Save Me

The first day

She didn't want to.

It hadn't been long enough.

The thought of returning to the studio with Fleetwood Mac alone just weeks after the Rumours tour was making Stevie sick to her stomach. Recording the absolute hit album was torture, but it was nothing compared to when they finally left for a huge tour all around the world.

Recording an album was tiring and people bickered a lot over ideas, but not the way Stevie and Lindsey did. It seemed like they outright hated each other; sighing and rolling their eyes at everything either of them said, scoffing and not missing a chance for some snide remark. It was a miracle they left the studio every day alive.

That was what Stevie couldn't stand. The music, that she loved and she thought as a band they were fantastic, but the process of creating their extraordinary and authentic sound was absolute torment. Although, despite how horrible it was, she could survive through it, but when she would remember a certain copy of herself that Lindsey tried to fill the void with when Stevie had left, that was when it became unbearable.

Sometimes she wished she was a solo act, then everyone would listen to her and do everything she told them. This was different, this was a group of five people and if Stevie was told to be at the studio at 1 pm, she was going to have to be there...

Hoping that Christine would already be there, Stevie got out of the car, which brought her to where the band was meeting. She was so glad to have Chris; the woman was a friend, a sister and sometimes even a mother all in one, and Stevie listened to her a lot and always considered Christine's words, when given an advice.

The second Stevie walked into the room, she cursed silently – she was the last one to arrive.

"You'd think, with all that money you could buy yourself a watch or something." Lindsey already had his guitar across his lap, several sheets of paper on the table in front of him.

"Good morning to you too." Stevie couldn't hold back a roll of her eyes, as she then went to greet the other members, who were a lot nicer to her.

"On the other hand, I'm not sure why you're here, we don't need you today. It's not like you play an instrument and can contribute to some of the songs, which don't require your vocal."

"Knock it off, Buckingham." Mick said. "Is this how you want to start our first day? Seriously?"

"Oh, so you're still fucking her then."

"Lindsey!" Now Christine shouted. "What the bloody hell is your problem? Stevie didn't say one word to you and here you are, unable to keep that big mouth shut. Jesus Christ!"

Stevie was sitting quietly, as she took in every of his insults, thinking that if she didn't respond, soon enough he would give it a rest. Now though, when others jumped on her side, she knew this wasn't going to be as easy.

"Right, like always! Everyone is running to poor Stephanie's rescue."

"Excuse me." Stevie stood up, feeling as if she was being strangled, her throat closing up, it was getting hard to breathe.

"Yeah, just walk away, like you always do!"

Christine glared at him, standing up to go after her friend. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

Only a minute later, Christine was in the hallway, but Stevie had already disappeared. Somehow sensing she would find the younger blond outside, that was where Christine headed. And she was right, spotting Stevie as soon as she left the building.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked, putting one arm around Stevie's shoulders. "He's not worth your tears, darling. Not anymore."

Sniffling, she shook her head, shrugging her shoulders too. "How am I so horrible that the second we're in each other's presence, he has to go off and purposefully hurt me?"

"Because he's not right in the head, love, that's why." That got a chuckle out of Stevie, which made Christine smile. "Yeah, do that instead of crying, it suits you way better."

"I don't know what I would do without you." Stevie hugged Chris. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I'm always here, you know that. Now, come on. Let's get back in there."

Taking their time, the two female stars of the band re-entered the room, where the guys were, seeing Lindsey pouting, obviously having received a telling off from Mick and John. From Mick at least.

"So, are we just going to sit here?" Christine spoke up, trying to move on from the argument and drag everyone else along with her. "You mentioned some song, Lindsey that you wanted to show us."

"Um, yeah. I have no music for it yet, but I brought a lyric sheet." Offering it to her, he sat down again, mindlessly playing his guitar.

Since Stevie was sitting right next to Christine, she looked over at the piece in her hands, immediately feeling daggers from Lindsey's written words sticking into her heart.

What makes you think I'm the one

Who'll be there when you're callin'?

Then...

What makes you think I'm the one

Who will love you forever?

Despite the fact that they had broken up nearly two years ago, they didn't stop writing about each other. The only difference was that before Fleetwood Mac, the songs they wrote for the other were beautiful, channeling the love they held in their hearts, and now they were filled with anger and obviously the pain that was still there, especially on Lindsey's part.

"If I'm honest, it seems really mean." Christine said, handing the words to Mick.

"But it's my song, I get to write about whatever the hell I want. This is going on the album." He narrowed his eyes at Stevie, who was looking down, wanting nothing more than to run away right this moment and never return.

"Is this how it's always going to be?" Mick asked, once he read through the lyrics. "I mean... You guys put it all out there with Rumours, can't we maybe take a different direction now? Or do you simply enjoy torturing yourself by going back to your relationship and reliving it?"

"Be glad there are songs at all, it's not like you can write them yourself." Lindsey snatched the words to his song from Mick.

"You know what, mate? You have to cool down. I don't know what crawled up your arse and died, but this is no way to treat the people you work with. Show some respect." Mick wasn't happy with his guitarist at all. He knew, well everyone knew, Lindsey to be bad tempered and rather arrogant, but he was given no reason to be behaving this way right now. "We haven't even started working and I feel like we should already take a break. Go and let off some steam." He told Lindsey.

Who replied with... "You're right, I'll go find Carol." And it was intended to hurt Stevie.

Shaking her head, once he left, she cocked her head back. And it was only the very first day...

~

The long awaited Tusk story! I hope you won't be disappointed :)