Yes It Is, Chapter Eighteen
Title: Yes It Is
Authors: pennylane_fic, jenny_wren28 & lovely_rita_mm
Starring: The Beatles 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.
So, dearest readers, turn off your mind, relax and join Maggie Sue on another one of her Beatle adventures.....
Previous updates located HERE!
Chapter Eighteen
Maggie felt the headache long before she even woke. She felt something swarm within her mind, felt her bones ache, and she felt the dryness of her throat and the stickiness of her mouth. Her stomach turned slightly and she knew that this wasn’t the aftermath of the party, it was because sleep last night hadn’t come to her.
She knew on the way home that John had been upset. A blind man could see that he had retreated into his own thoughts, but she had thought that with a few jokes, he might loosen up. That hope had fallen away as soon as they arrived home and he went straight to bed without so much as a glance in her direction. Then he had pretended to be asleep when she wandered in an hour later.
She had no idea what she’d done wrong. Obviously she’d done something, otherwise he’d be talking to her. But for the life of her she had no idea! She’d been attentive to him all night, explaining things so that he would understand what was being discussed, and she had even left the party early when it was obvious he was not enjoying herself. Yet there it was; he was mad at her.
Men! They were so stupid. He couldn’t possibly be upset with her for talking to her ex-boyfriend… could he? Well, he was a self-professed “jealous guy”. Cringing a bit, she recalled “Run for Your Life” as being one of her least favorite Beatles songs. Still, that was just stupid of him. She was obviously in love with him, not Nick.
Sighing, Maggie reached up, and scrubbed a hand across her face. They needed to talk. He’d tell her what she’d done wrong, then she’d explain to him how he was being silly, then he’d apologize for being silly and have done with it, and they’d be back to how things were before.
Smiling to herself, she heard a slight shuffling sound that roused her from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and she felt any planned words she might have had, die in her throat. John sat at the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, his face turned to the wall. Next to his feet lay her backpack, with some of his things spilling out.
“What are you doing?” she asked quietly after a few beats. His actions were clear, but she couldn’t find anything else to say. This was not a situation she ever thought possible. They had been so happy, things had been so great. How had she driven him away?
“I was packing,” he mumbled.
Maggie blinked. “Why? You planning on going somewhere?” She swallowed thickly. Maggie knew why he was packing, although she held a vain hope that she was mistaken. She had to stall him. She had to figure out what she had done wrong and had to find a way to fix it before he walked out of her life. She wouldn’t be able to handle it, not after knowing how wonderful and full of color life was when he was truly hers. Now that she knew what it was to be happy, and to live, to really live, there was no way she’d give it up.
“No. I realized after packing I had nowhere to go. I’m stuck here, completely at your mercy,” John said miserably. Kicking the bag, he squeezed his eyes shut after seeing Maggie’s face. She looked as though she’d been slapped. He’d not meant it to come out like that. He just knew that if he let his guard down for even a moment with this woman he’d lose his resolve.
“Wh… why would you say that?” Maggie asked hesitatingly. “I don’t understand,” she said, trying to look into his eyes. He turned away from her though, refusing to meet her questioning gaze. “Are you… mad at me?”
Sighing again, John turned to her. “Yes, well, no. I mean, no.” Growing frustrated, John stared at the floor. Once again, he felt nothing more than completely lost. But at least when he was lost before, he had his friends, the same friends that were going through the same thing, to lean on. Now it felt as if he had nothing. “I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at myself for following you,” he sighed. “For falling in love with you, for acting just like Paul and believing that a fantasy in my head might actually be true. Last night was a huge wake-up call. You are a brilliant, beautiful, talented, amazing scientist. Hell, I don’t think I understand a quarter of what was said last night. You play in a band, you are successful… me, well, I’m no one now. You have an amazing career, a perfect life, you have everything you need, and all I am is a leech with no job, no money, and nothing to bring to this relationship. I don’t fit with your lifestyle… I simply don’t fit. You were right; you can’t push a square peg into a round hole.” His voice was dead, completely devoid of emotion.
Frowning, Maggie shook her head, hoping to shake something loose in order to better understand what exactly was happening. “Wait a minute; you want to leave because you didn’t understand the lecture last night, and because I had conversation with a colleague that you thought was a little hard to follow? Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme?”
