A/N: I figured since I went to the Azores, why not have the Beatles go to the Azores? While I was there, I was given a lot of different info and some was correct, and some wasn't, and there's not much written about the Azores online as far as what I need to know goes...so just bare with me. :)

~~~

So Ringo joined the band, Brian became their manager, and within months they were playing gigs at parties and big restaurants all over England. By February, 1962, Brian was drowning in requests for the Beatles.

"Okay, boys!" Brian said when he met up with them in mid February. "I have your next big gig set up! Now, it's a charity event which you've never done before because charity events aren't paying gigs. But now you've got a good base as far as your careers go, people know who you are, so now we are going international! It'll be great! Not to mention, a performance for charity will be fantastic for your image!"

The four boys agreed with Brian on that one.

Paul woke early on the twenty fifth of February, just a few days before they set off for their big charity event. He went straight to the phone and dialed, then pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Happy birthday, Georgie," Paul smiled. He found himself beginning to tear up at the mere ability to say those words to George again on his birthday.

"Thanks, Paulie," George said. "So, how're you feeling about the trip for charity event?"

"Good," Paul said. "I was kind of confused as to why they're holding it on a tiny island in the Azores, but I get it. It's smaller, less people to get in the way."

"Yeah, I get what they're playing at," George agreed. "I'm kind of nervous, though. I've never been on a plane before and Brian says we're going to have to go on a really big plane to get there, and then a really small plane to get to the island where the event is being held."

"Yeah," Paul said, careful about what he said next as he hadn't been on a plane by the time he was nineteen and George knew that for a fact. "I'm not too nervous about flying."

The Beatles and Brian were going to have to take an international flight to St. Michael which was one of the biggest islands of the Azores with one of the highest populations. From there, they'd take a propellor plane to Faial which was one of the smallest islands of the Azores. They'd be there for two weeks because the people who were running the charity event, while not paying them in cash, were providing their airfare, a place to stay, and they were giving them a tour guide to show them around the island.

Although Paul told George that he was feeling good about the trip, he was actual nervous as hell. This trip hadn't happened the first time round - the Beatles had never gone to the Azores all together! He had no idea what was going to happen, what was supposed to happen, and it had now been almost four months since he'd last seen Barney. It was making him extremely nervous to have not seen him in so long and he really hoped that he'd get to talk to him before the trip to the Azores.

"Lucky you," George sighed. "I'm a nervous wreck."

"It'll be okay, Georgie," Paul smiled even though he knew that George couldn't see him. He looked up as John walked into the kitchen.

"Is that George?" John asked and Paul nodded. John snatch the phone away from Paul. "Hey, Harrison! Happy birthday, son."

Paul looked at John and for the first time he wondered why John used George's last time so casually but when he used Paul's last name it meant he was angry and trying to shut himself away from the world... Paul wasn't sure whether to be insulted or just accept the complexity that was John Winston Lennon. He decided on the latter.

"Alright, see you tonight for the show?" John said. "Alright... I'm going to hand you back to Paul now... Alright. I'll see you at the gig tonight... Bye." John said and handed the phone back to Paul.

"Hey, George," Paul said. "Listen, I'm going to go because I want to get all of my packing for the trip done today. I'll see you at the gig tonight, yeah?"

"Yeah, see you then," George said. "Bye."

"Goodbye," Paul said and hung up the phone. John came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Paul's waist, kissing his neck. "Morning." Paul chuckled.

"Do you have to pack your things today?" John whined. "We haven't got anything to do until eight o' clock tonight. We could just relax all day and be together without anyone to bother us..."

"We're leaving in three days, John, and we're going away for two whole weeks," Paul laughed. "I need to pack! And so do you!"

"Ugh!" John rolled his eyes. "Fine!"

"Okay! Let's get to it!" Paul grinned.

~~~

The flight to St. Michael went smoothly. Paul was sitting at a window seat and he was looking out the window with a huge grin on his face as he watched the Tarmac go by in a blur as the plane got faster and faster and faster.

Then he felt someone take his hand and he looked over to see John staring straight ahead at the back of the chair in front of him, and he was grasping Paul's hand and squeezing it tightly. "Nervous flyer?" Paul raised his eyebrows. He couldn't remember how John had reacted the first time he had been in a plane, because at that time it had been Paul's first time on a plane, too.

"I've never been on a plane before," John said.

Paul smiled and squeezed John's hand. "It's okay. I'm right here."

