Ain't He Sweet - McLennon and Starrison One Shots

Bigotry, Mark 2

1975

"John! I mean, dad?" Zoeii scratched her head. "Yeah, dad. Can you take me to school?"

"I can't drive very well, love." John ruffled his new daughter's hair. "How about we have Paul take you like he normally does, but have me ride along?"

"Deal!" she beamed.

---

"Tag!" Zoeii poked her friend Mia in the arm. "You're it!"

"Zoeii?" Mia turned around, dropping from the monkey bars. "Hi."

"Hi!"

"Listen." She bit her lip. "My mommy and daddy said we can't be friends anymore."

"Why not?" Tears welled up in her eyes.

"She said it's because you have two daddies, and no mommy. I - I have to go." Mia ran in the opposite direction, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"Mia?" Zoeii watched her leave, then let out a whimper as the biggest kid in school approached her.

"Zoeii, right? So you're not only a Forty-Fiver," he pointed to her eyes, "you also have queer parents?"

"I can't help being part Chinese!" she cried. "And what's a 'queer'?"

"Wow, I mean wow." He shook his head. "Yeah, you're an idiot. Hey, maybe it runs in the family."

"Shut up!" She burst into tears, slipping out a hole in the gate. "Why is this happening?!" She headed to her uncles' house first, since it was closer. "UNCLE GEORGE! UNCLE RINGO! 'LICA!" She pounded on the door.

"What the - hey!" George fell over as the girl charged past him. "Ow. Where's the fire, love?"

"'LICA!" Zoeii flew into her cousin's lap, making her shout in surprise. "HELP!"

"Eep!" Elica jumped, then slowly rubbed her back. "Zoeii, what's wrong? Talk to me."

"Shouldn't you be in school?" Ringo helped a groaning George up.

"I left!" Zoeii sobbed even harder. "M - Mia's mommy said we can't be friends because I don't have a mommy, and some big kid said bad things about my daddies!"

Elica's heart dropped. "What did he say?"

"H - he said, I think they called them 'queers', or something. It just sounded mean!"

"Damn, not again." Ringo rubbed his temples. "Zoeii, your dads are different. And some people don't like different."

"What do you mean?" Zoeii stared blankly. "I don't get it."

"Well, a lot of people believe only a man and a woman can be together, not a man and a man, or a woman and a woman." George joined them.

"Why?" she asked. "Why is it bad?"

"It's not bad. People are afraid of things they don't understand, Zoeii." Elica patted her head. "There aren't a lot of same-sex couples out there, it actually used to be illegal."

"Why?" she asked again.

"I don't know." Elica set her down. "I'll call John and Paul."

"So, two daddies or two mommies are bad?" Zoeii whispered.

"No, honey, no." Ringo shook his head. "Love is love, no matter what. Gender doesn't matter, alright? There is nothing wrong with it. What else did the mean boy say to you?"

"He called me a Forty-Fiver," she pouted. "But saying mean things about my daddies is worse."

"Always putting others first," George laughed. They all talked together until John and Paul arrived.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Paul knelt down.

"Queers," Zoeii muttered.

He stiffened. "Excuse me?"

"That's what he called you." She hugged his leg.

"Poor bastard won't see what's coming to him." John cracked his knuckles. "Making me daughter cry, eh? Let's see you get away with that."

"John, no. You aren't hurting children." Paul put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll deal with this in a non-violent matter, yeah? Like you said, War is Over."

"I hate it when you turn my songs against me."

"Not turning it against you, just reminding you."

"Why is it bad?" Zoeii repeated.

"Sit down, love." Paul let out a sigh. "I should've known this would happen. Alright, we'll tell you everything. It was 1957 when this all started."