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Jimmy walks steadily down the hallway, back into the elevator that now chimes to its open doors. He gives a stiff nod to his hostages as they watch him creep into the lift. Each of them feeling the massive degree of intent plummeting into their guts.

Jim feels the weight of the world on his shoulders as he stands beside a jittery Ceci. I better try to warn him, Jim thought. Now that Jimmy's waiting outside, I can just call Freddie and tell him-

As soon as the door upstairs opens, I hide away, back into the hotel suite. But Ceci is still frozen in her tracks when confronted.

"Ceci! Omg we thought you didn't make it!" though Jim has never really talked to the woman, he knows her from afar.

"C-come on, K-Kash...," Ceci takes a moment to quickly clear her throat, swallowing the lump of fear palpating in it.

She knows Jim has a gun. She knows if she makes one misstep, it'll be her last.

Filing away into the sitting room, Jim pulls his phone from his jacket and calls straight away. But Freddie doesn't answer, over and over again. So Jim just does the next best thing and sends his warning through text.

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The night is whirling together with everyone sipping champagne and heavy servings of hard liquor. The emotions run so high, Cherie feels every single doubt that clouded her mind turn to mist and evaporate in the air that hangs so thick with love.

"I got you a little something," Freddie's twitching smile makes her heartbeat skip a measure, still even after all this time. "It matches the one from our wedding day...,"

"Oh, Papi! It's perfect!," Cherie squeals in delight upon the reveal of a single precious pearl enclosed in a velvet box.

"You can string them both together... I don't know maybe on our next vow renewal I'll get you another," Freddie chuckles as he closes the box and tucks it back into his jacket pocket.

He leans over in his seat, puckering his luscious pink lips only to receive a smashing kiss from an overly emotional Cherie. She dabs the corners of her eyes as their lips pull apart. Never in a million years would she trade their love for another.

Freddie's thoughts spring to him in wonder of how he could ever try to replace this type of euphoria. Though their journey might have been difficult and laced with heartbreaking consequences, he's happy about where they are now.

"Come on, Fred! We've got the nanny, time to start up this bad boy," Kash exclaims, giddy and giggly with the warmth of alcohol causing her to sputter her words.

Freddie shakes his head at his sister's tipsy antics as she tries to spin the dial of the rooftop hot tub. She'll break the damned thing at this rate, he thought to himself before Cherie interjects.

"Ceci's came after all?," Cherie looks around to see Ceci surrounded by their children, each of them excitedly clapping as they persuade her to groove with them on the dance floor. "Aw, you see. She came to have fun! She's our guest. She really shouldn't have to work tonight.."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Besides, I've some naughty lingerie you might like to be a witness to," Freddie flirtatiously kisses her cheek as he rises from his chair.

"Oh? Only a witness, huh?." Cherie calls after him as he strolls away toward Ceci and the dancing bunch around her.

Cherie exhales in satisfaction as she looks on to see Freddie clapping and shaking his hips to the beat, taking every little child's hand, he spins them around. The brightest smile is on his face when he turns to Cherie, beckoning her to join them.

"Go ahead, girl. Go get your man!," Veronica is in her ear, yelling above the music though she really doesn't need to at this distance.

As everyone starts to jive around to the thumping rhythms of the night, Cherie notices Rose sitting at the next table. She's got a small smile on her face as she sits alone, but seemingly content in her solitude. Cherie can sense that there's something wrong with her, so she glides over to have a seat beside her best friend.

"Care to dance, sweetheart?" Cherie winks at her, sticking her tongue out at the same time. She knows her own uplifted attitude would surely rub off on Rose.

"I'm not feeling up to it, love," Rose sincerely says, "But you go. It's your night! Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Just getting sleepy," she hums.

"No, Brian! Let me go! I hate you! You pig!," Anita's trembling voice reaches the girls' ears as they quickly glance behind them to see the aftermath of Brian's infidelity being brought to light.

