Break Me One More Time [McLennon]

in which paul reunites with some friends

Paul and John took off, putting Barney from their minds. Well, John put Barney from his mind with, more or less, ease. Paul kept shaking his head, holding back sobs because all that he could see imprinted on the back of his eyelids was Barney, Barney, Barney crumpled up with his mouth and his eyelids hanging up, his blood still dripping from the hole in the middle of his head, his mouth still warm from his breath. If only John hadn't stopped him in the hallway, he could have —

Paul shook his head. He couldn't afford to think like that. Not here. Not now. He needed to focus. Focus. Focus.

So busy focusing on trying to focus, Paul didn't notice that there were people approaching them and he ran headlong into them.

"Paul," Ringo hissed, rubbing the spot where his head had collided with his bandmate's head.

"Sorry, sorry," Paul said, scrambling to his feet. He brushed off his clothes. "Oh, God, sorry," he said, stretching out his arms. "Let me help you up, Ringo — wait a second."

Ringo got to his face and grinned.

"Ringo!" Paul cried.

"Ringo?" John cried.

"What on Earth are you doing here!" Paul shouted.

"What the hell are you doing here, man?" John laughed. Paul hit his arm.

"Well... um..." Ringo rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Behind him, Roger Taylor and John Deacon were getting back onto their feet after also having been knocked down by Paul.

"You two as well?!" Paul exclaimed. "I can't believe this!"

"Hey, now, wait just one minute," Roger said in a defensive tone. "We're not like Ringo here. We didn't find out about this a few days ago like he did. We've known for how many years now? We are full-fledged members of the Unknowables, and we have as much of a right to be here to end this thing as you do, Paul McCartney," he finished dramatically.

Deaky chimed in with, "And we asked Darren if we could home and he said that we could so there."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay, I guess."

"Who you should be mad at is Freddie and Brian," Roger said. "They were just given the rundown about all of this yesterday."

"So, why should that matter?" John said. "They aren't here."

No one said anything for a long moment.

"Right?" Paul said, but still, no one answered. "They aren't here... RIGHT?!"

There was another long stretch of silence. Then, from down the hallway, someone spoke: "So, who's going to break the news to him?"

Paul smacked his palm to the middle of his forehead. "Jesus fucking Christ."

Freddie Mercury and Brian May poked their heads around the corner down the hallway, then scurried toward them.

"What are you all doing here?" Paul hissed.

"Like I said," Roger said. "Deaky and I are —"

"Not you two," Paul huffed. "You two," he said, pointing at Brian and Freddie. "And Ringo. What were you thinking?"

"Well, you and John and George were all going," Ringo said. "I'll be honest, I was feeling kind of left out."

"This is serious," Paul said. "And John's not even supposed to be here."

"I figured," Ringo said. "He told me he was, but I could tell he was lying. But I'm a part of this now, too."

"You really don't have to be," Paul said. "You've barely scraped the surface. You've still got time to walk away."