"Okay, so, let me see if I've got this all right: the F.H.O. is evil," said George. "You thought they were good when you first got here, but then you found out that they're not."

"Yes, that's right," Paul said, nodding.

"And the Shadows are evil, and you've always known that," said George.

"Right," said Paul.

"And they're trying to stop the F.H.O., and the F.H.O. is trying to stop the Shadows," said George, furrowing his brow in concentration. "The Unknowables are trying to stop the both of them."

"Correct," Paul said.

"And... and some of the Unknowables used to be part of the Shadows," George said slowly. "But they left to be part of the Unknowables instead, right?"

"Right," Paul said. "Exactly, George, you've got it."

"And the people who captured us," said George, "those were people from the F.H.O.?"

"No, those were Shadows," Paul corrected him.

"Right, okay," George said. "And Yoko is from the future just like you, right?"

"Just like me, exactly." Paul nodded.

"And you Yoko both were taken from the year 2014?" George questioned.

"2015," said Paul.

"2015," George said. "Right."

"Right," said Paul.

"Then I think there's only one thing left that I don't quite understand," said George.

"What's that?" Paul asked, head tilted slightly.

"I've heard the story of the night you and John got together," said George. "I know that you were scared and confused and you ran away, I know that you were surprised when John told you that he loves you. And you realized then that you love him, too, that's how you and John have always told the story."

"Yeah," said Paul slowly. "And?"

"So, if you've already lived this whole life once before," said George, "and obviously you have, I mean, I was there and saw the — where the Shadows took us to, and come on, no one can make up something crazy as all this. I'm not saying that I don't believe you, I'm saying that I do! It's just... since you've lived this whole life before, why were you surprised? Why'd you run away from John? Why didn't you tell him that you're in love with him sooner?"

"Oh," Paul sighed. "That's, uh, really complicated." He breathed a heavy sigh. "So, in the original timeline that I lived through, John and I... we weren't together. Not like we are now, I mean. We were still best, best friends, don't get me wrong. We were very close. But John was married, and eventually I got married, too."

"Seriously?" George asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," Paul said, sighing. "It's... it's crazy to think about." He gazed off into the distance, sinking deep into his thoughts and finding himself lost in the maze of his mind.

"Yeah," George said. "Really, it is. So... what about your wives?"

"Hmmm?" said Paul, distracted.

"You and John both had wives," George said. "So obviously you loved them. You loved other people, so... damn, so John doesn't even remember being married? Being in love..."

"Well..." Paul frowned.

"But you do," George said. "You remember loving some woman. You loved her enough to marry her, so..."

Paul nodded slowly. "Yeah, well... you know, it's..." he trailed off.

George frowned. "Paul?" he said. "Were you still married to her when you got taken from 2015?"

Paul smiled sadly. "No, I..." he sniffled and blinked back tears. "Um, she got really sick. The doctors did everything they could but... But she was very, very ill. She died in 1998."

George frowned. "I'm sorry. I, uh... I hope I was there for you."

Paul squeezed his eyes shut. "I shouldn't talk about your future with you, even if it's something that won't happen now, I —"

"No, I know," George interrupted. "And I'm not asking you to say anything, I just... hope that I was there for you when you needed someone to be there for you. I know you like John more than you like me but with him gone I hope that I really stepped up to the plate."

Paul frowned. "Oh my god, George, why do you think that I like John more than I like you?"

"It's fine, I get it," George said and Paul made a squawking sort of noise. "No, really, I understand. He's the love of your life. Or, the love of this life. Or... I don't know. But it makes perfect sense. I'm just saying, it was 1998, you said John was killed in 1980 — which, still trying to wrap my head around that. It's so crazy. So I just really hope that I was there for you. I want to be there for you, always. I know I'm here for you right now if you ever need me. You're my best friend, Paul, even if I'm not yours."

"George, thank you," Paul said. "That's very sweet. But don't you dare think for one second that I like you any less than I like John — don't think that I love you less than I love John. I love you in different ways, yes. I love John like you love Pattie, I love John in the same way I'll always love my wife. But George, I love you the same as how I love Mike, I love you like I love my mother and like I love my father. George, you're family. I love you so damn much."

