On the plane returning to London - May 20, 1977
FREDDIE POV
"Why does Peter seem to be taking care of me?" Julia whispered beside me. "I thought he was your personal assistant!"
Everyone slept on the plane that would take us back to London, Julia was by my side and Phoebe in the seat in front of us reading some magazine.
Oh yes ... Phoebe is Peter, and my new assistant, but as he obeys me he was basically hired to follow Julia and protect her.
"What did you say darling?" I made a misunderstanding.
"I like Peter ... but he didn't do anything a personal assistant would do." She spoke even lower.
She told me not to hire a security guard for her, and so I did, Phoebe wasn't a security guard ... let's say he was a helper in protecting Julia and various matters.
"Who says he doesn't do anything I ask, Scottish kitten?" I snapped my tongue and looked at her with amusement, Julia's expression was confused, her green eyes were clear, her blond hair tied in a high bun.
"Phoebe does a little of everything."
She turned to me with a puzzled expression.
"Who the hell is Phoebe?" She asked a little too loudly what caught Phoebe's attention that cleared his throat drawing Julia's attention as she turned to him with a flushed face.
"Hey Pet-"
"I'm Phoebe, Ju." He said sympathetically with a shy smile.
Julia seemed to be trying to form a sentence but she was slightly confused. It was a custom, some men, friends or even people I didn't like, got a female name when it suited them, and when I looked at the nice Peter, Phoebe was all that came to mind.
"You what?" Julia's voice seemed sharper by the confusion created in her head.
"Freddie gave me that nickname." Phoebe's eyes narrowed at his wide smile.
"Okay ... Pheebs." Julia said looking at me as if wondering where I got that idea.
Phoebe read the magazine again and Julia looked out the airplane window, she looked thoughtful. Her recovery from the unexpected with Cameron was surprising, she really didn't look like the fragile little girl I found in the middle of the suite days ago. Julia's pinched hair left the side of her face exposed, her cheek was a delicate pink, her skin was white and contrasted well with the intense golden of her hair, it was hard to use words to describe Julia, she was unique.
"It should be nice to get back from travel and have a house to call yours." She had one elbow on the armrest of her seat.
Ah ... true a house. I bit my upper lip remembering my request to Miami the day after the incident.
"You have your room, don't you?" I took her free hand on her lap.
Julia turned to me and smiled shyly.
"You don't like my hotel and don't even bother to hide it."
"I don't bother hiding almost anything to tell the truth." I winked at her as she rolled her eyes.
"You got me... yes I had it reserved, because now the last part of the tour is pretty much all around London." She patted my hand gently.
I had to bite my own tongue so I wouldn't open my mouth and break the news early. In two weeks Julia had taken up a great deal of my feelings, being with her in each of the rooms we shared in the last seven cities was my gas to do everything in time to arrive and find her awake. My curiosity about what her life was like, what she liked to do ... I made sure to just hear about her, admired the strength that the young little Scottish kitten had that impressed me.
"When is your birthday?" My left hand was wrapped around her small soft hand, and I locked my gaze on that innocent gesture that seemed to warm my heart as if it were the best thing in the world - and it was.
"September 5th."
I could have sworn she was smiling when she started playing with my fingers.
"What year?" She asked comparing the size of her hand with mine.
"1946."
Julia whistled playfully.
"Nine years older than me." She laughed as she stroked my palm. "And where were you when I was born?" She continued to make gentle circles in my hand.
"St. Peter Boarding School." I spoke with a sigh remembering those embarked times.
"That sounds interesting ..." She said in a sweet voice, I loved hearing the sound of her voice. "And you were born in London?" She asked lifting her head, there was a single dimple in her left cheek, her lips were rosy and her eyes bright with curiosity.
"Nope." I said smiling at her hiding my teeth.
She frowned, which she always did when she got curious, she was always very expressive.
"So where were you born?" She instituted it by doing that squinting kitten eyes that she did when she wanted something - and most of the time could.
"Stone Town." I said winking at her who seemed to get confused. "What? You're going to tell me you don't know Zanzibar, frankly-"
"WERE YOU BORN IN ZANZIBAR?" She shouted with wide eyes in surprise waking everyone.
"IS THE PLANE FALLING DOWN?" Roger jumped in his seat startled.
"What?" Deacy rubbed his sleepy eyes, Brian looked confused but realized nothing much happened.
"Nothing ... Julia just found out I was born in Zanzibar." I said, gesturing with my hands as if I ignored it all.
"Oh yes, Jully as always very enthusiastic." John grunted as Roger and Brian slept again and Phoebe watched us with the magazine in her hands laughing.
