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Chapter Text

Monday 6th September 1976

Queen were in the studio like always, but something about it was very different. It was the second day of the final sessions for their album A Day At The Races and though progress was being made, the same could not be said for the band's chemistry.

They'd been at odds for a while now, with silly disagreements often turning into full blown arguments. Sometimes things would risk getting physical. And yet, despite all this, the four of them refused to leave. It was almost like they had a fear of what would happen if they did. But one day, all that was going to change.

"Hold on, sorry, can I have a coffee please?" Freddie asked as the group worked on the backing vocals for Somebody To Love.

"One coffee, okay, does anyone else want anything?" Their engineer asked the rest of the group.

"I'll have a coffee with one sugar please." John spoke up.

Brian shook his head, giving Roger chance to give his answer.

"I'll have a coffee with one and three sevenths sugars please!" The drummer exclaimed.

"Three sugars?"

"One and three sevenths!"

"Seven sugars?"

"No, one and three sevenths!"

The long suffering engineer sighed and walked away, unsure as to how exactly he was going to work out how much one and three sevenths was. He decided he'd give him two, he wasn't even going to try playing Roger's games. The group watched his confusion grow, the three of them all giving Roger an unamused look.

"What?" The blond asked. "I was only messing."

"That's exactly the point, dear." Freddie sighed. "We need to stop messing if we want to get this album finished by tomorrow."

"Fred's right." Brian said. "We need to get going."

"Of course Fred's right." Roger sassed. "He's always right in your eyes!"

"I am right here you know." Freddie said, clearly taking offence. "Don't talk about me like I don't exist."

"What are you shouting at me for?" Roger asked. "Brian's the one being a suck up!"

"Am not!"

"You so are!"

"Just stop it, you two!" Freddie spat. "We need to finish this album!"

Both of them went silent as Roger and Freddie slipped into the recording booth to finish their backing vocals. The drummer was talking to everyone, but the singer seemed to be in his own little world.

He was thinking about something he'd had on his mind for a while. The band had been something of an ordeal for them all recently and if he was honest, it was starting to get to him. There were barely any times where the band would be truly happy and he had been noticing right from the beginning of the Day At The Races sessions.

What he was trying to get at in his head was very simple: he wanted to leave.

"Freddie!" Roger snapped. "We're trying to talk to you!"

"Oh, sorry." Freddie muttered. "What were we talking about?"

"You know what, this is just my point!" Roger sighed, starting to get angry. "You talk about having to get on with things, but when we try to get on you go off into dreamland! What's in that head of yours, your latest partner?"

Everyone gasped, excluding Freddie. He was honestly expecting that. That didn't make it any easier to hear though.

"Well?" The drummer asked. "What were you thinking about?"

Freddie didn't answer. He quickly wiped a tear from his cheek and stormed out of the recording booth as Brian and John listened in.

"Fred?" Roger asked. "What did I say?"

"You know exactly what you said, dear."

"He's right, Roger." Brian said. "I don't think anyone quite expected that."

"If you insist on being so interested, do you want me to divulge what I was thinking about?" Freddie asked.

"Please do before you give me a migraine."

"Alright, but none of you will like it." He said. "As we can probably all tell, this band has been nothing but a trial for a long time now. With Roger's hot headedness, Brian's lip and John's...well, I don't actually think you've done anything, lovely."

"Of course he hasn't." Brian sighed. "And what exactly do you have to offer in all this, Fred?"

"Well-"

"A big ego, that's what!" Roger butted in. "He probably thinks he's all fine and dandy. Mr. Perfect!"

"I am not either of those points, Roger!" Freddie snapped. "Brian's the one always trying to change my songs!"

John fiddled with his bass, finally speaking up. "Please stop arguing, guys..."

"Shut up, John!" The trio shouted in unison, causing the bassist to turn away nervously.

"What I was trying to get at before Brian rudely interrupted me was that this just hasn't been working." Freddie said, taking a deep breath. "And this hasn't been an easy decision by any means-"

"Just say it, Freddie." Roger said, knowing what he was getting at.

"I'm leaving Queen."

"What?" John gasped. "No!"

"Fred-"

"I've made up my mind." Freddie said. "I'm sorry."

"So you're leaving?" Roger asked. "Just like that. After everything we've been through?"

"Yes." He said. "I mean, you can't be enjoying this. You must need a break!"

"Freddie, we're supposed to be a family." Brian said. "Though you're clearly showing you aren't in it for the long haul."

"We're not a family." Freddie said, stone-faced. "And even if we were, we wouldn't be arguing like this."

The singer opened the doors and was about to leave, when Roger tried to get in the last word. "You've just killed Queen."

"Give her a kiss one day, she might wake up." Freddie sassed, slamming the door behind him.

