Garden Lodge

Lenny woke on the most comfortable mattress he'd ever slept on, in the biggest bed he'd ever seen...

"Look Johnny, he needs a shave"

"Do you think we should try shaving him before he wakes?"

"Let's look for daddy's shaving stuff!!"

"Yes!"

...only to hear small voices in his ear, and feel two pairs of small hands tugging at his duvet.

"I think he's awake," one doubtfully whispered. "Let's find out"

The other hissed, "Johnny?! No!"

Lenny suddenly couldn't breathe, for something was clamping his nostrils together, causing his eyes to fly open.

Johnny let go of his nose as his uncle let out an audible gasp, and his niece and nephew, sitting atop the covers in their pyjamas, giggled as they slinked back to the bottom headboard.

Before he could greet them, Phoebe suddenly burst into the room, dressed in his usual chequered shirt, and to Lenny's aid, "You two aren't meant to be in here! Come on, out you come," he coaxed them off the bed as he made his way over. "Go and get mummy's birthday present from downstairs"

Lenny rubbed his sore, red nose as they excitedly ran out the door, and Phoebe held the door open.

He closed it after them, "I'm sorry about that. We probably should've advised you last night that it's a good idea to lock your doors before you go to sleep... unless you don't mind the odd cat or a child wandering in."

"It's fine, kids will be kids" Lenny rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"Yeah, well, let's say this pair keep things lively around here," Phoebe giggled slightly. "Anyway, I set up a breakfast table downstairs. Come down when you're ready."

"Uh, thank you" he humbly nodded, and Phoebe exited the room.

In the master bedroom suite...

Monica was coming to terms with the generous and expensive presents in the open box that she held in her shaking hands as she sat on her bed.

"A super 8... and a sound recorder?!" She lifted the Kodak box from the wrapping

Freddie squeezed her hand by her side, "I know that it's nearly ten years out of date and you'll only really be able to do home movies," he rubbed her cheek. "But with your new job and the children going to school and everything, I want you to do your own thing and prosper"

She felt tears, "You-You didn't have to buy it, you know, I-I was saving up for one myself."

"Save that money for a rainy day... or maybe a better camera for the future" he grinned.

"Oh Freddie," she placed he lid back on top and fell into his arms. "Thank you. I don't care how off-standard it is, this is the most thoughtful birthday gift I've received in years."

He wiped her teardrops, "You mean it?"

She nodded and snivelled happily, "I can't remember when a present last made me feel this way... not since the day our children were born"

He nuzzled her, "Another gift from me"

She giggled, "and the two most beautiful gifts I will ever be given"

He kissed her lips, and whispered, "Happy birthday, my love"

"I love you" she let out.

He rubbed her thighs, "I love you too," and mumured, "Are you ready for gift number two?"

She grew confused, noticing the playful look in those brown eyes, "Another gift?"

He pressed himself against her, "Get the picture?"

She laughed as he started kissing her throat, "Alright! I get it!"

He gently nipped the skin on her neck as she threw her head back in ecstasy, only to be startled by the chatter of small voices behind him.

He flew off of her as their children clambered onto their mother, thrusting papers in Monica's face and uttering their happy birthdays, interrupting the intimate moment.

"The best form of contraception in this household? My own two children" he watched as she gently put his box of presents under her bed, and Johnny and Roshni buried themselves into her side.

"Oh my... what are these?" She took their drawings from their hands. "How lovely! Are these of me?"

They nodded, and Freddie inspected them over her shoulder, no longer caring that they had gotten in the way.

"Roshni certainly has captured her hair... a little too much hair... and Johnny's... how abstract. Oh, but I adore their idiosyncrasies" he thought, watching as she kissed their heads.

"Thank you, you two" she smiled down at them.

Freddie chuckled, for one of them had adorably written the R in happy birthday backwards.

"Oh, they're still learning... time goes by quickly" he watched as she lovingly embraced them.

"Would you look at that, the gang's all here," Phoebe smiled as he strolled in, birthday card in hand, "Happy 24th birthday"

Monica climbed out of bed, "Oh, you didn't need to! Thank you!"

"It's my pleasure" he said as they embraced.

"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything." Lenny appeared the slider doors, wearing the spare kimono-like bed robe that was hanging on the door of the guest bedroom.

"Don't be silly, your presence here is enough" she opened her arms for him.

"What luscious bed hair he's got," Freddie enviously watched as they hugged. "Makes me wish I had longer hair again"

"Shall we eat?" Monica slipped onto her dressing gown.

Johnny and Roshni climbed off the bed and were out the door within a flash. As they shot past Lenny's feet, Phoebe explained to him, "They get excited on weekends because that's when we let them eat Coco Pops as a treat"

"They don't even need all that sugar" Monica tied the sash around her waist.

"The mention of Saturday morning television already gets them hyper," Freddie stepped into his slippers. "Well, now that they've learnt about the days of the week in school"

"They learnt that already?" Lenny cocked a brow.

"Oh yes, it's a wonderful school," Monica felt Freddie's hand lace into hers. "They let them in a year early when they heard that their father was going to be away on tour"

"Just out of interest, would you consider tutoring... or boarding school, for that matter?" Lenny continued as they walked out of the master suite.

"Oh fuck no, not after my experience" Freddie answered, and Monica rushed ahead when Johnny and Roshni tried sliding down the stairs on the pillows of their beds.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" Lenny pressed.

Now that he was alone with him, Freddie talked freely, "Oh, just... it was a culture shock and I didn't see my parents for years at a time."

"Culture shock? How come?"

