Break Me One More Time [McLennon]

in which paul gets mad

   Barney appeared one night, about two weeks after the incident with Paul's second nightmare. As soon as Paul saw him he ran and hugged him. "I've missed you, mate," Paul grinned at him.

     "Missed you, too, Paulie," Barney patted his shoulder. "I was wondering if we could go out? I found this restaurant in 2013 Boston and Lilly and I have been dying to try it. What do you say? You up for it?"

     "Absolutely! Let's go!" Paul nodded and they headed off.

    Dinner was nice. The restaurant had just about the best chips and salsa that Paul had ever tasted in his life and he enjoyed talking to Kylie who was two years old now. Once the check was paid and the four of them were leaving, Barney kissed Lilly and said she ought to take Kylie and go home.

     "You're going to tell him, then?" Lilly asked.

    "Tell me what?" Paul furrowed his brows.

    Barney nodded to Lilly and she nodded back, kissed him one more time, then disappeared. Paul considered mentioning that he hadn't known Lilly had powers, too, but he figured that there were more pressing matters at hand.

    "Paul, there's something very important that I need to to tell you and you may not take it very well," Barney said in a gentle tone. "But just try to keep an open mind, alright? It's all going to be okay.."

     Paul had every possibility imaginable coursing through his mind, making him panic and feel rather sick. But he nodded slowly.

    "The Shadows...and the Unknowables..." Barney spoke slowly, trying to break the monumental news Paul as gently as humanly possible. "Have joined together and become one."

    Paul's eyes grew wide. "You're kidding," he said, shaking with fear. "Now you're seriously pulling my leg right now, aren't you? You cannot be serious about this! This is — this is — this isn't funny, Barney!"

    "No, you're right, it's not." Barney said. "It's true. I'm dead serious."

    "But why?!" Paul exclaimed.

    "Darren Birchwood and Marbella Giasson met up and decided it was in everyone's best interest," Barney sighed.

    "EVERYONE'S BEST INTEREST?!" Paul bellowed. "WHAT ABOUT JOHN'S?!"

    "Marbella Giasson has agreed to spare John," Barney said quickly.

    "And you all just believe her?!" Paul shouted.

    "Paul, please — "

    "Let me remind you of something; I am here for John." Paul was hyperventilating, his blood was boiling. The edges of his vision were blurry. "I don't care how horrible it sounds, or how terrible it is, or of it makes me the worst person on the planet. I am here for John and no one else. I don't care about the universe, or history, or the bleeding space time continuum anymore because I was forced into this. I didn't have any say in this. I was thrown into my past and set up to fall in love with him and he is all I care about at the end of the day so I don't care what it takes, I'm going to make sure John Lennon fucking lives, you hear me?"

    "We're still going to save John, I promise," Barney said. "This just means that the Shadows aren't against anymore, yeah? It'll make it easier to take down the F.H.O. and we haven't got an entire organization pitting against us and trying to kill your boyfriend anymore."

    Paul just crossed his arms and said, "I had another nightmare a couple weeks ago."

    Barney frowned. "About what?"

    "John dying." Paul snapped and Barney looked as if he'd been slapped across the face. "This isn't right, Barney. Something feels very very wrong about this." Paul paused and Barney opened his mouth to say something but Paul went on before Barney could begin. "You've been telling me to hate the Shadows for five years! You've been telling me everything that's wrong and corrupt about them for five years! They kidnapped me!"

    "I know.. They kidnapped me, too." Barney sighed.

    "WHAT?!"

    Barney cringed. "Sorry.. Thought Tessa had stopped by to mention that at some point."

    Paul scoffed. "So they've kidnapped both of us... And still, now you want me to turn around be all buddy-buddy with them? Trust them not to kill John? Trust them not to kill any of us?!"

    "Yes." Barney nodded. "Darren said that Marbella made a very convincing case, and I've met her since the Unknowables and the Shadows were officially joined and.. She's actually quite an agreeable woman when you get to know her outside of a, you know, hostage situation."

    Paul's eyes widened, his lip curled into a snarl. "Take me home." He hissed, and inwardly he couldn't help but chuckle because that was the title of One Direction's second album and he and Yoko often made puns out of twenty first century music that no one else understood, but he shoved those thoughts aside to focus on scowling at Barney.

    "Okay," Barney nodded. "Let's go."

    As soon as Paul was home, Barney left without a word, and Paul ran to his and John's shared bedroom. He leaned over and kissed John's forehead before getting into pajamas, then he crawled into bed and wrapped his arms around John.

     "I won't let anything happen to you," Paul whispered, laying his head down in John's chest. "I promise."