VALERIE'S PARENTS HAD travelled back to Spain a week after the graduation. The band had started recording their new album at Ridge farm in the South of England.

Valerie was often alone in her house apart from her cat. Payton and Mary sometimes visited, but for the most part Valerie was alone. She tried to learn some songs on the piano but hadn't succeeded too well. She even bought a song book.

Currently, Valerie was painting up in one of the rooms she had dedicated to her art studio. She was listening to some classical music as she painted (Holst's Planets, she owned the record).

She was painting a portrait of Brian for his birthday, but she was putting her own spin on it. She only had the sketch done so far, and she was selecting the colours she wanted to use when her doorbell sounded throughout the house.

Setting her paint palette down, she took the needle off of her record and went downstairs, untying her painting smock and setting on the banister as she walked.

She swung her front door open to reveal Brian and Roger, both of them grinning widely as Valerie pulled them in to a hug. Though John visited her over the weekends sometimes, it'd been a while since she'd seen the rest of the band. Freddie invited her to come along with them like Mary, but Valerie had decided to stay home and get her classroom ready for the next school year.

"You're back! You finished your album already?" Valerie asked as she kissed Brian and Roger on the cheek.

"No, actually. We're moving from Ridge farm to another recording studio, but we came by to surprise you." Roger said as Valerie led them inside the house and into the dining room.

"Quite a surprise, I'll say. I haven't got any food made right now unless you want to wait while I cook. I've got some fruit though." Valerie said as she took a huge bowl of fruit salad and placed it in the middle of the dining room table.

She handed plates and forks to Brian and Roger and kept a plate and fork for herself. Brian and Roger regaled her with some of their tales of recording and their games of pool and tennis.

"John learned double bass in about two days," Brian said after he told Valerie about the song '39 that he had written.

"He told me when I saw him last. Two weeks ago? Is that when you recorded?" Valerie asked as she speared some watermelon on her fork.

"Yeah, we finished the song just a few days ago, actually."  Brian replied as he dumped a pile of fruit on his plate. Roger followed suit, piling a significantly larger amount more than Brian did.

"Oh, lovely. I can't wait to hear it." Valerie said as she took the bowl of fruit from Roger.

"Can't have you eating all my fruit, Roger. Don't know when I'm visiting my parents again." Valerie said jokingly as Roger ate a forkful of watermelon and strawberries. The watermelon Ed had brought for Valerie straight from his personal garden. How he managed to get it to England? Valerie wasn't sure.

Ed always claimed that his love for his daughter was powerful enough to bring any fruit to England.

"Your mum told you she was coming at Christmas, wasn't she?" Brian asked, and Valerie nodded, opening her mouth to reply but being interrupted by knocking at the door. It made her jump, and Roger laughed at her.

"That'll be Freddie and the rest," Brian said, not looking away from Roger who had engaged Brian in a game of rock, paper, scissors.

Valerie stood up, trying not to seem too eager as she made her way out of the dining room and to the hallway, but the moment she was out of Brian and Roger's sight she ran to the door.

The moment she pulled the door open she was greeted by Freddie attacking her in a hug. "Valerie! Oh how I've missed you! God you don't know how absolutely dull your own band mates can be until you spent two months on a farm with them." Freddie said with a roll of his eyes as he kissed Valerie on both cheeks.

"I thought Mary went along as well," Valerie said with a smile as she opened the door to let in Paul Prenter, Evan (who was now working part time with the band to earn money), and John.

"Of course she did, darling, but I missed you. Even if you are a boring tart sometimes, I missed you." Freddie said affectionately as Valerie closed the door. She and her guests were still standing in the hallway.

"Thanks for having us over, Doctor." Paul said to her, the sarcasm in his voice unmistakeable. Valerie didn't mind him, but he got on her nerves sometimes. And it's not like she minded being called Doctor.... it just bothered her when he called her that. He always said it with such venom and she wasn't sure why.

"Course." Valerie said shortly as she gestured for them to start towards the dining room. Only once Freddie and the rest had turned into the dining room and started talking raucously with Brian and Roger did Valerie greet John properly.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." Valerie said as she stood on her toes slightly and pulled John into a kiss.

