Break Me One More Time [McLennon]

in which paul says his goodbyes

"Hello, Stuart."

Stuart looked up from where he was sitting on the bed in the corner of a cell. His wrists were handcuffed to one another, and someone had taken his belt and the sneakers he had been wearing. He leapt up from the bed when he saw who it was that was entering the room. "Oh, thank God! Paul, you're here. You can get me out of here, right? You can explain to them that this is all crazy and that I haven't done anything wrong, right?"

"Stuart, sit down," Paul sighed.

"Paul, you've gotta be kidding me," Stuart said, even though he did as he was told and sat down in the nearest chair. Paul sat down in the one nearest to his. "This has gotta be a joke. Please, just get me out of here. I want to see my wife. I want to see my kids."

Paul smiled. "You have kids," he said. He knew this already, as Darren had briefed him about it before he was allowed to go in and visit Stuart. But he was just so glad to hear it. In this world where his and John's and some of Ringo's kids had just disappeared, and where a lot of other people's kids were definitely not being born and meanwhile they didn't even know what they were missing because of the butterfly effect that Paul was causing at all times, Stuart was just the opposite. Here was a man who was given a chance at life, now, and was raising a beautiful family with that chance he'd been given.

"Yeah," Stuart breathed. "Two girls, and a boy. Caroline, Millie, and... and John."

Paul nodded. "That's.. that's great, Stu. Really." He crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in his chair. "Listen, Stu. As far as Marbella is considered, you've committed a war crime; as far is Darren is concerned, you've acted in self-defense."

"Paul, listen, I didn't wanna —"

Paul held up a hand to stop him. "But as far as I am concerned, Stuart," he said evenly, "you are just a person who I didn't really get along with when I was just a young boy, and you were just trying to protect you and your wife."

Stuart didn't speak at first. He nodded. "Yes," he said. "I just wanted Astrid to be safe. And the baby. She was pregnant with Caroline at the time, you know."

"I understand," Paul said. "You were protecting Astrid in the exact same way that I am protecting John. I cannot ever fault you for that. I've bargained hard with Marbella and Darren for your safety."

Stuart could hardly breathe. "And... and what's the verdict?"

Paul sighed. "I'm sorry to say that you are a prisoner of war," he said. "On paper at least. But that's just a technicality because Marbella is petty. Also because it's safer for the F.H.O. to think you've been taken prisoner, for you. Anyway, I'm here to let you out of here." He pulled the keys to the handcuffs out of his pocket and reached out to set Stuart free.

"Th-thank you," Stuart said. He was shaking.

"Mhm," Paul said as he gently removed the metal restraints from his wrists. "They're going to give you a real room and they'll give you food, but I'm afraid you're going to have to stay here for now. This battle in imminent and we need all hands on deck. But when the battle is done, whoever is left alive will make sure you're brought to your family and kept somewhere with them until it is safe to send you back to New York. And Astrid and the kids are all being kept safe at a separate facility. The F.H.O. won't get to them."

"Thank you," Stuart said again.

Paul smiled. "Darren will be in here in another ten minutes or so to bring you to a more comfortable room."

"Thank you." Stuart didn't know what else to say.

"After that, you'll want to disappear." Paul said. "Good luck, Stuart." With that, he stood up and made to leave the room.