The following morning, there was a knock at the door. Paul tried to guess who was standing on the other side before he opened it, settling on the idea that it was probably George or Yoko, only to surprise himself when he found that it was Tessa of all people.

"Hiya," she waved. "Beautiful speech yesterday. I'm so sorry for your loss, Paul."

Paul smiled tightly. "Right. Thanks, Tessa."

"Who's this?" John asked.

"Nice to meet you," Tessa said, reaching out to shake John's hand. "I'm Tessa Todd. I've worked with Paul, George, Yoko, and Barney on and off over the years."

"She broke into the apartment one time," Paul said.

"Which apartment?" John asked.

"Our second one."

"Oh, yeah," Tessa said. "Well, anyway, if you two would please follow me. You're both being summoned to a meeting with the Council."

"The council," John sighed. "Always with new people to meet. All right."

"I think the room won't look so unfamiliar to you," Tessa said. "Come on." She led them to a big room with a long table. Darren and Marbella were seated at the head of the table together. There were others toward the head of the table that Paul recognized, as well: Tessa's sister, Stephanie, as well as Lilly. Facing them were even many more people that Paul and John both recognize. George and Ringo are sat together, the four members of Queen were squished together, and then there was Stuart, sitting as far from everyone else as he could. Yoko came in a few moments after Paul and John.

"Welcome," Darren said in a voice stronger than Paul would have expected, given that Darren had been shot in the neck a few days previous. But then again, twenty-third century medical technology. "Sit, sit," Darren went on, gesturing for them to take their seats.

Yoko, Paul, and John brushed by Stuart awkwardly and sat with George and Ringo.

"Well, there are a few things to be addressed today," Marbella said. "But after we're through, you are all free to go home."

An excitement buzzed across the room.

"So," Marbella went on sharply. "It would be helpful if you could be quiet until we're through."

The room fell quiet. Tessa took her place at the top of the table.

Darren cleared his throat softly. "We have decided to disband the Unknowables."

"What?!" John cried. "After all of this fucking mess this is how it's going to end?!"

"Mr. Lennon, if you please!" Marbella cried, exasperated. "Many of our people who have survived have asked to have their memories wiped. They want out of this business, and who can blame them? Right? So we're going through with it. Those of us willing to stay in the business, those you see before you that is, are forming the Council. Meant for the sole purpose of taking down organizations such as the F.H.O."

"Speaking of the F.H.O.," Darren said. "We know that we have taken down but one branch of their organization. So we have devised a plan to keep all of you, as well as your families, safe. We don't think the other branches will came after you immediately, but once we start taking down more branches, we are nervous for what they may resort to."

"I'll be taking over as acting advisor for you four," Tessa said, extending a handshake to each member of Queen.

"And I'm taking over for the Beatles," Lilly said, smiling.

Paul matched her smile. "That's brilliant."

"Yes. well, you're going to have to move," Lilly said. "George was telling me you had a terrible fever once and it took an hour to get you to a hospital? What if there's an attempt made on your life. What will you do then, Paul McCartney?"

"All right, all right," Paul said and couldn't help but chuckle. "Mum."

"Don't make me use the voice I use on my children, Paul."

"Shall we arrange a new residence for you, Mr. McCartney and Mr. Lennon?" Darren cut in.

"Darren..." Paul shook his head. "Call me Paul."

"I've got to stay in New York for a little while, for reference," Yoko chimed in. "So if you want to be near me, and I know you do —"

"We could go to the States and get a farm," Paul said excitedly.

"Why do you want a farm so much?" John asked.

"I'd like a farm," George sighed heavily and smiled.

"Come with us! You and Olivia and Dhani! It'll be great!" Paul said then paused quite suddenly. "Wait a second, Yoko, why do you have to stay in New York?"

"Well..." Yoko said.

"Because of me," Stuart spoke for the first time.

"Oh." John said. "You."

"I don't get it." Paul shook his head.

"Paul," Yoko sighed. "I'm joining the Council."

"What?!" Paul exclaimed. "No! You can't! It's too dangerous!"

Yoko chuckled. "You can't tell me what to do. I'm not George."

"Hey!" George yelled.

"My point is," Yoko said. "I'm on an even playing field with you, Paul. I get it when you tell George and John and Ringo what they should do because they found out about all this, but I lived it. Same as you."

Paul pursed his lips. "Fine, you're right. I don't like it. But you're right."

"Now, a few of you," Marbella said. "Have the lucky option to forget about all of this. Mr. Lennon, Mr. Starkey, Mr. Mercury, and Mr. May. Should you choose to do this we will use an amnesiac and wipe your memories back to the moment before you were attacked, back to normal life."

"We get to decide?" Brian asked and everyone looked at him sharply. "Sorry. I've read a lot of science fiction and usually... usually you're not given the option."

"We're not in the business of using amnesiacs without given consent," Darren said. "At least, I'm not."

"But if you do choose to remember, you're getting a boat load of paperwork," Marbella snapped. "You will never speak of this."

"Paper work," George laughed. "Why would anyone ever talk about any of this? We'd only get ourselves locked up in a mental facility."

Freddie and Brian exchanged looks like they were both considering it, but none of them took the opportunity.

"Are you sure, John?" Paul asked. "I don't mind if you want to forget about all this nonsense."