George smiled brightly. "I love you, too," he said in a very small voice. Light fell in streaks across his face as the sun rose over the horizon and looked down on the two men through the living room window. "S'pose I should get going," said George. "Need to get everything ready for tonight." He chuckled. "You know, I'm not so worried about asking Pattie to marry me anymore. After everything I've been through tonight? Psshh. This'll be nothing."

"Ah, yeah," Paul sighed, rising to his feet and stretching. "You've got nothing to worry about anyway."

George looked up at him, eyebrows raised.

Paul smirked back at him.

George laughed. "Really?!" he exclaimed happily.

"What? I didn't tell you a thing," Paul said in an exaggerated tone, then he winked.

"You just said you shouldn't be talking about my future with me, you bastard," George said, grinning.

"Yeah, but I mean, I've been here for eight years," Paul sighed lightly. "And I've never exactly followed the rules to a T. I'm not about to start now," he snorted, and he and George laughed joyously together.

***

"George, over here!" Paul called from where he sat, waving to his bandmate.

George crossed the room in long strides. He dropped into the third chair at the table, the only empty chair that remained. "Morning, Paulie," he greeted. "Nice to see you again, Yoko," he added to the other person sitting at the table with him.

"Nice to see you, too," Yoko said, smiling warmly.

"Thanks for meeting with us," said Paul. "We get together pretty often, just the two of us, because we're the only ones around who know about all of this. And I know that you don't know anything about the next few decades to come but you know about the rest so I thought it might be nice for you to come have drinks with us. I hope it isn't weird."

"No, I appreciate the sentiment," George laughed. "God, relax, Paul. It's just me."

Paul smiled. "Well, I was just getting Yoko up to speed," he said. "I told her all about what that Olivia woman said in that warehouse or whatever it was where they had us. Was just telling her how you and I talked about how John and I weren't actually together the first time around."

"Oh, yes," Yoko laughed dryly. "Is it very hard for you to imagine me and John being married, George?"

George choked. "You what? You and — John and you — you and John —"

"Hadn't actually told him that," Paul sighed. "But thanks."

"Sorry," Yoko muttered into her coffee before sipping it deeply.

"Don't think about it too much," Paul sighed. "We can talk about it another time."

"But Yoko and John —" George said, his tone one of disgust.

"I'm right here, you know," Yoko said, arms flung wide.

"How did last night go?" Paul asked quickly, desperate for the subject to change. The last thing he needed right now was for George to start getting confused, and therefore distressed, again.

George grinned. "She said yes. We're going to get married"

"Of course she said yes," Paul said, beaming.

"Yes, well, of course you already knew that," George chuckled.

"Well," Paul sighed lightly and he nodded his head. "All the same, I'm so happy for you, George."

"You'll both be there, of course, won't you?" George asked. "At the wedding, I mean."

"I would love to," Yoko agreed happily.

"Of course, I'll be there, George," Paul said.

"Paul, will you be my best man?" George asked.

Paul smiled. "George, I would be honored."

"Excellent!" George exclaimed. "You knew that I'd asked you that, didn't you."

"I had a hunch," Paul said, chuckling, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, back to the matter at hand," Yoko said.

"You mean the matter of fact that you and John were married?" George said, switching back onto that subject so quickly, as if they'd never been off of it. "Because I, for one, would love to have a chat about that."

Yoko laughed. "Yeah, so, the first time around John and I met at a —"

"Yoko," Paul said through gritted teeth.

Yoko chuckled. "You see, George, Paul doesn't really like talking about all of this if he can help it because I was married to John and now he's practically married to him. We've had a couple deep, emotional chats about it and now he'd like to tuck it away and never discuss the matter again."

"That's not why I —" Paul began, his voice coming out high pitched and breathy all of a sudden. "I've never said that I don't want to talk about it ever again! What are you talking about?"

"I didn't say that you've ever admitted it out loud," Yoko said, and then she snorted. "But it's obvious."

"Whatever," Paul mumbled bitterly.

Yoko chuckled. "Anyway, no, that's not what I meant by 'the matter at hand'. How're you gonna break it to the Unknowables that someone found out about all of this?"

George looked up, eyes wide in fright, and Paul frowned. "Um," said Paul, shaking his head. "I'm not, obviously."

"What do you mean?" Yoko asked. "I mean, obviously the F.H.O. can't know but..."

"No one can know," Paul said.

"Paul, we can trust Barney," Yoko said.

