Winter Queen (Roger Taylor fanfic)

18. ...they celebrated Christmas

"Jo." he breathed out and before she slid down from the stool, he stood next to her and hugged her. Moody nodded to greet him.

"How much do I pay you?" Roger asked.

"No way, keep it. I may not be a Christian, but wouldn't let lady in distress without help on Christmas."

"Thank you so much, Moody." Josie was so grateful for the shelter he gave her.

"Thank you." Roger joined her. The innkeeper walked them to door and closed the pub, once they left. Roger parked his car just in front of the restaurant, he'd circled the square and saw the only sign of life in here. He opened the door for her, got in and started the engine, to start the heating.

"What happened?" he asked. Only now she realized, she hadn't prepared a version to tell Roger.

"It was a classic dispute." At first, her voice was strong, but only after the first sentence, she started to break and sob. "That my parents came her for me to have a future, not to throw away the past. The final word was, that as long as I adhere to western values, I'm not supposed to visit them."

"Jo, your father will calm down surely. Do you want to drive there? I can wait for you."

"I don't, Rog, please, can you take me away?"

"Mom's making you bed." He nodded, briefly squeezed her hand and pulled away. She was glad that was enough to explain. It was warm inside the car, but she shivered anyway. Roger carefully reached back to the backseat and handed her his jacket.

"Thank you." she whispered almost breathlessly, muffled herself up in it, the fur on collar smelled just like Roger. They were almost there, when she fell asleep and woke up, when Roger stopped on the driveway to his mother's house.

They entered quietly, so they wouldn't wake anyone, but the light in the living room was on. Clare and their mother Winifred came to the hallway. Clare already told everything she knew about Josie to their mother.

Josie come to a halt, one boot taken off, with Roger's jacket on her shoulders. Roger introduced them.

"You want to see your room?" he asked and saw the gratitude in her eyes, when she nodded.

"Of course, you must both be very tired." Winifred smiled. Roger lead Josie to his old room, she could say immediately. She looked at the old vinyls on the walls, the posters, few bookshelves.

"This is your room."

He nodded.

"Do I occupy you bed again and leave you to sleep on a couch?"

"The couch sucks here, we have extra mattress."

She sat on the bed, the idea of being wrapped up in his blanket in a moment was beautiful.

"Thank you again, Rog. I know no one else would do that for me."

"No one would let you freeze on the streets on Christmas." Roger objected. She smiled with sadness still in her face.

"Goodnight, Jo."

"Goodnight, Rog."

When she ate her breakfast - of course Roger's scrambled eggs, he made it just for her, she watched the Taylors unpack their gifts. She thought, how ironic it is, that she wished to spend Christmas with him and his family, and now there she was.

Once it was all over, Roger sat on the floor next to her feet, hugged her calves with one arm, laid the other hand on her thigh.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded and laid her hand over his, he leaned forward and kissed the back of her hand. The way her body ached so sweetly, when he touched her, it tooked her breath away. They went back to London just after lunch, the journey was long and Roger had tons of work to do with their final preparations. Once they were close to Plymouth, Roger looked at her.

"Do you want to stop there?" he tried and Josie shook her head. He didn't say anything else.

He only insisted at stopping at his place first, he ran into the house and came back with a present for her.

In the big box, there was a book Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood. It delighted her, that he remembered from their talks, that she enjoys the works of this young author. She put the book on her lap and pull out black fabric, soon she saw the check pattern lining and she was almost horrified to realize she holds a Burberry trench coat.

"Rog!" she breathed out amazed. "You shouldn't have."

"I can't wait to see you wear it."

He started the car and headed to her place, this time she ran up to her flat for his present.

"It's not so..." she mumbled apologeticly. Roger unwrapped it quickly, inspected the watch, he got from her. Then he put them on his wrist.

"They are already my favourite." he assured her. "Do you want to come to tomorrow's rehearsal?"

She promised that. She knew she'll be going out all the time now, just to wear the new coat.

At home, she stood in front of the mirror and kept looking at herself. She felt like a rich lady. Her Queen vinyls were on a special place in her room, all signed by the boys. She picked the newest one, played it on Marge's gramophone in the living room and danced around in her new trench coat.