Paul didn't see Barney for a long time, and he was beginning to worry. Early in September Tessa showed up for the first time since the night in June when she showed up and introduced herself to Barney.

    "I'm stressing out," Paul sighed. "Why did you do that? Like, really? I haven't seen him in almost two months, Tessa. What if he told the F.H.O.? What if they're going to come after you and me?"

     "He wouldn't do anything that would compromise your safety, Paul," Tessa rolled her eyes. "And besides, they'll blame him if he tells them and he'll get fired and have his memories of his life since he started working for the F.H.O. wiped and replaced with fake ones. You think he'll go through with that?"

     Paul sighed and shook his head. "No, I suppose you're right."

     "Of course I am," she smiled and Paul rolled her eyes. "Just relax, okay? Everything is pretty calm around here right now. Enjoy it. With the way your life has been in the past few years, Paul McCartney, you should know that the calm is just the eye of the storm."

     "Yeah, you could say that again." Paul laughed. "Any news on the F.H.O.'s big Plan B?"

     "None that I can give you," Tessa said. "Well, there's a little bit that I can tell you. We're pretty sure that they're going to bring her in sometime around 1970, all things depending.""

     "Well, at least I've got like five and a half years to prepare myself." Paul sighed, but then he shook his head. "No, scratch that. I'll never be able to prepare myself. It's going to suck, big time."

     "Yeah, it is." Tessa admitted.

     "Thanks," Paul chuckled.

     "Ooh, guess what!" Tessa exclaimed excitedly.

      "What?" Paul asked.

     "Guess." She grinned smugly, but paul glared at her so she laughed and continued. "Okay, okay. We finally caught those men from Italy who were using artificial magic and messing with history!"

     "That's great!" Paul grinned. "What'd you do with them?"

     "Wiped their memories," Tessa said. "And we obviously took all of their artificial magic products and destroyed them."

     "Good," Paul nodded.

     "Yeah.. Well, I'll see you soon, I suppose." Tessa said. "Try to relax, okay?"

     "Okay," Paul nodded, sighing. He wasn't sure if he even remembered how to relax at this point, or what it felt like to not be constantly stressed and worried. "Bye."

    "Bye," she waved, then she disappeared.

     And after that, weeks passed by, and soon months, and before Paul knew it, it was December. Beatles For Sale was out and they were writing new songs to record the following year for their fifth album, Help! (which, to Paul's dismay, they were not planning on pairing a movie with).

     And then, in the first few days of December, Paul got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water and jumped in surprise when he saw Barney leaning against the counter with a somber look on his face. "Barney," he said. "It's..it's good to see you. It's been a while."

     Barney nodded slowly. "You were right. You and Tessa were right."

     Paul looked surprised. "Really? You believe us?"

     "Don't have much of a choice." Barney frowned. "I — I kind of hacked into President Wilson's private files.. I didn't want to believe Tessa, but she had six names of people who had supposedly died. And how could she have known that? Yeah, maybe they did some research. Maybe they've got a lot of resources. But why? Why lie about that?"

     Paul nodded slowly.

     "So I looked into it, looked into the prophecies," Barney sighed heavily. "And she was right. About everything. Even the Plan B for your case!!"

     "Do you know who the Plan B is?" Paul asked.

     "Yeah," Barney said.

     "Who is it?" Paul asked.

     "I can't tell you," Barney said, finally looking at Paul with his tired gaze.

     "Well, why not?" Paul frowned.

     "Because I promised Tessa that I wouldn't," Barney said, a small smile creeping across his face.

     "Wait, you've been in touch with her?" Paul asked, confused.

     "Yeah," Barney nodded. "I'm kind of...working with the Unknowables."

     Paul grinned. "That's great."

     "Yeah.." Barney nodded. "They've got a plan for if the F.H.O. figures me out. They'll protect Lilly and Kylie.. Kylie's a year old now, by the way."

     "Tell her I said happy birthday," Paul smiled.

     Barney smiled back. "So, Paul.. Everything is in order. Lilly knows everything and she's on board with whatever we do. I'm basically a member of the Unknowables now. We're going to help take down the F.H.O. and hopefully the Shadows, and you know what? We're still going to save John in the process."

