Garden Lodge, June 1983

"But why can't I go with you?" Johnny pouted as he tugged onto his mother's pyjama shirt at the breakfast table as she stood up off the bench.

Monica gently pried his little fingers off, "Because Daddy and Phoebe are taking you and Roshni to Harrods to get your hair cut."

"I don't need my hair cut! And I know all about cars!" The boy stubbornly thumped his fists on the table.

"Johnny?! It's going over your eyes... you can barely see!" Monica smoothed his overgrown bangs back from her son's forehead, and turned to his father, "Freddie, tell him that he has to get his hair cut"

"Listen to your mother, Johnny" the man murmured, peering over the top of the antiques catalogue as he sat across from them.

"Well, thanks a lot for for your help! You were the one who was pushing for him to get one, remember?" She grumbled sarcastically, and picked her breakfast plate up off the table.

Freddie returned to his catalogue and rolled his eyes slightly, and Johnny climbed off the bench and followed his mum to the sink, "But how come Uncle Roger gets to come with you to the car shop?"

"Because Uncle Roger is an automobile aficionado... and mummy just likes to leave the dirty work to me" Freddie answered flatly across the room, annoyed that he didn't get to go on the child-free shopping spree he had planned.

"Daddy's right, most girls know very little about cars," Monica ignored his last statement as she started filling the sink up with hot soapy water, "So I need someone like Roger to help me make the best choice when I buy my first ever car"

"Also because he just wants to get an eyeful of all the new models in the dealership" Freddie muttered, putting a cigarette between his teeth and pulling out a lighter.

"You're not helping!" Monica snapped back at him, scrubbing another plate roughly.

"Please can I come with you? I wanna get a ride in your new car" Johnny looked up at his mother pleadingly.

"I promise that you can be my first passenger," she picked him up as his eyes lit up, and kissed his cheek, "And anyway, once you get your hair cut again everyone will be able to look at that adorable little nose and those sparkly brown eyes-"

"Eughhh! Muuuuummmmmyyyy!?" Johnny whined in disgust, pushing Monica's face away as she simply laughed.

She lowered him onto his feet, and ordered, "Now up the stairs and get dressed"

"Can I please borrow those for my collage book?" He pointed the scissors on the side board.

"Alright, but get dressed first," She handed them down to him carefully, distracted as she slowly emptied the dishwater out of the basin, "And no running with them, alright?"

Her son obeyed, turning around and toddling quickly out of the room.

"He can be good when he wants to" Freddie took a drag of his cigarette.

"What have I told you about smoking in front of our children?!" She nagged, switching the kitchen taps off.

"There are no children, look!" He stood up and pointed at her empty side.

"You can at least take it outside to your garden!" she suggested, hearing Johnny's small feet patter up the stairwell.

"Hmmph..." Freddie slipped past and set his teacup on the side board.

But she stopped him from escaping, "Freddie?"

He huffed, and spun around on his heel slowly with lowered eyes, "I'm only going outside into the garden like you said!"

"Do you know that what day it is today?" She casually leaned against the sideboard.

She watched as he stood still in puzzlement, "...Saturday?"

Freddie stared back at her, growing more confused when Monica's face fell and she turned away from him again.

"...You know what? Never mind" Disappointed, she dried her hands on the tea towel.

"Monica, please! Tell me... baby..." he set his cigarette onto the nearest ashtray and rushed over to her, putting his hands on her upper arms.

She shrugged him off dismissively, "Doesn't matter. Roger will be picking me up any minute"

He knew the look on her face when something was bothering her; the unresponsive silence, the stiff upper lip, the flatness in her eyes when she'd stare into space.

He turned away in guilt, and headed for the back door.

Upstairs

Johnny and Roshni, still in their pyjamas, giggled as they ran into their en suite bathroom with the pair of scissors and Roshni's pink handheld mirror

"You go first, then you do me after," Roshni picked up their small wooden stool from in front of their sink, "I've cut the hair off of my dolls. I know how to do it"

Just as Johnny sat down, Tiffany, Freddie's beloved rag doll cat, pounded in for a drink of water from their toilet.

"Let's practise on Tiff first!" Johnny squealed.

"Yeah!" Roshni ran over and grabbed her, "You hold her still while I do it, Johnny"

"Do you think mummy and daddy will mind?" Johnny asked as his twin sister came over with the armful of fluff.

"Of course not, Tiff has always needed a hair cut," she set the feline onto her brother's lap, "They will think it's a very grown up thing to do!"