"Isn't Barney with the F.H.O.?" George asked. He turned to Paul. "You said when you first got dropped here in the sixties, it was that Barney guy who met you in the park."

"Shit, sorry, George," said Paul. "Guess I didn't cover absolutely everything. Though, to be fair, it's quite a lot to cover. But no, so, Barney is on our side. He left the F.H.O. — well, no, he's still with the F.H.O. but really he's with the Unknowables. He's acting as a double agent, of sorts, except that the F.H.O. doesn't know he's a double agent."

"Right, so then he's not a double agent," George said, brow furrowed. "Because that's sort of the whole deal with double agents, you know what I mean? All parties involved know that the agent is working for both teams or organizations or whatever, and that's what makes double agents so risky because you can never be a hundred percent sure that you can trust them."

"Oh my god, will you two please focus?" Yoko huffed, snapping her fingers at them impatiently. "Paul, listen, Barney has been in your corner for years, and you know that he's risked everything for you. He won't let anything happen to you, and he won't let anything happen to you, either, George. He's been protecting the two of you and John and Ringo as best he could this whole time."

"I know but what if the rest of the Unknowables —" Paul began, frowning, but Yoko made a noise letting him know to stop talking.

"They're on our side, too," Yoko said. "They need to know so we know how to proceed, Paul."

"But what if they want to wipe my memories of all of this?" George asked, panicked. "Can they do that in the future? Do the Unknowables have the resources for that?"

"They might, quite honestly," Yoko said, shrugging her shoulders. "It seems like the sort of thing they might be able to do but I don't know for sure. But would that really be the worst thing?"

"Yes, it would be horrible!" George cried.

"George, calm down, please," Paul said softly. "We don't wanna draw attention while we're talking about all this, and we sort of already draw attention just by being who we are, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I — I'm sorry," George said. "But Paul, they can't make me forget. You won't let them, will you?"

"I mean, Yoko's got a point," Paul sighed admittedly, shrugging his shoulders. "Would it be the worst thing in the world if they erased your memories of all of this? It's got you so stressed out and worried, Georgie. I know I've been feeling on edge ever since the other night."

"Yeah, well, you're bound to feel on edge," George huffed. "I'm bound to be stressed out. We were kidnapped and held hostage. That's a natural reaction," he added, rolling his eyes. "Look, Paul, I'll get over all that. But I don't want to forget. I want to help. I want to save John."

"Oh, so you told him that," Yoko said, rolling her eyes at Paul.

"Sort of the whole reason I'm here," Paul sighed, exasperated. "Sort of hard to leave that bit out."

"Guys," George snapped. "Focus, please?"

"Right, sorry," Paul said.

"Please, don't tell anyone," George said.

"Look, George, I appreciate that you want to help save John," Yoko said sincerely. "I know that you care about him just as much as Paul and I do, but it's not just because the Unknowables will maybe think it best that you don't remember any of this. It's a matter of doing what they think is best because the Shadows know, without a doubt, that you know. Because it's their doing. We can't let the Shadows have some piece of information and keep it from our people."

"Oh," Paul said, feeling very guilty all of a sudden. "I... didn't think of that."

"It's fine, Paul," Yoko sighed. "You were stressed out, you were under a lot of pressure. But now you've got to do what you know is right."

That made Paul feel terribly uneasy and he couldn't put his finger on exactly why that was. "Yeah," he said anyway.

"Paul?" George said.

"We can't let the Shadows be a step ahead of us if we can help it," Paul said. "I'm... I'm sorry, George. We're going to have to tell Barney."

George frowned. "Oh," he said. "Okay."

"You'll be okay," Paul said, reaching out to hold onto George's hand. "I promise, okay?"

George looked up. His eyes met Paul's and he sighed, squeezing Paul's hand. "I trust you."

Paul smiled. "Good. I'll keep you safe through all of this mess. I... I don't know what I'd do with myself if anything happened to you."

George smiled back at him. "So," he sighed. "When are we going to tell him — this Barney guy?"

"Well, there's no way for us to contact him or any of the Unknowables so we really just have to wait for him to show up," Paul said.

"And when will that happen?" George asked.

"No idea," Yoko sighed.

"Well, when is it likely to happen?" George asked.

"Not a clue," Paul sighed.

"Seems like a flawed system," George said.

"Time travel is complicated," Paul said and he shrugged.