"Sorry Deacy!" Julia stretched over me, Deacy smiled at her and leaned back in his seat closing her eyes.
"You're very excited." I said laughing as she held my hand intertwining our fingers.
"I know ... I can't hold back, especially now that I feel so comfortable with you." She admitted shyly and that made me happy.
I knew she had been neglected by her parents and she had a huge love and admiration for her godmother and grandfather. She seemed to be preparing for another round of questions when the commander's voice sounded in the cabin warning that we would land in London. Julia's expression changed, her eyes narrowed and it was almost as if she was wondering when would be the next opportunity to know me more.
"Phoebe, as soon as we arrive can you go to that address I gave you yesterday and pick up the things that are there?" I asked my new assistant.
His eyes flicked from the pages of the magazine to me. He had been a find from heaven. He was well-recommended and the perfect size to be the safety for Julia's trouble.
"Of course, Freddie. Then I'll meet you at John's house, right?" He asked and I nodded my head.
"What's in John's house?" Julia asked as the plane dropped lower and lower.
Deacy's head snapped up as she say his name. It was always that way, he was always ready to listen to Julia - which I must thank him very much without him My-. What I'm talking about, let's get back to focus.
"Reception dinner, Ronnie is with Chrissie and Rob waiting for us." John spoke with the smile on his face.
"Oh yes ... I had forgotten that you had talked about this dinner with me, Freddie can you give me a lift to Kensington later?"
Oh sure ...
"No doubt Scottish kitten."
Tiffany was going to be so happy.
~
"Rob, Uncle Freddie can't handle it for so long." I moaned as the boy jumped back on my shoulders.
Julia was with Veronica and Chrissie in the kitchen, they seemed to be building a great friendship, especially Ronnie and Julia.
"Just a little more Uncle Freddie!" Robert begged for a bang on my head and I just moaned in disapproval.
John, Brian and Roger were sitting on the next couch and seemed to enjoy the scene.
"So you are Julia ... are you serious?" Brian asked taking the glass of drink to his mouth.
Oh yes ... one more interrogation.
"Seriously?!" John scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Freddie will take Julia to Stafford Terrace." His voice came out a little dismissive.
Roger widened his eyes.
"She's not my date ... Fred, what happened to all your pet peeve?" Roger scoffed making me roll my eyes as Robert continued on my shoulders slapping his chubby little hands on my head.
"Roger, go fu..." Deacy gave me a warning look and I remembered that Robert was witnessing everything. "Screw it." I grunted and John grinned at me in thanks.
"And she agreed to that? She didn't want us to hire a security guard, imagine living with you." Brian said.
Deacy laughed softly and glanced in Brian's direction as if to say, "Don't you know him?"
"If you two don't start to get weird again ... this might be interesting," Roger said as he lit the cigarette in the corner of his mouth.
Deacy grinned at the thought and Robert tugged at my hair making me wriggle my face in pain.
"Is Aunt Jully marrying Uncle Freddie?" Robert asked in his innocent voice.
My expression must be just as scared as Roger, Brian, and Deacy's. Robert, as small and as observant as his father.
"Why are you asking that son?" Deacy said looking at the little one perched on my shoulders. Robert sighed as if his question was obvious which made Brian smile smugly.
"You and Mom are married just like Uncle Bri and Aunt Chrissie and live together, if Aunt Jully is going to live with Uncle Fred it's because they are married too." He explained all his theory what the other three did. laugh as I moaned at the idea. What did they feed Robert? Why was he so smart at his age?
"Good, but Uncle Freddie won't marry Aunt Juls, they're friends, Rob." Roger explained to Robert that he was silent.
"What are you five talking about?" Ronnie appeared in front of us, two weeks since the last time I'd seen her what seemed like decades, the belly where the new little Deacon grew up seemed to have doubled in size.
John gave Robert a knowing look as if he asked him to say nothing and the boy fell silent.
"Nothing ... we were thinking about the title for the next album, let's start recording as soon as the tour is over." Brian said with a smile on his face.
Ronnie narrowed her eyes and put a hand to her belly.
"Okay, I'll pretend to believe it ... as if I didn't know you guys." She rolled her eyes. "Shall we go to the dining room?" She asked coming toward me and taking Robert from my shoulders.
Thank God.
JULIA POV
Sitting at a table full of people who liked me was wonderful. The dinner prepared by Ronnie and Chrissie is divine, everything was perfect, everyone talked, laughed ... I felt so good, it seemed like I was always there in that group. Freddie was sitting opposite me, our eyes met a few times during dinner, I felt my cheeks stinging, he was constantly hiding his teeth with his upper lip, but he was totally uninhibited, laughing, talking loudly, teasing Deacy, everything was normal .
