"The Shadows? And the F.H.O.?" Stuart said, looking very frightened now. He was wondering if it had been a very bad idea to have mentioned those things to Paul. "Oh, God. Please tell me you know what I'm talking about?"

"I know exactly what you're talking about," Paul hissed. "But how do you know what you're talking about."

"Well, back in April after I almost died, this woman came to me while I was alone." Stuart said. "She explained all about this alternate reality where I died and I how I was supposed to die and how they saved me. She told me all about the F.H.O. and how they were determined to make history a lie just to fit their "precious prophecies".. She asked me to join them and be put under their protection... She said that my only job would be to kill John Lennon."

"I knew it!" Paul's eyes grew wide and he backed away from Stuart.

"Paul, calm down!" Stuart said. "I told them that I wouldn't do it."

Paul furrowed his brows. "Wait, then how're you still alive? I thought if you said no they would've killed you by now."

"Yeah, me, too," Stuart stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I wanted to warn John but, I mean, who would believe me? Aside from you, of course. But I haven't even told Astrid.. Although, speaking of you, how do you know about all of this? And how'd you know they'd ask me to kill John?"

"I'm kind of working for the F.H.O.," Paul shrugged.

Stuart raised his eyebrows. "Are you really?" He looked as if he didn't know just how to react to that new piece of information.

"Yeah," Paul nodded, shifting uncomfortably.

"You're working for the people who are trying to change history just so that it fits their so-called prophecies?" Stuart crossed his arms. "Are you being serious right now, Paul?"

"Are you defending the Shadows?" Paul asked.

"No, I'm not defending the Shadows or the F.H.O.," Stuart said. "I think they're both full of shit."

Paul huffed. He didn't know what it was about that specific sentence, but he was sure that this had been a long time coming. He'd just had enough of all of these conflicting emotions buried deep inside of him, making him wonder whether or not he was doing the right thing,

He finally burst.

"Well, you know what, Stuart?" Paul growled. "I have seen things you wouldn't believe. I have lost things that you will probably never understand. The first time u lived my life - yeah, that's right, I lived seventy three years of a very different life before I was dragged back here to change history - John died. He was shot. I also fell madly in love with this woman the first time I lived my life and you know what happened to her when I got here? She was killed because she was seen as a threat by the F.H.O. Now in the year and a half since I've been here, I have stopped John from dying, nearly been killed myself and nearly seen George die, and found out that John Lennon was madly in love with me and that I am hopelessly in love with him."

Stuart was taken aback. "What? John died? You're in love with John?"

"Yes," Paul said. "And yes.."

"Wow," Stuart crossed his arms again. "Actually, I can see it. You two always were weirdly close. I kind of always thought you were just really good mates, but this actually makes a lot more sense when I think about it."

"So you're not disgusted?" Paul smiled.

"No," Stuart laughed. "I always kind of thought you might be a queer, to be honest.. So if you're from the future, what's it like?"

"Well, you can't call people queers for starters," Paul said. "It's actually quite offensive."

"Is being gay, like, normal?" Stuart asked.

"In a lot of places, yes." Paul nodded.

"Huh, well, at least you and John have got that to look forward to," Stuart clapped Paul on the shoulder. "Than again, John doesn't know about all of this time travel and super secret organizations business, does he."

"No," Paul shook his head. "So I've just got to keep him alive long enough for him to see the day that we could actually get married."

"Married?" Stuart side, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Oh, Stuart," Paul smiled. "You have no idea."

~~~

Paul laid awake that night in the hotel room he was sharing with John. He was staring at the ceiling and wondering if he was really making the best decisions..

In the past few months he had told Stuart (who was supposed to be dead) that he was dating John and that he was working for the F.H.O., and he'd told Brian that he was gay...or bisexual...or JohnSexual, he supposed.

It could be dangerous to be sharing information like that. But then again, Stuart knew about the Shadows and the F.H.O. so he didn't think he was crazy, and it's not like anyone would believe him if he blabbed to anyone. And Brian was gay so he was going to turn Paul into the police or anything, and he didn't even know that Paul was dating John. How bad could it really be, right?

