Tomorrow Never Knows: Chapter Twenty
Tomorrow Never Knows
Title: Chapter Twenty
Authors: lovely_rita_mm,jenny_wren28, & pennylane_fic
Starring: The Beatles (specifically John Lennon) and Maggie Sue
Rating: R for language, sex, & implied drug use.
Disclaimer: We don’t own any of the Beatles, this obviously never happened, and much to the real Maggie’s disappointment, is a complete work of fiction.
Will George be true to his promise? Will he be a pest?
Previous updates located HERE!
Chapter 20
Maggie and Linda were both quiet in the car on the way home, each lost in their own thoughts. Both were disappointed in the men in their lives; both had seemingly had another woman chosen over them.
Finally Linda spoke, breaking the silence. “I guess it’s really over. Between Paul and I - I mean.” Maggie didn’t know how to respond, so she just let Linda talk. “I feel like such a fool. How could I think Paul and I had something real? He’s still with Jane and he’s never going to leave her. Tonight just proved the lengths he’s willing to go to keep things just as they are.”
“I’m so sorry, Linda. I really thought you and Paul were meant to be, but I don’t think Paul deserves you right now. Maybe once he’s grown up a bit…”
“Maybe. Well, I’m not going to sit around and wait for him. If he does grow up…”
“Or at least grows a pair…” Maggie added.
Linda smiled briefly. “…then maybe I’ll reconsider. But I think until that day, I’m done.”
Maggie was so sad at the thought that Linda and Paul might not ever get together. She had been counting on it since the moment she’d met Linda and discovered how well they got along. Maybe Maggie’s presence in this timeline had screwed even that up, and the thought was depressing.
“Did you know?” Linda asked.
“Know what?”
“That Jane was there tonight.”
“I had no idea that she was planning on showing up, but Paul told me that she had, yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know. I guess I was just so focused on making sure you got to have Paul to yourself that I just didn’t think. I just wanted him for you.”
“You should have told me. That was humiliating.”
Maggie hung her head. “I’m sorry, you’re right, I should have. I was hoping to avoid either you or Jane being embarrassed, but that really backfired. I care about Jane too, you know. Neither of you deserves this. I just…I don’t know. I guess I’ve been pushing too hard to get you and Paul together.”
“Why do you want us together so badly? You and I will always be friends regardless of who we’re with.”
“I know that. I just… have a strong feeling about it. Can we leave it at that?”
“I guess so.”
Maggie wished she could just tell Linda everything, but she just wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. “Do you forgive me? I never meant for you to be hurt.”
“Of course.” Linda moved over on the car seat and hugged Maggie. “Are you okay? You don’t seem to have fared much better than I did tonight.”
“Stupid Yoko.”
“Wow, she’s very…silently aggressive, isn’t she?”
“Yep.”
“And John stayed at the party to talk with her.”
“Yep.”
“Wow.”
“Yep.”
“You don’t think they’ll…”
“Hook up?” Maggie supplied the words Linda had been trying to avoid.
“Well…”
“No, I don’t think he’ll go that far. At least not now, but who knows what could happen if they continue to grow closer? He says he doesn’t have feelings for Yoko, but he’s…intrigued. Interested. Fascinated. I don’t know…”
“I’m sorry I made you take me home early. It’s my fault he’s alone with Yoko right now.”
“Oh, they’re not alone, I made sure of that,” Maggie reassured Linda.
“Oh?”
“George promised to make a pest of himself,” Maggie managed a smile. “They won’t be able to have any sort of meaningful conversation tonight.”
“Good thinking! It’s nice that George is on your side. It’s a little…surprising considering the Boys’ club that the Beatles seem to have going.”
“Yeah, it is a little. But George doesn’t like Yoko any better than I do.”
“Why is that?”
All Linda’s questions seemed to point to the one thing that Maggie couldn’t tell her. Maggie’s big secret was the reason that Maggie knew who John and Yoko were to each other, the reason why George didn’t like Yoko, and the reason why Maggie knew that Paul and Linda were meant to be together.
“It’s a long story. I promise to tell you another time.”
The car pulled up to the house. Maggie sent the driver back to the party to wait for John, and Maggie and Linda trudged into the house. They might both still be miserable, but at least they had each other’s misery for company.
***
“John! Mate! I haven’t seen you all night!”
“Hey, George… hey….what are you doing?” George had squeezed himself between John and Yoko, which was no mean feat considering how close Yoko was standing to John. George draped a long arm around each of the other’s shoulders.
“So, this is the famous Yoko, eh? What do you say we all get better acquainted? If you know what I mean! ” He gave them both a big squeeze. Yoko grimaced, which made George’s grin all the wider.
“Are you high?” John asked.
“Always, my friend, always. Now what were we talking about?” George inquired.
“Yoko’s new exhibit.”
“Oh?” George said, mentally taking notes for Maggie Sue. “What kind of exhibit?”
“One that may not happen without the proper funding. That’s what Yoko and I were talking about when you showed up. Speaking of…” John pulled George aside, which forced him to let go of Yoko, “Bugger off, mate.”
“Nonsense, I’d love to hear about this exhibit. That you’re funding?”
“Just partly. And don’t you dare tell Maggie. She would flip out. She thinks there’s something going on between Yoko and I.”
George raised an eyebrow.
“There isn’t!” John insisted.
“John, I’ve known you way too long to believe that. You’ve fucked girls in every city in Europe, and half of those in America. Besides, it’s not like you’re married, right? Even Paul is carrying on behind Jane’s back. It’s no big deal.” George really didn’t think that sort of thing was a big deal. Hell, he did it and he was actually married. But somehow the thought of John carrying on with Yoko behind Maggie’s back was repellant to him. It was just…different somehow.
