Bet I Can! - Chapter 1/5 (February Imagination Challenge Response)
Title: Bet I Can! - Chapter One
Author: Jo cozyjo
Rating: PG
Timeframe: 1965
Pairing: John/Paul
Summary: Cyn bets John he can’t survive 24 hours while she takes the housekeeper and the other Beatle girls out for a day of shopping and then an overnight stay at a London hotel. Never one to back down from a challenge, John accepts, enlisting the aid of his fellow Beatle mates in caring for Jules and performing various cooking, cleaning and household duties.
A/N: In response to February's Imagination Challenge in the IYOW community.
Disclaimer: I only own them in my head.
“…and don’t forget to put him down for his nap….two o’clock…”
“Mmm….right…”
“There’s meats and veggies in the icebox….”
“Got it.”
“..and remember to bring the post in. We’re expecting rain tomorrow.”
“Will do. Anything else?”
“Oh! Um…” Cyn paused, thinking intently. “Nappies on the shelf…next to the dressing table, and…”
John laid a soothing hand atop Cyn’s own. “S’right, luv. You mentioned that bit, already.”
Cyn smiled weakly; uncertainty in her features.
“Guess so. You sure you’ll be alright?” she questioned. She was beginning to doubt this adventurous escape; a thread of anxiety bathing her being.
John smiled assuredly.
“We’ll be fine, Cyn,” he promised. “Me, Jules…the rest of us…” he declared, casting a flourished gesture at their home. “Don’t worry, eh?”
Cynthia forced a smile, then; needing to believe John seemed to have everything under control.
Or so it seemed.
“Go on, then,” John urged, planting a parting kiss upon his nervous wife. “Place should be in complete chaos by the time you return.”
“John!” Cynthia scolded, but giggled in spite of herself. She was hopeful that her husband could handle things; John’s extreme stubbornness and pride the driving force behind this uncharacteristic task. Yet she was still concerned.
John winked playfully, then; planting another kiss upon his wife before waving goodbye; calmly watching as she departed for 24 hours of shopping and relaxation with their housekeeper, Dot, and the other Beatle girls.
No sooner had Cynthia’s car faded from view did John fall into a panic.
“Shit!” he hissed, scurrying to the nearest phone to dial one all-too-familiar number.
His feet tapping intolerantly, John was nearly bereft of patience by the time a certain doe-eyed Beatle answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Paul, you’ve gotta come ‘round and help me watch Jules and tend house while Cyn’s away for 24 hours spending me money!”
“John?” Paul was a bit perplexed before recovering.
John impatiently huffed into the receiver.
“Paulllll! Cyn’s gone away and left me with the kid till tomorrow fucking noon! You have to come help me!” the musician whined.
“..But…” Paul, confused, hesitated to respond. He uttered the only query he could naturally think of.
“Why?”
“Never mind!” John snapped, more forcefully than intended. “You have to come, Paul!” the irritated musician pleaded, desperately.
Paul paused a moment; none too eager to reveal to John that he had made plans with Jane for the evening. Gathering up the courage, he finally spoke.
“John…Jane and I have plans for the evening.”
That was easy.
Dumbstruck, John pulled the phone away from his ear, staring in resentment at the object before placing it back against his head.
“No, you don’t,” he insisted.
“Yes, I do,” Paul repeated, troubled by John’s strange behavior.
What had gotten into him?
John, momentarily puzzled by these change of events decided that Paul simply didn’t know.
Yet.
“Paul, Cyn’s supposed to have called to take all the Beatle birds out for shopping and all that fruity rubbish!!” John spat out in a heated flurry. “Till tomorrow.”
Paul chuckled lightly, certain that John was putting him on.
“But she hasn’t even called here, yet,” he argued, disbelieving. She hasn’t.”
“She will,” John stated with supreme finality.
As if on cue, John could hear Jane’s melodic voice in the distance.
“Oh, sorry, luv! Forgot to mention…Cyn just called to remind me of our little girl’s day out. Won’t be back till tomorrow. She’ll be here in half an hour. I’ll make it up to you. Ta!”
John, listening intently, could hear what sounded like a gestured kiss before the room grew quiet.
Paul’s face fell significantly; annoyed by these events. He could almost see the smirk that coated John’s face in that moment. In resignation, he brought his lips back to the receiver.
“What time do you need me there, John?”
John, amused by his friend’s plight, couldn’t resist a bit of good-natured teasing.
“I see ya have some free time, there, Paulie! What happened? Birdy Jane had other plans?”
“Stuff it!” Paul bit, unpleasantly. “You want me there or not?”
John frowned at Paul‘s irritation, realizing he had crossed the line. He needed his best mate, after all.
“Soon’s you can,” their leader humbly stated. “I’ve got some chores, and…” he began, when he heard the sound of Julian’s cries. He pulled the receiver away from his ear to listen.
“John?” Paul queried.
John placed the phone back to his ear.
“The baby.!….gotta go! Hurry here and don’t forget to bring the others!”
“You mean Ringo and George?”
“Them too!” John spat, hanging up the receiver. He was just about to get his bearings when the telephone rang.
Christ!
“Hello?”
“You hung up on me.”
“Did not.”
“Did, too!”
“Who is this?”
“PAUL!!!” the bassist hissed angrily into the phone.
John gripped the side of his head in frustration.
“Paul, what’re you doin’ larking about?!!”
“…But…”
“Get your bleedin’ arse over here and don’t forget me fish and chips!!”
