The Aria Within the Rhapsody **ON HIATUS**

Chapter 5: Let's Get Down To Business

Freddie's POV:

He is so innocent. I look down at the little boy on my chest and just stare. My children are everything to me and I want nothing more than for them to stay safe and to be loved. It's funny to think that I didn't want children in the first place. I just wanted cats, cats, and more cats, but then I met Aria. When I met Aria, my whole world changed. Making the decision to raise Aria as my own was the best decision I ever made because I ended up with two beautiful children. Little did I know that soon that decision was going to bite me in the ass. I turn and reach across my body to pull my little boy onto my lap and just hold him there. I take as much as I can because before I know it my little boy will become a man. Right now, I'm just cherishing being able to hold both of my children safely in my arms. God, this reminds of the day he was born. He was so small so pure.

*Flashback: April 1981 * "Come on, darling. You're almost there." I say while holding the hand of the woman about to give birth to my son. "Alright, Mrs. Shipley. He is starting to crown. One more push and his head will be out. Now push as hard as you can!" the doctor instructs. She lets out a bloodcurdling scream as my son's head makes its way out of her. . . well you get the picture. "Ok. The head is out. Now the hard part. The shoulders." My poor surrogate is so exhausted. I must say she is doing a stupendous job. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. Freddie, what on earth was I thinking." she says with a giggle. I couldn't help but giggle as well. "Enough of this nonsense. There is a baby that needs delivering." I take her hand in mine as she screams and squeezes my hand till she can't anymore. A loud, wailing cry is heard all around the room. Oh my god there he is. My son. "You have a beautiful little boy, Mr. Mercury." The doctor smiles while he holds my son up so I can see him. "Go to him, Freddie. He needs to meet his papa." my surrogate gives her permission to meet my son. I give her a small kiss on her forehead as thanks as I get up to follow the doctor. I watch as they clean my baby boy and hand me the scissors to cut the cord. "Care to do the honors?" the doctor asks. I take the scissors and the doctor shows me where and I cut the cord. Then I am instructed to sit in the chair by my surrogate's bed and take my shirt off. A nurse comes back over with my baby boy and places his bare body against my hairy chest. "Hello, my love. I'm your papa." I coo to him. He starts squirming. "Oh I know. Papa is very hairy. It's alright." I soothe him. He starts to relax in my embrace and I just can't help but stare at him. "You made a beautiful baby. He looks just like you." my surrogate says. My eyes stay on him as I say to her, "I couldn't do this with out you." "It was my honor," she smiles. "Do you have a name for him?" I think for a moment before I smile. "Ashton. Ashton Michael Mercury."

I place gentle kisses to his forehead, his face and down to his neck as the front door swings wide open. Instinctively my hold on him grows tighter so he doesn't stir. "PAPA!" Aria calls for me. "In here, darling." I say to her. She turns to look and then realizes her mistake. "I'm sorry, Papa! I didn't know he was asleep." She starts to cry. "It's alright, my love. There is no need for the tears. Come come sit with Papa. Tell me about your day." I comfort her. She gently walks over to us and sits beside me starting to play with Ash's hair just like she did when he was a baby. It's like a self soothing technique or something. "Ugh. Emily keeps nagging me like an old lady! She won't quit asking about Live Aid. All she talks about is the possibility that Queen will be there and I can't focus on my work! She's my best friend but she is ANNOYING!!" Aria raises her voice. I am quick to shush her so she doesn't wake Ash. "How did it go with Doc Teddy?" I look at my daughter with shock, "How did you know that?" "I looked at the calendar." she giggles at me. Well, damn. Perhaps I should look at the damn thing more often. "Papa, did you forget?" I scoff, but realize I cannot lie to my daughter. "Well, not exactly. Joe reminded me this morning." I say honestly. "Oh, Papa." she laughs as she leans into my arm and swiftly falls asleep. I am just about to say something when the doorbell rings. Oh bother! Can't I have a nice moment with my babies with out being interrupted? I hear faint voices and it takes me a moment to realize who has just entered my Garden Lodge. 'Oh joy. The boys are here.' I think to myself. I give my children two more kisses on their heads before I notify the band of my whereabouts.

