Little Mercury

Disgusting

Knocking on the door the woman waits. After a few moments, the door opens to a young exotic looking man with an overbite, "How can I help you, dear?"

Quickly reading her notes from the file in her hand she looks back him, "I'm looking for a Mr Freddie Mercury."

"That would be me," Freddie looks the woman up and down. He'd say she's early thirty's, tall about his height, slim and judging by the suit she is wearing, she's here on official business.

"My name Sally Phillips, I'm here on behalf of social services. Would it be possible to come in? This really isn't the conversation to have on your doorstep." Sally smiles politely and spoke with an air of confidence, looking around the hallway she's standing in for anybody eavesdropping.

"Ok? Um... Come in." Freddie steps aside to let her in.

"Thank you." As she steps in she realises he's not alone, there are three other men and a woman sat across the two sofas. "Oh I do apologise for interrupting, would you prefer me to come back later?"

He closes the door behind her, "no it's alright, you must be here for a reason and I don't mind if they hear." Offering the woman a seat and a coffee, which she excepts.

"Alright, but due to the security and safety of the information, I will require your names and relations to Mr Mercury as a protocol." Sally turns to the three men sat on the other sofa.

"Uh, I'm John Richard Deacon, Freddie's friend and bandmate."

"Brian May and same as John."

"Roger Taylor again the same thing."

Writing it down she turns to the woman sat next to her, "Thank you and you Miss?"

"Mary Austin, I'm Freddie's girlfriend."

Freddie sighs passing Sally her mug and sits in between the two women, "now will you please tell me what on earth is going on?"

Sally turns her full attention to Freddie. "Yes, of course, I apologise for the formalities and I get right to the point. Mr Mercury do you know a woman by the name of Ellie James?"

He frowns thinking for a moment, "Do you have a picture of the woman?" She looks through the file a pulled out a picture of the woman and hands it to him the picture is a woman with light brown hair, fair skin and hazel eyes.

"Yes I know her," he returns the picture back to her, "can you tell me how Mr Mercury?"

"We meet one night at a bar, one thing led to another and we slept together, but she was gone when I woke up. I never saw her again after that." Freddie explains. "Look if this has something to do with her I can't help you I-"

Sally interrupts him, "actually you can, you see Miss James was arrested in the early hours of yesterday morning. And her young daughter was removed for her custody. We ran some checks on her, the birth certificate registers you as her father and a DNA test has confirmed it."

Freddie felt like the air last the room, he wasn't expecting that. He feels Mary take his hand comfortingly as he stares at the floor, trying to comprehend her words. He couldn't be a father, he didn't know-how.

"Is that why you're here? To ask Freddie to take her in?" Brian spoke up leaning forward.

"Yes that's the propose of me being here Mr May, but I'll need to give you the full picture before you make your decision Mr Mercury, it's a complex situation." Sally stops realising that Freddie isn't listening.

"You alright, mate?" Roger pipes up directing his concern to Freddie.

"Yes, just a bit shocked. What is her situation?" Although shocked he found himself concerned for the girl.

Sally puts the file she's holding on to the coffee table, "I have to warn you it's not very pleasant," he gestures her to continue.

"The police were called to the house due to a concerned neighbour hearing sounds of domestic violence and a child crying. They arrive to find Miss James was indeed fighting with her boyfriend they were both high and they were arrested due to drugs found on the premises. Originally the police found no trace of the child, but they continued their search of the house and eventually found her in one of the back bedrooms and it wasn't a pretty sight. When the police found her, she was in a terrible state. The room had no bed or toys and the windows were boarded up. They tried to get her to go with them but she was too scared so they called me in to help. She was curled up in the corner frightened and dirty."

"They neglected her?" Freddie spat furiously.

She stopped to clear her throat finding herself emotional. "They did far worst than that. When we finally got her to come out, she was covered in bruises and cigarette burns. The girl is malnourished, hardly said a word except for her name and her hair is dirty. After finally getting the mother to talk, she told us that most of the abuse on the little girl was down to the boyfriend. She also made us aware that the boyfriend would push sewing needles into the girl's body for fun."

"That's disgusting" Brian felt sick at the thought.

"It is Mr May, this is one of the worst cases I've ever dealt with. She is at the hospital, having surgery to remove the needles, she'll be there for a few days to heal."

Mary silently crying for the girl asks, "will she be okay?"

"She should be with some proper love and attention, the injures will heal in time and her hair can be sorted with a good wash. The malnourishment can be sorted by making sure she fed properly. It will be the talking that will need some encouragement and care for her mental well-being."

"Rog can help with that he's always talking." John tried to lighten the mood but just receives a glare.

"Mr Mercury if you need some time to think I can come back. I understand that this can all be very overwhelming."

Freddie stood up grabbing his cigarettes, "no don't leave. I just need some air, I'll be back." He climbs out onto the fire escape.

------

Freddie sat on the fire escape enjoying the afternoon air, lights his cigarette taking a drag and letting it relax him. He thought about everything he had been told and one thing that stuck in his mind is he has a daughter. A daughter that needs him.

He heard someone climb out of the window and sit next to him. His doesn't need to look to know it's Brian, "What are you gonna do mate?"

Fred just shrugs sighing. "Would it be right to take her in when the band could be travelling all the time? Would it be fair darling? I feel like I'd be neglecting her and as the woman said she doesn't need any more of that in her life."

"Okay well put Queen stuff to the side for a moment or let's say it was sorted so she wouldn't be neglected, what do you want to do?" Brian pushed him for an answer fully aware that they had left the woman with Roger and John.

"I want to meet her and love her, no child deserves to go through what she has. But what if I'm not any better then her mother?" That's what worries him most, the thought of not being a good dad. Most people have 9 months to figure these things out.

"You could never be as bad as her mother and you'd never hurt a child like that. Whatever you decided we'll support you, Freddie."

Hope you enjoyed my first chapter. Sorry if it's not very good. I will be updating every few days.

Thanks for reading xx