1984 - A David Bowie Fanfic.

Piano.

Weeks past of pretending that my marriage was fine, I pretended in front of my children. Yet instead they pined for David, and pleaded for him to come home... Will was slowly losing his mind.

Because of my breaking marriage, my business success was rapidly falling. I couldn't check on dates or the stages because Will thought I was running off to see David... But David wasn't even in the same country as me!

"William, you have to let me go, my business will go bankrupt if you don't!" I whine.

"What a shame." He says rudely.

"You can't keep me here, this is practically house arrest." I bluntly put.

"Fine." He huffs. "Save your business."

"Thank you." I breathe.

"Take the boys with you." He mumbles out.

I shrugged, I suppose I didn't mind, they could play around with the microphones... It was a Saturday after all.

***

I did my jobs as best I could, but my mind wondered off into thoughts. Thoughts of David, Will, the boys.

I looked out my office window and down onto the concert grounds, the boys are running after each other like a wild goose chase. I hated lying to them, I hated my marriage, but what was I to do?!

I look back at the piles of paper and huff, there was too much to do.

A knock sounds at my door, a gentle tap.

"Come in." I stutter.

The door opens a crack and her face is familiar.

"Ros?" The woman steps through the door.

Her eyes, blue as the sea, her hair short now, not long like she used to have it, but still that luscious chocolate brown. Her face, still pale, and still crowded with freckles. The only massive difference was that a bump was growing from her stomach.

"Eleanor?" I breathe.

"Wow... You've-" she pauses. "You've done so well! And- and your boys..."

"Sit down." I instruct.

She sits

"Ros-"

"How's Kevin?" I spit.

El drops her mouth open slightly and gulps: "He's in prison."

"No surprise." I roll my eyes and fold my arms. "And the baby?"

"Is Kevin's. But now that he's locked up he can't help."

"What's he in there for?" I ask but she stays silent. "Eleanor. What is he in there for."

She takes a deep breath in, then as she exhales mutters the word:

"Murder."

I gasp, and feel myself gag, my ex fiancée, killed somebody...

"How can you still be with him?! The man is sick!" I shout.

"This isn't about him. I'm not here to talk about your ex." She bites back.

"Then what is this visit about?" I ask.

"I'm here to say sorry."

"Now you're looking for sympathy." I growl.

"No, I'm not. That day, in the pub, I shouldn't have stood by him I should've stood by you." She admits. "Ros, I am so sorry..."

"I know."

"I never got an invitation to your wedding, or your children's christenings?" She smiles.

"We weren't friends, why would I?" I say angrily.

"Oh please, Ros... Ros just forgive me, please." She begs.

"You've had 10 years to say sorry, why now?" I mumble.

"Because I didn't realise how much I needed you, how lonely I am." Her eyes pool with water and I can see she's desperate.

"Come here." I mutter, my arms open wide for her to hug me back, and she does so.

"I've missed you..." She coos in my ear, I can feel the warmth of her cheeks radiate from her onto me.

I hug her tighter, and she starts to cry. "I've missed you." She repeats.

I lean out and sit on my side of the desk. "So," she wipes her eyes and sniffs. "you still a fan of David Bowie?"

"It's a long story..." I smirk.

"So, who are you married to?" She asks.

Do I tell her? Tell her my troubles? My dying marriage?

"He's called William. We met just after we stopped being friends."

"And how is married life for you? Can't be much worse then mine, I can assure you!" She laughs then looks down at her tummy.

I try to avoid the question by asking her about the baby: "When is it due?"

"Few months. But, Kevin's not put for another 18 years so it's quite sad really... I'll be raising a child alone."

"You love him though?" I ask.

"More then anything, and, even if I do meet someone else, I won't marry them because my heart belongs to my husband, the father of my child. Distance doesn't mean a thing to me Ros, it's how much you love them that matters."

El's words shock me, she said distance didn't matter, it was how much you loved them... I loved David, and distance didn't have to be a problem for us...! I had to speak with him right away!

"Should we meet for coffee sometime?" I ask. "I'll give you my number."

I scribble it down on a piece of paper and hand it her. "You're a good friend to me Rosalind."

I smile, and tell her we'll arrange a date soon, but for now, I wanted to see my boys, run around with them, actually feel free from my cage for once.

I walk out onto the concert grounds, it was getting dark, the sun was just setting behind the tree line and it was just me and my two boys.

"Boys?" I shout from the stage. "How about I play you a song?"

The piano sits centre stage. I could still play it, even if I didn't have my degree in music. I sat on the wooden stool and tapped my first key, I felt a tremble in my body, almost a memory. I look over my shoulder to see the boys are watching me and I take a deep breath and begin playing one of their favourites.

The tune, easily recognisable and quietly I him the words to myself. As I was building up to the chorus I could feel the piano get louder, and my voice get stronger and then, I hear his voice.

"Is there life in Mars?" He sings.

I stop playing, and swivel round on the stool to see David with a microphone in hand singing Life on Mars?

"Don't stop." He mutters through the microphone.

I continue to play, even more thrilled to be on the piano and the boys are cheering.

Once the song is over, I bounce up from the piano and run into David's arms, my sprint and jump makes David stumble backwards to stop himself from falling and he hugs me back.

"You play the piano beautifully." He purrs and strokes my hair.

"I've missed you so much." I quiver in his hold.

"I love you." He mutters.

"I love you too Starman." I say to him for the first time in 10 years.