Break Me One More Time [McLennon]

in which george does not like to fly

A/N: I figured since I went to the Azores, why not have the Beatles go to the Azores? While I was there, I was given a lot of different info and some was correct, and some wasn't, and there's not much written about the Azores online as far as what I need to know goes...so just bare with me. :)

~~~

So Ringo joined the band, Brian became their manager, and within months they were playing gigs at parties and big restaurants all over England. By February, 1962, Brian was drowning in requests for the Beatles.

"Okay, boys!" Brian said when he met up with them in mid February. "I have your next big gig set up! Now, it's a charity event which you've never done before because charity events aren't paying gigs. But now you've got a good base as far as your careers go, people know who you are, so now we are going international! It'll be great! Not to mention, a performance for charity will be fantastic for your image!"

The four boys agreed with Brian on that one.

Paul woke early on the twenty fifth of February, just a few days before they set off for their big charity event. He went straight to the phone and dialed, then pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Happy birthday, Georgie," Paul smiled. He found himself beginning to tear up at the mere ability to say those words to George again on his birthday.

"Thanks, Paulie," George said. "So, how're you feeling about the trip for charity event?"

"Good," Paul said. "I was kind of confused as to why they're holding it on a tiny island in the Azores, but I get it. It's smaller, less people to get in the way."

"Yeah, I get what they're playing at," George agreed. "I'm kind of nervous, though. I've never been on a plane before and Brian says we're going to have to go on a really big plane to get there, and then a really small plane to get to the island where the event is being held."

"Yeah," Paul said, careful about what he said next as he hadn't been on a plane by the time he was nineteen and George knew that for a fact. "I'm not too nervous about flying."

The Beatles and Brian were going to have to take an international flight to St. Michael which was one of the biggest islands of the Azores with one of the highest populations. From there, they'd take a propellor plane to Faial which was one of the smallest islands of the Azores. They'd be there for two weeks because the people who were running the charity event, while not paying them in cash, were providing their airfare, a place to stay, and they were giving them a tour guide to show them around the island.

Although Paul told George that he was feeling good about the trip, he was actual nervous as hell. This trip hadn't happened the first time round - the Beatles had never gone to the Azores all together! He had no idea what was going to happen, what was supposed to happen, and it had now been almost four months since he'd last seen Barney. It was making him extremely nervous to have not seen him in so long and he really hoped that he'd get to talk to him before the trip to the Azores.

"Lucky you," George sighed. "I'm a nervous wreck."

"It'll be okay, Georgie," Paul smiled even though he knew that George couldn't see him. He looked up as John walked into the kitchen.

"Is that George?" John asked and Paul nodded. John snatch the phone away from Paul. "Hey, Harrison! Happy birthday, son."

Paul looked at John and for the first time he wondered why John used George's last time so casually but when he used Paul's last name it meant he was angry and trying to shut himself away from the world... Paul wasn't sure whether to be insulted or just accept the complexity that was John Winston Lennon. He decided on the latter.