John smiled. "Sometimes that's the only thing that gets me through the day, Macca."

~~~

From St. Michael, they flew to Faial. When George saw the plane that they'd be on (which had propellers and seated only thirty six people), he gaped and said, "There's no way that thing is safe to fly over the ocean!"

"Calm down, George," Brian patted George's shoulder. "It's only a forty five minute flight."

"Oh, God!" George said.

But that flight went smoothly as well. When they landed in Faial, they got all of their luggage and made their way outside to find a man holding a sign that read; Mr. Epstein and The Beatles!

"Ah! Hello!" Brian led Paul, John, George, and Ringo over to the man. "You must be Mr. Almeida, the boys' tour guide?"

"Please, call me Tony!" The man said in a thick Portuguese accent. "Greetings, Beatles!" He grinned, pronouncing the band name Bee-ah-tles. "Welcome to the beautiful island of Faial! "Does anyone speaking any Portuguese?"

The four of them shook their heads.

"No? That's okay!" Tony said. "Everyone on the island speak a perfect English!"

The boys eyed one another.

It wasn't long before the car was pulling up to a beautiful house. "We have no hotels on our island, so you'll be renting a home whilst your stay!"

The four band mates, again, eyed one another... Perfect English? Well, he doesn't speak terrible English, but perfect?!

"There are three bedrooms, so some of you are going to pair," Tony said. "So, you've got the afternoon to do whatever you'd like, but tomorrow the fun begins! Oh! And I've got us all booked for dinner at Frank's restaurant! We're gonna get you the fish burgers and the black soda with the white ice!"

"Oh," the four Beatles murmured and nodded.

"I'll room with Paul," John said before anyone else got the chance to call a roommate.

"I guess that leaves the two of us together, mate," Ringo said to George.

"Okay," George nodded.

Tony showed Brian to his room, then showed George and Ringo to theirs. "Oh, boys," he said to John and Paul. "I am, how you say, apology? This room has only one bed, you have to share."

"That's all right," Paul smiled. "No worries."

Tony grinned and gestured for them to go into their room. They walked in, wheeling their luggage behind them, and John locked the door behind the two of them. "It's really nice here," he commented.

"Yeah," Paul agreed. "Shame we have to share a bed though," he added sarcastically.

"Ugh, I know," John rolled his eyes as he slipped his arms around Paul's waist. "What ever will we do with ourselves?"

"I haven't the foggiest," Paul smiled and kissed John.

~~~

Tony rambled on at dinner about how Terceira was the oldest island in the Azores and it was three billion years old (as it turns out, St. George was the oldest and Terceira was barely over a million years old). Tony kept insisting that the boys try this expensive Portuguese delicacy which he said was the "best thing he'd ever put in his mouth" - live snails.

By the end of the night, the Beatles had had enough of Tony to last them a lifetime - and it was only the second day of their trip!

Back at the house they were renting, after Tony had gone home and everyone but Paul had gone to bed, Barney showed up. "So, how are you liking the beautiful Azores?" He grinned.

"I haven't seen you in over four months," Paul crossed his arms.

Barney frowned. "Has it really been that long?"

"Yes!" Paul shouted.

"Ugh, listen," Barney sighed. "First of all, it's time travel. It hasn't been four months since I last saw you, but it's been four months since you last saw me. I can pop in anywhere and sometimes I pop in times and places that I don't mean to. Magic isn't an exact science, it's not a science at all. Otherwise it wouldn't be called magic. But I'm sorry that it's been so long. Second of all...things are getting are worse. We're starting to lose the war against those who want to take us down and disrupt history."

"Who are those people anyway?" Paul asked.

Barney sighed. "They call themselves the Shadows. In their minds, they creep in like shadows and expose our work. Expose how we make sure certain things happen, and don't let them happen naturally. They want the world to know that we've made history fake."

Paul frowned.

"I know what you're thinking - in a way, we have." Barney said and nodded. "And you're right. But we have prophecies to follow. And I'd rather live in a fake world that isn't filled with murder and chaos and ruin, than a real one that is."

Paul didn't know which he'd rather have. He supposed it didn't matter now, he'd been living in a fake world his whole life and now he was working to preserve that fakeness and make it even less real.

"So," Barney smiled, eager to change the subject. "Seriously, how are you liking the Faial?"

"It's nice, but we haven't seen much of it yet," Paul nodded. "Our tour guide is terrible. He's so annoying!"

"Hey!" Barney exclaimed. "Your tour guide seems like a fantastic guy! A hoot and a half! The bomb diggity!"

Paul raised his eyebrows. "Barney," he said pointedly, crossing his arms again. "Are you Tony?"

"Yes!" He laughed. "I'm awesome! How amazing are my face changing skills? Like, seriously! I am awesome! Can you even handle my level of awesome? I bet you can't!"

Paul narrowed his eyes. "You have been so annoying, you have no idea! Please stop. Please. I beg of you!"

"But this is how I'm going to keep an eye on you!" Barney said. "Look, I know that this vacation never happened for you before so I want to stay with you and I obviously can't do that as myself, so...I just became your tour guide! Pretty brilliant plan if you ask me."

"Yeah, well, can you stop being so annoying?" Paul sighed.

"Nope," Barney shook his head. "Now I've got to stay in character."

Paul sighed, then was hit with a sudden realization. "Wait, so earlier when you said that John and I would have to share a bed and you never asked if George and Ringo would mind you were just..."

Barney winked. "You have a fun night, now, Paulie," he laughed then disappeared, leaving Paul blushing.