to the internet. His seat was off to the side, right in front of the area where Lori, Sharon and Jana's microphones had been set up, and he smiled to himself as he stood just to the side of the stage beside the security agent who obviously recognized him, purposely not taking his seat until the lights went down and the entire arena began to cheer for the love of his life.