"We'll do something fun," Veronica told her, putting her hand in hers reassuringly. "If it helps them distract from things between mummy and daddy"

"Please, anything will occupy them... I'm sorry I dragged you out of church for this" Monica watched as Phoebe strapped her now dressed children into the Deacon's people carrier.

"Not to worry, John's got it" she pulled the young girl into a hug.

"Say sorry to your boys for me" Monica whispered.

"You have nothing to apologise for," Veronica pulled away. "Are you sure you don't want to stay with us as well?"

She wiped a stray tear and shook her head, "The sooner I clean up this mess at home the better"

She so desperately wanted to get out of there and be with her children, by she knew that she wasn't going to be satisfied if she never got an apology from Freddie, let alone an explanation.

"Well, we're only a telephone call away. Good luck" Veronica reassured her.

"Say goodbye to mummy" Phoebe instructed them.

Monica leaned in with open arms, "Give mummy a kiss" hugging them briefly.

"We will make sure they telephone you tonight if you like." Veronica shut the door once she crawled out.

"What if things don't work out between Freddie and I?" She whispered so that Johnny and Roshni couldn't hear from inside.

"Our door is always open" she pat her shoulder, and then climbed into the driver seat.

"Be good!" Monica called as Veronica started the engine.

She stood and waved as the car moved away, biting her lip furiously to hold back her terrified tears as she saw their small hands wave back at her through the back window before the car disappeared around the corner and onto Cromwell Crescent.

She felt Phoebe put a hand on her back, "Is your hand feeling alright?"

"Yeah," she looked down at her bandaged right palm, "Probably still a few shards of glass in there, but I'll know in due course"

"We should call Doctor Atkinson" Phoebe offered as he followed her back into the garden, shutting the front gate.

"Only if it gets worse" she said.

The moment she entered the house, Adagietto from Symphony no.5 by Gustav Mahler was swarming through the air from the speakers.

"What a stroppy diva, treating our current situation as if it's something out of a damn movie!" she thought, not daring to give Freddie the satisfaction of calling him a drama queen.

"I'll be downstairs if you need someone to back you up" Phoebe whispered, knowing how wrong Freddie's actions were.

"No, you've been a great help already. I can't let you get fired" she politely declined.

"Well, at least it would be from trying to do the right thing" he kissed her cheek, then made his way towards the kitchen.

What a good alliance Phoebe had been not only to Freddie, but her as well. Everyone was on her side, so what had she got left to lose?

She tried the lounge first. The record was spinning on the turntable, but Freddie was nowhere in sight.

Still, Monica knew he was stubborn enough to hide somewhere not far away where it wouldn't be hard to find him.

The minstrel gallery was where he went sometimes when he wanted to be alone.

And indeed, he was sitting on a mahogany chair by the bannister in his bed robe.

"You're not so hard to find when you're in a bad mood," she said, climbing up the steps.

He shot her a dirty look, then back to his lap.

"I'm definitely packing up and taking that ring off of my finger if this isn't going  to go anywhere" she declared as she pulled a chair out next to him. "But only so that he comes running after me, of course"

It was on days like this that Monica had thought that her fairytale had ended. She didn't know when exactly, but she knew it had. And her handsome prince that swept her off of her feet one summers' night in London was beginning to turn into the antagonist of her story.

"So this is what you're going to be like?" She finally spoke. "Playing sad classical music and giving me the stink eye?"

"What is a stink eye?" He spat back.

"I don't know really, I heard Elton use it during some small talk last night" she breathed.

"...Hmm, sounds like him alright"

The chill from the last second he'd spoken had seemingly disappeared, echoing across the large room.

They sat in silence, until Freddie opened his mouth again to speak.

"...He left this morning, didn't he?"

She didn't want to answer, but what could Freddie do now that Lenny was gone?

"Yes"

"How disappointing" He fidgeted with his hands on his lap.

She narrowed her eyes a little as she turned to him, "How so?"

"I never got to apologise for my behaviour" he replied hesitantly.

"...You owe me one more than him" she whispered.

"Don't you fucking start" his tone hardened again.

"I'm not trying to," she murmured. "I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself actually. I'm the one that should be sulking right now, not you!"

"You get it now. I want to bum your little brother, when I made it clear I lusted for him he fucks off somewhere to hide and that's when I know I've estranged him"

"And tell me, why would that be an excuse for you to ruin my birthday?"

His hands gripped the armrests as he stared blankly at his lap.

"I was coming upstairs to go to the toilet and then maybe look for you so that I could apologise for my words!" Things began to escalate as his tone hardened. "I never expected to find a couple fucking in my child's bed! That's why I was enraged-"

"So enraged that you had to kick all the guests out when the night was progressing?!" She let out, leaping off her chair. "It's was an opportunity to spend time with my younger brother and essentially one of my best of friends growing up that I never get to see anymore!"