“Not at all, Maggie. Because you see, it’s not just that. I don’t fit here. I don’t fit with you. You’re brilliant, you send things into space and in your spare time, just for fun, you do what I do as a career. I’m useless, and sooner or later you’re going to see that. And then you’ll get bored with me. Before I was John Lennon, I was a Beatle, I could give you anything you wanted. Now, I’m “Winston,” a guy who looks kind of like a Beatle, but that’s it. Soon it won’t be enough, and then you’ll find another man who’s just as brilliant as you, and you’ll leave me and the two of you will have brilliant babies,” John finished, staring resignedly at his feet.
“What?” Maggie felt her stomach twist at the thought. “No! I would never get tired of you…”
“You will!” he laughed cynically. “Just look at me, Maggie, I’m nothing anymore. I-I’m just John.”
Realization of just what John was saying hit Maggie like a ton of bricks. He didn’t understand, he didn’t know that she loved him for simply being him, that none of that other stuff mattered to her. Scooting across the bed, and laying a hesitant hand on his shoulder, she tried to catch his eye. “That’s right. You’re just John, and you’re my John. It’s you I love. Not a Beatle, not a rock star, not someone who can buy me anything I want, but you. Don’t you see how much easier everything’s been for me since we left? I haven’t had to worry about fans hating me, about whether you were going to OD on some new drug, about whether some crazed lunatic was going to try to kill you… I’ve had the most amazing few weeks getting to be selfish and keep you all to myself…no other Beatles to share you with, no fans, no one else but me.” His eyes met hers at that, and taking it as encouragement she scooted closer and rested her head on his shoulder while wrapping her arms around his chest. “I know I have to give you back, and I’m trying to find a way to get you back home, but please, please don’t ever think, even for a minute, that I love you because of your fame and your name. I even love you when you’re Winston.” They both giggled a bit at that, and Maggie knew that they were going to be all right. “And if you ever think again that I’d ever get bored with you, then perhaps you are as stupid as you seem to think you are.”
“Is that right, Miss Margaret?”
“That’s right, Monsieur Winston.”
At that, John pounced on her and tickled her until she gave in and together they fulfilled some more promises. It was going to be a great day.
* * *
At 3am the following evening, Maggie was woken up by John, who had his guitar with him.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“Inspiration struck, and I wrote you a song. You inspired so many when you were gone, and now that I have you, I’m not as tortured as an artist. But I dug deep and came up with this. I hope you like it."
Maggie looked at him expectantly, wondering if she would recognize the song, or if it would be something entirely new, born out of the altered history they had created together.
John started strumming. And she recognized it instantly.
All my little plans and schemes,
lost like some forgotten dreams.
Seems that all I really was doing
was waitin' for you.
Maggie started to tear up as John sang to her, his plaintive voice so familiar, and now so dear to her.
Just like little girls and boys,
Playing with their little toys.
Seems like all we really were doing
was waitin' for love.
The last time she had heard this song was on a quivery demo, just John and a piano, calling out to her from beyond the grave.
Don’t need to be alone,
No need to be alone.
It's real love, it's real
Yes it's real love, it's real
But here he was, against all odds. Alive and very real, if out of place and out of time.
From this moment on I know,
Exactly where my life will go.
Seems that all I really was doing
was waitin' for love.
Thought I'd been in love before,
But in my heart I wanted more.
Seems like all I really was doing
was waitin' for you.
He smiled at her as he sang the chorus for the last time.
Don't need to be afraid
No need to be alone
It's real love, yeah it's real,
It's real love, it's real,
Yes, it's real love, it's real…
He loved her. Despite everything, he loved her. She knew that now.
So she listened, full of hope and happiness and sadness. In the back of her mind, her analytical side had already switched on, full of ideas. If they were going to get him home, and if she was going to go with him, she had plans to make.
*********************
Authors' Note: YAY for John not pulling a "Maggie" and running away! And yay for Maggie being the most AWESOME Mary Sue ever! Hmmm, I supposed we are biased...
Well, dearest readers, we do have some sad news... Chapter 19, the next chapter is the very last chapter. Yup, it wraps everything up, so please join us in a few days and find out if Maggie was able to get John back to 1966, and if she went with him...
Much love,
Penny Lane, Jenny Wren, Lovely Rita
Continue to Chapter Nineteen and Epilogue
Want your own bound and printed copy of Yes It Is (and associated short stories) and Tomorrow Never Knows? You can get them from Lulu.com. You can also download a .pdf from Lulu for FREE!!
