I Will [Paul McCartney/Beatles Fanfiction]

fifteen

^^ Fifteen chapters already? Wow!

Before anyone even knew it, five more shows of the tour had come and gone, each individually becoming rather significant dates in musical history. They'd already passed good ol' Liverpool by, and Carmen had already met Mike and Jim McCartney, getting along with both of them beautifully, to Paul's immense relief.

Despite the way her humorous, somewhat quirky personality clashed with Mike's timidity, they shared a certain charisma and a few interests that sparked up a lighthearted conversation that led to the two getting along just fine. And to Paul's honest amazement, she also had a fervent discussion with his father on politics and athletes, and because those were two very important concepts to Jim, he enjoyed her and her company.

The group had been playing "Strawberry Fields Forever" at one of their final shows when she popped up again.

Everything crashed down from there.

Paul had been off in la-la-land, happy as can be as he strummed the familiar notes, chords, and riffs on his bass to back up the melody of the song. It was then that he exchanged a smile and a nod with his girlfriend, but the wisp of bright orange hair he saw for a split second a few rows behind Carmen forced the smile off his face.

Paul remained startled, searching the crowd carefully, for the rest of the show. As they finished and he met up with Carmen and the others, however, he convinced himself that it was just his eyes tricking him and moved on with his day.

He wouldn't be able to continue that much longer.

That evening, after they'd all settled into their hotel rooms, Carmen had come over to Paul's and the two were watching a movie together (it was supposed to be dramatic, but they'd both been making comments that had the other laughing for the entirety of the film). After it finished, they wiped the tears from their eyes and let the laughter settle down until it'd faded away.

"I can't believe the tour's almost over," Paul muttered. "Where did the time go?"

Carmen breathed out a sigh of agreement. "You know what, though?"

"Hm?"

"I don't regret a moment of it."

Paul grinned cheekily. "Me neither."

As the two drew closer, she softly confided, "I think I may be falling for you, Paul."

"Well, great, because I've been feeling the same for a while now."

However, just as the two began to share their first more passionate kiss, someone knocked on Paul's door rather loudly. He groaned in protest as he leaned back, causing Carmen to chuckle.

"Go answer it," she shook her head, smiling. "It's not like I'll be gone when you come back."

And so he did. Laughing as he opened the door, Paul -- without looking at who was there -- automatically said, "This better be important."

"It is..."

In an instant, the smile was off his face and his laughter abruptly halted. "Jane?"

The redheaded girl herself was stood outside, arms crossed as she stared at her ex, anxiously tapping her foot. "Who else would it be?"

"One of my bandmates? Freda? Mal? Neil? Some crazed fan? One of my bandmates' wives? One of-- oh, you know what, now is not the time." Paul frowned at her. "I thought I told you to leave me alone, Jane. We're through. Why are you here?"

After a moment of morose staring, she quietly and sorrowfully replied, "I wanted to meet the lucky bird that stole your heart."

Paul shifted into the doorway defensively. "Why?"