"Got that much," George sighed. "Well, I ought to get going, I suppose. I told Pattie that I would meet her for dinner."

"Alright," said Paul. "Have a good evening."

George smiled. "You, too. Have a good night, Yoko."

"You do the same, George," said Yoko.

George pushed his chair back and got to his feet. "Bye, then," he said, waving as he went, across the room and out the door.

Paul watched him leave and he kept on looking at the door for a long while after he was gone. Silence stretched on between him and Yoko until she finally broke the silence and asked, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Hm?" Paul looked to her, quickly yanking himself from his thoughts. "Yeah, of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"We didn't talk about the George situation after what happened to Brian," Yoko said in a sober tone. "You saved him, and they killed him, and I know you want to try and save George. And now George knows that you know what his future holds. It must be tough. You can talk about it, you know."

"I don't know what his future holds is the thing, though," Paul said. "I have changed so much. I've made ripples — hell, I've made waves. Maybe I've changed enough. Maybe I... maybe he'll be okay. I have to hold onto that, or I'll drive myself absolutely mad."

"Yeah," Yoko sighed. "This is big, Paul. You've gone eight years without anyway here in sixties finding out. Well, except for me, but... well, that's a slightly different situation."

"Yeah, just a bit," Paul chuckled. "Well, anyway, there's not much point in worrying about it right at this very minute. We've got quite a few years before we really need to start worrying about George's health because all I can do now is encourage him to stop smoking — which I have, and he does smoke less than I remember him doing my first time round. And we can't do much about him knowing this big secret of ours until Barney or Tessa pays one of us a visit. No, the best thing to do is stay focused on John."

"Yeah," Yoko said. "Speaking of which, The Beatles are meant to break up next year. Doesn't particularly look like that'll be happening."

Paul smiled. "I know, isn't it great?"

"I'm happy for you," Yoko said.

"Happy for us," Paul corrected her. "This makes things easier for the two of us, you know. Keeping John right where we need him to be."

"Yeah," Yoko sighed happily. "You know, I've never said it out loud because I've always felt so terrible about it, but I've never truly believed that we could save him. These past few years, I've done my past to keep my expectations low."

"Don't feel bad about it," Paul said, and he shook his head. "I know exactly how you feel. In the beginning I was so sure about it. But as the years have gone on..." he trailed off and sighed. "Oh, I don't know. Things just keep on getting more and more complicated."

"Exactly," said Yoko. "But all the same, as of late... I'm starting to believe it, Paul."

Paul snorted. "Really? In the midst of all this is when you start to think it's possible?"

"Yes," Yoko said, smiling brightly. "Call me it reckless optimism, but I have newfound faith."

"Glad one of us does," Paul sighed. "I've been feeling more and more unsure with each day that comes."

"I'll just have to believe enough for the both of us, then," Yoko said.

"I'd appreciate it very much if you would," Paul sighed.

***

"John?" Paul called into the house as he walked in through the backdoor, tossing his keys down on kitchen counter and slipping out of his coat. He hung the coat up on the hook nailed into the wall by the backdoor. "I'm home!" he added, moving across the kitchen. He opened the fridge to examine its contents, considering what he might be able to make for dinner based on what he found there.

"How was your day?" John asked when he walked into the kitchen.

"Very good," Paul said, pulling tomatoes from the fridge and shutting the door. "I went into town and had coffee with George and Yoko."

"Oh, did George say how it went with Pattie?" John asked.

"Yes," Paul said, beaming. "They're going to get married."

"Oh, that's great!" John exclaimed.

"It is, yeah," Paul agreed. "And I've been asked to be the best man."

"That's sweet," John said.

Paul hummed, taking a bowl and some basil down from the cupboard above his head. He pulled a knife from a drawer and began chopping the tomatoes up as small as he could get them.

John came up behind him and, wordlessly, wrapped his arms around Paul's waist. He rested his chin on Paul's shoulder and watched him as he chopped the tomatoes into fine bits before mixing them in the bowl with the basil.

"You know," John said softly in Paul's ear, gently interrupting the comfortable silence that they'd been living in for a few minutes. "I've been thinking about the notion of marriage lately, especially the past couple days."

"Oh, yeah?" Paul chuckled. "You lookin' to get married, Johnny?"

"What if we did?" John said.

