The End (Beatles Fanfiction)

Chapter 31

PAUL

"Linda, we're home!"

It felt like forever since I said that. It's been less than a day.

I kneeled down and helped Heather slither out of her jacket, then hung it in the closet. Heather ran upstairs, shouting, "Mommy!"

"Home so soon? Hello, my little angel!" Her voice was soft and sweet, like the breeze on a summer day. I followed Heather upstairs.

"How was your day?" I walked into the bedroom to find Heather sitting on her lap.

Heather stiffened. A small shrug was her only reply.

I sighed, and leaned against the door frame. Linda looked up at me, one eyebrow raised, her lips pursed together.

"Yeah?" She said, speaking to Heather but staring at me. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Heather murmured silently. She looked up at me, and her face was one of guilt, as if she didn't want to incriminate me by speaking about the events of the day.

Linda stared at me for a beat, then shook herself and put on a smile. "Heather, sweetheart, how about I go fill you up a nice bath and put you to bed?"

Heather nodded, with a bit more energy this time, and Linda hoisted her off of her lap and led her to the bathroom. She shot me one last quizzical look before she left.

I walked over to the bed and flopped onto it, face first, like a big sack of rocks. The past hours lied on me and pushed me farther and farther into the mattress. I shut my eyes, trying to force them away and get some sleep.

"Paul," I felt a weight on the bed next to me, "what happened?"

I lifted my head and turned it to face her, then dropped it again onto the bed. Every move I made required more energy than I had.

"I didn't do anything, Linda. There was drama."

Drama was a poor choice of words, but I was too spent to go into detail.

"What kind of drama?"

I lifted my head slightly. "The kind of drama that happens when you're stuck in a room with the same three knobs for seven years." My voice was deadpan, but my words weren't. Linda leaned back, surprised.

"Paul," she lifted one arm and put it on my back, "talk to me-"

"I'm knackered, Linda," I interrupted. "Wasn't a big deal. Sorry if I sounded upset, talk to Heather in the morning." My sentences were getting choppy, and my eyelids were closing fast.

"Okay," Linda said, and left.

Before I fell asleep, I heard her walk over to Heather's room, and whisper to her, and Heather whisper in return, but her voice was uneven, and Linda whispered some more, then the rustling of bed sheets, then silence.

Sleep little darling, do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby...

GEORGE

As I neared my house, I saw a figure standing in front of the door. His arm was reached out, about to knock, and he was holding flowers, or chocolate, I couldn't tell. Maybe it was a guitar.

Eric. I started to walk faster.

I was soaked through from the pounding rain. I didn't feel the cold, but I noticed that my arms were twitching.

Eric knocked once. Thud. I reached up to my throbbing head. Twice. Thud. Three times. THUD.

My pace quickened again, and I slipped on the wet pavement. Regaining my balance, I kept going, staring right at Eric.

The door swung back and Pattie stepped out. I could see the hint of a smile on her face. Eric's head moved, as if he was talking to her. Pattie nodded and reached her hand out for him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I shouted. I still wasn't too close, but Pattie and Eric both turned to me.

Pattie waved hesitantly. Eric was still, frozen with guilt. Their arms were still outstretched to each other.

I couldn't believe they were so shameless. "Eric!" I shouted, and started to run. "I told you to leave! I told you never to come back!"

"George, darling, why are you here so-"

"How long has this been going on, Pattie?" I screamed, still running and slightly out of breath. All my ciggies were not helping me out at the moment. "Tell me!"

Pattie's voice was broken through the pounding of the rain and my head. "George, what are you talking-"

"You know what I'm talking about! Don't act like-" My feet swung out from under me and I landed on the ground, hard. 

The pain in my back was numbed by the cold. I tried to get up, but the ground was too slippery. Eric walked right past me without a word.

"Eric! Come back here! I'm not finished-"

"George!"

The scream quieted me. I looked at Pattie. She held a package under her arm.

I turned my head to see the postman staring back at me. His face was contorted in terror and embarrassment.

I was too shocked, too humiliated to apologize or explain myself. I just stared back at him. He wore a big parka, with the hood covering his ginger hair. His nose stuck out and his skin was pale.

"Thank you!" Pattie said pointedly behind me. The postman got the message and stumbled down the sidewalk.

I couldn't believe what I had done.

The cold from the sidewalk seeped through my legs and back and hands to the rest of my body until I couldn't feel anything anymore except for the dull, endless throbbing of my head. I laid it down onto the pavement and felt the rain drip down my stomach, over my knees, on my face. Maybe they were tears.

I heard Pattie's footsteps as she came towards me. She snuck her arm under my back and straightened me until I was seated. Then she grabbed my right arm and threw it over her shoulder. She helped me up and balanced me. When I was steady, she walked me to the door. She pushed it open with her foot and led me inside. She pulled my jacket off, then kneeled to take off my shoes. Then we walked to the couch. She laid me down on it, and tossed a blanket over me.

All this without words, without expression. When she was done, she went upstairs to our room and didn't come down for the rest of the day.

{hello :)

this one isn't very long but I still hope you like it. Maybe I'll write some more over the weekend.

Thank you to Sir George Martin for helping bring so much music and happiness into millions of people's lives.

PEACE AND LOVE L***}