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It will be fine

Thanks to Mick's visit, Stevie could barely get a word out of Joe for the past couple of days. He was clearly pissed that Mick would even think of suggesting Lindsey joined them on tour. Years, decades passed and Joe hadn't forgiven much less forgotten about everything Lindsey had done to the woman he loved. He doubted, he ever would.

Standing in the doorway Stevie sighed at the sight of her husband hunched over, writing furiously. Approaching him, somewhat carefully, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he stopped. 

"I miss you." She said, kissing his neck. 

"I'm sorry, I know this isn't your fault. Just..." Joe shrugged, turning around in his chair as he sat Stevie down on his lap. "We don't need him, what the hell is Mick thinking?"

"Can you ever truly tell what's on Mick's mind?" Stevie attempted to joke, laying her head on Joe's shoulder. "You can't let it bother you that much."

"Why doesn't it bother you?"

"Oh, it does. I've been angry and I've cried, but..." Stevie trailed off, hesitating to continue. "I've been thinking about it and what choice do we have, Joe? After all, this is Mick's band. If he's already approached us about Lindsey coming back, he obviously wants him back pretty badly. He's going to make sure it happens one way or another."

"So, you're saying we should go along with it? Stevie, that man betrayed you, then ruined our wedding, he's told you to-"

"I remember every single thing Lindsey's done, Joe, and I don't want to think about it."

"Sorry." Joe lifted her hand up to his lips, kissing each knuckle. "But he makes me so mad. If it were up to me, I'd get you a restraining order against him."

Smiling weakly, Stevie said. "I can't keep running away from him for the rest of my life. Actually, I'm not running away, only blocking his existence from my brain. We shouldn't have expected not to ever see him again."

"We've been quite successful for twenty some years though." Joe pointed out and Stevie nodded. 

"I think... we should meet with him. I do." She added, seeing the shock across Joe's face. "I know I called Mick crazy when he suggested it, told him no, but we're professionals. We're able to put our personal feelings aside and do our job, right?"

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Right?" Stevie repeated, giving Joe a pointed look. 

Sighing, Joe asked. "Why are you even considering this, Steph?"

"Because I love Fleetwood Mac. Because I have made so many sacrifices for Fleetwood Mac. If I weren't a part of that band, I would have been a mother of... of five and not just one. I could have spent so much more time with my husband, watched my baby girl grow up into the beautiful woman she is today, instead of putting her into the arms of nannies. I could have focused on my solo career. I could have had a go at so many things I've always wanted to try in my life. If I quit now, everything I've missed out on... It all would have been for nothing."

Joe hated to, but he had to agree. "I see your point, but... I'm not sure I can share a stage with him. I don't think he's worthy of being up there."

"You won't. Mick said, you play your songs, Lindsey plays his. You won't be on stage together."

"My God... you've already made up your mind."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not jumping from joy." Stevie shook her head. "I simply feel like it's something we should do, get it over with and move on. Weren't you the one who told me, we can't show Lindsey, we're still affected by him, that we've been dwelling on the past for so long?" Joe was silent, which probably meant he was thinking about it, so Stevie continued. "We'll sit down, the three of us, and tell him like it is. We'll set some boundaries, too. He's got to know that this means nothing, he's not back in our lives, he's not a friend of ours. An acquaintance."

Joe chewed on his lip, something a lot worse than Stevie and Lindsey reconciling on his mind. What if... what if she still had feelings for that man? Taking in a deep breath, Joe tightened his hold around Stevie's waist. "Are you absolutely sure? Can you work alongside with him again? After everything?"

"I'll have you by my side." Stevie smiled, wanting to prove Joe she could do this. 

"Trust me if he so much as looks at you the wrong way, I'll fucki-"

"You won't." Stevie cut him off, laughing lightly. "I need you by my side, not in prison."

"Fine. But I will tell him off."

"You're allowed to do that." Running her finger's through his hair, Stevie then kissed Joe on the cheek. "I'll call Mick and tell him I still think he's crazy, but that we've discussed it and we're in. Also, I'll ask for Lindsey's number, so we can set up a meeting with him." Joe looked as if he was about to be sick, just thinking about it. "It's going to be fine."

Joe highly doubted it.