Time Passages (Queen or Freddie Mercury Fanfic)

Birdman's Eye View: No Turning Back

Sal here.

If you saw what I just did there, kudos. ;)

"Be careful, John."

Those three words keep playing over and over in my head as wait in the queue to check my one bag at Heathrow customs, for they are the words with which my visibly concerned wife bid me farewell a few minutes ago, over by the airport entrance. 

I know she thinks I'm mad.  I remember how she reacted when I told her I'd made contact with Julia again ten years before.  She looked at me like she wanted to rip the phone out of my hands and call for the men in the starched white uniforms to take me away- which was why I knew I had to hold off on revealing that Freddie was responsible for Danny's existence, at least until all that horrible mess with her family happened, and we were all she had left. 

Just so we understand each other, though, I still do have my doubts.  Very few, granted, but they're there.  I trust Julia, and I trust my godson, I don't believe they'd lie to me about something like this.  Nonetheless, only the most naive of people would swallow a happening like this without choking once on even a slight misgiving or two.  And I will continue to have them, until I come face to face with this man who walks, talks, looks like my old band mate- that complicated peacock of a man who worked with me, encouraged me, and stood up for me so many times during Queen's twenty-year run.

And yes, I meant to say twenty.  I said it before, and I'll say it again. Queen without Freddie is basically just a tribute band; just Smile doing covers of Queen songs with the help of some mediocre hack that couldn't even pursue a stable career in music without -

Oh, sorry, there I go again.  I do get so very exercised about these things. 

Anyway, ever since I sort of lost it there for a bit in the late nineties (well, longer than that, if we're being completely truthful- but anyway), Ron's quietly thought me a little touched. I can't blame her. Maybe I am.  But now, so is the rest of the country.  Ever since last Wednesday, when "Rick" first burst on the scene, England has been abuzz with hope and skepticism- but this one online article alone, published late last night with the words "QUEEN MANAGER CONFIRMS: NO HOAX" splashed across the top, seems to have thrown the Western world into an absolute Freddie frenzy. 

Even here at the airport, which is busy even for the holidays, it's all around me.  People cooing over the social media blurbs on their feed, links to the article they've just received- even the man behind me in the customs queue I can tell is watching highlights from the "Rick" live stream a couple of days ago.  He has the volume turned all the way up, so I catch quite a bit of the audio over my shoulder, which goes a little something like this:

"Right, well, that was an especially riveting set of music, I tell you- wouldn't you say, Benji? Wake up, dear, I said, wasn't that a riv- yes!  Good day, dear, nice to have you with us again.  Wasn't that wonderful?  Ah.  He's nodding- I'd show you darlings Benji, but the camera's sort of stuck in the computer screen and I can't exactly move the thing round, but he's a very lovely man- not as lovely as me, of course, but close.  By the way, any word from you-know-who?  No?  Oh, what a shame.  She'll call round eventually, I suppose.  Anyway, here's the weather I think, um- right, so, it looks like a lot of clouds all the way through to this evening or something, um- and cold.  Very cold.  No tank tops today, my dears.  Right.  Now, I think we understand each other fairly well, so Benji, turn the adverts back on again, I'll be back in two shakes.  Oh!  And, um- today's weather is, uh- brought to you by... I don't know.  Some car insurance company I think.  Hm?  What?  ...Oh, f---, darling, you tell them if it's so important to you, my God.  Back in a moment!"

I cover my mouth, shutting my eyes.  Good Lord.  That voice.  How long has it been since I last heard that voice speak? And with such vigor, such trademark cheek- God, it takes me so many years back- and to think, I might get to see him very soon...