Lena observed herself in the mirror.

The dress she had chosen for tonight was simple, her favorite little black dress that fit perfectly and left nothing to imagination. Her hair was pulled up and piled on her head, leaving the big diamond earrings glistening at her ears to be the center of attention. And finally her deep red lipstick which completed the look.

She bent to pull on her heels, balancing precariously on one while securing the other.

"Twenty-five looks good on you," Roger said as he walked into the bedroom.

Lena smiled at him in the mirror, "Thank you. Shouldn't you be dressed by now?"

"Yes. But I wanted to give you something first."

"Rog-"

"Just wait. Turnaround towards the mirror and close your eyes."

"If you say so..."

In darkness she heard him come up behind her and the sound of him fumbling in his pocket. A line of cold metal fell on her neck, the pendant of whatever it was resting several inches below the lines of her collar bones. Roger's fingers brushed at the little hairs hanging down over the back of her neck causing her to shiver as he fixed the clasp of the necklace.

"Okay, open."

Lena opened her eyes and looked in the mirror. At first she did not realize what the little gold pendant was. But then, looking down at it and touching it with her fingertips and feeling the almost imperceptible ridges, she realized what it was. It was a piece of a broken cymbal, the once jagged edges filled down as not to stab her.

"Rog it's beautiful," she said, smiling at him widely in the mirror.

"Do you like it?"

She turned to face him, smiling warmly up at him.

"It's perfect," she said wrapping her arms around him.

"I wasn't quite sure what to get you and I found that piece in my pocket after a show one night and I kept it-"

"Rog it's absolutely perfect," she said, reaching up to kiss him, "But now I need some coffee before we go to this mystery party, and you need to get dressed."

"Yes ma'am," he said twirling her out of his grasp and sending her spinning toward the door. She grabbed her red jacket on the way out and proceeded down the stairs to the kitchen.

As the coffee brewed she thought about this impending party. It had of course been Freddie's idea and he had insisted upon it despite her protests. However, he had promised that the party would only consist of people she knew by name. But he had said that with an absolute mischievous glitter in his eye, so she still was not quite sure what to expect. She poured a little whiskey into her coffee and thumbed through a magazine, hoping not to see her name or face.

"Havin' a little somethin in your coffee there?" Roger asked.

"Just to start the night off right-" she began but stopped as she turned to see Roger, "You cannot be serious."

To Lena's horror Roger was wearing his favorite pink converse, which themselves were not all that bad. Nor were the black leather pants or white button down. Frankly, in that alone he would look quite good, she mused. But it was the bright pink blazer that made Lena's mouth drop.

"What? This is the perfect outfit for a fancy occasion."

"Not that coat. Absolutely not that coat."

"Oh yes. You cannot stop me. I have been planning to debut this coat for a long time and I just needed a good reason. And your birthday is the perfect occasion."

"Could my birthday present be that you don't wear that coat?"

"No can do. You already got your present."

"Roger I swear if you wear that out of the house-"

"Nope I'm wearing it. And I prepared for you to say no," he said as he grinned mischievously, "Freddie knows that I was planning to wear this jacket. But if I don't show up wearing said jacket, he's going to make you play BoRhap with him. At the party."

"First off you promised that you wouldn't tell him I could play the piano-"

"Well.... I also made him promise to never ask you about it unless I wasn't wearing the jacket-"

"And secondly. Blackmailing me to let you wear your dumb jacket? Really?"

"I wouldn't call it blackmailing so much as casual persuasion..."

"Hmm..." Lena said.

Lena dumped another round of whiskey into her cup of coffee. "You know what fine. I don't even care. But more than anything you owe me because now I can't wear my red jacket."

"Why?"

"Because we'll clash horribly," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh obviously. We could never ever put pink and red together like that."

"Exactly. Now Mr. Pink Suit Man. Can we get going to this party?"

"Oh hush. I know you like the rest of my outfit. You always say you love when I wear these pants."

"Sure I do."

"Whatever," he laughed, "Let's go, limo will be here," he looked at the clock, "five minutes ago."

"A limo. Really?" Lena deadpanned, shaking her head.

"Yes really."

The ride to the party was exceptionally uneventful as she had half expected the rest of the boys to spring out of hidden compartments or something. But she supposed that this was just the calm before the storm.

Upon arrival to their destination and after disembarking the car, Roger offered her his arm, grinning like an idiot.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because I'm so happy to be here to celebrate your birthday with you. And well, I don't know, just wait and see."

"Okay?"

Lena let herself be led up the steps and into Freddie's home. She should have suspected it would be at his house. All his best parties were at his house because he could perfectly formulate everything to be just how he wanted. And control the guest list she hoped.

No one but the roadie who opened the door for them noticed their presence immediately and Lena had time to properly take in the scale of the occasion.

The party was already in full swing, and at first glance it looked nothing like the classic rock and roll parties she was used to. Everything was arranged in perfect orderly fashion, the food that littered various tables all looked like collections of french delicacies and there was what looked to be bottles of her favorite brand of champagne protruding from ice buckets throughout the room. People were standing and chatting and clinking glasses in an uncharacteristically formal manor and the way the place was lit reminded Lena distinctly of a roaring twenties, Gatsby reminiscent party.