"Two weeks certainly does go by slowly, doesn't it?" John said as he pulled Valerie closer, daring to let his hands slide under her paint stained shirt.

"Too slow if you ask me." Valerie mumbled as she shivered slightly, wriggling (reluctantly) away from John's grip.

"Later, love. I haven't seen the rest of the band in nearly three months." Valerie said as she held John's hands against her hips, kissing him deeply before they started down the hall towards the kitchen, John's index finger hooked in one of the belt loop of Valerie's jeans.

When they entered the kitchen, everyone was already seated. Roger winked at Valerie very dramatically and she rolled her eyes, laughing at him.

"Anyone want something to snack on? I would offer up some fruit but Roger ate a lot of it." Valerie said teasingly as Roger stuck his tongue out at her.

"Just some tea will do. I'm not very hungry." Freddie said, and Valerie nodded as she ventured into the kitchen to put some water to boil.

      "Right, water's boiling. How's recording been?"  Valerie asked as she took a seat in between John and Freddie.

       "Pretty great, actually. We've done lots of hard work but there's still a ton of stuff to be done."  Freddie said with a sigh as he ran a hand through his raven dark hair.

       "And of course both Brian and Freddie wrote epic poems to be recorded into songs." Roger complained, nudging Brian in the shoulder.

       "Well Freddie is writing his. We're recording mine." Brian informed Valerie as he offered some fruit to Evan.

        "Are you really surprised at Brian writing an epic poem?" Valerie asked Roger, who shook his head.

      "'Course not. Just can't believe he actually did it." Roger said with a shrug.

       Valerie rolled her eyes, getting up out of her chair when the tea kettle started to whistle shrilly.

       She returned a few minutes later with a tea tray and set it in the middle of the table.

       "Brian and Roger mentioned you're moving studios?" Valerie asked as she started to pour Freddie and John some tea.

      "Yeah, actually. It's a studio in Wales. Very rustic," John said as he kissed Valerie's cheek, taking the steaming cup of tea from her.

       "Oh,  it's a beautiful studio. It's gonna be a bit of a hassle to get all of our instruments and equipment down to the farm and whatnot, but it'll get done." Freddie gushed as he stirred some sugar into his tea.

       "Of course. I don't doubt it. Better take loads of pictures of me for when you get back." Valerie said as she sat back down.

       "Actually," Brian began, pushing the remainder of his fruit away, "we wanted you to come with us."

      "We know school for you doesn't start until the last week of August,  so it's only for about two months before you have to come back." Freddie rushed out, and Valerie hesitated.

       "And we wouldn't mind having a pair of outside ears. We know how nitpicky you can be." Roger said with a smirk, and Valerie scowled, though she couldn't stay angry at him very long.

        "John would definitely appreciate having you there." Brian said in a low voice to where only Valerie could hear it over Freddie and Roger's reasons for her to go.

       "Brian," Valerie said as she kicked him under the table. He laughed at her expression and then turned when Paul started speaking.

       "But she might be a distraction. Remember Reid himself said no distractions." Paul said, glancing at Valerie. Freddie waved him away.

       "Nonsense, love, nonsense. Valerie would be rather helpful. She'd be lending another musician's ear."

      "Not a very good ear."  Valerie countered, and John gave her hand a light squeeze under the table.

       "Oh, pish. What d'ya say, darling? You coming?"  Freddie asked, turning to Valerie so widely he nearly knocked his cup of tea over.

       Valerie glanced around the table at everyone while weighing her options. She hadn't had a proper summer vacation in a while. And she needed one before school started, even if this wasn't much of a vacation.

      Finally,  Valerie nodded.

      "Alright, fine. When do we leave?" She asked, and everyone cheered loudly as if she had just won the lottery.

      "Better pack your bags. We've got three days before we head out." John said as he kissed her cheek again, smiling lovingly at her while Freddie started listing all the things she'd possibly help with and what she'd need to pack.

       It might not be much of a vacation,  but Valerie knew right then she'd made the right choice.