😈

Cherie:

I keep my eyes on Rami as he and Richie speak in rapid whispers near the door to the hall. They both look upset or bothered, and I'm sure I know why. At least, I can guess.

Charlie's not here. Richie's angry. And Rami looks about as shattered as a heartbroken man could be. I can see it in his eyes— he's fallen for Charlie, but then again so has she.

I know I told her I'd keep her secret just between the two of us. It's just getting kind of harder as time goes by. I mean, what does she think? Of course Richie will have a tantrum fit for a queen! That's just his nature, he's a protective brother, always has been.

But still there's something aloof that I can't quite seem to piece together. All the news hasn't broken, yet Richie is still exuding mayhem.

"Now then, sorry about that," My son innocently smiles at the group at the table as he takes his seat beside Laura. He lifts her hand and kisses her knuckles as if he's calm as can be. "Where were we?"

"I think we were at the family toasts," Laura replies, smiling enthusiastically toward everyone, but changing to a look of concern as she faces Richie's direction. She says something in a hushed tone, Richie nods his head giving her a wink. That boys as sneaky as they come, but I know Laura's got him read.

Beside me, Freddie quickly clears his throat as he stands up, carelessly swooping his glass of champagne up with him. "You got me wet," I whisper between a false chuckling smile as all eyes are directed towards us. "Pipe down now, darling. Save it for the bedroom," he says under his breathe before licking his lips to hide his smile, " I'd like to start the toasts, being the head of the family now—,"

"Watch it!," Deacy calls out, just as a tiny smile forms on his lips.

Freddie pauses, literally biting the tip of his tongue, "Right- one of two heads, my God! What a beautiful beast we've become, dear," He winks at John, who's smile has brightened so brilliantly now, his cheeks pinking up from blush or brandy- I couldn't tell ya.

"Anyway, I'd like to say that I'm very happy to witness the joining of our families. The kids— I mean, Richie has really gotten very lucky to have found a love with you—beautiful, precious Laura. Congratulations, my little beans, May your life together be filled with wonder and your bond grow stronger through the yearrs— cheers!"

We lift our champagne flutes to our lips as Freddie concludes his speech. He always knows just what to say. As he sits back in his seat, I lean over to kiss his cheek.

"I guess it's my turn to talk," Deacy starts, bashfully looking down to the table as he speaks. "As usual, I don't really know what to say— I'm just glad our Laura..," He reaches down for Ronnie's hand as she can't control this emotional moment, she looks at Laura and Richie with glossy eyes, sniffling into her napkin. "Has someone to love and protect her, someone who truly has all my trust and respect," I smirk up at him when we make eye contact— the way he said the word 'trust' sounded like a warning. My son would never...

"Anyway, were very excited to see the two of you grow together and we wish you nothing but the best!," He raises his glass in the air, winking at Freddie, who is swirling his champagne around in the glass waiting for the cue. "To the bride and groom! May Mercury and Deacon reign forever!"

"Hey— and Taylor, too!," Roger adds with a chuckle as everyone again sips the golden bubbly in unison.

————————————————

"What would make him say those things!?"

I huff, exasperated as I try to decipher the words between Charlie's whimpering sobs on the other end of the telephone.

"That still doesn't excuse it. Darling, don't worry too much about it— he'll come around."

She's venting to me— finally. This is good. This means I've to be careful about what I say. My God, if I would have known all of this happened tonight, I surely would have had a long talk with Richie before coming home.

"You have to come to— it's your brother's wedding! You're going."

Every time one of my children are hurt, upset, or crying— all I can picture is their chubby, round faces as innocent little children. Those images never leave my mind when I think of them. I guess it's a natural parent happening.

After almost an hour long phone call, Cherie's already fast asleep in bed. When we got home, I suppose I was feeling positively knackered, but I may as well stay up now and keep myself busy. I mean, what the fuck!

I shuffle my feet as quietly as I can, making it into the hallway and taking my time roaming the house. It's strange to be back here after all this time. Really, you would think we'd come and visit more often, see after the place and all that— but we don't. This house is not our home. Not anymore, it isn't.