Silence. Brian sat with his head in his hands, John sat with tears in his eyes and Roger sat, breathing heavily, with clenched fists. Soon enough, he couldn't take it anymore and punched the wall.

"That's it Roger, take your anger out on the wall." Brian sighed.

With shaking hands, John offered the still seething Roger his not quite cold cup of coffee. After taking a sip, the blond wrinkled his lip.

"There's two sugars in this!"

Meanwhile, Freddie had driven off, far away from the studio, to the only place he could think of at that moment: Elton's house.

It was pouring with rain when he got there. It battered against the windows as he got out and went to see if Elton was awake. It was his lucky day; the curtains were open and the lights were on.

As the rain kept falling thick and fast, Freddie went up to the door and hesitated for a moment before knocking.

A voice, presumably Elton's, shouted from the other side. "Coming!"

Freddie tried to wipe away the tears in his eyes but they wouldn't stop no matter how hard he tried. It was no use; Queen was his first baby and nothing could ever change that. As he began to wallow in his self pity, the door opened.

"Freddie!" Elton exclaimed before stopping abruptly. "Why are you out in this? Come in, come in!"

"Thanks." Freddie mumbled.

"David, look who's here!"

"Hello, Fred!" David exclaimed. "Oh, you look like you're freezing!"

"You're quite right, David." Elton said. "Get me a towel and put some tea on for us all, will you, love?"

"Of course."

As David rushed off, Elton dragged Freddie to the sofa, sat him down and put his hands in his.

"Now, how did it go?" He asked. "Did anyone get close to fisticuffs like yesterday?"

Freddie seemed hesitant to say anything. Elton noticed this and squeezed his hands, but when he still didn't get an answer he knew it hadn't gone well.

"Something's wrong." He said. "What's happened?"

Freddie's lip wobbled, but he attempted to hold it all back as David came back with a towel for his dripping wet hair.

"I told them, Elton." He said. "I just couldn't take it anymore."

"So..." Elton said. "You've left Queen?"

"Yes." Freddie sniffed. "I've...left Queen."

With those three words, Freddie's walls broke completely and he collapsed into Elton's arms. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he sobbed into his chest.

"Oh you poor thing!" Elton fussed, deciding to try and lighten the mood. "It's alright love, it's just a silly rock band."

"You don't understand, Elton!" Freddie sobbed. "Queen wasn't just a silly rock band, Queen was my baby!"

That was the last thing he said before he lost it completely. Soon enough, he was crying so much he couldn't even attempt to speak. Elton meanwhile was worried for his friend, but there was a constant reminder in the back of his head that this outfit Freddie was crying into was dry cleaning.

"I hope you don't mind me saying, but you look a right state." He said. "Here my lovely."

"Wow, thanks for that Elton." Freddie sniffled as he went to blow his nose. "Thanks a lot."

"This Queen business really has got you in a tizz, hasn't it?" Elton chuckled. "David, where's the tea?!"

"On its way!" David said as he carried it into the room. "Elton, here's your usual. Fred, I added a little kick to yours, I thought you'd appreciate it."

Everyone knew what David meant when he said "kick" - alcohol. It was only a splash, but it made all the difference for Freddie.

"You absolute star." Freddie said, though it wasn't didn't come out as excited as he wanted.

As David and Elton sipped their drinks, he brushed away the tears on his cheeks and tried to stop himself from thinking about the band that shall not be named.

"So...what now?" Elton asked. "Are you going to go solo, find someone else?"

"That's the thing." Freddie mumbled. "I don't know!"

With that he started crying again, burying his face into a fluffy cushion sat in the corner of the red velvet sofa. Elton rubbed his back comfortingly as David put down his cup and brought him into a hug.

"Oh Freddie, please don't cry!" He urged him. "It'll be alright, I promise."

He gave Elton a look and the pianist only had to notice before joining the duo in their comforting embrace. The three of them sat there for a long time, the fluffy cushion wedged between them tickling their legs. Eventually, once Freddie had just about stopped crying, David pushed his chin up to face him.

"Everything's going to be alright." He said. "Okay?"

"Okay." Freddie sighed. "Thanks you two. Sorry about your top, Elton."

"It's alright, it's not like you were sick all over it or anything."

David chuckled. "I remember when Roger was once - you were both mortified!"

"It was my favourite too." Elton grimaced at the memory. "I had to chuck it in the bin!"

"It's not my fault Roger was hungover!" Freddie laughed.

The next hour was spent reminiscing. Stories from the early days of Queen, when they were truly happy, the constant mishaps Elton was getting into - it was all fair game. Then, David remembered something that would change the night completely.

"Do you remember, years ago, when we wanted to go extra for Rod's party?" He asked. "We rolled up to the party in blue and silver jumpsuits with tons of makeup on our faces!"

"I do!" Elton said. "I fell down the stairs and twisted my ankle -  I was convinced I'd never be able to do piano handstands again!"