     Paul grinned. "Let's do it!"

~~~

     Christmas came and went, and then Paul found himself entering 1965. They began writing for Help! obsessively as the months went by and Paul was honestly so excited. Help! was a good time for the Beatles, and even without the movie he was sure that it would be great.

     Early in May, just weeks before the four year anniversary of Paul arriving back in the sixties, Paul and John were alone in the apartment. They were on the sofa, working on the music and the lyrics for a few different songs, when John picked up his guitar and began to strum and sing.

    "I get high when I see you go by
My oh my
When you sigh, my, my inside just flies
Butterflies
Why am I so shy when I'm beside you?"

     Paul smiled. "Haven't heard this in a while,"

     John grinned and continued. "It's only love and that is all
Why should I feel the way I do?
It's only love, and that is all
But it's so hard loving you

Is it right that you and I should fight
Every night?
Just the sight of you makes nighttime bright
Very bright
Haven't I the right to make it up girl?

It's only love and that is all
Why should I feel the way I do?
It's only love, and that is all
But it's so hard loving you
Yes it's so hard loving you, loving you."

      Paul smiled and kissed John's cheek. "It's still just as lovely as ever,"

     "I want to put it on the album," John smiled. "If that's okay with you, of course. It is a song written for you."

     Paul was taken aback, but then he realized that the Beatles were going to record their fifth album. Paul was going to experience their Help! era again and yes, It's Only Love was on that album. So he smiled and cupped the back of John's neck. "I would love that," he said.

     John grinned, setting his guitar down and pulling Paul in toward him. He kissed him deeply, holding him close. He had his arms wrapped tightly around him, holding him as if he thought he might never get the chance again.

     It was wonderful, and Paul thought that he could just get lost in John.. Hold onto him forever, kiss him until the end of time.

     And then John shoved him off of him, eyes wide, and said, "Shit."

     Paul frowned. "What?" He questioned and John nodded toward the front door of the flat. Paul turned around and saw, in the now open doorway, George and Ringo with taken aback expressions. "Shit."

     "Uh..hi." Ringo said and he and George walked into the flat, closing the door behind themselves.

     Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!! Paul screamed inside his head. OH MY GOD! THIS IS A DISASTER!

     "Uhm, would you believe me if I said that it's not what it looks like?" John asked.

     George laughed as he sunk into a chair. "No," he said. "What about you, Ringo?"

     "Not a chance," Ringo sat down on the arm of the sofa, looking at Paul and John.

     "You two seem very calm about this.." Paul furrowed his brows, looking back and forth between the two of them as they smirked to one another. "And you don't seem at all surprised..."

     Ringo laughed. "Eh, about that.."

     John and Paul raised their eyebrows.

     "We've sort of known for months," George smirked and shrugged his shoulders. He spoke as casually as if he were comment on the weather.

     "You what?" John's eyes grew wide.

     "Seriously?" Paul furrowed his brows.

     "But...how?"

     "Why didn't you say anything?"

     "How?!"

     "You're not at all bothered?"

     "HOW?!"

     "When you say months..how many?"

     George and Ringo looked at each other and considered this. "Let's see, how m at months?" Ringo though aloud. "Well, we started becoming suspicious around June..of 1963."

     "Jesus Christ, almost two years?" Paul's eyebrows shot up. He wasn't sure what to make of all this.

     "HOW?!" John cried.

     "Yeah, but weren't absolutely sure until..well..a few days later in June of 1963, actually." George admitted.

     "Oh.." Paul said. "And you're not, like — you don't care?"

     Ringo shrugged. "I mean, I'm not going go lie, we were a little weirded out at first but we've gotten over that. Besides, we've had two years to get used to the idea of the two of you being together."

     "Anyway, you're like the perfect couple from what we've seen," George said.

     "And we've seen a lot," Ringo laughed. "And heard a lot, so thanks a bunch for that."

     "You're practically a match made in heaven," George smiled, and he and Ringo watched John and Paul carefully and John and paul stared back with their mouths hanging open. And for a short while, time passed thus, in silence. And then John spoke..

     "BUT HOW?!?!?!" He bellowed.

     "It's a long story, honestly," George said.

     "Shall we tell it together, Georgie?" Ringo quirked one eyebrow upward.

     "We shall," George laughed, and Paul and John watched them expectantly.

     Ringo began, "Our story begins in June, 1963..."