Of course we've also got plenty of lovely memories here, but what can you do with a series of events in a constant catch-22. Here— we married, but Cherie nearly died. So much hurt and pain. So much love and passion. Here— she left me but then, that was all a lie...twice.

I cringe at the thought as I pour some water in a glass, opening the medicine cabinet for my old man pills. I feel around the highest shelf, finding them just as I'd left them— hidden.

Emptying two horse sized capsules from the vial, I slowly walk over and do the same thing I do with all the rest of them. No use in trying...or what was it the doctor said? No way to reverse this...yeah, what a load of shit. I close the waste bin and chug my water, gargling the last at the back of my throat.

"What are you doing up so late, love?," Mary's voice interrupts my half-awaken thoughts, making me sputter water from the sudden surprise.

She waits for me to finish wiping my chin, pulling out a creaky chair to have a seat at the table. "I've only just gotten off the phone with Charlie. She was very upset and anyway, I blew my sleep."

"Come," She purrs, patting the seat beside her. "Have a chat with me. I know you've things to get off your chest, Freddie. You're so tense all the time."

Slowly nodding my head, without a second thought, I shuffle over to her. As I sit in my seat, she grabs my hand, giving it a quick kiss. "Careful now, darling. My wife is very capable of taking you down if she—,"

"Stop it," She giggles, patting my hand to let it go. "This is serious, now. She's ignoring you. I know you and you need to be coddled from time to time..."

As she get up to walk behind me, she speaks in soft, soothing tones. I shiver slightly at her cold hands on my skin when her fingers begin to kneed the knots on top my shoulders. I let my breathing come slowly, relaxing into the massage before I'm able to comment.

"She doesn't ignore me....She's—ahhh— she's just a bit busy with the—ahhh, Mary thank you, really...I didn't know I needed this."

"Hush, you," She says as my head falls back, eyes closed, submitting your the wonderful feeling of tension leaving my tight muscles. Her fingers slide beneath my chin, caressing upward on my jaw as she hums something I haven't heard in such a long...long—

"Mary! What's come over you?!," My head snaps up again when I feel her lips deeply kissing mine—fucking shit.

"I-I-I Freddie, look— I'm sorry. It was just friendly. Only in the moment. I just want to make you feel better!"

"It's not your job to make me feel this or that!Mary, I just told you. Cherie is—,"

I lose my footing just a bit as I try to back away from this crock-of-shit situation. I didn't expect to be attacked in my own bloody kitchen. Mary's paws are on my chest as she presses my back into the refrigerator, "Mary...," I warn, inching away from her, but she's kissing up my neck, trying to sensually touch much body while tugging the back of my neck, wanting to bring our lips together again. "Mary, pleas—,"

Her teeth snag onto my upper lip, yanking out a couple of short mustache hairs in the process. The quick rush of pain makes me forget to be gentle, "MARY, THAT'S ENOUGH!," I push her away from me so harshly, I launch her across the room.

With a shocked gasp and thud she falls down, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you so roughly, but you have to stop this-,"

She's back in my face again, anger hitching up her breathing, but I keep moving around her until the kitchen island is between us. "That's not what you said when you came to visit me-,"

"Shut up- that was years ago!"

"Not so many years—come off it. You still think of me. You still wish we were closer like before-,"

"The only thing I wish is for you to forget that fucking night and try keeping your voice down!"

"Oh?," her voice twinkles in delight. "She doesn't know? You never told her?"

"There isn't anything to tell," I shrug, concealing my panic with false confidence.

"Really, Freddie? Is that the way you want to play this?"

"No. I don't," I grunt, pouting my lips, stubbornly crossing my arms as if I have no fucking idea what she's talking about. "Freddie doesn't want to play anything. Freddie only wants to go to bed," I groan, becoming flustered as she suddenly walks very close to me. Her hand instantly tightening around my hose.

"Oh, fuck off, Mary! Please!," I smack her hand away from my crotch. My ears feel on fire at the way I'm fighting to control myself while she continues to piss me off.

"Go and call a cab," I finally say. "Find yourself a hotel— I'll pay for both. Just get the hell out of my house now before you regret it."