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/lovely_rita_mm
Authors: pennylane_fic, jenny_wren28 & lovely_rita_mm
Starring: The Beatles 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.
So, dearest readers, turn off your mind, relax and join Maggie Sue on another one of her Beatle adventures.....
Previous updates located HERE!
Chapter Eighteen
Maggie felt the headache long before she even woke. She felt something swarm within her mind, felt her bones ache, and she felt the dryness of her throat and the stickiness of her mouth. Her stomach turned slightly and she knew that this wasn’t the aftermath of the party, it was because sleep last night hadn’t come to her.
She knew on the way home that John had been upset. A blind man could see that he had retreated into his own thoughts, but she had thought that with a few jokes, he might loosen up. That hope had fallen away as soon as they arrived home and he went straight to bed without so much as a glance in her direction. Then he had pretended to be asleep when she wandered in an hour later.
She had no idea what she’d done wrong. Obviously she’d done something, otherwise he’d be talking to her. But for the life of her she had no idea! She’d been attentive to him all night, explaining things so that he would understand what was being discussed, and she had even left the party early when it was obvious he was not enjoying herself. Yet there it was; he was mad at her.
Men! They were so stupid. He couldn’t possibly be upset with her for talking to her ex-boyfriend… could he? Well, he was a self-professed “jealous guy”. Cringing a bit, she recalled “Run for Your Life” as being one of her least favorite Beatles songs. Still, that was just stupid of him. She was obviously in love with him, not Nick.
Sighing, Maggie reached up, and scrubbed a hand across her face. They needed to talk. He’d tell her what she’d done wrong, then she’d explain to him how he was being silly, then he’d apologize for being silly and have done with it, and they’d be back to how things were before.
Smiling to herself, she heard a slight shuffling sound that roused her from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and she felt any planned words she might have had, die in her throat. John sat at the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, his face turned to the wall. Next to his feet lay her backpack, with some of his things spilling out.
“What are you doing?” she asked quietly after a few beats. His actions were clear, but she couldn’t find anything else to say. This was not a situation she ever thought possible. They had been so happy, things had been so great. How had she driven him away?
“I was packing,” he mumbled.
Maggie blinked. “Why? You planning on going somewhere?” She swallowed thickly. Maggie knew why he was packing, although she held a vain hope that she was mistaken. She had to stall him. She had to figure out what she had done wrong and had to find a way to fix it before he walked out of her life. She wouldn’t be able to handle it, not after knowing how wonderful and full of color life was when he was truly hers. Now that she knew what it was to be happy, and to live, to really live, there was no way she’d give it up.
“No. I realized after packing I had nowhere to go. I’m stuck here, completely at your mercy,” John said miserably. Kicking the bag, he squeezed his eyes shut after seeing Maggie’s face. She looked as though she’d been slapped. He’d not meant it to come out like that. He just knew that if he let his guard down for even a moment with this woman he’d lose his resolve.
“Wh… why would you say that?” Maggie asked hesitatingly. “I don’t understand,” she said, trying to look into his eyes. He turned away from her though, refusing to meet her questioning gaze. “Are you… mad at me?”
Sighing again, John turned to her. “Yes, well, no. I mean, no.” Growing frustrated, John stared at the floor. Once again, he felt nothing more than completely lost. But at least when he was lost before, he had his friends, the same friends that were going through the same thing, to lean on. Now it felt as if he had nothing. “I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at myself for following you,” he sighed. “For falling in love with you, for acting just like Paul and believing that a fantasy in my head might actually be true. Last night was a huge wake-up call. You are a brilliant, beautiful, talented, amazing scientist. Hell, I don’t think I understand a quarter of what was said last night. You play in a band, you are successful… me, well, I’m no one now. You have an amazing career, a perfect life, you have everything you need, and all I am is a leech with no job, no money, and nothing to bring to this relationship. I don’t fit with your lifestyle… I simply don’t fit. You were right; you can’t push a square peg into a round hole.” His voice was dead, completely devoid of emotion.
Frowning, Maggie shook her head, hoping to shake something loose in order to better understand what exactly was happening. “Wait a minute; you want to leave because you didn’t understand the lecture last night, and because I had conversation with a colleague that you thought was a little hard to follow? Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme?”