"What, and leave you all alone again?" John rolled his eyes. "Not a chance, Macca."

"I've never been alone," Paul said. "But... thanks."

"We're in this together now," Ringo chimed in.

"Are you sure you don't want to forget about all this, man?" George said. "No offense but you seemed sort of... super traumatized."

Ringo laughed. "Yeah, well... I think I'm over the hump."

"Our families will all forget, right?" Stuart asked.

"Of course," Darren said. "They've been told so little as it is. You should all, of course, talk to them about this first. All in all, that's all we have to say on that. Your advisors will escort you either back to your families or home now."

"Harrison," Marbella said. "I do want to have a quick word with you."

Paul, John, Ringo, and Lilly waited back for George and said goodbye to most everyone else. Yoko hung back as well, but she no longer required an advisor to magic her around. As a member of the Council, she had been granted a watch which allowed her to travel through time and space the same way that the rest of them could by magic.

"Honestly, most of us use the watches these days," Lilly said, flashing her own. "So much easier to get your timing accurate."

That made Paul think of Barney and his heart ached.

George came out of the room after speaking with Marbella and Darren laughing heartily. "Right, let's go."

"What did they want?" Paul asked.

"Asked me to join the Council." George snorted. "I said absolutely not."

Paul smiled. "Good. Thank you."

"'Course/" George clapped him on the shoulder. "Now let's go home."

"We need to get packing," John said. "Since we're apparently moving to the States."

"Oh, yes, I'll have your new locations for you within the week," Lilly said. "So start packing. Are you all headed to the same place?"

"Well, I have to go catch up with my family," Ringo said.

"Marbella will take you," Lilly said. "She's in charge of them."

"Oh, good." Ringo looked nervous. "George, you're coming with me, aren't you?"

George frowned. "I'm afraid Olivia and Dhani are spoken for. They've been back home, safe and sound, for a few days."

"Right," Ringo sighed. "Well, off to get my wife and child. Although, I've been meaning to tell you, guys...."

"Let me guess," Paul muttered.

"Oh, here we go," George said.

"Maureen and I are getting divorced. Even with with mind erasing and all, and she'll probably take it, mind you."

Paul sighed. "Yeah."

"Yeah?!" Ringo said.

"The divorce is actually quite late," Paul said. "For me, at least."

"Wow." Ringo seemed shocked. Soon, he was off to meet up with Maureen and Lee.

Lilly came out of the council room soon after. She said that she would be back for Ringo later. "Do any of you need to do anything before I take you home?" she asked.

Paul glanced sideways at his husband. "Do you want to talk to Stuart?"

John grimaced. "Not today. One day. When the time's right."

So Lilly took them home. They all went to the same place, even Yoko tagged along. "Here you are," Lilly said when they landed in front of the house. "Home sweet home. Morning of December ninth, 1980."

Paul breathed in a deep breath of fresh air and squeezed John's hand. "December ninth," he said. "Sounds like we've got all the time in the world."

"That we do," John said.

Lilly was off soon and the four of them hurried inside for some breakfast. (And alcohol. Copious amounts of alcohol.)

"Another rounds of Bloody Marys, anyone?" John slurred around two in the afternoon when Ringo stumbled through the front door, groaning. "RINGO!" John cried.

"Oh, 'ello," he mumbled, yawning. "It's been another day for me."

"Help yourself to some alcohol," Paul said. "It'll liven you up." And it did.

The five of them spent the afternoon and evening laughing and joking about the events of the past several weeks. There was really no option but to laugh about it. They discussed what was to come. Ringo was staying in England. Paul and John were going to Arizona. George and Yoko were both going to New York.

"I'll be sad to see you all go," Ringo sighed. "Really puts a damper on the next album, huh?"

John rolled his eyes. "You people. Always onto the next Beatles album."

"Oh, I can come clean now!" Paul laughed. "I was only trying to rope you into another album to tie to you down with work. You know, to keep you alive and all. You're welcome. But now? I don't care. Make an album or don't, no difference to me."

"I'm doing a solo album," George blurted out suddenly.

The rest of the Beatles raised their eyebrows at him.

"Well, that's that, then," Ringo sighed. "The Beatles are broken up."

Paul frowned. "Oh, not again."

"We're not broken up," George said sharply. "We just need a break from each other. We need to try out our own stuff."

John looked like he was thinking very hard about something. "Yeah..." he said slowly. "Paulie, what if we made an album? Just the two of us?"

Paul's frown turned into a grin. "That'd be brilliant."

"Looks like everything worked out for us in the end," Yoko mused.

Paul took a look around, smiling at his friends and the love of his life. "Yeah. Looks like it did," he agreed, ready to have some peace at last.

***

Before Paul got the peace and quiet he craved, however, Tessa arrived in his kitchen the next morning. "George, it's time," she said.

"Oh, shit," George said. "Come on, Paul. We've got to go on one more mission."

"What?!" Paul said.

"NO!" John yelled.

"Think of it more as an adventure," George said quickly.

"Well, then I'm coming, too," John demanded.

"Not a chance," Tessa said, rolling her eyes. "You haven't been in the game long enough. Come on, you two. I haven't got all day."

George grabbed Paul by the hand.

Paul frowned. "Where are we going now?"

George just smiled at him.