"Zanzibar was a little different to India, and smaller... and definitely warmer." He chucked slightly.

"Have you ever thought of going back?" Lenny murmured hesitantly.

"Not really, not even to see family... when we landed in Heathrow we never looked back," Freddie leaned against the bannister, watching Monica snatch the pillows from their children on the stairwell below, "If it weren't for music I wouldn't have gotten through that first year in England, let alone my boarding school days... if it weren't for music I wouldn't have gotten through a lot of things... I wouldn't even be the man I am now obviously. I probably wouldn't even have been there to meet Monica"

Lenny noticed the look of complete adoration in his eyes as he watched his family, only to be interrupted by his own hungry, complaining stomach.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Freddie stood back up and snapped back onto reality. "I'm holding you back from breakfast!"

"Not at all, I assure you it's good to know that you love my sister so much" he approached the steps.

"Really? Well, If only I didn't have a puppy crush on you, her own brother, of all people!" Freddie watched him go down the stairs.

*****

"Did I mention that those two were in our guest's bedroom this morning?" Phoebe spoke from the sink in the kitchen in a concerning tone.

Monica turned to them as they sat at the bench, finishing their cereal, "Oh no, you didn't wake uncle Lenny, did you?"

"We wanted to play" Johnny pouted.

"All the cats wanted to go outside" Roshi added.

She tutted, and turned to her brother "I'm sorry about that" then back to her children, "From now on, you two are not to bother Uncle Lenny in the mornings"

"It's okay, honestly." Lenny tugged her sleeve gently.

"But if Freddie hears, he will be pissed off," she murmured to him. "He's irritated enough at their misbehaving"

"...Will they be at the party tonight?" He asked.

"Yes, and you will both be in your best clothes for mummy, won't you?" She turned to them.

"I'll make damn sure that they are," Freddie reappeared from his toilet break, buttoning his trousers back up.

"Can I wear my princess dress?" Roshni squeaked.

"You mean your Japanese dressing gown? That's for wearing at bedtime, darling" Freddie slid into the bench, on his spot next to Lenny.

"Well, they're going to be up way past their bedtime anyway, Freddie," Monica patted her daughter's back reassuringly. "Of course she can wear it"

"If the birthday girl insists" Phoebe called over, backing her up.

"I thought that I was the Queen of this household" Freddie joked as he lifted the spoon from his bowl.

"Speaking of Queen... what are the rest of the band like?" Lenny asked.

"You'll meet them tonight and find out" Monica said.

"Monica wouldn't let me host anything big for her" Freddie rolled his eyes.

"I only want something with intimate with friends, that's all. It's only 24 years!" she squeezed his hand across the table.

"Oh, well you won't mind Peter [Straker] bringing in some old friends of mine, will you?" Freddie added dismissively.

"Old friends?" She gave him inquisitive eyes.

"Yeah, from New York. They're visiting London" He sipped.

"Well, as long as they behave," she put her empty cup on her saucer. "We don't want Johnny and Roshni sitting on top of your grand piano and singing at the top of their lungs into the early hours with Straker at the keys on a school night again, do we?"

"I can't remember that happening" Freddie shrugged.

"Of course you don't. You were drunk."

"You can't expect me to remember everything, drunk or sober! I don't even remember the song that played during our first kiss!"

"It was I feel love by Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder" Monica nonchalantly said as she put her teaspoon with her ware.

"It can't have been, I remember dancing with you to something much more funky than that" Freddie's voice rose slightly.

"Freddie, girls know these things better than boys!" Monica snapped back.

"Well, I'm going to get cleaned up and dressed before you two start arguing" Lenny joked as he stood up and stretched.

Freddie caught a glimpse of his toned stomach underneath his pyjama shirt, and turned crimson.

"Do you want us to help you shave?" Johnny and Roshni chimed.

Lenny laughed as the rest of the adults looked at one another in puzzlement, "No thank you, I'll manage"

Monica stood up, "Do you know how to use the shower?"

Startled, Freddie dropped his spoon into his bowl, milk spluttering from his mouth, to which Johnny and Roshni began to cackle.

"No, actually," Lenny trailed off as he made for the door. "Can you please show me?"

"Sure" she put breakfast ware into the sink and wiped her hands on the back of her trousers.

Freddie watched her brother vanish as he pulled himself together, and then felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you feeling alright?" Monica asked.

"Hmm?" He looked up, and he could see the concern in her eyes.

"Are you okay? I saw you staring into space." She asked again.

"Oh, Yeah," He straightened up a bit. "I'm just a little... tired"

"Well, I thought that you were excited about setting up for tonight" Phoebe added.

"Oh, of course I am"

"We can get the children to help then" Monica suggested.

"Absolutely not, they'll nibble the party food" Freddie muttered, and the short-lived sparkle in the twins' eyes disappeared.

"They won't! They'll have eaten by then," Monica kissed his cheek and headed for the doorway. "I'll just be upstairs with Lenny."

"Lucky you" he wanted to say as he gulped down his tea, but refrained.

"Right, who wants to come to Tesco with Feebs?" Phoebe asked.

"Me!" Johnny and Roshni leapt off the leather bench.

"Well, you both better get dressed then" Freddie instructed, and obediently they ran out of the kitchen.

Phoebe chuckled, "Now they're out of your hair."

"For now," Freddie stood up and eased himself out. "Tell Monica that I'm outside having a cigarette if she comes down"

"Of course"

Phoebe watched his boss slink out of the door, wondering what was making him act so distracted...

One thing for sure was that he couldn't keep his eyes off of Lenny.