“Not at all, Maggie. Because you see, it’s not just that. I don’t fit here. I don’t fit with you. You’re brilliant, you send things into space and in your spare time, just for fun, you do what I do as a career. I’m useless, and sooner or later you’re going to see that. And then you’ll get bored with me. Before I was John Lennon, I was a Beatle, I could give you anything you wanted. Now, I’m “Winston,” a guy who looks kind of like a Beatle, but that’s it. Soon it won’t be enough, and then you’ll find another man who’s just as brilliant as you, and you’ll leave me and the two of you will have brilliant babies,” John finished, staring resignedly at his feet.
“What?” Maggie felt her stomach twist at the thought. “No! I would never get tired of you…”
“You will!” he laughed cynically. “Just look at me, Maggie, I’m nothing anymore. I-I’m just John.”
Realization of just what John was saying hit Maggie like a ton of bricks. He didn’t understand, he didn’t know that she loved him for simply being him, that none of that other stuff mattered to her. Scooting across the bed, and laying a hesitant hand on his shoulder, she tried to catch his eye. “That’s right. You’re just John, and you’re my John. It’s you I love. Not a Beatle, not a rock star, not someone who can buy me anything I want, but you. Don’t you see how much easier everything’s been for me since we left? I haven’t had to worry about fans hating me, about whether you were going to OD on some new drug, about whether some crazed lunatic was going to try to kill you… I’ve had the most amazing few weeks getting to be selfish and keep you all to myself…no other Beatles to share you with, no fans, no one else but me.” His eyes met hers at that, and taking it as encouragement she scooted closer and rested her head on his shoulder while wrapping her arms around his chest. “I know I have to give you back, and I’m trying to find a way to get you back home, but please, please don’t ever think, even for a minute, that I love you because of your fame and your name. I even love you when you’re Winston.” They both giggled a bit at that, and Maggie knew that they were going to be all right. “And if you ever think again that I’d ever get bored with you, then perhaps you are as stupid as you seem to think you are.”
“Is that right, Miss Margaret?”
“That’s right, Monsieur Winston.”
At that, John pounced on her and tickled her until she gave in and together they fulfilled some more promises. It was going to be a great day.
* * *
At 3am the following evening, Maggie was woken up by John, who had his guitar with him.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“Inspiration struck, and I wrote you a song. You inspired so many when you were gone, and now that I have you, I’m not as tortured as an artist. But I dug deep and came up with this. I hope you like it."
Maggie looked at him expectantly, wondering if she would recognize the song, or if it would be something entirely new, born out of the altered history they had created together.
John started strumming. And she recognized it instantly.
All my little plans and schemes,
lost like some forgotten dreams.
Seems that all I really was doing
was waitin' for you.
Maggie started to tear up as John sang to her, his plaintive voice so familiar, and now so dear to her.
Just like little girls and boys,
Playing with their little toys.
Seems like all we really were doing
was waitin' for love.
The last time she had heard this song was on a quivery demo, just John and a piano, calling out to her from beyond the grave.
Don’t need to be alone,
No need to be alone.
It's real love, it's real
Yes it's real love, it's real
But here he was, against all odds. Alive and very real, if out of place and out of time.
From this moment on I know,
Exactly where my life will go.
Seems that all I really was doing
was waitin' for love.
Thought I'd been in love before,
But in my heart I wanted more.
Seems like all I really was doing
was waitin' for you.
He smiled at her as he sang the chorus for the last time.
Don't need to be afraid
No need to be alone
It's real love, yeah it's real,
It's real love, it's real,
Yes, it's real love, it's real…
He loved her. Despite everything, he loved her. She knew that now.
So she listened, full of hope and happiness and sadness. In the back of her mind, her analytical side had already switched on, full of ideas. If they were going to get him home, and if she was going to go with him, she had plans to make.
*********************
Authors' Note: YAY for John not pulling a "Maggie" and running away! And yay for Maggie being the most AWESOME Mary Sue ever! Hmmm, I supposed we are biased...
Well, dearest readers, we do have some sad news... Chapter 19, the next chapter is the very last chapter. Yup, it wraps everything up, so please join us in a few days and find out if Maggie was able to get John back to 1966, and if she went with him...
Much love,
Penny Lane, Jenny Wren, Lovely Rita
Continue to Chapter Nineteen and Epilogue
Want your own bound and printed copy of Yes It Is (and associated short stories) and Tomorrow Never Knows? You can get them from Lulu.com. You can also download a .pdf from Lulu for FREE!!
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/lovely_rita_mm