Freddie:

As soon as I finish changing into my tux, thanks to Phoebes speedy shopping skills, I stop just short of the door upon hearing a few loud shouts followed by a discussion of hissing voices. My curiousity getting the best of me, I place my ear to the door, trying to pick up on the talk of the town, but much to my dismay I can't hear a lick.

I walk out of the restroom to find everyone quickly silencing their hushed whispers. Immediately, I pick up on the awkward tension in the atmosphere. A few nervous coughs signal my apparent intrusion.

"Runaway bride?," I chuckle, jokingly as I find my seat again on the couch beside Rami.

"What makes you say that?! I-I mean—no. Of course not!," Deacy fidgets around his stammering words.

Aha, so there is a secret.

"Well, out with it, then. What's happened? Where's Richie?," I ask, though the room is crowded with men, it lacks the sarcastic flare that only my son could whip.

"He's still somewhere talking with Charlie, I guess," Rami answers in a short grumble, throwing back a shot of vodka. He clicks his teeth, digging his fist into the couch cushion, exuding fumes; I can feel their heat.

"Right...," I squint at the boy, Whats got his knickers in a twister?

"What is it you're all so tight-lipped about? You all have got to do better than that-,"

"Phoebe? Would you like to do the honors?," Roger drawls from across the room.

"I really don't think now is such a good time-," Deacy interjects before quickly quieting down into the background.

"Why do I have to?," Phoebe rejects the offer. "No. I don't feel like being fired today, thank you," Instead, he comes over to hand me a freshly rolled cigarette and a lighter.

I get the feeling I'm being manipulated here. Being made to relax before they drop a bomb on me...

"We don't want to cause a ruckus, just as much as you and especially not with Papa-Deacy giving us his death glare...," Brian nervously hums.

"Oh! Death glare! Really?," Deacy scoffs, handing me a freshly poured glass of Stoli— filled to the brim. "Cheers," we clink glasses and I figure I might as well indulge in their little game, but not for too long.

The door to the suite flies open before I can fully finish swallowing my drink. The burning of the alcohol makes me choke on my spit, roughly fighting to clear my throat to listen.

"What the bloody hell are you sitting around for, you lot of tarts!," this only causes me to turn from slight tickling cough to a choking fit as I listen to my father enter the room, guns-a-blazin. "That nasty fellow is here. Charlie's not anywhere in sight and he had the nerve to smile in my face when he walked into the place."

The room falls so silent you could hear the ice in my drink melt as they begin to shrink from the fire that burns within me.

I stand up slowly, Rami also gets to his feet beside me; he moves like my shadow, down to the quivering rage keeping us both silent.

"Freddie...relax...think before you do something-,"

"Well surely, I'm not just going to sit pretty and do nothing!," I snap at Deacy, not meaning to at all, but all of my words will come out as cross if I stand idly by through an entire day of a wedding planned down to the final stitch.

"Let's go, Rami— lead the way, dear."

"Him?!," Roger disagrees. "You'd chose that scrawny little boy— Uh, no offense— you'd chose him over me?"

"Well, you're the one who was trying to keep me in the dark about all of this— all of you."

"We don't have time for this, Freddie!," Deacy places his hand in my chest, stopping me from walking forward. "The wedding is about to begin!"

———————————————

Charlie:

As I pace the church corridors, I imagine all the possible scenarios that could take place. I didn't tell Sid to tell the papers! I didn't tell him to tell anyone! I thought he'd reject it, actually. I didn't think he'd move so fast! It was all a decoy, obviously. And revenge...kinda.

But that's besides the point.

"You rang?," I spin on the spot to face a smirking Richie leaning on the corner edge of the wall across from me.

I quickly take a deep breath, taking him in, tuning my mask, "Richard, darling! Don't you look just the most dapper I've ever seen!"

He scoffs at me as he pushes himself forward, immediately spreading his arms wide open as he walks closer. I don't hesitate for more than the blink of an eye. He wraps his arms around me when I lunge into him, "ughhhhh, I don't know what I'm gonna do with you," he groans his frustration as he squeezes me tighter.

