"We're home," John whispered as Lillian slept in his arms. Maria smiled softly at the sight and got up to meet them. "We got there and she instantly went to Brian and fell asleep."
"She didn't take her nap." Maria chuckled softly as she got the tiny hair out of Lillian's face. "Freddie called." John looked at her confused.
"Really why?" He walked to Lillian's room and laid her down on her bed.
"He wanted to meet with me and you and I think Brian, Roger, Sherry, and Mike." She answered as John stepped out of the room.
"Why not Jack?"
"He already knows," Maria said as she walked to the kitchen. John followed behind and sat on the stool. "Broccoli."
"I'm not a Broccoli!" He turned red and Maria chuckled. He got up and hugged her. She hugged him back loving the warmth. "When are we meeting Fred?"
"Tomorrow." He kissed her softly and she smiled.
☏︎
"MTV banned our video," Freddie said walking into the room. Maria and John sat together while Roger and Mike sat on one couch and Brian and Sherry sat together. "The youth of America. We helped give birth to MTV"
"It's America. They're puritans in public, perverts in private." Brian said.
"I'm never touring in the U.S. again."
"Freddie." Maria sighed shaking her head no.
"And I'm the one being blamed for it." Freddie chuckled pointing to himself. "Not you dear..." He pointed at Roger. "Whose idea, I believe, it was to dress up in drag and not you..." He looked at John and Maria but quickly looked at John. "Not even you who wrote the bloody thing. No. Crazy cross-dressing Freddie. Freddie the freak. Freddie the fag." They all kept quiet as Freddie walked to the window behind where Brian and Sherry sat. "I'm tired of touring. Aren't you? Album, tour, album, tour. I want to do something different." By this time Mike already got up and left because he had a call to attend to. Maria sat there gushing around her drink in her cup.
"We're a band. That's what bands do." Brian stated barely looking over his shoulder. "Album, tour, album, tour," Brian stated once more partly mocking Freddie.
"Well, I need a break." He walks back to the window. "I'm sick of it."
"What are you saying, Freddie?" John finally spoke making Maria look at him with worry. She knew what he thought but he didn't express that emotion. The room went silent as Freddie lit his cigarette. He took a drag and looked at Paul.
"Are you going to speak Freddie or look at your pet?" Maria said tired of the silence. Brian raised his eyebrows waiting for Fred's answer. He let out a sigh.
"I signed a deal with CBS records." He said softly. Sherry looked at Maria and Maria shared the same glance. This meant nothing to their band but to their husband and boyfriend's band, yes. It meant so much.
"You done what." Roger finally said.
"Without telling us?" Brian asked now fully moving his body to face Freddie.
"What kind of deal." Maria couldn't make out who said it she was just zoned out.
"Look, I'm not saying we won't record or even tour again," Freddie said turning to face all 5 of them. "Queen will go on. But I need to do something different. Do you know what I mean? I need to grow." He stuttered slightly. "What's the song? 'Fly Away'?" John let out a sarcastic chuckle.
"Spread my wings and fly away," John answered looking at Maria.
"Spread my wings and fly away," Freddie smiled and motioned to John with the hand that the cigarette was in. Brian nodded.
"A solo album?" He said looking at Freddie. John nodded.
"Two actually," Paul said they all looked at him, and Maria saw the rage Roger had building up. "Back to back."
"Another word out of you and I'll throw you out the bloody window." Roger snapped.
"But that's years Freddie. I mean that'll take years." John said resting his elbows on his knees. Maria gently rubbed her hand up and down his back.
"Ye of little faith." Freddie chuckled.
"I don't believe this... how much?" Roger asked sitting on the edge of the chair. All five of them looked at Freddie. "What did they pay you?" His voice getting a little louder. Freddie looked away from them. "I wanna know how much they paid you-"
"$4 million!" Freddie yelled, now Roger and him standing facing one another. Sherry blinked a couple of times and leaned back onto the couch with a scoff. Everyone else was in a moment of disbelief.
"That's more than any Queen deal." Sherry huffed under her breath.
"Look the routine is killing us. I mean you all must want a break from all the arguments. I mean whose song gets on the album whose song's the single, who wrote what. Who gets the bigger slice of the royalties. What's on the B-side all of it. You must need a break."
"Freddie we're a family." Brian said.
"No, we're not! We're not a family! You got families, children wives. What have I got?!" Freddie looked around. Maria sighed but kept her head down as Roger stood behind her and John.
"You've got $4 million. Perhaps you could buy yourself a family." John said looking up at the end. But not shortly after he put his head back down.
"I won't compromise my vision any longer."
"Compromise?" Roger scoffed.
"Nobody asked for it in the first place Freddie. Where do you see compromise in anything you said?!" Sherry snapped.
"Are you joking?" Roger said as he squeezed the back of the couch. "You were working at Heathrow before we gave you a chance."
"And without me..." He walked closer to the table that stood in the center of the room. "You'd be a dentist..." He motioned to Roger. "Drumming 12/8-times at the weekend at the Crown and Anchor." He looked at Brian. "And you... well you would be Dr. Brian May author of a fascinating dissertation on the cosmos... that no one ever reads." He looks at John. "And Deacy... for the life of me... nothing comes to mind." John nodded.
"I studied electrical engineering. Does that meet your standards?" Maria felt her blood boil when she saw Freddie looking at Paul and chuckling while Paul shows his shit-face smile.
"Perfect..." Freddie chuckled. The whole room went silent as Freddie finished his cigarette. As Freddie was walking out Roger turned to him.
"You just killed Queen." Roger said to him.
"Oh give it a kiss one day. She might wake up." He walked out of the room and Paul went behind him.