She was pacing back and forth by the window now, balled fist pressed against her mouth as she let the tears spill.

That sight, and the crack in her voice was enough to break his heart all over again.

"I'm sorry" he stood up and went over to her cautiously.

"Why?" She sobbed as she backed away, "Because you got caught? Or because you actually hurt me and alienated my brother?!"

"I was foolish, and selfish," he followed her quickly as she rushed out of the room, "Darling, you know that sorry is the hardest word for me to say!"

"And you're the one acting like I hurt you!" She spun around when she reached the entrance of the master suite. "That's no excuse for being such a dishonest coward. I heard what you called me the moment I left the room earlier!"

"And what would that be?" He crossed his arms.

"A 'fucking bitch'" she imitated his tone.

And then Freddie felt his stomach fall.

"I can see that I don't satisfy your needs. It happened quickly, but at least I know now how you feel," she snivelled as she continued. "I can see that you want more, that you're not physically satisfied or happy with our life together-"

"Oh, but I am" he tried to intervene.

"It must be like Mary all over again, thinking about men," she went to the bed, "I wish I'd handed the phone over to you that night, then maybe you would've accept Mary's words from her and not me-"

"What night? What about Mary?" He interrupted.

"Oh fuck" she gulped silently.

He persisted, crawling closer on the mattress, "What are you talking about, Monica?!"

"Mary telephoned on the middle of the night that we got engaged. I answered because you were asleep" she muttered, grabbing the pillow on her side of the bed.

"What did she say?" He listened intently.

"...I can't remember exactly, but I knew that she believed that she was talking to you," she began pluming her pillow. "She sounded upset too. It was the night We Are The Champions hit the number one spot as well, remember?"

"Vaguely" He motioned for her to continue as she recollected.

Monica exhaled, and started fiddling with the bandage on her hand, "Anyway, she found out that you were going to be a father, and she basically apologised for the way she reacted to the news"

Freddie nodded, feeling more regret from the past.

She explained more, "She told you-me, technically, she said that you were not to hurt me and that she realised I was The One... I felt so bad for her"

"Then what?" He was on edge.

"...I thought it was time to tell her that it was me she was talking to and not you. And when I did she hung up immediately."

"Why didn't you tell me the morning after?" His voice rose.

"I did Freddie, I did! I told you her exact words, the moment I woke up," she stared up at the ceiling. "And just like everything else, you took them for granted"

His mind begun to piece back those turbulent 48 hours, even though a lot went on since then. Fatherhood, albums, moving house...

That awful night he viciously accused Monica of infidelity and caused her to run out, the day he proposed and she found out her university application for the upcoming fall was rejected, that night in the club when We Are The Champions hit the top spot on the charts...

She stood up, and went over to the mirror. Her hair was unbrushed, eye makeup smeared from the night before, her face pale from the lack of food and sleep.

He could feel her slipping through his fingers by the second. He knew that if he didn't show he accepted responsibility any time soon things would worsen.

She disappeared into the en suite bathroom.

"Gone to get her toothbrush, no doubt," Freddie rolled onto his side as his eyes swelled with tears. "First them, now her"

His little boy and girl. He was never going to see them again either. He never got to say a proper goodbye before Veronica collected them.

He got onto his feet and stormed after her, "I know you're going to do everything In your power to keep them away from me"

"I told you earlier, they're just staying for the night!" She spun around.

His lips trembled, "If only you could understand how much I love them"

"I do understand!" She argued, "And that's why I think it would be unfair if I took them away from you without saying a word!"

"You think I'm a bad father as well, don't you!?"

"I didn't say anything about fatherhood. You're just looking for excuses now, Freddie"

"Admit it!"

She lifted a towel front the rack, "I enjoy watching you with alone with them, alright? Even though they get on your nerves, sometimes I like to eavesdrop on you spending time with them. I don't have anything to admit other than that I know you love them deeply"

Tears ran down his cheeks as she turned away from him and laid the towel on the floor.

"Don't you see? We're going around in circles with this. Every time I give you a second chance, months later we are back at where we started. It always works out of course, but it hurts."

She was never used to being so open with him about how he made her feel, unless it was in the short term. At this point, all she could do was be honest.

"Well... at least it's months and not days" his voice had stopped quivering by now.

She had to admit that his point was fair. Without a word of reply, or eye contact, she sat on the toilet seat.

"...I don't know why I keep bothering, to be honest," she finally spoke. "The only reason I can think of is that I love you, and them. You took care of me, given me so much here, so much that I don't know how to thank you for it... I work so hard to make that those two don't get brought up in a broken household."