"Coward!" She yells as she slaps him across his cheek and takes off through the doorway.

"We should go check on her-,"

"No. You stay. I was just about to take Emmy down with me to go to bed, but I'll check on Anita first and I'll be right back up," Rose explains as she walks away before Cherie can even begin to protest. Rose passes a gloomy-looking Brian she scrunches her nose at him and lifts her chin, ignoring his remorseful face.

"Why are you sitting here all alone. Pay attention to meeeee," Freddie croons softly in Cherie's ear. His arms wrap around her shoulders from behind as she stays seated. "They finally got the hot tub to work, care to join me. I can make them all go away..."

"Cheeky bastard," Cherie smirks, grabbing Freddie's hand that was slowly sliding into the top of her dress. "How about a dance, first?"

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Not a day goes by that the visions from that wretched day don't appear behind my eyelids. It's been years and still the aftermath is haunting.

I have no problem telling the bloody story. I've had to retell the events of that day to a lot of people along the way. Mostly the police and for the interrogations that followed. But how do I begin to explain everything to my children?

I mean, yes, they're all grown up now and asking questions, but the details are only intimate to us adults who were present on that tour bus.

This profession has clearly never been a fully cushioned bed of Roses— no. The thorns always sharpen your ass when the going gets good. There's no telling what my children actually really know about me. I'd like to think we have open communication, but then I think of all the scandalous stories that have been printed about me and the band.

The kids have got the internet readily available at their fingertips, just like anyone else. I don't want those tabloid covers and headlines filling their heads. I like to clarify things for them, give them the truth.

But there are somethings, I could never speak out loud.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>Freddies memory<

"Thank you for putting this together, love. It really is the perfect Christmas," Holding her in my arms as we sway to the music, I feel her fingers tickling the ends of my hair as she caresses the back of my neck. Of all the wonders of the world, she is the only one in my eyes.

There's a slight chill to the air that causes her to shiver into me. If at all even possible, I hold her closer, letting my hand rest just below the dip of her back, the other I use to lift her chin.

Peering into her eyes, the sadness within them is gone for the moment only replaced with the sparkling light of love. "Thank you for agreeing so easily..," I smirk at her, letting the sarcasm roll off my tongue and onto hers in a delicate, slow kiss.

"mmmm, Papi, you spoil me," And it's that wicked look of seduction that makes my mind stay in the filthy, lustful gutter.

"Yes, and I believe it's my turn," My smile spreads slowly across my face as I think of my next move.

"Come now, Angel. What does Papi get for being sucha good boy?" In one swooping motion, I quickly bend her at her knees as I lift her up and throw her on my shoulder, spanking her ass with a forceful hand.

What was that!? I could hardly hear it above Cherie's bubbly giggling, but surely it's not my imagination.

A popping sound rings out for only an instant before any more noise is disrupted by the new song playing on the speakers. My gut churns with phantom feelings of dreadful memories I thought were long forgotten. Putting Cherie back down to her feet, I quickly scan our surroundings. I see no threat. Can't find any cause of harm or sight of danger-

"Get down to your knickers, it's jacuzzi time!," Brian shouts damn nearly in my face, the smell of bourbon hot on his lips.

"Well, he's really trying to fix the situation," Cherie mumbles with a peeved look as we watch Brian undress on his way to the hot tub. He sloshes himself inside, making the steaming water splash.

"Bri! Watch it!," Kash shrieks, fixing her hair onto a tied pile on top her head as Ronnie wipes her face beside her.

"It's getting pretty wild up here..," Ceci walks up to us with Lily tucked against her chest fast asleep. "I-I'll take the children down to...to bed"

"No- that's alright, Ceci you shouldn't have to-,"

"I'll help you bring them down," I quickly chime in against Cherie's refusal.

"I- um, I don't mind at all... I just...I can take them by myself..you two enjoy the rest of your night," She walks away quickly, calling for the twins to follow her lead.

