When Barney finally showed up, it was nearly Christmas. "Hi, Paul," he said nervously.

     "Hello, Barney," Paul sighed. "Listen, I'm willing to listen to what you have to say about this whole thing. I've had a long time to think so, you know, maybe I can come around to the idea... If they've really agreed to let John live and they want to help take down the F.H.O. then, I mean...that's a pretty good deal."

     "Yeah," Barney said slowly. "Listen."

     Paul frowned. "Oh, God. What happened?"

     "Well, many of the Shadows joined the Unknowables," Barney began to explain. "For a while we believed that the Shadows had, by all technicalities, been wiped out. They'd all become Unknowables. But then...a lot of Marbella's people rebelled, turned against her. They ran away, went into hiding, and we did the same. The Shadows are still a serious threat, though they have less than half the members they once did. All the same, there are still Shadows out there who need to be turned to our side, or wiped out."

     "This really is war, isn't it?" Paul said. "Everything was beginning to die down. It was all sneaking around, stealing information and what not. But this really is war. People are going to die."

     Barney nodded slowly. "There's more," he said.

    Paul frowned. "Do I want to know?"

     "No, but you have to," Barney sighed. "The people who turned against Marbella and refused to turn to the side of the Unknowables did so because..." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Because they think John should die in 1980."

     Paul swallowed hard. "Oh," he said, and he just stood there silently for a long while, his mind reeling, before he finally spoke. "Should he?"

     "What?" Barney asked, confused.

     "Should he die?" Paul asked.

     Barney frowned and he raised his eyebrows. "Paul..what the hell are you talking about? You're here to save John, you want to save John. How could you think for even a moment that maybe he should die?"

     "The prophecies were all fake," Paul frowned. "Does that mean that John's not meant to live? That he just died and he was just meant to die? Am I going to rip the universe apart because I can't bare to lose him?"

      "I...I don't know, Paul," Barney shook his head. "We can't be sure about anything anymore. Everything's gotten so messed up. But right now, as far as we know, saving John's life isn't going to tear a hole in the space-time continuum and until we are told otherwise...let's do it. Let's save John Winston Lennon."

     Paul nodded and he pulled Barney into a tight hug. "Thank you."

~~~

     Barney's words didn't really comfort Paul, though, and as 1966 turned into 1967 Paul was becoming more and more worried with each passing day.

     The Fall of the Beatles, as Paul was now labeling the band's breakup in his head, was just a couple years away. On top of that, he couldn't stop thinking about John's death -- was it going to cause a major paradox if he stopped John from dying?

     Early in February, not long before the band was going into the studio to record Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Brian came round to tell them that they'd be attending a very nice, very classy sit down dinner party.

      'Brian,' Paul thought. 'He dies this year.. What do I do?'

    He pushed that thought to the back his mind for the time being, though. He'd have to cross that bridge when he came to it.

     As Paul stood in front of the mirror in his and John's shared bedroom, tying his how tie, John came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "What's the matter, love?" He placed a kiss behind Paul's ear. "You look rather forlorn."

     "Big words, Johnny," Paul said and laughed, but it was so obviously forced.

     "What's wrong?" John frowned.

     Paul looked down when he was done tying his bow tie, suddenly seeming very interested in his shoes. "I don't know, I'm just feeling down today. Nothing serious."

     "Promise?" John said.

    Paul smiled and nodded. "Promise."

     "Okay," John said slowly, still unsure. He walked around and kissed Paul before going to get his own suit on.

~~~

      A couple months later, when George, Ringo, and John had all gone out for the day, Paul was alone in the flat with Yoko.

     "It's really nice to be friends with you now," Yoko smiled. "This time around. It's not fun being against you. You're a fun guy."  

     "What're you on about? We've been friends for years!" Paul said.

     "Yeah, but I mean now," Yoko sighed. "In this era, at this age."

     "Oh," Paul nodded slowly.

     "You hated me," Yoko laughed.

     "I did not! Hate is a very strong word!"

     Yoko raised her eyebrows at him.

     Paul sighed. "Okay, yes. I did. But can't you understand why?"

     "I thought I did for a long time," Yoko said slowly, suddenly appearing very deep in thought. "And I guess I kind of did. After John died, I thought that I had it figured out. I thought; I was so in love with John, so if Paul loved him even half as much as I did and he felt like I took him away, then I understand. But now I truly understand why you hated me all those years. Because you love him exactly as much as I do, in exactly the same way, and if our places were switched then I would hate you, too."

     It was silent for a while and then Paul said, "So you hate me?"

     "What?" Yoko looked up, confused.

     "You hate me, then," Paul said as casually as of he were commenting in the weather. "Our places are switched, aren't they? You were sent back in time, you thought you'd have another shot at being with John, and I kind of ruined that for you."

     Yoko sighed lightly. "You've got a point..." She said, then nothing else for a while. When she spoke again, she sounded like she was making a decision. "I don't hate you. And maybe I should. But I don't."

     Paul smiled. "That's good."

     Yoko chuckled. "Yeah."

    The door opened. "Oh. Hello, Yoko," John said when he entered, closing the door behind himself. "How are you?"

     "I'm well," Yoko nodded. "And yourself?"

    "I'm as great as can be," John said.

     "That's wonderful," Yoko smiled and a moment later the phone began to ring. "I'll get it if you want?" She offered and Paul nodded with a smile and thanked her before she hurried off.

     John plopped down beside Paul with a sigh. "She's growing on me." He shrugged.

     Paul wasn't sure what to think of that, or how to respond, so he just smiled at John and said, "That's good," then kissed him.

     Yoko rushed back into the room, face ghostly white. "Paul," she said, her voice shaking. "It's -- it's for you. It's your brother. He sounds upset."

     Paul frowned, then stood and left the room, heading for the phone.

    "Is everything okay?" John asked Yoko.

     Yoko shook her head slowly. "No.. Well, I don't know. Mike didn't say. But whatever it is, it didn't sound like everything is okay."

     John frowned. "Shit, I hope everything is okay.."

     They sat in silence for a couple minutes and both looked up when Paul re-entered the room, looking pale and shaky and a little faint. "Paul?" John said, and he for a moment he forgot that Yoko was sitting right there. He leapt to his feet and ran to Paul, gripping his shoulders.

     Paul swayed and John thought for a moment that he was going to throw up. He held onto him a little tighter, steadying him.

     "Paul? What's wrong?" John asked.

     Paul looked into his eyes as he began to break down, as the years began to fall. "M-my dad is dead."