"And yet two nights later you did, in front of ten thousand people!" Freddie exclaimed. "I remember what we called ourselves: Freddie And The Fahrenheits!"

"That's right, Fred." David said. "And at three o'clock the next morning, as we walked Elton home, I asked you both if this would ever happen again. You said no Fred, though you were pretty sloshed by that point."

"What did Elton say?"

"He didn't get to say anything." David laughed. "He fell sideward and was sick in a gutter by the side of the road!"

"I definitely don't remember that part." Elton said, sounding slightly embarrassed. "Where are you even going with this, David?"

"Don't you see?" He asked. "We could make our own band! That silly little dream we had so long ago could become a reality!"

"David my love, you are a genius!" Freddie exclaimed. "We could get Miami to manage us!"

"Who's Miami?" David asked.

"The band's lawyer!" He said. "He won't have anything to look after once the contracts are signed and the band dissolves legally."

"That's a brilliant idea, darling!" Elton exclaimed. "Go get Miami on the phone - I'm sure he'd love to manage us!"

"I can't." Freddie said.

"Why ever not?"

"Because EMI won't be open at this time of night." He chuckled. "Miami will be at home by now too."

"You have his home number though." Elton said. "He is your lawyer, after all."

"Well-"

"I think what Fred's trying to get at, Elton love, is that he's probably asleep by now." David said, speaking for his friend. "It is very late."

"Oh." Elton said, thinking for a moment. "I totally knew that!"

Everyone laughed; how the tables had turned. Freddie finished his now very cold tea and took his leave - if he was going to be appealing to be in a new band, he needed sleep. Plus, he had a vault of songs ready for the group to take a gander at at home. And, as he walked past Elton's pink Cadillac, he felt a flame reignite in his soul; this was real. This was actually happening. He was going to be in a band with his two best friends. And it was going to be the greatest time of his life.

Chapter Text

 Tuesday 7th September 1976

The next morning, Freddie was woken by the phone ringing. He groaned as he went to answer it; he'd really wanted a lie in. That all changed however when he heard who it was and remembered why they were calling.

"Hello?"

"Morning sleeping beauty!" It was Elton. "I'm assuming you're not ready yet?"

Freddie stifled a yawn. "Nope, I literally just woke up."

"Thought as much." He said. "Call Miami the second I hang up, then get ready and come over."

"I will, but you'd better have a coffee waiting for me." Freddie said. "You know I can't function without one in a morning."

"On it." Elton said. "David's on his way, so he'll want one too."

"Perfect timing on his part then." He laughed. "See you soon."

"See you later."

Just as he put the phone down, it rang again. This time, in a perfect twist of fate, it was Miami.

"Hello dear, it just so happens I was about to ring you." Freddie said.

"Freddie, Brian just rang me!" The lawyer said. "Is it true? Have you really left Queen?"

"Alas, it is." He said. "I need to keep looking forward, not back."

"Fred, please give this a rethink." Miami said. "They need you and you need them."

"Miami dear, I hate to sound so horrible but I don't need to give it a rethink." Freddie said. "You saw some of those sessions, they were awful."

"I suppose you're right." He said. "If you insist, I can get the contracts dissolved by the end of the month."

"Thank you." Freddie said. "Now, can I ask you about something?"

"As long as it isn't about getting Botox, my ears are open."

"So, last night I was talking with Elton and David, you know, Elton John and David Bowie?" He asked.

"Of course I do." Miami chuckled. "Who doesn't?"

"Well, we were thinking about making our own band."

"Freddie, so soon?" He asked. "Are you sure?"

"We don't have to rush into it, but we were wondering if you could manage us?" Freddie said. "We thought you'd be the perfect candidate for the job: we know you and we can trust you."

"I'll tell you what, why don't you come to EMI this afternoon?" Miami asked. "Brian, John and Roger won't be there since they finished the album quite late last night."

"That'd be perfect, darling." Freddie said. "I'll let the others know as soon as possible. See you later."

"See you soon."

Luckily, Freddie had no interruptions after that and could finally focus his attention on getting ready. He decided not to go too outlandish, that could wait until they were onstage, but not too dull either.

Eventually, he decided, and before he left, he did a twirl in the mirror. He looked good! Giving himself a wink, he turned to one of his many cats, Delilah, who was sat by the door.

"Wish me luck, darling." He whispered, putting her in the kitchen with Romeo.

She meowed at him, but when Romeo looked to see what all the fuss was about, he'd already gone.

"Thank you so much darling, I've been wanting one of these all morning." Freddie said as he sipped on his coffee. "So, let's get down to business. I've called Miami."

"What did he say?" David asked.

"He was quite astonished to say the least." He said. "About Queen, this, everything. But he has agreed to talk with us about it and says we can come to EMI this afternoon."

"That's great!" Elton exclaimed. 

