For Tomorrow - McLennon AU

8.

5th November, 1955

John was was heading down the path that lead into St. James' church, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. He had technically given it to Paul for him to wear, but seeing as though it was freezing outside and it was November, Paul insisted that John wore it if he was going outside in that weather.

The band he was in with his friends didn't rehearse in the actual church, obviously, but they did however rehearse in the little hall area that was used for parties, which was soundproof and attached to the church by a little door. Even though it sounded lame that the boys performed in a church of all places, neither minded. They had a place to practice, and so that's all that mattered. And the priest, father Derek, was a nice enough guy.

"Who's that?" He heard Stuart's echo from inside the building, as he closed the door behind him. "John?" He called out.

"Yeah!" He responded, walking through the small corridor that lead to the main hall. When at the door, be peeked his head around the corner to look at the small stage. "Hey everyone."

"John!" George called in excitement, jumping off the stage and throwing himself into John's arms. John couldn't help but laugh as he patted the twelve year old's back.

"You okay, Georgie?" He asked, looking down.

"Mhm! I missed you!"

"He really did. It's like all he's bothered about is John John John, isn't that right, Hazza?" Ringo called to the youngest, looking down at his drums and flipping the sticks in his hands. "You're obsessed with 'im!" He teased.

Pete Shotten just nodded in John's direction, quickly looking down to his guitar once more. Stuart, Pete, Ringo and John were all in the same year at school, so they had seen eachother the day before. However George was only 12, and so in a younger year. Even though George was young, he always lifted the mood up with his good spirit and high charisma.

"Am not!" He furrowed his eyebrows at the boy. "C'mon, John." George grabbed the boys hand, dragging him up the steps and onto the stage. "Get your guitar, hurry up."

"Not obsessed, are you Geo?" Pete Shotten smirked, rather mockingly.

"Oi Pete, leave 'im alone." Stuart scolded. "We've not got time today. It'll have to wait."

Stuart was always the responsible one in the group, always wanting to be very organised. John swore it was OCD, so did everyone else, but Stuart would never agree with them. He liked to think of himself as the Dad of the group.

John and Stuart has been best friends since he could remember, Pete coming into the picture not too long after. Ringo came in later at the beginning of highschool.

John had met George one day when he had stopped some kids in his year from picking on him. Ever since that day, George had looked up to John, and vowed he always would do. John was his role model, his idol, and he'd do anything to be like the older boy.

"John, your guitar's over there. Hazza's tuned it for you, pal." Ringo told him, adjusting himself in his seat.

With a hidden sigh, John picked the instrument up.

Yet again another reason why he didn't think he was good enough to be in the band. George could tune a guitar in almost less than a minute without hesitation and all on his own. Whereas John, he couldn't even do it at all, and so relied on George or Pete to do it for him.

Sure that was a small reason, but John felt like it was just another short reason to add to the long list of other reasons.

"Cheers Georgie." John smiled slightly, ruffling George's hair, who just giggled.

"Alright, after 5..."

-

Paul sat up in bed, waiting for Mimi to come back into his room with the dinner menu. He couldn't wait to get out and have some good food though. One thing that hadn't changed in the last 64 years was the shit food from the hospital.

But now Paul knew he had somewhere to go, he was more than ready to leave this place. It just reminded him of his mother, which was crazy, because his mother technically wasn't even born yet.

All of the doctors and nurses there were so nice, but there was no nurse Paul had opened up to better than Mimi. Since the moment he woke up, he felt safe with her. She reminded him of his mother so very much, to a point it almost scared Paul.

And as for John... He'd been so welcoming and kind, even buying him sweets with his own money, forgetting about his friends to come and see him and then even lending- no, giving him his own leather jacket, that was probably expensive.

But his father and brother weren't here... Neither were any of his cousins, his aunties or uncles. No close family friends either. The only people here were his great grandparents, and coming to think of it, his grandma and grandad, who would probably be the same age as him.

What if I bump into them on the street?

Oh god, what if everything ends up like it did in Back To The Future?

What if-

But he soon cut himself off from all of those ridiculously hilarious thoughts, shaking his head and looking down to his feet.

However the thing that scared him the most is that he actually could bump into his paternal grandparents on the street, as he knew what they looked like, and they would be his age. He could even bump into their parents, his great grandparents, Richard and Aimee or David and Madeleine.

This was getting Paul more worked up than it should, figuring out which part of his family tree was alive at that point and in Liverpool...

But then the unrealistic questions came back.

What if I did bump into either of them and create a time paradox-

"Someone looks deep in thought..." Mimi's voice came from the doorway, as she walked into his room with a bright smile. "What are you thinkin' about, dear?" She asked, placing the menu next to Paul.

"Everythin'..." He shrugged, looking down.

"What about tomorrow, when you're finally free? Are you not thinking about that?" She asked, now moving towards the curtains.

"Yeah, can't wait to eat something that isn't soup." He joked. She laughed at that, taking a peek through the blinds at the window.

"Hey, look." Mimi called to him, causing his gaze to turn from his hands to the woman next to the mirror. She moved to pull the string that opened up the blinds, moving back slightly so that Paul could see outside. "Guess the idea of us takin' a trip outside has been cancelled, eh?"

But Paul didn't hear her, he was too amazed at the sight of the snow falling past the window to even hear what she has said. He just wanted to reach out and touch it, be outside and staring up to the sky, getting lost in the thought of his brown locks turning white from all the snowflakes landing on top.

Mimi could see he was out of it again. "Chicken soup again, hun?" She asked him, kindly, walking over to the door.

"Yes... Yes please..."