Golden Lockets

Tell Me Why

George tried to stagger to his feet. He winced and flopped back onto the bed, clutching his stomach. Paul took the sleeping baby Serenity from him and instructed John to help George back under the covers. "You need to rest, Geo." Paul said, gently cradling the baby.

"I know that, but where are you going to put Serenity? You can't hold her forever!"

"I won't have to." Paul said, making his way out into the hall. He came back a few minutes later, wheeling a large baby carriage in front of him. George peered into the carriage. There was Serenity, sleeping on peacefully without a care in the world. 

"Where did you get that?" John asked, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

"The lady next door left a pile of junk in our back garden again. She left this in the pile, so I thought I might keep for just such an occasion. Good idea, eh?" Paul smiled smugly, obviously waiting for some kind of approval. George was too weak and tired to give him any. He collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Paul maneuvered the baby carriage into a corner of the room, but not too far from George's bedside. Ringo stared down at Serenity's porcelain face, seemingly entranced by her beautiful doll-like features. He leaned over and whispered something into her tiny red ear, but so quietly that no one could hear it.

"Right, lads," said Paul, "We have some business to take care of. We need to call Brian."

"Brian?" John repeated. His face went white. "Why does Brian need to know?"

"Of course Brian needs to know! Serenity could cause complications in both our recording and touring schedule. I thought that was obvious."

John was beaten. He stared down at his shoes. "Fine. Call Brian."

* * * *

Paul contacted Brian, telling him to come over immediately. Brian was at the band's home in a matter of minutes and, when told about Serenity's birth, didn't know how to respond to such a situation. He was the band's manager and was usually good at knowing how to fix things, but this took the biscuit. For once in his managerial career, Brian had no idea what to do. He was shocked at the news that George had delivered a healthy baby girl, but he didn't say a word against it.

"We can't really keep her, guys." Brian said finally finding his voice.

"But George wants to keep her!" John protested, "He thinks the world of that baby."

"Sorry, but I really don't see how we can manage a baby and a career like the one you lot have. I just don't see how it could possibly work out." Brian sighed, "You'll have to give her up."

"That's not fair on George!" Paul shouted, "He spent nearly three hours trying to get that baby out, so it would be a waste of time and energy just giving up!"

"I should know." John said, shuddering at the memory.

"Well, what should we do?" Brian asked, leaning against the wall. He placed his hand on his temples, his forehead creasing up in pain. "I wish you hadn't told me. Now I have a splitting headache."

"Oh, please, Brian!" Ringo pleaded, sounding surprisingly heartbroken, "George loves that baby so much! Please let him keep her! I'll never forgive myself if she has to leave!"

John narrowed his eyes. "Why do you care so much, Ringo?"

"Yeah," said Paul, "You sound like you're ready to start crying. What's up?"

Ringo turned bright red. He began nibbling his lip anxiously, desperately trying to come up with an explanation. As it turned out he didn't have to. Brian sighed again and said that Serenity could stay as long as the lads agreed to some conditions. 

"Conditions?" Paul said, slightly baffled, "All right. Fine. Name your damned conditions. We'll do them."

"Just so long as Serenity can stay." Ringo added.

"I need to think of some first." Brian snapped, "I need to do some quick thinking."

Brian was planning a whole scheme out, mumbling as he went along sand making elaborate hand gestures. The lads heard him muttering things about tour dates and dilemmas and the press, but they couldn't make sense of anything else he was saying. John couldn't get interested. He was staring intently at Ringo. John found Ringo's behaviour towards both George and baby Serenity to be a bit odd, and not at all Ringo-like. He decided he would do his own investigating. But, right now, Brian was in a state and there was no way John could do any kind of investigating now. He would just have to bide his time and wait.

He had a sneaking suspicion that Ringo was hiding something, and he was determined to find out what.