~~~

He really needed to talk to Barney and he knew it, but even if Barney decided to swing by it's not like he'd have much time to talk to him. There was so much going on, he barely had any time to worry about everything he'd told Stuart and Brian.

As soon as they awoke in the morning, they were being shouted at to get dressed and then whisked away for a quick breakfast, and then it was straight to practice for them. Oh, and they practiced all right. All. Day. Long.

And then it was nighttime and it was time for them to perform their five hour set. It was exhausting, and Paul quickly realized that he'd forgotten how intense it was to perform for five straight hours, jumping around onstage with no break. His mouth was dry and longing for water, his eyes were heavy with a need for sleep, his limbs ached and begged for rest.

Around the three hour mark, Paul suddenly felt himself become very lightheaded. He stumbled sideways, bumping into George. "Sorry," he muttered to George.

George shook his head to say it was okay, looking at him with a curious expression.

From across the stage, Paul spotted John looking at him with a worried expression that he did very little to hide. "Are you okay?" He mouthed, his eyebrows knitted together in worry.

Paul quickly nodded and shot him a reassuring grin.

After their set was finished and they hurried off the stage and out of the room, John quickly put his hands on Paul's shoulders and Paul would have told him to shove off before Ringo or George suspected something, but he felt so dizzy that he was glad for the support that John's hands offered.

"What's wrong?" John asked.

For a few moments, Paul thought everything was okay. He was just thirsty and tired and maybe even a little hungry.. But then it all went horribly wrong.

"What's wrong?" John asked again, but this time Paul didn't hear him. He just saw John's lips moving and felt his own head pounding and he heard a really loud ringing in his hears.

It would be so nice to go to sleep, he thought. I'm so tired.

He thought that he might have heard himself say it out loud, but then again, maybe it was just his inner voice.

Then the world around him went black.

~~~

John, George, and Ringo watched Paul as the bassist's eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body went limp. "Paul!" John shouted, quickly latching onto before he could crash to the ground. He laid him down on the floor gently.

"Boys! What's going on?!" Brian exclaimed in terror when he found them.

"Paul just fainted," George said, chewing on his fingernails anxiously. "It was weird. He was fine and then he starting stumbling onstage and when we were finished we came here and he just...passed out!"

"Oh, dear," Brian put a hand on his chest. "Okay, get him back to his room, try and wake him up. Get him some water and some food. I'm going to call a doctor."

And just like that, they spread out. Brain hurried off to find a phone, John lifted Paul and hurried toward the elevator, and Ringo and George ran to the hotel's cafè to get Paul some food and water.

In their room, John laid Paul down on his bed (well, they shared the bed but no one else knew about that), and slapped the side of his face. "Wake up, Paulie. Come on. Wake up. Talk to me."

A few moments later, Paul's eyes fluttered open. "John?"

"Oh, thank god," John breathed a sigh of relief.

"What happened?" Paul frowned, look around the room in confusion. "How did I get here? We were backstage!"

"Yeah, we were," John nodded. "And you blacked out!"

"Oh.." Paul frowned again. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," John sighed and intertwined his fingers with Paul's. "Just listen to me. If you want to be a vegetarian and save the animals, that's great, but you have got to eat more! You can't keep having an apple for a breakfast and a salad for dinner. You need to be eating three meals a day, you need to be eating full meals, and I don't know.. Just eat more! It's not healthy, Paul. You're too skinny."

"Yeah, I know.." Paul sighed.

"I'm just looking out for you," John said. "I love you too much to lose you. I don't know what I'd do without you, Macca... You know that, don't you?"

Paul nodded. "I know," he said and forced a smile. "I love you, too, and if our places were switched I'd do the same."

"So you promise you'll eat more?" John said, a note of hope appearing in his voice.

Paul nodded. "Yeah, I promise."

John smiled and kissed Paul's hand, "Thank you,"