"I'm sorry for everything, Char. You know I just want the best for you— I didn't mean to be an ass...," he kisses my forehead as we pull out of the hug, his thumbs slide beneath my eyes to swipe away the little trickles of my tears.

"No crying, you big baby. You're a Mummy now," he says with a soft chuckle and my heart automatically warms to the sound. His eyes gleam a bit in the sharp sunlight from the stream of light pouring out of the stain-glass windows throughout the hallway.

"I'm sorry for hitting yo-,"

"Let's not bring that you," Tongue poking his cheek out, he rolls his eyes, taking my hand in his.

"You're glowing, Char— absolutely beautiful," I giggle as he spins me from his fingertips, twirling me in a circle just to playfully shove me away. "Right then, that's enough compliments for you. Let's hope my nephew doesn't inherit that big head."

"Your niece will be just as fabulous, don't you think twice about it!," I grin back at him, completely thankful for the calm in this momentarily peaceful exchange.

"How're you holding up? Just another, what?," I slip my phone out of my purse, checking the time. "Another half and hour and you'll be a married man."

His blushing response makes me happy. His eyes stay glued on the carpeted hallway as he answers, "How's Laura?," he looks up at me, anxiously chewing his bottom lip.

"She's fine. She's in there now with everybody else. We're getting her nice and saucey for your big night, brotha— you can thank me later," I wink at him.

He lets out a nervous cough, leaning away from me as he begins to fidget, roaming his claw through his hair. "Oy, I didn't mean to make you jitter. Don't think too much into it-,"

"It's not that," he scowls at me, scrunching his face a bit. I watch the wheels crank inside his heads as his eyes wander somewhere between critical thinking and daydreams. "I can't believe you told Freddie about— well, about me being the most innocent precious flower I can be," his tone softens, but that doesn't mean his hard glare stops searing into my flesh.

"Freddie's in the bathroom having a brawl! You two better—," Rami's left in the dust as Richie takes off running as soon as the words hit his ears.

I start to power walk the same way they're headed. Rami keeps looking back at me as his legs work to stay ahead of me, while the back of Richie's head gets smaller and smaller before completely disappearing around a corner.

"Well, wait for me!," I shout, pointing at Rami as he stares back at me again. "Crumby- good-for-nothing heels!," I grumble under my breath, clutching my side when he starts to fall back, waiting for me to catch up with him.

———————————————-

Now would be a great time for Freddie's trick knee to weigh him down. He takes slow steps more in tune with someone his fathers age than the group of his friends walking before him.

"We've just got to wait for Richie to get here. Whats taking him so long?," Deacy wonders aloud, peering down the hallway in either direction.

"He'll be here soon. Hopefully, Charlie hasn't made a big deal out of—,"

"My daughter wouldn't dream of making a deal out of anything to ruin this wedding," Freddie juts in as he and Bomi catch up with everyone else.

"Not for nothing, Fred. You know I love my goddaughter, but she is a drama queen," Roger laughs, pointing out the obvious.

"You can say that again," Rami's low, begrudging mumble falls on deaf ears, besides Freddie of course, who is now all too perceptive to the dominant sense he's grown accustomed to.

"He's just skipped around the bend," Bomi whispers close enough to Freddie for just the two of them to conspire together.

"Well, the boy is taking a bit too long— I'll die before he gets here at this rate. I'll just go on and get him," Without waiting for a reply, Freddie turns on his heels, swinging his arm through Bomi's bent elbow to drag along with him.

"He's going to find that kid, you know," Brian comments dryly.

"Oh, I know it— Fred, wait up!," Roger calls out, fully prepared to take a whack at the good for nothing creep himself.

"Move faster boy, they're on to us," Bomi croaks, inhaling and exhaling deeply as he shuffles his feet.

