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to say stella had been dreading today was an understatement. she'd tried getting out of it by lying, but roger could see right through her. it's not like she didn't want to go. she just didn't know what to say to freddie. when she first saw him it would be like seeing god on earth. it had felt like a lifetime since she saw him and she didn't know how to feel.
her knee bounced up and down on the drive towards the studio. roger had to try and attempt some motivational talks and pep talks on the way which stella didn't know if they aggravated her, made her laugh or just made her love him even more.
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when they arrived at the studio stella forced the guys to stand outside with her for a moment as she paced nervously. she was scared. but she didn't exactly know why.
"stella, my dear best friend stella, we'll be okay, you'll be okay. and if you need to take a minute outside you do that, okay?" john comforted, placing an arm round her shoulder.
stella nodded and took a deep breath. she placed her hand on the door handle and pushed open the door.
her eyes immediately met freddie's. his eyes had widened at the sight of stella. just like mary had described, she hadn't been eating nor sleeping. stella walked over to the single seter, roger following closely behind, he sat on the arm of the chair while brian and john sat on the sofa.
stella looked over to miami who was already staring at her. roger and the boys had been keeping miami up to date with stella. he had tried visiting a few times but miami never got a chance to see the girl as she was scared to see him. she didn't want to let him down.
"hi, guys," miami finally spoke. brian nodded a brief 'hello' before sending a quick glance towards their old friend. "if anybody wants any tea, coffee... bladed weapons just... just ask," he humoured, "so... who wants to go first?"
freddie immediately spoke up, "i'll start," everyone turned their heads towards him. "i've been hideous. i know that, and... i deserve your fury. i've been conceited... selfish. well, an asshole, basically."
"strong beginning," roger commented.
"look, i'm happy to strip off my shirt and flagellate myself before you. or rather, i could ask you a simple question."
roger shrugged "i'm good with the flagellation!"
"what's it gonna take for you all to forgive me?" freddie asked, but it sounded more like he was pleading for their forgiveness, not just asking for it.
"is that what you want, freddie?" brian questioned, "i forgive you, is that it? can we go now?"
"no," freddie replied sharply, "i went to munich. i hired a bunch of guys. i told them exactly what I wanted them to do... and the problem was... they did it," he explained, "no pushback from roger," he looked to brian, "none of your rewrites," he then looked to john, "none of his funny looks..." freddie finally looked over stella, "and i didn't have my best friend who bossed us all around because she's better than us all." the group smiled at freddie and stella. "i need you. and you need me. let's face it. we're not bad for five ageing queens. so, um, go ahead. name your terms..." he braced for whatever would come.
"could you give us a moment, please, fred?" stella asked. he furrowed his eyebrows but nodded and stepped out the room slowly. everyone watched him step outside the door.
"why'd you do that?" brian looked over to her.
"i just felt like it," she shrugged. the group smiled and laughed at the girl.
roger pulled stella into his side and kissed her head. the other two looked at them and admired them. sure, they had their own wives, kids. but seeing stella out of her room, interacting with people. but also seeing roger caring for stella.
with everything that happened between the two in prior years, they couldn't believe roger was still hopelessly in love with her. how much he tried to help her, motivate her, get her back to her old singing-loving self.
he did truly care and they could see that now. stella could see that now. and she felt bad, even though she couldn't control what was happening to her. she pushed everyone and she was surprised they were still even trying with her.
♔
john stood up and walked outside, welcoming freddie back in who stepped into the office nervously. roger shifted on the armchair before speaking, "we decided... what did we decide?"
john immediately spoke up, "from now on... every song, no matter who wrote it, music, lyrics, it's by queen. not one of us, just queen. all the money, all the credits, split five ways evenly," he explained.
"done!" freddie answered.
"we have a problem with the people around you," stella added.
"paul is out. i fired him," he replied.
"on what pretext?"
"villainy."
"called it!" stella laughed. freddie smiled slightly at her.
"what else?"
miami began speaking, "bob geldof. i called to convince him to squeeze you guys into the lineup for the live aid concert... but he wants an answer now. you have to make a decision. every ticket's already sold. 100,000 people at wembley... 100,000 people at JFK stadium in philadelphia... a global TV audience around the world of 150 countries and 13 satellites. the olympics only had three," he explained.
the band couldn't believe the numbers. yes, bohemian rhapsody was one of the most popular songs ever made, but that many people after being away for so long?
"we haven't played together in years. it's kind of suicide to play again for the first time in front of millions..." roger said what everyone was thinking.
"try over 1.5 billion," brian said.
"who are these five dinosaurs? where's madonna?" stella added sarcastically.
"it's a 20-minute set. everyone gets the same. jagger, bowie... elton... mccartney, the who.. led zeppelin... phil collins, REO speedwagon... bob dylan. "
"certainly good company," john commented.
"anbody who is anybody is doing this concert," miami added.
"look," freddie sighed, "all I know... is that if we wake up the day after this concert... and we didn't do our part... we're going to regret it till the day we die," the band looked around at each other, "please," he begged.
♔ AUTHORS NOTE i'm only uploading bc of castaweaver <3