Those days were wonderful.
"So let's all meet in Glasgow! This is going to be so amazing! "Ronnie spoke excitedly after John spoke of the idea that she is Chrissie going to Glasgow with us.
"I can barely wait! I promise not to disappoint on the tour. "
Roger was by my side and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, Freddie bit his upper lip pulling it over his teeth.
"I'm sure yes Juls, it will be a pleasure to have you as a guide." He spoke hoarsely and winked at me.
I tried to disguise but my eyes widened, he had never spoken to me like that. I grinned awkwardly and took his hand on my shoulder, patting it friendlyly and pulling his arm from my shoulders.
"I'm sure Rog," I said embarrassed and Freddie cleared his throat a little too loudly. "Well, dinner is wonderful, girls," I said, lifting my wineglass toward Ronnie and Chrissie dodging Roger's flirtation.
"I'm glad you like Julia, it's good to have one more woman with us, me and Ronnie couldn't handle those four alone." Chrissie says making Brian roll his eyes which made me laugh.
Being there with them, being part of them was so good.
"I believe you Chrissie, at the last show Mr Scrabble decided to follow Baby Rogah's idea and they got drunk playing Scrabble, we hardly had a show the next day." I said remembering their deplorable state on the day of the show in Basel.
"Who is Mr Scrabble?" Ronnie asked laughing.
Brian looked at me and smiled complicitly, if something I would never forget about the A Day at the Races Tour, surely in the world would be the obsession of Brian Harold May, doc May, astrophysicist and the best guitarist I have ever met in my life. life (I'm sorry John Lennon) my dear Mr Scrabble.
"Brian, that's for sure. Chrissie believe the day you have kids he'll take care of them as well as he took care of Scrabble on this trip. "I said with a laugh from everyone at the table, including Freddie. He looked into my eyes as he laughed, the cheekbones more evident than ever, the luscious sound of his laughter, the length of his hair back then...
I kept every trace of his face at that moment and it was always in him the way he was thar I always remembered him when things got hard.
~
"Peter ... I mean Phoebe wasn't coming to meet us here?" I asked after we left John's house and waited for the cab on the sidewalk.
Freddie had one arm around my waist keeping me by his side, I wanted so much to have another night by his side, there were still so many questions to ask, so much to know about him.
"Yeah, he called while you were with Robert in his room and said he was late with what I asked him." He explained and I leaned my head against his chest.
"Hmm ... do you have any plans for tomorrow?" I asked hoping to see him one more day.
"None, just sleeping all day and maybe working on a song that's in my head for a few days already."
Damn he didn't seem to want to do anything.
A few seconds later the taxi arrived, Freddie opened the door for me and I snuggled into the seat dreaming of the hot bath I would take when I got to the hotel, but he only gave Stafford Terrace's address, which was odd. I decided not to say anything when he hugged me and I leaned my head against his chest, after all, one more night with him was what I wanted. We went quietly to Stafford Terrace, I was enjoying the feeling of being held by him, concentrating on his heartbeat, we didn't need to say anything, at least not then. When we arrived he paid for the taxi and got out of the car going to open the door for me. As I got out of the car a freezing wind blew, which made me shiver, he promptly noticed and removed the denim jacket he wore and went over my shoulders warming me.
"Thank you." I said blandly as he wrapped one arm around my waist and turned me to face him.
The brown eyes gleamed almost reflecting the moon in them, his expression was soft, he looked happy. He stayed that way for a moment looking straight into my eyes.
"I canceled your hotel reservation." He spoke with a mischievous smile and I widened my eyes. "I took freedom and thought you'd like to be here in the flat with me." He said bringing his other hand to my face and caressing me lightly.
Was he calling me to live with him?
My lips dried, my heart pounded, and I felt the air lack in my lungs.
"You're not upset about that, tell me no little kitten, please."
I wanted to hug him, scream with joy, kiss him but I seemed to be stuck, I just shook my head no and he smiled at me like a child on Christmas morning. His eyes didn't leave mine for a second, my breath was ragged as he touched our noses, his breath on my skin, my heartbeat making me deaf, my knees soft, he was almost touching his lips when a Female voice interrupted us.
"Honey, I'm glad you came back!"
We both turned to the door of the flat and she was in a white dress, black heels, shoulder-length blond hair and a victory smile on her lips.
Who was this woman?