Little Mercury

Aids

*Warning it's a sad one*

Mid-March came around and Freddie still hasn't told Amelia about his illness. every time he tries to tell her, he bottles it. This is going the crush her, he knows it will and he can't do that.

Coming home from the studio Amelia could hear chatter in the living room but not happy, light chatter. No, this sounded serious. Being as quiet as possible she tiptoes up to the closed door.

She presses her ear up against the door, Jim's Irish accent flows through it, "You can't put this off any longer, Milly has to know what's going on."

Freddie sighs knowing that Jim is right, "I know that but she has so much going on this year with the wedding, the second album, the tour, I don't want this to shadow over any of that and spoil things for her especially the wedding." Amelia and Ben have set the wedding date for the 4th of October, they have the venues booked and a great many other things. She's going dress shopping with Veronica next week.

"But what happens when the wedding passes and more things get put in the way? Say another baby and the honeymoon, the next album even. I understand that you don't want to worry her with this, love, but don't you think it will hurt her even more if you don't tell her?" Jim does understand, he's never seen a father-daughter bond as strong as Freddie and Amelia's but it will kill her if Freddie passed without her knowing.

Unbeknown to them, Amelia is still listening from the other side of the door, her heart racing what could her dad have to tell her that could be so upsetting and why wouldn't he tell her? She couldn't take not knowing so she stands straight swinging the door open, "What do I need to know?" She looks back and forth between the pair.

A wave of guilty washes over Jim as he realises that this is now his fault, Freddie's heart sank this is not how he wanted her to find out but she has to know, "Milly, please sit down sweetheart."

She wanted to argue but she can tell that now is not the time, she sat next to him, "Now tell me, please."

"I'm ill, Milly."

A heavy pause settles over the room, "What do you mean ill? Like your voice or..." tears make her vision blurry and her breathing becomes more rapid by the second.

"No Milly," He takes her hand in his, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles in a soothing manner, "I've got aids."

Amelia's tears clench her heart, "But that... that's... fatal, isn't it?" this couldn't be true, her voice is so quiet it breaks Freddie's heart.

"Yes, it's fatal. But there are treatments to help manage my pain and whatnot. There are also some experiments that the doctors are working on but I won't be apart of them."

"Why?" She couldn't fathom his reasoning, tears streaming down her face.

"Because I don't want to spend what's left of my life stuck in a hospital being poked and prodded by needles. I want to live it out making music and watching you grow even more, living out those near milestones with you. The wedding and no doubt a baby," Freddie smiles a little trying to get her to do the same, but his effort fails.

"But if... if you have the treatments and they work you could see more than just the near milestones."

He leans forward wiping away some of her tears but they are quickly replaced by more, "Or it could shorten them and I don't want to take that risk."

"But you can't be ill, your my dad and I need you," Amelia's mind switches down a different route and she frowns, "Who else knows?"

"Brian, Roger and John know, no doubt their families do too. Jim of course, Joe, Phoebe, Terry and Miami."