"What time is it?" Freddie asked.

"It's only half ten."

"We've got ages yet!" David whined.

"Then let's pass the time." Elton said. "Who's for a game of cards?"

There was no reason why they couldn't or shouldn't, so they agreed. For a good hour they were entertained, but when that got boring they listened to some of Elton's many records. Elvis mostly, with a bit of Little Richard here and there. After that, at about two o'clock, Freddie called up Miami to let him know they were coming and within a few minutes they were on their way to EMI, singing their favourite songs by their heroes all the way there.

"We're lost in a cloud!" Elton sung.

"With too much rain!" David continued.

"We're trapped in a world!" Freddie joined in.

"That's troubled with pain!" The trio sung in unison.

They had arrived at EMI just as they broke into a rendition of If I Can Dream and hadn't stopped, even when they got into the car park. In the five minutes between there and Miami's office, they sung the whole thing word for word.

"Let it come true...right...now!" Freddie finished as he stopped outside the door and knocked. "Miami dear, we're here!"

"I know!" The lawyer laughed. "I've known since you started singing Elvis at the reception about five minutes ago!"

Elton started laughing hysterically at that revelation. This whole new band business was already getting everyone in a good mood.

"Thank you for seeing us..." David said, his voice trailing off.

"Jim Beach, though Freddie calls me Miami."

"I've only known who you are for about fifteen hours and I've already adopted the nickname myself." Elton said.

"I see you around here all the time, always wearing something dazzling." Miami said. "Your manager is John Reid, isn't it?"

"Oh yes." Elton chuckled. "Freddie has told me all about how he managed Queen before...you know."

When he said that, he ran his finger across his neck. This told Miami that even though he wasn't involved directly in what had been going on, even Elton considered Queen as dead.

"Right, why don't we talk business?" He suggested. "What have you been thinking where this band idea is concerned?"

"Well, we want to be three vocalists with a sense of style and flair." David said. "We already have that down, don't you agree Jim?"

"Definitely." He chuckled. "But you do know you can't just be three vocalists; I know you dabble in guitar and Elton and Fred can play piano but you can't survive on just great voices, decent piano playing and a few guitar chords. You need a backing band to play with you."

"I could ask Davey and the guys to do it for us!" Elton spoke up. "They're always down for a project."

"Perfect!" Freddie exclaimed. "Picture this Miami: the audience is packed, the lights go down and the band come on. Then, that guy who announces things walks through the darkness..."

David continues, catching onto what Freddie's doing. "He stops and announces the latest, greatest band in the music world..."

"The one, the only..." Elton begins.

"Freddie And The Fahrenheits!" They all say together, taking each other's hands.

"You really mean all this, don't you?" Miami asked. "I don't know how you do it Fred, but one thing's for sure, you never fail to amaze me."

"Why thank you, dear."

"Right, first things first, you really ought to get a place together." He said. "All the best songwriters have: Lennon and McCartney for example. You and Bernie did for a time, didn't you Elton?"

"Yes." Elton chuckled. "We had some times together back then, I can tell you."

"We certainly have the money for it." Freddie said. "You know, there's this place I've had my eye on not too far from here. It's called Garden Lodge - I think you'd like it."

"Then we'll have to take a look." David said. "No matter what happens though, I'm happy even if we end up with a houseboat or something."

"Now, if you want to be a successful band, you need a manager." Miami said. "Have you had any thoughts as to who that could be?"

"Darling, are you insane in the membrane?" Freddie asked. "I literally asked if you could manage us on the phone this morning!"

"I'm only teasing!" He said. "I'd be honoured to manage you."

"Thank you!" David exclaimed. "You don't know how excited Freddie was last night."

"I can imagine." Their new manager said. "Now, I can definitely get you an album contract and I can try and get you some small gigs at local venues to start you off. I know you're famous already, but you're more likely to get noticed by critics that way."

"That makes sense." Elton said. "That way, we can get noticed before we even release an album."

"Exactly."

After another half an hour of talking about music industry stuff, the new band and their new manager said their goodbyes. It was a successful meeting all round and everyone had been left feeling great about what was to come.

"So, what did we think of that?" Freddie asked as he put on his seatbelt.

"It was great!" David said.

"Great?" Elton asked. "It was more than great; it was fantasticola!"

Everyone laughed. And as Elton started the car and started driving the trio home, the three of them felt elated. Now Miami was involved, there was nothing they couldn't do. They were going to be unstoppable.

"Darlings, remind me I have to call the estate agents when we get back." Freddie said, remembering what Miami had told them. "Now, who wants on some music?"

"Me!" David and Elton said in unison.

"Then Elton darling, let's play some tunes!"

So he did. Once again, Elvis started blaring at the top of his voice, causing everyone to sing along. Maybe, just maybe, the king had brought them good luck? With this in mind, the trio sung with him all the way home.