Beauty and the Beast

6

Dinner had been ready for half an hour and Stevie hadn't shown. Lindsey was getting antsy pacing back in forth in front of the fireplace in the dining room. 

"Why hasn't she come down yet?" He asks.

"Lindsey, be patient with her. She lost her brother, her father, and her freedom all in one day." Christine tries to soothe. 

"Lindsey, do you think she could be the one to break the spell. At least thought about it anyway?" Mick asks after a moment. 

"Of course I thought about it. As soon as I saw her, my heart was pounding and butterflies rose up in my stomach. I also may or may not have wanted to...well, mate with her the moment I saw her." Lindsey looks down a slight blush present on his cheek.

"No Lindsey, don't jump to that right now," Christine warns.

"Of course not." He shakes his head.

"So all you have to do is fall in love with her and get her to fall in love with you." Mick shrugs.

"It's not going to be that easy." Lindsey spits.

"Lindsey..." Mick trails off.

"The rose is already starting to wilt and it's just no use...She's so beautiful and I'm well... I'm not." He shakes his head. 

"Lindsey, you just have to help her see passed all of that. You need to go back to the little boy that John and I used to play with growing up. The boy who spent hours picking at his guitar who was so sweet and humble. Yes, slightly spoiled but still a human being. It wasn't until you took the throne when you became as hard as you did. Just go back to that. Show her that part of you and she'll fall in love with you instantly." Christine assures. 

"I don't know how." He hangs his head in defeat. 

"Well for starters, straighten up...you're slouching," Christine says harshly causing him to fix his posture.

"Be a gentleman. Take her hand, lead her to her seat, pull her chair out for her and then push her in. Smile at her. and be gentle." Mick tells him. 

"And above all..." Christine starts. 

"YOU MUST CONTROL YOUR TEMPER!" Both she and Mick yell in unison at Lindsey who immediately shrinks. He's aware that he has anger issues. But every once in a while they'll put him in check and it knocks him on his ass every single time. 

The door pushed open and Mick and Christine slightly panicked when John showed up alone.

"Where is she?" Lindsey asks.

"Um, well you see. She agh...given the circumstances. She's not coming." John looks down. 

Lindsey growls and then like a bat out of hell he sprints passed his servents towards her bedroom. They try to chase after him to no avail and then they stop when he bangs on her door. 

"I TOLD YOU TO COME DOWN TO DINNER!" 

"I'M NOT HUNGRY." She calls through the door.

"COME OUT OR I'LL BREAK DOWN THIS DOOR!" He growls.

"Lindsey, this isn't the best way to win her over," Mick says quietly daring to place his hand on his agitated King's back.

"Please try to be a little nicer." John sighs.

"But she's being a little bitch," Lindsey huffs crossing his arms like a toddler.

"You're acting like my four-year-old...be gentle," Christine scolds. 

"Will you come down to dinner?" Lindsey asks slightly loudly so it can be heard through the door. 

"NO!" She bellows. Lindsey just wrinkles his nose and points at the door giving an I told you so look.

"Be a nice young man," John tells him. 

"It would give me great pleasure if you would join me for dinner please." He tries again.

"I'm not hungry." She responds.

"You can't stay in there forever." He retorts.

"Yes, I can." She sasses.

"Fine...GO AHEAD AND STARVE!" Lindsey screams at her through the door then turns to her servants. "If she doesn't eat with me, she doesn't eat at all." 

With that remark, he storms down the hallway. Mick starts banging his head against the wall and Christine just lays her head on John's shoulder who starts rubbing her back. 

"Well, that could've gone better." John sighs.

"We only have two more years." She whispers into her husband's chest.

"I know." He nods.

***

In Lindsey's bedroom, he makes his way over to the rose and looks at the wilting flower. At least he has two years before it all goes to shit. But two years isn't that long. He remembers the year that Christine was pregnant with Chip went by like a blink of an eye and that's what concerns him the most. 

He sits on the chair by the rose and grabs at the mirror. "Show me the girl." 

She's sitting on the bed, she looks sad her with her perfect blonde hair now pulled back into a bun on the top of her head. Her brown eyes are filled with water like she's going to cry and she's curled in on herself showing off her petite frame. There's a lot running through his head, like what he has to write down on the grocery list that he sends out with the royal messenger. He had been lucky and wasn't in the castle when the curse was placed so he can come and go as he pleases but instead he listens in to Stevie talking with Margi.

"He really is a nice guy once you get to know him. You just have to give him a chance." Margi coos.

"I don't want to give him a chance, I don't want anything to do with him." She spits. 

Lindsey's heart breaks and he has to set the mirror down. He scrubbed at his eyes and then made his way to his bed. 

"Who am I fooling, she's only ever going to see me as the monster who's holding her captive." He says to himself as another petal on the rose falls. 

***

Down in the kitchen as John, Christine, and Mick were cleaning it was tense. 

"I'm sorry your roast chicken went to waste it was really good." Mick sighs.

"It's fine. Don't complain, it's been a long night for all of us." Christine shakes her head.

"Well if you ask me, she's just being stubborn. He did say please." John throws his towel down on the cupboard. 

"But if he doesn't learn to control that temper he'll never..." She starts.

"Well, Miss. Stephanie, it's nice to see you out and about. I'm Mick Fleetwood, this is John McVie. If there's anything we can do for you just let us know." Mick kisses her hand.

"Well, I am a little hungry." She shrugs. 

"WONDERFUL! I'll get the leftovers." Christine cheers.

"Now love, remember what the master said." John scolds.

"Oh stop it, I'm not going to let her go hungry...come come take a seat." Christine coos pulling the chair out for her in the kitchen.