Title: Love Runs Deeper: Prologue, Spark
Rating: PG [mild language, innuedo]

Summary: Buckingham Nicks is no more...




Sometimes he would just sit in an empty room, guitar in hand, and think about her. It would often lead to a burst of creativity, but seemingly not that day. Instead, it was turning the other direction. His thoughts had wandered off into oblivion, finding companionship with guilt. But what did he really need to feel guilty for? It was her choice to work shit jobs so they could pay their bills. He still felt guilty though. He should have been working, bringing home money, providing for them. He was the man. He should be doing that. Not staying home and messing around on the guitar. How was that helpful?

Setting his guitar aside, he stood and headed towards the small kitchen. Pulling open the fridge, he peered inside and sighed. He was starving. A pickle, a jar of peanut butter, and half a watermelon that was more water than melon did not bode well at all. Grabbing the last bottle of beer, he closed the door and turned to the pantry. Moldy heels of a loaf of bread and a can of pinto beans did not look any more appetizing.

Tossing the bread into the trash can, he paced into the living room and sat on their small couch. He stared blankly at the wall as he sucked on the beer bottle. She had to be home soon; he was certain of it. And hopefully she would bring food too.

Just as he finished the beer, the front door to their apartment opened and in stepped a vision of beauty. Perhaps to most the unkempt blond woman would not be particularly appealing, but he found the way her messy hair fell out of its braid adorable. And it really was not the beer talking – he thought.

“Linds?” her smoky voice spoke as she closed the door and glanced in the living room. “Oh there you are. Did you have a good day?”

“Eh, not really. You?”

She smiled crookedly, “I got a really good tip today. How about we go out for a change? It might do you some good.”

“I… all right. If that’s what you want.”

Remaining where he was, Lindsey watched her briefly set her things down and head into their bedroom. Shifting on the couch, he closed his eyes and listened as she turned on the shower. Listening to her actions for a moment, a sudden melody shot through his system. Without pause, he jumped up and retrieved his guitar. Hitting the record button on his tiny recorder, he played through the melody a few times until he was satisfied that it sounded just as he imagined.

“Is that what you worked on today?” her voice interrupted his internal dialogue as he stopped recording.

“No,” his eyes went to hers. “It just came right now.”

“I like it,” she declared, rubbing her long blond hair with a towel.

“I… I booked us some studio time next week – if you can get it off. I think we should start to demo some of the new songs, so that we can pull together a second album,” he stated, setting the guitar down.

“Sure,” she smiled, turning to head back in the bedroom. “Decide where you want to go… birthday boy.”



Getting up from the mixing board, Lindsey stated, “I’m going to grab a soda. Do you want anything, Stevie?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Thanks.”

Leaving the studio, he headed towards the soda machine, coins in his hand. Passing the one next to theirs, Lindsey paused. Taking a step backwards, he glanced in through the window. A tall man stood with his back to the window, moving slowly to whatever he was listening to.

Who the fuck was he kidding? Lindsey knew his own music when he heard it, even muffled by the walls of the studio. Why was that tall man listening to it? What did you think about it? Should he even be spying?

Before he was even able to answer his own question, the door to the studio opened and out stepped Keith Olson. His face instantly brightened upon seeing Lindsey lingering in the hallway. Saying nothing, he quickly shook the guitarist’s hand and turned back to the studio, saying something to the tall man in a muffled tone. Confused, Lindsey remained where he was, waiting for something – and he did not think Keith was going to hand him a grocery-shopping list.

“Lindsey, I’d like you to meet Mick Fleetwood. Mick, this is Lindsey Buckingham of–”

“Buckingham Nicks,” the tall man said with a smile. “You seem to have exactly what I am looking for.”

“And what would that be?” Lindsey asked after shaking the man’s hand.

“A guitarist’s spark.”


Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom next to Stevie, Lindsey checked his hair once more. He would never admit it to anyone, but his heart was pounding. It was only dinner. Nothing more. Except it was everything more. He knew that. Stevie knew that. Their lives were about to change. He did not really understand how drastically though. He knew of Fleetwood Mac – or at least had been schooled on the band since the introduction to the drummer by Keith a few days before. But that did not mean much of anything. Or so he kept trying to convince himself.

“Lindsey?” Stevie spoke up, drawing his lost eyes from the mirror to hers.

“Yeah?”

“Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied nonchalantly, glancing over what she was wearing. “Are you sure you want to wear that dress?”

Her eyes instantly darkened, “What’s wrong with my dress?”

“I – uh nothing, baby. Nothing. You should probably wear your high boots. Mick is pretty tall,” he quickly replied and hurried out of the bathroom.

Sitting in the car in the parking lot outside the chosen restaurant, Lindsey fidgeted slightly. His blue eyes darted up to the restaurant sign a few times, almost reassuring himself they were in the correct location. Why was he so nervous? It was only a life-changing decision they were going to make – over Mexican food.

“Come on, Linds,” Stevie stated, getting out of the beat-up car herself. “They won’t wait forever.”

“Right,” he nodded and got out of the car.

Enfolding his hand in hers, Stevie headed towards the restaurant. She could tell he was nervous, as he had been all week. Frantic sex the night before had not calmed his nerves. Nothing else would. They just needed to make it through this dinner, see where things stood, and get on with life. If the band decided against them, it was not that big of a deal. They would continue to work on their new album and go about life. No feelings hurt.

The band lingered in the restaurant lobby, waiting for the couple. Seeing them enter, Mick greeted them boisterously and quickly began to introduce them to the band. Though Stevie tried to separate to speak with Christine on her own, Lindsey would not release her hand, keeping her close. Even wiggling her fingers did not seem to help. He would not release her until they reached the large table in the back of the restaurant.

Within minutes, both Stevie and Lindsey felt at ease with the three Brits. It felt right and natural. Neither thought for a moment that the dinner was the audition, but rather a precursor. However, as minutes dragged into hours, it became clear a decision had been made.

Lindsey and Stevie were joining Fleetwood Mac. Their lives were suddenly much different. It was their destiny.