“There’s nothing going on. And if it’s no big deal, maybe I should ask you if there’s anything going on between you and my fiancé,” John said pointedly.
“Sorry, mate. We’re just friends. Like you and Yoko.” George grinned at John and then went back over to Yoko. “You’re an artist, eh? Let’s hear all about your art, then. Do you do paintings? Like watercolor? Oil? Paint by numbers?” Yoko shook her head in impatience with George and looked imploringly at John. John just shrugged his shoulders at her. He’d just have to meet with Yoko about this exhibit some other time.
***
“John!” Maggie called out. John turned and looked in her direction. He smiled at her.
Then, from behind him there came another voice. Another woman. “John!” He looked behind him. A small woman dressed in black stood there imperiously.
“John?” Maggie called again, questioningly.
John turned back to Maggie, shrugged, and then turned around and walked away.
“No, John, please!” Maggie cried. She felt herself sobbing, and then with great effort, she made herself wake up.
She sat up, breathing hard, still feeling like she was trapped in the dream, in which she’d been crying, knowing that John had chosen someone else leaving her behind with barely a backwards glance.
Turning on a light, Maggie looked over at the clock. It was late and John still wasn’t home from the party. She’d never be able to fall back asleep now. Not after that dream. And not when she knew that she and John would have to talk about the elephant in the room. Yoko. It was time. Maggie had to come clean and tell John why Yoko bothered her so much. When he came home, she would finally do it.
Maggie opened a book and settled in to wait for John. Concentrating was hard though, as her thoughts were still very much on the events of this evening. It seemed as if Paul and Linda had come to a disastrous end, which was bad enough. Maggie didn’t want the same thing to happen to her and John.
Maggie heard the front door open and close, which meant John was home. She hoped he hadn’t been drinking as that always seemed to bring out the worst in him. Better he come home high than drunk, though she hoped he wasn’t that either. Not when she needed to have this important conversation with him. She didn’t think she could stand another ugly fight.
“Hey, luv,” John said as he walked into their bedroom. “You’re still up?” He shed his jacket right away.
“I had a nightmare,” Maggie explained. “John…” Maggie began again uncertainly, not knowing how to approach him.
He approached her instead. “I missed you at the party, luv,” he said, pulling her towards him and kissing her forehead.
“You did?”
“Of course! I had no one to dance with.”
“How about Yoko?” Maggie couldn’t resist saying sourly.
“Not again, luv, all right? Besides, George monopolized her all night! Can you believe it?”
Maggie could. Sweet George. She owed him yet again.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know - he was acting strange. I don’t know what he was on. He stayed by her side all night, even insisting on dancing with her. He practically dragged her onto the dance floor, leaving me to keep poor Pattie entertained. She’s concerned that George is interested in Yoko now.”
“I don’t think she needs to worry,” Maggie said dryly. John was keeping Pattie company? Well, she’d rather worry about John and Pattie than John and Yoko. There was no question in her mind which combination was more dangerous. Maggie also really liked the mental picture George dragging Yoko onto the dance floor provided.
“Oh, and then I got accosted by Lulu, who was dressed as Shirley Temple. She saw you and Linda leaving early, and had seen us arguing behind that plant earlier, and she gave me an earful about how I should be treating you better. It was hard to take her seriously when she was waving an oversized lollipop at me.”
Maggie giggled at the mental picture. She also remembered that in her original timeline, Lulu, who was a 60s pop singer, had done this to John for hitting on Pattie in front of Cynthia.
“Well, she was right!” Maggie scolded John, half-seriously. “I can’t believe you ditched me for HER.”
“I didn’t ditch you, luv. You had to leave early with Linda, but there were people I wanted to stay and talk to.”
“Right, like Yoko.” Maggie knew that these jabs were exactly the wrong way to start a real dialogue about Yoko, but she couldn’t help herself.
“I told you not to start this again, luv. Look, I don’t want to argue with you anymore, all right?”
“But…”
“No more,” he said firmly, kissing her.
“John, I don’t want to argue either, but we have to talk, I have to tell you…”
But he just kissed her again, making it difficult for her to say anything more.
“It’s important,” she tried again.
“Not tonight, luv. I’m so tired.”
“John, please!”
“Whatever you have to say, it can wait. Just no more Yoko, no more fights, no more jealousy. I love you, that’s all there is too it, nothing else matters.”
“But…”
John kissed her again, a lingering kiss. His fingers started to undo her nightgown.
“I thought you were tired!”
“Actually, luv, I’m dying for a shower. My hair’s all sticky.” He ran his hands through his spiky hair. “I could use some company…” he hinted. Before getting up, he dropped kisses down Maggie’s neck. Pulling her nightgown aside, he ran his tongue teasingly over her skin. “Come join me, luv,” he said, and with that, he disappeared into the bathroom.
Maggie sighed. She had dreaded and avoided telling John about Yoko for so long, afraid that if he knew the truth about who Yoko was, that that would make him all the more attracted. Now she had finally tried to tell him, and he couldn’t be less interested in talking about it. She could hardly blame him for not wanting to fight about it - she didn’t want any more fights either. He loved her, he had said it and shown it - maybe it was enough for now. She promised herself that if Yoko pushed harder, she would try to have a conversation with John then. What could it hurt to put it off - she’d waited this long, hadn’t she?
Climbing off the bed, she made her way to the bathroom - she could hear John splashing around in the shower. Was there anything better than a wet Beatle? Maggie thought. If there was, she didn’t want to know about it. John heard her approaching and peered out from behind the shower door. Shedding her nightgown, she reached her hand out and let John pull her into the curtain of warm water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: In answer to Maggie’s question, no, there is NOTHING better than a wet Beatle!
~~~~~
Continue to Chapter Twenty-One
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