"Night night Mummy.... Night Papi," We take turns kissing our little beans as they sleepily trot down the stairs and out of sight. The poor darlings are completely knackered as they walk rubbing their eyes, expressing little yawns along the way.

"Yeeeeeeeehhhhhhhawwwww! Let's keep it goin!," Rogers shrill voice hollers as he kicks off his pants and slides into the hot tub, a cold beer in his hands.

"No excuses this time, Angel," Quickly unbuttoning my shirt, I toss it aside, fingers working to unfasten my belt to get out of my slacks at lightening speed.

"You go ahead, I'm gonna grab a drink. Want one?,"

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Everyone is in a whirlwind of drunken fun, goofing around in the hot tub, music still blaring all around. Cherie mixes two generous cups of liquor from the bar before having a seat at the table again.

As She kicks off her heels, the loud buzzing from Freddie's pants catches her attention. She picks up his clothes, fumbling through the pockets to find his phone.

All the while thinking maybe it was Ceci trying to call from downstairs, maybe somethings wrong, maybe the children are being too much.

Staring at the lit up phone screen she sees the name on the caller ID and her mind begins to taunt her with delirious accusations.

They're still talking?

He still has his number saved?

She waits until the vibration ends to see the notifications from tonight. Each trace of missed phone calls and text messages from Jim sends her heart spiraling down into the pocket of insecurity she's been trying to mend alone.

"Do you plan to join us any time tonight, darling! I saved a seat for you!," Freddie croons from the hot tub, receiving giggles from everyone else as he lifts his leg up and over the edge of the hot tub. Seconds later Deacy reaches over, with two hands grappling Freddie's shoulders and sinks him underneath the water much to the satisfaction of the cackling, unsuspecting fools.

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Jim's fingers twitch nervously over the call button.

He's already tested his luck more than enough times tonight, trying to send smoke signals anyway he could think of so that Freddie and his family might have a fighting chance. Or at most a heads-up for whats to come.

Answer...answer...come on just answer the fucking phone!

"H-ello?"

The timid voice on the other end of the line is piercing to his ears- and to his reality, really.

"Cherie!??" He cautiously asks in a hushed whisper. "Cherie- listen-,"

"No! You listen, Jim! My husband doesn't want or need to speak with you! If you could fuck off for all of eternity that'd be a might fine idea on your end!"

The empty spaces that fill the break in the line between them is enough to cause Jim to see red. He doesn't liken the fact that she thinks she can speak to him that's way. She's already won the one man Jim truly loves. She didn't have to be such a cunt!

He spins around the room, his hiding place from when the two birds from upstairs came down earlier.

There's no doubt in his mind that he made a clever decision hiding away in this particular room. The place is lavish with rose petals, dimly lit candles and incenses smoking up the romantic aura.

It starts with a table lamp, and then another. The window, the large oval mirror across from the bed. All of it he throws and punches, smashing to pieces before dismantling the laid out aphrodisiacs from their silver platter.

He begins rummaging through every heap of piled clothing until the room no longer feels warm and welcoming. Until the walls are splattered with dripping drops of his own blood from the large gash across his knuckles. Until the inside of that room looks like the inside of his heart.

The door latch buckles from the force of someone trying to pry their way into the bedroom. With hesitant rage boiling up inside of him, he's losing steam and dwindling down from his tantrum with the possibility of being found out.

"Jim- open the door. It's me," Ceci squeaks from behind the locked door.

Sighing in frustration, he opens the door to meet the fear in Ceci's bloodshot eyes. She's trying to remain calm and sane for the children, that much is clear. With Lily asleep in her arms she enters the room followed by-

"No way! Not you again!," Charlie shrieks before Jim covers her loud mouth with his heavy hand, forcefully yanking her into the room.

He turns to Richie's gasp as the boy lunges for him with wide eyes and a tiny growling voice:

"Get off my sister, you bloody fart!"