"You monster" Freddie looked back at himself in the mirror.

Then, she added, "I don't want to lose you"

"How could you do this to her? You promised that you wouldn't, but you bloody well forgot!" He watched as she got back onto her feet and reached into the shower stall.

With her back to him as she unzipped the side of her Bardot LBD, she spoke, "Would you mind shutting the door on your way out please? I need to clean up"

Now, he realised, was the moment for him to show her that he loved and cared for her back, and that he didn't want to lose her either.

"Well, you can't do it with that hand. I don't want soap getting into your wound" he started untying his bed robe.

"What are you doing?" She grew confused as began undressing.

"Switch the water on, I'm helping you clean up" He ordered, letting his robe fall to his ankles.

She looked away, slipping her arms out of the sleeves of her dress before letting it fall and stepping out of it, not daring to stop him.

Her body was the way it was all those years ago. Maybe a little rounder on her curves since she'd had children, but all the better. Freddie so desperately wanted to hold her again, to feel her in his arms.

She could feel his anticipating stare behind her as she stepped into the stall, and once he too was naked he joined her.

"You're supposed to hate him right now" she scolded herself, shielding her hand from the stream of running water above as she heard him shut the glass door behind her.

Monica shuddered like a frightened child as she felt his large hands roam and lather the bar of soap up and down her wet back, but he didn't notice. It was the first time he touched her since he night before.

He took the shower head, and with his hand wiped and rinsed any suds off of her skin. But she wasn't going to surrender to his touch.

"Oh, my delicate Irish flower. How could I say those things to you, do those things to you, call you those things... how could I hurt you?" He thought sadly as he began to soak her dark hair.

She'd noticed that he had gone still and quiet, only to hear and feel him sobbing into the back of her neck moments later.

She couldn't try and hate him anymore, for the agony in his tone and the way his strong arms clung onto her desperately was how she knew he was truly sorry.

She turned to face him, gently lifting his face crumpled in anguish. Regardless, she studied his features...

His hair was shorter, his shoulders were broader, his neck had thickened, he had a bit of a belly too, and not forgetting the moustache on his lip. But the vulnerable and loving, child-like man she knew and loved back was still in there.

They embraced, and instantly it was if the past twelve hours had never happened.

"I'm sorry I called you a fucking bitch as well" he whispered when he was able to gather his words.

"Oh, that's okay. I've been meaning to tell you that you're on child duty again next Saturday anyway" she spoke into his shoulder with a smirk.

She heard him growl playfully, then felt him lift her up off the shower base with ease.

He put her against the sleek black tile wall before she could ask, his hungry wet lips meeting hers.

Her fingers gripped onto his water-droplet soaked back as his hands pulled her thighs to his waist, her nails digging into his feverish and titillating flesh, silently begging for more.

She could see look in his brown eyes turn from affectionate to dangerous when they broke.

The bandages on her right hand were getting soaked now, and she was beginning to feel woozy, but she didn't care. She wanted him that very second.

"Monica..." He exhaled as he pushed onto her without warning.

She gasped in pleasure at the feeling of his girth, weakened under his hold.

His hips moved back and forth as he left marks on her neck. Soon enough she was crying out his name in ecstasy and gripping onto him as he slammed into her faster and faster.

He pulled out in time, releasing on her inner thighs as he let out a euphoric moan.

She reached her peak, but her dizzy feeling still hadn't left.

She collapsed in his arms, gasping for air, "I need... I need to sit-"

"Monica?!" Panicked, he caught her before she could slip and bang her head.

"I don't know what's wrong" she muttered.

He lowered himself at the bottom of the base and cradled her limp body protectively.

"Did I go too hard?" He asked gently.

She shook her head, staring back up at him dreamily.

"When did you last eat, darling?" He smoothed her wet hair back from her pale face in concern.

"Not since last night" she shielded her eyes from the light with her forearm.

The heat in the room was causing her low  blood pressure to drop even lower. He hauled himself up off the base and switched the shower off before grabbing a towel, "I think it's time we got you some breakfast"

He carefully carried her into the bedroom, and dismissing the fact that both were still soaking wet, he laid her atop their bed gently.

"What about shampoo?" She let out as she watched him tie a towel around his waist.

He crawled into the mattress and above her gently, "I think that your well-being and appetite is more important than that right now, my love"

She giggled as he nuzzled her affectionately, "Can we fix it later then?"

"Of course," he purred. "While we're at it, why don't we set up your new movie camera and shoot the sex tape that I was talking about yesterday?"

He left the bedroom  with a light smack on the arse that morning.