She chuckles in response, "But I thought this was my house?"

"And just what would ever give you that idea?," I scoff, sliding away from her slowly inch by inch.

"Everything I'll ever own will be yours, Mary. I will always take care of you— you're my first wife. No one will ever take your place—,"

My mouth drops open. Completely baffled as to why she's quoting me from decades ago, "You can't be serious!?"

"Have you changed your will then?," She smugly replies.

"My will?!," My voice rises in anger at her audacity. "Is that what this is all about, you fucking cunt! My everything is mine and Cherie's. And when we're gone, it'll go to our children-,"

"The same children who's lives were spared and saved , thanks to me!?," I hate when her voice becomes so viciously shrill as she hisses in my face.

"For fucks sake, Mary! We've welcomed you into the family, said many many thanks throughout the years— my children call you their aunt!"

"And for years, I've waited for you to wake up and smell the roses! Who is it that's always been there for you? Who is the one who waits with open arms for whenever you need it? Me! It's always me! It's always been me. Cherie knows it and know it, too," She laughs to herself before adding: "That's why she's always so threatened."

"My wife has now not ever had any reason to feel threatened—,"

"That's right, you two-bit ho— um, excuse me," Anita coughs as she walks into the kitchen, clearing the hoarse from her throat. "Two-bit home-wrecker!," She finishes with a yawn, pushing my her fingers into my shoulder. "Freddie if you don't handle this, I will."

"Anita, mind you're own business," Mary sneers through gritted teeth.

"Keeping the likes of you away is my business," Anita's jolly laugh is a sure way to get Marys blood to boil.

"I think it's best you leave now, Mary. I've made myself quite clear—,"

"I'll see her out!," Anita volunteers and I can't help but chuckle at her eagerness.

"Unhand me, you washed up old hag. Trailing off of Brian's coat tails. Your Queen's leftovers and you still have the nerve to come around though Brian is remarried!," Mary blurts our her whole speech in a hideous battle for staying power.

"Could you keep it down! You'll wake—,"

"Me?! Leftovers!?," I've never heard the sharp twist in Anita's tone before now. It made me jump; she's very intimidating for a little thing, isn't she?

"You've been chasing Freddie's cock for a quarter of a century now! How's about a little breathing room, aye? He doesn't want you, Mary. That's the difference between you and I: I've let Brian go. A looong time ago. You, however, are as despicably desperate and delusional as they come!"

"Everything alright, Fred?," Phoebe's tired voice interrupts the girls from bickering back and forth.

"Phoebe, would you mind calling Mary a cab. She's too ill to attend the wedding. She's going home," I don't wait for the trail of pleads to come from her mouth. I walk away from the whole confrontation cursing myself for ever trusting her as a confidant again.

"It's late. I'll drive her— Mary, where are your bags?," Phoebe, though half asleep, keeps his cool asking Mary in an extremely polite voice.

"My bags are in my room. And I'm not leaving, Peter. As soon as that oaf croaks, this house belongs to me—,"

"What the fuck did you just say?!," I stop in the doorway of the sitting room, turning on the spot to hear Phoebe's enraged reaction. "Anita, be a dear and retrieve the bitch's bags," he instructs.

"You got it, boss," I stand back with a smirk on my lips to hear Anita happily skipping down the hallway towards the guest bedrooms.

"Freddie! Are you just going to stand there and watch me get treated like this?!," Mary yells, coming closer to me, her arms tightly wrap around my shoulders. She shakes me as if shaking the last coin from a piggy bank.

What's that phrase? Pinch 'em for everything he's got? Squeeze 'em til the very last drop?

"What do I care?," I reply, cool and calm. "When I'm dead, who cares? You don't, that much is clear."

"I do! I do care, Freddie. You know I just say things in a fit. You know I've trouble controlling my tongue— you're just the same! That's why we work. We're honest people. We're—,"

"Don't make me gag! Eckk!," Anita comes from around the corner, rolling Mary's luggage towards the door.

"You and I are nothing. You and I have been nothing for a very long time. There is no "we". There's you," I scrunch my nose in disgust, spitting my words out, cut and dry. "And then there's me. The end."