Paul froze, turning his head to look at John. It was an awkward angle, trying to look at John while his chin was still resting on Paul's shoulder. "John," Paul said, trying to laugh it off. "You know we can't."

John hummed.

Paul went back to mixing the tomatoes and basil together in the bowl. He took a ladle and used the back of it to crush the tomatoes, doing his best to focus on preparing dinner. It was difficult though, now that John had brought up the idea of the two of them getting married. It was preposterous in the age that they were living in. And yeah, Paul knew what the future held got marriage equality but it wasn't as if he could tell John about any of that. He did his best to focus on the task at hand, but it wasn't easy now that he was thinking about marrying John because, dear god, did he want that. He wanted that so badly, but there was just no way to make it happen. Not for a long time, anyway.

"Come with me," John said, unwrapping his arms from around Paul's waist.

"What?" Paul said, looking up from the bowl and over his shoulder only to see that John was walking away from him and toward the kitchen's exit. "John, what are you doing?"

"Come with me," John repeated himself before leaving the room.

"Wha—" Paul groaned, but his curiosity won out over his grumbling stomach. He pushed the bowl away from the edge of the counter so that Martha, wherever she may be roaming about the house, couldn't snatch anything out of the bowl while it was sat there, unattended. He strode across the kitchen and stepped through the door, into the sitting room. "John," he huffed. "What on earth are you —"

Paul froze then, taking in the sight before him.

John was sitting at the piano, his face illuminated by the candles that he had staggered across the top of the piano. Sitting beside the bench where John was seated, was Martha, panting happily. John didn't say anything at all. He only smiled and began to play a slow tune. It was romantic and sweet, and yet, in some ways, dark.

"Love is real," John sang.

"Real is love.

Love is feeling,

Feeling love.

Love is wanting

To be loved."

John kept on playing, smiling at the incredulous look on Paul's face. Beside him, Martha stood up and trotted over to Paul, sitting down at his feet and presenting her head for him to pet, and he did, scratching behind her ears while still watching John as he played.

"Love is touch,

Touch is love.

Love is reaching,

Reaching love.

Love is asking

To be loved."

John looked up, making eye contact with Paul as he sang his next verse:

"Love is you,

You and me.

Love is knowing

We can be."

"John, I —" Paul began, grinning from ear to ear.

But John cut him off with his final verse:

"Love is free,

Free is love.

Love is living,

Living love,

Love is needing

To be loved."

The hauntingly beautiful tune trailed off until John had ceased to press down on the keys of the piano. He rose to his feet, then, and crossed the sitting room to where Paul stood. "We write so many of our songs together now," he said, smiling. "I haven't surprised you with a song in so long."

Paul smiled.

"I sang a song that a wrote for you," John went on, "on the night I told you that I love you for the first time." He paused, holding Paul's face in his hands. "So I thought it only right that I do the same tonight."

"John," Paul sighed, still smiling. "What on earth are you on about?"

John smiled back at him and, without another word, he let go of Paul's face, he reached into his pocket, and he pulled something out. It was simple, silver and sleek, but there it was: a ring.

"John," Paul breathed.

"Paul," John said, blinking back tears. "Shit," he laughed. "Come on, now, I've got to be able to get through this." He breathed in deeply, and he looked into Paul's face. "Paul McCartney," he said, "will you marry me?"

"John," Paul said, barely containing the sob welling up in his chest. "John, we can't — you know we —"

"I know, I know," John said. "The law won't recognize our marriage. We can't get married. But we can make vows to one another and wear rings for one another and — and we'll know. We can have George and Ringo there, and Pattie and Maureen, and Yoko and —" John laughed. "And Martha. It will have to be a secret and it will be very small but it will be ours. It can be ours. If you want it."

"I..." Paul breathed shakily. "John, of course I want that. John, I —"

"Is that a yes?" John asked and Paul nodded eagerly. "Yes?" John said, nodding exaggeratedly along with Paul. "Yes?"

"Yes!" Paul gasped.

John exclaimed as he pulled Paul in close to him, kissing him deeply. Paul smiled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around John's neck. John broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against Paul's. "God, I love you so much."

"I love you," Paul said, grinning. His eyes grazed over John's face until he was looking into his eyes again. "We're going to get married," he said in a wondrous tone.

John beamed as he slipped the ring onto Paul's finger. "We're getting married."