"I'd think you'd stop calling me 'boy' by now, we've matching canes for fucks sake-," Freddie's cut off by the surprised hit to his stomach when Bomi abruptly stops him, yanking him back around the corner they've just rounded.

"He's there. He just went in," Bomi says, pushing Freddie a bit ahead of him now towards the men's restroom.

Freddie fixes his posture, concealing his face with the confidence of his alter ego like it hasn't been years since he's played the part. It comes naturally to him, the way he stands tall, exuding dominance and strength, and a dare of deadly threat dancing within his pupils.

"Freddie, wait don't go in there by yourself!"

But, Freddie has already figured the gang wasn't too far behind to begin with. So upon reaching the restroom door, He quickly spins around to bolt the lock into place.

"Well...well...well...," The slow clap begins. "Looks like you and I have got some catching up to do, old man— or should I say, Dad."

"Oooh, i wouldn't say all of that," Freddie responds, smiling with gritted teeth, letting the menacing chuckle slowly roll out of him as he is now toe to toe with Sid. "In fact, I'd advise you don't say much of anything..."

Freddie thrust Sid against the mirror behind him so hard, the glass splits a halo behind Sids head. As Freddie holds Sid's back to the glass listening to him audibly gulp, staring at Freddie's blistering glower with wide eyes.

"I says it's about time we handled things properly. What do you think, ol' boy?"

"Y-Yee s-sir," Sid stammers, choking on his nervous dribble in the process.

"There now!," Freddie theatrically rejoiced, slightly moving back to light a cigarette. He rests his elbow on top of his left hand, as the cigarette in his right sprinkles ash onto Sid's leather pants.

"That's not a bad start, but you can do better. And you will..," The boy watches as the cherry of Freddie's cigarette falls on his thigh, the fading embers sizzle a hole in seconds.

"I don't see how- how the ballerina of rock himself-," Sid snickers between words as he pushes off of the sink he'd been backed against. Feeling embarrassed and defensive, he begins speaking down to Freddie as the two of them stand, chest to chest. "-ended up with a fine looking, little wife and miraculously produced a smoking hot daughter, too—Arghh!"

Sid groans in pain as Freddie's large, stiff fist digs into his abdomen. Sid tries to grasps the ledge of the sink as he gasps for air. "Ooh, you'll be sorry!," he threatens as Freddie quickly unlocks the door to the pounding knocks on the other side.

"Where is he!?," Richie blows in Freddie's face. "Where the hell is he— I'll knock him dead. Did he hurt you? Are you alright?"

Richie's concern over his father is not to be downplayed, but the anger he feel in the moment he and Sid lock eyes, brings back a dangerous energy he hasn't meddled with in years.

No words spoken, he pushes past Freddie, stampeding into the doorway towards Sid as he gets in boxing position. Richie's face twists, his grunt ready to unleash hell is short circuited when he feels several arms holding him back.

"Not so tough now are you, Rich?," Sid backs away, lifting his arms out feigning innocence at the daggers piercing him from all side. "What? We're all family now. Can't we all just get along?"

"You fucking scum bag! Let me go— just wait til I get my hands on you, I'll-,"

"Richie! It's time— let's go. Forget him," Deacys stern command helps Richie calm down a bit to the scuffling shuffle he's trying to break free from their hold.

"He isn't worth it, Richie. Don't ruin your wedding for that piece of shit!," Ramis voice reminds Richie that Charlie is probably watching. Charlie watches as Rami now rejects her clinging onto his arm with one little step away from her. She feels it tug at her heart. She cringes as she thinks of the mess she's made.

Richie flings his arms free, "Alright. I'm going—," but not before he slings a straight shot in Sids smirking face. Sid hisses through his teeth, locking eyes with Charlie before she turns and walks away with her brother.

"Richie— I didn't know he was going to show up!," She pleads as she tries to move her feet quick enough to keep up with him.

"I don't want to hear the lies," Richie halts, taking a deep breath he tries to tell himself to be calm. "Let's just get this over with, huh? Pretend today is a little bit significant to only me and my bride."