Tiffany purred in Johnny's hands, curling up a little on his lap, and Roshni got the kitchen scissors at the ready, lifting a handful of soft fur in her little fingers.

They giggled as the first clump of ivory fur fell to the ground, and their giggles turned to laughter as they sheared off more and more of Tiffany's coat...

Downstairs

"Can I get you anything?" Monica asked Roger Taylor as she lead him into the kitchen.

"Nah, I'm all set," he sat down at the breakfast table and took off his ray bans, "You have your license?"

Monica pointed at the documents sitting in front of him, "Good to go"

"Great!" He laced his hands on his lap, "So, what kind of car were you thinking?"

"Something inconspicuous and family-friendly that'll do me for four to six years," she pulled out a stool next to him, "Oh, and I was hoping for a budget of £7500. Nothing too exciting I'm afraid"

"Sounds familiar enough," he nodded, "That's the kind of thing Dom wants"

"Speaking of that, how are Dom and little Felix?" She propped the documents up in her hand.

"Great! The young fellas' picking up on French from his maman... what about your two?"

"Really? That's wonderful! Well, I'm afraid mine aren't quite speaking French yet" she chuckled a little.

"Eh, well, Freddie's telling me all sorts of stories," Roger folded his arms, "Says that Johnny's taken up piano and that Roshni's an enthusiastic singer"

"Yep, we're considering music lessons for him" Monica put her folders into her shoulder bag.

"Gotta start them young" Roger polished his ray bans with the bottom of his white vest.

Upstairs

"Get me a towel, that's the way the hairdressers do it" Johnny said.

His sister grabbed the one hanging on the edge of their bath tub and draped it around her brother's shoulders as he pet a now crookedly trimmed rag doll cat in his hands.

"Are you ready?" Roshni asked, holding a lock if Johnny's smooth brown hair from the nape of his neck in between her fingers.

"Yes!" He gripped the edge of his feet excitedly, knowing that he'd now be able to go to the car dealership with his mummy and that there'd be no need to go to Harrods.

Roshni kicked the chunks of cat fur away from her feet, for it was tickling her little toes and distracting her, and slowly, she cut off the first lock.

"How is it?" Her brother asked.

"I think I know how to do it" she replied, and this time she gradually chopped more off from the back of his head.

Downstairs

"Your anniversary, eh?" Roger winked.

"The anniversary of the night we met each other," Monica giggled uneasily, correcting him, "A little odd, I know. But we have no wedding anniversary yet"

"Well, enjoy it anyway... you guys have anything planned?" Roger leaned closer.

"Freddie has forgotten... again!" She sighed, "We might as well call off the engagement at this point."

"Smooth operator, eh?" He looked at the diamond on her left hand, twinkling under the morning sunlight, "It'd be a shame to waste such a nice ring"

She shrugged wistfully, "Well, I guess that we have both had other priorities on our agenda. Music, nappies, interviews, preventing cot deaths, upcoming tours, play dates..."

She fidgeted with her engagement ring when Roger's kind, husky voice spoke up, "Then make him want to marry you"

She lifted her head, "Hm?"

"You know, your anniversary is perfect... do something to make yourself indispensable and utterly desirable. That's what I'd want"

She shook her head, "I don't have time for that, just a nice meal."

"I can run the jacuzzi bath for after," Phoebe interrupted, appearing with a bottle of polish and a dirty cloth in his hand, "And I've just finished polishing the silverware and candle holders"

"...you'd do that?" She answered hesitantly as Roger greeted him with a wave.

Phoebe nodded, "You have your meal. I'll occupy the two at bed time, then get the bubbles working"

"Well, that's perfect!" Roger threw his hands up.

"It's a good thing that neither of them know what happened in Cornwall in '77" Monica wanted to say, blushing, and her fiancé emerged to the rescue from the back door, "What's perfect, Roger?"

"Oh! Freddie," Monica got up off her stool and rushed over to him as he wiped his feet on the doormat, "Will you go upstairs and get the twins ready?"

"Are they not dressed yet?" He returned a wave of acknowledgement to Roger, then put his hands on Monica's waist.

"They haven't come down. Can you at least check on them?" She asked, fixing the collar of his polo shirt.

"Humph, alright," he kissed her nose.

She smiled, and let him past, "Thank you"

"We need to talk about this album title!" Roger said.

"I don't want to talk business on a bloody Saturday" was all he got from Freddie.

"Suit yourself" the drummer called after him as he left the room.

"Thanks for not saying anything about the anniversary" Monica whispered to them both when Phoebe approached.

