A/N: This is the companion piece to Headliner centering around Lindsey and her attempt to find her mother someone to love. It's not really necessary to read the other story, but it might help.


The Antics of Lindsey Willows

Chapter 1

Light glinted off the baubles dangling in the window. Lindsey Willows sat at the kitchen table staring out this very window. She was quite satisfied with herself. She had single-handedly (alright, so Lexi was there too, but she, Lindsey, was really the one in command) made it so Sara moved in with Nick. They had been together ever since, according to Sara and Nick's daughter Alexis (it hadn't even been a full twenty-four hours yet, but happiness comes fast for some people). All three adults (Catherine included) hadn't been too happy about the situation that brought them together, but both girls had been let off with relatively easy punishments. Lindsey concluded from all of this that she could do extreme things and not feel any backlash from it.

The wheels inside her mind began to turn as she stared at the picture of her and her mother on the mantelpiece. It was so long ago when they were happy. Eddie Willows had been in the scene, but only as Lindsey's sometimes-there father. While she would never admit it, Lindsey hated the way he had treated her mother. Catherine had cried countless times over a cheating husband, and yet for the longest time she had no strength to end it. Even when she did divorce him, the pain he had caused resurrected itself time and time again. His death hadn't ended the problem either. If anything, it had made it worse when Lindsey started rebelling. Lindsey had known it wasn't a good idea from the beginning, but once she started, she couldn't stop.

Now, at thirteen, she was beginning to think back on her choices. She realized that all she wanted was for her mother to be happy. She knew her mother was lonely, and a lonely mother meant a cranky mother. Lindsey figured if she could correct this situation, both of their lives would improve drastically.

The plot was forming. Truth be told, she needed a little help, but as she was grounded for the next eighteen hours for "holding a fugitive" as her mother had put it, she was pretty much stuck. She heard a snore and looked over to the couch. Her grandmother was fast asleep. Lily Flynn obviously did not have a great sense of hearing because Lindsey had snuck out countless times. There were also the occasions when Catherine herself had run away as a child. Lily had been losing her touch for years and this was the thing Lindsey was counting on. That and her ability to manipulate any situation to her liking.

She woke up at seven the next morning and crept softly around her house. Catherine was nowhere to be found and Lily had moved from the couch. As far as Lindsey could tell, she had the house to herself. Her phone restrictions had been lifted and she made her way into the kitchen. She flipped through her mother's address book and found the number she was looking for.

"Tangiers Casino, this is Becky. How may I help you?"

"May I speak to Sam Braun please?" Lindsey asked trying to sound as grown up as possible.

"Who is calling?" the woman asked in a robotic tone.

"Lindsey Willows."

"Is Mr. Braun expecting your call, Miss Willows?"

"No, but he should always be willing to accept calls from his granddaughter."

The woman gave a light laugh. "So we're going for the granddaughter bit today are we? I'll tell you, this is the first time I've heard this one today."

Lindsey stomped her foot in the kitchen. "I really am his granddaughter. Why don't you call and ask him. I bet you a million bucks." She bit her lip, realizing she had slipped up on the "act older" front.

Becky sounded exasperated. "One moment please."

Lindsey raised her eyebrow as hold music came on. It reminded her of dentist music and she instinctively felt a pain in her tooth. She hoped Becky would hurry.

"Are you Lindsey Willows, daughter of Catherine Willows?"

"Yes," she replied with an edge of an attitude.

"One moment please."

The music was back and so was the pain. Luckily it only lasted for a few seconds. "Lindsey? Is that you?"

"Hey, Sam. How are you?"

"I'm just fine, but I'm a bit busy. Is there something I can do for you?"

"As a matter of fact, there is. You see, it's about Mom…" The conversation went on for a few minutes while Lindsey explained what tricks she had up her sleeve. Sam seemed impressed at the girl's knack for plotting. She definitely had Braun blood in her.

At last Sam said, "Your mom's a tough person. I don't know if it'll work, but I'll try."

"Thanks, Sam."

"You're welcome. Oh and Lindsey, don't get in too much trouble, all right?"

She giggled. "I'll try."

Catherine returned home a few hours later, dead on her feet. Lindsey greeted her from the couch. As Catherine strolled into the kitchen for a glass of water she noticed the address book open on the counter. "Linds, who were you calling today?"

Lindsey silently cursed herself and ran to the counter before her mother could see the page it was opened to. She slammed it shut and set it back on top of the phone book. "No one. I was just looking."

"Oh right, and the reason you came over here so fast to close it was because you aren't finished and you wouldn't want me intruding on your unfinished product," Catherine said skeptically.

"Exactly," Lindsey said quickly and headed to her room.

"Where are you going?"

"It is ten in the morning and I have a life. I'm meeting Lexi at the park."

"Alright, but be careful. And wear sunscreen."

"I'm not a child mother. I have a brain."

"Linds, you are thirteen. That's a child."

"Whatever." She grabbed her bag and left the house. In due time her mother would see just what she had been doing with the address book. In time she would see that her daughter really did care about her love life. She would come to realize that maybe at thirteen one wasn't so much of a child anymore.


A/N2: Please give me some feedback. Thanks much.