Narisawa restaurant, Tokyo

"Alright, you can go look at the fishes, but be quick. Phoebe will be down to get us soon" Monica anxiously looked at her watch as her two small children ran to the aquarium tank across the quaint reception.

6:58pm.

She was not ready to face Freddie after her tense departure that morning, but she still wanted it over with.

"There you are." A familiar voice sounded.

She lifted her head, "Phoebe!"

"We're upstairs and we ordered appetisers... where are the tykes?"

She pointed to Johnny and Roshni standing with their faces pressed against the glass.

"I see... time to eat you two" he called, and they ran over.

"Now remember, you both must behave when you're in here," she told them firmly as she took their hands. "So, how was his majesty?"

"Moody all day," Phoebe led her upstairs. "But he's better than he was... rehearsals went fine"

"Good..." she trailed off when she saw him and Misa in view, sitting at a low table closed off by shōdjis.

"Where are the chairs?" Johnny asked, only to be shushed by his mother who was trying not to stare daddy in the eye.

"Shoes off... you two go on this side" Phoebe instructed them, pointing to the blank side of the table.

"But of course I have to sit next to Freddie" Monica thought, forcing a smile and kissing Misa's cheek as she greeted her before lowering herself down next to the man himself, whose stare she could now feel boring on her.

He cautiously leaned towards her once she got settled as the twins gushed to Phoebe about how amazing Disneyland was, and she stiffened when she felt his presence invading her personal space.

"So... how was Disneyland?" A melodic voice sounded in her ear.

"Good. They didn't want to leave it though," she murmured out of politeness, but her nervousness made her ramble on, "Even though it was much smaller than the one in Los Angeles... we got around it in a few hours because they were too short for many of the rides."

"Mmph... I see. Then what?"

"I walked them through the Harajuku district... but it was such an assault to the senses that they got so overwhelmed so then we got a taxi here."

She hated how, even when she was mad at him, she was still able to talk ever so freely.

"...Perhaps something a bit more zen tomorrow, then." He finally said.

She laid her napkin on her lap, "Whatever zen even is with those two in the equation, right?"

He let out a giggle, only to find that she was being sarcastic when she didn't laugh back, staring blankly across the table as she watched Misa try to teach the little ones and Phoebe how to use chopsticks.

"Look, I did it!" Johnny jumped up and down with a dumpling stuck on one of his sticks, to which Phoebe lowered his arm gently and whispered, "You don't do that here, that's rude."

"It's bad manners in Japan to play with your chopsticks, sweetie. You hold them like so, the way Misa is showing you" Monica adjusted hers between her thumb and finger as Freddie blushed.

"Eeeeeughhhhh, mummy?! It burns!" Roshni's face scrunched, burning beetroot red.

"What burns?" Monica got off her knees in concern.

Her daughter opened her mouth and let her chewed up food fall out of her mouth directly onto her plate.

It took everything for Freddie not to get up and storm off in disgust as Monica scrambled around the table.

To the adults' surprise, Misa just laughed as Monica picked up a napkin and wiped the green residue off her daughter's cheeks, "Oh, you just took a little too much wasabi paste"

"Here, give her this" Phoebe handed Monica a ceramic cup of water.

Freddie's hands gripped onto the fabric of his tracksuit bottoms as he continued to watch his family being a dishonourable embarrassment. How Misa wasn't taking them insulting her culture badly he didn't know.

"Better?" Monica wiped her daughter's lips dry, and the little girl nodded as Phoebe tucked a spare napkin under her chin.

"Can we all just sit down and bloody eat?" Freddie spoke coldly through gritted teeth.

The table was now silent, and without a word the young woman who was now mortified in front of such polite company stood up and made her way back to her original spot.

Just as she was settling back down Freddie noticed the affliction and shame in her eyes, her lips tightened as if she was about to cry.

Johnny and Roshni simply looked back up anxiously, now too afraid to do or say anything or out one foot out of line as Phoebe reached over and rubbed their heads reassuringly.

Freddie hand found Monica's under the table as a way of apology, to which she drew away immediately as if to touch a hot kettle.

That knee-jerk reaction left him anguished for the rest of their meal.

********************************************

Park Hyatt Hotel

The suite lights switched on.

"Right, into the bathroom, you two" Phoebe instructed as he hung his coat up.

Monica watched as the hyper duo ran across the suite and disappeared, Phoebe in tow.

