Break Me One More Time [McLennon]

in which someone gets engaged

"Okay, so, let me see if I've got this all right: the F.H.O. is evil," said George. "You thought they were good when you first got here, but then you found out that they're not."

"Yes, that's right," Paul said, nodding.

"And the Shadows are evil, and you've always known that," said George.

"Right," said Paul.

"And they're trying to stop the F.H.O., and the F.H.O. is trying to stop the Shadows," said George, furrowing his brow in concentration. "The Unknowables are trying to stop the both of them."

"Correct," Paul said.

"And... and some of the Unknowables used to be part of the Shadows," George said slowly. "But they left to be part of the Unknowables instead, right?"

"Right," Paul said. "Exactly, George, you've got it."

"And the people who captured us," said George, "those were people from the F.H.O.?"

"No, those were Shadows," Paul corrected him.

"Right, okay," George said. "And Yoko is from the future just like you, right?"

"Just like me, exactly." Paul nodded.

"And you Yoko both were taken from the year 2014?" George questioned.

"2015," said Paul.

"2015," George said. "Right."

"Right," said Paul.

"Then I think there's only one thing left that I don't quite understand," said George.

"What's that?" Paul asked, head tilted slightly.

"I've heard the story of the night you and John got together," said George. "I know that you were scared and confused and you ran away, I know that you were surprised when John told you that he loves you. And you realized then that you love him, too, that's how you and John have always told the story."

"Yeah," said Paul slowly. "And?"

"So, if you've already lived this whole life once before," said George, "and obviously you have, I mean, I was there and saw the — where the Shadows took us to, and come on, no one can make up something crazy as all this. I'm not saying that I don't believe you, I'm saying that I do! It's just... since you've lived this whole life before, why were you surprised? Why'd you run away from John? Why didn't you tell him that you're in love with him sooner?"

"Oh," Paul sighed. "That's, uh, really complicated." He breathed a heavy sigh. "So, in the original timeline that I lived through, John and I... we weren't together. Not like we are now, I mean. We were still best, best friends, don't get me wrong. We were very close. But John was married, and eventually I got married, too."

"Seriously?" George asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," Paul said, sighing. "It's... it's crazy to think about." He gazed off into the distance, sinking deep into his thoughts and finding himself lost in the maze of his mind.

"Yeah," George said. "Really, it is. So... what about your wives?"

"Hmmm?" said Paul, distracted.

"You and John both had wives," George said. "So obviously you loved them. You loved other people, so... damn, so John doesn't even remember being married? Being in love..."

"Well..." Paul frowned.

"But you do," George said. "You remember loving some woman. You loved her enough to marry her, so..."