Straight Back

I quit

Touring had become a rare thing of her during the last years. And if, Stevie had tried to keep it as short as possible. Things had changed so much ever since she had told Lindsey about her being pregnant. And sitting on the floor, her three year old daughter in her lap as they were playing with dolls, she didn't want to get up and leave for the meeting they had with the band about the new tour.

"Honey, mommy has to go now."

"No."

The pout on her daughter's face nearly broke her heart. But the little girl knew exactly how she was able to get everything she wanted. And from the moment she had been born she had her parents wrapped around her little fingers.

"You know I have to, Belle. But believe me, I want to go just as much as you want me to go."

The chuckle she heard was ignored. Stevie knew why Lindsey was amused. It was because she was completely refusing to call their daughter by her given name, or the short form of it. Stevie had wanted either Rhiannon or Sara. He had refused, telling her that she couldn't name their daughter after one of her songs. In the end they had finally agreed on Isabella Rhiannon. But since Isabella was the mini me of her mother, completely fascinated by Beauty and the Beast, Stevie always called their daughter Belle only.

"Come on. Which one do you want to take with you?"

She kept her arms around her little girl, and got up, after Isabella had picked out one of her dolls to take with her. Stevie hadn't lied, she was absolutely unwilling to go. But it was mostly because she had no desire to go into the battle she knew they were in for.

A few hours later and all pleasantries over, Mick was going on and on about what he, and Warner had in mind about the tour. Christine and John looked as if they couldn't care less, both just wanting to hear what was decided. While Stevie had a dead grip on Lindsey's hand. A look passed between them, a silent question was asked, but Stevie shook her head. She would battle it out alone.

"Mick, this is all good, but you do remember that some of us have a family."

She interrupted him. He had just begun talking about how he wanted the tour to last a year, at least. After all they hadn't toured after Mirage for too long.

"You'll be taking her with you, so what's the deal?"

Stevie bit her lip to keep herself from telling him that they all knew how good that had worked out for him in the end. If she knew one thing for sure then it was that she didn't want to become a stranger to her own daughter.

"We need to at least have a break from December..." She insisted instead.

"We didn't plan on touring over the holidays. We'll go till the middle of December and continue a month later."

"That's not enough."

"It's not."

"It is, don't be ridiculous..."

"I can't do that."

She tightened her hold on Lindsey's hand, knowing that he was short before saying something as well. But they had talked, and this was something Stevie wanted, needed to fight for on her own. He didn't understand why, but he knew better than to say anything else than yes to whatever she wanted right now.

"Why wouldn't you possibly do that. We go, it's final."

"Okay." Stevie nodded, getting up. "Then you're not leaving me any options."

She let go off Lindsey, wanting to make it clear that this was her decision, not theirs.

"Stevie, what's going on here?" Christine was now wondering what all this was about.

"I quit."