"Great, now I'm left alone with youknowwho" she heard Freddie shut the door after them, thanking and wishing the (at this point) overly helpful hotel staff and management team a good night.

The door shut with a click. She stood with her back to him.

"Thank fuck the day has come to an end" he exhaled, rummaging through his pocket for his cigarettes as he headed for the window.

Monica didn't even open her mouth to protest. Divulging straight into nicotine at this point was a very Freddie thing to do.

"I'll be in the bedroom... planning a more cultured trip for the morning" She flatly stated, unlacing her shoes.

Freddie stopped in his path at those words, watching as she vanished from the living area.

"Step back, the water is too hot" she hear Phoebe order kindly, the sound of running water in the background with the smell of bubble bath.

Sometimes she thought Phoebe was a better father than Freddie would ever be, and he wasn't even their nanny.

She momentarily went into their bedroom to place the toys she treated them with on their bed. Johnny picked out a vehicle called a light cycle from one of plenty sci-fi action movies that came out not long before, and Roshni left the theme park with a giant plush toy of Winnie the Pooh.

Once she got changed into her new oriental teal silk pyjamas (another gift from Freddie). The light coming in through the tall windows from the glittering skyscrapers outside wasn't enough for her to read small print in the dark so she switched the bedside lamp on pulled out the map book of Tokyo from her bag, which at this point had been tattooed with notes and restaurant suggestions down the years seeing Freddie held onto it since Queen's first trip in 1975.

She lay on the mattress on her belly, chin propped up on her hand, and looked for the nearest station or stop that'd take her to religious sights.

It would've been more fun hadn't she felt forced to go out of embarrassment by Freddie.

"That guide is no use to you now" a voice interrupted.

She decided to be mildly hasty, "Aren't you going to finish your cigarette?" Her head turned around.

He put it back into his pocket, "Well, you caught me... Haven't smoked it yet."

"Mmm..." she spoke into her hand.

"Anyway, as I was saying, that thing is in tatters..." he made his way over to the bed. "You'd be better off with one that has more visual guides in it"

"Oh, so you're being nice now?" She slammed the map guide shut.

He was taken aback, "Monica, I-"

"What, you were just tired and stressed? It seems like you don't want us here... your fiancé and your own two children" she swallowed as her throat tightened.

"Baby, how could you say such a thing?" He crooned, climbing onto the mattress.

"The writing is on the wall, Freddie," she said chillily, rolling away so that she didn't have to face him. "I've seen how frustrated you get"

"I do want you here, I really do. The three of you all boost my morale," he gushed. "but at the same time it's important that I stay focused and don't get held back."

"Well could you at least try to be a little more pleasant and patient?" Her eyes brimmed with tears. "It's not nice for anybody to be around you when you're in a foul mood, not even your children."

The crack in her voice made his heart crumble in anguish.

He watched as she lay with her back to him, her body shaking as she sobbed.

He reached out and put a hand on her arm, which seemingly silenced her and made her go still.

He shuffled closer and moulded himself against her from behind, his arms pulling her close.

"I'm not letting you cry yourself to sleep, not now... I was such a grumpy tart today... please forgive me" he begged in a whisper.

She stared out the window at the endless cityscape beyond, laying in the arms of the man she loved.

She rolled over to face him, the city lights illuminating his twinkling, pleading brown eyes and moustache trembling.

He looked vulnerable, like he was about to cry himself.

She took his face in her hands, "Just try to keep calm and remain optimistic through this trip."

He burrowed his face into her neck, "I don't deserve you"

She held him and rubbed his head as he rested against her body. Sometimes it really was like looking after a third child. The only place she'd ever seen him so sure of himself and confident was in the studio, but this was behind closed doors.

"Do you want to hear something funny?" She murmured into the top of his head.

He propped himself up, "Do tell, dearie."

"People back home keep mistaking me for Johnny and Roshni's au pair or nanny" she giggled.

"Well then, you know what you are?" He smirked and kissed her lips. "You are a Nilf"

"What's a nilf?" She bit her lip, for things we're escalating fast.

He rubbed her thighs, "A nanny that I'd like to f-"

Just as passion was being turned up they were startled by squeals of laughter.

"Oh dear, you might want to hold onto your horses with these two in town" he watched as a familiar brunette bowl cut and black tousled mop lingered at the foot of their bed.

"I'm sorry, they're so restless they had a water fight in the bath" Phoebe appeared, folding a towel in his hands.

