Flicker

15

September 2, 1993

1993 was crazy. January started with the release of a new album by Lindsey. He was only going to tour the states though so hopefully it wasn't going to be too bad. Then he was asked to perform at President Clinton's inauguration with his band Fleetwood Mac. Stevie, of course, designed everything for them, and she and Aubree tagged along. February brought Aubree's second birthday and the little girl is amazing. She has brownie blonde hair. It's not blonde but it's not dark brown either, and sadly it does not fall in ringlets like Lindsey's it's straight as a pin much like her mother pre-perm. March brought the announcement that Stevie's brother and his wife Lori were expecting a baby. April and May were virtually quiet. June Lindsey went out on tour and now all the way in September, Stevie had a bad feeling. She didn't know why she just did. 

Today was the MTV music awards and though Lindsey wasn't nominated for anything or presenting, he was performing so like a good wife she was tagging along.  But she was scared. 

Her nervousness peaked when they got to the after-party. Don Henley, was a man that Stevie had a brief fling with before her marriage to Lindsey. Lindsey had gone to the bathroom when a very drunk Don had approached her. He was leaning very close to her and she was essentially backed into a corner. That's when Lindsey came back. 

He didn't talk to her for the rest of the night, but when they got home and sent Karen away for the night Stevie saw something in Lindsey's eyes that she hadn't seen since the night she told him she was pregnant with Aubree. 

He grabbed her arm and pulled her up the stairs. Once they were in the safety of their bedroom he threw her onto the bed.

"What the fuck where you doing with him?" Lindsey questions.

"Nothing. He approached me." Stevie shakes her head.

"Bull shit, he did," Lindsey growls.

"He did I promise you he did." Stevie states.

It wasn't long before he was forcefully thrusting into her and doing what they used to be so good at. They had been married for fourteen years, and they hadn't had aggressive sex in two years and Stevie felt violated. She felt very violated. Violated to the point where after Lindsey had passed out she put her pajamas on and limped her way across the hall where Aubree was sleeping in her crib. She curled herself onto the glider and cried herself to sleep. 

She was woken up a few hours later to the sweet words of her baby. "Mama. Mama. Mama." 

She sniffled but stood up with a wince. Her hips were killing her as was her stomach and her ribs. Not to mention her back from sleeping curled up on the chair. She had to stifle a cry when she picked the toddler up in her arms and carried her over to the closet. After picking out a little jean dress and a blue teeshirt for her she helped her daughter brush her teeth and she put her hair in little pigtails. 

After breakfast, Stevie and Aubree were curled on the couch watching cartoons, Aubree sitting on her mother's stomach. It was oddly her favorite place to sit and Stevie didn't know why but she didn't question it. When Lindsey got downstairs he went to kiss her cheek and she moved her head away. 

"Steph?" He asks, slightly hurt.

"Aubree honey, Momma needs to get in the shower," Stevie says to the little girl who smiles and wraps her arms around her neck. 

"Wuv you mama." She says crawling off of her mom and letting her go upstairs.

"Steph?" Lindsey asks.

She just gives him a pointed look and trails up the stairs. As she got out of her nightgown, she was staring at herself in the mirror, and tears were clouding her vision. She had an ugly bruise forming right under her left ribs, not to mention one on her ass and the bite marks littering the underside of her breasts made her look like a vampire's victim. 

She was brushing her wet hair sitting at her vanity wrapped in her emerald silk robe when Lindsey came into the bedroom.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

She just glares at him threw the mirror.

"Come on Steph, you've gotta tell me what's wrong," Lindsey begs, plopping down on the bed.

"Where's Aubree?" Stevie asks.

"She's in her room playing with her blocks. Her doors open, our doors open she's fine. Now, what's wrong?" He asks.

She just stands up and drops her robe standing naked in front of him. She does a 360 spin and Lindsey's eyes go wide.

"Steph I...I didn't." He shakes his head.

"You've not hit me during sex in two years Lindsey Buckingham. Two years and an ex-boyfriend just as much as talks to me at an after-party and you go all boxer on me. You didn't even listen to me when I said that Don was the one who approached me and backed me into a wall. You just hit me. Lindsey, I will not go back to that. I swear to God, if that happens again I will walk out." She states.

"Stevie I'm sorry. I never meant to do that I..." He starts.

"Save it, it's done and over with...now, I'm going to finish getting ready. Go make sure Aubree doesn't do anything she's not supposed to." Stevie states disappearing into her walk-in closet. 

"I love you, Stevie," Lindsey says in a last-ditch attempt to try and apologize for what he did the night prior. 

"Lindsey, I'm hurt...I'm physically hurt, why didn't you stop?" She asks tears coming to her eyes. 

"I didn't realize I was hitting you that hard. You used to like it though so I guess in my clouded haze I...just took it too far." He sighs.

"I used to fight you back, I didn't fight you back last night. You should've realized that." Stevie shakes her head.

"I know, am I sorry." He tries as 'Addy' Comes from down the hall. 

Stevie points and Lindsey sighs, shakes his head, and goes to see what Aubree wants.