That's when she pounces on me. She makes me bend backwards into the floor. My howling groan is silenced by her tongue shoving down my throat. "Get off of him, you idiot!"

"Fine by me. I was only saying goodbye," She pulls away, still on my lap as I groan in pain. My back took the impact and could be broken in half at this point. I can't even move without shooting pain radiating through me.

"Get her the fuck out! Fucking hell!," I'm too busy rolling around on my side, rubbing my spine trying to suck in all the air I can to hold my breath from each whine that escapes my lips.

"Let's go, Peter. I'm ready now," Marys voice trails off as she orders Phoebe to drive her home. The front door opens and—

"THAT'LL DO, PIG!!," Anita hollers shutting the door while Phoebe helps me to the couch.

I laugh through my pain, throwing my head back absolutely enamored by Anita's protectiveness. "How's your back, Freddie? I'm sorry for all the noise! That Mary really gets me going!"

I chuckle again, my smile true and proud to call these two people my friends, "That'll do," I say again, breathing through my teeth as they both adjust pillows behind my back. "Is that not the line for the prize pig?"

"Suits her well," Phoebe snickers.

Lord, what a fool I've been to believe Mary never had ulterior motives. The drama— it never ends!

———————————————-

:

I toss and turn in my bed of sweat, fighting against the paralysis of my dreams. I hear him yelling. I hear a lot of people yelling, but then it's quiet a while until I hear him playing a beautiful tune, but my body is frozen in the in-between.

The realm between awake and sleep is scary to be stuck into. I feel like a ton of bricks are weighing me down. Finally, after what feels like forever, my eyes open and my heart beats rapidly to the silent scream that doesn't want to come out.

Throwing the covers off of my feet, I follow the sound of Freddie's piano playing. As I descend the staircase, I loop the belt of my robe into a tie before rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

Freddie's silhouette is a beautiful sight to wake up to. His slender frame and chiseled profile comforts me and still at the same time sends warmth across my heart.

He's beautiful- just sitting there, swaying from side to side as his fingers seamlessly move across the keys. I can hear him humming to himself with his eyes closed as I perch on top the arm of the sofa closest behind him.

"You've got a good way of moving in silence, my love," he says while continuing to play.

"Is this a new song? Have you taken Montsy up on her offer, then?"

"No," he sighs, shoulders slumping just a bit. "I don't know, yet. This song is just for me," a twinkle or two more and his hands fall to his side.

I move toward him, putting my hands on his shoulders, rubbing out the knots. His muscles are rock hard and stiff with stress— something I've been trying to take away from him. "How do you think they'll get along when...well, when they grow older?"

Of course, that's what he's thinking about. Charlie called crying to him before we went to bed tonight. She told him all about the fight with Richie. We had no idea she'd actually made it to the dinner rehearsal, but I guess we missed the drama.

"They'll figure it out. They're still young and stubborn," I sit on the piano bench beside him. His arms instantly wrap around me, my head beneath his chin as he breathes a slow, calming breath.

"Will you sing it for me?," I ask, lifting my head from his chest, staring into his sleepy, dark eyes. "The song— sing it for me, please?"

He sighs as he releases me, stretching his arms, twiddling the keys a bit as he usually does to stop his nerves. "It isn't much of a catchy tune. It's just been thoughts heavy on my mind..."

I stay quiet listening to him start. His voice has changed so much throughout the years. The gritty, low tremble has a way of piercing your heart and leave a lasting impression of sorrow when he sings like so.

🎶

"When...

I'm...

Gooone.....

No need to wonder if I ever think of you..

The same moon shines,

The same wind blows,

Just close your pretty eyes

And I will be with you

Be not gooooone..."

🎶

I watch his face contort through a struggle, then relax again— over and over. It's like watching the internal fight in his brain on full display. He's always been so empathic to heartache with his music— that's how he touches the souls of everyone who ever listens...

🎶

"Let us cling together as the yEArs go by,

Oooh my love, my love

In the quiet of the night,

Let our candle always burn,

Let us never lose the lessons we have learned..."

🎶