“Was I suppo…”
CLICK!
Chapter Two
Author: Jo cozyjo
Rating: PG
Timeframe: 1965
Pairing: John/Paul
Summary: Cyn bets John he can’t survive 24 hours while she takes the housekeeper and the other Beatle girls out for a day of shopping and then an overnight stay at a London hotel. Never one to back down from a challenge, John accepts, enlisting the aid of his fellow Beatle mates in caring for Jules and performing various cooking, cleaning and household duties.
A/N: In response to February's Imagination Challenge in the IYOW community.
Disclaimer: I only own them in my head.
“…and don’t forget to put him down for his nap….two o’clock…”
“Mmm….right…”
“There’s meats and veggies in the icebox….”
“Got it.”
“..and remember to bring the post in. We’re expecting rain tomorrow.”
“Will do. Anything else?”
“Oh! Um…” Cyn paused, thinking intently. “Nappies on the shelf…next to the dressing table, and…”
John laid a soothing hand atop Cyn’s own. “S’right, luv. You mentioned that bit, already.”
Cyn smiled weakly; uncertainty in her features.
“Guess so. You sure you’ll be alright?” she questioned. She was beginning to doubt this adventurous escape; a thread of anxiety bathing her being.
John smiled assuredly.
“We’ll be fine, Cyn,” he promised. “Me, Jules…the rest of us…” he declared, casting a flourished gesture at their home. “Don’t worry, eh?”
Cynthia forced a smile, then; needing to believe John seemed to have everything under control.
Or so it seemed.
“Go on, then,” John urged, planting a parting kiss upon his nervous wife. “Place should be in complete chaos by the time you return.”
“John!” Cynthia scolded, but giggled in spite of herself. She was hopeful that her husband could handle things; John’s extreme stubbornness and pride the driving force behind this uncharacteristic task. Yet she was still concerned.
John winked playfully, then; planting another kiss upon his wife before waving goodbye; calmly watching as she departed for 24 hours of shopping and relaxation with their housekeeper, Dot, and the other Beatle girls.
No sooner had Cynthia’s car faded from view did John fall into a panic.
“Shit!” he hissed, scurrying to the nearest phone to dial one all-too-familiar number.
His feet tapping intolerantly, John was nearly bereft of patience by the time a certain doe-eyed Beatle answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Paul, you’ve gotta come ‘round and help me watch Jules and tend house while Cyn’s away for 24 hours spending me money!”
“John?” Paul was a bit perplexed before recovering.
John impatiently huffed into the receiver.
“Paulllll! Cyn’s gone away and left me with the kid till tomorrow fucking noon! You have to come help me!” the musician whined.
“..But…” Paul, confused, hesitated to respond. He uttered the only query he could naturally think of.
“Why?”
“Never mind!” John snapped, more forcefully than intended. “You have to come, Paul!” the irritated musician pleaded, desperately.
Paul paused a moment; none too eager to reveal to John that he had made plans with Jane for the evening. Gathering up the courage, he finally spoke.
“John…Jane and I have plans for the evening.”
That was easy.
Dumbstruck, John pulled the phone away from his ear, staring in resentment at the object before placing it back against his head.
“No, you don’t,” he insisted.
“Yes, I do,” Paul repeated, troubled by John’s strange behavior.
What had gotten into him?
John, momentarily puzzled by these change of events decided that Paul simply didn’t know.
Yet.
“Paul, Cyn’s supposed to have called to take all the Beatle birds out for shopping and all that fruity rubbish!!” John spat out in a heated flurry. “Till tomorrow.”
Paul chuckled lightly, certain that John was putting him on.
“But she hasn’t even called here, yet,” he argued, disbelieving. She hasn’t.”
“She will,” John stated with supreme finality.
As if on cue, John could hear Jane’s melodic voice in the distance.
“Oh, sorry, luv! Forgot to mention…Cyn just called to remind me of our little girl’s day out. Won’t be back till tomorrow. She’ll be here in half an hour. I’ll make it up to you. Ta!”
John, listening intently, could hear what sounded like a gestured kiss before the room grew quiet.
Paul’s face fell significantly; annoyed by these events. He could almost see the smirk that coated John’s face in that moment. In resignation, he brought his lips back to the receiver.
“What time do you need me there, John?”
John, amused by his friend’s plight, couldn’t resist a bit of good-natured teasing.
“I see ya have some free time, there, Paulie! What happened? Birdy Jane had other plans?”
“Stuff it!” Paul bit, unpleasantly. “You want me there or not?”
John frowned at Paul‘s irritation, realizing he had crossed the line. He needed his best mate, after all.
“Soon’s you can,” their leader humbly stated. “I’ve got some chores, and…” he began, when he heard the sound of Julian’s cries. He pulled the receiver away from his ear to listen.
“John?” Paul queried.
John placed the phone back to his ear.
“The baby.!….gotta go! Hurry here and don’t forget to bring the others!”
“You mean Ringo and George?”
“Them too!” John spat, hanging up the receiver. He was just about to get his bearings when the telephone rang.
Christ!
“Hello?”
“You hung up on me.”
“Did not.”
“Did, too!”
“Who is this?”
“PAUL!!!” the bassist hissed angrily into the phone.
John gripped the side of his head in frustration.
“Paul, what’re you doin’ larking about?!!”
“…But…”
“Get your bleedin’ arse over here and don’t forget me fish and chips!!”
“Was I suppo…”
CLICK!
Chapter Two