"Let him find out on his own" Roger got onto his feet, "That way when it's too late will know not to do it next year"

"You surprise me, Roger" Monica slipped the bag onto her arm, "I know you were always a lady's man but I never expected you to be such a romantic either"

He simply grinned, "Being a romantic is what makes me a lady's man"

She scoffed playfully, picking her monochrome striped cardigan up off the bench, "You're so corny at times"

"Yeah, whatever," he dug through his denim jean pocket for his car keys, "I'll see you outside at the car then"

She nodded, and Phoebe put a hand on her shoulder, "Good luck, I hope that you drive home in something great"

"I've been saving up for over five years," she told him, "I'll make it count"

She turned around to leave and follow Roger out, when Phoebe said her name, "Wait, Monica?"

"Yes?" She paused.

"I can remind Freddie about the anniversary if you want" He offered.

"Oh Phoebe, would you?" She slipped her arms into her cardigan, "You don't have to, but I'd be grateful if you did"

"Don't worry, I'll throw it in somehow" he smiled.

The warmth in Phoebe's welcoming smile was reassuring to her, but she knew Freddie would have a panicking fit if he was told directly.

She buttoned her cardigan up, "Well, if you do choose to remind him can you be subtle about-"

"MONICAAAAAA!"

Freddie's halting scream from upstairs made them both freeze, and their smiles vanished.

They headed to the kitchen doorway in concern, hearing Johnny and Roshni's laughter and the pitter patter of their feet above their heads.

"Not another prank!" Monica watched as they rushed down the stairwell, still in their pyjamas.

"What did you two do?!" Phoebe folded his arms.

"I thought that you were both getting dressed!" Monica put her hands on her hips.

"Look, Mummy! I don't have to go to the hairdresser now," Johnny ran up to her, and turned around, pointing at the back of his head, "Roshni cut my hair for me, I can come with you and Uncle Roger!"

She let out a gasp of horror, running her hand through her son's choppy, rugged hair, "Johnny?! It's awful!"

Phoebe took the scissors out of Roshni's hands, "Where did you get these?! These are supposed to be in the kitchen!"

She pointed to her brother, who now put his hands behind his back and head hung low like the guilty culprit he was.

"You said that you were going to be using it in your collage book," Monica shook her head, "I'm really disappointed in the both of you!"

"That's nothing!" A chilling voice sounded, and Johnny and Roshni backed away.

The group looked up just as Freddie walked down the steps with fury plastered on his face, carrying an unimpressed, unusual-looking Tiffany in his hands.

"Look what they did to my baby! She's almost fucking bald!" He exclaimed, and Phoebe and Monica's jaw dropped.

She turned to her two children now standing behind her timidly, "What have you two got to say for yourselves?"

"We were only practicing on her!" Roshni defended.

Johnny nodded, "I would never let anyone else cut my hair. Roshni's already a hairdresser, she cuts the hair off of her dolls!"

Before she could tell them both to apologise, Roger reappeared, "You alright, Monica? What's holding you uohhhh...."

He trailed off when he saw Freddie holding a cat with the strangest looking fur coat.

"Hello, Uncle Roger" they both chimed politely.

"Hello, kids. Well, I must say, that's one funky looking pussy" he leaned against the front doorway.

"Thank you" Roshni squeaked.

"Fred, we can take Tiffany to the pet groomers on the way to Harrods and pick her up on the way back" Phoebe calmly intervened.

Freddie took a deep breath in through his nostrils.

"Oh alright," he relaxed, handing his beloved rag doll over to his assistant, "Please go and get her into the cat carrier from the back room"

Phoebe nodded and rushed with Tiffany into the kitchen.

"Go upstairs and get dressed" Monica ordered the two, "Freddie, go and help them"

He reluctantly grabbed Johnny and Roshni's wrists and headed for the stairwell, "Come along, you two"

Johnny protested, "But I want to come with-"

"I'll give you a spin in my new car later, I promise!" Monica called after him.

"See? Mummy will let you ride in it later, now come on" Freddie urged his son, a little more gently this time.

The boy nodded sullenly and let his father drag him up the stairwell. She watched him disappear, hoping that the poor hairdresser who'd have to work on him, or both of them at that, was a miracle worker.

"Uh, Monica," Roger caught her attention and gestured at his wrist, "Time is not our friend"

"Oh, sorry," she turned away and headed for the door, and called out, "I'm off, everyone!"

"Don't let me down, Phoebe" she thought anxiously as she shut the door after herself.