"Fix yourself up a glass of something nice, you've done a good job" Monica hauled Johnny and Roshni onto the mattress as they tried to scramble up.

"Here's the hair brush and comb" Phoebe handed them to the parents.

"Thank you, Peter" Monica pulled Roshni onto her lap.

"You look absolutely dashing in black silk," Freddie kissed Johnny on the side of the head. "It's like having a mini Bruce Lee"

"Hiyyyyah!!" The small boy tackled his father onto the mattress.

Monica giggled from her spot as she started brushing her daughter's hair, and Freddie started tickling their son, "Oh, you think you can knock me out?!"

She shook her head as Johnny screamed and squirmed under his fingers, then Roshni jumped onto Freddie's back.

"AAAAAGHHH I'M BEING AMBUSHED!" The man cried out as they laughed and dragged him down. They were small but they could hold him back.

Monica giggled as they started jumping on the mattress around him, and with a grin he'd trapped them all underneath the duvet.

"Okay, just settle down, it's bedtime" She pried the covers back as they rolled about red-faced.

"You're coming too!" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into the mess of people under his grip.

They were laughing so hard to the point where too much fun was exhausting and they soon tired out really quickly.

"My god, it's all really stuffy in here with you lot" Freddie sat up and started taking off his sweatshirt and trousers as the twins settled down under the covers.

Monica bent down to peck his lips, "I'm going to check on how Phoebe is doing"

He smiled and let her slip away, "I'll be right here."

She rubbed their heads momentarily before existing the master suite, and went to the breakfast bar where Phoebe was holding a class of water with a fizzling headache tablet.

"Busy day, huh?" She went to the fridge.

He sat up and nodded, "The food here also contains sweeteners that give me migraines."

"I see... it must be overwhelming jumping from country to country trying to keep The Boss appeased" she opened a bottle of water.

"Perhaps this country. But others are fine," he smiled and sipped. "I see that you brought him back to his content self again"

"I think she realised he was putting everyone down" she screwed the bottle cap back on.

"Well, that's today over, be thankful it ended well," He pulled his chair out. "I'm off to bed"

"Thank you for your work Phoebe" she watched as he disappeared.

Silence filled the entire hotel suite. The only thing that could be heard was the traffic outside.

When she returned to bed she'd found the trio nestled in one another's arms, and Freddie's eyes were flickering shut.

"That was quick" she climbed in and curled up with them.

"They burn out really quickly" He scooped her close as she wrapped her arms around him.

"They sure do" she switched the lamp off. She was mildly annoyed that she didn't get to find anything to do for the next day, but there'd be plenty of time for that in the morning.

"So, what's on tomorrow night's setlist?" She whispered in the dark, their breathing in her ear.

"Oh, the usual... the greatest hits and all that. Then of course the songs from Hot Space that the fans actually liked"

"Japanese fans are different to the European and American ones, aren't they?" She closed her eyes.

"Well, they're certainly more welcoming than the Mexicans" he grunted.

"You will never let that go, will you?"

He kissed their heads in the dark, "I certainly won't be going back there, that's all."

She didn't reply, just felt her breathing beginning to sync with her family's.

"Let's put them to bed." She whispered.

"Good idea" he sat up and gingerly scooping his children up.

She took Johnny's limp body from him gently, cradling his head as she carried him to his bed.

She gently rested his pillow under his head, and took a moment to admire his small sleeping face.

"Just like Freddie's" she thought with a smile.

"I still feel bad about screaming at her" she heard Freddie muse behind her as she finished tucking the duvet around her son.

She turned around, watching as he bent down to kiss Roshni's head.

"Oh but Freddie... That was months ago."

"But the PTSD that was to follow... my god!"

"You should think of something nice when you're alone with your thoughts at night"

"I do, but all I feel is remorse"

Her fingers grazed his cheek "But it's over now"

"I suppose you're right," he took her hand. "Shall we?"

She nodded, and let him lead her back to their bed. He let out a quiet giggle at the sound of Phoebe snoring in the next room.

"You snore too, you know" she whispered as she climbed back into bed.

"No I don't" he hissed, pulling her against his bare chest.

"How can you tell if you're asleep?" She giggled as she felt the sheets engulf her once more.

"Mmmph..." He closed his eyes, his mouth fallen open peacefully.

Now that she was the one alone with her thoughts, something occurred to her.

"...Freddie"

"Hmm?" He opened one eye.

She sat up a little, running her hand up and down his chest.

"...You still haven't told me what a nilf is."