That was until the chandelier lurched with movement causing a loud tinkle as the thousands of little crystals collided with each other. Lena looked up to see that there was someone in a very long and flowing white dress lying lazily in the chandelier. In looking up she could see that the entirety of the room was actually filled with a hazy smoke and the woman in the chandelier was really quite smart to be up there near the balloons that flitted along the ceiling and above the cloud that engulfed the party goers. The closer she looked, the more familiar the scene became. Champagne fizzed seemingly auditorily and there was the heavy, bitter smell of alcohol wafting around the room. There were the remnants of some white substance on the table and too much girlish laughter. But this was the sort of party that she was used to and could almost like, because there were so many people that it became intimate and if you situated yourself just right there was proper amounts of privacy. And so far Freddie had kept his word; every single face she saw she could put a name to.

Lena and Roger wandered through the crowd downing a couple glasses of champagne each before finding Freddie who announced the two with tipsy enthusiasm. At his request the entire crowd sang her happy birthday as she blushed the color of Roger's blazer.

As the off key and slurred song concluded Freddie leaned in to whisper into Lena's ear conspiratorially.

"If you go over there just now," he whispered directing her gaze to the corner, "you will see a tall, only mildly high man whom you might find very interesting."

Lena looked in the direction he had indicated and searched the crowd. The only thing that stood out to her was a shock of dyed red hair on someone facing away from her while the rest of the faces faded into familiarity.

"I don't-"

Just then the head of red hair turned and Lena saw that red hair faded into blonde at the front of the man's head. Lena blinked a couple times at the man before looking back to Freddie with wide eyes.

"Is that David fucking Bowie?"

Freddie smiled delightedly, "And if you want to meet him darling you had better do so now because he has a concert tonight that he should have already left for."

"How-"

"Don't ask any questions, it ruins the magic of it."

"But-"

"Darling, let's just say that I'm the fairy godmother of rock n' roll."

Lena immediately ditched Roger in favor of meeting one of the most iconic people she'd ever heard sing. However, as soon as she plunged into the crowd, she was met with a wall of astoundingly large and curly black hair. Assuming it was Brian, she shouldered past, but upon coming face to face with the man, she discovered immediately it was not.

"Watch it pretty thing" the mop of black hair stated.

Another mop of black hair appeared next to him, "Nah, you gotta be the one to get outta the way Gene, that's the lady of the night."

"Oh, my apologies pretty thing," Gene responded, grinning.

For the second time that night Lena had to snap her mouth shut.

"Name's Paul, and this is Gene," the other said, sticking out his hand.

Lena shook it hesitantly, and with even more reservation at shaking Gene's hand, completely bewildered as to why half of Kiss was standing in Freddie's living room.

"Nice to meet you?"

"Don't say that as a question pretty thing, you just shook hands with half of the sexiest band in the world,"

Lena laughed, "Yes I know who you are. I just thought you were on tour in the States?"

"We were," Paul said, "But we just got over and Freddie convinced us to come a little early to London."

"Yes, and now that we've met you it's most definitely worth it," Gene grinned almost too mischievously.

"Thanks. I think?"

Paul rolled his eyes, "Don't mind him-"

"But pretty thing, you'd mind me quite nicely-"

"Okay that is quite enough of that," Roger said appearing at her side, "And besides Lena, Bowie is literally leaving and Freddie is really insisting that you meet him before he leaves."

Gene was about to say something that Lena had no doubt was derogatory toward Roger, but Paul elbowed him in the ribs and he settled for wagging his tongue at her.

"Oh my God don't do that," Lena laughed, "It was wonderful to meet you!"

A little more harshly than necessary Roger dragged her off into the crowd to the direction that she had last seen David Bowie.

Briefly they just managed to catch him as he left the house. Perhaps it was Lena's expectancy of what he would be like, or the fact that she had already consumed a little too much to drink, but the short thirty seconds in his presence were electrifying. He greeted her with a smooth grin and inexplicit energy as he shook her hand, accompanied by a kiss on the cheek. He wished her a 'wondrous and magical birthday' and then was whisked out the front door.

Lena looked at Roger starstruck, "We just met David Bowie."

"Yes we just did."

"And Kiss almost prevented us from doing so."

"Yes, they unfortunately did," Roger said making a disgusted face. His face quickly split into a grin, "And now you're about to hear Queen play you a set specially put together just for you."

"Really?"

"Yes of course, it's your birthday, what else would we do?"

It was actually much later that Roger managed to round up all four of them and play her their short collection of songs that they had selected for her, but in the meantime, Lena enjoyed herself immensely. She drank too much of her favorite champagne, smoked something that was definitely a little more potent than what she had been told it was, and consumed a few too many of the little chocolate desserts that littered the tables. Gene Simmons continued to wag his tongue at her across the room anytime he made eye contact, to which Roger would immediately glare at him. To which Lena would laugh in response. Perhaps it was because she was more than a little drunk, but Lena was immensely enjoying herself.

