Borrowed Time: Saving John Lennon - A Beatles Fanfic

Chapter 12 - I'LL BE BACK

February 11, 1963

Holly was up with the sun, having slept the better part of the previous afternoon and full through the night. Opening the curtains, Holly looked out into the city of London. She could make out Hyde Park in the distance, the bare treetops and open space a vast contrast to the rooftops and buildings spreading out in all other directions.

It was far too early for her to begin calling Abbey Road, plus she knew John and the others wouldn't begin recording until 10:00 AM, so Holly called down to the front desk and ordered a room service breakfast of poached eggs, toast, sauteed potatoes and bacon to be delivered to her room.

By 9:30, Holly was bathed and donning a new dress she had picked up during her shopping in Paris. It was long sleeved and boasted thick vertical stripes of navy blue and deep orange. A thick white collar and matching white cuffs at her wrists completed the dress. Holly was getting a bit tired of wearing dresses all the time and was looking forward to a point when she could wear pants and not look out of place.

10:00 came and went, and at 10:30 Holly picked up the phone in her room. Having found the number in the phone book, she dialed the offices at Abbey Road Studios, currently named EMI Studios.

"Hello, EMI. How can I direct your call?" a woman's voice answered.

"Um, yes hello," Holly stammered. "I am trying to reach a gentleman who is recording in one of your studios this morning. I was wondering if I could get a message put through to him? I'm not quite sure how else to reach him."

"We can't interrupt recordings, miss," the woman responded.

"Yes, I understand. I was just trying to get a message to him. Perhaps one could be delivered during a break?"

The woman audibly sighed. "I'm sorry, but I cannot interrupt a recording session at any point. No messages can be delivered at this time."

Holly opened her mouth to argue, but realized there was no point. "Oh, well thank you anyway," she said instead, and placed the receiver back on the phone's base.

"Well, I'll just have to go down there," Holly said to herself.

Holly grabbed a sheet of paper which contained the hotel's name and emblem at the top and carefully wrote on it, choosing her words carefully.

John,
As five years have now passed, I hope your memories of a certain Christmas Telegram are still fresh in your mind and will continue to be in the FUTURE. You are not easy to get ahold of nowadays. I am here in London. Please do your best to contact me.

Holly

The bus ride to the studio was uneventful. Holly was able to find a bus that would deliver her to Circus Road, a five minute walk to the front doors of Abbey Road Studios. She had timed her travel so that she would arrive around 1:00 PM, the time the Beatles' first session ended and they broke for lunch.

It was quite cold as Holly walked from the bus stop and turned the corner onto Abbey Road. She pulled her coat tightly around her, and once again wished she was wearing pants since her calves were freezing in the dress.

A few yards before reaching the studio, Holly found herself walking past the soon-to-be-iconic pedestrian crossing. She paused to look at it, standing in awe as she watched a few people cross from one side of the road to the other, oblivious to how famous this crosswalk would one day be.

Her watch read 12:57 PM as Holly stood looking at the staircase leading up to the building which currently housed John Lennon and the rest of the Beatles. Large letters above the doorway spelled out E.M.I. Recording Studios.