Down All Your Darkest Roads

Chapter One

A/N: I hope you like this new series. It is somewhat of a sequel to Solo lll (In Sausalito), so if you haven't read it, I recommend you do.  This story deviates from canon in the senseChristine's not married and Stevie is single. I hope to post regular updates to keep the momentum going. Enjoy!

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Christine busied herself in front of her keyboard as she heard the sound of a car door slam, signalling the arrival of a certain petite blonde who until today, had been missing in action. Unable to help herself, Christine got up from her seat and peered out the window, getting a small glimpse of Stevie Nicks as she made her way to the front door; a hurricane of messy blonde hair that was sure to bring chaos to the already dysfunctional recording process of Tango in the Night.

Christine nervously fiddled with her necklace while she waited, not knowing what to expect from their reunion. They barely spoke over the past two years and while Christine had tried to reach out to Stevie, the responses felt flippant and distant so she eventually stopped trying. Still, Christine's concerns for Stevie weren't something she could switch off; she wanted to see her band mate in a better place than she had been over the recent years.

The sound of Stevie's distinct husky voice filled the hallway and she appeared at the door, quickly slipping inside and avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room. Lindsey trailed in behind her, looking uncomfortable as he shot wary glances at his ex girlfriend who was pouring herself a glass of brandy at the bar set up in the corner of the room. Christine took in Stevie's presentation; her hastily applied makeup did little to hide her pale complexion and there were noticeable shadows under her eyes. Her clothes were frumpy and homelike, almost as if she just rolled out of bed and dragged herself to Lindsey's house at the last minute. Stevie's bedraggled appearance shocked Christine. She gathered Stevie would be fragile after her stay in rehab, but she didn't expect her to look as unkempt as she did.

"Hi Johnny, Mick, Chris," Stevie said, glancing at them as she took her generously filled glass and sat behind the soundboard next to their long time producer, Richard.

Mick and John greeted her. Christine, however, could only give her a weak half smile that seemed to go unnoticed.

"Let's begin then?" Lindsey suggested. "Stevie, how about you go to the recording booth and we'll start with the demo you sent over."

Stevie froze. "You want me to go in there now?"

"Yes, now," Lindsey said patiently.

Christine heard Stevie mumble to herself as she shakily stood up and headed to the sleek recording booth, brandy glass in hand. She looked small and unsure and Christine wanted to run in there and give her old friend an encouraging hug, but she didn't know how Stevie would take it. Instead, she set up her sheet music for Seven Wonders and played a few chords on the keyboard to warm up.

"Okay, when you're ready, Stevie," Richard said.

Stevie cleared her throat and took a big gulp of her drink. Christine sighed; they had a long day ahead of them.

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Two hours later, the band had barely made any progress and Stevie was on her second glass of brandy. Her voice was scratchy and she looked like she was on the verge of tears. Christine could sense Lindsey's patience was wearing thin so she suggested they take a break and work on a different song afterwards. Stevie nearly leapt out of the booth in relief and exited the room without a backwards glance.

Christine gave Stevie ten minutes before she went out to look for her. She found her sitting on the edge of a lounge chair on Lindsey's vast patio, smoking a cigarette and looking miserable. Christine quietly approached her and placed her hand on her shoulder before sitting down on the chair next to Stevie's.

"Thanks for calling a break, I was going crazy in there," Stevie said, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"It's okay, I could see you needed it," Christine gestured to Stevie's cigarette and she handed it to her.

Stevie stared blankly at the view of LA that stretched out before them. "Its like I've forgotten how to sing."

Christine took a quick puff and passed the cigarette back to Stevie. "You haven't, you've been away and you were basically thrown in there. It'll get easier."

"I hope so."

"How are you, Stevie?" She asked carefully. "And I hope to get an honest answer."

Stevie turned to face her and smiled sadly. "Is it that obvious I'm a mess?"

In the old days, Christine normally would have answered with a resounding 'yes', but she didn't want Stevie to feel worse than she already did. She looked even more haggard up close; her skin was sporting a few spots and her eyes had a vacant, almost haunted look. The signature Stevie glow had vanished and it was disconcerting to see.

"You're struggling in there and I want to know if there's anything I can do to make it easier for you," She offered instead.

Stevie shrugged. "Thanks Chris, but there's really nothing you can do. It's just hard trying to work in Lindsey's house after rehab and I don't know if I'm fully ready. Knowing his girlfriend lives here doesn't make things better, either."

"Just take it day by day and don't be hard on yourself. Its your first day back so of course its going to be strange," Christine said gently. "As for Cheri, she's really nice and stays out of our way, she's not like Lindsey's previous girlfriends."

Stevie didn't reply and Christine realised the last thing she wanted to hear was how amiable Lindsey's new girlfriend was. Treading on glass seemed easier than talking to Stevie, but it had been like that for a while now.

Stevie changed the subject just as Christine was going to tentatively ask her about rehab. "How have things been with you?"

"Good, I'm glad to be back for the most part. Managing the boys has been fucking irritating, though. Mick and John aren't in a good place and it shows, and don't get me started on Lindsey's tantrums."

"Well, looks like I'm in good company, then," Stevie put out the remainder of her cigarette and stood up. "We should probably go back inside."

Christine rose to her feet and impulsively took Stevie's hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. "I'm glad you're back, Stevie. You'll get through it."

Stevie gave her a heartbreaking smile and the ice between them slowly began to melt.