She had perched herself on top of Freddie's largest and most outrageous piece of furniture when she heard feedback screech and Freddie's voice bound into the room.

"Okay darlings. You all know that today is lovely Lena's birthday-" there was a loud, half drunken cheer, "And as such here is a little set we've concocted for our very special lady."

Freddie looked at the others and nodded.

"To begin, we have Lena's favorite Queen song, at least according to Roger. And I do suspect that it really is your favorite song, because it was not written by him," Freddie said making eye contact with her.

The audience laughed and Roger rolled his eyes laughing.

They began the song, and it was immediately recognizable as '39 which really was Lena's favorite song. Lena studied them as they played.

Roger had somewhere over the course of the night discarded his pink blazer, now leaving him looking quite dashing. Freddie was ever the dramatist of the group, sporting only a black, gold fringed military uniform and leather pants. He didn't even have shoes on. Deaky was dressed in typical Deaky fashion, classy but in such a way that was distinctly not classical. Tonight he had donned an all white suit, even wearing white high heeled shoes to match the look. And Brian was, as per usual, out dressing the rest of them by leaps and bounds on the actual classy level. He wore black pants, a white button down and a black vest, all accompanied by his big head of hair and the Red Special.

Cohesively they exuded the sort of glam rock vibe that Lena had come to so desperately love about them. '39 was played through with it's typical exuberance and in accoustic fashion.

Upon its conclusion the crowd clapped with astounding noise, but it soon died down once Roger began to speak into his microphone.

"This next song isn't one of our-"

"Such a shame really," Freddie interrupted."

"But it's a really excellent one that I know you like Lena and I thought we'd play it for you tonight."

At the intro to the song Lena couldn't quite identify what it was, but as soon as Freddie began to sing she grinned, and began to sway along.

Something by the Beatles echoed through the room, resonating only the way classics such as that do. Hearing this song, one she loved so much, that she had loved for such time, long before even hearing of Queen's existence, was a surreal experience. Somehow they played it perfectly in their own way, Roger's high voice filling the spaces next to Freddie's and Brian's uniquely, bringing it alive anew.

As it concluded on the last couple notes the crowd burst into applause again, this time with much more exuberance at hearing such a rendition of Something.

Once the crowd had quieted to a dull roar, Freddie spoke again. "And now, a new song off our forthcoming record, written by Mr. Pretty Boy himself, and frankly only just finished, in fact you'll all be the first to hear it, just for you: You and I.

It began with a classic Queen piano intro, Freddie's fingers dancing across the keys. Then Roger's drums came in and the song picked up slightly, but still remained on a slower tempo than that which one normally thinks of as classic seventies rock. After several lines Lena felt her throat tighten as they played.

Laughter ringing in the darkness

People drinking for days gone by

Time don't mean a thing

When you're by my side

Please stay awhile

You know I never could foresee the future years

You know I never could see

Where life was leading me

But will we be together forever

What will be my love

Can't you see that I just don't know

The instrumental interlude left Roger slightly more free to place his focus on Lena rather than his playing and he looked for her in the crowd, smiling wide. She met his eyes, tears of emotion almost pricking her own. This song was for her, and only her she knew as he watched her in the crowd, his eyes beaming. Rarely was she actually in the crowd when they played and even with this song just for her there was a fantastic energy, even despite all of the people present having heard Queen play dozens of times. Roger winked and blew her a kiss as they began to sing again.

No not tonight not tomorrow

Everything's gonna be alright (Sunny and bright)

Wait and see if tomorrow we'll be

As happy as we're feeling tonight

We'll go walking in the moonlight

I can hear the music in the darkness

Floating softly to where we lie

No more questions now

Let's enjoy tonight

Just you and I

Just you and I

Can't you see that we've gotta be together

Be together just you and I just you and I

No more questions just you and I

The song faded leaving her fighting tears. The split second of silence between songs seemed like a little eternity that she did not ever want to end. She smiled happily at Roger, but almost even before he smiled back at her, they jumped immediately into Keep Yourself Alive.

The moment of serenity was gone in a flash as they transitioned into the song that was much more for the crowd of gathered friends and family than for her. Even this song though had been selected for her as it was another one of her favorites.

Experiencing their show from the crowd for the first time, Lena could physically feel the energy in the room skyrocket as if a switch had been flipped. Everything moved with cacophonic rhythm and the watching crowd had erupted in noise to keep up with the band. She found herself having more fun than she ever had at one of their shows and internally berated herself for never before watching from where it was meant to be experienced.

After the conclusion of their jam session Roger stumbled away from his drums and up to Lena, giving her a crushing hug, despite the fact that he was drenched in sweat.

"How is it possible that after only four songs you are so sweaty," Lena said, muffled by his chest.

"It's a bit toasty in here is all. What did you think?"

"Wonderful and amazing as usual Rog. And I don't know why I've never watched a show in the audience before, it was so much more fun that way!"

"I know! I've been telling you that all along darling!" Freddie said as he flounced past.