"Why must you old ladies (now you know where Aria gets it) always interrupt when I am trying to have a nice moment with my children?" I say to the rest of Queen. It takes a moment for my girl to realize who has invaded our home before she leaps of the couch, "Uncle Deaky!!" and almost tackles the poor soul. Yes, I made John Richard Deacon Aria's godfather. It felt right since he was there when I found her. Aria has John and Ash has Michael Jackson. Well had. . . Now, that is a story for another time. "Why hello my little slice of cheese toast!" John says surprised. Good lord! John and his cheese toast! Aria can't help but burst into a fit of giggles. John has been calling her that since she was a baby. When she laughs, everyone smiles. She is the human form of Delilah, but unfortunately for everyone and not just me. That child is just a social butterfly. It's good, but is scares me. . . a lot. . . I didn't realize how much of a social butterfly she was until one day. . . it happened. . . "Alright. Now that you lot have invaded my home, what do you want?" I say trying to get to the point. " We need to talk Live Aid." Roger says. "UGH!!!! I CAN'T ESCAPE IT!!" poor Aria shouts from John's embrace. I flick her foot as my way of telling her to hush. She in turn flinches and clings to John for dear life. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, dear, it was only a flick." I say not buying into the child's try for sympathy. As a response, she huffs at me and I just laugh because she got caught. Quite honestly, I don't know where she gets it. . . Suddenly, the sofa dips a little where Aria used to be. "Hello, there, Tiffany." I say to the cat that decided to join us. I give her head a scratch while supporting my son's body with my other hand. Uh oh. . . Tiff has realized who is on my lap and she paws at my napping son. "Now, now, Tiffany. You be nice to him. He is not doing anything to you." I scold. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why Tiffany does not like my son. "We wait in the music room while you finish what ever this might be." Brian says trying not to laugh. "No need. There is no business." I say trying to stop them simply because I don't want to get up and risk waking my sleeping child. "What is it we need to talk about?" I ask with curiosity as I pet the cat trying to keep her occupied. We pretty much talk about the set list, rehearsals and all that other stuff. . . I didn't realized I had stopped petting the cat when all of a sudden . . . "AHHHH!!!! OWWWWW!!!!" my son screams as he wakes up "NO! BAD CAT!!!! SHOO!!" I shout at Tiffany making her run away from the area. I look at his leg and there it is. . . Nice red claw marks. . . "Damn it! Hang on boys." I say as I rush poor Ash upstairs so I can tend to the injury. "Alright." I begin as I sit him on the counter in the kitchen. Oh these are not good. I start washing the scratches with a warm wash rag with soap before I put on the stuff that stings on. "This is going to sting." I put the cotton over the injury to get rid of any possible germs. He tenses up and whimpers until I finish. "There we are. Now, the best part. You get to pick your bandage." I hold up two boxes so he can pick. "The zoo animals." he says through his sniffles. "Good choice." I get out the antibiotic cream and put the bandage on the scratches while he attempts to calm himself. "All better." I bend down to kiss the bandage to seal it with love. "Now, let's dry those eyes." I say as I wipe his tears. He latches himself to me once again as I rub his back and gently shush him. "P-papa?" he whimpers, "Why doesn't she like me? I feel badly for him. "I don't know, monkey. I just don't know. Don't you worry though. She will definitely be getting a time out." I coo. He starts giggling against my shoulder. "Now," I say pulling him away from me, "Let's join the others." He smiles and I carry him back down stairs.

"Everything alright?" Brian asks coming up to us. "Yes, yes. I think he will make a full recovery. Papa's intuition." I say smiling at my son. I walk over to John wanting to take back my daughter and they willingly agree. We all sit back down with John next to Ria to finish our business. After we conclude the meeting hours later, the children and I bid the boys farewell and get ready to eat supper and relax for the rest of the night, but first . . . I need to find Tiffany. . . Good night, reader. I'll leave you with Ria now. 

*Surprise!!! Here is the next installment! Hope you like it! I love writing all this fluff. Like a friend of mine said it's a different side of Freddie that we never got to see so I like tapping into it. Please like and comment if you like it. Lots of love ~ Freddie's_Misfit xoxoxoxox*