In which the illegitimate granddaughter of Beatle Paul McCartney finds herself in Liverpool in the early 1960s, falling hopelessly in love with John Lennon.
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17th November, 1960
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Ruby liked George. He was chilled, and even though she knew that he would later on in his life get big into meditation and Krishna, she was amazed by how cosmic he already was.
"This is a G chord." He moved his fingers, trying his best to show her the chord. Ruby wasn't particularly interested in learning how to play the guitar, but she was interested in spending more time with George - with all of The Beatles, but she spent a lot of time with John and Paul, and even Ringo - and not very much with George.
"So it's first finger here?" Ruby asked, taking John's guitar in her arms and trying to emulate George's movements.
"No, it's first finger here," he corrected, though not unkindly. "Then second finger here - yeah, you got it!"
She strummed and then smiled. Whilst her music didn't sound nearly as beautiful as George's had done the first time that he had played it, it did sound faintly like a G chord.
George smiled because he had taught the pretty girl beside him something... and she was pretty, of that there was no denying. John was lucky to have her at his side. They were a handsome couple.
"What's that?" Ruby asked, jumping in surprise as there was a loud, authoritative knock at the door. She looked worriedly at George, "Geo?"
"Just the boys." He tried to reassure her as there was a knock again, this time louder. "Probably forgot the bloody key again." He sighed and stood up, putting his guitar down beside Ruby and going to answer the door.
He was halfway through a jibe at Paul and John before he realised that it wasn't them at the door.
It was the German police.
Ruby and George's jaws dropped.
What could the police possibly want?
"George Harrison?" The thick German accent of the first officer made Ruby's heart thud. She had never really had any dealings with the police because the thought of them made her shake. They were authoritative figures, and she didn't do well with those kinds.
"Y-yes." George stuttered, quickly correcting himself into German. "Ja."
"You are seventeen?" The officer continued to speak halting English, and George continued in German.
"Ja."
"You are known that it is not lawful to be out past a time in West Germany when you are not of age?"
George gulped audibly and then nodded slowly. "Nein." They had all known, but had decided to take the chance... and it looked as though their luck had just run out.
Poor George, Ruby thought.
"Please come with me."
George looked over his shoulder at Ruby and asked, "will you be alright here until they get back?" She nodded, though inside she felt like she was going to explode. George was being taken away by a policeman! Did that amount to being arrested?
She wasn't sure.
"I'll get John to come right over." Ruby promised. George nodded and followed the policeman out of the Bambi Kino.
Ruby put John's guitar down carefully and cried.
* * * * *
John and Paul were laughing when they walked into the backroom at the Bambi Kino, completely unaware of where their other bandmate was.
Only a few minutes had lapsed between George being taken away and the boys arriving, but to Ruby it had seemed like forever. She was still crying, and as soon as John saw his girlfriend with her head in her hands, he was on his knees in front of her.
He rested one hand on her knee as he looked up at her, gently coaxing her to tell him what was wrong.
Paul was worried about her too, but chose not to say anything as he watched the scene in front of him.
"G-George!" She hiccuped, throwing herself into John's arms - the only place where she felt safe. "H-he was a-arrested." Technically not, but that was how it had appeared to her.
"What!?" John and Paul chorused.
"Why?" Paul asked as John concentrated on settling his girlfriend.
"But we've only been back here a few days!" And now John sounded just as upset as Ruby did. "We can't leave yet!"
"What'll they do to him, John?" Ruby asked, concerned for their friend. "Will they put him away?"
"No, luv, Geo'll be fine - deported, probably - but fine nevertheless." He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. "Paul'll go vouch for him now, won't you, Paul?" John looked pointedly at Paul, who nodded.
Paul left the cinema, leaving the two of them alone.
* * * * *
By the time that Paul returned with George in tow, Ruby was settled in George's arms and the two of them were just talking softly about nothing in particular.
George groaned as his back hit his bunk. Ruby and John watched quietly, waiting for him to fill them in... but Paul did it instead.
"He's booked on the first train out of here. Kraut's paid, just wanted him out of the country."
George sighed and turned over on his side.
"He's worried that you'll be angry with him for getting caught." Paul said to John in a lowered tone.
John got up and went over to George's bed, sitting on the edge of it. "I'm not angry with you, Geo. It isn't your fault - I'm not sure who ratted us out, but -"
It stuck Ruby then that it was probably Koschmider's form of 'payback' that George was being deported. In the German man's tiny little mind, she was sure that he thought that The Beatles wouldn't be able to continue without their lead guitarist, and therefore the band would fail and would have to go back to Liverpool with crushed hopes and dreams.
Well not on Ruby's watch!
She stood up and practically marched over to George and John.
"Geo, you have to teach John your parts."
"What?" He asked, turning around in his bed and looking at her.
"Because Koschy isn't getting away with this!" The three boys; John, George and Paul, all had confused looks on their faces when she mentioned Koschmider, but she didn't elaborate on how she knew it was him who had ratted on them. Instead, she said, "the band has to go on!"
George, enthused, nodded. "Yeah!" He beamed at Ruby, "get my guitar - and John's too!"
